Sister Mary Alice Sobieraj, founding director of McGuire Memorial Home in New Brighton, a widely acclaimed institution for retarded youth, died Tuesday of cancer at Ohio Valley General Hospital. She was 81 and had been a member of the Order of Felician Sisters for 65 years.

When the home opened in 1963, officials of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh claimed it would be one of the finest homes for retarded children in the country.

Sister Mary was the administrator for 27 years, retiring in 1990 to take on less demanding duties in nursing services at St. Joseph Hall Infirmary in Coraopolis.

For her service as administrator, she received numerous awards, including the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal, a papal citation presented to those who achieve distinction in work for the church, in 1971.

She explained her philosophy for working with retarded children during a 1964 interview with The Pittsburgh Press: "They are God's special children, and they do better in the company of youngsters who have their abilities than in competition with those more able than they."

After graduating from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, she did further nursing studies at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She held numerous administrative positions with the Felician Sisters across the country before being named administrator at McGuire.

She is survived by three sisters, Cornelia Sachon, Modesta Kunicky and Victoria Sobieraj, all of Pittsburgh.

Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today and noon to 8 p.m. tomorrow in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Convent, 1500 Woodcrest Ave., Coraopolis, where a Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Felician Cemetery, Moon.

Arrangements by Sanvito Funeral Home, Coraopolis.