1970s
1970s
70 Discovering Croatia
Sergio Baeza visited Split, Croatia, in August. He discovered a statue of Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovich, who died at ND in 1962, and mentored Josip Turkal, creator of “First Down Moses.” See Brac, Vis, Hvar and Solta if you are in the neighborhood. John Murtagh’s June hip replacement recovery was slow for a championship skier, but he’ll bicycle and play golf in Hilton Head. His granddaughter graduated from Kenyon. After Ron Basso’s two hips and two redos, he sings and practices law in the Upper Peninsula near his 96-year-old mother-in-law in Iron River. Sara and he watched polar bears at Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay in November. Mary T. and O’Malley Smith hosted 27 for their annual Cape Cod family vacation. Randy Harkins welcomes visitors to smaller riverfront quarters near the stadium. Don Simantz, partner from 1976 to 2014 at Alschuler, Simantz & Hem in Aurora IL, retired to Orlando. His firm was the 2008 Chamber of Commerce Professional Services Business of the Year. Kevin Rooney retired after 17 years in ND Admissions, 19 years with First Year of Studies, and Ulster County Community College and Yale. His band, First Friday, is recalled fondly from pregame play on Sorin porch and at other soirees. October reunions include Richmond VA in 2016, Chicago in 2017, opened by American Cosmonaut, and Los Angeles in 2018. Mike Duell, Bob Ewan, “Tuli” Lane, Jim Peters, Jack Prendergast, Mike Saville, Jim Stynes, and Norm Zeller, spouses, children, and “Fridettes” enjoyed an energetic set. Sean Murphy ’69 and Andy Wallace ’69 attended. Kevin and his wife saw Kim and Norm Zeller, retired and still strumming in Walnut CA. I saw Bob Ryan of Chicago and Harry Kiefer of Cleveland at the Pitt game. Mike DeNiro, private practice attorney in Santa Barbara and U of California emeritus professor of stable isotopy, sent a quiz tougher than Emil T. Hofman’s Friday exam. I paraphrase: Which is false? A. All 1,600 freshmen took a swim test in the Rockne Memorial pool. We showed up at our assigned time when one-quarter of the class was present. Because there were not enough of those white Mahatma Gandhi-like swimsuits required for pool swimming, we swam naked. Those who failed took swimming as part of the freshman PE requirement. B. We wore a sport coat and a tie for dinner in the North or South Dining Halls until that requirement was rescinded sophomore year. C. Memorial Library, not yet named Theodore Hesburgh library, was locked during home football games. Professor DeNiro and I will judge; send answers to me for a prize sport coat suitable for the 2020 reunion dinner. Condolences to the family of Jim Peters (Innsbruck vet) who died July 18, in Benton Harbor MI, survived by wife Marie and son James. Phil Kloby died June 21. Phil Welchman ’73MA died April 23, survived by daughters Heather and Megan. Gene O’Brien died Dec. 24, 2017, in Rio Rico AZ, survived by wife Deborah. John Roach died June 9 in Dayton OH, survived by daughter Elizabeth ’05. John Parolin, a Breen-Phillips freshman, died Jan. 9, 2018, survived by Nancy, four children, and six grandchildren in Melrose Park IL. His parents came from Italy; his brother, Livio, also graduated from ND. After 43 years in US government intelligence service, Frank Taylor ’74 joined the Keough School of Global Affairs as executive fellow of the Global Policy Initiative. Class trip “Friends of Rick” departs from Newark to Tel Aviv and environs May 12-29. It should be great. Reservations are going fast. — Don Graham; 1901 Glenwood Ave., Springfield IL 62704; 217-652-1560; fever1@me.com
70MBA Class Secretary — John Carroll;
4315 Alta Dr., Apt 1301, Suwanee GA 30024; johnrcarroll@bellsouth.net
70JD Another Year Gone By
I received word from John Meany that his dear wife Mary passed away in January 2018 because of a pulmonary embolism. She had struggled with serious health issues for several years. Mary and John met in the 1960s while she was a student at Saint Mary’s. They had been married for 48 years and raised two wonderful children, John and Nora. I know you join with me in extending our prayers and condolences to John and his family. In late summer, JoAnn and Mike Kelleher attended the wedding of Jim Kirker’s daughter, Kara, at Jim’s oceanside home in Rhode Island. They report it was a most happy occasion. Congratulations to Nancy and Joe Kane, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in early September. They attended the Vanderbilt game at ND on Sept. 15, which was 50 years to the day that they and the other “London Luckies” boarded a plane for their flight to England. Nancy and Joe, Marie and Ken Iverson, Dick Blumberg, Bill Keck and Kathy and Jim Hardgrove planned to return to London in October for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the ND Law program. Gerry Egan notes that after leaving ND, he worked for a publicly traded school bus transportation business in Connecticut. Thereafter he and his two brothers formed their own transportation company and he was actively involved with the same until it was sold in 1989. Then Gerry devoted his time to the research of, and investment into, the stock market. He and his wife, Carol, reside in Connecticut and have been blessed with four children and six grandchildren. (A seventh was expected in September.) He refers to his grandkids as “the absolute light of our lives.” Hats off and all the best to Tom Sopko on his retirement from a distinguished legal career in the South Bend community. Judy and Joe Leahy send regards from the West Coast and Joe reports with a smile that he no longer goes into his office on Saturdays, allowing plenty of time for Oregon football games. Finally, I share with you a note I received from Angie Zajas, wife of our recently deceased classmate, Grant Zajas. In that communication, Angie said how she and Grant would often recall with fondness the memories of their days and the people they met while at ND. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all the best in the New Year. I am grateful for your friendship and thankful for the opportunity to continue to write this column. Go Irish. — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com
71 Fall Road Trips
