SOUTH KINGSTOWN – A longtime University of Rhode Island employee has died after being struck by a car on the Kingston campus.

Maureen McDermott, director of student engagement and the Memorial Union, died on Nov. 15, Ellen Reynolds, vice president for student affairs, said in a letter to the URI community on Sunday.

“For more than forty years, Maureen was an important part of our community, as a friend and colleague to staff and faculty, and as a compassionate advisor to students,” Reynolds said. “She joined URI in 1981 as a major events coordinator, but it was in student involvement that she found her calling and leaves a lasting and meaningful legacy.”

A longtime employee was hit by a car on the URI campus

McDermott was hospitalized after being hit by a car on the Kingston Campus on the night of Nov. 6, a university spokeswoman previously said. The incident happened near the intersection of Lower College Road and Campus Avenue.

The vehicle was driven by a student, who cooperated with the investigation and received student support from the university, the spokeswoman previously said.

Maureen McDermott was passionate about URI

McDermott advised “many student organizations, and she was an advocate for all of our more than 100 campus organizations,” Reynolds said. “Her passion for our students and for their success both here and beyond our campuses provided the foundation for their achievements and served as an inspiration to colleagues.”

“Maureen was equally passionate about the University of Rhode Island and was a proud URI parent,” Reynolds said. “She and her husband, Paul, regularly attended URI sporting events to cheer on the Rams, and their three sons, Ryan, Kevin and Michael, all graduated from college.”

“Maureen’s bright smile, unwavering dedication to URI and 43 years of service to the students and staff she lovingly called her Rhody Family left an indelible impression,” said Reynolds. “Her legacy and impact will be forever cherished.”

Reynolds’ message also included contact information for support and counseling resources for students and staff.

This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: Longtime URI employee Maureen McDermott dies after being hit by a car on campus