1960s
1960s
60 All About Enjoying Life
Here we are hustling our way along to an 85th year. The Good Lord is carrying us along to keep doing what we’re doing — and maybe a little more. Only 1% of the population are in our age bracket. We are fortunate. Sorting through my files, I find a few historical emails: April 2022, Tim Carroll: “I just finished a major hike on the Mormon trail (and me, a good Catholic boy) and discovered I was eight miles from my car. Happily, a cowboy came by and gave me a lift in his pickup. See how the Holy Spirit protects the Indy loonies! It’s been a great hiking year and I’ll be back at Sunnyslope and back in the grips of my trainer there. We’re starting our 13th year together and it’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had. Certainly, the sweatiest.” June 2010, Dave Hurd: “I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you for the opportunity to do the invocation before our Saturday luncheon; I consider it a great privilege to be asked, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. If there was another reunion tomorrow, I would be there; in retrospect, there were a number of guys I wanted to spend more time with and didn’t get the opportunity. Do we have to wait another five years? I do want to thank you and all the organizers for a well-run and highly personalized reunion, Joe; it was just great. The wonderful memories will live on in my heart for many years to come.” Several years ago, Bob Keeley: “Remember ‘Ri-vers Ar-is-teat -Patout,’ slow down and pause for deeper effect, ‘The III.’ When he first introduced himself to the band freshman year, he did that slow-drag intro of himself to the band. He killed the audience. He had such a sense of the dramatic effect in his telling of stories. He was a damn genius. Then, in the fall of 1977, we had the founding of the Alumni Band and thus, our first trip back to campus to play in a half time and march to and from the Stadium. Here comes Rivers to greet the people gathered there. We all sit down to say hello and meet and greet each other. Mr. O’Brien starts it off and around we go. And Rivers says, ‘Hello, my name is Father Rivers Patout’ and on and on and we all howled as if to say, what in hell is happening to our church and to all of civilization that a Bishop of Galveston diocese had ordained HIM of all people? But he convinced us it was no joke; it was true. We sure were blessed.” Nov. 2017, George Richvalsky: “Please pass along to Dee Stevenson that he and John Foote were the first ND classmates that greeted me when I first tried to find Cavanaugh Hall in the blackness that first night I arrived on campus. Dee and John were roommates on the 4th floor of Cavanaugh and I was down the hall in 427. I never had much interaction with John and never got to know him very well. I am sorry about his passing and thanks for keeping us informed.” I’m hoping to be at the Virginia game reunion. I loved the band this past year. Drop me an email or two with some short stories! Thanks. — Joseph F. Jansen; 9190 Southmont Cove #103, Ft. Myers, FL 33908; 317-514-4478; jfjansen@aol.com
61 You Can Do It
Well, Abbie has just been beside herself because, while she was at the front door (with the latchstring out) lo and behold Lee J. Suttner MD shows up for a visit. See, you can do it. He came all the way from Indiana and so can you. Recognizing the price of gas today in the USA, you may have to take out a loan to make the trip. Lee, who is a Geology professor at Indiana U, dropped in on a Sunday in late April with several friends and we had a nice two to three hour visit and exchanged reminiscences of our mutual four years under the dome at ND. Lee has written a book which he describes as less of a memoir and more of a story about his life. The title is Don’t Get Out of My Sight or I Will Have to Get Out My Clothes Stick (a Letter from a Father and Geology Professor to His Children). His intent was to give this book to his children while celebrating he and his wife’s 50th wedding anniversary with the entire family on a trip to California. It is touching because his wife came down with leukemia and died before they could make the trip. Nonetheless, he delivered it to his children later. About 20% of the book is dedicated to our time at ND. A special part of the book describes his interaction with Carl Yastrzemski, the Boston Red Sox great player and part of our class the first two years. One curious thing that he (and another classmate who asked to be kept anonymous) reported was that in the spring of our senior year, a group of our classmates wrote a 50-page plea to the administration to do away with “morning check” and “lights out.” I have been provided with a list of participants but because of conflicting instructions from some involved, I’m not publishing the list here. If you want the list, email me and I will give you an address which I think will get it for you. As a result of this request, the administration did away with these dreaded restrictions in July 1961. I think these guys were heroes. I wonder what ND would be like without the regulations. I do know that I went to Law School at the U of Texas, where there are no regulations, and found it easier than ND for me. Heard from Tom Geil by phone and John Hoey by email. I regret to report that Bill Hanley advised me of the death of Bill Lehr. Clare Manes said it took her over a year to write to me about the death of Ange Manes. It was a very sad affair because Ange had COVID, and their three children were prohibited from seeing him. Ange was one of us lawyers, he secured an MBA from Hofstra U and was the ND Man of The Year in 1980 for the ND Club of Long Island. The Alumni Association also reported to me the death of E. Robert Sklose MD (leaving a widow, Maggie and three children); and Leonard J. Biallas MD (leaving his widow Martha and son). That’s about it for now. Abbie is back at the front door with the latchstring out with new enthusiasm brought by Lee’s visit. Y’all come see us, Lee did… — Joseph P. (“Pat”) Kelly; 2103 N. Wheeler St., Victoria TX 77901; 361-573-9982; jpkellytx@sbcglobal.net
