Obituaries

Please submit in writing to our office by 10 a.m. Thursday before the week of publication; be sure to state date of death. Obituaries of archdiocesan priests serving our archdiocese are listed elsewhere in The Criterion. Order priests and religious sisters and brothers are included here, unless they are natives of the archdiocese or have other connections to it; those are separate obituaries on this page.

Submit an obituary here (parishes and funeral homes only)

BUCKLER, Richard, 82, St. Michael, Brookville, Aug. 15. Husband of Geraldine Buckler. Father of Debbie Banks, Sandy Baxter and Ron Buckler. Brother of Mary Schuck and August Buckler. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of one.

DANT, Thomas J., 63, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, March 29. Husband of Noreen Dant. Father of Alycia Iaria, Christine, Meagan, Mindy, Jeremiah and Tommy Dant. Brother of Beth Derwin, Kathy Henderson, Chris, Gary, George, Greg, Harold, Jerry, Tim and Father J. Nicholas Dant. Grandfather of nine. (correction)

ESCAMILLA VIUDA DE NAVARRO, Josefina, 76, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Aug. 12. Mother of Anna, Liz, Maria, Reyna, James, Pedro, Rene and Roberto Navarro. Sister of Cecelia, Rosa and Juan Escamilla. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of two.

FELLER, Harold, 92, St. Michael, Brookville, Aug. 8. Father of Don, Jim and Ron Feller. Brother of Arthur Feller. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of 15.

FOHL, Marjorie, 90, Holy Guardian Angels, Cedar Grove, Aug. 5. Mother of Karen Bischoff, Dale, Daniel, Gary, Kyle, Robin and Terrance Fohl. Sister of John Haas. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 16.

GALLUZZI, Edward G., 68, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Aug. 7. Son of Roberta Galluzzi. Brother of Diane Pusnik and Richard Galluzzi. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

GERKIN, Raymond L., 73, St. Mary, North Vernon, Aug. 13. Husband of Janet Gerkin. Father of LeAnn Stidham, Rayann Scott and Raymond Gerkin. Brother of Donnie and Ronnie Gerkin. Grandfather of eight.

GILL, Sr., Dale T., 86, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, July 19. Husband of Genevieve Douglas-Gill. Father of Margaret, Christopher, Dale, Jr., Isaac and Rodney Gill. Brother of Faye Yates, Norma and Jimmie Gill. Grandfather of several. Great-grandfather of several.

GREIN, Mary, 96, St. Ambrose, Seymour, July 30. Mother of James Duggins. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 16. Great-great-grandmother of seven.

GROSSMAN, Martin W., 80, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Aug. 15. Husband of Mary Ellen Grossman. Father of Amy and Lucy Baker, Susan Grossman and Dr. Teresa Lovins. Brother of Alma Corson, Mary Ann Maple, Rita Mae Robbins, Ruth Wagers and Raphael Grossman. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.

HUTCHINSON, Kenneth O., 92, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Aug. 6. Husband of Maureen Hutchinson. Father of Ellen Gwinn, Gail, Kevin, James and Robert Hutchinson. Brother of Alma Rhinerson. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of one.

JESSUP, Lucy, 94, Prince of Peace, Madison, Aug. 17. Mother of Sandra Barnes and Cynthia Griffin. Sister of Mary Boeglin, Agnes Svoboda, David and Joe Cain. Grandmother of two.

KEILLOR, James, 76, St. Mary, Greensburg, Aug. 16. Father of Kyle Keillor. Brother of Lynda Brown, Randy and Tom Keillor. Uncle of several.

LASZLO, Ernest J., 89, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, July 2. Father of Alejandra, Cristina, Carl and Eric Laszlo. Grandfather of eight.

MCDOWELL, John, 99, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Aug. 6. Father of Mary Ann Hackman, Patricia Simmons, John and Mike McDowell. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of seven.

MELTZER, Phillip, 94, St. Vincent De Paul, Shelby County, Aug. 8. Father of Karen and Kris Meltzer. Brother of Elizabeth Boilek. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of six.

