Two Named and Memorial Gift Dedications

On December 4, following the Seminary's Annual Donor Mass and Brunch, two special Named and Memorial Gift dedications took place. The Rathskeller was dedicated to George A. Salerno, and the Library study hall in memory of Ruth E. Godfrey.

George Salerno was the father of Betty Freeman, a SVdP supporter and volunteer. Betty, married to Bill Freeman, also a supporter and volunteer are members of St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach.

Betty, the youngest of George's three children is a retired, Registered Nurse Specialist in Regulatory Consulting. His two sons, George I. Salerno, MD of Fort Lauderdale, recently retired as a Gastroenterologist and James Salerno of Stuart, FL. and Holmdel, N.J. is a retired Fire Chief and transportation company owner.

George A. Salerno was born in NYC on March 23, 1907, the eldest son of immigrant parents. He led a long, productive life with a simple plan. Work hard, maintain personal integrity and put family first. These lessons he passed along to three children, eight grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

In 1939, George became a Jersey City Fireman and had a distinguished career until he retired at the rank of Captain in 1971. George maintained crystal clear memories of the past and shared stories of life events most of us have only read about in history books. He remembered swimming in the East River at what is now the United Nations site, the "Black Tom" explosion during WWI, soup lines during the depression, air raids drills and black outs during WWII. His first car was a used Model T for the princely sum of $10. As a life-long golfer, he remembered green fees of fifteen cents and continued to play 18 holes until his mid nineties. He admitted to "slowing down" at 97 when he could only manage 9 holes.

George loved young people and they gravitated toward his energy and personality. He loved to share his wisdom with a daily glass of aged scotch and an audience. He drained his last ounce of Johnny Walker "Blue" the night before he died peacefully in his sleep at age 103. A life well-lived, George would be proud that the Rathskeller would provide a place for seminarians to relax and enjoy social activities.

The second dedication that day was in memory of Ruth E. Godfrey, born in Catasauqua, PA, April 6, 1929. Ruth married Ed Godfrey in Annapolis, Mary-land in June of 1954. She was the mother of ten children, and a pediatric nurse for the Baltimore City Hospital. Ruth worked in the children's ward for conta-gious diseases. She loved books and was a voracious reader. She often read 4 or 5 books at a time. As a convert to Catholicism, her favorite author became Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and Jesuit priest. Msgr. Bren-nan, in the company of Ed Godfrey, who currently resides in Cape Coral, and more than 10 family members, dedicated the Ruth E. Godfrey Study Room, in the Oscar A. Schorp Library. Ruth passed away April 2, 2007.

We are grateful to the Salerno and Godfrey families who chose to memorialize their beloved family members with a Named and Memorial Gift on the campus of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.

For more information about St. Vincent's, contact Daniella Coy at 561-732-4424, ext 162, or e-mail at dcoy@svdp.edu. You may also go t www.svdp.edu.

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