Sr. Patricia Mae Stanley

Her education began in Indiana public schools where the family lived until World War II began. Her father was inducted into the army making it necessary for the family to move back to Kansas where her mother had relatives. She attended diocesan schools in Ashland, and Eldorado, KS. Following the completion of elementary school, she entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in Wichita, completing high school at Mt. St. Mary’s. Sister Patricia received the habit in March 1949 and made final profession July 26, 1955.

She obtained her B.S. from St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Evanston, Indiana in 1988, with additional computer training from EDS in Dallas, TX, Chabot University, Hayward, CA and Creighton University, Omaha, NE.

She served the congregation as an elementary and middle school teacher for thirty-two years in Kansas, Colorado, and California before transitioning to a college teaching career. She began this at St. Mary of the Plains College and when the College closed, she accepted a position at St. Mary College in Leavenworth until 1996, when she was elected to a position on the Congregational Leadership Team. In 2000-2002, she helped the Diocese of Wichita begin the set-up of their computer network, then worked solely with the Congregation IT Department until her death.

Sr. Patricia was a woman of many interests. She was a member of the Kansas Wildflower Society, participating in many hikes with groups to identify and photograph many Kansas plants, participated in Audubon Society bird counts, and was interested in family genealogy as a member of the DAR.

She was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her sister Ginny Dove, brother George Stanley, three half-sisters, Joni Stanley, Sali Stanley, Stephanie Martin, and two half-brothers Alan Stanley and Thaddeus Stanley.

Memorials in her name may be made to the Retirement Fund of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Dear Neighbor Ministries, or StepStone, 3700 E. Lincoln, Wichita, KS 67218.

Due to the current Covid Pandemic, services will be held privately for residents of Mt. St. Mary Convent with interment to follow in the convent cemetery.