1980s
1980s
80 Things We Do
We pause from our normal programming to bring you an update on some of the things we have organized by and for our class. Message me for more information and to get involved. Our reunion is a highlight. Beth Larocca and a band of helpers will again host our reunion next year, virus willing. Save the dates: June 3-6, 2021. If you need spiritual assistance, please reach out to our Angels, Maritza Poza-Grise and Rob Peters and their volunteers. They are at 80angelsoncall@gmail.com. The Angels organize our monthly virtual prayer network on the first Sunday of each month. Nothing I can say can convey my gratitude for the Angels. They are a gift to all of us and offer a gracious hand and hug to the class in times of sorrow and need. We remember losses in our class family: classmates, spouses, parents and children. Let us know of this sad news and we will have Fr. Joe Uhen say Mass and Rosemary Mills Russell will send a note on behalf of the class. Rosemary volunteered to serve in this capacity years ago and we are beyond grateful for her caring. We also have a program of reunion assistance. Friends can contribute to our class account and we can help those who might otherwise struggle to attend our reunions. Finally, we ask for a modest regular gift to replenish our class account. Donations can be made at giveto.nd.edu/1980. We are ever thankful to our president, Mary Ryan Amato, for her leadership and beautiful emails, and to new VPs Frances and Jim Lukeman and treasurer Dom Yocius. Of course, your humble secretary, Mary Ellen Woods, compiles this column quarterly. Send news. Finally, you can find the link to our class Facebook page at the end of this column. Pat Breen, still working at Marathon Oil in Houston TX, recently published an original album of songs titled “Blue Eyes Are Green” under his old Grace Hall nickname “Boomer.” Pat is in frequent touch with his old Grace Hall roommates Rev. Tom Streit CSC, Ed Richert and Patrick Boggs, who are doing well. Gus Widmayer has written a new book that explores how families on both sides of the tracks deal with struggle. Herbert Searbant in the Chapman Trials can be found at bn.com. Chris Lyons happily announces that his daughter Mary Kate ’11 was married in September. Although it was a smaller live crowd, they were happy to have some 1980 classmates watch the nuptial Mass live streamed from West Chester PA. Cindy Cronin Cahill reports that she hosted a socially distanced Lyons Hall mini retreat at her family home in Cascade CO. Cindy says it was great to spend time with Beth Larocca, Molly McLaughlin Rhine, Kathy McCann Carey, Ann McRedmond Waddy, Mary Blackowicz Lewis, Cindy Casper Durley and Maritza Poza-Grise. They enjoyed the beautiful outdoors and each other’s company. Our hearts go out to Kate McGuire, Steve Krickl and Ed Zier who lost their fathers; Mary Clare (Heraty) Birmingham who lost her mother; John Callaway who lost his wife; and the family of Stephen Heidel. — Mary Ellen Woods; mew.1980@alumni.nd.edu; facebook.com/groups/notredame80
80MBA 41 is the New 40
This year’s pandemic was the reason for the cancellation of our 40th reunion but the good news is that many classmates have already said they will attend next fall so stay tuned for more details. Joe Bowers writes that he is enjoying his role as grandfather to four and because school is online this year, he was able to attend kindergarten with grandson Jaxson. He adds that it has been 40 years since he attended school. But, Joe, you are never too old for a refresher course on the basics. Paul Katilas is enjoying the fall weather in Bethany Beach DE to escape the Florida sun and take advantage of working remotely. He is acquiring two new Boston terriers to replace Irish and Gipper, his faithful companions for 15 years. Paul is considering a whole host of similar Irish themed names but was vetoed in using the names Blue and Gold. As the saying goes, the third time’s the charm or, in this case, a granddaughter to go along with two grandsons for Pat Ward. Pat and his wife are thrilled to have a girl in the family. Vic Yaendel reports from Englewood FL that he recently took a flight to Chicago to visit his son and says his flying experience was seamless, so he is up for a fall reunion. Donna Zanghi says that she keeps in touch with Terri (Irwin) Griffin and Bruce Brand regularly and she has been keeping busy as a freelance accounting professional. Her parents recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Doug Cooper and wife, Judy, are enjoying the work-at-home gig in Lakeland FL and are staying busy refurbishing their mid-century house. He did not specify which century. My wife, Azian, and I recently celebrated our anniversary on a long weekend trip to Portsmouth NH and Ogunquit ME. The weather and trip were terrific. I was honored this year with induction into the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Athletic Hall of Fame for my track and field career at Syracuse U. I have slowed down a lot now, though. Thanks to all who wrote with updates and positive reunion excitement for next year. Go Irish. — Joe Kearney; 203-364-0346; jos.w.kearney@gmail.com
80JD COVID Craziness
There is lots to report and then, not much to report. You understand. Are you cleaning, cooking, eating, over-eating? COVID craziness has taken over our lives. Write and tell us your ideas on how to survive these interesting times and what you did for the holidays. Here is some classmate news via email. Steve Barclay in Phoenix says, “Everything is going well for my wife (Rebeca) and me. We have much to be thankful for. We’ll celebrate our eighth anniversary next month. We survived another hot summer in the COVID-19 hot spot of Phoenix, where the virus stats are finally improving, thank God. I’m still practicing full time as a lawyer-lobbyist (solo), and I’m as busy as ever these days, especially for all my healthcare clients. I am proud to represent our healthcare heroes. I had a Zoom call this week with our classmate Steve Kruis. Steve and his wife, Kitty, are doing great, enjoying life in beautiful San Diego. Steve has his own mediation practice, Kruis Mediation, but says he’s keeping safe by limiting it to virtual mediation sessions these days.” Jim Martin sends the following update. “I retired as CEO of Kroenke Sports Dec. 31, 2019. So, I guess I am semi-retired. I keep busy on a few local boards and community work. Our eldest daughter gave us our third grandchild a couple months ago, a beautiful little girl.” Jamee Decio is writing 10 hours a day and playing tennis when she is not writing. Her wonderful dad, Art, who was a Notre Dame trustee emeritus, passed away in November. Wendell Walsh retired from May Lorber in South Bend in mid-September and will remain active on boards and charity work and with grandchildren. Henry Gron went out for a walk the other day and ran into Connie Carey, also out for a walk. It is a smaller and smaller world. Mollie Murphy, Rich Myers (Ave Maria Law School) and Judy McMorrow (Boston College Law) are busy teaching in their law schools. They are revered by their students. Katie Kearney is working on a project to get mental health help to first responders via an app on their iPhones. Some of us are crossing the line onto Medicare and trying to figure out which supplemental parts to purchase. Don’t you wish the brochures were in bigger print? On a sad note, our wonderful classmate Dean Richardson went to his reward. He was a great person, easygoing and kind to all. Rest in peace, Dean. Please send your news. We are in this together. Love to all. — Sheila O’Brien; sobrien368@aol.com
81 40 Years?
