BOSTON – Elliot Driben, whose unmatched support of Boston University Athletics impacted generations of Terriers, passed away on Sunday at the age of 80.
Driben, a Brookline native, attended nearly 6,000 BU Athletics events since his first in 1958, spending over six decades supporting thousands of student-athletes and coaches while building lifelong friendships.
“We are all deeply saddened by Elliot’s passing,” said director of athletics Drew Marrochello. “Words can’t describe what his dedication and passion meant to the BU Athletics family. He was an instant friend to everyone who chose to be a Terrier, and those who were fortunate enough to know him will forever hold a spot in their hearts for him.”
Affected by cerebral palsy since childhood, Driben took speech classes from BU professor Abbot Murphy and was a manager for a number of teams as a student at Brookline High School before working at John Hancock for 30 years. He was welcomed into the BU Athletics family by Tim Regan ’72, a standout hockey goaltender who was a student in one of Professor Murphy’s classes.
In 1983, Driben started traveling with the BU men’s ice hockey team and also became a regular fixture at home events for all BU teams, donating annually to each program. He eventually moved to Babcock Street, putting him steps away from the Athletics facilities and allowing him to easily join teams on their bus trips across the region.
His passion for everything BU led to a moniker – The Mayor of Terrier Nation – as he continued to touch the lives of countless student-athletes and their families in addition to coaches, staff and fellow supporters. He made every effort to get to as many games as possible and for the ones he couldn’t be at, he made sure to watch and follow online.
Driben was honored twice by the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame, receiving a Special Recognition Award in 1993 before being the 2010 recipient of the Roger “Moose” Washburn Memorial Award, honoring his continuous, unselfish support to the department. In 2012, the Case Center lobby was named the Elliot Driben Lobby, allowing his legacy to live on for decades to come.
Driben was cared for in his late stages of life by three longtime members of the BU family – Brian Durocher, Nancy Feldman and Nancy Rowan – and his friend, Dick Paster, as they all continued to make regular visits while helping to raise money for Driben’s assisted living care over the past eight years.
A funeral service will take place on Thursday, May 29, at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel in Canton starting at 10 a.m. followed by a burial ceremony at Sharon Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to BU Athletics (300 Babcock St.) or BU Hillel (215 Bay State Rd.). BU Athletics will host a celebration of Elliot’s life at a later date.
To read more about Elliot, click here for the story that was included in the Elliot Driben Lobby dedication in 2012.
To view photos from the Elliot Driben Lobby naming ceremony, click here.
BU Today wrote a feature on Elliot in 2011 titled The Mayor of Terrier Nation and produced an accompanying video.
NY Times wrote a feature on Elliot in 2013 titled The Caretaker of Boston University Athletics.
