Robert E. Schutzius, born Dec. 6, 1931, died suddenly at home Nov. 6, 2023, just one month shy of his 92 birthday. He is survived by his wife Mary Jane (nee Krekeler) and his two daughters and sons-in-law, Mary Jane and Jeffrey Horvath and Ann Marie Schutzius and Dean Hess, and his grandchildren, Gabriella and Julianna Horvath and Louis, Audrey, and Natalie Hess.
Bob was ordained a Catholic priest at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in 1958 and served at Holy Family and St. Gabriel parishes in South St. Louis before volunteering for the Bolivian Missions in LaPaz, Bolivia, where he served in Cristo Rey parish from 1963 to 1969. He and Mary Jane were married in Edwardsville in 1969 and in the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in 1970. Bob earned a Master's degree in Counselor Education while working as a graduate assistant in the Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville School of Business, and then joined the S.O.B. (School of Business) academic advisement staff in 1971, where he spent 27 years until his retirement in 1998. In 1976 he earned his Ph.D in Higher Education at St. Louis University.
Bob was a long-time Board member of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church, the Federation of Christian Ministries, and a founding member of the Reaching Out Group in St. Louis. He was an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Florissant and continued when it was joined with other Florissant Catholic parishes in becoming St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Bob also served as assistant priest at St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church in St. Louis. Since his return from Bolivia, he has been able to share his love of all things Bolivian through his involvement in the Bolivian Society of St. Louis.
In his words: "Living with confidence in God's goodness, he died the same way and invites all who knew him to come and celebrate his life and commend him to the mercy of our loving God."
Services: Funeral Sat. Nov. 11, 9:30 AM from Hutchens Mortuary & Cremation Center 675 Graham Rd.
to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne 1210 Paddock Dr. 63033 for a 10:00 AM Mass. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Visitation Friday 4:00 to 8:00 PM.