Bloomfield Hills — For the people who worked with Fr. Donald Dacey, the highlight of the day was waiting for him to walk through the door with his laughter and sense of humor.
Fr. Dacey lived the joy of spreading the Gospel, and that had a profound impact on those who knew him.
Fr. Dacey died on June 25. He was 88.
“He knew lots of jokes and always seemed to be so happy,” said Helen Pope, who worked with Fr. Dacey as the secretary at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Beverly Hills, where he was pastor from 1985-96. “I worked with him for 10 years as a parish secretary. He always made me feel like there wasn’t any pressure; that nothing seemed to bother him.”
Fr. Dacey’s funeral was June 29 at St. Regis Church in Bloomfield Hills, and he was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield.
Donald Dacey was born March 18, 1927, in Detroit, the son of Emmett and Loretta Dacey. After graduating from St. Mary of Redford High School, he graduated from Sacred Heart Major Seminary with a bachelor’s in philosophy in 1949 and completed his seminarian education at St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township in 1953.
Fr. Dacey served as associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (1953-58) and St. Theresa of Avila Parish in Detroit (1958-62), St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park (1962-64) and St. Cletus Parish in Warren (1964-69).
In 1969, he was named pastor at St. Conrad Parish in Melvindale , where he served until 1972. He then was pastor at St. Frances Cabrini Parish (1972-85) and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs from 1985 to 1996, when he was given senior priest status. He served as vicar of the old Southland Vicariate from 1971-74.
Peggy Kona was a classmate of Fr. Dacey at St. Mary of Redford High School and worked with him at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish.
“I’ve known him since 1941,” Kona said. “He was very bright and was just a fun person to be around. He was an altar boy, and back then you had to have a high grade point average to be an altar boy. He was the president of our junior class at St. Mary, and I was the vice president.”
Kona said she and Fr. Dacey would get together every five years at class reunions, and in 1985, she started to work with Fr. Dacey.
“It was great working with him,” Kona said. “He enjoyed a good joke. I think I’ll miss him most for his sense of humor. He was a dedicated priest who loved life and the people around him. He was a big sports fan and loved to cheer people up, and I will miss him.”
Fr. Dacey is predeceased by his parents, and brothers, Robert and John. He is survived by his niece and nephews. Those wishing to leave condolences may send them to Timothy Dacey, 15949 Dunblaine, Beverly Hills, MI 48025.
—Dan Meloy
