1970s

70 Class Gift Update

Bob Egan ’73JD of Evanston IL died on April 6, 2023, survived by wife Tracy and two children. He was the Illinois attorney general lead prosecutor, later in private practice. He tried the 2004 case of waste dumping in the Chicago River by the Dave Matthews Band and more than 80 murders, including John Wayne Gacy’s homicides. Lew Bonadies died on May 10, survived by wife Sharon. Lew grew up at George Washington’s Mount Vernon where his parents worked. In Yellow Springs OH he opened Bonadies Glass Studio, helped beautify downtown with trees and managed a sustainability consulting company. Dave Trull enjoyed a few days in Port St. Lucie FL last January with old roommate Dick Roddewig. He retired in 2012 as president of a suburban Boston hospital and has honed his golf game since then, including 10 days this year in Ireland. In May he enjoyed watching his last child graduate from UVA. Rob Hunter died on Jan. 19, 2023, of pancreatic cancer after a career as Atlanta’s Watershed Management commissioner and later as municipal water district GM for Orange County CA. Survived by Sarah, wife of 50 years, three children and four grandchildren, his ashes were scattered among dolphins and whales off Dana Point CA. Mike Downey, Lee’s Summit MO, died on July 24 of myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia. He is survived by two sons, a stepdaughter, 13 grandchildren and wife Lelain. After his English MA from ND, he taught thousands of high school and college students to improve their writing and introspection. He wrote plays, musicals, screenplays, poems and short stories and later tutored students for the ACT, SAT and other certifications. His sophomore roommate was Bill Sheehan. John Pedrotty and his son drove a U-Haul from San Diego to Jacksonville FL, pausing four days in New Orleans, visiting the WWII museum. John’s father landed at Normandy and his father-in-law served at Bougainville Island. His other son took over command of a Navy minesweeper near Bahrain in October 2022. John still practices medicine and golf on Coronado Island. Sue and Mark Dobson moved to a 100-year-old house in Gloucester MA in 2015, “upgrading” from their previous 1700 farmhouse purchased in 1990. Mark worked for the NYC aqueduct extension after graduation, earned a 1978 Columbia MBA in finance and international business and joined Brown & Root in Houston. He worked 24 years for BASF, the last 17 as Nylon Intermediates operations business director. Maryann and Vince Cushing, married in 1974, have two daughters (ND alums) and three grandchildren. He worked 25 years in Washington, leaving in 1995 for an energy startup near Chicago. Now he reduces cooling expenses and emissions by 30% by storing energy in the drywall and concrete of large commercial buildings. He and Maryann (a Catholic teacher and pastoral associate) race large boats and fly kites in Chicago. Linda and Dennis Malinowski (married in 1968) retired after 25 years of consulting. A son, two daughters and four grandchildren live in neighboring Madison WI. Pat, Kathy and Larry Moser and I visited VT and Montreal in September. Larry develops buildings in Dallas, and I treat infectious diseases (outpatient only now). We had a delightful meeting with Bill Sorrell at the Ri Ra in Burlington. Bill completed 10 terms (20 years) as VT’s attorney general and was one of the lead plaintiffs in the multistate class action lawsuit against the tobacco industry. In perpetuity Big Tobacco pays VT $25,000,000 annually. He delivered the 2023 annual address on tobacco control to the American Legacy Foundation. John Haneiko died on July 16, survived by Angela (wife of 52 years), two children and three grandchildren, after a career in the energy industry including Houston Lighting and Power and TransCanada. — 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 The Opera, the Smoke and the Mets 

I trust everyone had a merry Christmas and that the new year is off to a good start. This past year saw many of us traveling again. A few months back Marie and I were in Austin TX for a wedding and while there caught up with our niece, Justine San Filippo ’00, as she recalled her college days at ND and how much she enjoyed being a member of the Fighting Irish Marching Band. Other travelers in our class included Dee Dee and Jack Van de North, who enjoyed a cruise “around the boot” from Rome to Venice, and Mary Kevin and Jamie Cawley, who journeyed to northern Italy before visiting their son and his family in London. JoAnn and Mike Kelleher marked their 55th wedding anniversary with a romantic getaway to a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Did I mention 21 relatives and friends tagged along with JoAnn and Mike? Carol and Terry O’Connor celebrated the wedding of their son, Tate, in Charlottesville VA last spring. Terry noted that as a young Army officer in the early ’70s he was assigned to the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, not that far from Charlottesville. One of the JAG instructors during his training was none other than our fellow classmate Joe Jankowski. Congratulations go out to Judy and Joe Leahy, who recently welcomed a new grandchild into their family. Her name is Cienna and, if my calculations are correct, she will graduate from ND Law School in 2048. Speaking of graduations, last May, our granddaughter, Kyra, graduated from her Manhattan high school and our entire family converged on the Big Apple to celebrate the happy occasion. Marie and Ken Iverson were also in the NYC area in June when their grandson graduated from high school. Their festivities included a night on the town with a trip to the opera. As they departed NY the smoke from the Canadian wildfires descended upon the city. Ken said it was reminiscent of his days in the military while stationed in Turkey. Ken returned to NY in July and met up with Dan Rybak for a Mets game. In the fall Marie and Ken were on campus to cheer for ND against OSU. Tom Ebel wrote to say how much he enjoyed catching up with old friends, reminiscing about law school days and taking in the autumn beauty of the ND campus at our 50 Plus Two reunion. In closing, it is with sadness that I report that our classmate Pat McDavitt passed away on Aug.11. His wife, Pam, advised that Pat was born and raised in Indianapolis. He completed his undergraduate work at U of Dayton. After leaving ND Law School, he became a partner in the firm of Briggs & Morgan in Minneapolis and handled corporate litigation matters. Jack Van de North had been a partner with Pat at Briggs & Morgan and said that as Pat neared retirement, he became general counsel for the firm. Jack noted that Pat handled the job with skill and grace. Pat loved a good game of golf and was an avid runner, having completed 15 marathons. Over the years he remained a staunch supporter of ND football and was known to become somewhat animated while watching games. He and Pam moved to OR a couple of years ago to be closer to their children, Molly and Mark. Pat cherished those years as he was able to spend time with his grandsons, Otto and Axel. Please remember Pat and his family in your prayers. Until next time, stay well. Go Irish! — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com

 

