Terrier Volume 77, Number 1 - Spring 2013 | Page 11

Thomas Hauser

I

met Frank Macchiarola when he was a law student in
September 1964. I was a sophomore at Columbia, and
he was our dormitory counselor.
Every hour spent with Frank was “quality time.” We wrote
three books together; the first about educating children, the
second about moral values, and the third about marriage.
Frank and I were contemplating a fourth book — about
charity — when his illness intervened. The day he told me
that he had cancer, he said, “I’ve never had a bad day in my
life. I’ve had days when bad things happened, but every day
has been a good day.”
That confirmed what I already knew; that Frank was as
well-prepared emotionally and spiritually to go through the
hard months that would follow as anyone I know.
Frank was my friend, my mentor, and a comforting presence in my life for
48 years. He devoted himself to making other people’s lives better. There
was an inexhaustible supply of love and goodness within him. He didn’t just
listen to other people talk about their problems. He’d sit with them and

Reflections on Dr. Mac
D R . F R A N K J . M A C C H I A R O L A ’ S D E AT H
PROMPTED AN OUTPOURING OF EMOTION
ACROSS OLD AND NEW MEDIA. HERE ARE
JUST SOME OF THE COMMENTS:
SFC.EDU/DRMAC

Peter Felvegi ’03
Dear Dr. Mac
I’ve always struggled to write you a thank you
note…and it’s not my English, it’s the fact that it’s
hard to find words to thank you for your kindness,
generosity and everything you have done for me.
I’ll never forget when I applied to be your
student assistant and chauffeur without speaking
fluent English or a driver’s license….yet you hired
me. You believed in me and in my ability to learn
English and be successful at St. Francis College.
You encouraged me and you made sure I was doing
well in my classes and otherwise. You taught me to
treat everyone with respect and you treated me as
if I were your own son.
You used your power and smarts to make a
positive change in countless lives, and I feel very
lucky to be part of that. You returned to St. Francis
to look after us and to make sure we’re ok. You
were always around and showed a genuine interest
in our lives.
Thank you for letting me be part of your life and
your remarkable legacy. I received so much love,
support and friendship from you that I’ll never be
able to repay. It was an incredible honor to serve
you, and I’ll miss you.

Sean Rice
This is a sad day for many. Dr. Mac was a tremendous
human being, with love for everyone. His dedication
to young students and athletes in Brooklyn and
our entire city was his selfless gift to us all. Dr. Mac
always took a moment to ask how you were doing…
then actually listened.

discuss ways to solve the problems. Then he’d roll up his
sleeves and help implement the solution.
Over the years, Frank asked me on occasion to lecture
at St. Francis College. Whenever I did, at the end of the
lecture, I’d point to Frank and tell t H