1940s

40 New Class Secretary

Rebecca Antas ’08 has volunteered to take over the class secretary duties. Rebecca succeeds Bob Sanford, who passed away last year after serving as secretary for 75 years. Rebecca’s first column will appear in the next issue. All class members and their families are encouraged to send Rebecca updates and help her to carry on Bob’s great work on behalf of his class. — Rebecca Antas ’08; 630-254-4485; rebecca.antas@gmail.com

41 Class Secretary — Meg Julian ’03, ’06JD;

171 E. 89th St. No. 5C, New York NY 10128; 646-246-5480; megjulian@gmail.com

42 Class Secretary — John Kirby;

110 Upland Road, Kentfield CA 94904; res/fax 415-925-0544; cell 415-272-4016

43 Class Secretary — Bob Masters ’05;

202 Remington Court North Drive, Apt. C, Mishawaka, Indiana 46545; res 574-904-8315; bus 574-234-0121

44 Lasting Legacies

I recently attended a spring baseball game on campus with my two young boys and shortly after returning home, heard from John Borkowski Jr. that his father, a former star pitcher for the Irish, John Borkowski passed away on Dec. 31. The eulogy he shared was very moving and some of my favorite passages included: His roommate at Notre Dame, Jack Doyle, became his life-long best friend. At the time he was the only Notre Dame student to take Polish as a foreign language, which was pretty good considering he spoke Polish fluently at home. At the end of the World War II, the St. Louis Cardinals offered him a minor league contract. But he chose to start his newspaper career and family in Detroit instead, marrying his wife Virginia. His journalistic career included four major contributions while at the Cleveland News. First, he got an interview in prison with Dr. Sam Sheppard, who had been convicted for murdering his wife in a notorious case of the 1950s. Sheppard did not grant interviews to anyone else. His case inspired the TV show and film, The Fugitive. Second, at the penitentiary, John learned of the lack of books in Ohio prisons. His stories resulted in donations of books to bolster prison libraries. He also called attention to the dangers of long hoods on old school buses that contributed to accidental deaths of school children. His compelling articles resulted in increased funding to Ohio school districts for better, safer school buses. In 1959, John took NASA’s tests for astronauts at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and wrote a series of articles about the experience. John leaves behind a lasting legacy, and I thank his son for sharing his memories with us. I received a message describing how Father Hesburgh and David Gaus ’84 established Andean Health & Development in 1997 to serve the poorest of the poor in Ecuador. On the one-year anniversary of Father Ted’s passing, a grassroots campaign with Notre Dame students and alumni to continue Father Hesburgh’s legacy was launched to help realize Father Ted’s dream and bring Hesburgh Hospital in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, to full operation and financial self-sustainability. Santo Domingo is a rural community of 400,000 individuals of whom a quarter live on less than $4 per day. For more information you can visit wonderwe.com/hesburgh. The donations are 100 percent tax deductible and would be automatically sent to Andean Health & Development. Finally, Tom O’Reilly checked in from Florida, where he has been since January, enjoying weather more favorable than his home base of Fort Wayne. Tom is doing well. Thank you for the continued correspondence. — Laura (Julian) Fraser ’00; 989 Belaire Ct., Naperville IL 60563; 773-255-9843; lejulian00@yahoo.com

45 Where Do You Belong?

Twice recently I’ve been caught in a puzzle about class identification. The latest concerned Bob Erkins, whose daughter’s email about her dad went to two other class secretaries before ending up on my machine. Apparently Bob had never chosen a class. My memory is that after the war we were given the choice of picking the class we would have graduated with had not the war intervened or picking the class with which we actually graduated. I know of no solution except to read the Class Notes for the two or three years before or after your graduation. Bob suffered a stroke when he was 78 (he’s 92 now), but his daughter Mara said it has not prevented him from talking or telling jokes. She came across a copy of the “Cruise Issue of The Irish Pennant” and felt others in the class would be interested. I have forwarded it to Notre Dame Archives; those interested can look at a copy. The address is UND Archives, 607 Hesburgh Library, Notre Dame IN 46556; phone is 574-631-6448. The last time I mentioned Brock Lynch was in his role in the Young at Heart chorus, which became a fascinating motion picture. Brock writes that his days of traveling with the chorus and rock band are over. He has moved to an assisted living facility (Apt. 217, 75 Pearl St., Reading MA 01867). He is doing well after a 2013 operation for intestinal cancer. He says, “I have a colostomy and would appreciate hearing from any others who also live with this surgical procedure every day.” Finally, thanks to the thoughtfulness of Bill Klem, I received a fascinating set of pictures of the construction going on around the stadium. You probably have seen TV photos of the project during game broadcasts, but Bill’s photos put it in perspective. The $400-million project (called Campus Crossroads) will provide three new academic and student life buildings. Also under construction are McCourtney Hall, which will be a research building, and two residence halls. — Ted Weber Jr.; 1400 Geary Blvd. Apt. 1409, San Francisco CA 94109; 415-674-8771; theodoreweber@comcast.net