Cincinnati was the destination this year for the annual baseball caravan comprised of Don Dempsey, Tom Mangan, Pete Moulder, Dennis Capella and Ed Brosious. The itinerary included a Reds game, brewery tours, and dinner with Queen City resident John Collins. The high point was dinner with John and celebration that a cancer he has been fighting is in remission. Jim D’Aurora traveled to South Africa with the Minnesota Orchestra and Chorale to participate in the celebration of Nelson Mandela’s centenary. Paul Jones has eased into retirement, joined a group from Buffalo and made his second trip to Munich for Oktoberfest. Jim Zeller also made it to Munich for his 22nd Oktoberfest, but he and Paul did not overlap. Jim explains the numerous trips as job related. As a patent attorney, he works closely with the transfer agents based in Munich, who handle patent work for the EU. It is odd how the trips are always in late September. Keiko and Jim Foster, Hennie and Tom Hampson, Brian Wall and Jane and Paul Roberts gathered in Tokyo to commemorate their student year abroad at Sophia U in Japan. After visits to their old haunts, Jim and Keiko hosted the Hampsons and Roberts at their home in Nagano. Jim is retired from positions with the Foreign Service and Microsoft, both in Japan. Brian also continues to reside in Japan as a writer, teacher, and carrot farmer in Chiba Prefecture. Tom is retired from the Church World Service and is in the final year of a deaconate program in the Episcopal Church. Paul is also retired and splits his time between volunteer work and travel. Ann and Pete Van Dyk, Mary and Jim Malloy, Barb and Bob Bassett, and Susan and Steve Zumbo spent a week relaxing and touring in Italy. They were based in Umbria about 90 minutes outside of Rome. Upon returning to Rome, they were able to dine with Father Doug Smith. Doug had arrived in town 72 hours earlier to assume his new responsibilities as CFO for the worldwide Holy Cross Order. Karen and Rick Kettler added a cruise along the coast of Alaska to recent travels. Fourth generation rancher and landowner Jim Hagenbarth was honored by the governor of Montana for land stewardship, including allowing public access for fishing and hunting. Jane and Tim O’Connor are transitioning their northern home from upstate New York to South Bend, closing recently on a home near campus. They will continue to winter in Florida at The Villages. Sean Robert O’Brien, an immunologist in Baltimore, passed away in September. Condolences to his wife Eileen and daughter Hilary, who survive. Sean was a fellow resident of Fisher, a biology major, and pretty much grew up on campus as his father was Robert F. O’Brien, the longtime director of the Fighting Irish Marching Band. No surprise, the opener with Michigan was a destination for many. Dickie Johnson chaperoned four granddaughters from New Jersey, the eldest a high school senior taking the admissions tour, and the other three taking notes. Two former baseball players were on hand: Bill Schoen of Toledo and Bob Bramlette of Chicago. Herb Melton, Louisville, and family continue to be regulars at Sunny Italy while in town. Paula and Ed O’Neill continue to split their time between Minneapolis and Scottsdale. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas, and you have my best wishes for a healthy and happy 2019. — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 574-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com
71MBA Football Reunions
Football games are providing opportunities for reunions with classmates. My wife Robbie (Parker) Fackelman ’71MA and I stayed with gracious hosts Patricia and Rod Spear for the Ball State and Pitt games. Joining us at the Pitt Mendoza tailgate were Mary Jo and Todd Helmeke and John Sullivan. Todd has done some business development work in Afghanistan and Iraq and is hoping to do more of the same in Syria. Gray and Terry Walts are planning to visit with the Spears for the Florida State game. Gray has retired from teaching, but Terry is still involved with his dry eye therapy startup. For long range planning, let’s try for a reunion next year at the New Mexico game when the weather is still nice and let’s encourage Helena and Tony Strati to attend. Looking even further ahead, we are talking about the game at Lambeau Field in 2020. I would like to hear from others in our class, so please send me your news. — 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 50 Years Out of High School
Correction: In the last issue it was reported that Jerry Kostas died March 17. His last name and date of death were wrong. Gerald (“Jerry”) Kotas died March 18. He and his wife, Debra Lynne Chicos ’72SMC, were married at Sacred Heart soon after graduation. He was ordained a deacon in 2003. An obituary can be found in the Denver Catholic website at denvercatholic.org. It has been a whopping 50 years since most of us entered Notre Dame. This also means that it’s been a whopping 50 years since we graduated from high school. Paul Anthony was one of 18 in our class who graduated from St. Joseph High in South Bend. Four of them attended St. Joseph’s grade school together. Four of the 18 were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa: Paul, Barry Bird, Andy Kusmitz and Bill Johnston. Paul had a career as an academic librarian until he retired at the end of 2015 from serving as librarian and professor at Southern Illinois U in Edwardsville. He has lived in the St. Louis area for 40 years. One of his two sons is a member of the class of ’03. Paul and his siblings (James ’63, ’66JD, Elizabeth ’67SMC, Catherine ’69SMC, Barbara ’75) were the children of Bob Anthony, professor of physics 1937-1977. I attended the reunion of Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering OH, and was very happy to see Judy Lammers Imhoff ’72SMC and her husband Earl, Gary Ireton and Phil Glotzbach. We missed Tom Belle. Write me about your reunions. Tell us the names of the guys who came to Notre Dame from your high school class. During our first days on campus, I met one, and then several, from my father’s alma mater, Loyola Academy, Wilmette IL. During the football game against Virginia Tech, Howard Hall roommates Steve Martinek, Kelly Flynn, and Mike Murray celebrated the win at Murray’s home in Cleveland. David Søballe PhD attended the retirement ceremony of his Farley Hall roommate Hank Zielinski MD at the US Naval Hospital, Bremerton WA. David recently retired from a career in environmental science with expertise in limnology, the oceanography of lakes. Hank was commissioned after graduation, did his internship and residency in general surgery with the Army at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma WA, served as chief of surgery in Frankfurt, Germany, then spent 24 years in civilian surgical practice before he returned to active duty with the Navy in 2009. While in private practice in Georgia, Frank, his wife Bobbi and their daughter Selena undertook annual surgical missions to Haiti, Guatemala and Ecuador. He celebrated his 60th birthday with a busy FST (Forward Surgical Team) in Qalat, Afghanistan, and was subsequently deployed to Djibouti, Naples, Italy, and as ship’s surgeon aboard three aircraft carriers before returning to the Pacific Northwest. Stephen P. Azzarelli died June 5. His obituary appeared in the Tampa Bay Times June 17 and can be found on legacy.com. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu
