1940s

40 Class Secretary — Rebecca Antas ’08;

505 N. Lakeshore Drive, No. 3401, Chicago IL 60611; 630-254-4485; rebecca.antas@gmail.com

41 Checking In

Greetings to all in the Class of 1941. It has been several months since I have heard from members of the class, so please say hello and let me know how you are doing. I’m thrilled to hear from you and to be able to mention our correspondence in this column. On a sad note, I learned that Maurice Stauder passed away in October at age 96. His son Paul Stauder ’80 wrote to let me know how Maurice came to be a student at ND and wound up with his brother nearby. Maurice was set to enroll at Illinois in 1937, and his father put him on a train to Chicago instead, with instructions to meet his brother Lawrence Stauder ’29. Larry took him to enroll at ND, and while on the trip learned of an opening to teach electrical engineering at du Lac. He took the job and stayed at ND for 37 years. Maurice also followed the electrical engineering path as a student, specializing in metallurgy. After graduating, he worked in Chicago, helping to produce engines for the landing craft used on D-Day. Maurice then worked in his family’s hardware business, expanding Stauder’s Inc. beyond hardware and furniture, and also starting Stauder Gas Co. He switched gears in the 1960s, earned a master’s degree and teaching certificate, and began a teaching career. Maurice ultimately became a dean and president of Danville Junior College. He retired from teaching and returned to his hometown of Witt, where he converted his hardware business into a parade float business, creating floats for festivals from Decatur to St. Louis for over 20 years. Maurice’s son Greg Stauder ’73 and granddaughter Lauren Stauder ’14 are Domers as well. He is also survived by sons Phillip and Michael, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I also learned from the Alumni Association that Eugene Chamberlain died in October. Eugene is survived by eight children. Please keep the Stauder and Chamberlain families and all of the Class of 1941 in your prayers. — Meg Julian, ’03, ’06JD; 11 E. 36th St., No. 603, New York NY 10016; 646-246-5480; megjulian@gmail.com

42 Then and Now

May 10, 1942 marks the 75th anniversary of Notre Dame’s Class of ’42, and we were asked for comments on the Greatest Generation. In freshman year, 1938, it was customary for our professors to roll call our names in alphabetical order until we got to know each other. In my classes, the prof would call out Kashmer, Paul; Killigrew, Jerry, Kirby, John, etc. Lt. Paul Kashmer led the first tank force against German fortifications in North Africa. The American forces ultimately prevailed but Paul Kashmer lost his life. Later, Ensign Jerry Killigrew remained with his sinking ship, helping wounded men to safety until his ship went down with him. My own service, as Lt. John Kirby, Naval aviator with the Marine Corps, was in twin-engine bombers as a flight instructor until the big bomb was dropped. My brother, Ensign Arthur Kirby ’43, was wounded by a kamikaze pilot crashing into his carrier, the USS Altamaha, but Arthur survived. Those men and their companions, I think, formed part of the core of that mighty battle against the Axis with the Russians over the next three years. It was helped greatly by the entry of American women into radio communications, very important in aviation. They played a huge part for many aviators, and I would not be here without them. We have three more classmates who joined the heavenly ranks. Daniel Canale passed away on May 16, 2016 in Memphis. He graduated from the Notre Dame magna cum laude in 1942 and Vanderbilt Law School with the Order of the Coif honors in 1948. He served in WWII in the Army infantry and was discharged as a captain after service in the occupation of Japan. He and his wife, Ann, settled in Memphis where he practiced law. William Francis Dillhoefer died Sept. 18 at age 97 in Pasadena. Bill grew up in Cleveland and New Jersey, graduating from La Salle Military Academy before entering Notre Dame. Upon graduating, he joined Pan American Airways as a relief dispatcher traveling the world. He and Cecilia Thibodeau married in Seattle before settling down in San Marino, where they raised five children. He was an executive at Leaseways Truck Leasing for over 30 years. Bill played golf early on Saturdays, attended church on Sundays, and raised a family of lifetime Notre Dame fans. John Jaworski died on Oct. 29 in McKinleyville CA. John was born in South Bend in 1919. He was married to Eleanor Moldering for 66 years. John graduated from Notre Dame with a BSE and a master’s and was a lifelong educator serving as principal for two decades in South Bend. Judge Bob Miller says, “I am still doing remarkably well physically. Please stay in touch.” So as the Class of ’42 commemorates our 75th anniversary, a part of us will always be those young men who walked in the shadows of the Dome, only to revisit once again at reunions with fond memories of friendships forged. It is a bond that cannot be broken by time, distance, or even death. I salute the ND Class of ’42. — John Kirby; 110 Upland Road, Kentfield CA 94904; res/fax 415-925-0544; cell 415-272-4016; annjolene2@aol.com

