1930s

36 Still Writing

I received word from the Alumni Association that Justin Hannen passed away in June. He was living in Denver CO. Joe Newman was in touch recently. He’s still doing great and living in Florida. He says he’s slowing down a little, but probably not by much. I am sorry if I worried you last time when there were no Class Notes from me. I’m still here, but I missed the reminder email. I’m so humbled after each submission when I hear from you younger alumni. You make me want to keep writing. I saw some recent photos of the stadium renovations. That’s becoming quite a structure. When I started my freshman year, the stadium was fairly new and we thought it was great. When I was back for my 75th Reunion I was surprised when we had dinner there in a nice dining room. It’s good to see the campus growing. I also saw pictures of the new research building. I can remember being in the chem lab, and Father Nieuwland would walk around asking what we were doing. Then he would chuckle and say, “There’s no money in that.” Go Irish. — John Norton; jwn176@aol.com

37 Class Secretary — Kathleen Coverick ’08;

kathleen.coverick@gmail.com

38 A Long Life Well Lived

I received a bittersweet note from the children of Francis H. May Jr. (better known as “Duck”) letting me know of their dad’s passing this July in Cooperstown. Duck celebrated 99 years and leaves quite a legacy of his values — character, fairness, and a clever sense of humor — with his three children, two daughters-in-law, eight grandkids and five great-grandchildren. Duck went on to Harvard Business School after ND. He served in the Philippines during WWII, receiving two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He spent a long and successful career in the glass and fiberglass industry, and enjoyed a 64-year marriage to his wife, June, who died in 2004. As reported in Duck’s obituary, “He was an avid downhill skier, dedicated fisherman, frustrated golfer, heckuva clarinet player and to his grandchildren’s endless amusement a skilled purveyor of show-stopping rural Indiana aphorisms. He is remembered as the most efficient telephone conversationalist of all time, and as the proud originator of the ‘F.H. May Rush Act,’ which has mobilized generations of Mays in varying states of preparedness out the door and into the car in 30 seconds flat.” And, “Thanks to Duck, all surviving family members know that radar detectors should reside under ball caps on one’s dashboard, that one should slow the car but never actually stop when visiting a national monument, and that no personal or professional setback is so great that it can’t be surmounted with the help of a long walk.” Duck will be greatly missed but celebrated for a life well lived. Please continue to say hello and send updates. — Meg Julian ’03, ’06JD; 11 E. 36th St., No. 603, New York NY 10016; megjulian@gmail.com

39 Happy 100

Michael Morris ’80 shared that his high school friend’s father, Ed Simonich (a Domer who lettered three seasons on ND’s football team and scored the only touchdown in the 1937 Army game at Yankee Stadium) has been continually honored through the Ed Simonich Award. Ed was drafted by the Chicago Bears before a knee injury ended his playing career. He later coached high school and college football before dying much too early from cancer in 1965. Ed was Montana Tech’s athletic director and head football coach from 1957-1965. He was also the basketball coach and trainer for all other campus sports. This prestigious award has been given annually since 1966 to the student athlete who best represents what it means to be an Oredigger on and off the field. The most recent awardee, David Meis, started every game of his career, finished with 297 tackles, was two-time first team All-Conference and graduated with a degree in general engineering with a mechanical engineering option. Meis was a Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athlete twice and Frontier Academic All-Conference four times. When looking through the 1939 Dome yearbook, I saw that Ed was also the chairman of the decorations committee for the Class of 1939 Ball, held in the new Rockne Memorial Building, and for graduation. He worked along with Vin Dollard; William Carroll; Lawrence Petroshius ’39, ’41JD; Raymond Bower ’41JD; Joseph Hennessy and David Meskill. Many class members will celebrate their centennial this year or next. I’d like to include some stories about what the men of ’39 did in their first 10 years after graduation. Please, if you’d like to share about your time in the military during the war, your pursuit of an advanced degree, starting a family, starting in business or anything else, write or call. — Seth O’Donnell ’04; 17 Marion St., East Greenwich RI 02818; res 603-828-7335; seth.odonnell@gmail.com