1970s
1970s
70 The Same Zeal
Joe Vidrine, San Antonio real estate investor, last August spent a week at Gerard Achstatter’s cabin in Woodstock NY and one with his family in Oceanside NY. Gerard’s wife, Nancy, is a real estate broker on Long Island. Joe visited Charlotte and Tom Zawodny in Niles MI during the Wake Forest weekend. Tom ushers at ND with the same zeal he applied to aerospace engineering. In December, Joe hosted Gerard’s son Daniel in San Antonio. Bill Goodyear, retired chairman and CEO of Navigant Consulting, keynoted ND’s Mendoza College of Business graduate commencement May 19. Bill has been on the ND Board of Trustees since 1996 and has been a fellow of the University since 2005. For 12 years he led Navigant, provider of industry-specific professional services to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. His previous 30 years in banking included service as chairman of Bank of America Illinois, president of B of A’s global private bank, and domestic and international executive positions with Continental Bank. An MBA graduate of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, he is lead independent director of Exterran Corp, an oil and gas compression company, and director of the financial technology company Enova. He chairs Rush U Medical Center’s board and is past chair and current trustee of the Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Coincidentally, my daughter Edie ’12 is a neurology resident at Rush. Russell J. Lindemann died Jan. 30 in Rockford MI. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Barbara, children Michael and Becky, five grandchildren, and brother Richard. He played stickball on the streets of North Merrick, Long Island. In the insurance industry his entire career, he moved to Grand Rapids in 1980, retiring in 2014. For 14 years he ran the Grand Rapids ND Club’s annual golf outing. Breen Phillips 1966 freshmen remember him fondly. Family, friends, and classmates including Marty Kress from Tanzania attended a memorial Mass April 28 in Ada MI. President Rick Libowitz has developed a 49th class minireunion, May 12-22, 2019, for 40 people to stay in four-star hotels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and a guest house at a Galilean kibbutz. Please consider this fabulous pilgrimage with “friends of Rick.” Having a leader like Rick, even if he says he is only the guide, is an unparalleled opportunity. Tim McHugh, government major and lacrosse captain, died March 20 of complications of dementia. He served on the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant 1971-1973 and in staff positions in Boston and Washington until 1977, negotiating international fishing boundaries. After law school at American U, he practiced admiralty law 25 years in Boston. He retired in 2008 from Southborough MA, where he skied, hiked, and told tall tales. He is survived by two brothers and three children. John F. Parolin died Jan. 9 in Westchester IL. He is survived by his wife, mother, and two sons. It is appropriate to remember the 15th anniversary of the passing of Dennis Moore, who spent two fine years with our class, returning to Chicago in 1968 to care for his ailing mother. He worked 20 years in corporate relations journalism and joined ND, rising to associate VP for public affairs and communications until his death of prostate cancer at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York on Dec. 3, 2003. He was honored with a funeral Mass and burial at Cedar Grove Cemetery on campus. Father Hesburgh eulogized, “Denny was one of our most wonderful, faithful comrades in this great work of Notre Dame.” — Don Graham; 1901 South Glenwood, Springfield IL 62704; 217-652-1560; fever1@me.com
70MBA Class Secretary — John Carroll;
4315 Alta Drive, Apartment 1301 Suwanee, GA 30024; johnrcarroll@bellsouth.net
70JD News from Here and There
With sadness I report the passing of our classmate and friend J. Grant Zajas. Grant was from the Buffalo area and graduated from Canisius College in 1967. After law school he returned to western New York and practiced for many years with his dad in the firm of Zajas and Zajas, located in the village of Angola. Over the years, I would occasionally run into Grant at courts or legal education programs. He always greeted me with a smile and a recollection or two of our days at ND. He is survived by his wife, Angie, his children Mary and John, and a grandson, Griffin. I trust you will remember Grant in your prayers. In other news, I had a call from Sterling Spainhour, who noted that he and Bev continue living in Charlotte NC. They raised two sons, Sterling Jr. and Brian, and have been blessed with two grandchildren. Sterling retired from the banking industry a few years back, now teaches employment law at UNC in Charlotte and serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Assoc. He mentioned that recently he ran into Bob McDonnell at a fundraising event. Bob has practiced in the Charlotte area for many years and is doing well. Sterling also advised that Paul Cole has retired from Exxon Mobile and lives in the Washington DC area with his family. Congratulations to Joe Leahy, who on Groundhog’s Day celebrated his 75th birthday. Our class president leads the way as we approach one milestone after another. Speaking of milestones, Marie and I met JoAnn and Mike Kelleher for dinner recently to jointly celebrate our 50th wedding anniversaries. As this year marches on, I extend best wishes to all of you as special birthdays and anniversaries are reached. In closing may I suggest this might be a good time to send me a short letter addressing a memory or two from law school days, a couple of highlights as well as a description of your professional career and your advice for today’s law students. The idea is to compile those writings and share them at our 50th reunion. — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com
