Father Clarence E. Williams Jr., CPPS
Funeral Masses for Father Clarence E. Williams, Jr., CPPS, 73, pastor of Columbus St. James the Less Church from 2012 to 2018, who died Saturday, July 8 at the Jennings Nursing Home in Garfield Heights, were celebrated Monday, July 17 at the St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio and Tuesday, July 18 at Cleveland St. Adalbert Church. A memorial Mass was celebrated Monday, July 24 at St. James the Less Church. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland.
He was born on May 10, 1950 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Clarence and Lula Belle (Woods) Williams. Raised in Cleveland, he entered the congregation of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood in 1965 at Brunnerdale, the missionaries’ former high school seminary near Canton. He was ordained in Cleveland on Oct. 28, 1978.
After his ordination, he entered parish ministry at Detroit St. Anthony Church, first as an assistant, then as pastor. In 1995, he was assigned to the Archbishop Lyke International Center in Detroit. He also served as director of African American ministries for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He ministered in the Detroit area for more than 25 years.
In 1998, he received a doctoral degree in global education and cultural communication from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati. He wrote three books and many articles and gave presentations throughout the nation on the theme of racial sobriety, a term with which he described his process for dealing with racism as a social illness, with a treatment program to help individuals and groups overcome racism. He received several national awards for his work.
In 2007, he became director of racial equality and diversity for Catholic Charities USA in Washington. He also continued in parish work, serving from 2010 to 2012 at Holy Innocents-St. Barnabas Church in Roseville, Michigan, then at St. James the Less Church. He was in ill health for the last several years of his life.
He was preceded in death by his mother. Survivors include his father; brothers, Thomas, Charles (Donna), Willie (Mercedes) and Carl (Cheryl); and many nieces and nephews.
Sister Mary Carolina “Lina” Hess, SNDdeN
Funeral Mass for Sister Mary Carolina “Lina” Hess, SNDdeN, 92, who died Tuesday, July 4, was celebrated at Mount Notre Dame Chapel, Reading, Ohio. Burial was at the sisters’ cemetery in Reading.
She was born on Aug. 9, 1930 in Athens to the late John and Mary (Whitcomb) Hess and became a Catholic in 1944.
She was a graduate of Athens High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from St. Mary of the Springs College (now Ohio Dominican University) in 1951, a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Detroit in 1965 and a Master of Library Science degree from Kent State University in 1973.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on Sept. 7, 1951 and made her first profession of vows on Aug. 13, 1954, taking the name Sister Margaret Ann, and her final profession on the same date in 1959.
In the Diocese of Columbus, she was a teacher at Columbus St. Joseph Academy from 1958 to 1963 and 1970 to 1976. She also taught at schools in Dayton, Hamilton and Cincinnati.
She served the diocese in a variety of roles from 1976 to 2001, except for three years when she cared for her mother in Athens. She was a Catholic Times staff writer from 1993 to 1996. Her other assignments, all in Columbus, included communications director for the Catholic Conference of Ohio, secretary at the Columbus Montessori Center, media director at Notre Dame Elementary School, library media specialist at St. Joseph Montessori School, librarian at St. Francis DeSales High School, sales secretary at Diocesan Publications, volunteer receptionist at Grant Medical Center, proofreader at Ohio Unit Publications and English as a Second Language conversation partner at Columbus State Community College.
She entered community service at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center in 2002 and was in a ministry of prayer there from 2010 until her death.
Sister Patricia Mitchell, OSF
Funeral Mass for Sister Patricia Mitchell, OSF, 90, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate of Joliet, Illinois for 69 years, who died Tuesday, July 18, was celebrated Wednesday, July 26 at Joliet St. John the Baptist Church. Burial was at Resurrection Cemetery, Romeoville, Illinois.
She was born on January 11, 1933, to the late James and Frances (High) Mitchell and graduated from Columbus Immaculate Conception School and Columbus St. Mary of the Springs Academy.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the College of St. Francis in Joliet in 1961, a Master of Arts degree in education from Ohio State University in 1969, and a Master of Science degree in 1986 and a certificate in pastoral counseling from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. She was a member of the American Counseling Association, the National Board of Certified Counselors and the 1-800 Therapy Network.
Sister Patricia, who was known as Sister Mary Rene before sisters were permitted to use their birth names, began her ministry as an elementary school teacher in Ohio, Illinois and Florida, then taught French in high schools in Illinois and Ohio. She was a clinical pastoral educator at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus in 1971.
She also served as pastoral associate at parishes in Maryland and Ohio and held positions at the Emmaus Counseling Center in Silver Spring, Maryland; the Marian Home of Prayer in Washington, D.C. and her congregation’s Our Lady of the Angels Retirement Home in Joliet.
She is survived by a sister, Jane (Mitchell) DiSabato and nieces and nephews.