72MBA Class Secretary —Alex McLellan;
cell 913-991-0944; irish72mba@excite.com
72JD Class Secretary — Chris Schraff;
1881 Marble Cliff Crossing Court, Columbus OH 43204; 614-227-2097; cschraff@porterwright.com
73 Splendid Golf
Who in the Class of 1973 is more talented in golf than Lou and Alan Hart? Alan became the first person in our class to shoot his age when he fired a 66 in June at his hometown Northwood Course in Meridian MS. Incredible achievement, Alan. His wife, Lou, in September won the Mississippi Women’s Senior Amateur Tournament also at her home course of Northwood by birdieing the final hole. Talk about a great golfing year. I teamed up with Alan, my roommate in Alumni Hall, at the Joliet Country Club Invitational in July. The class received 20 tickets for the Pittsburgh game from the Alumni Association, which we distributed to six classmates: Dan Schultz, Ed Modic, Bruce Graves, Jim Dehner, Bill Martin and Mike Sydlik. Bill Martin reported that he had a little Alumni Hall reunion with Geri and J.C. Tomshack, Tom Leary and Mike Sydlik. Bob Bixby left for Shanghai immediately after the Pitt game. My hometown Joliet Slammers baseball team captured the Frontier League Championship, beating the Washington Wild Things of Ray Popeck. Ray still operates his accounting firm, Urish Popeck, in Washington PA. It was good to hear from John (Hands) Ryan, still practicing law in Darien CT. John and Elyse usually attend three to four home games a year. John Dacey sent news that he just left his private law practice in Phoenix to work full time for a non-profit he established several years ago, abolishprivateprisons.org. I played in the Notre Dame Alumni Association Senior Golf Outing at the Warren Course in September and saw Sue and Bill Phillips and Jim Vonada. I am happy to report the improved health of Lou Ferrello’s wife, Maria, who had a liver transplant. Lou and Maria moved from Pennsylvania to Venice FL but still maintain a condominium in South Bend where their daughter Megan is a sophomore at ND. It was good to see Bill Sauerland at the reunion. Bill is anxious for our 50th in 2023. He wants to make certain we have great speakers. Mike Casale sent me an email stating he was at the Michigan game for his annual get together with Scott Gleason, Lori and Jim O’Malley, Sharon and Bob May. They were missing regulars Daryl Dewan and Dr. Mike Manyak. Mike hosted a golf outing in Williamsport PA in which Jimmy Ronan, Ray Popeck, Jim Musuraca, Jim O’Malley, Scott Gleason and Vic Billings attended. Thanks for the great picture, Mike. Again, we have an unfortunate death to report. David Woods of Allendale NJ passed away on Aug. 8. David enjoyed a 20-year career in insurance at Frank B. Hall & Company and Alexander & Alexander. He was a talented guitarist and songwriter of Christian music. I received this news from Denis O’Leary, who is with Crowe in South Bend as managing director in federal tax. He frequently gets together with Marion and Tom Rohrs, who also have a condominium in South Bend but live and work in Silicon Valley. I will have more reunion news in the next column. Send news. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com
73MBA Happy 45th Anniversary Year
Gus Browne shares that the main event for him was the sale of his condo in South Bend, the end of an era. He will be moving to Illinois permanently. As we write this, his family was planning a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. He says, “11 of us on the Allure of the Seas. Christmas will never be the same.” Please take the time to share your stories with your classmates. I am sure there still is a lot of spirit in our class. 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. Please continue to forward your new email addresses and those of classmates. — Thomas Jindra; 7179 Alviso Ave., Jurupa Valley CA 92509; res and fax 951-685-2091; tajindra@charter.net
73JD In Memoriam: Tony Palumbo
Class Secretary Anthony “Tony” Palumbo, 71, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of April 16, 2018, in Triacastela, Spain, while venturing to complete his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, the French Way. Tony was born and raised in New Jersey, where he not only excelled academically, but also on the baseball field, playing catcher. After leaving home, he graduated from Fairfield University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1968. Tony married his grade school sweetheart, Anna Marie Vadas, of Spring Lake Heights, NJ, in 1969. Two weeks after their marriage, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he served honorably from May 1969 until July 1970. Following his service, he and Anna Marie moved to South Bend, where he graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1973. Their journey continued west after Tony accepted a job at Jennings Strouss and Salmon in Phoenix, AZ. In 1977, he began representing the victims of wrongful injury or death, a dedication which he pursued over the next 45 years. In 1981, he co-founded the law firm of Harris and Palumbo. In 2006, after 25 successful years, Tony followed his dream to work with his son, Scott, and a best friend, Elliot Wolfe; together they formed the law firm of Palumbo Wolfe & Palumbo. Among various honors throughout his career, Tony was invited to become a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. While he loved his profession, it was his tireless passion to help thousands of clients and their families that inspired such a long and fruitful career. This same passion fueled his work with local charitable organizations, such as Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona. Tony was a man of compassion, honor and integrity. He was respected and beloved by his family, friends and community. He lived his life with true passion and loved his family and friends fiercely. Some of his greatest joy came from spending time with his grandchildren, Ian (9) and Lily (7). He was an avid Notre Dame football and Arizona Diamondbacks fan, and loved reading, traveling the globe with Anna Marie, and the many days he spent golfing or hiking with his friends. Tony is survived by his wife, Anna Marie, his sons, Scott (Emily) and Craig, his grandchildren Ian and Lily, his brother Michael (Jean), his mother-in-law, Cecilia, his in-laws, Monica (Skip) O’Hallaran and David (Cheryl) Vadas, many loving cousins and 12 nieces and nephews. Please continue to keep his family and friends in your prayers. If you are interested in volunteering to serve as class secretary, please contact the Alumni Association at alumpubs@nd.edu.
