In the early hours of February 2, 2024, Fr. David Wichlan, at the age of 92, gently passed to his eternal reward in heaven.
Fr. Dave was preceded in death by his mother, Dovona Irene Wichlan née Myers, and his father Leo Joseph Wichlan, his brother Robert Joseph Wichlan, and sister Joyce Marie (Roy†) Wade née Wichlan.
He is survived by his sister Gail Marie (Jack†) Hites née Wichlan, Felix James (Carol†) Wichlan, Daniel Joseph (Barbara) Wichlan, and Dennis Wayne (Joan) Wichlan. He was a loving uncle to Micki Struckhoff, Nancy Greenlee, Christine Burlingame, Tracy Zander, David Wichlan, Debbie Jelks, Kevin Wichlan, Michael Wichlan, Kenneth Wichlan, Paul Wichlan, Dana Wiest, Matthew Wichlan, Christopher (Kit) Wichlan, Daniel Wichlan and Bill Wichlan. He was also a great uncle to many great nephews and great nieces. Dear friend to many, and trusted colleague.
Fr. Dave was born in St. Louis, MO on April 10th 1931, the oldest of seven siblings. He was baptized at Holy Rosary Parish and attended elementary school at Holy Rosary. He subsequently attended Cathedral Latin School, St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, Los Angeles College and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained a priest on April 6, 1957 by Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter in the St. Louis Cathedral, and celebrated his first Mass on April 7th at Holy Rosary Church.
He served 9 different parishes over his years as a priest and also taught at Bishop DuBourg High School. His last assignment was at St. Rita’s Church in Vinita Park from 1990 until his retirement in 2018. He was a loyal servant to his congregation, ministering faithfully to the poor, the sick, and the home bound, in addition to those attending Mass. He was instrumental in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of St. Rita’s, concelebrating Mass there with Archbishop Robert Carlson.
Fr. Dave loved to travel, often with his best friend, Fr. Jerry Simpson. He loved opera and Broadway plays. He was a movie buff and frequently was the first to see newly released films, providing critiques for his family and friends. Before the Browns left St. Louis, Fr. Dave was a staunch fan; eventually becoming an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. He loved the game of baseball and the highlight for him was when the Browns played the Cardinals in the 1944 World Series. He tried to get a ticket to that game, but couldn’t and had to settle for listening to it on the radio. It was the best game ever! He was known to spend some free time on the golf course, was very competitive at handball, and loved the freedom of bicycling in many different areas of St. Louis city and suburbs.
SERVICES: The visitation will be held at 9:00 am on Friday, February 9th at the St. Vincent de Paul chapel in the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis, MO.
The funeral Mass will follow at 10:00 am in the same chapel.
Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery, 6901 MacKenzie Road, St. Louis, MO.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Regina Cleri Priests Residence, 10 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis, MO. 63119
Remembering Fr. Dave
By Dan Wichlan
I apologize for not being there, but family health concerns prevent me from traveling from San Francisco.
I can’t believe that David is gone. I believed and hoped that he would outlive me. I still want to pick up the phone and talk to him. He had always been there during all of my 80 years. Since our father died, he has been the patriarch of our family. My life can never be the same without him.
He was my confirmation sponsor. He helped me select my confirmation name, Athanasius, the saint whose feast day it was. He walked with me to church and waited outside during my first confession, a very scary experience for me. He was at my first Communion. He married Barbara and me. He baptized our daughter, Dana, and our sons, Paul, Matthew, and Christopher. He married our daughter, Dana, and her husband, John, and, although he didn’t preside, he was at our son, Christopher, and his wife, Hilga’s, wedding.
He taught me how to tie my shoe laces, ride a bicycle, and swing a bat and catch a baseball. Before they left St. Louis, he was a staunch Browns fan. He was at the game when they pinch hit the midget, Eddie Gaedel; he showed me the score card from that game. He later took me to see them play. He pointed out Satchel Paige to me who was sitting on a rocking chair in the bullpen. He explained that it was a joke because of Paige’s advancing age. He even explained the “facts of life” to me.
