Fr. MacGillivray, who taught at BC from 1953 until his retirement in 1978, was known among his students and brother priests for his sense of humor. But he also cultivated a reputation as a poet, publishing a volume of his works titled Sufficient Wisdom and contributing to a number of anthologies. Some of his work is contained in a collection at the Burns Library.
"He had a style about the way he taught poetry that would engage students," said Rev. Edward O'Flaherty, SJ, who gave the homily at Fr. MacGillivray's funeral Mass.
A Boston native, Fr. MacGillivray attended Boston High School of Commerce and studied at Boston College before entering the Jesuit novitiate in Lenox in August of 1932.
-Stephen Gawlik