Sister Eunice Marie Boyle, a beloved member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Chestnut Hill, for 76 years, died at Saint Joseph Villa, Flourtown, Pennsylvania on July 12, 2011.
Eunice Boyle, the youngest of four children born to Owen and Etta Boyle, grew up in Philadelphia where she attended Nativity, BVM grade school and Hallahan High School. After graduating from high school Eunice entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1935.
Sister Eunice is remembered as a person who generously accepted a variety of ministries during her lifetime. She served in the Archdioceses of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newark. She taught in elementary schools, high schools, and a residential vocational school. For eight years Sister Eunice Marie assisted in the religious life formation of hundreds of Novices at Mount Saint Joseph. Among other duties she was responsible for teaching the young sisters the art of transforming yards of black serge into the long black pleated habits that many remember from years past. One of her favorite responsibilities during these years was the annual spring trip with the Novices to Cape May Point, New Jersey where she guided them in helping to prepare Saint Mary by the Sea for the summer retreat season. This meant days of sweeping, scrubbing, mopping—but it also meant time to explore the beach for unique shells and “Cape May diamonds.” Sharing memories of those days evoked happy smiles for many weeks after.
Other ministries included that of school librarian, and at a later time, Assistant Administrator of Saint Joseph Villa. Sister was familiar with the Villa needs because she had given hours of summer service there and shared her talents in the sewing room and in the dining room. She also served as a Pastoral Minister in one of our parishes where she valued the opportunity to visit and pray with the homebound and persons living in nursing homes.
Sister Eunice Marie said of her own life, “it has been full and happy and blessed.” In her remarks on the occasion of Sister Eunice’s Mass of Christian Burial, Sister Anne Meyers noted that Sister Eunice responded lovingly to God’s grace and that her witness was a precious gift to all who knew her. Sister Anne concluded by saying, “Sister Eunice, thank you for sharing your full and happy and blessed life with us. You have been a blessing for us, and we will forever be grateful to you and for you.”
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