He had a route delivering the Long Island Daily Press before getting a job at the A&P. Richard Hartz was stocking shelves, ringing up groceries at the checkout, and paying his own way through high school.
“I didn’t know much about Chaminade before I took the entrance exam,” Bro. Richard explained when he received the Founders Award in 2019. “I do know Our Lady wanted me to come here.”
Richard Harold Hartz was born on February 15, 1942, in Laurelton to David and Julia. After graduating from Chaminade in 1959, he followed the Blessed Mother’s call into the Society of Mary. Bro. Richard took his first vows in 1960. He taught German and Latin and, in 1978, began working with the Alumni Association, first as assistant moderator and later as moderator. He added director of development and alumni relations to his responsibilities in 1994 and retired in 2018. He passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 15, 2025. He was 83 years old.
Throughout his time at Chaminade, Bro. Richard was the reason many of us knew what was going on at school. He moderated the Photo Service, edited the Chaminade News, and spoke to thousands of alumni at hundreds of events across the nation. All of that allowed Bro. Richard to know, and be known by, much of the Chaminade Family. Many know that he had an uncanny ability to remember every graduate’s class year—ask him about an alumnus, and without hesitation, Bro. Richard could tell you exactly when he walked the halls of Chaminade.
Bro. Richard was the architect behind many of Chaminade’s most successful fundraising initiatives, including the Torch Fund, which he shepherded from its inception in 1987. Under his leadership, the fund grew exponentially and has since provided more than $123 million in tuition assistance, campus improvements, and budget support. His efforts ensured that Chaminade would continue to thrive for future generations.
To alumni, he was the familiar voice at reunions and class events, the steady presence behind regular newsletters, and the smiling face, greeting Flyers from the east end of Long Island to California. To his fellow Marianist brothers, he was “Hartzie,” a devoted son of Mary known for his generosity, sharp wit, and many talents, from baking to photography, sewing to framing, rollerblading to calligraphy. His love of German extended beyond the classroom as he served as president of the Long Island chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).
For 70 years, Bro. Richard never left Jackson Avenue and became one of the true pillars of Chaminade High School, a man whose life was lived in complete dedication to his vocation, his students, and the school he so dearly loved. He gave himself fully, with an unshakable devotion to Christ and His Blessed Mother.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” The Chaminade Family will forever be grateful for the gift of Bro. Richard’s life, his faith, and his example. May he rest in the peace of the Lord he so faithfully served.
Funeral Arrangements
Wake:
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Darby Auditorium of Chaminade High School
340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501
Mass of Christian Burial:
Thursday, March 20, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
Darby Auditorium of Chaminade High School
Burial:
Cemetery of the Holy Rood
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor Bro. Richard’s memory may make a contribution to the Bro. Richard Hartz Scholarship Fund at Chaminade High School.
Posted On
17 Mar, 2025