Buckley School Honors The Cronins

(Left to right): Buckley Gala Co-Chairs Ann Denihan and Patricia Glynn, Headmaster Jean-Marc Juhel, and Board Chair William Arnone enjoy this splendid evening.

On April 28, over two hundred friends of Buckley Country Day School gathered at the Garden City Hotel to pay tribute to Linda and Denis Cronin for their numerous years of service, leadership, and unwavering support of the school community.

The Cronins first joined the Buckley community as parents in 1983. During their nineteen years as Buckley parents, Linda and Denis made volunteering a career. From running the Fall Fair bake booth, to flipping burgers at the food tent, to chairing the "Building on Excellence" Capital Campaign, they have done it all. Denis also served on the Board of Trustees for sixteen years, four of which were as chair. Together, the Cronins have ceaselessly given of their time and resources to make Buckley the distinctive school community that it has become.

Linda is a long time member and former president of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation in Port Washington. Denis is the managing partner of the New York City law firm of Cronin & Vris, is a former partner of the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, is a trustee of Colgate University, and recently stepped down as chair of Colgate's $400 million Capital Campaign.

Garden City residents, former Buckley Board Chair Fred Magovern and his wife Susan enjoy dancing at the Buckley gala.

The credit for the planning of this successful evening goes to the leadership and hard work of several Buckley parents. Event Co-Chairs Patricia Glynn and Ann Denihan attended to every detail to make sure that this third annual Spring Gala would be memorable and successful. And that's just what it was! All the guests noticed the beautiful centerpieces, which had been created by Abby and John Fazio. The keepsake journal, featuring thoughts and reflections on leadership from every child in the school, was the product of Stacey Burger's brilliant mind.

Fred Magovern of Garden City, former Buckley Chair of the Board of Trustees, armed with his characteristic verve, wit, and humor, eloquently delivered a heartfelt tribute to Linda and Denis. Lilyan Muran, formerly of Garden City and currently a trustee of the school, described the beautiful friendship that had flourished between the Murans and the Cronins as a result of their common passion for Buckley. Linda and Denis were then presented with a Citation from Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi recognizing their contributions for the enhancement of our region and the betterment of our residents. Faculty member Roby Young also presented them with a beautiful traditional Buckley plaque he had carved in their honor. Both Linda and Denis took the opportunity to share their thoughts on the significance of the evening, emphasizing that there is truly no greater reward than volunteering for one's children's school and getting involved in their lives.

Honorees Linda and Denis Cronin celebrate with their daughters. (Clockwise from left): Maureen, Denis, Megan, and Linda Cronin

Glowing with pride, both Cronin daughters, Maureen and Megan, attended the event. Unfortunately, their son Denis Matthew was unable to attend, as he was playing lacrosse for Colgate University in a Patriot League championship lacrosse game. As a further tribute to the family, eight of Denis' nine siblings were in attendance. The only one missing is serving in Iraq.

The theme of Buckley's third annual Gala was "Investing in the Future." The proceeds have been used to purchase twenty SMART boards and other educational enrichments. Starting this September, every Buckley classroom in grades 1-8 will be equipped with SMART Board technology. Teachers will be able to use these whiteboards creatively and interactively, save all class notes, apply and display software applications, and access vast Internet resources, all at their fingertips!

The evening concluded with the presentation of a video featuring every Buckley child and zooming in on nurturing and educating tomorrow's leaders. "We can lead the world," the Buckley children say. Indeed they can!