Sister Jean had been the men’s basketball team chaplain for more than 30 years, but rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago’s trip to the Final Four in 2018.
WASHINGTON — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the iconic Loyola University basketball team chaplain, has died. She was 106.
The university confirmed “Sister Jean” died Thursday. No specific cause of death was provided.
“In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola President Mark C. Reed said in a statement “While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”
Sister Jean had been the men’s basketball team chaplain for more than 30 years, but rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago’s trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers’ improbable run.
Because of her noteworthy appearance, Schmidt took on a folk hero role in the public’s imagination.
She has been featured by newspapers and TV stations across America. Her NCAA news conference, she was told, had more journalists than Tom Brady drew at the Super Bowl. Her likeness appears on socks, bobbleheads, even a Lego statue at her gallery in Loyola’s art museum.
In 2023, she published a memoir about her life, offering stories and spiritual guidance. In “Wake Up with Purpose: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years,” Schmidt wrote about staying mentally young by adapting to new technology and being around younger people.
“I guess there aren’t too many 103-year-old nuns using iPads these days – there aren’t too many 103-year-olds, period,” she wrote. “But I’m pretty comfortable with modern technology. I’ve always said, ‘If you’re not moving forward, you’re going to get left behind real quick.’ Adaptability is my superpower.”
The news comes just weeks after Schmidt retired because of health concerns. The school’s student newspaper, The Loyola Phoenix, announced her retirement earlier this month.
The university said it would announce funeral and visitation details sometime soon.