Obituaries

OBITUARY | Sister Jane Kehoe Hassett, CSJ

Sr. Hassett

A memorial Mass for Sister Jane Kehoe Hassett, CSJ, was celebrated Jan. 15 at Nazareth Living Center Chapel in south St. Louis County. Sister Jane died Dec. 19 at Nazareth Living Center. She was 96 years old.

Jane was born on Jan. 3, 1928, to Henry and Jeanette (Kehoe) Hassett in St. Louis. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet on Sept. 15, 1951, and received the name Sister Mary Barat. She professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1959.

Sister Jane earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Maryville College in 1949, a master’s degree in history from Saint Louis University in 1960 and a doctorate in history from Saint Louis University in 1967.

Sister Jane spent most of her ministry in education. She began teaching at Rosati-Kain High School in St. Louis in 1954. She then taught at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City (1954-55) and Reicher High School in Waco, Texas (1955-56). She taught at the grade school level for the next few years at St. Gregory in St. Ann (1956-58) and St. Agnes in St. Louis (1958-60).

In 1960, Sister Jane taught at Fontbonne College (now University) for the second semester and then at Bishop Baraga High School in Marquette, Michigan, until 1962.

She spent a year in Paris, France, doing research for her dissertation before attending Saint Louis University to receive her doctorate. She then worked as a grant processor for the Office of Education in Washington D.C. for a year.

She was named president of Fontbonne College (now University) in 1972 and served in the position for 13 years.

She was the executive director for the Sisters Energy Conservation Programs (1986-90) and administrator of Our Lady of Life Apartments (1991-96), both in St. Louis. Sister Jane served in the Advancement Office as records researcher, writer and archivist at Fontbonne from 1997-2012.

After retirement, she served her CSJ community as a volunteer archivist at Nazareth Living Center from 2014-19. Sister Jane moved to Nazareth Living Center in 2019 and carried out her mission of prayer and presence until her death.

Sister Jane was recognized for her accomplishments in education and received the following honors in the early 1980s: Woman of Achievement Award – Education from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (1981), named Clayton’s Woman of the Year by the mayor of Clayton (1982) and Woman of Achievement Award by St. Louis Globe-Democrat (1983).

Sister Jane donated her body to science.