1970s

70 Summer Update

We celebrated our 55th reunion in fine style earlier this summer, highlighted by nice dinners, a classmate-led seminar and time to see campus and old friends. More follows in the next issue. You are invited annually as Golden Domers Club members. Unfortunately, Fred Nachtwey and Mike Morrissey, roommates from Alumni Hall and later an “estate” on Dixie Highway, were tied up in an 18-day Colorado River float trip. Fred, who practices sleep medicine in Berkeley, then attended the 39th meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle. I last sailed with Mike on an ice boat on Lake Mendota WI. You sailors may recall that I towed my cousin’s donated Lake Springfield sailboat to the ND sailing team in 1969; it floated for five more years. Lynn and Don Simantz celebrated their 50th anniversary March 8. In the Atlanta stands as we unsuccessfully sought the national championship Jan. 20 were Dave ’99 and Stan Jozefczyk and grandson Owen, and Kevin, Billy and Bill Hederman. Coach Freeman and team appreciated cheers. Curt Declue, Jack Crawford, Lou Gentine, Rusty Weitzel, John Hancock — all Morrissey friends — gather for annual shindigs and recently caught up with Michael J. Lynch in Alexandria VA. He and Carolyn live there after Mike’s Department of Defense retirement. Mike Deegan died in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2024, after major back surgery. Following a banking career in LA and Oakland, he moved to Sonoma County and founded Deegan Woodworks in Santa Rosa in 1985. They produced custom furniture including synagogue arks and Torah tables. In 2005 he reconnected with college-era friend Ginny O’Connell Anzelc, ending nearly 60 years of bachelorhood by marrying in 2006. George Marino died Aug. 31, 2024, in Santa Cruz CA, survived by wife Jill, daughter Gina and family. He and friends started Indian Lake Co., and he was the longtime owner of Mama’s Royal Café in Oakland. For one month each year he and Jill hosted campers at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park on the Mendocino coast. Mary Beth and Mike Duffey added a grandchild in October to swell their Christmas gathering. After visiting Glacier National Park, he wrote an essay for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, arguing for nonviolent resistance. He advises that we follow the dicta of Thomas Merton and abandon our self-interest for a compassionate radicalism. Dave Stumm has 20 grandchildren, two of whom married in 2025. Hugh Lena III, Ph.D.’20Hon. (Providence College) died Jan. 4 after teaching organizational theory, medical sociology and Western civilization at Providence. He was chief academic officer, first as academic affairs VP, then inaugural provost and senior VP 2009 - 2019. He helped revise the core curriculum, and added a fourth-semester Colloquium on Western Civilization. He established the Innovation and Creativity Suite in the Ruane Center for the Humanities in 2013; it was rededicated in his name in 2022. In 2021 - 2022 he was a fellow at ND’s Inspired Leadership Initiative. He is survived by wife Susan and daughter Jennifer. Norman Currier grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and graduated in 1966 from high school in Cristóbal (where my father served in WWII). After ND he earned an MBA from Tulane, returned to the Canal Zone, met Peggy, and married in 1977. They moved to LA in 1978, had three children, then relocated to TN where he was a retail buyer and manager until 2015. He retired to New Smyrna Beach FL and died Nov. 6, 2024, surrounded by family. Joseph Patrick Keniry died Dec. 23, 2023. A January graduate of our Class, he earned FSU and USC degrees and worked in accounting and treasury in major cities. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sarabeth, and two children and four grandchildren. Daniel O’Leary Palmer died on Jan. 5. He earned a law degree from FSU and after retiring, was executive director of Prisoners of Christ, serving ex-offenders returning to Duval County from prison. — Don Graham; 1901 S. Glenwood, Springfield IL 62704; 217-652-1560; fever1@me.com

 

70MBA Class Notes Author Needed — This class is in search of a Class Notes author. If you would like to volunteer, please contact beth.thomas@nd.edu.

