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Former Creighton President Fr. John Schlegel dies of pancreatic cancer

Former Creighton University president Father John Schlegel has died of pancreatic cancer.Schlegel was 72 years old. He died Sunday in hospice care in Omaha. Schlegel was Creighton’s president for 11 years before retiring in 2011.

During his tenure at Creighton, Schlegel oversaw a $450 million academic and campus growth initiative. Creighton’s soccer stadium and the D.J. Sokol Arena opened during Schlegel’s presidency.

After his retirement in 2011, Schlegel joined the pastoral team at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He attended the inauguration last month of Creighton’s new president, Rev. Daniel Hendrickson.

Schlegel chose not to undergo treatment for pancreatic cancer, instead keeping his usual schedule and traveling.

A Funeral Mass for Father Schlegel will be held at St. John’s Church on the Creighton University campus.