Sister Margaret Mary Conway
Memories of the mystery Zag from our last issue
’71 Norma Norton Provincal: “Greetings from New Jersey to Zags, old and new. In response to your inquiry on the “Mystery Zag” pictured in the Fall 2011 GU Magazine, yes, I know this fine and holy woman as “Sister Margaret Mary Conway,” faithful Franciscan sister of Perpetual Adoration. I have known and loved, and been loved, by this wonderful woman even earlier than GU. Sister taught many of us at Marycliff High School during the mid-60s. Truly, Sister was a gifted woman who loved me, inspired me and seemed to know how to draw the best out of all her students. Debate and drama were her subjects and she was very good at them. But developing character in her students was her real strength. She taught us how to think and how to speak while forming solid Catholic character. We kept up over the years and I was blessed to attend an honoring banquet (perhaps her retirement from GU) at Cataldo Hall now many years ago. She was sharp, always thinking, always networking, always relating, always encouraging. When my family visited Spokane, we regularly visited Sister. Our annual Christmas letters always seemed to reach her no matter where she was at the time. She had a keen memory and managed to keep track of not only former students, but also my family of eight kids. Her Christmas letters in response to ours were always filled with “life” and interest in my “crew.” In the year 2000 we were privileged as a family to visit Sister at her Mother House in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She was 91. In spite of losing her eyesight and hearing, she was lively, remembering each of our children, their interests and vocations. We enjoyed a personal tour with her through the Mother House and it was her joy to share her “home” with us. We did indeed feel “at home” with her there. Her pride and joy was to show us to the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration where for 150 years the Franciscan sisters have prayed around the clock for everyone and everything under the sun. We brought her roses that day and I will always remember her beautiful face with that lovely smile and great dimples. I think Sister was 94 when she passed away. She truly “made a difference” in this Zag’s life and that of my family. To this day I miss our friendship and correspondence. May she be reaping the fruits of her labors now in heaven. Go Zag, Sister Margaret Mary Conway.
’71 Suzanne Harris of Spokane: “I first met Sr. Margaret Mary (Maggie to many of her debaters – though maybe not to her face) as a student at Marycliff High School in Spokane where she was our debate, drama and English teacher. In fact, my classmates and I teased her that she followed us to Gonzaga as she came in our Sophomore year. Her office on the third floor of the Admin Building was ‘home’ to everyone who was involved in speech and debate, and we made great and lasting friendships there. She was an inspiration to all her students, not just in debate but in life. I was fortunate to see her regularly at St. Aloysius Parish for many years after I graduated, where she also inspired many.”
’71 Gary Wardian, Austin, Texas: “What a fine photo of Sister (Coach) Conway in the Fall Gonzaga magazine, evoking old memories. I had the opportunity to participate on the debate team in 1970 that was a very small squad working out of one tiny room, barely noticed in the university, entirely extracurricular. Yet there was no limit to her confidence in our abilities, which inspired us to accomplishments regionally and nationally. Supportive yet unstructured, she created an inviting atmosphere for cooperative learning using the real-time feedback of speech tournaments at other universities. There was that memorable team meal Thanksgiving Day consisting of a hot turkey open face sandwich at a nearly empty diner when traveling by car (no airfares in the budget) all the way to southern California for a competition over the holidays. Like Columbo, seemingly absentminded but surprisingly attentive, she assumed varied roles from mentor to mom. She was a unique coach and teacher reflecting the best of Gonzaga.”
’71 Sheila Lally Coe of Winthrop, Wash.: “Not only did Sister Margaret Mary bring her energy and talent to Gonzaga, but she was an inspiration and mentor to me during my high school days as well in Spokane. Because of her marvelous teaching style, we all graduated from Marycliff High School with strong speaking and writing skills. Sorry to read that she had died, as it wasn’t too many years ago I saw her smiling face at a Marycliff reunion activity, and marveled at how youthful she still looked. Thanks for honoring her.”
’72 Ernest Huber [’80 J.D.] of Issaquah, Wash.: “That would be Sister Margaret Mary Conway, Gonzaga’s nationally celebrated director of debate. She taught me debate in 1971. I recall her as being genteel with an iron will. She was great.”
’77 Rob Tucker of Des Moines, Iowa: “I won the Sister Margaret Mary Conway Debate Scholarship to Gonzaga University in 1973, for the academic years of 73-74 and 74-75. I remember many times being at debate tournaments in those years, where Sister Margaret Mary Conway (who was affectionately referred to as the “Nun”) would shepherd and watch over us as we competed. We ran our own tournament at Gonzaga one year (doing the work by hand—not by computer), working tirelessly into the wee hours, having all the pairings (of which team meets which team) set for the next morning, even taking the unusual step of posting them on the walls. We came in then next morning only to find out that the janitors, in their diligence, had come in and torn them all down in the early morning. So everything had to be redone. In our effort to expedite things, we did not keep even a paper copy. Such was life. The Nun, needless to say, was not delighted.”
’80 Greg Hicks (’83 J.D.) of Newport, Wash.: “This ‘mystery Zag’ needs no introduction. Sister Margaret Mary Conway was such an influential, caring teacher and individual on the Gonzaga campus during the 1970s and 80s. I was proud to have been one of her ‘men’ and was associated with her debate program from 1976-80. This association certainly formed the foundation for who I am today. I know that in her own way she cared deeply for all of her students. Sister already had the ability to attract class individuals to her debate program. Debaters such as Tom Robinson, Sue Gerber, John Cronin, Mike Ormsby and Don Hitzeman were in the program with me and they are some of the finest people I have ever known. Sister always seemed to know what her ‘men’ were up to. She once told me she liked the ‘skirt’ (woman) I was dating. Great minds think alike – the skirt is my wonderful wife Kathy Lagana ’80 and we have been married for 29 years. It was good to see her smiling face in your magazine. May God bless her.”
’83 Chuck Lloyd of Apple Valley, Minn: The Mystery Zag is Sr. Conway, or as she was known on the debate team when I was at GU, “The Nun.” I think I can call myself Sr. Conway’s last recruit – she retired as GU’s debate coach in 1979, shortly before I started at GU that fall. Thankfully, she was still quite a presence after her retirement from coaching. She was so kind and so loved by everyone who knew her, including her coaching colleagues from around the country who frequently asked how she was doing and what she was up to. In September of this year, there was a debate alumni reunion at GU. Not surprising, nearly every story told by those of us from the Sr. Conway era was about her. Gonzaga debaters recall Sr. Conway with the same reverence as UCLA basketball players recall John Wooden. Only I suspect we have funnier memories of The Nun than they do of The Wizard of Westwood.