74 Gearing Up for Reunion
Classmates, please mark your calendars for our 45th reunion Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 2. We, your class officers, are already in the throes of planning. We need you, and we also kindly seek your financial support. When placing your football application donation for next year, put University of Notre Dame Reunion 2019, Class of 1974 on that payment. And thank you most sincerely. We are so excited to see you all there. We have two more reunions, this one and our 50th, then we are told we can attend any reunions we wish, but the fun is being with our classmates. So, come one and all. It was more than a delight when class president Jerry Samaniego and his son Jerry ’01 and fiancé came into Chicago. The young ones left after dinner, but Jerry, Karl McGarvey, Ed Garbarino and Dr. Gary Novak “Goose” and I carried the torch forward. We started at the Westin, then went to Hugo’s Frog Bar and ended at Lux Bar. The boys went on to the Stanford game the following day. They all looked sensational. We had so much fun. Jerry’s news is that his daughter Susanna was married in September. It was sad to hear his dear mom passed away. She cared for nine children, a saint no doubt. Jerry and wife Susanna enjoyed visiting with Carol and Bob Benkendorf and Tom “Big T” Ross and his wife Jan Ross in Prescott AZ. From what I hear Benks, let’s have a reunion at your home. Jim Pandjiris recently married Joan Synder in Naples FL. They will reside in Missouri. Jim is an adjunct professor of finance at the U of Missouri-St. Louis. John Matthews lives in Lake Bluff IL and is active in the ND Club of Lake County. He retired from the law department at Allstate Insurance after a 25-year career. Jon and his wife spend quite a bit of time in South Bend and are looking forward to our reunion. Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Eichler, who is the president-elect of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Tom is a staff physician at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute where he previously served as medical director of radiation oncology. Tom expressed that he is looking forward to working on behalf of ASTRO’s 10,000 members. Judy Phillips writes that a group of friends came together to celebrate Patrick “the Redman” Tyrrell ’73, who passed away in a car accident last year in New Mexico. Celebrating his life, in addition to his wife Maiya, were Halya Zadoretsky, Judy Belcuore Phillips, Joseph “Jerome” Phillips, Pat Cahill Brines and Michael Brines ’73, Jan Waltman Hessling, Mike Dault and Dan Ryan ’73. Colleen and Chris Paige brought memorabilia from Badin Hall and the early days of coeducation. As we recall, men who were originally in Badin Hall were moved to Lyons Hall Annex, allowing women to take over the dorm. According to Judy, the group that was moved included “Redman,” “Jerome,” Mike and Chris who used to come knocking on the dorms to meet the new coeds. And as Judy says, the friends are grateful for those memories. Lastly, Gary Potempa is serving a two-year term on the board of governors for the ND Club of Chicago. It’s great to have our class so involved, although Gary, it would have been special to have had you on the board when I served as the president of the club. Gary will do a great job. Please write, attend Reunion 2019 and bless each day with gratitude. Thank you for allowing me serve as your corresponding secretary. It’s been a pleasure and honor. — Dede Lohle Simon; 440 N. Wabash Ave., Unit 3905, Chicago IL 60611; 312-882-3731; domerdede@aol.com
74MBA More Retirees Report In
Mike Kozel reports that he retired from Ford Motor Company in 2008 after more than 33 years with the company. Mike and Kathy have two children and five grandchildren. They reside most of the year in Chapin SC but spend their winters in Orlando. Tom Crowley writes that he has retired from the banking industry after working in Rhode Island and upstate New York. Tom spends his time helping wife Carolyn on a farm where they care for UK Shetland ponies near Saratoga Springs NY. Tom also noted that they have growing grandsons living in Pennsylvania. As I write this, Helen and I are headed to the Pittsburgh football game on Oct. 13 with our daughter and son-in-law. We usually stop by the luncheon at the Mendoza School of Business before the game, hoping to see some classmates. On a sad note, Notre Dame has informed me of the passing in July of Tom Greanias of Decatur IL. Our prayers go out to Tom’s family. As a reminder, I still would like to hear from more of our 1974 MBA graduates. Those who have contacted me always mention their desire to hear more from classmates. It only takes a minute to email me. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net
74JD Retirement Beckons
Thanks to Charlie Chritton and Paul Jones for sharing news. Charlie closed his last file at age 80 at his Lakeland FL practice in August. A native of Wisconsin, Charlie practiced with a large firm in Milwaukee before heading to Lakeland, where our Marine classmate practiced with classmates Bill Corda (Air Force) and Kevin Broderick (Navy). They were assigned to the same library study group for first year. Bill and Kevin are deceased. Charlie advised that Bill was the only person to leave the floor he was on at MD Anderson. Charlie’s three children and four grandchildren reside in the Lakeland area. He and Claudia plan to travel to Europe. Paul has retired and is counsel to his firm. As a life member of the American Law Institute, he continues to work on revisions to the Restatement (Second) of Torts and the creation of a new Restatement (Third) of Torts. When he’s not golfing or enjoying his six grandchildren, who live near him in the Buffalo area, he and Cathy travel. Their stops have included Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland and the Maritimes as well as Egypt and Jordan. Octoberfest in Munich is on the horizon. The quarter’s reading is Larson v St. Francis Hotel. Take care. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com
