Obituaries
Please submit in writing to our office by 10 a.m. Thursday before the week of publication; be sure to state date of death. Obituaries of archdiocesan priests serving our archdiocese are listed elsewhere in The Criterion. Order priests and religious sisters and brothers are included here, unless they are natives of the archdiocese or have other connections to it; those are separate obituaries on this page.
Submit an obituary here (parishes and funeral homes only)
BRANNON, Mary A., 92, St. Rita, Indianapolis, July 26. Mother of Bertha Lloyd, Margaret Mills, Frances Mitchum, Patricia, Shirley and Jessie Brannon. Sister of Bertha Mae and France Edwards. Grandmother, great‑grandmother and great‑great-grandmother of several.
BRENNAN, Beverly M., 91, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, July 21. Mother of Sherrie Bryant, Jean Patz, and Jane Snodgrass. Grandmother of five. Great‑grandmother of three.
CUPPY, Bryan S., 52, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, July 20. Step-father of Jessica Milner. Son of Dennis Cuppy and Donna Kemp. Step-son of Jane Cuppy and Thomas Kemp. Brother of Kristin Kemp. Step‑brother of Charles McCahill. Step-grandfather of two.
CZELUSTA, John, 44, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, July 22. Father of Jacob and Zachary Czelusta. Son of Paul and Pam Czelusta. Brother of Tammy Fitch.
DEBOLT, Wilbur A., Jr., 74, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, July 18. Husband of Vera Debolt. Father of Celeste and Brian Debolt. Brother of Richard Debolt. Grandfather of 11. Great‑grandfather of 16.
DECKARD, Barbara A., 87, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, July 19. Mother of Cynthia Eaton, Brenda Hillman, Mary Hudon, Melissa Reed, Nancy Schweibold and Kevin Deckard. Grandmother of 21. Great‑grandmother of 28.
DOLAN, Peggie J. (Gilmore), 64, St. Anthony, Indianapolis, July 24. Wife of Tom Dolan. Sister of Jim and Tom Gilmore.
DOYLE, James M., 61, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, July 23. Brother of Jamie Ismail, Jenny Walker, Dan and Tim Doyle. Uncle and great-uncle of several.
ENGLE ROBERTS, Dorothy R. (Lenfert), 93, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, July 13. Wife of Perry Roberts. Mother of Larry and Michael Engle. Step‑mother of Vickie Alexander, Lou Ann Snyder and Perry Roberts. Grandmother of seven. Great‑grandmother of five.
EULESS, Wilma (Duffy), 95, Holy Family, New Albany, July 23. Mother of Jayne Cress. Grandmother of three. Great‑grandmother of three.
HEMINGWAY, Michael D., 62, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, July 24. Son of Loren and Lela Jo Hemingway. Brother of Cari Adams and Lori Roberts.
HILL, John E., 88, St. John the Baptist, Osgood, July 27. Father of Nancy Pappas, Jodi Weinschenk and John Hill. Grandfather of seven. Great‑grandfather of two.
HUFF, Darlene G., 79, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, July 28. Mother of Tammy Condra, Arlene Cook, Robyn Greiwe, Kelly King, Brian and Randy Huff. Grandmother of 11. Great‑grandmother of four.
LITMER, Daniel E., 87, St. Catherine of Siena, Decatur County, July 24. Husband of Carol Litmer. Father of Chris and Scott Litmer. Grandfather of two.
MENNEMEYER, Gary A., 58, St. Mary, New Albany, July 25. Father of Keri Crutcher and Matthew Mennemeyer. Brother of Lisa Brown, Beverly Parsons, Sandy Winstead and Steve Mennemeyer. Grandfather of three.
MOODY, Jennifer M., 70, St. Anthony, Morris, July 25. Mother of Holly Meginniss, Shawn Raver and Ryan Moody. Grandmother of five.
MOORMAN, Jeffry D., 63, St. Louis, Batesville, July 27. Husband of Brenda Moorman. Brother of Cindy Heidt, Steffanie and David Moorman. Uncle of several.
