Page 4 - BusinessWest September 4, 2023

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2023
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BusinessWest
Celebrating a Legend
Sr. Mary Caritas Marks a Century
of Being a Leader and an Inspiration
BY GEORGE O’BRIEN
[email protected]
r. Mary Caritas, SP turned 100 on Aug. 22. It was a celebration in almost every respect, with one sad note, if it can be called that.
She decided that would be the day she turned in her driver’s license
(it expired then, actually), saying goodbye to at least the driver’s seat of the Toyota RAV4 that she had come to know and love, and a small SUV that gave her something she’s never really had throughout her long and remarkable life — a break from being vertically challenged.
“All my life I’ve been looking up at ... every- thing,” said the diminutive (in physical size only) Sr. Caritas, called ‘Little Sister’ by some in the Sisters of Providence over the years. “In that RAV4, I’ve been sitting on top of the world, looking down at everything; it’s been such a blessing.”
When asked why she gave up her license, she said simply, “I’m going to be sad about it, but it’s the time to do it,” and then elaborated a little.
“My balance isn’t as good as it used to be,
my gait isn’t what it used to be, and my reaction time isn’t what it used to be; at 100, what do you expect?” she said in summing up her decision.
Maybe her balance is slipping, but her sense of humor, one of many enduring qualities, is as sharp as ever. Indeed, when she talked about her longevity and juxtaposed it against the knee replacement she underwent at age 97, she said matter-of-factly, “I need to live long enough to get my money’s worth.”
No one doubts that she will.
While she has given up her driver’s license and no longer sits on any external boards — “they all want younger boards these days, and I skew the age higher ... much higher” — the dynamic Sr. Caritas, born Mary Geary, remains active on many levels.
She’s active with the Sisters of Providence,