1960s
1960s
60 Everything Eventually Changes
Since the last article, three months have brought about many changes — beginning with the horrible weather throughout the USA and other parts of the world. And of course, a few more aches and pains for all of us. On the good side are the monthly Class luncheons here in the Fort Myers/Naples FL area. Always a good time. The football team had a good season, with possibilities of greatness this upcoming season. The women’s basketball team is doing quite well. We continue to lose a few classmates, and now all us survivors are less than half the graduating class. Anyone know our starting count freshman year? We have been using the ending count at graduation as 1,243. There are about 410 classmates who have active email addresses and get our Class emails. Some comments from classmates beginning with Ted Dudley: “Very, very sad day!!!!!! Ken Adamson was one of my first friends at Notre Dame. He and his family are in my prayers.” More from Ted about the Kingston Trio: “I was responsible for the Kingston Trio performing at one of our reunions. Several months before the Fieldhouse concert, I took the old South Shore ‘train’ to Chicago where I went to see the Kingston Trio at a jazz emporium called Mr. Kelly’s. I had arranged with their agent in CA to meet the trio backstage after their show. So, after the trio’s show, I went backstage to meet them and ask if they would come to Notre Dame. They said they would be interested in coming if I could get them gigs at other Midwest colleges on the same trip. I told them I would, and I did. The trio was the No. 1 musical group in the country at the time, so I was able to get one or two of the large MI universities and a couple of other Big 10 schools to sign on. The trio did the rest, and they showed up to a sellout crowd at ND right on schedule.” And from Ron Zlotnik: “Tom Keegan was both my high school (Aquinas Institute of Rochester) and college classmate. He, and his brother Bill ’58, were both ND cheerleaders. Tom was simply one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. May he rest in peace.” I will confirm that. I spoke with Tom monthly, even in the last stages of his Alzheimer’s. Great story from Don Clark: “To save money I decided to hitchhike home to NJ during school vacations. Standing in the Harrisburg service plaza in my Notre Dame jacket, asking people if they had room going east, one gentleman asked if I knew how to drive into Manhattan. When I said yes, he offered me a ride. He was a food chemist going to a job interview with the president of a company that made food additives. When we pulled up to 90 Park Ave., as I exited the car with my suitcase I said, ‘When you meet Mr. Clark, tell him you just gave his son a ride home!’” From Ron Blubaugh: “Thank you for the notice of the death of Mike Butler. I remember him well from the second floor of Fisher Hall. I particularly remember the conversation several of us including Mike had about whether there is life after death. It took place after we had completed all of our final exams and were just hanging around waiting for graduation. Lights were not turned off at 11 p.m. and the cop was gone from the entry. It was my favorite week at ND. It seems like a strange conversation for young men who had just completed four years at Notre Dame. But it was a conversation you never could have had in a theology class in those days. Mike was a great guy.” From Bob Meyer in Cadillac MI: “Comment for Steve Barry: How can anything get the Spring Lake Guard, the sandwich man, a class AAAAA bartender and a super snow skier at Caberfae in Michigan down. I’ll double up the Hail Marys for you. Best, Bob Meyer.” 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 Spring Has Sprung
Spring has sprung, the cherry blossoms are blooming, and the umpires are crying, “play ball.” Tom “Waxie” Whalen called from Northern Virginia where he has been ensconced for 25 years. His skiing career ended when his lower left leg was amputated due to a vascular problem. Joe Libby, my erstwhile reporter for the D.C.-Baltimore region, has moved into a newly constructed retirement community consisting of 1,000 apartments. Joe spends his winters in Naples FL, a popular enclave for many of our classmates, where he attended the annual St. Patrick’s Day class dinner, hosted by Frank Annese. Word comes from Marietta GA that Clyde Hightower is still keeping people warm, supplying them with fireplace accessories. John Hoey called me, cheering the positive results of his annual medical exam, adding that old age is a shipwreck, but at least we can talk about it. Breaking news! Bill Welch and his wife Maggie now spend their winters in Venice FL. He maintains regular contact with perpetually smiling Roy Reagan. Bill and fellow Bengal Boxing buddy, Tom DePretoro, still have their traditional rendezvous in South FL. Artie Armento, one of the North Jersey boys, has been earning his keep as a senior rules advisor on the PGA tour for 30 years and has no plans to retire. Fore! Here comes Artie with his rule book. Ted “Digger” Dawson, the Cincinnati-Flash, recently retired and now splits his residences between Naples and Indianapolis. Ted and this writer share the commonality of having been taught by Sisters of Notre Dame in elementary school; ND blood runs in our veins. Jerry Crowley sends word that big Ed Daly passed away from pancreatic cancer. Phil Farley died last November. Ed and Phil were members of the illustrious 30-member assemblage, known affectionately as the Rat Pack. Exactly half of those rowdy rodents have crossed over to the other side. Joe Ingarra called to say that his 36 years associated with the DuraLAB Equipment Company is now