Mel (Jack) Mahony, a former Franciscan priest, died on May 24, 1999 after a twelve-year struggle with prostate cancer. We were fortunate to have celebrated thirty-one years of marriage together. He baptized his son, Patrick, in the company of many friends. He baptized his grandson, Sean in Minot, ND where Patrick was in the US. Air Force. His daughter-in-law, Beth, he loved dearly and was delighted to learn before his death she was expecting another child, Glen Cian, now six months old. I think that the most special dimension of Jack was that he always remained intensely aware of this priesthood. Although he did many things, he was first and foremost a priest, always very conscious of the spiritual welfare of students and others. Jack was also a scholar, completing his Ph. D at Auburn University in 1975. He taught Medieval and English literature linguistics, and religion at the University of Virginia's College at Wise, but also enjoyed coaching weight lifting and mentoring a fraternity. Perhaps his major contribution was his counseling of students. I think this was really the essence of his apostolate. Jack was deeply loving husband and father, but mostly defined himself by a tremendous faith in a personal and passionately caring God. He retired from reaching three years before he died at age sixty-eight.