75 Golf and Greetings
Tim Negro of Iowa City sent news about the annual Greg Hunckler Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted this year by Marian and Harry Van Bavel in London, Ontario. Joe Melehan left town with the coveted Hunckler Trophy, winning by a large margin. A week of golf and toasts to our fallen classmate, Greg, was supplemented with the play Julius Caesar and a visit to a 4,000-head goat farm. Saludos to classmates Mary Lela Porter, Frank Barret, Susan Nordstrom and Frank “Ugly Man” Pokigo. Jeanne Murphy, one of our class vice presidents, writes from New Jersey that she will meet with Pat Lally in December to discuss the fast-approaching class reunion in 2020. Jeanne is still working at Ferrero as a public affairs director, often traveling to Washington DC, Luxembourg and Italy, with the latter destinations quite fun during the wine and truffle season of October. She is working on her golf game and contemplating retirement. Chris Hartrich reports that he ran into Joe Brosnan and Bob Dressel during a recent golf game. Bob is active as the president of the LaSalle Manor Christian Brothers Retreat House in Plano IL. Joe retired in 2018 from Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn IL after a long career as a cardiovascular surgeon. Chris attended the Pitt game with John Rossi, who retired from the accounting firm Baker Tilly. Chris moved to Chicago last year and was pleasantly surprised to find Frank Keres living across the street. Frank hosts bonfires and game watches throughout the ND football season. Frank is pals with Joe MacManus, who is awaiting US Senate confirmation for an ambassadorship, which makes him “the most senior State Department member of the Class of 1975.” This past summer Chris participated in the ND Impact Partners program run through the Mendoza College of Business. The program puts ND business grads in support of Chicago-area non-profit groups. He encourages area alumni to volunteer by contacting the ND Chicago campus office. Chris also shared a story from our senior year about his inviting (Michigan grad) President Ford to become a member of the Alumni Senior Bar via a note to Father Hesburgh. Ford graciously declined via a treasured letter to Chris. Oh, those special memories. Please remember in your prayers our late classmate Army Lt. Col. Daniel Wemhoff. He was a native of Lafayette IN and served in the Army in Germany most of his adult life. He died there in March and is survived by his wife, Erika, and two children. Kevin Adams, a 1975 history major from New Jersey, who lived near Orlando FL, passed away April 28. He is survived by a brother, Charles, of Redwood City CA. Another classmate, Mary Dean of Nashville TN, passed away in July. She is survived by four children and her husband, Robert Mahoney ’74. David Graham of Crown Point IN died March 15. He is survived by his wife Dorothy and two children. Finally, Edward Ateyeh of Austin TX passed away on June 10. His wife, Elizabeth, survives along with three children. As a proud and grateful grandfather, I had the thrill of escorting two young granddaughters, Jaida and Ellie Bower, around the ND campus during the Pitt pre-game activities. They loved the Dome, the Basilica, the Grotto and Touchdown Jesus. The game, not so much. Thanks for sending so much timely news. Keep it up. — 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 Winter Notes
The Peter A.R. Lardy Scholarship has been awarded annually for over four decades, and that does not happen by accident or divine providence. The scholarship that honors our classmate, Peter Lardy, requires our continuing support. When you receive the annual solicitation from Brennan Farrell, please give generously. As well, we can honor the memory of Edward Lark by contributing to the Williams-Lark-Moleah Memorial Fellowship. Remember, you can designate the way other charitable contributions to the Law School are allocated, including the annual membership fee for the Order of St. Thomas More. In other news, Terry Shewmaker practiced law for more than 23 years in Elkhart, serving as a civil attorney as well as a deputy prosecuting attorney. Thereafter he functioned for nearly two decades as the elected judge of the Elkhart Circuit Court, retiring at the end of 2016. On the bench, Terry handled thousands of cases including tort claims, mortgage foreclosures, domestic relations, and commercial litigation, along with criminal cases. Currently, he resides in Elkhart and is certified as a senior judge and registered mediator. My wife and I caught up with Steve Botsford and his wife at a Notre Dame football game last September. Still slogging away in the business world, Steve finds time to return to the Bend for sports and other events. Meanwhile, Gene Smary is now of counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd in Grand Rapids MI where he practiced environmental and resources law for 42 years. He is finishing up his two-year term as chair of the International Bar Association’s Section on energy, environment, natural resources and infrastructure law. Andy Napolitano lost his father, a man he described as an “unsung American patriot,” last July. Andy’s loving tribute to his dad