1960s
1960s
60 Lots New at ND
From our Chaplain Jim Radde: “This past year I celebrated my 50th anniversary of ordination and made a jubilee pilgrimage to Rome to see Pope Francis and present him with a porcelain cross I made for him. He and I studied theology in Buenos Aires in 1969. I emailed him in Spanish saying I would like to see him. In his handwritten reply, he greeted me, in Spanish, ‘Dear brother.’ He signed the letter, ‘Fraternally, Francis.’ He said, ‘Tell me in advance when you will be in Rome so we can see each other.’ His next letter said, ‘Come see me at Casa Santa Marta on Monday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m.’ While there, I gave him the porcelain cross. We had a nice chat, and a Swiss Guard took our picture. (Ed.: ND system won’t accept photos).” I recently sent out an email to classmates who have an active email address in the ND system, commenting on the completion of the gilding of the Dome this summer. Happens about every 20 years. I opined — at $1,600 per ounce, how many pounds would it take for the Dome? Nick Healy responded, “One of the unique characteristics of gold is its extreme malleability. A single ounce can be hammered to cover 300 square feet! Something ‘gold-plated’ may have much less than an ounce of gold on it. Blessings.” ND has quite a number of weekly emails for alumni. One of interest: ThinkND discussed the new ND nanoscience and technology programs, in the new Stinson-Remick Hall of Engineering. One room is a clean room for manufacturing chips. On nd.edu you can sign up for the various newsletters. I had wondered at one point, why would ND build another engineering building when the number of students has not increased all that much. But it is these new programs like the nanoscience and bioengineering programs which cause this. Tom Kurt on Marion Panepinto! (Marion died May 23.) “We were pre-med together in Cavanaugh in our freshman year, and we had many classes together. Marion was talented in personal interactions, always uplifting.” From Larry Tholen: “I knew Ed Squire (who died Aug. 8) ‘a little bit’ while a student, and I don’t recall meeting him at the reunions. His obituary shows he attended I.C.-Elmhurst, IL, and graduated from St. Procopius College Academy, Lisle, IL. I was a boarding student from Kansas. Both schools were in the Chicago-area Northeast Catholic Conference and played each other during all of those years in football, basketball, baseball, maybe track. I played football and was a basketball statistician, so was at I.C. for games, plus student government events, but never met Pat. Did not know of Ed’s and my association in the same conference ’til reading his obituary. Interesting.” From Joe Drago on Pat Sterling, who died March 18, 2023: “Pat and I graduated in Architecture in 1961. My ND education was interrupted by a year when I joined the Illinois National Guard with a six-month active duty. My classwork actually ended in 1960 but I chose to formally graduate in 1961 to honor my mother and father who supported and encouraged me for so many years. Pat and I kept in touch for some time after graduation and I remember him to be a very kind and outgoing person. His consultancy in MI speaks well of him.” A note from Jeannie Lauth on Tom Lauth’s passing: “Tom was in excellent health until he had a stroke in January. The end of March we discovered it had been caused by a cancerous brain tumor. He opted not to have treatment since the tumor was incurable. He died peacefully on May 13, 2023, after just a few days in hospice, and he died peacefully at home.” Drop me an email or two with some short stories. Thanks. — Joseph F. Jansen; 9190 Southmont Cove #103, Fort Myers FL 33908; 317-514-4478; jfjansen@aol.com
61 Winter Greetings
Winter greetings to my fellow alums of the Class of 1961. This writer is privileged because Pat Kelly, our class scribe since 1986, has passed the torch to me. I humbly accept this honor knowing that, although I succeed him, I can never replace him. Thank you, Pat, for your amazing run of 37 years; I salute you and raise you up for your faithful service. Since I was not notified until recently of this “changing of the guard” there was not sufficient time to share this unexpected news further. So then, this communique will necessarily be sparse. Permit me to convey my deepest gratitude to the following classmates who have unselfishly and generously extended countless kindnesses to me over the years both as an undergrad and an alumnus: George O’Connell, Bill Henneshon, Tim Monahan, Pete Murphy, John Keegan, Denis O’Shaughnessy, Clyde Hightower, Mike Hoch, Frank Annese, Nick Paliknich, Bill Cronin, Chuck Lennon, Bill Weich and Roger McMahon. It has been more than six decades since we farmed our sheepskins. Yet, approximately half of our classmates are still on the north side of the grass. This bodes well in that this writer entertains high hopes of receiving plenty of news from you in the future. Accordingly, yours truly suggests that you call, write or text me at the numbers listed at the end of this article. Every year since May 2020, Chris Lund calls from Brazil, during which time we exchange respective prognostications for the prominent races in Major League Baseball. Let’s retain this exchange as an annual tradition. Jerry Pape, formerly of Chicago, is still roping calves in Bozeman MT. Brett O’Neill and his soulmate, Dee, recently celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss. “Spike” Werner, the pride of Appleton WI, invited me to join our Class for the annual St. Patrick’s Day fling in Naples FL. Ginny and George Niemeyer recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. Denis O’Shaughnessy is spending his retirement doing daily rounds at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic, administering the sacraments to patients; he is busier in retirement than he was in his ministry as pastor. Dave Lerman’s frenetic business schedule maintains rapid travel. Consequently, Dave now makes his continental rounds in his private jet. From Hamlin NY comes word that Carol and George Bott will be returning to Naples for the wearing of the green. As a final note, I wish to pay tribute to my Cavanaugh Hall roommate, George O’Connell, who died on November 9. George was the quintessential Christian gentleman and a consummate professional; he was in a class by himself. Rest in peace. I look forward to having my voicemail overflowing with news for the spring issue. God Bless and Go Irish! — Arnold Leporati Jr.; 463 Tarrasa Drive, Jacksonville FL, 32225; 904-703-4366
