Obituaries
Please submit in writing to our office by 10 a.m. Thursday before the week of publication; be sure to state date of death. Obituaries of archdiocesan priests serving our archdiocese are listed elsewhere in The Criterion. Order priests and religious sisters and brothers are included here, unless they are natives of the archdiocese or have other connections to it; those are separate obituaries on this page.
Submit an obituary here (parishes and funeral homes only)
BANAYOTE, Benny G., Sr., 96, St. Roch, Indianapolis, June 22. Father of Benny Banayote Jr. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of five.
BOYD, Francis M., 70, St. Margaret Mary, Terre Haute, May 20. Mother of Hiawatha Babb. Sister of Joyce Collin, Loretta Gamblin and Omer Jones. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of three.
BRYANT, Emma Lou, 74, St. Augustine, Leopold, June 22. Mother of Rebecca Hubert and Dennis O’Donovan Sr. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of three.
CANAL, Mary Jo, 87, St. Margaret Mary, Terre Haute, May 26. Mother of Janet Kendall, Bruce, Louie and Steve Canal. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 13.
FORD, Kenneth Dale, 84, St. Gabriel, Connersville, June 22. Husband of Betty (Ayers) Ford. Father of Beth Chase, Ellen McCune and Charles Ford. Grandfather of six.
HACK, Betty L., 84, St. Gabriel, Connersville, June 21. Mother of Roberta Dix. Grandmother of three.
HOLZER, James Cletus, 88, St. John the Baptist, Osgood, June 6. Husband of Rosella (Meister) Holzer. Father of Patricia Durlacher, Aletha Heaton, Joan Sarringhaus, Marie Strobel, James Jr., John and Mark Holzer. Brother of Rita Cline. Grandfather of 27. Great-grandfather of 53. (correction)
KNUEVEN, Clifford P., 86, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 23. Husband of Luella Knueven. Father of Mary Richards and Bob Knueven. Brother of Charlene Rauch, Msgr. Harold Knueven, Howard, Joe and Willard Knueven. Grandfather of four.
KRAPP, John C., 64, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, June 18. Brother of Elizabeth Higgins, Mary Johnson, Jeanie Payne, Catherine Weidenbener, Evelyn, James, Joseph and Stephen Krapp.
KRIECH, Ray C., 80, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, June 19. Husband of Elma Kriech. Father of Anthony, Daniel, Joseph, Michael and Thomas Kriech. Brother of Mary Lou Cave. Grandfather of 15. Great-grandfather of nine.
LANCASTER, Michael M., 64, Holy Family, New Albany, June 20. Father of Michael and Troy Lancaster. Brother of Eva Sue Kapfhammer, Patrick and Terence Lancaster. Grandfather of five. Step-grandfather of one.
LANG, Mildred E. (Hoff), 88, St. Michael, Brookville, June 16. Mother of Patty Bischoff, Carolyn Bulach, Mary Jo Fohl, Jim and Richard Lang. Sister of Rosemary Audritsh, David and Thomas Hoff. Grandmother of 17. Great-grandmother of 33.
Shingo Takura was an employee of Catholic Charities Indianapolis in the Refugee Resettlement Program
Shingo Takura, a Catholic Charities Indianapolis refugee resettlement specialist, died on June 27 while kayaking on the rain-swollen White River in Hamilton County with friends. He was 30.
Takura drowned after his kayak went over Riverwood Dam northeast of Noblesville, Ind.
A native of Yokohama City in the Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, Takura began working for Catholic Charities as an intern during his senior year at IUPUI.
“He was hired as a resettlement specialist in the refugee program shortly after graduation,” said David Bethuram, agency director of Catholic Charities Indianapolis.
“He had been with us for three years,” Bethuram said. “Shingo was dedicated to his work, and highly respected by his co-workers and the refugee families he served.
“He loved working in the refugee program, and always had words of encouragement for newcomers arriving in our city,” Bethuram said. “He was a hard worker and loved life—giving everyone he encountered a smile. We will miss him very much.”
Joyce Overton, program director of the Refugee Resettlement Program, said he loved living in the U.S., especially in Indianapolis, and was a devoted supporter of the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis
Mini-Marathon.
“Shingo thrived on new experiences,” Overton said. “His laughter and enthusiasm for life will be missed.”
Catholic Charities staff member Hellen Sanders said “Shingo will be remembered for his fun-loving personality and generous, giving spirit.”
As a friend and co-worker, Sanders said, he was deeply caring, hardworking and dependable.
Catholic Charities staff member Kelly Ellington said “Shingo was dedicated to the Refugee Resettlement Program and the families he served.
“He consistently went the ‘extra mile’ in serving refugee clients,” she said, “and in helping his fellow staff members.”
Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, said archdiocesan employees are “shocked and saddened at the loss of Shingo.”
He asked that people “keep Shingo, his family and his
co-workers in your prayers.”
Takura’s relatives live in Japan. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Archdiocesan officials are planning a memorial service, but have not set a date. †