Fr. Gerard “Jerry” Cleator, OP, 87, died on January 8, 2026, after a prolonged illness. Fr. Cleator was a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Albert the Great. He was born on December 4, 1938, in Queens, New York to Irene Bernadette Cassidy and William James Cleator. He attended Corpus Christi Grade School and Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, graduating in 1956. He attended Loras College for two years from 1956-1958 before entering the Dominican Order. He made his first profession of vows on August 31, 1959. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 1965, at St. Rose Priory in Dubuque, Iowa. After completing his theological education, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee from 1966-1968, earning a MA in Communication Theory.
From 1967 to 1969, Fr. Cleator served as an instructor in homiletics at the Aquinas Institute, Dubuque, IA and as associate editor of Cross and Crown. He was a member of the Dominican Evangelical Preaching Team from 1969 to 1973. He served as the sixth Provincial of the Province of St. Albert the Great from 1973 to 1977. Following his term as Provincial, he was the pastor of St. Pius V Parish in Chicago from 1980-1986, before returning to itinerant preaching ministry until 1988.
For the next several years, Fr. Cleator served in the Vicariate of Bolivia and in Mexico City. Fr. Cleator was the Director of the St. Dominic Mission Society from 2011 to 2014. In 2014, due to advancing Parkinson’s disease, he entered limited service and later moved to Resurrection Life Center. Deeply committed to social justice, Fr. Cleator was involved in numerous causes and was a founding member of the board of directors of the Pilsen YMCA.
He was one of six children and was preceded in death by his siblings Joseph, Sr. Mary Bride, OP, Joan O’Rourke, and Marilyn Hayward. He is survived by one sister, Patricia Smyth, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at St. Pius V Church in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 12:00PM preceded by Sung Morning Prayer at 11:00AM. Memorial Donations to the Dominican Friars, Province of St. Albert the Great, 1910 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60608 are greatly appreciated.
