1960s

60 Hot-Hotter-Hottest

By the time you read this article, our September minireunion will have occurred. We have about 60 on our list as of July 20 and hope to see a hundred by Sept. 27. In addition, now is time to confirm your plans for our huge 60th reunion, June 4 to 7, 2020. The 2019 Derby winner Country House is partly owned by Guinness McFadden’s son Guinness, owner of Blackwood Stables. Congratulations to the pride of Potter Valley. Guinness Sr. says, “Guinness is my son who grew up in Potter Valley driving a tractor, pruning grapes and gathering cattle from a horse, and he is now the owner of Blackwood Stables. The 2019 Derby will no doubt help his horse boarding/training business a bit, no? Potter Valley is all a buzz about the local boy who seems to have made it big.” Other good news from Guinness: gold medal winners from McFadden Farms in the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition: Sparkling Cuvée brut; 2016 Gewurztraminer; 2017 Sauvignon Blanc and 2013 old vine Zinfandel. Silver medal winners: 2017 Chardonnay; 2017 Pinot Gris; 2017 Pinot Noir and Sparkling Cuvée Brut Rose. Guinness and his friend Judith Bailey plan to attend our 60th and they plan to bring a few McFadden wines for us to sample. Terry Sullivan will again bring a small number of custom-made ball point pens, made from a variety of woods. A donation to our scholarship fund will be requested for each pen. As of July 2019, we have about 140 people intending to attend our 60th. Many are staying at the Morris Inn although the price for the reunion has been set at the football weekend rates. We will start Thursday evening with a dinner at the newly remodeled Morris Park Country Club. Bill Killilea had lined up the fantastic music group from the 2018 minireunion. He has also lined up transportation to Morris Park for those needing it. Locations for our dinners for Friday and Saturday have not been finalized at this point. Bill Scheckler rounded up the guys from previous year’s panels and they include Warren Baker, Tom Banchoff, Tim Carroll, Tom Grojean, Tom Kamp, Terry Keating, Barry McGuire, and Jim Radde. Panel discussion will be held Saturday afternoon in Washington Hall. Plans for our Mass are not finalized as of July. Tom Biever asked, “Is there a listing for Ed Goggins in our class? He was a regular with a bunch of us in Dillon that frequented the bars around, Simers, Pearls, Tillmans and others, along with Pat Mahedy and Steve Barry. He was a Korean War vet and possibly did not graduate.” He is not on our list; do you know of him? Lary Leach says, “I work with the United Way in Dallas, as an 11-year volunteer, on the panel that approves funds for the agencies applying for funds. We visit the agencies, review the request for funds, and how the agency fits the United Way Goals. We also analyze the agency’s progress toward achieving those goals. We then allocate funds based on the United Way budget. Lots of ranking and discussion takes place. I love this part. An example of an agency is Catholic Charities, Senior Source, English as a second language (ESL). Our panel funds the agency based on the number of clients employed by their effort in Dallas County, and the retention rate of the clients, and their follow up support for the clients.” Go Irish. Please let me know if you plan to attend the reunion and have not already told me. — Joseph F. Jansen; 9190 Southmont Cove, No. 103, Ft. Myers FL 33908; cell 317-514-4478; jfjansen@aol.com

 

61 Bucket List

You all (that’s plural down here) remember our mate John Beck, a freshman in Farley Hall 1957. He has four brothers with degrees from ND before we received ours. John has a bucket list that he has done a great job in completing, though he is not finished. Working on it recently, he and his brothers attended this year’s reunion on campus. Some of them got their degrees more than 10 years before we did, and that impressed me. John set up a family Mass in the Log Chapel just for the Beck boys. They report a wonderful time was had, including a viewing of the Hesburgh documentary and the movie Catholics and Convicts. They included dinner at favorite spots you would remember. They all worked in the dining hall. I guess they learned something. All this came from his brother Bill ’54. I have been in communication with Tim Monahan. After Chuck Lennon’s funeral, he and other members of the class were discussing the class providing a suitable tombstone for his grave in the cemetery south of the campus on ND Boulevard. It would have the appropriate name, dates etc. on the front and on the back, down at the bottom, would have a simple “Class of 1961.” The money would come from a fund that Tim oversees. The fund was first created to help Bob Korek with medical expenses in his treatment of ALS. Since his death, it has provided help to a few other mates with serious problems and is now at about $16,000. The estimate on the tombstone is about $7,000 which would leave us a little over half in the fund for those in need. If you would like to comment on this proposal, Tim asks that you do so by commenting on the class website at 1961@alumni.nd.edu. It sounds good to me. Tim says he believes this is a fitting tribute to Chuck for all the good things he did for ND and all he did to make our class special. (Remember “ND’s Greatest.”) Paul Souell called me recently. He was reporting on the May 11 death of Olivero Piere. He was an ME. Paul and Tom Faye attended his funeral Mass in Wilmington DE. Ed McCarron emailed me to advise that his lovely wife Rita had passed away. Joe Libby writes that Doug Svendson’s wife has died. Stephanie Janicek let me know that her husband and our mate George Janicek died. Please pray for all deceased members of the class. That’s about it for this quarter but keep me in mind for whatever you are doing. Abbie and I are always looking to hear from you, and as ever Abbie is right by the front door with the latchstring out waiting for you to drop in while passing through South Texas. Yawl come, you hear. — Joseph “Pat” Kelly; 2103 N. Wheeler St., Victoria TX 77901; 361-573-9982; jpkellytx@sbcglobal.net

 

61JD Class Secretary — John N. Moreland;

jnmnd1958@aol.com

 

