1980s

80 Reunion Redux

Reunion 45 was a smashing success as the Class of ’80 set a new attendance record for a 45th reunion. More than 320 were on campus, including spouses and guests. I thank our class officers and our Reunion committee for reaching out well in advance to encourage attendance. Highlights of the weekend included a Class Mass thoughtfully planned by Maritza Poza Grise and Steve Grise and celebrated by Rev. Joe Uhen on Friday evening at the Stanford-Keenan Chapel, followed by our class dinner at the Purcell Pavilion. Rich Branning provided a beautiful pre-dinner blessing, and Phyllis Washington Stone was our featured speaker. On Saturday morning, many of us gathered on the Irish Green for the dedication and blessing of Mary Ellen Wood’s bench, once again presided by Fr. Joe and with beautiful reflections from Beth Towne. A class photo was taken on the steps of the Main Building, followed by lunch at the North Dining Hall. We had the run of campus all weekend, and a personal highlight was hearing John Scully participate in a Fr. Ted Talk at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. There was also a moving ceremony honoring our veterans, including classmates Dr. Mark Dobbertien, Pat Fillingim, Mike Brogan and Jim Lukeman. Following the All-Class Mass at Purcell Pavilion on Saturday evening, John Scully and his daughter, Britt Scully Florin ’10, performed a beautiful selection of songs including “Here Come The Irish” as prelude to our class dinner at the Joyce Center, former home ice for the hockey team. The chicken was good, but I would have preferred a Greg Meredith goal and intermission sojourns to the Blue Line Club. Both nights wrapped up at the hospitality tent adjacent to Pasquerilla West, ground zero for Reunion Weekend. Special kudos to Beth Larocca for managing the logistics and doing the heavy lifting for the hospitality tent. We never ran out of libations or good times. Special recognition to the Ladies of Lyons for their strong turnout at Reunion 45, and many thanks to Molly McLaughlin Rhine for chronicling all the fun. Be sure to check out the photos posted on our ND 80 Facebook page (536 members strong and always recruiting more classmates). Leslie Brinkley-Graumlich fully intended to be at Reunion 45, but family events intervened. Between the birth of her first grandchild and another daughter’s move from Brooklyn to the Bay Area, she had to take a raincheck, and she looks forward to seeing everyone at Reunion 50. Susan Barry also sent her regrets as she and her family spent the time bicycling through Scotland. Less than two weeks removed from the reunion, Dr. Tom Goblirsch traveled to Piura, Peru, on a medical missionary trip where he volunteered his time and talents at several health clinics that Fr. Joe supports. Lastly, I want to share part of Mary Ryan Amato’s thank-you note to Fr. Joe for his presence at Reunion 45: “Padre Joe, you do us the honor of being our Class Chaplain and you do it with reverence, warmth and love. Thank you for all of your joyful energy and for making the very long trip to be with us again. You make it special by completing the circle that is part of the Notre Dame experience.” I wish I could write as eloquently. Speaking of priests with connections to Peru, Pope Leo XIV supplanted Leo Latz as the most popular Leo to hail from Chicago. Nonetheless, in an effort to share the limelight, Leo proudly announced the birth of his second grandchild, Leo J. Latz V, born July 15. While His Holiness may be a Villanova graduate, the Holy Father engaged our very own Nick Zagotta for legal counsel when he served as prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine. Nick is a proud graduate of Mendel Catholic High School, which was run by the Augustinians, and where Pope Leo’s mom worked in the school’s library. On a much more somber note, we lost four classmates since I last wrote: Kinnaird “Kinny” McQuade, Jay S. Miranda, Charlie Ydoate and Steffen “Steve” Perna. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. May their families find peace. Until we gather, love thee. — Michael O’Reilly; oreillys708@gmail.com; facebook.com/groups/notredame80/

 

80MBA Never Say Never

It’s clear from this latest round of updates that life after 70 is anything but quiet for our group, though it does come with its fair share of doctor visits, construction plans and reflections on the passage of time. Rick Abordo opened with heartfelt congratulations on our son Torin’s Coast Guard Academy graduation and first assignment. Rick shared that his own family has deep military roots, with his father serving 27 years in the Navy and his own birth at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Rick’s looking forward to catching three Notre Dame games this fall: Texas A&M and Boise State with his old Dillon Hall roommate, and Southern Cal with his wife, Leonore, and longtime friends. After attending three victories last year, including the national semifinal in Miami, Rick hopes his winning streak as a fan continues. Since turning 70, Scott Jessup has had quite a ride including last year’s biking trip in Slovenia and Croatia, and six weeks in April and May of hiking, biking and recovering in UT and CO with Janet and their trusty motorhome with their dog Finn. June brought their son’s wedding in CO, and now they’re building what Scott swears will be their final home in South Bend, near the Notre Dame boathouse. He jokes he’s done with blueprints and, perhaps, ready to compare surgery scars with classmates this fall. Mike Previte is headed to the Southern Cal game with his friend Dean, a USC alum, and the Joe Bowers family. Like many, Mike recently hit the 70 milestone and hopes the saying “70 is the new 40” holds true. Paul Katilas offered a sobering but realistic reflection on aging, recalling his mother’s comment that all she did was attend funerals, a feeling Paul hopes to stave off by remaining on the guest list, not being the honoree. He’s content with his routine of working daily and walking through life one step at a time, though he jokes about his clients ignoring his attempts at fully semi-retiring. Paul also recapped a recent San Diego business trip, complete with golf at Torrey Pines and a memorable dinner with Notre Dame alum Jeff Causey ’77 and his wife, Thalia, featuring Greek specialties and great conversation. Michele and Mike Traeger added a spirit of adventure with news of their first trip to South America. He completed a challenging six-day hike to Machu Picchu on the Salkantay and Inca Trails, while Michele joined for the Machu Picchu tour. They also explored Buenos Aires and marveled at Iguazu Falls. Mike reports staying active with their four married kids and eight grandkids scattered coast to coast. Semi-retired, he balances life between MN, WI and FL. This fall, he hopes to catch the Texas A&M game with hopes of reconnecting with classmates. Larry Sellars always keeps it short and sweet by wishing everyone well and saying he’ll most likely see folks in the fall. Finally, I have a confession to make. For this column, and for the first time in my life at my wife Azian’s urging, I used ChatGPT to help summarize our classmates’ emails, something I had sworn I would never do. However, I must admit that although I had to make a bunch of edits for clarity, I was surprised how well it captured the essence of their emails, including a few extraneous comments that I swear might have been written by me. I wish that it could also help with the housework, but the Jetsons age is rapidly approaching anyways, including Rosie the Robot, Astro the talking dog and flying cars, so get ready, and Go Irish. — Joe Kearney; 475-225-1421; jos.w.kearney@gmail.com

