Sister Mary Hickey (formerly Sister Joseph Regina) died in Camilla Hall on Monday, April 29, 2024. Sister died in the 69th year of her religious life.
Sister Mary was born on September 16, 1937. Mary’s parents John Joseph and Regina (Guerin) Hickey raised their family of four boys and two girls in St. Carthage Parish in Philadelphia. Mary attended St. Carthage Elementary School (1943-1951) and West Catholic High School (1951-1955); later, while in Community, Sister earned a degree from Immaculata College and St. Charles Seminary.
Mary entered the Community on September 8, 1955, received her habit and her religious name, Sister Joseph Regina, on March 8, 1956, and pronounced her First Vows on August 15, 1957.
In the fall of 1957 through the academic year ending in 1976, Sister Mary instructed children in Sacred Heart Havertown – Grades 1 & 2, St. Margaret Reading – Grade 6, St. Madeline Ridley Park – Grade 7, St. Anselm – Grade 8, and Immaculate Conception Jim Thorpe where Sister served as Superior, Principal and teacher of students in Grades 7 & 8.
For the next ten years, Sister Mary served as Superior and Principal at Our Lady of Grace Penndel, St. Anselm Philadelphia, and St. Francis Xavier Philadelphia. In 1986 Sister Mary Hickey was invited to serve as the County Director of School Districts 1, 2, and 3 through October 1990. Then Sister Mary served as Superior at St. Clement Convent in Philadelphia from 1990 through 1993. The following six years Sister Mary served as both Superior and Principal at St. Charles in Drexel Hill until the school year ended in 1999. Next, without the added responsibility of serving as the Superior, Sister went as Vice Principal to St. Martin of Tours through the academic year ending in 2004; then to St. Cecilia School as Vice Principal until the school year ended in 2008.
Never one to waver in giving service of any kind, Sister Mary Hickey was an Administrative Assistant par excellence from the fall of 2008 until the school year ending in 2016 at the following schools: St. Rose of Lima Eddystone, Incarnation Philadelphia, and Sacred Heart School in Havertown. In the fall of 2016, Sister Mary tutored children at St. Francis de Sales School in Philadelphia.
Countless numbers of Sisters, colleagues, students, parents and parishioners benefitted from Sister Mary Hickey’s leadership, professionalism, kindness, thoroughness and fidelity to her IHM vocation. In August 2016, Sister Mary Hickey joined the Apostolate of ‘Prayer and Assist’ Community at Camilla Hall Residence; Sister served faithfully until her death on April 29, 2024. God rest her beautiful soul!
In addition to her IHM Community, her sister Regina Maxwell (Jack), her brothers Joseph Hickey (Kathleen), Thomas Hickey (Marcia), Robert Hickey, her sister-in-law Peggy and her many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews survive Sister Mary. Sister is predeceased by her parents John Joseph Hickey and Regina Ann (Guerin) Hickey and her brother Daniel Hickey.
Reverend Michael Callaghan celebrated Sister Mary Hickey’s Funeral Mass on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to:
Camilla Hall Nursing Home
IHM Mission Advancement Office
230 IHM Drive
Malvern, PA 19355