Irene Constance Morrow
| Irene Constance Morrow | |
|---|---|
| Sister Irene Morrow | |
| Born | 1922-09-09 Port Arthur, Ontario |
| Died | 2019-03-03 North Bay, Ontario |
| Occupation | Religious sister, music teacher |
| Employer | Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
Sister Irene Constance Morrow (9 September 1922 – 3 March 2019 (aged 96)) was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie and a music teacher, violinist and piano pedagogue who taught for many years in Thunder Bay.[1][2]
Life and family
Irene Constance Morrow was born in Port Arthur on September 9, 1922, to Lillian Watty and James Joseph Morrow. She was the second of ten children. Her family resided in Hurkett before relocating to Port Arthur on New Year's Day in 1948.[3]
She earned a violin diploma from the Toronto Conservatory before joining the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie in 1948. She later obtained a piano pedagogy diploma from the University of Western Ontario Conservatory of Music and qualified as a high school music specialist through the Ontario Department of Education. She furthered her studies at the New School of Music in Princeton, New Jersey, earning a graduate diploma. Her teaching career spanned several decades and locations, including North Bay, Schreiber, Sudbury, Fort William, and Port Arthur. She served as music director at the Marymount School of Music and taught at the Avila Centre, where she authored a seven-book pedagogy series published by the Waterloo Music Company. She also taught at the Lakehead Community School of Music and was a violinist with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.[3]
She was active in the musical community as an examiner, festival adjudicator, and member of the Art Association Board and ORMTA. In 1987, she received an honorary doctorate from Huntington University. She was predeceased by her parents, Lillian Watty and James Joseph Morrow, as well as an infant brother, her brothers Hugh and Jerome, and her sisters Lorraine and Dolores. She was survived by her brothers Walter and Bernard and her sisters Geraldine and Bernice.[3]
She died on March 3, 2019, at St. Joseph's Motherhouse in North Bay during her 71st year of religious life. Services were held at the Holy Family Chapel in North Bay, followed by a memorial mass at Corpus Christi Parish in Thunder Bay. Funeral arrangements were handled by Mcguinty Funeral Home.[3]
Early life
Born in Port Arthur to Lillian Watty and James Joseph Morrow, she was the second of ten children. The family lived in Hurkett until moving to Port Arthur on 1 January 1948.[2]
Religious life and music
She earned an ARCT in violin from the Toronto Conservatory and entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie on 8 September 1948. After her novitiate she earned an associate diploma in piano pedagogy (AWCM) from the University of Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, and in 1957 she qualified as an Ontario Department of Education music school specialist for high-school instrumental music.[2]
From 1951 to 1966 she taught music in North Bay, Schreiber, Sudbury, Fort William and Port Arthur. In 1966–67 she earned a master's-level diploma in music pedagogy from the New School of Music in Princeton, New Jersey. She was later music director at Marymount School of Music in Sudbury and at the Avila Centre in Thunder Bay. While at Avila (1987–89) she wrote the seven-book piano pedagogy programme New Directions (Waterloo Music Company). She played in the violin section of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and received an honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Huntington University, Sudbury, in 1987.[2]
From 1990 to 1999 she taught at the Avila Centre and the Lakehead Community School of Music. She served on the Art Association board in Thunder Bay and on local and provincial councils of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association (ORMTA), and adjudicated festivals and served as a music examiner.[2]
Death
She died at St. Joseph's Motherhouse, North Bay, on 3 March 2019, in her 71st year of religious life. A memorial mass was held at Corpus Christi Parish, Thunder Bay.[2]
References
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 6 March 2019, p. 9(B)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Sister Irene Morrow (obituary). The Chronicle-Journal via Legacy.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Obituary for Irene Constance Morrow, The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay), 2019-03-06, via Legacy.com. Archived copy on datum.locker.