Sister Gilmary (Barbara) Beagle, I.H.M., of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, died June 18 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born Dec. 11, 1944, in Danville, the daughter of Thomas H. and Catherine H. Beagle.
Sister graduated from St. Cyril Academy, earned a bachelor's degree from Cabrini College and a master's degree in English from Purdue University. Sister Gilmary was the consummate teacher, it was her passion! She taught at Andrean High School in Gary, Ind.; St. Dominic High School, Oyster Bay, N.Y.; Notre Dame High School in Stroudsburg, Pa.; Bishop Hannan High School in Scranton; Holy Cross High School in Delran, N.J. and York Catholic High School in York, Pa. She also led many trips to England with her students.
Sister celebrated her 50th jubilee in May in Scranton. A huge Notre Dame fan, she was fortunate to have been able to attend several football games in South Bend with some of her former students from Andrean.
She was a voracious reader being especially fond of anything British as well as the World Wars and the Civil War. She was a great writer, contributing many stories to Journey, an IHM publication. She also co-authored several teachers' instruction books at the Center for Learning in Cleveland.
She loved her home in Riverside and always looked forward to spending her summers and holidays there. She will be greatly missed by her sister, her wonderful neighbors in Riverside as well as her fellow teachers at York Catholic and hundreds of students on whom she made a great impact and the many that still keep in touch with her.
She is survived by her sister, Cathy of Newtown, Pa.; her beloved dog, Sam; and nephew dog, Cody, who love her with all their hearts.
The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton. Friends may call at Our Lady of Peace Residence on Tuesday, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4. Interment will follow Mass on Wednesday at St. Catherine's Cemetery in Moscow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to York Catholic High School, 601 E. Springettsbury Avenue, York, PA 17403; or the SPCA, 2801 Bloom Road, Danville, PA 17821. Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired IHM Sisters, c/o the IHM Sisters Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18509.
Published in Scranton Times on June 21, 2015