1950s

50 Walking Through Heaven’s Door
By the time you read this, our 75th Reunion preparations will nearly be complete! The Alumni Association has been a great help to me in crafting what we hope will be a full day of activities during the upcoming Reunion weekend (May 29 to June 1). Our schedule will likely be closely aligned with what the Golden Domers Club has planned, but I’m also hoping we can host a few unique Class of 1950 events. For any of the 80-plus surviving Class members (and their friends or relatives!) who are thinking of attending, please visit 1950.undclass.org for the most up-to-date information. I hope you will also send me an email with your intentions. I would love to meet you! Scott Cassidy ’87, ’06MBA wrote to tell me that his father-in-law, Donald D. Ewing MD, passed away at age 95 on Oct. 26 in Tucson AZ. In an online tribute, Don was described as a “humble man of deep compassion and faith and a dedicated surgeon who devoted his life to healing and caring for others. [After ND, he] pursued his education at St. Louis U; his medical training continued with an internship at Milwaukee County General. He [later] served proudly in the US Air Force. [In 1960, Don and his family] moved to Tucson AZ, where Don was an integral part of the Tucson medical community and a beloved doctor to so many. He [was] a lifelong parishioner at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and [served] many other organizations for nearly 65 years. [With his wife], Don [was a] member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (since 1979), with the mission of supporting the Christian presence in the Holy Land. [He] was a loyal friend and colleague, a master hunter, fisherman, private pilot, golfer, and generally embraced the great outdoors, especially in his treasured White Mountains. His love for nature, the wilderness, and the desert, was a testament to his appreciation for all of God’s creations, reflecting his peaceful and attentive spirit.” Scott told me that their family imagined Don’s pleasure at his “great seat” for the January championship game: “My wife, Lynn Ewing Cassidy ’88, was wearing his 1949 Boxing Championship sweater and his class ring as we cheered the team from Phoenix. He gave this life all he had and created much love and beauty for many. Our Lady was most proud to walk him through heaven’s door last October.” Don is survived by his wife of 66½ years, Carol; three children; five grandchildren (including McKenna Cassidy ’20 and Paul Cassidy ’23); and two great-grandchildren. If you would like to share news about the Class or stories from your time at ND, please let me know. — Jim Coogan ’91; 4 Gile Drive Unit 2A, Hanover NH 03755; jcooganv@alumni.nd.edu

 

51 Prayers for the Duerr Family
Please send your prayer to the family of Thomas Duerr who passed away in January. Tom was born in Canton OH and enlisted in the Army during WWII, working at a facility that treated wounded soldiers. After graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in mechanical engineering, he worked for 30 years as an engineer for U.S. Army Missile Command on Redstone Arsenal. Tom was an extraordinary man, leaving his family and friends a bounty of wonderful memories to cherish and an example of a life that was a blessing to others. He is survived by his wife of over 69 years Mary Ann Fitzgerald Duerr, six children and eight grandchildren. — Jim Jennings; jimj4703@gmail.com

 

52 Still Kicking
Tom Gausman checks in with an interesting tale of family. It’s a triple play. Tom graduated in electrical engineering. He was employed by GTE Sylvania Electronic Tube Division and Consumer Electronics, staying until he became manager of design assurance. A couple of years after he started, his brother Gerard “Jerry” Gausman ’57, while serving in Korea, asked if Tom thought he could make it at ND in the EE curriculum. As Tom was not around him during his high school years, he could not be sure, so he told Jerry to try. Jerry graduated in EE in 1957 and was employed by Bell Aerosystems in Buffalo NY as a project manager. Now the final member of the triple play, Tom’s son Edward Gausman ’89. He started playing with computers in grade school with the RadioShack TRS-80. After high school, Ed looked at several places, but after seeing ND he chose the Irish. After receiving his EE degree he was employed by IBM, and later by Microsoft and Nokia in various management positions. Ed is now a software engineer with DeLux and loves his latest gig. Dave Wilmot writes with the caveat that he will still be around to read this. Dave notes, “With the aid of a walker which can support 400 pounds (our kitchen should be a sponsor) I’m keeping active at Mari de Villa Skilled Nursing Center near St. Louis, where we’re fortunate enough to have a Saturday Vigil Mass celebrated by an extremely busy but dedicated priest at which I serve as bellringer (tintinnabulationist?) and a Wednesday Communion service provided by Eucharistic ministers from nearby Christ Prince of Peace parish. Last weekend I saw a young man in a Notre Dame tee shirt passing through with a visiting family. I’ll wear a ND shirt of my own (Notre Dame Irish shows up best) in coming weekends in hope of meeting him.” Our previous class secretary Tony Messina is visiting the folks at the Braille Institute frequently as macular degeneration has set in. He gets a shot in the eye every six weeks. However, he still attends the Thursday night dinners at the Elks Club. They offer $22 steaks plus a great salad. Why pass that up? Rosemary and Bob Dougherty are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary Jan. 29. They will be joined by their five children, 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Since retiring, Bob has spent much of his time supporting religious vocations working with the Serra Club, Kansas City. For over 35 years he has created individual calendars and greeting cards for family and friends. One granddaughter nicknamed him “the Patron Saint of Greeting Cards,” and that logo appears on every card he sends. Neal Moore writes that like many folks our age, he downsized to a one-bedroom, one-floor condo. His knees are grateful, as he is. A blessing indeed. In 2020, he fixed up the basement so as to have more room, adding a stairlift. 2022 was big. His daughter got married, and he walked her down the aisle and danced as well. Her husband is a special guy too. July brought on a stroke, so his daughter and her husband moved into his basement. Then in 2024 all three moved into a new home together. A large backyard enables Neal to get outside for a cigar and enjoy the scenery and the deer passing by. He describes the situation as making lemonade out of the lemon of a stroke. — George Heidkamp; 9308 Linden Reserve Drive, Prairie Village KS 66207; 913-206-4128; georgeaj@rcn.com

