Sister Jean, Loyola Chicago's beloved basketball chaplain and NCAA sensation, dies at 106

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Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, has died at 106.

Sister Jean retired from her role two weeks ago due to health concerns, shortly after her birthday.

"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," Loyola President Mark C. Reed said in a statement.

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Loyola Ramblers team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt celebrates at the Gentile Arena after Loyola Chicago moved into the Final Four.  (Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports)

"While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy," Reed said. "Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us."

Sister Jean — born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, then taking the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937 — became one of the most talked-about personalities during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, as the Ramblers Cinderella run included a trip all the way to the Final Four.

Sister Jean’s news conference at that NCAA Tournament, she was told, drew more journalists than Tom Brady at the Super Bowl. Her likeness appeared on everything from socks to a Lego statue at her gallery in Loyola’s art museum.

Loyola Ramblers fan Sister Jean looks on as the Ramblers receive the Missouri Valley Trophy after defeating the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise