Person DS/UK/1860 Croft; George (1925-2023); Jesuit Priest Croft George 1925-2023 Jesuit Priest Male Born 24 June 1925, London. Entered the British Province of the Society of Jesus 7 September 1942. Ordained as a Roman Catholic priest 31 July 1956. Final vows in the Society of Jesus 2 February 1960. Transferred to Zimbabwe Vice Province 5 November 1978. Died 5 November 2023, Harare, Zimbabwe.

George Sebastian Croft was born in Hornsey London, the second of two sons who both became Jesuits. He was educated at Jesuit St Ignatius College and entered the Society in 1942 at St Beuno’s, North Wales, where the novitiate was located for much of the Second World War. After his Juniorate he went to Heythrop College near Oxford in 1946 where he studied philosophy before proceeding to Oxford to read for a ‘PPP’, (Philosophy, Physiology and Psychology), in 1949. He had a year’s regency at Stonyhurst before returning to Heythrop to do theology in 1953 and was ordained there in 1956. In 1957, he returned to St Beuno’s to do his tertianship before going to Fordham, New York, to study Clerical (?) Psychology. On completing a PhD he returned to Heythrop to teach psychology from 1961- 1970 and when the college moved to London in 1970, he went with it. After seventeen years, he moved to Zimbabwe to teach psychology at the Regional Seminary at Chishawasha in 1978. When the seminary was divided in 2000 Croft went with the theologians to Bulawayo where he remained until 2014. He was well known for going, often by public transport, to every ordination wherever it took place in the length and breadth of Zimbabwe. For many years Croft offered his skills to the demanding task of assessing candidates to the Society, and he would also work in the library wherever he found himself. He played the organ at the old Heythrop, collected scores, and may have composed some works. He enjoyed gardening up to his last days. Member of the Zimbabwe Province of the Society of Jesus Obituary attached to email circulated by Fr Paul Nicholson SJ (Socius), 06/11/2023 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes user 07/11/2023 user 07/11/2023 1fe1c73a-326c-4ec9-976d-b73f29672c51