We Remember Them

Mary Jane passed away on March 31, 2022, at the age of 98. She was an extraordinary person, devoted teacher, and dynamic community leader. We consider ourselves fortunate that she chose to devote time and energy to Ursuline in various roles over many years. From 2019 until her passing, she was the Active Chairwoman of our school’s Innovation Campaign. In that role, she exhorted everyone to participate saying, “With your important assistance, you will continue to make Ursuline graduates tomorrow’s leaders because the heart of a donor is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.”

She seemed to effortlessly connect with Ursuline community members of all generations, often by wittily recounting stories of her early years at Ursuline. She entered Ursuline in the 9th grade in September 1937. After graduating from Ursuline, Mary Jane earned a B.A. cum laude with English honors from the College of New Rochelle. She began her graduate studies in English and education at Columbia University and completed her M.A. at Hunter College in New York City. While completing her

Mary Jane with daughter Muffy ’72, Eileen Davidson H’12 P’90 GP’19 and Ann Gillin Lefever ’82 at the launch of the Innovation Campaign in 2019

graduate studies, in 1945 she started her teaching career at Saint Gabriel High School in New Rochelle. There she taught English, history, religion and served as the adviser to the school newspaper and yearbook until 1951.

After a brief hiatus to raise her three children, Mary Jane joined the faculty of Albert Leonard in 1960. “Mrs. Reddington” taught English, creative writing, and journalism and was the faculty adviser of the award-winning school paper, High Lights. She introduced her students to Shakespeare as well as other English and American literature and poetry. Also, she guided her students through Ivanhoe and The Iliad and The Odyssey. It is likely that many of her former students can still identify split infinitives and diagram complex sentences. Her decision to retire from teaching was one of her most difficult ones as she loved every moment in the classroom.

However, retirement offered the time to travel the world with her husband, Jack, and to explore different roles. Ursuline asked her to become our Director of Development and Alumnae, a position she held from 1981 to 1988.

When the New Rochelle Board of Education held its first

Ellen Mooney Hancock JB Nicholson, OSU Jason Hancock

ever election for a seat on the Board (previously, Board members were by mayoral appointment), Mary Jane threw her hat into the ring and defeated the incumbent. She was re-elected six times. She served as both President (1987 – 1989) and Vice-President (1985 – 1987).

Her dedication to her college alma mater, the College of New Rochelle, also spanned decades. The College presented her with the Ursula Laurus Citation (1962) and the St. Angela Merici Medal (1970), the College’s highest alumnae honor. In 1996, she received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Iona College.

Mary Jane was a parishioner of the Church of the Holy Family for over 65 years where she was a lector and, until her death, President of the Ladies Guild.

Mary Jane was honored by many organizations for her service and commitment to her community. Ursuline bestowed upon her the St. Angela Award (1977) for her “exceptional loyalty and devotion to the school and for furthering the realization of the values and goals of Ursuline education” and The St. Ursula Award (2011) for her professional achievements.

We certainly miss Mary Jane’s grace, humor, and wise perspective.

Ellen Mooney Hancock ’61passed away on April 19, 2022. We honor Ellen as a highly successful technology leader who consistently lived the motto of Serviam, championed the advancement of women, and supported Catholic education. She was a tremendous supporter of Ursuline and a staunch advocate of opportunities for young women.

Ellen was an outstanding student who chose to study mathematics and pursue a career in technology long before any of us had heard the acronym “STEAM.” After earning a bachelor’s degree from the College of New Rochelle followed by a master’s from Fordham University, she joined IBM as a junior programmer. Almost three decades later, demonstrating a tireless work ethic, she was the first female to attain the position of Senior Vice President. As Group Executive, she was responsible for three divisions. One can imagine how significant it was that she joined the IBM Corporate Executive Council and the IBM Worldwide Management Council.

After IBM, Ellen took on senior leadership roles at National Semiconductor Corporation and Apple Computer. She subsequently persisted in her role as a pioneer, serving

Ellen Mooney Hancock ’61 continued

as chief executive officer of Exodus Communications, Inc. and then president of Jazz Technologies, Inc. In 1985, The Ursuline School bestowed on Ellen the St. Ursula Award for her professional achievements.

