Posted May 26, 2021

Sister M. Joanne Wallace, I.H.M., died April 15 in Camilla Hall, Immaculata at age 78.

She was one of three daughters of George and Anne (Prusinowski) Wallace of St. Gertrude Parish in West Conshohocken. She attended the parish grade school and after graduation from St. Matthew High School in Conshohocken in 1960, she entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She received her habit and her religious name, Sister Anne George, in 1961 and professed first vows in 1963.

While in the community she earned degrees from Immaculata College and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

From 1963 to 1994, Sister Anne George taught elementary-aged children in grades one, two and four. In the Philadelphia area she taught at St. Martin of Tours, St. Catherine, Annunciation, St. John of the Cross, Holy Name and St. Gabriel schools. She also taught at St. James School in Falls Church, Virginia and Our Lady of Grace School in Somerdale, N.J.

In August 1994 Sister Joanne’s service shifted from classroom teaching to pastoral ministry. She served in different pastoral ministry positions over the next two decades. She was at times a director or coordinator of religious education, director of spiritual activities and religious enrichment in school, and a member of RENEW International Mission, whose purpose was to renew personal faith and a deeper faith life in the parish.

Her pastoral service took her to Our Lady of Grace in Somerdale, N.J.; Incarnation in Trenton; Annunciation, Bellmawr, N.J.; St. Raymond, Villas, N.J.; Our Lady of Fatima in Secane; St. Katharine Drexel Center in Chester; and St. Aloysius Academy, Bryn Mawr.

In 2018 Sister Joanne served at the I.H.M. Motherhouse Community. In February 2019 she suffered a terrible fall that required healing and recuperation, which precipitated a period of decline until her passing.

In addition to her I.H.M. community, Sister Joanne is survived by her sisters Phyllis (Martinez) and Debbie Wallace, her nephews and niece.

The funeral Mass was celebrated privately April 21. Msgr. Angelo Citino was the main celebrant and homilist, and Fathers George Winne and Alfred Onyutha were concelebrants.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Camilla Hall Nursing Home, IHM Mission Advancement Office, 230 IHM Drive, Malvern, PA 19355.