That’s right, it’s been almost 40 years since we played our last Bookstore Basketball games, celebrated our last An Tostal, and served the South Bend community as volunteers one last time. Forty years since we laid on the floor in the dark and listened to Tom Waits. Oh wait, was that just me? Forty years since we filed into the ACC for commencement. Forty years since we were all together. Plans are in the works for our 40th reunion June 3-6. In-person or virtual? We will see. Please watch your email, snail mail and other ND correspondence for news and details. Mary Barbara Hefferman Miller took early retirement from Eli Lilly in 2017, just in time to be a stay-at-home mom for about six weeks before her youngest of three kids left for college. After enjoying the summer off, she updated her “raise the kids” home and moved into her “empty-nesters” home. She and her family moved close to a large park and have upped their hiking miles. Mary Barbara joined the Indianapolis hiking club and serves as club president this year. Join her for a hike if you are in town. You may know our very own Pat Hackett ran for office this fall for the 2nd Congressional District in Northern Indiana. Pat has spent four decades serving in northern Indiana as a teacher, attorney and civic leader. She is a current adjunct professor in the Notre Dame Law School, former adjunct faculty at Saint Mary’s College, and former teacher at Marian High School in Mishawaka IN. Her depth of understanding and experience regarding ethics and justice is grounded in her work in the fields of theology, government and law. Pat makes her home with her spouse, Rita, in South Bend. Please join the Class of ’81 Facebook page where about 400 classmates reminisce, entertain, pray and opine. Please email updates before our January 20 deadline. You are loved members of the Class of ’81 and we want to know how you are doing. Thanks to everyone who has already shared updates and those of you who are now inspired. — Mary Murphy; marymurphy81@alumni.nd.edu
81MBA Miss Him Forever
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Edward Joseph Fleming IV (“EJ”) who died unexpectedly on August 31 at his home in Somers CT. His wife, Barb, wanted to share his obituary and these words with his MBA classmates and friends: “The only thing I can think of to say is he loved ND and I will forever miss him.” EJ was born October 10, 1954, in South Bend to Edward and Mary (Premo). He had a love of the outdoors, an insatiable curiosity about the world, a knack for connecting with everyone, and a wanderlust that never left him, telling his father at age eight that he was ready to leave home. In high school, he was an ace tennis player, a record-setting ice cream cone salesman at Friendly’s, an accomplished hitchhiker (making it to California and back twice) and a highly recruited football player. He enrolled at Fairfield U. His joy was on the ice as a college hockey player and coming home to see his girlfriend, Barbara, a shy girl from Somers whom he met as he stepped off the bus back from California. She remembers with a smile the overalls he wore and not being impressed. They were married on June 3, 1978. The University of Notre Dame was a place whose significance for him is beyond description. The unofficial mayor of South Bend, he seemed to know everyone. He was the friend who asked how you were and really listened. He cared, insisted on being present with you, and would do anything for you. Among his favorite things at ND were breakfast on Saturday mornings at the Morris Inn, lighting a candle at the Grotto, pregame tailgates and his famous chili. Some of his best stories were in South Bend: the house he shared with Mom, the heat of the Indiana summers, the winters teaching local kids to skate, closing the library every weeknight, weekends behind the bar at Gipper’s. After graduation he and Barb settled in Barrington IL. For the next 30 years, they put their heart and soul into raising their daughter, Abby, and sons Teddy and Colin. He was their coach (“So some other lunatic wasn’t.”), teacher, mentor, biggest fan and bus driver. After 20 years building a successful career in finance, he realized he needed to commit to his calling. He was well-read, and a natural storyteller, so he spent the rest of his life writing about Hollywood, New England history and as a voice for those who were not heard. All told, he would publish eight books, with the manuscript for the ninth sitting on his desk now. In 2013 he, Barb and Abby relocated to Connecticut, closer to the waters that meant so much to him: Giant’s Neck, Point O’Woods and Round Hill. He was happiest sitting on the patio overlooking the valley’s trees and telling stories of those he loved including Barb, his kids, his grandkids and his friends. In lieu of flowers, make a donation to the local pet shelter, adopt a cat, call an old friend for no reason other than to ask how they’re doing and really listen to them, try that new recipe, ignore some good advice, adopt another cat, learn something new about where you live, tell a good story or a bad joke, be a little more outspoken, take that golf trip you’ve been meaning to take, drive up the coast with the windows down. Life is still good, he’d say. He leaves it to us. — Steve Simmerman; 3126 E. Desert Broom Way, Phoenix AZ 85048; bus 602-524-7662; srsimmerman@gmail.com
81JD Spirited Discussion
Prompted by a request for like-minded NDLS grads to join in support of Judge Amy Barrett’s ’97JD nomination to SCOTUS, I forwarded a proposed letter to the Law School Class of 1981. The proposed letter generated a lot of spirited discussion about various topics, including Judge Barrett’s nomination and the upcoming 40th anniversary of our graduation, among the following members of the Class of 1981: Lori Masters, Steve Cordill, Bob Allen, Jay Rains, Regina Fink, John Fitzpatrick, Dave Weitman, Bob Cimala, Ted Forrence, Brian McDonough, Jim Blasé, Ellen McLaughlin, Jack Sawyer, TJ Hostomsky, Mike Collins, Dorianna Fontanella, Tim Kapshandy, Doug Van Essen, Judy Ostrander, Russ Hazen, Jim Carlsen, Mark Williams, Ed Wallison, Heidi Masano, John Hurley, Sandra Molley DaDalt, Dan Smith, Greg Sergesketter, Mike Jaicomo, Brian Belt, Lorne Liechty and Claire Corson Skinner. The repartee was animated; it reminded me of some of our discussions in the law school lounge. There was even the mention of the “Rice/Rhodes” contingent. Contact Jim Blasé if you are interested in the 40th anniversary get-together. As a result of the email interchange mentioned above, Bob Allen and Steve Cordill arranged to meet when they will be in Palm Beach in mid-October. Sandra Molley DaDalt provided an update on her doings after being missing for a few years. Sandy reports that she lost her position with Sun Life (an annuity insurer) in 2012, as part of a delayed response to the economic crisis of 2008-10. In May 2012, she took a job with Symetra, a small life insurance company in Bellevue WA, however, that was unfulfilling, so she left that job in 2017. In late 2017, Sandy