 

80JD Reunion 45 News

Many thanks to Jane Farrell, who chaired our 45th Reunion. Jane — you’re a gem. And, Jane sent news. Even better! “Dear Sheila, the 45th Reunion reinforced what I have long believed — we have a very special class. I hope that we can gather for the 50th. Many thanks to Tammye Raster ’88SMC, ’92JD from the Law School who made the arrangements for the Saturday night dinner and Mass as well as sending all emails and updating info. Thanks to Jamee Decio who made all the arrangements for the Friday night dinner complete with menu choices and floral decoration, and to Joe Dunn who contacted classmates encouraging them to come. It was the parting hope and prayer of all who gathered that we can gather with even more classmates in five years.” Here’s the news Jane gathered from classmates attending: Sheryl Anderson practices law in Denver, Steve Barclay practices in Phoenix and Diane Wolf Bender has her own firm in Evanston IN. Zenon Bidzinski is working in Chicago. Bernadette Broccolo recently retired from McDermott Will in Chicago and is enjoying retirement. Andy Bury and Marlene Wood-Bury have a real estate practice in VA and a title company. Darlene Palma Connelly is retired in VA (and is an adopted mom to Jane Farrell’s son Frank who lives nearby!). John Connors and Lisa Gorski are teaching and practicing tax law. Dave Crossett retired as a partner at Chapman in Chicago and stopped by from his 50th ND undergrad Reunion. His wonderful spouse, and our classmate, Mary Walsh, had grandparent duties and could not attend. Jamee Decio, a film writer and US Congressional candidate for South Bend, was celebrating her 50th ND undergrad Reunion as well, as was Jim Gresser, who still serves in public life after his many years at the US State Department. Nick DiGiovanni does commercial litigation with Troutman Pepper Locke in Chicago and spends time in FL. Joe Dunn practices in Springfield OH in his father’s firm after 12 years in Phoenix. Jane Farrell continues development work for Red Cloud Indian School in the Dakotas and started her own firm two years ago. John Hendrickson retired from McDermott Will in Chicago and is enjoying consulting, nonprofit work and grandchildren. Brian Hoffer practices in Nappanee IN where he also serves as city attorney, and Judy McMorrow will be back teaching at Boston College Law School this fall after officially retiring last year. Mollie Murphy and Rich Myers continue teaching at Ave Maria Law School, and Darlene Mason O’Brien continues to serve as a judge in MI. Glen Pewarski and Ann Marie Pewarski attended from Melville NY where Glen practices. John Selent retired from Dinsmore and lives in the Louisville KY area. Wendell Walsh is happily retired and enjoying grandchildren. Carolyn Short and sister Betsy Short ’76 joined the dinner. Carolyn is enjoying retirement and grandchildren. Tony Vero continues practicing in Chicago as does Dick Waris, in attendance with wife Ann ’81SMC. Schedule conflicts caused regrets from Bryan Pelkey, Connie and Tim Carey, Pat Howell, Carl Steinbrenner, Judy Gunderson Muncy, Lynn Schubert, Mary Ellen Darin-Tarply, Debi Thomas Boye, Dan Buckley, Max Griffin, Bev Peyton Griffith, Dennis Allen, Joe Zukas and Kathi Deane. Tina Walsh McLaughlin could not attend because her daughter just graduated from law school in Boston and is moving to WA. Tina’s son is defending his Ph.D. in computer science at U of CA Santa Barbara and then moving to Japan. Congrats, Tina! Peg Romanik sent regrets, and after retiring from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is with the National Park Service. Bo Scott wanted to attend but his grandson was playing in a National Rugby tournament (did Grandpa Bo ref?). Mike Curreri was visiting children and grandchildren in Charlottesville and sent regrets. Eileen Carr Riley sent regrets because she was attending her husband’s 50th college reunion. After serving in the JAG Corps, Eileen and Doug moved to Baltimore where they reared their three children, one an ND grad. Eileen sees Beverly Peyton Griffith often as they attend the same parish. Lucille Del Tufo Davy sent regrets because her son married the previous weekend. Congrats, Lucille! Pete Karlowicz could not attend but practices law in nearby Niles MI. Pete’s two daughters and grandchildren live close by, and Pete runs a haunted house business! Tom Bradley was unable to attend due to a reunion with fellow JAG friends. Tom and Helene Gorman Bradley ’79, ’82JD have been married for 42 years with five children and four grandchildren. All three daughters are lawyers. Tom is enjoying retirement after 40 years of practicing in Philadelphia. Tom Powers is busy as ever with his twins graduating from Gonzaga, Tom working on the golf course he has renovated in Williston ND and staying busy at his farm and ranch. Thank you, Jane, for all of your work and for all of this news! Please send your news. Our 50th Reunion is only five years away — let’s make it a great one. — Sheila O’Brien; sobrien368@aol.com

 

