Sister Agnes Marie Marusak, age 86, a Sister of Divine Providence, entered eternal life on October 31, 2014. She was one of twelve children born to Joseph and Agnes (Zmolik) Marusak and given the baptismal name Alice Frances. Sister Agnes Marie was born August 12, 1928 and grew up in Ennis, Texas. She answered God’s call to become a Sister of Divine Providence and made her first profession as a Sister of Divine Providence at 19 years of age. Sister Agnes Marie began her ministerial life as an elementary teacher at Our Lady of Grace School in La Coste, Texas in 1948.
Since an early age, Sr. Agnes Marie knew she wanted to be a woman religious and a teacher. She always valued the freedom that an education affords and felt she was utilizing her God-given talents as a teacher. She viewed education as the development of not only academic skills but also of the whole person. She enjoyed teaching children, teenagers and later on traditional and non-traditional college students. She taught elementary for eight years, then Mathematics and Science at the high school level for twenty-two years in various schools in Oklahoma and Texas. She returned to San Antonio, Texas in 1978 and taught Mathematics and Physics at Our Lady of the Lake University or another twenty-two years. She retired from the University in 2000 and served her Congregation in the Finance, Human Resources and Archives offices until 2011. She earned the following degrees from Our Lady of the Lake College: a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and a Master’s in Education. She also attended summer institutes at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Oklahoma and classes at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Her humor, sensitivity and encouraging words for all who met her will be truly missed.
She is survived by her siblings Joe Marusak, Leonard (Denise) Marusak, George (Mary K.) Marusak, Agnes Prachyl, Helen Mikel, Mary (Marty) Gagen, Marcy (Bill) Krieger, sister-in law Mary Alice Marusak and all her other Sisters of Divine Providence. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Agnes Zmolik Marusak, brothers Walter, Alex and David Marusak, sisters Pauline Blazek and Kathy Marusak.
The Rosary is Sunday, November 2 at 4:30 p.m. and the Wake is at 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Resurrection will be Monday, November 3 at 10:30 a.m. All services will be in Annunciation Chapel at Our Lady of the Lake Convent Center.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a memorial contribution to the Sisters of Divine Providence, 515 S.W. 24th Street, San Antonio, TX 78207-4619.