 

53 Class Secretary
It’s spring with all the beauty of the campus springing forth. But at this writing the frigid winds of the Arctic are in control of most happenings. Even Pensacola has 10 inches of snow. But of more importance is the close of a stellar football season with the participation in the CFP Championship. What is the usual chant? Wait till next year. The team is preparing at this time. May they stay healthy and prepare well. I missed the last issue due to my own infirmatives but what follows is what I can gather from various emails which I did receive. Louis B. Beck passed away in August. I’m adding a condensed tribute to Maj. Gen. James J. McMonagle. Jim was born in San Antonio TX on Feb. 18, 1932, to James Connell and Helen Irene (Miller) McMonagle. As an only child on a 200-acre family farm in Von Ormy TX, he grew up valuing family, hard work and sacrifice. Jim began Central Catholic High School in San Antonio just as World War II ended, graduating in 1949. Jim was a proud graduate of Notre Dame’s Class of 1953. He left Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in physics. Upon arriving on campus for registration, a Marine gunnery sergeant asked if he would like to get out of one English and two required theology classes. The only “catch” was that he first had to enroll in Naval ROTC. Though he considered himself a serious student, he decided to give it a try. This chance encounter began a journey of 70 years with the Marine Corps. Jim served as an infantry officer and held ranks from second lieutenant to major general. Jim led a platoon in Korea in 1954, a communications unit in Beirut during the 1958 Lebanon Crisis, the detachment of Marines on the 6th Fleet’s flagship in the Mediterranean in 1958-60, a battalion in Vietnam in 1969, a brigade in Okinawa in 1979-80, and a Marine Expeditionary Force and 1st Marine Division in 1986-88, as well as simultaneously serving as the base commander of Camp Pendleton. At the time of his retirement, he was responsible for the readiness of nearly one-third of the entire Marine Corps. Jim also served as the commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island SC. Throughout his life, Jim was a gentle man of faith who lived with quiet dignity. He was a modest, temperate man of deep integrity who was thoroughly devoted to his family. He had the moral courage to do what was right, even when no one was looking, confident that this was the best measure of personal and professional success. His kindness and humility were often in contrast to what people expect of someone so accomplished. His lifelong interest and gift in connecting with people could make others feel special and heard. He never left a place without having made a new friend in the process. Jim exemplified servant leadership, inspiring those around him by his example. He never gave the slightest hint to his sons they should serve in the military, yet all three did. It was while he was assigned to the 6th Fleet’s flagship, homeported near Nice, France, that Jim met the love of his life, Carol Ann Coglan of Rye NY. They married in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on May 30, 1960, and began an adventure spanning the next 64 years. Jim is survived by Carol; their sons Richard (Carolyn) of Austin TX, Robert (Denise) of Davenport IA, and David (Ann) of St. Paul MN; and grandchildren Patrick and Grace. Jim was preceded in death by his grandsons James Karl McMonagle and Stephen Coglan McMonagle. While Jim loved serving his Corps, he also treasured his retirement. He and Carol traveled the world and visited family and friends all across the US. Jim also remained active in Marine-related causes; he served on the boards of The Armed Services YMCA, Devil Pups and TriWest (the administrator of the Western region of TriCare), and was involved in the 1st Marine Division Association. — Bill Berry; wberry@nd.edu