joined TIAA as a compliance officer. TIAA is a not-for-profit company that provides retirement benefits for teachers, health care workers, and not-for-profit entities such as museums. She is happy that she is doing helpful work again. Mike Jaicomo reports his son, Patrick ’08,’11 U of Chicago Law will be arguing his first case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 9, in Brownback v. King. This is a procedural argument relating to a qualified immunity case he brought from Grand Rapids MI when he joined the Institute for Justice in Arlington. Mike hopes that the arguments will be in person so that he and his wife can attend. John Fitzpatrick informs that his sons have added two more grandsons to the Fitzpatrick roster, making it a total of six grandsons from four sons. Fitz’s second son, Ryan, who was born at Notre Dame during our last year of law school, tied the knot this fall. Had to “elope” because COVID restrictions and massive fires in Portland. He tried for almost three months to have family members come to the wedding, but the fires ended any hope. Lori Masters has updated her treatise on insurance and international arbitration, Liability Insurance in International Arbitration: The Bermuda Form. Written with two English barristers, the third edition will be published in London in early 2021. The second edition, published in 2011, won the 2012 Book Prize by the British Insurance Law Association. I hope all are well. Go Irish. — Michael Palumbo; 3799 East Peachtree Drive, Chandler AZ 85249; res 480-284-4004; bus 602-262-5931; mpalumbo@jsslaw.com
82 Recovering
Kevin McNamara is an attorney in Avon NJ. He is a four-mile runner but contracted COVID in April. He went in for what he thought were a few treatments at a hospital, but he spent 90 days on a ventilator and 174 days in the hospital, after which he was finally reunited with his fiancée, Alyssa Applebaum, and his children. He spent six weeks at Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange NJ learning to walk again and is looking forward to continuing his recovery at home surrounded by his loved ones. Kevin and Alyssa planned to marry in August, but we expect they will have an awesome wedding soon. His therapists are sure that Kevin will make a full recovery. Kevin, please know we are thinking of you. Sue Hill Yokum had her youngest son, Logan, graduate in May, virtually. Sue’s four kids attended ND: Karen, Logan, Brian and Ellen. Congratulations on being tuition-free parents. Bill Sotis died on August 27 from cancer. He was surrounded by his family: wife, Lisa, and children Maia and Andrew. Our classmate, Kevin Mullane has asked us to keep Bill and his family in our prayers. If you would like to honor Bill’s passion, please consider donating to tri4schools.org. Please mention the following: In honor of Bill Sotis and the Notre Dame Club of Madison WI. Condolences can be sent to Lisa Sotis, 314 Hartwick Drive, Fitchburg WI 53711. I hope this column finds you and your loved ones healthy. Do not forget to send us updates. Inquiring minds want to know. — Dave and Tess Lewis; 30 Battle Ridge Road, Morris Plains NJ 07950; cell 973-219-4050; tess@lewislegal.com; dave@lewislegal.com
82MBA Class Secretary — Renée (Amirkanian) Sutherland;
cell 630-846-2707; reneemsr@aol.com
82JD End of an Era
Patty O’Hara ’74JD retired from the Law School last July. Patty began teaching at the Law School during our first year in the fall of 1979. During her 40-year career, Patty served in many key roles at ND. She was the University’s vice president of student affairs from 1990-99 and dean of the Law School from 1999-2009. During her tenure as dean, the $57.6 million construction of Eck Hall of Law and renovation of Biolchini Hall were conceived, designed and funded. After Patty’s deanship ended in 2009, she returned to teaching full time in the Law School. As the saying goes, her blood is in the bricks at Notre Dame. Thanks to the coronavirus, for the first fall in 42 years, none of us likely will attend a football game at ND. It is a strange feeling indeed to not be in the stadium for a game. Tim Nickels became a grandfather in July. Tim’s daughter, Maggie ’12, gave birth to a son whom Tim will enjoy spoiling. Tim Abeska, Tim Nickels and John Smith taught a virtual Trial Ad class at the Law School in October. Please send me news items. — Frank Julian; ndlaw82@gmail.com
83 Remembrances and Congratulations
I hope the Class of ’83 members are doing well, keeping socially distanced as needed, staying safe and have adjusted to our new normal. Please keep the following classmates and their families in your thoughts and prayers due to their loss of loved ones. Moya Nicodem Belcaster’s father, Richard Nicodem ’51, recently passed away. Christopher Temple Davis’s stepmother, Nancy Hall Davis, passed away in September and Sandy Pancoe’s cousin, Bill, recently passed away. Our condolences go out to all and I hope that your loved ones’ memories will remain a comfort to you. John Goebelbecker participated in a fund-raising bike trip from Chicago to Kenosha WI for the Hank Schueler 41 & 9 Foundation that raises funds to support pediatric leukemia research. John rode in memory of his daughter’s classmate who passed away from the disease as a freshman in high school. Congratulations to Mike O’Brien who signed a deal with Paraclete Press to publish his new book, Monastery Mornings. Mike was raised by a single mother in Ogden UT and he began writing down his memories of a colorful community of monks and the Huntsville UT Trappist monastery that became a second home to his family. Mike’s intent was to memorialize the monks after their monastery closed, but the book also documents his own spiritual formation and conveys the story of how a childhood spent among the Trappist monks revealed the path he took to grow into a man of faith, hope and love. Congratulations are due to Bill Mateja who, along with several others at his law firm, Sheppard Mullin, were selected to be honored with Lawyer of the Year recognition. Bill expressed his thanks to his firm and the lawyers with whom he works to lead him to being recognized with the designation. Congratulations are also extended to Russ Wyborski on beginning a new role as an executive-in-residence at LifeX Labs in Pittsburgh. Russ will be responsible for building and developing their biopharma pipeline. This role will be performed from Cleveland as a consultant and he expects it to take up about 20 percent of his time. Russ notes that he needs to squeeze in more golf outings while he still has time. Continuing a theme, congratulations to Maureen Burns Zappala on advancing to the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking. Additionally, congratulations to Michele Dietz Chynoweth on winning the 2020 Silver Medal for her novel, The Jealous Son, in the Christian fiction category of the Readers Favorite International Book Awards. Last, but not least, Greg Hartmann is senior counsel with Ross Law Group in New York City. Greg and Karim’s twin daughters, Anna and Rachel, started their freshman year at Notre Dame this fall. We now have over 500 class members who have joined our class Facebook page. It is the quickest and easiest way to stay up to date on our classmates. As a member of the Facebook page, you’ll also get an advanced look at this column. The class Facebook page is restricted to members of the Class of ’83. To join, search for “Notre Dame Class of 1983” on Facebook and click “join.” As always, if you have news you’d like to share with the class, send me a note or email and I’ll be happy to include it in the next column. — Louis J. “Chip” Denkovic; 520 West 43 St., No. 32G, New York NY 10036; res 917-399-8784; bus 212 537-1781; ldenkovic@gmail.com