61JD Class Secretary — John N. Moreland;
jnmnd1958@aol.com
62 Staying Busy
Congratulations to Tom Jorling, who received the University’s Cavanaugh Award for his lifetime work on environmental issues including getting the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts passed by the US Congress. Tom Collins emailed saying, “I am still trying lawsuits in AK, ID as well as a number of matters in litigation in my home state of WA.” John Dailey noted, “Three years ago I started raising honey bees. So far this year we’ve harvested about 100 pounds of honey with most going to a friend who sells it. I keep 16 pounds and make what is called sack mead. I also make a sparkling mead that is like champagne and is about 14% ABV.” John Roberg went on his “third foray” to Ireland for the Navy game along with his three daughters, a brother and others. “My brother and I stayed an extra four days and played golf in northwest Ireland. We had a 78-year-old female caddie at Carne who was a real pro and a pip. Shots of Jameson for a birdie. Back in the states I took a friend to the CMU game . . . his first trip to ND . . . and it was another super time.” John Macheca called to say that his grandson, Jack Laird, an offensive lineman, is being recruited by Duke as well as ND. Tom Maxwell had a total knee replacement in April and said the knee is fine. “Back playing golf, but can’t walk the course the way I used to. Walked 11 holes and used a push cart the next day and tendonitis in my left ankle flared up.” JoAnn and Sam Cutrara completed a pilgrimage from the Italian border to Montefiascone, and then had a holy six-day, 120-plus-kilometer walk to St. Peter’s Square in Rome carrying a prayer list used to pray for loved ones and friends. Many have not been getting the emails I send out using the University’s server. You can get on (or back on) the email list, and at the same time, choose what emails you want to receive, by: 1) Logging into the myND homepage; 2) When that page opens, you will see a down arrow at the top to the right of a circle with either an initial or your picture; 3) Click on the down arrow and a drop-down box will appear; 4) Click on the down arrow to the right of “My Settings” and another drop-down box will appear. Click on “Notifications” 5) After a few seconds another drop-down box will open that reads - Notification Preferences - General - Communities - followed by several general categories. Check the box “Class Notes and News” plus any other categories you are interested in. 6) Then, click on “Communities” and several additional options will appear. The one you want to click on is “Communications from the Class of 1962,” and you want to check the three boxes as shown below a) Email communications - Newsletters, announcements and other communications; b) Email - Subscribe to additional categories; and c) Select all. 7) With that, you should now receive the class emails. Richard Jensen died July 8, 2022. This year, John Glynn passed away on July 26 while on vacation in MA. Four days later, Eddie Schnurr died at home in TX from Parkinson’s. Jim Morrison died on Aug. 2, and John McQuillan on the 12th. Joe Della Maria died in Denver on Sept. 7. John Wilbraham was on campus for the Central Michigan game but was hospitalized the day before and passed away on the 17th. Steve Dee, who lived in MT, died on the 19th from congestive heart failure. — Raymond Raedy; 5310 Rileys Ridge Road, Hillsborough NC 27278; 919-967-8816; nd62secy@medicinemanremedies.com
62JD Keeping in Touch
Norm Stark writes that he is enjoying his wife, five children, 20 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, which I would say is a personal accomplishment. He is healthy and stays active in three clubs and two boards. Also, Norm feels fondly about the three-year experience with his classmates in law school. Susan Brady writes that she sold her vacation home in AZ when Mike died but visits there often. Their son, Tom, works for Thomas More U in athletic development. Tom takes two of the grandkids to ND games. One grandchild is studying at Thomas More U and the other is at Heidelberg U. Susan is living in Cincinnati and does volunteer tutoring, bridge, mahjong and sports club and sees family. She notes that she keeps in touch with Pat Cox. George Vander Vennet writes that he and Pat took a great ND trip to Northern Italy in September. He notes the small group, great weather and learning a lot about Hitler and Mussolini’s part in making that area more Austrian/Germanic than the South. He says the mountains in that area were so impressively beautiful, as is the industriousness of the remaining population. Great to hear from you. Keep those updates coming. — Christine Stucko; christinestucko@gmail.com
63 The Distinguished “M-7”