71 Congrats and Condolences
Congrats to Rhonda and Joe Matt, Pittsburgh, as parents of the bride, when Nicole was married last winter in Pinehurst. Joe stays in touch with Don Peterson, Tom Martin and Jim Villier. Bridget and Mark Hubbard have sold their home in western Massachusetts and split their time between Nantucket and South Bend. This past fall, they hosted a gathering of architecture classmates for the Miami game. Those attending included Steve Hunter, Ders Andersen, John Kuhn, Randy Spurr, Julius Chiavaroli, Rick McCormack, Jay Fox, Mark Jones, Pete VanDyk and Gene Hatke. Ned Cavanaugh has spent the last year as a prof at Cornell, his law school alma mater. He also picked up some hardware from the New York State Bar Association when the antitrust section named him the 2018 recipient of the William T. Lifland award for his work in the antitrust field. Condolences to Tony Earley on the loss of his father, Anthony F. Early ’47. Mark Buechler, originally from South Bend, passed away in October in Yucaipa CA. Before California, Mark worked in Arizona for Motorola. Condolences to his wife, Beth Haley, and the rest of his family. Jim Harrison, a native of Cumberland MD, passed away in Phoenix in January and is survived by his wife Marsha. Bill Carter shared the unfortunate news that Frank Murphy of Glen Mills PA passed away in February. Bill and Frank were classmates at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark prior to ND. Frank worked in a myriad of banking positions before finishing with MBNA in Delaware, and then Camden ME. He is survived by Barbara Kurz. Ralph DiNicola passed away in April. A native of Akron, Ralph returned home to spend most of his career with FirstEnergy, retiring as VP of communications. Representing us at the services were Bob Urbanic, Mike Thomas, Bob Neidert and Craig Williams. I hope you enjoy the remaining summer and the links. — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 574-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com
71MBA Class Secretary — Jim Fackelman;
4635 Lakeview Circle, Slinger WI 53086; res 262-644-6245; cell 414-379-0968; jfackelman@alumni.nd.edu
71JD Class Secretary — E. Bryan Dunigan;
221 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1454, Chicago IL 60601; 312-857-2114; bdunigan@duniganlaw.com
72 ND History Play, Scholastic at 150
It was a team effort. Oh, of course, the women basketball champions. Congratulations to them. It was also a team effort for the men and women who staged the one-man play, Sorin: A Notre Dame Story, in Washington DC on March 12: actor ’09, director ’07, playwright ’91, projection designer ’11, producer and lighting designer (faculty), set designer (faculty), costumer designer (faculty), stage manager (staff), composer ’19, sound designer ’18, researchers ’99, ’03, and Rev. Tom Blantz, CSC, ’57, ’63MA, and sponsors ’82, ’83 and ’87. Among the 500 in attendance was David O’Brien. As a guest of my daughter Frances ’09, I attended the March 24 celebration of the 150th anniversary of Scholastic, the oldest continuously published collegiate publication in the US, in its new location in Duncan Student Center. The honored guests included the co-editors from our senior year: Mary Ellen Stoltz Bianco from New York and Joe Hotz from North Carolina. Our condolences to Tom Blumer, whose father passed away in January. Tom “won” the lottery with a 5 and was drafted before graduation but was never activated. He obtained a master’s in chemical engineering at ND in ’73. He went with Corning in Corning NY and stayed 36 years, where he worked in process engineering, plant management, human resources, quality, R&D and supply chain. He’s been retired eight years. During his career, he obtained an MBA from Syracuse and was active in United Way, Red Cross, early childhood development, and Corning Community College. He and his wife Barbara, an artist with a studio in Corning, have two children and four grandchildren. Joe Accardi lives in Asheville NC where he is a volunteer DJ, new music reviewer, and greeter for WSFM-LP 103.3. His show, “Life Out of Tunes,” is 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time Mondays. (It is streamed at ashevillefm.org.) Joe is author of Beloit’s Club Pop House (2008). Part of an “Images of America” series, the book traces the 30-year history of a teen social and music club in his hometown of Beloit WI. Michael Cervas has been teaching English in independent schools for 40 years. He is the author of three books of poems: Inside the Box (2007), Captivated (2011), and A Wilderness of Chances (2015). The books are published by Antrim House Books, and all have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes. He lives with wife Deb on the campus of Westminster School in Simsbury CT. Chris Amenson majored in government. He was later sponsored by his employer, Westinghouse, to attend MIT Sloan School under the Sloan Fellow Program, receiving a Master of Science in management in 1982. He eventually became chairman and CEO of SBS Technologies, Inc. and built it into a successful embedded computer company acquired by GE in 2006. He is retired and is a fulltime father of two children adopted from Russia. He believes he is one of the very few students who never lived on campus since he was a student worker at Moreau Seminary his first two years and lived off campus with graduate students his third and fourth years. He resides in Palmer Lake CO. Bob Minnix passed on Nov. 3. Our condolences to his wife, Genevieve. Ken Ryan passed on Sept. 13. Our condolences to his wife, Lianne, and their three children. James V. Lupo ’72, ’75MA, ’78PhD passed away March 27 in Omaha NE. Our condolences go to his wife, Regina Ivory Lupo ’73SMC and their children. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu
72MBA Sad News This Time
In the last few issues I've had the pleasure of sharing some happy news, mainly regarding retirements, from our classmates. This time the news is not good. Our friend and classmate Bill Martin passed away March 9 at his home in Palm Beach Gardens FL. You can read Bill's beautiful obituary online at dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/jupiter-fl/bill-martin-7785651. Be sure to watch the tribute movie and please keep Bill and his family in your prayers. I hope that summer is going well for everyone and that I get a little good news from you for the next issue. — Alex McLellan; cell 913-991-0944; irish72mba@excite.com
72JD Another Loss
I am sad to report that we lost another member of our class. On Dec. 26, James “Jim” Bertucci passed away after a long career practicing law in Lake Forest IL, his hometown. Jim was an Air Force veteran and served in Vietnam before returning to attend Notre Dame Law School. He was an assistant state’s attorney from 1972 to 1976, then entered private practice with the law firm of Semmelman and Lombardi, which eventually became Semmelman and Bertucci. He left that firm in 2000 to practice on his own, and was joined by his son, James, in 2007. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Janet, and his son and two grandsons, as well as other family members. On a more uplifting note, Denny McNicholas continues to practice elder care and probate law in Lombard IL and we had a great time at the 45th reunion together. Denny recently sent me a copy of a memoir he published, God Called Collect from Cleveland. Denny’s book recounts his childhood, and his years at Notre Dame Law School, which were interrupted by a tour in the Army during the Vietnam War. It was during his Army experience that he met Pat Murphy, a soldier who had significant mental issues, and who periodically entered Denny’s life thereafter, with life-transforming consequences. The book also discusses his marriage, his family and his career in the law. It offers a unique insight into living a life of Christian faith and love. If you’d like to read Denny’s book, amazon.com has it in stock. It’s well worth reading, and it will take you down memory lane when he discusses his law school days. As always, email me with any news you can share. — Chris Schraff; 1881 Marble Cliff Crossing Court, Columbus OH 43204; 614-227-2097; cschraff@porterwright.com
73 Breaking a Leg in Chicago
One of the main players in the arts in the entire country is Roche Schulfer, who is the executive director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Roche hosted the U of Chicago’s annual University of Notre Dame night April 10. What a fantastic evening. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to introduce myself to Roche but hope to go to the Goodman next year. Roche remembers Rich Donovan and his roommate Marty Siemian. If you are in Chicago, go to a play or production at the Goodman and introduce yourself to Roche. Jim Weigel opened a bookstore two years ago called Pourings and Passages in Danielson CT. He and his staff donate all money to the St. James Catholic School. Jim and his team have donated nearly $100,000 thus far, keeping books alive. It was good to hear from Steve Schaefer. He keeps in regular contact with Ed Tenholder, Pete Chaput, Mark (Mook) Flora, Joe Fitzmyer, Joe Clement and Charlie McParland. This group usually goes to one or two football games a year and plays a few rounds of golf. Thanks for the update, Steve. One of the most prolific suppliers of news has been Larry (Lloyd) Sullivan from Chicago. Among his tidbits include the recent death of Bill (The Mayor) Kevil. Attending his funeral in Chicago were Mark Wilcox, Joe DeLois, Ernie DiBenedetto and Mike Carmichael. Lloyd also recently got together with Joe DeLois, who was a rugby player at ND and a resident of Falmouth MA. Joe is a successful entrepreneur buying and selling a variety of businesses. He owns two hotels in Ogunquit MA. Lloyd also reported that John Griffin was elected president of the Irish Fellowship of Chicago. Congratulations, John. Thanks to Bruce Urban for his nice email regarding Pat (Redman) Tyrrell. Bruce lived in Fisher Hall and is still in close contact with Jim Brown, Dave Jurusik, Bernie Carleton, Rich Mullins, Jim Hayes, and Steve (Boomer) Cunningham. Bruce resides in Herndon VA. I didn’t realize that Pat and his twin brother Tim attended Mount Carmel High School in Chicago where my late son Kevin taught. I received a very nice email from Stan Dobrowski. Last December. Stan retired from the practice of law after 41 years, the last 30 with a major firm in Columbus. He recently completed a term as a member of the governing committee of the ABA’s forum on construction law. He will be coming back to the Holy Cross Hall reunion this fall in conjunction with the Vanderbilt game. Unfortunately, I must end every column with news of recently deceased classmates. Denise Dubane passed away in September 2016. Phil Stark and Frank Kuserk passed way in the fall of 2017. Steve Wengronowitz passed away in February. The fall edition will feature news from our 45th reunion. Please keep your news coming. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com
