Honors College advisor dies

By: Nancy Lan

Posted: 5/16/08

Antonia McMenamin, better known as "Toni," a long-time faculty member of the Pennoni Honors College, died early May 13 after a long-time battle with cancer.

McMenamin, who suffered from leukemia and became prone to infections in recent months, was removed from life support May 10, according to Mark Greenberg, dean of the Honors College.

Though her primary role in the Honors College was as an advisor, Greenberg said she went far beyond that and became not only a trusted friend to her colleagues, but to her students as well.

"This is why everybody loved her so much. She would spend a lot of time talking with students about life choices, about a philosophy of living, about how to handle their work, if they were upset about a personal issue," Greenberg said.

McMenamin's other colleagues also emphasized how deeply she cared about students and how dedicated she was to her work.

"'Students First' was her golden rule, and that was long before Drexel had an initiative here that was called 'Students First.' I mean, they could have named it for her - that's how much of a motto it was for everything she did," David Raizman, a professor in the department of art and history, said.

Vivian Rosenberg, a professor of humanities, emerita, said not only did McMenamin enjoy helping students, but she was able to see problems that others could not.

"She was attentive to the issues that sometimes students don't divulge, but that occasionally are the background of academic problems," Rosenberg said.

McMenamin was very family-oriented, which she extended to the workplace, using her insight and experiences with her own children to help students, according to Rosenberg.

"She looked at students as a type of big family," Rosenberg said.

McMenamin's efforts and warmth did not end with just students, though, according to Greenberg. McMenamin, who was a part of the Honors College since its inception, knew all the complexities of department very well, and was also able to help those around her with the University's system overall.

"She knew who to call for whatever you needed," Greenberg said.

Raizman said McMenamin was a very skilled problem-solver and was always able to remain level-headed in any situation.

"She never became frustrated. She just always tried to do the right thing and keep things on track … nothing was ever an impediment," Raizman said. "There was always a way around everything, the right way to do something [without] stepping on people's toes."

McMenamin's balance between being sensitive and firm was one of her greatest strengths, according to Rosenberg.

"She didn't just say 'Oh you poor dear.' She could talk tough to students and they needed to hear that too, and she knew when it was appropriate to do it," Rosenberg said.

Though she was able to be very serious, Neal Orkin, an associate professor of legal studies, said he would always remember her for a sense of humor and "prankster" side.

Orkin recounted an Honors Dinner during which he was served what seemed to be an uncooked chicken gizzard, something that would usually be discarded.

"When I asked the server what he had given me, he responded, 'Kosher turkey anus.' Toni [McMenamin] stood nearby, smiling at her joke, a prank from a novel we both enjoyed, Mark Helprin's "Memoir From Antproof Case," Orkin wrote in an e-mail.

"It was the best practical joke that was ever played on me," Orkin said with a laugh.

McMenamin worked with Drexel Libraries when she first came to the University, before joining the honors department in 1991.

She is survived by her husband, Patrick, daughter Cara, sons Patrick Jr. and Roger, brother Robert Wetzel and seven grandchildren.

There will be a viewing and funeral service for McMenamin May 17 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectfully, at the Immaculate Conception R.C. Church, located at 604 West Ave. in Jenkintown, Pa.