Sister Jacqueline Dillon

Kindness, gentleness and love for the elderly

Jacqueline joined the family of William, Catherine (Larkin) and 18-month-old Bill Dillon of St. Louis,Missouri, on April 6, 1938. Jackie enjoyed her childhood in what she called a "pretty stable neighborhood." "People were very family-oriented and neighbors were real neighbors. People helped each other and everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood ...” Her schooling began at St. Teresa of Avila in North St. Louis.

Sister Rosemary Flanigan recalls,

When I was teaching third grade at ... St. Teresa of Avila School on Grand Avenue, Sister Joan Marie Gleason was our superior and eighth grade teacher. I had a graduate philosophy class on Thursday afternoons and S. Joan Marie would ask either Jackie Dillon or Jeanene Yackey to come down to stay with my third graders until dismissal time. I think back on that now—even then, when they were in eighth grade, the fact that they were reliable, dependable showed through.

S. Jacqueline went to St. Joseph's Academy on the Fontbonne Campus but moved to its current address her senior year. She participated in basketball but really enjoyed softball.
Though she wanted to be a sister, her dad told her that she first needed to be able to earn a living. After passing the Civil Service exam, she spent three years working in the Assessor’s Office. However, she kept in touch with Srs. Joan Marie and Anne Julia Roddy. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet on September 15, 1959, receiving the habit and the name Sister Marie Brendan March 19, 1960. She earned a bachelor’s degree in secretarial science at Fontbonne College (1964), a master’s degree in education from Indiana University, Bloomington (1970), and a doctorate in higher education administration from Indiana University (1975), while also supervising student teachers in the southern Indiana region. She received certification in business education in Missouri.

S. Jacqueline’s ministry began as a junior high teacher at St. Francis Xavier in Brunswick, Georgia, in 1964. She moved into secondary education at St. Francis de Sales High in Denver, Colorado (1966). Then, she taught at Valle High in St. Genevieve, Missouri (1967). From 1968 to 1970, she served at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, until she returned to Valle High for three years before continuing study at Indiana University. After earning her doctorate, S. Jacqueline became a faculty member at St. Louis Community College-Meramec. Then, in 1976, she served as the executive director of residents at Kirkwood House for Older Adults until May of 1979. For the remainder of that year, she worked in the Mayor’s Office as program director/coordinator for senior citizens.

She began a long career at Harris-Stowe State University in 1980. First, she was an associate professor supervising teachers, among other duties, before becoming a professor of education (1995-2003). In 2002, S. Jacqueline was also called to begin serving as a provincial councilor until 2008. For three years of that time, part of her service was as coordinator/aging consultant for the St. Louis province. In 2011, S. Jacqueline moved to Nazareth Living Center and became part of the ministry of prayer and presence.

... One of my favorite memories happened during Jackie’s time at Nazareth. In Jackie’s dementia, she didn’t always talk, but she did always smile and laugh. One day, I was next to her in chapel when a man came down the side aisle in a red T-shirt and red shorts. In a rare moment of speaking, Jackie leaned over and said to me, ‘Look! Our very own Santa Claus.’ She leaned in closer and in a huskier voice: ‘And look at those legs!’ -Sister Donna Gunn

I remember her ... as always being optimistic and helping us keep up our spirits. She always had a smile and kept us laughing ... she always had great empathy for her students.
-Sister Mary Jo Ritter, 1960 reception