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province in Rome at the Center for
Spiritual Development. Our task there
was to learn to implement changes
brought about by the Second Vatican
Council and bring them back to our
respective provinces.
After working with Sister Margaret
Ellen Traxler, SSND, in opening Maria
Shelter on Chicago’s South Side, I
became involved with Sister House in
1992. An SSND ministry, Sister House
on the Near Northwest Side is a residential
program for women in addiction
rehabilitation. The program is housed in
a former convent that is more than 80
years old and needs a lot of attention.
I’m the maintenance engineer. We have
fixed up the inside and now we have to
raise money to fix up the outside.
Two and a half years ago, I spent
six months in Pedro Juan Caballero,
Paraguay, carving statues of St. Gerard
Majella and the Immaculate Conception
(each 7 feet tall) in a native wood, trebel,
and painting a Resurrection mural (in a
Paraguayan style) for the church of St.
Gerard Majella parish, an SSND ministry.
I spent an additional two months
there this year doing remodeling work.
The teachers who influenced me
most at AOL were Sister Francine (biology)
and Sister Eudocia (history). Sister
Francine was most influential in my decision
to become a School Sister of Notre
Dame.
I became a member of the AOL
Alumnae Board because of my concern
that the thousands of AOL grads remain
faithful and grateful
to their alma
mater and the
School Sisters of
Notre Dame.
Faith Kilburg
McNamara ’48
I earned a bachelor’s
degree at St.
Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN., and a
master’s degree at the University of
Wisconsin. I worked as a teacher with
the Chicago Board of Education for
more than 31 years. I am married and
the mother of two daughters. During the
10 years we lived in Brainerd, I could
see AOL’s Administration Building from
my kitchen window. We have lived in
Beverly for the last 33 years in a house
4
five blocks from my childhood home. I
have been enjoying retirement since
1991.
My most influential teachers were
Miss Mary Cahill, Sister Cecile and
Sister Mona. All were wonderful teachers,
instilling in me a lifelong interest in
the areas in which they taught (history,
music and literature, respectively), and a
recognition of the importance of a good
teacher to one’s success in and enjoyment
of school.
The aspect of my AOL experience
that has remained is the dedication of
the nuns and lay teachers—a realization
which came to me as I reached adulthood
and became a teacher myself.
What also has remained with me are the
special bonds which exist, not only with
my personal friends, but all AOL alums
and SSNDs because of our common
experience.
I came to the Alumnae Board quite
by accident after volunteering to work
on one event and have enjoyed it ever
since. Although the focus of the board
has changed since the school closed, the
group is still cooperative and hard-working.
It is a pleasure to be part of it.
My other
activities include
the Beverly Art
Center and St.
Mary’s College
Alumnae.
Charlene
Molitor Oliver
’59
After graduating
from AOL, I attended Bogan Junior
College and DePaul University part time
for four years while working for
Continental Assurance Company. I married
Bob Oliver in 1962. (He died in
1996.) We moved from the South Side
of Chicago to Downers Grove in 1967.
There our five children grew up and
from there they were married. I now
have 14 grandchildren. I worked part
time for Madigan’s, a clothing and
department store, and later as a supervisor
for Allendale Insurance. After
Allendale merged with another firm in
1999, I retired early. Now I attend the
College of Du Page and am a member
of Phi Theta Kappa, a community college
honor fraternity.
Sister Ann Clare was my home-
room teacher when I was a sophomore
and a senior. I remember talking a lot
with her and really enjoyed this. I had
many excellent teachers, but I remember
her most.
I have gotten involved with my
church and found it to be very fulfilling,
so when I saw the note in the Longwood
Update saying volunteers were needed, I
decided to contact AOL. My mother
also worked with her class reunions, so
I’m following in her steps.
Through my church, I am involved
with the stewardship and service committees,
PADS, Medical Missions, Right
to Life, Bible study and a prayer group.
I co-chair the Sunshine Group, whose
members supply hot meals for senior
parish members
and gifts of
baked goods to
parishioners after
a death in their
family.
Pat Sullivan
Roach ’48
I was the firstborn
of Margaret C.
Sullivan Sullivan
and John P. Sullivan in Oak Park, IL,
on Dec. 12, 1930. I graduated from St.
Margaret of Scotland Grade School in
1944, then went on to my mother’s high
school, the Academy of Our Lady, graduating
in 1948. In 1952 I graduated
from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
in Indiana with a major in drama and
minors in biology, English and French. I
earned a master’s degree in educational
administration and supervision from
Loyola University, Chicago, in 1957. I
spent 39 years in education, four years
as a teacher and 35 as a principal in elementary
and junior high schools in
Worth (IL) School District 127.
Influential teachers included, but are
not limited to: Sister Ewald (Latin 2, 3
& 4), Sister Mary Andrew (biology)
and Sister Kathleen (French 1).
Happy memories at AOL were acting
in plays, verse choir, making new
friends, mission parties, Christmas
dances in the gym and the senior prom.
Currently a member of St. Barnabas
parish, I’m on the board of Saint Maryof-the-Woods
Chicago Club (past secretary
and president) and a trustee of the
college. I’m a member of Catholic