Nurnberger, Lothar L.

Jesuit Father Lothar L. Nurnberger died on Nov. 1, 2012, at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, Mich. At the time of his death, he was 102 years of age, the oldest living Jesuit in the United States.

Fr. Nurnberger was born on March 10, 1910, in Chicago. He entered the Society of Jesus on Sept. 17, 1932, at Milford, Ohio. He was ordained a priest on June 14, 1944, at West Baden College, West Baden Springs, Ind. He took final vows on Aug. 15, 1954.

Fr. Nurnberger graduated from Loyola Academy in Chicago in 1927. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Loyola University Chicago in 1931, was a salesman at Mars Candy Company for a year and entered the Society of Jesus in 1932. Fr. Nurnberger earned masters’ degrees in classics (Xavier University, 1935) and philosophy (University of Toronto, 1959).

During regency he taught math and Greek at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland (1937-1940) and St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati (1940-1941). Fr. Nurnberger was a professor of philosophy at West Baden College (1949-1950), a teacher of math at the University of Detroit High School (1951-1952), a lecturer of philosophy and religion at the University of Detroit (1952-1955) and a professor of philosophy at Loyola University Chicago (1955-1974). He engaged in private study and research from 1974-2007 at the University of Illinois Champaign, and moved to Colombiere Center in 2007.