history. He is enjoying his golden years residing between Bonita Springs and West Hampton NY. Bob Bires devoted 53 years of his engineering skills to the Pratt & Whitney Corporation and now resides in Glastonbury CT. Bill Indelicato’s versatility is a marvel to behold; after 33 years on the drawing boards for Union-Carbide, he switched gears and he now dabbles in roll ups! Talk about independent ventures! Speaking of roll ups, our class president and marketing guru nonpareil, Tim Monahan, has honed his negotiating skills to an all-time high level, so much so that he could sell the Brooklyn Bridge to an unsuspecting buyer and still end up retaining the title. Dick Ballot started his own company, named Flocon, in 1981, and amazingly, he is still calling the signals. Out West, in Big Sky MT, Jerry Pape performed in 26 rodeos last year – and he mailed the press clippings as evidence. And finally, it is my sad duty to report that Jack Engler our class valedictorian, passed away in March 2023 in his home state of Massachusetts. Jack was a nationally renowned psychotherapist who was recognized for his work integrating Eastern meditation traditions with Western psychotherapy. He spent the final 25 years of his career in private practice in Cambridge MA. Thank you so much for the resounding hosannas concerning my initial newsletter; it serves as a motivator and greater incentive to continue to carry the torch with honor. Go Irish! — Arnold Leporati Jr.; 463 Tarrasa Drive, Jacksonville FL, 32225; 904-703-4366
61JD Class Secretary — John N. Moreland;
jnmnd1958@aol.com
62 Thoughts of Reunion
Mike Poll writes, saying, “I was thinking of my undergraduate years at ND (as I am sure many of us do from time to time) and asked myself what was the dumbest thing I did at ND? And what was the best thing I did? Answers: Dumbest — I tried to swim across St. Mary’s Lake. After about a hundred yards I decided I didn’t have the energy, stamina and skill to complete the swim so I turned back. Best: I took part in helping severely handicapped students in a program that was on campus. I don’t remember if it was a class requirement or did I volunteer because of my goal to be a teacher.” Ed Connolly asks, “I am wondering if anybody from our Class was thinking about going to the Reunion in May. The only reason I mention it now is because they just told me that I won the lottery and got a room at the Morris Inn. In any case, it’d be nice to get together with some of the other guys should we be able to organize a mini-reunion or dinner while we’re there.” Let me know if you plan to attend and I can make sure all interested are in the loop. Susan and Michael Guarnieri spent a good deal of time traveling in 2023. Among their stops were Boca Raton and Marco Island in FL; Toronto; Boston; ME; Houston; Columbus OH; Erie PA; South Bend; and a land cruise tour of AK. Not to be outdone, Roberta and Bill Weinsheimer, who has “almost” retired from his law practice, traveled in the latter half of the year to Europe, taking a cruise down the Danube and Rhine rivers, and then on our side of the Atlantic, went to Santa Fe NM, RI and Vancouver and finished off the year with a family gathering in Cancun. However, prior to that, he, Joe Duffy and John Ryan met for lunch in December. Joe added, “There was a lot of discussion about our four years at ND and updates on various classmates. John is still doing some real estate work and keeps busy. Some names that came up were John Chestnut, Rich Jalovec, George Anderson, Roger Brown, Max Burnell, Tom Klett and John Tracy.” Following the Sun Bowl victory and after a 19-year wait, Les Boudreaux, who lives in Corvallis OR, was finally able to wear his ND shirt in public, including a meeting at his Rotary club. Les said that more than half of the club is made up of Oregon State grads. Update: Getting the Class email list straightened out with the University is a work in progress, but progress is being made. Let me know if you have been dropped off the email list for my biweekly messages. Six members of the Class passed away in the latter half of 2023. Jim Higney on Aug. 12, James Flynn on Sept. 5, William Bish on Sept. 16, Jim Coyle on Oct. 2, Bob Kelley on Nov. 6, and Charlie DiGiovanna on Dec. 30. — 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 in good health and enjoying family and friends. He also relates a story which you should all enjoy: While working in NY many years ago, Norm notified Paul Rooney that he and his wife would be staying at the Plaza Hotel. Paul invited them to his apartment for cocktails. When they arrived, they found two limos blocking traffic at Paul’s building. When they got to Paul’s apartment he asked if they had seen Burger. When Norm asked, “Burger who?” Paul replied to Chief Justice Warren Burger. Mr. Burger had apparently taken a different elevator but had been at a cocktail party across the hall from Paul, hosted by the dean of NYU Law School, Paul’s only neighbor on the top floor. Paul, Norm and their wives then had a great dinner in the Village where Paul picked up the tab. Later Norm’s wife noted that she read that restaurant was the top pick of the week in Manhattan. Thank you, Paul. I also want to thank Norm for his continued support of this column. Karen Galvin writes that she was living in South Bend going to grad school and teaching high school during your Law School years. She lived with other students and hosted weekend parties. She dated Tim Galvin during his last year of law school and married him shortly after he passed the bar. She said she remembers just about everyone in the Class and enjoyed the reunions she attended. She also said that she thinks it is great to learn who is still with us and