A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Joseph K. Dolan was celebrated Aug. 3 at St. Bernadette Church, Dyker Heights. He died at New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope, on July 30. He was 81.

Born in Brooklyn, he was baptized in St. Ephrem’s Church, Dyker Heights, and attended St. Anselm’s School, Bay Ridge; the Society of the Divine Word Seminary; St. John’s University School of Education, Jamaica; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington, L.I. He was ordained May 28, 1960 by Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart at St. James Pro-Cathedral, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at 14 Holy Martyrs, Bushwick, 1960-64; Holy Cross, Flatbush, 1964-66; and St. Mary Magdalene, Springfield Gardens, 1966-68.

He also was a chaplain at Catherine McAuley H.S., East Flatbush, 1968-85.

He had been living in retirement at St. Bernadette’s rectory.

Auxiliary Bishop Paul Sanchez was the main celebrant of the funeral Mass. Special concelebrants included Msgrs. Thomas G. Caserta and Robert J. Romano, and Fathers Joseph A. Gancila, James Leone, Raymond F. Schmidt, James Devine and Donald M. Berran. Father Leone preached the homily.

“He always had a deep intellectual curiosity, especially about church history and theology,” recalled Father Leone.

“He was a good and loving priest. He had a very soft touch for his parishioners. He was very kindhearted.

“He once said to me that he never enjoyed anything more than being a parish priest at St. Mary Magdalene in Springfield Gardens.

“We kind of grew together in learning together. I was always open to his insight and observations, and I always found it to be true.”

Father Dolan is survived by his brother Father Thomas D. Dolan and his sister, Sister Helen Mary Dolan, S.S.N.D.

 

[hr] Former Queens Deacon Dies in Upstate N.Y.

 

Deacon Theodore J. Van De Ven, 67, died on Tuesday, July 31, at his home in Sylvan Lake, N.Y., after a battle with cancer. He previously lived in Malverne, L.I., and College Point. He and his family moved upstate four years ago.

Born in Brooklyn, he married Judy Masterson in 1968 at Resurrection-Ascension Church, Rego Park.

He served in the U.S. Air National Guard.

Deacon Ted worked for State Farm Insurance for 43 years until his retirement as a consultant in 2011. In College Point, he had volunteered as a Scout Master for Troop 18, Boy Scouts of America, and coordinated the food pantry at St. Fidelis Church.

Ordained over 20 years ago, most recently he served the parishioners of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Church in LaGrangeville, N.Y., where he also was a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus.

In addition to his wife, immediate survivors include his children, Theodore J. Van De Ven, III, Victoria Perelmuter and James Van De Ven of Malverne; his sister, Rosemarie Sreekissoon; and his brother, Franklin Weber.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 4 at Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Church.

Interment was in St. Denis Cemetery, Hopewell Jct., with military honors.