1970s

70 Class Gift Update

Our class was well represented at the May 2023 graduation. Jimmy O’Connell received an honorary degree for distinguished service in Boston delivering medical care for several decades to the homeless (see Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder and Bill Mitchell’s “What a groundbreaking doctor learned at the feet of his homeless patients” [NCR, May 15, 2023]). Another honorary degree recipient was Jim Rohr, past CEO of PNC and loyal developer of Rohr’s, the modern tavern inside Morris Inn. Former Student Body President Phil McKenna of Chicago proudly watched granddaughter Julie McKenna graduate summa cum laude. Attendees of our delayed 50th reunion (October 2021) may recall that Phil’s daughter-in-law Maria McKenna ’97, professor of African studies, appeared on a panel with Art McFarland and Dave Krashna ’71. Phil’s grandson Connor ’25 is president of Dillon Hall. Oldest brother Andrew McKenna ’51, former chairman of ND’s Board, died in February. Tom Hughes DO, retired Indianapolis cardiologist (St. Francis group), practices telehealth in Naples FL and Fort Myers FL with Lee Health. Debbie and John Gallagher moved from Brooklyn to Long Island. Pat, John and I dined at La Bonne Soupe in Manhattan after his business meeting before we attended our granddaughter’s eighth-grade graduation. Tom Mignanelli converted from full-time corporate financial executive to part-time accountant for individuals and small companies. Thanks to the pandemic, he has worked from Long Beach Island NJ, Marco Island FL, Tuscany and the Danube. On a different boat from Tom, we cruised the beautiful Danube in April, with great company and delicious food. Greg Sullivan and I received a gratifying update of the Coal Line Trail and its close relation to our 2020 class gift. For our 50th reunion we partnered with South Bend’s Venues Parks and Arts to establish a memorial green space, Reunion, along the St. Joseph River north of Angela. Nearly 100 of you donated to create this contemplation area with a central statue, trees and boulders, dedicated in November 2021. The statue’s apex points to the Golden Dome. Christopher Dressel, senior planner and bicycle coordinator for South Bend’s Department of Community Resources, reported that the trail, dedicated in the autumn of 2022, will link to the Riverside, East Bank and 933 (Michigan Avenue) trails. It uses the old Notre Dame and Western coal line right-of-way, including the bridge across the St. Joseph River, and connects ND’s campus with the Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center. The trailhead is at Monarch Cleaners on Lincolnway West. Steve Kish heads the Human Brain Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. In his spare time, he fights the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Ken Guentert, Portland ME, died Dec. 25, 2022, survived by wife Carole and two daughters. He worked for US Catholic in Chicago until 1987, and then in San Jose CA for Resource Publications. He and Carole established The Publishing Pro in Colorado Springs in 2002, and moved to Portland in 2021. In later years he learned of his Jewish grandmother and converted himself. Ron Wietecha, Cape Coral FL, died Aug. 9, 2022, survived by wife Genevieve and two children. He served 12 years as mayor of Park Ridge IL. Ed Hogan Jr. died Feb. 16. Past board chair of Loretto Hospital, he is survived by brothers Patrick, Thomas ’76 and Joseph. Ed earned an MBA (Loyola ’73) and JD (Chicago Kent ’77) and was admitted to practice at the US Supreme Court. He and Tom started Hogan & Hogan in 1985. His wife Carol Colburn ’72SMC, he and longtime colleague John Marren founded Hogan, Marren, Babbo & Rose in Chicago in 1993. They specialized in governmental representation, labor, education, banking, real estate and commercial law. — 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 Revisiting the Sixties 

Autumn has once again returned to my hometown in Western NY. There is a chill in the air and the nearby forests in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains are ablaze with spectacular colors of red and gold. The photo circulated earlier this year of Granville Cleveland, Jack Slimm and Joe Jankowski generated several responses. Joe’s reaction was “OMG that’s me.” Jack added “Unreal. Those were great times.” John Pappas reports from Chicago that he is above ground and all is well. John identified Granville and was certain the other two in the photo were members of a legendary ’60s rock group. As a follow-up to an earlier column noting the death of Paul Cole ’71JD, Terrence Kelly ’68JD advised that shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King he and several other students were sent by Dean O’Meara into the Deep South to recruit potential law students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Paul Cole teamed up with Terry as they visited four different schools. Terry says that after all these years he has never met anyone with whom he would have preferred to be with on that journey south during the turbulent ’60s than Paul. You will recall Paul began his studies with us but his time at ND was interrupted by service in the Marine Corps. He returned to graduate in ’71. Speaking of those years, Jim Hardgrove related he was present for the historic March on Washington in 1963 and witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The day after the speech Jim went back to the National Mall and had the unexpected privilege of meeting both Dr. King and Robert Kennedy after they had given an interview to Walter Cronkite. John Meany, Gerry Bambrick ’72JD, Mike Crowe ’72JD and I saw Robert F. Kennedy at Stephan Center on the ND campus the very day that Dr. King was assassinated, April 4, 1968. Later that evening Sen. Kennedy delivered a memorable speech in Indianapolis addressing the tragedy that had unfolded earlier in the day. In the mid-’60s Bob Dylan released a song titled “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Those lyrics would aptly describe the years we were in law school. Sterling Spainhour and Paul Cole were two of the earliest Black law students to graduate from NDLS. I want to thank Bob Greene ’69JD and his contacts at the Law School for confirming that Al McKenna ’66JD was in fact the first to do so. They paved the way for others to follow and were themselves an integral part of the civil rights movement taking place in the country during the ’60s. When our class gathered on campus in ’67 there was another individual amongst us who would also initiate change at NDLS. I speak of Grace Olivarez. She became the first Hispanic as well as the first female to graduate from ND Law School. It was an honor to know Sterling, Paul and Grace and to call them our classmates and friends. They all went on to distinguish themselves in their private and professional lives. Sadly, they have now all passed away. May they rest in peace. As Nov. 11 approaches I want to extend a shout-out to all the veterans in our class. Some of them, like Joe Leahy, served on active duty before starting law school and this year finds them celebrating their 80th birthdays. Happy birthday to all and thanks for refreshing our memories about octogenarians and the Rule Against Perpetuities! Until next time, happy Thanksgiving and stay well. Go Irish. — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com

 

