Colleen Dunne, former Farley Hall rector, has died after health complications from open heart surgery. Dunne served as a rector for part of the 2023-2024 academic year and the full 2024-2025 academic year. Following her time at Notre Dame, she returned to her Montana roots and took a position as president of De La Salle Blackfeet School.
A press release issued Monday by Christian Brothers of the Midwest stated, “Ms. Dunne died following complications from open heart surgery in Salt Lake City. The surgery itself was successful, but other factors led to her death.”
The exact date of her passing was not specified.
Dunne earned a master of divinity from the University of Notre Dame in 2003.
According to her LinkedIn, she worked as a STEP Facilitator teaching online theology courses through the McGrath Institute from 2005 to 2017. She worked in campus ministry at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, her undergraduate alma mater; Saint Martin’s University; and Santa Clara University before serving as a rector.
While serving as rector to 215 residents, she lived and worked in Farley Hall with her dog Pintler.
