Today in Wheeling History: October 3--Sister Anne Regina O'Leary, known for her contributions to education and religion, passed away (2009).
Born Margaret Ward O’Leary on September 14, 1912, in Wheeling’s Warwood neighborhood, Sister Anne Regina O’Leary was the daughter of Daniel P. and Anna Byrne O’Leary. Baptized at Corpus Christi Church, she attended Corpus Christi School and graduated from St. Joseph Academy. At age 20, she joined the Congregation of St. Joseph, professing her vows in 1934. She earned both a B.A. and M.A. in English and Administration from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Her teaching career spanned decades and included principal roles at Sacred Heart, St. Joseph Academy, and Central Catholic High School in Wheeling, as well as schools in Weston, Fairmont, Huntington, and Clarksburg. In 1964, she became the first principal of the newly coeducational Central Catholic High School. From 1970–76, she served as General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling and was elected president of the U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph. She later served the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in leadership roles and founded the Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation in 1974. Her honors include the Bishop’s Cross (1998), Wheeling Hall of Fame induction (2000), and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross (2008). She died on October 3, 2009, and is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery’s Sisters of St. Joseph section.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Hall of Fame PDF (http://bit.ly/47330Ep), Find a Grave Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/54z8wrka), Legacy Obituary (https://tinyurl.com/ep9kymj8), Digital Shoebox Archive (https://tinyurl.com/2ukc8mkc)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, The Clio, West Virginia & Regional History Center, Wikimedia Commons
Born Margaret Ward O’Leary on September 14, 1912, in Wheeling’s Warwood neighborhood, Sister Anne Regina O’Leary was the daughter of Daniel P. and Anna Byrne O’Leary. Baptized at Corpus Christi Church, she attended Corpus Christi School and graduated from St. Joseph Academy. At age 20, she joined the Congregation of St. Joseph, professing her vows in 1934. She earned both a B.A. and M.A. in English and Administration from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Her teaching career spanned decades and included principal roles at Sacred Heart, St. Joseph Academy, and Central Catholic High School in Wheeling, as well as schools in Weston, Fairmont, Huntington, and Clarksburg. In 1964, she became the first principal of the newly coeducational Central Catholic High School. From 1970–76, she served as General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling and was elected president of the U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph. She later served the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in leadership roles and founded the Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation in 1974. Her honors include the Bishop’s Cross (1998), Wheeling Hall of Fame induction (2000), and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross (2008). She died on October 3, 2009, and is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery’s Sisters of St. Joseph section.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Hall of Fame PDF (http://bit.ly/47330Ep), Find a Grave Memorial (https://tinyurl.com/54z8wrka), Legacy Obituary (https://tinyurl.com/ep9kymj8), Digital Shoebox Archive (https://tinyurl.com/2ukc8mkc)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave, The Clio, West Virginia & Regional History Center, Wikimedia Commons
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