what they are up to. These updates bring back many happy and fun memories. Tim passed in 2004 but fortunately was able to walk all of his daughters down the aisle at their weddings. Thank you, Karen. George Vander Vennet writes that he and his wife are in Naples FL and will return north in early June. After they return, they are taking a trip to the Scandinavian countries, then to Normandy in September, and lastly India in November. Last year, he says, they had great trips to Italy with the ND travel program. He notes this program is worth considering, given the scenery, culture, people and art. In 1996, he went to Japan when his youngest son was teaching English to Japanese business people. That experience led George back again last year and he would definitely go again, God willing. Thank you, George, for your continued support. — Christine Stucko; christinestucko@gmail.com
63 And Then There Were Three …
Once upon a time, there were nine; now there are three — classmates of ours, that is, who were also members of the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne PA. Matthew H. McCloskey IV went to his final reward Jan. 3 in Bryn Mawr PA, and joined Jim Bruder, John O’Brien, Mike Ryan, Tom Shallow and Ray Weinman. Survivors are Jim Nolen, Jerry O’Grady and John Dougherty. Matt is survived by his beloved wife of over 60 years, Donna ’63SMC; children Colleen ’86, Matthew “Patrick,” Kathleen, Andrew ’92, Brian, and Sean; and 17 grandchildren, including Blaise ’22. Matt has been described as a “local Catholic philanthropist, respected business leader in the Philadelphia area, and a loving husband, father and grandfather.” He was in the AB engineering (civil) program at ND, taking a job at US Steel following graduation. He soon changed careers, moving into the securities business with Elkins, Morris & Stroud in Philadelphia, which led to his founding McCloskey Financial Group, which flourishes today. In between, Matt and Donna raised their family at “Camp Lark Lane” in Villanova PA. Six rollicking children and Matt, not to mention a continuous parade of dogs; Donna had her hands full! While Matt was the life of the party, he also instilled his Catholic faith in his children. He spent his life serving in many charitable capacities, from actively supporting Catholic educational programs and initiatives within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, to developing leadership among Black Catholics, to promoting vocations within the Church. He provided leadership as an officer and board member of many of these organizations along with generous funding. Matt was bestowed with Papal Honors, including Knight in the Order of St. Gregory the Great and the Cross Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice. His funeral Mass was concelebrated by the archbishop of Philadelphia along with two auxiliary bishops and many priests, including our own Rev. Charlie O’Hara. Walt Terry writes that Frank Carnevale, retired vice president of Kodak; his wife, Elizabeth; my wife, Diane; and myself visited Dave Seaman, retired New York State Family Court judge, and his wife, Bonnie, at their home in Lockport NY. We had supper together Friday night, went on a boat trip on the Erie Canal on Saturday and watched the Ohio State-Notre Dame game at Dave’s house Saturday night. Classmate Les Renkey, a retired lawyer in Louisville KY, and his wife, Barbara, had planned on joining us but were unable to do so due to Les’ pending surgery. The Alumni Office has advised of the passing of the following members of our class: Dr. Thomas J. Schlereth on Nov. 11 in Granger IN, survived by his wife, Wendy; James R. McNamee on Nov. 16 in Rocky River OH, survived by his wife, Barbara; and John W. Andreoli Jr. on Nov. 30 in The Villages FL, survived by his wife, Theresa. — 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 Reunion ’24 Upcoming
Make your plans now. Schedules are soon to be finalized for the Big 60th. Paul Basbagill and Bob Casey are reunion coordinators. Reunion info at reunion.nd.edu. By the way, Paul reports that he and wife Pat, along with Carole and Tom Sullivan, were guests of Kathy and Jay Sommerkamp at their Winston NC home around the Duke game. Please RSVP for our May 30 class dinner event by emailing Bob Casey at rfcasey64@gmail.com. The dinner will be from 6:15- 8:15 p.m. at Parisi’s Ristorante on Route 23. And Mike Bohan let me know that classmate Kurt Metyko has become president of Serra International, an organization dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood. Congrats to Kurt! Mike keeps in touch with roommates from BP and Lyons Tom Mulinazzi and Ross Amann, as well as Kathy and Chuck Hemler, with whom Barbara and Mike dined while visiting Chicago. Bob Jochum checked in from Carmel IN, reporting that he and Janet had four children, all ND grads. A grandson also graduated in ’23, an event that Janet sadly missed as she passed in 2020. Navy buddy John Loarie writes from the West Coast that he has 16 grandchildren and is now a great-grandfather. I received two lengthy thought pieces from Col. Dave Garner. Beyond travel time with Julie, Dave stays close to the kids, six grandchildren and now two great-grandsons. A former Marine with an active mind and lots of interests, Dave ruminated on geopolitics in the Balkans, challenges facing contemporary college presidents, the evolving ND campus layout and tapestries in the Main Building. Whew! Heard from correspondents John Hargrove and John/Jerry Bradley that Father Pat McCormick of the Atlanta Archdiocese was in a serious car accident in Cleveland in October. He is now recovering nicely with family in Erie. Classmate Bruce Tyler died in Asheville NC in June. A Navy vet