1970s

70 Green Space Dedicated

Because of COVID we could not come to campus, but on Nov. 6 we dedicated Reunion, our memorial green space along the St. Joseph River. Speakers included the mayor, director and staff of South Bend Parks, a council member, ND Alumni Association Executive Director Dolly Duffy ’84 and me. WNDU-TV16 and Paul Gill’s blog (ND1970.blogspot.com) featured the ceremony. Kevin Rooney and Pat Murphy attended. Thanks to recent donors, Bob Tissier, Peter Neeson and Owen Devlin, we have reached 90 percent of our goal. Contributions of $70 (our class year) or more are welcome. The balance will be used for maintenance and educational programs coordinated with South Bend schools. Gladys and Ken Johanning requested the grandchildren award, with 15, aged 19 months to 26 years. They moved in 2019 to Westerville OH, where he is a deacon, and bought a motorhome. Then Earl Hartman staked his claim, with 17 grandchildren born to six children including Kevin ’92, Ken ’94, Kassandra ’98 and Kirt ’01. Earl retired from engineering in 2007 and, until COVID, he made pretzels and hot dogs at Disney World in the winter and coached high school baseball in Mt. Pleasant MI for 35 seasons. He and Sharon “exiled” to Higgins Lake MI and Davenport FL. However, I think Cathy and Denis Nolan win the prize, with 12 children and 32 grandchildren. Denis still marvels at receiving ND’s Donald K. Fisher Scholarship. Kevin Smith retired after 35 years as Assistant Cook County Public Defender, with 25 years involving capital litigations until the death penalty in Illinois ended. Tim Weber MD, Kansas, managed a family practice clinic in Shelton WA until retirement in 2018. Dick Reynolds reported the death of Tim Sweeney Dec. 8 in Madison WI, surrounded by family. An all-city three-sport star there, he walked on as QB for Ara until injury shifted him to baseball. He and Ann met in high school, married in 1969, and taught on the Rosebud Reservation. After law school at U of South Dakota ’75, he practiced in Madison. He served on volunteer boards, coached, refereed and co-sponsored horses in major 2020 races: Major Fed at the Kentucky Derby and Sconsin at the Breeder’s Cup. Ann, three children and seven grandchildren survive. As Tim wrote in 1969, “Let’s love, laugh, luck till we are green in the soul together.” Michael Craig of Holland MI died Aug. 20. John Genetti of St. Louis died Oct. 6. Kathy Alholm ’72SMC, widow of Tony Alholm, died in December. A realtor after Tony died in 1999, she is survived by three sons and five grandchildren. Molly (Davis) Hahn ’96, daughter of John “Red Dog” Davis, died Nov. 5. Owen Devlin married fellow Rotarian Sandra Moudy after a six-year courtship. From Blackriver MI, she works in computer science in Dallas. He chaired the District 5810 Foundation and often sees Larry Moser of the Preston Center Club. Patty and Uel Pitts join them at ND club events. Dick Roddewig is managing director of JLL Valuation and Advisory Services which merged in 2017 with his former company Clarion Associates, for which he served as president and directed a national real estate appraisal and consulting practice. He consulted on the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Hurricane Katrina’s effects on 150,000 properties in New Orleans. Author of 14 books and 65 professional articles, he holds a JD and MS from U of Chicago and has won numerous awards. Patti and Dick Roderick established a scholarship trust for ND students from Maine, their home state. He retired as senior VP and CFO of Dead River Paddock Distribution, an energy and real estate company and sent Kristina ’95, Jon ’97 and Carolyn ’01 to ND. Former undersecretary of Homeland Security, Air Force Brig. Gen. Francis Taylor, was interviewed for the ND Veteran’s Day program. — Don Graham; 1901 S. Glenwood; Springfield IL 62704; 217-652-1560; fever1@me.com

 

70MBA Good News to Share

2020 was perhaps the most unusual year since our graduation from the University of Notre Dame Graduate Business School 50 years ago. Our personal lives may have had a more dramatic year, but the collective impact of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the country followed with the elections and the challenges to the electoral counts, everything influenced all of us. The balance of power in the Senate was decided by two run-off elections for Georgia senators that set records for money raised and spent. The threat (or reality) of COVID-19 dramatically altered everyone’s daily life for the last year and now we are scratching to find vaccinations in communities across the country. And if that was not enough, on Jan. 6, several thousand citizens stormed our Capitol Building in Washington and overran the police deployed to protect the building and our senators and representatives. Hopefully, this article will mark the turning point and we can focus on the good things that are happening for our families and communities. First, on Jan. 20, the United States inaugurated the second Catholic president, Joseph R. Biden. Jim Slowinski wanted to share his good news at the beginning of 2020 that he and his wife, “Dr. Betty,” are in good health. All of their eight grandchildren are enrolled in colleges or military; one is deployed on a submarine. Jim continues to write about his Navy experiences in Vietnam. We hope to see a book sometime soon. I have included my new email address below and cell phone number. To reach us, please feel free to text, email or call. — John Carroll; 4315 Alta Drive, Apt. 1301, Suwanee GA 30024; cell 404-281-6524; johnrcarroll@outlook.com 

 

