“During the summer of 2004, I had the wonderful privilege of joining Father Terry for a very memorable trip to Yosemite National Park in California. There are numerous episodes from this trip that flood my mind as I think back on this great man. The sweetest occurred during our group ascent of Half Dome, the iconic centerpiece of Yosemite. This was a very long hike, a challenge even for those of us trekkers hailing from the mountainous regions of our country. And Father Terry was not a young man at that point! But his spirit was indomitable.
“What a sight he was! His tall, strong frame stood out. He wore a brimmed hat, a white sun-blocking collared shirt, and thick sunscreen on the back of his neck. As he attacked the mountain, his attention and concern were entirely for all of us.
“To entertain us and keep our minds off our grueling task, he pulled poem after poem from his memory bank and recited them for us with the greatest enthusiasm as we hiked along the way. ‘The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,’ ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’ ‘O Captain! My Captain!,’ and others. Of course, his favorite was ‘The Cremation of Sam McGee.’ I can still see the twinkle in his eye as he smiled and said, ‘And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar; And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said, “Please close that door.”’
“As other hikers passed, all of them looked with astonishment at Father Terry, many of them asking, ‘Who is this man?’ In response, I remember thinking to myself, ‘I wish you knew him as I do, for he is a treasure.’ He was a man and a Father I will never forget.”
—Bernie Towne ’03 MA ’08
“Father Terry was just the right person to lead Franciscan University during the years he served as president. Following the legendary 26-year tenure of Father Mike Scanlan, TOR, many wondered if the University could be led by someone else without that person either trying to emulate Father Scanlan or trying to run from the shadow he cast. Father Terry did neither. He treated the University as a treasure that had been entrusted to him. With humility, and deep faith, he did not attempt to change the mission or place his own personality upon it. He loved it, protected it, and advanced it. During his time as president, the University expanded in enrollment, academics, campus life, and public witness. Baron athletics also returned to NCAA competition.
“What I will remember most, however, was not what he built, but who he was. He was kind. He was gentle. He was joyful. And he was unassuming. I had the joy of hiking with him in our nation’s parks. Each hike began with prayer, and each day concluded with Mass. He greeted those he passed on the trails as warmly as he did students and colleagues. Before long, groups would form around him listening enthusiastically as he recounted stories, particularly those from history, with wonder and excitement. He loved G.K. Chesterton, and through Chesterton, he taught us one of the greatest lessons of discipleship—to not stand in judgment over the world but to first look to see where we need conversion in our own lives and whether we are bringing Christ to others. I will forever be grateful to have known Father Terry as a leader, priest, and friend.”
—Brenan Pergi ’98 MBA ’02
Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff
Fr. Terry with Kaitlyn (Koehr ‘03) Brindle.
“I first met Father Terry at Freshman Orientation in fall 2007, and less than a week later, I met him again at the bottom of a cliff just off campus after I fell 80 feet. Father Terry somehow hiked down to me and prayed with me. He followed me up the steep ravine with all the fire fighters and rescue workers. He said Mass in my hospital room before I underwent surgery for a broken neck. Six years later, he said my wedding Mass. He had such a heart for God, for his students, and for me. I will never forget him. Rest in peace, Father Terry.”
—Kaitlyn (Koehr ‘07) Brindle
“Father Terry invited me to join the Board of Trustees in 2006, and I had the privilege of serving until 2018. From the very start, Father Terry’s vision and leadership were evident.
“When I joined, intercollegiate sports had been dormant since 1981 due to financial challenges. Yet under Father Terry’s guidance, the board voted in 2006 to reinstate athletics, and by 2007, we proudly joined NCAA Division III on a provisional basis. During this period, alongside former trustee Paul Nigro ’69, the phrase, ‘The Barons Are Back,’ was coined—a testament to Father Terry’s unwavering commitment to student life, community spirit, and his enduring mantra of nurturing mind, body, and soul.