61JD Class Secretary — John N. Moreland;
jnmnd1958@aol.com
62 Reunion 22
We had spectacular weather for reunion weekend. The birds were chirping, the trees and shrubs were in full bloom, and the sprinklers by the South Dining Hall were watering the grass and sidewalks with a vengeance! If you have not been on campus since COVID hit, you will need to get an updated map. Jim Mikacich and I took a bus tour, and while the inner campus is as we remember it, the expansion outward is unbelievable. A few of us arrived on Wednesday and went to dinner. Jack Regan was the organizer and Tom Quinn, Joe Bolt, Ginny and Jack Werner, and I had an enjoyable time. Joe, who was a Colonel at the time, told me about the plans his staff had drawn up for capturing Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War. However, Joe said they were “filed away” due to tenuous political issues. 70 of us made the weekend with John Ryan and Mike Murray coming for just the Thursday dinner. Unfortunately, several had to cancel at the last minute. Foust Capobianco tested positive for COVID, John Mader ended up in the hospital with a lung condition, and three others had issues pop up within the week leading up to the weekend. Tom Eiff was “kicking and screaming” when his flights on American were changed to the point that he ended up not being able to come. For different reasons, Dick Dyniewicz, Peter Vieira, Mike Guarnieri, and Tony Marra were only able to make it part of the time. Several did not attend because of COVID concerns. As it turned out, five who attended tested positive the following week. A number, who had ongoing contact with all five, escaped the curse. The comments of those attending were quite positive. Thanks to Bill Ford for coordinating the dinner at Knollwood Country Club. In addition, shout outs go to Joe Gallo, who, in his continuing generosity, provided the wine for the Thursday dinner as well as our beverage tent, and to Dave Eckrich who not only secured the club for our dinner, but also hosted the pre-dinner reception. Other thanks go to Tom Quinn for making sure the finances were correct and Dick Cramer for not only working with the photographer for the class picture, but also negotiating the prices for the coffee mug with the class picture imprinted on it. In addition, Dick organized the tour of Cedar Grove Cemetery for the purpose of visiting the grave sites of our five classmates buried there — Rev. Joe Murphy, Pat Booker, Tom Bull, Mike Ritschel, and Vic Grabowski. Judy Booker, Pat’s wife, was also an attendee. We all were appreciative of the work that Don Candido did in gathering the provisions and managing the beverage tent where a number hung out at various times over the weekend. No one went away thirsty. Among the regulars were: Tony Casale, Jim Olson, Vin Boyen, Dennis Keating, Jim Grever, and Jim Schueppert. George Williams held court at one point with Mike Dunigan, Roger Wilke, Fred Treim, Tom Jorling, John Kovacs and others. This was our 12th reunion weekend and a number have made more than half, including Carmen Belefonte, George Mammola, John Beall, John Pugliese, George Lensing, John Lewis, and Bob Lee. Others I had a chance to talk with were Jim Creagan, Frank Smith, Tom Walsh, John Roberg, Tom Noonan, and Pat Mettler. At our Friday dinner, we had a scare when Jack McDonald fainted. Mike Marchildon, who had practiced as a pediatric surgeon until COVID hit in March 2020, took charge. Jack is OK and later said he was happy to have provided the “entertainment.” On Saturday, Paul Radde, moderated a seminar on “Aging Defiantly” that allowed for audience participation. Donald Yim passed away in Honolulu on Jan. 5, 2019 and Paul Margosian on April 2, 2020. This year, Steve Schwartz died on April 27. In May, we lost three classmates. Neil Drozeski died on the 7th. He was from Bradford PA but went to a boarding school outside of DC. His classmate there was J. Bay Jacobs. Sean Fitzgerald, who was a physician, passed away suddenly on the 16th. During the month before, we traded several emails and he gave no indication of any health issues. Ed Culliton, who was probably the youngest member of the class, passed away on the 19th. On June 25, Lou Ruvolo, a surgeon, passed away in Philadelphia. He had said he would not be able to attend the reunion due to health issues. — Raymond Raedy; 5310 Rileys Ridge Road, Hillsborough NC 27278; 919-967-8816; nd62secy@medicinemanremedies.com
62JD Request for Prayers
We are saddened to report the death of Pat Cashin on July 1 due to complications from cancer and pneumonia. Pat was proud that his son, Tim Cashin ’92, is also an alum. Please keep Pat’s wife, Charlotte, in your prayers as she has stage four pancreatic cancer. Felix Maciszewski and Norm Stark checked in to say that all is well. I will no longer be class secretary as I have Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. I have enjoyed corresponding with my classmates. Please keep me in your prayers and stay in touch. God bless you and your families. — Tom Kelly; marianne1956@sbcglobal.net
63 Reunion 2023