71 More Anniversaries

The 2023 version of the annual Hinga-Kelly-Kondrla golf outing and burnt burger cookout was held on May 30 at Juday Creek Golf Course and The Barn in suburban South Bend. Professor Emeritus John Gaski led off with the ceremonial first tee shot, followed by five foursomes. Even a best ball scramble using the best ringer’s drive every hole did not offer a place to hide some ugly scores. Mike Morrison and Mike Cotter came from MT; Jim Wright from FL; Frank Bossu, Bob Neidert and Tom Eaton from OH; Mike Kelly and Bill Barz from IL; Gary Kos from TX; Ed Grenda from AZ; Chuck Nightingale, Tim O’Connor and myself from IN; Jack Samar from VA; Tim DiPiero from WV; and non-golfing kibitzers from NJ, Dickie Johnson and Tom Sinnott. While visiting family in Oakland, Pat and Sam Rumore were able to have dinner with Gina and Dave Krashna one night and then meet up with Cathy and Tim Rost for brunch a few days later. Back home in Birmingham, Sam was chauffeur and tour guide for Father Monk Malloy while he was in town for UND Night. Sam went off the high board and popped for lunch at his favorite BBQ joint. Father Malloy was also the keynote speaker at the 50 Year Club dinner for Reunion 2023 in early June. Zahm roommates Barb and Ted Targonski, Ron Schmitz, Joan and Tom Roberts and Eileen Ryan (formerly Dan Ryan) were able to reunite. Joining them for dinner were Michele and Bill Stanchina, Warren Roddy and Bob Shedlock. Jim Escovitz passed away in April. A resident of Holy Cross and a native of Pittsburgh, he attended law school at the U of Pittsburgh and then practiced his entire career in his hometown. Condolences to Janet and their family. John Kolbas of SC and Jim Hengten of FL were able to represent us at his funeral. Stuart Schippereit also passed away in April. A native of Columbus OH, he was a computer/intelligence specialist with the Navy for 25 years before sliding over to the civilian side until retiring to Key West, before a recent move to Savannah in 2016. Condolences to Janet and his extended family. Lincoln Soldati passed away last November. A resident of Dillon and a native of NH, he returned home to attend the Franklin Pierce Law Center, now the UNH School of Law. A varied NH legal career included a lengthy tenure as the Strafford County attorney, a period in private practice as well as some time as the mayor of Somersworth. Condolences to his wife, Kathleen, and their family. Congratulations to Ann and Jim Villier on their 50th wedding anniversary this past June. Jay Hansom of Nashville passed away last December. A resident of Alumni, an athletic manager and a computer science major, he spent his career in tech-related positions. Jay retired in 2015 to focus on golf and life on the beach in Destin FL. We also lost two career high school teachers. Al Koenig, an NJ native, resident of Cavanaugh and a recipient of a master’s degree from Oklahoma State, passed away in May. He was a longtime guidance counselor and taught English lit at St. John Vianney HS back home in New Jersey. Likewise, Rob Barteletti was a 31-year English and theology teacher at Jesuit HS in Portland OR. A resident of Farley, a native of Mountain View CA and a member of the University Arts Council while on campus, he passed away a year ago September in Santa Fe, where he and his wife, Karen, had retired eight years ago. As a reminder, our tailgates are now in the backyard, a tolerable walk to the stadium. All are welcome. Happy Thanksgiving and a very merry Christmas! — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 571-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com

 

71MBA Still Going Strong

After an absence of many years, I received an update from Steve Anella. He wanted us all to know that he has beaten out Tony Strati as the first great-grandfather in our class. He and Louise ’72MA (did I get that right, Louise?) now have six great-grandchildren. Steve started his own architectural firm that employed up to 19 people. Some of his more well-known projects include the Inn at Saint Mary’s, the WNDU-TV building and Holy Cross College, where Rudy went before getting accepted at ND. They attend a couple of football games each year. Some classmates had expressed some interest in the ND-Navy game in Ireland, but I haven’t heard back. As of now, only Patricia and Rod Spear will join Robbie (Parker) ’71MA and me at the game. By the time you read this, we’ll be in the middle of the season. Let me know if you plan to attend any home games. I would love to hear from more of you, so send me a quick note. — 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 A Deacon in Our Class; New Mexico

Maj. Gen. Mike Wiedemer, USAF (Ret.), was ordained to the diaconate on April 1 for the Diocese of Nashville. Jack Burnett got his MBA from ND in 1974. (He has been the Class Notes editor for his class for about six years.) He was with Ford Motor Company in finance for almost 32 years before retiring in 2005. He and his wife, Helen, live in Livonia MI and have six children. Spurred by the report in the last issue about Scott Carmody teaching at a NM reservation, Tom Macken reported that after graduation he coached for a year at St. Catherine Indian (boarding) School, Santa Fe. He has remained in NM since. After St. Catherine’s, he taught at a Catholic parish school, then public schools, and then obtained his law degree from the U of New Mexico in 1983. He just retired as the property manager for the local archdiocese and will be retiring from law. Tom Goertemiller passed away on March 28. He came to ND from Loveland OH and died there. He majored in business. His funeral home’s obituary has a small picture of Tom with the Golden Dome filling the background. Our condolences to his wife, Marta, and their three children. Tom McGraw passed away on May 1. He had come to ND from Weedsport High School in Weedsport NY. He majored in English and earned varsity letters in both basketball and baseball. Upon graduation, he was drafted and served in the Canal Zone while playing basketball for the Army. He obtained a master’s in journalism at Boston U and entered the doctoral program at Harvard Divinity School. Before completing his studies, he started teaching at Phillips Academy (Andover) where he taught English and classics and coached baseball, basketball and football. He taught a term in England and a term in France. He retired from Phillips Academy in 2015. Our condolences to his wife, Celeste, and their three children. John Hurley passed on May 14. Phil Glotzbach met him on the first day on campus waiting in line for ID cards and, while the other freshmen seemed so serious, Phil and John traded jokes. A friendship was born. They sang and played guitar as a twosome called, appropriately, “Phil and John.” John majored in American studies and obtained his law degree from St. John’s U in 1975. He started his career in the office of the NY attorney general where he worked for several years before he served the insurance industry as an in-house lawyer. Our condolences to his family. Kevin Hoene passed away on June 14. He came to ND from Duluth Cathedral High School, and died in Duluth. Kevin played on the first modern-era ND hockey team for Lefty Smith and after graduation was an assistant coach along with Tim McNeill. Kevin went on to coach hockey and fill various related positions at St. Mary’s College (now University) in Winona MN and St. Scholastica College in Duluth. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he then embarked on a 30-year career with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. He was nicknamed “Hazel” for his menu planning and cooking at deer and fishing camps. Our condolences to his wife, Fran. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu

 

