Dominican Father Thomas More McGreevy dies

Intermountain Catholic

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One of the first Dominicans to serve at Saint Catherine of Siena/Catholic Newman Center after it opened in 1981,, Father Thomas More McGreevy, died Feb. 3, 2012 in Beaverton, Ore.

Fr. T. More, as he was called, was born Dec. 4, 1934. He grew up and was educated in Long Beach, Calif. He entered the Order of Preachers in 1958, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1964 at Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral in Oakland, Calif. Although he struggled courageously with diabetes since childhood, he served many years in ministry in the Western Dominican Province, beginning as a faculty member at Saint John Vianney High School in Los Angeles. He continued working with students in his capacity as Director of Campus Ministry at the University of Washington and later in campus ministry in Tucson, Ariz., Salt Lake City and Tempe, Ariz.

In Utah, Fr. McGreevy was co-pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena/Catholic Newman Center in 1982 with Dominican Father Francis B. Wilks. Fr. McGreevy then served as pastor from 1982 to 1988.

He also served as Student Master and then as Prior at St. Albert College, the House of Studies for the Western Dominican Province. Besides campus ministry, his special love was adult education, which was his focus while at St. Thomas More Newman Center in Eugene, Ore. and St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Veneta, Ore. He was also known for his love of books and for building up libraries in various houses of the Western Dominican Province. Fr. T. More’s wit, kindness and generous spirit will be missed by the many students and parishioners he so happily served as well as by his Dominican brothers.

Fr. McGreevy was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel J. and Helen S. McGreevy, and his brother-in-law, Bill Slater. He is survived by his sisters, Pat Slater and Joan (Dick) Shannon, and his brothers, Dan "Bill" (Beryle) McGreevy and Dick (Diane) McGreevy and many loving nieces and nephews.

Funeral Masses were celebrated Feb. 7 at Holy Rosary Church in Portland, Ore. and Feb.10 at St. Albert Priory in Oakland, Calif.