1940s

40 Class Secretary — Rebecca Smith;

542 Fairview Ave., Glen Ellyn IL 60137; 630-254-4485; rebecca.antas@gmail.com

 

41 Class Secretary — Meg Julian ’03, ’06JD;

11 E. 36th St., No. 603, New York NY 10016; 646-246-5480; megjulian@gmail.com

 

42 Class Secretary — Ann Schanuel;

annjolene2@aol.com

 

43 Class Secretary — A. Robert Masters ’05;

1906 E. Madison St., South Bend IN 46601; armasters@nfmlaw.com

 

44 Keep Exploring

As we continue to navigate this pandemic, I hope that you and your families are staying healthy. I was saddened to hear that Mary (Hennigan) Hickey, wife of John Hickey ’44, ’47 (d. 2013), died at the age of 98 of COVID-19 in Wellesley MA, on April 23. Their three sons graduated from ND: John Jr. ’69, Rev. Kevin ’73, and Brian ’75. The University updated records that Bob Gantner passed away in 2017, and shared the passing of Rev. Cornelius Kingston, CSC, who died in April. His obituary was so lovely, I wanted to share a portion: “The words of the poet T.S. Eliot beautifully describe Father Kingston: We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time. Father Con was uncommonly curious, never ceasing from exploration. From studying chaos theory to ever deepening his love for T.S. Eliot and mesmerized by the symphonies of Mahler and always, always attentive to the sublime beauty of the music of J.S. Bach, Father Kingston was always exploring. And all of his aesthetic exploration had the very practical counterpoint in his abiding interest in the possibilities this year for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.” Be well. — Laura (Julian) Fraser ’00; 1021 Royal Bombay Ct., Naperville IL 60563; 773-255-9843; lejfraser@outlook.com

 

45 We’ve Never Met, But You Are Family

I received a postcard from a ’45 classmate, feeling his frustration when he ran out of postcard space with still more to say. Others expressed frustration with the pandemic situation. Frustration was again expressed as one thanked God each morning for awakening, and later in the day wondered, “Why am I still here?” John A. Knorr wrote that after being discharged from the Navy in 1947, he returned to campus, finished his degree in electrical engineering, got married and found a job in a motor manufacturing plant. After two years, John decided engineering wasn’t for him, so he changed careers and went into retail. John was with W.T. Grant Co. for 25 years, moving 14 times in 17 years. Tired of moving so often, he sought a more stable job and ended up with TG&Y. He helped TG&Y expand nationally and continued to work for them for over 25 years, retiring in 1988. After a few years, John went back to TG&Y part time until retiring permanently. Because a fall damaged his legs, he is now a resident of Arbor Village retirement center in Tulsa. John wishes a “great and healthy rest of 2020” to his other active classmates. Sadly, Dr. William E. Castle III passed away on June 11 in Lockport NY at the age of 97. After Notre Dame, the Navy paid for him to attend dental school at Marquette U. There he met his future wife, Jean. Bill received his diplomas from both schools in 1946. The day after graduation, he and Jean were married. As a Lieutenant JG in the Navy, Bill served as a dentist for the Army in Guam. After being discharged in 1948, he moved back to his hometown and established his dental practice. He retired in 1989. Bill enjoyed golfing, fishing, running, bridge, painting, football and time with his family. He picked up his first pair of golf clubs at 19 and continued golfing until he was 94. He shot his age several times, a coveted feat for any golfer. At 57, he was inspired to start running and competed in many marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He achieved “life master” status in Bridge. Bill loved Notre Dame football and the Buffalo Bills. He is missed by his seven children, 24 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. Frank McFadden called two classmates, Robert (Bob) Thomas and Jim Griffin, to share that he experienced the worst year of his life. In 2017, Frank and his wife, Jane, moved back to Birmingham to a gated community close to one of their sons. When the pandemic hit, they thought they were safely situated. Sadly, Frank lost Jane due to complications from the virus. He also tested positive and was hospitalized for three weeks. He still has a residual shortness of breath but hopes it will disappear. Frank toasts “cheers” to his buddies. Bob, whom Frank contacted, commented, “I never dreamed that I would live to be 95 years old.” Bob was interviewed by the Naval Post Graduate School about his fantastic naval career. His article appeared in the Naval Submarine League Review. Jim, the other classmate Frank contacted, and his wife have been at home in Connecticut for the last nine months. When we spoke, he was leisurely sitting in the garden. His beautiful eastern location has had little rain, so the usual intense fall colors are a little dull. Somewhat like his aging Walsh Hall buddies, the colors are showing their age. Jim put it beautifully when he signed off: “Bless us… We have been.” — Melissa Erkins Rackish ’77; 1224 Campbell St., Williamsport PA 17701; 570-326-4289; mrackish@comcast.net

 

