“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
Remembering Sister Jeanne Roach
Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Jeanne Roach died on Feb. 9, 2026, at the age of 91 in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity. Sister Jeanne was born on Aug. 25, 1934, to Leo and Constance (Durkin) Roach in Denver, Colorado. She was the youngest of three children, with one brother and one sister. She was a Sister of Charity for 74 years.
Sister Jeanne grew up in Denver attending Loyola Grade School and graduating from Cathedral High School in 1951. She entered the Sisters of Charity on Sept. 8, 1951, taking the name Sister James Edward. When able in the 1960s, Sister returned to her baptismal name. She believed that the Sisters of Charity who taught her showed her what religious life was like. “They were happy, poor and very devoted to God and the children they taught,” she once said. “Their home was a quiet, happy place.”
Sister Jeanne earned a diploma in nursing from the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio, in 1956 and later completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1964. She earned a master’s degree in hospital administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, in 1973. In 1993, she completed additional studies in nursing home administration at The Ohio State University.
Sister Jeanne’s more than 50 years of faithful healthcare ministry began as a student nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, in 1953. In 1956, she became a nursing supervisor at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, and later served in the same role at Mount San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad, Colorado, until 1958. She then ministered at San Antonio Hospital in Kenton, Ohio, until 1961. Sister Jeanne returned to Mount San Rafael as director of nursing services, serving there until 1966.
From 1966 to 1971, she took on operating room responsibilities at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Seeking to broaden her experience, she spent time at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, before returning to Penrose Hospital in 1973 as assistant administrator. She later served in the same administrative role at St. Joseph Hospital in Mount Clemens, Michigan, until 1978, when she came to Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati to continue her ministry in hospital administration.
In 1982, the Sisters of Charity Health Care System was asked to provide administrative direction to Our Lady of the Way Hospital in rural Martin, Kentucky, and Sister Jeanne responded generously. She loved the welcoming spirit of the Appalachian people and the gratitude they expressed for the medical services they received.
From 1985 to 1989, she served as Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph Hospital in Huntingburg, Indiana. She then ministered as quality assurance analyst for the Sisters of Charity Health Care Corporation in Cincinnati from 1989 to 1990. In December 1990, Sister Jeanne was named administrator of Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity, marking the beginning of her ministry on the Sisters of Charity campus.
In June 1995, Sister Jeanne became the president and CEO of Bayley Place (now Bayley), a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity, where she brought her extensive management and nursing experience to good use. She once reflected, “When I was asked to minister in administration I was reluctant to leave my direct patient contact. However, the greatest joy I have had in administration is mentoring staff members to give themselves to their work and to see them grow as persons.”
Under Sister Jeanne’s leadership, groundbreaking for The Village at Bayley took place in July 2000. This milestone grew out of the congregation’s 1983 commitment to formally address the needs of the elderly through feasibility studies and extensive research within Delhi and surrounding neighborhoods.
After 10 years as administrator, Sister Jeanne had guided Bayley through significant expansion projects, including the addition of cottages, a wellness center, an adult day program, community outreach initiatives, and numerous facility improvements. Upon her retirement in 2005, she said, “I believe this is a good time to retire! I have been so blessed by the dedication of the staff, administration, board members and community leaders with whom I have worked to bring about Bayley in this community.” Her colleagues appreciated her big heart, community spirit, ability to motivate others, talent for building strong teams, and creative approach to problem solving.
To honor Sister Jeanne’s leadership, the administrative staff of Bayley commissioned a bronze statue of “St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Children,” installed in July 2005 in the park at the corner of Farrell and Mattingly. The plaque reads: “With heartfelt gratitude to Sister Jeanne Roach, S.C., for her VISION, her LEADERSHIP, her SERVICE to the Bayley Place Community. 1995–2005.”
In reflection Sister Jeanne would say, “I wouldn’t want to change a thing as I have grown and matured in all these circumstances. As I retire from active ministry, I thank God I am a member of this Sisters of Charity Community as I appreciate all of the wonderful women who have contributed to the ‘me’ I have become.”
Sister Jeanne is survived by nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister, Ruth Mally, and her brother, James Edward Roach.
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