70JD Hoping Things Get Better

History was made in late fall when Amy Coney Barrett ’97JD, former ND Law School professor, was sworn in as the first associate justice of the US Supreme Court from Notre Dame. The occasion reminded me of significant “firsts” achieved by our classmate Grace Oliverez who was the first female and the first Hispanic student to graduate from Notre Dame Law School. Upon leaving ND, she worked for the Office of Economic Opportunity in Phoenix and then the U of New Mexico. In 1977, Grace was appointed director of the Community Services Administration by President Carter. After the 1980 election, she associated with Channel 41 in Albuquerque, one of the nation’s earliest Spanish language television stations. Sadly, Grace died in 1987 at the age of 59. She paved the way at ND Law School for others to follow. Condolences to the Class of 2024 and to the families of first-year undergrad students Valeria Espinel and Olivia Lara Rojas who passed away as the result of an off-campus accident on Oct. 24. Such tragedy brought back memories of our first autumn at ND when our friend and classmate Kevin Murphy lost his life after being involved in a car accident off campus. Kevin came from a large Irish family on Long Island and was a graduate of St. Bonaventure U. I trust you will keep Grace, Valeria, Olivia and Kevin in your prayers. Rich Blumberg notes he is eager to begin traveling after the COVID pandemic subsides. Rich has visited more than 100 countries since our law school days. Congratulations go out to Jim Kirker whose children’s book, The Sword of Toulan, was released for publication just before Christmas. Richard Bovey began his law school studies with us in 1967. His time at ND was interrupted by the military and Rich returned to graduate in ’71. He recently wrote about being one of the “London Luckies” and his recollection of being met at Heathrow Airport in 1968 by Prof. Conrad Kellenberg holding a sign, “Welcome ND Law Students.” Rich loved his time in London, and it was there he met his wife Michelle. At Christmas, I heard from Cecie and Bob Urland. Having left the snows of upstate New York many years ago for the sunshine and warmth of Georgia, they are both doing well. I spoke with Dick Jordan recently. Having retired from an exceptional commercial litigation career in Philadelphia, Dick lives in north central Pennsylvania. He spoke proudly of his children and five grandchildren and sends his best to all. As I write this column in early January, Tom Sopko, Joe Leahy and I plan to confer shortly about our postponed 50-year class reunion. Although there is a surge in COVID-19 cases now, the vaccines have started to roll out across the country, and hopefully things will get better in 2021. Just a day or so before submission of this column, I emailed all of you for your comments about getting together in the fall. Joe, Tom and I will consider every response. If your email address has changed, or will in the future, please provide me with the new address to assure that reunion information reaches you. That is all for now. As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time, stay well. Go Irish. (Ed. Note: A message from Joe Leahy: “Hearty thanks to John Plumb for outstanding service as class secretary for 51 years. From your law classmates.) — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com

 

71 50th Reunion

Gentlemen, it is late January as this material goes to campus for publication and distribution in mid-April. By now, we know the University has decided to cancel this year’s in-person Reunion amid the continuing uncertainty around the pandemic. As we enter the 50-Year Club, we hope to celebrate together in 2022. Check out and register your account at the Alumni Association website, my.nd.edu. You can opt in for communications for specific items, say class or geography centric. Also, weekly reprints from the Observer for the same week 50 years ago are available at 1971.undclass.org. The specific articles, highlights of the day, and current embellishments will bring back a bunch of memories. Condolences to the family of Bob Hackman, who passed away in August in Honolulu. A native of Youngstown OH, he graduated from Northwestern Law School and practiced with the US Attorney’s office, first in Chicago and later in Honolulu. After a stint with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in Madison WI, Bob returned to Hawaii, practicing until his retirement in 2019. Also, condolences to Ann Byrne, Tim McMorrow’s wife in Grand Rapids MI. Tim passed away in November after a 15-month battle with glioblastoma. A native of Kalamazoo MI, a resident of Flanner and a graduate of Michigan Law School, he was the chief appellate attorney for the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office for more than 30 years, appearing before the US Supreme Court in one case. A cantor at his home parish, Tim also lent his tenor voice to our class Mass at the 45th reunion and was on tap to do the same this June, but now only in spirit. Mike Meyer’s wife of 47 years, Melinda, passed away in November from a stroke suffered while vacationing in Georgia. Services back home in Chicago have been delayed because of the virus. Gary Shirkey passed away in September. He was a poli sci and history major who called Dillon Hall and Oswego NY home. Wherever you are, we hope St. Patrick’s Day was a kickoff to a more active spring and summer than a year ago. — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 574-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com

 

71MBA Happy 50th

I am writing this column to discuss our class plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our graduation. I have discussed this event with some of our classmates. Here are our plans. I am also going to send out an email message to all our classmates explaining these plans since this column might be too late for you to make your own plans when you get this issue. The Alumni Office was kind enough to send me the addresses of all surviving members of our class. Traditionally, we have held our reunions at a football game in the fall, and we felt that our class would prefer to continue that tradition. We all had a great time for our 45th reunion in San Antonio. We thought the best game for us this season would be the one against Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 25. It would be easier to get to, with lots of hotels, decent weather and good competition. We are planning to stay at the SpringHill Suites (Marriott) River North on North Dearborn Street. This is a home game for U of Wisconsin, and their fans travel well, so make your reservations as soon as possible. I hope to see you in Chicago in September. Please send me some news. — Jim Fackelman; 4635 Lakeview Circle, Slinger WI 53086; res 262-644-6245; cell 414-379-0968; jfackelman@alumni.nd.edu 

