Sr. Joan Stanczak

Sister Joan Stanczak was born October 6, 1920 and entered eternal life on Saturday, October 29, 2016.    Sister Joan entered the Sisters of the Divine Savior in 1937.  She earned a BA from Mount Mary College and a Masters in Theology from Marquette University.  For 33 years Sisters Joan taught and served as principal in many Catholic schools in Wisconsin including Divine Savior High School and Mother of Good Counsel in Milwaukee.   Sister Joan also taught in Landover Hills, MD and at St. Margaret Mary School in Chicago, where she spent five years living with and caring for her elderly mother.  In 1975 Sister Joan changed the focus of her ministry from education to Pastoral care.  She received her CPE Certification and became the Director of the Pastoral Care Department at the former St. Mary’s Nursing Home in Milwaukee, a position she held for 10 years.   In 2001 Sister Joan moved to Salvatorian Sisters Residence where she continued to serve the community by providing various pastoral services.

Following a fall and after a brief stay at St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus, Sister Joan died peacefully on October 29th.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley & Frances Stanczak; her sisters Eleanor Kucharczyk and Mae Poliquin; her brother Florian Stanczak and brothers-in-law Joseph Gransee and James Kucharczyk.  She is survived by her sister Irene Gransee, a cousin Eleanor Sternal, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews and members of the Salvatorian Family.

Visitation will begin at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus Chapel, 3800 North 92nd Street in Milwaukee.  Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 1:15 PM  Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery, Milwaukee, Thursday, November 3, 2016.

Memorials in memory of Sister Joan may be sent to the Sisters of the Divine Savior, 4311 North 100th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53222