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—among them the University Mass held at Fenway Park in 2012 to launch BC’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
But he also photographed smaller-scale gatherings and scenes that were the stuff of everyday BC campus life: students cramming for exams in O’Neill 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.
Another valuable task Mr. Pellegrini performed was taking portraits of BC 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.
“Lee was a consummate professional who loved his work and excelled at capturing BC’s most memorable moments through his photographic gifts,” said Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn. “He 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, ‘I am grateful to BC for letting me do it. I love what I do.’ That was Lee. We will miss him dearly.”
"Lee truly was a remarkable person," said OUC's former director of photography, Gary Gilbert. "I respected his talent and greatly enjoyed his company. In total, we worked together for nearly three decades, frequently in close proximity, always interacting—talking about work and photography, but also about whatever was important to one of us at the time—and 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 tenure at BC began in 1977 in what was then the Office of Communications and, after an eight-year interval—during which time he continued to do occasional work for the University—resumed 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 BC, 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’t a BC employee. In recent years, his photos of Robsham events have been utilized for the large decorative banners that are displayed in the theater’s 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’s tools of the trade soon involved computers and digital programs.
Artistic ability and technical prowess weren’t 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—and unworkable—ideas about what the finished product should look like. Or an event he’d been tasked to cover might turn out to be significantly different than advertised, and thus difficult to capture.
“Lee just always seemed to find a way,” said Chronicle Editor Sean Smith. “If we had a late-breaking story that needed a photo with it, he’d usually manage to arrange a shoot in time. Or he’d 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’d arrange to shoot a campus event, only to find that there just weren’t a lot of good optics. But Lee would usually come away with something that worked.
“As an editor, it was tremendously reassuring to lay out what I needed and to have him say, ‘You’ll get it.’”
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—including advice to one colleague who was shooting his daughter’s engagement party.
“As a writer, you spend a lot of time talking about stories with photographers,” said OUC Senior Digital Content Writer Alix Hackett. “Most 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.
“Lee 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.”
Mr. Pellegrini’s guidance and experience were foundational for younger colleagues. “Lee knew where every ray of sunshine fell on BC’s campus,” said Director of Creative Video Services John Walsh, who joined OUC in 2017. “He 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’s photography opportunities with the same vigor and enthusiasm he always had for his craft.
“He was a gift to me, our office, Boston College, and beyond.”
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.
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham and Gary Wayne Gilbert