Suzanne, one of six children (three of whom died in childhood) of August and Theresa Kirchoff Legeay, Paducah, Ky., was born April 5, 1925. Her faith journey began at St. Francis de Sales Church on April 19. Her father died when Suzanne was only 5 years old. Her mother worked to support the family, Suzanne’s older sister Ann, and brother, Buzz.
In September 1931, Suzanne began her formal education at St. Mary Academy, Paducah, staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. She finished elementary and high school there, graduating in 1943. She enrolled then at Mount Saint Junior College that fall.
On September 8, 1944, Suzanne, along with seven other young women, entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph to begin the three-year period of preparation for life of as an Ursuline. On August 14, 1945, she was invested in the Ursuline habit and received the name Sister Theresa Ann.
Shortly after professing first vows, in September 1947, Sister was assigned to St. Edward School, Jeffersontown, Ky., where she remained seven years. Other assignments during her 30 years in the classroom were in Ursuline-staffed schools in Affton and Glennonville, Mo.; in Kentucky at Waverly, Earlington, Curdsville, Owensboro (Precious Blood, and Cathedral), and Paducah (St. Thomas More and St. Francis de Sales). In 1973, she served one year as Director of Spiritual Development for the community. In 1984, she was elected councilor, serving as Director of the Apostolate. Following that term in office, she served one year as Curriculum Resource Director at Brescia College, and one year as building supervisor and receptionist at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. In 1990, she and her sister, Sister Ann, SCN, served as co-directors of Senior Sisters’ Activities at the Motherhouse.
Because of rapid decline in health, she retired in 1993. On August 16,1996, Sister suffered a stroke which proved fatal in the early morning of September 2, 1996. Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, along with Fathers Philip Riney, Marty Hayes, Ray Goetz and Andy Ausenbaum celebrated the funeral Mass, September 4, 1996. Sister’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.