Brother John Francis Colbert
29 September 1926 - 8 September 2011
Eulogy by Brother James Devine
On September 4, 1964 I left the
home of my youth in the
Highbridge Section of the Bronx
and traveled on the subway with
my parents to Grand Central
Station to board a Boston bound
New Haven train with the
instructions to get off at Route 128.
After a tearful goodbye, I began the
journey. As the train made its way
up the coast line an acute sense of
homesickness overtook me. Since
my Dad and I were very close, I
began to wonder what life would be
like without his presence.
My wondering thoughts were put to rest when I stepped off the
train at Route 128. The man walking toward me had the same
body structure as my Dad, as well as the same smile and gait.
He put his hand out (he had the same handshake as my father)
and said,"Welcome, James, to the Novitiate. My name is
Brother John Francis". A very special friendship that lasted 47
years was given birth at that moment and it has been a
beautiful ride. In the years since that first meeting I have come
to know his brothers and sisters and their respective children
and grandchildren. Yes, a beautiful ride indeed.
In the Novitiate, John introduced me and countless others over
his seven years of Ministry on the staff in Tyngsboro,
Massachusetts to Marist Spirit, the importance of being able to
express oneself in the essay form of writing and the importance





of Literature in ones life. Years later when I lived with John in
community and I was teaching literature, John told me on more
than one occasion what William Faulkner said in his acceptance
speech for the Noble Prize for Literature in 1950. The role of the
poet and the novelist and any writer is to create out of the
agony and sweat of the human spirit something which did not
exist before and that it is the privilege of the writer
11
to help
mankind endure by lifting the reader's heart". I cannot even
begin to imagine how many hearts John lifted in his 84 years
here on earth, 67 of them as a Marist Brother.
John was the quintessential Marist: he was excited about not
only what was happening here in America among the brothers,
but what was happening in other parts of the Marist world. At
the same time he was a beacon of welcome to any Marist
Brother who ran the front doorbell of the house where John was
residing.
I quote William Wordsworth from his Ode on Immortality and
take poetic license to fit this occasion.
What though the radiance that was once ours so bright,
our beloved John Francis Xavier Colbert, now forever
taken from sight. Though nothing can bring back the
hour of splendor in the grass, glory in the flower we will
grieve not but find strength in what remains behind. In
the primal sympathy which having been must always be.
In the soothing thoughts that spring from human
suffering.
Thanks to the faith that sees through death. Thanks to
the human heart by which we live. Thanks to its
tenderness, its joys and its pains.
Find strength in what remains behind. John leaves us a tapestry
of warm and wonderful memories that we will re-live each time
we gather and his name surfaces. He always had us laughing
and often times he had us laughing at himself. I could recall



thousands of events I shared with him that could cause you to
laugh, but in the interest of time, limit it to one that occurred in
Australia.
It was the summer of 1987 and John and I were visiting the
monks DOWNUNDER. The were very gracious to us and our
families were very good to us as well with spending money, so
with some of the cash John purchased two tickets in the
Bedroom Car on the overnight train from Sydney to Brisbane.
John loved to travel by train. When we arrived in our suite we
discovered it was equipped with a shower. Sine John had never
taken a shower on a train; he wanted to seize the opportunity.
So, as I read my novel, John entered the shower and as he
showered sang parts of Ode to Joy by Beethoven. When
finished he opened the curtain and said to me, "James, my
towel please. I am completely refreshed'~ I handed him the
towel and returned to my seat. Just at that moment, the
engineer applied the brakes because we were approaching the
station. John loses his balance and comes flying across the
room, naked and wet, and lands on me. With one hand pinned
under John, my novel in the air, I use my free hand to try to
close the blinds behind me because now the train is in the
station whose platform is peppered with awaiting passengers. I
told him if the porter opened the door he was history.
Now you are sad but WE will see you again and on that
day your hearts will be filled with complete joy and that
joy no one will ever again take away from you. - John
16:22
Now I ask you to bear with me for one more minute, as my final
words have to be addressed to my brother directly.
John, in the words of the late Bob Hope, thanks for the
memories. Thanks for the laughs and all the jokes you shared
with us including the three clean ones. Thanks for being a
father figure to me when I really needed one. John, I do not
know what pure spirits look like and I cannot even imagine their