81 Reunions, Reunions

We had another successful mini-reunion at the Boise State game Oct. 4. A Saturday tailgater and seats together at the game rounded out the weekend with classmates and friends. Thanks to everyone who organized the activities. Our 45th Reunion is coming up June 4 - 7, 2026. Visit reunion.nd.edu for the latest information. Let’s all register to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect over a weekend chock-full of events. What if we each reached out to five classmates to encourage them to join in the fun? As the years have flown by, these reunions have become real touchpoints with folks whose friendships have meant the world to us. Let’s do this! On the topic of reunions … 47 years ago, 50 Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students got together for a year in Innsbruck, Austria. Between classes, our travels took us from the Soviet Union (then so named) to the Red Sea, from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Hvar, and parts in between. The friendships formed have grown deeper all these years, and Matt Golden is now planning a 2027 or 2028 reunion for us in Innsbruck. We have been collecting contact information and need your help: 1) If you’re an Innsbrucker, please reach out to Matt at matthewfgolden@yahoo.com to confirm your contact info. If you are Bill Campbell, Anne Gryzbowski, Celeste Keating ’81SMC or Teri Hill ’81SMC, we’ve lost you! Please reach out to Matt. He will be sending out an email soon to gauge interest in the reunion idea; we want the most complete email distribution list possible. Who says you can’t go home again? We’re going to try … auf Deutsch. Dave Bernards, Michael Case, David Link and Paul Doyle (roommates at ND) got together in March at Dave’s home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Festivals, the ever-present Mojigangas, beautiful churches, amazing food and a fantastic music scene — they had a jam-packed reunion of their own. A golf-centric mini-reunion in Scotland saw Mike Janssen, Gerry Walsh, Dana Crowley, Mike Goodwin, Greg Irving, Tim Ronan, Rico Harper and Pat Conklin on the links. Rev. Timothy Hayes celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination earlier this year. Forty years of serving OH parishes! Congratulations from all of us for your service. Bill Ehmann, former Stanford Hall resident, appreciated spending a few minutes with Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, ’76, ’78MA on Dartmouth College’s campus before our past president spoke at a leadership conference. Bill has taken a new position with Adler U in Chicago and looks forward to attending fall football games again. We received news that Thomas Mulcahy passed away in April, and our prayers are with his wife, Christine, their four children and extended family. Tom spent his early years in Livonia MI. He attended high school in London, and after two years at the U of Detroit, transferred to Notre Dame. As he raised his family, Tom was a member of the Knights of Equity, taught Catechism to seventh graders, wrote a blog called catholicstrength.com, and was involved with multiple Catholic groups, including men’s groups and marriage prep classes. Upon retiring from his law firm, Tom put his complete focus on his family and his beautiful grandchildren. He will be remembered most as a man who loved his faith and family. Please email updates before our Oct. 20 deadline — you are loved members of the Class of ’81 and we want to know how you are doing. Thanks to everyone who has already shared updates and those who are now inspired. — Mary Murphy; marymurphy81@alumni.nd.edu

 

81MBA Great Summer — Time for ND Football

Greetings, ’81 MBA classmates and friends! I hope you are all doing well, and that you had a fantastic summer! We just wrapped up three weeks at Higgins Lake MI with our extended family! It was fun and relaxing, lots of golf, boating, swimming and some ruthless Rummikub games with our grandsons, and we got to witness one of our twin grandsons, Madden (9 years old), hit his first hole-in-one! Very exciting and we captured most of it on video — he’s a TikTok and Instagram favorite now. I will be attending nearly every home game — including A&M, Purdue, Boise State, NC State, USC and Syracuse. If you will be at any of the games and would like to connect, just send me a text to my cell phone number below. If you are reading this column, please send me your current email address — several classmates have retired or simply changed their primary email address. If you are in touch with fellow MBA classmates, please ask them to send me their current email address. Thank you!! Go Irish! — Steve Simmerman; 3126 E. Desert Broom Way, Phoenix AZ 85048; cell 602-524-7662; srsimmerman@gmail.com

 

81JD Remembering Bob

We start with the sad news shared by Tim Kapshandy (Northern IN) of the unexpected passing of Robert “Bob” McBirney in October 2024. Bob was a public defender in Los Angeles for 41 years. Survived by his wife, Cathy, and his sons, Bobby Jr. and Carol, he was an Eagle Scout and graduate of Loyola Marymount in English literature. Bob’s positive disposition, easy laugh and a smile infused with the goodness of God, made an indelible mark on many of us. His faith was manifested in many ways, notably by his support of the Catholic-based gang intervention program in LA known as Homeboy Industries. Ed Wallison (Houston) recently reached out for support on a case involving the estate of his dear friend and client George Foreman, the former heavyweight boxing Olympic gold medalist, world champion and grill master, for whom Ed occasionally served as a sparring partner … ouch! Ed continues his side gig as a stand-up comedian, having performed in 79 venues in eight states so far. To catch some of his performances, look up The Notorious B.F.G. on YouTube. Doriana Fontanella (Denver) made her annual pilgrimage to Italy, visiting family in Milan and Rome, where she walked through the Vatican’s Holy Doors and recalled having entered them during the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee Year when she attended a Papal Mass, this time hearing Mass in the chapel behind the main altar. Ted Forrence (Philadelphia) reports that he hosted Mary Pat and Shawn Gallagher (Spearfish SD) in July, sharing photographs in front of City Hall and the Rocky Balboa statue. After law school, Shawn was commissioned as captain in the US Army, and received a master’s in law from the US Army JAG School. His military service took him to Fort Knox, Honduras, Germany, Charlottesville and Washington DC. But now he and Mary Pat are back in SD, no longer in the literal middle of nowhere in the central state, but just NW of Rapid City — easy driving distance to Mount Rushmore and even quicker motorcycle ride to Sturgis. Speaking of Rocky Balboa, my work connected me with Sylvester Stallone this summer — nothing to do with yachts, but still interesting. If I’m dropping names, I was able to arrange for Alan Dershowitz to be the commencement speaker at New College in May where, referencing recent events in the Ivy League, he stated, “America can survive without Harvard or Yale, it cannot survive without New College.” (Sorry Chris, Mike and Pete, LOL). My son, Ryan, is about to start high school — I’m incredibly blessed. Our law firm’s Palm Beach office moved from the island to West Palm Beach, having outgrown our digs. We are at 17 now, including three of-counsel (four are Global Wide Chambers ranked). Most of the team is in Miami with one in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I was blessed that our newest hire is married to the granddaughter of my first boss in Miami (the late John Strickroot ’54, also a Domer). Robert Allen Law is sponsoring a fundraiser for Mercy Ships in September at the Carlton Cannes (where Grace Kelly and Cary Grant stayed when filming To Catch a Thief). They operate hospital ships off the coasts of Africa, staffed by volunteer medical teams, providing life-changing surgeries for the most underprivileged among us. Tickets are still available! We are again sponsoring the Superyacht Law Summit and the Marine Money Superyacht Forum in Monaco, with hospitality suites during the yacht shows in both cities. Join us! And don’t forget to send news about our classmates, your careers and your families. Much love. — Bob Allen; ndlaw81@robertallenlaw.com

