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December 17, 1928 – December 25, 2024
Mary Adele White was the fifth child and first daughter born to Thomas and Elizabeth White in time for Christmas of 1928. The family was completed by one more daughter. The White family was multi-generational because Mr. White worked in his father-in-law's pharmacy in Philadelphia. Mary Adele would later relate stories of her grandparents and parents sending the children on errands to deliver needed remedies to people in the neighborhood. She would also reminisce about her brothers' exploits and attributed her wonderful sense of humor to her family.
Mary Adele received her primary education at the local parish school. A move to the suburbs enabled her to attend Notre Dame High School, Moylan, PA, administered by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She later wrote, "Moylan was a marvelous experience for me.... They were so caring. They were respectful of us. They were respectful to one another. They were conscientious about teaching. So I just knew from the beginning they were marvelous. And then as time went on, I knew that I belonged with them and hoped to be able to join them."
Mary Adele subsequently entered with the Sisters of Notre Dame in August of 1946. Much later, on her 70th Jubilee in 2016, Mary Adele recalled, "When someone from another faith asked how I could have left home and family at age 17, I responded that of course, it was hard to leave my wonderful parents, my four older brothers (three of them just back from World War II) and my darling sister Denise, much younger than I. But setting my face toward the Sisters of Notre Dame novitiate was like mounting the nose cone of a rocket aimed at the Sisters of Notre Dame. As the saying goes: 'the rest is history!'" What a history her life as a Sister of Notre Dame has left us!
Sister Mary Adele spent her early years as a teacher; she relayed one memory from this time. “I took over a first grade and that was marvelous. The (other) first grade teacher was incredible. I only had to ‘mind’ them; I didn’t have to teach them anything. So it was a good beginning for me—but not very realistic.” After DC and Maryland, she was missioned to New York. She noted of her Brooklin experience that it was a very funny and fun place to be because of the language. “You thought you were in a foreign country, until you got used to the- Brooklynese.”
She also taught in South Carolina before returning to Maryland and rounded out her elementary teaching career back in DC, where she first began.
Then Mary Adele’s life took another turn. She was asked by the Mistress of Studies, “Sister, are you studying what you really want to study?” “What would you like to study?” And I replied: “Aging.” And she yelled out: “AGING!” “Do you really want to do it?” I said: “I’ve always wanted to study aging.” And so, Mary Adele launched onto a totally new path. She attended North Texas University on a federal grant to study the Sociological and Psychological Aspects of Aging, then interned at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, where she gained hands-on experience and “learned SO much!” She subsequently worked for14 years as a Delaware County Protective Services Specialist for the aging. She was then missioned to serve as the Community Coordinator at Villa Julie, the Maryland Province retirement home. It was “work” she loved.
In 1994, the Sisters living at the Villa needed to be transferred to assisted living and skilled care facilities in Emmittsburg, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity. Mary Adele followed, serving as their Community Coordinator for 16 years. Accompanying the Sisters on their journey was a constant source of inspiration and delight for her. She noted that “only recently did I discover that I am now one of them.” In 2010, when Emmitsburg could no longer accommodate them, she helped the Sisters transition to Mt. Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati. She then returned to the Villa, this time as a resident herself. At the time she observed “now that I’m on the receiving end of elder care myself, I continue to believe that the nose cone of my rocket was pointed in exactly the right direction” those many years ago. She concluded: “How good God is!”
In the fall of 2019, Mary Adele made one final trip. She had discerned very seriously and prayerfully, having read her own signs of aging, (gerontologist that she was), that this was her time and her turn to move to the Health Center at Mt. Notre Dame where she had shepherded her Sisters years before. Mary Adele prospered in her new setting and was a wisdom figure beloved by many around her.
Mary Adele loved her family and they were devoted to her. She had many stories to share about her escapades with her older brothers. Many family members trekked to Mt. Notre Dame over the years, keeping her in touch with all things east and north and south. She was so appreciative of their time with her. She was known for her lovely Irish wool skirts and sweaters and pageboy haircut, always looking pert. Her favorite word was “marvelous!” She was an avid reader. Mary Adele was also known for her kindness and caring ways. She was always attentive to the Sisters around her, especially those struggling with memory loss, as was she.
Then, in the twinkling of an eye, Mary Adele left us, heaven-ward bound, on Christmas night.
Mary Adele, of happy memory, pray for us!
BIO DATA
- Born December 17, 1928 at Philadelphia, PA
- Parents: Thomas I. White (born: Philadelphia, PA) I. and Elizabeth Gallagher (born: Philadelphia, PA)
- Siblings: Thomas White, G. Robert White, John P.T. White, Richard White and Denise White McCarthy
- Baptized on January 6, 1929 at St Monica Church, Philadelphia, PA
- Entered: August 11, 1946 at Ilchester, MD
- Professed First Vows: April 2, 1949
- Professed Final Vows: July 31, 1954
Education:
- Notre Dame High School, Moylan, PA, 1946
- B.S. of Education, Trinity College, Washington, D.C., 1966
- M.S. in Studies of Aging, North Texas State University, Denton, TX, 1974
Assignments Included:
- 2/1/1949-8/31/1949 Teacher, St. Stephen, Washington, D.C.
- 1949-1956 Teacher, St. James, Mt. Rainier, MD
- 1956-1960 Teacher, St. Catherine of Genoa, Brooklyn, NY
- 1960-1966 Teacher, St. Anthony, Florence, SC
- 9/1/1966-12/31/1966 Teacher, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ilchester, MD
- 1/1/1967-1971 Teacher, St. Martin, Gaithersburg, MD
- 1971-1972 Teacher, St. Martin, T. Street, Washington, D.C.
- 1972-1973 Student, Denton, TX
- 1973-1974 Intern, Philadelphia, PA
- 1974-1976 Instructor, Geriatric Center, Philadelphia, PA
- 1976-1990 Protective Services Specialist, Delaware County Services on Aging, Philadelphia, PA
- 1990-1995 Community Coordinator, Villa Julie Infirmary, Stevenson, MD
- 1995-2011 Ministry to Retired Sisters, Villa St. Michael, Emmitsburg, MD
- 2011-2012 Sabbatical
- 2012-2019 Ministry of Prayer and Medical Driving, Villa Julie, Stevenson, MD
- 2019-2024: Ministry of Prayer and Presence, Mount Notre Dame Health Center, Reading, OH
Died: December 25, 2024, at Mount Notre Dame Health Center, Reading, OH
Sister Kim Dalgarn, SNDdeN
Sister Colette Didier, SNDdeN
December 29, 2024