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Each year, Saint Leo University alumni across the generations and around the world live out our core values and contribute to their communities, professions, and causes in a variety of ways. The Saint Leo Alumni Association seeks to celebrate the members of our alumni community and pay tribute to those who have reached remarkable goals either professionally or personally. Please join in congratulating the 2021 and 2022 recipients of the Saint Leo University Alumni Awards.

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Alumni 2021 Awards

BENEDICTINE SPIRIT

 

Joseph Byrne ’74

Joseph Byrne ’74

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS/A

 

Christine Gibree ’85

Christine Gibree ’85

GLOBAL SERVICE

Gianfranco Pagan ’21

Gianfranco Pagan ’21

ROARING ONWARD
Jerry Blash ’14 and Anthony Santa ’12
Jerry Blash ’14 and Anthony Santa ’12 receiving their Roaring Onward Class of 2021 awards

Jerry Blash ’14, Mercy Figueroa ’17, Seth Gross ’17, Anthony Santa ’12, Andrew Specht ’17, ’22

Alumni 2022 Awards

BENEDICTINE SPIRIT

 

Natoy Baker ’11 ’20

Natoy Baker ’11, ’20

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS/A

Peter Mulry ’67, James Salgado ’07, ’14

GLOBAL SERVICE

 

Haywood Barnes ’93Haywood Barnes ’93

ROARING ONWARD

Roaring Onward Class of 2022

Bobrenti “Brent” Patterson ’21, Mohammed “Ammar” Mohart ’17, Benjamin Larison ’14, Krystal Cox ’12, and Allison Baldwin ’15.

A Day for Saint Leo

The third annual A Day for Saint Leo celebration saw the tradition continue to grow, with new elements added to the day. On that November day, alumni and students across the globe were encouraged to wear school colors, post pictures and stories on social media showing their Saint Leo pride, and make a donation to the program that means the most to them. Students at University Campus took part in crowning two seniors as this year’s king and queen of Saint Leo. The day was capped off with a concert and fireworks, which more than 600 alumni, students, and friends attended.

The fundraising efforts had a great boost with a challenge grant that matched every donation dollar for dollar, up to a total of $25,000. The grand total raised during A Day for Saint Leo 2016 was $100,055!

A Day for Saint Leo (2)

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Alumni Chapters

You may have left “Leo Land,” but there are many ways to stay connected with fellow Lions and Monarchs.

Saint Leo University’s regional chapter program is designed to strengthen the bond between alumni, as well as between Saint Leo and its alumni. The regional chapters provide opportunities for alumni to network, host events, participate in community service, and help recruit new students, thus preserving our past and supporting our future.

We currently have two official chapters in place, the Tampa Chapter and the Metro New York Chapter. With alumni across the United States, we are looking to launch our regional chapters near you!

If you are interested in getting involved by joining a current chapter or starting a petition for a new chapter, contact Elizabeth Barr at (352) 588-8824 or elizabeth.barr@saintleo.edu.

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A Day at Tampa Bay Downs

The Alumni Association brought a new event to Tampa-area alumni with A Day at Tampa Bay Downs. More than 80 guests were treated to a tour and insider information by equine expert Tom Sweeney, president of Thoroughbred Owners of Florida and owner of Port Royal Racing. Then they enjoyed a catered lunch while taking in the afternoon races.

Check out the event calendar on your.saintleo.edu for the full schedule of events.

Tampa Bay DownsTampa Bay Downs (2)


Lions on the Road

Lions on the Road

As our athletic teams hit the road for competition, Saint Leo alumni, students, and staff have expressed interest in being part of the game experience. So last fall, we kicked off the idea of providing fan support, no matter where our teams are. When our men’s basketball team headed to Morrow, GA, to play Clayton State University, near one of our education centers, we organized a Saint Leo event, encouraging everyone to enjoy good athletic competition and good community. The student-athletes also got a chance to tour the Morrow Center and learn more about the experiences of their classmates who study at the education centers.

Who knows where we will travel next. Keep an eye out—the Lions may invade your town!


Dinner with Saint Leo

During the Fall Semester, senior social work students at University Campus were invited to Dinner with Saint Leo, a special opportunity that brings students together with alumni who are working in careers related to their area of study. In addition to networking and making connections, through this program with the office of Career Planning, students can gain practical experience in a professional and social setting.

Dinner with Saint LeoDinner with Saint Leo (2)


Golden Lions

Your Alumni Engagement & Sustained Giving office has partnered with the Undergraduate Admissions office to create a fun volunteer opportunity to help you bring your alma mater to the next generations of Saint Leo students. Golden Lions volunteers will help ensure Saint Leo has a presence in high schools across the United States by serving as university representatives in schools and at college fairs in their hometowns.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Olsen at (352) 588-8937 or sarah.olsen@saintleo.edu.