62 Golf in the Southwest

Several have participated in the annual class golf tournament in Florida organized by Jim Krauser. Now, the Desert Domers made up of Bill Snyder, Tom Eiff, Mike Murray, Dick Trujillo, John Roberg, Mike Hart, Rich Jalovec, Tom Zlaket, Vin Boyen, John Tidgewell and Mike Dunigan have gotten together to put on a similar event in March for classmates living in the Southwest, or needing an excuse to travel there. They are also considering adding a Cubs spring training game, and a climb up Camelback Mountain. If interested in helping, let me know and I will put you in touch. Jim Squyers has been invited to join the Summit County Ohio Advisory Board to its valor courts, a system created to deal with veterans’ legal issues. Jim Higgins was in Green Bay recently and sent a picture of him alongside the sculpture of Paul Hornung. Tom D’Annunzio was on campus in spring for daughter Gabrielle’s graduation. Don Yates and Bill Pietrowicz attended this year’s reunion. “We had planned on attending our 55th but due to circumstances were unable to, so this was kind of a makeup for us.” They attended a showing of the Hesburgh documentary and Mass at the Basilica on Friday night for the over-50 club and the All-Class Mass on Saturday. Charlie Lancelot, who is making a good recovery after being hit by a car while crossing a street, also attended and met up with Don. He sang with the choirs at the All-Class and Sunday morning Masses. Paul Schellhammer is recovering from surgery for a herniated disc saying he “understands more than ever the adage that an old body lacks bounce back ability.” Ron Ignelzi received his M.D from Creighton followed by a residency at Northwestern before serving in the Navy as a neurosurgeon. Ron lives in the San Diego area where he is a professor of neurosciences at UCSD. In addition, he serves as secretary of the Navy Retiree Council, is a docent with the San Diego Opera and Symphony, and is a eucharistic minister. John McNamara had the opportunity to attend the US Senior Open at the Warren course where he met up with two of his roommates, Pete Maloney and Jerry Belian, and their wives. John, who holds the position of county surveyor for St. Joseph County, added, “I had a little something to do with the course since I allowed the Juday Creek to be relocated to cause a problem for the golfers.” The Father Putz award is given by the ND Senior Alumni in recognition of one’s volunteer service that has improved the lives of others. Neil Hitz was given the award several years ago for his work with the Diocese of Detroit. This spring, the NDSA publication Golden Domer recognized Neil again in an article titled, “Organizing Your Life Can Be an Act of Love.” The article explains why you should get his booklet at mylifedirectory.com. You can read the article at ndsa.undgroup.org/s/1210/clubs-classes/2col-grid4.aspx?sid=1210&gid=561&pgid=45996&cid=88256&ecid=88256&crid=0. Joe Eschelle was recently honored by the Notre Dame Club of Pittsburgh and received their R.J. Dashbach Award for distinguished service and commitment to the Notre Dame community. Notice was received that the following members of the class have passed away: John Butler on Oct. 1, 2010, Raymond Walsh on Feb. 28, John McReynolds on April 1, Jamie Furstoss on April 10, Jim Kuras on April 18, Joseph White on April 27, Michael Gorman on May 3, Brad Terrance on May 5, David Butler on May 26 and Richard Coffin on July 8. — Raymond Raedy; 5310 Rileys Ridge Road, Hillsborough NC 27278; 919-967-8816; nd62secy@medicinemanremedies.com

 

62JD New Secretary

Paul Rooney has retired as class secretary and I am taking over as his replacement. Thanks, Paul, for your service to the class. Our classmate Kevin Lyons passed away on May 24. Kevin’s son and law partner, Richard Lyons reported that Kevin worked right up to the day before his death with a full and active portfolio. Please say a prayer for Kevin and his family. We had an informal 57-year reunion at the Morris Inn over Memorial Day weekend. We are grateful to Ted Fitzgerald for planning the event. We decided at the 55th reunion to have the informal reunions every two years due to our age. In attendance were Ted Fitzgerald, Daniel Manelli, Michael Connor and Marilyn Connor, Norman Stark and Donna Stark, Stanley Pecora, Jay Charon and Wanda Jones, James Gould and Stacy Hunter, George McAndrews and Kathy McAndrews, Tom Kelly and Marianne Kelly as well as Christine Stucko. Christine has kindly accepted the challenge of putting together our next reunion in 2021. Our thanks to Christine. I had a nice phone visit with Dennis Sullivan, and he indicated that Jim Goethals is now living in Dallas and that they get together from time to time. Please pray for our classmates who are ill, Michael Phenner and Foster Haunz. — Thomas J. Kelly; 802 Ambriance Drive, Burr Ridge IL 60527; 630-891-3182; marianne1956@sbcglobal.net

 

