Marie Veronica Haley, 92, of Sioux City passed away on Monday, July 27, 2026.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2026, at Holy Cross Parish – St. Michael Catholic Church in Sioux City, with Father Randy Schon serving as celebrant. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, and a Rosary will be prayed at 9:00 a.m. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to St. Michael’s Catholic Church or Bishop Heelan High School. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Marie was born in Sioux City on September 20, 1933, to Edward Sr. and Wilma (Hart) Haley. She attended Catholic schools in Sioux City and graduated from Bishop Heelan High School in 1951. She then attended Briar Cliff College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. While attending college, she was employed by Bishop Heelan High School.

Marie later earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa and completed additional graduate studies at the University of Nebraska, the University of Minnesota, and the University of South Dakota.

She began her teaching career in Kingsley, Harlan, and Cherokee before joining the Sioux City Community School District in 1960 as the Library Media Specialist at East High School and later the District Director of Library Services, where she served until her retirement in 1990. She then joined the faculty at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, retiring in 2002 after 12 years of dedicated service.

Marie was a devout Catholic whose faith was the foundation of her life. She also enjoyed cooking, having published several cookbooks, and traveled extensively, visiting Spain, Mexico, England, Ireland, Canada, Alaska, and many other states throughout the country.

In recognition of her professional accomplishments, Marie was named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America in 1965. She held numerous leadership positions within the American Library Association, including Chair of the National Supervisors Section and service on its National Board. She also served on the inaugural Board of the Iowa Educational Media Association and was elected its first president in 1972.

Marie served as president of the National Alumni Board of Briar Cliff College and was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 1967. She was a member of the original committee that drafted the cable franchise for the City of Sioux City and was a founding member of the Sioux City Library Cooperative, where she served until 2002.

In addition, Marie was a past officer and member of the Sioux City School Administrators Association, the NAACP, and the Sioux City Teachers Credit Union. She also served as past president of Mu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary society for women educators.

She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers: Edward Jr., Wayne, and Paul E. “Gene” Haley, and her sister Pauline (Haley) LaCroix.

Survivors include her brother-in-law Emery M. “Mike” LaCroix of Omaha, NE; sister-in-law Marge (Stanek) Haley of North Canton, OH; nieces Diane (Tom) Stock of Columbus, OH, Debbie Russo of North Canton, OH, Terri (Phil) Rossbach of Omaha, NE, Denise Osterhues of Cincinnati, OH, and their families.