SISTER MARY RICHARD RIXNER, SC, age 88, died at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg, on June 7, 2018. Born in Wilkinsburg, Sister Mary Richard entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1951, from Saint James Parish, Wilkinsburg. Preceded in death by her parents, Alphonse and Sarah (Glenn) Rixner, three sisters, Mrs. Dorothy (Karl) Grskovich, Mrs. Aline (Robert) Cawood and Mrs. Kathleen (Paul) Brand, and a brother, Donald, she is survived by a brother, William Rixner, two sisters: Mrs. Florence (Joseph) Karas, Mrs. Sarah (James) Brown, and many nieces and nephews. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in education from Arizona State University. Sister Mary Richard taught students of the junior high school level in schools of the Greensburg, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Tucson dioceses and the Archdiocese of Washington. She was principal of Immaculate Conception School in Ajo, AZ, at Immaculate Conception School in Irwin, Saint Mary-Basha School, Chandler, AZ and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Scottsdale, AZ. In 1991, Sister Mary Richard began a 13-year tenure with the Phoenix Job Corps as a teacher of unemployed and underemployed young people, assisting them in developing skills they needed in order to obtain GED certificates and jobs. After her retirement in 2005, she continued to volunteer her services in the Administrative offices of the Sisters of Charity. In reflecting on her life, Sister Mary Richard stated: “I am grateful for having had many challenging and exciting years serving as a Sister of Charity. The community has given me a good education and an opportunity to use my talents helping others. I have loved every minute of it.”
