SINSINAWA — Sister Dorothy Gabel, OP, died October 30, 2020, at St. Dominic Villa, Hazel Green, Wis. Her religious name was Sister Marie Carl. The funeral Mass was held at the Dominican motherhouse, Sinsinawa, November 11, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.
Sister Dorothy made her first profession as a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa Aug. 5, 1959, and her perpetual profession Aug. 5, 1964. She excelled at teaching the sciences, especially chemistry, to high school students for 11 years and at the collegiate level for 32 years. An accomplished science and education author, she was passionate about students learning science and doing the research to investigate the processes of both teaching and learning. Her “Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning” (National Science Teaching Association, 1994) is considered a classic reference for researchers. Sister Dorothy was an experimental scholar in chemical education research. Her driving force was to use research to shape classroom practice. Sister Dorothy shared what she gleaned from her research with children, grad students, and teachers and was a requested speaker around the world. She served in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Indiana and the District of Columbia.
In the Diocese of Madison, Sister Dorothy taught at Edgewood High School, Madison, 1959-1966.
Sister Dorothy was born Jan. 2, 1936, in Amityville, N.Y., the daughter of Carl and Lillian (Page) Gabel. Her parents preceded her in death. She is survived by a brother, Carl Gabel Jr., and her Dominican Sisters with whom she shared 61 years of religious life.
Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI, 53824-9701 or at www.sinsinawa.org/donate online.
Repeat broadcasts of the wake and funeral for Sister Dorothy are available online at www.sinsinawa.org/live Click on the “on demand” tab.