 

70JD Dining Out Memories

Hats off to Coach Marcus Freeman and the 2024 Fighting Irish football team for an incredible season. Last fall Tom Sopko and two of his grandsons attended the Florida State game while Anne and John Klein were in the stands cheering for the Irish at the Stanford game. Madge and Steph DeSales gathered with members of the Palm Springs ND Club out in sunny CA to watch The ND-Penn State game. Madge was a cheerleader for the group and Steph carried her pom poms. And, after all these years, Saturday afternoons in autumn still found many of us getting together with family and friends to watch the Irish games in the comfort of our homes. As the news circulated that Tom Rink had passed away, Jack Van de North remembered how much fun it was for him and DeeDee to be around both Tom and Allison during law school days. Terry O’Connor, Brad Freeman and Rich Sullivan all recalled Tom as being a really nice guy and, in Terry’s words: “That is a good way for a person to be remembered.” Dan Shea and Tom were buddies throughout law school and played a lot of golf together. Tom and Allison attended Dan and Diane’s wedding in July 1970. Their friendship continued during the time Dan served as an Army officer at Fort Bragg while Tom was serving in the Marines on temporary duty at Camp LeJeune, and they remained in touch for years after both commenced the private practice of law. Dan said all his memories of Tom were good and that Tom was an exceptional individual. Jerry Perry got to know Tom when they were both in training at the Marine Corps base at Quantico VA. Jerry echoed the words of all above to the effect that Tom was one of the nicest men you would ever want to meet. Our Class was well represented at Tom’s funeral by Dan Krause and Joe Kane. You may recall Dick Bovey ’71JD began his studies with us and left to spend time with the US Marines. During our first year at ND, he roomed with Justin Tedrowe and Ted Lee on South Bend Avenue. Dick notes that they would frequent nearby Louie’s Pizza for study breaks. For dinners they would walk to a local establishment he believes was called Barney’s Burgers, and when they tired of the food at Barney’s, they would head over to St. Joseph Hospital to dine in the facility’s cafeteria. Such were the fine dining experiences for three of our fellow classmates in the sixties. Dick notes he is a disabled veteran, and he asks that you keep his fellow disabled American vets in your prayers. With sadness I note Jim Jesse passed away on Nov. 3, 2024. I will refer to Jim in the fall column and ask you to remember him in your prayers. Congrats to Jim Kirker who recently had a book published by Amazon. It is titled The Atlantis Protocol and deals with the subject of global warming. Bill Keck continues practicing law with his OH firm, Millikin & Fitton. As last year ended, he was in the process of completing his term as firm president. In November Bill and his family celebrated Thanksgiving in London with several British classmates. Upon return to the States, they had a gala celebration for his mom, Vera, as she turned 105 years of age. Belated happy birthday wishes go out to Vera. 105 years: wow! I hope to see everyone at our 55th mini-reunion in September. Until next time, stay well. Go Irish! — John K. Plumb; jkplumb37@gmail.com

 

71 More 75th Birthdays

I had a nice visit over lunch with June and Don Kudas, Pittsburgh, and Dave Carlson, Chicago. Don and June were here to celebrate his 75th birthday, with a men’s basketball win no less, against Pitt. Another Pittsburgh-centric event was a ND Club outing to a Penguins game, with Peter Moulder and Tony Jeselnik in attendance. Tom Pontarelli, a native of Chicago, a resident of Flanner and an econ major, passed away in April. After graduation he returned home to marry Hilary and begin law school at Loyola. After a 42-year career in insurance, Tom retired to the golf course and Wrigley Field. Condolences to Hilary and their extended family. Meg and Jon Collins, Kerrville TX, included a campus stop on their long trek home after Christmas on the East Coast. We met for lunch and they added a women’s basketball game and some sightseeing to their itinerary. The track team hosted an all-class reunion in February, to coincide with their annual Alex Wilson Invitational and show off some recent additions to the facilities. Rick Wolhuter, FL, and Jack Samar, VA, represented us. For those who did not attend, make a note, to be held every four years. Cynthia Rubenstein and Bill Tuerk played chauffeur and hosts during an early April trip to Washington DC. It’s always fun to visit and catch up, and they went above and beyond contending with elevated levels of traffic, tourists and congestion. Joe Bachewicz continues to work in the real estate field, relocating from Chicago to South Bend to assist a team of local developers. Condolences to Pat and Bob Neidert on the passing of their daughter Laura. A group 75th party was hosted by Susy and Ric Korth at their home in Granbury TX. Former Cavanaugh neighbors included Joan and Gerry Giurato, Jacksonville FL; Jill and Ed Mattingly, Houston; Mary and Jack Clark, Temecula CA; Vince Carr, Kailua-Kona HI; and Julie and Jim Cavanaugh, Dallas. Early indications are that the home opener on Sept. 13, Texas A&M, has been circled on many calendars for in-person viewing, even though kickoff time is TBA and it could be a night game. Alternatively, bring plenty of sunscreen. It’s prime time for golf and baseball, enjoy! Save the date for our 55th reunion June 4-7, 2026 and email me if you’d like to join the planning committee. — John Snider; 830 N. Saint Peter St., South Bend IN 46617-1936; res 574-217-8961; cell 312-860-1779; jlscpa@yahoo.com