and practicing attorney in both NYC and CT, Bruce was married to Jane for 39 years before her death in 2008. Though involved in community activities, Bruce found time to play the piano daily. He also became a dual citizen with Ireland in the 1990s. Dave Rahn of Menlo Park CA also passed in June. Moving to the Bay Area after college, he ultimately co-founded an investment management firm that became his life’s work. Wife Lucy, two children and five grandchildren survive. Bill Mohler passed away in Greensburg PA in September. After working for Ford in Dearborn MI, Bill moved back to the Pittsburgh area and operated an auto dealership with his father, becoming an industry leader as he expanded his business. His wife of 55 years, Roseanne, survives, as do three kids and six grandchildren. Kevin Fagan passed away in October. After working in corporate tax departments, he started a successful property tax consulting firm in 1987 in Dallas. Sara, his wife of 60 years, and four children and four grandchildren survive. John Pini advises that Bob Nelson passed in October in Denver, where he and Julie had settled after many years in Granger IN. Bob had a distinguished career encompassing more than 45 years as a professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (including six years as chair). He was highly regarded in his field and authored a textbook still in wide use. Sadly, wife Julie died just two months after Bob. Two sons survive. Dave Francescani passed away peacefully in November on Long Island. A Double Domer, Dave began his career at the Atomic Energy Commission and he went on to enjoy a successful legal career in private practice, specializing in intellectual property law. After 44 years of marriage and four children, Dave’s wife, Maureen, passed away in 2011. He remarried in 2014, making a happy home with Lori and her two sons. In addition to Lori and the six children, eight grandchildren survive. — 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 The Healing Spirit
In 2018 Nass Cannon died of cancer. His children, John ’03, Bryant and Claire, along with his wife, Gail, have organized his essays written over a 40-year period into a book: In Search of the Healing Spirit. The focus is what it means to be broken yet in search of healing and peace. Nass was active in the Merton Society while serving as an infectious disease physician at the U of Alabama. The book is available in local bookstores and Amazon in paperback and hardcover. Marcia and Jim Longe sold their Racine WI home in 2022 and have moved to Mt. Juliet in the Nashville area to be closer to their daughter and her family. Jim retired from his banking position and small-business monitoring with SCORE. They continue to be snowbirds in Bradenton FL. Last August they visited Ann ’66SMC and Tom Fellrath in Columbus OH. Tom moved there from AZ to be closer to their two ND sons: Tom ’93 and Robert ’96. Jim was also able to visit Dan Ferguson, who was in hospice. Jim Zenzinger reported that Mike Maier died last year in Spring TX where he had retired from a career with the Shell Oil Co. He is survived by his wife, Phylis, and their three children: Michael ’94, Shannon ’95 and Brian. In August John Ujda died in La Crosse WI where he had a practice of internal medicine. He is survived by his wife, Roberta, and four sons: John ’92, Justin ’99, Gregory ’05 and Robert. Ron Rosso passed away in August in Tonawanda NY where he owned the Gold Dome Apartments. Ron is survived by his wife, Kathie, and three children. In September John Pesta died in Vallonia IN. He is survived by his wife, Maureen, and children Abigail ’91 and Jesse ’88. Paul Rafferty Jr., president of Rafferty Communications, died in Richardson TX in July. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and four children. After graduation Ron Kozaritis of Oak Brook IL joined the Navy (Seabees) and served in Vietnam. Upon returning home he founded his own concrete construction business: Sherry K Corp, which was well known and respected in the Chicago area. Ron died in November and is survived by his wife, Sherry; four children including Kathryn ’01; and 10 grandchildren. In April last year Jim Velleco died in Marblehead MA. Jim was an architect. He and his wife, Linda, had two children. Mike Regan, chairman and CEO, Regan & Co., died in North Quincy MA in October. He and his wife, Linda, had three children. In December Dick Dittoe died at his home in Mishawaka IN. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Cynthia; three children including Matthew ’95; and four grandchildren. Dick served as vice president of marketing and general manager of distribution at Tyler Refrigeration Corp. in Niles MI. Rev. Paul Doyle, CSC, said his funeral Mass at ND. Don Zone, who winters in Hilton Head SC, reported that Hugh Quinn passed away in October in Hilton Head. Hugh earned his JD at the U of Pennsylvania and practiced for a while in San Francisco. In recent years he was both ill and debilitated but enjoyed frequent visits with ND friends including Dick Ritter. Dan Ferguson ’65, ’66ME, ’68MBA Stanford, ’10Ph.D. Purdue died in November in Oxford OH after a five-year battle with brain cancer. Initially he was told that it was inoperable, but a neurosurgeon at the U of Wisconsin developed a new technique to excise it, and Dan was able to continue teaching in the engineering department at Purdue and remained an avid outdoorsman. While at ND Dan was a catalyst for the regeneration of the ND hockey team, which at the time was a club sport and the players had to pay for their ice time at a South Bend rink. He is survived by his wife, Rene, and three children. Last June Tom McGinley died in Nokomis FL. After ND Tom served in Vietnam in the Navy where he earned a Bronze Star with valor. In 1999 he retired from MBNA America Bank, where he had risen to become president and CEO of MBNA Europe. In retirement he moved to FL and started a construction company that built and remodeled homes. He is survived by his wife, Audrey; two children including Kelly ’89; and five grandchildren. — James P. Harnisch MD; 6759 West Mercer Way; Mercer Island WA 98040; jphnd65@hotmail.com
