Sr. Anne Fleming R.S.M.

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Sister Anne Fleming, RSM, died peacefully the morning of June 10, 2025, at St. Bernardine Home, Fremont, OH. A Sister of Mercy for 58 years, she was 80 years old. Anne was born in Ryan, MI to Peter Francis and Catherine Mary Ryan Fleming on September 21, 1944; she was the second oldest of 7 children. Anne first attended a one-room school in Ryan and later St. Mary’s Academy and Breckenridge High School in Breckenridge, MI.

After high school, Anne wanted to become a Maryknoll Sister, a doctor and a missionary in Africa. Her mother insisted that she attend college before making such a momentous decision, so Anne moved to Detroit to study at Mercy College of Detroit. While there, she chose to enter the Religious Sisters of Mercy on August 22, 1966, continued her studies and graduated with a BS in Biology.

On August 19, 1972 she professed her final vows in Farmington, MI and began her ministry as an educator at (Our Lady of) Mercy High School in Farmington, MI. In 1975, she moved to Southwest Detroit and became a pastoral minister at St. Boniface parish. Elected to the Provincial Leadership Team (PAT) in 1980, she initially tried to continue her pastoral ministry but reluctantly relinquished it while serving two terms on the leadership team.

Anne’s heart, though, never left the people of Detroit. In 1986 she worked with the Mercy-founded Core City Neighborhood to provide housing for low-income residents. From 1993-96, she was a staff member at Mercy Education Project providing education and life skills development for area girls and women. During that time Anne, her long-time friend Sister Cheryl Phillips, RSM and a few other friends explored ways to provide alternatives for neighborhood girls who had no access to after-school or summer activities. Anne and Cheryl hosted activities for the girls in their home. That work expanded and continues today as Alternatives for Girls in Detroit. In the 1970s, Anne established Sunshine Montessori School in the Briggs neighborhood of Detroit to give children aged 2 1/2 to 5 years old a head start in learning, and to help the young, mostly single mothers, learn the value of education and how to help their children stay in school. In later years, Anne continued to assist families at Mercy Education Project. She also completed a degree in accounting to help low-income families with tax preparation.

Anne will be remembered for her love of those marginalized by poverty, for her warm and gentle demeanor and for her sense of humor which uplifted her family, her Sisters and those beyond the Community.

Anne is survived by her siblings William (Barbara) Fleming, Larry (Dianne) Fleming, Dennis Fleming, Maureen (Thomas) ­­­­Rupp, Sheila (Brian) Bugbee, Jane Janze, the Sisters of Mercy and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and in-laws Carol Fleming and David Janze.

A welcome ceremony will take place at 2PM on Monday, June 16, 2025 at the St. Bernardine Home, 1220 Tiffin Street, Fremont, OH where visitation will continue until 5PM. A Funeral Mass will take place at 11:00 on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at the chapel of the St. Bernardine Home. Both the Welcome Ceremony and Funeral Mass will be livestreamed via the link on her obituary page. Burial will follow at Our Lady of the Pines Cemetery. Memorial Conrtibutions are suggested to Mercy Education Project, 1450 Howard St., Detroit, MI 48216 www.mercyed.net Online condolences may be expressed at www.hermanfh.com