Sister Marie Aimee Koonmen died on Nov. 6 at the age of 82.
She served as a Sister of St. Dominic for 64 years.
On Dec. 3, 1942, Mary Walsh and Leo Koonmen welcomed Mary Gertrude into their family. Mary, her sister, and two brothers were raised in Queens and attended St. Luke Elementary School in Whitestone.
A year after graduating from St. Helena High School in the Bronx, Mary entered the novitiate at Amityville, New York.
On Aug. 8, 1962, she was clothed in the Dominican habit and received her religious name, Marie Aimee. She pronounced her first vows on Aug. 7, 1963, and her final vows on Aug. 7, 1966.
Sister Aimee earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a Bachelor of Social Work, both from Molloy University in Rockville Centre, as well as a Master of Social Work from Fordham University in the Bronx.
In 1973, after her return from Puerto Rico, she taught at St. Nicholas High School in Brooklyn.
Sister Aimee is lovingly remembered by her family and her sisters in the community. Dedicating her body to
science is her final generous gift.
A prayer of remembrance and memorial Mass to celebrate Sister Aimee’s life will occur on Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m. in St. Albert Chapel.
Sister Valerie Da Silva, OP, (formerly Sister Gerard Marie), passed away on Nov. 5. Sister Valerie was 89 years old and ministered as a Sister of St. Dominic for 60 years.
On Aug. 8, 1936, Vasco and Agnes (De Freitas) Da Silva, both immigrants from British Guiana in South America, welcomed their daughter Valerie into their home in Brooklyn. Valerie attended Good Shepherd School, where she met our Dominican sisters.
After graduating from St. Francis Xavier High School, she entered the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville on Sept. 10, 1955, as a member of the Touch Me Not set.
She received the Dominican habit on Aug. 6, 1956, and was given the name Sister Gerard Marie.
After a year of novitiate, Sister pronounced her first vows on Aug. 8, 1957. Three years later, on Aug. 8, 1960, she pronounced final vows.
Sister Gerard Marie received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, a Master of Arts in secondary English from SUNY in Fredonia, New York, and a Master of Arts in theology from St. John’s University in Jamaica.
Valerie loved teaching on all levels; she taught at St. Joseph School in Long Island City, St. Margaret School in Middle Village, Holy Family School in Brooklyn, and Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Bensonhurst.
Sister Valerie served in St. Agnes Academic School in College Point and St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows.
The wake and funeral for Sister Valerie were offered in St. Albert Chapel in Amityville, New York. The Mass of Christian Burial followed. Interment was in St. Dominic Cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.
Brother John-Michael Pinto, OFM, died on Aug. 22 at the age of 71.
He was born in Elmhurst on June 9, 1954, the son of George Pinto and Mary Ann Reilly.
He entered our province’s formation program in 1977 and was received into the novitiate on Aug. 15, 1978. He professed first vows on Aug. 11, 1979, and solemn vows on Aug. 27, 1983.
Brother John-Michael’s many years of service to the province included parochial and formation ministry at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn.
Brother John-Michael’s Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of Peace Church on Aug. 24.
Interment followed at Calvary Cemetery.