fall 2011/winter 2012 newsletter Living Mercy - McGANN Mercy

ALUMNIDave GambleHaving attended the Most Holy Trinity ElementarySchool in East Hampton, Dave Gamble was nostranger to the “Catholic school” way of life and thedemands that went along with it. So, when he felt hewas not being challenged enough at his local highschool, he asked his parents if he could transfer toMercy High School in Riverhead. After successfullycompleting the interview process, he was acceptedin the second week of the school year and jumped in with both feet.Although transferring as a Junior, Dave immediately was made tofeel welcome and part of the Mercy family. He joined the footballteam, helped out in the school production of The Mouse Trap and hitthe greens of Fox Hollow Golf Club as a member of the golf team.Though the commute from East Hampton to Riverhead was a longone (arriving home at 8:00 pm was the norm when staying for afterschoolactivities), Dave was compelled tomake the most of the Mercy experience.Dave credits the Sisters of Mercy forgiving him the tools to think independentlyand critically, skills he would call uponagain and again. After graduating fromMercy in 1982, he traveled upstate to St.Bonaventure University to study masscommunications. His tenure at Mercyprepared him well for a comfortable transition to college; the routineestablished by the Franciscan Brothers at St. Bonaventure mirroredthat of the Sisters of Mercy.Upon graduation from college in 1986, Dave secured a positionat Dean Witter Reynolds, working in mortgage backed securities. Thereality of how small the world really is became clear to Dave as hemarried his girlfriend, Allyson, in 1989. He met Allyson on a blind dateset up by his friends from Mercy. Dave and Allyson soon relocatedto Atlanta, Georgia where he worked for Toshiba and then went on towork for a subsidiary company of Home Depot. He was transferredback to New York in 2001 to facilitate the opening of new HomeDepot stores in the tri-state area. After 9/11, Dave decided to leaveHome Depot and work for the family business, Phil Gamble & SonsPlumbing. Dave serves as President; he and his brother, Doug, arepartners.Dave and Allyson currently reside in Amagansettwith their two sons, Bryan, age 16, and Christopher,age 19. Christopher is a sophomore at SUNY Geneseo,studying geology. When Dave is not working, he andhis family enjoy traveling and taking advantage of allthat the East End of Long Island have to offer – golfing,fishing, and a variety of water sports. When all is saidand done, Dave credits the Sisters of Mercy for givinghim the focus and the foundations to be successful in allaspects of his life.1981 Class ReunionThis November, the Class of 1981 descendedupon Rock Hill Country Club to celebratetheir 30th Class Reunion and reminisceabout the good times at Mercy.Honoring One of our OwnSeptember 11th is a day that will go down in infamy with thousands of lives lost.Unfortunately, Mercy lost one its family members, John McDowell, Class of 1986,who, after escaping from the North Tower, went back in to help others. The towercollapsed before he could get out. At First Friday mass in September, he wasremembered for “living Mercy” to the end; a plaque was dedicated in his honorablememory. Pictured are members of his graduating class and friends who came tohonor him. An example of what Mercy is truly about, he is sorely missed!!5Basketball &Football GamesAlways up for a challenge, alumni cameout to show their athletic prowess (ornot) at the Alumni Football Game inNovember and the Alumni BasketballGame in January. Regardless of whatyear they graduated, everyone who cameto play or cheer had a great time!