1970s
1970s
70 Save the Date
As “Senior Alumni,” our class joins yearly reunions (save the date June 2-4, 2023) and stays at the Morris Inn. Extra June events included Rev. Bill Miscamble, CSC, ’77 speaking at the Sycamore Trust breakfast. Bill Brejcha retired as an Army Judge Advocate with the 101st Airborne and Chicago’s 33rd Brigade, continuing work as a motor carrier lawyer in Chicago. Married for 40 years to another “South Sider,” Cindy Dillon, they have two sons and two granddaughters. Jim de Arrieta was named to Northern Nevada’s all time high school football team as punter. A graduate of Lowry HS in Winnemucca, he won 10 letters in football, basketball, and track and field. An all-state quarterback and all-state basketball player, he held the conference record in shot put. Now the president of De Arrieta Insurance in Carson City, he and Jay Standring were able to visit with teammate John Gasser last summer in Reno. Rev. Patrick Gaffney, CSC, is Vice Chancellor of Notre Dame University Bangladesh. Paul G. Gill Jr. has edited and published his father’s memoirs Armageddon in the Arctic Ocean. Paul Gill Sr., who enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps at age 15 in 1935, rode freight trains across the country with his brother during the depression in search of work in 1938, and participated as a Merchant Marine in a convoy battle on the Arctic Ocean in 1942. Jane and John Monnich joined Pat and me for our member-guest golf tournament in June. Although we didn’t win, some of our individual shots were quite impressive. John is wrapping up his law practice in Detroit. Coincidentally, the chairman of the department of Internal Medicine at Southern Illinois U School of Medicine, until he moved to Springfield, belonged to the same Detroit Golf Club as John. A fellow class secretary sent me a column from the Aug. 18, 1998 Bergen County (NJ) Record, authored by our late classmate Mike Celizic, in which he urged Bill Clinton not to resign, lest Al Gore succeed him. His wishes were granted, and Mike went on to a lively career as a television commentator. He also wrote seven books, including The Biggest Game of All: Notre Dame, Michigan State and the Fall of 1966. Mike passed away on Sept. 22, 2010 and was survived by his wife Margaret and four children. Lisa and Kevin Kennedy celebrated their 24th anniversary this summer. He retired in 2013 after 35 years with Flair Communications. Before Flair, he worked at M & M / Mars (the candy company). Since retirement, he and Lisa have attended White Sox, Cub, and especially ND home games. Fred Nachtwey specializes in sleep medicine in Berkeley, but was able to stay awake to watch his Warriors beat the Celtics for the NBA Championship in June. Dave Stumm’s granddaughter is a math major at ND ’24, with a grandson and granddaughter in the class of 2026. They have cousins in the class of 2023 and 2024. Tom Sclafani died on Dec. 30, 2021, survived by children Damian ’07 and Danielle ’08 of New York. Dan Paddick died on Dec. 21, 2021, survived by his brother John ’69, in Binghamton NY. Jack Leonard died on March 25, survived by his wife Constance, in Needham MA and three children. Mike Kendall died on April 17. A Triple Domer (’73JD, ’74MA), he is survived by his wife Teresa in Jasper IN and three children, including Michaela ’96. Bill Middendorf died Feb. 10, survived by his wife Ellen in Chicago, and three children, including Beth ’97. Dave Bachtel (also ’88MBA) died on Feb. 25, survived by his wife Donna in South Bend and three children. Hope to see you at a game this Fall. — Don Graham; 1901 S Glenwood, Springfield IL 62704; 217-652-1560; fever1@me.com
70MBA Class Secretary — John Carroll;
4315 Alta Drive, Apt. 1301, Suwanee GA 30024; 404-281-6524; johnrcarroll@outlook.com
70JD A Really Long Trial
Autumn has arrived and the fall colors here in Western NY are spectacular. While you think about your favorite locale for autumn leaves, let me share with you some recent updates from fellow classmates. After law school, Flossie and John L’Estrange settled in San Diego where they raised their two children, Ellen and David. They have been blessed with five grandchildren. John clerked for a federal district court judge before joining a firm specializing in antitrust litigation. He tried cases all over the country and holds the record for the longest civil jury trial in San Diego history. It lasted two years. Several years ago, he and another attorney opened their own office and as of four years ago he is Of Counsel. Although he is semi-retired, he continues to handle ADR matters for the American Arbitration Association. John is a Double Domer, having completed his bachelor’s degree at ND in Dec.’63. Shortly thereafter, he was commissioned a USMC Second Lieut. He spent three plus years on active duty with the Marines, including a tour in Vietnam, before returning to ND for his legal studies. John loves the San Diego area where he has renewed many undergrad friendships through the local ND alumni club. Last winter, Nancy and Joe Kane met up with Marie and Ken Iverson in Coral Gables FL for a five day get together. The weather was great and the company even better. Pat Doherty writes from Oregon that he recently had a pacemaker installed and that all is well. Pat sends his best to all. With sadness, I report that Paul Cole ’71JD passed away on May 20. Born and raised in Alabama, Paul was a graduate of Talladega College. He began law school with us in ’67 and left at one point to serve on active duty in the USMC Reserves. After law school, he joined the Corporate Office of General Counsel for Mobil Oil Corp. and later relocated to Virginia where he eventually completed his legal career with ExxonMobil. Over the years, he found time to provide pro bono work for the Legal Aid Society of NYC and to coach Special Olympics’ teams. Paul retired a few years ago and is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia, and sons, Byron and Cedrick. Upon learning of Paul’s death from Sterling Spainhour, I called Pat and extended condolences to her on behalf of our class. Please remember Paul and his family in your prayers. Gerry Bambrick’s law school days with us were also interrupted for a while as he served overseas with the US Army. He returned to graduate in ’72. In further support of the saying “it’s a small world” Gerry notes that in the summer of ’04 his son, Thomas, and Jamie Cawley’s daughter, Katie, were in a teacher training program together in Memphis. Gerry and Jamie caught up with one another when they met at a fundraiser in which both Tom and Katie were involved. Jack Slimm recently defended a law professor in a civil action alleging the unauthorized practice of law. The defense was successful and the case was reported in the NJ Law Journal. Maureen and Don Schuering attended their grandson’s graduation from ND in May. In August, Dee Dee and Jack Van De North wished their granddaughter well as she began her freshman year of studies under The Golden Dome. Tom Sopko, Joe Leahy and I hope to see all of you on campus the last weekend in October as we celebrate our 50th Reunion Plus Two. Until next time, stay well. Go Irish. — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com
71 Spring Visits