63 Giving and Service

In 2003, our classmates, Jeremiah P. O’Grady and James A. Nolen III, in conjunction with the Connelly Foundation, started the Newman Scholars, a program providing exceptional rising seniors at Philadelphia Archdiocese high schools funding for two weeks on campus during the summer studying any of 14 subjects, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). That first summer, three scholars attended, while 36 will be at Notre Dame this year; 200 have been through the program since inception. Overall, 47 scholars have matriculated as students of the University, 32 of whom have graduated from Notre Dame, and 15 are there now spread over four classes, all of whom have said they would have had no interest in the University but for the program. Notably, several our classmates provided seed money for and continue to support the program, along with about 25 other Philadelphia area donors. Jerry and Jim continue to work to expand the base to ensure continuity and growth of the program. Following graduation, Jerry received an MBA in 1965 from the Wharton School of the U of Pennsylvania, and began his career with Goldman Sachs, eventually moving to Jefferies Group LLC, where he established the convertible bond department before retiring. Jim spent a fifth year at Notre Dame as an architect, served two years on active duty with the Army, and went on to establish a premier real estate development company in the Philadelphia area. Jerry and Jim are still working and support many charitable endeavors. Aside from the Newman Scholars, they have personally endowed the University, Jerry through his Philadelphia STEM Scholarship (currently four students on campus, one having just graduated), and Jim by establishing in 1997 the James A. and Louise F. Nolen Chair in Architecture and the James A. and Elizabeth K. Nolen Fellowship Fund in the school of architecture, whose purpose is to fund graduate student tuitions. Jerry served on the Arts and Letters Advisory Council for 15 years and the Performing Arts Council for 15 years. Jim was a member of the Engineering Council for 20 years and the Architectural Council for more than 10 years. He chaired the group for two years. Jerry has been married to the lovely Kay for 55 years and they have three sons (Perry, Chris ’90 and Paul) and eight grandchildren, including Darby ’20 and Madeline ’22. Jim has been married to his love Louise for 54 years and they have five children, James IV, Tricia, John ’92, Paul ’03 and Christina and 14 grandchildren, including TJ Sims ’23, who will be fourth generation at Notre Dame. Finally, Jerry received the Clifford Prodell Award from the Notre Dame Club of Philadelphia on May 22. The Rev. Edward A. Malloy, CSC, said Mass and spoke to the group, as eloquent as ever. — John F. Dougherty Jr.; 915 Exeter Crest, Villanova PA 19085; 215-510-0844; johmdoc969@gmail.com

 

63JD Class Secretary — Bob Saxe;

15725 Ranchero Drive, Morgan Hill CA 95037; bsaxe5@aol.com

 

64 Reunion Leadership

Paul Basbagill, Bob Casey, Peter Murray and Dick Wolfe put on a pretty good show for our reunion. Although fewer in numbers compared to the 50th, a good time was had by all. Bob coordinated Thursday’s dinner where all provided an update of the preceding 55 years. Friday evening, Dick Wolfe, never short on words, shared sports stories and personal reflections, including perspective on his many conversations with Rev. Collins. As always, Dick’s “congregation” was in stitches. Marching band buddies Joe LaNasa, Ed Sheridan and Paul, Peter and Bob reviewed old times. Ed is a Double Domer (history and law) who practiced in Buffalo and Albany then was elected to the New York Supreme Court where he served for nine years. He subsequently retired to Vero Beach where he continues to play his bassoon and takes regular piano lessons from a former Miss Alabama. I am sure that is a treat. Joe and his wife just celebrated their 51st anniversary. He remains active, teaching at Tulane Medical School and limiting his practice to andrology. A partial list of attendees included Pat Callahan, Nick Muller, Bill Meeker, Tom Gerlacher, Frank Kenny, Tom Bard, Joe Mayer, Paul West, Mike Bradley, Bob Dragani, Frank Bujon (from Homer Glen IL) and John Kanaley. I am happy to note that Kevin Fagan pulled his magical act by appearing at both ends of the class photo as he has done for the last 55 years. In the “scary prospect” category, Larry Russo, Mike Yannuzzi, and PJ Shelley drove and flew out to the reunion and met with Bill Malley. PJ has acquired a second calling as a disc jockey and celebrator of all that is doo wop. For many years he has featured this music on weekly shows on WAPJ (wapjfm.org). Call 860-489-9033 with requests. Check him out. I understand that Wolfe called out former Iowa State Sen. Pat Deluhery as “an Iowan of note.” Pat is distinguished for many reasons, not the least of which is his continuing attendance at the Turner Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. I heard from Terry Kollman from Deerfield Beach FL who shared that he is now finally considering semi-retirement. He has closed a couple of the offices for The Charter Group which he began in LA in 1986 before moving to New York in 1996. Charter had four successful divisions including digital media, direct marketing and entertainment. He remains engaged in marketing projects for start-ups and small businesses. He and Synda have a non-profit business in St. Jude Hospital charity events. Former Navy buddy John Kolata checked in to announce a big change. He moved from Kewanee IL to Fernandina Beach, just north of Jacksonville. John had a distinguished Navy career with a couple of commanding officer billets, before returning home to Kewanee and embarking on a second career as a city manager. Though retired now, John is looking to pick up the pace. That is not surprising if you know John. He reports that he ran into a guy at church this past summer. This fellow wore a ND shirt and indicated that he had graduated in 1964. At that point, John recognized him as C. “Mike” Mayer, his freshman roommate in Farley. Mike Whitecotton of Crawfordsville IN passed away in August 2018. Joe Monahan and Marty Sullivan recalled a prank Mike and roommate Mark Oberhausen played on Jack Barry at the end of freshman year. They apparently placed a collection of “suggestive” photos inside a trunk Jack was shipping home. The collection was strategically placed to be seen by Jack’s mother when she opened the trunk. Oh, the good times we had. — Paul R. Charron; 44 Contentment Island Road, Darien CT 06820; 917-860-5385; paul.richard.charron@gmail.com

 