 

53JD Class Secretary — Bob Berry; 5806 Spaulding St., Omaha NE 68104; 402-457-4142; yokeemup@aol.com

 

54 Prayers for the Deceased
We are saddened to report the death of several classmates. John J. Smith died June 26 and is survived by his sons Michael, Paul, Peter, John and Stephen Smith, and grandchildren Meghan Aguilar and Patrick Smith. John T. Queenan MD died Sept. 21 and is survived by his wife Carrie. Elmer F. Painley died Oct. 15 and is survived by his wife Barbara. Please keep these families in your prayers. — Jack Mertens; 550 Wilmette Ave., Ormond Beach FL 32174; 845-216-7251; jacknd54@gmail.com

 

55 New Athletic Director
Pete Bevacqua ’93 is our new athletic director. He graduated magna cum laude in 1993 and thereafter earned a law degree from Georgetown, graduating cum laude in 1997. He was a punter on a Lou Holtz team. Pete’s father was our classmate Art Bevacqua. Art earned a BS degree and was a dentist. He is deceased. The following four classmates have joined Our Lady of the Lake: Gavin King, Bill Valus, Lawrence Downey and Col. John A. Hobbs, US Army (Ret.). Another Black Mac story: When I was a freshman, I lived in Zahm Hall and Father McCarrigor was the rector there. I did wrong and I was sent home on a 10-day suspension. As I left, I was told that any more wrongdoing on my part would separate me from Notre Dame immediately. Father McCarrigor was not involved in any of this. But for three and a half years, I would, from time to time, encounter him on a campus crosswalk at the Basilica or dining hall, and he would say, “Ah, Mr. Connaughton, I see that you are still with us.” His greeting was always friendly and with a smile, but I believe that it had a cautionary tone that somehow was infused within my being. It might even have helped me avoid excessive beer at Joer’s and stay on the straight and narrow until I graduated. Twenty years later, I returned to join the faculty at Notre Dame. At that time, the Holy Cross Congregation scheduled noon-day Masses at a storefront chapel in downtown South Bend. Father McCarrigor, on occasion, said one of these Masses. The first time I saw him there, I stopped to talk with him after Mass and he said with a smile, “Ah, Mr. Connaughton, I see that you are back.” John Queenan has died. He graduated from Cornell’s medical school and was the head of a medical specialty department at Georgetown. John was a good friend of mine and, during one summer session at Notre Dame, he introduced me to the wonders of canned martinis. I talked with Dick Beeman after Mass at Holy Cross Village. Dick and his wife, Suzanne, are residents there. Dick’s apartment is next to the one where my twin sister, Carcy, lives. She is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College. Visit reunion.nd.edu for the latest information about the May 29 - June 1 Reunion. As Jerry Mulvihill ’53 would say: “Let us be grateful for the joys our Class of 1955 brought and pray for our departed friends.” Introibo ad altare Dei. — John Connaughton; 1516 Marquette Blvd., South Bend IN 46628; 574-289-1445; jcithaca37@yahoo.com

 

56 A Witness to History
I am writing this just after the National Championship game. So wonderful an achievement but so tough a loss. We are still proud to be a witness to this history. Mary Pat and I plus some family members attended the IU victory. Jack Kegaly hugged the TV after the Penn State win, and Bill Stotzer was ecstatic after the win over Georgia. Francis Cicciarelli sent us a notice regarding the death of Denny Powers. I also received the obit from Bill Stotzer. Francis reminds us that Powers and Bob “Benito” Carrane had a campus-wide gambling gig with a seller in every hall. Success ended when the boys were pulled over by a couple of guys who promptly told them to “shut it down.” Bill Warren’s race horse Formidable Man won the November Hollywood Derby at Del Mar CA. His total earnings as of November are $637,000. I had a long enjoyable chat with my good WI friend Dr. Jim Jolin. We had a very special relationship. Deacon Jim Revord continues to offer prayers for us in his weekly Masses especially remembering our deceased classmates. I received this from Bill Ryan — Army veteran, school teacher, social worker. Along the line Bill became deputy commissioner for child welfare in KY. He moved to IL and became a frequent visitor to the state prison system. He became an advocate for prison reform and abolishing capital punishment. Bill arranged for the ultimate release of death row prisoner Renaldo Hudson. Notre Dame asks what would you fight for — Bill has his gloves on for those in prison need. Bill remembers his time with Tom Powers, Leo O Donnell, John Deasy and Gene Brennan on a visit to John Raub in Gethsemane. John Collins is comfortable in Kansas City as is John Massman. I also got a note from Bob McGeary “hanging on,” so he says. Armand Rigaux MD sends his regards. Dick Yeager, who was so helpful with our ’56 newsletter, is in splendid health, he advises. We do have money in our Class treasury that should be used to help two needy ND students. So we will ask Bob Welsh to help us identify those. Please let me hear from you so we can let others know what is going on in your lives. — Joe Kalbas; 317-679-1550; hjkalbas@yahoo.com

