BUFFALO, NY - In each of our lives, there are special people who never leave us – even after they are gone. Rev. Robert A. Haus, S.J., is one such person. Canisius’ beloved Jesuit and emeritus professor of mathematics passed away on July 12 at the age of 90.
“For 54 years, Father Haus was a wise and enduring presence on the Canisius campus,” said Canisius President John J. Hurley. “His humble and holy example captured the Jesuit essence of this place and he was an inspiration to his students and colleagues. I will miss him greatly.”
An undergraduate and graduate philosophy major at Boston College, Father Haus was pursuing a second master’s degree in mathematics at Notre Dame when, in 1959, the Provincial for the Society of Jesus assigned him to Canisius University. Father Haus spent more than four decades in the classroom before retiring in 2004.
“He never gave you the answer,” recalls Mark G. Evans ’83, director of global leadership and organizational development for Colgate-Palmolive. “Instead he coached you through the process to develop the muscle of thinking.”
“Father Haus always taught students to be inquisitive, to ask questions and to work through problems,” adds Dennis F. Strigl ’74, former chair of the Canisius Board of Trustees. “Calculus was a very tough subject but I actually enjoyed his class tremendously because he made it so easy to understand.”
During Father Haus’ tenure, he served as dean of the college’s evening division, and faculty advisor to student government, the student affairs council, the Azuwur yearbook committee and the DiGamma Honor Society. Father Haus was also a Jesuit counselor in Bosch Hall, his home since 1968. In this role, he became a trusted friend and father figure to countless Canisius students.
“He never judged,” says Evans. “He just listened and asked questions, and my conversations with him always left me inspired, motivated and reflective.”
“Father Haus was a quiet and calming presence in the dormitory,” recalls Anthony B. Maglione ’67, a partner at Winter Wyman & Company. “He was a true gentle-man in the way he carried himself and the way he lived his faith.”
Father Haus was called to the priesthood during high school in Bronx, NY. Impressed by the holiness and towering intellect of his Jesuit educators, he entered the Society of Jesus after graduation in 1942, and lived every day for the greater glory of God.
“He inspired me as a Catholic,” says Kevin Fields ’08, aseminarian at the Archdiocese of Washington. “The love I saw between Father Haus and the Eucharist will always serve as a humbling reminder to me as I pursue my calling.”
Father Haus is survived by a nephew, Douglas A. Bangert Jr. and niece, Betty Spradlin.
Notes of condolences may be sent to Father Haus’ nephew: Douglas A. Bangert / 1145 Beach View Drive / St. Simon’s Island, GA / 31522.
