http://www.stjohns.edu/about/news/items/pr_uni_100916.news_item@digest.stjohns.edu%2fabout_us%2fpr_uni_100916.xmlSeptember 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 yesterday afternoon in New York City. Funeral arrangements are incomplete; details will be provided when they become available. 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.