 

56JD Class Secretary — Lauren Starkey ’08; 703-927-2089; lksharkey@gmail.com

 

57 Dying Well Is the Best Revenge
Our longtime class secretary John Slevin labeled ours “the class the stars fell on,” which I never quite understood, but we can say with confidence that those of you reading these words are indeed exceptional, though not unique. According to a post on Facebook, only one percent of Americans born between 1930 and 1946 are still alive, so forget your aches and pains and thank God for your good fortune. Unfortunately I do have some deaths to report. Tom Schreiber, who masterfully handled this column’s computer needs for Slevin for many years, died in February. Tom graduated magna cum laude in chemical engineering, and although we English majors seldom mingled with our slide-rule classmates, I got to know Tom as the associate editor of The Tech Review when I was business manager of the Scholastic. I got to know him a lot better after graduation when we were two of a claque from our class who did graduate work at the U of Michigan. There Tom was steered into doing his Ph.D. in a fancy new field called computer science, and that is what he taught with great warmth and distinction at the university the rest of his life. As those of you who read the New York Times and the Washington Post will know, Richard V. Allen died in November. Dick was the only political science major I can recall who actually went into presidential politics, first as a foreign policy and economics adviser to Richard Nixon and later as Ronald Reagan’s first national security adviser. Dick would occasionally call me at Newsweek and talk while chewing on a sandwich at his desk. Why, I always asked, wasn’t he lunching at the Sans Souci with the rest of the Washington power brokers. He often talked about what it was like in the Situation Room immediately after Regan was shot. A Republican Party stalwart and author of several books on foreign affairs, Dick loved taking on classmate Phil Donohue at Reunion, with yours truly playing the role of independent plague-on-both-parties third member of the trio. His support for Republican party presidential candidates, he told me, ended with the 2016 election. Dick fathered forth 22 grandchildren, likely a Class record. Deacon Larry Hammel writes to say his wife of 64 years, Marianne, died last March, and that one of the blessings of having the sacraments of both marriage and holy orders was praying the Church’s prayers before death, holding her hand and telling her “I love you” as she died, and preaching at her funeral Mass. On a happier occasion he witnessed his granddaughter Kayla Hammel ’24 graduate from ND with an MA in educational leadership under the ACE program — and again experienced “how our Lady’s School has shaped my life.” In October I received notice of the death of Tom Guilfoile from his son, Patrick. I knew that Tom played varsity tennis at ND, but not that he was a six-time state champion archer growing up in Fond du Lac WI. Tom majored in journalism but spent 43 years in the insurance business in his father’s agency. Tom served on a slew of industry-related boards and was a past president of the WI Association of Health Underwriters. He also spent four years on the Marian College board of directors. But the journalist in him eventually emerged in the form of several short stories and feature articles and four self-published books. John Grieb ’61 sent word of the death of his father, George, in October. After college, George worked in finance, eventually for the Omaha National Bank. Later he found his dream job as Creighton U’s chief financial officer and became a devoted Bluejay fan. Here’s how he spent his last 48 hours. He attended a Creighton basketball game Friday night, then lunched with his family at his favorite watering hole, Dinker’s, followed by a 2 a.m. adoration hour at church and Sunday Mass at 7 a.m. He died that night with all his children and grandchildren surrounding him. What a grace! And finally, Henry K. “Buzz” Wurzer is asking how to locate suave Dick Swift. Help, anyone? — Kenneth Woodward; kennethlwoodward@gmail.com; 1155 N. Dearborn St., #1202, Chicago IL 60610

 

58 Rest in Peace
We are saddened to report the death of two classmates. William J. Carry Jr. died on Sept. 12 and is survived by his wife Mary and daughter Kathleen. Jerald F. Farrell died on Oct. 14 and is survived by his wife Sandra and daughter Jan. Please keep these families in your prayers. — Arthur L. Roule Jr.; 114 Sagamore Parkway, La Porte IN 46350; alroule@yahoo.com

 

58JD Class Secretary — This class is in search of a Class Notes author. If you would like to volunteer, please contact beth.thomas@nd.edu.

