Claretian Father Thomas P. Joyce, 85, died April 6 in Arcadia, California.

Born in Chicago, he entered St. Jude Seminary in Momence, made his first religious profession in 1951 in California and was ordained a priest in 1959 in Chicago.

TJ, as he was known, served as a teacher and campus minister.

In 1972, he returned to Chicago as superior of the Claretian Provincial Residence in Oak Park. Over the next 30 years, TJ served at Holy Cross/IHM and Our Lady of Guadalupe parishes, as director of the pre-novitiate program and vocations and superior of Claret House, the Claretian formation house. From 1975 to 1997, TJ served as a staff member at the 8th Day Center for Justice.

In 2002, his missionary work called him to Kingston, Jamaica, where he served until 2006. He served in various local Claretian communities until he retired in 2016.

He is survived by the last of his five brothers, John Joyce.