Building a Legacy for Catholic Education
Michael A. Puglia ’71
As Notre Dame moves toward its 75th anniversary, we see an ever increasing number of legacy freshmen. Twenty years ago, Michael A. Puglia, Class of 1971, became a new legacy dad when his son Michael F. Puglia ‘01 began his Notre Dame career. As Mike joined his 1971 classmates for their 45th reunion in 2016, he strengthened his ND legacy status by becoming a member of the Legacy Society of Our Lady ~ Notre Dame. Mike and his wife Deborah (Lauralton Hall ’72) made the decision to include Notre Dame in their estate plan after attending Notre Dame’s 2015 estate planning seminar.
Upon graduating from ND, Mike continued his education at the University of Connecticut where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from UConn’s School of Pharmacy. After working as a traditional pharmacist for five years, Mike spent the next 31 years in the employment of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a global leader in research, development, and delivery of innovative products in growing areas of healthcare. During his time with Novartis, Mike specialized in the field of cardiovascular medicine.
Speaking of his love for Notre Dame, Mike said: “Notre Dame has always held a special place in all of our hearts. From the day in 1967 when I began my ND journey to watching our son cross the stage at his graduation as the 2001 Notre Dame Code Award recipient, ND has been a part of the fabric of the Puglia family.”
Mike and Deborah’s commitment to the Legacy Society of Our Lady ~ Notre Dame is a testament to the strong bonds of friendship that Mike developed over his four years on the hill, and to their shared belief in and support of Catholic Education.
“Deb and I have always felt that the finest preparation for college and career begins in a Catholic High School. It’s a family tradition of which we are very proud. In addition to our ND alumnus son, our daughter Elyse is a 2005 alumna of Sacred Heart Academy. Through our bequest, we hope to ensure that others will also share in the ND experience and move into personally rewarding careers focused on the common good of all people.”
Now in retirement, Mike and Deb are very happy to be grand-parenting Theresa Rose Puglia.
