September 16, 2010
It
is with great sadness that I advise you that Mrs. Eleanor Taffner,
trustee emerita and generous benefactor of St. John’s University,
died on Wednesday, September 15 in New York City. A Memorial Mass
will be celebrated for Mrs. Taffner on September 25 in St. Thomas
More Church on the University’s Queens campus. We shall miss her
presence among us and will be forever grateful for all that she has
been and done for us.
Her impact upon our University has been nothing short of
remarkable. The recipient of an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree
as well as the Gold Medal from St. John’s, she was a member of the
University’s Board of Trustees for more than ten years, chaired its
Student Affairs Committee and Athletics sub-committee, and served
as a member of its Executive Committee. The Board benefitted
immeasurably from her vision, leadership, and insights. Together
with her husband, Donald, a 1953 graduate of St. John’s College,
she shared a passion for St. John’s athletics, a passion that,
linked with the couple’s great generosity, enabled the construction
of the Taffner Field House, which serves as a home for the St.
John’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and supports intramural
athletics as well. Other reminders of the Taffners’ great
generosity abound on the Queens campus: the huge clock standing
majestically on the walkway in front of the field house; the
magnificent gold-framed mirror that graces the living room of the
D’Angelo Center; and the gracious fireplace that ornaments the
Faculty Club in Sun Yat Sen Hall are all gifts from the
Taffners.
Mrs. Taffner’s career was marked by great accomplishments. Together
with her husband, she built DLT Enterprises, Limited, a leader in
the television industry since its founding in 1963. The firm
produced and distributed some of the most successful television
shows in history, including the classic British comedies “The Benny
Hill Show” and “As Time Goes By.” The firm was also the guiding
force behind “Three’s Company” and “Too Close for Comfort,” two of
the most successful situation comedies of their generation. Mrs.
Taffner’s dedication to the arts was also evidenced by her service
on the Board of Directors of the Glasgow School of Art and as a
Fellow of London’s Royal Society of the Arts.
In
2007, St. John’s presented the Spirit of Service Award to the
Taffners. The citation for that presentation said, in part,
“Through their gifts of time, talent, and resources, Don and
Eleanor have worked to make our world and this University a better
place. Both individually and as a couple, they have modeled the
Vincentian ideal of service for every member of the St. John’s
community.” The Vincentian community itself recognized their
extraordinary service by naming them Vincentian Affiliates.
I am sure I speak for the entire University family in extending our
deepest sympathy to Mrs. Taffner’s cherished husband, Donald, and
her beloved children and grandchildren. At the same time, we
express our deep appreciation to them for sharing her with us. St.
John’s is a stronger and better University because she was part of
it.