 

82 Weekend with Crystal and BBQ

Doug DeWerd, biology major, and his wife, Ingrid, had a music reunion at their country property in TX. Members of the popular student band Crystal spent a long weekend of rock and roll, cold beer and TX BBQ. Among the band members were Ann Raven ’82SMC, Bill McCarthy, Jacquie and Steve Boyd, Terri and Paul DiNardo, Ralph Carolin ’84, Mary and Andy Abrams ’83, and Mike “Country” Conyngham. We all remember this band from dorm/quad parties, LaFortune and even Stepan Center. We’re so happy you all got to reminisce. Dave and I spent a few days with Tara Carney Runnals and her husband, Del, at their beautiful home in Harrison ME. We spent the weekend catching up, taking boat rides, enjoying cocktails at sunset, but most of all, being grateful for our friendship. We hope to see you all this fall at a game. Please don’t forget to write us. — Tess Lewis; 30 Battle Ridge Road, Morris Plains NJ 07950; cell 973-219-4050; tess@lewislegal.com; dave@lewislegal.com

 

82MBA Please Say Hello

I just wanted to post a note for anyone in our class to reach out and let me know what you have been up to. Career? Retired? Travel? Visits to campus? Children, grandchildren? An update on myself, living in Naples FL and Naperville IL. I still have a financial consulting practice, enjoying golf and travel, three children and three grandchildren. I would enjoy hearing from you! All my best. — Renee (Amirkanian) Sutherland; mobile 630-846-2707; reneemsr@aol.com

 

82JD Giving Back to the Community

Tim Abeska was presented with the IN Bar Foundation’s Legend Award in June. The award recognized Tim’s many years of pro bono work and volunteer work in civic education in both IN and MD. Tim is in his sixth year of service on the board of Shore Legal Access, which provides pro bono assistance to residents of MD’s Eastern Shore. Tim recently joined the board of I AM ALS, a patient-led community that provides critical support and resources for ALS patients and their caregivers. Tim has been on the board of the IN Bar Foundation for 12 years, and recently became chair of the board of Indiana Legal Help, which provides self-help resources and information for underrepresented parties. Congratulations to Ed McNally, who was appointed by the US Justice Department as the settlement monitor for the $26 billion T-Mobile/Sprint merger. Ed’s appointment was subsequently confirmed by the US District Court that approved the settlement. Ed continues to practice with the Kasowitz Benson firm in NY. He and his family split time between Manhattan and their sheep and maple syrup farm in the Hudson Valley. The farm dates back to the 1750s. Carol and I saw Jean Gorman while on campus in May. We also had a wonderful dinner with Liz (Medina) and Greg Imhoff, and two of their children—Lauren ’15 and Gregory—while in the Dallas area in June. Carol and I had a very interesting “Notre Dame experience” in June. While on a trip to Scandinavia we visited Voss, Norway, the birthplace of Knute Rockne. We were able to spend an amazing day with Jorgen and Siri Rokne, who live in Voss. Jorgen’s father and Knute were first cousins. We learned a lot about the history of the Rockne family, including how the spelling of the last name was changed from Rokne to Rockne when Knute’s family immigrated to the US. We also saw the statue of Knute that was erected in Voss. The statue was sculpted by Jerry McKenna ’62, who sculpted the statues around the ND football stadium and several others on campus. We met Jorgen and Siri’s son, Even, who is a professional skydiver. The day we visited coincided with an international skydiving exhibition, which was quite fun to see. — Frank Julian; ndlaw82@gmail.com

 

83 Remembrances and Achievements

Please keep Maureen A. (Tarpey) Bingham and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Maureen passed away March 16. Please also keep John Nobrega and his family in your thoughts and prayers. John’s father, Fred, passed away May 11. Thank you to Michael Johnston for this information. Russ Wyborski reports that Kevin Simpson’s sister, Carol, experienced a health incident and asks that we all remember Kevin and Carol in our prayers. Russ was promoted to senior director, IBD Ventures Investments at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. In this venture philanthropy role, he looks for companies bringing new products to market for inflammatory bowel disease patients. He says that while retirement remains in the future, working for the foundation is a great way to finish a career. Congratulations to Hannah (Storen) Hicks, also known to us as Hannah Storm, on receiving the Hashtag Sports Special Achievement Award for work in sports, media and journalism that transcends boundaries, opens doors for others in the industry and raises the standard of excellence for engagement. Bill Mateja reports that he was recently sworn in as a new director of the State Bar of TX at a board meeting that took place during the larger State Bar of TX annual meeting. Tom Schreck reports that he is working on a novel that takes place on campus. He mentions that if you have information about the steam tunnels under campus, he’d be interested in knowing what you can tell him about the tunnels. Marie Caulfield and her husband, Dave, have finished walking the Camino de Santiago trail. The trail is a 500-mile trek from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Marie reports this was an amazing experience, but more difficult than expected in places. She also says that if anyone is thinking of walking the trail, she has lots of opinions to share. Vicki and Mike O’Brien had a mini-reunion dinner in CA with Pam and John Fitzgerald. This is a bit late, but congratulations to Mary-Powel (Jabaley) Thomas on publication of a paper she co-wrote on “Birth Equity on the Front Lines: Impact of a Community-Based Doula Program in Brooklyn, NY” that was first published in January 2023. You can also keep up with members of the Class of 1983 by joining our Class Facebook page. Membership on the Facebook page is limited to members of the Class of 1983 only. We currently have over 600 members of the Class as members. To join, simply search for “Notre Dame Class of 1983” on Facebook and select the “join” option. If you have any news that you’d like to share with the Class, please send me a note or email and I’ll be happy to include your news in the next Class column. — Louis J. “Chip” Denkovic; 111 Centre Ave., Unit 523, New Rochelle NY 10801; res 917-399-8784; bus 212-537-1781; ldenkovic@gmail.com

 

83MBA Class Secretary — John Hilbrich; 630-677-2725; john.hilbrich@gmail.com

 

83JD Just a Little News

I had the pleasure of chatting with Tim Healy recently. He became a grandpa for the third time. He now has three grandsons under 3. No energy in that house at all. Unlike Tim, I have four granddaughters spread between two of my children. They keep Mark and I busy. Tim and I agreed that grandchildren are the best. Please send me an email with an update on you or a fellow classmate for this column. — Ann E. Merchlewitz; cell 507-450-6609; bus 507-457-1587; amerchle@gmail.com

 

84 What a Class

Wow! From all accounts, Admiral Christopher Grady’s commencement address was truly inspiring! It was exciting for his sophomore roommate, Joe Longo, to be in the crowd to see his son graduate while Chris spoke. Dan Kerrigan and the ND Club Japan hosted a dinner in Tokyo for Rev. Monk Malloy, CSC, ’63, ’67MA, ’69MA who at 84 is still going strong! Beth Ann (Maher) McClane is an active ND Club of St. Louis member. She’s the spirituality chair, newsletter editor and an annual participant on the St. Patrick’s Parade float. This year, that experience was more special since her son joined her to pass out candy. Tom Wheeland was named board chair for Access Academies, a nonprofit that helps at-risk students. Sheila (Shunick) Burton started her second St. Louis nonprofit, Every Child Education Equity Project. Sharon Keane is the director of professional and alumni education programs for the ND Alumni Association. Check out the ThinkND offerings she oversees! Patrice (Purcell) DeCorrevont was named a Chicago Notable Leader in Finance — congrats! She is president for the IL/WI region for the Huntington National Bank. Marie Devlin, a mutual friend, my husband and I traveled around Scotland and Northern Ireland before meeting up with Mike Kelly in Ireland for great fun! Please keep the families of Robert McNamara and Paul Kulesa in your prayers and let perpetual light shine upon them. — Martha (Burns) Avery; mayoravery@comcast.net

 

84MBA Class Secretary — Dhanraj Bhagat; dbhagat1960@gmail.com

 

84JD Legacy Graduates

During the Notre Dame commencement weekend, the Alumni Association hosts a reception for legacy graduates, which Jackie and I attended with our daughter Brigid ’25, who graduated with a BA in global affairs. At the reception I noticed a young lady’s nametag, Bailie Sirhall ’25. I introduced myself by saying that I went to Notre Dame Law School 40 years ago with a classmate named Larry Sirhall. She replied that she is the daughter of Julie and Larry Sirhall and was graduating that weekend from Notre Dame Law School. Soon Larry and I were catching up on the past 40 years. Larry has practiced in Boise ID for 41 years. Julie and he have triplet daughters and celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year. Congratulations to Bailie and the Sirhall family. Larry shared that daughter Keelie serves in the United States Navy as a supervisor in the radar component of the air traffic controllers on an aircraft carrier. No stress in that position! Thank you, Keelie, for your service. While in South Bend, my family and I enjoyed dinner with Ann and John Firth, and their daughter Molly ’12, as well as Stan and Judy Murtagh Schulz. Stan and Judy were at Notre Dame for their nephew’s law school graduation. — Matthew J. Dunn; 773-294-6851; mdunn19834@gmail.com

 

85 Reunion Recap

Our 40th Class Reunion was held on campus May 29 - June 1. Many thanks to Nancy Walsh for this reunion recap: “We had an amazing 40th Reunion — not surprising, as we are the greatest class in the history of ND. About 225 classmates were there. Our very spry class stayed in Duncan Hall, ate lunches in North Dining Hall and enjoyed class dinners at Foley’s in O’Neill Hall and Club Naimoli in Purcell Pavilion overlooking the ice rink. We walked around the lakes, took tours of new buildings, laughed, ate, drank and reveled in the company of old friends. Huge thanks to the Reunion Committee and other classmates for all their time and hard work that made the Reunion memorable: Meghan (Flattery) Allen, Katie (Walsh) Anthony, Leanne (Fellin) Burnett, Jim Burns, Rick Carr, Lou Chiarella, Dean Christy, Greg Crawford, Cathy David, Joanne (Madden) Finger, Kelly Fitzgerald, Nancy Fitzpatrick, Pete Hasbrook, Mike Hayes, Rich Irwin, Kay (Wigton) McBrearty, Anne (Parigi) Michels, Casey Newell, Connie O’Brien, Matt Revord, Gary Strickland, Nancy Walsh, Dave Wiech, Alison Yurko and Kim Zerr. Over 60 classmates kicked off the weekend early at a Thursday night pre-reunion dinner at Parisi’s organized by Meghan Allen. Friday evening, Joanne Finger and Jim Burns put together a beautiful Remembrance of Deceased Classmates and Class Mass in Duncan Hall Chapel. Rev. Thomas Blantz, CSC, ’57, ’63MA was the Mass celebrant and Deacon Kevin Conneely ’85 was the homilist. The music was wonderful, thanks to classmates from the ND Alumni Choir. Before Mass was a slideshow and reading of names to honor our 65 deceased classmates. Sadly, two more classmates have passed away since the Reunion: Kathleen Shannon and Jim Gibbons. Lou Chiarella organized the well-attended multi-service ROTC reunion. Matt Revord organized the London Program Fall ’83 reunion get-together. Duncan Hall Lounge was packed for the first-ever Class Art Show, featuring artwork by Geoff Henry, Mark Ishaug, Kathleen Keifer, Kay (Healy) Pangraze, Lori (Haefner) Runk, Nancy Walsh, Bill Weiler and Emily Wickham. Thanks to Doon Wintz and his Run-A-Ton Group companies for generously stocking Duncan Hall (the ’85 dorm for the weekend) with tasty snacks. Several all-class Reunion events also featured Class of ’85 members. Kay (Wigton) McBrearty was one of the speakers at the seminar, “Future Proof Your Career: The AI Advantage.” Mary Thompson moderated “ND Perspectives, Policy Impacts From Campaigns to Capitals,” a panel discussion that included Brian McKeon and two ND professors. The event was SRO for the very timely, thought-provoking and lively discussion. Adrienne (Wallace) Carmack was one of the organizers of a reception and meaningful, uplifting discussion for ARC ND at the Diversity Center at LaFortune.” Sounds like it was a wonderful weekend that I am sorry I missed. If you were unable to attend the reunion, consider a sort of mini-reunion at the 11th annual Bad Ass Class Tailgater (BACT), which will be at the USC-ND game Oct. 18. All classmates are invited to attend. Tom Lucey missed our class reunion because he was walking the Via Frances of the Camino de Santiago. The walk began May 14 in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Pyrenees. Tom arrived in Santiago de Compostela on June 24. During the summer of 2024, Tom walked seven days on the Via Portuguese, but, according to Tom, “the Frances proved to be a profound spiritual experience that I will not forget soon.” Tom also wrote: “On the road to St. Jean I was saddened to learn about the death of my freshman roommate, Dominic Lee.” Dominic, who was living in Houston at the time, died in February. After Notre Dame, Dominic earned a Ph.D. in materials science at the U of Houston. He worked for 25 years as a member of the research and development staff at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in TN. During his career, Dominic had, on his own and together with others, obtained hundreds of patents; had published more than 300 papers in scientific journals; and won the prestigious US R&D 100 Awards. After retiring, he eventually moved back to Houston. He is survived by his wife, Jun Huang, and his son, Frederick Alexander Lee. Please pray for them and for the repose of the soul of Dominic and all our deceased classmates. — Kathleen Doyle Yaninek; yanzlaw@comcast.net

