Obituary of Sister Juanita Regine Ujcik, OSF
Sister Juanita Ujcik, OSF (1940 – 2019) passed away on December 9, 2019. She was the daughter of the late Mary (Voltarel) and Stanley Ujcik who preceded her in death. Sister Juanita is survived by numerous cousins. She was a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, Joliet for 60 years.
Born and raised in Lemont, Illinois, Sister Juanita was a member of St. Alphonsus Parish. She attended the Parish Grade School and graduated from St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy) in Joliet, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the College of St. Francis (now the University of St. Francis) also in Joliet. She earned a Master of Science Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
Sister Juanita’s ministry in education covered the complete gamut from Primary School Teacher to University. She began her teaching career at St. John the Baptist School in Joliet where she taught Grade 2. In 1963 she taught mathematics and science at St. Mary’s High School in Columbus, Ohio and from 1967 to 1969 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Louisville, Ohio.
Sister Juanita’s dream was to minister in the Inner-City Schools. In 1969 she began a 15 year commitment of teaching secondary education at Scott High School, an inner city public high school, in Toledo, Ohio. Sister continued her ministry in the field of education at Lewis University in Lockport, IL along with teaching the incarcerated at the Center for Correctional Concerns in Joliet. In 1986 she became the Director of JUST of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL and in 1988 she returned to Joliet as the Director for the Center for Correctional Concerns. In 2009 Sister Juanita left the Center and ministered to her Joliet Franciscan Congregation as a Vocation Minister and then as the Social Justice Minister. She served on many committees for Social Justice with the Office of Human Dignity of the Joliet Diocese as well as serving on the Anti-Racism Committee of the Joliet Franciscans. She was also active at the University of St. Francis on several committees.
The wake for Sister Juanita will be at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home, 1201 Wyoming Avenue, Joliet, IL, (Wyoming and Rt. 30) on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 from 2:00 – 6:45 p.m., with a Prayer Service at 4:45 p.m. and Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Procession will leave from Our Lady of Angels on Thursday morning, December 19, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Romeoville, IL. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fred C. Dames Funeral Home. For more information please call (815) 741-5500 or you may visit her Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com