world. I know we call it Heaven and all I have are the words of
Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians.
Eye has not seen, ear heard nor has it even dawned on
man what God has planned for those who love Him.
-
1 Corinthians 2:9
My faith tells me to believe them and I do. However, if it is
appropriate in that Heavenly Kingdom when your soul meets
the soul of my father, would you please give him a big hug for
me? Thanks.
I end with Shakespeare. His character Horatio, speaking at the
death of his beloved Prince Hamlet:
Now smacks your noble heart. So goodnight sweet Prince
and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. -Act 5.
Scene 2
John, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Brother James Devine
29 September born Lawrence MA to Elizabeth (Siddle)
1926
and Francis Colbert
1940-1941
1941-1942
1942-1943
1943-1945
1944
1945
Catholic Central HS, Lawrence MA
(Student)
St. Ann Hermitage, Poughkeepsie NY
(Junior)
Marist Juniorate, Esopus NY (Junior)
Marist Novitiate, Poughkeepsie NY
Received Marist Habit, Poughkeepsie, NY
Professed first vows, Poughkeepsie NY


1945-1948
1948-1949
1950
1949-1952
1952-1959
1959-1960
1960
1960-1968
1968-1976
1976-1978
1978-1981
1981-1986
1986-1993
1993-2001
2001 - 2008
2008 - 2011
Marian College, Poughkeepsie NY
(Scholastic)
Professed perpetual vows, Tyngsboro MA
Central Catholic HS, Wheeling WV
(teacher)
St. Joseph Novitiate, Tyngsboro MA
(teacher)
Second Novitiate, St. Paul Trois
Cha tea ux, Fra nee
Professed vow of stability, Tyngsboro MA
Marist Hall, Cold Spring NY (teacher)
Bishop Dubois HS, NYC (teacher)
Cardinal Hayes HS, Bronx (secretary)
Bishops office, Eugene OR (secretary to
the bishop)
St Agnes Boys HS, NYC (secretary to the
principal)
Mount St Michael HS, Bronx NY
(secretary to the principal)
Champagnat Hall, Bronx NY (retired)
St. Patrick Home, Bronx NY (retired)
Champagnat Hall, Bronx NY (retired)
9 August 2011 died Champagnat Hall, Bronx NY
From Richard Foy: I would like to share some of my fond
memories of John with you. He was two years ahead of me, and
among the first Juniors to adventure to the new Esopus
Juniorate in August 1942. Brother Edmund Alphonse was the
organist and choir director. The only others who could play the
piano and/or organ were Juniors John Colbert and Stan




Galligan. Brother Edmund was absent for Saint Patrick's Day of
1943, and John replaced him as organist. To our shock and
delight, he played a couple of Irish tunes before and during
Mass. I think he had Brother Master's OK, and we enjoyed it
immensely.
When we taught at Saint Ann's Academy, we would sometimes
slip out of an evening to a bar on Third Avenue, a street which
was not so toney as today, with the 3rd Avenue El still running
noisily. The bar had a piano and John would play for an hour or
so. We would all pay for our first beer, and the owner would
treat us to several others.
I divulge this without shame since I later learned that Saint
Champagnat was almost kicked out of the seminary for slipping
out with some of his comrades to a neighborhood wine bar.
Little did I realize that I was following in Champagnat's
footsteps!
John was a simple, loveable person who did not hesitate to tell
us of his gaffs. Once he told us that he was in Macy's and asked
the sales clerk directions to a special department. When she did
not answer him, he discovered she was a mannequin ...
May he rest in peace. He gave so much peace and contentment
to his other Brothers. from Rich Foy
From Today's Marist Brother, Advent 2011
i:;::
John Colbert
Br. John Colbert, a Marist Brother for 67
years, died on August 9, 2001, after
living with the disabilities of a stroke
since 2001. He was 85 years old.
Br. John, born in Lawrence MA, was
professed as a Marist Brother in 1944.
After completing his religious and



academic studies at Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY, he served
at Marist Hall in Cold Spring, taught at Bishop Dubois High
School, Cardinal Hayes High School, St. Agnes Boys High
School, all in New York City, Central Catholic High School in
Wheeling WV and as a teacher in the Brothers' Novitiate in
Tyngsboro MA. He ended his school ministry in 1993 at Mount
St Michael Academy in the Bronx NY.
Br. John taught his students the importance of literature and
expressing oneself through essays. His love of music and
singing was inspiring! May he rest in peace.
Brother James Devine eulogy taken from the American Marist Newsletter 9/29/2011
Foy comments taken from newsletter #105
Assignment list derived from listing in Rome records. Some mistakes to be corrected.
Most recent version 29 September 2011.