For more than five decades, Linda (Liberi) Toner ’68 has embodied the values at the heart of the Bonner & Prendie community: faith, humility, compassion, service, and dedication to others.
As a teacher, mentor, volunteer, wife, mother, and proud Prendie alumna, Linda has spent her life helping others — both inside and outside the classroom. Whether supporting students, volunteering at Bonner & Prendie after retirement, or serving immigrant families through the IHM Literacy Center in Philadelphia, she has consistently lived out the mission first instilled in her as a student at Archbishop Prendergast High School.
Now, Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School is recognizing Linda’s lifelong commitment to faith-filled service by naming her the 2026 recipient of the St. Katharine Drexel Medal.
“I was very surprised,” Linda shared. “Bonner & Prendie values the time I am saving them and the things I’m willing to do and the fact that I’m 100% Prendergast molded. It’s a gift, and I’m grateful.”
Prendie Beginnings
After graduating from St. Laurence School in Highland Park, Linda entered Archbishop Prendergast High School in the fall of 1964 and quickly became deeply involved in school life. She joined the drama club after being invited by her freshman Theology teacher, Sister Marian Therese, and spent four years working backstage on productions. Linda also joined the school newspaper, The Miter, where she deepened her love of writing a love for writing through the guidance of Sister Angelus Maria. She maintained first honors throughout all four years.
“I learned an awful lot there,” she said.
Linda credits the sisters and lay faculty at both St. Laurence and Prendie with shaping her education and values.
“The sisters and lay teachers gave so much of themselves,” she recalled. “It was astounding.”
Her years at Prendie coincided with a turbulent period in American history, as the Vietnam War and national unrest affected families across the country. One moment that stayed with her was when graduating in 1968 at Convention Hall in Philadelphia while the train carrying Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s body passed behind the building following his assassination.
Despite the uncertainty of the era, Linda says Prendie gave her a strong academic foundation.
“I didn’t fully realize how well I had learned at Prendergast until I got to Villanova,” she said. “In quite a few classes, I was already ahead.”
A Life Dedicated to Education
After graduating from Prendie, Linda attended Villanova University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education. Later she added a Master’s Degree from St. Charles Seminary and at Delaware County Community College earned a certificate in medical coding.
She began her teaching career at St. Clement’s Catholic Grade School in Southwest Philadelphia and would go on to teach for 43 years in Catholic and public schools while raising her two children.
After several years of teaching at St. Charles in Drexel Hill, Linda decided to move to the high school level and returned to Prendergast as a substitute teacher. What began as a temporary role soon became a permanent position teaching English and Theology.
“It was funny being in parts of the building I had never been allowed to enter before,” she laughed. “I enjoyed working with kids of all ages. If I could ever help a student in need, I would.”
Linda retired from Bonner & Prendie in 2019, though she later returned as a substitute teacher. Today, she remains a dedicated volunteer for the Institutional Advancement team, jokingly referring to herself as the school’s “shredder general” for the many hours she has spent organizing and shredding paperwork.
“I thought Dr. Cooke was calling to give me the ‘best in shredding’ award,” Linda joked. “I’m happy to help wherever I can.”
Continuing to Serve Others
In addition to volunteering at Bonner & Prendie, Linda remains closely connected to the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the IHM Literacy Center in Philadelphia, which supports immigrants learning English and preparing for citizenship.
Serving on the board for several years, Linda has been inspired by the dedication of the sisters, volunteers, and students involved in the program.
“They work with immigrants who want to do better, learn the language, and be successful in this country,” she said.
When reflecting on the values she learned at Prendie, Linda points to the compassion and resilience she witnessed in classmates who quietly overcame personal struggles and challenges.
“That’s a Prendie value I took with me: to be a helping hand,” she said. “If someone needed something and you could help, you should help.”
That spirit has guided her throughout her life.
Linda and her husband, Bill, a Bonner and Villanova graduate who served in the Army Reserves and worked as a mechanical engineer, recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary.
“He’s a wonderful man — always willing to help and he likes to fix things,” Linda said with a laugh. “I think everyone should marry a mechanical engineer.”
Together, they raised a daughter, Rebecca, who attended Prendergast and a son, Bill, who attended Bonner.
As this year’s St. Katharine Drexel Medal recipient, Linda’s advice to the Class of 2026 is simple:
“Don’t be afraid to take chances,” she encouraged. “Stay close to family. Be true to yourself. And remember that God is always nearby, so talk to Him!”