72MBA Apologies Again

Once again, my apologies for not having a column in the summer issue. Sometimes when I don’t receive any correspondence, the submission deadline just sneaks past me. I would be grateful to hear any news from any of you. Something as simple as “Still here in Kansas City” (or wherever) would be great. Here’s hoping by the time you read this that the Irish are off to an excellent start this season. As I write this, the US is suffering through some of the hottest days “on record” but since the next issue won’t arrive until January, I want to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving, a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Please send some news for 2024. God bless. — Alex McLellan; 913-991-0944; irish72mba@gmail.com

 

72JD Class Secretary — Chris Schraff;

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

 

73 50 Years and 500 Strong

A big thank-you to all of the members of the Class of 1973 for the great attendance at our 50th Reunion held on campus from June 1- 4. A total of 499 classmates and spouses made the pilgrimage to Notre Dame. Class President Jim Hunt really threw a great party, didn’t he? First Jim made sure that the weather was great. A few intermittent showers Thursday afternoon and Saturday evening did not dampen the festivities. The agenda was full of activities but gave all of us enough time to renew old acquaintances and make new ones and to take note of the vast changes on the Notre Dame campus. The reunion started on Thursday evening with an opening reception hosted by the Alumni Association. Class Treasurer Mike McCurdy was the leader of a golf outing at the Warren Course on Friday morning. More than 50 classmates enjoyed great conditions on the tournament-tested track followed by a box lunch to conclude the round. President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, next spoke to the class at the 50-Year Club Induction ceremony and praised the group for their loyalty to Notre Dame, generous charitable giving and faith and trust in God. The Class Mass was presided over by our own Rev. John Conley at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Father John delivered a poignant homily taking us back over the last 50 years, bringing us to our current Reunion weekend. The Class Dinner on Friday evening was highlighted by the appearance of head football coach Marcus Freeman. Coach Freeman was expertly interviewed by our own Pete Weber, the longtime radio voice of the Nashville Predators NHL hockey team and a future NHL Hall of Famer. It was obvious that our football program is in excellent hands under the direction of Coach Freeman. Saturday was a beautiful day and thankfully not too hot with our class gathering in front of “Touchdown Jesus” for our 50-year class photograph. The class was then treated to a lunch by the Alumni Association. Many classmates then viewed the one-man play “Rocky” at Washington Hall, performed by none other than Rocky Bleier ’68, which tells the incredible story of his life. Certainly, one of the highlights of the Reunion. The Class Dinner on Saturday night was a tribute to the 118 women of our class and the recognition as the first graduating class of women in Notre Dame history. Anne Thompson ’79, nightly news correspondent for NBC, moderated a panel of Cindy Booth, Susan Mogab, Jim Roolf and Jaqui Pink ’23 to discuss the 50-year history of women at Notre Dame. The very articulate and loquacious Cindy and Sue were excellent participants telling us of their experiences at Notre Dame. One telling comment from the presentation was the revelation that women were admitted to Notre Dame at the suggestion of Fr. Hesburgh in order to “improve the academic standards of the University.” Ginny Gacki and John McEleney read the list at the dinner of our 203 deceased classmates. There was the utmost silence and reverence paid to the attention of the reading of the names as they appeared on the video screens. The class was treated to superb meals on both nights with a fabulous menu atop the west stands of Notre Dame Stadium. As usual, many classmates gathered in the refreshment tent, aka beer tent, following each night’s dinner. Many classmates left early Sunday morning for family vacations the next week, while others returned to their familiar home surroundings. The Class Reunion would never have been possible without the leadership of Beth Thomas ’05 of Louisville KY, who worked as our Alumni Association representative. Thanks for a great job, Beth! Kudos to Greg Pudhorodsky for his incredible communication skills. Thanks to the class members who donated a tree for our class located on the east side of the stadium. Thanks to all who made the reunion a great success, and we look forward to our next reunion in 2028. I am saddened to report of the death of Maura Martin Smith ’73SMC, who passed away recently after a lengthy illness. I will have more about the reunion in the next column. Please watch for future emails from Greg regarding class information and Notre Dame updates. We intend to take advantage of our website and email notifications. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; cell 815-212-3661; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com

 

73MBA Happy 50th Graduation Anniversary

Continued inputs from our classmates for our anniversary year class edition: Les Sorg shares he accepted the position of international treasury manager with Clark Equipment Co., the forklift inventor. But after one year of training, he started his foreign assignments. First in St. Thomas, Ontario, and then in Queretaro, Mexico, but after three years of successfully restructuring our banking relationships he requested reassignment to home HQ to meet US naturalization requirements. He transferred to Clark’s Credit sub in Buchanan as finance manager for central and upper South America. He’s responsible to extend credit and collect to and from dealers of all Clark’s equipment divisions: material handling, construction machinery and Melroe’s Bobcat. Mad traveling all over that area, including paradises like Barbados and Aruba and exotic ones in Surinam and Ecuador. In between he became a proud American citizen. In 1979 he started his new international period. First, two years in Madrid to line up finance facilities for their new majority stake in a Spanish forklift manufacturer located in Zaragoza, and then moving there as the finance director. There he met and married his wife, followed by two weeks’ honeymoon hopping the Canary Islands off Africa. He loved Morocco when he held a dealer meet there. Later, after completing a conflictive restructuring and closing down of the unprofitable manufacturing operation, he moved back in 1989 to the divisional HQ in Lexington KY. Next came a “mission impossible” as finance director and co-managing director of Clark’s European forklift operations based in Germany. Eventually his job was phased out and he accepted a return to Spain as general manager of the new distribution subsidiary next to Barcelona, but soon Clark sold the division to a corporate raider. All US and European top management were fired “en masse” including him. In 1995 he started work at Autoterminal SA, the operator of the vehicle terminal in the port of Barcelona. His first mission was in Constanta, Romania, on the Black Sea, to set up a new affiliate business. With crooks all around, the venture never took off. He had enough of Romania and returned to Barcelona as quality director and set up the whole works, leading to the attainment of the coveted ISO 9000 certificate. He retired from there in 2005 and moved back to his home in the beautiful VA countryside. Our class salutes highly decorated Army Brig. Gen. Bruce Miketinac and his illustrious career. He is unable to attend our reunion event this year. I still look forward to the responses from all our classmates over the next two years to capture your legacy message in this Notre Dame Magazine. Please send me your responses and updated email addresses. If you have not written in some time, please share your legacy stories with us. You are always welcome to visit us in So Cal. — Thomas Jindra; tajindra@charter.net

 

