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Kenneth E. Yaroch

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Kenneth E. Yaroch

1939 – 2026 · aged about 87 · Roman Catholic priest, Diocese of Saginaw

“A Saginaw priest who spent a lifetime discovering God's presence in others.”

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Father Kenneth E. Yaroch was a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Saginaw whose nearly six decades of ministry stretched from the Texas Panhandle to parish communities across mid-Michigan. He died on 3 November 2026 in Saginaw, Michigan, at the age of 86. No cause of death was made…

Father Kenneth E. Yaroch was a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Saginaw whose nearly six decades of ministry stretched from the Texas Panhandle to parish communities across mid-Michigan. He died on 3 November 2026 in Saginaw, Michigan, at the age of 86. No cause of death was made public by his family or the diocese.

Yaroch was born in 1939 in Bad Axe, Michigan, to Sylvester A. and Irene M. Yaroch. He traced his vocation to Sacred Heart Grade School in Bad Axe, where he said his parents and the Dominican Sisters of Adrian instilled a lasting desire for God and for the priesthood. He continued studies at St. Mary's in Orchard Lake, Michigan, and Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland, earning a bachelor's degree and studying philosophy, then completed theological studies at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. He was ordained on 19 May 1967 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco in Amarillo, Texas, and in May 1969 received a master's degree in education from the University of Detroit.

Early assignments took him to St. Mary in Clarendon, Sacred Heart in Memphis, and St. Joseph in Amarillo, Texas. Returning to Michigan, he served as principal of Regina High School in Midland and held pastorates and parish posts at Blessed Sacrament in Midland, St. Stephen in Saginaw, St. Hyacinth in Bay City, Sacred Heart in Mount Pleasant, St. Henry and St. Charles in Rosebush-Leaton, St. Vincent de Paul in Bay City, St. Mary in Albee, Sacred Heart in Caro, St. Roch in Caseville, and St. Felix de Valois in Pinnebog. He entered senior priest status for the Diocese of Saginaw on 1 July 2009 and marked the 50th anniversary of his ordination on 19 May 2017.

The diocese remembered that he considered it a privilege to live and work among God's people and that he spent a lifetime discovering and enjoying the presence of God in others. Reflecting on the mystery of God, he often returned to the word Amen, believing a person's first and final response to the living God should be Amen.

He was preceded in death by his brother Brian Yaroch and his sister Shelly Ann Hammarskjold, and survived by sisters and a brother and their families. In keeping with family wishes he opted for a private funeral and burial in Bad Axe, with arrangements by Ramsey Funeral Home of Harbor Beach. A Memorial Mass was scheduled for 12 November 2026 at 11 a.m. at St. Hubert Parish, Sacred Heart Church in Bad Axe, with Bishop Robert Gruss presiding and Father Andy Booms as homilist. Those wishing to donate in his memory were invited to choose a favorite charity.

Biography adapted from Catholic Diocese of Saginaw memorial notice, Mid-Michigan NOW, Ramsey Funeral Home obituary coverage via diocese.

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86. Nearly 60 years a priest.

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Darius Moore🇺🇸4h ago
Nearly sixty years. That's a life lived right.
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Death

Father Kenneth E. Yaroch died on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in Saginaw, Michigan, at age 86. The Diocese of Saginaw confirmed his death. No cause of death was publicly disclosed. He chose a private burial in Bad Axe through Ramsey Funeral Home. A Memorial Mass was set for Thursday 12 November 2026 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church (St.…

Father Kenneth E. Yaroch died on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in Saginaw, Michigan, at age 86. The Diocese of Saginaw confirmed his death. No cause of death was publicly disclosed. He chose a private burial in Bad Axe through Ramsey Funeral Home. A Memorial Mass was set for Thursday 12 November 2026 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church (St. Hubert Parish) in Bad Axe, with Bishop Robert Gruss as celebrant.

Early life

Kenneth E. Yaroch was born in 1939 in Bad Axe, Michigan, to Sylvester A. and Irene M. Yaroch. At Sacred Heart Grade School he credited his parents and the Dominican Sisters of Adrian with awakening his desire for the priesthood. He studied at St. Mary's in Orchard Lake and Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland, then completed theology at St.…

Kenneth E. Yaroch was born in 1939 in Bad Axe, Michigan, to Sylvester A. and Irene M. Yaroch. At Sacred Heart Grade School he credited his parents and the Dominican Sisters of Adrian with awakening his desire for the priesthood. He studied at St. Mary's in Orchard Lake and Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Maryland, then completed theology at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, before ordination in 1967.

