Sister Ann Chamblin, a retired educator and founder of CSJ Home Care, died May 6 at Nazareth Living Center in south St. Louis County at age 89.
Born in St. Louis, she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1949 and was received into the novitiate in 1950 as Sister Robert Ellen. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Fontbonne College in 1956.
In 1952, Sister Ann began her ministry in teaching at Our Lady of the Presentation School in Overland. Four years later, she relocated to Indianapolis and taught there until 1960. She taught in the 1960s in Kansas City, Missouri; Kingsford, Michigan; and at Sts. John and James School in Ferguson.
She returned to Our Lady of the Presentation School in 1969 and taught there for the next three years. She then taught at St. Blaise School in Maryland Heights (1972-73) and Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School in University City (1973-74).
In 1975, Sister Ann began serving as the religious education director at St. Blaise School. A year later, she served in parish work at Holy Name Parish in St. Louis, first as a volunteer, then in pastoral ministry, and, finally, as religious education director. Sister Ann was the coordinator of services at St. Charles Lwanga Center in St. Louis from 1981-82. She was then the pastoral assistant at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in St. Louis for nearly two years.
In 1985, Sister Ann studied clinical pastoral education at two hospitals in Illinois. She then served as the religious education coordinator at St. Joseph Carondelet Child Center in Chicago until 1989.
Throughout the early 1990s, Sister Ann served in various positions in Missouri: assistant manager of geriatric care at the DuBourg House in St. Louis; home care services for All Metro Health Care in St. Louis; pastoral minister at St. Peter Parish in Jefferson City; pastoral minister at St. Andrew’s Parish in Tipton; and assistant manager for geriatrics at Manresa House in Florissant.
In 1996, she began Sister Ann’s Elder Care-Home Service. Then, in 1997, she founded and was director of CSJ Home Care, a ministry staffed by religious communities that provided home care to elder persons to extend their independence.
She retired in 2003 and volunteered as the hospitality liaison at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Motherhouse from 2008-10.
In 2011, Sister Ann moved to Nazareth Living Center. Funeral arrangements are pending.