Sister Mary Alice Henkel

1931 - 2024

News story
By Mike Sigov
Blade staff writer

Sister Mary Alice Henkel, a Roman Catholic nun, medical technologist, poet, and social justice champion, died Oct. 12 in Otterbein Sunset House. She was 93.

She died of complications from a fall, Sheila Otto, a long-time friend, said.

"She was very good at engaging people, taking into account their situation, their personality, their spirituality," said Sister Sandy Sherman, convent president. "She always looked at the big picture."

Sister Mary Alice, who entered the Ursuline Convent in 1957, retired in 1994 after 24 years as a medical technologist at the former Mercy Hospital.

Before Mercy, she was a lab technician in science classes at Mary Manse College for a time.

"As a co-worker, she was very reliable and very knowledgeable," said Shirley Haenggi, a former coworker at Mercy Hospital. "And she was a great friend.

"... She had a sharp wit. We would talk not only about spiritual things, but also about topics of the day, new books, all sorts of stuff."

In retirement, Sister Mary Alice worked part time at the Catholic Chronicle, the official newspaper of the Toledo Catholic Diocese, for a few years.

She also worked as a certified home caregiver in Toledo until retiring permanently when her health took a downturn.

Most of the time that she wasn't working, she spent volunteering for the community, those who knew her said.

She volunteered as a street outreach worker at Rahab's Heart, a Toledo inner-city ministry that includes fighting human trafficking, and for Women Blessing Women, a Toledo nonprofit that seeks to empower women to achieve their potential, obtain living-wage jobs, and break the cycle of poverty.

Other nonprofits for which she had volunteered included the Corpus Christi University Parish Feed Your Neighbor Program, the Eleanor Kahle Senior Center, and area homeless shelters such as Family House and Claver House.

"A champion for social justice, there was nothing pretentious about her," Ms. Otto said. "She was right with the people."

Most recently, Sister Mary Alice volunteered for the Reynolds Corners Library children's department for several years, helping stack books and "do whatever else they needed," Ms. Otto said.

Born Sept. 23, 1931, in Fremont to Margaret and Arthur Henkel, Sister Mary Alice graduated from Ross High School in Fremont and then got her bachelor's degree from what is now Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, before entering the convent.

She later continued her education at Toledo's former Mary Manse College and then at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., before getting trained as a medical technologist at the former Mercy Hospital School of Medical Technology in Toledo.

In her free time, Sister Mary Alice wrote poetry. She published two books of poetry through the Ursuline Convent, the second one about two years ago.

"One of her most amazing qualities was that she was able to recite verse after verse of poetry, and she was very diverse," Ms. Otto said.

Sister Mary Alice also enjoyed attending theological lectures.

She was also a women's golf fan who volunteered for the U.S. Senior Open at Inverness Club for many years.

There are no immediate survivors.

Sister Mary Alice donated her body to the University of Toledo college of medicine.

A memorial Mass will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Ursuline Center Chapel, 4035 Indian Rd.

Arrangements are by Coyle Funeral Home.

The family suggests tributes to the Ursuline Convent.