65JD Three Books, 18 Plays
Since nobody in ’65JD is sending in notes, I’ll put my own in. Perhaps I will encourage the rest of you to follow suit. I retired from the Circuit Court bench in January of 2000. During most of my last 10 years on the bench, I served as presiding judge of the Criminal Division, Circuit Court of Rock Island County. In the years since, I have published 18 plays with various publishers, as well as writing op-eds for three local newspapers. More recently, I have been fortunate enough to publish three books (all of which are available on Amazon). In early winter 2021, I published my first two books with traditional publishers. The first, Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Forgotten, is a collection of 30 first-hand accounts of life during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The second, The Stuffed Animal (a children’s Christmas story), tells the story of a middle-aged woman, Miss Abigail Grace, who prowls the weekly neighborhood yard sales, and buys and restores the tattered dolls and teddies she judges to have once been the favorite toy of a small child. Then, just before Christmas in 2022, I published my third book, Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered, a collection of 24 additional stories of life during the Depression. And at 82, I am still walking the golf course, weather permitting, five days a week. — John Donald O’Shea; irishplaywright1@gmail.com
66 Someplace Else
I’m penning this from Naples FL where Kim and I were to be through April. We did Australia in the fall. We’re expecting to see Al Augustine, John Flatley and others in the SW FL hood. Jim Bradley from Big D noted his visit to Dublin for ND-Navy, along with fellow Dallasite Joe Pete Wilbert. Marina and Jim are slated to hit the Sept. 28 Louisville game on campus, without their English lab Sully (no relation here), hoping to see other mates. Fearless ’66 leader Cap Gagnon noted Jon Spoelstra’s son Eric’s new $120 million contract as coach of the Miami Heat. Jon boasts a stellar career as an NBA exec, but Eric should be able to help if needed. Cap shares duplicate bridge strategy with Gar Isacco in MD and Bebe and Walter Babst down Nawlins way. He added that Xavier Marayuma explored CA and NV by car and knows where the cheap gas is. Mike McCarthy of Chevy Chase MD related his past work on Capitol Hill, including a stint in the executive office of the president regarding telecom policy issues, a law degree from GWU, a term as a senior executive with Belo Corp. in Dallas and publishing a trilogy of novels called The Winship Family, focused on Irish home rule. Mike and Monica’s two kids are ND alums, and he’s in touch with Hugh O’Brien, former US ambassador to Italy John Phillips, and Bill Hickey. Paul Ware hailed from Concord and Barnstable (Cape Cod) MA. A retired partner and chair of litigation for the 2,000-lawyer Boston firm of Goodwin Procter, Paul was assistant US attorney before specializing in criminal and civil litigation and as counsel for major organizations, including Phillip Morris, Eli Lilly, General Electric, Harvard, Bank of America, etc. Paul tried murder cases, worked on the investigation of Boston’s Big Dig collapse and served as deputy counsel for the investigation of the CIA in the Iran-Contra issue. He established an endowment in the ND College of Science and keeps up with Cappy G, along with Charlie Cappel in Santa Ynez CA, who hears from Pete Thornton in ME. Paul saw Chicago-based Tom Talaga at the USC game and they discussed Nick Eddy and other mates. Paul communicates with Tom Moran and did so with the late Larry DeFrance. Bill Highter ’67 reported the recent death of Marcia, wife of Fred Flusche. A mom of two ND alums, she loved attending Irish games with ’66ers Tom Green, John Walters, Ken Hatcher, Fred and spouses. Chuck Cronauer, a Sycamore IL barrister, reported Tom Gorla’s October passing in Richmond VA. A great patriot, Tom served in the Navy for more than 30 years. Jack Gerken continues his stellar effort as class webmaster, since 2011. It’s the best website in the ND Alumni Association, with more current news and info than all other class websites combined. Thanks to Jack’s calculations: We graduated 1,294, have sent 332 to their eternal rewards, and have 371 registered on the ’66 website. That leaves 590 of you out there missing the proverbial boat! Guys like Bob Basche, Paul Fieberg, Bob Meeker, Frank Murtha, John Buck, John Lawless, Ron Schmidt, Mike Webster, Bill Scanlon, Jude Linehan, Skip Myslinski, Bill Breen, Pat Condon, Dick McCarty, Dave McSorley, Tom Begley, Phil Sheridan, Pete Palombit, Paul Mayeux, Tom Gould, et al. Join and get in the loop! (1966.und-class.org) Remember the ’66 Pete Duranko Fund. Use the website to let mates know if you’re making the 50-Year-Club Reunion on campus in June. Send news and be well! — Tom Sullivan; 1090 Shore Road, Unit 14, Pocasset MA 02559; cell 773-454-4343; t66sullynd@gmail.com
66JD If You’re Out There
Well, for the first time that I’ve written this column, there is no news. Don’t hold me to an exact number, but I believe that there were 55 of us who graduated. We have only 28 classmates still with us, but only 10 have provided any information or news. C’mon guys, help me out, will you? — Scott Maxwell; 2781 Siena Lakes Circle, Unit 2444, Naples FL 34109; cell 215-920-0616; ndscotty@gmail.com
