Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the iconic chaplain of the Loyola-Chicago men’s basketball team who became a media darling during the team’s 2018 Final Four run, has passed away at the age of 106, the school announced late Thursday night.
Born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, she took on the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937 and joined the staff at Loyola-Chicago in 1991. She then joined the basketball team in 1994, becoming a beloved and iconic personality and the team’s biggest supporter before health issues caused her to step down from her role in August.
“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 announcing her passing. “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 rose to prominence during the 2018 NCAA Tournament when she became the face of the team as it made an improbable run to the Final Four as an 11-seed. She quickly became a celebrity during the tournament run, doing countless national TV interviews and prominently watching the team during their games, where she regularly attracted the camera.
She was undoubtedly one of the most prominent personalities in college basketball over the past several years, and the sports media world was quick to mourn her passing.
Sister Jean’s legacy will continue to live on at the school as Loyola-Chicago has established a scholarship fund and endowment in her honor to support students.
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