83MBA Class Secretary — John Hilbrich;
630-677-2725; john.hilbrich@gmail.com
83JD News from New Correspondent
It was wonderful to hear from some new and some trusted correspondents recently. Perhaps the pandemic is inspiring us to reconnect. Andy Rogness reports that Andrea Andrews Larkin is a judge in East Lansing MI, the home of Bill Vertes’ beloved MSU Spartans. Andy has a general civil practice in Sturgis MI. Tim Healy emailed to report that he has been a solo practitioner in the aptly named Law Office of Timothy J. Healy in Richmond VA for 30 years. He is a sole practitioner in every sense of the word with no staff, just him. His work focuses almost exclusively on representing injured workers in worker’s compensation claims. Tim’s son, Sean, recently moved to Tacoma WA. During the trip there with him, Tim connected with Dan Absher. They played a round of golf together and Dan and Daria (Nacheff )Absher hosted Tim and his son for dinner at their home on Mercer Island. Tim reports that Dan was also a big help in locating an apartment for Sean. Tim’s story about the cross-country trip was much more delightful than I reported, but I am limited in space. Exemplary correspondent and 10K runner par excellence Eric Diamond sent an article from The Indiana Lawyer titled “Tightrope act: Judges balance social issues, impartiality.” It prominently features our own Marianne Lafferty Vorhees who said, “As a judge you have to be more careful with the organizations that you get involved in,” noting she has focused on organizations that do not give the appearance of specific issue advocacy like the local community foundation and the YMCA. Thanks, Eric, for sharing the article. Ken Poirier emailed with a couple of updates. He reported that in January Ruthanne Okun retired from her position as director of the Michigan Bureau of Employment Relations. The bureau resolves labor disputes involving public and private sector employers and employees in Michigan. Ruthanne has served as its director since 1998. Ken is an administrative law judge with the State of Michigan, holding unemployment benefits hearings, now completely from his home. He graduated last year with a master of arts in philosophy from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell CT. It was great to hear from some new folks. Please send me an email with an update on you or a classmate for this column. — Ann E. Merchlewitz; cell 507-450-6609; bus 507-457-1587; amerchle@smumn.edu
84 Lots of News
Lisa Fabien is changing homeless women’s lives as the executive director of the St. Joseph Mission in Fort Wayne IN. The group recently opened a beautiful shelter where the women will be given educational and life skills training in a supportive and caring environment. Mike Dandurand ran for city council in Kauai HI. Alison (Kamschulte) Levey is branching out. After 11 years advising in the Mendoza College of Business, primarily on discernment, she is now a published author. Her book, Ready Regan?, is a children’s chapter book for ages 6-9 that explains the growth mindset through an engaging toolkit. She also planned to launch a podcast in November called Open Book Test in which she will interview former students about decisions made on their journey and reflections on how things have worked out. She hopes to reach teens considering pursuing a business degree or those choosing a major or a career path. Jorge Valencia joined Flagstar Bank and is providing home financing in all 50 states plus the Virgin Islands. One of his daughters got married in March and the other is deciding on college options. Jorge signed on as a poll watcher in Atlanta GA this election cycle. Glenn Kane retired from teaching in Swampscott after 23 years. He has 30 years total as a teacher. He and his wife moved back to western New York where he continues to work in film, theatre and celebrity security/assistance. Caroline (Biagi) and Joe Chan are almost empty nesters as their youngest graduated from Ohio State. Caroline is working for the State of Kentucky and teaches part time at the U of Louisville. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of grandchild No. 5. Beth (Hards) and Mark Stechshulte are enjoying their semi-retirement. Mark has mastered the art of pie baking, particularly the apple streusel cream pie, found in the 1984 Lyons Hall cookbook. Beth is teaching at Ohio State’s medical school and spreading facts to friends about Dublin OH’s cement corn exhibit. They also compete daily with Brian Callaghan on the New York Times crossword puzzles. They usually win, much to Brian’s frustration. Tom Riley left his position as the Mississippi Assistant Secretary of State and is the director of business services for the Tennessee Secretary of State. He and his wife live in Mount Juliet TN and their youngest is a junior at Saint Mary’s. Please keep the families of Dennis McClure of Fort Wayne IN and Patrick Wagner of Eugene OR in your prayers. These classmates passed away recently. — Martha Avery; mayoravery@comcast.net
84JD Peaceful Passing
With profound sadness, I report that our classmate Mike Kelley died in early October. I asked Jim Molloy, Mike’s dear friend, to share a reflection. Jim writes, “On October 11, 2020, the world lost a bright shining light with the peaceful passing of Michael K. Kelley, surrounded by his wife, Laurie Cuffe ’83, ’84MBA, and four children. Mike was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in late 2018. He battled it for the next two years with characteristic determination and never once complained. Mike was a great husband, father, son and brother, and he became a wonderful grandfather when his daughter Erin gave birth to twins and later a third granddaughter. Mike was also a tremendous lawyer, achieving several large verdicts and settlements in his career. He never sought acclaim or credit for those accomplishments. He did so much for so many people throughout his life and career, many of whom we will never know about. Mike lived life to the fullest and brought joy and laughter to many people. His legacy lives on through Laurie and their wonderful family.” I was happy to receive an update from Shaw Friedman, who practices law in LaPorte IN. Shaw says, “I enjoy reading your columns and thought I would provide an update on what’s new in my neck of the woods. I have been in practice 36 years in my own firm Friedman & Associates PC with a focus on governmental and employment law. My spouse, Greta ’84JD Valparaiso, is an Indiana trial court judge here in LaPorte county and teaches an Intensive Trial Advocacy course as an adjunct in Notre Dame Law School’s Trial Advocacy program. I am pleased to report having been recently elected by the members of our state Democratic Central Committee as the new northern Indiana committeeman on the Democratic National Committee. I would love to hear from our classmates who are involved in party politics around the country, Republicans or Democrats.” I, too, would be pleased to receive an update from any classmates. Birthday wishes to Dean Emeritus Rev. David Link ’58, ’61JD, who celebrated his 84th birthday. — Matthew J. Dunn; 19834 Timbered Estates Lane, Carlinville IL 62626; 773-294-6851; mdunn19834@gmail.com
