Sr. Toni Ann Palermo (Sister M. Concetta), who lived her religious vocation as an educator and therapist, died at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee on April 5, 2024. Sister Toni Ann was 91 years old.
Sister Toni Ann was born February 15, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois. She was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis on June 13, 1954; made her first profession of vows June 21, 1956; and final (perpetual) vows on June 18, 1962.
Sister Toni Ann is survived by her sister, Jo Marie Vezanna, of Chicago; cousins; many friends; and the School Sisters of St. Francis community with whom she shared life for 70 years.
Beginning in 1956, Sister Toni Ann ministered in the dioceses of Madison, Wisconsin, and Joliet, Illinois. In the Diocese of Joliet, Sister taught at St. Therese School, Kankakee (1956-1962); St. Walter School, Roselle (1962-1967); and Ss. Peter and Paul School, Naperville (1967-1970).
In the Diocese of Madison, Sister Toni Ann taught in Madison at the University of Wisconsin (1970-1980) and Sacred Heart School (1975-1979), and at Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Monona, and St. Francis School, Cross Plains (1981-1983). Sister also served as associate director of the Marriage and Family Life Center in Madison (1979-1981). Since 1983, Sister Toni Ann ministered in Madison as a psychotherapist, and since 2004, she also served as a sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics.
As a teenager, prior to joining the School Sisters of St. Francis, Sister Toni Ann played baseball as part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and played professional softball in the National Girls Baseball League. She was recognized by the Baseball Association of Chicago for excellence as a player, educator, and leader; and honored by the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee for her service to the poor and for empowering women as an educator.
A funeral Liturgy was held on Thursday, April 18, at St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee, followed by a burial service at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.