Chem Engineers, Bill Muno, Jim Zeller, Lou Fontana and William de Talance, designed their own mini reunion on campus. Bill and Jim came from Chicago, Lou from Aliquippa PA and William from Boulogne-Billancourt France, a suburb of Paris. Their itinerary included a visit to Cedar Grove Cemetery, the final resting place of noted Chem Prof. Emil T Hoffman, lunch at the Morris Inn, a stop at the Basilica to remember deceased classmates, and a guided tour of the current Chemical Engineering Labs in Stinson-Remick and Fitzpatrick/Cushing Halls. Chem Engineering Prof. Victoria Goodrich PhD ’11, Engineering 2022 Teacher of the Year, volunteered as their guide. Lou gets to campus frequently with Steve Luzik, Coraopolis PA, a fellow engineer. Jim makes most football games unless Oktoberfest in Munich interferes. Bill has not been on campus in a couple of decades, and this was William’s first trip back since graduation. David M Johnson from Arlington VA passed away in March. A native of Chicago, a resident of Zahm, and a sociology major, David also had a graduate degree in sociology from the U of Connecticut, and a law degree from Fordham. He worked in DC for associations with a focus on higher education and the US Dept. of Education. Condolences to his wife, Barbara Taylor. The annual Hinga-Kelly golf outing was renamed the Hinga-Kelly-Kondrla Open after Mike’s passing last December. This year’s event was held the first week of June at Juday Creek northeast of campus. Many participants stayed at St. Joe Farm, ND’s original food source, now privately owned with two huge barns converted for rooms and event spaces — ideal for family/group gatherings and weddings. Organizer Bob Neidert drove the beer cart. Golfers included co-organizer Bill Barz, chef Tom Eaton, and Mike Kelly, Frank Bossu, Jim Trapp, Jack Samar, Jim MacDonald, Rich Thomann, Jim Yoder, Gary Kos, Ed Grenda, Craig Stark, Mike Cotter, Tim O’Connor and Chuck Nightingale. Prof. John Gaski had a scheduling conflict but was on the first tee to visit and lead off with the inaugural shot, straight down the fairway (at least his mulligan was). Non-golfers Tom Sinnott and Dickie Johnson toured campus. Ed drove from Tucson, and picked Gary up in Austin for the first part of his journey. After golfing, he continued east to West Virginia for a month-long visit with family and friends. It must have been one ugly gas bill for the trip back to Tucson. George Molnar retired after a long career as chief engineer at WNDU. He was a regular at many ND baseball games this spring. Another complete team, solid pitching, hit for power, excellent at the lost art of bunting, could steal a base when needed, with solid defense. They were fun to watch, right up to Omaha. Tony Jeselnik of Pittsburgh continues to enjoy lawyering and is still active in the legal vineyard. For the past 50 years, the reunion format is quite simple: sign up for any year that appeals to you. Going forward, I suspect we will attempt to arrange some informal gatherings on campus that first weekend in June, but this will be a work in process. It will involve more individual creativity from the ground up versus the structured planning and scheduling from the top down. Suggestions are always welcome. Remember the class page under the Alumni Association umbrella is still active, for photos, etc. under Andy Dotterweich’s guidance. Weather permitting, there will be tailgates in the backyard, with delayed starts for night games. Cheers! — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 571-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com
71MBA RIP Gray Walts
Condolences to Terry Walts on the passing of Gray, his wife of 53 years, and good friend of all of our classmates. A small world story to provide one highlight of Gray’s life: Doug Sinclair has lived in the Atlanta area for many years and recognized from Gray’s obit that his daughter attended the same high school that Gray taught at for many years. Doug checked with Deirdre, who vividly remembered Gray as her favorite teacher. Terry is planning a trip to Chicago in August and plans a side trip to WI to meet with Robbie (Parker) ’71MA and Jim Fackelman and Andi and John Vaughan. Terry’s son, Cameron, stopped by to visit with Mary Jo and Todd Helmeke, when vacationing in ID recently. Robbie (Parker) Fackelman is proud to be a recipient of the Sorin Award for pioneering the introduction of women into the ND alumni family. Helena and Tony Strati are planning another road trip from NM to the Midwest to visit with family and friends. — 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, Suite 1202, Chicago IL 60603; 312-857-2114; bdunigan@duniganlaw.com
72 The June Reunion
Our class was fortunate in not having our 50th postponed due to COVID like the Classes of 1970 and 1971. 1,493 graduated in May 1972. 190 are deceased. 239 attended the Reunion. The class gift was $14.4 million (counting all donations in the past five years). The golf outing arranged by Tom Davis had 59 players. Quentin Sturm, Jack Frencho, Dan Phelps and Mike Ramstack won with a score of 67, four under par. Rev. Tom McDermott, CSC, celebrated the Mass for the 50 Year Club. Tom is serving in Bangladesh. Before that, he served in Uganda. The Mass happened to be for the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions of Uganda. The speaker for the Friday class dinner was Lou Nanni ’84 and for the Saturday class dinner was Ron Powlus ’97. There will be much more about the Reunion, but ten classmates died in the months leading up to it. James Wittling passed away in Oct. 2021. He had gone to Innsbruck. He had worked as a family therapist in South Bend and asked for no obituary. Timothy P. Gilday of Cincinnati passed Dec. 19. His wife Diane and four children survive. He was a Vietnam War Army veteran. Buz Imhoff passed Feb. 1 also in Cincinnati. On campus, he had been president of Badin and on the baseball team. He is survived by his wife Judy (Lammers) ’72SMC and their two daughters. In October 2021, they attended the Chicago wedding of a son of Steve Grazzini, who retired near Phoenix from his accounting career. On the same trip, they visited with Vicki Welp ’72SMC and her husband Joe Grossestreuer. Robert S. Howley Jr. passed away on Feb. 13. He is survived by his wife Nancy and their three children. He had come to ND from Vermilion (Ohio) High School. He served in the senate from Badin Hall and belonged to the Sailing and Ski Clubs. At graduation, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. He subsequently worked as a manufacturer’s representative in Columbus. Tom Patton died March 16. He was a senator from Flanner Hall, a history major, active in CILA. In the ’80s he pursued a career in theater in California, later returning to Ohio and worked in community theater. Jack Kenny passed on March 24. He came to ND from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, Buffalo. After graduation, he obtained a master’s degree in education from SUNY Buffalo State and then returned in 1973 to St. Joseph’s to teach English, retiring in 2010. He was an adjunct professor at Canisius College through spring 2020. Two months before his death, he and his wife Nancy had celebrated their 50th anniversary. He is survived by his wife and their daughter. Daniel E. Shephard passed away on April 23. He and his brother Steve came to ND from Delphos OH. He lived in Morrissey his first year and then Dillon. Dan majored in physics. After Owens Corning closed his shop, he worked in financial planning and wrote on golf history. He is survived by his wife Marsha, their three children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Edward P. Orlowski passed away on April 21. He obtained his medical degree from Indiana U and worked in Salem OR in the fields of oncology and hematology. He lived in Zahm and belonged to the Sailing Club. He is survived by his wife Jane and their two children. Vincent A. Deguc died on April 29. He is survived by his wife Beverly and their two daughters. He had worked as an attorney in Beaverton OR. On campus, he had been active in Young Americans for Freedom, Young Democrats, and the Knights of Columbus. Pat O’Bryan died on May 14 after being bedridden with cancer for two years. He came to ND from Loyola Academy, Wilmette IL. He was active in the Glee Club. He worked in the field of Catholic social action in Cleveland and Chicago. He is survived by his wife Marlene, his son, and two stepchildren. Daniel J. Price passed on May 18. Living in Keenan Hall, he came to ND as an Air Force brat and had a ROTC scholarship. He swam for ND and obtained a master’s from Miami U of Ohio, working in the computer industry in San Antonio, Mobile, and Austin. In 2004, he retired from industry and began teaching English at Texas State U. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu
72MBA You Missed a Good One
