+Sister Mary Odile Cahoon, R.I.P.
Sister Mary Odile Cahoon (© S. Edith Bogue)
Sister Mary Odile Cahoon passed away on Sunday morning. She will be missed by all her Benedictine Sisters and the many others who were touched by her life.
Sister Mary Odile Cahoon
Sister Mary O., as she was known, was a scholar, teaching biology at the College of St. Scholastica for many years. In the 1970s, she was invited to be one of the first two women to “winter over” at the research station in Antarctica. She later became department chair, academic dean, vice president and trustee at the college. She served the monastic community as treasurer for over a decade.
That list of accomplishments certainly doesn’t capture Sister Mary O.’s delightful sense of humor – wry and clever – nor her relish for enjoying life. With her blood sister, Sister Janelle, she undertook a several-day burro trip through the Grand Canyon. More recently, she and Sister Donna Schroeder participated in an African safari educational program for women in science. She founded a study-abroad program in Ireland, and never tired of visiting there. She loved all things Irish.
In spite of her many responsibilities – she served on a number of boards along with her other work – Sister Mary Odile was faithful to the Benedictine horarium of prayer, and was ready to offer hospitality however it was needed. She will certainly be missed by many!
Funeral Services in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel
- Wake: Friday, October 28 at 7 p.m
- Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2011.
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