The Class of 1963 will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of our graduation June 1-4, 2023 during the University’s Reunion 2023. Informational materials will soon be coming out, and we will keep you advised in this column. Mark your calendars; don’t miss it! “Old No. 51,” Ed Burke, has a new hip and is doing just great; word has it that he told Coach Freeman he is ready to “suit up” and again take his position in the line for the Irish. Carol and Marty Meeker have been quite busy the last couple of years, selling their California vineyards in 2018, and their home in Cabo San Lucas in 2019, after spending 10 wonderful years down there. They now live in Phoenix. They have “uncluttered” their lives and are now enjoying retirement. Tom Williams went to US Army Ranger school following graduation and served two years in the 4th Infantry Division. He earned a JD at night while working for several federal agencies in Washington DC. During a stint as an international tax attorney, he picked up an MBA, and later re-joined the federal government, serving in Ukraine, Moldova and Sri Lanka. Tom found time to publish a novel entitled Uncertain Outcomes which is available on eBay and Amazon. He now enjoys retirement in Trilogy, an over 55 community in North Carolina. Tom has been married twice and has two step children. Edmond (“Ed”) Collins earned a JD from Harvard Law School in 1966, and passed the bar exams in New Jersey and Washington DC. From 1967 to 1972, Ed served as a Captain in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Duty Stations were Fort Sam Houston TX, Nha Trang, Vietnam (where he sat as a Judge at more than 300 Special Courts Martial), and Fort Ord CA. Following the service, Ed practiced law in Ridgewood NJ with his father (Charles Collins Sr. ’25) and his brother (Charles Collins Jr. ’55). Two years later, he joined the Law Department of Celanese Corporation (a multinational Fortune 500 chemical company), and traveled often in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, China, Pakistan and other places. Hoechst A.G. (a German chemical company) acquired Celanese and Ed was appointed General Counsel and President of Celanese Americas Corporation. Ed is now retired and lives in Ponte Vedra FL with his second wife, Jo-Ann, who he married in 1997. They have six children between them, including son Brian Edmond Collins ’00, a Domer. Ed says “without much effort, I’ve managed to annoy all our local friends by my unwavering enthusiasm and allegiance regarding the ‘Fighting Irish.’” Tom Bennett checked in to say he earned a graduate degree from the U of Minnesota, after which he spent five years as a social worker in Minneapolis. Tom then entered the private investment field and retired several years ago. He has been married to his wife, Rita SMC, for over 60 years, and they have been blessed with six children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Tom reported on the death of Jon Bigsby, who died on May 11 in San Antonio TX. Jon is survived by his wife, Maija, two children and one grandchild. Jon was a Russian major fluent in both the language and culture. He earned a Doctorate in Theology from U of Boston and became a Lutheran pastor in Texas where he lived most of his life (he was a Lutheran when he came to ND). He served for many years in the US Air Force, both as an Intelligence officer and a Chaplain. He was a Vietnam Veteran, retiring as a Colonel. — John F. Dougherty Jr.; 915 Exeter Crest, Villanova PA 19085; 215-510-0844; johndoc969@gmail.com
63JD College World Series
We have followed in this column the path of Tom Brannigan’s grandson Jack Brannigan ’23 from high school to Notre Dame. Jack received a baseball scholarship to ND and made the varsity team as a freshman. During that first year — cut short to 13 games by the COVID pandemic — he started in every game. His record for those games was a team high of 14 runs, 12 hits, 11 runs batted in, three steals, and one home run — good enough to be named a Freshman All-American by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper. In his sophomore year, Jack again started every game finishing the season with 31 runs, 51 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 29 runs batted in and eight steals. He was named to the 2021 All-ACC Academic Team. In 2022, except for one game, he started every game at his usual third base position. In that game, he started as a pitcher. Yes, he is also a good pitcher with a fast ball between 90 and 100 mph. Throughout the season, he was called to pitch in 12 games for a total of 14 innings with 28 strikeouts. His regular season record for 2022 was 47 runs, 62 hits, 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 46 runs batted in and 10 steals. This year, the ND team made it to the College World Series in Omaha. However, in order to make the College World Series, ND had to get by Tennessee in the Regional competition. Tennessee was ranked the No. 1 college baseball team in the country. Tennessee was ahead when Jack hit a home run which got ND past Tennessee and into the College World Series for the first time in 20 years. This year Jack was named Third Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and again named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Not too bad — and with another year to go. — Bob Saxe; 15725 Ranchero Drive, Morgan Hill CA 95037; bsaxe5@aol.com
64 Remembering Friends
Jim Webster checked in from Atlanta where they have been for 48 years. He is still running races, but both speed and distance are down from 50 years ago. Duh! He has cut back on his tax/CPA clientele but still consults for a bundle of elder clients who would prefer not to change a good thing. Jim is particularly proud of his kids and 13 grandchildren, commenting that the young ones really do help him stay in shape. George Novak shared news of classmate John Marlow, retired advertising executive and long-time hot air balloonist. John and a couple of his friends started an annual race in 1972. It is our understanding that The Great Forest Park Balloon Race continues today, to the great pleasure of many thousands of viewers and lots of participants. Jack McCabe chirps in from the Left Coast to remind me that former roomie Bill Chapman is in the early stages of pulmonary fibrosis and could use a few prayers. Bernie Topper of Darien passed in April. A Penn Law grad with a masters from NYU, Bernie had a lengthy and distinguished career at Milbank Tweed in New York City. He was also GC for GTE Sprint Communications. Maureen, his wife of 51 years, survives, as do three children and five grandchildren. Ed Maciula, a Chemical Engineering