MOORMAN, Eileen M., 93, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Diane Evans, Teresa Kroh, Linda McAuliff, Karen Miller, Mary Weinrich, Joan Williamson, Bill and Ted Moorman. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of 38.

MURPHY, Frank, D., 96, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, July 26. Father of Beth Freeman. Grandfather of one.

PABERZS, Sharon, 80, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Aug. 10. Mother of Chris and John Paul Paberzs. Sister of Judy Harris and Shirley Slinker. Grandmother of three.

PFENNIG, Joyce, 83, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, July 26. Mother of Jeff, Jim and Joe Pfennig. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of nine.

SCHEELE, George W., 83, St. Louis, Batesville, Aug. 19. Brother of Louella Voegele and Fred Scheele, Jr. Uncle of several.

SCHROEDER, John D., 53, St. Mary, North Vernon, Aug. 17. Brother of Jenny Broome, Brian, Doug, Greg and Jeff Schroeder. Uncle of several.

SHOCKLEY, John D., 24, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Aug. 12. Son of Steve and Cheryl Shockley. Brother of Grace Liegibel and Peter Shockley. Grandson of Evelyn Gray.

STIENER, Dolores A., 84, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Aug. 15. Mother of Amie Moss, Lisa Soeurt, Eric and Neil Stiener. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of seven.

TRETTER, Janet (Warren), 77, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Janeen Dodds and Liza Verkamp. Sister of Jane Ann Williams, Patricia and Edward Warren. Grandmother of two. Step-grandmother of two.

Providence Sister Barbara Doherty served as president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Providence Sister Barbara Doherty, previously Sister Vincent Ferrer, died on Aug. 17 at Providence Hall at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 88.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Barbara Ann Doherty was born on Dec. 2, 1931, in Chicago. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Feb. 2, 1951, and professed final vows on

Aug. 15, 1958. Sister Barbara earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in sacred doctrine at Saint Mary’s College in northern Indiana, and a doctorate in theology at Fordham University in New York.

During her 69 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Barbara served at various levels of education and in leadership in her religious community. She was also a sought-after speaker, retreat director and the author of two books, I Am What I Do and Make Yourself an Ark.

In the archdiocese, Sister Barbara served in education at St. John Paul II School (then St. Paul School) in Sellersburg from 1953-56; the former St. Agnes Academy in Indianapolis from 1960-62; as a professor at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1965-67 and 1971-75 and as its president from 1984-99. She also led the Institute for Religious Formation at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from 1999-2007. In her religious community, she ministered as director of postulants from 1963-65 and as coordinator of the Shrine of St. Mother Theodore Guérin at the motherhouse from 2007-11.

Sister Barbara is survived by two sisters, Patricia Finnegan of Niles, Ill., and Mary Fiorito of Naperville, Ill.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.

Providence Sister Joan Slobig led two parishes in the Terre Haute Deanery

Providence Sister Joan Slobig died on Aug. 16 at Mother Theodore Hall at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 77.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Joan Ellin Slobig was born on Jan. 21, 1943, in Chicago Heights, Ill. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Sept. 12, 1964, and professed final vows on May 3, 1975. Sister Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, master’s degrees at Indiana State University in Terre Haute and Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., and a licentiate degree in clinical psychology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

During her 56 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Joan’s varied ministries took her to service in elementary education, college administration, leadership in her religious community, charitable outreach and parish ministry.

In the archdiocese, Sister Joan served in the admissions office of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1971-75; as the order’s director of novices from 1980-86; as director of formation in Indianapolis from 1986-91; as a general councilor in the order at the motherhouse from 1996-2001; as director of the former St. Ann Clinic in Terre Haute from 2002-05; as parish life coordinator of the former St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in West Terre Haute from 2005-12 and St. Mary-of-the-Woods Parish in St. Mary-of-the-Woods from 2005-20, stepping down from ministry just months before her death.

Sister Joan is survived by a sister, Judy Reagan of Chicago, and her twin brother, Father John Slobig of Mesa, Ariz.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †