Sr. Suzanne Skowronski, RSM, whose religious name was Sr. Mary Paulanne, died peacefully at McAuley Center on March 5. She was 76 and a Sister of Mercy for 58 years.

Suzanne was born in Milwaukee on May 28, 1937, to Anton and Genevieve (Narloch) Skowronski. Later, the family moved to Allen Park, where Suzanne and her younger siblings, Judy and Paul, attended local schools. She graduated high school in 1955.

A year at Mercy College of Detroit clarified her path, and she joined the Sisters of Mercy on Sept. 7, 1956. During her eight years of preparation for ministry, she became a nurse and served in Mercy hospitals in Dubuque, Iowa, and Detroit. On Aug. 16, 1964, she made a profession of perpetual vows at the Sisters of Mercy Provincialate in Detroit.

She was a clinical instructor in Mercy schools of nursing for 17 years. While serving as a faculty member, she also earned a Master of Science in nursing at Wayne State University.

Sr. Skowronski later became a faculty member in the nursing department at Oakland State University and then at her alma mater, Wayne State University.

Sister opened a private practice in holistic health care in the late 1990s, and later served on the staff of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland providing healing touch services to patients.

She is survived by her brother, Paul, and his wife, Mary Lou, of Newport Beach, Calif., nephews Peter and Anton, niece Suzanne, many friends and Sisters of Mercy. Memorials to Sisters of Mercy — Caribbean, Central America and South America (CCASA) Fund, 8380 Colesville Rd., #300, Silver Spring, MD 20910-6264.

A funeral was held March 10 in McAuley Center. Burial is in Mercy Center Chapel.