S. L. FULLER and MEGHAN GUATTERY
Editor in Chief and Managing Editor
Elizabeth Praetorius’ job description as vice president for Finance and Administration included words like “operations,” “purchasing,” “accounts” and “budget.” Nowhere did it mention “caring about students” or “putting smiles on faces.” But that’s exactly what coworkers and friends say Praetorius, known as “Liz,” did every day when she came to work.
“The day before she left us she sat next to me in an early-morning steering committee meeting,” said Dr. Rob Deemer, associate professor of music composition, during Praetorius’ memorial ceremony last Saturday. “And before it started, she asked me how my music was going and how I felt about the various issues with which we were dealing with real interest. She treated me as a true friend and I will always think of her as such.”
Praetorius died in the afternoon on Feb. 4 after suffering a heart attack earlier that morning. She held her position at Fredonia for just over a year and a half. But she managed to leave a lasting impression on every single person she worked with, including President Virginia Horvath, who remembers her most for her “quick mind, good heart and love of Fredonia.”
“Liz was a partner with me from her first day on the job. She came here in 2014 with an outstretched hand, ready to work together to make this a great institution of higher learning,” said Provost Terry Brown. “Liz was fun to work with. When I found some savings, even a few hundred dollars, she’d say, ‘Did anyone tell you today that you’re a good kid?’ It felt like a blessing out of nowhere.”
Even though Praetorius was relatively new to Fredonia, she was no stranger to SUNY. A piece of her obituary mentioned that she spent her entire 25-year career in the SUNY system, previously working at SUNY Maritime, SUNY at Albany and SUNY System Administration. Bottom line: Praetorius was good at her job.
“She lit up at the idea of tackling a problem, and she was willing to take on the big ones, such as the campus budget or policies or compliance,” said Horvath at Praetorius’ funeral. “She was a stickler for rules, wanting to ensure compliance with regulations and equity.”
Shock hit the campus community when Horvath announced the news, but those who knew her take comfort in all the positive memories, even if they were created in such a small amount of time. To faculty, staff, administration and students, she made a difference in and out of the office.
“When she accepted the position [at Fredonia] she said, ‘I look forward to being part of the wonderful things that are happening here,’” said Horvath. “And she stepped into her leadership role with gusto.”
This semester, Deemer, as chair of University Senate, was tasked with organizing a review of Praetorius and her division — one he wishes he got to present to her.
“One of the most painful things about losing her is that we never got a chance to tell her how freaking awesome she was,” continued Deemer. “Liz provided an immense amount of leadership at a time that hundreds of faculty and staff and thousands of students desperately needed it, and she did it with a huge smile, a big hug, and the love of her friends and colleagues that ran very, very deep.”
Apart from the fond memories, Praetorius’ legacy is immortalized in the form of a scholarship. Friends, family and colleagues created The R. Elizabeth Praetorius Memorial Scholarship to assist any student with financial need. No matter what was in her job description, the duties Praetorius carried out always catered to students first.
“Although most students may not realize it, they lost a powerful advocate and an administrator who loved our school and its students,” said junior education major Jefferson Dedrick. “Her limited face time with students were undoubtedly some of her favorite moments on campus.”
While her position required that she spend most of her time working behind the scenes, Praetorius knew she was helping students, despite the limited interaction.
“It was Liz’s job to focus on the bottom line and the end of the balance sheet where you subtract expenditures from revenues. But Liz she knew that we couldn’t just cut budgets,” said Brown. “She knew we needed to invest in students, faculty and staff, and that the investment would have great returns on the revenue side through increased retention and enrollments.
“Words cannot express how sad I am at losing a great partner,” she continued. “It will be very hard, if [possible] at all, to replace Liz Praetorius.”