71 A Belated Merry Christmas

While pickleball may be the current rage and garner headlines, Barb and Tom O’Laughlin, Chicago, travel and participate in a more old-school backyard activity, lawn croquet. Easier on the knees? Holy Cross hall closed years ago, but more recent grads organized an all-Hogs reunion over USC weekend. In attendance were Gary Kessler, Dallas; Dan Dell’Orto, Washington DC; Mike Morrison, Helena MT; Bill Schoen, Toledo OH; Mike Lenehan, Chicago; Dan Fitzgibbons, Wyckoff NJ; Steve Luzik, Coraopolis PA; Jim Donovan, Cincinnati; and Lance Corey, Westhampton NY. Also returning for USC were Janet and Tom Ferlic, Omaha; Paul Bonitatibus, New Orleans; and George Loveland, Memphis. In town for OSU were Paul Dusseau, Columbus; Tim DiPiero, Charleston WV; Ken Israel, Murrells Inlet SC; Bob Bramlette, Chicago; and Charley Flynn, Miami. This past June Tim was a member of the USA 70-and-over team that went 5-0 and won the European Senior Basketball Championship in Albufeira, Portugal, beating Lithuania by four points in the finals. Dennis Farrell and Glenn Granger were not only classmates, but brothers-in-law, marrying two sisters a year apart. Dennis wrote with news that Glenn passed away in September. A native of Fairport NY, a resident of Grace, a marketing major and a member of the Marching Band, he also had an MS degree in education from Nazareth College. Glenn returned home to the Fairport/Spencerport area and had a long career as a special ed teacher, baseball coach and umpire. A while back at a football tailgate, Glenn shared the story that as a member of the band sitting in the first row under the basket at a UCLA game, he hooked a sock of Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, so he could not move side to side and execute an in-bounds pass. The ref called a technical and the band director was not happy. Kudos for his creativity. Try that stunt today in the overly corporate world of NCAA athletics. Condolences to Maureen and their family. John Ohm is now retired and resides in the metro DC/Baltimore area, Westminster MD, after a long career in the security industry, in both the public and private sectors. John Kelly, Indianapolis, has published his seventh novel, Ominous Odyssey, now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Jim Zeller, Chicago, remains active enough as a patent attorney, thereby requiring at least one annual trip to Munich to visit with European patent transfer agents. Coincidentally, it’s always in September when Oktoberfest kicks off. Fisher and Pangborn are being demolished to make way for two new dorms on the same footprint. I hope Thanksgiving and Christmas were enjoyable times shared with as many family and friends as possible. I assume there were a few soft goods under the Christmas tree, socks, sweaters, etc., probably from grandkids — but the real hardware was not new golf clubs, but more likely a titanium hip, a knee or perhaps a stent or two? Discount coupons for two for one cataract surgery have been popular with some of the guys. Cheers! — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 571-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com

 

71MBA Welcome Back

Got some news from classmates who had been missing in action for a while. Tony Strati got a call from John Halloran as he was driving from the Phoenix area back to MN, and they met for lunch as he passed through Albuquerque. John is now fully retired, and he and Diane bought a condo in Surprise AZ. They plan to spend time there but will keep their place in MN to spend some time with the grandkids. Steve Anella’s news earlier this year encouraged Jim McCullough to submit an update after 50 years. He’s been living in Brooklyn overlooking the harbor and retired in 2017 after quantum leaping on Wall Street. We sure did miss Jim when he was not able to join us at our 50th reunion in Chicago. Robbie (Parker) ’71MA and Jim Fackelman connected up with Patricia and Rod Spear in Dublin, along with 40,000 other ND fans in Ireland for a great trip and game. We also connected again in South Bend for that sweet victory over USC. Still lots of classmates whom we haven’t heard from for a long time. Please fill me in on what’s going on. — 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 Laetare Medalist; Chinese Language

There was a mini-reunion at Warren Golf Course at the Central Michigan game: Fred Bernardi, Jack Clements, Dan Phelps, Jamie “Naked” Egan, Bryson Cloon, Tim McCarthy, Jack Frencho, John Passarelli, Jim Moriarty, Quentin Sturm, Phil Glotzbach, Buddy Naber, Steve Mitros, Gary Palumbo, Jon Dampeer, Denis Garvey, Jim Regelean and Tom Davis. Class Notes in the last issue misspelled the name of the recipient of the honorary degree as James O’Donnell, instead of James O’Connell ’70. At the same commencement last spring, Sister Rosemary Connolly, RSM, was awarded the Laetare Medal for her decades-long work with persons with mental disabilities at Chicago’s Misericordia Homes. My wife and I were live-in houseparents 1983-86. For more, see my article in three installments in May 2023 in New Oxford Review. In spring 1971, I spoke to my academic adviser, Professor Gerhart Niemeyer in the government department, about ND offering Chinese. He encouraged me to talk to the chair of the Modern Languages Department because it would provide an additional building block toward creating an Asian studies program. When I saw the chair, it appeared he had been given a heads up because he readily offered money for a teacher if I could find a teacher and students. I found a teacher, but too late to have the course included in the catalog, and only seven other students enrolled. Nonetheless the chair decided to go forward with the class for fall 1971. That summer, on July 15, 1971, President Nixon made the surprise announcement that he would be visiting the People’s Republic. This, and the fact the course was included in the catalog for spring 1972, prompted about 30 students to sign up for Chinese for the spring. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu

 

72MBA Class Secretary — 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 Dempsey Receives Tom Dooley Award

This column celebrates nothing but good news and awards for our classmates. Congratulations to Bob Dempsey who this year received the Tom Dooley Award for service to mankind given by the Notre Dame Alumni Association. This very prestigious award was based on his work with the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS). Bob delivered one of the Hesburgh talks at the reunion that perhaps many of you attended. This is incredible recognition of his phenomenal work. Bob has been chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the U of WI. Congratulations, Bob! Good to see Larry Black and Eddie Henn at the reunion. Eddie is the oldest person in our class and reached the ripe old age of 80 on Oct. 26. Happy birthday, Eddie. Thanks to Bill Little for his nice note about the reunion. He and Ralph Real attended the reunion together and came in the Texas Eagle from Dallas to South Bend, taking approximately 30 hours. Bill commented that it was great to see many old friends at the reunion and was very thankful and appreciative of the effort put into the weekend. I heard from Mike Paulius regarding the reunion. Mike reconnected with his freshman-year roommate, Eric Cartwright. Mike stated that the only three classmates to his knowledge who saw the Dome being regilded in the summer of 1961 were himself, Peter Fee and Bill Sauerland. We all remember Mike and the great job he did as yearbook editor. Congratulations also to David Manfredi, who just won the prestigious Druker Award from the Boston Public Library. David is the CEO and founding principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston. The award is presented to the person who has made outstanding contributions to the world of design. His project portfolio is especially impressive with the Boston Bruins ice arena and the Celtics Auerbach Center practice facility. There’s a phenomenal story about Jimmy Dawson in USA Hockey Magazine. Jim created the USA Hockey Foundation’s Hockey Hispana Fund, making the sport more inclusive for Latina hockey players. Jim still plays three days a week in Colorado Springs. What Jim has done is especially remarkable! It was great to also see you at the reunion. Speaking of Colorado, I did speak with Dr. Tom Fry from Denver prior to our reunion. Tom is still practicing internal medicine. Unfortunately, he could not make the reunion. The list of honors for classmates continues. Jim Roolf was named Illinois Banker of the Year by the Illinois Banker’s Association, recognizing his 49 years of banking. Jim will celebrate his 50th anniversary next September. John Mowbray was also honored for his impactful work with the Frias Legacy for the Girl Scouts of Southern NV. In his spare time John also dabbles in photography and sent me some incredible pictures of the fall eclipse. Thank-you to Tim Curran for his poignant email providing an update. Tim went to Japan in his sophomore year with Kevin Garvey, Matt Didby, Joe Consolo, Joe Hickey, Charlie Lukem and Michael Givler and has stayed close to them over the years. Tim later entered the Ph.D. program at Columbia. He then worked for Panasonic. He finally returned to teaching and taught international relations in the MBA program at the U of South Florida in St. Petersburg for many years. Congratulations on a fine career, Tim. We will be having more Reunion news in the spring column. Please continue to send me news. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; cell 815-212-3661; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com

