Eulogy for Vivian Boucher

February 19, 1931– March 29, 2025

By Jean Rosemarynoski, CSJ

If you knew Vivian, it will not surprise you that she left instructions for this eulogy. Mostly a list of “do nots”. Do not quote anything I have said or written; do you not use my mission statements… Do not.

Vivian said that the only two things people needed to know about her were:

That she believed in religious life. She loved being a nun and dedicating her life to God. When she asked permission to make final vows, she said, “If it please God, I should be happy to spend the rest of my life serving Him.”  Secondly, she believed in Catholic schools and helping young people learn to live their faith and recognize God in their daily lives.

Vivian would be happy for the eulogy to end there. She was probably right. Those two statements – living only for God and helping others do the same – are the most profound essence of who she was. The depth of those beliefs and living them out was truly Vivian.

While I want to honor her boundaries for the eulogy, I also ask her forgiveness for bleeding those boundaries just a little – not for Vivian’s sake but for ours.

Sister Vivian was born at home in Zürich, Kansas, into – what she called – a “French, staunchly Catholic” family on February 19, 1931, to Hector and Cecilia Gagnon Boucher.

Her birth certificate lists her full name as Baby Boucher. Three days later, she was baptized Rita Marie. She went through most of her life with her legal name being “Baby.” Her birth certificate was amended in 2005 when she changed her name to Rita Marie, her baptismal and childhood name. In 2021, she changed it again, listing her legal name as Vivian, which is her religious name.

She was the fourth of 10 children and was preceded in death by siblings Lucille, Martin, Alfreda, Eldon, Cleota, Norbert, and Eugene. Her surviving siblings are LeRoy and Kenneth.

She recently explained to our nurses that she was “bossy” and that she had to be bossy all her life. Being the fourth of 10 children, she “had all those little kids” come after her, so she had to be bossy.

Her parents were sharecroppers on various farms in the Zürich area. They raised most of their own food.

Vivian started school in a one-room country school at the age of five. She says of herself that she was too young and too immature, so the teacher was not interested in beginners. That affected her learning and attitude toward school until she was in the 7th grade when she finally had a teacher who took an interest in her. Once she was encouraged in her education, Vivian took off and had a passion for it for the rest of her life.

After she completed her sophomore year in high school, she wanted to enter the convent. Her aunt, Sister Margarida, came during the summer to help her prepare.

Vivian was 15 when she entered in 1946. She received the habit in 1947 and made first vows on March 19, 1948.  

Vivian was too young to make a final profession with the others in her band. She pronounced her final vows on her 21st birthday. She was teaching in New Almelo at the time. Her profession was in a little chapel in the house where they were living, with only the sisters and Fr. Sander present.

She finished high school at the Motherhouse. Her formal education included a bachelor’s degree from Marymount College in math and a Master’s degree from the College of Saint Thomas in Minnesota in administration. She dedicated her life to teaching and educating youth. She taught math and religion and was a principal. When she retired, she continued in education volunteering at Saint Columbkille School in Papillion, Nebraska.

That passion for learning that was ignited in 7th grade served her well. When she was elected to the Executive Board of the Congregation, we still owned hospitals. Vivian said that she didn’t know anything about hospitals. So, she went to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manhattan and volunteered during the summer to understand more.

Wanting to better understand youth with troubled backgrounds, she worked as an activity therapist at the Beloit Youth Center. This was a locked residential facility for teenage girls who were in trouble with the law. She did that for two summers and said it was an eye-opening experience that she appreciated and enjoyed.

She was principal at St. John’s High School in Beloit for several years. When she resigned from that position in 1987 due to health the Board members wrote: “It is with deep regret and sorrow that we accept the resignation of Sister Vivian. She was a highly successful principal. When we paused and re-counted the multiple years of dedicated service to St. John’s, the countless hours which you have generously given to the school system, the number of students and alumni who owe you deep affection and gratitude because you were always there for them, the fact that for so many years you have held St. John’s High School together and are known far and wide as ‘Saint Johns’.”

