CHRIS KELLY staff Above: The gymnasium at Markham Place School was standing room only during the dedication ceremony for the Don Merce Athletic Center on Jan. 23. Below: Student Council President Nolan Mendoza’s emotions show during the dedication for the athletic center, named after Don Merce, the school’s former principal who was killed in a car accident in May. Students, teachers, community members and Little Silver officials filled the Markham Place School gymnasium for the Don Merce Athletic Center dedication ceremony Jan. 23.
Merce was the former principal of Markham Place. He died in an automobile accident on May 6 in Oceanport.
Merce was beloved by the students and staff of the grades 5-8 Markham Place School, where he was principal for 19 years.
According his successor, Principal Dennis Morolda, about 600- 700 people attended the ceremony.
“We expected 200-300 of our own students. We didn’t know how many community members or previous students would attend. It was very, very well received,” he said.
Morolda said the ceremony lasted about 40 minutes and included speeches by the superintendent, the student council president, the Board of Education president, a health/physical education teacher and Merce’s wife, who gave the final address.
Morolda said school officials decided to name the gym after Merce because he was instrumental in having the new wing of the school built, and the new wing included the gymnasium.
In addition, Morolda said the speeches given at the ceremony showed Merce was very active and involved in athletics.
“It represented what he stood for in education: team work, cooperation, participation. That just really came about in the speeches,” he said.
Morolda said in addition to the dedication, there is a bronze plaque in Merce’s honor and a framed New York Giants jersey with the number one on the back because Merce was a big Giants fan.
Morolda said Mayor Suzanne Castleman and District 12 Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon were present for the event, as were Merce’s family and friends, members of the Board of Education, former colleagues and Markham Place teachers.
“The event was nicely done in my opinion. It was a very nice dedication ceremony in his honor,” Morolda said.
Following Merce’s death, a candlelight vigil in his memory took place at the school May 6 and hundreds of people attended a memorial service for him June 5.
Morolda assumed the post of principal of Markham Place School in August.