is well worth a read. In a quiet moment, search out the article on the internet titled, “Farewell to Someone I Loved with All My Heart, Who Gave Me His Values and Much More.” If you are fortunate like me, it will remind you of your own father. Does anybody remember Tony Zappia? He was part of our group for a time, taking classes with us at the Law School while dealing with a medical issue. I ran into him at a reunion. We are members of the class of 1968 at Saint Joseph High School in South Bend. I learned that Tony graduated from the Valparaiso Law School in 1976 and practices law in South Bend. As for me, there’s a new grandson (Brady Austin Flynn), occasional consulting, more writing, and a continuing disdain for cold winters and warm beer. And you? What is happening on your end? Drop me an email to bring me current in your lives. Go Irish. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com
76 Knuckleheads Golf Outing
Paul Gray wrote to tell me about a gathering of ’76 grads that has occurred annually since 1997. Gerry Sexton, Pat Keefe, David Putnam and Paul, all Alumni Hall roommates, are joined by Kevin Barry, Gregg Strollo ’79, Michael Sexton ’80 and Tommy Ebzery ’83 for the Pros from Dover fall golf outing. They play on Cape Cod or in New Jersey, but the golf is secondary. They have more than a few nips of Redbreast Irish Whiskey and tell tall ND tales, some of which might have been at least partially true at the time. The gang also tries to see George Nalley as often as possible. Terry O’Reilly was elected the chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This is the organization that bestows the EMMY Awards. Terry is president and CEO of Pittsburg Community Broadcasting. Terry has won more than two dozen Emmys, including a National Emmy Award for children’s programming. Rick (Duck) Santry gathered with his sons and roommates Steve Klug, Pete Bialek, Jim Tytko and John Albers for the Vandy game. This was also the weekend of our class minireunion. New faces attending included Jesse Verna, Ellen Syburg Bartel, Christie Gallagher Sever, Bob Quakenbush and Chuck Quackenbush. That weekend was the first ND Trail Reunion, which brought together 31 of the 32 pilgrims who last year walked the entire distance of Father Sorin’s journey. Our class was represented by Tim Huddle and Pat Sarb. On Saturday, most of the group did a five-mile walk retracing the last day of the walk. Two weeks later, Lynda and Pat Sarb returned to campus for the 45th reunion of the 1973 National Championship Team. In early October, many of these former players participated in the Boston U-Former ND Football Players Medical Research Study. The purpose of this project is to assess the long-term medical impact of playing major college football on a variety of physical and mental impairments. ND players may well be the first college-level group in the country to publicly bring this discussion into a clinical research context. Sally Naxera Benson, Dan Jarvie and Frank Fransioli, calling themselves “Irish Carpenters Local 76” spent a week helping build 23 homes for St. Joseph County Habitat for Humanity. Sally, George McLaughlin and Shelley Muller Simon attended the cheerleading reunion during Stanford weekend. David Szymanski served as a probate judge for Wayne County (Metro Detroit), chief deputy treasurer of Wayne County and finally treasurer for the City of Detroit. Ed Byrne’s son Conor Byrne ’09 moved with his family, including granddaughters Janie and Maura, to Traverse City MI. Daughter Erin is in Seattle and Kathleen is in the UK. Stew McGough is a tax lawyer in Syracuse NY. He recently traveled to Ireland with daughter Kristy. Although he hasn’t been to campus since the Glee Club 100th anniversary, he and John Nolan plan to catch a basketball game on campus this winter. Gregory Pugnetti passed away in September. Greg was an auditor with the US Government Accountability Office, working mostly at the Pentagon. Gil Johnson retired as CEO of College Savings Bank. He and wife Heather have spent the last two years in Tampalam, Mexico where they have established Beach Dog Rescue of Costa Maya Mexico. They share their house with up to 30 street dogs. Their rescue dogs eventually make their way to the US and Canada. Jeanine Sterling just took over as editor of the Senior Alumni Newsletter. Please continue to send me news and updates. Also, be sure to check our class website at 1976.undclass.org for the latest information about class activities. — Mary Anne Kennedy Reilly; 7423 18th St. NE, Saint Petersburg FL33702; 727-480-1251; mareilly@rfs-pa.com
76MBA News from Snoopy
I heard from Snoopy Smith. He always looks for our column to see the latest news. He reports his wife Alta retired from the ministry in 2005 and they have been traveling pretty much since 2010. Their latest trip was in February 2018 to New Zealand, Australia, India (Taj Mahal) and Cambodia (Angkor Wat). They racked up 30,000 air miles. At this point, they have visited 57 countries, all 50 states, nine Canadian provinces, and every Major League baseball park. They visited 45 parks including the new Atlanta Braves Park last year. They still live in Centralia WA; their two daughters and four grandchildren are nearby. Snoopy turned 80 last year and Alta will be 79 but they hope to keep traveling as long as they can. He thanked me for being a faithful scribe all these years. You can reach them at snoopyalta@comcast.net. Stop what you are doing and drop me an email or text. Blessings to you and your loved ones. — Mike Norris; 248-330-5366; 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 