According to Pat DiDomizio, Tom Dunn, Cliff Bellone, John O’Malley, John Skeese, Fred Paychek, Brian Boulac and Pat entered ND in 1959 as the last graduating class in the ND School of Physical Education. They called themselves the “M-7.” Sadly, the only surviving members of the original M-7 are Dunn, Bellone, O’Malley and DiDomizio. We all know of the storied career of Boulac at ND! Skeese was a teacher, coach and administrator at Notre Dame High School in CA until he retired in 2000. Paychek had a tour as wrestling coach at ND, while O’Malley was a graduate assistant at Penn State. Dunn taught classes and coached high school football in CT for over 40 years, winning a state championship in 1990. Bellone remained at ND earning a Ph.D. in microbiology followed by fellowships at UC San Diego and UC San Francisco, training in immunology. In 1974 Bellone joined the faculty at the St. Louis U School of Medicine as a teacher and researcher in immunology, retiring in 2011. After retirement Bellone earned a nursing degree and, as a private pilot, participated in the Angel Flight Program for needy patients in medical centers throughout the Midwest. O’Malley earned an MBA that led to his appointment as the director of secondary school education in NY state. For 35 years O’Malley taught PE and coached football and track, as well as serving as athletic director in Olean NY. DiDomizio switched majors to sociology his sophomore year. He retired in 1998 after a 30-year career in federal law enforcement. His last duty was chief of the Pretrial Division of the US Courts District of CT. Post-retirement he conducted background security investigations for the government. Larry Crumbliss died on April 20, 2022, in Fayetteville NC, survived by his daughter, Marion. Larry was cremated and Marion took possession of his ashes. He converted to Catholicism while at ND. He always expressed his love for ND, and Marion wanted to do something special related to that affection. She contacted Marty Gauthier, a classmate and close friend of Larry’s, and Marty in turn contacted John Miller, who contacted Ed Delahanty, who lives near campus. John arranged to have Larry’s ashes sent to him, and John, Ed and the ashes spent an afternoon going around campus, which included a private Mass in the Log Chapel celebrated by Rev. Tom Streit, C.S.C. Jack O’Connell advised that his wife, Mary Ann, died peacefully on March 18, 2023, after 59 years of marriage. Jack’s brother George died on Nov. 9, 2022; he was a member of the Class of ’61. Frank M. Gagliardi II passed away on Sept. 29 in Chicago after a battle with lung cancer. He was an aeronautical engineer as an undergraduate and went on to earn a master’s in civil engineering. He worked on the national staff of the College Young Christian Students, during which time he met the love of his life and best friend, Loretta, to whom he was married for 54 years. Frank is also survived by daughters Megan and Aislinn. He worked for the City of Chicago, including as head of the research and planning division of the Chicago Fire Department. Robert Paul Stanojev passed away in Marco Island FL on June 26. He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Judith; they had six children, 12 grandchildren and one grandchild, whom they raised in Barrington IL. Bob spent most of his career as a management consultant, and retired as a partner at Ernst & Young. The Alumni Office has advised of the passing of the following members of our class: Albert D. Carey on June 28 in Pensacola FL, survived by his wife, Andrea; Michael J. McInerney III on July 7 in Shady Side MD, survived by his wife, Ann; and Stuart Hilbert on June 11 in Ann Arbor MI, survived by his wife, Barbara. — John F. Dougherty Jr.; 915 Exeter Crest, Villanova PA 19085; 215-510-0844; johndoc969@gmail.com
63JD Class Secretary — Bob Saxe;
15725 Ranchero Drive, Morgan Hill CA 95037; bsaxe5@aol.com
64 Another Author Among Us
Frank Corrado writes from Evanston that he’s making a valiant effort to improve communications between generations through storytelling of one life as the years progress. His book, Here Comes Yesterday, consists of the scripts for 31 podcasts that began with the start of Covid. The podcast continues on Apple iTunes. The book is available at Amazon. It’s a good read! Frank writes that Paul West and wife are in a Chicago memory care facility. Frank and Paul Basbagill try to visit frequently. Paul Trost checked in from Golden CO. After Vietnam service as a wounded and decorated platoon leader, he earned a Ph.D. in geochemistry at Colorado School of Mines. He was married to Judy for 40 years before her loss, and they had two kids. Paul subsequently married Kim with whom he shares 11 grandchildren. Paul was self-employed, remaining active today in oil recovery. He and classmate Bill Stelzer maintain a close relationship. Jon James continues his commitment to needy Dalit children at his Indian orphanage. Bob Dunne is “recovering” from his trip to Ireland with Cecelia for the Navy game. The excitement was a little too much as Bob took a bad fall at Shannon Airport. He made the plane but discovered at JFK that he had three fractured ribs. A tough guy. I had the opportunity to join a pre-OSU Zoom call set up by Nick Muller. Participants included Don Stephan, Ken Stinson, Jack McCabe, Dick Kennedy, Pat Callahan, Gene Serotini and Tom Fox. A good time was had by all, at least until the last play of the game itself. After a 35-year career with the National Security Agency, Carl Massarini helped a family member start a business providing remote video services for television productions. He and Judy, now married 59 years, are retired in Urbana MD. They enjoy getting together with some Good Irish Guys and spouses: Jim Baker, Tom Duff, Dave Kostolansky, Sal Leccese, Jack Lonergan and Dick Russell. Carl also shared the sad news that Mike Ciletti passed away after a long battle with cancer. An electrical engineering “Triple Domer,” Mike served in the Air Force doing research. He eventually spent 36 years as a professor, department chair and college dean at the U of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Later he returned to ND on sabbaticals to teach, also lending expertise at Innovation Park. Mike was a deacon, outdoor enthusiast and professional photographer, writing several textbooks in his spare time. His wife, Jerilynn, five children and 12 grandchildren survive. Pat Ward passed away in Bethesda MD after a brief illness. Born into a military family, Pat began developing a worldview at an early age. Post-ND, he earned his Ph.D. in political science at the U of Chicago. After Army service in Europe and marriage to Maureen, the family returned to the States, ultimately settling in Bethesda. There Pat began a 40-year career with a major statistical research firm, managing large and challenging projects, many in the health care area. He had lots of interests: travel, classical literature, creative writing . . . and he was a wonderful cook to boot! Maureen, two sons and three grandkids survive. Tom Carlson, Craig Simpson and Pat remained close over the years. Craig is a retired American history professor from U of Western Ontario. He and Hope live in metro Toronto. Teresa and Tom retired to Lexington MA after his 24 years of service as a federal magistrate judge. Ed Castellini of Cincinnati died in August. An Army vet, hiker, world traveler and respected member of the community, Mike was a key executive in his family’s 125-year-old company, managing all aspects of the produce supply chain. Surviving are Janet, his wife of 56 years, five kids and 15 grandchildren. — Paul R. Charron; 44 Contentment Island Road, Darien CT 06820; 917-860-5385; paul.richard.charron@gmail.com
64JD Class Secretary — Richard Balfe Wagner;
1204 Erskine Manor Hill, South Bend IN 46614; 574-299-9888; 760-567-1270
65 Retired Lawyer
Len Seraphin has retired from his law firm in St Charles IL which his son, Scott, now directs. Len and his wife, Sue, spend winters in New Smyrna Beach FL. With 10 grandchildren they are always active. Last year they attended the wedding of grandson Michael ’20 and his bride, Leanna Frankowiak ’20, at ND’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Lewis Homburg and his second wife, Pamela, of 35 years live happily in a 70-year-old wood frame house near Houston, which he and his father originally constructed as a hunting/fishing cabin at a private club. Depending on the season he either bass fishes or duck hunts. Except for glaucoma, Lewis remains in good health and continues to split, haul and stack the firewood, which is their main source of heat. They both volunteer at their local senior citizens center two to five mornings a week. Tom Hawkins in Estero FL had recovered from his lung cancer when, unfortunately, a second cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, was discovered in his liver. Hawk remains optimistic that the radiation therapy will be effective. Nancy and Pat Ward are both lawyers and shared the same practice until recently retiring to live in Cape Coral FL. While visiting Chicago in September, Neil Broderick had lunch with Bob Lee, whom he had last seen 57 years ago when he was a groomsman at Bob’s wedding. Neil lost his wife, Anne, several years ago after 52 years of marriage. Neil is retired after a career in real estate development and has been active in a local charity that provides mental health treatment to adolescents in Des Moines. He has two children, Paul ’92 and Maureen ’94. Jim “Tex” Zoeller also contacted Bob and reported that he and his wife of 53 years, Harriett, live on a mountaintop in TX between Abilene and Ft. Worth. After some health issues in 2020 secondary to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Jim has recovered and has resumed flying for the Civil Air Patrol. In July, Stillman “Saint” St. Clair died in Raleigh NC due to complications from a surgery. Saint served in the Army in Korea and spent most of his career as a management consultant, mainly with Maritz, a management consultancy based in MO. His wife, Sandy, preceded him in death in 2011. They had two children including Dena ’94, who is Bob Lee’s goddaughter. Bob represented our class at his memorial service. In August Joe Dundon died in South Bend. He is survived by his wife, Viki, daughters Theresa ’95 and Kathleen, and four grandchildren. Joe spent his entire professional career at WNDU-TV as an advertising copywriter and later an account executive. Joe often joked that he was paid to sell air. John Pesta died in September at his home in Starve Hollow IN. He is survived by his wife, Maureen ’65SMC, and children, Abigail ’91 and Jesse ’88. A master’s degree in English was earned at UVA followed by a Fulbright fellowship at the U of London. John’s research and writing on Harold Pinter continues to be cited. His love for fiction writing produced many short stories and two novels, which have been recognized with many honors. In 1972 he bought a newspaper in Brownstown IN and served as publisher and editor. In 1989 he sold the business and began to teach English in the Indiana U-Purdue U Indianapolis system and founded a student literary magazine. John Pusey died in August in Peoria where he had practiced law since earning his JD at ND. As a trial lawyer and partner in the firm, John was a frequent author and lecturer at state and local legal education programs. John’s professional passion was the delivery of pro bono legal services. John and his wife, Patricia, have three children and were active in the Peoria Cursillo and their parish marriage encounter program. — James P. Harnisch MD; 6759 West Mercer Way; Mercer Island WA 98040; jphnd65@hotmail.com
65JD Class Secretary — Henry Boitel;
324 Brower Ave., Rockville Centre NY 11570; boitel@mindspring.com
66 Now and Again!
Gar Isacco of Columbia MD complimented Dan Rooney’s reflection in the Oct. 19 FaithND gospel. Check out the daily FaithND feed — it’s a good and thoughtful exercise! Dan retired in the FL panhandle following a US Navy career, including nuclear subs. I misspelled Albert Scheckenbach’s name in my last missive. Son Chris and I made Dublin for the Navy game. We saw Bill Hill and John Blum at a pre-game bash. Also in Dublin were John Flatley, Joe Pete Wilbert and Dick Vanetten, with their respective spice. Also there was Mike Slattery, and others mentioned in my last column. Kim and I were in Australia during the USC blowout but we received score updates and celebrated well. Echoes of our ’65 beat-down of top-ranked USC in South Bend, 28-7! Brian Graham and Pat McRedmond were happy with this year’s outcome. Terry O’Brien enjoys retirement on the CT shore, reporting that Bill Kane summered in nearby Litchfield City. Terry met Jack Crawford there at a summer gathering. All pondered Claiborne Perilliat, since Bill, Jack and Claiborne were from the Big Easy. Terry saw Frank Feneglio and heard from Lou Sharp and Alex Sosa. I reached Walter Babst in New Orleans, who noted that he, Claiborne, Jack and M.O. Miller all began school together in the first grade and traversed through Jesuit high school and ND. Walter retired from his NO law practice but is active in real estate with daughter Ginny. Claiborne is semi-retired from his trucking business, as is M.O. from his law practice. Jack is in Alexandria VA, retired from the Coast Guard. Walter reports that Al Vitter is retired in NO from his math professorship at Tulane U. Class prez Cappy Gagnon saw Tom Egan during the USC weekend and keeps in email touch with Jack Pavlic, Dean Planeaux and Paul Rubenacker. Cap and I were doing a catch-up during the Pitt weekend. South Bend local Mike Rush saw Mike Grohman at USC, in from Tampa where he retired after an IBM career. Mike was hosting a number of us for the Pitt weekend: Tony Andrea, Dr. Bob Lombardo, Bob Basche and Bill Loftus. Tim Streb reported losing his dear wife, Caren “Bugs,” following her courageous 12-year battle with Alzheimer’s. She was a teacher who inspired and guided many young people. God bless Bugs! Dr. Jim Curran hailed from Atlanta where he stepped down after 26 years as dean of public health at Emory U. Recall that Jim was a renowned global leader in discovering and strategizing the initial HIV/AIDS challenge and recently co-published a book through Oxford Press titled Dispatches from the AIDS Pandemic. He and Juanita celebrated their 50th, and Jim notes that Bill Foerg enjoys retirement in the Detroit burbs. Regan Burkholder is in Santa Fe where he and Jennifer landed following careers in NJ, Regan as a city manager and later as a consultant, and Jennifer as a teacher/librarian. Regan communicates with ND roomie Dennis Corrigan and re-connected with fellow WSND radio alum Walter Babst. ND hosted a Baseball Legacy Event over the Pitt weekend. Hopefully, among those attending were Irish standouts Rich Sauget, Mark Gonring, Tom Blythe, John Rahyia and Frank Murtha. New passings to report: Todd Herzog, June 23; Gene Santarelli, Sept. 23; Ken Colombo, Oct. 23. Godspeed! Let’s hear from or about the following: Terry Tollaksen, John Cavan, Tom Brunner, Carmen Iandolo, Tom Humphrey, Dick McCarrty, Bill O’Donnell, Kevin O’Neill, Richard Pascal, Harry Parkin, Rich Steudle, Joe Spolidoro, Gene Tully, John O’Hare. Hope your ’24 is off to a great start. The Class website is 1966.undclass.org. — Tom Sullivan; 1090 Shore Road, Unit 14, Pocasset MA 02559; cell 773-454-4343; t66sullynd@gmail.com
66JD Finally Some Good News
Two of our classmates were honored at the September dinner meeting of the Notre Dame Law School Advisory Council. Both were praised for their donations of time, talent and treasure to our law school. Al McKenna was kind enough to send me a link to the evening’s proceedings, which recognized him and Paul Polking. As some of you may know, the Notre Dame Black Law Student Association created an Alumnus/a of the Year Award in 2001. The award was given to Al and named for him as the first Black graduate of the Law School. Dean Cole felt that a plaque with Al’s picture on it, along with the names of each recipient, should be installed in the Law School. The unveiling was at the Law School Advisory Council dinner meeting. Some older gentleman, allegedly impersonating Al, but looking and sounding much like him, made a presentation to the attendees. He spoke of Al’s beginnings in the inner city of New Orleans and his efforts traveling to pursue scholarships to fund his education while literally required to sit in the back of the bus. He detailed Al’s concerns about the Law School raising the per-semester tuition from $500 to $550. Dean O’Meara agreed to raise Al’s scholarship by $50, only if Al returned for the next semester with a significant weight loss. The success or failure was not disclosed. Al thanked his wife, Windy, for daring to marry him during a time when interracial marriage was frowned upon. The evening continued with former Dean Patty O’Hara ’74JD providing very kind tributes to Joan and Paul Polking and sharing her recollections of dealing with Paul as a member, and subsequently chair, of the Advisory Council. The dean thanked Joan for being in attendance and for continuing the initiatives started by Paul. That’s it for now. Please send any news of your well-being or any memories of our honorees or our dean. — Scott Maxwell; 2781 Siena Lakes Circle, Unit 2444, Naples FL 34109; cell 215-920-0616; ndscotty@gmail.com