grad, also died in April. His wife, Madeleine, survives in Spring Branch TX. Charles Berberich passed away in Denver in March. His wife of 50 years, Marilyn Munsterman, survives. After ND, Charles earned his PhD from Northwestern, specializing in African History. He was professor at both Southern Illinois and Rutgers. Charles loved to travel, especially to his home in France. He was apparently quite the cook, blending the learnings of his research with his travel experiences into his cooking regimen. Rear Admiral Tom Hill USNR passed away in Carmel IN in February. Tom, a Supply Corps officer, spent two years on active duty after graduation, then served in the Navy Reserve for 36 years. He ultimately retired from the service in 2002 as a Rear Admiral. That’s a really big deal! In civilian life, Tom worked for IBM for 25 years as a senior marketing representative, then joined Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Karen, five grandchildren and three daughters. Jack Gaine passed away peacefully at home in DC in June. Tish, his wife of 45 years, preceded him in death by 11 days. Jack is survived by three children and 10 grandchildren. After receiving his law degree from Harvard, Jack practiced law at Breed Abbott & Morgan in NYC. He was appointed as GC of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission in 1977. After leaving government service, he became an expert in the rapidly growing futures industry. Jim Kelly, two-time ND All-American, died in Southampton NJ in May. Following NFL stints with the Steelers and Eagles, Jim went on to a successful career in the publishing industry. A real family man, Jim particularly enjoyed the sporting events of his kids and grandchildren. Surviving is his spouse of 54 years, Diane, three children and nine grandchildren. Tom Reilly died in Houston in May from brain cancer. He worked in finance and international development, living overseas in Vietnam, Thailand and Nigeria, among other spots, for more than 20 years. He and Madeleine, his wife of 49 years, settled first in Tulsa then moved to Houston. Three kids and four grandchildren also survive. — Paul R. Charron; 44 Contentment Island Road, Darien CT 06820; 917-860-5385; paul.richard.charron@gmail.com
64JD Class Secretary — Richard Balfe Wagner;
1204 Erskine Manor Hill, South Bend IN; 574-299-9888; 760-567-1270
65 Finally
Our much-delayed reunion was held at the Morris Inn just prior to the All Class Reunion and was well attended with all the functions contained within the Inn. The terrace was reserved for our group and served as a central gathering point. At our first dinner, Bill Tucker entertained us with Rock and Roll from our era which was preceded by an informative talk on nanotechnology by Bob Dunn, former Director of ND Nanotechnology. At the second dinner, speakers included Lou Nanni ’84, VP for University Relations and Department of Development followed by Dolly Duffy ’84, Executive Director of the ND Alumni Association and then recollections by Rev. Monk Malloy ’63, CSC, 16th President of the University of Notre Dame. Ed Ojdana generously provided his award-winning wine for both evenings. There was a strong urging to repeat this type of gathering at our 60th reunion. Bob Lee, Class Treasurer, and I are willing to try for a repeat performance, but we will be dependent upon the University’s schedule and the Inn’s availability. Present at the reunion were Marianne and Jim Brocke who drove up from their home in Carmel IN. They have three children including Jason ’13. Jim has been turning over his business activity with MassMutual Financial Group to an associate. Jim and his wife have shared a passion to spread our Christian faith and Catholic education by forming a committee committed to building an all-girls school in SE Nigeria. The project is headed by a Nigerian priest who has been serving in their diocese. Retired Rear Admiral Phil Dur has written a highly regarded book, Between Land and Sea: A cold warrior’s log. Phil has a précis of the book on his web site, philipdur.com. He will be signing books on Fridays at the bookstore before the Stanford and Clemson games. Ed Lupton still lives in Ventura CA in the house that he grew up in. He is a long-time member and now president of Serra International which is a ministry that supports vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Ed has published audiobooks on discoverliving.com that are on life and our mind. Sadly, there are more deaths to report. In March, Chuck Lorenzen died in Albuquerque where he and his wife, Mindy ’66SMC, lived. They had four sons. While at ND, Chuck was a member of the Marching Band and concert band. He earned his MS and PhD at ND and had a career in engineering including as the administrator of the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range. Jim Dodd died in April in Pickerington OH. He is remembered by his wife, Lynda, and three daughters. In March, Mike Rynell died and left two daughters. Also, that month Ted Egan passed away in Simpsonville SC. Ted and his wife, Ann Marie, had five children. Rusty Lusk died in May in Downers Grove IL and leaves behind his wife, Brigid, and two sons. Rusty earned his PhD at U of Maryland which led to a career as a computer scientist. Tom “Casey” Streb of Altoona passed away in June. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of 51 years and two daughters. After serving two years in the Army, Tom made a career in broadcasting and public relations which evolved into morning shows and weather reports on WTAJ-TV. In May, John Moye died in Denver where he had founded and led a law firm for over 40 years. He was committed to public service and served in many roles such as chairman of the Board of Law Examiners, president of the Colorado Bar Assoc and chairman of the board of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority. He is survived by his wife, Pam. In June, Jim Grace died on South Padre Island after a short battle with lung cancer. Jim is survived by his wife, Letitia, three children: Jim ’89, Karin ’92 and Suzy ’96. Two of their 14 grandchildren are Doomers: Connor ’20 and Isabelle ’25. Jim served in the Army, retiring as a Captain, before embarking on a career as a CPA and CFO of Financial Industries Corp in Austin. — James P. Harnisch MD; 6759 West Mercer Way; Mercer Island WA 98040; jphnd65@hotmail.com
65JD Class Secretary — Henry Boitel;
324 Brower Ave., Rockville Centre NY 11570; boitel@mindspring.com
66 Shook Down Some Thunder
An enthusiastic cadre, modest in size but great in gusto, reconnected in June in the Shadow of Our Lady’s Dome to celebrate our pandemic-delayed 55th reunion. It was a stellar demonstration that the unparalleled ND spirit ever burns — in our hearts and aging bodies! In addition to catching up with old friends, many of us were stunned by the enormous transformation of our University, manifested overtly by the incredible number of new facilities that fill every corner of Fr. Sorin’s spread. Great bud Mike Rush, residing literally across the street from ND in Eddy Commons, hosted a group of us. Also camping with MR were Bill Loftus, in town from Gold River CA, still dabbling in successful real estate endeavors. Also Dr. Bob Lombardo, retired on Long Island from his GI practice; and Nightlighter extraordinaire Tony Andrea, still doing entertainment/sports management while enjoying life in southern VT. John Blum, now retired in South Bend following a productive career, including a long stint with the SBA in St. Louis, also hung with our group. John’s active in Sacred Heart Parish and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Ctr. We laughed a lot and toasted many of you. Class Pres. Cap Gagnon prevailed upon his extraordinary network to arrange an entertaining agenda. We heard from Gia Kavaratskhelia, highly successful ND fencing coach, who has won more national championships than Knute Rockne – four. Also regaling us was Prof. Ed Hums ’75, a 14-year professor of various aspects of accountancy in the Mendoza College of Business. Ed has been recognized with numerous awards for teaching excellence and he and his wife Shirley serve as ND’s first faculty-in-residence, residing in Lyons Hall since ’13. Bob Nagle, top-tier toastmaster and the voice of ND women’s basketball, was superbly entertaining. Tim Prister, formerly with Blue & Gold and now Sr. Ed. of Irish Illustrated, discussed numerous aspects of the ND athletic program. Jim Lefebvre, founder and Ex. Dir. of the Knute Rockne Society, noted author and contributing columnist with Blue & Gold, shared unique perspectives. Mike Brown ’01, the “gold standard” and considered by many to be the “greatest” of ND Leprechauns, described his experience serving as the Fighting Irish mascot, and what it takes to do it at the highest level. Cap’s connections are remarkable and made for a special time. We did provide very modest honoraria from the class treasury to the speakers. Delighted to have seen Bonnie and Jim Walsh, in from Walnut Creek CA; visited with Mike Hannigan, active in the mortgage business in Indy; spoke with Jim Starshak, all the way in from his law practice in HI; and saw Ray Flynn from South Bend, who has been helpful with so many of our past reunions. Good conversations with Tom Eagen from Cinci, Joe Marino from Rochester NY and Jim Egan from Oak Brook IL. Also registered were Howard Dooley, Jim Murray, Al Augustine, Bob Seaman, Jim Donahue, Mike Boone, Tim Cullen, Dick Frey and Bill Oberkampf. I was in Edinburgh, Scotland in July proudly wearing my ND hat, which evoked a number of Go Irish comments from fellow pedestrians. Class website guru Jack Gerken couldn’t make our mini-reunion due to family graduations, but continues his superb effort keeping us connected. You should join the 357 of us currently registered (1966undclass.org). Our class necrology is now at 291, out of the 1,300+ who graduated. Speaking of which, more sad news. Bob Riviello passed away in June at home in Centreville VA under hospice care. Bob was a career military officer and later a consultant, and a good friend and fellow ROTC bud with Brother Rush. Jim Hayden passed away in late January following a three-year battle with leukemia. Jim forged a successful career in the ad business, initially in NYC and later in LA. Extremely creative, Jim wrote 37 screen plays and a couple of books. Among his ad clients were PanAm, Mattel, American Express, Dollywood and Paramount Pictures. A memorial service for Jim was slated for Aug. 5 in Shepherd MI. Barry Barth reported that Dave Worland died suddenly in May in Raleigh after suffering from Alzheimers. Deane Planeaux, an early close friend of Dave’s, added condolences. Word that Len Belcore passed in Chicago in April following a successful medical and business career, after a struggle with cancer. Please consider giving to the Pete Duranko Fund this year. And join me in gratitude for the wonderful blessing of our affiliation with Our Lady’s University. Be well, aim high, keep moving and stay in front of the train! Go Irish! — Tom Sullivan; 1090 Shore Road, Unit 14, Pocasset MA 02559; cell 773-454-4343; t66sullynd@gmail.com
66JD Most Productive Classmate Award
Once again, Al McKenna wins a column award. By virtue of he and Windy producing six children (five daughters and one son), and their progeny producing 15 grandchildren (eight granddaughters and seven grandsons) and a great-granddaughter, soon to be one year old, the McKenna’s have clearly outdistanced the rest of us. Family members are in CA, CO, DC, GA, OH, and NE, and boast of six ND grads, and one granddaughter entering her junior year. Two daughters and one granddaughter run marathons, but Al reports that unlike Tom Harvey, the farthest he has run was to catch a bus once. Al’s most memorable law school moments include witnessing the O’Meara/Roche hallway encounter and observing the Dean warming up his pink Thunderbird for 10 minutes (as stated in the owner’s manual), despite the vehicle being several years old. Now it’s your turn to send news or information on your favorite law school memories. At least your classmates will know you are above ground and vertical. Hey, no news and no stories mean no column. Stay well. — Scott Maxwell; 2781 Siena Lakes Circle, Unit 2444, Naples FL 34109; cell 215-920-0616; ndscotty@gmail.com
67 55th Reunion
Angelo Schiralli informed us that Allen Sack was one of many speakers at the inaugural Allen Sack Symposium May 19 at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Advancing Integrity in College Sports. Part of the symposium’s purpose is to focus on reforms in college sports that congress can facilitate as many bills address these issues. Allen solicited $2,000 sponsorship tables from John Lium and many other ’66 teammates. John Alston has moved to St Petersburg FL after a 46-year career as a child psychiatrist in Evergreen CO. Following graduation, John went to Tulane medical school and stayed in New Orleans to complete his residency, then moved to San Francisco to do a fellowship in child psychiatry at the U of California. Upon completion of the fellowship, John traveled the western United States in a VW camper for four months before settling in Evergreen CO. John has a son in St Pete who is a pilot and was interested in getting together with Karl Gustke who also resides in St Pete and a retired United Airlines pilot. John let us also know that classmate John Horvath passed away in June and at the end of the service, John’s daughter led the assembly in the singing of our Alma Mater. Mel Bachmier has lived in San Francisco and has finally retired from a long career in information technology and now spends his time as Board President of Pocket Opera, a local opera company in San Francisco. Mel wants to shout out to all his former band buddies. Diego Tamayo and Foster Goodwin both wrote about attending the 50-year club reunion and our 55th in June. Diego writes that a group of five close friends from student days got together at reunion: LuAnn Papile and Dan Behles are living in Los Ranchos NM doing part time legal work. Tom Peeters from Barrington Hill IL recently retired as an ER doctor in multiple hospitals in the Chicago area. Ned Stuart lives in Houston with his wife Kathy and is still doing part time chemical work. Peggy and Bill White were there from Pensacola FL. Diego’s wife Dennie ’68SMC joined the group for the reunion. All started out with pizza at Rocco’s, sharing many memories including escapades at Lyons, Morrissey, Sanford-Keenan and attending the ’66 Michigan State game in East Lansing. The group of five met up with Foster Godwin of Chattanooga TN and Tom Malone of Tucson AZ. All agreed they would encourage the class to meet again in three years rather than the customary five. They reported that 17 members of our class were registered for the 2022 reunion. Please write. — Bert R. Bondi; 1891 Curtis St., Unit 1502, Denver CO 80202; bertrbondi@gmail.com
67JD Getting Together
Our 55th Reunion is being planned for the weekend of Sept. 24-25. It will be a less formal affair than earlier reunions; no ties or jackets necessary and a buffet, rather than a served meal but a golden opportunity to see old friends. Give Jim Olson (574) 250-9295, jimnanmish@aol.com, a call. Sean Keenan writes that he’s attending. The saddest part of this job is to pass on news of the death of one of our classmates. Dave Holmes passed away in June, after a prolonged illness. He was a local kid, born and bred in Indiana, and practiced his whole legal career almost within the shadow of ND. For most of his career, he was the Prosecuting Attorney for Marshall County and Town Attorney for Bremen IN. He enjoyed fishing, playing practical jokes, and loving his wife Janice for the past 58 years. They had three children, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild and another on the way. At our age, I know it shouldn’t come as a shock; one of our classmates passing. But that doesn’t lessen the sadness. God Bless and may he rest in peace. Tony Luber retired on June 30 from his position as a public defender in St. Joseph County IN. He’s lost count of the number of clients and even the number of murder trials in which he’s been involved. But we can be sure that every one of those clients received the absolute best defense possible. Tony is going to spend some time catching up on the things that “she who must be obeyed” suggests be done around the house. He prays that God’s blessing accompanies each of his classmates. Carol and Dick Muench will be attending our Reunion and are looking forward to it. Their grandson Jack graduated from Cornell in May with a degree in the Fine Arts program. His ambition is to get into the screenwriting industry and hopes to learn the business from the ground up. Since the Cubs are working their way toward a very high draft pick, Lynn and Ted Sinars decided to trek to Europe. In early September, they will start in Scotland, travel through England’s lake country then to Wales and back to London, Stonehenge, and Bath. Each of these regions speak a form of our language so he views it as a chance to help them understand some Chicagoese — dis, dat, dose, and dem. They will return in time for our 55th reunion. The Hargroves and Verteranos will cruise this Fall, separately, through some of the rivers in France. John Nelson has taken leave as Colorado’s Uber volunteer to help his wife through some medical issues. We wish them well. As our Class litany of ailments unfolds, Dave Kamm added a detached retina followed by the development of a relatively rare, macular hole, which affects the central vision. It has required two surgeries and the extent of recovery is uncertain, but he remains upbeat. Frank Cihlar had four roles in a production of The Radium Girls in Winchester VA. He is currently appearing in a production of the musical 1776. In July, he took a three-week trip to Canada, including the Maritime Provinces. He works with a personal trainer on lifting weights and reducing his waistline. — Jim Heinhold; 1200 Carmel Lane, New Bern NC 28562; res 252-638-5913; im4irish@aol.com
