Sr. Rose Mary Ala, IHM, 80, died April 18 in the IHM Senior Living Community, Monroe.

Rose Mary Ala was born in Detroit on April 6, 1938, to Luciano and Mary (Nardi) Ala. In 1955, she entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, and received the religious name, Sr. Louise.

After earning her degree from Marygrove College, Sr. Ala taught in the Detroit area at Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Charles, St. George, Holy Trinity; and at St. Hugo, Bloomfield Hills; St. Regis, Birmingham; St. Angela, Roseville; and St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Taylor; as well as several years at St. Mary, Akron, Ohio, and Nativity in Hollywood, Fla. In the mid-1980s she served in adult education with the Detroit Public Schools.

Beginning in 1990, Sister Rose Mary moved into ministries of pastoral care, spiritual direction and retreat programming. This work took her to St. Athanasius, Roseville, and Our Lady of the Woods, Woodhaven.

In 2000, Sr. Ala and Sr. Evelyn Booms, IHM, established the Heart of Jesus Prayer Center in St. Clair Shores. Over the next 15 years, the center offered individual spiritual direction, book study and a variety of retreat programs for religious and lay communities.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe on April 23. Burial was to follow in St. Mary Cemetery on the Motherhouse Campus.