73JD A Reunion and Sad News

This note is not what I intended a month ago. While the damage caused by the flooding, etc., in VT where we are was not nearly as bad as elsewhere in the state, it still caused much disruption and I totally forgot to get started until the last minute. As indicated in the title, the news is both good and bad. We lost two classmates since my last report. In March, John Olsen passed away quite suddenly in London. He had retired as a partner in the London office of Lord, Locke where he had practiced international intellectual property law for 35 years, but was enticed to return as a “consultant.” However, he soon took ill. He was a graduate of Loyola Marymount U. He spoke French, Spanish and German and was recognized as a leader of the intellectual property bar in Europe. He authored two books on the subject and was an active speaker. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and daughter Maria. They would have attended our Reunion, but some unfortunate miscommunication with the University alumni office regarding the schedule of events created insurmountable travel issues. In April Bob Egan passed away, also after a short illness. Bob was a Double Domer and was a true fan. I met Bob our first year and he was one of the easiest people I have ever met to become your friend. I remember his engaging laugh and great stories. Bob spent almost his entire career in law enforcement, including many years in the state attorney’s office in Chicago. His two most famous (infamous?) cases were the investigation and trial of John Wayne Gacy and the fallout from the disgorgement of 800 pounds of sewage from the Dave Matthews Band tour bus into the Chicago River—which was a direct hit on a tour boat. He is survived by his wife, Tracy, and daughters Fiona and Lucy. Our deepest condolences to Mary and Tracy and their respective families. We ended up with a nice-sized group for the University’s Reunion Weekend in June. We started with an informal dinner at an Italian restaurant in South Bend. Fortunately, the restaurant was accommodating by adding tables as our group grew, since we had no idea how many would attend, and we have Carmen Piasecki and Judy Snyder to thank for covering the shortfall when it was time to pay the bill, asking only for a “peck on the cheek” in return. A highlight was the attendance of Ann Marie Palumbo, who came in for the event from Phoenix. Friday afternoon included a tour of the Law School—which is an amazing place. (I tried but failed to get us a tour of the biology building). That evening we had dinner under a tent erected in the DeBartolo Quad. Did you know that there was such a place? Saturday started with a wonderful Mass in the Law School Chapel during which we remembered by name each of our deceased classmates—especially Bob and John. As far as we can tell, to date 48 of our classmates have passed away—a sobering thought. Saturday evening dinner was at the Morris Inn, highlighted by a visit during cocktails by Dean Cole and his wife. He provided us with an interesting update on the state of the Law School highlighted by the impressive diversity of the student body. I was taken aback by the “rack rate” cost of attendance—even with a very generous assistance program I don’t think I could have afforded it. In a question-and-answer session, I think he was surprised when he understood how large our class was—in a building that is far smaller than the current facility. I am running out of my allotted space, so I will list names as many of the attendees as I have room for and that I can remember—the rest next time: Barbara (Antonello) and Larry Mentz, John Livesay, Mary Ellen (Drury) Sensenbrenner, Pete Wadel, Jack Ubinger, Kevin Kane, John Halloran, Maree (Russo) and Jim Mulvoy, John Roe, Fred Begy, Paul Peldyak, Jim Hoover, Tim Shea, Cliff Fleming and Ed Smith, plus several spouses. In addition, Mary Martha McNamara and Pam Sayad participated in the innumerable Zoom calls leading up to the weekend, but could not attend. Let me know if you would like an email address. — Paul Reagan; 16527 Heron Coach Way, Fort Myers FL 33908; cell 847-915-9796; pvreagan@gmail.com

 

74 Gearing Up and Counting Down 

Greetings, classmates! Our wonderful class president, Jerry Samaniego, is already charged and gearing up for our 50th Reunion next year. No, we won’t be in Morris Inn; however, some of us will aim to enjoy dorm life one last time thinking we of college age again, others prefer to travel from the hotels, and some will stay in their own homes nearby . . . yet we will all be there! That’s what matters. Stay tuned; most likely we will reach out for financial contributions to make this one the best yet. On with the news. Mark Wenig retired from the Foreign Service and has been living in Vienna with wife Kjarstin for the last five years. He plans to return. He presented on Zoom to 15 students in the Diplomatic Program of the Nanovic Institute at ND. Mark spoke about getting into the Foreign Service and how to maneuver once accepted. Knowing consul generals here in Chicago, I wished I had joined! A shout-out to Frank Murnane, who keeps many classmates filled with birthday wishes and other news. For the reunion, there will be a POG quiz. Although I can’t list ALL the news from the 2023 POG reunion (sorry, Jim . . . there is a word limit), here’s what I can share. The 2023 POG was the largest in its history with 21 men and three rookies: Bob “Benks” Benkendorf, Ed “Garbo” Garbarino and Karl “McGarv” McGarvey. Perfect weather, good food, pool, beach fun and a few adult beverages. Jim “Whales” Whalen and Tom “Pipe” Torretti orchestrated the event in Destin FL. POG celebrated 40 years! The ART award went to the Original Six—the founders of POG—Frank Murnane, Bob Hettinger, Tim McCarron, Jim McCathy, Jim Cahill and Bob Fanning—RIP. The Rookie award went to Ed Garbarino. Apparently Frank Murnane “took off more golf holes this year,” which is now known as taking a “Frank.” Rick “Topo” Esposto is now known as Smooth, while Steve “Buck” Roger was his usual fun self. John “Trimble” Trampe retold famous jokes, while Tom “Big T” Ross wore pink underwear (TMI) for the rookies to enjoy along with Irish whiskey for their night cap. Jim “Phantom” McCarthy missed a few Board meetings to attend and Tim “Tuber” McCarron was a superb golfer. Geoff Rate returned to the fold and Pat McGrath exhibited golf prowess. Bob “Hett” Hettinger does not drink $4 bottles of wine and Jerry “El Presidente” Samaniego was applauded for staying awake for the history of the barge business. Bob “Meatball” Camino sunk a 60-yard putt for a birdie. Early commitments for the April 15, 2024, POG Annual will include Ken Schutter, Steve Bauchman and Dennis Lozzi. Martin Broussard, Bob Cleary and Jeff Hart plan to return. Hah, by invitation (thanks Whales) I just may make a showing. As Whales said, as one of the first females at ND, I could handle it. Carol Longo Kaupp and SMC friends Natalie Dwyer, Bobbie Riconoscuito and Dianne Gibbons Borzych came to Chicago to play. We had so much fun as I showed them the hot spots to dine, drink and just have fun in Chicago. What a delight to see them all in person! As we all know, nothing beats our close friends and classmates from Notre Dame. Stay healthy, stay tuned and although I won’t be seeing you in Dublin, I’ll see you all at Reunion . . . let’s break attendance records! Send news and please put in the subject line: 1974 Class Notes. Irish hugs. — Dede Lohle Simon; 440 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago; dedersimon@gmail.com

