Stony Brook University announced Thursday that Director of Athletics Jim Fiore, Jr., and his wife, Lisa, have pledged a $25,000 lead gift to establish the Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence. The endowment will be used annually, at the discretion of the Director of Athletics, to meet various academic and athletic needs within the Stony Brook University Department of Athletics. The fund is being established in honor of Fiore's recently deceased father.
"The mutual love and admiration shared between my father and Stony Brook University Athletics was special," Director of Athletics Jim Fiore, Jr., said. "Stony Brook has been so good to my family that we were compelled to give back and support the mission of the Department of Athletics while also honoring a man who embodied all the personal traits we strive to produce in our student-athletes - Commitment, Passion, Pride, Respect and Swagger."
Jim Fiore, Sr., was born and raised in New York City and then later moved to Long Beach, N.Y., where he and his wife of 49 years, Roberta, raised their three children - Gina, Dina and Jim. Mr. Fiore served as a member of the Long Beach Police Department for 23 years, eventually retiring as Commanding Officer of the Uniform Force. As a beloved member of the Long Beach community, he served as a long-time youth coach and business owner. As a member of the Police force, Fiore was a founding member of the City of Long Beach Youth Bureau which took keen interest in the youth of the community.
While never fully retiring, Mr. Fiore spent the last nine years as a passionate supporter of the Stony Brook University Seawolves, donning his Stony Brook red at all the athletic events.
"The reason we named this endowment the 'Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence' was to tangibly honor a person who loved his family and Stony Brook Athletics so passionately," Fiore continued. "We also want to teach our children that giving back to a community is very, very important. We hope the children in our family will someday come to Stony Brook University and ultimately contribute to the endowment so that it will continue to grow and serve others for years to come."
The Jim Fiore, Sr. Endowment for Academic and Athletic Excellence becomes the 17th endowed scholarship within Stony Brook Athletics, which has doubled its number of endowments in just the last five years. Endowments provide a permanent source of income, which is used to fund and support the athletics department's mission. Donors who provide a gift to fund an endowment become permanently linked with Stony Brook Athletics and help support multiple generations of student-athletes.
"As Director of Athletics, I constantly articulate to our supporters the importance of building our endowments," Fiore said. "We rely so heavily on endowments to support the excellence of our athletics program that it made sense for my family to honor my father by giving back to the University we all love and helping generations of Seawolves for many years to come."
A Memorial Service will be held Friday, May 4, at St. Mary's of the Isle Church in Long Beach, N.Y., at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Jim Fiore, Sr., may be made payable to the Stony Brook Foundation and sent to the Stony Brook Office of External Services, c/o Susan Abbott, Stony Brook University Athletics, Indoor Sports Complex, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3500, Susan.Abbott@StonyBrook.edu and 631-632-4647.
