10/10/2025
RIP, Sister Jean ...
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team who shot to fame during the school’s Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018, has died at the age of 106.
“This is a tremendous loss of someone who touched the lives of so many people. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts & prayers during this difficult time,” the university wrote on social media.
Born Dolores Bertha Schmidt in San Francisco in 1919, she took the name Sister Jean in 1937.
She joined Loyola-Chicago in 1991 and three years later, she was asked to help student basketball players with their grades so they could remain eligible. She went on to become chaplain of the men’s basketball team. She would meet with the athletes regularly and email the coaches and players before and after each game.
In 2018, the Ramblers made it to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed, losing 69-57 to Michigan.
During the fairy-tale run, Sister Jean became a celebrity as she cheered on the team courtside in her burgundy and yellow scarf. She did countless interviews, had bobbleheads made in her likeness and Lego even made a statue of her.
In 2023, Sister Jean published a memoir, “Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years.”
Photo by Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images
