Sister Marie O'Connor, who worked at Mercy hospitals in Carmichael and Sacramento for more than 35 years, died Jan. 18 after a lengthy illness. She was 76.
Sister O'Connor entered the Sisters of Mercy in Auburn in 1955 amid a wave of Catholic nuns who emigrated from her native Ireland to California. She earned an associate's degree at Our Lady of Mercy College in Auburn in 1958 and worked for four years in central services at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.
After traveling to Ireland to help recruit nuns, she returned to California and worked from 1969 to 1989 as an EKG/EEG technician at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael.
From 1994 until she retired in 2006, she warmly greeted and assisted patients, visitors and employees from behind the information desk at Mercy General Hospital.
One of eight children in her family, Sister O'Connor was born in 1935 in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland. She took her final vows with the Sisters of Mercy in 1962.
After retiring, she assisted other nuns, volunteered and later served in prayer ministry at Mercy Convent in Sacramento.
She lived most recently at Our Lady of Lourdes Retirement Center in Auburn.
Survivors include her brothers, Larry and Michael. A Mass of Christian Burial was said Tuesday. Donations in memory of Sister O'Connor may be made to the Sisters of Mercy retirement fund, 535 Sacramento St., Auburn, CA 95603.
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