Sister Mary Louise Marecki, CSSF, died Jan. 2, 2017, in Blessed Mary Angela Care Center in Buffalo. She was 89.

The former Estelle Marecki was born April 20, 1927, in Erie, Pa., to Francis and Anna (Moscinski) Marecki. She joined the Buffalo province of the Felician Sisters in 1945 and made vows in 1953.

Sister Mary Louise received a bachelor's degree in education from what is now Medaille College in Buffalo, as well as another bachelor's degree from the University of Detroit. In 1956, she began serving as a business teacher at Villa Maria Academy in Buffalo. Later, she taught at Bishop Gibbons High School in Tonawanda and Bishop Colton High School in Buffalo. She also taught for five years at a school in Rome, N.Y.

From 1966-71, she taught at Villa Maria College. After this, she returned to serve at Villa Maria Academy, where she served as head of the institution's Secretarial Science Department.

In 1980, Sister Mary Louise was sent to the Vatican to serve as secretary to St. John Paul II, and she received the Pro Ecclesia and Pontifice Award for her service. In 2000, she returned home to serve in the Communication and Development Office of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province in Buffalo.

She was the last survivor of her immediate family.

A funeral Mass was held in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent Chapel.