Sister Mary Joseph (Dorothy) Eck

Sister Mary Joseph (Dorothy) Eck, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, died peacefully on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, at the Mercy Hospital/Cleveland Clinic in Canton, Ohio.

 Sr. Joseph was born in Fryburg, PA, on April 24, 1931, one of 13 children of Thomas Edward Eck and Augusta Siegel Eck. She entered the convent on April 29, 1960, professed her temporary vows in 1968 with final profession on January 16, 1971 in Carrollton, Ohio. 

Before entering the convent, Sr. Joseph worked at Trator Manufacturing.  For many years, she cared for the boys at St. John’s Villa where she enjoyed taking them to Cleveland/Pittsburgh baseball and Pittsburgh Steelers football games. Sister Joseph was an avid and expert gardener of flowers and vegetables which she shared with needy. Her holiday food basket was much appreciated through the years. Traveling and seeing new places was her favorite hobby.  Sr. Joseph knew Ohio well and could direct a driver to any destination without a map.  More recently, visiting Mt. Rushmore and seeing the Badlands of South Dakota were added to her travel memories. You would be sure to leave smiling after a visit with Sr. Joseph. She had a quick wit, a great sense of humor, and a wonderful memory for jokes. She also enjoyed tinkering with broken items, like watches and glasses. However, she always said that “a broken heart is most difficult thing to mend”.

In addition to the Sisters of her Community, Sr. Joseph is survived by her brothers, Paul and George Eck and her sister, Rita Eck Schaffer.

Friends and family will be receivedon Thursday,Sept. 21, at Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd Convent Chapel, Carrollton OH. Viewing will take place from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burialat 11 a.m. Interment will be in the Sisters’ Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mission Fund: Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, PO Box 340, Carrollton, OH 44615.