Neil D. Judge (January 27, 1943 - January 15, 2023) Former Mercy Athletic Director
It is with great sadness to share that Neil Judge passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2023. Neil was Mercy College’s first athletic director who served in this role for 34 years until his retirement in 2005. His student first approach for the athletes is still evoked to this day. Neil is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary Anne Mulheren Judge '65, his three daughters, Jane (Larry) Bonassar, Megan Judge and Abby Judge (Patrick Tutek) and seven grandchildren.
Neil was credited for laying the foundation for a thriving athletics program and creating an environment of academic accountability and achievement on and off the field. He was instrumental in securing Mercy’s membership in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1973, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1975, and a charter membership in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989.
Mercy College sports teams were successful under Neil’s leadership, with highlights that included three straight 20-win seasons by the women's basketball team in the early 1980s, five straight winning seasons from the baseball team in the early 1980s, a 1986 state championship by the softball team, the men's soccer team's run to the NCAA regional finals in 1989 and a NCAA Elite Eight appearance by the volleyball team in 2001.
Among his many professional achievements, Neil was inducted into the Mercy College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, Neil earned the East Coast Conference Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and was inducted into the East Coast Conference Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2017, Mercy College honored Neil with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Annual Trustees’ Scholarship Dinner. to watch the tribute video that was shown at the event.
In December 2022, Mercy dedicated the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center on the Dobbs Ferry Campus in honor of Neil and as a tribute to his dedication to student success. The Center encompasses the athletics wing of Victory Hall. Many former athletes, coaches and colleagues returned to campus for this special event and shared their memories of and admiration for Neil. To view highlights from the dedication ceremony, please .
Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 19 from 4 – 8 p.m. at Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT 06611. The funeral will be held on Friday, January 20 at 12:30 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 220 Shelton Road, Trumbull, CT 06611. Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 1056 Daniels Farm Road, Trumbull, CT 06611. The Judge Family has requested contributions be made in Neil’s memory to the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center at Mercy College and the Sisters of Mercy . Neil’s obituary can be found .
The Mercy College community extends its deepest condolences to Neil's family, friends and colleagues.