October 06, 2011
Lewis Avenue alumni know how to put time on hold.
Photo Gallery
For these distinguished men and women, the passage of 50 or 60
years has done nothing to diminish their connection to each other
or to the campus that still means so much to them. If anything,
those connections are stronger and more vibrant today than
ever.
The road that led from Lewis Avenue into the world at large
traveled in many directions, and yet for many alumni of that
historic Brooklyn campus, it was never a one-way street. Even after
all these years, no matter where their life has taken them, they
still find their way back to St. John’s.
Nearly 140 alumni gathered on the Queens campus for the 
54th Annual Lewis Avenue Reunion, which included Mass in
St. Thomas More Church and brunch in the D’Angelo Center. Hugs,
smiles and laughter were the order of the day, and no matter what
career or profession they pursued after graduation, everyone agreed
that their time on Lewis Avenue made a lasting impact on their
personal and professional lives.
“My four years at St. John’s were just fabulous,” said Bernadette
Petti ’57Ed. “I had great teachers and learned so much, not only
about academics but also about how important it is to develop a
solid philosophy of life. As a teacher, I know that I’ve tried to
share those values with my students, and I like to think that a
part of what we had on Lewis Avenue has become a part of their
lives as well.”
Like so many of his fellow graduates, double alumnus Donald J.
Zimmer ’49C, ’52L has wonderful memories of his days as a student
on Lewis Avenue. He credited his excellent undergraduate education
with providing the foundation for his success in St. John’s School
of Law, and acknowledged the uniqueness of the ethical climate that
was woven into his entire experience at the University.
“The morality that St. John’s taught me on Lewis Avenue was
unbelievable,” he recalled. “I’ve spent my entire professional life
as a practicing attorney, and those values were an important part
of everything I did, not only for myself but also for my family and
my clients. I often thank God that I got my undergraduate and legal
education at St. John’s.”
For Nicholas D’Arienzo, M.D. ’53C, the road from Lewis Avenue
brought him into the world of medicine. His B.S. in Biology led to
a long and satisfying career in which he was regularly acknowledged
as one of New York’s most gifted and respected pediatricians. For
this outgoing physician, his warmest memories of Lewis Avenue are
all about the people who began as fellow students and have
continued as lifelong friends.
“After all these years, Lewis Avenue is still such a pleasant
memory fro us,” he said. “We were very lucky, because the friends
we made back then have remained friends throughout our lives. There
are at least 10 of us here today who have stayed in contact with
each other for more than 55 years, which is pretty amazing. The
people are what made the Lewis Avenue campus so special, and from
what I know of St. John’s today, that’s still pretty much the way
it is.”
One of the ways in which the Lewis Avenue alumni have kept 
their legacy at the University alive is through their
generous funding of The Fr. Cyril Meyer, C.M. Lewis Avenue Alumni
Scholarship Fund. Fr. Meyer was a former Dean and Vice President at
St. John’s, and the scholarship provides grants to one or more
deserving students studying in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences.
Scholarship recipient Brian Kabir ’12C was grateful for the
opportunity to attend the Lewis Avenue Alumni Reunion and meet some
of the alumni whose generosity has helped to make his education at
St. John’s a reality.
A senior majoring in Chemistry, Kabir acknowledged that the
scholarship “…is giving me the opportunity to accomplish my future
goals and dreams. I’m hoping to go to either medical school or
dental school after I graduate from St. John’s, and it’s great to
meet some of the people who are helping me financially. I really
like hearing their stories about what the University was like when
they were students, and it’s nice to be able to say thank you to
them in person. Someday I hope to be where they are today, because
I want to be able to help other students just like these alumni are
helping me.”