85 Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
Remember that song by Aretha Franklin? It was released on July 9, 1985, right after we graduated from Notre Dame. Well, now we are all Zoomin’. For example, the Fall 1983 London crew had a Zoom hangout in May. Thirty-five of the original 60 Londoners participated. Mike Olsen came up with the idea and Vivian (McGuire) Harris organized it. Vivian and Brian DeToy co-hosted, and all the Zoom participants took a few minutes to provide an update. They Zoomed for more than two hours. The London crew is planning to return to London in the summer of 2023 for a 40th reunion trip. They had a reunion in 2017 and explored the Scottish Highlands. Brian is president and historian of Essential History Expeditions. He reports that 98 percent of his scheduled clients postponed their 2020 trips. Brian writes that he and his wife, Sheryl, have used the time “to work on the house, yard and travel (around) Colorado and the U.S.” Robert Marovich has zoomed to the top of his field. Bob was nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Album Notes for his work on The Gospel According to Malaco (Malaco Music Group). Bob writes, “although I didn’t win, my wife and I enjoyed participating in the Grammy Awards weekend activities.” Bob is founder and editor-in-chief of Journal of Gospel Music which is published in Chicago. Congratulations to Bob. Please send some news soon. — Kathleen Doyle Yaninek; yanzlaw@comcast.net
85MBA Class Secretary — Dom Yocius;
dyocius@ameritech.net
85JD Memories of a Classmate
This has been a year filled with sadness for so many of us, and I am sorry to share more bad news. Our classmate Peter Livingston passed away in June. Peter left behind his wife, Connie, and four children. In addition to being a corporate partner in the Honigman Business Law Firm, Peter was active in his community of Kalamazoo and did a significant amount of volunteer work. Peter’s obituary describes a rich life: “Peter will be fondly remembered for his exceptional integrity, wisdom, generosity, unmatched work ethic and sharp sense of humor. Throughout his career Peter earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues and clients, but his most cherished roles were that of loving husband and devoted father.” Please keep Peter’s family in your prayers. There is good news, too. Rick Gibson checked in from Wood River IL, across the river from St. Louis. He reports that he is 98 percent retired from practicing law, though he runs a family real estate business. Rick has been a solo practitioner for the last 25 years doing litigation and elder law. Rick’s last litigation matter was a contract arbitration, with Kim Kirn as the arbitrator. Fortunately, Rick and Kim remembered what we learned in Professor Murphy’s contracts class. As Rick says: “No one reading this will be surprised but Kim really is a good arbitrator.” Rick’s wife, Missy, recently retired from teaching, in time to miss out on distance learning. The Gibsons have two sons who run their real estate business, which includes 10 mobile home parks, a self-storage facility, and another 70 or so single family or duplex rentals. Both sons are married to great young women and the Gibsons have two grandsons. Terri Davis McCormick and her husband Jack ’84JD continue to practice law together at McCormick & McCormick in Orleans, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Their daughter, Kaitlin McCormick-Huhn, received a full merit scholarship to Boyd School of Law at the U of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she had been completing her post doc in discrimination law following her dual PhD from Penn State in psychology (social) and women’s studies. Their son-in-law, John McCormick-Huhn, is editor in chief of the Nevada Law Review and, following his clerkship next year, has accepted a position at Lewis Roca in Las Vegas. While visiting Las Vegas, Teri and Jack caught up with Mary Beth Beazley ’83JD, who some may remember as the T.A. to Terry Phelps in legal writing. Mary Beth now teaches legal writing at Boyd. The world is full of good news. Please send some of yours. — Kelly Kiernan Largey; kellyjd1985@alumni.nd.edu
86 Cacao Away
Our 35th reunion is fast approaching. Let’s make this our best yet by having as many of you attend as possible. Emails and updates will keep coming so please make sure the University has your email address. In our last issue, I mentioned that Tom White was getting ready to launch Endow Cacao. He officially launched October 1, and one of our classmates sent me his own post about Endow, “A friend of mine from Notre Dame has started a great new company named Endow Cacao. I was lucky enough to get some samples before it opened and they are great and good for you. Pure cacao nibs are used as topping for ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal and a ton of great recipes, everything from brownies, cookies, peanut energy bites, and smoothies to chicken and pork tenderloin dishes. All are really good. It comes in pure cacao and cinnamon cacao flavors. (I like them both but I like the cinnamon a little better). It is a fair-trade company, so it is helping Latin American farmers make a living wage. Check out their website at endowcacao.com” You can read about it and order from there.” I reached out to Tom just before submitting this column to get the scoop. Tom said his basement smells like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and the neighbors are knocking on the door asking for samples. The launch is going well. Tom said to tell the class he’s giving ’86ers a 20-percent discount as he launches. During check out, just put ND86 in the discount code box. If anyone else has a story to share about a new business launch or endeavor, please let us know. Julie Junkins Long is living in Northern California and working as an orthopedic spine surgeon. She is a two-time Becker Spine Female Surgeon Leader, former Eastern Maine Medical Center Chief of Medical Staff and orthopedic department chair. She and her husband, Rich Long, a urologist, have been married 25 years and have three wonderful children. Jean is a senior in high school and their last chance for