 

71MBA Need News

Robbie (Parker) ’71MA and Jim Fackelman took our three nearby grandchildren to the second-round NCAA women’s tournament basketball game against Michigan and saw a nice 21-point victory. We also had a phone call with Helena and Tony Strati. They continue to travel the country to see grandchildren and are also planning a trip to Egypt. We talked once again about 55th reunion plans for the Sept. 5, 2026, Shamrock Series game against Wisconsin at the iconic Lambeau Field in Green Bay WI. I plan to reach out to you with more information as I learn more. The alumni office is also providing more ways for class secretaries to communicate with classmates. I’ll explore and make use to reach out to you. Meanwhile, keep me up to date on what’s going on. — Jim Fackelman; 4635 Lakeview Circle, Slinger WI 53086; cell 414-379-0968; jfackelman@alumni.nd.edu

 

71JD Class Secretary — E. Bryan Dunigan; 646 Fair Oaks, Oak Park IL 60302; 312-857-2114; bdunigan@duniganlaw.com

 

72 Kerrigan Won Dooley Award in 2019

Paul Muszik writes that he is elated that a granddaughter has matriculated to his alma mater. After he retired from plant and manufacturing management in the automotive supplier and paint industries, he moved to Crown Point IN to be closer to his and his wife Patti’s three children and their grandchildren. He has Silver Life Master status in duplicate bridge. He keeps in touch with Mike Peiffer, John Sullivan and Tony Stough. Kevin Kerrigan MD passed on Jan. 7. He was “sold” on medicine after reading books by Dr. Tom Dooley ’48, ’60Hon. when he was 13. Kevin came to ND from Arlington VA. He earned his medical degree from South Florida College of Medicine in 1975, followed by postgraduate training in surgery at Emory U, and then he completed his surgical residency at the Naval Medical Center (San Diego) in 1982. He was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Surgeons in 1985. He served as a missionary surgeon in Ecuador, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Iraq. He and his nurse-wife, Leslie, co-wrote Searching Heart, Testing Mind (2008) about their years in the Amazon rainforest and Africa. He later wrote God in a Bottle: Cross-Cultural Surgery (2019). His awards included three Navy Commendation medals, the American Medical Association’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award (1997), and Notre Dame Alumni Association’s Dr. Thomas Dooley Award (2019). Our condolences to his wife of 49 years, his five sons and his 24 grandchildren. Tom Lehan passed on Feb. 8. He came to ND from Coronado High School, Coronado CA, where he played varsity basketball. He majored in economics and had a long career with American Reinsurance in Kansas City and Los Angeles. Our condolences to his wife, Jane, of 46 years, and their son and daughter. Let us pray for each other, living and deceased, to the Mother of Holiness. — Jim Thunder; thundergroup@alumni.nd.edu

 

72MBA Class Secretary — Alex McLellan;
913-991-0944; irish72mba@gmail.com

 

72JD Spring News

It seems like many of our Class have fully retired, while others still have kept their hand in the practice of law part-time, or volunteer as mediators or for pro bono organizations. One part-timer is Russell “Rusty” Boltz. Rusty and his wife, Sharon, have restored a 35-foot, gas engine cruiser, the motor vessel MV Lady Jake, and for the last three years, Rusty and Sharon have been slowly cruising the Intracoastal Waterway on the “Great Loop” — from the East Coast through the Great Lakes and then south through the rivers to FL and back up, a trip of some 6,000 miles. They stayed for a year in Beaufort SC — the movie set for Forrest Gump, The Great Santini and others. In short, Rusty and Sharon live a full-time life on their cruiser, and definitely are seeing the world on their schedule. When I caught up with Rusty, he was “cleaning and pumping our ‘blackwater’ tank. So not much has changed. I’m still a lawyer and my life involves pumping a lot of crap. You, too, probably, but not at a marina!” Rusty welcomes any contacts from our classmates. You can email him at russeboltz@gmail.com. When I visited Joe Canepa last fall, he and Laurie were completely renovating their kitchen in Santa Fe NM — and they had removed the walls, flooring, countertops, cabinets, drawers, drains and appliances. They’re still at it, and hope to be done by May. Joe continues to practice law to pay for this project! As always, if anyone has any news, please pass it on. — Chris Schraff; 1881 Marble Cliff Crossing Ct., Columbus OH 43204; 614-227-2097; cschraff@porterwright.com

 

73 Hoppe Honored by Easter Seals

David Hoppe was recently awarded the Judy Heumann Community Advocate Award from Easter Seals in Washington DC. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to advancing opportunities for children and adults with disabilities throughout the country. Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan presented the award. Present with David was his wife, Karen, and their children, Katherine Hoppe ’03, Geoffrey Hoppe ’06 and Gregory. Congratulations to Jim Diette who recently retired from his dental practice in Darien CT. He spent time in Naples FL and went to the Penn State game. Thanks, Jim, for the picture with you at Lujack’s All-American Grill. I spoke with former high school classmate Ric Bertlotti recently. Ric retired in WV after a lengthy career in the national gas industry. Does anybody know the whereabouts of George Nelson? George lived in Alumni Hall and was a fabulous interhall basketball player from Atlantic City. I would love to track George down. I communicated with Pete Weber on the night that the USA played Canada in hockey in February. Pete is still doing fabulously as the announcer for the Nashville Predators. Nice to speak with Dan Hart who wintered in Naples FL. Dan is recovering from a stroke he suffered in November. He seems to be getting along very well. As always, there are deaths to report. Dan Schultz passed away in January. I was a very good friend of Dan, who returned to his hometown of Portland OH. Good to see Dan last year at the burial of another classmate, Gene Bastedo. Kevin Hope passed away in February. Kevin resided in Hamden CT. He worked in the insurance industry for many years. Please send me any and all news. We all should have enough time to send a quick email to me updating your profile and telling me what your fellow classmates are doing. — Michael W. Hansen; 3013 Sanctuary Court, Joliet IL 60435; cell 815-212-3661; mikehansen@mikehansenlaw.com

 

73MBA Celebrating 52nd Anniversary

John Rapa writes he is now entering the final weeks of the 2024 tax season. He will extend again as he did in previous years. A lot of taxpayers are still waiting on K-1s and K-3s so that they can file their 2024 tax returns. He expects a number of taxpayers to file extensions because of this situation. Otherwise, all is well, he is just another year older. John Blum shares that he just returned from nine weeks in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he enjoyed the sun (75 every day with no rain), golf and swimming. He is ushering at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and attending ND sporting events. Two of his 10 grandchildren graduate from college in May (that will be seven of 10 with college degrees). He survived my 80th birthday party at the end of December. Gus Browne tells us there is nothing new in Kankakee IL. He is still dealing with his hip and lumbar spine and just taking life easy. Take Les Sorg’s advice and send in a response, making a contribution to our Class and this all-time archive publication. Please continue to support our legacy ’73MBA Notre Dame Magazine alumni quarterly input opportunities. Share your job promotions, retirements, anniversaries, ND memories, teammate get-togethers, family or grandchildren stories or more. Send me your updated email addresses and any additions or corrections to these magazine inputs. You are always welcome to contact me and/or visit us in Southern CA. — Thomas Jindra; tajindra@charter.net

 

73JD Some News for a Change

As usual, the sad news first. Wayne Weiler passed away this past January. Wayne graduated from Loras College with a BA and, more importantly, that’s where he met Patricia, whom he married in 1971. I do not have a lot of information on his professional life, but he returned to Aurora IL after graduation where he opened a solo practice in 1981. He devoted much time to community service, offering his legal expertise to many in the area who might not otherwise have access to quality assistance. Wayne is survived, in addition to Patricia, by their eight children and 26 grandchildren, to each of whom we extend our deep condolences. For some happier news. Pam Sayad sent me a note that she was included among 16 women who were named “The Most Inspiring Women of the Bay Area” by the Nob Hill Gazette. She was recognized for her work, and that of her colleagues at the all-women’s law firm she co-founded, fighting “for justice and equality in the workplace.” Having read about the achievements of all the women co-honored with Pam — I can say without hesitation that she fits right in their company. As for the Reagans, I missed the last issue for two reasons. First, we finally took our trip to India and Nepal (we had to delay the trip because our dog got sick!) and, not surprisingly, it was incredible — how could a trip that includes a visit to the Taj Mahal be anything other than incredible? The only downside was that I managed to trip one evening in Nepal and ended up spending five hours getting my brain tested (came up negative) in the ER at a hospital near Chitwan. Bottom line is that the professional care was excellent and they only charged $112 (US). On return from the trip, we sold our home of 20 years in Quechee VT and moved to a CCRC in Essex CT. So far, we are enjoying a hugely different lifestyle and are meeting some remarkably interesting people. Our new address is below. — Paul Reagan; 30 Bokum Road, Apt. 134, Essex CT 06426; cell 847-915-9796; pvreagan@gmail.com