43 Class Secretary — Bob Masters ’05;

202 Remington Court North Drive, Apt. C, Mishawaka IN 46545; res 574-904-8315; bus 574-234-0121; a.robert.masters@gmail.com

44 Live a Good Life

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the loss of three classmates in December. Theodore T. Toole Jr. of Bennington VT is survived by his wife Nina and four children. Ted had an illustrious career in marketing and sales and worked with many prominent brands, including a part-time job at Brooks Brothers in his retirement. He served in the Marines and as a second lieutenant, was a member of the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Pacific. He was awarded the Silver Star and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Another veteran, Jeremiah E. Brown, passed away in Spring Lake NJ. Jerry’s obituary described him eloquently: “He will be remembered as a happy and loving father, a wise and inspiring mentor, quiet and compassionate, accepting and fair, a life saver, humble, generous, and always on time. He was dedicated to his family and many friends, to his career in the accounting profession, and to God and his faith.” He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Caroline, and is survived by his children and their spouses. The Welch Family lost a true patriarch in Gerald J. Welch, just before the holidays. I wrote of Jerry’s loving and growing family in a recent column. He was predeceased by his wife Mary and is survived by nine of 10 children, 40 grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren. He was a chemical engineer and the owner and operator of Welmet Co. and resided with his daughter in Raritan Township NJ. I was pleased to hear from Tom O’Reilly, who is spending an extended winter in Ft. Lauderdale. He spoke with his friend Gail who provides updates on her husband, Sam Wing, who resides in an assisted living facility. I send prayers of sympathy, prayers for the recovery of those who are ailing, and prayers for good health for everyone in this class. — Laura (Julian) Fraser ’00; 989 Belaire Court, Naperville IL 60563; 773-255-9843; lejulian00@yahoo.com

45 Faith Reflections

If you’re a regular reader of “Daily Gospel Reflections” from Notre Dame, a familiar name turned up in the Dec. 22 issue. The writer that day was Rev. Robert Pelton, CSC. In the commentary on that day’s reading (Mary’s visit to Elizabeth) Bob recalls that he and four friends had been determined to attend Stanford and made a memorable visit to that campus, including a visit to Johnny Weismuller’s private yacht. The five returned home, confident that Stanford would be their ultimate destination. But in his senior year of high school, Bob recognized his calling to the priesthood and at the urging of his local pastor enrolled at Notre Dame. Looking back, he says, “I can see that it was trust in God that allowed me to set out for something new at Notre Dame in order to seek God’s will.” Recalling Mary’s words in the Magnificat, Bob points out that this trust in God allowed her to leave everything to seek God’s will. He concludes: “Like Our Lady, let’s adopt this song of praise as our own and put our trust in God. This faith will surely enable us to bear God’s Son to the world in some new way today.” You can read these daily Gospel reflections by contacting faith@nd.edu. A sobering but ultimately hopeful note arrived at Christmas from Bob Thomas. Since August he has had five MRI scans, and three surgeries followed by long stays in the hospital and rehab center. The problem: cancer of the bone, which caused some bones in the vertebrae to break. He’s on a chemotherapy program now that seems to be working and hopes that by spring he will be able to resume normal activities. The Alumni Office has notified me that James Dolan died early in December. — Ted Weber Jr.; 1400 Geary Blvd., Apt. 1409, San Francisco CA 94109; 415-674-8771; theodoreweber@comcast.net

