Sister Mary Caroline Weigel, of the Religious Sisters of Mercy who was a former president of the then-St. Rita's Hospital in Lima, Ohio, died of heart failure Friday in the St. Bernardine Home here. She was 90.

During her tenure as president, the hospital, now known as St. Rita's Medical Center, had new wings added in 1967 and 1978. Sister Mary also was instrumental in setting up the St. Rita's Development Program in 1977, which has since raised more than $12 million for the hospital.

Sister Mary was born Hilda Weigel on Sept. 15, 1912, to Jacob and Philomena Weigel in Fort Recovery, Ohio.

She met members of the Sisters of Mercy while studying at the former St. Rita's Hospital School of Nursing in Lima. She joined the order in 1931 and professed her vows in 1933.

After that she taught at the former St. Vincent de Paul School. In 1936, she took her first assignment at Mercy Hospital in Tiffin.

In the 1930s and early 1940s, Sister Mary studied nursing and nursing administration at the former De Sales College in Toledo and the Catholic University of America in Washington, according to Sister Rose Olivieri, director of the St. Bernardine Home for retired Sisters of Mercy.

Sister Mary received a master's degree in nursing administration from the Catholic University of America and became a charter member of the Sigma Theta Tau Kappa Honorary Society, a national nursing honorary society.

From 1942 to 1963, she served as the director of nursing services and the school of nursing at the former Mercy Hospital in Toledo before becoming assistant administrator. In 1963, she became director of the former St. Rita's Hospital School of Nursing in Lima and, in 1965, she became the hospital's president.

"She had an important job and she did it well," her sister, Naomi Berkmeyer, said.

Sister Mary was known for her love of people and her ability to take risks to do innovative things for the medical center, such as starting the development program.

Sister Rita Mary Wasserman, who led the medical center after Sister Mary retired in 1984, described her as gentle with futuristic thinking.

After retiring, Sister Mary continued to volunteer at the medical center and serve on its board of trustees as well as boards for several other hospitals and organizations in the Toledo area, Sister Rita said. In 1996, she retired to the St. Bernardine Home.

In her free time, Sister Mary enjoyed reading, sewing, current events, and spending time praying. She also liked to watch sports, especially the University of Notre Dame teams and the Detroit Tigers.

"She was a very kind, compassionate, and loving person, and that was for everybody," Sister Rose said.

Surviving is her sister, Naomi Berkmeyer.

The body will be at the St. Bernardine Home, Fremont, after 2 p.m. tomorrow and all day Tuesday until funeral services at 4:30 p.m. in the St. Bernardine Chapel.

The family requests tributes to the Religious Sisters of Mercy or to a charity of the donor's choice.