Sister Bernadette Mary Lyons (formerly Sister Bernadette Regina) died on October 18, 2026, at Camilla Hall. Sister was in the 75th year of her religious life. Born on December 17, 1933, to her parents James Aloysius Lyons and Elizabeth (Quigley) Lyons, she grew up in St. Denis Parish, Havertown, attending elementary school there. Bernadette went to Notre Dame High School, Moylan, graduating in 1951, and entering the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary that September 8. Bernadette received her habit and her religious name Sister Bernadette Regina on March 10, 1952.
Following her religious profession on March 11, 1954, Sister traveled to her first assignment to teach grades five and six along with music at St. Maria Goretti in Hatfield. After five years in that role, Sister moved to Sacred Heart, Manoa, becoming the teacher of fifth grade and music. In 1961, Sister continued in fifth grade and music, traveling quite a distance to San Antonio School in Callao, Peru. After four years, Sister returned to the States to teach grade three and music at St. Alice School in Upper Darby. Sister’s change to St. Cecilia School in Fox Chase in 1966 saw her assigned initially to cover grades three to six music, with a reassignment the following year to grade six and music. Following this, she served as a teacher of grade eight at Most Blessed Sacrament in Philadelphia from 1969 through 1971.
Over the next several assignments, Sister found herself dividing her teaching between North and South America, beginning in 1971 with her return to San Antonio, Callao, Peru, this time for high school music and English. Then, in 1977, Sister returned to the U.S. to St. Pius School in Broomall for seventh grade and music, with a change shortly after to Villa Maria La Planicie, Peru, for high school music and English. On her return to the States in 1982, Sister was assigned to St. Gabriel Parish in Philadelphia as the grade eight and music teacher, followed by her move to St. Joseph in Warrington for eighth grade. In 1985, Sister returned to Chile, this time to Villa Maria, Santiago, to teach religion to students in grades five through eight. With Sister’s return to the States in 1988, when she was assigned to teach grade eight at Assumption, Atco, Sister ended her intercontinental travel. In 1989, her brief assignment to teach grade five at St. Mark’s, Bristol, brought her final engagement as a classroom teacher.
From August 1989 through 2011, Sister worked on technology as part of the MERIT program while residing at St. Matthew Convent in Philadelphia. In 2011, Sister Bernadette moved to Camilla Hall to serve on the staff.
From 1969 throughout her years as an educator, Sister repeatedly entered into different levels of learning as well as teaching, first receiving her A.B. in Elementary Education from Immaculata College in 1969. In 1992, she completed her Master of Arts in Religious Studies with a concentration in Sacred Scripture from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. During her years of teaching, she also achieved the Instructional II Certificate from the Commonwealth of PA in Elementary Education, finishing in 1979.
In addition to her IHM community, her sisters-in-law Helen and Madeline, nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews survive Sister Bernadette. Sister’s parents James Lyons and Elizabeth (Quigley) Lyons, her brothers James, Lawrence, and David, her sister-in-law Dolores, and her nephew James Lyons predecease Sister.
Reverend Francis E. Chambers, O.S.A. and Reverend John Burger, CSC concelebrated Sister Bernadette Mary’s Funeral Liturgy at Camilla Hall on Monday, October 26, 2026. Father Chambers delivered the homily.
In Sister Bernadette Mary’s memory, a donation may be sent to:
Camilla Hall Nursing Home
IHM Mission Advancement Office
230 IHM Drive
Malvern, PA 19355