73MBA Happy 45th Anniversary Continued
John Blum shares that it’s been almost two years since moving back to South Bend and they are happy except for the never-ending winter. They offset that with spending the month of February in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He and wife Mary are involved in the local scene through Sacred Heart Parish, ND club, volunteering at a hospital and food bank, and serving as ushers at five venues, including ND’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Mary also plays piano at Saint Mary’s. They are referred to as boomerang Domers. These are graduates from 1959 to 1971 who left to work throughout US, but in retirement came back. He is signed up to be chairman of one of the committees that will run the 2018 US Senior Open at ND’s Warren Golf Course. This is the first time the event has been held at a university golf course or a public course. If anyone is traveling to South Bend, let John and Mary know. Gus Browne writes that he and Berry are off to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for three weeks. Their big fireman's dance was very successful. They had a great crowd and band. They do it every year to raise funds for rescue equipment. Continued happy 45th anniversary to all. Please send me your anniversary greetings for the next issue. I send an Irish blessing for our class: God bless the corners of our houses, and be the lintel blessed. Bless the hearth, the table too, and bless each place of rest. Bless each door that opens wide to stranger, kith and kin. Bless each shining window pane that lets the sunshine in. Bless the roof-tree up above, bless every solid wall. The peace of man, the peace of love, the peace of God on all. Let the spirit continue to have all our classmates respond and share your anniversary stories and email addresses with us. You are always welcome to contact us when in southern California. If you have not corresponded in some time, please share your experiences with your classmates. — Thomas Jindra; 7179 Alviso Ave., Jurupa Valley CA 92509; res and fax 951-685-2091; tajindra@charter.net
73JD Class Secretary — Tony Palumbo;
tpalumbo@palumbowolfe.com
74 Reunion 2019: Start Your Engines
Hello Class of 1974, it’s time to contribute, exercise, book hair appointments and secure new joint parts if needed. Be ready for our class reunion next year. When making your annual donation, please earmark 1974 Class Reunion. We had a wonderful time at our last reunion thanks to the orchestration of our president, Jerry Samaniego, and our event planner Ree Thelen. We can do this again with your financial help, so let’s begin. Gary Turner says that he is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, where he has worked since 1978. He has been married to Cindy for 38 years. His son Trevor ’06 is a physician in Pensacola FL and daughter Hillary is in the residential real estate business in Dallas. Gary has no plans to retire soon. He usually attends at least one ND football game per year, often the fifth home game. Gary, we hope to see you at our reunion. Gary reports that he lost one of his best friends when Mike Dooley passed away recently. Greg Aiello, who attended his first reunion in 2015, writes that he retired from his post as senior VP of communications for the NFL on Feb. 16 after 39 years. The first 11 years he was with the Dallas Cowboys before moving to the commissioner’s office in 1990. He formed Greg Aiello Sports Management (greg@gaiello.com) to dabble in the consulting business. His family will continue to live in New York City where he has two children in high school and another at Davidson College. All visits to NYC require a shout out to Greg. It was great news about a tugboat, the MV Tom Torretti, being named after Tom Torretti. Tom is one of the famous Pog Mo Thoin clan. Also, Tad (Bear) DeOrio is now a grandfather thanks to the birth in Tokyo of a baby boy named Leonardo. The antics of the POG clan will be forthcoming. As of this writing, a roll call on attendance was being taken. William G. Kelly of Baldwinsville NY sent me a postcard when he and his wife visited Dublin last year. Of course, it was directed to Jimmy “Whales” Whalen, Bob Fanning and company. It literally says Pog Mo Thoin. His wife was a tad upset not understanding the story behind the Irish gesture. Thanks Bill, I got a laugh out of it. Chris “Hawk” Stevens teaches a class at ND on the principles of management and leadership, but with a twist. Each semester, students are tasked with one simple instruction: get involved. All classes must come up with a nonprofit organization or cause to support. One of his Mendoza students ran a GoFundMe campaign to lessen the burden of medical expenses for Anthony Borges and his family. Anthony, 15, absorbed