Remembering a Running Legacy

Frank Geremia had a few passions. One was running, which he did regularly on the Nold Athletic Complex track. Another was the stock market, which he followed vigilantly. The other, for which he harbored a deep devotion, was his alma mater, Farmingdale State College (FSC).

The depth of that devotion became clear in September 2021 when Geremia passed away a month short of his 94th birthday, and it was revealed that he had left $1 million in his estate to the Farmingdale State College Foundation.

“He had a strong feeling of gratitude and loyalty to the college that enabled him to get an education and have a rewarding career at Grumman,” said his attorney and long-time friend Willis B. Carman, Jr.

“Frank’s long-time relationship with Farmingdale is a reminder that alumni engagement and pride can take many forms. It isn’t always driven by the institution, but rather by the individual’s fond memories and personal passions,” said Matthew Colson, vice president for development & alumni engagement at FSC. “Frank found a way to demonstrate his love for Farmingdale in a very personal way, that will continue to live on in his memory.”

The gift will endow the Frank Geremia ’62 Honors Scholarship for Business, in recognition of his interest in the stock market. It will support 20 students in the Honors Program majoring in business. Funds also will help the Alumni Association develop programming to inspire alumni like Geremia to stay connected, informed, and engaged to their alma mater. Finally, to meet the growing needs of FSC’s student athletes, new men’s and women’s team locker rooms in Nold Athletic Complex will be renovated and bear his name.

“Frank felt a real connection to Farmingdale and sports were a big part of that. He loved the athletes and the coaches. This is where he felt at home,” said Thomas Azzara, director of athletics at FSC. Geremia’s devotion to running, often when the FSC track team was practicing, prompted the student athletes to cheer him on.

“Uncle Frank loved telling us how he continued running track into his 90s — very often at Farmingdale,” according to his niece Barbara Trilling. “The younger runners would say to him, ‘Well done, Grandpa!’”

Geremia served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947 in Germany, according to Trilling. “He loved wearing his World War II veteran cap,” she said. After earning his associate degree in mechanical engineering technology at FSC, he went on to a successful career at Grumman. Friends said he also did some work for NASA and travelled internationally as a consultant.

“We are all so very proud of our Uncle Frank and his legacy to Farmingdale,” said Trilling. “I do know that the time he spent there, both as a student and as an athlete, were the most important moments of his long life.”

Azzara said, “I didn’t realize what we meant to him. He really did love Farmingdale.”