Sister Ann Charles Martin, DC, 90, a Utica native, died Jan. 3, 2020, at St. Louise House in Albany. She was in her vocation for 71 years.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Ann Charles was celebrated Jan. 10 at DePaul House Chapel, Albany. Burial followed on Jan. 11 in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, N.Y.
Born in Utica on Dec. 19, 1929, Sister Ann Charles was baptized Ann Margaret. She was one of four children born to Charles Francis and Agnes Veronica (Mulvihill) Martin. The family home when Sister was growing up was a backyard fence away from the Sisters’ home; she literally grew up with the Daughters of Charity.
She attended Lourdes School and Utica Catholic Academy, both staffed by the Daughters, and graduated from high school in 1948. In December of 1948, Sister Ann Charles entered the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Emmitsburg, Md., from Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Utica.
Sister Ann Charles, an educator throughout her years of ministry, earned her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education in 1967 from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg; in 1980, she earned her master’s degree in education reading from the College of St. Rose, Albany.
After completing initial formation, Sister began her ministry of teaching, which she continued until her retirement. As a teacher, she influenced many children on the primary and secondary levels along the East Coast: Baltimore, Md. (1950 to 1955); Petersburg, Va. (1955 to 1957); Emmitsburg (1957 to 1959); St. Mary’s School, Troy, N.Y. (1959 to 1963); Norfolk, Va. (1963 to 1971); Wilmington, Del. (1971 to 1973); Utica Catholic Academy, (1973 to 1978); Albany (1978 to 1979); and Wilmington, Del. (1979 to 1987).
In 1987, Sister Ann Charles returned to Utica as a teacher with a focus on helping students who needed extra attention with reading. She taught at Notre Dame Junior High School, located at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School (there were only two seventh- and eighth-grade junior high schools in Utica at the time, Notre Dame South and Notre Dame North), where she taught reading, religion and English literature (1987 to 1995). In 1995, the two junior high schools merged with Notre Dame High School, taking the name Notre Dame Junior-Senior High School. Sister Ann Charles continued to serve as a reading specialist there for the next 11 years (1996 to 2007).
In 2007, after nearly 60 years of ministry as an educator, Sister entered the Ministry of Prayer at St. Louise House where she served until the time of her death.
Sister Ann Charles was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Bob Martin of Cape Vincent, N.Y. She is survived by her brother Charles Martin of Whitesboro, N.Y., her sister Susan McNally of Churchville, N.Y., and her sister-in-law Loretta Martin of Cape Vincent; many nieces and nephews; grandnieces and grandnephews; and he
