Gannon, Daniel J. (Father)

Jesuit Father Daniel J. Gannon died on Feb. 28, 2017, at St. Camillus in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He was 85 years old, a Jesuit for 58 years, and a priest for 48 years.

Born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, on April 16, 1931, Fr. Gannon attended grade school and high school in his hometown. He graduated from Marquette University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1955.

On Sept. 3, 1958, he entered the Society of Jesus and did his novitiate at the Jesuit Novitiate in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and at St. Stanislaus Seminary in Florissant, Missouri. Fr. Gannon had the usual Jesuit course of studies at St. Stanislaus, Saint Louis University, and St. Mary’s College. He was ordained on June 4, 1968, made tertianship in 1972–73, and pronounced his final vows on November 1, 1973.

Fr. Gannon’s years as a Jesuit were full of good ministry in a number of places. He taught math at Marquette University High School for 10 years before moving on to pastoral work in Mankato, Minnesota. After some Spanish language studies, Fr. Gannon ministered at St. Patrick’s Parish in Milwaukee for seven years and among Native Americans of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming for 18 years. He spent two years at Holy Rosary Mission in South Dakota, before he joined the St. Camillus Jesuit Community in 2012.