TACOMA – Franciscan Sister Jude Connelly died at Franciscan Hospice House on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024, at the age of 83. A professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 59 years, she was involved in developing and serving at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.

She was born May 8, 1940, in San Francisco. Her family moved around for her father’s construction work, eventually settling in Washington state. After graduating from Fife High School, she enrolled in the St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Tacoma, where she met the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and found them living out the Gospel message of the dignity of each person.

After working as a nurse in California for a couple of years, she decided to dedicate her life to the care of others, supported by God’s call. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1962, professing her first vows in 1965 and her final vows in 1971.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in hospital administration from Xavier University. She also earned a clinical certification in pastoral education from Interfaith Ministries of Hawaii. 

Sister Jude’s ministry was primarily in health care and administration. She worked for 10 years in Eastern Oregon, at hospitals in LaGrande, Baker and Pendleton.

In the Archdiocese of Seattle, Sister Jude served for a total of 40 years. She was a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood. After St. Francis Hospital opened in Federal Way in 1987, she served in administration and as vice president of professional services. 

For 18 years, Sister Jude was administrator of St. Ann Convent, the congregation’s retirement community in Tacoma, until it closed in 2019. She also served as coordinator of volunteers and planning at St. Francis House in Puyallup in 2000; in 2019, she returned there as a volunteer until the time of her death.

Sister Jude was also involved in the governance of the Franciscan health care system as it went through many changes and mergers. After retiring from her professional role in health care, she remained on the board of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Sister Jude also volunteered with the Food Connection program at St. Leo Parish in Tacoma, where she helped gather and prepare food for distribution to those in need. She joined with other women religious in educating the public about human trafficking and was involved detention ministry in Tacoma, as well as participating in parish projects, including helping sponsor an Afghan family. She also enjoyed art and art museums, cooking and gardening.

Sister Jude is survived by her niece Kelli Connelly, her cousin Rosemary Nordstrom and her Franciscan family.

A viewing will be at 6 p.m. April 18 at St. Leo Church in Tacoma. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:10 p.m. April 19 at St. Leo Church. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the parish’s YouTube channel. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma.

Memorial donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.

Read more about Sister Jude Connelly here and in a feature on local women religious published in the August/September 2022 issue of Northwest Catholic.

As a free service to the Catholic community, Northwest Catholic posts online the obituaries of Catholics whose funerals are held in parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle or at Catholic cemeteries in the archdiocese. Submit an obituary here.