MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The president of Marquette University in Milwaukee has died following a three-year battle with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
According to Marquette Today, the university’s publication, President Michael R. Lovell, who has served the school for 10 years, passed away on Sunday.
The announcement, written by the school’s Board of Trustees chair, provost, and COO reads:
Together, we pray for President Lovell’s family, especially his wife Amy, his children, and his friends, as well as for all members of our Marquette and Milwaukee communities, as we grieve this immeasurable loss.
President Lovell and his wife were in Rome at the time, with the members of the Society of Jesus and the Board of Trustees on a Jesuit formation pilgrimage when Lovell fell ill and was taken to a hospital in Rome, the announcement says.
“President Lovell’s decade of leadership at Marquette was marked by a deep commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and community renewal and development — consistent with the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission that animated him.An entrepreneur at heart, President Lovell pushed Marquette and Milwaukee to ask what could be rather than settling for the status quo. Throughout his presidency, he attended hundreds of campus events each year and continued to teach undergraduate students in his product realization class, saying that he gained great energy from his interactions with students, faculty and staff.”
Sunday’s announcement goes on to say Lovell was a fixture of the Milwaukee community, serving on local boards and national higher education consortiums.
Together, President Lovell and Amy were trailblazers in directly addressing our region’s mental health issues. His contributions to Marquette will be remembered forever, just as his loss echoes throughout our community.
Marquette says support and resources for students and staff will be available on campus through Campus Ministry, the Faber Center, the Counseling Center and the Employee Assistance Program.
A campus prayer vigil is being planned and funeral arrangements will be shared when available.
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