Despite a somewhat disappointing (at least to me) turnout, our 50th Reunion in early June was a wonderful weekend. I may have been disappointed in the numbers, but not at all in the classmates who were in attendance. My roommates Olivier Couturier and Bill Effler were there as was our good friend John Fonseca. Bill’s wife, Sue, and my daughter, Clare, also joined in the festivities. The four old guys were inducted into the 50 Year Club on Saturday evening, which was also my birthday, and all of us spent the weekend enjoying good food, liquid refreshments, visiting old and new sights on the campus, and, most of all, seeing each other again and sharing a half century’s worth of stories. To top it all off, the weather for the three days was as nice as I ever remember in South Bend. I have some reunion photos available, so let me know if you would like them sent to you. A number of you, I know, were already members of the 50 Year Club as Notre Dame undergraduates but all of us are now eligible and, as such, are invited to the reunion every year. Between now and next Spring, I would really like to hear from any of you who might want to get a group together for Reunion 2023. And, of course, I always hope to hear what you have been up to. Although I’m writing this in the heat of July, you won’t hear from me again until January. So, I’d like to wish all of you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving, a Blessed Christmas, and a glorious New Year. Until that new year, God bless us. — Alex McLellan; 913-991-0944; irish72mba@gmail.com
72JD More Sad News
Unfortunately, I have little but bad news to report on our class. On Oct. 6, 2021, Dennis Tushla passed away. Dennis practiced law in Dowagiac (Cass County), MI for more than 40 years before retiring. In addition to his love of the practice of law, Dennis was a thespian with the Beckwith Theater (including a role as Atticus Finch, the central figure of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird), an amateur poet, a fisherman and a lifelong sports fan, especially a Notre Dame fan, as Dennis was a Double Domer. He is survived by two children, Lara and David Tushla. Also, on May 25, we lost Joe Murray, who died unexpectedly after retiring from the practice of law. Joe was among a group of LaSalle College (now University) graduates who joined the ’72 law class. After graduating from Notre Dame Law School, Joe returned to Philadelphia, where he began a long career with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. He held several supervisory positions with the District Attorney’s Office during his career, including becoming Chief of the Homicide Unit at the age of 29. After leaving the District Attorney’s Office, Joe practiced for more than 30 years with a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia, and was widely regarded for his skills in the personal injury arena. He was a member of the Notre Dame Law Review during our time at ND Law. Joe is survived by his wife, Betty Jo, and his children Michael F.X. Murray (born during our years at ND) and Kristin Nash. Our prayers go out to his family. The mailbag has been somewhat thin of late, so please reach out and let me know how you are doing. I’d love to include some happy news in my next column. Be well and safe. — Chris Schraff; 1881 Marble Cliff Crossing Ct., Columbus OH 43204; 614-227-2097; cschraff@porterwright.com
73 Reunion Time is Here
Only three editions of the magazine left before our 50th Reunion on June 1-4, 2023. Class President Jim Hunt is organizing a committee to make certain that this Reunion is one of the best of all time! If you would like to serve on the Reunion Committee, please contact Jim Hunt at jhunt@jhuntholdings.com or 703-338-6414 or myself. More information will be forthcoming either in the magazine or on the Class website. I spoke earlier this year with Jerry Fitzgerald, who is retired residing in beautiful Colorado. Jerry has had four children graduate from Notre Dame and has played golf extensively in Ireland and Scotland. Jerry worked at KMPG and then for a gas company in Denver. On the side, he owned a Dairy Queen franchise for 26 years. Jerry has been to Joliet to see the very first Dairy Queen location and is a big fan of Route 66! Good to hear from John Mowbray, still practicing law in Las Vegas. I love to receive his notes of times gone by in the wild west world of Nevada. John has been one of the most highly sought-after attorneys in Nevada for many years and personally did legal work for the State’s most recognized resident, Howard Hughes. He looks forward to entertaining classmates at the BYU game at their internationally acclaimed Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas. John was one of the original founders. Dennis Wall is still busy moderating a confidentiality webinar in February and a few days later presenting a paper on the constitutionality of public access to judicial records. One of the fun things about an upcoming Reunion is that I get to personally speak with classmates planning to come to the Reunion. Robin Beran reports that he and his wife are traveling extensively and are enjoying retirement in Texas. I am looking forward to seeing Robin. I also had some nice discussions with Carmen (“Mac”) Maciariello. Many of you will remember Mac as the chief bouncer at the senior bar in addition to his responsibilities as President of Fisher Hall. Mac retired after forty-two years at Merrill Lynch. His good friend in Fisher, Bernie Carleton, resides in The Villages in Florida. Bernie is enjoying the good life following his career at JPMorgan Trust in New York. Unfortunately, I have two deaths to report. Thomas Degnan sent me the obituary for Peter Makarewicz who passed away on July 4. He retired in 2009 after a thirty-two-year professional career at Eastman Kodak and Roman Haas. Interesting enough, Peter discovered the health benefits of boxing at a later age. Tyrone Robinson reported on the passing of Curtis Wilson. Curt was a senior vice president in wealth management for UBS Financial Services in Philadelphia and was a key member of the Loyola U (Maryland) University Board of Trustees. He is survived by his three children. His earlier career included a lengthy engagement at Goldman Sachs. Does anyone know any person in our Class who participated in the Vietnam War? If so, could you please contact me? I cannot overemphasize the suggestion to attend our 50th Reunion next June. Whether you came back to the campus a year ago or haven’t been back since graduation, you will be positively amazed at its transformation. Please contact your friends and urge them to be in attendance. Always keep the news coming. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; cell 815-212-3661; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com
73MBA Reunion Date Set
Moving on to our 50th Anniversary Celebration: Save the Date. Our 50th class reunion is set for August 24-27, 2023 on campus. Chuck Arentowicz (charles.arentowicz@verizon.net), Tim Geoghegan, (timmyg620@gmail.com) and Michael Gormley (michaeljgormley@yahoo.com) are planning for this very special event and you may have already seen some emails from them. If not, send Tim your email address as this is the only way you will hear about the reunion details other than from a classmate. The campus will be the focus for the weekend’s activities with a number of rooms set aside for us at the Morris Inn. The Fighting Irish are away in Ireland on Aug. 26 and the plan is for us to catch that game together via a game watch in a special private room on campus. Sadly, a number of our classmates have passed: Bill Bartles, Dave Bodkin, Gerald Blouin, Chuck Patterson, Bill Clifford, Bill Imparato, Phil Hegedus, Greg Kessel, Dick Pflaum, Jim Kearney, Winston Latham, Albert Celio, Tim Taylor, Joe McDonough, Tom Walsh, Fred Tamke, Hal Johnson, and Henri Heroux. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. John Blum tells us he visited Europe where his granddaughter finished the second semester of her junior year (Xavier U) in Lyon, France. He went with his son and daughter-in-law. They toured southern France and then Loire Valley castles then Paris for four days. They then flew to Budapest, then Vienna, then Prague and Berlin. They finished up back in Paris. It is a trip he will never forget that included 11 days with his only granddaughter touring Europe. He also attended his ND undergrad 55th reunion in June. Gene Schraeder shares that he is not yet retired. Ellen does not want him home every day. He just celebrated his 44th year in the industry helping clients. He has been with Wells Fargo Advisors ever since A G Edwards was absorbed into them several years ago. He is looking forward to our 50th. He might have another gathering in SC in addition to our larger 50th on campus. His wife plays golf three times a week and he sneaks out once or twice, but the club head speed has dissipated over the years. His health is still good. Gus Brown writes he is looking forward to our Anniversary Issue of the Notre Dame Magazine. Unfortunately, with COVID going around, not much is changing for them in Kankakee. No travels. He is just working around the house. His vigilance is continuing. His family, as a whole, is doing well. I look forward to the responses from all our classmates over the next two years to capture your legacy message in this column. Please send me your responses and updated email addresses. If you have not written in sometime, please share your legacy stories with us. I look forward to hearing from you soon. You are always welcome to visit us in So Cal. — Thomas Jindra; tajindra@charter.net
