Sister Reine Marie Martin, RSM, a Sister of Mercy, died at Catherine’s Residence in St. Louis Feb. 1 at the age of 88.
Born Jane Frances Martin on Feb. 12, 1934, in St. Louis, she was the fourth of six children of Joseph O. Martin and Mabel M. Jolley. Three sons and three daughters were welcomed into the world and raised during both the Great Depression and World War II.
Jane Frances became a registered nurse and earned a nursing certificate from St. John’s Hospital in St. Louis in 1955. She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing at St. Mary’s College in Xavier, Kansas, on June 1, 1967. Later she received certification in chaplaincy from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.
Jane Frances Martin discerned a religious vocation and became Sister Reine Marie Martin when she entered the Religious Sisters of Mercy at Frontenac in 1960. She professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 16, 1968.
Her ministry included numerous positions of service in the health care industry over the years. Among her ministries, she served as a nursing service supervisor and staff nurse at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis (1963-69); supervisor and staff nurse at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri; and nursing and social services/staff nurse in Independence, Kansas (1976-89).
After a sabbatical year in which she participated in the Corporate Ministry Program at Saint Louis University, Sister Reine Marie was a student chaplain with the VA Medical Center in St. Louis (1990-91). Moving forward, she served as a pastoral care chaplain at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis (1991-2005), and concluded her career as a works of mercy/volunteer chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Washington (2005-17).
Sister Reine Marie retired to Catherine’s Residence in 2017. There she shared her loving presence as a community member of the Sisters of Mercy.
Private funeral services are pending. Burial is to take place in Calvary Cemetery.