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Susan Allen Dalton summited Mt. Whitney (elevation 14,508 ft.), highest peak in the Lower 48, in one day in August, while Bridget O’Donnell Provenzano ran the Chicago Marathon in October. Screenwriter and Director Don Roos received a 2018 Emmy nomination as co-producer of the TV series This Is Us. Ole Miss Chancellor Jeff Vitter was featured in The Delta Business Journal in November; he’s proud of UM’s Libraries, named 2018 Federal Depository Library of the Year. Garth Brooks’ October concert at Notre Dame Stadium was attended by Carol Latronica, Alisa Fisher and Alisa’s daughter Mary Adelaide. A week later, The NDames Senior Women’s Rowing Team, whose motto is “We Were Here First” competed in Philadelphia’s Head of the Schuylkill Regatta and included Jody Gormley, Elizabeth Corbin Murphy, and Mary Spalding Burns. John Clements has received the 2018 St. Thomas Academy Hames Award, a 2006 St. Elizabeth Seton Award, a National Catholic Education Award, and has founded Southern Catholic College in Georgia and a Catholic high school in Ghana. Frank Murray retired in October after 37 years with Westinghouse as a project manager, engineering manager, supervisor and engineer, working on new nuclear power plants in the US & Asia. Frank and his wife Debbi live in Enfield CT. Maryann Hayes, Roxanne O’Brien Martino, Kathy DePauw Graham and The Hon. Sharon Sullivan celebrate their 40-year friendship when they meet at events in Chicago. In July, Marilyn and Dan Grenci visited Dave Caron and Debbie Jackson, before seeing Betty Bourque, Roger Bourque’s widow, in Calgary. Betty, Dan and Marilyn attended Dave and Debbie’s July wedding in Edmonton, Alberta, with Dave’s daughter Monique Caron McKinnon ’08, her husband, Tom, and other family and friends. Dave, Terry Sullivan, and the Grencis were in San Diego for the Navy game. Polly Mack Spangler, Betsy Lamping Sklena, Cathy Malkus Gwynne, and Walsh Hall roommates Peggy O’Rourke Roberts, Debbie Kenny Ellsworth, and Eileen O’Grady Daday were among those at the Michigan game. Newlyweds Karen Dinehart Wanders and Rich Wanders toured New England towns and Boston highlights on the way to his Hingham High School’s 45th Reunion, then flew to the West Coast for the Navy game. Maria Kimovec Grutsch, M.D., and I celebrated our 45th Reunion at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, IL, with Tricia Gutekanst Donahue, wife of John (J.D.) Donahue. Susan Leonard Benjamin and Thomas Benjamin, Sue Fitzpatrick Drago and Lou Drago, and Diane Kuknyo’s family attended the Virginia Tech game; Don Rodenkirk, John Likovich and Tom Gullickson had a photo op with the 1973 Notre Dame National Championship Football Team; Jim Gutowski, his son and Ed Sharkey had great fun at their tailgate. Gregg Bangs and Jen Ryder Raabe brought ND friends together for the Pitt game including Susan Kowal Swanfeldt and Andy Swanfeldt , Ray Fedorko Judy Shiely King, and Michael Nolan. Eileen O’Grady Daday and Steve Daday’s children, Maureen Daday ’17SMC and Paul Daday ’04, played in the Alumni Band as did Candace Carson Geurtz’ husband Peter Geurtz ’75. Louise Karas Hayden and Tom Hayden hosted a Northwestern gameday party attended by Leslie Barnes Karas, Laurie Kinney McMahon, Kathy Walker Beenen, Susan Allen Dalton, Bridget O’Donnell Provenzano, Mary O’Meara Lee and Larry Lee, Beth Lavins Fitzgerald and Terry Fitzgerald, Sharon Carr Winnike and Dan Winnike ’75, Peg Hornback Culhane and Mike Culhane, Tim Cawley, Tom Digan, Tricia Gutekanst Donahue and John Donahue, Elaine Cerny Raccuglia and Bob Raccuglia ’74, Janet Carney O’Brien, Victoria Stephan Westbrook, Daniel Bishop, and me. Elaine Cerny Raccuglia and Bob Raccuglia ’74 welcomed first grandchildren, twins Ezra and Valentine, in March. Jack Bergen welcomed Elizabeth, daughter of Kerri Bergen Byrne ’07 and Rachel Byrne ’06, ’08 in October. Sympathies go also to the families of Mark Goralski, husband of Peggy Hester Goralski, father of Joshua, Bethany, and Hannah, and Tom Chambers, husband of Meg, father to Sean, Moira, and Meaghan (Alan) Weed, and grandfather of Chelsea. Deepest condolences go to Susan Grant and Michael “Casey” Land, on the loss of their fathers, John Grant and Walter Land, both WWII vets who passed away on October 1. — 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; jbenn@maylorber.com
78 Reunion Afterglow
Greetings friends. We are still basking in the afterglow of Reunion. It was so good to see so many of you and reconnect. Summer did not end there, however. Nace Mullen hosted his annual “be-boppin and bay hoppin” event at his compound in Stone Harbor NJ. Jeff “Carp” Carpenter, Jim “Boobie” Clarke, and I took in a local crafts fair while there. Carp went gaga over the hand milled soaps, while Boobie stuck to individually stitched purses. For gifts of course. I had a cheesesteak. Rich Riley was also in attendance, as were Steve “Bones” Conover, Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Greg “Sweets” Switaj, and a couple of cameos by master distiller P.J. Stapleton. The special guest of honor was Vicki Lopez, up from Florida to take in the magic of the South Jersey Shore. There were water sports, beach visits, hot tub soaks, and plenty of banter. The weekend culminated with a dance party in Nace’s kitchen. John Delaney has a new job: special investigator for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. John brings a wealth of experience from his days as one of Philadelphia’s top assistant district attorneys to his position. Robert Stackowiak's first solo authored book, Remaining Relevant in Your Tech Career: When Change is the Only