46 To Florida

My wife and I have moved to sunny Lake Wales FL from snowy Syracuse NY. We have a nice apartment in independent living in Water’s Edge. I need more updates from the Class of 1946. — Paul Taggett; 10 W. Grove Ave., D15, Lake Wales FL 33863; paultaggett@gmail.com

47 Brilliant Career, Interesting Life

Paul McKee called to share that he turned 94 and still enjoys causing mischief when he can. He regaled me with stories of running track at ND and racing some of Leahy’s gridiron stars. Classmates who will be missed include Francis M. Kobayashi, 91, on Dec. 27 in South Bend. He was professor emeritus of aerospace and mechanical engineering and assistant vice president emeritus for research at Notre Dame. Dr. Kobayashi was born in Seattle WA. He attended Garfield High School in Seattle and graduated from Hunt High School during WWII in the Minidoka War Relocation Center, Minidoka, Hunt ID. After his internment, he attended Loras College in Dubuque IA. He was the first Japanese-American to receive a bachelor’s of science in aeronautical engineering (1947), a master’s of science (1948), and a doctor of science in engineering mechanics (1953) from Notre Dame. He was the first Japanese-American to join the faculty at Notre Dame (1948). He was a professor in the engineering mechanics, engineering sciences, and aerospace and mechanical engineering departments. He conducted research sponsored by grants and contracts from the Office of Naval Research, David Taylor Model Basin, and the National Science Foundation in solid and fluid mechanics and systems engineering that included wave resistance of ships, rising and diving of submarines, stability of hydrofoils, photo-elastic analysis of thin shells, potential analog for deformable boundary phenomena, and adaptive systems using biological systems as prototypes. He consulted for companies that included Bendix Corporations, South Bend Tackle, and the Studebaker Corporation on topics such as the dynamics of bamboo fly fishing rods, the landing gear dynamics of aircraft, flutter and vibration of aircraft wings and missile fins, and kinematics of high rise suspensions. He contributed his engineering dynamics expertise to the Bendix design team’s NASA submission for the first lunar landing module. He served as a consultant and member of review panels for the National Science Foundation and site visit committee for the Office of Institutional Programs. He will long be remembered by his students as a great scholar and mentor, and by faculty members for directing the Office of Research through the early years of its development, advising faculty and students through the “thicket” of applying for grants and contracts in the public and private sectors. His daughter shared this story. “On a flight back from Washington DC in 1962, my dad sat next to Father Hesburgh and Father Ted told him, ‘if you don’t get married, we’re going to make you a priest.’ At the end of the year, he met my mom and married her the following summer. When JFK became president and said he wanted to put a man on the moon and bring him back safely, my father loved the vision of the President because it was a dream incorporating art and engineering. He was so fond of the President that he named his first born after him. My mom (Saint Mary’s College 1964) was a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Dr. Tom Dooley Scholarship at Saint Mary’s College. She was visiting from Vietnam and her visa required her to leave the country for two years before coming back even though she married my dad, who was an American citizen. My father told his department chair that he had to follow his new bride. With the important aerospace program looming and the shortage of engineering professors, his department chair went to Father Hesburgh, who at the time was on the Civil Rights Commission in Washington DC and worked closely with Attorney Gen. Robert F. Kennedy. Hesburgh contacted RFK and they arranged for my mom to stay in the country. My younger brother is named after the attorney general. On Christmas Eve, I was the only one in the hospital room to witness this but my dad had a vision of his longtime friend Father Hesburgh. He reached out, and I got up to hold his hands and he asked me if I saw him. I said, ‘who?’ He said, Father Hesburgh. I said ‘no, did you?’ And he mumbled something and became quiet. As we’re a Notre Dame family, we felt sure Father Ted came by to help my dad on his journey.” His funeral Mass was at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and burial at Cedar Grove Cemetery at Notre Dame. He is survived by his beloved wife, Monique H. Nguyen ’64SMC and his children: Dr. John F. Kobayashi ’87 of Granger IN, Yvonne M. Kobayashi ’88PhD of Indianapolis and Robert F. Kobayashi ’89 of South Bend. I look forward to hearing from class members with any news and stories. Call or email me. — Michael Morris ’80; 949-433-8568; michaelmorris07@gmail.com