73JD News and a Reunion to Plan
Unfortunately, I have to report the passing of two of our classmates since the last report: Jim Viventi and Mike Kendall. Jim, from Grand Rapids MI, a Double Domer (Class of ’69), passed away on Feb. 22 in East Lansing after a hard battle with Parkinson’s. Jim and his wife of 44 years, Carol, raised two daughters, Jane and Katie, in Okemos MI. His career reflected his interest in labor law and politics. Most of his practice appears to be as an individual practitioner, and he was appointed to several employment benefit boards and related positions by both Republican and Democratic Governors of Michigan. I read a couple of his decisions and I know they would have made “The Chief” proud. He was published in the Wayne Law Review and served as a visiting professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Mike Kendall was a Triple Domer (’70BA, ’73JD and ’74MA in History). He was from Jasper IN where he developed a love of books (his library at home reportedly contains 8,000 books) and music (a member of the Notre Dame Jazz Band—and if you are interested there is a short, undated, video of Mike playing the drums posted online). He served a stint as a Congressional Aide before he returned to Jasper to open a practice which he maintained until 1990 when he moved it to Indianapolis where he focused on Civil Rights, Employment and Environmental Law. He was very active in various progressive and political causes, including as President of Common Cause Indiana from 1988 to 1992. He partnered with his wife, Teresa, in many of these activities and in 2018 they retired back to Jasper. In addition to Teresa, he is survived by three children – Michaela, Sean and Caelan – and three grandchildren. Our deepest sympathies to both the Viventi and Kendall families. Note, our 50th is coming up next May. I checked with the Alumni Office, and law classes have been holding reunions in the fall of their graduation year, in our case that is obviously 2023. I don’t know what the appetite is, but I am now officially seeking help and ideas. The Alumni Office said to contact them in November of this year to get the ball rolling. — Paul Reagan; 16527 Heron Coach Way, Ft. Meyers FL 33908; cell 847-915-9796; pvreagan@gmail.com
74 Impressive Class – Yes, We Are!
I love it when I hear from classmates after many decades of not writing. Let’s begin: A collective 70th birthday celebration occurred this past April at the New Orleans French Quarter Festival, partiers included: Karen and Clifford “Kip” Anderson, who is a superior court judge in Santa Barbara. Corito Tolentino MD and Vince Burke MD are enjoying Silicon Valley radiologist retirement. Theresa Dellamano and John Hessler ’71 also joined the revelers. Theresa is still nursing psychiatric patients. Kevin Finan also attended as did Deborah and Jim Fischer. Jim is still litigating throughout the Central Valley. Ray Funk was their scout who scoped out the festival in advance of others attending. Although Ray is semi-retired, he often is found in Alaska judging interesting cases. Kate and Mike Graham also attended. Mike is heavily involved in Catholic building projects and finally sold his engineering firm. Mike Mackey and his wife Karen Taphorn along with Mike Graham planned the NOLA tour. Mike McQuestion, who kindly scribed this excursion to me, and his wife Liliana Mangredi MD also enjoyed the party. Mike organizes peer review panels at NIH. They raised a glass to their spiritual leader Kurt Bottjer who has left them too early in life. In mid-June, Jim Hynan organized a mini-reunion in the suburbs to have some fun with classmates. In attendance were Tim Creighton, Judy and Russ Dodge, Murph and Gary Janko, Sheila and Tom Hansen, Anne (Cisle) and Steve Murray, Carolyn and Kurt Heinz and Bob O’Hara. Conversations included the good old days, the famous 1973 Football Championship, grandchildren, and vacations. John Moran wrote to say that his long-standing friend and freshman roommate passed away due to COVID along with his wife days later. Ray Boris was a true Domer and his presence will be sorely missed. On a different note, I took a two-week vacation, which hasn’t happened ever, and flew to Venice with some fun Chicago friends for a few days and then went on the luxury Ponant French cruise liner stopping at various stops in Croatia down the Adriatic and ending in Athens, Greece. Thinking of antics, one can’t end without a bit of 2022 POG highlights. Although Jim (“Whales”) Whalen provided me with two typed pages of notes! I’ll provide some now and some in the winter. John (“Trimble”) Trampe received the prestigious ART award for 2022. Frank (“just Frank?”) Murnane: Classic drive of 140 yards. Grumpy Frank complained about not enough pizzas. They introduced soft boiled eggs to the Farm Boy. Jim (“Chill or Coach”) Cahill ham and egging his way to several scramble golf wins. Tom (“Big T”) Ross reduced his morning breakfast to three beers, intermingled with bottles of water, video betting on horse races, winning a grand $2.15, and wore sandals with golf cleats! Jerry (“El Presidente”) Samaniego was co-winner as the rookie of the year and asks who wears plastic u-wear? Tom (“Pipe,” the best co-chair) Torretti had a poor selection of peanut butter and the M&Ms caused a riot. Bob (“Hett”) Hettinger, best friends with Ms. Brooklyn, required assistance from El Presidente to access the house late at night. Tom (“Jenks, Tommy, or Scibbers”) Jenkins had two birdie putts on opening day. He went to the wrong house on arrival. Greg Szatko was hampered by a bad elbow from paddleball, and arrived in a Fred Flintstone car with his plastic toys. Bob (“Meatball”) Camino took lots of naps, had loud CPAP noises, and helped Frank put on his shoes. Tim (“Tuber”) McCarron doesn’t like M&Ms and acquired a new nickname, “Green Acre.” Applause to Dr. Pat (“Pinko”) McGrath on the biggest win in POG history on opening day. Piano will provide the scripts and group rates for the Betty Ford Clinic, and keeps aiming to keep the boys healthy with his fruit for breakfast. Bob (“Rollo”) Cleary has returned to the debauchery and the POG men, and Jeff (“Hokey”) Hart joined Cleary and claimed his official DJ duties once again. Keep in mind, at our 50th reunion, there is a quiz on these names and aliases! Thanks to all for writing, keep it up: — Dede Lohle Simon; 440 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago; dedersimon@gmail.com
74MBA CASA and Myrtle Beach