Dr. John “Jack” G. O’Handley
Funeral Mass for Dr. John “Jack” G. O’Handley, 82, who died Monday, July 10, was celebrated Monday, July 17 at Columbus St. Andrew Church. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Dr. O’Handley came to Columbus in 1995 and directed Mount Carmel Health’s street medicine program for more than 25 years. He also practiced family medicine and taught medical students in the city.
He was the son of U.S. Navy Capt. Jack O’Handley and his wife, Marie, and lived in several places around the world where his father was stationed. He entered the Trappist monastery in Gethsemani, Kentucky at age 18 and after six years there discerned a call to become a physician.
He completed his pre-med studies at St. Louis University and his medical education at the University of Missouri college of medicine. His residency in family medicine followed at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. He then moved to Lancaster, where he was in private practice for 14 years. He began his teaching career in 1989 at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, staying there for six years.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Bob. Survivors include his wife, Hannah (Ryan); sons, John and Brendan; daughters, Kate (Bernie) Kilcullen and Amy; brother, Tom (Jayne); sisters, Betty (Pat) Amer and Jan (Mauro) Mackell; and nine grandchildren.
Betty J. “Jean” Hooper
A funeral service for Betty J. "Jean" Hooper, 86, who died Wednesday, July 12, was conducted Tuesday, July 18 at the Bryan & Hardwick Funeral Home in Zanesville by Father Martin Ralko, pastor of Dresden St. Ann and Mattingly Settlement St. Mary churches and former pastor of Zanesville St. Nicholas Church.
She was born on May 14, 1937 in Dayton to John and Frances (Reese) Lawyer.
She was a graduate of Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans High School and worked in the offices of Zanesville St. Nicholas School and the Zanesville city schools. She also was a volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, James; children, Terry, Steve and Keith; and siblings Jim Lawyer and Rita (Lee) Kraft.
Survivors include sons, Doug and Mark (Valerie); daughter, Kim (Tim) Bishop; three grandsons, two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Linda Cain
The Rite of Christian Burial for Linda Cain, 73, who died Saturday, July 8 and was the wife of Deacon Albert Cain, was celebrated Thursday, July 13 at the Brucker and Kishler Funeral Home in Newark. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery, Columbus.
She was born on Sept. 29, 1949 in Newark to the late William and Lila (Kelly) Wright. She also was preceded in death by a sister, Leslie.
Survivors include Deacon Cain, her husband of 56 years, who served at Heath St. Leonard and Dresden St. Ann churches from 1991 until his retirement in 2006; a daughter, Cheryl; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Patricia M. Billingsley
A private funeral service was held for Patricia M. Billingsley, 74, who died Monday, June 19.
She was born on Sept. 26, 1948 to Lawrence and Miriam (Willoughby) Kienle Jr. She graduated from Grove City High School in 1966, attended Ohio Dominican College and graduated from Ohio State University.
She was a teacher at Worthington St. Michael School, managed several restaurants in Columbus and retired from the Franklin County Job and Family Services Office.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers James and Lawrence III. Survivors include a son, Michael (Kari); daughters, Barbra Ann (Tom) Galbraith and Amy (Matt) Svetlick; brother, Pete (Cindy Long); sisters, Mary Ann (Bill) Graue, Angela (Rex) Smith, Cindy (David) Sheets and Jane (Dean Bramlet); three grandsons; four granddaughters; a great-grandson and three great-granddaughters.
ALLENSWORTH, Elizabeth (Toth), 90, July 10
Sacred Heart Church, New Philadelphia
DORIAN, Charles P., 98, July 16
St. Brendan Church, Hilliard
ERAMO, Nicolina C. (Masdea), 87, July 13
Christ the King Church, Columbus
HENNESSEY, Marjorie S. (Sheeran), 100, July 13
St. Rose of Lima Church, New Lexington
HILLIS, James A., 82, July 7
St. Nicholas Church, Zanesville
KANAKKANATT, Anthony T., 88, June 30
St. Timothy Church, Columbus
PANDORA, Elizabeth, 71. July 10
St. Andrew Church, Columbus
PURPURA, Creta E. (Santo), 84, July 14
Our Mother of Sorrows Chapel, Columbus
RIEDER, James L., 87, June 27
St. Joan of Arc Church, Powell
ROTHERMICH, Patricia E. (Blackburn), 80. June 22
Our Mother of Sorrows Chapel, Columbus
RUSSELL, Mary P. “Patty” (Shea), 81, July 13
St. Patrick Church, Columbus
SCHAEFER, Donald E., 84, July 12
St. Mary, Mother of God Church, Columbus
SOLLER, Robert E., 93, July 18
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Marysville
WALKER, Elaine K., 72, July 8
St. Andrew Church, Columbus
WEST, Paula Elizabeth, 80, July 6
St. John Church, Logan
WHITE, Marilyn J. (Hayhurst), 92, July 4
St. Matthias Church, Columbus
