1940s

40 Class Secretary — Rebecca Smith;

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

 

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

804 Jersey Ave., Spring Lake NJ 07762; 646-246-5480; megjulian@gmail.com

 

42 A Glass of Cheer to You

2022 commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Class of ’42 when they graduated in May 1942. These are the graduates who went from the classroom to the air, sea, and land battlefields of WWII. Taken from the VE Day 75th anniversary poem by Belinda Morris, it’s also fitting for the Class of ’42: “We thank you, we salute you, you gave your hearts, your souls, your all, to keep us safe and well. Your gracious strength and sacrifice in our hearts will always dwell. The battlefield fell silent, the war was won for you and me. Our heroes heard the bugle call, and we were all set free. It brought us all together and standing hand in hand, uniting in freedom to rebuild our land. You gave us love and strength to help us pave the way to make our world a better place and to give us our today. Because of you, we’re stronger. You filled us all with hope. No matter what is thrown our way you have taught us how to cope. Thank you doesn’t seem enough, considering the gratitude you’re due. Today we raise a glass of cheer and smile as we remember you.” Happy 80th anniversary to the Class of ’42, on earth and in heaven. — Ann Schanuel; annjolene2@aol.com

 

43 Class Secretary — A. Robert Masters ’05;

1906 E. Madison St., South Bend IN 46617; res 574-904-8315; bus 574-234-0121; armasters@nfmlaw.com

 

44 An Irish Friendship Prayer

This column has been quiet the past few issues of the magazine, without news to share of classmates. But you’ve been on my mind and no doubt on the minds of each other. So, in that spirit, your author offers an Irish friendship prayer that I came across recently: “May the friendships you make, be those which endure, And all of your gray clouds be small ones for sure. And trusting in Him to whom we all pray, May a song fill your heart every step of the way.” Be well as you reflect on those you met under the Golden Dome and those friendships that last a lifetime. — Laura (Julian) Fraser ’00; 1021 Royal Bombay Ct., Naperville IL 60563; 773-255-9843; lejfraser@outlook.com 

 

45 Notre Damely Yours

I enjoy sending postcards as I travel, especially to the gentlemen of the Class of ’45. Emil Klosinski’s daughter, Denise, wrote after finding a recent postcard at her parents’ house: “What a nice surprise and it’s much appreciated.” To our delight, we discovered our fathers knew each other through the Navy program. Emil was a Naval pilot during WWII. Sadly, Emil passed away at home in 2017 at age 96. Emil’s son kept the Notre Dame Magazine subscription and looks forward to reading each issue. As South Bend natives, Emil’s father and uncle knew George Gipp personally and his father played football (in the infancy of pro football) with Knute Rockne, George Gipp, and other noted names. Emil was seven years old when he met Rockne. With his knowledge of sports, Emil wrote a book: Gipp at Notre Dame, The Untold Story, that described that era and the mystique of Gipp. It was a labor of love for Emil, and it was filled with never-before-shared first-hand information about George Gipp and his multifaceted personality. It also gives an appreciation for Notre Dame and South Bend in the 1920s. Happily, this book is now back in print. Another author and scholar, F. J. (Joe) Pequigney, died peacefully at home this past January. After ND, Joe earned his master’s from the U of Minnesota and his PhD from Harvard. As a professor emeritus of English at Stony Brook, Joe was an influential teacher. He wrote Such Is My Love; A Study of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, a major resource in Shakespeare and gay studies. He also wrote many articles on same-sex love as it appeared in Dante’s Divine Comedy and English renaissance drama. In 2017, Joe received the GALA ND/SMC Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement honoring the fact that themes “of same-sex love are today recognized and taught with greater honesty as a result” of his work. Joe’s thoughts inspired generations of students. He enjoyed European travel, food, wine and animated conversations with friends and family. He radiated love that will be missed by his husband and companion of 53 years, Steve Mays, his sister, and many nieces and nephews and their children’s children. In January, while my husband and I were RVing around California, we stopped in Monterey to visit Robert Thomas in his beautiful independent/assisted living facility. Capt. Bob literally snuck us into his apartment through a side door saying, “follow the sidewalk around the corner, take the second left, make no eye contact with anyone and I’ll meet you at the door.” We heard stories associated with many wonderful military awards and saw memorabilia from his long career in the Navy. The photos of his wife and two daughters were a snapshot of his blessed life. Bob had stories of ND hotspots in the 1940s such as the Boars Head restaurant, where a generation later my husband and I had our rehearsal dinner, and the campus “Huddle,” with bowling alley and all. Back in his day, they created their own dogbook with pictures of the military classmates and short bios. It was fun to see the youthful faces of the gentlemen I talk with on the phone but have never met. I commented that one photo looked like he could be a pro football player. It was Robert (Bob) Skoglund who earned three letters with the Fighting Irish. He played with the Green Bay Packers in 1947. Capt. Bob is a fount of facts and wisdom. He celebrated his 97th birthday on March 31. Happy birthday, Bob. Full circle: Denise’s father always signed off: Notre Damely yours. — Melissa Erkins Rackish ’77; 1224 Campbell St., Williamsport PA 17701; 570-971-2296; mrackish@comcast.net

 

46 Met the Pope

Franklin J. Forsythe, 97, late of New Lennox IL and formerly of Manhattan, passed away on Nov. 13, 2021. After graduating from Joliet Catholic High School in 1942, he attended ND. He was a proud patriot and honorably served in the Army during WWII in the China Burma India Theater. After returning home, he attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science, class of 1947. He was a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 74 years. He founded an ambulance service and Forsythe Funeral Home that has served the community since 1949. He loved to play golf and was blessed by having two holes-in-one. One of his life’s highlights was when he and Emily met with Pope John Paul II, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter at the White House. — Paul Taggett; 10 W. Grove Ave., D15, Lake Wales FL 33853; paultaggett@gmail.com

 

47 Sons of ND

My updates to our Class of ’47 readers and friends are brief but significant. I am saddened to report the recent passings of Otto A. Shander on Feb. 9 and Dr. Thomas E. “Tom” Snyder on Dec 19, 2021. May they rest in God’s perfect peace. It’s always good to hear from the Class of ’47, so please keep in touch with your stories and updates. Go Irish. — Eileen Z. Surprenant ’09, ’15; emzander@gmail.com

 

48 Updates and Correction

I heard from our good friend John D. Cahill of Salt Lake City at the end of January. In addition to his BA in philosophy from ND, John has a JD from Marquette, and he completed a BA and MA in Spanish literature at age 60. But perhaps most of all, I esteem John for his sense of humor and rapier wit, especially wielding the underutilized word “superannuate.” I always appreciate John’s ND stories as well. He writes that in September 1944, he jumped on the Union Pacific train from Salina KS to Kansas City MO, where he boarded the Santa Fe Railroad to Chicago and then took the South Shore train to South Bend and Notre Dame. John stayed at Brownson Hall for his freshman year, whereas Carroll Hall was for sophomores at the time. I was a loyal patron of the South Shore during my years at ND and I recall a favorite American history class in Brownson Hall with Rev. Tom Blantz, CSC, ’57, ’63MA, convenient to my own undergrad home in Lewis Hall. It’s affirming to me that, despite the separation of decades, John and I (and many of you, dear readers) frequented the same buildings and byways. It is my understanding that Brownson and perhaps the South Shore look a bit different now for the next generation of Domers. But it’s still the same Notre Dame. In our notes from the spring issue, I inadvertently misspelled the last name of Mike Brauweiler ’74. My sincere apologies to the entire clan, of which there are many. As someone whose last name is frequently misspelled, I appreciate the lighthearted correction. Thank you. Finally, I am saddened to report the recent passing of Raymond A. “Ray” Bogucki on Jan. 4, Samuel V.D. “Sam” Smith on Dec. 1, John M. “Jack” Freese on Nov. 20, Stephen L. “Steve” Pavela on Nov. 6. May they rest in God’s perfect peace. It’s always good to hear from the Class of 1948, so please keep in touch with your stories and updates. Go Irish. — Eileen Z. Surprenant ’09, ’15; emzander@gmail.com

 

49 Veterans Remembered

I am reporting after a long visit with daughter Lisa in Brazil and by daughter Madeleine from New Zealand. The Class of 1949 probably had the largest share of World War II veterans, so, eventually, it has more notes of veterans’ passing. Guy Charles Berado, 94, died Nov. 9. A World War II Navy veteran, Guy became a special agent for the FBI in 1950, serving until retirement in 1977. He then founded Cartel Security Consultants which he ran for 15 years. A devout Catholic, loving husband, father and grandfather, Guy’s outgoing, larger-than-life personality was infectious. He was always available for sage advice, help and support for family and friends. He enjoyed cooking, boating, fishing, hunting, golfing and time with his family. Guy is predeceased by his loving and adored wife of 71 years, Joan M. Francis, and his eldest daughter, Christine. He is survived by children James, Lisa and Diane, and three grandchildren. Paul J. McNamee, who died Feb. 27, served for three years in the Army Medical Corps, 17 months in England and Germany. He returned in 1946 to complete college at Notre Dame. Two years later, his family returned to Illinois, where he had been born, to the family farm near Towanda, where he took up farming. Shortly thereafter, he met Suzanne J. Hanley. Marriage followed in 1953 and, after the infant death of their firstborn, they had seven surviving children — Catherine, Mary, Lucy, Paul, Peter, Daniel and Maggie — 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. It was a large, loving, proudly Irish family. Suzanne died in 2010. After a few years of farming, Paul joined State Farm Insurance, where he served for 31 years until retiring in 1987. William “Bill” Hessert passed away peacefully at home on Nov. 30, having said his goodbyes to the love of his life, Susan Shipman, his wife of 60 years, and his children, Tara, Timothy and Tracey. In the Air Force at the end of World War II, he then earned a college degree at Notre Dame, initiating a lifelong frustration with lack of press coverage of ND football. Bill’s Hessert Shops expanded to five locations in South Jersey/Philadelphia malls, but his true passion was his children, of whose accomplishments he bragged. He also enjoyed making stained glass, daily walks with Susan to Starbucks, weekly luncheons at Michelangelo’s, walking his dogs and, when they were gone, his neighbors’ dogs. He is survived by his sister, Joan Dugan, and five grandchildren. Lifelong Louisville resident William Allen “Bill” Nunnelley Jr. died Nov. 1 at 94. Although barely 18 at the end of World War II, he was an Army veteran. Bill became a registered architect, home builder and real estate broker when not making one of his four holes-in-one (including two on the same hole on the same day 10 years apart) at Big Spring Country Club where he was a member for 57 years. Such success made him a Kentucky Colonel. A founding family member of St. Margaret Mary Church, he attended the daily communion service there. And, daily, he looked forward to happy hour sharing laughs and stories with family and friends. Predeceased by his beloved wife and best friend of 59 years, Dorothy Timmel, sisters Elizabeth and Dorothy, and brother Robert, Bill is survived by sons Bill, Tom and Jim, daughter Nancy, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Louis Tracy, 95, of Franklin OH died Jan. 12. An Eagle Scout and outstanding track athlete, Louis worked his way through school to a Doctor of Law at Notre Dame while becoming a 1945 All-American in cross country. He was then a founding member and managing partner of Tracy and Tracy Attorneys in West Carrollton OH for 65 years. He also served as West Carrollton City Attorney, Rotary president and in several other civic roles. Lou was married to Estelle, his best friend and mother of their five children, who predeceased him. He was loved by children, grandchildren, in-laws, staff and friends. Proud of his hard-working parents, brother Jack, and his Irish heritage, Lou was a great friend to many and a very charitable person. Lawyer son John and daughter Bridget are sustaining his model commitment to the legal profession. James Bernard Kesting, 93, died Feb. 4. After graduating with a degree in architecture, James married Joanne Schlageter. From their union came Karen, Mary Jo, Diane and Susan; 11 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Joanne, Diane and Susan preceded him in death. James’ faith and volunteering in Gesu and St. Joseph parishes sustained him in these losses. He had a long career in construction in Toledo OH, chiefly as an estimator. Early on, he discovered a joy in golfing and the many friendships he found there. He and Joanne spent time on Florida courses as well as those at home. He also maintained friendships with school chums, extended family and many friends. Peter L. Pullman of Tonawanda NY died Dec. 12. At ND, Pete and Iffy Ifflander managed the pool hall. A military police desk sergeant during the Korean War, Pete became a General Motors administrator and, after retirement, a litigation consultant. Pete is survived by his wife, Joan Mann Pullman, daughter Karen, son Peter Jr., sister Helen Coran, and grand- and great-grandchildren. His brother, Nicholas, predeceased him. Pete was a member of Tan Tara Golf Club and an avid reader of history. — Bill Slavick; whslavick@gmail.com