Bocklage, Richard F.

Fr. Richard F. Bocklage SJ, died on Monday, January 25, 2010, at Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 87 years old and a Jesuit for 67 years. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 19, 1922, Fr. Bocklage was exposed to the Society of Jesus when he attended St. Louis U. High School and a year at Saint Louis University.

He entered the novitiate at St. Stanislaus Seminary in Florissant, Missouri, on August 8, 1942. He did his philosophy studies at West Baden, Indiana, and, following his regency teaching English at Creighton Prep, he pursued his theology studies at St. Mary’s College in Kansas where he was ordained on June 16, 1955.

After completing tertianship in 1957, he was assigned to Regis College where year in and year out he taught English Literature and Literary Criticism until 1991. He served briefly as head of the English department in the early 1970s.

When he retired from teaching, he moved to the Xavier Jesuit Community on the edge of the Regis campus where he was available to do pastoral ministry as the need arose. Failing health necessitated his move to the Fusz Pavilion in August 2009 where he spent the remainder of his days praying for the Church and the Society. May he rest in peace.