Beloved Loyola University Chicago Icon Sister Jean Dies at age 106

ABC 57

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a longtime team chaplain for Loyola University Chicago, has died at the age of 106, the university announced on Thursday.

Famously known as Sister Jean, she became a good luck charm for the Ramblers basketball team after reaching TV fame in 2018 when cameras showed her pre-game prayer and her cheering from the sidelines as the team went on a Cinderella run at the NCAA tournament.

“In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola President Mark C. Reed said in a statement.

“While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community, and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”

Sister Jean was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on August 21, 1919, before taking the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937.

She started teaching at Mundelein College in Chicago in 1961 before the school merged with Loyola in 1991.

In 1994, she started as the school’s chaplain before becoming a viral sensation during the 2018 men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

According to the school, Sister Jean is survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Tidwell, and her niece, Jan Schmidt.

Visitation and funeral arrangements will be announced by the university shortly.

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