The College is deeply saddened by the passing of Brother Donald Eugene Neff, a visionary leader and foundational figure in our history. At the age of 94 and with 74 years of religious profession, he has been called to his eternal home among the saints.
In 1973, Brother Neff played a pivotal role in establishing Marianist College, which later merged with Stella Maris College to form John Paul College. His dedication to education, leadership, and Marianist values helped shape the strong and thriving school community we have today.
His leadership was instrumental in the early years of Marianist College, laying a solid foundation for growth. After the 1979 unification with Stella Maris College, he served as Principal of the newly formed John Paul College until 1985. His commitment to holistic education - nurturing students academically, spiritually, physically, and socially - continues to inspire our approach to learning today.
The Neff Science Centre stands as a lasting tribute to Brother Neff, reflecting his passion for academic excellence. His vision extended beyond the curriculum, believing that a school’s success lies in the spirit of its students, staff, and families working together.
We extend our deepest condolences to Brother Neff’s family, friends, and all those who were touched by his wisdom, guidance, and unwavering commitment to education. His legacy will forever remain a part of John Paul College.
Paraphrased from Brother Donald E. Neff, S.M.:
“𝑴𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕-𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.”
May Brother Neff’s legacy of faith, dedication, and service continue to inspire our community.