The one regret that I have regarding him was when I graduated Holy Rosary grade school. He sat down with me and talked about my going into the seminary next fall. (He and two of our brothers did so.) I told him that I was not going because I had become too fond of girls. I’ll never forget the disappointed look on his face. He eventually forgave me as he always did for my many lapses.
His was a life of service to others. At his last parish, St. Rita, an older one which was in decline, he would take communion on a weekly basis to the homes of parishioners who were immobilized. I was there when he gave food from his kitchen panty to hungry people who came to the rectory door or took them across the street to buy them a sandwich at Burger King. He fought to keep the parish going. He even paid some church expenses out of his own pocket. The diocese agreed to keep the church open as long as he was pastor. As the result of his efforts, the church was able to celebrate its 100th anniversary with the Archbishop celebrating Mass. It was the first time in decades that the church was full.
There is no doubt that he is in heaven enjoying the eternal reward that he earned and always believed in. Nonetheless, I pray for the repose of his soul every day. It is my way of remembering him.
The last time I saw him was just before the pandemic when he came to visit us for a week. We saw the sights and had some great meals and conversations. Parking at tourist sites in San Francisco is challenging, but, wherever we went, there was a parking space waiting. The Lord was clearly watching over him. For him the highlight of the visit was not Fisherman’s Wharf, nor the Bay cruise, nor the Golden Gate Bridge, but rather it was Mission Dolores. He was enthralled by its history, the many artifacts on display, and even the gravestone inscriptions. He sensed that he was in a holy place.
Since then I had spoken to him two or three times a week. I spoke to him the day before he died. I asked him if he was going to watch the Super Bowl. He said he was, and I asked him who he was going to root for and he said Kansas City. Since I’m a San Francisco 49ers fan, I told him that we were no longer on speaking terms and he laughed. I had no idea how prophetic my words were.
Reverend David L. Wichlan
Funeral Mass
66+ Years as a priest
(April 6, 1957 – February 2, 2024)
TODAY, WE CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE FATHER DAVE’S 66+ YEARS AS A PRIEST OF JESUS CHRIST, SERVING THE PEOPLE IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. LOUIS.
THE DATE WAS APRIL 6, 1957, 66+ YEARS AGO. OUR DAD WAS
CELEBRATING HIS 49TH BIRTHDAY ON THAT DAY; OUR MOM AND DAD WERE CELEBRATING THEIR 27TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON THAT DAY; AND OUR BROTHER,
DAVID LEE WICHLAN, BECAME FATHER DAVID LEE WICHLAN WHEN HE WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST WITH 15 OTHER YOUNG MEN BY ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH E. RITTER IN THE ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL ON THAT DAY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THREE MAJOR EVENTS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED BY THE WICHLAN FAMILY ON EACH APRIL 6TH.
MANY OF OUR FAMILY, RELATIVES, AND FRIENDS WERE PRESENT AT FATHER DAVE’S ORDINATION ON APRIL 6, 1957, AS WELL AS AT HIS FIRST MASS OF THANKSGIVING ON SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH AT HOLY ROSARY CHURCH.
THOSE TWO DAYS WERE JOYOUS AND MEMORABLE OCCASIONS FOR THOSE OF US STILL LIVING _ AND OBVIOUSLY WERE FOR OUR MOM AND DAD AND MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE SINCE PASSED AWAY. FATHER DAVE HAS NOW JOINED THIS GROUP OF DECEASED RELATIVES, AND THEY PRAY FOR US AS WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ALL OF THEM.
MOST PEOPLE CAN REMEMBER WHEN AN IMPORTANT IDEA OR EVENT ORIGINATED IN THEIR LIFE. I CANNOT RECALL MYSELF WHEN FATHER DAVE DID NOT WANT TO BE A PRIEST. HIS VOCATION STARTED EARLY IN HIS LIFEWHEN HE WAS ATTENDING HOLY ROSARY GRADE SCHOOL AND WAS NURTURED FROM THAT TIME ON BY MANY.
