Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Friday, May 16, 2008 May 16 Deaths Fr. Nathan Willis, 75 A Mass of Christian Burial was offered May 6 in Sheffield St. Andrew Parish for Father Nathan Willis, pastor emeritus, who died April 29. Father Willis was born Jan. 22, 1933, in Selma, Ala., and was reared in Cleveland. He attended St. Edward Elementary and Holy Name High School there. After graduation, he studied at St. Mary College and St. Michael Seminary in Conesus, N.Y., where he completed his novitiate with the Society of the Divine Word. He continued theological studies at St. Mary Seminary, Techny, Ill., and St. Augustine Seminary, Bay St. Louis, Miss., prior to his ordination as a Divine Word Missionary on Jan. 9, 1966, by Bishop Harold Perry. Father Willis served as a missionary priest in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas before coming to the Diocese of Youngstown in 1974 as associate pastor of St. Paul Parish, Canton (1974-76). He served as associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Youngstown (1976-82) and St. Edward Parish, Youngstown (1982-87), where he also served as chaplain to Forum Health. In 1987 he was named pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Sheffield. He was also named pastor of St. Mary Parish, Conneaut, in 1996. He retired on July 1, 2002. In addition to his years in pastoral ministry, Father Willis served on the Ohio Bishops Human Relations Task Force, the Youngstown Fair Employment Practices Commission, the Diocesan Minorities Commission and the Diocesan Priests Council. Father Willis founded “Keep In Touch,” and organization for African American Catholics, was chaplain to the Knights of St. Peter Claver and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is survived by two brothers, Morris and Ronald Willis; and two sisters, Eleanor Searcy and Gracie Moore. A brother, Ernest, preceded him in death.   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 2008   Please visit the Catholic Exponent new Web site: www.cathexpo.org   September 26 Deaths   August 8 Deaths   July 25 Deaths   July 11 Deaths   June 27 Deaths   June 13 Deaths   May 30 Deaths   May 16 Deaths   May 2 Deaths   April 21 Deaths   April 4 Deaths   March 21 Deaths   February 8 Deaths   January 25 Deaths   January 11 Deaths   Past Articles From 2007