Patricia McNeal Dolan, 75, Vero Beach
Patricia McNeal Dolan, 75, of Vero Beach, passed away on March 6, 2018. She was born on Oct. 8, 1942, in Baltimore, Md., to Mary D. Patrick and Francis C. McNeal.
Her father died in World War II and her mother married George E. Clemens who became her loving father. After high school she became a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, a religious order, from 1960 until 1971.
In 1973 she married, Jay P. Dolan. They have two children, Patrick J. Dolan (Ingrid), of Santa Fe, N.M., and Mark M. Dolan (Jacqueline) of Salem, Ore., and their children, James P. and Maryn J.
Patricia McNeal Dolan’s greatest love and passion was her family. She always believed her greatest accomplishments were marrying her husband, raising her wonderful sons, and enjoying her grandchildren.
Patricia McNeal Dolan was a professor of Women’s Studies at Indiana University South Bend. She received her B.A. from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and her M.A. and Ph.D from Temple University.
She was very involved in the Catholic Peace Movement in the 1960s. This involvement persuaded her to author several scholarly articles on the peace movement in the United States culminating in her book, Harder Than War: Catholic Peacemaking in Twentieth Century America.
At Indiana University South Bend she created the major in Women’s Studies and also received the Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award for excellence in teaching throughout the entire Indiana University system. As the Director of Women’s Studies, she also wanted to reach out to the women in South Bend and organized over a hundred scholarly lectures and events always open to the public.
She was the recipient of the South Bend’s Women’s Fest Lifetime Achievement Award in Education and the YWCA of St. Joseph County “Tribute to Women” award in Education. She recently received Indiana University’s Alumni Association Faculty Legacy Award.
She spent her retirement in Vero Beach playing golf and bridge and doing volunteer work, she especially enjoyed working with the young children in the catechetical program at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
Above all she loved spending time with her family, including her two sisters, Laurie Sanders (William) and their children, Sean and Timothy, and Susan Swanson (Scott) and their children, Kate Nicole and Madeline.
Funeral services will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Friday March 16 at 10:30 a.m.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Notre Dame, Ind.
In lieu of flowers please send memorial contributions to the IU South Bend Women and Gender Studies Fund c/o IUSB University Advancement, 1700 Mishawaka Ave., P.O. Box 7111, South Bend, IN 46634-7111.
Please make checks out to the IU foundation with Patricia McNeal Dolan’s name listed on the check memo line.