five shots protecting his classmates at the Florida high school where the mass shooting occurred. (gofundme.com/NDforAnthony). I also have some sad news to report on the passing of Eloise Darnley, who died on Nov. 21. She was the mother-in-law of Michael J. Martin and the mother of Brenda Darnley Martin 77MBA, Deborah Darnley-Fisch, MD, 78, and James Dana Darnley ’79. Please keep Michael and all of Eloise’s family in your prayers. On a personal note, eight of my dear Saint Mary’s friends, my college roommate Carol Longo Kaupp and I went to New Orleans for a get-together in early May. We enjoyed great fun, conversation and food for the five days we spent together. Also, I recently learned that the Notre Dame Club of Chicago was honored as outstanding club of the year by the Alumni Association for 2017, when I was president of the club. That’s what I call an atta girl. Keep writing, it’s a delight to hear from you, especially if you are like Gary who wrote for the first time. We are blessed to enjoy one another’s friendship and love. Please put “class news” in the subject line so I don’t delete you. — Dede Lohle Simon; domerdede@aol.com
74MBA Patio Tailgate Parties
Betty Gallagher writes that she is retired and living in South Bend after many years in Chicago. Betty and her husband, John Snider ’71, built a house just south of the ND campus. Betty also mentioned that since she and John are so close to campus, they host tailgate parties on football Saturdays on their patio. If anyone is traveling to home games in the fall, you may want to contact Betty. Helen and I took a two-week vacation in March. We started out In New Orleans, worked our way through the panhandle of Florida, and ended up in Sarasota for the last week of our trip. In Sarasota, we met up with Sandy and Randy Marks for dinners and excursions. Randy and Sandy have a lovely home in Sarasota. It was great spending time with them. I would like to hear from more class members. Email me what you have done since graduation and what you are doing now. — Jack Burnett; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net
74JD Florida Practice
I was happy to hear from Tom Connick. Tom practices with Bob Boutwell in Deefield Beach FL. Tom’s practice includes litigation, wills, trusts and probate. Bob’s practice includes real estate, wills and trusts. Tom sometimes hears from Valerie (Gaus) Balsama. While no news may be good news, actual news is better still. Please share info with me when you can. Suggested reading for this quarters is Palsgraf v Long Island Railroad Co. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com
75 Class Secretary — Norm Bower;
3946 Fernwood Ave., Davenport IA 52807; 563-349-0469; normbower@mchsi.com
75MBA Class Secretary — Jim Ouimet;
215-862-3080; jimouimet@comcast.net
75JD Autumn Notes
Prosecuting attorney, professor and author. That is a solid resume, and Carol Ann Nix has been successful every step of the way. Her first book, Dragon Hearts: Love in China, is a memoir of romantic friendship. However, I was taken by Carol’s harrowing account of being stranded on a train in Inner Mongolia for two days during a blizzard in January of 2010. With 10 feet of snow outside, dangerous temperatures inside, and no food, water, or sanitary provisions, Carol and the other passengers were fortunate to survive. Her second book, Dragon Hearts: Eagle in China, takes readers into the lives of young urban Chinese professionals and university students in Beijing. The books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online sources. About books, Willie Lipscomb, a distinguished jurist who passed away a few years back, was the author of The Crocodile King, which is available through online sites. Earlier this year, the global firm Jones Day announced that Ann Williams joined the Chicago office to lead its efforts in advancing the rule of law in Africa and adding to the firm’s trial and appellate practices. Congratulations to Ann on a distinguished judicial career and best wishes in her latest pursuit. I caught up with Rev. William Beauchamp, CSC, on campus over lunch. Bill remains very active and serves as assistant provincial and steward. We shared stories of our seminary experiences, his occurring a few years after law school and my own occurring after grade school. My seminary years are captured with humor and regret in the book Shattered Shells, which is available at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore and online sites. Do you want more news? Drop me an email with contact information and let me know what is happening in your life. Go Irish. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com
76 Retirement and Grandchildren
