Transformational leader guided Hilbert through decades of growth, mission expansion, and student-centered innovation
Hamburg, NY — Hilbert College announces with deep sadness the passing of President Emerita Sister Edmunette Paczesny, FSSJ, who faithfully and skillfully led the College for 32 years. Her presidency marked one of the most consequential eras in Hilbert’s history; one that reshaped the campus, strengthened academic offerings, and broadened access to Catholic higher education across Western New York.
Sister Edmunette began her tenure at a time when Hilbert was a small junior college. Under her leadership, Hilbert became a four-year institution, expanded its facilities dramatically, grew its academic portfolio, and solidified its identity as a Franciscan college committed to service, dignity, and student success.
Among the many milestones realized during her presidency:
- Transition to four-year degree programs, establishing Hilbert as a baccalaureate institution serving the region
- Creation of academic programs that remain signature strengths, including criminal justice, human services, business administration, and forensic science
- Construction and expansion of core campus facilities, including academic buildings, student spaces, residence life capacity, and campus infrastructure improvements
- Establishment of residence halls that helped transform Hilbert from a commuter college into a true residential learning community
- Development and growth of the institution’s Catholic and Franciscan identity, shaping Hilbert’s culture of care, welcome, and holistic formation
- Significant enrollment growth and expanded community presence, positioning Hilbert as a talent pipeline for law enforcement, social services, education, healthcare, and nonprofit leadership
“Hilbert would simply not be the Hilbert we know today without Sister Edmunette,” said Interim President Michael Cornell. “She led with courage, foresight, and unwavering commitment. Every academic building we walk through, every degree program that lifts a student’s future, every tradition rooted in service and compassion bears her fingerprints.”
Sister Edmunette was known for her exceptionally relational leadership. Students often recall her presence at campus events, her handwritten notes of encouragement, and her willingness to listen. Whether navigating periods of expansion or moments of challenge, her compass was always the same: do what serves students, honor the Sisters’ mission, and strengthen Hilbert’s future.
In addition to her administrative leadership, Sister Edmunette helped establish Hilbert’s model of student-centered accompaniment, a defining hallmark of the College to this day. She championed the idea that education requires presence, compassion, and belief in the dignity and potential of every learner.
A private funeral mass and burial will be held for Sister Edmunette. In the coming days, we will share details regarding the opportunity for the Hilbert community to gather in celebration Sister Edmunette’s life and legacy.
In the meantime, Hilbert invites alumni, colleagues, friends, and partners to reflect on her enduring example through simple acts of encouragement, service, and care—especially toward those who most need to be seen and supported.
“As we grieve her passing,” President Cornell shared, “we also recognize that her legacy lives each day in the degrees earned, the lives shaped, the communities impacted and, most importantly, in the mission she safeguarded with grace. We will miss her deeply, but we move forward encouraged by her example and determined to advance the work she nurtured so faithfully.”
Hilbert College extends its heartfelt condolences to the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, to Sister Edmunette’s family, and to the generations of alumni and colleagues whose lives were lifted by her faithful leadership.
