St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) is mourning the passing of Sister Mary Florence Burns ’46, CSJ, Ph.D., a pillar of the St. Joseph’s community who inspired generations of students in her roles as professor of English, academic dean and vice president of academic affairs. S. Mary Florence, who was in the 78th year of her religious life, entered into eternal life on July 23, 2025. She was 100 years old.
Impactful Educator
For more than 80 years, S. Mary Florence was an influential educator and administrator. After graduating from St. Joseph’s University, New York (then College) in 1946, she earned a master’s degree at St. John’s University and entered religious life in 1947. In 1950, she returned to St. Joseph’s to teach English.
For 19 years as a full-time faculty member at St. Joseph’s, she taught courses in medieval literature, Dante, Shakespeare and 18th-century English literature on the Brooklyn Campus, a role she thoroughly enjoyed.
“Some of my happiest memories are of some of those students … watching them grow, watching them come to understand literature and with that, to understand what I consider to be so important: critical thinking, the ability to analyze…,” S. Mary Florence said in a 2017 oral history project centered on St. Joseph’s.
A Dean of Influence
In 1969, S. Mary Florence became academic dean of St. Joseph’s, and later was named vice president for academic affairs. In these roles she helped elevate the academic integrity of the institution by developing curricula, courses and methods of instruction, while also serving as chief advisor to presidents S. George Aquin O’Connor and S. Elizabeth Hill.
S. Mary Florence is presented with an academic gown during an executive board meeting in 1970.
Throughout her tenure as an administrator, S. Mary Florence was an instrumental figure. As dean in the 1970s, she helped St. Joseph’s navigate changes in society, economics and higher education, including specific pressures faced by catholic colleges, many of which were beginning to close their doors. Her steady hand over the following decades helped the institution evolve in ambitious ways, turning co-ed to expand the student body, as well as expanding its physical presence with what is now SJNY’s Long Island Campus in Patchogue.
Her Legacy
President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., president of St. Joseph’s University, called S. Mary Florence a “wonderful mentor who provided wise counsel throughout the challenging times we have faced in recent years.”
This past spring, the Brooklyn Campus gathered to celebrate her 100th birthday and invited the community to commit an act of service in her honor.
In 2003, an original college building on the Brooklyn Campus was renamed Burns Hall in honor of her devotion to St. Joseph’s.
Burns Hall was named in S. Mary Florence’s honor.
Additionally, in 2014, the S. Mary Florence Burns Award for Teaching Excellence and Impact was created on the Brooklyn Campus to recognize extraordinary faculty members who embody the characteristics and legacy of S. Mary Florence. Nominations are accepted annually, but the award is given only when a candidate is deemed worthy, according to University officials.
As word has spread about her passing, messages continue to flow in from across the SJNY community via social media.
Services
Services for S. Mary Florence are scheduled for Tuesday, July 29. The wake and viewing will begin at 9 a.m. at Maria Regina Chapel in Brentwood, NY. Closing ritual will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the Mass.
The Mass will be live streamed, beginning at 10 a.m. You can access the livestream through this link.
