![Dr. Jay Sexter](/sites/default/files/styles/375x203/public/2024-07/32b.%20VHIB%20sexterphoto_CMYK.jpg?h=333fdb08&itok=ieZwbuJJ)
![Maverick Magazine](/sites/default/files/2024-07/maverick_mag_logo.png)
In Memoriam
![Dr. Jay Sexter](/sites/default/files/styles/440x333/public/2024-07/32b.%20VHIB%20sexterphoto_CMYK.jpg?h=333fdb08&itok=0fwd8N_Y)
(1936-2024)
Dr. Jay Sexter
Dr. Jay Sexter, seventh president of Mercy — a driven leader whose commitment to education left an indelible mark on our institution — passed away on May 21, 2024.
Dr. Sexter spent his professional career in various positions in education. Before joining Mercy, he served as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal, district school superintendent, university department chair, a dean at Fordham University and the provost and academic vice president of CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
During his nine-year tenure as president from 1990 to 1999, Mercy experienced significant growth with the student population nearly doubling to 9,400. Under his leadership, Mercy became known for its community-based outreach efforts, effective partnerships with New York City agencies including the Board of Education. Numerous graduate programs were introduced and expanded, including ones in health care, business and education. In addition, government and private grants increased by 30% and the endowment more than tripled.
After he left Mercy, Dr. Sexter continued his career in education at Touro University and worked to expand programs in California, Nevada and New York. He retired in 2015.
Tributes
W. Bruce Fulton (1951-2024)
W. Bruce Fulton, associate professor emeritus and long-time Library faculty member, passed away on April 6, 2024.
Over the course of 24 years at Mercy, Fulton took a keen interest in systems development and deployment, steering the library through an era of dramatic advances in library informatics, including several major system upgrades and a successful transition from primarily print to electronic resources.
He will be remembered for his gentle nature, highly developed curiosity, storytelling skills and love of people and conversation.
Dr. Evan Imber-Black (1944-2024)
Dr. Evan Imber-Black, professor and program director of the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s program, passed away on May 29, 2024.
Throughout her internationally recognized career, Dr. Imber-Black made significant contributions to various models of MFT practice, particularly in the areas of family dynamics and larger systemic interactions, family rituals and the handling of family secrets. She is the author of over 75 original papers and several influential books, including “The Secret Life of Families” (Bantam, 1998), “Secrets in Families and Family Therapy” (WW Norton, 1993), “Rituals for Our Times,” co-authored with Janine Roberts (Jason Aronson, 1998), “Rituals in Families and Family Therapy,” co-edited with Janine Roberts and Richard Whiting (WW Norton, 1988; second edition, 2003) and “Families and Larger Systems” (Guilford Publications, 1988).
Martin C. Kelly (1942-2024)
Martin C. Kelly, retired lecturer who taught Sociology courses in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS), passed away on May 29, 2024.
Professor Kelly had been an integral part of SSBS since 1994, bringing wisdom and enthusiasm to his teaching roles. Before joining Mercy, he served as the junior director at the Boys’ Club of New York. Kelly was a brilliant educator and exceptional storyteller who earned the admiration and appreciation of many colleagues and students alike. Even after retiring, he continued to be engaged in the Mercy community as the spouse of Dr. Mary Knopp Kelly, SSBS associate professor.
Dr. Christine Sullivan (1951-2024)
Dr. Christine Sullivan, former associate professor and director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (OTA), passed away on May 16, 2024.
Dr. Sullivan was a beloved member of the Mercy community, esteemed for her
impact on her program and unwavering commitment to students and colleagues. She led a successful career in occupational therapy before arriving at Mercy in 1997 when the OTA program started. She first served in a faculty role as associate director and clinical education coordinator of the OTA program, starting in 2002. Four years later, she was appointed as program director. In that role, she re-organized and revitalized the program, hiring new faculty and increasing enrollment. She retired in 2017.
Alumni & Friends
College of New Rochelle
Mary Lynch Schneider SAS ’44
Dorothy Los Fedus SAS ’47
Patricia Carey Gareri SAS ’48
Margaret Giesler Chappell SAS ’48
Marie Lauricella Krumeich SAS ’48
Helen Ginniff Bublitz SAS ’49
Suzanne Bennett Bradley SAS ’50
Rosalie Pedalino Jacobs SAS ’50
Dolores DePalmer Karl SAS ’51
Katherine McGrath Kelley SAS ’51
Sr. Dolores Yanshak, OSU SAS ’51
Florence Horgan SAS ’52
Donna Matthews Walcott SAS ’52
Sr. Jane Mennis, OSU SAS ’52
Rose Marie Murray Verrilli SAS ’52
Kathleen Neary Howard SAS ’52
Patricia Walsh Berntson SAS ’52
Betty Ann Wymbs Finneran SAS ’52
Norma Fazia Elser SAS ’53
Joanne Hall Norbert SAS ’54
Virginia Walsh Furtwangler SAS ’54
Trudy Zawacki Kendrew SAS ’54
Claire Fordrung SAS ’55
Sr. Joan Bretz, OSU SAS ’56
Sr. Regina Kehoe, OSU SAS ’56, GS ’88
Phyllis Kiely Sullivan SAS ’57
Mary Keenan Hart SAS ’58
Donna McAuley Kelly SAS ’58
Sr. Claire Smith, OSU SAS ’58
Kathleen Fredrick SAS ’59
Katherine Johnston Ferrari SAS ’59
Geraldine Taylor Garrett SAS ’60
Maureen Moffatt Myers SAS ’61
Mary Crawford Reining SAS ’62
Margaret Priest MacDermott SAS ’62
Jane Spillane Courtney SAS ’62
Dana Greene SAS ’63
Virginia Murphy D’Isidori SAS ’63
Donna Daly Willson SAS ’64
Sr. Mary Anne Holmes, OSU SAS ’64
Jackie Strumpen-Darrie Pasheluk SAS ’66
Marilyn Dempsey McGill SAS ’68
Joan Godfrey Zaleski SAS ’68
Anne Hoey Logan SAS ’69
Vincent Fusco GS ’75
Kathleen Hilpl GS ’75
Christine Marino McKeever SAS ’75
Elizabeth Hayes GS ’76
Gerda Pintauro SNR ’76
Camille Gervino Romita SNR ’77
Joseph O’Mara GS ’77
Susan Ratnoff GS ’78
Gerald Schachner SNR ’78
Richard Kronberg GS ’79
Deborah Tuttle SAS ’80
Michael Gordon SNR ’83
Joan Stack Trantolo SAS ’83
Mari-Louise Hanley GS ’84
Valerie Galdau GS ’85
Margaret Sirot Hobl GS ’85
Mary Lynn Iwanowicz Whitaker SN ’86
Doris Weiner GS ’89
Elizabeth Mahon Mauro SN ’90
George Martin GS ’18
Joseph Reilly-Antalec, CNR Friend
Mercy University
Eileen Golden ’65
Joanne Vandagna ’68
Florita Hernandez ’77
Emanuel Karlson ’78
William Delaney ’80
Philip Mastroeni ’80
John Owen ’80
Naomi Isaacs ’81
Joseph Mangione ’82
Michael Keehan ’87
Dianne Devine, M.S. ’97
Anne Russell-Lindblom, M.S. ’98
Christina Wilson, M.S. ’98
Kim Garner McClafferty, M.S. ’01
Barbara Straniero ’04
Kathleen Garrison, M.S. ’05
Delores Harris ’10