Dominican Sister of Peace Betty Ann (Mary Thomasetta) Hesse, OP (81), died on December 6, 2020, at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
Sister Betty Ann and her twin brother, Bill, were born in 1938 in Louisville, KY, to Edna Klein and Andrew Hesse.
Her parents asked her to wait for two years after high school graduation before entering the Congregation, but her call to religious life, encouraged by the Dominicans who taught her at Holy Rosary Academy, brought Sister Betty Ann to the Congregation in 1958. She made first profession in 1960, took her final vows in 1965 and celebrated her 60th Jubilee in 2020.
From her earliest days in the Congregation, Sister Betty Ann was called to serve those around her. She chose to do that by entering the field of nursing. Sister Betty Ann earned her Licensed Practical Nursing degree from Spalding University, her Advanced Academic Degree and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University and returned to Spalding for her Master of Science in Nursing. She also took special courses in Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Disease, and late-life care.
Sr. Betty Ann ministered as a nurse in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Louisiana, in a wide-ranging career that included labor and delivery, general practice nursing and discharge planning, and supervisory and teaching positions. She traveled to New York to serve after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and was called to work with the American Red Cross as a health caseworker, nurse, nurse manager, disaster relief supervisor, and clinical instructor in health and safety. She served the needs of the day at more than 50 disaster sites, including Guam after the destructive Super Typhoons.
Beyond her academic knowledge and skill, Sr. Betty Ann brought God’s love and compassion to each patient that she served, from mothers and their newborns to the elderly, to those facing a sudden disaster or tragedy. She said that she felt blessed by God to serve the needy, and she did so with caring and dedication.
Sr. Betty Ann is survived by her twin brother, William Hesse from Louisville, KY, and many nieces and nephews.
Sr. Betty Ann was laid to rest in a private graveside service on December 14, 2020, at the St. Catharine Motherhouse cemetery. A memorial mass will be held at a later date at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
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