 

73MBA Our 50th Reunion Celebration

A summary of our 50th ’73MBA Reunion celebration on campus by Tim Geoghegan is below. All those who have passed away or for one reason or another were not able to attend this celebration event were sorely missed. May God bless our entire Class and our families now and forever. Reunion Weekend: For our Class of ’73MBA 50th Reunion weekend, 19 of us were on campus in late August to officially become members of the University of Notre Dame “50 Plus Club.” The campus, people and spirit of Notre Dame shone much like the Dome that sits atop the Main Building. Weekend events included extensive tours of the campus and buildings; a 50-year recognition ceremony with Craig Crossland, senior associate dean of the Mendoza College of Business; a Vietnam War commemoration ceremony for our veterans; a private tour of Father Ted’s office; dinner at Seven on 9 in the stadium; a panel discussion with the current MBA students; a game watch of the Irish taking on Navy in Dublin; and Mass at Sacred Heart on Sunday. Special thanks to the Notre Dame team of Ryan Retartha and Katherine Alan and the Reunion team (Chuck Arentowicz, Michale Gormley and Tim Geoghegan) for making this a magical and memorable weekend. Special thanks to John Hoffman also for his coordination of military veterans’ affairs for our class. There is a burgeoning movement by several of us to get the 55th anniversary party going and maybe more. This event has awakened the UND echoes to continue to party more and often. We don’t want to wait another 25 years (or, horrors, 50 years) to gather again. Others who contributed to this thought included John Gaski, Greg Green, Jim Waldron, Les Sorg, Lew Diera and John Hoffman. Tim Geoghegan shares it was great to get together with classmates in August for our 50th Reunion and to reminisce about “back in the day.” Notre Dame was a dream come true for an Irish Catholic growing up in metro NY. Tim recalls doodling the interlocking ND on grade school notebooks, attending numerous family gatherings to watch football on Saturdays, the 10-10 tie and on and on. Acceptance into the MBA program in 1971 was an academic reset for Tim with an engaging class format, challenging subjects and a close-knit band of brothers to grow and learn with. Of course, there were the nights at the library, the occasional beer . . . and the bridge games on Thursday nights. The experience of a lifetime at a place like none other on the planet. Thank you, Notre Dame! I look forward to hearing from all of you. Send me your updated email addresses. Please continue to support our legacy ’73MBA Notre Dame Magazine alumni quarterly input opportunities. Share your job promotions, retirements, ND memories, family stories or more. You are always welcome to visit us in Southern CA. — 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 Ready to PAR-TAY! 

Class officers and volunteers are so excited about our 50th Reunion. Please make sure you sign up to 1974.undclass.org to keep up with the official news. I’m aiming to keep up on the bulletin board on that site. In January news will be fast and forthcoming. We intend to make it fun and memorable. Meanwhile, the next column will be after the Reunion, so jump on that site to keep informed. Let’s begin: Gary Sobolewski enjoyed his time at ND for the Ohio State game. He met his roommate Kevin Flanagan and his wife, Laurie ’74SMC, at their son’s 40th birthday event. Then he went onto the party bus hosted by Sue “Murph” and Gary Janko. Parking the party bus on Angela five minutes from campus, the crew included Mary Kay and Kack Leicht, Ann and Tom Nash, Melanie and Mark (Cub) Shellenbarger, Mary and Jim (OD) Lewis, Barb McKiernan Davis, Sheila and Tom Hansen, and Jean and Jeff Ratte. Dick Keenan participated last summer in the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI, a historic 500-mile bicycle ride from MO to the Mississippi. And he also enjoyed along with thousands of alumni the ND-Navy game in Dublin. See you at Reunion, Dick! Bill Voller wrote a book titled Prostate Cancer and How It Changed Me. E. “Tim” Daro hosted a 2023 summer soiree for the Holy Name Cathedral crowd at his hospitality room in Chicago. Good food, wine and camaraderie. Richard Rawson and his wife, Lois, enjoyed wonderful weeks of enjoying art, food and wine in Spain last year with his classmate Richard Donovan and his wife, Ellen. Here’s Reunion trivia: Richard and his mates at the Student Union helped put the talent of Paul Simon, Elton John, the Beach Boys, Chicago and more for our concerts! Both Rawson and Donovan are retired lawyers. Richard, we hope you, Jim Paladino, Bob Fahrenbach, Jim Masters and Bob O’Hara all attend our 50th Reunion. I heard from Steve Tierney. Thank you, Steve, for the kind compliment for keeping our classmates connected. Steve and his wife love to travel, and have kept journals for more than 20 years. They returned in April ’23 from New Zealand. And I understand that Russ Dodge also ventured there. By this writing, Steve and his wife traveled to Egypt as well. Our own Richard Nussbaum received the 2023 Distinguished Business Leader Award by the St. Joseph County, IN, Chamber of Commerce. Richard’s wife, Mary Pat Leyes ’75SMC, have been blessed to celebrate 49 years of marriage. Congrats on both accounts, Richard. Greg Aiello was awarded by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his 39-year career in NFL public relations at the hall’s annual Awards of Excellence Luncheon. Humbly, Greg says you can find his name on the wall outside the men’s room on the second floor, near the Hall of Fame Gallery where our very own Dave Casper (Ghost) has a beautiful bronzed bust. Ah, that’s worth a look — yet I aim to stay social media-connected with Sue and Dave Casper. Now what would be a column without POG news, eh? Jim (Whales) Whalen, the POG scribe, is looking forward to the largest POG gathering in history. So far 26 “boys” already have signed up for the annual Destin FL group trip. Three rookies will join in 2024: Dennis Lozzi (Loz), Steve Bauchman (some say spud muffin/cowboy) and Ken Schuster (Shu). In addition to the normal clan that attends, Jeff Hart (Hokie), Bob Cleary (Rollo), Martin Broussard (Monsignor) and Larry Cima (Cims) plan to return after missing a few years. The antics begin on Monday, April 15, and, for those who last, end on Sunday, April 21. A little news from me: I’m now semi-permanent in Needham MA. My daughter Michelle Simon Noon ’02 owns a private equity firm in Boston, and her husband’s job also requires extensive travel, so I have the pleasure to be in my new career as (Uber) Mimi — a nickname my grandkids call me — and assist my active grandkids however I am able, except math homework. I still have my condo in Chicago, and my two sons and their beautiful families live there. I should have worked for an airline! My new address is Charles River Landing, 300 2nd Ave., Unit 2139, Needham MA 02494. While living in River North in Chicago I rarely drove; now I’m driving Paul Revere streets. I love it here. Continue to write. I will most likely be standing near the bar at Reunion with notebook in hand, writing copious notes for those who seek a libation or two! Cheers, God bless and see you at Reunion! — Dede Lohle Simon; 300 2nd Ave., Unit 2139, Needham MA 02494; dedersimon@gmail.com