Tom Mangan writes that, after retirement, he continues to volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). In case you do not know about CASA, it is a national program that works with children placed in the foster care system. Usually, the children are victims of abuse, violence, or abandonment. County judges must decide the fate of these children. CASA ensures that the juvenile courts get all of the information needed to make decisions in the best interests of the children. Tom has been doing this for 14 years. We salute the efforts of CASA, and especially, Tom, for his continued efforts to make a real difference in the futures of these children. I continue to communicate regularly with classmates Charlie Lanktree and Randy Marks. Charlie recently retired from Eggland’s Best where he worked for 32 years. He and his wife, Donna, live in Hammock Beach FL, but also maintain a residence in Morris Plains NJ. Charlie reports that retirement is treating him well – more golf, more leisure time in Florida, and more time to visit with the grandchildren. Randy, on the other hand, reports that he and wife, Sandy, just purchased a new washer and dryer! Puzzling, indeed! My guess is that Randy just likes to see his name in print! Helen and I are off to Myrtle Beach for our annual vacation with immediate family. This year, there will be 20 of the Hill-Burnett clan making the trip. As we have been doing for about the last 15-20 years, we have rented a large house on the ocean with a pool. It is large enough to accommodate our family comfortably. There will be plenty of time at the beach and around the pool. It will be a great time to catch up, especially with our children, who, as you know from dealing with your own families, lead very busy lives always running to their children’s games, concerts, recitals, meets, etc. Last bit of news: our oldest grandchild is getting married in September! That will be a different experience. It has left Helen and I feeling a little older than we realized. “Time marches on,” “the cycle of life,” etc. You get the idea. That is all of the news for now. As always, I would like to hear from you. All it takes is an email or phone call to let me know what you are doing in your continuing work environment or in retirement. Your classmates would like to hear from you. I hope this column finds everyone healthy and happy. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net
74JD Rest in Peace, Jack
Clark Arrington shared the sad news that Jack Fitzmaurice passed away in May 2021. Jack practiced in his firm Fitzmaurice & Demergian in the San Diego area. Mike O’Connell will serve his fourth full term as the Jefferson County Attorney in the Louisville Metro Government. Mike won the Democratic primary handily with 59% of the vote. His two opponents received 21% and 20% of the vote respectively. He does not have an opponent in the general election. Mike has served as a District Judge and a Circuit Judge. He was also a successful mediator. Mike and Ellen live in Louisville as do their children and grandchildren. Their daughter, Annie, is a sitting Circuit Judge. Stay well, all. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com
75 Dreamin’ of Jeanne
Jeanne Murphy of Sarasota attended the women’s reunion on campus in early June. She says the biggest event was the gala dinner on Thursday night, which nearly filled the Joyce Center. The big news was the change in the lyrics of the “Victory March” to now include “Daughters.” Many women from our initial classes had been lobbying for this change for years now and it was made official that night. There were many female classmates from ’75 in attendance. A big thanks to Jamie Decio for organizing Wednesday’s group dinner and cocktails. Other classmates included: Marlene Zloza, Trish Moore, Mary Christensen Mahoney, Becky Griffin Lutkus, Tawny Ryan Nelb, Michele Packard, Mary Sweet Paladino, Evelyn Mongovan Pape, Cathy Uhl Stock and Susan Quinn Walsh, among others. It was also fun catching up with the gals from the classes of 1973, 1974 and 1976. Jeanne also reports that Vicky Vach Hazle is enjoying retirement life in Venice FL. Cornelius (Neal) Brown writes from Deerfield IL, outside of Chicago, that he plans to attend the Marshall game in September along with his wife, four children and three granddaughters, Emme, Olivia and Avery. He is hoping for reunions with classmates Scott Sandrock, Dennis Hurley and Don Schnuerfeil. Contact Neal at nbrown@cohonraizes.com. In late April, three classmates attended the NDAA Leadership Conference for alumni club leaders on campus: Tom Skiba of NW Indiana, George Valadie of Tennessee, and Norm Bower from the Quad Cities. It included three days of good ideas, networking, and nostalgia, plus sessions with University President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, ’76, ’78MA, Dolly Duffy ’84, Marcus Freeman and Jack Swarbrick ’76. Time well spent! Please continue to send me your news. Thanks! — Norm Bower; 3946 Fernwood Ave., Davenport IA 52807; 563-349-0469; normbower@mchsi.com
75MBA Class Secretary — Jim Ouimet;
215-862-3080; jimouimet@comcast.net
75JD Autumn Notes
Sadly, we lost two colleagues. Gail Gerebenics built a stellar legal career, later retiring to Naples FL. She passed away last April. In a class email exchange, Bob Weaver reminded us that Gail was among the dozen or so lawyers from our class who began careers in Washington DC after graduation. Early on, she was at the US Commission on Civil Rights before transitioning to private practice. She later served at the General Accounting Office and the Office of General Counsel at the Office of Personnel Management. In June, Phillip Morse lost his courageous battle with cancer. For years, he practiced in St. Charles MO following a decade with the government, mostly as a federal prosecutor. Getting into NDLS was an act of perseverance on Phil’s part. In his law office, hanging next to his diploma was a letter from the law school denying his admission, a letter signed by the same dean who later signed his diploma. Godspeed to Gail and Phil. Marilyn “Mary” Mancusi ’23JD is the latest recipient of the Peter A.R. Lardy Scholarship Award. Her legal career began as a secretary at Baker McKenzie in Chicago while she worked on an associate’s degree. Later, at Governor’s State University, she completed undergraduate requirements through online and evening courses; from there, she made her way to NDLS. She is the 46th recipient of the award. Our fondest wishes to Mary and previous recipients. It figures Paul Fortino, a Navy guy, would still be around water. I stumbled onto a fascinating article by The Freshwater Trust about our classmate, now its longest serving board member. TFT is the nation’s oldest water trust, and works with others to develop water management strategies. Paul, an avid steelhead fisherman, made a legacy gift to TFT that will benefit future generations. His legal career was a blend of military and private practice. Upon graduation following Naval Justice School, he was assigned to try cases in the Northern Pacific on both sides of military courts martial. In 1978, he was tapped to be the Executive Assistant to the Navy JAG in Washington DC. It would have been a great career move, but the prospect of living in DC for the rest of his career was not enticing. When his obligated service expired, he was selected for Commander but decided to go into private practice in Seattle. Three years after joining Perkins Coie, he was asked to open a Portland office. For over 40 years, he tried cases, and in 2015, he spent four months in two trials, back-to-back where over half a billion dollars were at issue. When those cases concluded, he hung up his gun belt and retired. Along the way, he was elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. A highlight of his career was being selected to be the Regent of the College for the Northwest. Carol and Paul have two children, both Domers, both married to Domers, and five grandchildren. While they still have a home in Portland, they live an hour away in White Salmon WA on – you guessed it – the White Salmon River. For history buffs, it has been fifty years since Thomas L. Shaffer ’61JD noted in his “Dean’s Desk” report that Dennis Owens won $1,400 in prizes in NYC on Jeopardy, and that Lt. Commander Gareth L. Anderson, brother of Alan Anderson, was among the POWs returning from Hanoi. Gareth subsequently lost his life in 1976 in a Navy training flight. Alan died in 2015. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com
76 Perseverance Pays Off
