In Memoriam: Sr. Mary A. Jordan, SC

Sister Mary had a quick wit and sense of humor that engaged her listeners. Her stories of the accomplishments and successes of the youngsters and students in Nanuet and Maryland revealed the strong relationships she formed with them.

Sister Mary A. Jordan, Sister Mary Alexander, was born December 20, 1932, in Manhattan, one of three children, two daughters and one son of Edward and Bridget Rogers Jordan. Mary attended Saint Augustine Elementary School in the Bronx and Cathedral High School in Manhattan. After graduation, she entered the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1950. Sister Alexander earned a BA in History from College of Mount Saint Vincent and an MSW in Social Work from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Maryland State awarded her Advanced Professional Certification in Social Work and Certification as a Pupil Personnel Worker.

Sister Mary Alexander was first assigned to Saint Agatha Home in Nanuet where she served in mission for seventeen years as a Group Mother, Childcare Supervisor, and Assistant Director of Group Living. After receiving her degree in social work, Sister Mary applied to work in the school system of Montgomery County in Maryland. For nine years she served at Mark Twain School in Rockville as a social worker. With the skills and work experience gained, she served for the next twenty-three years as a Pupil Personnel Worker throughout the Montgomery Public Schools. After retirement, Sister Mary remained in Maryland for seventeen years, assisting students with educational and developmental needs.

In 2017, Sister Mary joined the retirement community at Mount Saint Vincent Convent. Later she became a resident of Cabrini of Westchester in Dobbs Ferry, New York, where she was residing at the time of her death on June 25, 2025, in the seventy fourth year of commitment as a Sister of Charity of New York.

Sister Mary had a quick wit and sense of humor that engaged her listeners. Her stories of the accomplishments and successes of the youngsters and students in Nanuet and Maryland revealed the strong relationships she formed with them. With her keen sense of group dynamics, she knew how to defuse a situation that could easily become unpleasant. During her years in Maryland, she stayed in touch with the sisters with whom she had been in the novitiate, joining them in New York for anniversaries and other special celebrations.

Lord God, source and destiny of our lives, in your loving providence you gave us Sister Mary to grow in wisdom, age and grace. In your call, draw her to yourself and give her full stature in Christ. May she stand with all the angels and saints who know your love and praise your saving will.