Born Jan. 24, 1915, and baptized at St. Josephat Church, Detroit, Genevieve was the fourth of six children to Anthony and Sophie (Fralowicz) Pilecki, who migrated from Belarus in 1910. Their names are inscribed on the walls of Ellis Island. Genevieve’s father died suddenly May 4, 1926, and her mother on Feb. 13, 1927, when she went to live with her god-mother.
Genevieve was accepted into the Felician Congregation on June 3, 1933. She made first vows Aug. 21, 1935, and final vows Aug. 15, 1941.
Sr. Pilecki taught at St. Stephen, Resurrection, St. Adalbert, Patronage of St. Joseph, and St. Valentine – all in Detroit; St. Florian, Hamtramck; St. Joseph Home, Jackson; Our Lady of Refuge, Orchard Lake; St. Stanislaus, Ludington; St. Adalbert, South Bend, Ind.; and St. Michael, Livonia.
She later earned nursing degrees from St. Camillus School of Nursing in Kalamazoo, Nazareth College and Boston University, and became a registered nurse. Sr. Pilecki was one of 12 pioneering sisters at St. Mary Hospital in Livonia in 1959, and helped develop the nursing program at Madonna (College) University. She also taught at several other colleges, including Mercy College in Detroit and several out of state.
She served as campus nurse at the Orchard Lake Schools (1984-90) and tutored and assisted at Madonna University from 1990-2002, later serving at Angela Hospice.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 14 in the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel, Livonia. Burial is in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.
