Msgr. Francis J. Dillon was the seventh and longest-serving pastor of St. Luke Roman Catholic Church in Whitestone, where he presided for 46 years, beginning in 1918 until death in 1965. Dillon was an active member of the community, where he was committed to the youth and needy of the area.

In a Council committee hearing in 1995, Queens City Councilman Michael Abel noted that, “during the holidays, Francis Dillon would provide anonymous gift packages of food and clothes and leave them on the doorsteps of those families he knew were in need but were too ashamed to ask.” The Monsignor’s positive impact on his community led the local Whitestone chapter of the Knights of Columbus to be named in his honor.

To mark the 30th anniversary of Dillon’s death in 1995, 150th Place between 17th Avenue and the eastbound service road of the Cross Island Parkway was renamed as Msgr. Francis J. Dillon Place. A commemorative sign is located at the northeast corner of 150th Place and 15th Drive, about a 4-minute walk from the church where Msgr. Dillon served for nearly a half century.