 

74MBA Another Vacation Update

Mike Carey reports that he lived in and around NYC and Boston after graduation. He has been in Atlanta for the past 25 years. While in Boston, he met his wife, Suzanne. The Careys have one son. In 1989, Mike left the corporate world and launched his own business building and maintaining highly targeted databases for computer, communication and other high-tech companies in the business-to-business sector. Since retiring three years ago, Mike has become very active in the Atlanta ND Alumni Club. Suzanne and Mike both sang in college, so they joined a local chorale that performs in the Atlanta area. In June, the chorale embarked on a two-week trip to Europe, where the Careys were able to learn a great deal about the various cultures of both Spain and Portugal. Mike only returns to ND occasionally, but did bump into Greg Henry a few years ago at an ND game watch in Boca Raton FL. Mike and Greg spent a fun evening reliving some great ND memories. Mike would like to reconnect with former classmates. He can be contacted at mcndatl@gmail.com. Randy Marks wrote that he and his wife, Sandy, headed to Louisville in October. They have a son and grandchildren in the area. In addition to visiting with family, they attended the ND-Louisville football game. (Hopefully, the visit with family was the highlight of that excursion!) I’ve had no other news from classmates. I know that you are wondering what Helen and I have been planning lately? We attended the ND-Pitt game in late October with three of our daughters and their spouses. A few days after the game, Helen and I flew to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for 10 days of relaxation in the warm weather and inviting waters of the Caribbean. I hope all is well with each of you and your families. Drop me a line, if you feel so inclined or if you are just tired of reading about Jack and Helen’s latest excursions! — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net

 

74JD RIP Dave; Reunion 50

I recently learned our classmate Dave DeMuro passed away in February 2020. Dave was born in Detroit and graduated from Michigan. He started his career with the SEC before joining the legal department at E.F. Hutton. He was named the global head of compliance at Lehman Brothers. Dave was the first head of Lehman’s Rainbow network. Later Dave became senior counsel with O’Melvany & Myers. In retirement he divided his time between Rancho Mirage and Ann Arbor. Dave was a philanthropist. He endowed scholarships at the U of Michigan and ND, and also donated to many charities, including the Detroit Institute of Art, Lambda Legal, Desert AIDS Project, the Detroit Zoo, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and the MOMA. In 1999 Dave was a founding member of the LGBT arm of the Democratic Party. Dave is survived by his life partner of 32 years, Chris Longobucco, and his sister Elizabeth Tondryk, his brothers William and Richard, their spouses, and four nieces and nephews. Our 50th Class Reunion will be held May 30 through June 2. Roberta Halladay and Noel Augustyn have taken the lead in organizing our Reunion and leading the effort to give as many of us as possible the opportunity to attend. It will be a wonderful chance to reconnect with our classmates. We hope that you can join us at ND to reminisce and catch up. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com

 

75 Eric Penick’s Bio in Print

Drew Mahalic reports that classmate and football teammate Eric Penick has written his autobiography, available now through Amazon. Like Drew, Eric was on the 1973 national championship football team. Drew recommends the book for all ND fans because it mentions more than 120 Notre Dame teammates, and includes Eric’s triumphs at ND and then his fall and redemption afterward. Good to hear from Pat McLaughlin, who lives in Santa Ynez CA and organized a mini-reunion of classmates in Catalina Island in early September to enjoy the scenery, the ocean breeze, a local beer festival, great seafood and the televised ND win over NC State in football. He called it true California Dreamin’. Included were Art Gilloon, Walt Barry, Howard Stierwalt and Pete Fleming. Kevin Cronin, Tim Bushnell and Larry Dunville got together with their wives, Sue, Mary Pat and Jenny, for a late summer dinner on the rooftop at The Elm in LaGrange IL. Everyone was looking good, busy with work, family and travel. They are looking forward to the 50th Class Reunion in 2025. Tom Harrison, Quincy Masteller and Ray Ganz gathered at Tom’s home in San Clemente CA for their annual get-together. Buddy Paul DuCharme was under the weather so he attended via FaceTime. Ray is a deacon in the Catholic Church in San Jose. Quincy is general counsel at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula CA. Sadly, their throats hurt from cheering for the Irish in the gut-wrenching loss to Ohio State. Author and classmate Kathy Osberger is doing a book tour promoting I Surrender: A Memoir of Chile’s Dictatorship 1975, as reported earlier, and has seen several ND friends across the US, including Jack Malone, Jon Makielski, Mary Pat Sullivan, Debra Street and Margaret Delaney. Kathy salutes the ND clubs in Tucson, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Quad Cities for co-sponsoring her appearances. My wife, Linda, and I spent the OSU tailgate and game time with Noony and Jack Malone. Even as a resident of Columbus OH, Jack was loyal to the Irish, despite the final score. Mark your calendar now for Reunion 2025, our 50th class gathering at ND, May 29 to June 1. Let me know if you want to help organize or volunteer in some fashion. Thanks! Please continue to send me your news. Note that my new email is normbower53@gmail.com. — 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 Winter Notes

