EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter was written and submitted by Elizabeth Joyce ’05, a close friend of the late Michael Mulhall ’10.
It has taken me some time to write this letter because the pain of the loss we suffered during the summer of 2010 was unimaginable. I am from Floral Park, N.Y., and was good friends with Michael Mulhall ’10, who passed away tragically, along with sisters Jamie and Paige Malone, in a car accident on their way to work at Camp Anchor.
Camp Anchor (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation) provides programs for children and adults with special needs, and I – alongside my sister, Kelly ’03, and brother, Kevin ’08 – worked there with Mike. He worked and volunteered at the camp for nearly a decade, giving these individuals love and laughter every day for six weeks during the summer. Although camp only lasted for a short time, his dedication and love touched the campers for a lifetime. The loss of Mike affected campers, counselors, volunteers who didn’t even know him well, and many members of the small close-knit town in which he lived.
If there was one thing that bonded Mike and I, it was our love for The University of Scranton. When I heard Mike was attending Scranton I was elated because of my own love for the school. My four years at the University were, by far, the greatest years of my life. I remember expressing to Mike the amount of fun he would have, the friends he would make, and the family he would leave with.
Each summer Mike and I would share stories and express our love by hosting Scranton-themed parades at Anchor. It was amazing to see campers, with all types of disabilities, walking around with their purple shirts cheering for our University. Some people thought we were crazy, but the Scranton family is large at Anchor, and many others shared our devotion and wanted to celebrate it.
The entire camp mourned Mike’s passing. Everyone wore purple in honor of his love for Scranton. Scholarships have been created in his name for students who possess the same qualities
as Mike. His love for life has been truly missed each day since he has been gone.
The day of Mike’s funeral, Father Pilarz traveled from Scranton to say his Mass and eulogy. Father Pilarz spoke so personally about Mike that all who attended were truly touched. Scranton really binds people together as a family, from students to professors, all the way up to the president. Leaving the funeral, I realized that Mike’s love for Scranton was true and will go on with him forever.
When I read The Scranton Journal, containing stories of success, births and weddings, and future plans for the University, I think of Mike and his enthusiasm for the school. He accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, and during his last years he truly embodied the motto of “Pride, Passion, and Promise.”
I hope that passing on his story will allow Mike’s friends, classmates and others who have attended Scranton a moment to celebrate his life and his unending love for our University.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Joyce ’05
Michael’s Scholarship
In honor of Michael Mulhall, The Michael Mulhall ’10 Memorial Scholarship has been established for University of Scranton students pursuing a career in education – with first preference given to students interested in special education. If you are interested in contributing, donation checks should be written out to The University of Scranton with “Mulhall” on the memo line.
Checks should be mailed to: Meg Hambrose, The University of Scranton, 800 Linden Street Scranton, PA, 18510
