I’m writing this post as I gather with a close group of friends for our 40th (yikes!!) college reunion at Georgetown University.
This reunion is bittersweet.
Sweet, because whenever our small group reconvenes, it’s always a special event. We met in August 1981, when we were all assigned to the same floor in one of the worst freshman dorms in the United States (seriously, someone found an article that rated “terrible college dorms,” and ours made the list!). Through triumphs, kids, grandkids, and heartaches, these have been and remain my closest friends. I cherish each of them, and thank God for the bond we’ve formed.
This reunion also is bitter, because we lost a member of our group to cancer on Christmas Day 2024.
Carl Catauro was always the life of the party. He had a laugh that no one who ever heard it can ever forget (try as one may!). He was incredibly intelligent, a hypochondriac, exceedingly loyal, and a man of deep faith.
Carl was also deeply proud of his New York City, Italian heritage. He was a Bronx guy through and through. During one semester break when I was unable to travel home, Carl invited me to stay with he and his family. When we arrived at their house, I felt I was walking onto the set of the movie, Moonstruck. I’ll never forget Carl’s grandmother greeting me at the door of their home, holding my hand in both of hers, and inquiring (due to the dark hair I had at the time), “You must be Italian?” When I replied (with embarrassment), “Sorry, Nanny. I’m Irish,” she turned to Carl, smiled, and said (while still holding my hand in both of hers), “Well, he’s a nice boy, anyway.”
Carl embodied what it means to live “Yes!” to The 3 Life Questions. On the authenticity scale, he was off the charts! You knew where Carl stood on things, he pulled no punches (though he could be quite diplomatic), and he suffered no fools.
He built meaningful relationships. He cared about people. Deeply. And it showed. You felt it.
And the impact he had on the world is hard to calculate. In addition to the positive influence he had on family, friends, and work colleagues, Carl was a man of service. Immediately following our graduation, Carl served as Chief of Staff to Georgetown University’s President. After getting his law degree, Carl served our country as Special Agent and Legal Advisor to the FBI. He went on to serve as a trustee for the FBI Agents Association Memorial College Fund, which provides scholarships to the children and spouses of FBI agents who die while employed at the Bureau.
On May 30, 2025, Carl’s friends and family gathered to honor him by dedicating a bench in Carl’s name along a central walkway on Georgetown University’s main campus. Fittingly, Carl will continue to serve generations of Hoyas by giving students, faculty, and visitors a place to rest, relax, and take in the sights and sounds of the University. The group also established a fund in Carl’s honor that will enable students with demonstrated financial need the opportunity to participate in Campus Ministry’s international studies program, another initiative that was close to Carl’s heart.
Thank you, Carl. You were loved, and you are missed.