William “Bill” Barker

DEACON

Deacon William “Bill” Barker, 81, died Jan. 18.

Barker joined the diaconate in 1972, the archdiocese’s first diaconate class, and served at St. Michael Parish in Orland Park and, for the last 30 years, at Sacred Heart Parish in Palos Hills until his retirement. A convert to Catholicism, Barker worked as Sacred Heart Parish’s business manager.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis, nine children, 24 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Leroy Lilly

DEACON

Deacon Leroy Lilly, 75, died on Feb. 8. Lilly was a member of the archdiocese’s first diaconate class in 1972 and served at St. Lawrence Parish and St. Simeon Parish in Bellwood. He only recently retired from parish service. Lilly was a former vicariate coordinator for the archdiocese.

Sister Stephanie Stauder

TEACHER, ARTIST

Dominican Sister Stephanie Stauder, 91, died on Jan. 18.

A native of New York, Sister Stephanie made her first religious profession in 1937 and her final profession in 1940. She taught at Chicago’s Visitation High School from 1950-57.

She served as artist-in-residence both at Edgewood College in Madison, Wis., (1988-2001) and the motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wis. (2001-2005).

Sister Helen Mary Vosberg

ADMINISTRATOR

School Sister of St. Francis Helen Mary Vosberg (Ethelbert), 94, died on Jan. 19 in Milwaukee.

Sister Helen was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1934 and made her perpetual vows in 1942. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Helen was principal at St. Joseph School in Waukegan (1954-1960), principal and teacher at St. Martin (1960- 1966 and 1969-1981), teacher at St. Clara School (1966-1967) and coordinator of the Alvernia Center in Chicago (1981-1989). Her religious work also took her to service in Wisconsin and Mississippi.

Richard Proulx

ORGANIST

Richard Proulx, renowned composer and conductor, died Feb. 18 at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. Born in St. Paul, Minn., April 3, 1937, Proulx was organist and director of music from 1980 – 1994 at the Holy Name Cathedral.

During his tenure at Holy Name, he did much to strengthen the Cathedral’s outreach to the city it served by establishing an extensive and innovative music program. The concert series, “Music for a Great Space,” involved the cathedral choirs with many of the finest instrumentalists in the Chicago area.

In 1979, he conducted a choir of 300 for a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Grant Park.

He led the Cathedral choirs on tours through the Midwest in 1982 and 1991, and in Europe in 1988.

Sister Ellen Claire Miller

EDUCATOR, COUNSELOR

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Ellen Claire (Joseph Mary) Miller, 91, died Jan. 28.

A Chicago native, Sister Ellen Claire made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1938 and her final profession in 1941. She taught elementary school for 24 years, including a stint in the Archdiocese of Chicago at Immaculate Conception in Waukegan (1958-1963). She also served as principal at St. Thomas the Apostle from 1963-1969.

In 1970, Sister Ellen Claire joined the staff at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, as a teacher, a post she held for the next 13 years. From 1983-1986, she ministered as pastoral associate at St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest, and later served as the gerontological consultant at Lake Forest Hospital and Cook County Hospital. In her 71 years of religious life, she served in Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, California and Illinois.

Sister Roque Cunningham

ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE, TEACHER

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Roque Cunningham, 85, died Jan. 29.

Sister Roque joined the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation in 1956, making her final profession in 1959. For 25 years, the Chicago native ministered at the Motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wis., as sacristan, switchboard operator and assistant in the finance office and mail room.

From 1971-1973, Sister Roque was employed as an electronic communicator at the Chicago Board of Trade and as assistant librarian at St. Luke, River Forest, from 1973-1976. She also taught for four years. Sister Roque’s 51 years with the Dominican congregation saw her fill administrative support positions in five states.