December 20, 2024
Lives we lost in 2024
As the year comes to a close, take a moment to celebrate the lives of all members of the Providence College community who died in 2024, including these faculty, staff, and alumni:
Jane Lunin Perel, MFA ’15Hon.
Jane Lunin Perel, MFA ’15Hon., longtime professor of English and of women’s and gender studies, one of the first women hired to teach at Providence College, and founder of the Women’s Studies Program, died on February 22, 2024.
With her husband, she founded the Providence College Poetry and Fiction Series, which brought prominent writers to the college to engage with the students and community.
Edward L. Scanlon ’55, ’00Hon.
Edward L. Scanlon ’55, ’00Hon., a longtime NBC executive and emeritus member of the PC Board of Trustees, died on March 17, 2024, the day before his 90th birthday.
In addition to his service as a trustee, Mr. Scanlon and his wife, Andrée, have been generous donors to the college. A first-floor lecture hall in the Ruane Center for the Humanities is named for the Scanlon family, as well as the Scanlon Financial Resource and Information Lab in the Arthur F. and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies. The Scanlons also endowed the Edward L. Scanlon ’55 Scholarship Fund, providing multiple scholarships for students from New Jersey and Florida.
Francis “Frank” Ford, M.A.
Francis “Frank” Ford, M.A., longtime assistant professor of computer science, died Friday, March 22, 2024. He served as a college faculty member for more than four decades and also helped organize the American Mathematical Society’s competitions for Rhode Island high school students for many years.
Coach Bob Foley
Robert Foley, the winningest coach in Providence women’s basketball history, died on April 29, 2024. He was 72.
He led the Friars to six postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournament berths. He earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 1986 and his 1990 squad claimed the program’s first BIG EAST title and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.
John M. Murphy ’19Hon.
John M. Murphy ’19Hon., who died on June 13, 2024, established the Dr. Kenneth Walker ’57 Family Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support for African-American students majoring in education at Providence College. He also endowed the Murphy-Healy Irish Lecture Series, an annual event on Irish American culture.
Rev. John J. Reid, O.P.
Rev. John J. Reid, O.P., who served as a theology professor, associate vice president for student services, director of Slavin Center and of Campus Ministry, and chaplain at the time of the Aquinas Hall fire, died on June 24, 2024, at age 89. He was a Dominican priest for 50 years.
Read a reflection by Rev. Jordan Zajac, O.P. ’04, associate professor of English, about his Dominican brother:
Rev. Terence Stephen Keegan, O.P. ’60
Rev. Terence Stephen Keegan, O.P. ’60 died Sunday, August 11, at the age of 85. A dedicated member of the Providence College faculty for 40 years, he taught theology and mathematics, authored numerous books, and served in various roles at the college, including executive vice president.
Coach Bill Doyle
William J. Doyle, who founded Providence College’s men’s soccer program and coached the team for more than 25 years, died August 14, 2024.
Mr. Doyle had 207 victories and was inducted into Providence College’s athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
He was named Big East Soccer Coach of the Year in 1983 and was a finalist for the National Coach of the year in 1984.
Alan Shawn Feinstein ’94Hon.
Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein ’94Hon., who died Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the age of 93, lives on at Providence College through the Feinstein Institute for Public Service and the Feinstein Academic Center, both named in his honor.