 

74MBA Some News and More Vacations

Paul Muszik wrote to let everyone know that he and wife Patti just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations to the Musziks. Paul, now retired, lives in Crown Point IN on the White Hawk Golf Course. Paul spends his free time golfing, naturally, playing duplicate bridge, and following the activities of his three children and seven grandchildren. He is looking forward, quite optimistically, I might add, to the upcoming 2023 Fighting Irish football season. Paul also reported that Bob Fritsch just turned 80 years old! A big happy birthday wish to Bob. No other news from classmates, but in mid-May, Helen and I traveled to Nashville for six days. What a great trip! We spent an evening at the Grand Ole Opry (Carrie Underwood made an appearance), had a wonderful dinner and show cruise aboard the General Jackson down the Cumberland River, and visited many of the country bars along Broadway, each of which had live country bands beginning at about 10 a.m. Visiting Nashville was a memorable experience and a whole lot of fun. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Helen and I flew to Las Vegas. It was a last-minute trip. Our daughter, Megan, had secured four tickets to the Garth Brooks concert at Caesar’s Palace. Two weeks before the event, Megan’s two friends announced that they were unable to make the trip. Helen and I gladly stepped in. Fantastic concert, including a surprise appearance from Trisha Yearwood. Things have remained relatively normal for the last several weeks. In early August, the Burnett clan will make its annual trip to SC to enjoy the sun and surf in Garden City Beach, just south of Myrtle Beach. This year, there will be 18 family members sharing a large house right on the ocean. And, as a first, our oldest granddaughter will be joining us with her new husband. Time marches on and the cycle of life continues into the next generation. I hope all is well with each of you and your families. Drop me a line, if you feel so inclined or if you are just tired of reading about Jack and Helen. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net

 

74JD RIP Tom, Paul

Some of this news was submitted timely for the last issue but not included in it. Our classmate Tom Poscharsky passed away in November in Snowflake AZ, and is survived by his wife, Mary Jo, his three children and seven grandchildren. Tom practiced in NY with Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander before becoming a partner with Wood Dawson. He later practiced in Dallas as a partner with McCall, Parkhurst & Horton LLP. Tom retired but didn’t stop working. He took on leadership roles including as a town council member and serving as the mayor of Snowflake. A native of South Bend, Tom graduated from St. John’s U in MN. He was a lifelong learner and was generous with his time as a volunteer with his church, a senior center and a food bank, among other causes. Judge Paul Deats passed away in March in Edwardsburg MI. Paul is survived by his wife, Penny, their three children and eight grandchildren. Born in LA, Paul attended Whittier College. After we graduated, Paul served as a prosecutor and then as a private practitioner before serving as the district judge for Cass County MI for 29 years. His active involvement in his community included work with both the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts, serving as a Little League baseball board member, coaching baseball and soccer, announcing for Edwardsburg High School sports, singing in his church choir and performing roles in several Cass County High School musicals. John Lancaster has been awarded the Father William Lewers Award by the ND Law Associates Board. This award honors ND lawyers who have made outstanding contributions in the area of civil and human rights or social justice. John was serving as a Marine second lieutenant in Vietnam when he was severely wounded in combat while in the process of rescuing a wounded Marine. John was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Since graduating ND Law, John has spent four decades working on disability policy to improve the dignity and lives of persons with disabilities in the US and throughout the world. Joel Bair’s wife of 50 years, Susie, passed away in 2021 from COVID. Joel has written a book about their love affair titled Susie and Me, which is available from Amazon. Joel is now of counsel to his boutique IP firm, McGarry Bair PC in Grand Rapids MI. John Burns retired from then Faegre, Baker, Daniels in Indianapolis after 44 years. He soon found that he wasn’t done with the law and joined the Allen County prosecuting attorney’s office. John has come full circle, having started in the law in the Delaware County prosecuting attorney’s office. Dan McCarthy and his wife, Carolyn, relocated from NJ to Scottsdale AZ, spending the warmer months in Flathead Lake MT. They keep in touch with Laurie and Drew Brown, Deb and Mike Cronin, Linda and Andy DeAguero, and Kim and Tom Lordan. Dan says that all of these folks are doing well. Our 50th Class Reunion is coming up in 2024. I hope to see you there. Be well—stay safe. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com

 

75 A Must-Read

AMST classmate Kathleen Osberger has written I Surrender: A Memoir of Chile’s Dictatorship 1975, and it’s just been released by Orbis Books. Reading like a thriller, the story takes place two years after the CIA-assisted coup overthrew Salvador Allende. After ND graduation, Kathy taught in a Maryknoll grade school in Santiago, Chile, and the religious women she lived with were sheltering dissidents being sought by the dictator, Pinochet. Soon, Kathy was on the run herself. Early reviews include “gripping,” “heart-stopping,” “awe-inspiring” and “a must-read.” Bernard Nahlen (also AMST) was also in Santiago with Kathy and is featured in the story. Tom Demko writes from Columbus OH about his August retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has four adult children, including two ND grads, and is now happily involved with 17 grandkids. He plans to travel, teach, read, volunteer, golf and do genealogy. He earlier worked for Lexis/Nexis and NCR. Previous travels on four continents included Pamplona (with the bulls), Westminster Abbey, Japan and the Great Barrier Reef. He would like to see the Irish as national champs in football, sooner, not later. Nancy Parks, who lives in Chicago and still enjoys her work as a paralegal specialist with the Small Business Administration, had a great time at the Golden Is Thy Fame reunion celebrating 50 years of co-education. She was thrilled to see former roommate Marilyn Rumbach Weisheit. Rick Locke writes from Bluffton SC that he was interviewed on a podcast regarding his challenges as a photographer due to his macular degeneration. He retired from an exec position in info technology in 2014 and moved to the Hilton Head area. He has a website, “Out of the Corner of My Eye.” He met a podcaster, Jeff Ickler, and discussed his activities in April in a podcast called Quetico Coaching. George Valadie writes from Chattanooga TN that he has retired after 46 years in Catholic education and he is now speaking at Catholic diocesan in-service sessions and at individual schools. If anyone needs a speaker like this, he is open to suggestions. Contact George at 901-569-5632. Remember in your prayers our late classmate, Jay Smith of Bloomington IN. He passed away April 15 and is survived by wife Jacqueline and five children. He had a 30-year career with the US State Department in foreign service. And classmate William Benedict’s brother, Thomas Benedict ’73, passed away on April 29. Our sympathy to these families. Mark your calendar now for Reunion 2025, our 50th class gathering at ND, May 29 to June 1. Let me know if you want to help organize or volunteer in some fashion. Thanks! Please continue to send me your news. — Norm Bower; 3946 Fernwood Ave., Davenport IA 52807; 563-349-0469; normbower53@gmail.com