67 Sad News
Bob Dowdell was recently notified that his melanoma could not be cured or further removed from his body. Bob estimates he may have until the summer of 2024 left. I’m sure he’d like to hear from you at bobdowdell55@gmail.com. Eileen, beautiful as ever, and John Desmond attended the Central Michigan game driving from Detroit to be at Leslie and Bob Denvir’s tailgate. Pete Mavrelis and partner Alice were at the Central Michigan game. Jack Sullivan was at the Central Michigan, Ohio State and USC games. Jack went back to his 60th high school reunion in Tulsa (from eastern TN) with a mange skull from banging his head on obstacles that were in his way. Classmates thought he came disguised as a mummy. Guys, we need info. I’ve received hardly any info in the past several months. I can’t write what I don’t know about, which is plenty! Please write. — Bert R. Bondi; 1891 Curtis St., Unit 1502, Denver CO 80202; bertrbondi@gmail.com
67JD Teeth Implants
I’m sure you, as well as myself, enjoy the email exchanges between Jack Harty and “Bayou” Bobby Barkley and others, but their banter adds a lot of information for this column. It seems that among our aging mates, teeth implants may outnumber grandchildren! Bobby is now headed for Glacier National Park with his daughter Victoria. Maureen and Jack Harty have moved yet again — this time back into the city of Monterey. It’s been 18 months since their last move, but Jack doesn’t mention whether the move was their decision or that of their neighbors. However, another plus from their musings is that it prompts other classmates, who don’t often appear in this column, to drop me a note, like Greg Walta, John Blasi and Mike Seng. Blasi writes that he and his three children, their spouses and 10 grands gathered at his home on a cove of Puget Sound and paddle-boarded, kayaked, sailed a Sunfish and hiked. John has had a long medical history of a heart bypass, melanoma surgery and immunotherapy and is very grateful to be able to enjoy the family. His eldest grandson is a senior at ND. Mike is planning his 30th annual “Study Tour” to the Czech Republic where he lectures law students on the Czech constitution, which Mike helped draft. This year Frank Cihlar has accepted Mike’s offer to his classmates to join him and participate in the effort. Germaine and Jim Mollison write to brag about their two grandkids, Carlo and Grace. Carlo is only in eighth grade and already stands over 6 feet. He is student council president and captain of his football team. Grace is an academic and athletic superstar and is considering Saint Mary’s for college. Ted Sinars is recovering nicely from his left knee replacement in August and has scheduled his right knee for January. On a professional note, he has advised his partners that he will retire effective Jan. 1. At age 80 and having practiced 56 years, 35 as a partner in his firm, he will shelve the law books. Ted also predicts that the Cubs will shine by 2029! Jerry Berthold and his son Jeff ’92 annually make a pilgrimage to the ND stadium. This year, one of Jeff’s classmates has eight season club-level seats on the 50-yard line and has offered the seats to the Bertholds “for as long as the Berthold men come to ND for a game!” — Jim Heinhold; 1200 Carmel Lane, New Bern NC 28562; res 252-638-5913; im4irish@aol.com
68 The Great ’68, Bearing Our Losses
We mourn our losses, the diminishment of our number since more than 1,300 of us graduated in June 1968. As we remember Dr. Tom Stafford and other classmates we have lost, we forget that we have gained, too. Oh, have we gained. Whenever we are together, shoulder to shoulder, cheek to jowl, belly to belly, there with us are all our deceased friends: John Locher, John Stafford, Tom Stafford, Brian Sullivan, Bob Kohorst, Dave Kabat, Marty Barry, Mike McCormick, Joe Kernan, Mike Hampsey, all of them. Sure, we don’t have all 1,370-something heads to count anymore, but what we have given up in number, we have retained in mass. “Shrinkage” is not a word in the Great ’68 vocabulary. We stick together. Grow, Irish. To their credit, Pete Twomey, Larry “Monk” Forness, Mike Burgener, Dave Martin, Jim Smithberger and Rocky Bleier get the job done with adding muscle. Still, isn’t it always the case that some just look on while others do the heavy lifting? Don’t expect help from Jay Schwartz, Steve Anderson, slim Jim Davis, lanky Dave Riehl, careful Tom Condon, Walt Moxham or boyish Pat “Jake” Keenan, to name several. Bob Brady holds that he is in better shape today than at age 40. Despite the weight Bill Kelly has regained after surviving a rough patch, he will have to run amok during the Christmas season in order to attain “thin.” As for Fred Ferlic, he and Mary Jane can’t travel in MS for fear of violating body-shaming ordinances. Those arrays of doughnuts, cookies, sandwiches and chips that Class President Tom Weyer, Matt Walsh and Roger Guerin line up in the trunks of their cars at the tailgates? The high-calorie offerings are necessities for us as we make sure the mass of our class remains constant — and then some — while the years reduce our numbers. What’s come to light since June is a pre-reunion analysis of the tolerance various campus facilities would have for our events: bearing weights of floors, equipping a portion of the