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Dr. James F.X. O’Rourke ’39, M.D.,
former mayor of Yonkers, N.Y., and director of ophthalmology at Westchester Medical Center
Dr. James F.X. O’Rourke ’39, M.D., former mayor of Yonkers, N.Y., and director of ophthalmology at Westchester Medical Center (WMC), died on Aug. 4, 2006. He was 86 years old. O’Rourke touched many lives in different ways. A chameleon of talents, he was no ordinary doctor. For those who knew him, O’Rourke may have been an eye specialist, mayor, devoted family man, businessman, athlete on the New York Giants, courageous soldier, singer or friendly magician in the local café. “He was outgoing, gregarious, a great storyteller, thoughtful, deeply intelligent and very religious,” says Kathy Rittinger ’74, one of O’Rourke’s daughters. The death of a medical school friend, Brian Murphy, from cancer of the optic nerve, fueled O’Rourke’s inspiration to become an eye doctor. He directed the ophthalmology department at WMC, was an associate chairman and professor of ophthalmology at New York Medical College and treated patients in his private office in Yonkers, N.Y. O’Rourke plunged into politics in the 1960s when he served as councilman in Yonkers. Former Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller appointed him as mayor of Yonkers in 1966 to replace John E. Flynn upon his election to the U.S. Senate.
Miroslav Turek,
Turek was born on Aug. 7, 1910, into a large family. Throughout his childhood, his parents instilled in him a love for learning, and he learned several languages in addition to his native Czech. Turek completed his doctoral studies in liberal arts and economics from Charles University at Prague. Later, his love for languages took him to France, where he trained in the brokerage business and worked at a French glass company before joining the Czechoslovak army as a reserve officer. manhattan.edu
Amid his careers in medicine and politics, O’Rourke added businessman to his repertoire. He helped to found Hudson Valley Bank in 1972 and served as its director and chairman. Born in the roaring ’20s, O’Rourke grew up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, N.Y. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Manhattan College, where he was also president of the glee club. O’Rourke went to medical school at Georgetown University and later completed his residency in ophthalmology at Columbia Presbyterian Eye Institute. O’Rourke met his future wife, Evelyn Cooke, as a student at Manhattan College. Cooke, who attended the nearby College of Mount Saint Vincent, crossed paths with O’Rourke at the local malt shop. “They met because of the connection between the two colleges,” Rittinger says. “It was love at first sight, and they never saw another human being after that.” At Georgetown, O’Rourke played football for the Washington Presidents, a minor league team. He later starred in three exhibition games with the New York Giants before being cut.
The eruption of World War II transported O’Rourke to France, where he was stationed as an Army surgeon. For his wartime valor, he earned a purple heart for shrapnel wounds and a bronze star for another time that he crossed enemy lines with two comrades to save a wounded American soldier. At the medal ceremony, O’Rourke sang Recondita Armonia from Puccini’s Tosca before an audience that included Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. In light of O’Rourke’s accomplishments and talents, Rittinger says his greatest success was “raising a family of 13 children.” Rittinger also recalls her father’s love of entertaining children with his infamous disappearing coin trick. “He’d see a child in a coffee shop, and he’d approach him,” she says. “Invariably, the coin would find its way into the child’s ear or nose. It meant that much to him to see a child laugh.” In addition to Rittinger, O’Rourke is survived by his other children: Eileen Hoffnagle, Tara Howard, Colleen Kensinger, Kerry Malitoris, Brendan O’Rourke, Brian O’Rourke ’74, James O’Rourke, Kevin O’Rourke ’77, Michael O’Rourke, Sean O’Rourke, Ann Romanovsky and Mary Wojtusiak.
former professor of history and celebrated Czech diplomat
Miroslav Turek, former professor of history at Manhattan College, died on Sept. 3, 2006, shortly after his 96th birthday. He taught European history and diplomacy to his students but also lived and breathed it in his own life as a vigorous promoter of his beloved country, the Czech Republic.
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O’Rourke was elected to a second term and later led the New York State Committee to Elect Ronald Reagan.
Turek’s life journey took many turns. He lived a life of struggle, courage, perseverance and honor, and always with the Czech Republic in mind. During World War II, Turek served as the aide de camp of the Czechoslovak Brigade in England. He planned and organized the Free Czech forces and set out on numerous speaking tours to help educate the British people about Czechoslovakia. In 1944, Jan Masaryk, who was the Czechoslovak foreign minister at the time, had been living in exile in London. Masaryk asked Turek to fly over enemy lines to France and reopen the Czech embassy previously shut down by German soldiers. This courageous act jump-started his diplomatic career.
From 1944 to 1948, Turek served as a leading diplomat for the Czechoslovak while living in Paris. He was instrumental in re-establishing the Czech diplomatic ties in Paris until 1948, when the communist coup d’etat ultimately put an end to his diplomatic post. It was during this time of trouble and instability that he also met and married Ludmila Turek, his wife of nearly 60 years. “That’s where I very much admired Miro’s great courage,” says Ludmila, who explained that he had to make the difficult decision to leave, to move to the United States where they didn’t know anyone. New to the United States, Turek worked with the Free Europe Committee, which supported refugees and the resistance