Dear Siena Community,
It is with sadness yet with gratitude for his life that I share news of the passing of Fr. Kevin Mackin, O.F.M., the ninth president of Siena. Father Kevin died November 15 at Teresian House in Albany following a long illness. He was 87.
Father Kevin was a remarkable leader whose wisdom, humility, and Franciscan joy shaped the very heart of Siena. His decades of service as president, professor, and mentor left an indelible mark on our campus community. Siena is a better institution because of his vision and his unwavering belief in the transformative power of education founded on the teachings of St. Francis.
Many students and faculty may remember him fondly for his preferred mode of campus transportation: a trusty pair of rollerblades, and for his uncanny ability to recall names after meeting people just once. His first day as president was actually my first day as a faculty member here. I was always impressed by his dedication to Siena and our Franciscan values.
During his time as president of Siena from 1996 to 2007, Father Kevin presided over significant improvements in both campus facilities and academic programming. The J. Spencer and Patricia Standish Library opened in 1999; two years later, the Gene and Mary Sarazen Student Union, the Morrell Science Center and Padua Residence Hall all opened. Siena Hall underwent complete internal renovations and was rededicated in 2004, and Roger Bacon Hall was upgraded as well.
He implemented a $3.6 million Academic Excellence Plan, and oversaw the establishment of the Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, the Franciscan Center for Catholic Studies, and the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy.
Father Kevin’s connection to Siena began in 1970 when he joined the religious studies faculty; he served as guardian of the Friary beginning in 1975. He left Siena in 1982 to lead the former Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, N.Y., then in 1988 became director of development and public relations for the Holy Name Province in New York. He returned to Siena in 1996 to become the College’s ninth president, reiterating in his inaugural address the importance of Franciscan values: “Devotion to Christ touches directly on our mission here at Siena.”
After leaving Siena a second time in 2007, he took a year of sabbatical then served as president of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. from 2008 to 2014. He retired to Florida in 2014 and served in a parish in St. Petersburg.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1960, a master’s degree in history from Siena in 1967, and four degrees – including his doctorate in sacred theology – from the Catholic University of America.
The Chaplain’s Office at Siena will share funeral details shortly. A wake is planned in Siena’s St. Mary of the Angels Chapel on Thursday, November 20 from 4PM to 7PM. The funeral Mass and burial will be held in New Jersey on Saturday, November 22. Our prayers are with Father Kevin’s family and his brother friars at this time. Though we mourn his passing, we carry forward his legacy in every Saint we teach and in every act of service we undertake.
Peace and all good,
Chuck