 

75MBA Class Secretary — Jim Ouimet;

215-862-3080; jimouimet@comcast.net

 

75JD Autumn Notes

Fifty years ago, we were starting our second year. Well, not all of us. In the Report of the Dean (1973–74), Thomas Shaffer ’61JD wrote this: “The class of 1975, for instance, lost only two of its members after the first year (about 1.5%); it lost no one, and had only one grade of ‘F,’ in the spring 1974 examinations.” I do not know the identities of the two lost souls. It was not me, and if you are reading this, chances are it was not you. But whoever was dismissed academically saved a ton of money in the process because law school costs were frightful back then. Our dean lamented the expense of our education in a later report: “For all students, the tuition continues steadily to climb at the rate of $185 a year (to $2,600 for 1974–75), and projections I have been given indicate that these increases are planned for the next three years.” Think about those big bucks the next time you fill up the SUV and splurge on your twice-daily pumpkin spice latte. Congratulations to Kathy and Ken Klatt; I spotted them on Facebook commemorating their 50th anniversary. I seem to recall they got married right before we all headed to Brunel U in Uxbridge, Middlesex, for the overseas summer program. That seems like a lifetime ago because, well, it was a lifetime ago. For many, many years, Roger Bird practiced in Sturgis MI at Bird, Scheske, Reed, & Beemer. A Michigan State undergraduate, he developed specialties in municipal law, commercial litigation, financial institutional law and labor law. He is “of counsel” these days as he enjoys a slower life. He and Ann still live in Sturgis but have a condo in Estero FL to enjoy six months of better weather. On the family front, Roger and Ann have three sons and nine grandchildren. Not far away, Joe Gilfillan spent his entire career in Peoria IL, and he now practices law with his son Jake at Cusack & Gilfillan. A finance major at the U of Utah, Joe concentrates his practice in the fields of residential and commercial real estate, business/corporate, estate planning and probate. He is also co-owner of Sheets Creek Saloon in Spring Bay, just outside of Peoria. Congratulations to Barrett Cole ’24JD, a third-year law student and the latest recipient of the scholarship award named after Peter A.R. Lardy, our classmate. Barrett is a native of Dallas and spent her undergraduate years at the U of North Texas, where she was the student body president, representing more than 40,000 students. She spent her second year at NDLS studying abroad in the Notre Dame London Law Programme. Barrett worked the past summer for Finnegan LLP in London and currently serves as editor-in-chief for the Journal of International and Comparative Law, a position for which she was unanimously chosen. Outside of law school, she is a server at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and functions as an assistant rector in one of the residence halls. Please consider a contribution so that the scholarship funding can continue to grow as we age. A plan is underway to gradually hand off responsibility to the scholars who have benefited from the annual grants. They are being asked to “pay it forward,” because generosity on their part will ensure that future generations can benefit as they did. Drop me an email and let me know what is happening in your world. Andy Warhol promised 15 minutes of fame and I can deliver it in spades. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com

 

76 Leadership, Leisure and Loss

Sharon Haverstock received the 2023 Forging Industry Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her leadership and passionate advocacy for the advancement of women to leadership and executive roles in manufacturing. She has established and endowed three scholarships to financially assist and encourage talented women to pursue manufacturing careers. Paul Graf, retired career NCIS agent, was elected to the board of the American Professional Society on Abuse of Children. The mission of APSAC is to improve society’s response to the abuse and neglect of its children. At the first session of the Alumni Association Leadership Conference in April, I happened to sit beside classmate John Froman, president of ND Club of Hilton Head, where he retired in 2019. John and wife Carol Pulchlopek Froman ’76SMC owned vacation homes there for over 30 years while moving 10 times to various parts of the US and Canada. Their oldest, Patty Froman Brady ’00, was named director of the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing in June. Also in attendance were Chuck Rogers, president of the ND Club of Cape Cod, and his wife, Jan. They met a little over 46 years ago as usher and bridesmaid in a wedding and celebrated their 45th anniversary in August. NDSA reps in attendance were Augie Grace, Maryanne Ries Rogers and Bob Quakenbush. I learned shortly after the conference that I was selected to join them on the NDSA board for a three-year term as NDSA RD for the Illinois region beginning July 2023. Steve Klug retired after a 47-year career in accounting to play with his grandkids, travel, golf and enjoy ND football. First up: London and Dublin for ND vs. Navy to kick off the season. In May, Steve was one of the cohort of ND Alumni and friends who cruised the Mediterranean, visiting 10 ports in Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Spain, including Debi Dell, Amy and Jack Weinacht ’79, Cami and Gene Serotini ’64, ND professors Tom Flint and JoAnn DellaNeva, along with architects Jeff (and Thalia) Causey ’77, Bob (and Sally) Emma ’77, Rob Yennerell ’77 (and Joe Sochacki), Bob (and Mary) Parme ’75, and Shelley Muller Simon. Frank Fransioli ’77 and wife Eileen McGinnity, who helped plan the cruise, were unable to attend due to illness. Rick “Duck” Santry reports his long-awaited vlog “The Duck Pond” will be airing soon on its YouTube channel . . . Do we believe him this time? In July, Peter Rukavina requested prayers for all comfort and miracles from Our Lady for his son Peter Jr., who suffered catastrophic injury to his neck and spine while serving as lifeguard at Lake Forest Beach. We are praying for his full recovery. We also offer condolences to the families of John Lynch and Mary Lerner who passed away recently. John was the fourth generation working in the family business at Lynch Furniture Company in Geneva and Canandaigua NY. He was an avid runner and competed in the NY Marathon seven times. His wife of 43 years, Peggy, survives. Mary worked for 20 years before entering the University in our class and graduating with a degree in industrial design and advertising. She opened Design Studios, an advertising agency, in 1976. When it closed, she opened The Feeding Station, a wild bird feed and supply store. Mary enjoyed presenting seminars for garden clubs on gardening and birds. Please send news by Oct. 15 for the Winter issue. — Shelley Muller Simon; 5972 S. Dune Harbor Dr., Portage IN 46368; 573-268-3690; ssimon823@gmail.com

 

