1940s

40 Rest in Peace

Bob Sanford passed away in July. He served as class secretary for 75 years and rarely missed a deadline for this magazine or its predecessor, the Notre Dame Alumnus. A few months after Bob’s death, his wife, Kay, passed away in November. Earlier in 2015, the Alumni Association named Bob its Volunteer of the Year in recognition of his dedicated work as class secretary. Bob was unable to travel to the Alumni Association’s annual Leadership Conference to accept the award, so Dolly Duffy ’84, the executive director of the Alumni Association, traveled to Scottsdale AZ to present it in person. A video of Bob receiving the award was shown at the Leadership Conference. When asked about his role as secretary, Bob said, “I never thought it was a task. I always thought it was a privilege and an honor to do the class reporting.” The full video can be seen on YouTube by searching “Notre Dame Alumni Association Bob Sanford.” Please pray for Bob and Kay and the Sanford family. If you are interested in taking over the secretary duties for this class, please contact the Alumni Association at ndalumni@nd.edu.

41 Brooklyn Buddies

Happy birthday wishes are in order for class valedictorian Ralph Gerra, whose daughter Barbara wrote to tell me Ralph celebrated his 96th in January. Ralph is living in his home in Bethlehem PA and enjoys watching ND football games and reading updates about classmates. Quite conveniently, I heard from Ralph’s daughter shortly after I reached out to the Alumni Office on behalf of John Nace, who was looking to get in touch with Ralph last fall. John and Ralph have known each other since their days at Brooklyn Prep, and they were roommates in Cavanaugh Hall freshman year. Ralph’s daughter and John’s son were passing information back and forth, so I hope John and Ralph got in touch, and I hope to hear more stories. Happy spring to all of the class and your families, and keep those updates coming. — 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 Visiting the Archives

As is often the case when it’s a quiet quarter for correspondence, I Googled “February 1944 and Notre Dame” and was taken to the archives of the February 1944 issue of The Notre Dame Alumnus. I perused the 39-page apparent predecessor to this publication and found a comparable Class Notes column for 1944 and later. David R. Condon ’45 wrote the Class Notes while on staff at the South Bend Tribune. “His wide journalistic experience coupled with his wide acquaintanceship, made him an ideal secretary” the editor wrote. Dave managed to fill two full pages of content which included encounters with John “The Tree” Adams on the South Shore train from Chicago and Robert “Red” Londergan on campus. I have a John Adams listed in my class roster but from what I have learned from many of you, the nicknames were often necessary to differentiate from others with the same name. So, I welcome your input as to whether “The Tree” was from 1944 or a neighboring year. If you find yourself with computer access, you might enjoy visiting other editions in the archives to read the stories of the day. I look forward to hearing from you. — Laura (Julian) Fraser ’00; 989 Belaire Court, Naperville IL 60563; 773-255-9843; lejulian00@yahoo.com

45 From Abroad

I have only one item to report. I send my thanks to Rose Mary Denniston, widow of our classmate John Denniston, for forwarding the annual Christmas letter from Rev. Dick Timm, CSC. In mid-June he slipped on two steps leading to a parking lot. (They were slippery not from snow in Bangladesh but from a light coating of clay.) A hospital visit confirmed two broken bones. One of the attending doctors visited Dick and said, “I was your student and used your textbook.” The doctor went on to explain that by local custom, a student in later life does not charge his teacher for services rendered and that he would follow that practice and not bill Dick for his services. Recovery has been slow, and he still cannot raise his hand above his shoulder. That has not kept him from teaching the second semester of his theology course and publishing two eight-page newsletters. — Ted Weber Jr.; 1400 Geary Blvd., Apt. 1409, San Francisco CA 94109; 415-674-8771; theodoreweber@comcast.net

46 Century Horseman

This came from Janice Polletta, daughter of Eldon “Don” Kordes, who graduated in the June/July class of 1946. He was in the V-12 program and graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He received his master’s from Purdue in 1948. He was hired by NACA, which became NASA. He received a PhD in engineering mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1960. Later he transferred to NASA at Edwards Airforce Base in the Antelope Desert of California. There he worked on the effects of Mach 10 on experimental aircraft. He married Phyllis in 1947, and they had four children. In California, they bought a small property in the country and started to raise and show horses. He was president of many horse organizations over 55 years. He was also part of the sheriff’s posse as a deputy sheriff with his horse. They helped find people lost in the mountains and did crowd control at events. He and his wife flew missions for the Civil Air Patrol, mapping territory to assist crews when searching for downed planes. Every year he carves a walking stick for the Sierra Club, which is given out as an award. He has won best-of-show awards for his wildlife carvings but he prefers to give them away or sell locally. This summer he won high point of the day with a century ride in dressage. His age and the horse had to equal 100 or more. He also won first place in team penning and fifth in trail. He lives in Tehachapi CA. — Paul Taggett; 21 Legacy Drive, Apt. 723, Baldwinsville NY 13027; ptagget1@twcny.rr.com

