Sr. Alice Traynor
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1942 - 2022Born to Thomas and Alice on May 20, 1942, young Margaret Traynor knew two things as she grew up in Rockaway Beach – one, that she wanted to become a religious sister, and the other, that she wanted to become a teacher.
Originally, Sr. Alice considered joining the Sisters of St. Joseph but then she encountered the Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk in 1958. She would later recall that “their hospitality and caring really attracted me.” She entered the Ursuline congregation in 1960 at the age of 18 and professed her final vows six years later. With a bachelor’s degree in education from St. John’s University and a master’s from St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, CT, Sr. Alice embarked on a long career in Catholic education, touching the lives of thousands of students and their families.
As a teacher, Sr. Alice taught at St. William the Abbot, Nativity BVM, and Our Lady of Grace. She was named the principal of Our Lady of Grace in 1980 and also served as principal at St. Mary’s (Roslyn) and St. Thomas Aquinas.
A dedicated servant to others, she served as the Minister of Support Services to the Sisters at St. Ursula Center in Blue Point and continued to minister to the elderly in nursing homes and parishes in the area once she retired from teaching. Most recently, Sr. Alice resided at Maria Regina Residence where she continued her ministry of prayer.
2020 marked Sr. Alice’s 60th Jubilee as an Ursuline Sister and she joined the community for a large celebration in October of 2021. In preparing for the jubilation festivities, Sr. Alice’s longtime friend, Sr. Geraldine Conklin, OSU shared that “what makes her special is her ability to gain the trust of those with whom she works and lives. This gift has enabled her to expand the ministerial impact of her life.”
Sr. Alice passed away on April 8th, 2022 after a brief illness. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Allison, and by the nieces and nephews and their children who were beloved by their “Aunt Margie”.
Sr. Alice Traynor will be waked on Wednesday, April 13th from 10 – 11:30am at Our Lady of the Snow in Blue Point with her funeral following at 12 noon. This mass will be live-streamed at https://ourladyofthesnowbluepoint.com/