67 Freitas from Naples
John Freitas writes from Naples FL where he serves as vice president of the local Notre Dame Club that is hoping to win the Class B Club of the Year. They celebrated their annual Chuck Lennon memorial Mass in January with Chuck’s wife, Joan, in attendance along with his son Brian, who spoke at the club breakfast after Mass. The club won the Lennon Life Prize Initiative to support the local home for unwed mothers, Sunlight Home. John is walking 9 to 11 miles three times a week to prepare to walk the Camino Portuguese with other walkers from Porto, Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain — 180 miles over two weeks starting April 22. He will be accompanied by Ted Stransky, who will be the luggage mover and “sag wagon” driver for the event. In October John hopes to win the Wright Brothers Award from the FAA by flying safely as a pilot while not incurring any FAA violations. He is still acting as an aviation medical examiner for one more year with the intent to close the office after 47 years in December 2024. Bill Pollock attended his third consecutive Navy game in Ireland in September, along with his wife, Gisela. They met Diego Tamayo and his wife, Denise, for brunch in Gallagher’s Boxty House in the Temple Bar section of Dublin. Bill also attended the Duke game, where he ran into Guerin Bernardin, Jim Polk and their wives. Bill is planning on meeting Bill Sugnet and Joe Smith in 2024 as they were in NROTC together. During 2023, Gisela and Bill logged 25,000 miles in RV travel that they have been doing since 1999. Phil Beauregard visited Bill Giles in his winter home in Fort Lauderdale FL. Phil would like to reconnect with others he knew in our Class but he has no addresses. Bob Dowdell lost his battle with cancer and did not make the full year he expected at the time of diagnosis as he left us in October. Bob came to Notre Dame from Oyster Bay NY and lived in Stanford Hall freshman year. He was in the very first Notre Dame MBA class graduating in 1969, at which time he joined Arthur Young in Chicago where he met his wife, Grace. Later Grace and Bob moved to Southern CA, leaving Arthur Young, and engaged in buying, operating and selling several companies. He was a generous benefactor to the University and served on the Advisory Council of the Mendoza College of Business. About 10 years ago Bob had a kidney transplant and subsequently became an active mentor to all he could reach with kidney disease. Bob is survived by his wife, Grace, and four children, three of whom attended Notre Dame, with the fourth attending Duke. He will be missed. Please write. — Bert R. Bondi; 1891 Curtis St., Unit 1502, Denver CO 80202; bertrbondi@gmail.com
67JD A Passing
Dave Francescani passed Nov. 24. He was a Double Domer having graduated from the School of Engineering in ’64 before joining our Class. Dave specialized in patent, trademark and copyright law and was a partner in the premier, global Fish & Richardson law firm in its NY office. Dave was predeceased by his first wife, Maureen, and is survived by his wife, Lori, and his four children. His death has prompted an exchange of emails between John Hargrove and me as we recalled pleasant memories of Dave and NDLS. The Harringtons are doing well with no health events, which is itself a news item. Presently they are sitting in FL visiting Roseanne’s sister, brother and sister-in-law. They had a great Christmas at their daughter’s with all four grandchildren. Jerry Berthold says he has no news from GA except that his family is doing well. Jerry is still playing golf three times a week and recently shot his age. I once did the same thing, but expert golfer Jerry might nitpick my accomplishment by pointing out that I was only playing nine holes. Everything is well with Dick Muench and his family. His granddaughter Carly was married in MT in October, and his grandson Jack is scheduled to be married in 2025. Sean Keenan writes that he is “stayin’ alive” in OH. Nancy and Jim Olson are also doing well and busy keeping in touch with their family. They did a Zoom call on Christmas with a daughter and family in CO, and then took to the road for a visit with their son in Chicago and a daughter in WI. They are looking forward to a trip to AK in June with Notre Dame Travel and welcome all classmates to join them. If interested, contact Jim or ND Travel. They took their annual month-long winter break to FL in January, splitting their time between Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Frank Cihlar joined Mike Seng and Mike’s study group for 10 days in the Czech Republic and had a delightful time. The trip was centered on two days at Masaryk U in Brno, visiting with local judges and spending a day lecturing to students on aspects of American law. It was Frank’s first visit to Prague, which he found to be an extraordinary city. Frank attended a wedding on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco and then flew to Bellingham WA to visit with his son and daughter for several days. He is psyched to compete in a body-building event. Apparently, he’s counting on little or no competition in his (over-80) age group. You don’t see your name in our column? Drop me an email. — Jim Heinhold; 1200 Carmel Lane, New Bern NC 28562; res 252-638-5913; im4irish@aol.com
68 Unfortunately Proper Attire
