Father Theodore C. Rog, a retired diocesan priest, died Oct. 1, 2015, in McAuley Residence in Kenmore Mercy Hospital, after a brief illness. He was 77 years old.

Father Rog was born July 19, 1938, in North Tonawanda, to Theodore and Julia (Wolkiewicz) Rog. He attended Diocesan Minor Seminary in Buffalo, Our Lady of the Angels Seminary at Niagara University and St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora before receiving a bachelor's degree from Niagara University. Father Rog went on to receive a master's degree from Canisius College in Buffalo and a permanent counseling certification from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

He was ordained Feb. 22, 1964, in Buffalo. He served a missionary apostolate at Holy Family Parish in Machias and as chaplain of Cattaraugus County Infirmary in Lime Lake until 1965. That year, he was named assistant pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Buffalo, a position he held until 1967. Father Rog briefly served as an assistant at Holy Cross in Salamanca before serving in the same capacity at St. Joseph in Gowanda from 1967-74. While in Gowanda, he was chaplain of the J.N. Adam Development Center in Perrysburg.

From 1974-79, Father Rog was a professor at Cardinal Mindszenty High School in Dunkirk, after which he taught at Bishop Turner High School in Buffalo for two years, until 1981. While teaching at Bishop Turner, he also served as temporary administrator of Our Lady of Victory in Frewsburg.

In 1981, Father Rog began serving in the guidance department of Niagara Catholic High School, during which he also ministered on weekends at Our Lady of Peace in Clarence.

He was named pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Buffalo from 1983-89, St. John Vianney Parish in Orchard Park from 1989-97, and St. Rose of Lima in Buffalo from 1997-98.

In 1998, Father Rog began serving at St. Josaphat in Cheektowaga as temporary administrator, after which he served as the parish's pastor from 1998 until his retirement in 2009.

He was on the Diocesan Board of Catholic Education from 1993-99, a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus, a Knight of St. John and a member of the Holy Name Society. Father Rog was previously president of the New York State Counselors Association and the New York State and Western New York Personnel and Guidance Association, and on the board of trustees of the latter organization.

Father Rog received two awards from the New York District Key Club and was chairman of a committee that implemented regionalized parish elementary schools in the diocese in 1987.

He is survived by four brothers, John (Patricia), Joseph, Richard (Diane) and Martin (Debra) Rog, as well as a sister, Anna Maria (David).

A funeral Mass was held at St. Martin of Tours Church in Buffalo, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna.