1970s
1970s
70 Class Blog
We’re well over halfway to the next full reunion, June 1–4. Because we all belong to the 50-year club, we can attend every reunion. Our October 2021 induction into the club with the Class of ’71 made up for missing it in 2020. Already dozens of our classmates have made plans to attend. Kevin Kennedy will celebrate his 25th anniversary in August. In preparation, they attended all home football games including the Shamrock Series vs. BYU in Las Vegas last year. He retired in 2013 after 35 years with Flair Communications. Our November class blog, nd1970.blogspot.com, managed by Paul Gill, featured Ed Ziegler’s poem “Special People”. Ed also penned a moving reminiscence of his grandparents and their (now bulldozed) lovely Cote Brilliante (“Shining Hill”) neighborhood in Newport KY. It featured a photo of young Ed standing next to presidential candidate JFK in October 1960 during a campaign stop at his grandmother’s house. Ed was Newport Catholic’s first high school All-America football player and now is a retired professor and holder of the Robert Yegge Research Chair in Law at U of Denver. Class President Rick Libowitz reports that Temple returned to in-person sessions in time for him to contemplate retirement. Perhaps he’ll appear on Jeopardy!, whose precursor, GE College Bowl, featured him as ND captain in November 1967, when we lost a battle with Bryn Mawr 225–185. Teammates Greg Adolf and Dennis Gallagher ’77, Bill Luking ’69 and Tom Spinrad ’68 couldn’t mount a second-half rally. Thanks to Dick Roddewig for his illuminating retrospective in the same blog (Post #38). Joel Cicerella, Paul White and Tony Del Favero reunited in October in Gainesville VA, 51 years after they first met at Breen-Phillips. Paul and Tony composed a musical performed at The Heritage Hunt Little Theater. Paul wrote the comedy about a golf league for retired men and Tony composed the music (I’ve got to bring it to Springfield!) Tony, who retired from a great career in IT, is a professional musician in the San Francisco Bay area, where he lives with his wife, Cynthia, and recently released a CD of his original composition, Between the Lines, Tony D. Paul retired as a highly regarded financial adviser in northern Virginia. He lives in Gainesville with his wife, Pat. Maggie and Joel remain in Ashland OR after he retired from a teaching career there. Bill Hederman sent me information on a comedy program: “Comedy meets history at President Lincoln’s cottage in DC,” knowing my love for all things Lincoln. Pat and I are throwing Abe a birthday party at my great-grandfather’s historic home in order to recruit new members to the Abraham Lincoln Association, of which I am treasurer. Kevin Myles wrote that he was praying for Coach Freeman and a good football season, so thanks, Kevin, for our happy Saturdays. Kevin McCarthy and Dick Roddewig are working on an article on the Grand Trunk Western Railway trip from ND for the 1967 Purdue game. In his more serious moments, Kevin is writing a book on the USA and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of America. Father James Dorson, CSC, died on March 7, 2022. Responding to an ad about religious vocation, he became a Holy Cross brother and served as a residential assistant at several dorms including Cavanaugh. While gaining his degree in English, he was a sacristan at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. After graduate studies at the Washington DC Theological Coalition, he was ordained in 1977. He served as pastor in several parishes in the Diocese of Richmond until retiring in 2008. In his final years, he was a substitute pastor in Warm Springs VA. — 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 Oh Deer
As I write these words a powerful Christmas blizzard is striking parts of western New York where I reside. Hopefully, temperatures have warmed by the time you read the following updates. John Tully finds it hard to believe he retired from ExxonMobil as assistant general counsel in the litigation department 18 years ago. He then moved back to NYC and became of counsel to a couple of firms over the ensuing decade. He has not been involved in legal work for eight years now. To stay busy, he continues to serve on various educational, charitable and cultural boards. John notes that several other classmates had also worked for Exxon over the years including Joe Potvin, Rich Cerbone and, after Exxon’s merger with Mobil, Paul Cole. As an undergrad, Joe Kane loved being a member of the ND Glee Club. These days, Joe continues singing with a Cincinnati group known as The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Dick Blumberg has visited over 100 countries since leaving ND. Dick’s spirit of adventure continues with plans for an upcoming trip to several West African nations. Although unable to attend our reunion last fall, Mike Crowe ’72JD thanked us for having invited him to do so. Mike reflected that even though he did not complete his studies with our class, he has fond memories of his first year of law school. He says he made it through, in no small part, because of the camaraderie and support he received from you, his fellow classmates. Anne and John Klein accompanied their son, John ’01, and two granddaughters to ND for last season’s game against Marshall. John notes it was his first trip back to campus in several years and, despite the upset, a good time was had by all. Ken Iverson and Dan Rybak have a tradition of traveling to a different college football game each year. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, such came to a halt but was revived this past autumn as they attended the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game. Ken confesses that during the game they were both following the ND vs. BYU game on their phones. Madge and Steph DeSales traveled from the Golden State to South Bend for the California game in September. They caught up with Brad Freeman, his son and two grandsons on campus and had such a good time that they returned again in late October for our 50th Reunion Plus Two. For those of you keeping track, California was the opening home game in the autumn of ’67, our first year at ND Law. The Irish won 41-8. Dee Dee and Jack Van De North were also at the reunion and spoke of plans for a Christmas trip to London to visit their son, John ’92, and his family. Mary Kevin and Jamie Cawley drove over 600 miles through the hills of Pennsylvania and across the farm fields of Ohio and Indiana to attend the October reunion. They arrived at ND around 4 p.m., turned onto East Angela Boulevard, and were immediately struck by a deer as it came running across the ND golf course, jumped the fence, and demolished the front of their car. Fortunately, they were not hurt. Hats off to Jamie for laughing about the situation over dinner later that night. Finally, a thank-you goes out to second-year law student and fellow Chaminade High School grad Matteo Taraborelli, who was our guide during the reunion tour of the expanded Law School building. Until next time, stay well. Go Irish. — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com
71 On the Road Again
No surprise, the Clemson game was a decent draw for the crowd, before the weather turned. Boston College in late November, not so much. Southerners trekking north for Clemson included the trio Paul Bonitatibus and Lew Derbes from New Orleans with George Loveland, Memphis, plus Herb Melton, Louisville and Ken Israel, SC, chauffeured from Chicago by Bob Bramlette. Bill Barz and family defied most odds and made it to halftime at BC. Ned Cavanaugh completed his 40th year as a prof at St. John’s Law School in NYC. Two of his classes focus on antitrust law and federal practice and law and economics. He and Janet recently welcomed grandkid number five, have downsized and split their time between Long Island and White Plains NY. Also in the area are Tish and Ed Davey, who have also downsized and split their time between Pelham and Litchfield CT. Carl Mehrbach is a longtime artist still active in Lyme NH. He exhibits his work at Silvermine Galleries in New Canaan CT as well as local galleries near home in New Hampshire and Vermont. If summer road trips include these areas, look for his work if you are gallery hopping or just window shopping. Condolences to Jim Malloy on the passing of his mother, Peggy, in Cleveland. Philip Teah, Cooper City FL, passed away in November. He was a business major and started his career in IT and the RV industry. A native of South Bend, home was a long iron shot from Burke Golf Course. He subsequently segued into the marine industry and moved to FL. Condolences to Tracy and their family. Claudia and Paul Dusseau departed Columbus in December for their normal winter trip to the desert, only this time they passed on the American southwest and went to Egypt instead. Tim O’Connor gets the Road Warrior award for the year. He attended all 12 regular season games and stopped at the Gator Bowl on the way south for the winter. Mark McGowan has completed an extended four-year term on the Alumni Board. For a number of years now there has also been a Senior Alumni Board with its own publications, focused on local activities. If this is something you may now have the time and interest to pursue, check it out under the Alumni Association vertical on the main ND website. Andy Dotterweich continues to maintain a ’71 class-specific vertical in the Communities section of the Alumni Association website, remembering our deceased classmates with links to individual obits. If Italy and art tours are both on your bucket list, check out an Alumni tour, starting in Rome on Oct. 15. Our own Father Doug Smith, CSC, is the Catholic chaplain for this nine-day venture, titled “How Great Thou Arts: Italy Pilgrimage.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day! — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 571-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com
71MBA Happy New Year
I received Christmas greetings from some classmates and will use the messages from those cards for most of this report. Robbie (Parker) ’71MA and Jim Fackelman visited with Patricia and Rod Spear in November for the BC football game. They are always wonderful hosts. Rod and I attended in the bitter cold and could hardly see the players on the field during the third-quarter snowstorm. The Spears traveled to TX the following weekend to spend Thanksgiving with their son. Mary Jo and Todd Helmeke checked in from ID and would like to meet up with us in CO, as we both make visits to family there. We make several trips a year to visit with our daughter and family in Steamboat Springs. Helena and Tony Strati made their trip to India and look forward to skiing season at their Durango CO condo. They have also been traveling around the USA to attend grandchildren’s weddings. Will the Stratis become the first great-grandparents in our class? Tony received a Christmas greeting and message from Gary Groom. Gary is still in FL and recently returned from a tour of Ireland by car. Are you still dancing up a storm, Gary? I know we’d all like to hear from more of you, so please send me your news. At our 50th Reunion, we all recognized the need to stay in contact with classmates. — 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 Endowed Professorship
John Gocke MD attended grammar school and high school with John V. O’Connor. They were roommates on campus. After graduation, O’Connor obtained his PhD from the U of Iowa. He joined fledgling Genentech and, when he passed in 2012, he had been with the company for 30 years. Since 1996, and continuing past his death to the present, the Annual John V. OʼConnor Biochemistry Research and Education Conference has been held at ND in his honor. His widow, Barbara, endowed a professorship at ND in his name in 2021 and the first holder, Brittany Morgan, occupied the position in August 2022. She is the John V. O’Connor Assistant Professor in Cancer Drug Discovery in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Might this be the first endowed professorship named after one of our classmates? Dan Sherry, practicing law in King of Prussia PA, enjoyed attending the reunion, but sadly reports that his son Parker ’03 died in Austin on Oct. 4 following a swimming-related accident. Our condolences, Dan. There is a good obituary for Tom Boyer in the Winter issue under Class Notes for 1975. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu
72MBA Anybody There?
Let me begin by apologizing for not having class notes in the last issue. Even when I have no news, which was the case last time, I like to have an entry in every issue so whoever checks knows I’m still on the job. Sadly, once again, I haven’t heard from anyone. It would really be nice to have some real news to report. Please consider writing to me or calling, especially if you’ve never contacted me or my predecessors. Not only would I enjoy hearing from you, I know your classmates would too. — 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 50th Reunion Just Around the Corner
I think by now almost all of you have decided whether or not you can attend our 50th class reunion to be held on campus from June 1-4. It should be an incredible time. Let’s all hope for good weather! Class President Jim Hunt has organized a great itinerary. but of course, the highlight will be seeing all of our friends and fellow classmates, reminiscing on old times and looking forward to a great future. If anyone has any questions at any time, please email me or call me on my cell phone with the information listed below. I asked a few columns ago whether anyone in our class had served in Vietnam. Lo and behold, Phil Conroy responded with three incredible emails. He tells a fantastic story about his service in Vietnam. He actually graduated technically in 1974 because of his service overseas. He mentioned in his email that a couple of other classmates also evolved into the five-year plan, including Bob (Waldo) Oppold and John (Jock) Bourneuf, Phil’s roommate in Sorin Hall. Thanks for sending the email, Phil, and hope to see you at the reunion! I was informed by Mary Beth Caplice Newman of the death of her husband, Bob Newman. In addition, Robert Palich passed away on July 23, 2022. I’m gearing up for The Denny golf tournament this year in Kankakee IL to be held on Monday, July 31. If there are any classmates in the general Chicago area who have not participated, please contact me because we would love to have you join our group. It is an incredible event. Does anyone else in our class have get-togethers with classmates on an annual basis to play golf? Please let me know. Time now for a shout-out to two of my roommates, Alan Hart from Meridian MS and Ed Garrett from Seattle. I keep in close contact with both of them. Alan has probably shot his age more than any other person in our class! Ed is retired and enjoying life in the far West. Where is Dr. Tony March? Looking forward to spending time at the reunion at their home on Angela Avenue in South Bend for perhaps the final time are class president Jim Hunt, class treasurer Mike McCurdy, Bob Ward, Marty Clements, Bob Ziegelbaue and John Duffy. If you want to see some of your old SMC girlfriends, stop by as Jim Hunt will be throwing a big party. A little short on news, but I am sure I will have more than enough after the reunion in early June. Thanks again to everyone for a great 50 years. We especially pray for all of our deceased classmates. I look forward to continuing the column on a quarterly basis and always welcome more news. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; cell 815-212-3661; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com
73MBA Happy 50th Graduation Anniversary Year
For this prime anniversary class edition, I share with all of you and your families this simple Irish prayer for our ’73MBA Class: May your troubles be less, your blessings be more and nothing but God’s happiness always come through your door. Gus Browne says happy 50th to all. Steve Spain writes that his wife, Debbie, and he are looking forward to our 50th Reunion! He plans to retire in July after 50 years in the investment business. They have three adult children and eight grandkids. He absolutely loves being “Pops.” They ALL have much to be thankful and grateful for! John Rapa shares he will be working with Intuit again for the current (2022) tax year. This will be his third tax year with Intuit. Soon he will be well into the 2022 tax season. Ron Alvarez’s widow, Ada, shares Ron was 77. He died Sept. 7, 2022, in Greenville SC after a lengthy illness. In addition to her, he is survived by his daughter, Theresa Alvarez. Ron was a proud undergraduate of ND in ’67 and ’73MBA. He was blue and gold through and through. He was born in Pittsburgh and was an Air Force veteran. Tom Jindra writes that he has been retired from aerospace for two and one-half years. His wife, Susan, is graduate program coordinator in the Education Department at Cal State San Bernardino. They have two grown children and have been blessed with four grandkids and 47 years of marriage. Remember to save the dates for our 50th Reunion: Aug. 24–26. Contact Tim Geoghegan at timmyg620@gmail.com for details. I still look forward to the responses from all our classmates over the next two years to capture your legacy message in this ND 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. I look forward to hearing from you soon. You are always welcome to visit us in So Cal. — Thomas Jindra; tajindra@charter.net
73JD Class Secretary — Paul Reagan;
16527 Heron Coach Way, Fort Myers FL 33908; cell 847-915-9796; pvreagan@gmail.com
74 We’ve All Entered a New Decade!
Wow, here we are into our seventh decade. Amazing, blessed and aiming to do our best to be grateful for all we have no matter how little or much. We’ve all come to appreciate good health, working limbs, strong bones and the joys of laughter more and more. To think next year, God willing, we unite for our 50th. Wasn’t it just yesterday we were laughing, worrying about exams and falling in love? So, let’s begin. Jeremiah McCarthy wrote to me also regarding the “50 + 1” anniversary of their fab friends in Innsbruck, Austria. The group included, Pete Bartzen, Ray Carlson ’73, Dan Doody, Pat Feeney, Mary Ferrari, Debbie Roman Fischer, Mike Gayle, Mike Hagerty, Tom Kastelic ’73, Steve Magdzinski, Jerry McCarthy, Dick Mikes, Ted Mikulski, Mark Pittman, Pat Roach, Meg (Koch) Schaffer ’73SMC, Leo Schubert, Bill Tobler and of course, Jerry McCarthy, who along with spouses and significant others, gathered together in Innsbruck and Salzburg last September. So many had not seen one another since graduation! As with our reunions, Jeremy writes that “it quickly became obvious that none of us has aged a day-at least mentally.” In a short amount of time, memories were ablaze, beers hoisted and new memories commenced. This fabulous gathering to a place where it all began was thanks to Pat Roach, Dick Mikes, Mark Pittman, and Jeanne Sliter Koenig. Unfortunately, Jeanne was unable to attend, yet her planning and perseverance made it happen. Jeremiah McCarthy is a United States Magistrate Judge in Buffalo. Dr. Tom Eichler, who has been doing extensive travel with his wife, mentioned that even with all precautions, he and his wife Allison got Covid, “a souvenir from Africa.” Although later they were still able to travel on the Rocky Mountaineer train across the Canadian Rockies, Vancouver-Lake Louise. Tom also went to Japan to speak in Hiroshima at a professional meeting. Dr. Eichler also completed his four-year term on the ASTRo-BoD in October and is enjoying more free time. He plans to stay involved in global health issues. Always fun to hear of your travels, Tom. Quiet class…let’s hear who is planning to travel anywhere in the coming year. Or how you’re enjoying family and friends at home. Thank you as ever for writing. Cheers! — Dede Lohle Simon; 440 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago; dedersimon@gmail.com
74MBA Travel Log
Randy Marks advised that he and wife Sandy ventured out of their comfort zone, Sarasota, before Christmas to Chicago to visit their daughter and grandson. Not fond of the cold weather, the Markses flew into the warmth of New Orleans shortly after Christmas to visit their son and two grandsons in Baton Rouge. While there, Randy reported that he was unable to get an audience with Brian Kelly, but he did see Mike, the LSU mascot. Not sure what Randy had in mind there!! From the Burnett family continuing saga, Helen and I traveled to South Bend in late October to attend the ND-UNLV football game. It was a beautiful late-fall afternoon, sunny and mild. Two of our daughters and their husbands attended along with us. We had a great day and the Irish registered another victory. A Notre Dame win always makes the long drive home more enjoyable. Helen and I are planning a trip to a warmer climate in late February, probably FL or the Caribbean. It is always nice to escape the snow and cold of MI for a couple of weeks in late winter. I will plan to report on that trip in the next issue. I am sure all of you will be “wildly anticipating” that article. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy 2023. All it takes is an email or phone call to update everyone about what is going on in your lives. Your classmates would like to hear from you. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net
74JD Sounds of Silence
No news — hope that’s good news. Be well. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com
75 An Eye on Reunion 2025. . .
Jeanne Murphy, one of our class vice presidents, writes from her new home in Sarasota that she will be attending the NDAA Leadership Conference on campus in April. She will represent our class and her local alumni club where she serves as student initiative coordinator. During a visit to ND in October, she met with NDAA reps to brainstorm the 2025 Class Reunion—our 50th! She is seeking volunteers to help with planning and conducting some of the special events during the reunion planned for May 29–June 1, 2025. Contact Jeanne via email at jmmnd75@gmail.com or phone: 908-812-6622. Lindy and Eli Guajardo came from Lake Tahoe to join Beth and Gary Evins in their Las Vegas home for the ND-BYU weekend in October. They met up with Julie and Jeff (Spiffy) Curran who had tickets in the heart of the VERY LOUD Notre Dame section in Allegiant Stadium. Gary said it was a great weekend. By the way, we won! Jim Cooney writes from Santa Rosa CA that he now has three grandchildren, so he spends a lot of time doing daycare for two in Santa Rosa and visits for one in Seattle. And after a pause for COVID restrictions, he was able to do Alcatraz swim number 21 last June with the South End Rowing Club. He adds, “So if anyone wants to visit, we are available to host wine tasting, beer tasting, golfing and bay swimming.” Jim also shared that classmate Bill “Fireball” Buholzer of Chicago passed away in November. Also, Jan Wasilewski of Miami passed away in April. She is survived by husband Peter Homer. And classmate Michael Fanning died in October in Tulsa. Survived by son Casey, Mike was an All-American defensive tackle on the 1973 national championship Fighting Irish football squad. He played in the NFL for 10 seasons. After 44 years, Ted Krebsbach has retired from his law practice in New York City. He and wife Sohee are now in Sag Harbor NY with “happily undecided” future plans. Recently they visited Vancouver and will go to Asia soon to see their son, a Marine JAG lawyer, in Okinawa, along with his wife and three grands. Gator Bowl visitors in December included Phil Potter and wife Jimita, along with 76ers Debi Dell and Steve Klug, at the game. Tailgaters included fellow 76ers Lynda and Pat Sarb as well as Betsy Fallon. Phil and Jimita also visited the Holy Land in October and have plans for a trip to HI in March. Please continue to send me your news. Note the new email. Thanks! — 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 Spring Notes
Fifty years ago, we were wrapping up our first year, a jaunting adventure on the rare occasion when it did not feel like the Bataan Death March. I was in relaxation mode, already planning for the London summer program at Brunel U in Uxbridge, Middlesex. I would be joined by Chris Guidroz, Ken Klatt and others. The faculty included Thomas Shaffer ’61JD (who brought books) and Francis X. Beytagh ’56 (who brought golf clubs). It was a fantastic summer before the crush of 2L studies. The Ducks convened during the UNLV football weekend last autumn to remember Joe Cooney. The gathering included Joe’s wife, Michele, along with Peter Shirk, Mike Eldred, Brennan Farrell, Bob Foster, Ray Garza, Joe Gilfiland, Ron Hein, Jack Garbo and Brian Short. Speaking of Brian, download the book The Miracle Landing, authored by Harold Gifford. He was the pilot of the DC3 carrying the Minneapolis Lakers home from a game in St. Louis in January of 1960 during a brutal ice storm. Through divine providence, the pilots put the plane down safely in a snowy Iowa cornfield without casualties. Brian and his father (Bob Short) are mentioned throughout the account. John Moe served in the Air Force following graduation, holding the rank of captain, Office of Staff Judge Advocate, from 1976 to 1980 and serving at bases in CA (Edwards and Norton) and Korea (Kunson). In 1980, he returned to the firm at which he previously clerked. John continues to practice, now as a partner, at Dentons US LLP, in its Los Angeles office in the areas of creditor’s rights and bankruptcy/insolvency. He is actively engaged in his community, including over 40 years on the board of directors of the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles, including as its president, and has co-chaired for 36 years the biennial “The Game Is on Luncheon,” celebrating the Notre Dame–USC rivalry. The event raises substantial sums for the NDCLA scholarship fund supporting over 70 students and the University. For nearly two decades, John has served as a co-Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout troop, benefiting as many as 120 boys per year. He was married for 31 years to his beloved Jan, who passed away from leukemia in 2016. John’s son, Johnny, is a graduate of Loyola Marymount, and his daughter, Caroline, graduated from Skidmore. As the Vietnam War wound down, Tim Westman learned that the US Navy had released him from his four-year commitment to serve as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s office. A frantic, late-in-the-game job search ensued, landing Tim in an in-house position at a mining equipment manufacturer in Milwaukee, the hometown of his then-girlfriend, Patrice Martin. They married a year later and have been blessed with seven children and (so far) 14 grandchildren. Ted Marciniak is godfather to their first son, and Andy Napolitano is godfather to their second, who also is named after Andy. Tim spent most of his 30-year career at Emerson Electric Co. in St. Louis where he served in several leadership positions, including M&A, securities and corporate governance, general counsel for Emerson’s largest business platform and general counsel for Latin America. He retired in 2016, finishing his career as Emerson’s acting general counsel for a year, due to the unexpected departure of the incumbent GC at the time. Tim and I are both Mazda Miata aficionados; he has served as president of the St. Louis Miata Club. Tim busies himself in volunteer work and currently serves on the board and as chair of the Governance Committee at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com
76 Cheering Her Name
The second half of the 2022 football season featured many opportunities to celebrate. Class of ’76 loyal sons and daughters were front and center UNLV weekend for the historic ceremony “Cheer Her Name” commemorating 50 years of Title IX. Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, and Jack Swarbrick praised the perseverance and passion of the first women athletes who established the ND women’s athletic teams. Honorary monograms were awarded to the following ’76ers: Basketball—Kathy Andersen, Becky Banasiak, Ann Bond, Mary Clemency, Laura Dodge, Jeanne Early; Tennis—Betsy Fallon, Melissa Roman, Andrea Smith; Golf—Becky Banasiak, Nancy Brenner; Fencing—Susan Krakora; Field Hockey—Becky Banasiak, Laura Dodge, Donna Losurdo; Rowing—Pat Burke, Charlotte Cain, Cathie Comerford, Jeanine Essling, Jane Garland, Rosemary Gill, Janet Longfellow, Donna Losurdo, Ann Mattimore, Karen McKeon, Barbara Riley, Margaret Schuler, Mary Setlock, Betsy Short, Michelle Thompson, Rosemary Tirannanzi, Ellen Walsh, Jule Wetherbee; Diving—Kathy Gallogly; Softball—Becky Banasiak; Sailing—Jean Benedett, Carol Frohling, Margaret Schuler; Skiing—Lorraine Armstrong, Sarah Bartzen, Ann Hawkins, Janet Schliesmann; Track/Cross Country—Peg Curtin. David Wheaton, who retired in 2021 as CFO at Macalester College in St. Paul, was also honored for his role sophomore year as volunteer coach with the first women’s tennis team while he was on the men’s team. I live-streamed portions of the events on Facebook Live, and the recordings are available on our private Facebook page. Joining me during the Monogram celebration in supporting the women athletes were Lionel Phillips, Debi Dell and Jesse Verna. After celebrating the accomplishments of the women against all odds, we listened to stories from Lionel, Bonita Bradshaw ’77 and Richard Ryans ’79 on the challenges experienced by students of color during the early years of coeducation. Bonita recently co-authored a book, Black, Brown, and White: Stories Straight Outta Compton. Rick “Duck” Santry brought his youngest son, Brendan, and nephew Hunter, a Clemson student (and Michael Mayer ’23’s high school best friend), to the Clemson game. They witnessed Mayer’s record-breaking touchdown pass and stormed the field with the crowd following the historic upset. Later that month, Cavanaugh Hall alumni traveled to the Ravens stadium for the Navy game, including Sandy and Phil Coyne, Virginia Coyne ’15, Maryann Howald Purzycki ’76SMC, Mike Purzycki, Greg Faller, Pat Leary and Chuck Sanders. Celebrating the come-from-behind bowl win against South Carolina in Jacksonville were Lynda and Pat Sarb, Jesse Verna, Steve Klug, Debi Dell and Betsy Fallon, who hosted a New Year’s Eve brunch at her home there. Debi traveled to Boston and Boca Raton FL at the end of the year to discuss her book on coeducation. Tom Young organized the Boston event and Maryanne Ries Rogers, Bill Delaney, Dave Hadley, Kit McCarthy and I attended, along with a diverse and engaging group of local alumni. Bill Whiteside recently published Everybody Knows a Salesman Can’t Write a Book, a nonfiction book on how he researched and wrote about Winston Churchill and an unlikely WWII clash between the British and French navies. Laura Dodge-Ghara welcomed her first granddaughter, Quinn, who joins her brother Brady! We extend our deepest sympathy to Doug Mosser on the passing of his wife and best friend of 44 years, Theresa Gildner Mosser ’76SMC, from pancreatic cancer. She is also survived by their sons Paul and Joe. Doug is a partner with HKM Architects & Planners in Arlington Heights IL. We also extend our condolences to Betsy Short on the loss of her mother. Visit our website, https://1976.undclass.org, for details on class gatherings and events. Please send news by April 15 (for class notes to be published in July). — Shelley Muller Simon; 5972 S. Dune Harbor Dr., Portage IN 46368; 573-268-3690; ssimon823@gmail.com
76MBA It’s About Time to Share Some News
Pretty sad that not one member of our class has checked in with some news. As a suggestion, let’s start 2023 by sending just a few updates about yourself. I trust you and all your loved ones are well and blessings to our class this coming year. We can always use some news. Stay well, everyone. 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 Tributes and Accolades
After a long delay due to COVID, Susy Leonard Benjamin, who passed away on April 16, 2021, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 2, 2022. She joined the CIA as an economic analyst but found her calling in the fast-paced 24/7 CIA Operations Center. In 1980, she was assigned to the White House Situation Room, working rotating 12-hour shifts alerting the president and senior advisers of intelligence developments. She served at the “Sit Room” during the Carter and Reagan administrations, was assigned to the Pentagon supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and served at CIA headquarters in several managerial roles, providing intelligence support to America’s military commands and implementing new technology. A recipient of numerous commendations for exceptional performance, Susy was awarded the Career Intelligence Medal in 2011 at the conclusion of her 34-year career. Susy’s husband, Thomas Benjamin, their children Brian and Julie, family and friends, including seven classmates, were in attendance. This past year, our class sadly lost six more classmates whose names were omitted: Vincent Cuzzolini, George Gulyas, Geoffrey Arata, Clark Hamilton, Douglas Lee, and Joseph Anders MD. May all rest in the peace of Heaven and be cherished forever in our hearts. Following graduation, Bob Kastenholz, Bob Maday, Joe Connelly, Bob Biermann and Bill Mueller began “The Thursday Night Pep Rally” (TNPR), meeting at local bars in Chicago’s western suburbs the first Thursday of the month, during non-football months, and every Thursday during football season for the past 40 years. Other TNPR attendees included Jack Hanzel, Rich Spangler, Kevin Butler, Tom Coffey, Rich Evans, Micky Thomas, Gene Gorman, Ed Garvey, Jim Bibby, Jorge Lopez, Tim Marcotte, Ken Sobolewski, Mike Stillwell and Joe Erpelding. Sharon and Jeff Vitter enjoyed a wonderful month in France visiting family, genealogical sites and the original Lourdes Grotto, before visiting granddaughter Josie, Lindsay ’10 and Scott Vitter ’10 in Chicago. All joined daughters Jillian Vitter ’07 and Audrey Vitter ’13 for Thanksgiving in Denver. Michael Bowler, associate professor of global studies and world languages at Winona State U and University Bangladesh campus expert, spoke on a panel at the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University. Tim Powell received two nominations in two categories at the 2023 Grammy Awards, best jazz instrumental album for Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Wayne Shorter/Terri Lyne Carrington/Esperanza Spalding/Leo Genovese and best improvised jazz solo for “Endangered Species,” Wayne Shorter and Leo Genovese, soloist. Tim recorded 35 Grammy-nominated projects since 1987. Christopher Kuhl’s painting exhibition “Skyscapes” was held at the Panama City Arts Center on Jan. 6-30 with a Meet the Artist event on Jan. 13. Eileen O’Grady Daday covered First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s visit to educators at Rolling Meadows HS and was a panelist on inspirational stories in her community. Mitchell Thomas, who works and lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with his wife, was home for Christmas in FL and TX with family and friends. Grandbaby congrats go to Peg Hornback Culhane and Mike Culhane on grandson Simon Michael, born in July to their son Pat Culhane and his wife, Trish and Peter Sweeney on the births of Caroline Rose Cadison, their daughter Mary Clare and Doug’s daughter, and Finnegan (Finn) Salvatore Sweeney, son of Marisa and Patrick Sweeney MD ’09 and to Gayla Molinelli on granddaughter Emily. Condolences go to Carolyn Short who lost her mother, Marion Short, widow of Robert Short and matriarch of a Notre Dame family, Elaine Cerny Raccuglia who lost her mother, Marian Cerny, wife of William Cerny, professor emeritus of music at the University, who so kindly played the flute at our Reunion Masses, Victoria Stephan Nelson on the loss of her sister Mimi Stephan, to Janet Carney O’Brien on the loss of her brother Tom Carney ’67, and to Walt Ling on the loss of his father, Frederick Ling. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; res 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu
77MBA Travel Plans
Class update from Jan and Larry Fiedler. “We thought it was time to give everyone an update. November 2022, Larry and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. We enjoy spending family time with our daughters, Julie and Kristen (and her husband, Kevin). Julie works for Total Wine and Kristen is a consultant for the East Coast–based Force Management. While I have been retired for several years now, Larry just retired in April 2022, and we have enjoyed being able to spend more time together and travel more. We did a Mediterranean cruise in May and our first river cruise in October. More travel plans are in our future for 2023. We continue to enjoy our home in Southern California and feel fortunate that both our daughters live in Southern California as well. We haven’t been back to South Bend since 2002 so maybe a trip to Notre Dame is in our future.” I took time to enjoy duck hunting during the fall months. Best to all for the new year! — Alan J. Fisher; ajfisher7577@gmail.com
77JD Book About Saints
Randy Petrides has been very busy writing since he retired in 2017 after 38 years as a trial lawyer and administrator in the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office. Randy earned a Master of Arts in theology in 2018 at Franciscan U of Steubenville and has transitioned into Catholic theology and writing, with an emphasis on Church history and the saints. Randy’s book, How the Saints Changed History, is a concise narrative of Church history with a focus on the saints as history-makers and will be published by Our Sunday Visitor Press this year. Randy and Elizabeth, married for 43 years, enjoy spending time with their five children and 16 grandchildren. They are also active in Holy Family Parish in Grand Blanc MI. Karen and Robbie Crane spent most of the last year playing with “kids” and grandkids, dressing up for Halloween, making a quilt, working on home improvement projects and alternating between enjoying beach time in TX to swimming in mountain lakes (you cannot take Colorado out of the Cranes). Most of the family gathered for the BOLDERBoulder, a 10k, where Robbie ran with a son, a daughter, a grandson, and a granddaughter with others cheering and prodding them on. For the very first time, a grandchild beat Robbie, but he claims he was misled about training for the event. One way or another, I am impressed by all that running. Linda Olivieri and Bill Chenoweth have also enjoyed a lot of family time with Katie ’05, Ellen, grandchildren, et al. Their Christmas plans, like those of many families, had to be adjusted when the country-wide weather issues kept Ellen, en route from Alaska, in Seattle for three days and made a trip to Buffalo to visit the Olivieri clan out of the question; however, they still had a wonderful holiday. Bill and Linda were able to visit Linda’s siblings and 101-year-old mother in January before heading to Hollywood Beach FL for a winter break. Jo and Chris Dembowski go to Siesta Key FL for an extended stay in the sunshine. Chris is still available by phone to address client issues, but he is, otherwise, retired. I am winding down my practice with plans for family fun, traveling, volunteering, and relaxing and reading at our cottage. I am still using the same email address, but I will be transitioning to Jane1977nd@outlook.com. — Janey Bennett; 50850 Tarrington Way, Granger IN 46530; 574-298-9251; bus 574-243-4100; jbennett@maylorber.com
78 Gearing Up for Reunion
Greetings, fellow members of “the class with class!” I’m hoping you had a wonderful winter, and that you are finalizing your plans to attend our 45th reunion! It’s going to be a great weekend, further enhanced by your presence! See you there! In early October, Maureen “Eyres” Staub and Michael Staub cycled 360 miles in six days from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Thunderstorms, flat tires, and a fractured finger were unable to stop them. In November they met up with Bill Murray and Chris Reddick at the Navy Game in Baltimore. Also attending the Navy clash were Jim “Souls” Coyne, Nace Mullen, Tony “Disco” Crudele, PJ Stapleton, Pete Haley, Tom “Tippy” Coryn, Jim Wendell, and tailgate impresario Jim “Boobie” Clarke. At Thanksgiving, Jim “Souls” Coyne made his annual trek westward for the USC game. He hung out with the ubiquitous Don “Dancing Bear” Smail. On his way to Los Angeles, Coyne made his first visit to Las Vegas. A visit to the home of Bill “Beefsteak” Reifsteck was in the plans, but just didn’t happen. Sorry, Beef! See you at reunion! In December Danny Romano graciously hosted a wedding reception/holiday party for Jack Boehm and his new bride, Andrea. Jack and Andrea were married last May along the Gulf of Mexico in their new adopted state of AL. In attendance at the December party were the following members of the class with class: Tom Marvinac, Greg Kulis, Pat Dermondy, Jim Hughes, DJ Crowley, Tom O’Neil, Tom Lux, Chris Crnkovic, Pam Hansen, John Erickson, and Sue and Tom DaMario. Bill Reis is painting again, doing virtual life and wellness coaching, and starting a mobile IV business in Charlotte NC. Bruce Rand, like Bill Reis, is painting! He frequently posts pictures of his paintings on Facebook. The Daytona Beach weather has truly inspired him. He has already sold some of his work. Congrats, Bruce! The Farley girls gathered to ring in 2023 via what is becoming their annual New Year’s Eve Zoom meetup! Nancy Michuda, Mary Catherine Masters Morley, Marsa Mitchell, Ann Rogers Bransley, Clare Leary, Laurie Reising Letten, and Mary Bak raised a glass to 2023 and each other! Dennis Doughty hosted a winter retreat at his South Bend townhouse in January. While in town, this august group broke bread at Rocco’s: Brian Cronin, Bob March, Chris Dugan, Ann Combs, Marianne Corr, Tom Coryn, and Dennis Doughty. Bob Maier is moving to Baltimore. His two sons and their families are nearby (including two grandsons). His daughter is in New York City—an easy train ride away. Gwyn and Patrick Manion spent the 2021–22 academic school year back on campus as Pat was a fellow in the Notre Dame Inspired Leadership Initiative program. Pat says if you’re at a point in life where you’re contemplating doing something different, this is definitely something you should consider. It was a sabbatical like no other and one of the best things they’ve ever done. Father Ed Shea recently completed a mission trip to Honduras. Ed mentioned that a couple of local dogs would attend daily Mass there, just to make it interesting. Father is back in Chicago presently, waiting to see in which direction God points him on his journey. Nace Mullen welcomed Mark Baumgartner and his son Matt to his Philadelphia home in January. Nace gave them a whirlwind tour of the city, and he and Regina hosted a dinner get-together for the Baumgartners, Jim “Souls” Coyne, and Beth and John Delaney. Nace also found time outside of his training regimen to attend holiday parties at Philadelphia’s Union League and the Stone Harbor Yacht Club. And attend the Mummers Parade in Philly on New Year’s Day! Steve “Bones” Conover keeps us informed of many happenings around the world. Even reads Golf Digest—as a non-golfer! Don “Dancing Bear” continued his world tour. He was at the Gator Bowl with Pete Andreyev, who journeyed in from Phuket, Thailand, where he calls home. Don then made his way to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, to visit his daughter Michaela and do some snorkeling. Before returning to his Copperopolis CA pied-a-terre, he enjoyed dinner with Vicki Lopez in Miami. Please make every effort to attend our reunion! The memories last a lifetime! If you have never attended, make this your first! Looking forward to sharing special times with all of you. An update on our Class of 1978 scholarship, as we honor the memory of Jimmy Martin: We want to provide future generations with the same opportunity we were all so very lucky to experience. The fund has raised in excess of $275,000 to date! This is great news, but it doesn’t mean we stop! While it may be more difficult to contribute at this time, consider any gift that you can. After all, we are the class with class! For more information, contact Pat Flynn at pat.flynn@indianabev.com. Please remember in your prayers Pat Doyle, James Anthony Ferrara, and Dan Graf, who have died. Please keep their families in your prayers as well. May their souls, and all of the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace, amen. — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com
78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney;
350 Alewive Road, Kennebunk ME 04043-6013; res 207-229-0989; bus 207-333-6640 ex 2020; irishwasherwoman@alumni.nd.edu
78JD Stage and Page
Irma Herrera wrote: “My one-woman show, ‘Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?’ will make its Southern debut in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Feb. 10–12 and in early March at TAMUK (Texas A&M Kingsville). During COVID, I’ve been performing on Zoom for law firms, law schools, organizations, and corporations all over the country. Very pleased that the state bar of California invited me to present to their employees. After my presentation we engage in very moving small-group discussions about equity and inclusion. Super exciting to use my experiences as a civil rights lawyer in a new form, using theater to open hearts and minds. One of the most popular scenes in my play is set at ND Law and features Prof. ‘Tex’ Dutile (with his permission). More info on my website, irmaherrera.com.” Windy City Reviews (available online, free) praised Judge James Varga, whose recent novel, Tombs of Little Egypt, provided the “unexpected pleasure” of “finding vivid human theatre in his subtle probe of morality.” Varga is a circuit court judge in Chicago. The Reviews website, a service of the Chicago Writers Association, contains a nice synopsis of Varga’s book. Please send news, memories, plans, and stories. — Vincent R. Johnson; 210-431-2131; vjohnson@stmarytx.edu
79 Sports and Beer
As part of the celebrations of 50 years of coeducation and Title IX, on Oct. 22 the University hosted the Honorary Monogram Ceremony to recognize the women who participated in sports from 1972 through 1977. The following members of our class were honored: Anne Adams, Kam Amato, Sue Behnke, Elizabeth Berry, Maria Calabrese, Mary Champion, Mary Jo Cushing, Patti DeCoste, Kathy Dilworth, Mary Anne Dooley, Kathy Downs, Sue Flanagan, Mary Hums, Anne Kelly, Karen Lacity, Carol Lally, Adella Malvezzi, Mary Marten, Rita Martin, Lori Nolan, Charmaine Ortega, Ginny Ott, Diane Shillingburg, Mary Shukis, Mary Singer, Eunice Sullivan, Judy Tempel, Chris Twist, Helen Weber, Lauren Wood. Additional congratulations to Dr. Carol Lally Shields. The NCAA bestowed its highest award, the Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) Award, to Carol, who played basketball at ND and is a nationally recognized ocular oncologist. The Teddy is presented annually to a distinguished person of national reputation and exceptional accomplishment. Also in October, the Wall Street Journal featured an article describing the Great Notre Dame Keg Caper of 1977, otherwise known as Operation Keg-in-Stadium, conceived by Jerry Castellini and his roommates, Al Brunett, Dave Gutschenritter, and JP McGuire, and executed by many more members of our class, led by Jerry. Bryan Gruley wrote the article and it featured quotes from Jerry, Mark Ungashick, Bob Golic, and Teresa Cosiano Spittler, as well as a photo of Charlie Lick and Matt Lindon, taken by Anita Kosinski Bossis, the operation’s official photographer. The operation was executed by pulling the keg over the stadium wall with a rope during halftime. Engineers from our class provided technical assistance and others staged fights and pretended to be lost to divert the ushers and security staff. The operation was almost derailed when an usher confiscated the rope, but Jim Ladner saved the beer by purloining the confiscated rope and returning it to Jerry. Mike Murphy wrote a book about the Civil War that was published by the Indiana Historical Society Press. He lives in Indianapolis and served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1994 to 2010. Father Jud Weiksnar, pastor of Ss. Columba-Brigid Church in Buffalo, and some of his parishioners took action to rescue a man stranded in the terrible blizzard that plagued Buffalo over Christmas. Remember Dr. Mike Brooks and his daughter Maria in your prayers. His wife, Leslie, also a doctor, died in November. Mike is a primary care doctor in Maryland. It’s not too early to plan to go to our 45th reunion a year from now in 2024. Start encouraging your friends to go as well. — 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 Varsity Letters
There were significant celebrations at the University last year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of undergraduate coeducation. Our class benefited substantially from that decision as about 10 of our classmates were proud Notre Dame graduates when we began law school in 1976. They included Mary Pat (Frailey) Calland, Kathy (Gallogly) Cox, Mary Kay (Rochford) Demetrio, Peggy Foran, Mary Ann (Grabavoy) Heaven, Kathy McAllistar, Mary St. Ville, and Susan Swiatek. All of them made significant contributions to our class, and were an important part of why our class was (in the words of Father David Link) special and remarkable. The University also recognized two of our classmates as part of the coeducation celebration by awarding varsity letters and honors to Kathy Gallogly Cox (swimming) and Rose (Gill) Kenyon (crew). Yay for them!!! Beyond that, a few items of news. I exchanged messages with Duane Tarnacki in the fall as his beloved U of Michigan qualified for the football national championship playoffs. He is doing well, and remains “Blue to the core.” I had a nice visit and mini-reunion gathering in Chicago with David Irving, along with Mark Wight and David Evinger. David lives in Great Falls MT and remains busy practicing (what else) ranching and real estate law there. He speaks regularly with Bob (Jock) Michelotti, David’s “go-to guy” for all things tax and estate planning in Montana. David said Jock remains busy and happy, and hopes to retire at the end of this year. That’s all for now. My best to all of you. — Daniel F. McNeil; 1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209; 503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com