Sister Mary Joan Haley, RDC, a member of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, died peacefully at Good Counsel Convent on Friday, April 10, 2009. Sister Mary Joan was born in Brooklyn on June 22, 1917, the daughter of Patrick and Helen (Collins) Haley. Sister Joan had two siblings, Ruth and Thomas who predeceased her. Sister Joan entered the Sisters of the Divine Compassion on August 15, 1933 and made her final profession on August 15, 1941. She was a graduate of both Good Counsel Academy High School and Good Counsel College. She received an M.S. degree in Biology from Fordham University; an M.S. degree in Pastoral Counseling from Iona College and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Pace University.
Sister Mary Joan had a varied and extensive teaching career beginning at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Elms ford, and Good Counsel High School, White Plains until her appointment as Director of Formation for the Divine Compassion Congregation, the role in which she served from 1954 to 1970. In 1970 she joined the College of White Plains as a faculty member until her election as President of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion in 1976. In 1984 she was appointed Finance Director of the Congregation and served until 1988. From 1988-1992 Sister worked as a therapist for Catholic Charities in White Plains.
Since 1991 Sister Joan was an active member of the staff of the RDC Center for Counseling and Human Development and a volunteer at the White Plains Senior Center. Sister Susan Merritt, President of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, commented: "Sister Mary Joan was an amazing woman who remained actively engaged with others and with her community until her death; she was an example for us all." Sister Joan is survived by her Sisters of the Divine Compassion, her nieces, Debra Haley, Jennifer Haley, Nan Delzani, Susan Haley, Jill Haley and Melissa Haley O'Leary, her cousin, Isabel Collins and many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.
