Retired teacher, 88, killed in crash near Christian Brothers Academy

Brother James Leahy, 88, had a long and distinguished career, school officials said

MaryAnn Spoto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

MIDDLETOWN -- Brother James Leahy was a fixture on the Christian Brothers Academy campus, well known at the private boys' school in Lincroft for his volunteerism and his distinguished career that took him to East Africa for nine years.

At 88, Leahy had his daily routine down: daily Mass, lunch with his fellow retired brothers, a trip to the mailbox to put out the day's correspondence and a nice long walk in the nearby county park.

It was at the start of one of those walks on Wednesday afternoon, school officials said, that Leahy was hit by a car and killed, leaving his religious community mourning a man who devoted his life to teaching.

"He was active, funny and had a great sense of humor," said Brother Frank Byrne, president of Christian Brothers. "He was 88 years old and still very active."

Releasing few details about the incident, Middletown police said Leahy was hit by a car in front of the school around 1:36 p.m.

The driver of the vehicle, Nicole Bruno, 25, of Manalapan, remained at the scene and has been cooperating, said Middletown Detective Lt. Paul Bailey.

Byrne said Leahy would sometimes walk the 3 miles of trails in Thompson Park, one of Monmouth County's parks, across the street from CBA, and sometimes he'd venture into downtown Lincroft, a route that could take him at least an hour, Byrne said.

Leahy hadn't yet crossed Newman Springs Road and was at the end of the school's driveway when the crash occurred, Byrne said. That section of the road, he said, is particularly busy because of nearby Brookdale Community College.

"He's probably crossed that road a thousand times in the 10 years he's been down here," Byrne said.

Born in New York, Leahy joined the brothers in 1946 and worked in several elementary and high schools and was a professor at St. Mary's College in California and Manhattan College in New York, Byrne said.

After leaving teaching, Leahy spent nine years running a novitiate in Eritrea in East Africa before returning to the United States, Byrne said.

"Usually college professors step down at 70 and retire. He wasn't ready. He said, 'I want to go to Africa,'" Byrne said.

After returning to the United States, Leahy became second-in-command at the brothers' retirement hall, De LaSalle Hall, on the same campus as the school, Byrne said.

In his retirement, Leahy volunteered at the school, often in the library.