another Domer. Celine is a junior at U of Colorado Boulder on the women’s hockey team and prior national champion when playing on the San Jose Sharks Junior Girls Team. Christina is in her last year at Royal Veterinary College in London after graduating from UC Davis. Julie said it was a blessing to have them all home again for five months during the COVID lockdown. This past August, Susan Ballard was named to the newly created role of executive vice president for retail, sales and marketing at Lake Shore Bancorp, where she will be focused on growing the bank’s 11-branch retail division. She joined Lake Shore from Hunt Real Estate ERA where she was responsible for managing branch operations, hiring, training and running market share development. She had served on Lake Shore’s Board of Directors since 2012 and stepped down upon accepting her new role. I am sad to report the passing of two of our classmates. Bruce Courey left us on June 19. Please keep his wife, Peggy, and children, Christine and Ryan, in your prayers. We also lost Scott Zwingli in the summer. Please keep his family in your prayers. Two candles were lit at the Grotto on behalf of our class for Bruce and Scott, and their families. Take care and God bless. — John Spatz; 201-264-2459; john@jjscb.com
86MBA Blast from the Past
JR Reid’s first grandchild, Welles Mory Reid, was born in Chicago on July 29, 2020. How many of us are grandparents? It is nice to see the start of a generation of future Domers. News has been scarce over the past few months. While contemplating what to write, I looked down at my desk and saw my old HP12c calculator. My mom bought it for me in 1984 before I went off to start classes at ND, including Dr. Chang’s math refresher. I think it cost about $150. I still use it most every day and I’ve only changed the batteries four times. I checked it out on-line and found that it was first introduced in 1981, and is still marketed today, 40 years later. The price has dropped to about $50, but how many other consumer electronics are still considered relevant today? Anyone else still using their 12c? I’d love to hear from you, as would your classmates. You don’t need exciting news to share, just let me know where you are and what you’re doing these days. Drop me a text or email today. Stay healthy. — Maureen (Mullan) Decker; 21855 Town Gate, Macomb MI 48044; bus 586-741-4305; cell 586-817-1317; maureen.decker@mclaren.org
86JD Sporting Chance
I had football Friday “check-ins” with Mike Walker, Tom Burger, Paul Kenny and Mike Mulhern. We traded ND memories and predicted the outcome of the next day’s games. Mike retired from DuPont Chemical, Tom practices patent law in Cincinnati, Paul practices oil and gas and general business in Ft. Collins CO and Mike retired from Winston in Chicago and, among other pursuits, he creates furniture out of used sports equipment and donates the proceeds to charity. See @thepostgameprojectllc on Instagram. Bert Sugayan recorded an ace on the 172-yard 6th hole at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert. He used a five-iron. Maryellen (O’Neil) Baker practices family law in Elkhart IN. She has two daughters; one is married and in Nashville, the other is a field geologist in Elko NV. Herb Tanner checked in from Michigan where he used his pandemic “vacation” to go in for some spine surgery. The early days of his recovery were rough and included some painkiller hallucinations. (They are funny stories; ask him directly). As I write this, Herb assures me he is back on track and expecting a complete recovery. Don Passenger had the last in-person jury trial in Michigan before the shutdown and recently completed his first Zoom trial. Tom Lange, retired January 1 after 25 years as an investment banker at Baird in Tampa. He recently joined the Board of Trustees of Holy Cross College across from ND. Tom and Tami ’81 are now up to four grandchildren. Kim Reid, soon to retire after 31 years with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission as senior litigation counsel, sent a nice email expressing feelings which I suspect are common to many, and she gave me permission to share it: “Dear Brian, I have been thinking a lot about life and years past. I recalled last month my first ND football game on September 17, 1983. I went with a group that included Philomena and Charles Ashdown, among others. I am grateful for those memories and for the rose-colored glasses through which I happily remember my time in South Bend and the many people who crossed my path there. A year ago, I found out I had breast cancer. I wish that was a rarity, but alas these days it is not. Today I am gratefully cancer free and my life of continuing doctor visits is one I am grateful for, because I have a team of wonderful physicians who have cared for me, and because I have the benefit of a good health care plan. The surgeries and struggle are behind me, I hope for good. I have had a very good life, marked by the same joys and sorrows most of us humans share. I have this past year experienced and been the beneficiary of love and support physical, emotional and spiritual of my siblings and extended family, my parish family and friends. I am also truly grateful for the love and support of Philomena and her family. Those Saturday morning phone calls, visits, and the beautiful garden Mary that sits next to the single rose bush in my backyard, mean more to me than I really know how to say. Thirty-seven years ago at ND Stadium, I would never have imagined it. Come to think of it, I would not have imagined it four years ago, touring that same stadium with Philomena and Jeff Thompson. I also know that because of you and Philomena I received a lovely call of support from my fellow Missourian Mike Maguire. What a joy that was. I am looking forward to retirement in the next few months and figuring out what’s next.” Finally, my wife, Sherry, and I are back from our recent “get-out-of-town” road trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone, which is beautiful in the fall. That makes six National Park visits for me in the last 10 months. Send news or just random thoughts. — Brian Bates; bbates@abblaw.com
87 Class Secretary — Meg Hamilton;
meghamilton@yahoo.com
87MBA More in the Family
Hello, everyone. The updates are few and far between. Please send me all updates. I hope everyone is well and staying healthy. In the last column, I reported on some of our classmates’ children attending Notre Dame and joining the Notre Dame family. I have received an additional update from Barry Ballow (bballow@coca-cola.com). Barry’s son Jackson is attending Notre Dame and studying computer science. Barry and his wife, Amy, have two other children; their eldest son, Patrick, lives and works in China and their daughter, Mary Katherine, is a third-year law student at DePaul U. Barry spent most of his career at Coca-Cola and is serving as the VP, chief of audit. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend any football games in 2020, but I hope for 2021. As always, when we are fortunate enough to have football games, you know you are invited to our tailgate party. Look for the Canadian flag, east of Legends in the Stadium Parking Lot. Keep the information flowing. We look forward to hearing from you. Stay positive and healthy. Go Irish. — Perry N. Dellelce; Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, Suite 800, Wildeboer Dellelce Place, 365 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5H 2V1; 416-361-5899; fax 416-361-1790; perry@wildlaw.ca