Based on my mail, many of us are retiring but certainly not to rocking chairs. Jim Hummer and his wife moved to Naples after he sold his health services company to Walgreens. He invests in healthcare start-ups and is a partner in Flexjet with Kenn Ricci. Mark “Sparky” Navarre and his wife Bonnie attended the Women’s Final Four basketball tournament. Jim Gradoville and family repatriated to Portland after living and working 20 years in China. Lynda and Pat Sarb reconnected with Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger at the ND Club of Chicago Rockne Gala. Also attending were Mary Dondanville Rooney and Angelo Bufalino. Pat Dore and his wife Maureen are in South Bend, where Pat teaches at the law school. Bill Fallon retired from PNC Bank after 40 years. Bill and wife Joanne will spend each fall in South Bend. Kathy O’Connor retired from microbiology research and is living in West Lafayette. Also retiring is Richard Collins. He was managing the Goodyear Niagara Falls Chemical plant. Kevin Price and his wife Debbie (Klein) ’76SMC are living in the Orlando area. They spend summers on the Jersey shore. Christine (Carroll) Lang retired from teaching. She helps with her grandchildren and she and her husband enjoy traveling. Judi Ploszek was recently named CFO of Tampa General Hospital. Ann Hawkins attended the wedding of Maggie Waltman Smith’s son in California. Ann’s law and accounting practice opened an office in Stuart FL and she commutes between Florida and Cleveland. Sean McDonald is living in Cleveland and is president of Stretchtape. Chris Cannon and his wife are in San Francisco. Tom Cahill retired after 40 years with Reliance Electric/Rockwell Automation. He and his wife are staying in northeast Ohio where they are near their three children and eight grandchildren. Dave Lazzeri and his wife Sue hosted their annual football weekend get-together at the NC State game last fall. They saw Pat Novitzki, Bob Bartl and Steve Sheather ’74. They traveled south this spring and met with Leisa and Jay Achterhoff in Greenville SC and Marcia ’76SMC and Kenny Tokarz in St. Petersburg FL. Joe Furlong became a grandfather when daughter Kate Meskel ’07 and her husband welcomed son Grant. Joe caught up with former roomie Mike Demetrio and keeps in touch with Mike Sculati, Mick Gleason, Chris Johnson, Tom Leipzig, Brian Lungren, Mark Asel, Elton Johnson, Frank Miglarese, Pete Kelly and John Bodolay. Donna Crowley Campbell’s son, Jack, was married in May at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. For the 20th time, Pete Bialek competed in the American Birkebeiner 50K cross country ski race in Howard WI. Mike Pollard let me know that Thomas Benz just had a volume of short stories published, Home and Castle. In January Patrick Laughlin had a kidney transplant. The donor was his cousin, Patti Bergin Bedard ’86. Mike Hassett is battling Alzheimer’s. He and his wife live in Southern California where he continues to play the trumpet. Jennifer Baldwin Ruby ’96 informed me that her grandmother, Julie Wolfe passed away. Julie received a master’s in English literature in ’76. She lived and taught in Shipshewana IN. Ed Byrne lost his mother. John Vincent died of brain cancer in Sacramento CA. Jim Rashid’s wife Ann Macey ’76SMC passed away in April. Tom Spencer left this world suddenly on Feb. 23. Many of us knew Tom. As Pat Sarb put it, “Tom was a passionate ND man who exemplified Father Sorin’s vision that ND would be a force for good.” Our thoughts go to wife Gayle and children Margaret and Patrick. Requiescat in pace, Tom. — Mary Anne Kennedy Reilly; 7423 18th St. NE, Saint Petersburg FL 33702; 727-480-1251; mareilly@rfs-pa.com
76MBA Hole in One
Congratulations to Ralph Misener. He had a hole in one at the Gauntlet Gold Club in Stafford VA at the third hole on Nov. 21. It was 121 yards, par 3. Ann and Ralph occasionally get together with Ken Goldman and his wife Jeannie and are hoping to get together for golf or lunch in 2018. Ann and Ralph have done a lot of traveling since Ralph retired nine years ago from Air Products. He says hello to classmates and prays we are all doing well. You can reach Ralph at rim76mba@alumni.nd.edu. Take the time to send an email so we can fill our column. We have 600 words and I’m not remotely close.
Blessings to you and your loved ones. — Mike Norris; mikenorris@alumni.nd.edu
76JD Class Secretary — Virgil L. Roth;
625 Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 255, South Pasadena CA 91030; 626-441-1178; fax 626-441-1166; vroth@vlrlaw.com
77 Starry Starry Night
The State of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii renamed The Paul H. I. Coleman Institute of Astronomy in Oahu in a tribute to Paul Coleman, PhD, first native Hawaiian astrophysics professor, who passed away in January. Mahalo, Paul. Rev. Jim Foster, C.S.C., M.D., concelebrated his mother Irene’s February funeral mass in Chicago with 20 Holy Cross priests, including Rev. Austin Collins, C.S.C., Superior of the Holy Cross Order. In May, proud ’77 parents of University graduates included Cary and Gregg Bangs, daughter Tessa Bangs ’18; Laura and Mike Pesce, daughter Michaela ’18; and Brenda and Steve Santanello, daughter Katie ’18. Congratulations to all other graduates at other colleges and beyond, including Bob Blanck’s daughter Emily, Mary-Louise Houghton Polo’s son Christopher, and Daniel Bishop (and my) sons Thomas and Michael. Best wishes to all! When Tim Bourret, Clemson University’s longtime Football Communications Director, announced his July retirement, Football Head Coach Dabo Swinney personally bought him a golf cart, decorating it with Notre Dame and Clemson logos, presenting it to Tim at his well-attended farewell party. The Hon. Sharon Sullivan was named Celtic Lawyer of the Year by the Chicago Celtic Attorney Association, addressing a room of state and federal judges, 11 siblings, husband Thomas, daughter Katherine Schnitzer ’15JD and Maryann Hayes. Mike Grady reached the summit of Mt. Hood in May, on a ’77 adventure/vacation group trip, originated by Dan Towle, M.D., and Larry Merington, along with Steve Kowalski. The past 12 years’ adventures included