Sr. Marilyn Perkins, Dc

MENANDS- Sister Marilyn Perkins, DC, born on July 21, 1939 in Middleboro, MA, passed away on Saturday December 7, 2024 at St. Louise House in Menands.  She was the second of four children of Arthur and Rose Perkins. Sister graduated from Middleboro High School in 1957 and then received her Diploma in Nursing from Catherine Laboure School of Nursing in Boston, MA in 1960. She entered the Daughters of Charity in 1961 in Emmitsburg, MD. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Nursing from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, MD in 1964 and a Masters in Nursing from Yale University in 1973. Her ministry has been in the healthcare field most of her life. She served in Daughters of Charity Hospitals in Pensacola, FL; Buffalo, NY; Bridgeport, CT; Pottsville, PA; Binghamton, NY; and Gould and Dumas, AK. She also served in a homecare nursing in South Boston, MA. She was called to go to Thailand in 1980 to work for Catholic Relief Services during the Cambodian Refugee crisis. This led to her great efforts to resettle families in the United States and to deep and lasting friendships. Sister served in leadership roles in her Community of the Daughters of Charity. She was part of the Provincial team as Health Councilor for nine years and in several local communities of Sisters. Over the years, she also served on boards at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital, Lewiston, NY; Catholic Health System, Buffalo, NY; Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans; and the national Ascension Health. In later years, she served as pastoral associate to Holy Family Parish in Niagara Falls, NY Some health challenges required her to transfer to the Sisters’ retirement facility, St. Louise House, Albany, NY in May of 2022. There she served in the Ministry of Prayer until her death. Sister was predeceased by her parents, her sister Eileen Haggerty and by her brother John. She is survived by her sister, Kathleen Dutil of South Carolina, and several devoted nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by them all and by refugee families she helped to resettle, who consider her a loved family member. Also by numerous friends and her Sisters in the Community of the Daughters of Charity. A wake service will be held for Sister Marilyn on Sunday, December 15, 2024 from 4-7 pm at DePaul Chapel, 96 Menand Rd., Menands. Sister’s funeral Mass will be on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 10:30 am in DePaul Chapel, followed by interment in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands. Donations may be made in her name to the Daughters of Charity, 4330 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63108.