20 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 23, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Archbishop Molloy mourns loss of beloved teacher and coach
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Archbishop Molloy High School
community is in mourning following
the passing of Brother Robert Andrews,
known as Brother Bob, on April 7, 2020.
Brother Bob died from complications
related to coronavirus. Brother Bob
served Molloy High School for over 43
years. He began his teaching and coaching
career at St. Helene High School, now
known as Msgr. Scanlan High School, in
the Bronx in 1970.
Aft er fi ve years as their varsity boys
coach, he transitioned to Molloy High
School in 1975. Brother Bob served as a
social studies and religion teacher as well as
a track and fi eld and cross-country coach.
During his tenure, Brother Bob helped
countless student athletes realize their
full potential. Under his leadership,
Molloy won a New York State Cross-
Country Championship, 17 New York
City Catholic Indoor and Outdoor Titles,
and over 75 Brooklyn/Queens Catholic
Sectional Championships.
Molloy’s student-athletes also achieved
individual success under Brother Bob’s
guidance, winning three Catholic
Individual Cross-Country Races and 11
New York State individual titles. Brother
Bob’s love of running was fi rst nurtured
while he attended St. Peter’s High School
for Boys on Staten Island. Th ere, he was
mentored by Coach John Tobin, who
helped him grow intellectually and physically
as a runner.
Later, Brother Bob was appointed
cross-country captain at Marist College
where he would graduate with a degree
in History in 1969. Brother Bob completed
his MA in Religious Studies at Webster
College. Brother Bob retired from teaching
at the end of the 2014-15 school year,
but he remained an active member of
Molloy’s coaching staff .
He also continued to contribute to the
planning and day-of coordination of the
Stanner Games, Molloy’s annual large-scale
track and fi eld meet held at Th e Armory
in Manhattan. Th e nationally recognized
meet welcomes thousands of student-athletes
from hundreds of schools to compete
in a full-array of track and fi eld events.
Brother Bob has been recognized for
his contributions to high school track
and fi eld with induction into the Catholic
High School Athletic Association Hall of
Fame, the Armory Hall of Fame, the US
Track & Field Hall of Fame, and Molloy’s
Track & Field Wall of Honor.
Th e Marist Brothers recently honored
the memory of Brother Bob by planting
a tree at their retreat property in Esopus,
New York.
Th e Marist Brothers announced that
due to current restrictions on public gatherings,
a memorial mass for Brother Bob
will be held on a later date. Molloy High
School asks the community to join them
in prayer for the repose of the soul of
Brother Bob.
On their Facebook page, alumni
mourned and remembered Brother Bob
as an “inspiration” and an “absolute treasure.”
Announcements regarding future
plans for a memorial can be found on the
Molloy website at www.molloyhs.org.
Forest Hills mourns loss of former Community Board 6 chairman
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Joe Hennessy, former chairman of
Community Board 6, died on Th ursday,
April 1, from complications related to the
coronavirus. He was 82 years old.
Hennessy chaired the board for 30
years, which covers Forest Hills and Rego
Park, until he was voted out in September
2019. He served as president of the Forest
Hills Co-op and board member of Queens
Community House, a respected and still
active nonprofi t social services organization.
Last month, Hennessy was honored
with a proclamation from the Queens
borough president’s offi ce for his dedication
to the community.
“He was extremely dedicated to everybody,”
said Frank Gulluscio, CB 6 district
manager, who worked with Hennessy for
17 years. “Joe didn’t care what faith you
were or what political party you belonged
to, he was just there to help the constituents
of the district.”
Gulluscio recalled a message that
Hennessy shared with the board.
“Every year when new members came
on board at the fi rst meeting, he would
always tell everybody, ‘You’re here for
everybody, not your personal agenda.
We represent all regardless, and if you
remember that, we can get the job done,’”
Gulluscio said.
“It’s a great loss for the community,”
Gulluscio added.
Hennessy is survived by his wife of 57
years, Catherine; three daughters, Patricia
Hennessy, Karen Bernsley and Sheila
Th omas; eight grandchildren; and brothers
Jerry and John Hennessy.
Hennessy immigrated to America from
Ireland in 1957 and served in the Army,
according to Th omas. He later became the
general manager of Team Systems Corp.,
the largest taxi fl eet in New York City.
“He was generous with his time and
energy,” Th omas said. “He spent a lot of
time helping people, and taking the community
to achieve the goals that they
wanted for Forest Hills and Park. We
were very lucky to have him with us for
so long.”
According to Th omas, her father’s dedication
to service fi ltered through each
daughter. Th omas is a retired police offi -
cer, Patricia is a nurse, and Bernsley is a
special education teacher. “Without even
realizing it his example directly aff ected
all of us, and what our children’s professions
would be as adults,” Th omas said.
State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi
remembered Hennessy as a true friend
and gracious leader.
“Joe’s advocacy for our friends and
neighbors was unparalleled,” Hevesi
said in a statement to QNS. “I became
acquainted with Joe at the start of my
civic life, and he never ceased to be an
upstanding example of what it meant to
be a public servant: generous, kind, receptive,
responsive. His only motive was the
betterment of our community. Joe will be
sorely missed.” Congresswoman Grace
Meng shared her condolences on Twitter.
“A tireless advocate for Forest Hills and
Rego Park, he was a wonderful community
leader who served with distinction. His
contributions over many decades of service
will not be forgotten,” she wrote.
Hennessy was laid to rest at Calverton
National Cemetery in eastern Long Island
on Th ursday, April 16.
Photo courtesy of Sheila Thomas
Photos courtesy of Molloy High School
obituaries
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.molloyhs.org
link
link
/www.molloyhs.org
link
link
