Sister Joan Marie Benoit (formerly Sr. Mary Brendan) RSM Oct. 20, 1935 to April 20, 2020
Daughter of the late Lemier and Mary Elizabeth (McAvoy) Benoit; sister of Richard (Joanne) Benoit, late Catherine (Gerald) Corkery; aunt of Karry Camp and Toby Benoit. Memorial service to be held at a later date. Burial will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna, N.Y.
Memorials may be made to the Sisters of Mercy, 625 Abbott Road, Buffalo, NY 14220. Arrangements entrusted to the Reddington Funeral Home.
Sister Joan Marie Benoit (formerly Sr. Mary Brendan) RSM teacher missionary
Sister Joan Marie Benoit, a teacher and missionary, died April 20. 2020 at Mercy Center, Buffalo. She was 84. She was born in Jamestown, N.Y. Her father worked at the local newspaper on the printing press, her mother was a teacher and homemaker.
After graduating from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School, grades K-9, Joan continued with the Sisters of Mercy by attending Mt. Mercy Academy, Buffalo. Two Buffalo Public School teachers welcomed her into their home as a boarder. After graduating with honors, she entered the Sisters of Mercy Community Sept. 1, 1953. While earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Medaille College (Mt. St. Joseph). Sr. Joan taught at Holy Family School, Buffalo, St. Joseph, Albion, St. Bonaventure, West Seneca and other Catholic Schools in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and St. James in Jamestown. Sr. Joan continued to earn post graduate credits in education from St. Bonaventure University, Niagara University and Trocaire College.
In 1969, Sr. Joan realized her dream of joining the Mercy Mission in the Philippines. Her first year included attending the Language and Culture School in Ozamis, Philippines. Being accomplished in languages Sr. Joan was assigned as administrator and faculty member of Mercy High School, Iligan City, Mindanao and later administrator and teacher at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School.
Upon returning to the United States, Sr. Joan also returned to her school, Ss. Peter and Paul, Jamestown, as assistant principal and junior high teacher 1978-85 and then continued ministering in several other Catholic schools in the Diocese. As a member of the Middle States Accreditation Team she assisted in Saint Teresa School, Buffalo acquiring accreditation in 1995.
The desire to return to the missions grew even stronger. In response to a need in Saipan, Mariana Islands, Sr. Joan ministered from 1995-2001 at Mt. Carmel School and was instrumental in that school receiving Western Pacific Accreditation.
The value of education and the love of God’s children was a driving force that kept Sr. Joan in the class room for more than 60 years which included teaching GED classes at the Warde Center, in the First Ward, Louisiana and Fulton Street area and providing instruction for students in the Learning Lab at Mount Mercy Academy.
Sister Joan’s ring motto is “Ecce Ancilla Domini” -”Behold the Handmaid of the Lord.”
Sister lived her life being of service to all those she encountered. Joy for adventure enriched her life and the lives of those she taught.