Obituary of Sr. Edmund Joseph Reif

Sister Edmund Joseph Reif, nee (Marian) Jo Anne Reif, Sister of Christian Charity, entered eternal life the morning of February 3, 2023, at the Motherhouse in Mendham, NJ. 

Sister was born in South Scranton, PA, on October 19, 1931, to Edmund and Josephine (Lutz) Reif.  She was the youngest of the family with two older brothers and two older sisters.  Her family were very faithful and active members of St. Mary’s Parish in South Scranton.  Jo Anne attended St. Mary’s Grade School and High School.  She had a great love for reading so it was no surprise that she pursued a degree in Library Science from Marywood College.  In preparation for this degree, she interned for a summer at the New York Public Library. After graduating from Marywood College with a B.A. in Library Science in 1953, Jo Anne worked in the college library for several years.

On September 4, 1955, Jo Anne entered the Sisters of Christian Charity and received the holy habit on August 21, 1956.  Sister Edmund Joseph professed her First Vows on August 21, 1958, and her Final Vows on August 20, 1964.

In 1967, Sister received her M.A. from Villanova University.  Sister served as teacher and/or librarian in Morris Catholic High School in Denville, NJ; Cathedral Annex in the Bronx, N.Y; Harrisburg Catholic High School in Harrisburg, PA; and Assumption College for Sisters and the Motherhouse Library in Mendham, NJ.  In 2018 Sister Edmund Joseph retired from active ministry and continued living at the Motherhouse.

Sister Edmund Joseph was pre-deceased by her brothers, Cyril and Edmund, and her sisters Rosalie Steinmetz and Marcella Reif, all of Scranton, PA.

Sister is survived by her nieces, Jo-Ann Reif Small, and MaryJo Enkulenko, Mary Lynn Reif, Paulanne Reif Kraus, and her nephews, Dr. Jim, Ed, and David Steinmetz.

Visitation will be on Monday, Feb. 6, from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm followed by Vespers at 4:30.  The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Motherhouse on February 7, at 11:00 am followed by interment in the Motherhouse cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Sister Edmund Joseph to the Sisters of Christian Charity, 350 Bernardsville Rd., Mendham, NJ 07945.