68 Sun, Rain and Reading
Mixed this year with the sunny advent of the spring season so popular with winter-weary Notre Dame students was the gloom of losing two friends. Wayne Micek, a member of the large group who came to our class from Fenwick High School in Oak Park IL, died May 11 after suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. Wayne and Jackie parented a son, Adam ’96 and daughter ’92SMC. Certainly, Wayne was rich with friends: Steve Sullivan and Rich Falvey sent Jackie’s address (837 Chancel Circle, Glen Ellyn IL 60137), Joe Hale remembered an Army game enjoyment, Tom Culcasi kept Wayne’s network informed, and multiple checking-in notes arrived from Mike Moore and Rich Falvey along with a John Walsh memory of the friendship that began at age 14 as Fenwick freshmen. Then on the first day of summer, the illness that had begun troubling Dennis Toolan last year took him. A Vietnam veteran and Purdue U MBA after Notre Dame, Dennis had a banking career that seldom could conflict with chances to be at class gatherings of any size. Following the death of his wife, Geraldine, Dennis met and married Mary Lou Deane, a union that produced family ties with stadium-sized collections of their eight children plus myriad cousins, grandchildren, and in-laws. Like Wayne Micek, Dennis came to Notre Dame from Fenwick High School. Chicago classmates gathered in force at the funerals. Rich Carter’s death in February 2022 reminded Jerry Murray of the video Jim Stoffel organized for Rich’s benefit when his health prevented him from attending a reunion: https://youtu.be/R47Ip6T5m9Y. Longing for traditional re-connections, too, classmates have plans. In South Bend, Fred Ferlic, Chris Murphy, Gene Cavanaugh, Steve Anderson and others are joining Class President Tom Weyer in organizing a 55th reunion as part of the full Notre Dame reunion in June 2023. Walt Moxham and Tom Brislin have already booked their accommodations. Denny Emanuel and Nancy will make their Las Vegas home a party location Sunday, Oct. 9 the day following the BYU game; the Emanuel’s request RSVPs with numbers of guests. Another reunion, Oct. 20-23, will take place in Alexandria VA; this one emerged from a reminiscence about the fine time a somewhat Observer-centric group had years ago while attending the wedding of Megan Schwartz, daughter of Maureen and Jay Walsh McAtee. Information is available from Tom Figel, tfigel@reputecture.com. The party Dave Graves hosted in Ft. Lauderdale FL during January had fewer guests but probably the same decibel level: Dave celebrated the birthday of Richard and Neil Rogers. Bob Brady will be attending reunions in the company of Kathleen; Jeff Keyes officiated at Bob and Kathleen Reis Callahan’s commitment ceremony April 29. A phone conversation with him confirms that Tom McKenna’s minor stroke-induced problems with speech are nicely solved: he is back at full throttle and just as opinionated. And in the San Diego area, Mike Burgener’s knee problems, too, are past, the good health evident to anyone who tries to beat him at ferocious pickleball. While Paul Ramsey deliberates his own reunion plans, he and his partner Richard Coburn have an offer for anyone who contributes $1000 or more to one of their two charities: a week at their condo in Mexico or their condo in Morocco. In Mexico, Paul and Richard started Friends of Puerto Aventuras and in India, The India Group, both dedicated to education. With COVID disrupting normal programs and, in addition, closing government schools, the charities are returning to in-person instruction in Mexico and have found tutors for more than 40 Indian students. Please send news and photographs to Tom Figel. — Tom Figel; 455 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach CA 90802; 312-241-7917; tfigel@reputecture.com
68JD Go Irish
In our last edition, I noted that Sue Scripp broke her wrist in 13 places as she tried to move a “damned door.” John Scripp did not respond to my inquiry as to why he did not assist his wife in moving the door. On the positive side, Ernie Abate noted that he would be receiving from the Hospital Board a Leadership Award based upon his many years of service. Ernie shared with us his pride over the years in having the Governor and the Attorney General as former members of his firm. While Ernie spent four months this winter in Naples golfing, etc., he still continues to practice and maintains a pretty good work schedule serving his clients. I shared with Tom Curtin that I purchased tickets for ND night in St. Louis and had the pleasure of sitting at the table with our new football coach. I advised Tom that the new coach, “is charming and should sell ND.” In response, Tom provided a photograph of Pete King and Tom speaking with our new coach. As to my characterization of “charming” Tom responded, “so was Gerry Faust.” Tom has brought up the subject of having a 55-year reunion in 2023. The warm weather away games are Navy on Aug. 26 and Wake Forest on Oct. 28, 2023. Tom assures me that we should be able to obtain rooms for those dates. My wife “Saint Suzanne” has announced her willingness to attend either game. Since there have been a limited number of responses to my request for information, I am still representing management in labor and litigation matters for our firm. After my clerkship with a Federal District Court Judge in St. Louis, I was the 21st attorney hired by our firm, and we now exceed 150 lawyers with offices in St. Louis and Chicago. In my career, I served on our firm’s board of directors and finance committee for many years, and also served on several for-profit and not-for-profit institutions. Suzanne and I celebrated our 50th anniversary on April 5 – my best decision! We have two sons and four grandchildren, all under the age of eight. Please remember in your prayers our deceased classmates, including John Amerman, Emilio Belluomini, John Burgess, Albert Dudash, Richard Hirsch, Joseph Ladd, Tom Kapacinskas, Steve Madonna, Larry Miller, Michael Williamson, Jack Sandner and Robert Wilczek. Please let me hear from you with regard to any information that you wish to share with the class. — Dennis G. Collins; 2203 Derby Way, St. Louis MO 63131; bus 314-516-2648; dgc@greensfelder.com