Even the most macho of our class know a dictum of women’s fashion, advice found, for example, on blogs about packing for travel: the so-called “simple black dress” is a staple. Unfortunately, we ourselves have become dependent on a staple of the aging man’s wardrobe: the mourning suit. We have cause to pull it from where it hangs amid the frayed Notre Dame jacket, the annual Shirts, the dining hall coat, all the other wardrobe items of the well-dressed ND 1968 classmate. Three of our classmates have died. Soon we will have as many classmates in heaven as we have in Naples FL during January. (The two groups should not be confused.) On December 5, Jerry Klein died in South Bend. A week later, on Dec. 13, Bob Heineman died in Skokie IL. And then Roger Guerin brought to our attention the October 5, 2022 death of Bill Heiden in New York. While dealing with cancer, Jerry Klein had been living at Holy Cross Village. A line in his obituary talks much about his spirit: “He seasonally and gleefully reminded his daughters that he no longer had to shovel snow, mow the grass, or rake leaves.” Jerry and Elaine, married more than 54 years, raised their daughters Brenda Young, Rita Taylor, and Becky Hinkel in Ohio, where Jerry was chief financial officer of critical care hospitals. One of Jerry’s final outings was to the Grotto. At other times, he added cheer as a soup kitchen volunteer and as a member of a Grumpy Old Men social club, and most of all, as an ardent fan at the sporting events of his eight grandsons. If an Evanston or Chicago resident favored St. Nicholas Parish for purchase of a Christmas tree, Bob Heineman probably made the sale: “A wreath with that?” He had a beguiling way nurtured through regular zoom contact with other General Program graduates. St. Nicholas was one of the activities of a classmate who concentrated much more on giving than getting. As a college professor, a union organizer, a church reformer, a traveler, Bob and Eileen raised David and Molly, then had the joy of their five grandchildren. Bill Heiden replaced Roger as head of the Book Exchange. Bill went on from there to marry Laura, who predeceased him. Bill and Laura had children Kim, Kevin and Sue and then nine grandchildren. Roger remembers how Bill and his hometown friend Harry Clark (“the Panda”) arranged to be freshman roommates. Roger also remembers that the Panda slept a lot on his back. When he visited Denver in the course of one of his noble causes, Tom Durkin and Dave Martin met for dinner. As a grotesquely underpaid member of an Ara Parseghian team, someone who played for the sheer joy of flattening people in Michigan State and USC attire, Dave could have been found selling pencils. Instead, after his professional football career, Dave and Janis became the people to see for residential property in Denver. Gene Cavanaugh says that Rocky Bleier, another underpaid college athlete, may head the St. Patrick’s parade in Naples FL. Perhaps the celebration will include a performance of Rocky’s play. Already on stage in Naples earning fine reviews is John Kamp in the play Harvey. Bob Brady, who is working with John on a scene from The Odd Couple during an acting class, is inviting everyone to a March 25, 2024 performance of Bob’s new cabaret program Seven by Sondheim. In addition to free admission, Bob is offering “free booze.” And what’s new with Jake/Pat Keenan? “My news? I live in Asheville NC now. After nine years of divorce, I’m ecstatic to be dating someone new. Efforts to start an intentional community have stalled with a small group of friends. I finally got a journal article published in Biological Theory last year and am working on other issues in philosophy of biology. For fun I’m dancing, being the coordinator of a community garden, and being a volunteer to promote ranked choice voting. I got to see McPartlin, Gibbs, Dunnigan and a few others on Lake Michigan in June just before the reunion as I was helping a friend drive her belongings back to California.” Please send news and photos to me at my new address. I ask in particular for news from classmates whose names never appear in these notes. Let’s celebrate the shadowed areas of the class roster. — Tom Figel; 570 Sheridan Square, Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202; 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 Our 55th Reunion Year
I hope you will attend our 55th Reunion (May 30-June 2), including the 100th anniversary of the Basilica’s WWI Memorial door’s iconic inscription, “God, Country, Notre Dame.” For more information, visit reunion.nd.edu. Dave Heskin does a superb job organizing the ND Club of St. Joseph Valley’s Golden Domer events. July: Bill Mitsch published the sixth edition of Wetlands, his definitive guide on the subject. September: Tim Schlindwein published Country to Campus: From Bureau County to Notre Dame in 1860s America, which is about eight Protestants from Bureau County IL attending ND in the 1860s. Nancy and Kip Horvath celebrated their 50th anniversary with family and friends at the Dearborn (MI) Country Club. November: Country singer Dean Benner and his Manhattan Cowboy Band performed twice at NYC’s Triad Theater. For the 2023 ND Veterans Day recognition program, Mike Cerre interviewed Dr. Jim Blakely about his father, Lt. Col. Everett Blakely ’64MA, a WWII B-17 command pilot in the 8th Air Force’s “Bloody 100th” Bombardment Group. David Shields portrays Blakely in Masters of the Air on Apple TV+. Jim also recounted his father’s story at the ND Club of Dallas. Dr. Greg Hipskind presented a lecture about treating brain disorders at the Southern IL Medical Association’s annual meeting. Tim Russell was inducted into the MN Broadcasters Hall of Fame, which appeared in the winter 2023-24 Notre Dame Magazine’s “Domers in the News.” Father John Sheehan became the Catholic chaplain at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in NJ. December: United Cerebral Palsy of Central PA appointed Chuck Schmidt as a