Sister M. Elise Bocke, OP

Springfield Dominican Sister M. Elise Bocke, OP, died October 24, 2025, in the 87th year of her religious profession, at Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield, Ill. She was 108 years old.

Sister M. Elise was born in 1917 in Quincy, Ill., to Bernard and Emma Hacker Bocke and baptized Elizabeth Christine at St. John the Baptist Church in Quincy. She joined the Dominican Sisters of Springfield in 1937 and made her first profession of vows in 1939.

Her years of active service to the people of God spanned 71 years, beginning at St. Agnes School, Springfield, (1939-1951) where she variously taught grades 2, 5, and 7. It concluded at St. Edward School, Chicago, where she ministered as reading specialist and English language-learning teacher (1985-2010). She enjoyed the diverse challenges of that position, calling on her skills to meet the needs of children with disabilities as well as those she called her “Little League of Nations group”—English language learners who spoke Korean, Tagalog, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Thai.

She also taught and was principal at Ss. Peter & Paul School, Cary, Ill. (1951-1957); Little Flower School, Springfield (1957-1958); and Christ the King, Springfield, (1958-1964) where she was among the pioneers who opened the school, and where she served, at various times, as principal and teacher of grades 4-8. She taught at St. John Bosco, Chicago, in 1964, then transferred to the Office of Catholic Education at the Archdiocese of Chicago where she was an able and valued language arts curriculum consultant for one of the nation’s largest Catholic school systems through 1973.

She taught English and reading at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Ill., (1973-1983) then English at Rosary High School, Aurora, Ill., (1983-1985), concluding her teaching years at St. Edward School, Chicago.

According to her nephew Joe Bocke, when Sister Elise was asked to move to the motherhouse in 2010 at the age of 93 she told him she didn’t want to go because she was not ready to give up teaching. A great enthusiast for computer assisted learning, even well into her 90s Sister M. Elise excelled at using computer software to assist students with everything from reading level assessments to English-language learning.

The youngest of eight children, Sister M. Elise was preceded in death by her parents and all her siblings: brothers Al, Anthony, and Joseph; sisters Hildegard Ristenpart, Marie Beger, Gertrude Morris and Springfield Dominican Sister M. Annette Bocke. She is survived by several loving nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Mon., Nov. 3, Aquinas Center, Sacred Heart Convent, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62704.

Funeral Mass: 6:30 p.m., Mon., Nov, 3, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Dominican Father Robert Kelly, presiding. Wake and Mass livestreamed at springfieldop.org/livestream/

She will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery, 10:00 a.m. Tues. Nov. 4. Those services will livestream on Facebook @springfieldop.

Memorials to honor the memory of Sister M. Elise may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL, 62704.

The Dominican Sisters and family of Sister M. Elise are served by Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield. Please leave your condolences in the comments below or visit dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/butler.