47 Fondly Remembered

Bob Pavlin wrote, “It was a sad holiday for our family as my wife of 68 years passed away in November. She was 90.” Classmates who will be missed include William J. Kaiser, 89, of New Albany IN, who died June 10; he was a regular contributor to these Class Notes. Bill was a long-time member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in New Albany. A lieutenant in the Navy, he served in the Korean War. Bill began his career at Brown & Imhoff. After his military service, he joined First Federal Savings and Loan Association of New Albany, where he served for 42 years, becoming president, director and chairman of the board. From there, he served as president, director and chairman of the board with Community Bank of Southern Indiana from 1954 to 1996. His positions also included past director, president and chairman of the Indiana League of Savings Associations; past director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis; past president and director of Salcor, Inc.; 60 years with the Cardinal Ritter Council 1221 Knights of Columbus, where he served as past Faithful Navigator of the New Albany Fourth Degree; past director of the Homebuilders Association of Southern Indiana; past president and director of the New Albany and Floyd County Chamber of Commerce; past board member and president of the New Albany Industrial Foundation, Inc.; and 2010 inductee to the New Albany High School Hall of Fame. Bill met his beloved wife, Helen, at a savings and loan seminar in Indianapolis, and they were married for 53 years before her passing.
He is survived by two daughters and four sons, a sister, 17 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Henry “George” Krull DDS died June 29 in Fishers IN. Born in Muncie on July 13, 1925, George graduated from Muncie Central High School and enlisted in the Navy in March 1943. He attended Wabash College from November 1943 to October 1944 and ND from November 1944 to February 1946 in the Navy V-12 program for pilot training and aeronautical engineering. He was an aeronautical engineer at NACA (NASA) and later Marquart Corp. In 1964, at 39 years old, he entered Indiana U School of Dentistry, graduating with honors in 1968. He continued at IU in the orthodontic program and graduated in 1970. He was elected to Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society. George was a member of Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity and the Nora Sertoma Club. He served as a part-time associate professor in the IU Orthodontic Program from 1970-1977 and was in private orthodontic practice, retiring in August 1987. He was also a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, Indianapolis District Dental Society, Indiana Dental Society, Great Lakes Society of Orthodontics and the Indiana Society of Orthodontists. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Sonya R. Krull, four sons, two daughters, nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson. John B. “Ben” George, 93, died Oct. 1 in Phoenix. He requested the Notre Dame Victory March be played at the funeral as the prelude. He was born in Beloit WI in 1922, graduated from Brother Dutton School in Beloit and Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien WI and earned a degree in business from ND. He was a WWII Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, having been wounded at Hannover, Germany. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Beloit and married his sweetheart from Indiana, Olive Windbiel, and raised his family. He joined the family business, George Brothers Fine Clothing for Men and Boys, and was also a longtime member of the Beloit Country Club. After retirement and subsequent moves to Florida and then Arizona, he worked for the US Chamber of Commerce and volunteered at St. John’s Nursing Center. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, two sisters, four children (including Ann George Jahr ’71SMC, ’74MA) six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. I look forward to hearing from class members with news and stories. Call or email me. — Michael Morris ’80; 949-433-8568; michaelmorris07@gmail.com

