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	Tom Trager Rockaway Rotary http://rockawayrotary.giving.officelive.com/trager.aspx Brother Tom Trager was born in St. Alban's, Queens, New York, but spent most of his youth in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. He attended Most Holy Trinity High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and entered the Marianist Congregation's novitiate at Marcy, New York after graduating from high school in 1956. He professed his first vows on September 5, 1957. He took his Bachelor's degree in English at the University of Dayton. a Master of Arts degree from Ohio State University, and a Masters of Science in Education from St. John's University (NY). He did additional studies at Fordham and Hofstra Universities. He started his career as a teacher at Cathedral Latin School in Cleveland, Ohio where he stayed until his transfer in 1962 to Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York. In 1964, he moved to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Baltimore, Maryland where he continued as a classroom teacher of English until 1965 when he was appointed Vocation Director for the Marianist's Province of New York. He served as the Vocation Director until his assignment in 1969 to Colegio San Jose in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico where he taught until his reassignment to Chaminade High School in Mineola in 1970 where he served as both a teacher and the Dean of Discipline, In 1971, Brother Tom started what was the beginning of his long tenure of service at St. John's Residence for Boys (St. John's Home) here in the Rockaways. After his first year at the Home, he was appointed Executive Director and has held that position since 1972. While at St. John's he has assisted at the resettlement and provide temporary domicile for over 120 refugees, a vast majority being from Ethiopia. In addition to his duties and responsibilities as Executive Director, Brother Tom was the Treasurer of the Marianist's New York Province, and was a member of the Provincial Administration and Council. In 1968, he was designated by the General Administration in Rome as one of an international team of four Marianists delegated to design a survey of the entire Congregation that would be used in strategic planning for the future. Throughout the years, Brother Tom has served in a variety of capacities. As first President of the Brother's Senate of the Diocese of Brooklyn, he was a member of the late Bishop Francis Mugavero's Budget Committee. He also served as Chairman of the New York Province's Sharing Fund. Some folks in the Rockaway may know Brother Tom through the store he founded 11 years ago, The Red Door. An active man, Brother Tom spends many an evening and weekend ferrying things to and from the store that he established in the hopes of generating funds to assist St. Johns in its mission. He also sees the store as an excellent opportunity to involve volunteers and connect with folks in the neighborhood. Brother Tom was active with the late Marianist Father Jack Kelley in the early days of the Rockaway Catholic Jewish Council. He is a past President of the Rockaway Rotary club and continues to be an active member of this service oriented organization. He has served as President and still sits on the boards of Providence House, a program for women in need, as well as Pompanuch Farms Institute, a multifaceted intergenerational educational program based in Cambridge, New York. When he is not attending to the day to day affairs of St. John's or the Red Door's operation, you might find Brother Tom throwing a frisbee on the front lawn of St. John's, listening to classical music, studying words and languages or trying to stump one of the boys (or any available victim) with a conundrum.
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