 

71JD Class Secretary — E. Bryan Dunigan;

19 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1202, Chicago IL 60603; 312-857-2114; bdunigan@duniganlaw.com

 

72 Remembering Joe Cottrell, Bill Werner

Over the past three-plus years, I rarely hear from any of you about a classmate’s death. In the case of Joe Cottrell MD, 68, who passed on Oct. 29, I heard from two of you. Joe was a graduate of Bishop Fallon High School in Buffalo NY. Jim Rycyna wrote to report that, after graduation, he and Joe were classmates at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago. Joe then trained in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and intensive care medicine. After many years of practicing, he left medicine to run a private aviation company. Jim last saw Joe at the 2017 reunion with Mark Gernerd and Greg Hoeck. Ed Duthie reported that Joe was chief of staff at the Milwaukee Veterans Administration until retirement. Ed’s role as chief of the geriatrics section allowed him to work with Joe. Jim and Ed reminded us that Joe was the Dome yearbook photographer, around campus with a camera and a smile. (It is a different world now because everyone on campus has a camera.) Joe and his wife, Kathleen, had three children, Pat, Daniel and the late Kevin. Our condolences to Joe’s survivors. Bill Werner died on Nov. 8. Bill attended St. Louis U High School. After graduation from ND, he obtained a master’s from Kansas and an MBA from the U of Missouri-St. Louis. Early in his career, he took a long trip around the Baltic states of the then-USSR working on the USAID Photo-USA exhibit. He worked for FMC in Vienna, Frankfort and Philadelphia. Then he worked for CPHall in Europe, Asia and Africa. He was fluent in Russian and ran half marathons. Let us thank God for the presence of each other in our lives. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu 

 

72MBA No News Is Not Bad News

I have heard from no one the past three months. At least there is no bad news to relate. But all of us would enjoy hearing what is happening with our friends of half a century now. With that, I’ll say I hope all of you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. Please call or write. — Alex McLellan; 913-991-0944; irish72mba@gmail.com

 

72JD Class Secretary — Chris Schraff;

1881 Marble Cliff Crossing Court, Columbus OH 43204; 614-227-2097; cschraff@porterwright.com

 

73 Zoom Get-Togethers

During the pandemic, even us old guys are getting into the new high-tech ideas. Bill Sauerland has sponsored several Zoom meetings for our class over the last year, usually in conjunction with football games. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate. Bob Ward reports that Dave Reuter, Paul Collins, John Greving, Pam King, Jim Hunt and Jim Roolf were on the call. Bill reported that it was pretty much the same as a Mike Busick tailgate: Ward telling hockey stories, Collins and Greving telling rugby stories etc. Just no bratwurst or shrimp cocktail. Anyway, a good time was had by all, and I look forward to participating next time. Thank you for organizing these meetings, Bill. Are there any other Zoom meetings of classmates going on? Unfortunately, we always have a few deaths to report. We were sad to hear about the passing of John Kondrk in late December. We recall John as a starting offensive tackle for the football team. John was an avid musician, and before retirement in 2013, he worked for Jeffrey Transportation in Avenel NJ. Thanks to Jim (Boom) Cannon for letting me know. Sam Romano also passed away in late December. Sam was a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine at the U of Michigan for 35 years. He died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Sam is survived by his wife Susan and son Nicholas. Also passing away were Greg Denby of South Bend, Joe Mesure of Atlantic Beach FL and Paul Larsen of Clinton NJ. If anyone has information on these classmates, please send it to me. I also was informed by Elizabeth Parolin West ’02 of the passing of her father Livio Parolin. Livio was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer last July. Livio aggressively battled the disease and celebrated 45 years of marriage in late December with his wife Mary Ann. Livio was born in Italy and moved to Chicago where he survived the historic Our Lady of Angels fire on Dec. 1, 1958. He practiced podiatric medicine for more than 40 years. I had a nice email in November from Ed Carney. Ed spent 45 years in the export side of the Oil Patch. He is still trying to get his Bengal Bout rematch with Judge Roland Chamblee. Look for Ed’s challenge on the wall of the Green Star Pub on Miami Street in South Bend. Ed also met with Mike Dacey in St. Petersburg FL. Mike recently had throat reconstruction surgery. Ed and Mike were a part of the Dillon interhall football dynasty that won six straight championships in the 1970s. Finally, I retired from 45 years of law practice. One of my goals will be to devote more time to informing our classmates of news and getting more involved in the technology information age. You should have plenty of time now to send me information about what our classmates are doing. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com 

 

73MBA Happy 48th Year

Gus Browne reports that they remain well and have done all the things recommended to stay away from COVID-19. He continues to be involved with the fire department. Several in his department contracted COVID-19, followed the isolation procedures and, he is pleased to say, no hospitalizations were needed and all recovered without incident. His family, kids and grandkids are doing well, but it is hard for four teens, two of whom are in college, to take virtual classes. Gene Schraeder shares that he and Ellen are hunkered down and waiting for the “all clear.” They live in a gated community and were diligent about social distancing, but they picked up COVID-19 in early November, likely from their neighbor. Luckily, they had mild symptoms and are fully recovered. They had planned a family gathering in California in August to celebrate Ellen’s 70th birthday, but that was shelved. Otherwise, all is quiet with them and their family. He is still doing portfolio management for his clients. His goal is to complete 50 years in that capacity and then consider retiring. He has seven years to go. Jack Leedom says Pat got her first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination shot. He was able to have two scheduled outdoor visits in October, but none since then. He enjoys being a grandfather. There are two sets of five kids. The younger set lost their electric power Christmas Eve, and they didn’t get to see them until a week later. They called to tell him how much they liked their gifts. The congressional candidate that he helped, Kathy Barnett, lost. He was never impressed so much by any politician as he was by her. This was her first attempt at running for office and she will have another chance in two years. My married daughter caught COVID-19 from the school where she worked, was quarantined and recovered. Her husband and daughter tested negative. We and my son’s family are OK. Please stay safe. Pray for our class members and their families and all others that this COVID-19 scourge will go away. Pray for our country to sustain itself for the principle that it was founded on, “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Send me your updated email addresses. If you haven’t written in some time, please share your stories with us. I look forward to hearing from you. You are always welcome to visit us in So Cal. — Thomas Jindra; tajindra@charter.net

 

73JD News Notes

Hello all. Hopefully, the holiday season was as enjoyable as one can hope in this crazy time. Without our children and their families traveling, Christmas had a different feel this year. It is hard to believe that by the time this is published, we will be over a year into the pandemic. I hope all of you are safe. You might have noticed in the last issue of this magazine that Ismael Alvarez and Charles Leonard passed away last August and September, respectively. Ismael was born and raised in Las Cruces NM. He graduated from New Mexico State following a stint in the Army and then went on to Notre Dame. Following graduation, he returned to Las Cruces where he practiced. Our condolences to his wife, Joanne, and son, Benjamin. Chuck Leonard had an extraordinary legal career practicing criminal defense and personal injury law in the Fort Wayne IN area. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and at times in his career a federal prosecutor and a public defender, in the latter capacity handling one of the first felonies in the country, and the first in Indiana, based principally on DNA evidence. He was a fine example of a Notre Dame lawyer. Our deep condolences to his wife, Ann, and children Holly, Suzanne and Thomas, and the rest of his family. Feel free to call or write. — Paul Reagan; 16527 Heron Coach Way, Ft. Myers FL 33908; cell 847-915-9796; pvreagan@gmail.com

 

74 Spring Has Sprung

The Class of ’74 is eager to secure our COVID vaccinations, and hopefully by the time you read this, most of us have received them. Gary Sobolewski is the engagement officer for the ND Senior Alumni Board. His team develops programs that keep senior alumni connected to the University. Included is the recent Veterans Day video. He also has chaired the last two NDSA Golf Tournaments, including the virtual tournament last year that raised more than $55,000 for the God, Country, Notre Dame Scholarship Fund. This fund benefits students at Notre Dame who are dependents of military veterans. We classmates know how to throw a party, even virtually. Tom Hansen is still active in his work life in Elgin IL, yet Tom is always one to applaud other classmates, specifically Jack Leicht. Jack filled a vacant seat on the ND Senior Alumni Board, then continued for two more terms, became a vice chairman, and then chairman. He was elected to the NDAA board years ago as the representative for senior alumni. Jack and his wife, Mary Kay ’74SMC, have four children, alumni of SMC and ND. In addition to Jack, applause and thanks must go to Gary Sobolewski, Russ Dodge, Sharon McAuliffe, John View and Nancy Kopp who have served in the NDSA capacity. E. Tim Daro continues to work as president of the advertising firm Bernard & Co. in Palatine IL. Daro is active with RCIA at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Jim Hynan provides impressive speakers for the Zoom meetings he is organizing for the ND Club of Chicago, Senior Alumni. If interested in joining no matter where you are, write to Jim at jhynan74@gmail.com Some sessions have included past University presidents, book authors and coaches. At last, we hear from the infamous Pog Mo Thon boys. Tom Jenkins, older brother of our University President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, ’76, ‘78MA, is also known as “Jenks,” “Tommy,” or “Scribers.” He has taken up golf and impresses everyone with his skills. Tommy is an acclaimed biking enthusiast and, when weather permits, he continues to bike a mere 100 miles a week. Jimmy “Whales” Whalen relayed the message that the boys missed golfing and their famous antics in 2020, but they hope to return to Destin FL April 26 through May 2. They booked two large houses and Jim noted there are18 separate beds with baths. They hope vaccines will have been administered so they will enjoy the usual golf, pool, spa, beach, old (and we do mean old) stories and wonderful camaraderie. Commitments have already been placed by 14 of them. Many thanks to Frank Murnane, “The Mouth that Roared” and “Blue Eyes,” who reminds us every year whose birthday it is. I must say it is delightful to hear wonderful birthday wishes from those you love, like, and those you have no idea who they are. Lastly, my “CCC” group continues to Zoom every Thursday. CCC stands for the COVID Cocktail Club. This moniker was so named by Natalie Dwyer Haller ’74SMC, Jill Fahey Birkett ’74SMC, Dianne Gibbons ’74SMC, Bobbie Riconoscuito ’74SMC and my dear college roommate Carol Longo Kaupp, who always appears delightfully tan, cocktail in hand, and on her back deck facing the Pacific Ocean. It is like a postcard. Wonderful. Cheers to all this year. Thank you for staying connected. Stay positive and test negative. Please continue to write, and remember it is essential to put in the subject line “Class of 1974.”— Dede Lohle Simon; domerdede@aol.com or dedersimon@gmail.com 