 

85JD Class Secretary — Kelly Kiernan Largey; kellyjd1985@alumni.nd.edu

 

86 Leave it to Beaver

Great news from one of our own! Thanks to a tip from KJ Phelan, we caught up with Tom “Beaver” McDonald, who’s launched an exciting new venture. Beaver has been partners with Michelin-Star Chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico’s world-renowned Pujol for 25 years. Just as the world adjusted to COVID in early 2020, the duo, along with friends experienced in the spirits industry, embarked on creating a premium mezcal brand. Their journey led them to Oaxaca, Mexico — the birthplace of mezcal. Unlike its more famous cousin tequila, much of which can contain up to 49 percent additives like color or flavor due to blue agave sourcing challenges, mezcal largely upholds a purer heritage. After two years of dedicated tasting and searching for the ideal producers and bottling facility, Manojo Mezcal was born. They’ve stayed true to tradition, cultivating a deep relationship with a local family and a talented female mezcalera who crafts the exquisite final product. In a pioneering move, Beaver’s wife, Gina, spearheaded raising half of the initial capital from female friends and family members, offering them a rare opportunity as founding investors. Sales kicked off late last year, and Manojo has already garnered two “Best New Mezcal” awards. It’s now available online at manojomezcal.com and in over 100 leading bars, restaurants and liquor stores across NYC, FL and CA with more states opening in 2026. We encourage you to find some and experience it — Beaver even promises a refund if you don’t like it! We hope to feature it at upcoming Class events like our 40th Mini-Reunion tailgate Purdue weekend so that we can experience it together! Speaking of reunions, our big 40th will be June 4 – 7. You will have seen emails by now from ND and our Reunion Committee. This one is going to be very special and a lot of fun. Let’s get everyone back for the celebration! Late June saw a mini-reunion of Dillonites in St. Louis MO. Janet Hearn and John Joe (JJ), Missy and Larry Skendzel, and Bridget and Rod Coyne were honored to be guests at the wedding of Joanie ’86SMC and Dale Ganobsik’s son Stephen ’22MBA to Rachel Sill. The Mass featured a glorious responsorial Psalm lead by the radiant bride (a classically trained vocalist) much to the delight of the congregation — most especially the groom. The reception was held in Forest Park with dining, dancing and merriment all through the enchanting night. Helen Jenko had a great time at the National Championship despite the outcome! She saw Jack Gibbs, who was meeting up with Mark Gramelspacher, John Adams and Dave Graham. She got to visit with Rich Cramer and his Katie at halftime. She saw some other cheerleaders from other years (Maureen McDonnell ’87, Dan Sheehan ’87, ’93MBA, Kristin Komyatte ’90, ’93MA and Margo Ball ’90), as well as Anne and Bob Michels ’85, her sister-in-law Jill Boler McCormack ’84 and family. For those not on the Class email list, I am very sad to share again the news that we lost three classmates. We lost Alan Parkin on April 15. John Hussmann passed April 27. On May 12, we lost Ronald “Patrick” McManus. On behalf of our Class, we had candles lit at the Grotto for Alan, John and Patrick, and their families. We will be honoring their memories, along with all of the classmates we have lost, at our Class Mass on Sunday, Sept. 21. If we haven’t heard from you in a while, consider shooting in an update. Take care and God Bless! — John Spatz; 201-264-2459; john@jjscb.com

 

86MBA Class Secretary — Maureen (Mullan) Decker; 21231 Lilac Lane, Clinton Twp. MI 48036; bus 586-741-4305; mobile 586-817-1317; maureen.decker@mclaren.org

 

