SISTER LUCILLE KALINOWSKI

The Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau was killed in a traffic accident Tuesday evening.

Sister Lucille Kalinowski, 60, died in an automobile accident with a truck on Interstate 44 near Pierce City and Mount Vernon. She is survived by a brother, Raymond Kalinowski, of St. Louis, and a sister, Virginia Fisher of Florida.

She was born Aug. 3, 1936, in St. Louis, the daughter of Joseph and Frances Regelski Kalinowski. After entering the order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, she earned a bachelor of arts in business and economics from Notre Dame College in St. Louis in 1957. She received a master's of business administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and a secondary principal's certificate from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1980.

"It's a tragic loss," said Carol Strattman, principal of St. Mary's Cathedral Grade School in Cape Girardeau. "She will be a hard person to fill the void after."

St. Mary's was only one of the 22 elementary schools serviced by Kalinowski. She also provided service for the principals and faculty of three high schools and one middle school in southern Missouri, including Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau.

Sister Kalinowski last visited Cape Girardeau in early December for a principal's meeting and Christmas party. "I knew Sister through working very closely with her," said Strattman. "She was just the most warm, caring, helpful person we could have ever hoped to have as our superintendent."

She was named superintendent of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese on July 1, 1991, and had been very active in promoting Catholic schools throughout southern Missouri.

Before she died, she was planning to work with pastors and school boards in establishing salary scales for teachers and administrators. She also encouraged principals to invest in computer hardware and software for the students in their schools.

Visitation will be held in St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield today from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., with a funeral Mass beginning at 11 a.m. After the funeral Mass, Sister Kalinowski's body will be taken to Motherhouse Sancta Maria in Ripa, which is located in St. Louis. Visitations there will be held on Friday from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Notre Dame Motherhouse cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Foundation for Catholic Education (Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau), 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield, Mo., 65806-3143.