1924 – 2018
Words of Remembrance for Brother Malcolm O’Sullivan, FSC
Delivered by Gail O’Sullivan Mazzocco, niece of Brother Malcolm O’Sullivan
Mass of Christian Burial
De La Salle Hall
Lincroft, NJ
December 22, 2018
I’d like to begin by introducing myself. I am Gail O’Sullivan Mazzocco, the eldest child of Brother Malcolm’s sibling, Jack O’Sullivan.
It is my honor to speak on behalf of the family, not because of my eloquence, nor because I knew our uncle best, or even served him especially well. Others of my cousins can claim those gifts more honestly than I, and are certainly more deserving than I. No, I stand here because, as my cousin Bob Kelly said to me with care, “You are the oldest surviving cousin.” Well, I guess that is an honor. Apparently longevity has its privileges.
Many of you knew Brother Malcolm O’Sullivan well. Perhaps you knew him as a Brother, or teacher, or colleague or friend, possibly even a combination of those things. Today, however, I will speak about Brother Malcolm primarily as our Uncle Malcolm. Now, that is a challenging assignment. After all, each member of the family has her or his own perception of our cherished uncle. Those perceptions vary with our ages and our experiences, both with him and with each other.
In order to avoid usurping my relative’s insights, I’m going to focus on my own experiences with our Uncle at two times: first, early in my life, when I was a child living in Brooklyn, and then in Long Island; second, and more recently, when he and I were older, and Brother Malcolm was at Calvert Hall College High School, at La Salle Hall in Beltsville, MD, and multiple times here in Lincroft.
When I was a child and early teenager, Brother Malcolm was a very special uncle. He arrived at family gatherings dressed quite formally, at least from my perspective. He was quieter than many of his siblings (though not his younger brother), but was always happy to take his nieces and nephews to the park to play ball, to have fun. And so he spelled entertainment to me. Did I know more than that about him? And, if so, what more? Save that he was a Christian Brother and a teacher, not much. After all, our family was large (six O’Sullivan siblings and seventeen first cousins) and noisy. Not much time left for musing.
More recently I came to know him much better. I learned about his personal history, his decision to enter the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and his admiration for my father. Perhaps, more significantly, I came to see him as an academician. That was especially meaningful to me since I was a nurse academic. He was inquisitive, energetic, incisive, and surprisingly open minded. (That last was unanticipated by me.) We had long discussions about health care, religion, our respective philosophies, what it means to be a moral individual and on, and on. Were he alive and well, we would be talking still. Finally, I was reminded of his nearly unfathomable reluctance to say anything negative about anyone, even when it seemed to me that there was ever reason to do so. My sister Kerry and I tried valiantly to tease an unkind word out of him to no avail. As I said—incomprehensible.
What then has the family lost by his death?
–The opportunity to be assured that each of us is a very special person in God’s world
–Certainly his kind and calming presence
–and, of course, he was the last of the six O’Sullivan siblings: Kathleen Willie, Jack, Bea, Malcolm, and Walter. Now, that is a real loss.
Oh, but what have we been left with? While each of us has received some unique gifts from Uncle Malcolm, I imagine that all of us have been given a sense of our own value, and what it means to live a life of purpose and fulfillment by serving God and humankind. What a blessing he has been to each of us.
I’ll close by sharing a special description of an uncle that I have paraphrased a bit. Uncles have a special role. Not being our fathers, they can be friend and supporter in a different way. They are both relative and companion; one of the few able to be both. Whether they are rarely seen or are buddies or mentors, the loss of an uncle is particularly hard. That loss, however, is tempered by the years of happy memories we have, and that special connection that belongs only to our Uncle.
God bless and keep you, Brother Malcolm.
Please Pray for the Repose of the Soul of Brother Malcolm O’Sullivan, FSC
Born Malcolm Thomas O’Sullivan in Limerick Ireland on 18 January 1924
Entered the Barrytown NY Juniorate on 1 September 1938
Entered the Barrytown NY Novitiate on 24 June 1941
Received the Religious Habit and the Name Brother Bernardine of Jesus on 7 September 1941
Pronounced Perpetual Vows at Hillside, Troy NY on 3 September 1949
Died at De La Salle Hall in Lincroft NJ on 17 December 2018
Funeral Arrangements
Saturday, 22 December 2018
Viewing – 9.00 am to 11.00 am
Mass of Christian Burial – 11.00 am
at
De La Salle Hall
810 Newman Springs Road · Lincroft NJ 07738
Burial following
at
Saint Gabriel’s Cemetery
549 County Road 520 (Newman Springs Road) · Marlboro NJ 07746
Brother Malcolm peacefully passed away Monday afternoon with several of his Brothers at his bedside.
The District of Eastern North America remembers Brother Malcolm with memorial liturgies according to the tradition of the Institute. Through their prayers, communities, and individuals entrust Brother Malcolm to God’s loving care.
May he rest in peace.
Assignments
1941–1945
Washington DC Scholasticate
1945–1948
Bronx NY
Saint Raymond Elementary School
1948–1949
Albany NY
Christian Brothers Academy
1949–1954
Barrytown NY
Saint Joseph’s Normal Institute
1957–1958
Rome Italy
Generalate (2nd Novitiate)
1958–1963
New York NY
La Salle Academy
1963–1964
Bronx NY
Cardinal Spellman High School
1964–1965
Bronx NY
Manhattan College (studies)
1965–1969
New York NY
District Administration (Vocation Director)
1969–1970
Buffalo NY
Saint Joseph’s Collegiate Institute
1970–1973
Memphis TN
Christian Brothers University
1973–1994
Bronx NY
Manhattan College
1994–1997
Belmar NJ
Saint Rose High School
1997–1998
Tijuana Mexico
Centro La Salle
1998–1999
Cochabamaba Bolivia
Instituto de Idiomas Padres de Maryknoll (studies)
1999–2003
Lincroft NJ
Christian Brothers Academy
2004–2005
Harlem NY
Resurrection School
2005–2006
Chihuahua Mexico
Instituto La Salle
2006–2009
Toronto ON
De La Salle College “Oaklands”
2009–2010
Lincroft NJ
Christian Brothers Academy (convalescence)
2010–2012
Baltimore MD
Calvert Hall College High School
2012–2014
Lincroft NJ
De La Salle Hall (convalescence)
2014–2017
Baltimore MD
Calvert Hall College High School
2017–2018
Beltsville MD
La Salle Hall (retired)
2018
Lincroft NJ
De La Salle Hall