86JD Put Down Those Weapons

If you haven’t yet read the summer issue of Notre Dame Magazine, I urge you to dust it off and read the article titled “The Third Nuclear Age.” In it, our own Jerry Powers, director, Catholic Peacebuilding Studies at ND’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, is quoted at length discussing “positive peace,” noting that the late Pope Francis essentially dismissed nuclear deterrence as a morally appropriate strategy and instead endorsed nuclear disarmament as the moral obligation. Several of Jerry’s former students are also quoted in the piece. The article notes that Jerry is now the lone in-house authority on nuclear disarmament at the Kroc Institute. Mark Bernet checked in from Tampa to report that his and Sandy’s son, Ryan Bernet ’15, married his college sweetheart, Diana Schmoe ’15, last November in Houston. Mark continues his work principally as a federal equity receiver, including operating a group of hair and skincare products manufacturers (+$60 million annual revenues) in Nashville and controlling a +$22 million retail complex outside of Calgary, Alberta. Tom Hinchey was elected president of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel. Patty (Smith) ’86 and Tom’s daughter, Maddi, is the director of employment for the Redwood SEED Program at the U of California-Davis, a program for students with intellectual disabilities to study on campus and provide internships for those students geared to getting long-term employment opportunities. Their other daughter, Audrey, is an RN at Lankenau Hospital in Philly. Jim Landenberger can’t give up riding that bike. In September he will ride from Seattle to Monterey CA, where his and Leslie’s daughter Jenna and husband are living before they move to Belgium with the Navy. Jim reports that John Duggan spends much of his free time on the road in his sprinter van named “Jack Kerouac” (of course it is). Beth (Schneider) Naylor informs us that Mary McPherson retired from Tressler LLP in March. Also retiring: Susan (Lindbloom) Link, but she remains “of counsel” with Maslon LLP in order to continue her volunteer work running the MN Wills for Heroes Program. Susan reports that she and David Link’s son, Michael Dillon Link, and wife Amanda recently welcomed David Vaughn Link to the world. In other grandparent news: Liz (Donovan) ’79 and Paul Peralta have another new grandchild, but I don’t have the details. Maureen Madion ’86 and Tim Tompkins’ daughter Nonie Tompkins and husband Sean Leblanc welcomed new daughter, Maeve Leblanc, on Father’s Day. Not to be outdone on holiday birthdays, Eliza and Tim Reynolds’ daughter Samantha and husband Patrick Healy welcomed Eliza McLain Healy on the Fourth of July. We salute all the grandparents out there! Finally, 2026 marks our 40th! Details of our Reunion will be out soon. I will keep you posted. — Brian Bates; mobile 303-523-4883; bbates@abblaw.com

 

87 Class Secretary — Meg Brennan Hamilton; meghamilton@yahoo.com

 

87MBA Congrats Ken

Hello everyone! We have some exciting news to share. Our very own Ken Kavanagh, who recently retired as director of athletics at Florida Golf Coast U, was elected to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame. Among Ken’s many achievements, he also received the DI-AAA-ADA Gary Cunningham Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations go out to Ken, Mary and the entire Kavanagh family for this well-deserved honor! Even more news on the Kavanagh front, his daughter Rose married David in November of 2024. Several Notre Dame alumni were in attendance to celebrate this occasion. Jake Frego and his wife, Janet, have become grandparents of four with one on the way in January. Jake and Janet are leading the race on the grandchildren side. Would anyone else like to share their grandparent stories? On a personal note, our daughter, Taylor, graduated from Notre Dame in May. She is attending The New School (Parsons) in NY for her master’s in strategic design and management. I know many of you have experienced your children’s graduation at Notre Dame and at other universities. Sue and I now know and understand the bittersweet experience of such life events! Sue and I will be at every home game. Drop by the Canadian tailgate east of Legends. Just look for the Canadian flag. That is all for now. Keep the news coming. Go Irish! — Perry N. Dellelce; Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, Suite 800, Wildeboer Dellelce Place, 365 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5H 2V1; 416-361-5899; fax 416-361-1790; perry@wildlaw.ca

 

87JD Retirements, New Titles and Milestones

Congratulations to Joe DeLave on his recent retirement from Dickinson Wright after 38 years. Joe is one of several of our classmates who have spent their entire legal career with one firm. Joe has been filling his time helping his son renovate his old house and enjoying every minute of retirement. John Farnan is still plugging away at Weston Hurd in Cleveland, the firm that he joined upon graduation. John’s youngest of his six kids graduated from St. Louis U in June, and for the first time that he can remember, John and his wife, Stacy, have no tuition bills in their future. Paul Lochner retired from the DOJ where he had been an assistant US attorney in the Western District of MI. He has since graduated from the Augustine Institute with a master’s degree in theology and is now the director of divine worship for the Diocese of Marquette. This summer he met up, for the first time in at least 20 years, with Paul Castiglione and Andy Varga in Chicago. Huge congrats to Tim VerHey who was sworn in as the new United States attorney for the Western District of MI. Tim has been a federal prosecutor in Grand Rapids for nearly 35 years, where he has prosecuted all manner of crimes. After 25 years litigating at Womble in NC, Kurt Weaver recently returned to his hometown of Chicago, joining Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Kurt had tried many cases with Shook lawyers in the past and knew it would be a perfect fit. Congratulations also to Ken Clingen, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Clingen, Callow & McLean, the firm he and Tim McLean ’88JD co-founded. Even better, Ken and his wife, Susan, are now grandparents. Their daughter, Kelly, gave birth to a baby boy, Shane, last year. John Owens has been keeping busy advising ASEAN central banks on policies and regulations and as a hobby picked up tournament bass fishing. In his rookie season John was named Co-Angler of the Year for Florida Bass Nation South Region. Tony Foley has been promoted to a senior analyst position at Wolters Kluwer in charge of their cybersecurity and privacy research dashboard. More importantly, Tony had successful prostate surgery in 2023. After some residual cancer and additional radiation treatments late last year, recent tests show that he is now cancer-free. Finally, as you read this, it has been six years — six long years — since the Washington Nationals won the World Series. Fingers crossed that Marcus Freeman and the 2025 Irish end this season bringing us the same joy the Nationals brought me in 2019. Please send me news to share in this column or in our class email loop. — Mike Gurdak; 202-879-3939; mpgurdak@jonesday.com

 