Canadian dogsledding, class 6 whitewater rafting, hot air balloon piloting, sailboat racing school, flying gliders, and scuba diving on shipwrecks at night. Michael Bowler continued research in Bangladesh, Mark and Janet Carney O’Brien visited Bali, Indonesi. Karen Dinehart said “I do!” to Rich Wanders in Naples, Florida. Jen Ryder Raabe rallied classmates to send cards to S. John Miriam Jones, after her work overseeing the University’s transition to coeducation. Kay Andrews, Chuck Nowland, Betsy Carey Evatt and her husband, Bob, and Tony (“Class of ’77—Notre Dame’s Finest”) Chifari vacationed in Mexico, reminiscing about their sophomore year, Foreign Study Program in Mexico City. Rev. Anne Dilenschneider, PhD, was named a 2018 South Dakota Humanities Scholar, focusing on women’s suffrage and the Canton Indian Insane Asylum, a history and reconciliation project for Tribal Peoples. Classmates joining Brian Lopina in a Good Friday Group Fast included Darlene Palma Connelley, Rob Tully, Maureen O’Neill, Sheila O’Brien, and John Tartaglione. Robert Driscoll’s son Liam is with ND’s Alliance for Catholic Education in Denver, engaging his students with creativity and care. Mary-Louise Houghton Polo met Ellen Duffy Naylor for lunch at Denver’s Central Market while in the Mile-High City on a business trip. Jim and Tece Stavinoha Stark welcomed three more grandchildren this spring, a dozen grandchildren now enliven their retirement in Houston. Cornelius Sean “Neil” Murphy and Pam Murphy share the joy of their three grandchildren, Flynn, Kennedy and Eve. Peg Hornback Culhane and Mike Culhane welcomed grandson John Patrick O’Shaughnessy. We are heartbroken at the loss of classmates Paul Coleman, PhD, Karen Breen, M.D., and prolific architect Bill Bula, husband of Beth Neary, M.D. Our deepest condolences go out to their loved ones, especially Dr. Diane Bowen-Coleman, Brian Butler, Beth Neary, their children and families. Condolences also to Sue Augustus on the loss of her father, Tom Augustus, to Janet Carney O’Brien on the loss of her mother-in-law, Mary, grandmother of Dan O’Brien ’08, M.D., and to Don Reimer on the loss of his sister Mary Reimer ’78. Please share your news. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu
77MBA Class Secretary — Alan J. Fisher;
afisher@hoeyfarina.com
77JD Class Secretary — Janey Bennett;
4100 Edison Lakes Parkway, Mishawaka IN 46545; res 574-383-5745; bus 574-243-4100; jbennett@maylorber.com
78 Under the Dome
Greetings classmates and other readers of these notes. I trust all have recovered from Reunion 2018, and that your time back under the Dome has rejuvenated you. Chris McCabe spent three terms as a Maryland state senator, worked a year in the George W. Bush Administration, four years as secretary of human services in Maryland government and now is the executive director of Chrysalis House, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Annapolis. In February, Jimmy “Dunne-bar” Dunne again competed in the Pebble Beach Pro Am Tournament. There to cheer him on were Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Greg “Sweets” Switaj, and Steve and Rosemary (Marx) Durant. While in California, Don and Greg played golf with Joe Camarda, who is partially retired after his stint as head of Goldman Sachs’ San Francisco office. Jeff “Carp” Carpenter married Janice in March in a Chicago suburb. Father Ed Shea officiated, and Larry Morris was best man. In attendance to witness the event were Nace Mullen, Danny Romano, Jim “Boobie” Clarke, Chris Crnkovich, and Greg “Sweets” Switaj. In April, Nace Mullen and Greg “Sweets” Switaj took part in career day at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield PA where I am a teacher. The lads spoke to seven classes and stressed the importance of education, acceptance of others, and the part that faith plays in our lives. They were very well received and have already been penciled in for next year. In early May, Clare Leary attended a Peaker Gathering weekend at a mountain retreat outside of Pigeon Forge TN. Pigeon Forge is, of course, the home of Dollywood. Don “Dancing Bear” Smail attended the 2018 Alumni Association Leadership Conference. He supplied us with copious notes on the Blue-Gold game and various campus sightings. Jeff “Carp” Carpenter was the only member of our class who was on our only Final Four basketball team to attend the 40th anniversary celebration of that team in March. Also attending were Mike Reda, Pat Kennedy, and Vinnie Renz. In March, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the appointment of John Delaney as director of the office for investigation. One of his office’s primary responsibilities is to ensure that allegations of illegal activity by clergy, lay employees or volunteers of the archdiocese and its related entities are promptly reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency. It also serves as liaison with law enforcement to ensure full cooperation by the archdiocese in the event of a criminal investigation. While in South Beach in April, Nace Mullen got together with Vickie Lopez, who is working as a consultant. This past fall, Tony “Disco” Crudele had the opportunity to speak to several hundred Mendoza business students as part of the Boardroom Insights Lecture Series. As former CFO of Tractor Supply and current lead director of Hibbett Sporting Goods, I am sure that Tony had many nuggets of wisdom to share. If you want