Sister Grace Marie (Joan Grace) Dunn D.C., aged 89, died peacefully on March 17, 2025, at St. Louise House in Albany, N.Y. She was born on August 15, 1935 in Waterbury, Connecticut, and raised there, one of six children of Lawrence A. and Grace Alma (Thurston) Dunn.
Sister Grace Marie graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury in 1953 and entered the Daughters of Charity in 1955 from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Naugatuck, Connecticut. In 1964, she received her B.A. in Education from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, and earned her Master of Science in Education from State University of New York, N.Y., in 1974.
Sister Grace Marie served as a teacher at St. Catherine Labouré School in Wheaton, Maryland (1956-1961) and Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, Maryland (1961-1968). Sister then served as principal at Our Lady of Lourdes in Utica, New York (1968-1974), St. Ann’s School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. (1974-1981), St. Joseph’s Parish-School in New York, N.Y. (1981-1991), and St. Peter’s Cathedral School in Wilmington, Delaware (1991-1993). Sister Grace Marie was missioned in 1993 to serve as Provincial Councillor for the Province of Albany in New York, until 2002. Following her governance ministry, Sister served as VP for Mission Integration at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, New York (2002-2015).
Sister Grace Marie returned to Albany in 2015 where she served as a Volunteer Coordinator (2015-2017) and Assistant Local Community Superior from 2017 to 2019. In 2022, Sister Grace Marie entered the Ministry of Prayer at St. Louise House in Albany, where she served until the time of her death.
A wake service was held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, and the funeral Mass took place the following day with interment at St. Agnes Cemetery, Albany. Sister Grace Marie was predeceased by her parents, her siblings and their spouses William (Helen) Dunn; Lawrence J. (Aldine) Dunn; Patricia (John) Gasper; Rosemary (Joseph) Healy; Genevieve (Thomas) O’Dea; as well as a nephew, James Healy. She is survived by her beloved nieces and nephews, her Sisters in Community, and many friends.