64JD Family, Travel, Service

As we write this in mid-July, our classmates seem to be doing well and enjoying an amiable old-fashioned (if hot) summer with their families, especially their grandchildren. Sharon and I are blessed with good health and are spending quality time with our grandchildren, both high schoolers and rising athletes in rowing and basketball, in Seattle. Our grandson just returned from England and rowing in the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames, and our granddaughter has participated with some elite players in AAU tournaments, one of which we attended in Louisville. Both kids have received admission clearances and proposed financial packages from various colleges including some of the Ivies. “Family” is the key word for Charles Sacher. For the past several years, including this summer, Charles has been recreating for the second generation of his family (and probably reliving) trips that he and Dorothy had made. He now is taking his grandchildren and their parents to experience places visited in prior years so the grandchildren can have a “see and do” travel experience like their parents experienced as children. This truly is a gift for all of them to share as they rewrite and meme family history. Larry Gallick, my old roommate, discussed summer plans that included his and Betty’s taking five grandkids to the annual Shaw Festival just across the Canadian border from the Gallicks’ summer home on Lake Ontario in western New York and a subsequent visit to the San Francisco Bay area to visit Larry and Betty’s kids and grandkids followed by a trip to Denver with more family, then home to Florida by way of Cincinnati to help celebrate and surprise Bob Cash on his 80th birthday. Russ Bley has some interesting travels planned which include Cape Cod in August and Egypt in October. Russ also will begin his 12th year of very active service in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and even more years of serving and giving in enumerable educational, mentoring and charitable activities in the St. Louis area. Jim Slater also will be using his passport in connection with an Egyptian trip following family trips to Seattle and San Francisco. Jim Mercurio reports that he, like myself, Jack Rammel and a few other classmates has a renewed interest in the fineries of baseball, a passion second only to watching the grass grow. Jack also called me while I was at Costco and talked about travel plans while I navigated the Costco “isles.” His plans were so extensive that I can’t recall much beyond a European river cruise that begins somewhere in Romania at a place I’ve never heard of and can’t spell. Bob Hanlon received very good news and a blessing in the form of a medical report clearing his daughter, a mother of four, of breast cancer. Lou Pfeiler continues to find exceptional strength in dealing with Carol’s health issues, which remain challenging. Chuck Sweeney is battling a severe progressive disease as well. He enjoys hearing about his classmates and said his family is very supportive as he copes with his health issues. Dawn and Bob Frost are ensconced in new downsized digs in Lewis Center OH. Bob also is feeling well after a siege of medical issues, most recently involving his right hand. Frank Miele continues to amaze, returning as a supernumerary to the New York Metropolitan Opera in September in Turandot, Tosca and LaBoheme, while recovering from a debilitating fall and attendant partial permanent disability to his back and legs. Kay and Tom Conneely enjoyed the summer by joining a small group that walked a portion of the “Way of St. Francis” (from Terni to Assisi) followed by a road trip to Seattle for their granddaughter’s graduation from the U of Washington. On the way, the Conneelys explored Vancouver and Victoria BC and the Olympic Peninsula. They also will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary at a cabin in the Sierras and in August head to Pennsylvania to join Tom’s grade/high school classmates celebrating their 80th birthdays. Tom and Kay would be happy to see any of our law classmates if they ever visit the Bay Area. Let’s keep each other in our prayers. Finally, as Mark Twain said, “the reason I look this way is I’ve travelled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.” — Richard Balfe Wagner; 1204 Erskine Manor Hill, South Bend IN 46614; res 574-299-9888; cell 760-567-1270; rswagnersb@gmail.com

 

65 Author and ND Contributor

In 2008, Bob Zielsdorf sold his company, The Peerless Group, a leading manufacturer of bakery machinery for the world’s industrial bakery markets. He and his wife, Fran, established a foundation to support health care and education. Several years ago, The Zielsdorf Family Endowment was created to support ND’s Center for Social Concerns Summer Service-Learning Programs, which help the University’s efforts to increase their global footprint. Their third and newest gift is the Zielsdorf Family Partnership for corporate engagement in the Keough School’s Initiative for Global Development. The focus is to promote the teaching of social entrepreneurism. In 2014 Bob published Sealed with a Kiss: an American Love Story in Letters. It is based on the 450 letters that Fran and Bob wrote to each other during high school and college. It still sells well on Amazon in paperback and e-editions. He also published Finding our Roots: The Zielsdorf Family History. In progress is a book on an unsolved murder case. They have five children and 10 grandchildren with one of them a recent ND grad. Their time is divided between Vero Beach FL and Burt Lake MI. Also wintering in Vero Beach are Claudia and Fred Dolezal. Fred continues to work in the insurance business and is very involved with the hospital in his hometown of Carroll IA. Laura and Chuck Eisenstein moved from southern California to South Bend to enjoy the proximity of the University. In 2009, Jim Lynch accepted a position to manage a venture capital fund for Michigan State U Foundation which necessitated a move from Spokane. An added incentive was that his wife, Valerie, Holy Cross School of Nursing ’65, was able to be closer to her mother. Jim regularly sees Bill Tucker, a Michigan High School Hall of Fame football coach, who lives in Flushing MI. Jim’s free time is dedicated to kayaking and fishing the rivers and lakes of lower Michigan. Jim’s ND roommate, Tom Chevraux, died in May in Canton OH after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Tom was a published poet and is survived by his wife, Becky. In May Rick Devlin died from complications of surgery in Naples FL. Rick was a memorable individual who we all knew at ND as a creative organizer of big events including the successful Key Club our senior year. Our 55th reunion is set for June 4-7, 2020. Our time is precious so please try to attend. Our class is truly special. So many of you have contributed to improve your communities, companies, military, health care, parishes and our world. Come next June and share your experiences. Thursday evening’s dinner is separate from the University’s program and will again be organized by Bob Lee, class treasurer, and Don Zone. The venue and cost will be included in future columns. Excellent entertainment will be provided. — James P. Harnisch MD; 6759 West Mercer Way, Mercer Island WA 98040; jphnd65@hotmail.com

 

65JD Class Secretary — John Donald O’Shea;

pelagius@qconline.com

 