A half century ago, Thomas Shaffer ’61JD wrote this in his Report of the Dean (1973-74): “The program of instruction, as I have known it at this law school, has always aimed at the private practice of law.” He yearned for something broader, what with NDLS graduates heading in many directions after graduation, yet we were schooled as though we would hang our shingles and handle private practice chores punctuated by occasional wizardry in the local courthouse. At the time of that report, I was weeks away from receiving an out-of-the-blue telephone call from Earl Yeagley ’49JD asking if I would join the in-house legal staff at Miles Laboratories Inc. in neighboring Elkhart. He needed a student intern to join John Burns ’74JD in a legal research support role. Earl knew me briefly in my prior life when I dated his daughter in high school. Yes, it can happen — a ghost from the past unexpectedly tapping your shoulder. I joined Miles as a second-year law student and subsequently spent my entire career as an in-house practitioner in IN, Germany, PA and NY. Despite Dean Schaffer’s comment, our class saw many of its grads (Ken Klatt, Ted Marciniak, Sid Jacobsen, Tom Pollihan, Bill Britt, Tim Westman, John Henry Davis, Ann Hart Wernz, Michael Schuster, Ed Choate and others) eschew classic private practice opportunities and sometimes glom onto in-house positions. Over the decades, we serviced banks, universities, corporations and other institutions, and to quote Professor Peter “Thunder” Thornton, it happened “regularly, consistently and systematically.” Once upon a time, Ken and Ted were in the same law department at Delta Airlines, and John Henry and I shared a few years together at Miles. Whatever was learned at NDLS worked in the private practice arena and far beyond, including in-house law departments. Meanwhile, Quin Frazer spends time as senior counsel at Faegre, Drinker, Biddle & Reath in Chicago, but is nearing retirement. He has more than 40 years of experience guiding individuals, their families, family businesses and foundations in all areas of estate planning. Quin has been a frequent lecturer and writer on those subjects, and years back he was an adjunct professor at Loyola U Chicago Law School. He and Simin have a son and a daughter, along with four grandchildren. His personal interests include comic book, stamp and sports card collecting. A couple states away, Tal Young has practiced trust and estate law in Cleveland since graduation. Maryanne and Tal were introduced to Cleveland by our classmate Marcia Gaughan Murphy, a native Clevelander, and Tal says he remains indebted to Marcia for that. He spent almost 19 years as an associate and partner in a large firm, followed by 11 years in the two-lawyer partnership Young & Dietch, and 18 years with one of the two oldest firms in Cleveland, which has now merged with the other oldest firm. Their son Daniel J. Young ’00 teaches at Miami U. With their daughter, Maureen, being a graduate of Ohio State (BA and JD) and other son, Kevin, having attended Ohio State, the family is a bit short of Michigan fans. Finally, we mourn the loss of Donald Moroz. Most of his career was spent in and around Cassopolis MI, not far from campus. He did a stint in private practice before becoming a friend of the court (an advocate for children) in Cass County, a position he held for two decades. Rev. Bill Beauchamp, CSC, officiated at the funeral Mass, and Bill Grimmer delivered the eulogy. Our condolences to Nora, his wife, and to Sara and Molly, his daughters. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com

 

76 Reunions, Relocations and Remembrances

It’s fall break as I write this column and I’m still coming down off the “high” of fireworks and field rushing following ND’s 48-20 win over USC! The weekend coincided with the 50th anniversary gathering of Ara Parseghian’s 1973 national championship team and cheerleaders. Ivan Brown, Bob Zanot, Joe Pszeracki, Jim Stock, Paul Linehan, Al Wujciak, Kevin Doherty, Pat Pohlen, Ken Andler, John Galanis, Nick Federenko, Robin Weber, Rick Slager, Frank Driscoll, Fran McDonald, Len Moty, Randy Payne, Tom Maschmeier and Pat Sarb were in attendance. The lone Class of ’76 cheerleader that season, I also attended alongside cheer partner Dennis Buchanan ’75 and our fellow ’73-’74 season cheerleaders. George McLaughlin accompanied roommate Ken Andler and his family, who traveled from Cleveland. The same weekend, Betsy Short and Jon Floriano’s daughter Elizabeth married Ryan Miller in Cleveland, with classmates Anne Hawkins, Bob Eddy and Cathy Matthews dancing the night away. The mini-reunion brought together many familiar faces, with more than 60 classmates and families attending the festivities and Ohio State game. Embassy Suites’ rooftop was the setting for the Friday night cocktail reception followed by dinner in the ballroom, drawing attendance of well over 100. Saturday’s commemoration of our deceased classmates at the Butterfly Garden featured a Notre Dame Glee Club performance. Butterflies were released by Gayle Spencer, classmate Tom Spencer’s widow, who came from Indianapolis to mark the occasion. Leslie and Tom McBride drove from MA to see classmates and hear the glee club. Tom is a retired actuary whose two sons are alumni, including Andrew ’10, a former glee club member. Roxanne ’77 and Rocco Martino traveled from their home in Burr Ridge IL. Together with son Dan ’08, they work in their family investment office, OCEANM19. Rocco is a member of ND’s IDEA Center Advisory and Roxanne is on the ND Business Advisory Council. Cindy and Tom Aber joined us from Akron OH, Tom’s home base as Eastern regional sales manager for Impact Recovery Systems. He will retire next year to “do anything besides spending 3-4 nights a week in a hotel room.” Tom Cahill met up with fellow Cavanaugh residents Rod Sutkowski from ME and Dave Clarke from VA. Mary Ann and Rich Imgram recently moved to Harrison VA to be close to family, after previously retiring to Knoxville TN. They met Keenan buddy Brian Hegarty and his wife, Pam. Jack Packo, retired from a career with IBM, traveled from Norwalk CT where he lives during the summer and fall. In the winter he lives in FL and enjoys tennis, softball and bike riding. He and Pat Novitzki debated the finer points of winter tennis on the east vs. west coasts of FL. Greg Sosnovich reported he and his wife moved from Chicago to Franklin TN last year. The weekend prior to the mini-reunion, Jeanine Sterling moved from Detroit (where she had lived for 25 years) to her new home in Nashville. She made time to “escape to campus to get to know her classmates better.” We are saddened by the passing of John Henry of Gilberts IL in Beaverton OR after suffering a stroke. Married 50 years to his wife, Beverly, they were parents of Christine, Daniel and Alura. We offer condolences to Mary Anne Reilly on the passing of her brother Tim Kennedy; to Peter Rukavina on the untimely death of his son Peter Jr.; and to Jeanine Sterling on the passing of her father, Patrick Sterling ’60. He was one of the married post-Korean War vets who returned to ND in the mid-’50s to live in Vetville, earn an architecture degree and raise a growing family. — Shelley Muller Simon; 5972 Dune Harbor Dr., Portage IN 46368; 573-268-3690; ssimon823@gmail.com

