SISTER LOIS JOHNSTON, SC (FORMERLY, SISTER M. BONAVENTURE), age 91, died at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg, on April 9, 2021. Born in Pittsburgh, Sister Lois entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1948, from Holy Innocents Parish in Sheraden. Preceded in death by her parents, Howard F. and Julia M. (O’Connor) Johnston, two brothers, Ralph Johnston and Howard Johnston, and two sisters, Mrs. Alice (Wilbert) Wagener, Mrs. Viola (John) McCalmont, she is survived by a sister, Kathleen Johnston, nieces and nephews. Sister Lois earned a diploma as a registered nurse, from Pittsburgh Hospital, a degree in anesthesiology from Mercy Hospital and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Duquesne University. She ministered at Providence Hospital in Beaver Falls, Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital and Pittsburgh Hospital. From 1971 until 1983, she served as a private nurse. From 1983 until 1985, she was an instructor in the Public School System of Practical Nursing. In 1985-1986, Sister Lois was named the director of the Adult Day Care Center at Kane Hospital, South Hills. From 1986 until 1995, Sister Lois was the director of nursing at Assumption Hall in Greensburg, the former retirement home and infirmary of the Sisters of Charity. From 1995 until 2002, she served as a pharmacy technician at the Union Prescription Center in Greensburg. She then volunteered at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. In reflecting on her life as a Sister of Charity, Sister Lois said, “God has been my guide and a friend whom I found in many unexpected places.” She added, “He said, ‘Come, follow Me,’ and it has been both delightful and a blessing.”