66 Play it Again

Bill Ehrhardt wrote, following a round of golf with Tom “Trip” Blythe, Dave McSorley, and Alan Braun that Al had been awarded a doctorate of humane letters from the U of Evansville. Bolton Anthony, noted author and Chapel Hill resident, asked for help connecting Chicago way with Vince Beckman, who had been struggling with Parkinson’s. Bolton planned to visit Vince, and John Twohey came to the fore, assisting him with transportation and accommodations. Vince passed away July 24. Keep Vince and his family in your thoughts and prayers. His full life with Carmen and family included service in the Peace Corps and VISTA, as well as a law practice and serious immigrant legal advocacy. I heard from Paul Ahr, who recently earned his MA in International Affairs from Wash U in Saint Louis. Paul began studying for the degree in 1987, but suspended pursuit in 1989, before recently returning to obtain it. He ran a research center on reducing substance abuse in Palm Beach City FL and is in a psychology private practice in Missouri and Florida. I neglected to include info on the late Joe Woods in my last column. A grad of U Michigan Med, he had a stellar career in medicine and the Army, with postings in Germany and Hawaii, where he became chief of clinical pathology at Tripler Army Med Center before retiring. He is interred at the National Cemetery of the Pacific. Mike Rush finally retired after a 15-year stint teaching business at BC, following a distinguished business career. He’ll spend time with his kids and grandkids. In June he saw Roger Kirwan and Bill Loftus in Golden CO and met up with Pat Lannon in Littleton CO. Pat is retired and in fine fettle. Tim Streb ran into Bill Wentworth in Paris, where Tim has an apartment and Bill was visiting. Bill started and ran two successful employee benefit companies and is enjoying the fruits of his labor. Tim wants Charlie O’Brien to know that Dave “George” Rentschler is still skiing like a pro and biking like a maniac in Utah, while grandpa-ing it for two youngsters. Class president Cap Gagnon hit the airwaves in June, demo-ing radio nostalgia, with a local ND DJ, as part of Notre Dame Day. A lot of mates listened in and gave Cap positive feedback. Cap also saw Paul Ware, who was in South Bend visiting his son. Doug Ford’s Ford Family Program at ND continues to do great work in Africa. Dick Martiny and Fran have been traveling Europe and the US. Dick says Mike Boone of Denver is doing an excellent job as rep on the ND Senior Alumni Association. I see Luke McGuinness regularly on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer months. He’s enjoying retirement. Now to some sad news of more passings. Corey Hart died on June 9 following a courageous battle with a neurologic malady. A former US Marine and Vietnam vet, Corey enjoyed a successful career in the FBI. On hand for his funeral were Tim Streb, Howard York and Bill Hickey. I heard that Mike Mooney also passed. Jack Gerken sent word that he and Ray Neihengen broke bread in Chicago and that Ray will tailgate with Jerry Erbach at the “Bob Davie Bowl” in September. Jack also noted the passings of Gary Kohs, Gerald Lipovski, John McCann and Tom Fuller. Check out the website 1966.undclass.org. A final note: a group of former ND gridders is working with the top-tier CTE/Alzheimers experts at Boston U in an exclusive study of past ND players regarding the long-term effects of playing major college football. The project is independent of ND and funded by voluntary contributions from the players, teams 1964-80, some 500 in all. The objective is to gather and analyze data and info that will help ND and other athletic programs better understand, prevent and treat head and neurologic injuries. Learn more via the website: independentndfootballers.com. Over and out. — Tom Sullivan; 1108 Westwicke Lane, Lutherville MD 21093; cell 773-454-4343; t66sullynd@gmail.com

 

66JD Get Those Checkups

My primary news source, Bob Siebert, reports that despite ongoing lower back issues, he is again preparing for a late summer European excursion, this time a riverboat cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. I’ve also heard from Jim Cawley ’70 in response to last month’s column referring to the books Dean O’Meara required us to read before our first year of classes. His class got a similar reading list, and Jim asked if I could give him the names of the other books we had been assigned in addition to Bowen’s book of Sir Edward Coke. Those books, for those of you looking to refresh your memories or your libraries, were Handbook of Law Study by Ferdinard Stone and The Faces of Justice by Sybille Bedford. I remember them well. Having received no further news from colleagues in the past several quarters, I thought I’d share my recent and unexpected health issues. Last April I had what I presumed would be a routine colonoscopy only to learn to my complete shock and with no adverse symptoms that I had stage 3 colon cancer. The good news is that after surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN, I’ve been told that I’m cancer free but will still need at least 3-6 months of chemo to protect myself from recurrences. It is not a pleasant experience, but so far so good after three rounds of treatment. I share this with you and your spouses so that if you have been postponing your exam, don’t delay. Those of us fortunate enough to still recall those memorable days with Dean O’Meara in the mid-1960s need to stick around to remind today’s law students of those comprehensive exams we were required to take each semester. They were not as frightening as cancer but ominous just the same. Stay well, my friends. — Philip C. Ruddy; rudds241@aol.com

 

67 Books and Awards

Bob Dowdell, Dennis McCarthy, and Tom Sanna attended their 50th reunion of the first MBA class. They were hosted by the new dean of the Mendoza College of Business, Martijn Cremers. Kirk Davis writes that for the past six years he has spent his time on a labor of love, writing, editing and self-publishing a non-fiction book titled The Hero and The Beauty, a paean to his parents that focuses on their years during World War II. The book is available in paperback from Amazon. It has gotten outstanding reviews. Mike Steele writes that Alan Page will receive the Living Legend Award from the Knute Rockne Memorial Society the weekend of the USC game. The same society will award Mike the Heritage Award on the same weekend for the many books he has written about Notre Dame football. Mike will also be a member of the US Handball Association Hall of Fame in Tucson. Also, Cognella Publishing will publish Mike’s book, Reflections of Robert E. Lee in American Culture: A Meditation, in January 2020. Tom Kroblin has written to inform us that his brother Bob Kroblin passed away June 19 in Tulsa OK. Jack Mackay is trying to reach Don Connors to swap old guitar stories. Please write so we can keep classmates updated as to what we are all doing, as little as that may be these days. — Bert R. Bondi; 1891 Curtis St., Unit 1502, Denver CO 80202; bertrbondi@gmail.com