Career

Ordained on 19 May 1967 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco in Amarillo, Texas, Father Yaroch first served in the Texas Panhandle at Clarendon, Memphis and Amarillo. He earned an M.A. in education from the University of Detroit in May 1969. Back in the Diocese of Saginaw he was principal of Regina High School in Midland and served numerous Michigan parishes…

Ordained on 19 May 1967 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco in Amarillo, Texas, Father Yaroch first served in the Texas Panhandle at Clarendon, Memphis and Amarillo. He earned an M.A. in education from the University of Detroit in May 1969. Back in the Diocese of Saginaw he was principal of Regina High School in Midland and served numerous Michigan parishes from Midland and Saginaw to Bay City, Mount Pleasant, Caro, Caseville and Pinnebog. He became a senior priest on 1 July 2009 and celebrated 50 years of priesthood on 19 May 2017.

Personal life

As a Roman Catholic priest Father Yaroch did not marry. He remained closely tied to Bad Axe, his family home, and was survived by siblings including Mary Jean Beyer Diebold and Alan Yaroch and his wife Christie, along with nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Brian and sister Shelly Ann Hammarskjold. Colleagues recalled his devotion…

As a Roman Catholic priest Father Yaroch did not marry. He remained closely tied to Bad Axe, his family home, and was survived by siblings including Mary Jean Beyer Diebold and Alan Yaroch and his wife Christie, along with nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Brian and sister Shelly Ann Hammarskjold. Colleagues recalled his devotion to the word Amen as a summary of faith.

Legacy

Father Yaroch is remembered across mid-Michigan for decades of parish leadership, school administration at Regina High School, and a quiet theology centered on discovering God's presence in other people. The diocese's invitation to donate to a favorite charity in his memory reflected the pastoral style for which parishioners knew him.

Father Yaroch is remembered across mid-Michigan for decades of parish leadership, school administration at Regina High School, and a quiet theology centered on discovering God's presence in other people. The diocese's invitation to donate to a favorite charity in his memory reflected the pastoral style for which parishioners knew him.

Questions people ask about Kenneth

How did Father Kenneth Yaroch die?
The cause of death has not been made public. He died on 3 November 2026 in Saginaw, Michigan, at age 86.
How old was Kenneth E. Yaroch when he died?
He was 86 years old.
What was Kenneth E. Yaroch's cause of death?
No cause of death has been disclosed by his family or the Diocese of Saginaw.
When was Father Yaroch ordained?
He was ordained on 19 May 1967 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco in Amarillo, Texas.
Where did Father Yaroch serve?
Early ministry in the Texas Panhandle (Clarendon, Memphis, Amarillo), then many Diocese of Saginaw assignments including Regina High School in Midland as principal and parishes across mid-Michigan.
When is the memorial Mass for Father Yaroch?
A Memorial Mass is scheduled for 12 November 2026 at 11 a.m. at St. Hubert Parish, Sacred Heart Church, 311 Whitelam Street, Bad Axe, Michigan, with Bishop Robert Gruss presiding.
Was Father Yaroch married?
No. As a Roman Catholic priest he did not marry.
Where will Father Yaroch be buried?
He opted for a private burial in Bad Axe, Michigan, his family home, arranged by Ramsey Funeral Home.

Written by People Forever from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the reporting cited. Updated . Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Timeline

  1. 1939
    Born in Bad Axe, Michigan, United States
  2. 1 January 1939
    Born in Bad Axe

    Born in 1939 in Bad Axe, Michigan, to Sylvester A. and Irene M. Yaroch (exact day not published).

  3. 19 May 1967
    Ordained to the priesthood

    Ordained by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco in Amarillo, Texas.

  4. 1 May 1969
    M.A. in Education

    Receives a master's degree in education from the University of Detroit.

  5. 1 July 2009
    Senior priest status

    Enters senior priest status for the Diocese of Saginaw.

  6. 19 May 2017
    50th anniversary of ordination

    Celebrates 50 years of priestly ministry.

  7. 3 November 2026
    Death

    Dies in Saginaw, Michigan, at age 86. Cause not publicly disclosed.

  8. 3 November 2026
    Died in Saginaw, Michigan, United States
  9. 12 November 2026
    Memorial Mass in Bad Axe

    Memorial Mass at Sacred Heart Church, St. Hubert Parish, Bad Axe, with Bishop Robert Gruss.

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