Jean McLeod (Sister Loreto) grew up in Gunnedah, with her sister Isobel and brother Donald. Born in the far North Queensland town of Innisfail, on December 13, 1933, her mother Mary (known as Patty) moved her young family to Gunnedah after the death of her husband Donald in 1934.

Educated first by the Sisters of Mercy, at Gunnedah, and then by the Loreto Sisters as a boarder at Loreto College, Normanhurst, Jean was well schooled in music and the arts.

Read also:

After leaving school, she found work in Sydney and lived with her brother Donald at Cronulla. Here she came into contact with the Sisters of Mercy and realised a calling to serve in the Mercy ministry.

Jean's profession as Sister Loreto McLeod on July 2, 1959, opened the door to 60 years of devotion to the charism of Mercy. Sr Loreto began her teaching career at a Mercy school in Caringbah, and Our Lady of Mercy College, Burraneer, followed by a few short years at Catherine McAuley College Westmead and Holy Cross College in Woollahra before returning to Burraneer. During her 25 years of dedication to the school, including 19 years as principal, Jean endeared herself to staff, students and parents alike. In 2000, Sr Loreto McLeod rsm was the last Sister of Mercy to be the Principal of Our Lady of Mercy College, Burraneer.

After closing her teaching portfolio at Burraneer, Sr Loreto moved into a parent liaison role in the southern region of the Catholic Education Office, when after three years the first signs of dementia appeared.

Eventually she went into care and slipped away in her sleep on July 19, 2019, at the age of 85.

In the eulogy at St Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Church in Cronulla, fellow Sister of Mercy Ailsa Mackinnon rsm described her friend as "a person of integrity, elegant, stylist, intelligent, creative, kind, tolerant, resilient, loyal, logical, straight forward, down-to-earth and fun loving, with a sense of adventure".

"She brought these qualities into her relationship with her family, with her sisters in community, and her work colleagues, with her students and their parents and the many friends she made in her long life," Sr Ailsa said.

"Those who knew Loreto as principal saw her modelling collegial leadership. She had a passion for girls' education and pastoral care was an important part of her leadership. She made herself available to staff, students and their parents at all times."

Away from the school environment, Sr Ailsa said Loreto had lived a well integrated life, she loved poetry and prose, classical music, stage productions, swimming and yoga and also camping where she could enjoy sunrises, the stars at night and all that nature had to offer.

"Like all other aspects of her life, Loreto was relentless in her desire to connect with her God. Her creative spirit led her to pursue different types of theologies and spiritualities. She was able to live a blend of east and west," Sr Ailsa said.

"The Holy Spirit was Loreto's special devotion and she lived with it as her faithful companion."

Sr Loreto McLeod is survived by her brother-in-law Ron Whiteman (Gunnedah), nieces and nephews, Angus, Duncan, Marcie, Don, Aiden, Tjasa, Stephanie and Dean and their families. She was predeceased by her brother Donald and sister Isobel Whiteman.

The farewell mass of Christian burial was followed by interment at North Rocks Catholic Cemetery.