Brother Raymond (LeRoy) Trottman, C.S.C.

Brother Raymond (LeRoy) Trottman, C.S.C., age 91, died on March 18, 2018 at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka, Indiana. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of William and Anne (Schanne) Trottman. He grew up there and attended Angel Guardian Elementary School and then St. Michael’s High School, where he graduated in 1945. He joined the U. S. Navy in March 1945 and rose to the rank of Seaman, 1st Class and served in the Pacific Theater at the U.S. Naval Station at Saipan, in the Mariana Islands, until his discharge in June, 1946.

He returned to Chicago and served a six-year apprenticeship as a member of the Chicago Typographical Union and worked as a typesetter in four different companies until 1959. Raymond had the opportunity to serve God, as a Brother while also practicing his trade. He joined Holy Cross and professed his first vows in 1960. He began work at the Ave Maria Press at Notre Dame to continue his love of the apostolate of the press. He faithfully worked there for the next 36 years, as a proficient typesetter, proofreader and tracker of jobs, until he retired in 1996. Brother Raymond has the ‘shortest’ obituary card of any Brother since he only had two ministries, working at the “Ave” while living as a staff member at Columba Hall for 58 years. One of his fond responsibilities at Columba as sacristan was at Christmastime. He would procure the poinsettias and decorate the altar, the crib set and sanctuary with beautiful flowers. Raymond was a lifetime fan of his beloved Chicago White Sox and a firm booster of the Amtrak Rail System which he used to visit the many regions of the United States. His very early morning routine used to be a walk around the campus or to Roseland. He often would wait at the front door to visit with the newspaper ‘boy’ who delivered the bundle of papers. He would spend the rest of the morning and afternoon at his favorite card table devouring the information from all the local and national papers and often relate fascinating information he found to his dinner table partners at meals. He loved Notre Dame sports and enjoyed the opportunity to travel to see ‘away’ games particularly in Michigan. Summer vacations were often to his beloved Chicago using the South Shore rail system to watch his beloved White Sox play at Comiskey Park.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 23rd, at St. Joseph Chapel from 9:30 to 11:00 am on the grounds of Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame. The Mass of Resurrection will then follow with interment afterward in St. Joseph’s Cemetery of the Village. Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Memorial contributions, in honor of Brother Raymond (LeRoy) Trottman, C.S.C., to support the mission and ministries of the Brothers may be sent to: Brothers of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 460, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

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