87JD A Series of Firsts
Pat Corbett proudly announces the birth of his first grandchild, Elsbeth Rene Buchholz, born to his first child, Taylor Rene, and son-in-law, Brent. Lauri (Giunti) McKeon has also joined the grandparent ranks with the birth of Claire Elizabeth to Lauri’s daughter Annie McKeon Pomranke ’12, ’15JD and her husband, Andrew ’15JD. Lauri and her husband, Dave, also have two sons at the Law School. Nate is a 2L and Pete is a 3L. Their youngest, Posey, is an undergrad junior. Kristin Tomonto Jaros has four children, ages 26, 24 and twins 23. Kristin celebrated the first marriage in her family when her eldest daughter was married in October at the chapel at Regis U. Kristin has been married for 30 years and works for JPMorgan Chase in branch administration. Dan LeRoy found some time to spend on the golf course this summer and had his first hole-in-one in May. Dan’s daughter works for the Texas Rangers and his son is a senior at Abilene Christian U. Mary (Ambrose) Gerak ziplined for the first time in Colorado, and then took her first Zorb ride (I had to Google it) at a corn maze in Illinois. Bruce Ortega was happy to find out that an old dog can, in fact, learn new tricks when he successfully navigated his first remote virtual oral argument before the Ninth Circuit. Carl Livingston checked in from Seattle where he was part of an award-winning documentary, On the Brink, about the loss of the Black community in central Seattle. Congratulations to Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Amy (Ronayne) Krause for her appointment by the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court as co-chair of the Michigan Task Force on Open Courts, Media and Privacy. Ed Kelly is still an appellate immigration judge with the U.S. Department of Justice. Since 2018, he has been an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Law School teaching refugee law and policy. Chuck Shreffler’s wife, Beth, will be taking early retirement from the U of Minnesota so that she can be her 89-year-old mother’s care provider. Jay Brinker is lamenting the fact that his Cincinnati Reds have not won a playoff series since 1995. I will refrain from pointing out that the Washington Nationals won four playoff series just last year on their way to becoming the 2019 World Series champions. Please send me news to share in this column or in our class email loop. — Mike Gurdak; 202-879-3939; mpgurdak@jonesday.com
88 Trade-ins
Sean Pieri reported that he traded in his alpine skis for water skis. In October, he began a new job as vice president of development at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi TX. With son Kyle having graduated from ND last spring, Sean and his wife, Karen, heeded the call of a warm climate and headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Now living the dream, Robert Gleichauf has traded the day-to-day working routine for retirement. Reaping the benefits of investing well and paying off his debts, he is thrilled to be enjoying life on his own terms. As president and CEO of Wernle Youth and Family Treatment Center, Darrell “Flash” Gordon traded the already hefty challenges of running a residential care facility for the ten-fold challenges of doing so in the COVID-19 era. From meeting almost daily with the Department of Health, CDC, the Department of Child Services, etc. to pooling efforts to secure the needed PPE to transitioning to a virtual platform for kids’ visits with families and caseworkers, and so much more, Darrell and his team figured out how to continue to be the light for abused, neglected and abandoned youth. In fact, they managed to keep all staff in action at work without furloughs, and even hired more team members. Steve Clark has traded the in-depth human interactions he experienced as the managing partner of his law firm for a position on the bench as a federal district judge in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The U.S. Senate confirmed him to his district judge position in the summer of 2019, and he is grateful for the opportunity. In January 2020, Daniel Fritz and his wife, Katie (Sullivan) ’87SMC, traded a standard vacation for an incredible week in Dilley TX volunteering at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility for immigrant women and children who had been detained at the border. “These women are some of the most courageous people I have ever met, and their stories of survival are agonizing and inspiring,” he observed, further noting that they were moved by the dedication of the staff at the Dilley Pro Bono Project. Daniel and Katie live in Sioux Falls, where he practices law with the firm Ballard Spahr, and she works for the Catholic Community Foundation of Eastern South Dakota. They have the pleasure of being close to their only grandchild, Bennett, because daughter Madeline resides nearby with her husband. Their other three children live in New York City, Minneapolis and Portland OR. Last December, Mark McCormick traded one endeavor for another, selling his publishing company, Gulfstream Media Group, and launching a new marketing automation software product, Mirabel’s Marketing Manager, through his other company, Mirabel Technologies. David and Kary (O’Connell) Duncan have traded a faster pace for a quieter existence. Back at the start of the pandemic, David related that Kary continued to practice dermatology, seeing emergency cases in person and all others via telemedicine. As for their wine brands, Silver Oak, Twomey and Ovid, all have continued to hold their own. They are happy to ship wine to classmates in search of a “good bottle,” and David offered that “shipping is on us.” The Duncans have three children. Connor is at Cal studying math and physics; Maeve is a sophomore at ND; Jack is a high school senior who’s navigating the turbulence of the college selection process with no visits, standardized testing challenges and everything else that comes with applying to college right now. — Laurine Megna; PO Box 6847, Avon CO 81620; 970-390-9742; magnet@vail.net
88MBA Class Secretary — Ron Linczer;
1251 N. Eddy St., Suite 300, South Bend, IN 46617; mobile 574-302-2832; bus 574-631-3591; rlinczer@nd.edu
88JD Joy of Life