46 Class Secretary — Paul Taggett;

21 Legacy Drive, Apt. 723, Baldwinsville NY 13027; ptagget1@twcny.rr.com

47 Air Force Experiences

I enjoyed an unexpected call from Fred Heinritz, who started at ND in ’41 and after the war graduated with a business degree. Fred fondly remembers recently ordained Father Hesburgh presiding over Sorin Hall antics. Starting in ’43, he trained 18 months as an Air Force B-17 pilot at Miami Beach, Nashville and Maxwell Field AL before heading to England for bombing runs over Germany in ’45. Fred grew up in Appleton WI and returned there post-war. He worked his entire career at Appleton Coated Paper, where NCR was the biggest customer. He invented processes and improved products that nurtured his creative ambitions. Now 92 and an active walker, Fred has been happily married since 1949, and has two boys and three grandkids. John Molinarolo wrote, “late as usual, but here it is. I would be so happy to trip up to ND for a visit, but too busy. 2015 had me down, but I have bounced back after the calendar rolled over the big 90 on Feb. 22. That is quite an addition on the stadium for multi-use. What a change from the campus during the V-12 program. I will keep in touch as long as the Big Boy lets me.” Classmates who will be missed include the Rev. A. (Albert) Raymond Betts III, 90, who died on Jan. 13. He was rector at three Ohio churches, including 17 years at Grace Episcopal Church, College Hill, and served as interim rector for 20 years at churches throughout Ohio and in Idaho and Maui. He also taught at the Art Academy and sold paintings through galleries in Michigan and Maui. In his spare time, he traveled the country raising funds for Food for the Poor. He held degrees from The Taft School, Notre Dame, Yale, Episcopal Divinity School and Cincinnati. He loved life and all creatures great and small. He is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Mary McLain, three children, two step-children and seven grandchildren. William J. Dunn MD, 90, died in Phoenix on Nov. 21. Dr. Dunn was born on July 17, 1925 in Chicago to Richard Joseph Dunn and Margaret Jennett Dunn. He graduated from Notre Dame where he participated in the V-12 Navy program. He then studied at the U of Illinois, where he received his medical degree and served in the Navy. While in medical school, he met his wife, Mary Ertel Dunn, who was in the U of Illinois Pharmacy School. He continued his medical training at Philadelphia General, and then at the Mayo Clinic, where he received a master’s degree in medicine from the U of Minnesota. In 1955, they moved to Champaign IL, where he practiced cardiology at the Carle Clinic. They moved to Phoenix in 1958, where he started a private practice in internal medicine with a specialty in cardiology. He was a practicing physician for more than 50 years and dedicated extensive volunteer time to the St. Vincent DePaul medical clinic and caring for clergy in the Phoenix area. He was frequently recognized for his professional and community service efforts, including the Dr. Thomas Dooley Medal (1973), the Davis Medal of Humanitarianism (1989) and the Honored Physician (1992) awards from St. Joseph Hospital, and the Arizona Medical Society Humanitarian Award (1996). Dr. Dunn was also a Knight of Obedience in the Order of Malta, a lay religious order of Catholic Church. Throughout his years, Dr. Dunn was an avid reader, an enthusiastic tennis player and a stamp/coin collector, but he is most remembered as a dedicated husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Mary, five children, 14 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and his three brothers. Rev. Lawrence Albert LeVasseur, CSC, 91, died on Dec. 16 at Holy Cross House at Notre Dame. Born on Dec. 7, 1924, in New Orleans, to Albert A. and Edna (Ramos) LeVasseur, he graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1941, entered the seminary at Notre Dame in 1941 and was received into the Congregation of Holy Cross on Aug. 15, 1942. Father LeVasseur made his first profession of vows on Feb. 2, 1944. He graduated from ND with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and went on to Holy Cross College in Washington DC, graduating in 1951 with a degree in theology. Father LeVasseur made his final profession on June 3, 1948, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1951, at Sacred Heart Church at Notre Dame. Father LeVasseur earned a master’s degree in English from Notre Dame in 1958. He served at Holy Cross Seminary at Notre Dame from 1951 to 1961, including assignments as steward, assistant superior and superior. He was superior of St. Joseph Hall from 1961 to 1963 and then was assigned as superior of the District of Chile and director of Seminario de Santa Cruz from 1963 to 1970. From 1970 to 1979, Father LeVasseur served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in New Orleans. In 1980, he was assigned to Rome as general assistant and steward of the Holy Cross Community. From 1986 to 1987, Father LeVasseur was associate pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Austin TX, where he also served as pastor from 1987 to 1991, when he was assigned as assistant director of the Brother Charles Andersen-Theology Formation House in San Antonio. In 2006, Father LeVasseur became chaplain for the brothers at Holy Cross High School in San Antonio, as well as chaplain at St. Francis Nursing Home before moving to Holy Cross House in 2012. He is survived by a nephew and a cousin. — Michael Morris ’80; 949-433-8568; michaelmorris07@gmail.com

