Sr. John Bosco, known to some of her friends as Sr. Joan and to the residents of St. Theresa’s Home as Agatha, lived most of her life as an Auxiliary Sister of the Good Shepherd Congregation working among teenagers in Marymount.

From this experience of working with the girls with her heart, the call to give her life to this service was born and nurtured by Sr. Columba Canon, the Directoress of the Home. In 1951 Agatha Choo made her commitment to be an Auxiliary Sister of the Good Shepherd and received the name Sr. John Bosco. She has faithfully served the Lord for the pat 61 years.

In 2008 she was admitted to St. Theresa’s Home. In the early 1980s Sr. Joan had to have an operation on her knee due to an old injury which she sustained from a fall in her teens. She was in pain and could not walk. She moved around the house in Marymount with a walker and then had to use a wheel chair. Her days now was spent in prayer for all those involved in the Good Shepherd Ministries. She was hospitalized for 5 months as infection had set in, and she had to rest the knee. When her condition improved we had to find a home where she would have nursing care.

On the 8th October 2008, Sr. Joan was admitted to the Home. It was a very difficult time for her. She did not want to leave Marymount. She hoped to be admitted to Mother Teresa’s Gift of Love Home which was in Marymount Complex. However it was not possible.

It was a drastic change for her. Patiently and with much care, the Matron, Sisters and residents helped her to settle into down. Her deep desire was to return to her beloved Marymount.

At the beginning of 2012, Sr. Joan began complaining of pain in her stomach. Sr. Joseph noticed her severe discomfort. In June, Matron Josephine Tan called me to tell that Sr. Joan was refusing to eat and in pain. Her stomach was bloated. On the 1st August 2012, Matron Tan called to let me know that Sr. Joan was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The Doctors and Nurses helped relieve her pain and they drained the fluid from her stomach. Each time we visited her she was calm and thanked us for our visits and our prayers. She was alert but grew weaker and still alert.

At 4.40am on Thursday 16th August 2012, peacefully she went to our loving God. She did not want to trouble anyone, she just slipped away in the silence of Ward 10D. When Sr. Cecilia Cheang and I went to claim her body at the Hospital, she looked as if she was asleep, resting in peace.

Sr. Joan is buried at the Lawn Cemetery in Chua Chu Kang. Her tomb stone reads

In Loving Memory of

Sr. John Bosco,

Auxiliary Sister of the Good Shepherd, Marymount

Passed away peacefully on Thursday

16th August 2012.

“The Lord is My Shepherd…Though I walk in the

valley of darkness, no evil would I fear. “ Ps.23

Always remembered by loved ones.

No. 359