 

74MBA Anniversary in Florida and More

Sandy Gerling Polselli sent me a brief note. I hope I did justice to Elio Polselli’s memorial service in my last column, with input from Betty Gallagher. But if not, please send me additional information, Sandy, and I will include it in my next column. Randy Marks wrote that he and Sandy were married just before entering ND and celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in December. Randy also noted that he and Sandy celebrated their Christmas with video chats with their daughter and her family in Illinois and their son and his family in Louisiana. As mentioned in previous columns, Randy and Sandy reside in Sarasota FL. I talk with Randy several times a year. Most of our conversations relate to ND football, and occasionally, Indiana U basketball. It is always great to talk with him. I hope this column finds everyone healthy and not overly bored from the lingering pandemic, especially those in cold climates. In Michigan, Helen and I just learned that we are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine beginning Jan. 11, for those 65 and older. Unfortunately, we are not yet able to identify when and where we can schedule the actual injection. But, as my sister so aptly stated, “Shoot me in both arms, today. I am tired of this semi-isolation and want to get back to a sense of normalcy.” Amen, sister. Back to the column. Christmas for us was a bit unusual. Rather than half a house full on Christmas Eve and a full house on Christmas Day, we enjoyed a “scheduled” Christmas. Each of the six children, along with their families, were given a time at which to arrive. We enjoyed some conversation, shared some holiday snacks, opened some gifts, and they were sent on their way. Then, it was on to the next family. As one group departed, we greeted the next group in a sequential order, rather than a simultaneous event. And, because a couple of the families had recently traveled, some of the visits were “mask required.” In short, it was great to see everyone but, by 4 p.m., Helen and I were alone wondering what had just happened. Let us give thanks for surviving the madness of 2020. We look forward to better times in 2021. That is all I have for this column. Send me information on your “pandemic-altered” Christmas celebrations or just some information about you and your families to share with classmates. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net

 

74JD Joel Of Counsel

Joel Bair has taken counsel status with his Grand Rapids MI firm, McGarry Bair. Joel is not ready to shelf Black’s Law Dictionary yet. He regards retirement as a “failed 20th Century social experiment.” His reduced schedule allows him to spend summers in Michigan’s upper peninsula and winters in Grand Rapids. Sounds like a good life. Stay well and share news when you can. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955;joe.oreilly34@icloud.com

 

75 Grandchildren Galore

Nick Grosch reports from New Jersey that he is “laying low,” as are most people, except for his part-time work at the Essex County Counsel’s Office, where he has worked since 1980. Nick and wife, Gina, welcomed their eighth grandchild, Vanessa, in December. All his family lives within five miles, a great blessing. He also said that Mark Keown welcomed an eighth grandchild in late 2020, and Gerry Vitiello has a fourth grandchild. Phil Potter and Joe Henderlong had a long overdue reunion last summer. According to Phil, it was like they had just skipped a few months instead of seven years. Lynn Larkin Flanagan writes from California that her breast cancer group has been conducting Zoom sessions with physicians as guest speakers. They have also done drive-by visits with gifts and balloons for members facing cancer challenges. But Lynn says her most fun and creative virtual get-together was a FaceTime tea party with two granddaughters, 7 and 4. They shared long-distance drinks and treats, Valentine’s Day books and songs, along with a lesson about Martin Luther King Jr. We have a new class website through the NDAA. Please be sure you are registered through my.nd.edu. Jeanne Murphy and I are trying to update the page monthly to keep up with your news and items from the University. Send me news and pictures electronically, please. Kindly remember our late classmate Michael Auth of Westford MA, who passed away Nov. 3. He worked in accounting and finance and is survived by wife, Kathleen, and sons Daniel and Matthew. And we just learned that Patrick Flynn PhD of Naperville IL passed away on Jan. 2. A philosophy professor at Benedictine U for 30 years, he is survived by wife, Peggy. Please continue to send me your news. Thanks. — Norm Bower; 3946 Fernwood Ave., Davenport IA 52807; cell and text 563-349-0469; normbower@mchsi.com

 

75MBA Class Secretary — Jim Ouimet;

215-862-3080; jimouimet@comcast.net

 