to see the talk, it is on YouTube or at mendoza.nd.edu. Jim Coleman attended the women’s lacrosse game against Albany and Johnny “Cuz” Coyne was in the arena for the ACC tournament to cheer on the Irish. I am sad to report that Bruce Morrison, our friend and classmate, died Jan. 8 after a long and heroic fight with cancer. Bruce grew up in Voorhees NJ. He attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia prior to attending Notre Dame. Following his ND graduation in political science, he earned a scholarship to Villanova Law School. There he met the love of his life, Deborah O’Neill. They were married for 35 years. They had three wonderful and accomplished children. Shannon ’08 his eldest, was a brilliant student in computer science. Patrick and Casey graduated from Penn State. Bruce worked most of his professional life for Marshall Dennehey, an insurance defense firm in Philadelphia. He specialized in appellate work, basically the toughest cases. He founded the insurance coverage and bad faith practice group at the firm. Bruce lived for two years at Flanner Hall and then in a couple memorable off-campus houses for his junior and senior years. He had no agenda; he was just a good guy who loved his family, friends and the Fighting Irish. Please keep Bruce and his family in your prayers. Thanks to Mike Moran, Bruce’s dear friend, for supplying this information. Please keep the family of Eloise Darnley in your prayers. Darnley, who passed away on Nov. 21, was the mother of Brenda Darnley Martin 77MBA, our classmate Deborah Darnley-Fisch, MD, and James Dana Darnley ’79 and the mother-in-law of Michael J. Martin ’74. Please also keep in your prayers the mother of Steve “Bones” Conover, who passed away in April. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen. Enjoy football season. Stay in touch and write. — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apartment 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com
78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney;
350 Alewive Road, Kennebunk ME 04043-6013; res 207-229-0989; bus 207-333-6640 ex 2020; irishwasherwoman@alumni.nd.edu
78JD Good Fortune
I received a welcome update from Bill Solomon: “Following a brief clerkship on the Michigan Court of Appeals, and a five-year stint at the Ford Credit legal staff, I went to work as the general counsel for a start-up company that made motorhomes (Vixen) but ultimately failed a few years later. After a brief stint in private practice, I joined the General Motors legal staff in 1988, principally as senior credit and insurance lawyer for its subsidiary, GMAC. Anyway, I was appointed general counsel of the company (now publicly owned Ally Financial) in 1999 and served in that role until I retired in September 2016. As much as I loved the practice of corporate and commercial law, and managing a legal staff of 115 attorneys, I am delighted to be retired and I’m spending a lot of time with my wife, Fran, enjoying our nine grandchildren and traveling about the country and beyond. I just finished a three-week road trip on Route 66 from Michigan to California and back, a journey I commend to my classmates. Life is good, and I have Notre Dame, in part, for our good fortune.” We do have Notre Dame to thank for much of our good fortune. Let’s all plan to celebrate our 40th class reunion during the weekend of Sept. 14-15 with a get-together for the Vanderbilt football game. — Dan LaVille; US Bankruptcy Court, One Division Avenue North, Room 200, Grand Rapids MI 49503; bus 616-732-2751; dlaville@comcast.net
79 Class Secretary — Barbara A. Langhenry;
3901 Whitman Ave., Cleveland OH 44113; res 216-651-8962; bus 216-664-2893; breclw@aol.com
79MBA Class Secretary — Patty Kennedy Kerr;
7750 Leonard St. NE, Ada MI 49301; 616-682-1223; kerrtaxcpa@gmail.com
79JD A Sad Loss
We have sad news this time. John Vincent succumbed to an aggressive form of brain cancer on Good Friday. He battled it bravely for about a year, then passed peacefully at home surrounded by his wife, Julie, and children, Matt and Molly. John had a distinguished career as an assistant US attorney in Sacramento. He specialized in white-collar crime and political corruption matters. He received many professional awards over the years, the last of which was presented to him personally by US Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. John’s death generated numerous messages from our classmates. The affection and admiration for John was probably best captured by Frank Sabatino who wrote: “John is certainly in Heaven. If John somehow did not make the cut, I would not bother submitting an application. I attended John’s funeral in Sacramento along with Greg Murphy, Terry Karnaze, Jim Schultz and Tom Fitzgerald. While the circumstances were sad, we had a great time reconnecting with one another and reminiscing about our law school experiences. The top of that list was recalling John’s masterful performance (with Frank Sabatino) of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” skit in our annual talent show. We also felt very privileged to attend and convey personal condolences to John’s family on behalf of our class. Finally, on another subject, we have only one more year until our 40th reunion. More will follow on that in the months to come. — Daniel F. McNeil; 1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209; 503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com