48 Then and Now

We are sad to report that Ellsworth Albert Cordesman, affectionately known as “Cordie,” died on April 5, 2015 in Highland Park IL at the age of 90. Cordie had that irrepressible good humor and fun-loving personality that lifted the spirits of all he met. Coupled with his great love of family, church and people, he was a gift to all and will be greatly missed. During WWII, Cordie served in the cryptology branch of Army Air Corps in Brazil and spent two years coding top-secret messages and decoding enemy transmissions. After graduating from Notre Dame, Cordie worked for General Motors in the public relations department, became the art director for National Underwriter of Chicago and in 1954 joined Hewitt Associates, where he spent the next 32 years as an art director, producer and consultant. In 1974, Cordie became a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church, graduating in the second class of permanent deacons in the Chicago Archdiocese and serving in many capacities at St. James in Highwood IL and Immaculate Conception in Highland Park IL. Cordie married the late Shirley E. Myers of Rock Island IL on Dec. 28, 1950. He is survived by two daughters, Anne Maxfield of Highwood IL and Mary Burns of St. Peters MO, and a grandson, Dylan Maxfield. From Dan Gentile comes this remembrance: As a Notre Dame student I became engaged to a Saint Mary’s student from Indianapolis. She took the ring home during Easter break, but her mom told her to give it back to me since she didn’t want any Italian blood contaminating her blood stream. God had other plans for me. Unbeknownst to me, a small town men’s clothier for whom I worked mentioned a woman five years my junior who was attending a small college operated by French nuns in Marlborough MA where she was president of her class. We married and enjoyed 25 years of wedded bliss before she died of cancer. I could never re-marry in deference to our four super virtuous children. My three sons were Jesuit trained throughout with advanced degrees. God brings such women into my life. One is Winn Farchar, an ND faculty member, retired and living across from the ND golf course on Angela in her family compound. Another is Ginny Moritz, ND campus “hostess with the mostess” for many of ND’s Navy personnel in her Peashway home three blocks from campus. She was an orphan raised by French Canadian nuns. Then along came Rudy Moritz, advertising manager of Drewry’s Brewery in South Bend, and he swept her off her feet and married her. The super couple of our class is Saint Mary’s gem Barbara Granfield and Francis Keenan. He is from New Hampshire, and his dad was from Worcester MA. His peers included a full page formal portrait of Frank in the ’48 Dome. Frank’s greatest achievement at ND was organizing and executing ND’s first mock political convention involving the entire campus. He utilized me as security director, a fortunate development bearing fruit later in 1948 when both Democratic and Republican conventions were held in Philly across the Delaware from Camden NJ. RC Victor Headquarters had just hired me as a trainee. Coincidentally they were the first nationally televised conventions. With TV in its infancy, we set up demo sets in the five major Philly department stores up and down Market Street. This experience was invaluable to me years later in San Francisco when as western regional manager I duplicated the promotion to introduce color TV in the department stores around Union Square. Finally, you may notice a different signature on this column: Eileen Zander is now Eileen Surprenant. Eileen and I have partnered on the column long enough to know that she is a gem, and I congratulate her mister. I wish them a full life of wedded bliss. Go Irish. — Dan Gentile; Box 2671, Scottsdale AZ 85252; res 480-425-1240; or Eileen Surprenant ’09; 846 Hannah Ave., Forest Park IL 60130; bus 574-631-7505; ezander@nd.edu

49 Staying Alive

William Howard Chittenden of Wheaton IL was back in our news. Howard enlisted in 1939 and after boot camp was deployed to China in the renowned China Marines. His station was the US embassy in Peking, assigned to guard duty. In December 1941, he was captured and began his saga through eight POW camps in Japan. He survived slave labor conditions until liberated in September 1945. Last October, Howard returned on a trip of reconciliation as a guest of the Japanese government. Al “Mac” Hardesty of Louisville KY was also in the news. Ed Armento ’65 reported that Mary and Mac were honored at the annual Christmas dinner as the ND Club of Greater Louisville “Senior Alumni of the Year.” This capped 50 years of service to their community, Blue Ridge Manor. Mac served as commissioner and later as mayor for 24 years. Mary and Mac volunteered their efforts to move the city forward in every way. Hugh Rafferty, Houston TX, was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal for his participation in the liberation of France during WWII. Hugh was also honored by the Houston ND club for his volunteer service in the community and long service to the Houston Club. Two of Bill Fischer’s friends, Richard Schweers and Chuck Bennett ’55, emailed that they visited “Moose” at the Windsor of Cape Coral FL, an assisted living facility located at 831 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. Their visit helped Bill recall and recount good memories from his past. They plan more visits in the future. I have a memory too, that of Bill and Father Jim Riehle catching a huge muskellunge at night in the boundary waters north of International Falls. Bill subdued the beast, as he did rival linemen in our years, and brought it back to Bronko Nugurski’s houseboat to show off the prize. Of course, it was an illegal catch but we’ll never tell. It was an exciting ND moment. The alumni office advised us that Ernie McCullough, Calgary, Canada, died last summer. With graduate degrees from the U of Toronto, Ernie’s academic career spanned 40 years on the faculties of St. Thomas More College, Saskatoon; Cardinal Muensch Seminary, Fargo ND; North Dakota State, Fargo; and St. Mary’s U, Calgary. He was a gifted athlete and coach and represented Canada at the 1948 Olympics in London in individual and relay track events. He helped establish the Calgary Olympic Development Association in 1956, and as president he worked tirelessly to bring the Olympics to Calgary. His dream became a reality in 1988. Frances Murphy of Burlington NJ informed us that John C. Murphy, our classmate, passed away in December. He resided in an independent care facility apartment with Frances. Rest well, old friends. — Joe O’Brien; 18120 Cloverleaf Drive, South Bend IN 46637; 574-271-8323; obie49nd@comcast.net