KUALA LUMPUR: The founder and headmistress of Assunta all-girls schools in Petaling Jaya, Datin Paduka Sister Enda Ryan, died this morning. She was 96.
Her death was shared by Sister Elizabeth Tan of the FMM sisters in a Facebook post.
"Dear Assuntrian. It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of our beloved Sister Enda's passing at 11am today.
"In faith, I am consoled that she is now in the loving and merciful embrace of her creator God, with today being divine mercy Sunday."
Sister Enda was born Eileen Philomena Ryan in Galbally, Ireland, on Dec 30, 1928,
She joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1947.
She arrived in then-Malaya in 1954 following a request by Sir Michael Hogan (the then-chief justice of Malaya) to set up schools for girls whose education had been disrupted during the Communist insurgency.
During her 31 years of service, she received numerous awards, including the Excellent Service Award from the Education Ministry (1985), the Pingat Jasa Cemerlang (1986), the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK) from the sultan of Selangor (1987) and Anugerah Tokoh Guru Selangor (1990).
She was the first headmistress of the schools, and in 1966, she became a Malaysian citizen.
She retired in 1989 and lived at the Assunta Convent in Petaling Jaya Old Town.
In 2007, she was conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Dato' Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah by the sultan of Selangor, which carries the title Datin Paduka.
She was conferred an honorary doctorate in humanities from Taylor's University in 2022.