76MBA Send News

Heard from myself and my lovely spouse: Linda (Lombardi) ’70SMC and Mike Norris. We celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary in July. We went out to a fancy place to eat and spent so much time remembering the years past, good and bad. As we grow older and happier together, we can smile on the years past that we thought were bad at the time. Our daughters Jennifer and Jill have blessed us with three grandchildren. Brady graduated from high school and will be playing baseball for Jackson College in Jackson MI. Brooklyn is in middle school and on the pom team in Novi MI. Beckham, who is our youngest, is playing tackle football for the Novi Colts in Novi MI. It sure would help if everyone just sends a few lines of print. Everybody loves seeing their name in print. Hope everyone enjoys a beautiful autumn. Thank you for sending news. 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 How Swift the Days

US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly ’77, ’81JD received the 2023 Sorin Award from University President Father John Jenkins, CSC, and Dolly Duffy ’84, NDAA president, with his wife, Jill Truitt Donnelly ’81JD, and their family present. Established in 1965, the Sorin Award is conferred each year at Reunion on a graduate who has rendered distinguished service to the University. In 2022, during the 50th anniversary of coeducation, the Sorin Award was presented to All Alumnae of Notre Dame. Previous Sorin Award winners include Cindy Buescher Parseghian and Sheila O’Brien. Paul Bohn, the Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of Notre Dame’s Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health, invented a trap for capturing individual bacterial cells with University bacteriologist Joshua Strout. Timothy Bourret, Clemson U’s former sports information director, married Kaye Davis in May in Seneca SC after “18 years, 5 months, 15 days, 3 hours and 27 minutes.” Rick Valdiserri, Laura and Dom Fanuele, and Beth and John Veihmeyer attended. Carolyn Short Torsella, head of Philadelphia regional litigation at Holland & Knight LLP, was recognized in Philadelphia Best Lawyers 2023. The summer birth of first grandchild Patrick Joseph brought great joy to Kathy DePauw Graham and Jerry Graham. Mary-Louise Houghton Polo and Tom Polo celebrated the medical school graduation of their son Alexander Polo ’15 in May. Ellen Callahan O’Connor and her husband celebrated the 100th birthday of Jeff Donahue, with his wife of 72 years, Barb; sons Joe and Rich; and four generations of Donahue family in Vienna VA last spring. “Truly one of the greatest of the Greatest Generation, humble throughout his life, a special person (my godfather), and the patriarch of a wonderful family.” Louise Karas Hayden and Tom Hayden hosted Memorial Day at their IN home for Breen-Phillips friends Maureen and Bill Sammon, Bridget Provenzano, Kathy Walker Beenen, Colleen and Mike Miller, Leslie Barnes Karas and Paul Karas ’75, Peg Hornback Culhane and Mike Culhane. Kay Andrews’ Breen-Phillips friends summer trip to Cape Cod included Barb Corcoran, Pat Lasonde, Maura Donohue, Ellen Duff, Maria Arminio, Kay Andrews and Julie Hartley. Phil Volpe and Mike Carini hosted Al Bucci, Joe Donahue, Sean Farrell, Al Caccavale and Mike Schuff at their Mt. Dora FL homes in June. Invitations were sent out one week after the 45th Reunion last year, to celebrate the 50th year of meeting, in the summer of ’73. Dave Wallace held a workshop on campus as part of Summer Scholars, a program for high school juniors and seniors considering Notre Dame. Bob Grant’s volunteerism includes Hospitality Host at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, NDC-NY Hesburgh Lecture Series, veterans’ programs and Ancient Order of Hibernians. Ralph Dwyer, a civil engineer of airport and civic projects across the country, enjoys retirement in VA with wife Linda; they’re blessed with three daughters and grandchildren. Ralph, a baritone, sings the national anthem at sporting events. Louise Hayden Karas, Eileen O’Grady Daday and Steve Daday joined ND’s ESTEEM program grad students concluding a bike ride to raise funds for a cure for NPC disease, at the Godfrey Hotel in Chicago last May. The keynote speaker was the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation founder Cindy Buescher Parseghian. Bob Evatt, Betsy Carey Evatt, Melody Singer, Tony Chifari, Chuck Nowland and Kay Andrews, all ND–Mexico City foreign study program friends, gathered in Nashville for three days. Tony wrote that in addition to the usual chatter and occasional drinking, highlights included a concert at the Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Ole Opry, and dinner at The Standard. Deb Kenny Ellsworth and Bill Ellsworth hosted a July soiree at their home in Western Springs IL for Walsh Hall friends Leslie Barnes Karas and Paul Karas ’75, Janet Carney O’Brien, Sheila O’Brien, Eileen O’Grady Daday, Elaine Cerny Raccuglia, Mark O’Brien, Stephen Daday, Bob Raccuglia ’76, Bob Hettinger ’74, Dan Bishop and me. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of our beloved who have passed away, including John Griffin, Brian Kearney and Edmond Confino MD, husband of Maryann Hayes. May the peace of Heaven bring rest to their souls. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; res 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu

 

77MBA Class Secretary — Alan J. Fisher;

ajfisher7577@gmail.com

 

77JD Hopes to Publish Again

David Buchbinder retired from the DOJ last summer after resolution of the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy, a case that kept Dave busy full-time. Dave’s text, Basic Bankruptcy for Paralegals, first published in 1990, is now in its 12th edition. History buff Dave is working on a historical novel about France during WWII and hopes to publish it in the not-too-distant future. Since retirement, Dave has kept very busy with home renovation projects and trip planning, including a fall cruise to Istanbul and Greece. Dave’s interesting travel includes a trip to Paris in 1989 for its bicentennial celebration; one to the Cotswolds, the inspiration for the Shire in Lord of the Rings; and one to London in 2014 for the Monty Python reunion. I told Dave this trip was no surprise to me, and he said it was great fun. Moscow did not impress Dave in any way. The best part of that day-long side trip was running into ND Band members on a spring trip. On a serious note, Dave traveled around Normandy, and we both feel it would be beneficial if every American could experience time in the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer above Omaha Beach where brotherhood and patriotism are palpable. The scaffolding is up around the Dome for regilding, and that brings to mind a rumor I heard about some classmates climbing the scaffolding to enjoy the view. As attorneys, we often worry more about safety and liability than about the view. — Janey Bennett; 50850 Tarrington Way, Granger IN 46530; 574-298-9251; bus 574-243-4100; jbennett@maylorber.com

 

