A funeral Mass for Sister Patricia Marie Hix, CSJ, was celebrated Jan. 22 at Nazareth Living Center Chapel in south St. Louis County. Sister Patricia died Jan. 13 at Nazareth Living Center. She was 100 years old and a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet for 82 years.
Sister Patricia, baptized Dorothy Marie, was born on May 13, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents Leslie Frederick and Catherine A. (Corrigan) Hix. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on Sept. 15, 1942, and made her final profession on Aug. 15, 1948.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fontbonne College in 1954 and a master’s degree in mathematics from Saint Louis University in 1963.
Sister Patricia served all of her active ministry in education. She began teaching in the Archdiocese of St. Louis at St. Patrick (1945-46, 1948-50), Our Lady of the Presentation (1946-48), Immaculate Conception (1950-53) and St. Rita (1953-54).
She taught at the secondary level at Redemptorist High School in Kansas City (1954-56) and at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florissant (1956-57). Sister Patricia taught her last years at the elementary level at Most Blessed Sacrament Grade School in St. Louis (1957-61).
In 1961, Sister Patricia transitioned to higher education and taught and was registrar at Fontbonne College until 1964. Following this, she served as the dean of Avila College (now University) in Kansas City (1964-70).
Carrying out the original mission of the founding sisters, Sister Patricia served the next 34 years at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (now St. Joseph Hearing and Speech). She taught there from 1971 to 1990 and moved into semi-retirement, serving as the afternoon receptionist until 2005.
Sister Patricia retired to Nazareth Living Center in 2005. In 2011, she moved to Montana, volunteering in Cut Bank and then in 2019, moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota, for another volunteer opportunity. Since 2023, she has resided at Nazareth Living Center, where she carried out her ministry of prayer and presence.
Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery.