Throughout these years of career success, Ellen also made it a priority to give of her time and share her professional wisdom. She served on many boards and councils, such as the Institute of Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California and C200, a women’s executive leadership organization that works to advance women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. She generously donated financial resources. These were values learned from her parents and affirmed by her Catholic education. It is reported that Ellen’s father told his children, “You’ve received a fair amount, so you should give a fair amount back.”

Ellen and her husband, Jason, made significant financial gifts to a number of educational organizations over many years, especially to support Catholic education. Their gifts to The Ursuline School took various forms, notably a leadership gift for The Mooney Hancock Arts Center, built in 2002. We also are appreciative of Ellen’s generous contribution to the “Fulfilling the Promise” campaign in 2012; her gift of $1.5 million was the largest donation in that campaign. Most recently, Ellen established the Ken and Frances LoCicero Bailie ‘61 Scholarship in memory of her best friend, Fran; this scholarship will have a STEAM merit focus.

Ellen’s counsel and guidance on a myriad of issues were just as valuable as her financial support. The ultimate critical thinker, Ellen posed the most insightful questions, shared her opinions and insights gained from experiences at other institutions, and always offered encouragement. She cared deeply for her alma mater. The Advancement team is very grateful for the support and mentorship that she offered them over the years. She made Ursuline better.

Dr. Melnyk recalls, “After I became president of Ursuline last July, Ellen was one of the first alumnae with whom I spoke. Her deep commitment to Ursuline was undeniable. One of the things that impressed me about Ellen was her profound understanding of the importance of innovation in the field of education. We had a very meaningful discussion about design thinking. Ellen was passionate that innovation improves teaching and learning because it compels both teachers and students to engage in higher order thinking.”

Ellen’s sharp mind and successful career serve as an amazing role model for all young women. It is impossible to underestimate the impact she has made on the thousands of Ursuline students whose studies and passions have come to life in the classrooms, studios and theater of the building that bears her name.

Fran Bailie and her husband, Ken Bailie, tragically died on September 1, 2021 during Tropical Storm Ida. They were driving home after teaching classes at Iona College when their car became trapped in a flash flood caused by the storm.

Dr. Frances Bailie was Chair of the Computer Science Department at Iona College (now Iona University). She taught courses in programming, computer literacy, web design and programming, and educational technology. She also served as internship coordinator for Computer Science students. She had said that she found it very rewarding to work oneon-one with students, to help them learn and to provide guidance. She found that students appreciated the work ethic that the department tried to instill in them, to want to do their best, and to enter careers where they can use their skills to help other people. She considered computer science a service-oriented discipline. It was her observation that there were many ways that computer science could make a difference in the world when computer scientists collaborated with economists, chemists, mathematicians or those in healthcare or environmental science.

Fran shared this perspective when she spoke with students in Ursuline’s Computer Science Honors classes on April 4, 2016. Dr. Bailie presented stories of women who have used their expertise in technology to make a difference in the world. It was both informative and inspiring. Her research on this topic had been published and was also available on her website Women in Computing.

In addition to her computer science role, Fran was director of Iona’s Honors Program; she served on various committees; when Iona started freshman learning communities, Fran piloted the new system; as freshman advising director, she led faculty efforts to make sure every new student’s schedule fit their needs. Fran also helped organize and deliver daily reflections during services on campus throughout Lent. Iona honored Fran as a “Woman of Achievement.” Fran’s Iona colleagues described her as a woman of great faith whose charisma, dedication and optimism made her not just an excellent department head, but a true friend.

Ken Bailie was a longtime executive at IBM before joining Iona a decade ago to teach computer science. In their hometown of Rye Brook, the couple were known for their friendliness, their Christmas decorations, and their volunteerism. They had been active in their home parish but most enthusiastically they were devoted to their daughter, Kathleen, son, Kevin, and four grandchildren.

Pictured above: Jeannine photographed in the new Innovation Hub, a space where students find solutions to real-world problems, design and invent, and explore different fields of engineering.

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