 

74 Traditions Continue

Marc Brammer and his wife Linda enjoy life in South Bend which proved the best location when they were raising eight children. Wow, that in itself is a career! Not only have they enjoyed the affordability of South Bend, and all the ND has to offer, their family is totally close to one another and as Marc says, “We Are ND.” Kevin Calabria has given up fuel injected transportation and sent greetings from Morocco, via a camel. That was an interesting picture Kevin, although there was no way when I visited Morocco that you would see me on a camel. I was lucky to stay at Kasbah Tamadot, owned by Sir Richard Branson, when there. I highly recommend that location if traveling to Morocco. Kevin Kelleher is keeping his mind sharp and spent the past cold winter in Natick reading about the Italian renaissance history, the reformation and history of philosophical thought. Impressive. Kevin rallies behind ND games on TV. Although he wasn’t able to attend our 50^th, he reconnected with his good friend, Rob Karlin. Rob lives in Irvine CA and luckily was not impacted by the fires. I had the pleasure of escaping the cold blustery winds in Boston and flew out to Rancho Mirage to visit my youngest son, Stephen and family. Also was able to visit Carol Longo Kaupp, John Ricoscuito and his wife Bobbie ’74SMC who all live near one another, part time in Palm Springs. Great fun as always, beautiful weather and lots of laughter. And what would a column be without POG news? For 35 years our classmates have been meeting, golfing and rehashing old stories, coupled with a few antics and lots of humor. As usual, they met in Destin FL - all 23 of them. They rented 3 houses so each of the men were able to have their own bedroom/bathroom. A little back history on POG. It all began with Frank Murnane, who along with McCarthy, McCarrol, Hettinger and a few others launched POG. For the last 15 years, Jim Whalen and Tom Torretti held the reins, doled out responsibilities of who does certain tasks and decided to establish Destin as the place to be. The beach is a five-minute walk and they have access to five golf carts. I’m fortunate to be the recipient of their annual gift, and they are top notch, trust me! Chris Stevens, “Hawk” will be speaking for the Greater Boston Club in July. Another reason to visit Boston: see the sights, relive history and support our Class VP. Additionally, I am hoping to see many classmates on November 1, when Notre Dame plays Boston College at their campus. Good old-fashioned rivalry. As they say here in Boston, it will be a wicked good time. Keep me informed with your travel plans, meet ups with classmates, or send your bucket list. Please put “74 Column” in your subject line. Spam is taking over! Please write! — Dede Lohle Simon; 300 2nd Ave, Unit 2139, Needham Heights MA 02494; dedersimon@gmail.com

 

74MBA A New Domer in the Family

Paul Muszik writes that his granddaughter, Bella, has been accepted to the incoming Notre Dame Class of 2029. Congratulations to the Muszik family and to Bella. Welcome to Notre Dame! No additional news from classmates, so I will move to the latest happenings with the Burnett family. In mid-February, Helen and I escaped the MI winter for an 11-day trip to FL. We spent five days in Fort Lauderdale, a favorite spot of ours. The weather was a bit cool, windy and wet, but we did get to enjoy some highly anticipated hours in the sunshine at the pool and on the beach. We then traveled across the state via Alligator Alley (I love that name) through the Everglades (Helen’s favorite spot in the Sunshine State) to Fort Myers Beach, where we spent six wonderful days in the bright, warm sunshine. Unless you reside in the northern states, you cannot imagine the boost you receive in February going from MI to southern FL. While we were in Fort Myers Beach, we ventured to Punta Gorda for an evening with Randy Marks and his wife, Sandy. The Marks had come from their home in Sarasota to join us for dinner. We had an enjoyable visit at a restaurant by the water. Randy and Sandy are both doing well, and it was a special evening spending quality time with old friends. Helen and I are looking forward to our annual August vacation in Myrtle Beach with our children and grandchildren. That’s always an adventure with 17 - 25 people living in the same house for a week. I hope everyone is enjoying their summers with family and friends. Drop me a line or give me a call to let everyone know how you are enjoying your retirement years. — Jack Burnett; 19248 Glen Eagles Drive, Livonia MI 48152; 734-464-3458; jburnet1@sbcglobal.net

 

