Obituary

 

Sister Angela Mary Parker, IHM

Sister Angela Mary Parker, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Monday, August 9, 2021, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.

She was born on December 20, 1927, in Rocky Mount, NC, and given the name Ramsey Christina. She was the daughter of the late Peter Abdo and Rose Kannan Parker. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 7, 1953, made her temporary profession of vows on August 3, 1956, and her final profession of vows on August 4, 1959.

Sister Angela Mary served as a teacher at the following schools: Little Flower Elementary School in Bethesda, MD, from 1956 to 1969; Cathedral Elementary School in Raleigh, NC, from 1969 to 1972; Mother of Mercy Elementary School in Washington, NC, from 1972 to 1973; St. Mary Elementary School in Manhasset, NY, from 1973 to 1978; and St. Paul Elementary School in New Bern, NC, from 1978 to 1984.

Sister also served as director of the soup kitchen at the Religious Community Services in New Bern, NC, from 1984 to 1992; secretary in the dietary department at St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton, PA, from 1993 to 1999; support services at the Marian Convent in Scranton, PA, from 1999 to 2006; volunteer in Heartworks Gift Boutique, and she was a Telespond volunteer at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA, from 2006 to 2014.

From 2014 until the time of her death, Sister Angela Mary was a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education, and Master of Science degree in education from Marywood College.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Peter Abdo, Jr. (infant), four sisters, Rosa Parker, Grace Ward, Evelyn Campbell, and Lillie Fagala, and a cousin, Sister Maryla Farfour, IHM.

She is survived by nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and by the members of the IHM Congregation.   

Interment will be at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA. Due to restrictions related to the coronavirus, the funeral mass and graveside service are private.

Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired IHM Sisters c/o the IHM Sisters Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509.

Vespers: https://video.ibm.com/recorded/130791625

Funeral: https://video.ibm.com/recorded/130794256


Sister Angela Mary Parker , IHM
Funeral Eulogy, August 13, 2021
by Sister Mary Ellen Higgins, IHM, Congregation Vice-President

  "The life and passion of a person leaves an imprint on the ether of a
place. Love does not remain within the heart, it flows out to build
secret tabernacles of love in many different landscapes."

This quote from John O' Donohue seems to capture so well the life and ministry of our Sister Angela Mary.  She was born to Rose and Peter Parker just before Christmas in 1927.  She had four sisters: Rose, Grace, Evelyn, and Lillie, and one brother Peter.  I have no doubt that they were all there to greet her along with her niece Lisa as this past Monday she stepped into the Heart of God, that eternal tabernacle of love. 

Ange grew up, as she frequently explained to others, working in a restaurant her Dad owned in Rocky Mount, NC.  There she learned to nourish others not only with food but also with a deep and warm hospitality that seemed to ooze from her always.

Sister Angela Mary was a wonderful teacher. She was greatly beloved by her students as attested to by the number of them who continued to stay in touch, flying her to Bethesda for the Little Flower school reunion, visiting her here at OLP, and not long ago dedicating one of the OLP courtyards in her honor.

After 28 years of teaching in Maryland, North Carolina, New York. Ange went on to minister at St. Joseph's Center, where she continued to spread love and kindness to the residents and staff there. Aunt Chris, the name her family fondly called her, could be seen each year at the Festival for St. Joe's, buying gifts for all her nieces, nephews, and their children.  She delighted in wrapping the gifts and making sure they had them for Christmas morning. She loved you all dearly and that love and concern never waned.

Ange also ministered for ten years in an Ecumenical soup kitchen run by Religious Community Services in New Bern, NC, and seven and half of those years she was the director.  The soup kitchen thrived under Ange due to her unique ability to sweetly persuade people to join the cause of helping others.  After ten years of service, the New Bern local paper, the Sun Journal, wrote an article about Ange. It begins this way, "Sister Angela Mary finds her greatest enjoyment in people." In that same article, the President of the Religious Community Services Organization said of Ange, "It was an absolute joy to work with Sister Angela Mary. Her leadership, sparkling personality, and dedication to others in need has been the heart of this Soup Kitchen for the past ten years."

Ange and her friend Eleanor lived together 50 years ago in Manhasset, NY, and remained good friends. Eleanor shared with me this past Tuesday that Ange always made time to visit her while she was home caring for her elderly mother.  Eleanor’s mother's leg bone never mended, and when Ange came to visit, she would pray over her mother's leg.  Eleanor said it always helped my mother and her mother would say, "Sister Angela Mary has a special healing power." I suggest it was the healing power of love, the same love, and compassion that we see in all the gospel miracles.

In Ange's room, there is a plaque that she received as a gift. It captures well the life of Sister Angela Mary.  It reads:

"Your kindness and generosity, your outstanding loving service to friends and family; your extraordinary faith and strength in the face of stress; all of these bear witness to the truth that you are an Amazing woman of beautiful character and magnificent achievements."

Thank you, Ange, for the multitude of tabernacles of love that you have created in so many hearts and places. Continue to remember all of us before the Lord.

Ange’s nephew, Steve will now place the scriptures on Ange's casket, for indeed she heard the word of God, she staked her life upon it and received life to the full.  The word now beckons her home.