Lucille Rdc Obituary

Sister Lucille Coldrick, RDC (Mary Compassio), a member of the Sisters of the Divine
Compassion for nearly 66 years, died peacefully July 3, 2025 after a long illness at St.
Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Sr. Lucille was born in New York City on October 29, 1936. She entered the Sisters of the
Divine Compassion on September 3, 1959 and made final vows on March 30, 1967.
Sr. Lucille earned her Bachelor's Degree in History from Good Counsel College in 1958 and
her Master's Degree from Fordham University in 1967. She began her ministry as history
teacher at Good Counsel Academy and remained in that position until 1976. During that
time, Sr. Lucille was also the Director of Novices, responsible for the formation of new
Sisters.
Sr. Lucille began a nine-month Apostolic Religious Communities (ARC) program
headquartered in Rome, Italy in 1976. While in Europe, Sister visited Greece, France,
Austria, Israel and what was then the USSR. Her letters home are a rich combination of the
sociology, politics and theology of the places she traveled, several brief biographies of some
of the people she encountered, and travel brochure-worthy descriptions of the sights,
sounds, smells and "feel "of it all.
After Sr. Lucille's return to the U.S., she was an adjunct professor and administrator at Pace
University and served on three Congregational Leadership Teams.
Sr. Lucille was admired for her standards of excellence and professionalism as an educator
and administrator. Under Sister's leadership as principal of The Academy of Our Lady of
Good Counsel High School (1978-1985) and Preston High School (1991-2008), both high
schools were well-known for their academic excellence and the spirit of compassion that
permeated each one.
Sr. Lucille was gracious, pleasant and unfailingly polite. She had the gift of providing her
undivided attention to whomever she was speaking with in any given situation.
While "outdoorsy" might not come to mind when describing Sr. Lucille, she once listed her
interests as "running, cycling and aerobic dancing." Over the years the running, cycling and
aerobics did fall by the wayside, but her love of reading, music, the ballet and especially her
love of the opera endured.
Sr. Lucille loved the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. In her application for entrance into
the Congregation, she wrote about being drawn to the Spirit of the Divine Compassion, as
she witnessed it among the Sisters and her conviction that she was being called to live it. In
a conversation a few years ago about the Congregational name, she remarked, "After all
these years, it still takes my breath away!" For Sr. Lucille and those that knew her, it was a
lived reality.
Sr. Lucille was predeceased by her parents Michael and Frances, her brothers Michael and
James and her nephew/godchild, Daniel Coldrick. She is survived by her siblings, Sr. Helen
Coldrick, RDC, her brothers William, Daniel and David, many nieces and nephews,
grandnieces and grandnephews, and her dear friend, Sr. Laura Donovan.
The wake for Sr. Lucille Coldrick will be on Wednesday afternoon, July 9, 2025 at McMahon,
Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home White Plains from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and at the Chapel of
the Divine Compassion in White Plains on Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 am. The Ritual of
Welcome will be at 10: 30 am, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am. A
private cremation will follow the Liturgy.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, 52 N. Broadway,
White Plains, NY 10603.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sr. Lucille, please visit our floral store.