Dominican Sister of Peace Rebecca Nolan, (80), a native of Pittsburgh, PA, died on June 13, 2026, at Mohun Health Care Center, Columbus, OH.
One of six siblings, Rebecca was born to Mildred Grant and Michael Francis Nolan Sr. In 1963, she entered the Congregation of St. Mary of the Springs, now the Dominican Sisters of Peace. She professed her final vows in 1973. In 2026, she celebrated 60 years of religious profession and faithful ministry.
Sister Rebecca earned her LPN from Claude V. Courter Technical School in Cincinnati, became a registered nurse through St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Capital University in Columbus, and later earned a master's degree in administration and education from New York University.
Throughout six decades of religious life, Sister Rebecca ministered as a nurse, educator, health care leader, and pastoral associate. Whether caring for patients in hospitals and home health settings, teaching future nurses, leading health care ministries, or accompanying parishioners in faith, she approached every person with compassion, dignity, and genuine concern. Her final ministry was as Pastoral Associate at Christ the King Parish in Pittsburgh, where she continued to walk alongside those seeking comfort, guidance, and hope.
Reflecting on Sister Rebecca’s life, Sr. Pat Twohill wrote that two qualities defined her: "Her deep compassion for others and her joyful sense of humor." She observed that whenever Rebecca encountered someone who was ill or struggling, her instinct was to offer care and become a compassionate presence, whether she had known the person for years or had just met them.
Sister Rebecca was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Michael Nolan Jr. She is survived by her brother Conrad and her sisters Milicent Nolan and Christine Simmons.
A Vigil of Remembrance Service was held on June 29, 2026, at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel in Columbus, Ohio. The funeral liturgy was held at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel on June 30, 2026, followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Memorial gifts in Sister Rebecca’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus, OH 43219.
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