 

76MBA Thanks for the News

I heard from Wilis Smith (Snoopy). He reports that he and Alta celebrated 62 years together last June, all the years of wedding bliss. He just turned 86 and Alta became 84 in August. So many memories of marriage and life that they reflect back on. So happy together. Congratulations. You can reach Snoopy at snoopyalta@comcast.net. Terry Burke checked in. He turned 75 in October. As usual, his celebration was monumental. Angie and Terry flew from FL to Chicago. They stayed with Kevin Kennedy ’70 and his wife, Lisa. Kevin was also turning 75 so they took over a corner bar in Chicago with many friends and celebrated. That is what happens when two ND grads get together. To top off the trip, Angie and Terry flew to Scotland and Ireland. Angie celebrated her 70th birthday. They also celebrated 41 years together. Congratulations on being so happy together. You can reach Terry at 312-203-3512. Tom Ritter reported he still resides in Arendtsville PA for the last 40 years. The town is very busy the first two weeks of October. It hosts the National Apple Harvest Festival. Tom’s quote: “We grow ’em, we pick ’em, and then we eat the little freakers — yum!” The only thing he complains about anymore is politics . . . other inconveniences of life really don’t disturb him. He still fishes and plays a little golf. He does operate at a lower RPM than he did 15 years ago. His favorite quote came from the late Richard Pryor, who told us, “No such thing as an old fool, because you can’t get old by being no fool.” He stays in touch with Dan Potts and Drew Hill, and these Boyz are good as ever! Reach Tom at 717-398-9353. Blessings to everyone and their families. Thank you for sending news. God bless. — Mike Norris; text 248-330-5366; norris1021@comcast.net

 

76JD Class Secretary — Virgil L. Roth;

625 Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 255, South Pasadena CA 91030; 626-441-1178; fax 626-441-1166; vroth@vlrlaw.com

 

77 Celebrating “50”

Fifty years ago in August 1973, we were incoming freshmen. As seniors a high note was the fantastic senior class trip to USC. Last August a second “senior” class trip came together. Classmates flew to Dublin for ND-Navy then on to the Class of ’77 Rome trip, where Jill Truitt Donnelly ’76 and US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly hosted an evening reception at their lovely Embassy residence, Villa Richardson in Rome, and arranged for VIP seats and a class photo with Pope Francis after a beautiful papal audience the next morning. The Rome trip included wonderful tours and dining with 120 friends old and new. We’re especially grateful to Ambassador Joe Donnelly for making the Rome trip possible; for State Department and Vatican staff including Arianna DiCapua, Sara Pfeffer, Anthony Travel international partners Stacy Menzies, Leo Jenkins, Carmen Carpintero, Stuart Harvey and Eva Polino; to Mike Grady who spearheaded the project, and Pat Klepper who set up Facebook Rome; to Class officers Rob Tully, Darlene Palma Connelly and Bob Blanck; and to the Class of ’77 Rome trippers. I personally wish to thank fellow Rome trippers Dan Bishop and three of our sons, Michael, Stephen and Tom, for their encouragement on the Rome trip work and cheerful help in Italy. John Veihmeyer, retired chairman of KPMG International, was elected as new chairman of the University Board of Trustees, effective June 2024. Jim Sullivan, retired from Stayer E-MBA, gave the gift of life as a kidney donor to Erin Dwyer in Tampa; both are Keenan Hall friends. Dave Wallace assisted the Notre Dame Summer Scholars Program with a version of his corporate workshop. Morrissey Hall men and spouses gathered at the Jersey Shore to celebrate the 50th anniversary of meeting as freshmen, including Sally and Jim Dwyer, Gaby and Dan Buckley, Nancy and Mike Borders, Sara and Jay Leyden, Barb and Mark Lucas, T.R. Paulding and Tom Bingle. ND Magazine articles highlighted former chess and math team members Franz Lanzinger’s and John Newcomer’s transformational careers in the world of video gaming, and shone a light on Senior Bar’s history, as recalled by former staff member Mary Reiner Shutters. Hugh Sonk shared how he, Michael Settle and Jack Moran, now deceased, wanted to go to CA as sophomores and decided to just sign up and hand over checks at LaFortune for the Class of ’75’s senior class trip to the USC game, with no one the wiser. One of them let it slip on the chartered plane trip going to LA, but the Class of ’75 could do nothing about it, and they enjoyed the weekend. Jane Lammers shared that her father, Paul Lammers ’49, played multiple ND sports including basketball under Coach Moose Krause with Johnny Lujack ’48, the Heisman-winning ND quarterback who died this year. In 2012 Mr. Lujack signed the nomination form for honorary Monograms for fellow ND women’s rowing team Capt. Marilyn Crimmins ’74SMC, daughter of Lujack’s quarterback coach under ND Head Football Coach Frank Leahy, Bernie Crimmins, who had escorted Mr. Lujack to NY to receive the Heisman trophy. Class President Rob Tully, Jay Pittas, Mike Santillo and friends enjoyed their 35th Cubs and Pubs weekend in Chicago. Deb Kenny Ellsworth shared that the ’77 senior class trip to USC held special memories as Walsh Hall roommates wandered into a Cavanaugh Hall tailgate of Jim Gorman, who knew Peggy from business classes. Six met their future spouses that day: Peggy and Ed Roberts, Eileen O’Grady Daday and Steve Daday, and Deb and Bill Ellsworth. Mary Reher and Val Zurblis were there, all friends to this day. Kevin Murphy, Buzz Reynolds, Dom Fanuele and Mike Pesce attended the Pershing Golf League Awards Dinner in northern NJ in October. Tom Moore, NJ Superior Court judge, Kevin Murphy and Mike Pesce attended the Angelo Bertelli Memorial Golf Classic, co-chaired by Dom and Kevin, to benefit the ND Club of Northern NJ Scholarship Program. Andy Panelli wrote, asking classmates returning from the Rome trip to lead a Care for Creation initiated by Pope Francis, or Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP) at Catholic facilities. Debbie McNamara Bossy ’76SMC, president of McCandless Hall, and David Bossy, who met 50 years ago at the USC game class trip, now have five children and 10 grandchildren. Ann Foley Waris and Dick Waris enjoy their two grandchildren. The Hon. Susan Zwick, retired, loves her grandchildren, and her son Stefan Zwick is a talented composer. Neil Murphy of Phoenix caught up with Terry Martin in Carmel IN after a game. Congrats to Diane Kuknyo on two new grandsons, Hunter, son of Timothy and Jan, and Milo, son of Matt and Kelsie; to Patricia (Patter) Sheeran Birsic and Tom Birsic ’76 on new granddaughter Keira, daughter of Kelsey and Alec; and to Carolyn Short on new grandson Conrad Logan, son of Travis and Camille. Condolences go to the families of our deceased classmates, John (Jack) Whitehurst, Robert Malatt and Kathleen Dickinson Villano; and we grieve the loss of Dan Hill, husband of Colleen McCarthy, and Tom Reedy’s father, Thomas Reedy Sr. ’53. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; res 847-291-7510; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu

