Beloved daughter of the late Louis and the late Edith (Diedrick) Russo. Beloved sister of the late Linda Dombroski and husband John. Loving aunt of Dolores Gold and husband Mark, Robert Dombroski and wife Ingrid. Loving grand aunt of Michael & Daniel Gold, Robert John Dombroski and wife Tabitha, Kristyn Kieran and husband Kevin. Loving great grand aunt of Dustin Dombroski and Ella Chase. Devoted member of the Sisters of Charity - Halifax Cherished colleague, friend, and educator.

Sister Joan began her career teaching at Mount Saint Vincent Academy in Halifax. From there her teaching ministry brought her to Bridgewater NS, then across Canada to British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, before returning east to Ontario and then New York.

Sister Catherine received her BSc in Home Economics from Mount St Vincent College in 1948. She taught Home Economics in New Waterford, and later at Mount Saint Vincent College from 1958-1965. Sister Catherine spent four years as the Dietician at the Halifax Infirmary. In 1968 Sister earned a master’s degree in nutrition and management from Cornell University, N.Y. In 1970 when the call went out from the congregation for the Sisters to go to Latin America, S Catherine volunteered and first went to Chiclayo, Peru for six months. From there she went to Bani, Dominican Republic where she would spend the next 40 years.

Sister Ellen Stephen entered the Sisters of Charity, Halifax in 1944 and began her ministry as a teacher at Saint Joseph School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Moving to New York, she served as a skilled mathematics teacher at Saint Sabastian School, Woodside, NY; Saint Nicholas of Tolentine School, Jamaica, NY; Seton Hall High School, Patchogue, NY; Saint Francis Prep School, Fresh Meadows, NY; Monsignor Ryan Memorial High School, Dorchester, MA; Keith Hall High School, Lowell, MA; Saint Mary's Girls High School, Manhasset, NY; Dominican Commercial High School, Jamaica, NY; Saint John's University, Queens, NY; Archbishop Molloy High School, Briarwood, NY. In between teaching positions she served briefly at the Catholic Medical Center, Jamaica, NY. Upon her retirement to Marillac Residence, Wellesley in 2006, Sister Ellen Stephen welcomed several volunteer ministries as Eucharistic Minister, Assistant Librarian, account assistant for special needs as well as visiting sisters at Elizabeth Seton Residence.