Bio

A member of the  original Marian Hall of Fame induction class, Joan Theresa Charnley was born July 13, 1937, in Detroit, one of seven daughters and four sons of Joseph and Margaret (Barbour) Charnley. She attended St. Gregory Grade School and High School in Detroit. She entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Monroe in 1958 and received the name Sr. Joseph Andre.

Sr. Charnley earned a bachelor’s degree from Marygrove College and a Master of Arts in education from Wayne State University. She taught elementary grades at Epiphany and Gesu schools in Detroit before moving into administration at the high school level, serving more than 10 years as administrator and principal of Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, and more than 15 years as administrator and principal at Bishop Borgess High School in Redford. In 2010, Sr. Charnley became adult faith coordinator at St. James Parish in Novi.

In 1988, Sr. Charnley was inducted into the Catholic High School League Hall of Fame for her promotion and support of athletic programs at both Marian and Bishop Borgess. In 1992, she was only one of four charter members to the Marian Hall of Fame. 

Sr. Charnley entered into eternal rest on May 13, 2014.