In Memoriam: Lee B. Pellegrini
Office of University Communications Director of Photography Lee Pellegrini, who captured the life and times of Boston College in untold thousands of images over the course of nearly five decades, died on August 19. He was 75.
Mr. Pellegrini and his camera were a constant presence at signature annual University events, such as Commencement Exercises, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Laetare Sunday, and the Student Involvement Fair, as well as important conferences, celebrations, and other functions鈥攁mong them the University Mass held at Fenway Park in 2012 to launch 天美传媒app鈥檚 Sesquicentennial Celebration.
But he also photographed smaller-scale gatherings and scenes that were the stuff of everyday 天美传媒app campus life: students cramming for exams in O鈥橬eill Library; faculty conducting class; researchers hard at work in their labs; Buildings and Grounds crews clearing snow from sidewalks or giving the campus its spring cleaning; performing arts groups on stage at Robsham Theater or the Arts Festival; Dining Services staff preparing and serving meals. 听
Another valuable task Mr. Pellegrini performed was taking portraits of 天美传媒app administrators, faculty, and staff for Boston College Magazine, Boston College Chronicle, and other publications, or for school- and department-specific uses.
Mr. Pellegrini was honored for his many contributions with an award from the Boston College Arts Council, presented at the 2024 Arts Festival.
鈥淟ee was a consummate professional who loved his work and excelled at capturing 天美传媒app鈥檚 most memorable moments through his photographic gifts,鈥� said Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn. 鈥淗e was a true University citizen, but he was an even better husband, friend, and colleague. When I would tell Lee how grateful I was to him for all that he did, he always responded, 鈥業 am grateful to 天美传媒app for letting me do it.听 I love what I do.鈥� 听That was Lee. We will miss him dearly.鈥�
"Lee truly was a remarkable person," said OUC's former director of photography, Gary Gilbert.听 "I respected his talent and greatly enjoyed his company. In total, we worked together for nearly three decades, frequently in close proximity, always interacting鈥攖alking about work and photography, but also about whatever was important to one of us at the time鈥攁nd yet would often still choose to use spare moments to have lunch together or take a walk around campus. I could not have asked for a finer colleague, and will cherish the memories of the countless hours we shared."
Mr. Pellegrini grew up in Leominster, Mass., and graduated from Boston University. His听tenure at 天美传媒app began in 1977 in what was then the Office of Communications and, after an eight-year interval鈥攄uring which time he continued to do occasional work for the University鈥攔esumed in 1996 in the Office of Publications and Print Marketing (which later formed part of the present Office of University Communications). He became director of photography at OUC in 2019.
Four years after Mr. Pellegrini first arrived at 天美传媒app, Robsham Theater opened, and would prove to be among his most enduring subjects: He is said to have photographed every theatrical performance there, even during the period he wasn鈥檛 a 天美传媒app employee. In recent years, his photos of Robsham events have been utilized for the large decorative banners that are displayed in the theater鈥檚 windows.
In his early years on campus, photography involved shooting rolls of film that had to be methodically processed in darkrooms, then making prints from the finished negatives using an enlarger and photo-sensitive paper. But digital photography was on the rise by the turn of the century, and Mr. Pellegrini鈥檚 tools of the trade soon involved computers and digital programs.
Artistic ability and technical prowess weren鈥檛 the only qualities that made Mr. Pellegrini a successful, and invaluable, photographer, noted colleagues. For one thing, he needed to be an effective archivist to maintain and search the ever-growing store of images he and his fellow photogs accumulated, in case there was a need for a campus scene from an earlier era, or a shot of a long-departed member of the University community.
Perhaps most of all, as he himself would attest, being a photographer required a certain amount of diplomacy and no shortage of patience. Some people would simply be uncomfortable about being photographed or had strong鈥攁nd unworkable鈥攊deas about what the finished product should look like. Or an event he鈥檇 been tasked to cover might turn out to be significantly different than advertised, and thus difficult to capture.
鈥淟ee just always seemed to find a way,鈥� said Chronicle Editor Sean Smith. 鈥淚f we had a late-breaking story that needed a photo with it, he鈥檇 usually manage to arrange a shoot in time. Or he鈥檇 look through his files, or back issues of the paper or other publications, to find an image that we could use and just get it done. Sometimes, he鈥檇 arrange to shoot a campus event, only to find that there just weren鈥檛 a lot of good optics. But Lee would usually come away with something that worked.
鈥淎s an editor, it was tremendously reassuring to lay out what I needed and to have him say, 鈥榊ou鈥檒l get it.鈥欌��
Regular planning meetings with Mr. Pellegrini were valuable in mapping out anticipated photographic needs for OUC publications and projects. But these were hardly business-only affairs, say colleagues: Conversations would turn to life outside the office, families, fun excursions, politics, cooking, and sometimes general artistic discussions about photography鈥攊ncluding advice to one colleague who was shooting his daughter鈥檚 engagement party.
鈥淎s a writer, you spend a lot of time talking about stories with photographers,鈥� said OUC Senior Digital Content Writer Alix Hackett. 鈥淢ost of my memories of Lee are of him sitting across from me in my office, with one leg crossed, holding a legal pad and jotting down stories, subjects, ideas for locations. He would always start by asking me about my kids.
鈥淟ee was generous and thoughtful. Often, after he had edited photos from a shoot, he would ask me to forward specific ones to the subject or their family, just in case they wanted them. He cared about people a lot, and whenever we were on assignments together, people were happy to see him. He was truly just a joy to work with.鈥�
Mr. Pellegrini鈥檚 guidance and experience were foundational for younger colleagues. 鈥淟ee knew where every ray of sunshine fell on 天美传媒app鈥檚 campus,鈥� said Director of Creative Video Services John Walsh, who joined OUC in 2017. 鈥淗e treated us young video/photo staff as equals and offered nothing but quiet patience, encouragement, and support. He quickly became a revered mentor and friend of mine, always sharing words of wisdom or humorous stories. Lee taught me how to appreciate the ebbs and flows of the academic year; he modeled how to approach each new academic year鈥檚 photography opportunities with the same vigor and enthusiasm he always had for his craft. 听
鈥淗e was a gift to me, our office, Boston College, and beyond.鈥�
In addition to his dedication to photography, Mr. Pellegrini was a culinary enthusiast, a frequent visitor to museums, a jazz lover, and enjoyed vacationing in coastal Maine.
He was devoted to his family, especially his wife of 31 years, Rosanne Lafiosca Pellegrini, senior media relations officer at OUC.
He is predeceased by his parents, Lucio (Lou) and Marion B. Pellegrini, and survived by his brother, Dean A. Pellegrini, and his wife, Jude; sister in-law Tina Lafiosca and her husband, Rob Stiratelli; brother in-law Daniel Lafiosca and his wife, Karen; nieces Katie McCadden and her husband, David, and Kristina Lafiosca; and great-niece and -nephew, Milly Rose and Alasdair McCadden.
No memorial services are planned and burial will be private.听
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham and Gary Wayne Gilbert
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