Sister Rita Jean Dubrey, CSJ

Latham-Sister Rita Jean DuBrey, 85, a Sister of St. Joseph for 62 years, died at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Latham, NY, on August 24, 2022. Born in Comstock, NY, she was the daughter of Clarence John DuBrey and Valerie Bouyea.                                                                                                            Sister Rita Jean attended St. Peter’s Hospital School of Nursing, receiving her RN degree in 1957. She then entered the Sisters of St. Joseph, professing final vows in 1962. She received a BS in psychology from St. Catherine’s College, St. Paul, Minnesota (1964) and an MSN in clinical nursing from the University of Pennsylvania (1974). Sister Rita’s nursing ministry was about healing, inner and outer. In 1964 she was appointed instructor at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, Amsterdam, NY. In 1974 she became Director of St. Mary’s Patient and Community Health Education, which helped hospital and clinic patients learn to stop diseases before they happened and recover from trauma, illness, and addiction. Sister Rita’s healing ministry included her work as a credentialed alcoholism and substitute abuse counselor In 1993, Sister Rita became Director of the Center for Complementary Therapies, offering multiple therapeutic opportunities to assist patients in restoring “harmony, balance and wholeness in mind, body and spirit.” Soon she brought “Healing Touch” therapy to Amsterdam, and through her widespread teaching, far beyond. Retiring in 2019, Sister Rita delighted in bringing “Healing Touch” to her Sisters at the Provincial House, who were most grateful for her gift. Sister Rita published multiple professional articles and a well-received book, Promoting Wellness in Nursing (1982). Over her 40 years of service, she received many awards, including the “Wellness Leader Award” (American Institute for Preventative Medicine, 1974), and the University of Pennsylvania Brunner Award for Innovative Practice in Nursing (1990). For Sister Rita, “Healing others and helping them be to become independent” was not work but a ministry: “If it is not done with faith and in the light of eternity and building the Kingdom of God, then it doesn’t make much sense.” Asked about her ability to keep her challenging schedule, always with her special smile and warmth, she said her deep faith in God’s “Divine Mercy,” supported by daily meditation, sustained her. The CSJ community, especially her dear companion in ministry, Sister Christine Michael, and the love of her family, especially her sister, Barbara, her niece, Kelly and nephew Daniel, enriched Sister Rita, and she them. She will be dearly missed. Sister Rita was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Shirley Winch. Sister Rita Jean’s vespers service will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday August 30, 2022 and funeral mass at 10:30 am on Wednesday August 31, 2022 both at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Latham. Gifts in Sister Rita’s memory may be made to the Mission Advancement Office, St. Joseph’s Provincial House, 385 Watervliet Shaker Road, Latham, NY 12110. Please visit mcloughlinmason.com