Sister Margaret Mary Duggan

Sister Margaret Mary (Ancilla) Duggan died peacefully at Sisters of Saint Joseph Residence in Clarence, on November 18, 2022. She was 91 years of age and the  daughter of John and Margaret (Frisbee) Duggan of Albion and later of North Tonawanda. Sister came from a family of seven, four boys (James, John, Robert, and Daniel) and three girls (Kathleen, Lucille and Ancilla), whose parents encouraged them in the service of the Catholic Church. Three of her brothers (Robert, John, and Daniel) became priests and one sister (Sr. Kathleen Duggan) became a Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart.

After graduating from Mount St. Mary Academy and then D'Youville College in 1952 with a major in Latin and a minor in Greek, Sr. Margaret Mary entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. She spent part of her novitiate in Belgium where she acquired a facility in French. She made her perpetual vows in August, 1961.

Sister received her M.A. in Latin from Catholic University in 1964 and did further work in French at D'Youville College, Niagara University, and Assumption College in Massachusetts. She taught at St. Mary Seminary, Mount St. Mary Academy, Annunciation High School, O'Hara High School, and Holy Angels Academy using her language ability in both Latin and French. In later years, she taught beginning Latin at St. Margaret School where her brother Bob had been pastor.

Sister Margaret Mary loved teaching and said that she rejoiced “in seeing them grow into maturity as young people ready to live purposeful and compassionate lives.”

Always conscious of the needs of her family and being younger than her six siblings, she took care of her brother James until he died and later her brother John, enjoying the latter's saying Mass at the old family dining room table.

The wake will be at Saint Mary Center, 245 Lafayette Avenue, on Tuesday, November 22 from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM, with a Prayer Service beginning at  4:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 7:00 PM. Burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Wednesday, November 23, at 10:00 AM.

Donations in Sr. Margaret Mary’s memory may be made to Sisters of St. May of Namur. 241 Lafayette Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14213.

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