Hello, classmates. Looks like it has been a rather slow few months. It was great to hear from Charlie P. Rice, who has been married for 31 years to Rachel, and they have three children. His youngest, Charlie E., is in the third year of law school at Indiana U. Charlie P. will deny saying this, but he is looking forward to having all three kids out of the house and employed. No grandkids yet. (He said he just wishes one of the kids would go on a date.) For the past 20 years, Charlie P. has been practicing law with Professor Murphy’s son, Pat. Charlie P. enjoys it and is looking forward to doing it for a few more years. It was also great to hear from Paul Ritter. It is nice to know that every time Paul reads about one of us in the ND Magazine, he says a prayer for us. Some of us can use all the prayers we can get. Paul married his sweetheart, Sandy, right out of law school. In August, their son gave them their first grandchild, Jocelyn Barbara Ritter. It was a crazy time to do so, but she has quickly become the joy of their life. Paul planned to retire at the end of November ending a 32-year legal career, the past 17 at CTI as their CLO. Prior to that, Paul was the same at Kendle International for seven years. He also spent five years as corporate counsel and director of risk management for Revco Drug Stores (Hook-Superx), and a couple years at Frost & Jacobs (now Frost, Brown Todd). Paul said it has been a rewarding career and he has been blessed, particularly at CTI, where he loves the work and the people he works with. Paul is not committing to anything in the future other than giving back in some way, and hopefully multiple ways. Congratulations. Just FYI, and not to toot my own horn, but Paul said that I was one of his favorite co-workers of all time at the Shady Rest, 1987-88, home of the roadkill soup. I am going to put that on my resume. Please keep sending updates. — Lori Merlo Coticchia; lcoticchia@ruffingmontessori.org
89 Dynamic Domers
There is nothing like a challenge to prompt results. When asked to dig up stories and updates, a good number of our classmates delivered. I heard from Kathleen (Birmingham) and Ron Burkhart who live in Raleigh NC with their three kids. Kathleen stays in touch with coach Nate Norman ’07 of ND women’s soccer as Kathleen was on the first team in 1989. That original gang held a 30-year celebration in 2019. In attendance were Susan Haling, Molly Lennon and Michelle Richards among others. Ron keeps in touch with Karl Kleiderer who shared that a group including Matt Pfohl, Pete Pfohl, John Rauh, Kevin Doyle, Tom Keating, Kevin Burke, Luke Sheridan, Dan Masciopinto, Steve Antinelli, Ron Burkhart and Cheever Griffin were able to do a permissioned, three-loop VIP flyover of the Golden Dome earlier this year. Kathleen (Maglicic) Gund says she was lucky to have emotional support this summer from a great group of Class of ’89 B-P women. They have most of the country covered geographically with Tina Chou in San Francisco; Bridget O’Brien Swartz in Phoenix; Mary Berger Dilenschneider in Denver; Gretchen Reis Funk in Nashville; Chrissy Rivaldo Kohrt in Greensboro; Midwesterners Theresa Henley Doerfler, Lisa Marz Mojica and Margaret Kemper Schrimpf; and Ros Winner Sterling in New York City. Kathleen (Maglicic) and Rich Gund are in St. Louis. Through group texts and Zoom calls, Kathleen says the B-Pers have shared personal stories about jobs, shutdowns, racial unrest, back-to-school plans and election season. Kathleen’s shoutout is heartfelt as she feels like she gets more from the relationships than she could possibly give. Still musing about our 30th reunion, there are great memories despite the discomfort of sleeping on plastic mattresses in unairconditioned dorm rooms with a community bathroom down the hall. The B-Pers wish to thank Mike Napier and the party planning committee plus Rich Gund for providing them $2 in seed funding. Sending appreciation to the “Catholics in Bad Standing” for their continued belief that 1980s music will never get old. Joe Lapeyre somehow losing his mattress brought much levity. Rick Carton was greatly missed by those who knew him. Kate Cronin, Amy Harron, Tom Tisa and Kevin McDowell look the same as they did back in 1989. It was great reliving memories with Tim Brennan. Carolyn Burke arrived late and miraculously scored a parking spot behind Lewis, as no one was paying attention that far into the event. She and Fran (Sweeney) Wiechart reconnected long after starting at the old KPMG after graduation. Fran and husband, John Wiechart, live in Evanston. I heard from Chuck Killian who keeps in touch with fellow ’88 National Championship guys and pals including Rachael and Kurt Zackrison, Kristine and Tom Gorman, Laura and Joe Kelty, Erin (Daly) and Kurt Krestinski and Kate Tammaro. This in from Monica Rodriguez who has been an editor for 15 years, but only in 2020 did she accomplish a goal of over five years: publishing her first novel, the technothriller Bulletproof. She is working on a second book. And finally, from the Lewis girls, Michelle “LaLa” (LaRose) Grice lives in the London area. She runs a business with her husband, Neil, and is always interested in Notre Dame visitors. Through social media, the Lewis hallmates plan regular step challenges and walk/runs with friends in the UK and USA. A final shout-out to Tim Lake who says hello from the Jersey Shore. I knew there were stories out there. Keep them coming, please We will get through this thing with friendship, communication and safe/smart camaraderie. God bless. Go Irish. — Kerrie (Wagner) Debbs; kwagsnd89@gmail.com
89MBA Class Secretary — Maggie DeVoe;
612-845-9662; maggiedevoe@yahoo.com
89JD Good News from 2020
It was great to hear from (and about) our classmates during this strange year. Lisa Thibault Schenck continues in her various positions at George Washington Law School, where she is associate dean for academic affairs, director of the National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law LLM Program, director of the National Security & Cybersecurity Law LLM Program, and professional lecturer in law. Lisa also published a new edition of a law casebook, Modern Military Justice: Cases & Materials (third edition) (West Academic 2019). To add to her impressive resume, Lisa was invested and sworn into the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review. Justice Clarence Thomas spoke at the investiture. Paul Carvelli is a partner at MARC Law, a firm he co-founded in 1996. Sam Santo joined the firm as a partner about five years ago. Paul reports that he continues to see Nancy and Brian O’Donnell, who live in the same town as the Carvellis in New Jersey. Brian is the co-managing partner of Riker Danzig. Paul’s daughter, Jessica, is a junior at ND. On the family front, Neil Maune reports that he is engaged to Diana Johnson. Neil lost his beautiful wife, Summer, in January 2018 after a long battle with colon cancer. Neil and Diana hope to be married in a small, family ceremony before the end of this crazy year. We wish Neil and Diana much happiness for many years to come. Finally, Perry Napolitano is a father, again. Anthony Cassius Napolitano is his 10th child. Perry is a partner and member of the executive committee at Reed Smith in Pittsburgh, where he has worked since graduation. Please send news. Your classmates want to hear about you. — Jenny O’Leary Smith; jennyoleary@comcast.net