75JD Spring Notes

When Dean Thomas Shaffer ’61JD passed out diplomas in 1975, he should have sprinkled in some judicial robes. Our class has been well represented on the bench in federal, state and local courts. Ann Williams is retired from the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, but Janis Lynn Sammartino remains on the federal bench in the Southern District of California, following many years on the California Superior Court. Terry McGann recently retired from the Montgomery County Circuit Court of Maryland after serving as a Circuit Court Judge. In retirement, he serves as a senior judge throughout the state; he sits four or five days weekly and has no plans to slow down. Terry and Tricia have been married for 48 years and live in Bethesda with their second son, Patrick. Their other four children and 11 grandchildren live nearby. Their eldest son, Terry, is an attorney with a private practice, Kelly is a prosecutor for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, and youngest son, Brendon, has his own logistics business. Their daughter, Brighid ’09, is director of academic support in a Catholic school. Terry and Tricia spend considerable time at their cottage in the Northern Neck of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay, with Terry enjoying golf and family. Beth Mattingly ran in a contested race in 1995 and was elected as a judge of the Hamilton County Court sitting in Cincinnati, serving for a decade while handling criminal and civil matters. She started the county’s first Mental Health Court with another judge and found the project to be a most gratifying experience. Beth was later appointed by the governor to the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations, a division of the Common Pleas Court. She was re-elected and served for eight years until retiring in 2014. Over her 18 years on the bench, she performed various judicial functions including felony bonds, weddings, search warrants, dealing with drunk driving and domestic violence cases, and determining custody and marital property matters. Beth was the author of many published opinions and implemented critical improvements to the court system during her tenure. She and Paul Mattingly have been married 45 years. Over the decades, Jack Penca made moves to six states during a career in government service. He credits the love and support of his wife Michelle for making the moves possible. Jack has been an administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration since 2011 and currently functions as a chief judge in Dover DE. His greatest joys are Michelle, their three children and two granddaughters. Mary Sommer has been a Connecticut Superior Court Judge since 2008, sitting on civil, criminal, family and juvenile cases. Most impactful is the juvenile court where she established a truancy prevention docket providing children and families with needed services. She is co-chair of the Self Represented Litigant Committee of the National Association of Women Judges Access to Justice Initiative and serves on the leadership team of Stamford Stands Against Racism. Other past and current judges include Mike McAra (68th District Court of Michigan); Mike Eldred (Vigo Superior Court in Terre Haute IN); Jeanne Jourdan (Swartz in ’75) and Jerome Freese (both in the St. Joseph Superior Court in South Bend); Bob Billmeier (New Jersey Superior Court); Terry Shewmaker (Elkhart Superior Court in Goshen IN); Brian Short (Federal Magistrate); and Andy Napolitano (New Jersey Superior Court). Willie Lipscomb and Roland Amundson, both deceased, were also jurists with the 36th District Court of Michigan and the Minnesota Court of Appeals, respectively. If I missed anyone, my apologies. Go Irish. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com

 

76 Change in Plans

As I write this in January, I have received my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and am due for a second in three weeks. I hope as you read this, you have received the vaccine and are looking forward to making plans. Watch for emails from our class president and updates on Facebook regarding Reunion updates now that the in-person celebration has been cancelled. Some classmates who have homes in the Michiana area have discussed opening their homes to host get-togethers during the previously scheduled time frame. J. Thad Naquin, president of Tom Naquin Chevrolet Nissan Cadillac, has been nominated for 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year. Recipients of this honor are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Tom Felts is retiring after 31 years as judge of the Allen Circuit Court in Fort Wayne IN. He will be working as a Senior Judge for the Indiana Office of Court Services primarily in the areas of judicial education and problem-solving. He will also continue as Board Chair for a local Catholic foundation. His wife, Kay, is a nurse practitioner working in palliative care. They have three sons, Erik, John and David, and are proud grandparents of Brynn, Collin and Jack. He mentioned he is happy his Alumni Hall friend Mike Hatton does his taxes. Nancy Brenner Sinnott has been busy making masks using her hand-woven Notre Dame tartan. They are beautiful and I ordered three. If you are interested you can find her business, A Wee Bit Warped, on Facebook. Tom Paulius welcomed grandson Rylan in March 2020. Tom retired from the practice of IP law in 2019 and has become a full-time fine art photographer and artist. You can find his work, featuring many campus scenes, on Old Fieldhouse Press on Facebook. He reports that Joe Schieszer is still brokering mortgages in St. Louis. Mark Sullivan practices law in Lebanon IN and is restoring a 100-year-old building across from the courthouse. Bill Delaney is practicing law in Rhode Island handling bankruptcy and workouts. Brian Shanahan is the VP of legal affairs for Med Mutual in Cleveland. Bill Delaney hosted a Zoom Pregame Party for the Texas Rose Bowl. Among the “partygoers” were Sally Naxera Benson, Tom Paulius, Rich Steiner, Chris Hearne, Christopher Bury, Jim Gradoville, Wendy Duffey, Pat Sarb, Nancy Meier, Bob Quakenbush and Mark Nishan. Jim Rashid attended the game. Other new grandparents include Lionel Phillips, whose grandson, Lionel Joseph Phillips III, was born in September; and Denise and Dave Brenner ’73, whose daughter Marie Brenner Somogyi ’08 gave birth to Fulton Robert Somogyi in January. Pat Sarb thanks his classmates for their support on ND Day 2020. The Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases was the top center, raising $20,500. He and Linda have joined Sacred Heart Parish and Pat hopes to retire at the end of the year. Gregory Pugnetti passed away in September 2018 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a CPA and CFE who spent his career at the GAO. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Annette, three children, Christie, Michael and Gregg, and two grandchildren. Donald Doheny, aka “The General,” died in December. You may remember him playing General Patton at the Dillon pep rallies alongside his roommate and “Chief of Staff” Elton Johnson Jr. — Mary Anne Kennedy Reilly; 7423 18th Street NE, Saint Petersburg FL 33702; 727-480-1251; mareilly@rfs.cpa

 

76MBA Class Secretary — Mike Norris;

text 248-330-5366; mikenorris@alumni.nd.edu

 

76JD Class Secretary — Virgil L. Roth;

625 Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 255, South Pasadena CA 91030; 626-441-1178; fax 626-441-1166; vroth@vlrlaw.com

 

