Theresa Patnode Santmann '69
Dear Colleagues:
It is with sadness and profound gratitude for her many contributions to FSC that I
inform you of the passing of Theresa Patnode Santmann on March 11, 2025.
Ms. Santmann received her nursing degree from our College in 1969, launching her career
in the healthcare industry. She was the first woman in New York State to obtain an FHA-backed loan, building a 160-bed nursing home. This was the start of one of
the most successful nursing homes on Long Island. Ms. Santmann used her ingenuity
to invent and patent a unique walker.
A longtime friend of FSC, she was a member of the Farmingdale Foundation board from
2004 to 2019 and endowed scholarships for underrepresented students and nursing faculty.
In addition, she helped beautify our campus through her support of landscaping improvements,
design projects, and a 9/11 memorial on campus.
In 2011, Santmann donated the first seven-figure gift in Farmingdale’s history—$1
million to support the nursing and bioscience programs. To honor this support and
her confidence in our health degree programs, the College named the Theresa Patnode
Santmann School of Health Sciences. For her work at Farmingdale and in local communities,
she was recognized as Alumna of the Year in 2005, a March of Dimes Woman of Distinction
in 1998, and was inducted into the Long Island Business News Hall of Fame.
Ms. Santmann's generosity and contributions to her alma mater and her community were
deep and meaningful and will not be forgotten.
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
Professor of Biology
