University Mourns Loss of Fr. William Donnelly, S.J.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 26, 2012 --- The Santa Clara University community is mourning the loss of a longtime business-school faculty member and former Jesuit Community rector and academic vice president, William F. Donnelly, S.J.
“The Santa Clara Jesuit Community will mourn mightily the sudden, though peaceful, death of our brother Bill,” said Michael Zampelli, S.J., the Rector of the Santa Clara Jesuit Community.
“Not only will we miss his entertaining, sardonic wit, but we will also miss the very many ways that he represented us and our Jesuit vocation to the larger world—in his dedicated teaching of Economics, in his faithful ministry to alumni and benefactors (especially the Catala Club), and in his consistent efforts to console those who mourn,” he added. “Bill's passing leaves a hole in our lives; we pray that God will fill that hole with increasing gratitude for having had Bill in our lives.”
To honor the life of Father William Donnelly, there will be services in the Mission Church on Monday, November 5. All are invited to attend the services, which will be followed by a reception in the de Saisset Museum.
Visitation and Vigil Service:
3:00-6:00 p.m., Monday, November 5, 2012
Mission Church, Santa Clara University
Vigil Service will begin at 5:30 p.m. to conclude the visitation hours.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 7:30 p.m., Monday, November 5, at Mission Church, Santa Clara University.
Born in 1928, Fr. Donnelly had been a member of the economics faculty since 1969, where he taught courses in international economics, international trade and finance, and principles of economics. His recent research concerned exports of American motion pictures, international trade, and offshore financial centers.
A 1949 graduate of the Santa Clara University with a degree in business, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1951, and held teaching posts at Loyola Marymount as well as Santa Clara University. He earned his doctorate in economics from New York University, and held master’s degrees in economics and theology.
He held several administrative posts at the University and with the Society of Jesus, serving as a member of the Santa Clara University Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees, and was Academic Vice President from 1973 to 1978. He also served on the Board of Trustees for Loyola Marymount University, and consulted for the Vice Provincial for Education, in the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
Fr. Donnelly's students are expected to be offered a chance to remember Fr. Donnelly on Monday morning during their regular class period, with reflections and conversation with members of Campus Ministry, CAPS (Counseling and Psychology Services), and the business school leadership.
“Fr. Donnelly was a talented teacher and scholar who dedicated his life to his students and to the University community,” said SCU Leavey School of Business Dean Drew Starbird. “He was well known for his humor, collegiality, and commitment to the University's mission. He will be deeply missed by everyone in the Business School.”
Memorial donations may be sent to the Jesuit Community for the Jesuit Scholarship Fund or for the Catala Club.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121