Sister Marita Regina was an outstanding educator and principal. Students and their families will long remember her for her compassion, kindness, understanding, and the love of learning, which she so joyfully imparted to them.
Sister Marita Regina Bronner (Dorothy) was born April 25, 1925, in Manhattan, one of two children — a daughter and son — of George and Regina Mulcahy Bronner. Dorothy attended PS 193 and Cathedral High School before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1943. Sister Regina received a BA in French from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and an MA in Religious Studies from Manhattan College. She later earned New York State certification in French K–12 and certification in Supervision and School Administration.
Sister Marita Regina spent fifty-one years of her religious life in the ministry of education, twenty-eight as a classroom teacher and twenty-three as a principal. As an elementary school teacher, she served at Visitation, Bronx; Saint Agatha Home, Nanuet; Saint Patrick, Manhattan; Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island; Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Shrub Oak, and Saints Peter and Paul in the Bronx. Her twenty-three years as principal were devoted to Saints Peter and Paul. Altogether Sister Regina served twenty-seven years at Saints Peter and Paul School where her contributions to education were highly valued. In a paper she presented at Convocation 1982, entitled, “The Charity of Christ Impels Us: Effective Charity in the New York Experience,” she stated, “I am proud to be continuing the outstanding achievements our Community has had in education, and I labor in the spirit of affective love with which the heart of Saint Vincent and Mother Seton overflowed.” When Sister Regina left the field of education, she offered her talents and energy to her sisters in retirement at Convent of Mary the Queen, Yonkers, and Saint Patrick Villa, Nanuet. She was living at Saint Patrick Villa at the time of her death on June 8, 2019.
Sister Marita Regina was an outstanding educator and principal. Students and their families will long remember her for her compassion, kindness, understanding, and the love of learning, which she so joyfully imparted to them. Sister Regina possessed a kind spirit and a great sense of humor. She was a true Sister of Charity who exemplified the virtues we are called to live — humility, simplicity and charity.
We rejoice with you now, Sister Marita Regina, as you are welcomed into the peace and joy of the Resurrection. Well done, good and faithful servant.
Date of Death
June 8, 2019
Age
94
Wake
Mount Saint Vincent Convent Assembly Room
6301 Riverdale Ave., Bronx, NY 10471
718.601.5370
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
2:00 – 6:30 pm
Prayer Service: 4:30 pm
Mass of Christian Burial
Mount Saint Vincent Convent Assembly Room
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
10:00 am
Burial
St. Agatha Cemetery, Nanuet, NY
Missions
Archdiocese of New York
- Visitation, Bronx
1944–45, Teacher - St. Agatha Home, Nanuet
1946–55, Teacher - St. Patrick, Manhattan
1955–65, Teacher - Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island
1965–66, Teacher - Ss Peter and Paul, Bronx
1966–72, Principal
1974–91, Administration
1991–95, Teacher - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Shrub Oak
1972–74, Teacher - Convent of Mary the Queen, Yonkers
1995–2000, Volunteer - St. Patrick Villa, Nanuet
2000–04, Administrator/Coordinator
Lord, have mercy on her! I was on mission with Sister starting in 1972 and for my last two years in ‘the Shrubs’ as we fondly called it. All the qualities attributed to her were ever present. And, I can remember one of her students saying ‘Golly, she’s even stricter than my parents’ but that young man graduated with honors! Lots of good laughs and memories!
Peace and all Good, Sister Marita,
Janet M. Dubec
A wonderful teacher and person. She was my eighth grade teacher at Old Saint Patricks in 1959-1960. I saw her again at the church’s start of the Bicentennial Anniversary in 2009. May she Rest In Peace.
Sister Regina hired my husband, Antonio Soto, straight out of college and they shared a wonderful bonds with each other since they shared the same birth date, April 25th. He joked when he was 35 years old she had double the humor at seventy (70) years old. We Love ❤️ her and will greatly miss her
I will always remember her smile, her kindness and her love for her students. I had the honor of being her student in the 8th grade at Old Saint Patrick’s on Mott Street. I can still hear her voice as I look upon her photo above. Thank You Sister Marita Regina for sharing God’s love with the children of Little Italy. I will always cherish the photo I took with you at Old Saint Patrick’s Bicentennial Celebration. I truly know your reward is great in Heaven and I pray Saint of God, Pray for us !
I met Sister many year ago when Sister Scholastica (Aunt Nelly) introduced me to her. She was a remarkable woman of faith, humor, integrity and common sense. These two great Nuns taught me what it truly meant to see Jesus in others.
Sister Regina Marita Bonner was a great lady – she was a lector at my wedding back in 1992 – – I met her through Sister Mary Scholastica – my mother and I used to visit her at the Villa in Nanuet – she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Wow the years have gone by and Sister Marita Regina was always remembered when I attended Saint Peter and Paul in the South Bronx of New York. She would come into our class unannounced and have us all stand up and test our times tables, she was an amazing woman that cared about her students in the school… God has rested one of the good ones in this world. Bless you and thank you for making me the man that I am.