48 Loyal Sons

We are sad to report the passing of the following loyal alumni: William H. Voll Sr. on Sept. 29; John V. Randall on Oct 2; Lawrence L. “Larry” Evert Jr. on Dec. 6; John L. “Jack” Sosenheim on Dec. 6; Walter W. Fisher on Dec.11; Ralph E. Schumaker on Dec. 16; and George A. Sullivan on Dec. 30. Mr. Sullivan served as undergraduate class president at ND, receiving the President’s Dome Award at graduation for service to the University. He also met and fell in love with the class president of neighboring Saint Mary’s College, Patricia McGrane, whom he later married. While a 17-year old freshman at Notre Dame, Mr. Sullivan earned the position of starting right tackle and went on to earn four football varsity letters and three national championship rings. After the 1946 national championship game between ND and Army at Yankee Stadium that resulted in a 0-0 tie, he was named by the Associated Press as ND’s lineman of the game. Army coach Red Blake called him “the smartest player Army has played against during the past three seasons.” Mr. Sullivan was named to the 1948 College All-Star Team and was later drafted and played professional football for one year for the Boston Yanks, predecessor of the New England Patriots. In addition to excelling in football, he was designated as an All-American track and field athlete while at ND. Mr. Sullivan was later the first athletic director at Stonehill College and was elected for two terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. — Dan Gentile; PO Box 2671, Scottsdale AZ 85252; res 480-425-1240; Eileen Surprenant ’09, ’15; eileen.surprenant@gmail.com

49 Still Standing

“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – S. Paige. Following the fad, I purchased a new turntable to revive treasured musical memories of 40-50 years ago. Now I can play some scratchy 33 1/3s and enjoy my oldies but goodies. How many old LPs do you have stored in the basement? Jim Schuster of Traverse City MI must be spending too much time hunting mushrooms and neglecting his support of ND football. We noted that six Traverse City players were listed on the MSU roster with none at ND. Sam Hazo has produced another collectors’ item, an illustrated history of Pittsburg’s International Poetry Forum, The Autobiographers of Everybody. Sam was the founder of the forum 43 years ago. I chatted with Dick Kirk, Fort Wayne IN. He couldn’t offer any news since he is shut in these days while recovering nicely from a stroke. The TLC is being provided by his lovely wife, Audrey. Jim Monserez, South Bend, advised that he is recovering from recent knee replacement surgery. His wife, Anne, is receiving nursing home care. Jim, a successful hardware entrepreneur, operated three South Bend hardware stores during his career. Unique to the Monserez family are the six children: Mark, Mike, Marty, Matty, Maurey and Meg. All have undergrad degrees and some have advanced degrees; some were accomplished athletes as well. Jim and Anne raised a wonderful family and are justly very proud. While trading Rhode Island for Texas a few years ago it may have looked like a huge shock for Jim Murphy, Austin TX. Not so. It still looks like home as five of nine Murphy children reside in Austin. Then again, Jim and Corinne enjoy summer vacations back in Rhode Island each year. We should mention too that all nine of the children have earned undergrad degrees and some have advanced degrees. Three list Harvard as alma maters, two graduated from Boston College, and others attended Georgetown, Boston U, Villanova and Notre Dame. Further, Jim has served on the board of the Monogram Club for 40 years. Meetings and football games each year make for many visits to the campus. He gets around. The future needs the past to be successful. Remember to hold fast to our traditions. They are golden and must never fade. God bless us, everyone. — Joe O’Brien; 18120 Cloverleaf Drive, South Bend IN 46637; 574-271-8323; obie49nd@comcast.net