 

67JD On the Road Again

Lois Brenner writes that she has been busy traveling. First to Florence, Italy, with her son Louis, a Double Domer, then home for a few days and then visiting all 11 grandchildren before a trip to Buda and Pest for 10 days in August. She plans to meet up with the Dom Monterossos and the Kip Roes at a ND home game. Not surprisingly, Lou is always on her mind. Mary Ann and Bob Konopa are bursting with pride as their eldest grandchild, J.R., has passed the last board exam to receive his MD. Their next oldest grandchild sits for the Indiana Bar in July. John Nelson writes that although he has no grandchildren and no travel plans, his passion for volunteering keeps him on a constant treadmill. Among his jobs is the evaluation of several county judges. This, in turn, allows him to visit several historical courthouses more than 130 years old in Colorado. The Bertholds will open their annual camp for their three grandchildren. This is in addition to their four-week trip to the Columbia River Gorge to visit with their daughter and family. To cap off their family summer, they will travel to Charleston for a family reunion which will include around 60. I’m always happy to get a note from Jack Harty because of his humor, and because his notes invariably spark a response from others in our class. Jack muses that his social interaction is limited to health care providers with MD after their names. Jack offered to send copies of x-rays and CT scans, for publication, a minimum of one for each organ. I declined because I have my own pictures (in color) of my recent arthroscopic rotor cuff surgery plus bicep reattachment. I also have a copy of a full body scan (PET), for which various insurance companies contributed to pay the full $13,000 cost. I note from Facebook that Marylyn Lazarus underwent knee replacement surgery and we wish her well. I sent an email to Larry Fleming but it bounced back as undeliverable. That could be caused by Larry changing his email address, but I always worry it could be something more serious. If any of you are in contact with Larry, drop me a note. I asked that our class write and relate their latest travel and grandchild experiences and Bobby Barkley happily complied. He writes that most weeks he travels seven days a week: six days to the mailbox and on the sabbath to church. There are also the trips to the gas station and grocery store and barbershop. Apparently, some of us still need to make trips to the barbershop. For others, it would be a wasted trip down memory lane. Bobby also traveled with his two local grandchildren to Chicago to spend time with two other grandchildren living in the far north. Bobby will travel to Minnesota a little later in the year to meet Frank Cihlar for some fly fishing. Why they would want to catch flies is beyond me. — Jim Heinhold; 1200 Carmel Lane, New Bern NC 28562; res 252-638-5913; im4irish@gmail.com 

 

68 Normalcy

There’s a rhythm of normalcy in the items of this report. Yet, how abnormal is our normalcy. When the death of a classmate is part of the news, and we have an instance in this report, the normalcy is stunning. Always, the guy we knew as the fellow down the hall, the former roommate, the Peace Corps volunteer or ROTC officer who went on to become the professor, the businessman, the husband, father, grandfather and vocal Notre Dame fan, this classmate inevitably and normally also became the modest mainstay of his children’s Scout groups and sports teams, the maker of sandwiches for the parish ministry to the homeless, the neighborhood contributor, the guy whose death really is a loss. Meanwhile, the living are living it up. Bill Matturo and his wife are enjoying the proximity of grandchildren in Sarasota FL. Tom Gibbs and wife Sheila gathered Mary and class president Tom Weyer, the McKenna cousins Tom with Mary Ann and Tom with Mary Pat, Janis and Tom Durkin, Patty and Rick McPartlin, Kathy McCann, Bryan Dunigan, Mary Lou and Dennis Toolan, Jean and Roger Guerin for a Les Turner fundraiser. Leslie and Bob Denvir chaperoned. In Pittsburgh, Tom Weyer says, “Rocky Bleier is expanding his acting chops by playing a military judge in a professional Pittsburgh production of A Few Good Men this fall. He hopes for lots of rehearsal time, as he has spent 73 years prepping for his previous role.” Tom Fitzharris, apparently not one for the golf course or the laziness of the beach, spent his July and August with two more New York City shows of his artwork. Images are on the blog, ndclass1968.com. Californian Tom Loarie is in the third year of co-hosting The Mentors Radio, which airs on the Salem Network Saturdays in California. It is available 24/7 via podcast after it airs. Among the show’s inspiring guests have been Notre Dame alumni. In Florence SC, Tom Dorsel, father of five, grandfather of 12, devoted one of his Citizen Courier columns to fatherhood. Proposing that appreciation focus on the young dads still at their work, Tom closed with, “If grandparents’ day ever catches on, then maybe the veterans of past parenting will get one last hurrah, one last nod, one final pat on the back for their sometimes-forgotten years of service.” Even though his own news is sloppy seconds, a duplicate of what he supplied for his University of Chicago law classmates, Ralph Neas sent pleasing word about his health. With a lot of grit and family support, he is recovering from the recurrence of Guillen Barre Syndrome. After 180 days of hospitalization, Ralph is at home in Maryland, walking and climbing stairs, eager to resume work on his political memoir, about his work when politics included bipartisan collaboration. Jim Woods, in Milwaukee, is a daily encouragement to groups of fellow military veterans he visits. A Falls Church VA lunch visit Dennis Reeder and I had with John Schmelzer bubbled with John’s stories of classmates he knew in Howard Hall and in the summer ROTC training at Ft. Riley KS. Joe Hale, in an email found in full on the blog, praised the accomplishments of Houston lawyer-accountant-MBA Dave Zell and Chicago area marketer Tom Culcasi. “Right after graduation, Tom married Judy Donofrio ’68SMC, made his career in medical product sales, and with Judy, raised three Notre Dame graduates: Philip, Dave and Maria.” Another fine note on the blog is a reflection by Rev. John Sheehan, SJ, on the 1968 and 1969 50-year reunions he attended. Attesting to the normalcy of our classmates’ abnormal impact on those around them, Air Force Capt. Alya R. Reed ’12 sent this with the obituary of our classmate Patrick Sharp, who died May 11 in Las Vegas. “Pat was the definition of a patriot and his influence was crucial to the development of many of our greatest Air Force weapon systems. Although he did not have any blood-relatives at the time of his death, he taught, coached, and mentored an incredible number of people in the defense of our nation, many of whom considered him family. He was also distinctly proud of his alma mater (as all of us are).” Pat’s obituary appears on the blog. Please remember, too, Brian Sullivan, whose mother Lillian, known as Snooky, died in June, and Bill Weiler, the former Irish Guards captain whose wife Edith, a photographer, died in January. On the blog is an article Bill sent about Edith and her work. ndclass1968.com Please send news and photos. Let me know if you need help finding and contacting a classmate. — Tom Figel; 1054 West North Shore, Apt. 3E, Chicago IL 60626; 773-764-4898; tfigel@reputecture.com

