Daniel Prez

The Reverend Daniel J. Prez, 72, died on Tuesday, July 6 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Erie.
Father Prez was born on April 23, 1949 in Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of John L. and Charlotte (Komar) Prez. He attended St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir schools in Erie before entering St. Mark Seminary High School. He continued in St. Mark College Seminary for two years of formation for the priesthood and study at Gannon University before moving on to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio from which he received his BA in English in 1970. He attended St. John Vianney Major Seminary in East Aurora, New York, to complete his seminary formation and was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1974 in St. Mark Seminary Chapel, Erie, by Bishop Alfred Watson.
Father Prez began his priestly ministry as a member of the faculty of DuBois Central Catholic High School. He remained in that position until 1979 when he was appointed Director of Campus Ministry at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
In 1981, he began two years of service as Parochial Vicar of St. Tobias Parish in Brockway, and in 1983 was appointed Parochial Vicar of Our Lady Queen of the Americas Parish in Conneaut Lake.
In 1984, Father Prez became a chaplain in the United States Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel, a position he held for nine years. Upon his return to the diocese in 1993, after serving in Operation Desert Storm, he was made Pastor of St. Teresa Parish in Union City. In the succeeding years he served as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Erie, St. Anthony Parish, Sheffield, and, most recently, St. Hippolyte Parish, Guys Mills.
In addition to being pastor, Father Prez was Administrator of several parishes over the years, including Immaculate Conception Parish in Osceola Mills, St. Joseph Parish in Mount Jewett, St. Elizabeth Parish in Smethport and St. Hippolyte and Our Lady of Lourdes Parishes in Guys Mills.
He also served as chaplain to a number of institutions in the diocese, among them Warren State Hospital, Erie County Prison, State Correctional Institution at Cambridge Springs, Veterans Administration Medical Center in Erie and Pleasant Ridge Manor in Girard.
Fr. Prez was a thoughtful and generous man who traveled many miles and many hours to be home with his family for holidays and celebrations. His humor and quick wit had no rivals, never failing to elicit either a belly laugh or a deep groan. His parishioners were very important to him. He worked until his illness had weakened his body too much to continue to serve them, but his spirit never weakened.
The family would like to thank the staff on 5 West at the Erie Veterans Administration Medical Center where Fr. Prez resided for nearly 4 months. The compassion and care Fr. Prez received was much appreciated.
Father Prez was preceded in death by his father, John L. Prez, and his sister, Dr. Debra Monde. He is survived by his mother, Charlotte (Komar) Prez, brothers James and Thomas Prez, Joseph Monde (Sharon), sister Christine Prez Farnum (John) and nephews Benjamin Prez, Neil (Megan Gordon) and Aidan Farnum and Nathan, Alexander, Timothy and Christopher (Eddie) Schwappach and a sister in law Susan Prez.
Visitation will take place on Tuesday, July 13 from 4:00-8:00pm at the Kloecker-Razanauskas Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. 701 East Avenue, Erie, PA 16503 and on Wednesday, July 14 from 9:00 – 11:00am at St. Hippolyte Church, 25997 State Highway 27, Guys Mills, PA 16327, immediately followed by the Funeral Mass at 11:00am with Bishop Lawrence Persico presiding. Military Honors will be conducted by the Cochranton American Legion and burial will be private in Calvary Cemetery, Erie.
The DICKSON FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, INC. in Cochranton is in care of arrangments.