Bancroft earned a bachelor’s in classical Greek from Swarthmore in 1970. At Princeton, she received a doctorate in classical archaeology in 1979. Because there were few jobs in the United States in archaeology, Bancroft attended a special program at NYU’s Graduate School of Business Administration for people with Ph.D.s in the humanities who were seeking a career change to business. Then, for more than 20 years she worked in corporate marketing, consulting, and financial services.
Her interest in spirituality and community service plus her desire to train her German shepherd led her to New Skete through their dog-training books. After a retreat at the monastery, she joined the nuns.
As Sister Katrina, she entered fully into the activities of the nuns, which included working with the New Testament in the original Greek. She also helped improve their cheesecake business. Her grace in dealing with her final illness reflected her full embrace of monastic life.
She is survived by her twin brothers, Peter and Stephen; nine nieces and nephews; and 18 great-nieces and great-nephews.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.