M. Leo Francis, Molloy teacher and Dominican sister of Amityville, dies at 98

Sister Leo Francis Monaghan knew from an early age that she wanted to devote her life to her faith, her friends said. After dedicating 80 years to religious life as a Sister of St. Dominic of Amityville, she died from natural causes on Feb. 18 at the age of 98.

Born Marie Monaghan on Sept. 1, 1926, in Flushing, Queens, she grew up in Whitestone, Queens, with her parents and two brothers — Leo and Francis. She attended St. Luke's School in Queens and met the Dominican sisters, and felt a calling to serve her faith.

"Her vows were the most important thing to her. She had a great devotion to saying the rosary," said Sister Pat Walsh, who knew Francis for 20 years. "I think she would want to be remembered very simply. She loved people, and they loved her back."

Monaghan graduated from St. Agnes High School in College Point, Queens, in 1944. She entered the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, where she was clothed in the Dominican habit on Aug. 6, 1945, and received her religious name, Sister M. Leo Francis. According to the Sisters of St. Dominic, Francis took her first vows on Aug. 6, 1946, and her final vows on Aug. 23, 1949.

"She had a great spirit in her, which she shared easily with people," said Walsh, who lives at the Dominican Motherhouse in Amityville. "She was great fun and she was a natural-born teacher, which comes very seldom. She just wanted to share her knowledge with other people."

Francis earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from St. John's University in Queens. Her teaching career spanned nine years at St. Pancras School (closed in 2018) in Glendale, Queens, followed by 14 years in the science department of Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School (closed in 1972) in Brooklyn. In 1968, she joined the faculty of Molloy College (now University) in Rockville Centre and remained there until her retirement in 2010.

Cathy Muscente was the former vice president for mission and ministry at Molloy College and worked with Francis for 15 years. According to Muscente, Francis was "a joyful person with a lust for life who danced in her classroom."

"She loved working with young people and broadening their knowledge about science. She tried to inspire them in and outside the classroom," said Muscente, of Baldwin. "We were very lucky to have her with us for so many years. She was a gift to the university."

During her 43-year tenure at Molloy, Francis lived on campus and moderated the Glee Club for 20 years, and served as chairperson of the science department for 25 years. In 1982, she received the Caritas Award at the president’s convocation. Francis was such an alumni favorite that a group of students founded a scholarship in her name in 2003 for students interested in the sciences.

"Education was so important to her, and the scholarship is a wonderful way for us to continue to remember her," Muscente said.

In addition to her passion for education, Francis loved to travel and dance the Irish jig, and had an ear for music, her friends said.

Survivors include a niece and nephew.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Feb. 25 at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in St. Albert Chapel followed by interment at St. Dominic Cemetery on the Amityville grounds.