Mary Evon

Evon RSM, Sister Mary Ignatia (Jeanne Evon) died Friday, March 24, in St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Albany. She had been a Sister of Mercy for 74 years. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, she grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. She was the daughter of the late Montrose Evon and Ellen Commeau Evon. She attended the Albany Diocesan Normal School and earned a bachelor's degree from the College of St. Rose, Albany. Sister ministered as a teacher at Vincentian, St. Patrick's, St. Joseph's, Blessed Sacrament and St. Teresa of Avila in Albany; St. John the Baptist in Schenectady; St. Patrick's, Cohoes; St. Patrick's, Ravena; St. Mary's, Clinton Heights; and at schools in Rhode Island for seven years while caring for her aging mother. Sister Ignatia spoke with enthusiasm of how much she enjoyed the eighteen years she spent teaching kindergarten, adjusting well to the challenge of large classes. When she moved on to teach students in grades two through eight, she was equally energized by that experience. Sister generated in her students an intense interest in the study of rocks and minerals and even took some of them on fossil hunting expeditions in a quarry. Her return to Providence, Rhode Island, to care for her aging Mother took Sister Ignatia full circle back to her roots. She taught in St. Mary's School, a school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Years earlier when she became a Sister of Mercy, she had requested the name Sister Mary Ignatia, in honor of her favorite teacher in her childhood. When she returned to Albany, Sister volunteered for five years at Our Lady of Mercy Life Center in Albany. She offered enrichment programs and opportunities for prayer to the elderly residents and brightened their days with classical music and sing-alongs. When she herself became a resident at St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, she continued her ministry of presence to others, never complaining and always watching out for the needs of others. She often sat with residents who were dying. In addition to her parents, Sister Ignatia was predeceased by her siblings: Roland, Eddie, Ray and Donald. She is survived by several nieces and nephews as well as by her religious community, the Sisters of Mercy. Viewing hours will be from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Sunday, March 26, in the Chapel of the Convent of Mercy, 634 New Scotland Avenue, Albany. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Prayer Service of Remembrance in the Chapel at 7:00 p.m. The Liturgy of Christian Death and Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 27, at the Convent of Mercy. Interment will follow in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, East Greenbush. The Sisters of Mercy are grateful to the staff of St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the great tenderness with which they cared for our Sister. Contributions may be made in Sister Ignatia's memory to the Sisters of Mercy, 634 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208.