Loyola Chaplain Sister Jean Has Died at 106 After Decades of Basketball Fandom

The campus of Loyola University Chicago is mourning a major loss following the news that Sister Jean, the chaplain of the men's basketball team and one of its longest-serving supporters, has died at the age of 106.

Sister Jean, who rose to prominence partly because of the team's miracle run to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA tournament, has continued to be a presence at games in the years since.

Following the news of her death, many people wanted to learn more about exactly what happened to her. Here's what we know about her cause of death.

Loyola president Mark C. Reed was the first to announce Sister Jean's death, and in his announcement, he did not mention a cause of death.

"In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff," he said. "While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy."

"Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community, and her spirit abides in thousands of lives," he continued. "In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us."

Sister Jean was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, but took the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1994.

She joined Loyola in 1991, and the men's basketball team three years later, first as an academic advisor and then as the team's chaplain.

Sister Jean first became really famous in 2018, mainly because the team she was the chaplain for made a run to the Final Four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament as a No. 11 seed.

Sister Jean, who was nearly 100 at the time, became an icon, and merch focused on her began to sell out across the country.

She also became the subject of plenty of speculation, with some ascribing the team's success to her presence.

In the years that followed, her fame continued to grow, in part thanks to her advancing age.

When she turned 100, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed Aug. 21, 2019, "Sister Jean Day" across the state.

When she turned 105, she received a proclamation from President Joe Biden. "You have shown us all that yours is a life well lived," he said in the message in part.

According to The Chicago Tribune, Sister Jean did play high school basketball at St. Paul's High School in her hometown of San Francisco, Calif.

Of course, Sister Jean was in high school more than 80 years ago, and the game has evolved drastically in the years since.

There was no three-point line, and professional basketball was still in its earliest stages. By the end of her life, she was known more as a lover of the game than as someone who played it.