A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister René Fischer, D.C., was celebrated Feb. 28, 2014, at the Seton Residence Chapel in Evansville, Ind. Burial followed at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.
Sister René died Feb. 20, 2014, at 94 years of age at Seton Residence in Evansville. In 2013, she celebrated 71 years of vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Born March 17, 1922, in Austin, Texas, Sister René was one of five children born to Joseph Francis Fischer and Julia Dorothy (Schutze) Fischer. She was baptized Dorris Marie Fischer.
Sister René was a 1939 graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Austin. Sister René entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis in 1942. In 1945, she completed the nursing diploma program at St. Joseph School of Nursing in Chicago, Ill. In 1949, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing education at DePaul University in Chicago, then her Master of Arts degree in education administration from DePaul in 1953.
Sister René’s first assignment was at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago where she served as a head nurse (1945 – 1946), a clinical instructor and nursing supervisor (1946 – 1952), and as director of nursing service (1952 – 1953). Sister René oversaw the master’s nursing program at DePaul University from 1953 to 1956. From 1956 to 1959, she served as administrator at County Hospital in Mobile, Ala., and then as administrator at St. Joseph Hospital in Alton, Ill., from 1959 to 1965. In 1965, she was missioned to Los Angeles, Calif., where she served as administrator at St. Vincent’s Medical Center until 1967. From 1967 to 1983, Sister served as director of education and training at St. Paul Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and then in the same role at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Mo., from 1983 to 1986. In 1986, Sister René was missioned to El Paso, Texas, where she served first at Hotel Dieu Medical Center as mission coordinator (1986 – 1987) and then as interim president and CEO from August to December of 1987. In 1988, Sister René returned to DePaul Health Center to serve as vice president of mission until 1991 when she began to serve as a patient representative there. In 1992, Sister began volunteering at DePaul and she served in personnel and pastoral care. From 1998 to 2002, Sister served as a volunteer at Seton Medical Center in Austin. In 2002, Sister entered the Ministry of Prayer in Evansville, where she served until the time of her death.
Sister was preceded in death by her brothers, Francis Henry Fischer and Joseph Francis Fischer. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Helen Litton of Austin and Catherine Flahive of Austin; many nieces and nephews; friends; and her Sisters in Community.