Sr. Jeanne Conley, Rsm

Albany- Conley RSM, Sister Jeanne (formerly Sister Mary Zoe) died at St. Peter’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Albany, on Monday, June 8, 2020. She had been a Sister of Mercy for 69 years. Born in Troy, New York, Jeanne was the daughter of the late Frank J. Conley and Zoe Delaney Conley. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of St. Rose, Albany, and pursued additional studies in Educational Administration and Supervision at SUNY. Sister Jeanne enjoyed a long and fruitful ministry as an elementary school teacher and principal. She introduced many little ones to the three R’s in the primary grades. She shared her time generously and enjoyed tutoring and offering remedial instruction in small groups. Sister Jeanne taught in numerous schools in the Albany Diocese, including St. Agnes, Cohoes; St. Mary’s, Waterford; Blessed Sacrament and St. Teresa of Avila, Albany; Our Lady of Victory, Troy; and St. Joseph’s, Scotia. She was both principal and teacher in Annunciation, Ilion, and Waterford Catholic Central Schools. Unassuming by nature, Sister Jeanne took an active interest in the lives of those she served. In Waterford, she enjoyed a reputation as an excellent principal. She was loved by students and faculty alike and admired for her ability to keep everything in perfect order while juggling the many responsibilities of her position. Her ministry extended beyond the classroom to parishioners. She got to know families well and modeled the corporal works of Mercy, being particularly faithful to visiting the sick and comforting those who had lost loved ones. If someone asked Sister Jeanne where she was going, her response would often be “to a wake.” After “retiring” from the ministry of education, she settled in to being a volunteer in Sacred Heart of Mary Parish, Watervliet, and later at the Maria College Library. A “people person”, Sister Jeanne made many faithful friends over the years. She loved to be with children and enjoyed spending time with her numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Sister Jeanne was predeceased by her sisters and brothers: Zoe Bopp (the late Leonard); Frank (Patricia); Agnes Zoller (the late William); and James (Joan). She is survived by many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, as well as by her religious community, the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Associates. A wake will be held at W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Avenue, Rensselaer, from 10:00 a.m. to noon Friday, June 12, with 30 people being allowed in the funeral home at a time. Masks must be worn. Social distancing will be observed. Burial will follow in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, East Greenbush. Contributions may be made in Sister Jeanne’s memory to the Sisters of Mercy, 634 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208. A Memorial Mass and celebration of Sister Jeanne’s life will be held after the current health restrictions are lifted.