 

77MBA Class Secretary — Alan J. Fisher;

ajfisher7577@gmail.com

 

77JD Loss of Robinson

In September, Jon Robinson passed away, leaving his wife, Juli, daughters Katie and Nora, and granddaughter McKenna, along with his ND family. Jon retired from Consumers Power Company in 2014 as assistant general counsel and vice president of utility law and regulation. Service was important to Jon, who acted as a Big Brother in Big Brothers Big Sisters, volunteered as a mediator with Citizens Mediation Services, served as treasurer of his community HOA and volunteered for food distribution at his church. Jon loved to treat his family to ND football Saturdays. He also loved gardening and music, and he taught himself to play the guitar and piano. Always the wordsmith, Jon enjoyed writing new, and often funny, lyrics for the family. Jon’s family also enjoyed traveling throughout the USA and world, with trips to Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Greece, France, Italy, England and Egypt. Linda Olivieri said that Jon never lost his great, dry sense of humor that we all remember. Karen and Robbie Crane had planned a visit with Juli and Jon, but, sadly, they attended Jon’s funeral instead. After some time in MI, Robbie, Karen, Linda and Bill Chenoweth came to ND where we visited the “new Law School” and then shared memories over dinner at our home. Robbie and Karen are seasonally splitting time with kids and grandkids between Durango CO and Scottsdale AZ. Robbie mentioned that his grandson is getting the edge on him in races these days. Bill and Linda’s daughter, Ellen Chenoweth, is an adjunct professor at the U of Alaska Southeast. Her dissertation focuses on the bioenergetic and economic impacts of humpback whales feeding on juvenile salmon at hatchery release sites. Ellen and her research were recently featured in the PBS documentary series “Evolution Earth.” As I get closer to full retirement, I will be transitioning to my home email address of jane1977nd@outlook.com. — Janey Bennett; 50850 Tarrington Way, Granger IN 46530; 574-298-9251; bus 574-243-4100; jane1977nd@outlook.com

 

78 Meetups

Greetings, fellow classmates from the class with class! I trust we all enjoyed the autumnal breezes that lifted us into winter, and Christmas and New Year’s! Happy New Year to all! Good luck with all the resolutions! Meg Morgan Kermon attended the Cheer Her Name weekend at ND, along with more than 200 other women who received honorary Monograms for pioneering the women’s sports program at ND during the first five years of coeducation. More than 40 were in the Class of ’78. The University had great activities, including a jacket ceremony Saturday morning and a pregame tailgate, followed by the UNLV football game. The women got field access before the game, with Maureen Maloney ’77 and Ellen Hughes ’77 presenting the colors to the Irish Guard. The honorees were also acknowledged on the field during the game. On Sunday, we celebrated a brunch and got a tour of the men’s and women’s basketball practice facility. There were too many classmates and teammates to mention, but I spent some time with roommates Mary Walsh Robinson and JoAnn Mooney Bak. It was great to see them, and all the women athletes, again. Pat “Jaws” Coveny and his wife, Sarah, fled the rising taxes of Chicago for the placidness of WI where Pat opened his new business, Remora Construction Management, in Lake Geneva. Mike Reda, Paul “Frenchie” Hess, Vinnie Renz, Chip Lee, Beth Klein, Chris Crnkovich, Jerry Hattrup, Mark Tovey, Mike Duffy and Greg Kulis attended the 107th running of the Indy 500 in May as guests of the Pat Kennedy family. The family celebrated Pat’s life in March where approximately 1,000 people attended! Retired dentist Jim Budde and his wife, Nancy, joined WV administrative law Judge Mark Carbone and his wife, Ellen, in distributing pharmaceuticals to children of the rain forest of Suriname and, as a result, missed our Reunion. But they looked forward to hosting and seeing many of their classmates at the joint tailgater they hosted at Parisi’s prior to the OSU game. Vicki Lopez became a grandmother for the first time. Her son, Donald F. Wolfe III ’04, and his wife welcomed their son, Stellan, on June 1. Vicki also joined her roommates — Tracy Kee Christopher, Marge Meagher Hamm, Molly McGuire Lieberman and Nancy Cox — at the Reunion in June. Vicki completed her first legislative session in the FL House of Representatives. She is busy running for re-election in November. On the way to the reunion, Paul Coppola met Gerry Faust, who is 88, for Mass and breakfast in Akron OH. During the Reunion, Paul met with Kerry Temple, the editor of Notre Dame Magazine. He wanted to meet him and say hello. ND Magazine has published lots of his letters to the editor and they published his online article about our late classmate Pat Kennedy. Kerry will be retiring at the end of the calendar year. He wants to do a story on Gerry, and Paul is going to give him a lot of good anecdotes. Paul talked to Larry Morris on the phone during Reunion. He did come to campus but Paul missed him. He has been playing a lot of golf. Larry and Paul went to high school together at Bishop Neumann High School outside of Buffalo NY. They were also in Cavanaugh Hall together. In June, Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Jim “Souls” Coyne and John Delaney shared a late breakfast at Philadelphia’s Reading terminal market. Don was on a layover from Los Angeles to Toronto. In July, Nace Mullen hosted his annual mini ND reunion at his Stone Harbor NJ villa. Jim Coyne, Jim “Boobie” Clarke, Greg “Sweets” Switaj, Jeff “Carp” Carpenter, Don Smail and Vicki Lopez were in attendance for the weekend. Don, Greg and Jeff played golf each day while Boobie worshiped the sun at the beach. The golfers were joined on Friday by man about town PJ Stapleton. Jeff told me that it has come to his attention, courtesy of our dear friend Rich Riley, that this January will be the 50th anniversary of the Fighting Irish basketball team’s historic upset of the UCLA Bruins led by their legendary coach, John Wooden. We were seniors in high school at the time and maybe this game factored into our decision to come to Notre Dame. Rich also noted that our 50th Reunion will be the anniversary of our 1978 national championship football team and our Final Four men’s basketball team, led by our classmates Don “Duck” Williams, Dave Batton, Randy Haefner and Jeff. Kudos to both teams. — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com

 

78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney;

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

 

