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June 10, 2020
Sister Barbara Rose Donahue, SFCC
Sister Barbara Donahue, SFCC peacefully completed her earthly journey, at age 90, on May 18, 2020 in Tucson, AZ. A brief stay at Peppi’s House Hospice capped her nine-month residence at El Rancho Encanto Assisted Living care home, where she moved after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Sister Barbara was born in Highland Park, MI on Sept. 14, 1929, the tenth child of Emmett and Ella Donahue. Her parents were descendants of Irish families who emigrated in the 1850’s from County Cork to the Detroit area. The large, loving, close-knit, Catholic family acquired musical talent from their mother, a former concert pianist and music teacher. As the family expanded, Ella developed a vaudeville family stage act, the “Nine Dancing Donahues.” In their performance each of the multiple-costumed siblings had their own signature singing or tap soft-shoe dance routine from the musical hits of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Barbara’s signature piece was singing “Alice Blue Gown.”
The act grew from singing and dance practice on the improvised stage of the family dining room, to become a well-known, unique and popular traveling troupe. They performed at Catholic church fundraisers and for diverse events at various venues in the Detroit area, and even in surrounding states and nearby Canada. Their transportation was a 7-passenger Studebaker, with steamer trunk lashed to the rear, and four siblings perched side-by-side on a board atop two opera seats. The “Nine Dancing Donahues” was truly a family enterprise -- Mom as singing coach, choreographer, costume designer, seamstress, and accompanist; Dad as stage manager and driver; the nine “stair-step” siblings as singers and dancers.
For 14 years the “infectious cheer” of their performances brought joy to the delight of thousands in Depression-bound audiences. The troupe disbanded in 1945, in the waning years of World War II. Barbara entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Kalamazoo, MI and four siblings joined different branches of the United States military services.
As a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister Mary Leah, SSJ (Barbara) earned her A.B. degree from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, and her M.A. degree in Theology from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana (I968). Barbara’s twenty-six years of ministry as an SSJ were devoted to elementary school teaching, service as Directress of Postulants (1965 -1971), and active involvement in the Sister Formation Movement.
In 1971 Sister Barbara transferred to a different religious community, the Sisters for Christian Community (SFCC). After serving as principal of St. Francis School, Ann Arbor, MI, Barbara ventured west, driving a fully-packed van to Arizona. Here she taught at several locations within the Catholic Diocese of Tucson: St. Anthony School, Casa Grande and the San Solanas Missions on the Tohono O’odham Nation -- where she also lived in the Village of Topawa and in Sells.
Sister Barbara then moved to Tucson where she taught for thirteen years in the Sunnyside Unified School District. Her elementary school students were mostly of Hispanic and Native American families. In 1995 she completed a near half-century “career” as a much loved, creative and energizing teacher. At retirement the Sunnyside District cited her as “Teacher Extraordinaire.”
In retirement Sister Barbara directed her energies to volunteer ministries at St. Pius X Parish, Tucson. For more than twenty years she served as planner and leader of song for daily morning Mass liturgies; worked with small group communities, and with Seniors.
Sister Barbara is predeceased by her nine siblings -- brothers Emmett, Jack, Denny, Tom, and Dick and sisters Betty, Kaye, Nancy, and Rita.
Sister Barbara is survived by her lifelong close friend, Sister Mary Therese Martin, SFCC. Both entered the convent in 1945 and remained companions throughout seventy-five years of ministry as religious sisters -- first in the Sisters of St. Joseph and then in the Sisters for Christian Community. Sister Therese, at age 94, is still very much alive in her Irish heritage, and resides in an assisted living care home in Tucson.
Sister Barbara is also survived by a host of Donahue Family members throughout the United States. These include 83 nieces, nephews and geat-nieces, -nephews, together with more than 60 of their children in a third generation.
In September, 2019, families of Sister Barbara’s siblings traveled to Tucson from distant states to join with parishioners of St. Pius X and other close friends for a grand, joyous, Irish celebration of “Aunt Barb’s” 90th birthday. Additional sibling family members came in following months to be with their beloved, legendary aunt, and to relish sharing cherished Donahue Family stories and memories.
