Aston, PA—Sister ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Kay Marie Duncan, OSF, (formerly Sister Ruth Mary), 86, died in Assisi House on Friday, July 7, 2023. She had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 66 years. Sister Kay Marie was born in Baker, Oregon, where she was a member of St. Francis de Sales Parish and a graduate of St. Francis Academy.  She entered the congregation in 1954 and professed her first vows in 1957.  She earned a BS in Education from Marylhurst College and an MA in Private School Administration from the University of San Francisco.  She ministered primarily in education and administration.

Beginning her ministry in education, Sister Kay Marie served for 18 years in the Portland Archdiocese, where she taught at St. James School in McMinnville and at St. John Fisher School in Portland.  She also served in the archdiocese for her congregation as both vocation director and as a provincial council member for six years.

During her 14 years in the Seattle Archdiocese, Sister Kay Marie taught and served as principal at St. Charles School in Tacoma.  She later worked as a volunteer at St. Francis House in Puyallup and Catherine Place in Tacoma for three years.

Sister Kay Marie ministered for 21 years in the Diocese of Baker.  She served as the Vice President of Mission and Ministry at St. Elizabeth/St. Anthony Health Services for 11 years and as a volunteer at Pathways Hospice in Baker City for 10 years.

Additional ministries included one year at St. Thomas School in Riverside, California, in the Diocese of San Bernadino, and one year at St. John School in Wasco in the Diocese of Fresno.  In 2018, she moved to Assisi House, the congregation’s retirement residence in Aston, Pennsylvania, where she served in prayer and hospitality ministry until her death.

All services will be held in Assisi House on Friday, July 1, and will be livestreamed. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 9:30 A.M. followed by viewing. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 A.M. Internment of Ashes will be at a later date in Baker, Oregon. Sister Kay Marie is survived by her sister, Emmy Bellows, her nieces and nephews, and her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.

For a more personal write-up about Sister Kay Marie, click here.