director for three years. His law firm has sponsored a charity golf outing for the organization for the last 31 years. Andy Fedynsky visited Charlie Blubaugh in Avon OH. Tim Schlindwein hosted the fourth annual ORD-MKE ’69er Christmas lunch at the Metropolitan Club, Chicago, to support the Class’s scholarship fund. The dozen in attendance were Tim, John Berres, Denny Fenn, Don Jacobson, Jim Lyons, Mike McDermott, Peter McInerney, Ebby Moran, Rick Redmond, Bob Sacoff, Bill Wade and yours truly. Don Jacobson (Linda), Tom Ladky (Sally), Brian Schmidlin (Caryl), Tom Shannon (Kerry) and John Hickey (Kathy) dined at the Milwaukee Athletic Club before attending the ND-Marquette men’s basketball game. Greg Downes was on the ESPN-ACC Network’s video “3-Day Weekend: South Bend” and talked about downtown South Bend’s River Lights, a public art installation along the St. Joseph River. John Kenefick (Kathy) attended the Georgetown at Marquette men’s basketball game with Tom Ladky (Sally). Pat (Scully) ’70SMC and Mike Keane celebrated their 50th anniversary in Cancun, Mexico, with their entire family, including Kerry (Keane) Palm ’97, Marita (Keane) Shingler ’01 and John Shingler ’99. January: Dick Cimino, Albert Lutz (Sally), Dick Merritt, Gary Materna (Diana) and Tom Ryan (son Dan, and a friend, Leo) attended the second inauguration of MS Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (Lynn). Kelley Macke ’70 and Brian “Tully” Schmidlin met at ND for a weekend of three Irish games. Priscilla and Ted Fahy moved to Ajijic, Mexico. Nineteen ’69ers have known Wikipedia pages: Bob Arnzen, Bob Belden, Don Briel, Tom Demetrio, Emilio Garza, Rev. Patrick Gaffney, CSC, Bob Gladieux, Terry Hanratty, Delbert Hosemann, Jay Jordan, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Bernard Lechowick, Bill Mitsch, Tom Quinn, Tim Russell, Jim Seymour, Brian Stenger and Eric Wieschaus. Are there others? In memoriam: Andy Schellhammer, Oct. 20, 2020, AZ; Joe Finnigan, Dec. 29, 2021, Ypsilanti MI; Bill Anderson, July 26, Las Vegas; Jack Jerkoshek, Oct. 20, Arlington TX; Raymond Arabasz, Oct. 30, Bridgewater MA; Steve John, January, Decatur IL; and Charlie Blubaugh, Jan. 16, Avon OH. Our condolences to their families and friends. Requiescant in pace. — John Hickey; jphjr47@hotmail.com; notredameclassof1969blog.blogspot.com
69MBA Sad News and New Hope
After our winter 2023 issue went to press, I had the sad news to report that Bob Dowdell lost his battle with multiple cancers on Oct. 22. Bob fought a valiant fight, with numerous surgeries and chemo treatments in the few months leading to his death. He was an incredibly busy guy, still consulting and mentoring young people, and he was on the Mendoza Business School Advisory Board. A true son of Notre Dame. On a more positive note, Vince George is continuing his radiation and chemo treatments, enabling him to visit his son and grandchildren in Chicago a few times since the summer months. I am still hoping he is well enough for me to bring him lunch soon. We still need to offer our prayers for his comfort and recovery so keep them coming. News from Jim Halas includes a reminder that we have a Facebook group for our First ’69 MBA Class, and he seems to be the only one regularly accessing it for discussions that may not be covered in our Zoom calls. With Bob’s passing, Joe Cavato has volunteered to host the calls monthly, or sooner if ND news may require. The calls are an enjoyable 45-minute discussion of sports and current events, refraining from any political issues. As noted in our last issue, Peggy and Tom Condon highly recommend contacting your local Notre Dame Club to see if any bus trips to football games are planned. It saves driving, hotel and parking, yet enables new friendships to form. John Simna recently celebrated his 50th anniversary as host at WCLV, a primary radio broadcasting of classical and jazz music. With no plans to retire, he also plays in a Big Band and a six-piece ensemble. His son is teaching tennis, and his daughter is also in the field of music. Gene Dixon writes that he and wife Georgia are enjoying their two grandsons, and in October, he attended his 60th high school reunion in Richmond VA. A reminder that 2024 marks our 55th anniversary. Our planned mini-reunion will take place the weekend of Sept. 21 against Miami of Ohio. Please try to attend this casual, relaxed event. Also, our Class Notes need to be submitted months in advance of printing and distribution, so please send me your travel plans and activities you may be participating in. Are there any pickleball players out there? A happy and healthy new year to all of you. — Ken Samara; 3030 McKinney Ave., Apt. 601, Dallas TX 75204; 214-532-2187; kensamara@sbcglobal.net
69JD Reunion
This year marks 55 years since our graduation from the Law School. We need to celebrate this auspicious occasion with a reunion. The dates will be Sept. 13 and 14, which is the weekend we play Purdue in West Lafayette IN. I have reserved a block of rooms at the Varsity Club in Mishawaka IN. The room rate is $119 plus tax per night with the resort fee waived. Reservations can be canceled up to 24 hours before the check-in date. Event details are pending, but we will watch the football game. You can call 800-438-2929 to make a reservation. Bill Keck is still practicing and splits his time commuting from St. Petersburg FL and Hamilton OH. I will have lunch with George Ball on his way back from his mission to Indonesia. George frequents the area to assist the local population to recover from disasters like the tsunami that destroyed fishing villages. — Jim Starshak; 889 Ka’ohe Place, Honolulu HI 96825; res 808-395-0443; cell 808-778-4033; starman@hawaii.rr.com