Constant, was recently published by Apress and describes how to successfully self-manage a long career in technology related fields. Greg “Otto” Principato is president and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association. They are in charge of certifying all official aviation records and have since the Wright Brothers. They also have custody of aviation’s major awards. It is a fun job, and no lobbying, says Greg, who with Ann, his wife of 36 years, lives in Alexandria VA. Lots of classmates were back for games. Laura and Pat Flynn’s tailgate party is always the hub. I saw many of you at Vanderbilt and Michigan games. John “Cuz” Coyne, Stan “The Doctor” Ziherl, Don Smail, Rich Riley, Tony “Disco” Crudele, Jim Clarke (surprise) and Jim Budde were just some of those I ran into. Mark Eck has joined Clark Hill's Pittsburgh office as senior counsel in its litigation practice group. Mark was formerly a partner at Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebendeck & Eck, PLLC. One more thing: our class scholarship fund. Prior to reunion our balance was $550. During the reunion we accumulated $29,620. The class voted for our class savings account to be switched over to the Class of 1978 scholarship fund. That was $12,000. Our total is $42,170. You might say, “Wow! In a month we raised $42,000.” At present day value it takes about $1 million to pay full tuition for one student per year. This vision may sound impossible, but I know our class collectively (about 1,900 of us left) can educate 78 students eventually. That is correct, $78 million. So that equates to about $41,000 each classmate from now until we go to that Dome in the sky, so to speak. We can do this. So far, Mark Baumgartner, Rich Riley, and Jimmy Martin have volunteered to serve on a committee to ensure this happens. To get involved, or to contribute, advise, support in any way, contact one of your class officers. Please communicate with me. Stay well and enjoy the winter. Peace. — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 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 40 Year Reunion
It was great to visit with classmates who attended our reunion Sept. 15 and witnessed a Notre Dame victory over Vanderbilt 22-17. The morning started with Mass in the Law School Chapel said by former dean, Father David Link. Then we attended a pregame tent party adjacent to the stadium. Father Dave joined us as did the Honorable Prof. Kenneth Ripple. Linda (Ross) Kottis visited from Illinois. Linda is nearing completion of 11 years as senior counsel with an emphasis in contract law at Coriant, a telecommunications products manufacturer in Naperville IL. The group remembered our deceased classmates at Mass and we were sad to learn of the passing of David Bruegel and John Cain in June. We prayed for the following deceased members: George Adelo, Steven Artusi, Margaret Michel Burtchaell, Edward Caha, Fredric Carlin, Virginia Coop-Ullman, John Cotter, Kymson Ford Des Jardins, Kenneth Freitas, Daniel Maloney, Christopher Marks, John O’Donnell, Grace Olivarez, Richard Schlosser, Barbara Roberts Taylor, and Lawrence VonderHaar. Please continue to remember them in your prayers. I will write more about our reunion in our next column. Please send me your news. — Dan LaVille; US Bankruptcy Court, One Division Ave. North, Room 200, Grand Rapids MI 49503; bus 616-732-2751; dlaville@comcast.net
79 Retirement
Mark your calendars now. Our reunion to celebrate our 40th year out of college will be May 30 to June 2. Start now to encourage your friends to attend. Glenn Gendron retired to Middlebury IN in 2015 after three years in the Army at Fort Stewart GA, South Korea, and then a career in the manufacturing industry. He and his wife enjoy their two children and like traveling in their RV to hike in the national parks. Glenn also teaches yoga. Karen (Broderick) Tourville and her husband David hosted a tailgate at the Pitt game. Their daughter Ali graduates from ND this spring. Her brother Mark ’85 and his wife Kim ’85 attended along with Donna Ziemba. Karen enjoys her two granddaughters when not selling real estate in New Jersey. Pam (Nitsos)’79SMC and Bryan Gruley live outside Chicago where Bryan is a writer for Bloomberg Businessweek. Bryan has written four novels with the fourth, Bleak Harbor, released on Dec. 1. Patty ’80 and John Smith welcomed a grandson, John. Mary Jo (Cushing) and Mike Gronli welcomed their first grandchild, Theodore, in February. Mary Jo and Mike’s daughter Kelly ’08 is his mother. Scott “Buck” Buchanan has been chairman of the board of the Resiliency Center in Newton CT for five years. He and his wife Diane formed a foundation and created the center in the aftermath of Sandy Hook to assist surviving victims address the effects of trauma. Patti and John Smith welcomed a grandson, John. Remember Caryn (Marucci )’79SMC and Dan Doherty and their family in your prayers. Their grandson Brady, 7, died in an accident last fall. Jeff “Abe” Kohler and Jim “Swiney” Swinehart host a tailgate at most home football games. Guests this past season included George Behrens, Bill Brittan, Pat “Bucks” Buckley, Frank Byrne, Gary DeVito, Bob Jank, Pete “Killer” Kowalski, Jim “J.O.” MacKrell, Dave Marchiori, Gary Metzler, John “Peaker” Peak, Joe “JoJo” Philbin, Jay Rafter, George “Georgewa” Scanlon, Tom “Beast” Staskel, Alex “Alphonse” Tomei, and Jimmy “Snake” Zavernick. So many nicknames. — 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 Class Secretary — Daniel F. McNeil;
1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209; 503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com