Sister Dorothy Zwick, H.M., formerly Sister Mary Zita, 95, of Hubbard, Ohio, died Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at Maplecrest Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Care in Struthers, Ohio.
Raised in Stark County, Sister Dorothy graduated in 1945 from Mt. Marie Academy and entered the HM Community in January 1946 from St. Joseph Parish, Massillon. She professed her perpetual vows in 1951.
Sister Dorothy dedicated her many decades of faith-filled service to ministering in healthcare, administration and congregational leadership. She earned her RN in 1953 from St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing in Youngstown and went on to earn her BSN from Duquesne University in 1958 and her MSN in 1961 from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She worked as a nurse at the Rose-Mary Center in Euclid and as a nursing supervisor at the former St. Joseph Hospital in Lorain before returning to the Youngstown area.
Generosity, service and leadership characterized Sr. Dorothy’s ministry in healthcare over many decades. She served as director of St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing from 1961 to 1989 and was beloved by generations of student nurses who trained there. She generously served three terms in HM Congregational Leadership as general secretary and served as administrator of Villa Maria Community Center from 1989 to 2002. During the 1980s, Sr. Dorothy was a member of the HM Constitutions writing committee. From 2002 to 2020 she served as a volunteer in pastoral ministry at St. Patrick Parish in Youngstown. She visited the sick, assisted parishioners at the time of a death in the family, and was a Lay Leader of Prayer. Sr. Dorothy joined her sisters in the HM Ministry of Prayer until her death. In all of her ministries, she was always gentle, caring and supportive of the needs of others.
She is survived by her sisters in the Humility of Mary Congregation, with whom she shared her life for 77 years, as well as her nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roman and Clara (Donant) Zwick and her sisters, Ruth C. Wirtz Howes, Zita Zwick and Eulalia Heck.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, Development Office, PO Box 534, Villa Maria, PA 16155.
The funeral will be livestreamed. A link will be posted on the HM website on the day of the funeral. See: www.humilityofmary.org
Arrangements at Villa Maria Chapel, Villa Maria, Pa.
Mass of Christian Burial: Monday, May 15, 2023, at 3 p.m.
Rite of Return and Calling Hours: Monday, May 15, 2023, from 1:45 p.m. until beginning of funeral Mass
Prayer of Remembrance in Celebration of her Life: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 7 p.m. via ZOOM. The link for ZOOM will be posted that day on the HM website: www.humilityofmary.org
