Danzil Monk James Smith John Thurston
Neither slow elevator,
stopped escalator,
nor crowded hallway
ever kept Danzil Monk
(29 years) from delivering
inter-office mail or picking
up packages to be sent
out. You often heard him
singing a gospel tune
before you saw him, providing a melodic
interlude to your day. The moderator of the
Christian Club for many years, religion
is deeply important to Danzil. He volunteered
for 25 years on WBLS program Open Line.
He now devotes much of his time as a Minister
at Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long
Island, under Pastor Donald A. McClurkin, Jr.
Danzil also sings in the choir and you can
watch him every Sunday morning on the
church live stream at perfectingfaith.com. Dr. James P. Smith,
who headed the SFC
Library for 17 years, was
a true leader beloved by
his colleagues. During
his tenure he oversaw
the library’s move from
its old location to the new
renovated space, and
directed the development and maintenance
of the library collection. Dr. Smith was a stern
but fair leader who pushed hard to make
the library relevant in the internet age. Smart,
funny, knowledgeable; he always had his
thumb on the zeitgeist, always up to date
with new informational and educational
technologies. He never micromanaged,
choosing instead to support the work of his
fellow librarians and trust them to bring the
library to the fore of higher education. Coach John Thurston
has been involved in
coaching college athletics
for over forty years, the
past six as Head Coach of
the Women’s Basketball
Team. He led them to the
College’s first ever NCAA
Tournament appearance
and perhaps more impressively, the following
year, the team had the top GPA in women’s
basketball. “This is a huge credit to you and
your staff and we are so grateful for your hard
work and dedication to developing us individu-
ally and as a team. You challenge and inspire
us every single day and allow us to flourish as
we enter the real world. I am so blessed to have
ended up here. You advocate for a total college
experience and encourage us to enjoy every
aspect of life. In saying all of this, the best part
about you, coach, is how unbelievably caring
you are about each and every single player that
has played underneath you. You truly have our
best interest at heart and you push us to be
successful at anything we do.”
Supervisor of Mailroom
Director of Library Services
—Mona Wasserman
Carl Quigley ’75
Assistant Athletic Director
Cathal (Carl) Quigley
graduated from St.
Francis College in 1975,
but he never left, going
from water polo player
to coach and continuing
a journey that created a
powerhouse program
and brought thousands
of top students to the College from around the
world. Forty years later, even though he is
retiring as Assistant Athletics Director for
Aquatics, Carl will still not be far from Brooklyn
Heights. “International students like myself,
who never set foot in America, packed their
bags one night, leaving everything they’ve ever
known, took a ten hour flight to get here,
unaccompanied, to be welcomed by Carl’s
white mustache. He is that man that waits for
us at the airport, drives us to our apartments,
stops and talks to us whenever he is not
sprinting around the College. He is that man
who takes swimmers to eat shrimp, and lets
water polo guys borrow his bike and surf board
at his house in the Rockaways. Carl is that
one person who made St. Francis feel like
home, because he welcomed us as family.
He is our American dad, that man we go to talk
to, wiser in age, but just as young in spirit.”
Edward Stewart
Grants Manager, Government and
Community Relations / Development
Though not clothed in
a priest’s clerical garb,
Edward Stewart always
opened his door to
counsel, listen, and
advise his co-workers.
He straddled the offices
of Government and
Community Relations and
Development, helping to secure millions of
dollars in grants for the College, including for
the Nursing Labs, HDTV Studio, and a new
Maker Space now being planned. During his
ten years at St. Francis, he was steward to
several generous alumni, deepening the
connection with their alma mater and ensuring
their donations were both impactful and
reflective of their giving priorities. This fall,
Ed will return to priestly ministry as a chaplain
at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
—Vukasin Petrovic ’20
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
—Alex Delaney ’18 ●
Thank You!
Romona Caramico ’11
Steven Catalano
Donna DeSiena
Peter Gomori
Geoffrey Horlick
Lynne Jackson
Sofiya Kagan
Dennis McDermott ’74
Danzil Monk
Carl Quigley ’75
Sabrina Simmons ’10
James Smith
Peggy Standing Deer
Edward Stewart
John Thurston
Jerome Williams ’76
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | SUMMER 2018, VOLUME 81, NUMBER 2
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