69 Four Classmates’ Contributions
In April, Ellen and Charlie Sheedy made a leadership gift for the Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise and Society to “endow an innovative new program that will offer specialized coursework, programming and resources for undergraduate students interested in finding a deeper meaning in the practice of business through liberal arts.” In May, ND Trustee Jay Jordan was just the second recipient of the Hesburgh-Stephan Medal at the University’s 2022 commencement for his “uncommon and exemplary contributions to the governance and mission of Notre Dame,” since 1993. After 51 years — 41 at Notre Dame — Louis MacKenzie, whom Mary McGreevy ’89 referred to as “our legendary French professor” in the Summer 2022 Issue, retired from teaching. In attendance at his retirement/birthday celebration: his wife, Jo Ann Grima MacKenzie ’69SMC, Kathy and Kevin Gallagher, and Maria and Mike Powers. Mike wowed the guests with his mastery of close-up magic. Mike Cerre hosted a Notre Dame Senior Alumni Memorial Day video program about four ND fallen Korea and Vietnam servicemen: George Heidkamp ’52 remembering Marine 2nd Lt. Walter “Bud” Butler Jr. ’52 and Marine 2nd Lt. Robert Herlihy ’52; James O’Rourke ’68 remembering AF Capt. Joseph Smith ’67; and Maureen Cook Kozak remembering her father, Air Force Col. Kelly Cook ’44, a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Col. Cook was the classmate of nine ’69ers’ fathers: Joseph Fieweger ’44 — Tom Fieweger; John Hickey ’44, ’47 — John Hickey Jr. “Mike” Malloy Jr. ’44 — James “Mike” Malloy III; William O’Connor ’44 — Tom O’Connor; John O’Hara ’44 — John O’Hara Jr.; John O’Rourke ’44—John O’Rourke; Francis Stumpf ’44 — Francis “Chip” Stumpf Jr.; Omer Sturm ’44 — John Sturm; William Waldron Jr. ’44 — Bill Waldron. Four Farley Bros — Larry Pezanko, Gary Rimlinger, Greg Ryder, and Chip Stumpf—held a mini-reunion in Gary’s hometown of Buffalo NY. Diane and Steve Kavalauskas, Kathy Larkin Hickey ’71SMC, and I covered 2,008 miles in 18 days while visiting six national and other parks in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Dave Heskin and Mike Karowski toured northern Italy for nine days with an NDAA travel group. Linda and Don “Jake” Jacobson celebrated their 50th anniversary. Gene Hammond traveled from Long Island to Saratoga Springs NY to visit and play golf with Hub Miller. Herb Kaler donated his 1966 Mardi Gras program to the ND Archives. In June, Diane and Jack Coath, Bill Hurd, Jack LeFevour, Dave Sim, and Fr. John Sheehan attended Reunion 2022. Bill Hurd was a reunion panelist for the “Forum on Systemic Inclusion.” Five ’69ers celebrated a joint 75th birthday party at Long Beach (IN) Country Club: Jeannie and Jim Burke, Samantha and Bill Dwyer, Susan and George Keeley, Sue and Bernie McDonald, and Mary and John O’Rourke. Laura Merritt Bird ’96, daughter of Dan Merritt, published her first book, Crossing the Pressure Line. While visiting two grandchildren in Brooklyn NY, my wife and I attended their last day of school and met one of their teachers — Claire Benner, daughter of Cheryl and Dean Benner. In July, Patty (Hanna) ’69SMC and Mike McCauley celebrated their 50th anniversary. Deaths: Larry Bright, March 12 in Palm Springs CA; Steve Michel, May 1 in Bluffton SC; Jeff Davis, June 1 in Southern CA; Dick Nicolosi, June 24 in Ponte Vedra FL; Clem Carroll, June 28 in Trail Creek IN; and Bob Search, June 28 in Allamuchy NJ. Joe Ackerman ’47MS, ’49PhD, age 100, father of Gregg ’69, Robert ’71, and Mark ’76, died July 8 in Ft. Thomas KY. Our condolences to their family and friends. Requiescant in pace. Stay healthy, and God bless. — John Hickey; jphjr47@hotmail.com; notredameclassof1969blog.blogspot.com
69MBA Class Secretary — Bob Dowdell;
31625 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach CA 92651; 714-381-6104; bobdowdell55@gmail.com
69JD On the Move
I am sad to report that Tom Bonner died. He had just moved from the city to Connecticut. Rose and Jim Barba are finally “coming out” after staying at home to avoid the COVID virus. They are in Chatham on Cape Cod with his daughter and her family to avoid the heat of New York. I received a call from Nick Trogan who told me that he and Judy are moving to Austin TX. Nick said he will miss the beauty of northern Michigan, but it will be nice to be near his children and grandchildren. Ever spry on his feet, Nick is looking forward to learning the two step. Dave Prior found time between his Dog Network News blog to run in a charity event, The Falmouth Road Race at Cape Cod, to raise funds in memory of a good friend who died of cancer. George Ball continues his mission work in Indonesia. George and I will have time to catch up when we have lunch on his stop over on his return trip. The readership of The Saga continues to grow, most recently by JC Coyle ’68JD and Pete King ’68JD. JC took a pass on lunch with Joe Kennedy, Joe Frantin and Rich Cerbone ’70JD in NYC. The two Joes will catch up with me in Chicago for the Marshall game and lunch with Tim McLaughlin before the game. I will not let Joe Frantin have control of the car windows on the drive to and from South Bend. The Scott Atwell Celebration of a Great Life took place on July 28 at Cielo at Castle Pines which is located on Happy Canyon Road (where else). — Jim Starshak; 889 Kaohe Place, Honolulu HI 96825-1314; res 808-395-0443, cell 808-778-4033; starman@hawaii.rr.com