August 7, 1929 – January 14, 2026
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Virginia Anne Fannin, who passed away on January 14, 2026, at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis. She was 96 years of age.
Sister Virginia Anne, baptized Mary Patricia, was born on August 7, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Virgil and Anna Theresa (Burns) Fannin. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet on September 15, 1948, and made her final profession on August 15, 1956.
She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fontbonne College in St. Louis in 1957.
Sister Virginia Anne spent her first 19 years of ministry work in education. She began teaching at St. Mary Grade School in St. Louis from 1951 to 1957. She taught elementary education for the next nine years in Hawai`i at St. Joseph Grade School in Waipahu (1957-1959), Christ the King Grade School in Maui (1959-1960, 1965-1966), St. Anthony Grade School in Kailua (1960-1962) and St. Theresa Grade School in Honolulu (1962-1965).
The next two years, she taught in Illinois at St. Viator Grade School in Chicago (1966-1967) and at St. Cecilia Grade School in Peoria (1967-1968). The following year, she taught in Mobile, Alabama, at St. Matthew Grade School. In 1969, Sister Virginia lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked at St. Joseph Hospital as a clerical worker for two years and then was a student at Research Medical Hospital for a year. She went on to serve the next six years as a medical records technician at St. Joseph Community Hospital in Hancock, Michigan (1972-1976), and St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City (1976-1978).
Sister Virginia returned to Chicago in 1978 and was a receptionist at DePaul University until 1979. She spent the next 21 years in service at St. Viator Grade School/Parish as a religious education instructor (1979-1992), librarian (1970-1998) and parish sacristan (1996-2000).
Throughout her years as a teacher, wherever she taught in the schools, Sister Virginia was also a teacher in the Parish School of Religion.
From 2000 to 2003, she served at Our Lady of the Nativity in Chicago as a receptionist and a volunteer librarian/tutor.
Sister Virginia moved to Nazareth Living Center in 2003 to serve as a sacristan and later retired there, where she carried out her ministry of prayer and presence.
The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Nazareth Living Center, 2 Nazareth Lane, St. Louis, MO 63129. The visitation will be at 9 a.m., followed by the Funeral Mass at 10 a.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province, 6400 Minnesota Ave., St. Louis, MO 63111 or donate online.
Rest in peace, sister