Aquinas-Landmark-Winter-2021

13 Campus Improvements The hallway just outside of the alumni relations and development office got a makeover this summer! The tile flooring was replaced with poured concrete that now proudly boasts our Basilian motto: “Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.” Thanks to a generous gift fromMike ’78, Dave ’80, and the entire Spoleta family, the Aquinas tennis courts, now known as The Spoleta Family Tennis Complex, received a major upgrade prior to the fall season. The resurfaced courts and new nets certainly contributed to a well-played and memorable season. Riley Brothers Dedicate Athletics Office to Their Father Brothers Tom ‘56, Greg ‘59, Mike ‘61 and David ‘70 Riley unveil the newly named Thomas F. Riley ‘26 Athletics Office in honor of their father. When brothers and longtime Aquinas supporters Tom ‘56, Greg ‘59, Mike ‘61, and David ‘70 Riley made the collective decision to donate to the school, they knew it would be in honor of their father, a 1926 graduate of Aquinas and the man they looked up to as an inspiration. The athletics office, now known as the Thomas F. Riley ‘26 Athletics Office, was the perfect tribute. “We all took up and played sports because of our father. He used to take us out into the backyard on Lapham Street where we grew up and we’d practice pitching or throwing a football to him,” recalled eldest son, Tom. “He wouldwork us all and it wasn’t tomake us better athletes, but in a way, to live out his own ambitions.” As a child, Thomas had polio and as a result, lost the use of his right leg.While thereweremany sports he couldnot participate in, Thomas used his natural athleticism and competitive spirit to become a world class swimmer and chief lifeguard. “He never let anything get in his way. He never leaned on his disability or took advantage of it or said, ‘I can’t do that,’” said Tom, which he and his brothers admired. Once the boys got to Aquinas, athletics was as much a part of their dad’s life as it was theirs. Not only did he never miss a game, but the brothers remember times when their dad would park his car in the lot behind the school and alongside the other dads, he would shine his lights out onto the practice field so that the football team could practice at night. While they may not have appreciated it when they were running extra laps for Coach Stan Zajdel, they certainly realized how dedicated their dad was to each of them. “He provided quietly, he never pushed, he never demanded, he never complained or criticized us in our sports,” said Tom. “But he was always there for support and encouragement, making sure we never missed a practice.”