Hoar, Richard J. (Father)

Jesuit Father Richard J. Hoar, SJ, died early in the morning of Feb. 22, 2019. Jesuit Father Richard J. Hoar, SJ son of Richard and Mary (McMahon) Hoar, was born in South Buffalo, N.Y., on April 11, 1926. He attended Canisius High School (1939-1943), and after graduation he followed his uncle, Fr. William Hoar, SJ, and entered the Jesuits on Aug. 14, 1943, at St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. After novitiate and juniorate there, he moved to Woodstock College in Woodstock, Md., to study philosophy (1947-1950).

For his regency Fr. Hoar taught physics at Xavier High School in Manhattan until 1953, when he returned to Woodstock to study theology. He was ordained on June 16, 1956, in the Fordham University Church by Francis Cardinal Spellman. Then in 1957, having completed his theological studies, he spent his tertianship year in Auriesville, N.Y.

In 1958, after finishing tertianship Fr. Hoar went to the island of Koror in the Republic of Palau, where he served the Church and the Society for the next 24 years. It was in the parish church in Koror that he pronounced his final vows on Aug. 15, 1959.

On Koror he first took a year to study the native language (1958-1959), and then he served there as a pastoral minister (1959-1965). In April of 1965, Fr. Hoar was named superior of the mission in Palau, a post he held until 1971. After that he remained in Koror where he served as pastor of the church until 1982.

It was then that he returned to the United States to begin his work as minister to the Canisius College community and as a campus minister to the college. He remained at Canisius performing these duties until 1998.

Fr. Hoar then moved to St. Michael’s parish in Buffalo, where he was minister to the community and an associate pastor of the parish. He continued these ministries until 2015, when poor eyesight and breathing problems made it necessary for him to come to Murray-Weigel Hall.

He was always a happy member of the various communities in which he served, both here in the States and in Micronesia. Whenever asked how he was feeling, he always responded with: “Just a tad short of splendid.”

While at Murray-Weigel Hall Fr. Hoar never missed Mass or the Wednesday Holy Hour. Though he ate very little near the end, he always came to lunch and dinner to be with his Jesuit brothers.

He died early in the morning of Feb. 22, 2019. We pray that Fr. Hoar is now resting with his many friends in heaven.