Farewell to Father Daniel G. Gambet, OSFS
The DeSales University and greater Lehigh Valley communities will come together on Monday, March 14, to bid a final farewell to Father Daniel G. Gambet, OSFS, president emeritus.
Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Connelly Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial begins at 7:00 p.m. and also will be livestreamed on the DeSales Campus Ministry YouTube channel. Go to the livestream
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitation and Mass on Wednesday, March 16, at Our Lady of Light Chapel will be limited to Oblates only. Interment at the Oblate Cemetery in Childs, Maryland, will take place at 12:00 p.m. on March 16 and is open to the public
DeSales is also organizing a celebration of Fr. Gambet’s life for his friends and acquaintances from his many years in the Lehigh Valley. That event will take place in the DeSales University Center later this spring.
Fr. Gambet, the University’s second president and a professed member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales for 73 years, died on February 28, 2022.
“Fr. Dan Gambet was a giant of a man who committed his life to DeSales University,” says Fr. James Greenfield, OSFS ’84, president of DeSales. “He and DeSales University are inextricably linked. His legacy authentically lives in all of our graduates.”
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Fr. Gambet was born June 9, 1929, to the late Irving and Katherine Glanville Gambet. He attended Blessed Sacrament grade school and Central Catholic High School in Toledo, graduating in 1947.
After graduation, Fr. Gambet entered the Oblates and made his first profession of vows on September 8, 1948. He was ordained at St. Anthony of Padua Church on June 8, 1957. He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Niagara University, a master of arts degree from The Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in classical studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
From 1957 to 1958, Fr. Gambet taught Latin, French, and religion at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia and from 1958 until 1963, Latin and French at Salesianum High School in Wilmington, Del., where he also served as prefect of discipline.
In 1965, Fr. Gambet began his career at DeSales University, serving as academic dean and a teacher of history and Latin. From 1972 until 1978, he was provincial of the Wilmington/Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
“Fr. Gambet loved being an Oblate priest,” says Fr. Greenfield. “His commitment to Allentown College and then DeSales University was infused with his ministry of preaching and teaching the Gospel as a priest.”
In 1978, Fr. Gambet became the second president of DeSales University, serving until his retirement in 1999. Under his leadership, the University underwent tremendous growth in academic reputation and in size. The student body grew from 850 to 2,300; graduate education was introduced as well as a broad spectrum of undergraduate majors.
In addition, physical facilities were greatly expanded; funds under management reached the $25 million benchmark; more than $30 million had been raised for capital projects, endowments, and scholarships; and the budget was balanced in each of the 20 years of Fr. Gambet’s tenure.
“With the hard work and visionary leadership of Fr. Gambet, DeSales University would not be the great school it is today,” says Fr. Greenfield. “No one can surpass Fr. Gambet in terms of advancing the mission begun in 1965.”
During his years as president of the University, Fr. Gambet served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities, CICU, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh Valley Hospital. He was also a director of the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company.
In retirement, Fr. Gambet maintained an office at the University as president emeritus and assisted the school with fundraising and community relations. He was active in a number of local and regional organizations, including serving as a trustee of the Harry C. Trexler Trust and a board member of Channel 39, Lehigh Valley PBS. He was also a board member of the Executive Service Corps of the Lehigh Valley, a trustee of the Keystone Nazareth Charitable Foundation, and an executive board member of the Minsi Trails Council, BSA.
“His contributions went well beyond our campus,” says Fr. Greenfield. “Fr. Gambet was a central figure in the greater Lehigh Valley community. I have been touched to receive so many accolades on his behalf during the past few days.”
Fr. Gambet is survived by his niece, Kathy Normandy.
Arrangements:
Visitation:
March 14, 2022
2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Connelly Chapel at DeSales University
2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA
Mass of Christian Burial:
March 14, 2022
7:00 p.m.
Connelly Chapel at DeSales University
2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA
Interment:
March 16, 2022
12:00 p.m.
Oblate Cemetery
1120 Blue Ball Road, Childs, MD, 21916
The legacy of Fr. Gambet will live in perpetuity in the lives of all who knew him. In honor of Fr. Gambet’s decades of service to DeSales University and the Lehigh Valley community, The Rev. Daniel G. Gambet, OSFS Endowed Scholarship was recently established at DeSales University to honor his many contributions to the region and to make a lasting impact on future generations of Lehigh Valley students.
Contributions in Fr. Gambet's memory may be made to DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034. All gifts in his honor will be directed to The Rev. Daniel G. Gambet, OSFS Endowed Scholarship.