Bro. William Drinan, C.F.X.

Brother William Drinan, CFX, 78, died Monday morning, September 28, 2009 at Xaverian House in Danvers. Born in Boston on April 9, 1931, he was the son of the late William and Gertrude (Hiltz) Drinan. He was raised and educated in Roxbury and graduated from Mission High School, Class of 1948. He entered the Congegation of the Brothers of Saint Francis Xavier and was clothed in the Holy Habit in March of 1949, taking the religious name Brother Benilde. Brother attended Xaverian College and completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Catholic University. He also did graduate studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley. Brother Drinan’s teaching apostolate took him first to John Bapst High School in Bangor, where he served from 1954 until 1961 when he was called to Saint John’s Preparatory School in Danvers. In 1971 he was again transferred to Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood where he served as headmaster until 1985 when he was named headmaster of Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree. In 1989, Brother Drinan was appointed headmaster at Saint John’s Prep, returning to the school he left nearly twenty years before. While at Saint John’s, Brother guided the school through expansions in the arts with the renovation of Ryken Hall into the Ryken Center for the Arts, renovations of Memorial Gymnasium and Alumni Hall, and began the process of building a new library and technology center, which came to fruition in 2003 with the opening of the A.E. Studzinski Library. Closest to his heart, though, were the programs with a spiritual and social justice dimension that began during his tenure, such as the Prep Leadership Institute, the PULSE retreat, and Social Action. Since his 2001 retirement, he has remained active in the community at Saint John’s and continued to serve with the Board of Trustees there. In addition to his brothers in religion, he leaves a step-sister, Beverly Mahoney of Kingston, a step-brother, Robert Goode of Malden, and several nieces and nephews and a host a dear friends. His Funeral Mass will be Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 11AM in Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, 24 Conant St., Danvers. Burial will follow in Xaverian Brothers’ Cemetery, Danvers. Visiting hours are Wednesday from 4-8PM in C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Xaverian Brothers Retirement Fund, 4409 Frederick Ave., Baltimore, MD 21229. www.LyonsFuneral.com.