46 One More

Ross V. Ivey of Sacramento CA passed away in peace at his home Aug. 10 at the age of 94. Ross was born on Nov. 23, 1925, to Hubert L. Ivie and Leatha Fox in Marlowe OK. After graduating from Jones High School in 1943, he went into the Navy at ND. He served on the USS Renville and left the Navy as an ensign. Ross retired in 1981 from the County of Sacramento serving as head bookkeeper of the Sacramento County Jail. He then returned to his joy of farming. He was preceded in death by his wife Norma, daughter Vicky, son Douglas, brother Richard, and sister Barbara. He is survived by his sons Norman and Calvin, daughters Patricia, Susan and Leatha, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ross enjoyed farming, history, gardening, reading, politics and spending time with his family and telling his family how proud he was of them. — Paul Taggett; 10 W. Grove Ave., D15, Lake Wales FL 33853; paultaggett@gmail.com

 

47 Love Thee Notre Dame

By the time these notes reach you this winter, we will be approximately nine months into our collective national reckoning with COVID. I hope that, whatever your circumstances, you and yours are healthy and hopeful. I pray for this class often, so please know that you are appreciated and remembered, even if I do not know you personally. I am saddened to report the passing of Gordon L. Forester on Aug. 1. I also heard from Ted Weber ’74 concerning the passing of his father Theodore S. Weber on Aug. 10. Theodore was a man who loved San Francisco, his family, Notre Dame and learning for the sake of learning. A resident of the Bay Area since 1986, Theodore moved there one year after retiring from McGraw Hill Publishing where he was executive vice president of administration and staff services. Theodore joined McGraw Hill in 1949 after two years with General Electric. In October 1968, he was named director of public affairs for the corporation and became a vice president in 1970. He was named the senior vice president in 1973 and executive vice president in 1979. At his retirement, he was also a member of the board of directors of McGraw Hill. He previously served as vice president and trustee of the Leukemia Society of America. He was formerly president of the Industrial Communications Council and a member of the executive committee of the founding board of the Civilian Military Institute. In retirement, he served as a board member and president of the Angel Island Association, a volunteer agency that works with the California Department of Parks and Recreation in helping interpret Angel Island’s natural and cultural heritage to the public. He was also secretary of his graduating class at Notre Dame. During WWII, he served in the South Pacific and graduated from the Transportation Corp Officer Candidate School as a second lieutenant. He was born in Ypsilanti MI in 1924, the son of the late Theodore S. Weber Sr. and Laura Kress Weber. He married the former Dorothy Gopsill who passed in 2004. They have four sons, five grandsons and a granddaughter. A deep faith was the keystone to his approach to life, and his actions would serve as a constant reminder of God’s place in our lives every day. His commitment to freely giving back what he received and his insistence on life having meaning is his heritage to the family. His generosity was received by many: Catholic Charities, Doctors without Borders, The Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque, the Leukemia Society and many other organizations that helped the underprivileged throughout the world. His passion for books, reflected in three separate endowments for the University of Notre Dame library, and his lifelong philanthropy helping those in need ensure that his incredible spirit lives on. He will be missed by many. God bless the Class of ’47. Go Irish. — Eileen Z. Surprenant ’09, ’15; eileen.surprenant@gmail.com

 

48 Loyal Sons

I sincerely appreciate your correspondence and stories, especially from my friend John D. Cahill in Salt Lake City. John celebrated his 96th birthday on April 11. Happy birthday, John. John wrote to me in late July after receiving his ND Magazine summer issue dedicated to South Bend. Among other memories, two stories therein piqued his interest: The South Shore Line and the local Italian restaurant scene. To the former, John writes that after he graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Salina KS in the spring of ’42, he hopped on the Union Pacific RR in September to Kansas City MO where he then boarded a Santa Fe train to Chicago. “From there, ’twas a short trip on the South Shore to South Bend. I do not recall the manner of my arrival at campus, but I do remember the thrill of seeing the Golden Dome glowing in the distance.” This sight is a shared homecoming vision for many. Despite the years separating us, John, I understand this feeling viscerally. Perhaps in these times of COVID isolation, I especially miss the Dome and everything under Our Lady’s mantle. John also recalled a well-known Italian restaurant in South Bend not mentioned in the summer 2020 issue: Rosie’s Restaurant. Perhaps some readers remember it? John writes, “In those days, we freshmen had to be in our rooms by 10 p.m. If you arrived after 10 p.m., you must find the night watchman who would write down your name and then let you into your hall. These names went to the prefect of discipline, and the next day you would be summoned to his office where you would be campused for a period, usually for a month, or otherwise punished. In addition, each student had to make three Mass checks each week in addition to Sunday Mass. So, if a student had behaved and made the necessary Mass checks, he could leave the campus on one Saturday night per month but only until the 10 p.m. deadline. Thus, many students would journey to Rosie’s for Saturday night dinner. That was the usual night out and I enjoyed it many times in my freshman year.” Thank you for sharing these stories and memories, John. I am saddened to report the passings of retired Air Force Col. John V. Corbisiero on July 13 and Francis X. “Frank” Duggan on July 27. By the time these notes reach you this winter, we will be 10 months into our nation’s collective reckoning with COVID. I hope that, whatever your circumstances, you and yours are healthy and hopeful. I pray for this class often, so please know that you are appreciated and remembered, even if I do not know you personally. God bless the Class of ’48. Go Irish. — Eileen Z. Surprenant ’09, ’15; eileen.surprenant@gmail.com

 

49 Class Secretary — Joe O’Brien;

18120 Cloverleaf Drive, South Bend IN 46637; 574-271-8323; obiend49@aol.com