Donald G. Sukosky, part of the University of Hartford family for 47 years (1968 to 2015) in roles that included professor of sociology and assistant dean at Hillyer College, died on Oct. 11.
Sukosky, a Connecticut native who grew up in East Hartford and received much of his secondary education in the state, was highly admired by students and associates alike from the moment he set foot on the UHart campus.
“I knew Don when I was a student and also as a colleague, and he was a thoughtful individual who cared deeply about his students,” says David Goldenberg, a former dean of Hillyer College and current interim director of athletics. “His goal was to make sure that students never fell behind, which he did through an initiative of his called Advising Sections. He was a great influence.”
With degrees from Hartford’s Trinity College and The Hartford Seminary, as well as from Harvard, Sukosky began his career as a minister in Bridgeport and Meriden before making a career switch to education.
“Don was a Hillyer legend,” adds Woody Doane, professor of sociology at Hillyer. “He was always a great presence at faculty meetings. One colleague said that where most people spoke in words, Don spoke in paragraphs.”
He was also an accomplished pianist, pipe organist, choir director at local churches, and devoted member of a prayer breakfast group in Wethersfield.