Sister of St. Joseph Barbara Olmstead died Nov. 8, 2010, at the motherhouse in Pittsford. She was 57 years old.
Sister Olmstead entered the congregation in 1975 from her home parish of St. Stanislaus in Rochester. She earned her nursing degree from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse in 1974, then completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Nazareth College in 1980. She then earned a master of science degree in nursing in 1988 from Syracuse University, and in 1992 received New York state certification as an adult nurse practitioner.
Sister Olmstead worked as a staff nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elmira, and then in the oncology department of the Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester through 1986. As an adult nurse practitioner, she worked at Hospice of Central New York and then at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse from 1990-2000. For the next nine years she worked at both Unity Health and at St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center in Rochester.
She is survived by her brother, Edward Olmstead; her sister Mary Ellen Olmstead; her uncle, Richard Kirchgessner; her nephew, Edward Olmstead Jr.; many cousins; her dear friend, Sister Eileen Ivory OP; and her sisters in the congregation.
Her funeral liturgy was celebrated Nov. 11, 2010, in the motherhouse chapel with burial in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Fund, 150 French Road, Rochester, NY 14618.