When she left Beloit, she went to Hanover, Kansas, where she surprised herself by accepting a principalship again. Vivian had previously taken classes learning computers. In Hanover, she thought it was imperative that students learn computers. With any donation she received, she went about buying computers. By her third year in Hanover, she had eight computers. She began teaching computer classes – in addition to being principal and teaching math and religion.

One of the unique things that she enjoyed about Hanover was that the Catholic and public schools were across the street from one another and frequently exchanged students for various services. The Catholic school had a cafeteria, so all the students came over for lunch. The public school had uniforms and coaches for band and sports, so the Catholic students went there.

When she celebrated her 70th Jubilee in 2017, people responded to her story on our website. One student said, “You were always my favorite teacher. You were the best math teacher hands-down. You gave me a love of math I never would’ve had. I even passed it on to my daughter using your examples to teach her alternative ways to learn math. Now, my daughter is in her fourth year as a high school math teacher in Scott City.”

There were numerous accolades from former students.

She herself said, “I experienced the most satisfaction when I hear from former students whose lives have improved because of contact with me. The young woman who told me she is living a much stronger spiritual life because of something I said in religion class; the former student who is becoming a priest; the mediocre student who is now a computer tech working for Warren Buffet or a young man, who was so upset in the seventh grade because math baffled him who is now foreman of a construction company.”

For Vivian, living has meant not only serving God but also serving others.

She believed the greatest gift a teacher can give a student is self-confidence. She said, “With self-confidence, they have respect for themselves and strive to make good choices based on Catholic values. They know that each one is a unique individual. They may not be good at math but have other gifts.”

She motivated her students by staying positive, believing that “Negativity doesn’t belong in the classroom.”

Every December there is a Retirement Fund collection in parishes for retired religious. One year, Vivian wrote a column for the parish newsletter appealing for the annual retirement collection. In it, she explained the financial situation of many congregations who often, in the early years, received lesser pay than lay colleagues. But what she emphasized most was how much she cherished being a sister. She never tired of telling others how she enjoyed this life.

During summers, Sister Vivian always came back to the Motherhouse. We always looked forward to her return. She brought a new joy to the Motherhouse and was always willing to help out in any way. She was particularly known for taking sisters who were not able to walk for a ride on the golf cart to the cemetery or around the grounds. She let the students know what she did with her summer vacation. She said, “They had respect for the elderly and were eager to hear what I did with the older sisters. This makes teaching in a Catholic school pretty special.”

Those who have been in Vivian’s home know she lived quite simply. In her younger years, she often slept on the floor to save on the expense of a bed. A card table doubled as a dining room table and a desk. She lived simply and frugally.

Her curiosity and love of learning continued throughout her life. She had a knack for being able to fix anything electrical, especially cars. Cars were one of her favorite things to tinker with and fix. It may seem incongruous that one who worked under the hoods of cars used those same hands to create beautiful lace. But Vivian learned lace-making and created exquisite beauty.

Every summer, we have a Theological Institution for adult ongoing faith formation. Vivian faithfully attended the Institute from its start until recently. Always eager to learn.

She was interested in sports, other people, and in the world. At the lunch table, she could always give you the latest headline news – and freely shared very strong opinions about them.

She participated in community life belonging to the Heartland Circle, which frequently met in Topeka. She would drive from Papillion, NE, even when she was never quite sure where she was going. Even when the weather was questionable, she wanted to be there. She enjoyed being part of the discussion group and connecting with her sisters.

Vivian sums her life up best: In writing about her Jubilee year, she said, “Religious life has been my whole life since I was 15 years old. Religious life is my first priority in everything.

“My second priority has been my dedication to Catholic education. I found educating young people very fulfilling. There is much satisfaction in seeing a child’s face light up when he or she understands the concept you are presenting.”

That brings us full circle to the beginning of this eulogy with Vivian saying we only needed to know two things about her.

Vivian’s life and her own words give us this takeaway:

Religious life is worth living.

Keep focused on God and helping others, and your life will be fulfilling.

Thank you for that, Vivian.