“Father Terry’s support went far beyond words. In 2011, he spearheaded having the University commit $2.9 million to renovate and expand Finnegan Fieldhouse, demonstrating his deep investment in an area that meant so much to the University and its students. His advocacy, enthusiasm, and dedication transformed the athletic program and enriched countless student experiences.
“Father Terry was not just a leader; he was a mentor, an inspiration, and a tireless champion for holistic growth. His legacy will be felt for generations, and I am grateful to have witnessed it firsthand.”
—Paul Carapellotti
Secretary/Treasurer, Anthony Mining Company & Affiliates
“I was walking on a familiar trail with Father Terry in Steubenville, sometime around 2007, while I was working on my MA in philosophy. We used to hike there often to ‘train for the big summer hike, Gal!’ On this occasion, I found myself needing to use the facilities, and since nature wasn’t obliging, he pointed out a porta-potty, which I promptly investigated. I returned and said we would have to go back to the University soon because it had about 15 hornets inside, and there was absolutely no way I would use it.
“He said, ‘Gal, just go back in there and say, “Brother Hornet, I am here in peace. Please don’t sting.”’
“I headed back toward the dreaded box full of hornets, and I did what he suggested, although I am mortally afraid of hornets. But these hornets must have had a connection to St. Francis almost as strong as Father Terry’s, because they chose not to sting me. I was beyond grateful and amazed.
“I tell this story because it encapsulates Father Terry’s unique personality. He was at once a competent and highly intelligent leader of men, with several titles and degrees, but also a man of childlike faith and humility. I will never forget this man who enabled our group to travel to the most beautiful spots in all the national parks in the U.S., said Mass outside on picnic tables, led by example, and never, ever wavered in his faith in the goodness of God experienced in a profound way through God’s beautiful creation. Father Terry was like a father to me and to so many others. Thank you, God, for Father Terry and the example he set of the Franciscan spirit with his faith-filled life.”
—Merissa Newton ’03 MA ’08
“Father Terry was a good priest, a wonderful brother, and Franciscan University was blessed by his time with us. He loved Franciscan University. He was deeply concerned about the secularization of our culture and believed that graduating educated young people, alive in their faith, was of vital importance. Father Terry defended the unborn believing every life had dignity and value and that it was necessary for those who could fight for them to stand up and do so.
“He loved education and believed educating young people is one of the greatest gifts we have to offer them. From the time when he was a high school history teacher, principal of a high school, and eventually president of Franciscan University, Father Terry loved his students and expressed it with an enthusiastic vigor that was authentic and a blessing to all. I will personally miss Father Terry’s joyful greeting, ‘Hey, big guy, doing great things at Franciscan.’”
—Father Dave Pivonka, TOR ’89
President, Franciscan University
Fr. Terry standing up for religious freedom.
“Father Terry’s first year as president was my first year at Franciscan, too. I met him outside SS. Cosmas and Damian Hall, where he would greet students on our way to and from classes. I would also see him in the fieldhouse often. I’d be on the stair climber reading my math textbook, and he’d get on the elliptical and give me a big smile and say, ‘Hi, Gal.’
“As president, he was this busy CEO, and yet he still made time for what he thought was most important: being connected to the people he was leading. That’s why he made an effort to eat in the cafeteria every chance he could, work out with us kids, and step out of his office to say hello.
“Over the years, I came to appreciate how he quietly embodied the faith and just how deep and profound his faith was and how he lived it. He was obedient to the Lord and his order, and he always had the heart of the Gospel in mind. He was faithful in any walk of life the Lord handed to him. He also used his gifts and talents to help us all grow in our faith, become closer to God, and try to become who God wants us to be.
“At the funeral, I wanted to say to him, ‘Congratulations! You did it! You’re in eternal life now. This is what we prepare our whole lives for, and you preached it, you lived it, and now you’re going on to the next chapter.’
“So, the funeral felt like a commissioning and invitation to me. Like he was saying, ‘Hey, Melissa, use your time and talents for others. It’s all for your salvation because that’s the ball game.’”
—Melissa Wilson ’02 MA ’05
Tim Delaney ’99 MBA ’07 serves as executive director of Development at Franciscan University
