Sr Kathleen Daly sm was called to eternal life Saturday 28th January 2017.

Eternal Rest Grant to her O Lord.
May perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.Amen

At her funeral on Thursday 2nd February eulogies were delivered by Sr Julie Brand on behalf of the Marist Sisters and her cousin Jenny Menzies on behalf of Kathleen’s family.

Eulogy on behalf of the Marist Sisters:
Kathleen was always focussed on the goal ahead.  She was purposeful and knew her own mind.  And so it was that last Friday (27^th January) she walked into the Office at St. Joseph’s and said she wished to go to Hospital, asking when the paramedics would arrive to take her.  This surprised us all, as Kathleen did not relish Hospital visits.  Only minutes after being placed in the Ambulance, Kathleen began to slip away.  Less than twenty four hours later, she had surrendered quietly and peacefully to our God, whom she had loved and served so faithfully throughout her life.

Kathleen was born in Sydney on 10^th August 1926.  She was the third of five children born to Michael and Kathleen Daly – Gerald and Nola being the eldest, and Marie and Monica the youngest.  After the death of her parents, Kathleen and her siblings went to live with her aunt, uncle and five cousins.   The bonds they formed as a large family unit remained very strong and Kathleen would always delight in family gatherings and celebrations.  Kathleen attended St. Thomas’s Primary School, Lewisham, and Bethlehem College, Ashfield, before undertaking a Commercial course at St. Patrick’s Business College.  She then worked as a stenographer in a Government Department in Macquarie Street, Sydney.  Kathleen was actively involved in Parish life and when she was 19 years old she thought of becoming a Religious Sister.  It was while in the Confessional at St. Patrick’s, Church Hill, that a Marist Priest encouraged her, saying “What are you waiting for?” He suggested that she meet the Marist Sisters at Merrylands.  Kathleen said later, “I knew the day I went to Merrylands to ask to join the Marist Sisters, even though I had never known or met a Marist Sister, that I was led there by Divine Providence for Mary’s intention”.  Read more…

Eulogy on behalf of the Family:
Sr. Kathleen,
Sr.  Gonzaga,
Dickie, named by her father ‘his little dickie bird’.
Dickie was the name that came to be affectionally known and used by all her family.

Dickie was born 10th August, 1926 in Tempe. She was the third in line in her family. She had an older brother, Gerald, who has passed away, and three sisters, who are still alive today – her older sister Noelene (Nola) and two younger sisters, Marie and Monica. Dickie’s parents were Michael & Kathleen Daly. Michael was born in County Clare, Ireland, and Kathleen was born in Australia. After they married they lived in Tempe and later moved to Summer Hill.

When Dickie was a young teenager her life and that of her siblings was to change dramatically when sadly her father died and a couple of years later their mother also passed away. However, out of sadness came that unique Irish Catholic spirit of generosity. Her mother’s sister, Alice, and her husband, Uncle Jack Connell, were about to offer an extraordinary gift of love. Aunty Alice and Uncle Jack also had 5 children – Kathleen, Molly (who became a nursing sister with the Little Company of Mary), Eileen, Kevin and Jack. Kevin & Eileen are still with us today.

So with this large family already in place, Aunty Alice and Uncle Jack took the five Daly children into their small Dulwich Hill home. What a magnificent charitable act, suddenly raising 10 children! The stories I’ve heard over the years are of a house full of laughter, joy, love. In one small kitchen on any weekend Uncle Jack loved listening to the races on the radio, Aunty Alice always cooking something in the oven and 8 wonderful women chatting and laughing in the kitchen, and many long hours playing hopscotch or rounders with the boys. Read more…