Sister Patricia Watkins, GNSH, formerly known as Sister deChantal, died Dec. 6, 2016, at the Holy Redeemer Lafayette retirement facility in Philadelphia. She was 88.

The former Patricia Anne Watkins was born Jan. 17, 1928, to William H. and Marguerite E. (Maxwell) Watkins in Snyder. She joined the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart in 1952 and received a bachelor's degree in English education from D'Youville College in Buffalo. She went on to receive a master's degree in deaf education and speech therapy from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Sister Patricia served at Holy Angels Academy in Buffalo and D'Youville College in the 1960s. She moved to Yardley, Pa., and served for eight years at Sacred Heart Junior College. She was named the institution's president and served as the director of Providence Center at the local Grey Nuns' motherhouse. She served for 37 years in counseling, spiritual direction and as a chaplain in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Sister Patricia furthered her education by receiving a master's degree in English literature from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and another master's degree in clinical counseling from the Graduate Institute of Pastoral Counseling, Iona University.

Later in her life, Sister Patricia served as a Eucharistic minister for residents of nursing homes, also serving in private practice as a counselor and spiritual director until shortly before her death.

She is survived by siblings Rosemary Caito and Paul F. Watkins, as well as nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass was held in the Holy Redeemer Sisters Chapel in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., followed by burial in Resurrection Cemetery, also in Pennsylvania.