The golden glow of coeducation lit up the campus in early June. The celebration placed the Class of 76 front and center as University President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, ’76, ’78MA called on Shayla Keough Rumely to unveil the improved fight song lyrics to conclude the gala! We’ve been singing “loyal sons and daughters” for 50 years, but the official change was sweet. Shayla is a member of the Board of Trustees and one of six lay members of the Board of Fellows. The attorney and former newspaper publisher serves on numerous non-profit boards and lives in Atlanta with her husband John. The events included a panel on the early years of coeducation featuring Betsy Kall Brosnan and Augie Grace. Debi Dell and Darlene Connelly ’77 drew lots of stories from the overflow crowd at their session on the social history of coeducation at ND. Before we formed the human “50” on the football field, Jeanine Sterling inspired us at breakfast, reminding us of the perseverance of those first 365 undergraduate women. Several male classmates celebrated with additional 1976 pioneers: Ellen Syburg Bartel, Donna Losurdo Beaudet, Sally Naxera Benson, Jane Frank Brady, Pat Burke, Geraldine Burke-Sanchez, Donna Crowley Campbell, Mary Clemency, Becky Banasiak Code, Kathy Gallogly Cox, Laura Dodge, Jill Donnelly, Wendy Duffey, Susan Flanagan, Barb Gowan, Mary Ann Grabavoy Heaven, Mary Beth Hagan, Sharon Zelinski Haverstock, Ann Hawkins, Ginny Curlee Koenig, Rosemary Tirinnanzi Lesser, Cathy Matthews, Kit McCarthy, Betsy Bernard McCorry, Andi Smith Moree, Marianne O’Connor, Ellen Pike, Ceyl Prinster, Mary Anne Kennedy Reilly, Maryanne Ries Rogers, Mary Dondanville Rooney, Christie Sever, Betsy Short, Shelley Muller Simon, Maggie Smith, Ellen Ross Sobczak, Jan Vokoun Starck, Patti Stough, Susan Schoenherr Stratta, and Jessie Verna. We missed Denise Crowley Brenner who was celebrating the birth of her sixth grandchild, Ford David Somogyi, son of Marie (Brenner) ’08 and Jason Somogyi. In March, Ceyl Prinster, CEO of Colorado Enterprise Fund, was named to the Federal Reserve Board’s Community Advisory Council, a diverse group of consumer, workforce, and community development organizations who provide recommendations to the Board. Post-reunion, Shayla, Mary Dondanville Rooney, Mary Ann Grabavoy Heaven, Maryrose Hawkins Mulvey, Sue Schoenherr Stratta, and Ginny Curlee Koenig gathered again, at the wedding of Ellen (Ross) and Mark Sobczak’s daughter in Chicago. We mourn the loss of more classmates. Robyn Smith Hammond died in Wheeling WV following a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She is survived by sons Michael, Andrew, and David. Kenneth Kreski MD practiced internal medicine for three decades and served as a medical director for several nursing homes in the St. Louis area. He passed away in Tucson AZ and is survived by sons Patrick and Matthew. Frank Rutkowski played football at ND and graduated with a B.S in Electrical Engineering. He is survived by his wife, two children, four stepchildren, and 12 grandchildren. Navy veteran Paul Cassani passed away in San Diego in May after battling an aggressive cancer for over a year. Steve Pettit’s accomplished career spanned 40 years and five continents, beginning as an associate in a Wall Street law firm and concluding as CEO of a real estate investment fund. He died of heart failure earlier this year, and his wife Ann, son Drew, and daughter Lori survive him. Thoroughbred owner and racehorse aficionado Al Roehl died in Lexington KY after a brief illness. His marketing career included a stint with Leo Burnett and founding The Neuro-Fitness Center in 2019. His wife Jan survives along with children Jeff, Melanie, Tyler, and Christopher, stepchildren Sarah and Alex, and four grandchildren. Send news by October 15 for the winter issue. — Shelley Muller Simon; 573-268-3690; ssimon823@gmail.com
76MBA Send News
It is hard to produce our class column without any news. I want to thank those that have sent news. Please consider sending some news. Text me if it is easier. I hope when you read this that ND Football is off to a good start. I trust everyone and their families are well. Thank you for allowing me to be your class secretary. God Bless. — Mike Norris; text 248-330-5366; norris1021@comcast.net
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 Spectacular Reunion 45
Special thanks to the Class of ’77! Reunion 45 was a spectacular weekend of friendship and good cheer! One classmate summed it up perfectly: “I haven’t laughed and smiled so much in a long time!” Kudos to the hard work of the Reunion Committees, to Class President, Rob Tully, Class VP, Darlene Connolly, Class Treasurer, Bob Blanck, countless unsung classmates, and our wonderful ND team of Event Planners. Our Reunion dorm, Flaherty Hall, is the 1st dorm named for a woman, Mary Hesburgh Flaherty ’79. On Thursday, the 50th Anniversary of Coeducation celebrations and Gala Dinner were held in The Joyce Center, inspiring performance by singer Amy Grant, and speeches by emcee Anne Thompson ’79 of NBC News, Cindy Parseghian ’76, University Trustee, among speakers onstage with University President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, ’76, ’78MA and a pre-recorded appearance by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ’75MA. It ended with the official change of the Fight Song to include “Sons and Daughters.” Our Class of ’77 Reunion kicked off with a welcome reception and continued with a Celebrity Golf Classic Friday chaired by Dan McCarty (special thanks to Dan’s wife, Jane, who donated many hours!) with his committee, Pat Cathey, Cindy Buescher Parseghian and Mike Parseghian, Nick Winnike, John Veihmeyer, Bill Walsh, Donald Bishop, Tom William, also thanks to Kyle Veltri, Head Pro at the Warren Golf Course. Great fun, and a successful auction raising proceeds for APMRF as well. A beautiful Class Mass was presided over by Rev. Jim Foster, CSC, chaired by Kevin Shortelle with his committee, Janet Carney O’Brien (Liturgy Aid) Ellen Naylor, Deb Ellsworth, Elaine Cerny, Gayla Molinelli, Karen Armstrong, Marianne Harris, Nick Winnike, Brian Lopina, lector, and Choir, Tom Lacny, Argery Cooke, Jan Rackish Robertson and Ellen Naylor. Thanks to Professor Emeritus William Cerny for once again playing the flute, accompanied by pianist Tom Farwell. Friday’s Class Dinner at Downes Club featured speeches by NDAA President Dolly Duffy ’84, Rob Tully, comedy by Dom Fanuele who does spot-on imitations of legendary ND coaches, and musical performances by our ’77 jazz musicians John Steinman, Bill Boris, Jim Catalano, and Darrell Tidaback. Rob Tully, recalling ’77’s Senior Class Trip to the ND-USC game, announced an upcoming Class Trip to Rome, the Vatican, the Shamrock Series in Dublin, and possible side trips, being organized now with help from Mike Grady and Anthony Travel. It was lovely to meet old and new friends all weekend. Many capped off the night at the hospitality tent outside our dorm, Flaherty Hall, or inside its comfy lounge spaces all weekend, or in the lobby where we admired the storyboard posters featuring our four undergraduate years created by Bridget O’Donnell Provenzano. Our thanks to Bob Blanck and Jay Pittas for organizing the hospitality tent staff and provisions for the weekend, with help from Mike Santillo, Bill Walsh and Rob Tully. The Fr. Ted Said program on Saturday at DeBartolo featured stories from alumnae, including Carolyn Short ’77, ’80JD. Following All Classes Mass and the Sorin Award to The Alumnae of Notre Dame at the Class Dinner Saturday at Foley’s, Cindy Parseghian spoke about the tremendous progress at APMRF to find a cure for NPC, which also impacts research on related cholesterol illnesses, and viruses such as Ebola and COVID, thanking everyone who donated, for their tremendous generosity. Jay Pittas and Class VP Darlene Palma Connelly helped enliven the fundraising. Just after Reunion, and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the University announced it will celebrate the passionate group of women who competed for Notre Dame during the first five years of coeducation (1972-77), paving the way for the success of the University’s current women’s varsity programs, and the founding of the Women’s Athletic Association, by awarding more than 250 honorary monograms, many of which will go to women of ’77. Sue (Fitzpatrick) and Lou Drago shared they had a great time visiting with many old friends, enclosing a photo that has become a bit of tradition with Mike Parseghian, Lou Drago, Bill Jacobitz, Kevin Shortelle in front of the Golden Dome. Joe Wells and Jeff Armstrong placed 3rd and 4th respectively in the 65-69 age group in the Sunburst 5k held Reunion weekend. Jeff Vitter shared the news that the Alumni Hall quartet of Gregg Strollo, Doug Ogburn, Dave Young, and Jeff Vitter won 1st place in the ND Reunion Golf Scramble at the Warren Golf Course, assisted by caddy Mike Squillace. Some classmates attending Reunion like Paula and Kevin Butler hosted friends at their nearby homes: Joe Connelly, Bob Yurkovich, Jack Hanzel, Mary Ellen and Bob Kastenholz, Kathy and Jerry Zuzolo, Bob Maday, and Martha and Jorge Lopez. We lost Vincent Cuzzolini, George Madaras and George Gulyas, rest in peace. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; res 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu
77MBA A Busy Summer
It was a busy early summer. Three days prior to the start of trial, I settled a case resulting from a high-speed police pursuit in 2017 of three minority teenagers after a retail clothing theft. I represented the mother and the estate of a 15-year-old passenger who died when the pursued vehicle hit another vehicle and slammed into a traffic light pole. William T. Gibbs ’97 represented the other plaintiff, a young man who suffered paralyzing injuries from the impact collision. The two cases were consolidated for trial. So much has happened in this country that we, the plaintiffs’ attorneys, repeatedly discussed the social issues involved, jury selection and whether jurors today would put aside bias. With an open schedule in late May, I drove to North Platte NE to visit a dear friend dying from cancer. He is a third-generation cattle rancher. We spent a Saturday morning on horseback “pushing” 240 cows and calves to summer pastures in the Sand Hills region. For 15 years, I have joined him and other ranchers for spring calf brandings and fall roundups. I bring my saddle and there is always a horse for me. I have been told that I’m entitled to wear a cowboy hat when I am with them. I just spoke with Steve Sturtz. He is ready to retell stories with Steve Bossu. Sturtz recalls a special moment they shared at the Grotto. Steve is waiting for a return call from Peter Abate. I was passing through Bettendorf IA recently and recalled some good times with Larry Bush. Hope all are well. — Alan J. Fisher; alan@churchfisherlaw.com
77JD Looking Forward to 50th
With reunions disrupted by COVID, our class had a very small showing on campus in June with Pat and Mike Cotter, Gina Wilkinson, Georgi and Archie Blake, and Carolyn and Greg Garber attending. Unfortunately, I was there at the wrong time and missed them. ND has shifted to October reunions for Law School alumni and I am already working with the Law School alumni rep to make plans, including plans for a special event to connect with ’77 classmates, well in advance of the next reunion. I would love to hear your ideas and any volunteers for a reunion committee would be welcomed. Pat and Mike are doing well in retirement. They both work on various non-profit boards and volunteer for Montana Legal Services. Greg is retired and living in Fort Collins CO. He spent the first part of his career focused on construction litigation and the second half in environmental engineering, environmental regulation, and the business of solid waste. Archie still presides as senior judge in mental health and drug courts. Susan Buller retired within the last few months from her position as Principal Strategic Analyst at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. She and her husband Geoffrey Elliot, who still live in San Francisco, recently celebrated the marriage of their daughter Jessica. Bob Connolly, who has several books to his credit, is launching his latest, Remembering Grammie Murphy, as a tribute to his grandmother who emigrated to the US in 1901, exactly 100 years before Bob made his way back to Ireland. Bob and Pamela are back to traveling with a cruise out of Barbados, an anniversary trip to Nice, where Bob enjoyed the opportunity to brush up on his French, and plan to do a fall trip to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Estonia. The Connolly family will attend a reunion at the Irish Festival in Milwaukee. Interestingly, that is the site of the largest Irish festival in the world. Bob and Pamela are also open to showing visiting classmates around Dublin. Marianne and Paul Smith ’76, who joined the ranks of travelers, recently returned from a three-week trip to Europe, including a cruise down the Rhine River, and they are planning an extended stay in France in the fall. Larry and I also decided it was time to reschedule the COVID-canceled river cruise from Paris to Normandy. The delay gave me time to study French at the local Forever Learning Institute where classes are offered for “seniors.” I am wrapping things up at work with plans to hit the road with our golden retriever puppy to see the sights and to visit friends and family. — Janey Bennett; 50850 Tarrington Way, Granger IN 46530; 574-298-9251; bus 574-243-4100; jbennett@maylorber.com
78 The Class with Class
Greetings fellow members of “the class with class!” I trust you all enjoyed your summer, and that your thoughts now turn to hayrides, pumpkin carving, and of course, football! Remember to let me know if you attend a game and send me all the details! Now to the news! Lyssa (O’Neill) MacCaughey hosted several former classmates in her beautiful home in Winchester MA. Alicia Denefe, Sheila (Pfister) Padden and Dee (Korz) Kilduff ’78SMC had a wonderful time touring the nearby coast of Maine as well as a thorough tour of Boston. Missing from our fun group was Peggy (Calhoun) Appleby ’78SMC. This reunion was particularly special as all of us were part of the Study Abroad Program in Innsbruck, Austria (1975-76). One of the highlights of the weekend get-together was watching the movie Hesburgh. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth watching. Get out your tissues! Here’s to good friends! Jack Sacco travelled to Israel as a guest of the Israeli government to be a keynote speaker at the World Holocaust Museum. He was fortunate to be given a VIP tour of the country. Jack claims “it was a fantastic trip.” His book, Where the Birds Never Sing, is being produced as a major motion picture. Also, the Atlanta Pops Orchestra performed a concert of Jack’s music in May. The concert received a standing ovation from the audience. Other orchestras around the country are now planning performances of his music. Alumni Hall pride, Jack! Ted Robinson was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his long career in sports broadcasting. His wife, Mary, and the family were there to celebrate the honor as Ted was handed his award by famed ND adversary Bill Walton. Nace Mullen swam with the sharks again in San Francisco Bay when participating in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon where he finished 3rd in his age group. On hand to celebrate in North Beach were Danny Romano, Joe Carmarda and Don Smail. Don also visited the midwest to promote his new Irish cheese business, with a stop in Chicago to visit Jeff Carpenter and Danny Romano, and enjoy a bowling night with Chris Crnkovich. Don also made a stop in Milwaukee to visit Carlos Gutierrez and enjoy some Wisconsin seafood and karaoke. While back on campus for the California game, Don hosted a pre-game lakeside wine tasting. Doing some early sipping were Rosemary and Steve Durant, Lisa Maglio Brown ’78SMC, and Jim “Souls” Coyne. “Disco” Tony Crudele and Mike Reda attended the ND baseball games in the college World Series in Omaha. In June, Jim “Boobie” Clarke and Nace Mullen spoke to Jim “Souls” Coyne’s classes at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield PA. They spoke of careers and life skills, and the students gave them both high marks! Jimmy “Dunne-Bar” Dunne did some golfing across the pond in July. The courses included Sunningdale, St. George’s Hill, Walton Heath, and Gannon. Fore! Jim “Souls” Coyne and Steve Thomas reconnected over breakfast in Philadelphia in July. Steve works with a non-profit group in Minneapolis, and was in the city on work related matters. Also visiting the City of Brotherly Love in June were Bruce Martin and Tim Zweber. The guys were in town for a convention and found time to have a cold beverage at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, one of the longest running continuously operating taverns in the city. Our fearless leader, Pat Flynn was in Alaska in July. Why doesn’t that surprise me? Pat schooled me about baked Alaska. He told me it originated in New York City. Have you had some, John Coyne? — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com
78MBA Tough News
Normally, I am always encouraging classmates to send along any news that they have. This time, however, the news was not welcomed. Connie (Abrashoff) Bentzen and Bert Kujovsky wrote of the passing of Bill Schenk in April. Bill had developed ALS and died from a sudden fall. Bill had remained in the Pittsburgh area since graduation as personal wealth manager. In addition to his business degrees from Fordham and Notre Dame, Bill had also received a degree in drug and alcohol counseling. Bill was about to pursue a fourth degree in forestry management when he was struck with ALS. RIP, Bill. When talking with Connie, she mentioned that this fall she and her husband Craig Bentzen were making plans to move to the Chicago area to be closer to their family, especially their grandchildren. I hope everything went smoothly. I am still in the library business and enjoying it…especially all the free books that publishers send along. I’m never at a loss for something good to read! That’s probably one of the reasons I’m still working! Do get in touch! I’d like to have some good news to report the next time. — 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 Retirement Plans
On May 1, John Ruhl retired from his position as a judge at the King County (Seattle) Superior Court. Before being appointed to the bench in April 2014, John had been a member of the law firm of Ryan, Swanson, & Cleveland, PLLC, in Seattle. He served as president of the King County Bar Association and as a member of the King County Bar Foundation. He also was the founding president and served for 25 years as a board member of the Dispute Resolution Center of King County. John said that his great experience at NDLS was “excellent preparation for his legal career.” John and his wife, Melanie, are looking forward to new adventures, including spending more time with their three children and four (soon to be six!) grandchildren. Linda Kottis wrote: “Nick and I are making up for travel delays due to the COVID shutdown. We spent two weeks in Egypt in March and are looking forward to a three-week trip around the world by jet in the Fall.” Tom Quinn shared this news: “I retired from practice about 18 months ago after 42 years, including clerking, 19 years of (primarily insurance defense) litigation, 14 years in-house with a major disability carrier, and eight years as an AAG in Maine. Enjoyed it all, but it was time to step away. I bought a holiday house in the West of Ireland in 2015, so we are looking forward to resuming our usual June/September visits after some COVID havoc. For the last decade or so, I have happily enjoyed an annual football weekend hosted by, primarily, Mike Barry, first in Chicago and more recently at his retirement abode in Cassopolis MI, just 30 minutes from the campus. There is a revolving cast of participants, including Kevin Short, Mark Brand, Bill Hayes, Dave Cofrin, Brian O’Shea, Barney & Kitty Karol, and Mike Riley, with and without significant others. Happy, as well, to run into others on campus, including Vince Spohn and Jerry Mowbray. The football contingent had planned on the ND vs. Navy game in Dublin in 2020; it looks like 2023 might be a go. For myself, I have a lovely companion of 20+ years, a passel of seven kids/step kids scattered from Maine to Taiwan (our oldest, Maghan, whom some might dimly recall toddling around the law school lounge), New Orleans, Boulder, (sometimes) Cape Town, DC, and Brooklyn, along with five grandkids. Life is good, and we are grateful for the gift that is every day. I hope all is well with you and yours. Happy to hear from any lost classmates at tomquinn526@gmail.com.” Patrick A. Salvi is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his law firm, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, which opened its doors in Waukegan IL in 1982 and “has since gone on to become one of the most recognizable and top-ranked firms in Illinois, recovering more than $1.5 billion for injured individuals and their families.” I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of Jim Varga’s new book: Tombs of Little Egypt: A Novel, and contributed this blurb to the back cover: “In a style evocative of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, … Tombs of Little Egypt tackles a timeless array of personal and professional moral issues. Set in The South, and told from the perspective of a small-town sheriff, the novel offers an engaging plot punctuated by commonsense and uncommon wisdom. Until the very end, there is uncertainty about whether a small community can do justice to strangers accused of hideous crimes.” — Vincent R. Johnson; 210-431-2131; vjohnson@stmarytx.edu
79 ND Sisterhood
Joan (Chohrek) and Bill Mileski ’79 live in Galveston where Joan is a professor and head of the Maritime Business Administration Department at Texas A&M, which has the top-ranked master’s program in maritime business. She earned a PhD in international management at the U of Texas at Dallas and after graduation taught at Houston Baptist U, where she received the University’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Bill is a doctor and leads the trauma center at the U of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In March, Kevin Mosier hosted a reunion with five of his Dillon roommates in Parsons KS where Kevin is an orthopedic surgeon. Dave Marchiori, Senior VP for Walsh Construction in Chicago; Gary Metzler, a consultant in Dallas; John Cimino, a cardiologist in Omaha; Tom Schreder, a chiropractor in Lancaster PA; and Jay Rafter, a retired IP lawyer from Stoel Rives and now angel investor in Portland OR celebrated with golf, wine, shooting, stories, and a river fishing trip where they caught the elusive paddlefish. They missed Chicagoan Pat Donley. Ralph Sees took an eight-day, four-stadium MLB tour through the southwest attending five games, including an Angels game with Patty (Trippe) ’80SMC and Hal Brand, for whose wedding he was a groomsman 40 years ago. Hal maintains an accounting practice in southern CA and Patty is a retired nurse. Ralph is twice-retired from the Army and from Penn State where he was an associate professor teaching supply chain management. He now lives in Broomfield CO, where he grew up. He travels to see his girls and their families in Shakopee MN and Tokoroa New Zealand. Becky, the New Zealand resident, graduated from ND in 2012. Brian Ward, who lives in CT, went on a three-week sailing trip from Long Island to Bermuda with two other people. Even without the benefit of the Webb telescope, he was able to appreciate the beauty of the night sky and the vastness of the universe. Sue Scribner Mirza lives in Greenwich CT with her partner, Peter Murphy. She and her family inaugurated the first endowed chair in Muslim Thought and Societies in the Keough School of Global Affairs in recognition of her late husband, Muzzi. Sue is on the Keough School Advisory Council with Tom Duffy. She keeps in touch with her wild women of Walsh sisters Mary Corbett, Mary (Wombacher) Hoffman, Sheila (Coogan) Caminiti, and Jeni Joy Madden. Her youngest son, Sean, will be a freshman at Notre Dame this year and a third generation Domer, starting with Sue’s dad, Howard Scribner ’53. Mary Shukis Behler, Anne Bever, Ruth Hohl Borger, Mary Uhl Brooks, Val Stefani Cahill, Lisa Caponigri, Diane DeCenso, Kathie Fitzpatrick Donohue, Ann Joyce Eiden, Cathy Kelly, Fran Evans Krefels, Anne Cordesman Maxfield, Maura O’Malley McDonald, Rosanne Pozsgai Molenda, Germaine Jarosz Mulhern, Anne Muller O’Connor, Julie Rittenhouse, Anne Thompson, and Mary Moore Topping represented our class at the celebration of 50 years of undergraduate women. Congratulations to the large number of these women who participated in yoga in the Stadium at 6:30 a.m. A number of our classmates will be honored as pioneers of women’s athletics when they receive honorary monograms this fall. — Barbara A. Langhenry; res 216-651-8962; 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