Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk: Stories of Extraordinary People and Why They Give ANTHONY CELENTANO ’74

Anthony Celentano ’74 has been a long-time financial supporter of MKA and is a member of the Heritage Society because he recognized at an early age that “Other people made it possible for me to go to Montclair Academy.” He was aware of the students, families, and alumni whose contributions allowed the school to grow and flourish through the years. From many different points in his life and career, Anthony can draw a line back to the incredible academic foundation he was given and to a few very influential teachers at Montclair Academy (MA).

Arriving on the hill in ninth grade, Anthony found that most of the students had attended MA from seventh grade, and many had started at Brookside together in Kindergarten. While attending elementary school, Anthony’s family moved from Bloomfield to Montclair, and his family eventually chose MA for Anthony due to the location and the school’s reputation. In his freshman year, Anthony met Calvin Matzke who had combined his art and music degrees as a teacher and artist. Calvin invited Anthony to the First Congregational Church in Montclair to see him sing in his role as First Baritone, and while the choral program was impressive and wonderful, it was the organ playing by MA music teacher Nixon Bicknell that really impacted Anthony. Anthony started private organ lessons, and the road to his degree in music and lifetime commitment to playing the organ began. Anthony also was a member of the set crew for the Winter Musical and created wonderful background and scenery for the show. Up until the winter of his senior year, Anthony thought architecture was going to be his path, but ultimately, he followed in the footsteps of these two musically-gifted teachers and attended Westminster Choir College to study and earn two degrees in sacred music and organ.

While at Montclair Academy, Anthony was also fortunate to form a bond with English teacher John Noble since John was his advisor for all four years. English classes with him and with Allan Penner were rigorous and taught Anthony the art of writing a well-crafted, well-researched, and eloquent essay. This skill proved incredibly helpful throughout his college experience and especially when Anthony was at Seton Hall University earning his degree in counseling. It was with this degree that Anthony began a career spanning 18 years as a guidance counselor and the registrar at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, NJ until his retirement in 2018.

Another academic experience that shaped Anthony and his lifelong love of learning, was the Asian Studies class with history teacher Nicholas Childs. Anthony shared that Nicholas “brought a depth of knowledge and personal travel experience into his classroom. And anybody who had that course would probably tell you it was one of the best courses they had.” The connection between the experience of global learning then and MKA’s commitment to educating students of the world through international travel now is not lost on Anthony. He has enjoyed traveling throughout his life and continues to admire and learn about architecture; even though it was never something he earned a degree in, his foundation of learning at Montclair Academy fostered a continuing interest in the subject and the world.

As a member of the Class of 1974, Anthony was in the last class to graduate from Montclair Academy, and he has remained steadfast in his support of MKA’s growth while the school has also maintained its connection to its founding schools. A musician, performer, guidance counselor, traveler, lover of architecture, and more, Anthony has never and will not stop learning: his instructors at Montclair Academy would not have wanted nor expected anything less.

MKA Heritage Society

Learn more about the benefits of MKA's planned giving opportunities at mka.org/plannedgiving

Contact Chris Kenrick, Associate Director of Philanthropy, at ckenrick@mka.org or 973-509-7933