Sigma Beta Reunion

Sigma-Beta-Reunion2Several members of Sigma Beta attended a reunion in December at the New York Athletic Club. Those in attendance included Bob Tenneyson ’72, Joe Mullane ’71, Eugene Wendelken ’70, Dickie Palazzo ’72, Mickey Neenan ’71, Billy Burns ’73, Doug Smith ’71, Bobby Sheridan ’73, Frank O’Keefe ’74, Bill Tully ’73, Jeff McCarthy ’71, Vic Hogan ’72, and (seated) Carl Miranda ’71.

griffin-clark-hsGriffin Clark, 21, a sophomore criminal justice major and member of the men’s golf team, passed away on July 4. He was involved in a car accident near his home in Chesterfield County, VA. Griffin helped lead the golf team to its recent NCAA Division II National Championship, in Denver, CO, playing in the final match-play pairing against Chico State (CA) and winning by three strokes.
“Griffin was an outstanding young man. We were so blessed to have him be part of our Saint Leo family,” Saint Leo men’s head golf coach Chris Greenwood said. “I have so many good moments with Griffin, but the one I will always remember is standing in the 18th fairway together the final day in Denver.”


Frederick “Fred” William Colby Sr. ’84, registrar emeritus, passed away on July 7. A decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served from 1952 to 1979, including tours of duty in Singapore and Tokyo, as a Naval intelligence specialist. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo College and was a member of the Saint Leo staff for 24 years, retiring as registrar.


Dr. Diane Johnson passed away on May 10. She was an assistant director of the Center for Online Learning from 2005 to 2014. After retiring from that administrative role, she continued to teach as an online adjunct professor. She is remembered for being supportive of Saint Leo’s students and guiding them through their educational development.


On May 20, Dr. Kurt Van Wilt passed away at his home. A humble and devoted English professor, he dedicated his life to the education of Saint Leo University’s students, to their spiritual and intellectual growth and development. A respected poet, he was the master of the sonnet, a form that appeals to the kind of artisan who enjoys the rigor of structure, the triumphs achieved through simplicity. An expert in comparative mysticism and Native American literature, he authored three critically praised books for Millichap Books. He was also a co-founder of The Sandhill Review literary arts magazine, The Lightning Key Review electronic journal, and The Green Rabbit chapbook series.


William “Bill” Sharp ’48
May 27, 2016

Robert E. Shoyrer ’49
April 5, 2010

Glenda W. Rusin ’52
February 7, 2015

Mary (Corrigan) Grant ’54
April 11, 2016

Richard Cobb ’60
March 4, 2016

Henry Pike ’61
July 7, 2016

Mary Ellen McGrath ’62
April 13, 2016

Peter E. Feuge ’69
November 22, 2015

Eugene Fischer ’72
February 12, 2016

Beth (Dempsey) Moore ’74
May 27, 2016

E. “William” Vanderbilt ’75
March 23, 2016

Richard A. Carter ’77
December 17, 2015

Jesse J. Dean ’77
November 17, 2015

 

Stanley P. Juds ’77
October 16, 2015

Patricia (Kennedy) Lemmerman ’77
January 7, 2016

Audrey S. Henries ’79
December 16, 2015

Marie Gagne ’82
July 23, 2012

Timothy “Tim” Murphy ’82
January 29, 2016

William A. Denton ’83
December 13, 2015

Kyle A. Miller ’83
January 1, 2009

Frederick “Fred” Colby ’84
July 7, 2016

Wayne Dupree ’86
April 36, 2016

Claude H. Bader ’93
August 2, 2014

Russell “Russ” Swart ’96
May 13, 2016

Jonathan E. Weaver ’01
April 16, 2015

William T. Campbell ’04
March 31, 2013

Father Damian DuQuesnay, who had been the oldest living monk in the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida, passed away on May 8. Greatly loved and admired by colleagues, students, faculty, and staff, he was a remarkable man of faith.

Born on July 24, 1918, in Highgate, Jamaica, Father Damian graduated from Jamaica College Prep and Saint Benedict College (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, KS, in 1943 with a BS in zoology. He received his MS from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 1951.

He was ordained into the Holy Priesthood on the Feast of Corpus Christi Day, June 20, 1946, by Bishop Emmet Michael Wash in the unfinished Abbey Church. Father Damian was the first Jamaican to ever wear the habit of a Benedictine.

Father Damian taught numerous subjects at Saint Leo College, including biology, histology, and zoology. He also served two separate terms as department chair of the science faculty. He was prefect in the prep school for 10 years, where he taught algebra, biology, chemistry, French, geometry, Latin, and religion. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching students at both the prep school and the college. When asked what type of teacher he was, he simply said “fair.”

