I understand this is a complete list of our classmates who have passed away, (updated June, 2026).
Jesuits:
Paul Holland, SJ suggested adding a list of the Jesuits who have also passed away over the years.
Beginning in 2005, Paul was rector of Campion Center in Weston. So he was able to reconnect with some of these men late in their lives. He added these recollections.
Fr. William Doyle, math, died May 18, 2007. I saw him several times over the years after Xavier. He retired from teaching and became a hospital chaplain. Bill had been failing for a number of weeks and had been hospitalized twice for dehydration and then pneumonia. He died at 7:25 p.m., with Joe Mullen, his best friend in the Society, Sr. Kathleen Foley, Frank McManus and his sister, Sr. Grace Doyle, at his side.
Fr. Joe Mullen, the college admissions counselor, died September 21, 2007. He had told me that he had a number of assignments in the Society in which he did jobs he wasn’t really trained for, while the Jesuits prepared someone for that position. At one point he was on a Native American reservation, in Maine. His final year had serious medical issues; he was hospitalized in the week before his death. He hated the hospital, and begged to come home, which I arranged. He chose to be listed DNR, and died in his sleep.
Fr. Jim Sheehan, chemistry and religion, died January 1, 2008. Jim went to the hospital Dec 26th with pneumonia. Eventually the infection became more powerful than the antibiotics, and he became cognitively altered, so I decided to bring him back to Campion center so he could die in the community, but he died in the hospital before we could arrange the transfer. I got to the hospital at 2 a.m., about 20 minutes after his death.
Fr. Tom Gallagher, English, was Mr. Gallagher at Xavier, a regent. He died October 2, 2009 from cancer, including cancer of the tongue. His was a prolonged and painful dying. I was with him at 7:00 a.m., praying the commendation of the dying over him, when he sat bolt upright, staring vacantly into space. He finally calmed down, and died about noon, peacefully.
Fr. John Kerdiejus, science and dean of discipline, died July 29, 2010. After Xavier, he did doctoral work in theology and became a very well-respected spiritual director. Eventually he was part of the staff at Eastern Point retreat house at Gloucester MA (with the most spectacular view through the window in front of his desk). While there, he suffered a massive stroke and lost his ability to speak. He spent his last months at Campion and died at the very end of my tenure there.
Further Addenda:
Edgie Cronin died in 1969. Jim Mason visited him often during his illness. He describes Edgie's final days at the Chelsea Naval hospital here: Edgie's bio. Jim also wrote a poem dedicated to the memory of Edgie, “Conversation with a friend”
After Larry Monks died in July, 2004, his wife Barbara asked Mike Allen to write a eulogy. Mike was in Thailand at the time, so his daughter Jessica, who also loved Larry, delivered it at the funeral. The Eulogy
Mark McKenna's brother Ned, and his wife Mary Sue, have written Mark's biography for the years after Xavier. You can find it here: Mark's bio
Charlie Hegarty has written a biography for Jack Leonard covering the years after Xavier: Jack's bio
Anthony Martignetti passed away in 2015, and his publisher and friend Nivi Nagiel has written this update: Anthony's bio
Charlie Hegarty has also written a biography for John Murphy: John's bio
Adam Rakiey's wife Nancy has sent in an update for Adam's years after high school: Adam's bio
John Dzerkacz passed away on May 8, 2017. His reunion bio is here: John's bio. And here is a link to his obituary: John's Obituary
Terry Culhane
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