Robert "Bob" Anthony Jaeger died unexpectedly but peacefully, in his sleep, on November 21, 2020, at his home in Port Republic, Md.
Bob was born on April 24, 1931, in Fort Wayne, Ind., the second child of the late George Christian Jaeger and Alexa Genevieve Weber Jaeger. With his siblings Georgianna, Beatrice, and Carl, he spent his childhood in Fort Wayne, attending St. Jude's Elementary School. Pursuing a religious vocation, Bob graduated from Our Lady of the Lake Minor Seminary in Syracuse, Ind. He completed his theological studies and preparation for ordination at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana ('57).
In 1957, Bob was ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne. After ordination, he served in several parishes in the diocese, including St. Patrick's, Fort Wayne, Ind., and St. Mary's, Decatur, Ind. As a young priest, he was actively engaged in parish life activities, and later became a passionate advocate for the changes promoted through the Second Vatican Council.
In 1967, Bob left Indiana to attend language school in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in preparation for a mission placement in Latin America. In Cuernavaca, Bob met his future wife, Ursula Dwan Jaeger, of Washington, DC, a Medical Mission Sister. Bob and Ursula were married in January, 1969, in Pittsburgh, after Bob received his laicization. They worked at Mayview State Psychiatric Hospital before moving to Scranton, where Bob completed his Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Scranton. They returned to Western Pennsylvania and settled in Washington County. They adopted their children Jonathan, Anna, and David in 1971, 1972, and 1974, respectively, before their fourth child, Nicholas, was born in 1978. They lived in Washington County until 2008.
As a Washington County resident, Bob had an active career in the mental health community. He established a private practice as a marriage and family therapist. Later, Bob was a founder of the Washington Counseling Center, a group practice in which he worked until retiring. He was also an active member of Washington County's Mental Health Association as well as Immaculate Conception Church.
In 2008, Ursula and Bob retired to Ursula's childhood home in Port Republic, Md. After Ursula's death in 2015, Bob became a resident of Friendship Village in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, splitting his time between his residence in Friendship Village and his home in Maryland.
A passionate philanthropist, Bob was committed to ending poverty, promoting social and racial justice, enabling advances in health care, and reinforcing educational and arts initiatives. In the final year of his life, Bob was a vocal advocate for the BLM movement.
Bob is survived by his children, Jonathan (Linda Lindsey-Jaeger), Anna (Charles Patrick), and Nicholas (Brenna Clair Thomas); his brother-in-law, Robert O'Brien; his sister-in-law, Susan Jaeger; as well as nine grandchildren, 15 nieces and nephews, 38 grand-nieces and nephews, and many beloved friends and family members. He was predeceased by his parents, his siblings, his wife, Ursula, and his son, David. Bob was a person of faith and a devoted practitioner of prayer. He celebrated athletic achievement, and he loved the performing and visual arts. More than anything, Bob loved people and was committed to and inspired by his relationships, both new and old. He will be dearly missed.
In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a funeral mass and celebration of Bob's life will be planned in 2021. Donations in Bob's honor can be directed to the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (www.chp.edu) or Oxfam America (www.oxfamamerica.org)."