Father Damian was appointed abbey prior in 1957 and also served as novice master and brother master. After his retirement from the Saint Leo faculty, he was chaplain to Holy Name Monastery, a responsibility he held for four decades but eventually relinquished at age 90 due to his limited mobility.

He was the abbey botanist and remained faithful in his daily devotionals and prayers right up until his passing.


Harrell-second-from-leftDr. Teresa Harrell, instructor of speech and senior academic advisor at the Langley Education Office, passed away June 26.

She graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in social work and educational policy in 1972. In May 1994, she was awarded her PhD from the University of Minnesota, majoring in training and development in the College of Education. Dr. Harrell had served at the Langley Office since 2006 and is remembered for her fierce dedication to the success of our students.


HomanDr. Scott R. Homan, associate professor of management at the Savannah Education Center, passed away on June 23. He graduated from Purdue University in 1988 with his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and supervision; he earned his master’s degree in the same discipline the following year. After a stint at Anderson Consulting in Chicago, he decided to pursue his love of teaching and completed his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University. He joined Saint Leo in Spring 2013 and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in business management.


reynoldsJohn “Jack” Reynolds, who served on the Saint Leo Board of Trustees from 1990 to 2012, passed away on April 17. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University at night and his Master of Business Administration at the Stern School of New York University (also at night) and attended the advanced management program at Dartmouth College. He was employed for 10 years by W. R. Grace and for many years by ITT, rising to the position of corporate vice president and division president. He was a trustee emeritus at the time of his death.


RiddleWalt Riddle, retired Saint Leo University and Sunshine State Conference (SSC) publicist, passed away on May 7 after a lengthy illness. Celebrated as a gifted writer and a transformational figure for both Saint Leo University athletics and the SSC, Riddle first came to Saint Leo’s University Campus in 1989 as the sports information director and special events coordinator. The following year, he assumed the duties of SSC assistant commissioner and sports information director, and helped the conference establish its first central office. Under Riddle’s guidance, the SSC developed one of the nation’s largest NCAA Division II television packages.

Riddle remained with the Sunshine State Conference until 2001, when he returned to his duties as Saint Leo’s sports information director. In 2006, he transitioned to a new role as Saint Leo’s director of athletic marketing and Green and Gold Club coordinator, a job he held until his retirement in 2011.

“The Sunshine State Conference and Saint Leo University lost a friend, leader, and mentor with the passing of Walter Riddle,” said Francis X. Reidy, Saint Leo’s director of athletics. “He had a positive impact on many young coaches and sports information directors around our league. Walt was instrumental in helping Saint Leo athletics transition to its current state of success.”


RosenbaumDr. Burt Rosenbaum, for nine years an adjunct professor at Saint Leo College, passed away on March 30. After graduating from the College of the City of New York with a degree in mechanical engineering, he began his career at NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), which became NASA, and published about 30 applied mathematics research papers with emphasis on statistics. Several of his papers contributed to NASA’s successful Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, for which he received the Apollo Achievement Award.

He continued his studies at Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) while working, marrying and starting a family. In June 1957, just six months shy of his 35th birthday, he received his PhD in theoretical physics.

After retiring from NASA in 1973, Dr. Rosenbaum and his new family moved south and eventually to Florida, where he accepted an adjunct position at the University of Tampa. For the final nine years of his second career, he remained at Saint Leo College teaching mathematics, statistics, physics, and computer science until 1994.


VerdinJules Verdin, a member of Saint Leo University men’s soccer team and the 2014 Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year, died on July 7 in a hiking accident in Switzerland. He was 19 years old.

“The Saint Leo soccer community mourns Jules’ death,” said Keith Fulk, Saint Leo’s head men’s soccer coach. “He was one of the best players I had the privilege and honor of coaching, and he was a constant student of the game—always asking questions about how he could improve his game. I think he really matured during his first year here at Saint Leo, from the time he arrived to the time he left campus at the end of the school year, and that’s what you want to see in your students.”