OKEY, Joseph B., 81, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, July 19. Husband of Regina Okey. Father of Heather Gibson, Faith Kirby and Sean Okey. Grandfather of five. Great‑grandfather of two.
RIALL, Robert, 73, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, July 23. Husband of Betty Riall. Father of Angie, Amy and Arnold Riall. Brother of George Riall.
SCHASNEY, Paul J., 67, St. Mary, Greensburg, July 27. Husband of Barbara Schasney. Father of Jill Fuel and Thomas Schasney. Son of Joseph Schasney. Grandfather of four.
SHANK, Patricia, 84, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, July 11. Mother of Beth Low and Julie Shank. Sister of Nancy Oler Fackson. Grandmother of three. Great‑grandmother of three.
TOWNSEND, Donald P., 78, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, July 17. Husband of Virginia Townsend. Father of Judy Popp, Gerry and Greg Townsend. Grandfather of six. Great‑grandfather of seven.
WHITE, Charles J., 92, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, July 15. Husband of Judy White. Father of Charlene Feeter, Susan Hood, Beth Skaggs, Rebecca, Ronald and Scott Mills and Jay White. Brother of Ann Friess, Pat Pearson, Mary Lou Travis, Bob McCartin, Charles and John White. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of 14.
YOUNG, Patricia R. (Bunge), 89, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, July 27. Wife of Leon Young. Mother of Katherine Carlson, Bonnie Hawkins, Donna Marrs, Rebecca Smith, Randall and Robin Young. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 11.
ZETZL, Ruth H. (Sitzman), 77, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, July 30. Wife of Alfred Zetzl. Mother of Rose Ann Shilson, Kathy Stults, Mary Helen Valentine, Donna and David Zetzl. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of three.
Providence Sister Elaine Doucette served in Catholic schools, health care
Providence Sister Elaine Doucette died on July 27 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 82.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 3 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Audrey Clare Doucette was born on Oct. 29, 1935, in Melrose, Mass. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 22, 1953, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1961.
Sister Elaine earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
During her 65 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Elaine ministered for 23 years as a teacher in Catholic grade schools and high schools in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1979, she returned to the motherhouse where she assisted in health care. Beginning in 2006, she dedicated herself to prayer.
In the archdiocese, she served in Indianapolis at the former St. Agnes Academy from 1959-62 and St. Jude School from 1963-66. She also ministered at the motherhouse as a nursing assistant in health care from 1980-83 and as a health care driver from 1983-96.
Sister Elaine is survived by four sisters: Mary Davin of Brighton, Mass.; Florence Joy of Malden, Mass.; Ruth Magner of Gloucester, Mass.; and Carol McDonnell of Newbury, Vt.; and a brother, Edwin Doucette of San Antonio
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary‑of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
JoAnn Morris, mother of Father Kevin Morris, 85, died on July 29
JoAnn (Mortimer) Morris, the mother of Father Kevin Morris, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Richmond, died on July 29 at her home in Indianapolis. She was 85.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 4 at Holy Spirit Church in Indianapolis. Burial followed at Memorial Park Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Morris was born on Oct. 10, 1932, in Mayfield, Kan., to Leonard and Leveta Mortimer. She graduated from Milan High School in Milan, Kan., and later moved to Wichita, Kan., where she met her future husband, Joseph Morris, who was stationed at the time at the nearby McConnell Air Force Base.
They married in 1953, later settled in Indianapolis and were longtime members of Holy Spirit Parish on the city’s east side. Joseph preceded her in death in 1999.
The mother of six children, Morris considered parenthood her highest calling. She worked for decades in the family‑owned Atlas Office Supply Co., which was later owned by Boise Cascade. She also gave herself in service to her parish, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and as a poll worker in Marion County.
Surviving are her children Laure Morris of Longmeadow, Mass.; Father Kevin Morris of Richmond; Angela Jump, Patrice, Terri and Michael Morris, all of Indianapolis; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 3001 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46218, or to Holy Spirit Parish, 7243 E. 10th St., Indianapolis, IN 46219. †