77 Zigs, Zags and Zooming in 2021

With zigs and zags through 2020 and 2021’s challenge course, classmates baked treats for healthcare workers, like Maureen O’Neill in the UK; shared jigsaw puzzles, like Brenda and Thomas Walrath Jr., and Mary Miller Lee and Larry Lee; or cared for wildlife or natural habitats, like Dan Hill and Colleen McCarthy. Zoom calls, including an ND Clubs discussion with Rev. Thomas Blantz, CSC ’57, ’63MA about his new book, The University of Notre Dame: A History, brought tiny chat screen views of Kathy Walker Beenen, Patty Dondanville ’78, Sheila O’Brien and other Domers. Jim Horan married Judy Benson at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in January in Albany NY, in a COVID-compliant ceremony. Currently Chief Administrative Law Judge at the New York State Department of Health, Jim plans to retire in the fall. John Lushis Jr., an attorney with Norris McLaughlin, who has worked on environmental remediation of the former Bethlehem Steel property, Lehigh Valley Industrial Park and the Waterfront Development site along the Lehigh River in Allentown PA, has joined the Board of Directors of Kolbe Academy Recovery High School in Allentown, which provides compassionate, Christ-centered support and academic and business programs to high school students in recovery from substance abuse addictions. Though “not retiring,” John Martell, CEO of Martell Services Group, Inc., transferred ownership to an ESOP in February to allow “future success to be shared with the employees;” Martell Company offices are in Indiana, Michigan, California and Arizona. Dan Towle MD, is Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers, which provide dental restoration surgery services to about 18,000 Medicaid children nationally. Patricia (Patter) Sheeran Birsic, is a co-founder of the National Pancreas Foundation, which held a Virtual Gala in January, featuring music by Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton. Patter received the Volunteer of the Year Legacy Award. Bob Callan is proud of his youngest son, 1st Lt. Jim Callan, ’18USMA; Chuck Brewer’s younger son, Corp. Ethan Brewer, stationed at Twentynine Palms Base, deployed for service in November. Bonita Bradshaw, co-Principal of the Grace Hopper STEM Academy and Director of Special Projects at Ladera Education Institute in Inglewood CA. John Shaughnessy is author of One More Gift to Give, a Christmas-themed novella. Attorney Sue Augustus has retired from CSH after a long career as an advocate of supportive housing and related programs in Chicago. Jim Sullivan retired as Associate Director of Career Services from the Stayer Center for Executive Education at the University’s Mendoza School of Business, in December. Sean Farrell welcomes seeing any classmates where he works in retirement as a Starter at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla CA, which will host the U.S. Open in June. Jack Bergen, who serves on the NDSA Board, was thrilled to hold his third grandchild, Henry Byrne, born Sept. 29.  Dave Wallace’s son, Eric Wallace ’08, and wife Stephanie welcomed their second son, Simon, born Oct. 17, joining big brother Casey, 4. Janet Carney O’Brien and husband, Mark, welcomed grandson Robert in December, third child of Elise Bartzen O’Brien ’08 and Dan O’Brien ’07, currently chief resident of surgery at IU Health Indianapolis. Dan heads to a transplant surgery fellowship in LA in June. Glorie and Nick Winnike are joyful new grandparents of Grigory Eugene Bravve-Winnike, born Jan. 16. We lost classmates: Neil Washburn, survived by sons Paul and Nick; Jim Carlaccini, who leaves behind his wife, Paula ’78, and daughter. Karen ’06; Bill Hammond ’77, ’81JD, husband of Mary Flack Hammond, parents of five. Deepest sympathies go to Mark Janko on the loss of his wife, Leigh Ann; to Jayne O’Reilly on the death of her husband, Tim Roach; to Franz Linzinger, who lost his father, Klaus Lanzinger, University Professor of German and American Literature 1967-98; to Victoria Smith and Cindy Buescher Parseghian on the loss of their mothers; to Gayla Molinelli on the loss of her father; to Anne Montague Wegner, who lost her sister; and to Dana Nahlen, who lost her brother-in-law to COVID-19. May our beloved rest now in peace. Stay safe wishes to all!— Virginia McGowan Bishop; res 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu 

 

77MBA Class Secretary — Alan J. Fisher;

alan@churchfisherlaw.com

 

77JD Making the Most of Isolation

Bill Wernz and Ann Hart Wernz ’75 found a way to spend time safely in Florida with most of the family. Unfortunately, they have been separated throughout the pandemic from their daughter in Italy. Bill still handles some ethics and professional responsibility cases, but most of his work involves testifying as an expert in attorney malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty cases. Steve Brischetto still enjoys private practice in Portland with a focus on employment law from the plaintiffs’ side. Most depositions, mediations and client interviews are handled via Zoom due to COVID and protests, but he has enjoyed learning how to practice remotely. Cheryl is retired, but she stays busy with her favorite activity: planning trips. Like the rest of us, she is eager to get back to traveling. Their sons Matt, who works as an investment banker at Key Bank, and Aaron, who works at Nike, stay fit by running and hiking. Let me know how you are coping. — Janey Bennett; bus 574-243-4100; cell 574-298-9251;jbennett@maylorber.com 

 

