Thomas Santoro ’84 and member of the NYPD lost his life to cancer from his actions on 9/11. In memory of Tom, Pat Mullee ’84 (with support of many alumni/friends) put together a Super Bowl pool this year. As a result of this generosity, Nazareth will receive $5,000 to establish the “Tom Santoro ’84 Memorial Scholarship Fund” to benefit students who need financial assistance. Nazareth’s Board has also matched $3,000 of that amount for a total of $8,000! We are grateful to Patrick, our alumni and Tom’s wife Marlena for thinking of Nazareth in memory of Tom.
During Tom’s 20-year career with the NYPD, he worked in various departments, retiring from the counterterrorism division. As much as Tom was a public servant, he was a man devoted to his family and relished his time with his sons, Jack and Michael. While his wife worked, he played Mr. Mom taking the boys to school and to their extracurricular activities. Tom loved his vacations, especially to the Jersey Shore and cruising.
Anyone that knew Tom would say he was the jokester and would make light of even the darkest circumstances. His sense of humor and wit were always present, even when he was battling the 9/11 cancer that would take his life. When no one knew what to say…he did. He chose the perfect path for his life as a public servant as his demeanor suited the job perfectly. “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”