Father Joseph Stanton, 79, a Cistercian priest of the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, N.Y., died on Aug. 8, 2002, at the Sisters of St. Joseph Infirmary in Rochester.
Father Stanton, born Fred B. Stanton, received his degree in engineering from Johns Hopkins University and served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. He and his wife, Helen, had three children. Seeking a new direction to his life following their divorce, he entered the monastery in 1973. He was ordained by Bishop Matthew H. Clark on March 2, 1984, in a ceremony attended by his children and grandchildren.
Father Stanton served in Nigeria following his ordination, returning to the abbey in 1994 after contracting malaria. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1997.
He is survived by his daughters, Susannah (Adam) Szczepanski of Raleigh, N.C., and Helen (James) Chapple of Palmyra, Va.; a son, Robert (Lillyan) Stanton of Valrico, Fla.; sisters, Emily Pierce of Maryland and Mary Thoms of North Carolina; five grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in the abbey church on Aug. 8, followed by burial in the abbey cemetery.
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