Obituaries

Obituaries

Brother Joseph Moloney, O.S.F., a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn for 58 years, died Sept. 11 at Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn Heights.

He entered the Brothers in 1954 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, Sunset Park. He received the Franciscan habit in 1955 and took the name Lucian.

A graduate of St. Francis Prep, Brooklyn, he attended St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights; New York University; and Teachers College at Columbia University, Manhattan.

He taught at St. Anthony of Padua, Greenpoint, and Our Lady of Angels, Bay Ridge, where he coached baseball, basketball and moderated the choir.

In the 1960s, he taught history at St. Anthony’s H.S., Smithtown, L.I., and public speaking at Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, where he also moderated forensics, the Third Order and Student Council.

In 1969, Brother Joe began a 28-year career with Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, where he worked with Msgr. Thomas Cribbin and Sister Bernadette Downes, C.I.J., designing a network of services for disabled people. He was responsible for recruiting and training thousands of volunteers to work with mentally disabled people.

He served as president and executive director of the National Apostolate for Mentally Retarded Persons, 1976-85, and board member of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities, 1982-90.

From 1985-2003, he served on the General Council of the Franciscan Brothers, and served as Assistant Superior General, 1995-2003.

An avid singer, gardener, shopper and chef, he moderated the “Troupers” Theater Group at St. Francis College.

He retired to Our Lady of Angels Friary in 2011.

Sister Mary Rose McGeady, D.C., who took over Covenant House for homeless youth after its founder was accused of financial and sexual improprieties, died of respiratory failure in Albany on Sept. 13 at the age of 84.

A member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, she served as president of Covenant House from 1990 until her retirement in 2003, doubling the number of homeless young people served by the international network annually.

Born in Hazelton, Pa., she worked with children for more than 40 years before joining Covenant House.

Among the posts she held were executive director of the Nazareth Child Care Center for Homeless Children in Boston; executive director of the Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, N.Y.; and associate director of Brooklyn Catholic Charities.

She is survived by her sister Catherine Pendleton.

Sister Marilyn Therese Lieber, D.W., 80, formerly known as Sister Catherine of the Eucharist, died Aug. 10.

Born at St. Mary’s Hospital, Brooklyn, she attended Our Lady of Wisdom Academy, Ozone Park; Maryview Hospital School of Nursing, Portsmouth, Va.; St. John’s University; Catholic University, Washington, D.C.; Columbia University, Manhattan; and Mundelein College in Chicago, Ill.

She entered the novitiate from Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, Ozone Park, and made her profession on Feb. 2, 1952.

She spent her entire life in the field of nursing. She served as head nurse/instructor, Maryview Hospital, Portsmouth, Va.; staff nurse, Brooklyn and Suffolk county hospitals and Wyckoff Heights Hospital, Brooklyn; assistant professor and deputy chairperson, Queensborough Community College, Bayside; associate professor, Molloy College, Rockville Centre, L.I.; clinical associate professor and chair of the parent/child health nursing department, Stony Brook University, L.I. She also taught at East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.; Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.; and Central Michigan University of Extended Learning.

A memorial service is planned for Friday, Sept. 28, at 10:30 a.m. at Edward F. Lieber Funeral Home, Valley Stream, L.I.