 

59 Bringing Back Memories
Congratulations to Coach Marcus Freeman and to all the coaches and players on our 2024 Fighting Irish football team, for a wonderfully inspiring and successful season! Your efforts have brought great pride to our Class. It’s been something of a reminder of our own ’59 football team, which upset Oklahoma 7-0 on Nov. 16, 1957, in Norman OK. This ended the Sooners’s record 47-games win streak, as many of us watched on the big screen in the (now demolished) Fieldhouse on campus. Highlights of that 1957 game are available on a YouTube video that features Nick Pietrosante, Bob Williams, Jim Colosimo, Dick Royer, Buddy Reynolds and Jim Just — all ’59 classmates. Other classmates on that team were Dick Beschen, Kevin Burke, Don Costa, Mike Dugan, Al Ecuyer, Charlie Frederick, Frank Geremia, Bill Hickman, Leon Kindt, Don Lawrence, Lou Manzo, Gary Myers, Bronko Nagurski, Norm Odyniec, Chuck Puntillo, Pete Salsich, Gene Saxson, Jim Schaaf, Neil Seamon, Dick Selcer, Ron Toth and Bob Wetoska. Go Irish! Did the 1955 graduates of Fenwick High School (Oak Park IL) always “stick together”? Personally, I’m a Benet Academy, Lisle IL, fan, because of two grandchildren. Yes, they do and did, now and then! During our freshman year, 32 graduates of Fenwick’s Class of 1955 arrived at Notre Dame, and 26 of them were assigned to Farley Hall for our freshman year! Some also had Fenwick roommates! With room numbers in parentheses here they are: (118) Tom MacLennan, (133) John Madden and Buddy Reynolds, (139) Tony Berejka and Frank Biedka, (143) Dick Katis, (151) Phil Schuessler, (153) Tom McBride, (211) Dave Cook and Father Chuck Dahm, OP, (153) Dick Murphy, (214 ) Jack Beard and F. J. Cullen, (218) Bill Bromann, (220) John Mannion and Harold McKee, (224) Paul Maren, (251) Bob Vondrasek, (252) Ken Uznanski, (305) Al Woolsey, (311) Jim Carroll and Tom Hoberg, (314) Tom Hughes and Marshall Pidgeon, and (315) Bill Dalton and Jim Jordan. The other six Friars were assigned to either Cavanaugh Hall or Zahm Hall on the then-identified Freshman Quad, now called the North Quad: Rusty Byrne (145 Cavanaugh), Joe Maier (131 Zahm), John Milota (410 Cavanaugh), Al Myers (321 Zahm), Pete O’Reilly (123 Zahm) and Fred Vida (358 Cavanaugh). In other news: Paul Willihnganz and his wife, Gerry, recently moved “back east” from their longtime home in Santa Rosa CA to Williamsville NY. Paul came to ND from Lafayette PA, and many of our classmates will remember Paul as a co-founder of the Collegiate Jazz Festival at ND in 1959, now in its 66th year! For many years, Paul continued to play drums for the NYC jazz musician Gene Bertoncini ’58. Paul recently donated those great drums to the ND Jazz Band. Joe McMann (originally from Oklahoma City and now in Katy TX) sent me a black-and-white photograph that is subtly hilarious of Hank Fenbert “faking it” for a 1959 College of Engineering open house, with the caption, “Our display has cratered.” Please use my email below to obtain a copy. Dick Bringaze — one of those Farley lads — and his wife, Pat, have now moved to a retirement community at 212 Garden Way, Schaumburg IL 60194. Some helpful advice from Ed Ricciuti (Killingworth CT): “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that tai chi is for ‘little old ladies.’ When it is tai chi chuan (chuan meaning fist) it can be brutal. Blows are extremely powerful. I was hit with two open hands to my ribs and shoulder. It was partly my fault because I was not paying attention when my teacher demonstrated the technique.” Kudos to Joe Heil (Muskego WI) for his great article in the winter issue of Notre Dame Magazine (pp. 93-95) evoking memories of that interesting swimming test at the Rockne Memorial in September 1955! A note, as well as a sincere request, to the wives and widows that these notes are not solely for classmates’ use. And, that I would love to hear from you. — Bob Brennan; 855 Clubhouse Drive, Ballwin MO 63011; 314-807-1011; bobbrennan76@gmail.com