Hall of Fame
Dr. Michael Sansone '64 was a four-sport athlete at CHS who excelled in every one – football, basket, track and field and baseball.
The late Crusader was the first junior win four varsity letters in a single season in school history. A blocking and running back for Coach John Barnes '42 in football, he ranked third in total yards in the Bishop Burke League his senior year. An outfielder in baseball, he played for the undefeated Canisius Tyro's American Legion Post. In basketball, he saw action for three years and played in the Manhattan Cup Championship game in 1963. He was an All-Catholic pick in track and field, and had numerous first- and second-place finishes in his senior season.
According to Mike's wife, Mary, his successes on the athletic field were a reflection of his deep commitment to Canisius and appreciation for being a Crusader. "He absolutely loved Canisius High School," she says. "He would say being accepted into Canisius was second only to being accepted into medical school."
After graduation, Mike played football for one year at the University of Buffalo. He then transferred from U.B. to Canisius College where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He was accepted into U.B.'s Medical School and was commissioned as a general medical officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves.
Mike studied general medicine at U.B. and did his residency at Erie County Medical Center (then E.J. Meyer Memorial Hospital) before becoming a board-certified ophthalmologist and surgeon. He cared for patients in a private practice before founding and developing the WNY Medical Park in West Seneca, one of the first multi-discipline medical complexes in the area. Mike also founded the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Western New York, the first privately-owned center for outpatient surgery in the area.
He served as president of the WNY snf New York State Ophthalmology Societies and was a committee member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. On top of all those commitments, Mike always made time for pro bono work with underserved populations.
He became an avid gardener in retirement and dedicated countless hours to his church, Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Orchard Park, where he served as parish council president and helped found Nativity's Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. Mike and Mary were married 41 years, with two daughters and one grandson. Mike passed away in December 2013.