FATHER DAVE HAD 9 PARISH ASSIGNMENTS SINCE HIS ORDINATION. HIS LAST ASSIGNMENT AT ST. RITA PARISH STARTED IN 1990 AND CONTINUED TO HIS RETIREMENT IN 2018. FATHER DAVE WAS MORE THAN A PRIEST, A BROTHER, AND RELATIVE TO US, HIS FAMILY. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM ALMOST AS A PRIVATE FAMILY CHAPLAIN IN TIMES OF JOY, HAPPINESS, SORROW AND SADNESS.
HE CELEBRATED MASS FOR US ON SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT OCCASIONS.
HE GAVE THE EUCHARST TO OUR FIRST COMMUNICANTS, OUR ELDERLY AND OUR SICK AND DYING.
HE WITNESSED OUR MARRIAGES AND THOSE OF OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS.
HE BAPTIZED OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND OTHER FAMIY MEMBERS.
HE CELEBRATED THE SACRAMENTS OF RECONCILIATION AND THE SICK WITH OUR ELDERLY, ILL AND DYING.
FINALLY, HE BURIED OUR DEAD.
BEING A PRIEST CAN BE LONELY AND SEEMINGLY THANKLESS AT TIMES, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, IT WAS MOST REWARDING. I THINK IT CAN BEST BE SUMMARIZED BY THE FOLLOWING WRITING ENTITLED: “THE PRIESTHOOD.”
“TO LIVE IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD WITHOUT DESIRING ITS PLEASURES;
TO BE A MEMBER OF EACH FAMILY YET BELONGING TO NONE;
TO SHARE ALL SUFFERINGS; TO PENETRATE ALL SECRETS; TO HEAL ALL WOUNDS.
TO GO FROM MEN TO GOD AND OFFER HIM THEIR PRAYERS;
TO RETURN FROM GOD TO MEN TO BRING PARDON, PEACE, AND HOPE;
TO HAVE A HEART OF FIRE FOR CHARITY AND A HEART OF BRONZE FOR CHASTITY;
TO TEACH AND TO PARDON, TO CONSOLE AND TO BLESS ALWAYS;
THIS LIFE IS YOURS O PRIEST OF JESUS CHRIST!”
FATHER DAVE, THANK YOU FOR BEING A STERLING EXAMPLE OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST TO PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND LAITY ALIKE.
MAY GOD TAKE YOU WITH HIM FOR ETERNAL HAPPINESS. AMEN.
FEBRUARY 9, 2024
PHIL WICHLAN
He was a friend and confidante to my mom and dad. He was a good man, a great priest and a humble servant. May he rest in God’s loving arms.
Father Dave had an extended family of many cousins, including my late mother, Aurea Puzniak Jennewein, and her children, and grandchildren. He ministered many of us, officiating several of his cousins’ weddings and funerals. He was a rare but welcome guest at family gatherings when he was able to join us. It was fun taking my mother to his 50th jubilee. I will remember his kindness, his laugh and his comforting voice as he said mass or conversed with family and friends.
Father Wichlan was a very friendly,approachable priest. We loved having him as our Legion of Mary Spiritual Director. He Loved the Blessed Mother and wanted everyone to Love Her too.
I was a young when Father Wichlan was at my parish, St. Cecilia’s, and a student at DuBourg High school when he taught there. He would give some of us a ride home. He came back to St. Cecilia’s to marry me. He was as much our friend as our priest. I have wonderful memories of him. May he rest in peace in your heavenly home.
I was 9 years old and so excited to be in Father David Wichlan’s 1st Mass along with my sister, Jeanne and brother, Tom. My twin cousins, Sue and Nancy and John Puzniak were also in his 1st Mass with a beautiful little one named, Mickey and my cousin, Felicia Wichlan. They were all younger than me except for Felicia who was also 9 years old. It was such an exciting experience for us. Father Dave officiated at my wedding 👰 in 1972 at Resurrection Parish and my daughter, Jill and Matt Losse’s wedding. Matt’s dad played handball with Father David. He seemed to be there for all family.