Obituario

Chicago - (Nov. 7, 2022) – Rev. Raymond F. Klees, former associate pastor of St. Mary of the Woods Parish on N. Moselle Avenue in Chicago, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. He was 75 years old.

Klees was born on Feb. 21, 1947, in Chicago. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, Niles College in Niles and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 9, 1973, by Cardinal John Cody, and celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 20 of the same year at St. John Fisher Parish in Chicago.

Klees served the people of the archdiocese as assistant pastor at St. Juliana Parish on Touhy Avenue in Chicago. Later he served as associate pastor at the following parishes: St. Gabriel Parish on Wallace Street, Our Lady of Victory Parish on Agatite Avenue and St. Mary of the Woods Parish, all in Chicago. Klees was also pastor at St. Cletus Parish in La Grange.

“Knowing Ray Klees for the past 60 years since our first day in seminary, I can attest to his great love of people and priesthood,” said Msgr. Kenneth Velo, archdiocesan priest and senior executive of Catholic Collaboration for DePaul University. “He has been in varied ministries, and always brought great devotion and enthusiasm to his work. He will be missed.”

All funeral services will be held at St. Cletus Church, 600 W. 55th Street in LaGrange. Visitation hours will be held from 3 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and from 9 – 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. The funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, and Msgr. Velo will be the main celebrant and homilist. Interment will take place at St. Mary Cemetery in Evergreen Park.

The funeral Mass will be livestreamed at https://youtube.com/stcletusparish.