Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, who became a national sports icon, died at 106 Thursday.
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a nun who became a national sports icon for cheering on the Loyola men’s basketball teams during their NCAA Tournament runs, died Thursday, the school said. She was 106.
Sister Jean, as seemingly everyone on campus and later the sports world knew her, had served as the team chaplain since 1994 until her retirement this summer. For decades she was a fixture at Ramblers games, offering pregame prayers with players and fans.
She became nationally adored as Loyola made a seemingly miraculous Final Four run in 2018 as her wheelchair was pushed onto the court after each victory and Loyola players greeted her with gentle hugs as they exited the floor.
“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.”
At 5 feet tall, Sister Jean stood out at Loyola games often wearing a letterman’s jacket or a maroon and gold scarf along with a pair of Nikes. She lived in a freshman dormitory on campus and had an office in the student center, where young adults struggling with studies or homesickness would often pop by for a chat.
She also was competitive.
When former coach Porter Moser was hired in 2011, Sister Jean left an envelope filled with scouting reports on his desk for him.