88 Take Your Time in the Spotlight

Paul Spieldenner did just that to highlight a noteworthy milestone, the celebration of 36 years of marriage to his wife, Carolyn (Schuster) ’89. They have spent 26 of those years in Seattle, where they raised their five children who span in age from 32 to 21. Three of their fivesome have remained in WA, while the other two now call Los Angeles home. Paul still works in investments, and he is active in the Rotary Club of Seattle, where he serves as treasurer of the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation. Almost 30 years after taking the parenting plunge, Kim (Castellino) and Rick Metzger welcomed their first grandchild and became empty-nesters. Grandson Kiyan arrived in July, just before their youngest headed to the U of Cincinnati in August. And in defiance of the notion that change is difficult, Rick recently retired from his law career to step into a middle school classroom (hats off to you, Rick!), and Kim switched firms and became a partner in the Indianapolis office of McCarter & English, a firm concentrating on products liability and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. They are also indulging their travel bug, having journeyed to Australia, the Emirates and numerous destinations in Europe. In wrapping up, Kim reported that this stage is great for everything but her knees ... and back ... and natural hair color. Ernie Altbacker made his way to San Diego this July for Comic-Con (aka Nerdi-Gras) to publicize two projects: 1) a dark, animated feature, Aztec Batman, to be released in Mexico in theaters and domestically on HBO Max (just last month), and 2) a comic book, Area 51 Studios, a comedic sci-fi. His novella of the same name will be published next year. Classmate Bob Ricci has been called home much too soon for his loved ones. Bob passed away Jan. 30 in Toms River NJ. After ND, Bob went on to earn a law degree at UNC-Chapel Hill and then a Master of Laws in corporate law from NYU. After practicing for seven years in Saddlebrook NJ, he started his own family law practice in Rahway NJ in ’03, later moving his office to Clark. The tenacity he displayed on behalf of his clients was also evident when he cheered for his favorite sports teams — the Mets, Jets, Knicks, Rangers, Cowboys and, of course, the Irish. In his spare time, he volunteered with Big Brothers, and on weekends, he often played cards with friends who became like family. To read his full obituary, go to higginsandbonner.com/obituary/Robert-RicciJr. Finally, we have become increasingly aware that some classmates haven’t been receiving our periodic broadcast emails and, beyond the possibility of email addresses needing to be updated, we believe we know why. It has to do with your notification settings in the ND platform. To be certain you receive Class emails, go to my.nd.edu and then click on your initials/image at the top right to access the “My profile” pull-down menu. Click on “My settings” followed by “Notifications.” A window with the headline “Notification preferences” will open. Right under that headline, select “Communities.” Finally, click “Communications from Class of 1988” and, under “Subscribe to additional categories,” check “Select all.” If you have any issues and/or questions, please text me and I’m happy to help troubleshoot. — Laurine Megna; PO Box 6847, Avon CO 81620; 970-390-9742; classof1988@alumni.nd.edu

 

88MBA Class Secretary — Ron Linczer; 1251 N. Eddy St., Suite 300, South Bend, IN 46617; mobile 574-302-2832; bus 574-631-3591; rlinczer@nd.edu

 

88JD Catching Up with Joe

I was so happy to hear from Joe Karaszewski! Joe and his wife, Karen, report that their daughter, Abby ’24, will be starting her first year at Notre Dame Law School! Exactly 40 years after we all started in August 1985! Time sure does fly when you are having fun! Like so many in our class, Abby will be a Double Domer. Congrats, Joe and Karen. Don’t forget to send your news in, big or small! Until next time! — Lori Merlo Coticchia; lcoticchia@aol.com; lcoticchia@ruffingmontessori.org

 

89 From Oahu to Pickleball

Jim Kowalski wrote that he and his wife, Linda, spent a week with Alicia (Mark) and Russell Hines at their home on Oahu catching up on old ND times and enjoying their hospitality. After meeting up several times in Park City UT skiing at Deer Valley, it was nice to be together in the sun with the Hines and their children, Patrick ’23, Michael ’25 and Danielle (U of South Carolina). Next up is a report from Jack Gibbs ’86, brother of our classmate Mark Gibbs. Jack wrote in: “Thanks largely to Todd Hill ’91 and H2 Pickleball’s efforts, big momentum continues with the ND Pickleball Crew League! Quick update: We created an ND Pickleball Crew League Digital Club, which we are now promoting to alumni clubs. Looking at the leaderboard reveals Will Howells as a former ND tennis player who now plays on the pro pickleball circuit and is a top 10 - 20 level pro. There are three events and a promotion set up under the ND Pickleball Crew League: Pickleballooza II tournament on the Thursday and Friday before the Purdue game. Will Howells has already reached out to Golden Tate. Ian Book said he would play if he is not picked up by a pro team. There is also the ‘Friends of Ned and Ted Pickleball Event’ — Development contacted Jack about running a premier event for their donors on the Friday before the NC State game. And, Will Howells Pickleball Clinics — Will Howells will be hosting pickleball clinics on the Friday before the Syracuse game. There is also a ticket promotion, F25PICKLE, which will provide a discount for the Syracuse game for ND Pickleball Crew League members. Key relationships include: Will Howells; Jack Gibbs, who just endowed the student ND Pickleball Club; ND Club of Chicago; ND Club of Naples FL; Student ND Pickleball Club; H2 Pickleball Club. ND Pickleball can bolster alumni connections, raise donations and generate greater economic impact for the community.” And back to our classmate updates, in a truly feel-good story, Dan Mason was recently honored by the Triple-A minor league baseball team Rochester Red Wings and inducted into their Hall of Fame! Dan is far too humble to have highlighted this accomplishment, so thank you to Mike Schuff ’77 for sending the news. Compliments of the Red Wings, Dan’s love for sports and community was sparked early by his parents, Mary and Jim Mason ’57. His late father, a 1957 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, passed down his love of baseball and the Fighting Irish through tradition. Dan’s dad helped plant the seeds of passion that still define Dan’s life today. His mother, Mary, has supported Dan every step of the way from Little League in Webster to his first day as a Red Wings intern while working at IF Business Forms Inc. Today, Dan and his wife, Sheila, a fellow Rochester native and alumna of Mercy High School, Nazareth College and Mercyhurst College, have created their own family tradition rooted in baseball and community. Their two children, Cameron (26) and Anna (24), grew up around the ballpark, and now Cameron works alongside his dad at Innovative Field, continuing the family legacy with the Red Wings. Please keep the news coming — this update is my swan song. Please send me an email with interest in keeping our Class Notes going. God bless. Go Irish. — Kerrie (Wagner) Debbs; kwagsnd89@gmail.com

 

89MBA Class Secretary — Maggie McJoynt DeVoe; 612-845-9662; maggiedevoe@yahoo.com

 

89JD Class Secretary — Jenny O’Leary Smith; 312-504-2298; jennyoleary@comcast.net