Father Gerald Sabo, S.J., beloved member of the Jesuit community and Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature, passed away suddenly on October 24, 2020. He was 75.
Father Sabo spent forty years teaching Slovak, Russian, and Eastern European Literature at JCU. A native of Connecticut, he joined the New England Province of the Society of Jesus in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1980. He celebrated his 50th anniversary as a Jesuit last year.
He was an alumnus of Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University, both Jesuit institutions in Connecticut. He studied Theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, now part of Boston College. He also earned a doctorate in Eastern European Languages at Yale, but modestly played down his Yale connection preferring to be called “Father” over “Doctor.”
Father Sabo transferred to the Midwest Province and joined our faculty in 1981. He was the last Jesuit at Schell House to have moved from Rodman Hall in 1997 and served as rector of Jesuit Community from 2007-2013. At the time of his death, he was working on a magisterial history of Slovak Literature.
In an interview, Fr. Sabo explained the reason for his move to JCU, "I was very interested in teaching at John Carroll because it was a Jesuit school and was located in an area where there was a significant Slovak population, my ethnic background and part of my graduate Slavic languages and literatures specialization. I got my wish and came to John Carroll in August, 1981, and as they say, 'the rest is history.’”
He loved John Carroll and was a fiercely loyal friend and devoted teacher. He knew generations of alumni and was always glad to hear from former students and parents.
Friends may attend the viewing at Gesu Church on Thursday, October 29th, at 9:30 a.m., followed by the funeral at 10:30 a.m. with burial at All Saints Cemetery in Northfield immediately thereafter.
For those attending Gesu, social distancing and masks are required. For those who wish to participate remotely, the funeral will be live-streamed at https://www.schultemahonmurphy.com/live-stream/rev-gerald-j-sabo-sj
To read more about Fr. Sabo and his reflections, please visit: https://jcu.edu/profiles/gerald-sabo