S. Dolores Marie Armstrong SNJM

ARMSTRONG, S. Dolores Marie
(Amadea), SNJM

Born in Seattle, WA, October 7, 1908, Amadea was the youngest of ten children of Kathleen Sweeney and William Armstrong. She knew herself to be well loved by her entire family and that became the foundation for her life. Amadea attended Immaculate Elementary School, graduated from Holy Names Academy in Seattle in 1926, and from Holy Names Normal School. After some trips to California and some teaching in the public school system there, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1930, pronouncing her vows two years later. She was the fourth of the Armstrong sisters to enter the Holy Names Community. They were a formidable foursome, strong gifted women!
Now known as Sister Dolores Marie, she continued her teaching career with the seventh and eighth grade students of Our Lady of Lourdes School in Spokane and St. Philip Neri School in Portland. In 1940, she became a student at Catholic University, earning her M.A. in Psychology. She returned to teach at Holy Names College in Spokane and Marylhurst College near Portland, and in Seattle at St. Mary's, where she was principal from 1948-55, and St. James for one year. In 1956, Sister again returned to study, this time at Stanford University, earning her PhD in 1959 in Counseling Psychology. Sister's college teaching included classes in psychology and sociology, as well as numerous clinics and workshops, in locations from Marylhurst, Holy Names and Fort Wright, Colleges of the Holy Names, to the University of San Diego. Sister Dolores Marie was invited, in 1959-60, to be one of the all-American faculty to teach at the first Sister-Formation College at Marillac College in Normandie, MO. Head of the Psychology Department, she was responsible for writing syllabi, compiling the catalogue, and working with the other department heads to create a four-year Liberal Arts College.
Ever the consummate professional, Sister Dolores Marie continued to blend her teaching career with her counseling career, responding to requests for speaking engagements, clinics and private practice. In 1975, Sister focused on the counseling aspect of her life as a court psychologist until 1985 and an alcohol counselor, both in Seattle, until 1998. If she saw one of her clients on the streets of downtown Seattle, she would offer a reminder that who that person was in God's eyes was good reason to live out of deep self-respect. In 1998, she moved to Convent of the Holy Names in Spokane to retire, although her clients were reluctant to let her leave them, and called regularly for support by phone! She never did lose her penchant for challenging us to think about serious issues, or opportunities for personal growth and development.
Perhaps most revealing of her heart was her tearful response to the gift of beautiful red roses from her religious leaders on the occasion of her 100th birthday: "For me? They must have heard that I worked with the poor!"
Sister Dolores Marie belonged to several professional organizations, among them are Psi Chi, national honorary in psychology; Pi Lambda Theta, national honorary in Education, and the American Psychological Association.
Sister died January 26, 2011, in Spokane. Although she has no living siblings, she is remembered lovingly by several generations of her nieces and nephews, and by her religious community.
Funeral Mass is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 2, at the Convent of the Holy Names, 2911 West Fort Wright Drive, Spokane, Washington. Memorial gifts may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Names Retirement Fund, 2911 West Fort Wright Drive, Spokane, WA 99224. Arrangements entrusted to