December 29, 2015
James V. McEnery
(July 4, 1916 - December 24, 2015)
James V. McEnery, a member of the founding faculty of Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, at home. He was 99 and lived in Cornwall-on-Hudson for 60 years.
“In his long life, Dad was the ultimate educator, because he always put the student first,” his family said in a statement. “His deep faith, love of family, and sense of humanity form the basis of his legacy. Our sadness is tempered by the knowledge that he chose to leave us on Christmas Eve, a day associated with peace and joy. It was a final reminder that he really did have a wonderful life.”
Jim taught at a variety of institutions, but college humanities was his first love, and the Mount gave him a golden career opportunity. When the Sisters of St. Dominic opened the college in 1960 as a liberal arts college for women, the student body consisted of 10 students. The entire college was housed in a former residence known as the Villa Madonna. Jim, who taught English, was the first lay faculty member of the young college. But he filled other roles that evolved as the college grew.
He helped develop the college’s English offerings, teaching a variety of courses, and chaired the English department from 1970 to 1977. His specialties were Anglo-Saxon and 18th Century literature and linguistics. In 1978, he established an award for English achievement in memory of his wife Jane, who also supported the college by participating in many events and functions. He became a historian of the steady growth of the Mount, (enrollment now numbers more than 2,500), eventually donating a collection of memorabilia and lecturing on the college’s early days after he retired.
He led every commencement as master of ceremonies from 1971 until his retirement. He was a tireless booster, working phonathons and other fundraising events and attending nearly every alumni reunion. He never was without his camera.
In 1983, when he received the Mount’s Faculty Award for his contributions to the college, he was honored as a “dedicated teacher, loyal colleague and gentle counselor.” A familiar presence in his bowtie and cap, he was known as “our Mr. Chips,” as the faculty award noted.
In 1985, when he was given the Trustees Award, he was cited for his love for the Mount and his “humanitarian approach to life.” The award also noted his message to graduates two years before on Class Day. “Don’t forget your Alma Mater and yours truly, your Almus Pater.” He retired in 1987 with the rank of associate professor emeritus.
Students thought highly of him. He was “an awesome man. I don’t think I ever saw him without his signature bow tie and cap. He knew everyone and was loved by all,” said a former student.
In retirement, Jim traveled throughout the United States with his children and on many solo journeys, reconnecting with family members and visiting landmarks. He also traveled to England and Ireland. A veteran sports enthusiast, he especially enjoyed baseball and was known for his deep knowledge of baseball statistics, nurtured from the time he was a young man. In his undergraduate days, a colle ge newspaper article said he “eats, drinks and breathes baseball.”
The youngest of six children, Jim was born in Philadelphia on July 4, 1916 to Michael and Mary Rushton McEnery. He received his bachelor’s degree in education and Latin from St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia, now St. Joseph’s University, in 1938, and his master’s degree in English and American literature in 1942 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also did additional postgraduate work. An Army World War II veteran, he served from August 1942 to January 1946 and received several citations for his service in the Pacific.
He was teaching at St. Joseph’s College when he met his wife, the former Jane R. Papiano, whom he married in 1947. He later taught at Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia before he and his family moved to New York, where he joined the faculty of the USMA Preparatory School, then stationed at the former Stewart Air Force Base. He taught at Cornwall Central High School before joining the Mount.
He was a member of St. Thomas of Canterbury R.C. Church in Cornwall-on-Hudson, where he was a former lector.
His family often joked that, with a Fourth of July birthday, there were parades and fireworks every year in his honor. In 1999, he was given a special honor when he was chosen as grand marshal of his hometown’s Independence Day parade.
His wife died in 1977. He is survived by his son, James V. T. McEnery, and his wife, Cheryl, of Tacoma, WA, his daughters, Mary Anne, at home, Susan Gaetano and her husband, Gary, of New Windsor, and Regina of Cambridge, MA; and many nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, and cousins.
The family wishes to thank the many caregivers who looked after Dad during his illness.
Friends may call from 2-4 and 6-8pm on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at the James F. Lulves Funeral Home, 9 Avenue A, Cornwall-on-Hudson. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 am on Thursday, Dec. 31 at St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, 340 Hudson St., Cornwall-on-Hudson. Burial will be in St. Thomas Cemetery, Cornwall.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory may be made to Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh, NY 12550. The family plans to hold a memorial service for Jim, with the date and time to be announced.
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