78 A Magical Reunion

Greetings fellow members of the class with class! I trust that you all had a wonderful summer, and are prepared to root our football team on to victory! Reunion 2023! What can I say? It was a truly magical weekend, thanks in large part to the efforts of Pat Flynn and Mary Lou Mulvihill Skalkos. Some hi-lites: Jack Sacco’s moving and at times humorous talk at our Class Dinner on Friday, including reflections on his biography of his father, Where the Birds Never Sing, in WWII; his dad’s role in the liberation of the concentration camp at Dachau; and Jack’s life journey after leaving ND. Another special moment was Nace Mullen’s son Nace III pulling the winning ticket in our Hawaii trip contest. At our Class Dinner on Saturday night, we were treated to musings by former ND and NFL quarterback Ron Powlus, who currently serves as senior associate athletics director and sport administrator for the Fighting Irish football program. A standing-room-only Mass on Friday night was celebrated in fine, holy style by Father Ed Shea. Jim “Souls” Coyne, Bob March and Tony Scolaro shared cigars and life memories on the patio outside of Flaherty Hall, our home for the weekend. Don “Dancing Bear” Smail set up the T-shirt room, selling vintage Alumni Hall shirts. The Dawg Nation raised more than $1,000 for the Alumni Hall Student Fund from T-shirt sales at the reunion. The proceeds will benefit the newly renovated Dawg Haus in August. Memories to last a lifetime include the class picture, informal gatherings in the dorm each night, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new friends. Start making plans for our 50th in 2028. There was a big surprise for our class president, Pat Flynn, and his wonderful wife, Laura, in recognition of their many years of service, graciousness, hospitality and love shown to so many of us since we graduated. The idea was to purchase an engraved bench to be installed outside of Dillon Hall with contributions from the class. We missed those of you unable to attend but still wanted to let everyone have an opportunity to participate. The plaque will read: In Loving Honor of Laura and Pat Flynn ’78 Who opened their hearts to all of us With immense gratitude from The Class of 1978 The Class With Class. The class will need to raise $25,000 to secure the bench. Any additional money raised will be directed to the Class of 1978 Scholarship Fund, which we all know is very important to Laura and Pat. If interested in participating, please reach out using this link and make a donation of any amount: Giving to Pat Flynn Honorary Bench Fund. Laura and Pat are the glue holding so many of our relationships together—opening their home at any time, hosting thousands of known and unknown people, running tailgates at every home game, finding tickets and so much more! Lastly, reunions are only successful because of Pat’s involvement and his commitment to excellence. No doubt both he and Laura deserve this award. Dennis Doughty hosted a reunion gathering on Thursday night at his South Bend home. Pete Haley, Brian Cronin, Randy “Wheat” Heimbuch, Jim Wendel, Jim “Souls” Coyne, Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Nace Mullen and John Delaney were all in attendance. Denny Ogburn was in from Louisville KY. He hasn’t lost a step since freshman year. Jay Scanlon, the dry-cleaning czar from Kingston NY, was a fun accomplice for many of our weekend events. He and Jim “Souls” Coyne shared long-ago memories from Wildwood NJ. Mike Conaty hasn’t lost any of the charm or art of storytelling that always makes him a fun person to be around. Mary Emich had some neat tales about her expeditions across a good portion of the country these past months. Ever the gracious host, Danny Romano hosted Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Greg “Sweets” Switaj, Jim “Souls” Coyne and Nace Mullen for an impromptu dinner at his home in Chicago on the Sunday night of Reunion Weekend. Alicia Denefe reported news of the Innsbruck crew. There was a total of 56 who studied abroad in Innsbruck, Austria, during the 1975–76 class year. They were one of the largest groups and enjoyed many experiences together that produced a tight bond. The Olympics were in Innsbruck the year they were there! Attending Reunion this last week were approximately 25 of them, which is about 50 percent of the original group. That’s a pretty amazing fact! — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com

 

78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney;

41 Applewood Lane, Falmouth, ME 04105; res 207-229-0989; bus 207-333-6640 ex 2020; irishwasherwoman@alumni.nd.edu

 

78JD Enjoying Life

Jerry Ross wrote: “Joanne and I are spending our summers in Davis CA near our daughters and their families. I still do a little legal work for Chevron, Texaco and Unocal, but they all know that now it is a hobby for me and not a profession. I marvel over the fact that after 47 years of marriage, Joanne still seems to like me—she is a very patient woman. Our four grandsons are still at ages (8 to 12) where they think we are rock stars. We plan to milk that as long as we can. Last year, we hauled them back to Notre Dame to try and cultivate a little interest in the school, but I am sad to report that they are committed Californians. Telling them about the monster snowstorm in January 1978 probably did not help the cause. We hope you are doing well and surviving the hot Texas summer.” Take care. For the next edition, send memories, news, stories and plans to — Vincent R. Johnson; 210-431-2131; vjohnson@stmarytx.edu

 

79 45 Years

Dr. Peter Tan, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, served 36 years in the Dental Corps of the Army Reserve. He retired as a colonel and his assignments included serving as the highest-ranking dental corps officer in the Office of the Surgeon General and Pentagon and the second in command of the Pacific Regional Dental Command and Europe’s Regional Dental Command. He also retired from private practice and teaching. He now is president and CEO of TANARM, a consulting firm for leadership development, health care management, emergency and disaster management, public health consulting and military work, and a partner in Academic Innovation Partners, a consulting group encouraging the application of academic research. He also serves as a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, president of the Military Officers Association of Citrus County FL where he lives, director of the Suncoast Chapter of the Association for the US Army, and chair of the board of trustees of HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital. His athletic interests include a black belt in both South Korean hapkido and taekwondo, SCUBA dive master, skiing and golf. Peter lost his wife, Grace, in January 2022 and misses her dearly. Dr. Michael Butler, a cardiologist, serves as the southwest regional director for the ND Senior Alumni Board. He lives in Fayetteville AR. Sue (Walsh) ’81 and Mike Fitzgerald have three sons and a daughter, three of whom attended ND. Mike has been a CPA with Schaffer Boyle in Alton IL for over 40 years and heads the tax department. He and Sue have 10 grandkids. Remember Glenn Gendron and his family in your prayers. Glenn died suddenly in January. He is survived by his wife of almost 38 years, Kathy (Rolfsen), a son, a daughter and two grandchildren. After spending three years in the military as an artillery officer, he earned his MBA from IUSB and worked in the RV industry and as a certified yoga instructor and yoga education provider. In addition to yoga, he enjoyed camping and trailblazing with his wife and golf. He lived in Middlebury IN. Also remember John Lohn and his family. John’s wife and soulmate, Linda (Loomis), died suddenly in April. Linda, who generously shared both her warmth and the products of her baking skills, and John had been married for 39 years. John, a retired juvenile/probate judge in Medina OH, continues to hear cases on assignment throughout the state and spends time with his two sons and their families. Our 45th Reunion is May 30 through June 2. Don’t worry about the gray hair or extra pounds; you’ll blend in and everyone will be glad to see you. — 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