 

68JD News Galore

In response to my “cry for help,” I received several updates from class members. Terry Kelly began his email response with, “Dennis, you deserve some help here.” Terry then reported that he feels better than he has in a couple of years, and that he is being forced to attend physical therapy. He added that Alice’s health is better than ever. Ernie Abate reports that he is still working at full throttle, and is handling commercial deals, trust and estate administration, real estate and some tax work. Ernie had knee cartilage surgery approximately two months ago but is not back to jogging (“slow pace”) 30 miles per week. Pat Pacella reported that he and Diane are doing well and that they are planning to attend the Virginia and Virginia Tech football games. Bob Sidman inquired as to whether standing upright qualifies as news. It does. Mary and Bob went on a Baltic cruise visiting Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Bob noted that it has been a pleasure to see his two grandsons turn into fine young men but expressed his concern as to the state of our nation. As to the Baltic cruise, Suzanne and I visited the same countries as Bob in June and added Prague to the list of countries visited. Prague is the most beautiful city that we have ever visited. While in Prague, one of my partners arranged for me to meet with one of Prague’s outstanding attorneys. He served on the US Olympic Committee with my partner for many years. While at his home, we observed a book that was written on his life, which included a cover photo of when he was a figure skater and a seasoned lawyer. He was the official who examined Tonya Harding’s skates to determine whether a lace had been broken. It was broken. He shared with us some of his recollections of being a young boy in occupied Prague. His mother was Jewish. His father was not Jewish. This saved her life. In Poland, we visited a holocaust site. It was very upsetting, and this occurred at the time when we were born into this world. J.C. Coyle reported that he has “turned over” the remaining sums from our Law School reunion. An acknowledgment was made by the Law School as to the receipt of the funds, but the note did not reflect the amount that was contributed. Please file any appeal directly with J.C. Jack Sandner reports that in June he received the Illinois Institute of Technology Tech X Award for Technology Innovations in the futures industry, which he engineered over the past 30 years. Jack founded Globex, the electronic Global Trading venue that executes trades from around the world 24 hours a day. The biggest news in response to my email was an email from Thomas Kapacinskas to James McGovern requesting the following: “Hope this finds you well. I need a favor from you. Please can you help me get Walmart gift card from any Walmart store around, I need to send them as birthday gift to a loved one, I can’t pick them up myself as I am on a trip. I’ll repay you when I get home.” As to this birthday gift request, I noted to Jim that this was a first and inquired how much he would lose on the deal. McGovern responded, “I was thinking a $5 gift card would be nice.” After consulting with our firm’s intellectual property group, we recommended that he not purchase the $5 gift card. The last reply was from Jim Cooling, and he provided a western picture with his child bride, Anne, also known as St. Anne. Finally, please remember in our prayers our deceased classmates including John Amerman, Emilio Belluomini, John Burgess, Albert Dudash, Richard Hirsch, Joseph Ladd, Larry Miller and Robert Wilczek. — Dennis Collins; 2203 Derby Way, St. Louis MO 63131; bus 314-516-2648; dgc@greensfelder.com

 