Eva Jo (Osborne) Lent ’57
December 25, 2014

Gerald H. Frost ’59
March 2, 2015

Michael “Mike” J. Mead ’68
January 21, 2015

Thomas F. Vigliotta ’71
July 4, 2015

Michael R. Arnold ’73
January 2, 2015

Francis “Frank” T. Christopher ’74
March 2015

George Brayton ’75
October 3, 2012

Linda J. Tremont ’75
October 3, 2013

Robert E. Hutchinson ’77
October 10, 2014

Michael T. Chiappetta ’79
April 25, 2015

Ann B. (Roper) Myhre ’79
December 25, 2013

Jack L. Treese ’79
October 1, 2014

Daniel P. McBath ’84
February 23, 2015

Faison D. Robinson ’84
June 15, 2015

Barbara B. Miller ’86
July 23, 2015

Jerome Polon ’87
October 29, 2014

Rex R. Chambless ’89
December 7, 2014

Janice R. Wiley ’89
February 19, 2014

Howard P. Bennett ’90
January 18, 2012

Nels W. Marvin ’90
September 1, 2007

Donald N. Hiemstra ’92
January 22, 2015

William R. Widhalm ’96
February 3, 2015

Robin L. Lindin ’98
August 24, 2012

Charlene Jackson ’04
June 13, 2015

Harold Ludwig ’05
August 26, 2008

Jack M. Webb ’09
January 30, 2015

Hazel J. Williams
December 2, 2014

Frank O’Keefe ’74 used to return home to New York during his first years at Saint Leo (College), homesick and wanting to continue his tradition of participating in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He then decided to make the parade a new tradition on campus and into nearby San Antonio.

This year the graduate from the Class of 1974 brought everything full circle by proudly marching with his alma mater in the 2015 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Frank and his wife, Mary ’76, a member of the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees, proudly wore the group’s marshal sashes. Several more trustees, alumni, students, parents, families, and friends represented the university in its first appearance, bringing Saint Leo’s 125+ years of history to the historic parade.

NYC Saint Patrick's Day ParadeA pre-parade reception at the Waldorf Astoria allowed the group to gather together and connect (in some cases re-connect) with one another. From the Class of 1971 to current students and their families, all wore the green and gold of Saint Leo to add a little more of the Irish colors to the parade.

Each had the same reaction following the walk up Fifth Avenue – “Wow.” It was truly a great experience had by all, and one that many hope to repeat with even more Saint Leo Green and Gold for years to come! We will see you again on March 17, 2016!

For more information about the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade
and all of our events, please visit www.saintleo.edu/alumni.

Michael A. Frassrand ’38
August 14, 2014

Wilbur Harry North ’38
September 7, 2014

Kevin F. Doyle ’52

January 16, 2014

Robert “Bob” Wallace ’53
October 2014

John R. “Jack” Terwilliger ’54
August 13, 2014

Gertrude (Neuhofer) LaBruzzo ’55
October 14, 2014

Caroline (Dyches) Low ’56
June 20, 2014

Bernard “Bo” O’Neill, Jr. ’57
November 4, 2014

Walter F. Kelly ’58
July 15, 2014

Jean A. Baumann ’67
August 23, 2014

William R. Connollon ’68
February 25, 2014

William P. “Bill” Day ’69
December 7, 2014

Bruce J. Hendra ’69
December 25, 2014

Ranald J. McCullough ’69
July 17, 2014

Paul C. Gadomski ’74
June 27, 2014

Mark L. Brigham ’75
January 3, 2015

Rayford “Ray” Ward ’76
January 22, 2012

Raymond F. LaFountain ’77
July 19, 2013

Nancy B. Nichols ’77
March 25, 2013

Roy Pfander, Jr. ’77
June 21, 2014

Dan A. Ellett ’78

May 20, 2006

Garace A. Reynard ’78
November 19, 2013

William Daniel Addison ’81
January 16, 2014

Juan A. Perez ’81
January 11, 2011

Arnett R. Tharp ’81
September 21, 2012

Alfred “Al” E. Smith ’82
October 20, 2014

Lawrence M. Tucker ’82
June 29, 2013

Steve Stanley Bukowski ’84
June 21, 2010

Ronald J. Zarko ’84
October 8, 2014

Janet “Jay” Baricar ’87
March 29, 2014

Regina E. Surles ’87
December 25, 2012

Cyndee I. Thomas ’88
September 28, 2014

Albert R. Mitchell ’89
July 11, 2013

Lori S. Holbrook ’90
December 31, 2012

Sherrill A. Perry ’92
September 16, 2013

Rose Marie Neblett ’93
September 22, 2014

Michael T. Thornburg ’93
August 8, 2014

Susan E. D’Amour ’94
May 23, 2014

Emily S. Bryant ’94
October 2, 2009

Arthur C. Gunn ’94
February 14, 2010

Alvin D. Mercer ’96
May 14, 2013

Kaye Boone ’97
November 28, 2012

Asberry D. Simpson ’98
April 27, 2014

Jerry H. Rodgers ’01
February 13, 2014

Rosemary (Brown) Mohring ’03
May 6, 2014

Marie E. Gieski ’04
February 25, 2014

James A. Butler ’06
August 22, 2014

Terri L. Ruffatto ’06
October 7, 2014

Wylene A. Amadi ’10
May 7, 2014

America “Sandy” Berry ’10
May 23, 2014

Mathew Weaver Rogers ’12
January 15, 2015

Susan C. Vines ’12
July 8, 2014

Rhonda R. Robison ’13
August 4, 2014