48 Class Memories

R.M. (Bud) Wilkes passed away at the age of 92 on March 20 in Savannah GA surrounded by his children. Bud Wilkes pursued a career in maritime shipping in the port cities of Norfolk, New Orleans, Houston and Savannah. His years at Notre Dame were interrupted by World War II and military service, after which he returned to campus and completed his degree, a bachelor of science in commerce. Bud served as a staff sergeant in World War II in the 102nd Infantry Division along the Roer River in Germany during the harsh winter of 1944-1945 and also in the advance of the division to Stendal, on the Elbe River. As a volunteer with a small band of soldiers of some renown, Rogers’ Night Raiders, he made reconnaissance and combat missions across the Roer River, and he was awarded the Silver Star for bravery, the Bronze Star plus Oak Leaf Cluster, two Purple Hearts when wounded in the line of duty, an honorary French Croix de Guerre and a Russian Bravery Medal as a special honor. In recent years, he wrote two books, one fiction, The Linden, and one non-fiction, A Long Ago Soldier, relating his experiences in the war. He also completed a third, for his children: the story of his beloved wife, Sara. Theirs was an enduring relationship, moving from one port city to the next, rearing three children and celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998. Bud was not only an icon of the shipping community, and one of its most knowledgeable members, but also one of the most honorable men one might find. More than one businessman has remarked, “You could do business with him on a handshake. Such was the character of this man, this Notre Dame man.” Notes from Dan: The faculty member who led the foray into sociology was Father Murray, CSC, who wrote his own class text. This must have been lucrative for him because he always wore a tailor-made suit, which certainly stood out in comparison to the threadbare, shopworn uniforms worn by fellow priests. There were two other cleric professors who also wore tailor-made habits. Another was Father Holdith whose suit was luxurious but it was somewhat faded because he was unduly exposed to sunlight. The third superbly dressed priest was Father Fitzgerald, economics professor. While visiting the campus and strolling along with Dr. Winnie Farchar, ND’s hostess with the mostess, we ran into Father as he was loading his car. I then remembered him as the priest who wrote his own class text. He hadn’t changed in over 60 years. Father Hoidrid, CSC, was like a father to me. He was rector of Breen-Phillips when I was a freshman. One night after 10 p.m. lights out, we had a water fight by filling a glass with water and then knocking on the door of an unsuspecting sleepy classmate. When a knock on door 327 occurred, I opened my door and was hit by a glass of water. Unfortunately the glass hit one of my front teeth, splitting it and exposing the nerve. It was now 11 p.m. Father was awake and diagnosed the situation. He placed a piece of chewing gum to cover the nerve, picked up the phone and made an appointment with a South Bend dentist for treatment. Never a word was said. Go Irish. — Dan Gentile; PO Box 2671, Scottsdale AZ 85252; res 480-425-1240; or Eileen Surprenant ’09; eileen.surprenant@gmail.com

49 Class Secretary — Joe O’Brien;

18120 Cloverleaf Drive, South Bend IN 46637; 574-271-8323; obie49nd@comcast.net