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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Fr. Vendelin Spendov

PASTOR, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER

Slovenian Franciscan Father Vendelin Spendov, 87, died July 1.

Born in Slovenia, he entered the Franciscan order in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1947. He came to the United States in 1950, and spent most of his religious life in Chicago. He was associate pastor at St. Stephen (22nd Place) from 1954-68 and pastor there from 1980-86. He also was associate pastor at St. George (Ewing Street) from 1977-80. In Lemont, he was local superior from 1986- 98 and founding pastor of the Slovenian Catholic Center. In all locations, he directed choirs and choral groups, played the organ and composed church music.

Sr. Loretta Steffen

EDUCATOR, PROVINCIAL

School Sister of St. Francis Loretta Steffen, 101, died Aug. 3 in Milwaukee, Wis.

A Nebraska native, she entered the congregation in 1923.

She was a teacher, principal, account clerk, first councilor and provincial in Illinois and Wisconsin. Sister Loretta taught at St. Joseph School, Waukegan (1931- 34) and served as principal there (1934-38).

Fr. J. Richard VandeVelde

PROFESSOR

Jesuit Father J. Richard VandeVelde, a longtime Loyola University Chicago professor who also served as business manager of Company magazine, died Aug. 11. He was 74.

A Chicago native, Father VandeVelde attended St. Thomas of Canterbury School and Loyola Academy in Wilmette. He entered the Jesuits in 1953. Before he was ordained in 1968, Father VandeVelde earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin from Loyola University; a master’s degree and a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Chicago; and a licentiate in philosophy from West Baden College.

Father VandeVelde taught continuously at Loyola University since 1968. “Father VandeVelde was always ready to give his time to students and university programs of any sort,” said Jesuit Father Donald F. Rowe. “He enjoyed cooking on Saturday nights for his community and friends. Summers would find him out in front of the Jesuit house, planting and tending flowers. I think the food, flowers and friendship softened the absoluteness of math.”

In 2003 Father VandeVelde entered semi-retirement, moving to a less demanding teaching schedule at Loyola University. At that same time, however, he volunteered to serve as business manager for Company magazine.

He is survived by his brother, Gerald VandeVelde.

Sr. Sarah Fogarty

MISSIONER

Maryknoll Sister Sarah Theresa (Mary Gregoria) Fogarty, 94, died Aug. 16 in Maryknoll, N.Y.

A Chicago native, she graduated from St. Mary High School in 1933 and attended Mundelein College for one year. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters at Ossining, N.Y., from Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in 1935. She received the religious name Sister Mary Gregoria.

In 1938, Sister Sarah was assigned to Korea. She went first to Pengyang for two years, then to Chinnampo. She studied Japanese for two years since Korea at that time was under Japanese rule. In December 1941, at the beginning of the Second World War, she was interned at Yeng You until June 1942 when, along with other Maryknoll Sisters, she was repatriated to the United States.

Residing for several years at the motherhouse and Bethany convent, Sister Sarah worked at the Maryknoll Society’s Field Afar office. After one year teaching in St. Louis, she was sent to Hawaii, where she taught in grade schools and English as a Second Language to immigrants until 1988.

In 1988 Sister Sarah was assigned to the Maryknoll School in Yokkaichi, Japan. She retired in 1990 at St. Catherine’s Convent, Honolulu. She later returned to the residential care facility in Maryknoll.

Sr. Loretta Ruedisueli

TEACHER, PRINCIPAL

Adrian Dominican Sister Loretta (Louis Virginia) Ruedisueli, 97, died Aug. 16 in Adrian, Mich.

A Detroit native, she spent 35 years ministering in education in Illinois, West Virginia and Michigan. She also was the congregation’s archivist and a secretary and bookkeeper.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Good Counsel (1934-38), St. Philip Neri (1938-42) and St. Columbanus (1942-50).

Sr. Mary Therese Kane

EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR

BVM Sister Mary Therese (Thomas Ann) Kane, 81, died Aug. 20 in Dubuque, Iowa. Sister was a Chicago native who attended St. Timothy School and graduated from Immaculata High School in 1945. She entered the BVM congregation the same year.

She was coordinator/director of religious education at several parishes in the Diocese of Joliet. She also taught in eastern Iowa and Washington state in her early years of ministry.

She is survived by a brother, John.