Father Dennis Bombardier '64—A Simple Gesture Makes a Huge Difference

Father Dennis Bombardier ’64 had wonderful memories of his time on the Hilltop, living in "the streets" of the admin building (now known as Alumni Hall) and bonding with the Benedictine monks and with several other young men who were interested in the priesthood. He remembered that Admiral Chester Nimitz (whose daughter was a Dominican nun) was their graduation speaker and that his mother shouted out loud with pride when his name was announced "cum laude" during the commencement exercises.

Father Dennis was born and raised in North Adams, Massachusetts, and was an Eagle Scout. After Saint Anselm, he took his theological studies at the University of Louvain in Belgium and was ordained a priest in 1968 in the Springfield diocese. He served more than 40 years as a pastor and chaplain in that diocese, retiring to his home in Greenfield, where he died in 2018. He was a generous and loyal donor to Saint Anselm College and had set up a scholarship fund in memory of his beloved parents, Valmore and Edna (Fish) Bombardier.

At his death he made a bequest of nearly all of his estate to that fund, which will now generate more than $30,000 annually, in perpetuity, to support student scholarships. He would smile to think of the many, many deserving students who will be able to attend Saint Anselm because of his gratitude and devotion to his school and love for his parents.

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