Core elements of Sister Barbara’s character received early nurture from the strong, lived faith of her parents, as well as from the joyful and loving spirit that filled the Family home. Barbara’s life bore witness to her lived embrace of the oft-spoken maxim of her mother,
“If you see a need, step up to it!”
In 1971 Sister Barbara transferred to a different religious community, the Sisters for Christian Community (SFCC). After serving as principal of St. Francis School, Ann Arbor, MI, Barbara ventured west, driving a fully-packed van to Arizona. Here she taught at several locations within the Catholic Diocese of Tucson: St. Anthony School, Casa Grande and the San Solanas Missions on the Tohono O’odham Nation -- where she also lived in the Village of Topawa and in Sells.
Sister Barbara then moved to Tucson where she taught for thirteen years in the Sunnyside Unified School District. Her elementary school students were mostly of Hispanic and Native American families. In 1995 she completed a near half-century “career” as a much loved, creative and energizing teacher. At retirement the Sunnyside District cited her as “Teacher Extraordinaire.”
In retirement Sister Barbara directed her energies to volunteer ministries at St. Pius X Parish, Tucson. For more than twenty years she served as planner and leader of song for daily morning Mass liturgies; worked with small group communities, and with Seniors.
Sister Barbara is predeceased by her nine siblings -- brothers Emmett, Jack, Denny, Tom, and Dick and sisters Betty, Kaye, Nancy, and Rita.
Sister Barbara is survived by her lifelong close friend, Sister Mary Therese Martin, SFCC. Both entered the convent in 1945 and remained companions throughout seventy-five years of ministry as religious sisters -- first in the Sisters of St. Joseph and then in the Sisters for Christian Community. Sister Therese, at age 94, is still very much alive in her Irish heritage, and resides in an assisted living care home in Tucson.
Sister Barbara is also survived by a host of Donahue Family members throughout the United States. These include 83 nieces, nephews and geat-nieces, -nephews, together with more than 60 of their children in a third generation.
In September, 2019, families of Sister Barbara’s siblings traveled to Tucson from distant states to join with parishioners of St. Pius X and other close friends for a grand, joyous, Irish celebration of “Aunt Barb’s” 90th birthday. Additional sibling family members came in following months to be with their beloved, legendary aunt, and to relish sharing cherished Donahue Family stories and memories.
Core elements of Sister Barbara’s character received early nurture from the strong, lived faith of her parents, as well as from the joyful and loving spirit that filled the Family home. Barbara’s life bore witness to her lived embrace of the oft-spoken maxim of her mother,
“If you see a need, step up to it!”
Barbara expressed her parting gift to us with these words:
“I leave you faith, hope, love and a spirit of joy displayed with a sense of humor.”
These words encapsulate well the life that Sister Barbara Donahue lived so well.
Sister Barbara will be greatly missed by her large family, parishioners of St. Pius X, her special “Care Trio” from St. Pius, who closely accompanied and assisted her throughout her nine-month journey Home, by the Sisters for Christian Community, and by apartment neighbors at Fellowship Square.
Sister Barbara’s family and friends will gather -- hopefully in September 2020 -- at St. Pius X Church, Tucson, for a funeral Mass -- rejoicing in Resurrection -- and a reception after in
Celebration of Barbara’s Life.
Burial will be in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Owosso, MI, where her lifelong friend and companion, Sister Therese Martin, will one day join her.
Barbara will be greatly missed by her large family, parishioners of St. Pius X, her special “Care Trio” from St. Pius, who closely accompanied and assisted her throughout her nine-month journey Home, by the Sisters for Christian Community, and by apartment neighbors at Fellowship Square.
Barbara’s family and friends will gather -- hopefully in September 2020 -- at St. Pius X Church, Tucson, for a funeral Mass -- rejoicing in Resurrection -- and a reception after in
Celebration of Barbara’s Life.
Burial will be in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Owosso, MI, where her lifelong friend and companion, Sister Therese Martin, will one day join her.