78 Seeing the Light

Greetings fellow members of the class with class. It looks as though we may begin to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. It has impacted our lives in ways major and minor. Let’s keep praying for one another and everyone who has been affected by COVID. Tracy Kee Christopher was elected in November as chief justice of the 14th Court of Appeals of Texas. Engineer Greg Gibbons retired in December as a principal with Geosyntec Consultants in the Chicago area. Greg and his wife, Pat, reside in Hinsdale IL. Tony “Disco” Crudele, retired CFO of Tractor Supply, is now chair of the board of Hibbett Sports, and was appointed to the board of Tuesday Morning. Jim “Boobie” Clarke assured me that you would be familiar with this company. Tony and Diane built a new house in Nashville TN: Disco goes country. Ray Vander Heyden is the assistant director for career development at ND and lives in Mishawaka. Ray is very hospitable on football weekends. Remember them? Marge Meagher Hamm, Molly McGuire Lieberman, Marianne Corr and Vicki Lopez — all Farley girls l — spent Martin Luther King weekend together in Naples FL. Vicki reports that it was an amazing weekend and that they have been doing this for quite some time. A large group gathered via Zoom for a Rose Bowl virtual tailgate on Jan. 1. It was great fun to hang out for a while with such an esteemed group. We hope to get together again for St. Patrick’s Day. Here are those who participated: Rich Barlow, Jim Clarke, Steve “Bones”Conover, DJ Crowley, Patty Dondanville, Dennis Doughty, Mary “Etch” Emich, Pat Flynn, John Geppert, Terry Heidkamp, Chip Lee, Vicki Lopez, Bob March, Nace Mullen, Tom O’Neill, Mike “Santa” Reda, Rich Riley, Eric Schmidt, Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Jamie Stephens, Greg “Sweets” Switaj, Mark Tovey, Celeste Volz-Ford, yours truly Jim “Souls” Coyne, and special guest all the way from Amsterdam, Paul White. Thanks to Vicki Lopez for arranging this. John Coyne is biding his time until the lights return to Broadway by devouring Netflix and doing crossword puzzles. He recalled how thrilling it was when we defeated Clemson in the overtime game and how many doubted the season would happen due to the pandemic. Stan Ziherl’s Indiana Beverage in Fort Wayne continues to thrive, and Stan is ecstatic about the Fort Wayne area. An update on our Class of 1978 scholarship; We want to provide future generations with the same opportunity we had. The fund’s overarching principles include anonymity, and all gifts will be confidential. Keep us in your gifting plans as a matching fund has been established. Visit app.mobilecause.com/vf/ND1978 to donate. For more information, contact Pat Flynn, pat.flynn@indianabev.com. Stay safe my friends. It is my sincerest hope that we all can see each other very soon. Say your prayers and be good to one another. Peace. — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com

 

78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney;

350 Alewive Road, Kennebunk ME 04043-6013; res 207-229-0989; bus 207-333-6640 ex 2020; irishwasherwoman@alumni.nd.edu

 

78JD Class Secretary — Vincent R. Johnson;

vjohnson@stmarytx.edu

 

79 Retirements and Fun

Ken Kraft was in the food and beverage business running restaurants and bars in hotels, clubs and independents in the Midwest, northeast and south until 2018 when he became a Realtor investing in properties. He married Kathy (Festin) ’81 and they had a son and a daughter. His son, who attended the Naval Academy, is serving in the Marine Corps. Kathy died in 2017. Last September, Ken married his high school prom date and they live in both New Orleans and Meridian MS. Jayne Rizzo Reardon, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, was awarded the Illinois Judges Association’s 2020 Amicus Award for her years of service in the maintenance of an independent judiciary. Jim Ryan, a partner with Jackson Walker in Dallas specializing in mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions, was included in the 2021 Best Lawyers in America list. Gary Fair retired in 2017 after 38 years with Johnson & Johnson, including serving as CFO for various J&J companies. When he retired, he was reporting to J&J’s external board of directors. Gary and his wife, parents to twin daughters, Noelle and Danielle, split their time between New Hope PA, Pompano Beach FL and their hometown of New York City. Gary stays in touch with Mike Caminiti, John Calcutt, Bob Juba, Tom Dowd, Paul Schappler and Doug Matsell. Last September, Dan Cole, a Pittsburgh area urologist, hosted a reunion for the 4th EW Stanford “Studs” at Lake Milton in eastern Ohio, where they enjoyed boating, skiing, fishing and golf, along with Dan’s mom’s macaroni salad. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. John Jannazo, who flew jets for the Air Force, was the grill master. He lives near Fort Walton Beach FL and is a consultant for several defense contractors. Dan and John sent kids to ND. Jack Weinacht drove up from Charleston SC where he is director of product development at Charles River Lab. Dennis Kumor is retired from ExxonMobil’s Chemical Division where his teams developed over a dozen patents on chemical manufacturing processes. He made the trip from his home in Copley OH. The group also celebrated Ed “Tarbush” Kelin’s birthday. Ed drove from Orlando where he lives after retiring from an advertising and marketing career with Stars and Stripes, the military’s overseas media company. He was stationed in Germany for nine years and in Tokyo for six. Mike Reilly spent his career with nonprofits addressing various issues, including homelessness and education. He lives in Vermont and participates in photography shows. — Barbara A. Langhenry; res 216-651-8962; bus 216-664-2893; cell 216-509-8962; breclw@aol.com

 

79MBA Class Secretary — Patty Kennedy Kerr;

7750 Leonard St. NE, Ada MI 49301; 616-682-1223; kerrtaxcpa@gmail.com

 

79JD Class Secretary — Daniel F. McNeil;

1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209; 503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com