shuttle fleet with truck shocks, portal widths, availability of freight elevators. Titled “Fighting Pachyderms,” the report made recommendations that prevented tragedy. Because of the foresight, our gatherings took place at ground level, on a thick concrete patio outside the Walsh Architecture building, and in tented areas distant from collapsible walls. We also left our mark on their yard when Carmi and Chris Murphy hosted the Sunday brunch: the landscaper who came to repair the damage still thinks the Murphys hosted a polo match. Years ago, considering the snug fit of a favorite suit, Jeff Keyes declined to diet. Instead, he told the tailor to “let it out. Give me room to grow.” Astute. And remember Tom Weyer telling us that, more than a couch, the Great ’68 will help us move a body? The man is a prophet. No joke here, there is sadness — the death on June 30 of Tom Stafford, who served Fort Wayne IN as an OB/GYN physician. As valedictorian of his Muncie IN high school class, Tom received a full Notre Dame scholarship. An attraction was proximity to Muncie and Debbie, who recently celebrated 54 years of marriage with Tom, her partner in raising three children. The impact of Tom’s faith and medical acumen is well told in a note posted to his obituary: “When I turned 18, Dr. Tom Stafford was the only doctor who would perform an annual exam. I have spastic cerebral palsy. He was patient, kind, and professional. When I was a student in Lutheran’s chaplaincy program, we would often pass each other in the halls as we were off to perform our respective duties with passion. I will remember Tom for the faith we shared, the family he treasured, and his dedication to his work.” In addition to praying for Tom and his family, pray for Cristal and Mike Crutcher, who are working and living in good spirits at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, the location thought to be the place where the body of Jesus was placed. By the time the printed magazine is ready in a couple of months, Nancy and I could have sold our Long Beach apartment and become IL citizens again. Dia and John Walsh found a place we are buying a block north of them in Evanston IL. This is like trading on the dorm-choosing power of a roommate with a high GPA. More than that, it’s like a study hall with parietal hours. For now, send news, photos and prospective buyers to: — Tom Figel; 455 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach CA 90802; 312-241-7917; tfigel@reputecture.com
68JD Class Secretary — Dennis G. Collins;
2203 Derby Way, St. Louis MO 63131; bus 314-516-2648; dgc@greensfelder.com
69 Golf, Baseball and Football Mini-Reunions
Ken Bieschke published two books: Whispers of the Heart: A Collection of Prose and Poetry and Ghost Stories: Dead Men Tell More Tales. Bill Mitsch published Memoirs of an Environmental Science Professor. June: Jim Gleason (Karen), Chuck Nelson (Sharon), George (Shirley) Carr ’68 and Steve Kavalauskas (Diane) gathered in Pergine Valdarno, Italy. July: Mary and Mike Ryan hosted eight incoming frosh for the ND Club of Milwaukee, which they’ve done since 2011. Mike finished first in his age class in Milwaukee’s Storm the Bastille 5k race. Jim Burke, Mike Busby, Fritz Gast, Ernie Gargaro, Dave Heskin, Steve Hext, Peter McInerney, Ebby Moran and Tim Schlindwein golfed in South Bend for their 29th annual event. The Class blog hit 1,700 stories with more than 1.2 million pageviews. August: The Water Environment Federation made Bill Mitsch a 2023 fellow. Incumbent MS Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann prevailed in a hotly contested Republican primary. We visited Polly and John Sturm on Cape Cod. Bob Gibbons (Jeanne) attended the 101st birthday celebration for Margaret Blakely, mother of Jim Blakely. The sixth annual ’69er Brewers game outing included Jim Burke, Jack Coath, PJ Hosty, Mike Keane, Louie Leone, Mike McDermott, Peter McInerney, Tom Nichol, Kevin Reardon, Rick Redmond, Tim Schlindwein and Ralph Williams from Chicagoland; the Cheeseheads were John Berres, Don Jacobson, Steve Kavalauskas, Tony Kluka, Tom Ladky, Jim Lyons, Mike McCauley, Dan Merritt, Brian Schmidlin, Tom Shannon and yours truly. For his Nextracks video series, Mike Cerre interviewed Judge Alan Page ’67. For the fifth time in the past few years, Loyola HS (Wilmette IL) grads Ned DeRossett, Glenn Forbes and John Rank played golf in South Bend. Jim Burke, George Keeley, Bernie McDonald and John O’Rourke gathered in Burr Ridge IL to see Sam and Bill Dwyer, now living in Antigua. Dublin game attendees were Jim Bennett (Elizabeth Beard), Pat Callan (Connie Tomlinson), Jim Fackelman (Robbie), John Girardot (Amy), Mike Karowski, John Kowalczyk (Barbara), Jack Moran (Geri), Chuck Nelson (Sharon), Chuck Neumann (Laura), Larry Pezanko (Sally), Mike Ryan (Mary), Tom Ryan (daughter Meghan Ryan ’00), Chuck Schmidt (Joyce), Chip Stumpf (Kathy), John Sturm (Polly, son Patrick Sturm ’11), Jim Thomson (Barb), Bill Waldron (Karen) and Ed Weinlein (Sharon). September: Len Niessen’s Eastern Massachusetts team won the Cape Cod Classic Softball Tournament. At the Central Michigan game, the Innsbruckers had their annual game reunion: Jim Atkins (Pat), Jim Bodary (Lesley), Jim Gleason (Karen), Tim Gohmann (Susan Canavan), Bill Hennig (Judy), Steve Kavalauskas (Diane), Fritz Keppler, Chuck Nelson (Sharon) and Larry Rubly ’68 (Juliet Amante). OSU game: The Edwardsburg MI group included Dean Benner, Tom Breen, Dick Cimino, Greg Downes, Louie Leone, Tom