69 Afterglow of 50th Reunion

I am humbled to succeed Tom Ryan as the newly minted class secretary. Tom submitted his first Class Notes for the spring 1986 issue of Notre Dame Magazine. That’s 33 years and likely an ND record. We owe him a debt of gratitude for all he has done for us. Thank you, Tom. The official headcount for our wonderful 50th reunion celebration was 370 classmates and 174 guests. In the last Class Notes, Tom Ryan fittingly recognized the 68 volunteers who made the weekend a success. Comments about the weekend included, “It felt like a family reunion. It was too short. It felt like a big hug. Can’t wait for the 55th.” Space limitations prevent me from reporting more. Stories about the weekend can be read on the class blog at notredameclassof1969blog.blogspot.com. The consensus was that the weekend was a fabulous success. We still have copies of the 320-page reunion book available for sale. The cost is $28.37, including postage. Contact me if you want one. We will be producing a companion book titled Notre Dame Class of 1969: Celebrating Our 50th Reunion to be released near Thanksgiving. It will contain reunion stories and photos, transcriptions of the speeches and presentations, and bios of those who did not submit them for the first book. Please send me your bios, stories and photos about the reunion so we can include it in the publication. In other news, Bill Mitsch PhD and his wife Ruthmarie traveled to Europe for two months (February to April) during his one-year sabbatical from Florida Gulf Coast U. In February, Steve Cassetta and Mike Collins, senior-year roommates who had not visited in 50 years, met in San Diego for a libation. That same month my wife and I had dinner with Jack Girardi in LA. In March, Bob Burke, Dave Eickholt and Dave Heskin skied with friends at Beaver Creek CO. Brian Conroy, Joe Mansur and Tom Vos gathered on St. Patrick’s Day in Tampa. Bill Costantini and Bob Osar led the ND Club of Naples St. Paddy’s Day parade. On March 28, Dan Saracino, ND’s assistant provost for enrollment 1997–2010, appeared on a panel before the House Committee on Education and Labor about the recent college admissions scandal. On a trip to Cincinnati, Mike Brennan met Steve Hext for a cup of coffee. Mike also had a visit from his junior- and senior-year roommate Bob McGrath. In April, Tom Shannon appeared at the monthly Milwaukee ’69er Breakfast Club in a green tee that read “I paid $546,357 in Notre Dame tuition and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” On the back were the names of his five children: Tim ’95; Meghan ’97; Brian ’99; Kevin ’00, and Cailin ’08. In May, Larry Pezanko, Greg Ryder, Chip Stumpf, and spouses went on a cruise that included Portugal, Spain, and Gibraltar. Ann and Pat Christiansen renewed their 50th anniversary wedding vows at the Log Chapel on May 30. John Wehrheim celebrated his father’s 97th birthday in May and in June launched his new photography website wehrheimphotography.com/art-shop. There you can order prints from his award-winning books Taylor Camp and Bhutan. Diane and Steve Kavalauskas celebrated their 50th anniversary in June near Barcelona, Spain, with their two children and five grandchildren. In late June and early July Tim Fisher, Dana Miles, Jerry Zutell, and spouses celebrated Mary and George Clark’s 50th anniversary in Spain; their family joined them later. Clint Sullivan has produced two ND-related numbered and matted prints for sale with some proceeds to benefit the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund. Email him at clint@2canMarketing.com for more information. Eric Ward celebrated his mother Lois’100th birthday in early July. Mary and Mike Ryan spent two months in Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. He and their daughter Caitlin ’13 saw the US women play Chile in Paris. The Extra Miler Club recognized Fritz Keppler for visiting every county in the contiguous 48 states. Re class deaths: Mike Milligan’s wife Nancy passed away in July. We also lost John Burke and Dennis Heck in May. Other recently reported deaths were: (1995) Michael Lubozynski; (2014) Richard Johnson; (2016) Raymond Passarelli; (2017) James Vogt; (2018) Gary Hellrung, Peter Kessenich and James Sinclair. We offer our sincerest condolences to their families and friends. Rev. Patrick Gaffney, CSC, will be leading a 12-day ND Baltic cruise June 15-26, 2020. Call 888-664-0130 for more information. That’s all for this quarter. — John Hickey; 262-385-1961; jphjr47@hotmail.com

 

69MBA Past and Future Reunions

As most of you know, the MBA Class of ’69 held its 50th reunion in early June, and it was a spectacular success. The Denny/Jerry team did a fabulous job of organizing a very fun, engaging and enlightening three days, including Mass at the Log Chapel, dinners in the Oak Room of the South Dining Hall and a meeting with Dean Cremers in the Mendoza School of Business. The dean awarded us our 50-year diplomas and discussed his vision for the MBA program. We had a fabulous hospitality room for each of the nights, a guided tour of the departments of the business schools, and other activities too numerous to fit into this article. The turnout was fabulous. You can see a picture of the group on Facebook. Also, a special shout out goes to Tim Ponisciak of the Mendoza staff for all the help he provided us in making this weekend so special. We will hold our annual reunion at the Virginia game on the weekend of Sept. 27-29. The game is Sept. 28, and it is a day game. Ken Samara has arranged dinner at Sunny Italy Café. These are fun events, so try your best to make it. Denny will send details soon. As a special treat, some of the wives of our departed brethren attended, and that was special. We would like to get more of their email addresses so we can include them in our communications, so please forward. — Bob Dowdell; bobdowdell55@gmail.com

 

69JD 50 Years

It is hard to believe that we graduated from the Law School 50 years ago. By now you should have the information on our “Game of Domes” reunion on Sept. 20-21. Contact me if you have not. At last count, 26 of our classmates will be at the reunion. Unfortunately, George Rice, Bryan Hughes and Joe Kennedy cannot attend for medical reasons. Joe was diagnosed with COPD seven years ago, successfully had a tumor removed from his right lung, and now has small cell cancer in his left lung. They caught it early and Joe went through radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Tom Rawers is still practicing in Centerville OH. Tom has other commitments and cannot attend the reunion. Dave Larimer will also miss the reunion. He is officiating at a family wedding. Al Bannon is still married to Cathy, who was the law librarian during our tenure. He is retired from active practice but still serves as an arbitration judge and mediator. His son, Sean, is a lawyer and he and Cathy have a daughter, Jenny. They also have a golden retriever, Piper, who keeps them busy. Pat Berg splits his time between Portland OR and Hawaii. He retired in 2011 after eight years of business litigation and 25 years as an estate planner. He received a master’s in theology in 2002, was a deacon in training 2002 to 2006 and a pastoral associate from 2007 to 2009. Pat was an adjunct faculty member at the U of Portland and mock trial coach. Pat has six children and 10 grandchildren. Many thanks to John McLeod for sending me a copy of his autobiography, A Lawyer or a Priest. — Jim Starshak; 889 Kaohe Place, Honolulu HI 96825; 808-778-4033; starman@hawaii.rr.com