Rose Marie Dillman, SP
May 27, 1926 - April 25, 2014
Obituary
Rose Marie Dillman, SP
(Sister Andrea)
Sr. Rose Marie Dillman, a Sister of Providence for 68 years, died Friday morning, April 25, 2014, at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, at age 87. Vigil Service: Friday, May 2, 2014, 7:00 p.m., Providence Mount St. Vincent, 4831 35th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA. Funeral Mass: Saturday, May 3, 2014, 10:00 a.m., Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 7000 35th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Seattle. Bonney-Watson Funeral Home, Seattle, is in charge of the arrangements.
She was the youngest of five children born to Joseph Dillman and Helen (Erck) Dillman on May 27, 1926 in Strasburg, North Dakota. When she was ten, the family moved to Yakima, WA where she attended St. Paul School. At the beginning of the war, her family moved to Saskatchewan, Canada to farm on land that had been in the family since the turn of the century. She returned to Yakima to attend high school at St. Joseph Academy. Upon graduation in 1943, she returned to Canada.
She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence on May 18, 1945, made her first profession of vows on November 19, 1946, and her final profession on November 19, 1950.
After her first vows, she was sent to Yakima, WA to teach 7th and 8th grade girls at St. Joseph Grade School. She spent eight summers attending the College of Great Falls in Montana. She continued teaching during the school year at Yakima. She went on to teach at these schools in Washington: St. Michael’s School, Olympia; St. Joseph School, Vancouver; John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Seattle, 1968-1995; Sacred Heart School; Holy Family School, Seattle; Holy Rosary School, Moxee; and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Sun Valley, CA. She served as Principal and Superior for three years at Sacred Heart School, Tacoma, and as Principal for a year at Holy Family School, Seattle.
On February 8, 2009, John F. Kennedy Catholic High School dedicated The Sister Rose Marie Dillman Center, created and named in her honor by the past and present alumni, students, faculty and administration of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School. She worked at the high school for 27 years.
Her interests included poetry, writing, attending sports events at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, teaching grade school history and geography, growing roses, playing cards, and traveling. She made her first trip to Europe in 1977, traveled to Russia in 1991 and visited Europe again in 1993. Upon retirement in 1995, Kennedy Catholic High School gave her a gift of a trip to the Holy Land, Egypt and Greece. In 2001, she went to Rome for the beatification of Mother Emilie Gamelin. She also visited a Notre Dame Sister in Kenya.
While teaching at Holy Family School, Seattle in 1974, a priest requested that she make home visits so taught classes in the morning and visited homes in the afternoon. She met with many married couples, and had a core group of 12 couples with whom she had maintained a strong friendship ever since.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Kathryn Dillman Blondin, and brothers Martin, Lewis, and Blase Dillman. She is survived by two of her sisters-in-law, Gertie Dillman (Lewis) and Margaret Dillman (Blase) and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made in her honor to the Sisters of Providence Retirement Fund, 1801 Lind Avenue SW, #9016, Renton, WA 98057-9016.
Good bye….
We were all made better people having Sister influence our lives. She will be missed
RIP Sister Rose Marie. When I came to Kennedy HS as a sophomore, you accepted me. I was no longer an outsider. When I had real concerns about the Church, you gave me wise council and said not to worry. When she saw me, she greeted by my name and a smile. God Bless
Sister Rose Marie will be remembered by many as a legendary teacher and a truly remarkable person. She had a flair for making history come alive. She seemed to have a gift for reaching the inner hearts and distracted minds of teenagers; I keenly remember her being skilled at bringing out the best in me, while confronting that which needed correction. Her sense of irony, her wit and her compassion was a perfect combination for offering the guidance I needed. She was a wise counselor, with the wonderful added ability of beguiling with tales from the past that made World History compelling and memorable. Sister Rose Marie, rest in peace (although I bet Heaven is much more lively and colorful now that you are there!) I will remember you with love and gratitude always. Thanks for all you gave to me, and to so many others. Farewell, beloved teacher and friend.
I sat directly in front of her desk in freshman history. She helped me thru the deaths of my mom, grandparents and Ruth H. Kennedy HS has lost their favorite family member.
I remember Sister Rose Marie as our principal at Holy Family grade school. She worked hard and kept us all busy through her commitment to students and to education. I was sorry to hear of her passing.
I remember Sister Rose Marie as my typing instructor at Kennedy HS in 1980. She was a compassionate and skilled instructor and I became a proficient typer in her class. Beyond that though, she influenced her students in more than just academics. I specifically remember her talk on personal hygiene to us teenagers. She seemed to sense those who needed a little extra time, counsel and encouragement. I believe all six of us siblings had Sister as a teacher. Her life of dedication and service to others made an impression on me and as my thoughts float back to high school days, I have fond memories of Sister Rose Marie.
Here is a photo taken of Sister rose Marie with her best of friends; the Holy Family Parish Still Marrieds Couples Group” that she founded in 1970 at Holy Parish in Seattle.
She will be remembered as true and respected friend and confidant.
Pat and Kay Duvall
Here is the photo which should accompany our previous entry in the Guest Book. The photo shows Sister Rose Marie with the “Holy Family Still Married Couples Group” that she founded in 1970 at Holy Family Parish in Seattle.and continued to meet with frequently over the years.
Pat and Kay Duvall
Sister Andrea ( later Rose Marie) was my seventh grade teacher at Holy Rosary Grade School in Moxee City, Washington, in 1966. She was a breath of fresh air as she made me believe in my abilities and my self worth. I always chuckled when I remembered that she loved Bobby Vinton and his song “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”. She was a fan of softball and a bigger than life presence in the classroom.
I thought of her often as I taught in my own classroom for 37 years.
It is heartwarming to read all the kind thoughts that others also had of this wonderful woman.
Rest in peace, dear angel.
Thank you Sister Rose Marie for all that you were to so many of us. You are a beautiful person. God speed!
I have such vivid memories of Sr Rose Marie, in class and also in chapel, etc. She was a spirited presence at Kennedy. She did talk to Freshman girls, and she would advise not to wear too much make up or try to attract the older boys. She spoke her mind and I remember having to deliver something to her when I was a senior and she was teaching a freshman class, and she said to look, and how I had not changed since I was a freshman, embarrassing slightly, but she really connected with students as much as she could. I so often think of things she said, like that she took rum when she had a cold and what a help that was… I often chuckled about that, and more about her… laughing with but never laughed at her. She earned respect.
i did not know sr. andrea…but she taught classes above me while i was in first thru 4th grade…at holy rosary school where joy lynn lessard had her as a teacher…as noted above. i always heard good things about sister and would have enjoyed her as a teacher, based on comments above, etc.
Sister is my grand aunt. Right now I am missing her- her love for sports and potato dumpling soup. She was an incredibly strong woman who now, as an adult, I look up to. She was always kind but confident. I never knew the influence she had until I visited her memorial at Kennedy. It absolutely touches and warms my heart knowing she had such a positive influence on others, it makes me truly appreciate the time spent making memories with her
So many posts from those who knew her well, so many memories awakened. I can only add that sometimes she kept her students interested with a bit of whimsey. She said once or twice that she made the occasional trip to Shangri-La to hold off the onset of crow’s feet. Rest easy, Sister.