Fr. Gary Klauer, OFM Conv.

Funeral Mass was held April 29 at St. Catherine Laboure Church in Torrance for Conventual Franciscan Father Gary Klauer, 68, who died April 22 in his home city of San Pablo after flying back to California from a visit to Vietnam, where he suddenly fell ill due to complications from a liver condition.

A native of Los Angeles, Father Klauer attended St. Catherine Laboure School and Bishop Montgomery High School. He joined the Conventual Franciscan friars who had taught at Bishop Montgomery, professing his first vows in 1966. After attending Loyola University in Chicago, he completed theological studies in Toronto, and was ordained to the priesthood on April 5, 1975. He observed his 39th anniversary of ordination while hospitalized in Vietnam with the local Vietnamese Franciscan community at his bedside.

Father Klauer taught at Bishop Montgomery from 1975 to 1988, celebrating numerous weddings, baptisms and funerals for school alumni through the years and enthusiastically attending campus athletic events. He then ministered as a chaplain at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance (1988-97), where he was a comforting spiritual presence to numerous patients and their family members.

During these two assignments, he also served as the local superior of St. Bonaventure Friary in Torrance, and as pastor and superior of the community at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Hermosa Beach (1997-2007). He was pastor and guardian of St. Paul the Apostle Church in San Pablo from 2007 until his death. Since 2005, he had also served as the vicar provincial of St. Joseph of Cupertino Province.

Father Klauer was a founding member of the California Province of the Franciscans when it was formed in 1981. In 2001, he was among the first to be inducted into the Bishop Montgomery Hall of Fame for his many years of teaching, support of the school and his positive impact on the South Bay community.

He is survived by his siblings: Sally Wright, Diane Kurz (Jerry), Patricia Klauer, Joe Klauer (Arlette) and Barbara Redmond (Richard). Burial was in the Province’s cemetery in Arroyo Grande. Memorial donations may be made to the Conventual Franciscans’ Mission in Vietnam: www.franciscanfriars.org.