Scores of Retirees Reunite for Annual Luncheon

St. John’s University’s annual Retirees Association luncheon drew more than 80 former employees to the D’Angelo Center Ballroom on the Queens, NY, campus on November 14.

The theme of the luncheon was “Queens Day,” and featured guest speaker Joe DiStefano, author of 111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss, and local vendors such as Durso’s Pasta & Ravioli Company, a family-owned eatery that provided antipasto; The Oasis Café, a long-standing Greek café that provided pastries; the Queens County Farm Museum; Rob MacKay, Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Tourism, Queens Economic Development Corporation; Jack Eichenbaum, Ph.D., official Queens Borough Historian; and representatives from TIAA and Fidelity Investments.

“St. John’s is a member of the Queens Tourism Council, so I am very passionate even though I was born and raised in Queens, I think it’s a wonderful borough and has so much to offer, so I hope when you leave today, you’ll also feel that way,” Susan M. Damiani’87CBA, Director of the Office of Gift Planning, said.

To open the program, Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, provided the group with an update on the current academic year at St. John’s, which included the hiring of more than 100 faculty members; with a total of 3,100 students, the largest freshman class of any Catholic college or university in the nation; and new facilities that include the Farella Innovation Laboratory and the Joseph and Ellen Tufano Control Office in the College of Professional Studies.

Rev. Bernard M. Tracey, C.M., Executive Vice President for Mission, gave the invocation and presented Joanne Persico, former women’s volleyball head coach, with a special recognition for her 25 years of service to St. John’s.

The retirees enjoyed a buffet and socialization before Mr. DiStefano’s presentation. He talked about his infatuation with food and Queens, and how that combination led him to write his book. 

For many retirees, the annual luncheon is a way to reconnect with the University and former colleagues. Rosemarie McTigue, who worked in the Vincentian Center for Church and Society with Sister Margaret John Kelly, D.C., has been a member of the Retirees Association for eight years, and attends every luncheon. “This is a wonderful group,” she observed. “A large number of us retired in 2010 and everybody was friendly. It really felt like a family, so it is nice to reunite at the luncheon.

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