By Karen Andrew
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sister Mary Marguerite Bockhorst, R.S.M., died at Mercy Franciscan Hospital-Mount Airy on Wednesday at age 70.

"She had a beautiful voice - she loved to sing," said Sister Loraine Marie Peter, R.S.M., director of communications, Sisters of Mercy, Regional Community of Cincinnati. "And she was certainly versatile in her ministry."

Born in 1932 to Aloysius and Edna Sackmann Bockhorst of Cincinnati, she was a graduate of Mother of Mercy High School.

She earned bachelor's degrees in education in 1959 and in science in 1980 from Edgecliff College. In 1970, she earned a master's degree in theology from Xavier University.

Sister Mary Marguerite taught for 15 years in Cincinnati-area schools, including St. Cecilia from 1955-56 and 1962-66, St. Andrew 1956-1960, St. Stephen 1960-63 and Our Lady of Lourdes 1968-70. She taught at St. Mary School in Piqua from 1966 to 1968.

From 1970-1971, she trained at St. Rita's in Lima to become a registered medical technologist and earned certification from the American Society for Medical Technologists in 1971. She then went to St. Mary's Memorial Hospital in Knoxville, Tenn., from 1971-1975 to serve as a teacher and medical technologist for four years.

She returned to Cincinnati to serve as a section supervisor and assistant lab manager from 1975-1978 at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in Mariemont.

In 1978, Sister Mary Marguerite attended a yearlong renewal program in California and returned to Cincinnati in 1979 to work as a staff technologist in hematology at the University of Cincinnati and the affiliated Holmes Hospital.

From 1985-1990, she served as director of the Medical Technicians program at Trocaire College in Buffalo, N.Y.

She became a housing director in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1991; in Cincinnati from 1992-1995 and in Paducah, Ky., in 2000.

In 2001 she retired to McAuley Convent in North College Hill.

Survivors include her brothers Albert of Springdale and Robert of Cincinnati; and a sister, Helen Somers of Cincinnati.

Visitation will be 4 p.m. Monday at Mercy Center, Walnut Hills, with a Mass of Christian burial following at 7 p.m. Burial will be in St. Joseph New Cemetery in Price Hill.

Memorials: Sisters of Mercy Ministry Fund, 2335 Grandview Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45206.

E-mail kandrew@enquirer.com