Mother of nine

Mrs. Leone Schlax, 85, died June 13. A Chicago native, she was raised in Our Lady of Victory Parish, Chicago, where she remained until five years ago when she moved to Palatine. She was a mother of nine children, including Father Charles Schlax, associate pastor at St. Mary, Des Plaines.

Sr. Dorothy Schaller

Music teacher, principal

School Sister of St. Francis Dorothy Schaller, 87, died June 11. She made her final profession of vows with the School Sisters of St. Francis community in 1937 and lived her religious ministry as a music teacher, serving in several states. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was principal at St. Beatrice, Schiller Park, from 1951-54; and at St. Mary, Buffalo Grove, from 1954-57.

Sr. M. Tarcisia Bucki

Pharmacist, teacher

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Tarcisia Bucki, 88, died June 10. She entered the congregation at age 14 from Five Holy Martyrs Parish and made her final vows in 1936.

She first ministered in child care at Guardian Angel Day Care Center, Chicago. Later she cared for the elderly at St. Joseph Home of Chicago and then served as a teacher at St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr School, Chicago. She earned a degree from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in 1941. She was assigned to St. Joseph Home of Chicago from 1945-48, where she was in charge of the pharmacy and medical records.

During that time she also helped to establish the Midwest Association of Sister Pharmacists and served as its president, vice-president, and secretary.

She was instrumental in conducting the first Catholic Conference for the Aged in Illinois and was an advisor on medical needs for Catholic nursing homes here.

She began teaching again in 1948, serving at Madonna High School for 20 years. She served as vocation directress for the congregation from 1952-68. Afterwards she returned to pharmacy sevice in South Dakota, Indiana, and at Boys Town, Neb.

Sr. M. Louise Doyle

teacher

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Louise Doyle, 86, died June 10. She was in the 61st year of her religious profession in the congregation. A native of Michican, she spent 49 years ministering in education in various states. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel from 1946-48.

Sr. M. Virginitas Piorkowski

Teacher, lab tech

Felician Sister Mary Virginitas Piorkowski, 88, died June 3. A Chicago native, she entered the Felician Sisters in 1932 and professed her final vows in 1940. She taught at schools in several states.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Wenceslaus from 1934-42 and 1963-65; Holy Innocents from 1945-46 and 1966-68; St. Turibius from 1965-66; Holy Rosary, North Chicago, from 1968-70; Our Lady of Ransom, Niles, from 1970-71; and St. Damian, Oak Forest, from 1971-73. She then ministered to the elderly at St. Andrew Home in Niles as a librarian and floor supervisor from 1973-94.

Fr. James Lyons

Author, chaplain

Father James Lyons, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago whose ministries included that of author, chaplain, radio journalist and educator, died June 3. He would have been 80 this month. At the time of his death, he was in residence at St. Peter Parish, Round Lake, where he served as pastor and pastor emeritus prior to his retirement in 1994.

A highly educated priest, Father Lyons earned an MS in journalism from Northwestern University, an MA in philosophy from DePaul University and a Ph.D. in English from Loyola University in the years following his studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein. He was ordained in 1951 at Mundelein by Cardinal Samuel Stritch.

Father Lyons served his first years of parish ministry, 1951-58, as assistant pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, on the city’s Southwest Side. For the next eight years he was assistant pastor at St. Gertrude in Chicago, and then was briefly assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish, Winnetka. Beginning in 1983 and until his retirement in 1994, Father Lyons was pastor of St. Peter Parish in Round Lake.

He became the chaplain at St. George Hospital in 1967, and served in that capacity until 1983. That hospital was replaced in 1972 by Palos Community Hospital. For 10 years beginning in 1973, he was director of the religion department at Palos Community Hospital, and served as Chaplain for the Catholic Physicians Guild for a year in 1982.

Father Lyons published his first book, “Pope John Speaks on Racial Justice,” for Paulist Press in 1964. This was followed by “Steps Into Light,” Ave Maria Press, 1978 and “Newman’s Dialogues on Certitude,” Officium Libri Catholici, 1978.

Br. Frank Dusiewicz

Teacher, coach

Congregation of the Resurrection Brother Frank Dusiewicz, 68, died May 16. A Chicago native, he attended St. John Cantius elementary school and Archbishop Weber High School. He received a B.A. in physical education from Chicago State University. He professed perpetual vows with the Congregation of the Resurrection in 1959.

He served at Gordon Tech High School from 1963-79 as a physical education teacher, baseball coach, athletic director, and he worked with the wrestling program.

He served at Archbishop Weber High School from 1979-90, as athletic director, baseball coach, and physical education teacher.

He was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1981. He is survived by a sister, Lorraine Jackimiec.

Andrew Brongiel

St. Barbara Deacon

Deacon Andrew Brongiel died April 8 at age 75. Ordained a deacon in 1992, he served at St. Barbara, Throop Street since that time.

In addition to being a full-time sacristan, he also was a minister of care, chaplain of the Holy Name Society and of the St. Barbara senior citizens. He regularly presided at wake services and served in the bereavement ministry. He is survived by his wife, Lillian, two daughters, Joanne, who resides in Orland Park, and Andrea, of Chicago.

; and several grandchildren.

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