A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. in McAuley Hall Health Care Center, Watchung, for Mercy Sister Mary Peter Coakley who died  Jan. 15. She was 97.

Born in South Amboy, Sister Mary Peter entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1932; received the habit April 22, 1933; made her first vows Aug. 17, 1935, and made her perpetual vows Aug. 3, 1938.

In 1946, Sister Mary Peter began studies in Georgian Court College (now Georgian Court University) where she received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She continued her studies with a teaching assistantship in the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., where she was awarded a master’s degree in chemistry in 1953 and a doctorate in inorganic and physical chemistry with a fellowship from the Atomic Energy Commission in 1955. She was the only woman permitted to study on the campus at the time.

Sister Mary Peter spent the majority of her career teaching, lecturing and doing research work at Georgian Court University where she was an instructor from 1946-1952, and then went on to become chairperson of the chemistry department from where she served from 1955-1995.

From 1995-1997, she was a professor of chemistry at Georgian Court, and then from 1997-2004 was a professor emeriti and worked as a development liaison.

She chaired the National Science Foundation task forces and served on the board of trustees of the Ocean County Chapter of the American Chemical Society. She received grants for more than $400,000 and was able to equip the chemistry labs for a new science wing in Georgian Court.

Sister Mary Peter is survived by many nieces, nephews, great and great-grand nieces and nephews.

Burial will be in Holy Redeemer Cemetery, South Plainfield.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community, 1645 Highway 22, Watchung, N.J. 07069.