Ryan, John Quinn, Richard Sullivan, Matt White and Ralph Williams. Tom Shannon (Keri) saw Len Moretti and Tom Feske. Jim Lyons saw John Garvie and Matt Naigle. Also attending were Tom Fischer, Bill Mitsch (Ruthmarie) and Brian Schmidlin. October: USC game. Carlos Corriedo, Steve Krchma and Pat McDonnell sat together. Jim Fackelman, Mike Gianelli and Tom Ryan were also there. Mike Cerre and Tony Mcleod (Carol) watched the game together in the metro NY area. Chuck Nau reported that Richard Rossie is a grandfather for the first time. The Autumn 2023 Notre Dame Magazine interviewed Andy Fedynsky about his work at Cleveland’s Ukrainian Museum Archives and quoted Ed Weinlein about the history of the Senior Bar. John Dyer, Christopher Cheng, Emilio Garza, Bill Hurd, Jay Jordan, Bernard Lechowick, Mike Pasquale, Eric Wieschaus and Don Wycliff appear on Notre Dame’s list of 302 “Notable Alumni.” In memoriam: Tim Cusack, April 14 in Tampa FL; Mike Neumeister, June 20 in East Aurora NY; Vincent Romeo, May 25 in Xenia OH. Our sincerest condolences to their families. Requiescant in pace. — John Hickey; jphjr47@hotmail.com; notredameclassof1969blog.blogspot.com
69MBA Class Travelers
Well, classmates, I’m back in the secretary saddle providing an update on our Class after several missed issues. Thanks to Bob Dowdell for his efforts these past few years. Jean and Chris Odenbach have been on a whirlwind travel trek this past year, with stops ranging from Peru (Machu Picchu) to the Galapagos, Antarctica, Alaska, South Africa and many others. England is on tap for May, with France, Spain and Portugal in the fall. The late John Knittel’s wife, Rita, writes that their family is as prolific as ever and continuing to grow, with one granddaughter marrying her high school sweetheart. Can you also believe that the baby Rita was carrying at our graduation is now a grandfather! How is that for a wake-up call! Grace and Bob Dowdell write that son Brian ’08 was wed in February to Dana Plair in Escondido CA. The marriage took place in a giant outdoor tent, amid all the torrential rains in CA that month. A beautiful wedding video was shared with many in our ’69MBA class. Bob and Grace are trying to keep up with the Georges, with separate trips to Rome, Spain and Croatia during 2023. Our 1967 classmate Vince George ’73MBA and wife Cindy visited France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco in September, so they missed our Mini Reunion, scheduled for the ND-Central Michigan game on Sept. 16, 2023. Peggy and Tom Condon write that he has finally retired. Tom said following a visit to Ireland, they returned home with COVID! They came through it fine and now he’s taking banjo lessons. Joe McCourt writes that he is not quite ready to retire. Harlee and Joe are keeping their medical supply business going. Their oldest son, Jack, is married and living in Austin, while younger son Hank is single and living in Houston. Jerry Claeys has also retired, though in 2019. He didn’t get to travel until 2021 with trips to Greece and Turkey. He is planning a trip to Tuscany with his four eldest children and spouses. We will look forward to hearing all about it, Jerry. Joe Cavato writes that he enjoyed a winter sports weekend road trip to ND with son Joe ’99 and grandson Adam. They attended basketball and lacrosse matches. And two granddaughters now attending U of Kentucky and Fordham U enabled Joe and Linda to enjoy separate, very enjoyable campus visits. We are hoping that many of you will be able to attend this year’s Mini Reunion in September. More specific info to follow from Dennis McCarthy and me. One last note, as I prepared this update, Vince George is in the fight of his life, with cancer on three fronts. Please remember his struggle with your prayers and hope he will be able to join us soon. Please keep me updated with your activities. — Ken Samara; 3030 McKinney Ave., Apt. 601, Dallas TX 75204; 214-532-2187; kensamara@sbcglobal.net
69JD A Pearl for Merle
The Ohio State Bar Foundation has awarded Merle Wilberding the Ritter Award at the Art of Giving Celebration on Oct. 13. The press release includes only a summary of Merle’s accomplishments, personally and professionally. Joe McNeil and Dave Prior represented our Class in Ireland for the Navy game. Joe and Dave and their families got together before the game, but Gary Prior, the owner of Prior’s Pub in County Leitrim, received an advance warning and closed the pub before Joe and Dave could stop by for a pint. Dave and his family stopped by the Notre Dame Center in Dublin, the former home of Irish liberator and patriot Daniel O’Connell. Joe Kennedy and Joe Frantin stayed with Sue and me in Chicago for the Central Michigan game weekend. We had a nice dinner with George Burgett on Friday night and went on to the game the next day. We met up with Hank Catenacci, who introduced us to Dean Marcus Cole. Hank was on campus for the game and a meeting of the Law School board of trustees. George Carr, who started with us in our first year before transferring to the business school, was also there. George was a classmate with Joe Frantin as an undergrad and was instrumental in Zep applying to Law School at Notre Dame. I did see Joe McNeil before the Ohio State game along with Tom Curtain ’68JD who was planning his class reunion for the following weekend — 15 strong but still getting together. — Jim Starshak; 889 Ka’ohe Place, Honolulu HI 96825; res 808-395-0443; cell 808-778-4033; starman@hawaii.rr.com