Society of the Divine Word Father Raymond Quetchenbach, a native of Rochester, died Nov. 19, 2011, at the age of 82.
At age 20, he professed religious vows. In 1957, he was ordained to the priesthood before embarking on his first assignment in the Philippines, where he worked for 21 years.
From 1957-63, he served as principal of Abra High School in the Philippines. In 1968, he joined the staff of Divine Word University in Tacloban, Philippines, as dean of the graduate school and editor of Leyte Samar Studies, a biannual publication about the nonwritten cultural and theatrical traditions of the Leynete Samarnon ethnic group in the Luzon province.
Following his ministry in the Philippines, Father Quetchenbach returned to the United States and in 1978 became president of Divine Word College in Iowa, a seminary for future overseas missionaries. After four years as college president, he was called to Rome to serve as secretary general at the Society of the Divine Word world headquarters.
During his career, he also was a parish pastor, chaplain of a psychiatric hospital and a retreat center, and director of the Divine Word charitable gift annuity program in Techny, Ill.
Father Quetchenbach is survived by his sister, Evelyn Brophy, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
His funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 26, 2011, in Techny.
Memorial donations may be made in Father Quetchenbach’s name for the care of retired missionaries and sent to The Rector, Divine Word Residence, 1901 Waukegan Road, PO Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000.
