September 28, 2018
St. John’s University mourns the passing of Mary P. Tobin ’00HON, trustee emerita, generous benefactor, and wife of Peter J. Tobin ’65CBA, ’96HON.
“St. John’s has lost one of the most beloved members of our community, Mary Tobin,” said Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s. “Mary served the University with grace and humility, and was a shining example of the Vincentian mission upon which St. John’s was founded. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Peter, and the entire Tobin family.”
Born Mary Gamble, she was raised in the Bronx, NY. She met Peter at a dance and the couple fell in love almost immediately. They were married in June 1966.
Mrs. Tobin deferred completion of her college career to raise the couple’s two children, Kristin and Peter G., while supporting her husband’s career. She returned to college in the late 1970s, completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Pace University, and began a career as a computer programmer at Bell Laboratories, Inc.
A firm believer that assisting a family will only serve to strengthen its bonds, Mrs. Tobin worked tirelessly as Managing Trustee of the Tobin Family Foundation, providing help and support to families with special needs in the areas of housing, health, and education.
When her husband, Peter, was named Dean of the University’s College of Business Administration in 1998, Mary joined him, donating her services to the College as Director of Special Projects. In 1999, the Tobins made a historic donation of $10.25 million to the University. At the time, it was the largest single donation in the history of St. John’s. The College of Business Administration was renamed The Peter J. Tobin College of Business in Mr. Tobin’s honor.
In 2009, she was elected to the Board of Trustees, where she served for 7 years. She left the Board in 2016 and that same year, she was made Trustee Emerita.
In 2000, St. John’s recognized Mary’s many contributions by conferring an honorary doctorate on her, and in 2005, she was awarded the Spirit of Service Award, in recognition of a life lived in accordance with the Vincentian philosophy of caring and concern for others. Mary and Peter were also recognized as affiliates of the Congregation of the Mission.
An ardent supporter of causes that benefited vulnerable populations, Mrs. Tobin was Board Chair of St. John’s Bread & Life, a nonprofit organization that operates a soup kitchen, food pantry, and other services for individuals experiencing food insecurity. She was also a member of their Sponsor a Family Committee, working to provide 1,800 needy families with children’s gifts, and served as Dinner Chairperson for the Johnny’s Angel Awards, which raised funds for the organization.
A member of the New York Advisory Committee of All Hallows College, a Vincentian international center for theology and ministerial development based in Ireland, she also co-chaired the College’s first benefit dinner in the United States.
She is survived by her husband Peter, her children Kristin and Peter G., and several grandchildren.