22 | THELAKER In Memoriam Althea Diett Jones-Johnson ’18 of Columbus, Ohio, who created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship at FLCC, died Oct. 9, 2022, at age 52. Althea earned a degree in human services at FLCC, a bachelor’s in communication at the University at Bu alo and a master’s in higher education and student a airs at Bu alo State College. She had taken a job as residence hall director at Ohio State University not long before her death. In 2020, she and SamManiscola ’18 created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. For Althea it was her way to provide the kind of support she had received as an FLCC scholarship recipient. e College dedicated a plaque in her memory in Stage 14 at the main campus in January. Members of the College community were invited to share their memories of her. “I think her contribution to this campus continues to resonate with many in the campus community,” Sim Covington, chief diversity o cer, said in opening the ceremony. Participants praised Althea for her courage and vulnerability in giving a talk at the College Susanne Kennedy, the recipient of the rst FLCC Foundation Benefactor Award, passed away on March 28, 2022, at age 87. Susanne was born in Massachusetts and attended the Buckingham Girls Preparatory School and Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, graduating in 1957. Susanne later moved to Canandaigua, where she taught 11th and 12th grade honors English at Canandaigua Academy. Susanne helped establish the rst Head Start in the area and her extensive community involvement included serving as president of the F.F. ompson Hospital Guild, the Ontario County United Way and Ontario County Historical Society. She held o ces with Bristol Valley eater, the South Bristol Cultural Center and the Hospeace House. In 2020, the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award. Susanne received the rst Benefactor of the Year Award at the Widmer’s Honors Banquet in May 1998. e award recognizes individuals or businesses for their philanthropic support of the College and the Foundation. She later established a charitable remainder trust to create an endowed scholarship in memory of her father, Murray Gardner. Murray was the director of admissions and a professor at the MIT graduate school of electrical engineering for more than 30 years. e award goes to a student majoring in science or engineering. on microaggressions. Althea was instrumental in the development of the student club AALANA (African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American) and served as its president. For her work in the classroom and beyond, Althea received the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence in May 2018. She was a student worker in the Academic Success and Access Programs (ASAP) where she became friends with technical specialist Veronica Bargy. “Althea, Colleen Aiezza and I met for lunch in Bu alo to celebrate her graduation from Bu State and new job at the Ohio State University,” Veronica wrote in a letter read at the ceremony. “She was so excited for this new chapter in her life. I am grateful to have said congratulations, good luck and I love you. “I attended Althea’s celebration of life where I met many of her friends, colleagues, professors and administrators from both UB and Bu State. It became clear through the sadness and joys, stories, hugs, laughter, and tears that she made as much of an impact with those folks as she did here at FLCC.” Althea Jones-Johnson ’18 greets FLCC President Robert Nye at commencement five years ago. PHOTO BY RIKKI VAN CAMP Susanne Kennedy, second from left, at the 2013 Celebrating Generosity event with, from left, the late Niles Brown, Jan Gullace, and Annette Collins.
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