The DePaul community mourns the passing of the Rev. Thomas M. Croak, C.M., a Vincentian priest, educator, attorney and beloved colleague who devoted decades of his life to the university and its students. He was a member of the DePaul community for more than four decades.
Fr. Croak made an indelible mark on DePaul through both his leadership and his direct service to students. Known for his generous and collegial spirit, he brought a warm, engaging presence to every role he held and formed lasting friendships with faculty, staff and students across the university. Those who knew and worked with him often point to his humor, kindness and deep sense of mission as among his most distinctive gifts.
Colleagues at DePaul remembered Fr. Croak for his deep commitment to students, noting his approachable, practical nature and exceptional ability to explain complex topics clearly. These qualities earned him a reputation as a gifted educator whose classes were widely admired and deeply valued by his students.
“Fr. Tom Croak was a friend, and I admire very much what he did with his life and career. He was a lawyer who had put his Vincentian principles into practice in his work as a lawyer,” said Mary Dempsey, an alumna of DePaul's College of Law, Life Trustee of the university, and president of DePaul College Prep.
His connection to DePaul began even before joining the university, as he taught at DePaul Academy until its closure in 1968 and served as a seminary formator in the 1970s. He came to DePaul University in 1980 and went on to serve in a wide range of roles, including history professor and department chair, dean of students, chair of the social studies division, student affairs associate vice president, associate director of athletic development, school of liberal arts associate professor emeritus, director of student legal services, basketball chaplain and trusted legal advisor. He was also a DePaul alumnus, earning his law degree from the College of Law in 1991.
“Fr. Croak’s life and work reflect the very best of DePaul’s Catholic, Vincentian mission, with an unwavering commitment to students, to access and to care for the whole person,” said President Robert L. Manuel. “His influence on generations of students and colleagues is clear. On behalf of the university, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, the Vincentian community and all who were touched by his life and service.”
Across each of these roles, Fr. Croak developed a deep commitment to student success and access to justice. As founding director of what became the Croak Student Legal Services Program in 2006, now the Croak Community Legal Clinic in the College of Law, he created a vital resource offering students free legal resources and support.
A lawyer as well as a Vincentian priest, Fr. Croak brought together intellectual rigor, practical care and a deep sense of purpose in everything he did. His Vincentian commitment extended beyond the classroom and into chaplaincy, as well as immigration and asylum work, always centered on serving those most in need. In all things, he saw himself as primarily a priest of the Congregation of the Mission. He was a faithful Vincentian whose heart and hands were always ready to serve the poor.
In recognition of his enduring service and impact on the university community, Fr. Croak was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. He was also a valued member of the DePaul Emeritus Society, celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Vincentian priest in 2015, mentored dozens of law student interns and remained involved in legal education even after retirement, volunteering with DePaul’s Asylum & Immigration Law Clinic.
Fr. Croak’s legacy will continue to be felt in the lives of the students he helped, the colleagues he inspired and the programs he built, enduring expressions of a life dedicated to service, justice and community.
The memorial mass for Fr. Croak will be on Thursday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 1010 W. Webster Ave., Chicago, IL, 60614. Everyone is invited to attend.