78JD Energetic Judge

James M. Varga, a judge for the 4th Subcircuit of the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court in IL, reported: “1) Atticus from Shawneetown, my second novel in the two-book Little Egypt sequel, is out to publishers. 2) Law student jury trials have resumed for ITA at NDLS; I’m returning next semester to preside over a jury trial. 3) I’m organizing, with the presiding judge of the law division, lunchtime seminars for judges at the Daley Center and have presented, with two other judges, the first one on jury selection. 4) I’m updating mostly evidence chapters in the law division Jury Section Bench Book. 5) Back in March, after three days of pretrial motions, three days of jury selection, and three weeks of trial, the jury could not reach a verdict. The attorneys had entered into a hi-low settlement agreement for $35 million that included a hung jury. The plaintiff had alleged medical negligence during the delivery; the minor plaintiff had severe brain damage. The defendant former physician had sexual assault convictions.” First elected to the circuit court in 1994, Varga’s current term ends Dec. 2, 2024. As for myself, Jill and I just happened to be in Dublin the day after Notre Dame trounced Navy in the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic season opener at Aviva Stadium. One of our guides told us that “the game” was the biggest thing to happen in Ireland since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. I am spending the Michaelmas term as a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, working on a book on ethics in government. Alas, while I was in London, Irma Herrera performed her one-woman show at St. Mary’s U in San Antonio, her undergraduate alma mater and my employer for the past 42 years. Sorry to miss it! I am sure it was great. Send news, memories and items for the next column to me. — Vincent R. Johnson; 210-410-3562;vjohnson@stmarytx.edu

 

79 Let’s Remember

Our Reunion from May 30 to June 2 is a chance to remember and celebrate the lifelong friendships that have offered encouragement, support and joy as we have navigated service to our families, communities and loved ones. Michael Berberich has been teaching humanities and English composition and literature at Galveston College where he hosted a lecture by John Santos titled “A (Different Kind of) Scholar’s Journey.” John, the first Hispanic US Rhodes Scholar, is a professor of multicultural and mestizo studies at U of Texas San Antonio. Dillon roommates Jay Rafter, Dave Marchiori, Tom Schreder and John Cimino, and their significant others, spent 10 fall days touring, hiking, eating and drinking in Sicily. Another Dillon roommate, Kevin Mosier, celebrated his daughter Kiralyn’s wedding in Kansas City. Norbertine Br. Jim Owens is the catechetical leader at St. Paschal Baylon Parish outside of Cleveland. Peter Tan received the 2023 American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Humanitarian Service Award. Remember the following classmates and their families in your prayers. Jim Luxem, a person of deep faith, died in August after battling cancer. Jim, who lived in Lake Forest IL, worked in finance and enjoyed skiing and home renovation. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Mary (MacDonald) ’81SMC, their children, Colleen, Jacqueline, James, Madeline and Brian, and seven grandchildren. Kevin Caspersen, who battled cancer, died in September in Indianapolis. Kevin, known for his Texas twang, good humor and kindness, earned a Ph.D. in theology from Fordham and worked in education and pastoral care, serving as president of two high schools and as chaplain at Ascension St. Vincent Heart Hospital in Carmel IN. Kevin and Stacy Hennessy ’81 married in 1993 and had three children, Charles, Kathleen and Niels ’23. Their son Charles died in 2013. Kevin Dolan, of Mundelein IL, died in a car accident in October. Kevin earned an MBA from Northwestern and was VP and controller for TAP Pharmaceuticals. After retiring, he enjoyed entertaining and golf. For 26 years he served as an elected Mundelein Park District commissioner. After meeting on the first day of school, he and Barb (Wirtes) ’79SMC married in 1981 and had four children, Brian ’05, Maggie ’06, ’17, Sean ’08 and Kevin. Julie Rittenhouse died in October after battling cancer. Julie was generous to her friends and her community. In her role as our class vice president, she spent considerable time planning past reunions, including the Class Masses to remember our deceased classmates. She served the ND Club of Cleveland by coordinating the summer service program that provides current students with an urban plunge experience. In 2000, she was the club’s first female Man of the Year. After graduation and service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Detroit, where she worked at a shelter for abused women, Julie moved to Cleveland. While working as the director of a women’s shelter, she earned a master’s in social work from Case Western Reserve U. She then worked at Cleveland State U’s College of Urban Affairs, after which she began a career in philanthropy with several foundations. For many years, she taught classes at CSU. She used her thoughtful analytic skills to spearhead the development of permanent supportive housing for the unhoused population. She served as board chair for Frontline Services, a nonprofit that addresses homelessness and behavioral and mental health issues. She also chaired the board of the nonprofit Senior Transportation Connection. She is survived by her siblings Aimee ’80SMC (married to Jim Kelly), Mary Beth ’82SMC, Peter, Rebecca and John, as well as many adored nieces and nephews. — 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 And Now It’s 45

Just a few classmate news items to report on this time. Duane Tarnacki wrote and mentioned he and his wife traveled in Europe this summer, then finished the trip in Dublin for the ND-Navy football game. It was a terrific trip. Duane is also starting to wind down his long career in Detroit by becoming “of counsel” at his firm there. Similarly, Rose (Gill) Kenyon reported she will be “of counsel” and essentially retired from her firm in Raleigh NC by early 2024. Yay Rose! David Evinger reported he and Mark Wight likewise attended the ND-Navy game in Dublin. David has now retired but Mark is still “soldiering on” with his architectural and construction firm in Chicago. Mark continues to serve on the board of trustees for the School of Architecture at ND. Greg Murphy called last summer to check in and to say hello. He retired from his firm a few years ago, but remains active with groups handling multi-state bar exams and law school accreditation matters. He also mentioned MT is not quite finished with him yet as the governor recently appointed him to serve on a state board handling arts and community grant matters. It’s a “give back” position he really enjoys. Gerry Shea called to check in last October, just after the surprise big football victory over USC. We reminisced about the big game we witnessed in 1977 when the team used the Trojan horse and green jerseys to stomp USC that day. Of course, having Joe Montana as quarterback did not hurt the cause either. Beyond that, Gerry is doing fine after a solid career doing criminal law in Boston. His triplets have now grown up and are freshmen at Holy Cross College in Wooster MA. Gerry and family spend summers at their beach house on Buzzards Bay MA, which he says is “just across” the bridge from Cape Cod. Finally, if you check your calendars, you will see that this year marks 45 years since Dean Link and Father Hesburgh sent us away with ND-JD diplomas. I think they also suggested that we “practice like a champion” out there, or at least some words to that effect. I think we really have! So with that in mind, please let me know (email address below) if you would have interest in attending a mini-reunion on campus next fall. It may be five years too early, but I thought I would at least check. Thank you very much in advance for that. My best to all of you! — Daniel F. McNeil; 1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209; 503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com