74JD RIP Paul

I recently learned from Judge Paul Jancha Jr. ’06, trial court judge in Berrien County MI, that his dad and our classmate, Paul Jancha, passed away in November. Paul was born in Augusta MI and graduated from Alma College. He practiced and operated his own firm in St. Joseph MI for 50 years. In the process Paul helped thousands of individuals and mentored countless new attorneys. He and his wife, Diane, have two sons and three grandchildren. Paul was incredibly proud of being a Notre Dame lawyer. His example inspired four members of his family to pursue careers in the law, including two ND grads: Rick Jancha ’77JD and Paul Jr., who kindly let me know about his dad’s passing. Be well and take care. — Joe O’Reilly; cell 502-649-6955; joe.oreilly34@icloud.com

 

75 Thanks for a Memorable Reunion

It was great to have more than 650 classmates and guests at the 50th Class Reunion. We now hold the record for most classmates to ever attend a Reunion! Thanks to the volunteers and NDAA staffers who helped organize the meals, tours, golf, pickleball, Mass, Rosary and social hours. Congrats to all who donated to the Class fund that supported the Hesburgh Women of Impact Scholarship. This fund is a tribute to our landmark status with co-education and to the memory of Father Ted, a true legend in ND history. Let’s honor and pray for the departed classmates who shared our special years as students. Now we are officially in the Golden Domers Club and are invited back to every annual Reunion. Stay tuned! Remember in our prayers the following classmate who has passed: Stephen Hellebusch Ph.D. of Dallas, who died in February and is survived by his wife, Juliana. Please continue to send me your news. Thanks! — Norm Bower; 3946 Fernwood Ave., Davenport IA 52807; 563-349-0469; normbower53@gmail.com

 

75MBA Class Notes Author Needed — This class is in search of a Class Notes author. If you would like to volunteer, please contact beth.thomas@nd.edu.

 

75JD Summer Notes

At our 2015 reunion, nobody knew Alan Anderson had passed away two weeks prior. Following the reunion — the 40th, for those who like large, scary numbers — there was no communication concerning Alan’s death; with the health of our correspondent Dennis Owens in decline, it never received attention in this publication. The long-ago obituary notes that Alan died following a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was affectionately known as “Lanny” according to the death notice, but I have no recollection that we knew that in the 1970s. After graduation, he served in the US Air Force as a judge advocate general for five years. Interestingly, he was an accomplished billiards trick shot artist. Did we know Alan and the Gipper had that in common? Alan was predeceased by his brother Gary, a Navy pilot who survived being a POW in Hanoi for six years. You might recall that Alan was a graduate of the U of Northern Colorado. Not many from our Class did their degree work out West, although some come to mind: Hannah Callaghan (Seattle), Edward Drummond (Stanford), William Edmonds (Gonzaga), Tom Foley (Loyola of Los Angeles), Janis Sammartino Gardner (Occidental), Joe Gillfillan (Utah), Mary Joene Hoene (Seattle), John Hund (UCLA), Sid Jacobsen (UCLA), Peter Lardy (Colorado State), Phil Lauro (San Francisco), Tom McGill (Occidental), Aaron Ochi (Hawaii and Oregon State), Peter Perez (Washington State), Harold Pope (California State), Kathleen Ross (Carroll College) and Chauncey Veatch (Pacific). By my count, 32 members of our Class did their undergraduate requirements on the Notre Dame campus. Ed Davey, one of our Double Domers, spent his early years after NDLS graduation on the staff of Congressman John Brademas in Washington DC. Following that, Ed competed nearly 25 years in various legal positions in the employee benefits and retirement industry. He ended his career as a teacher and the director of the Corporate Work-Study Program at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School for seven years. Remember the summer of 1975? It is a blur for most because we dedicated every waking moment to bar exam preparation. If you failed your bar exam after graduation, but bounced back on your second attempt, count your blessings, and remember the name Maxcy Filer. He sat for the CA exam 48 times between 1966 and 1991, spending upwards of $50,000 on related fees, bar review courses, transportation and lodging. Forty-seven times his wife or one of their seven children opened the mail from the state bar to deliver the bad news. Finally, his son Anthony, a lawyer before his father became one, opened the “Dear Admittee” letter to deliver the good news. There is something to be said for perseverance. In our Class the award goes to Phil Morse. You might recall that his NDLS diploma was displayed proudly in his law office for decades beside a letter from our law school dated three years earlier denying him admission; with wicked irony, it was a letter signed by the same dean who later signed the diploma. Oh yes, that too is perseverance. Rest in peace, Phil. And Godspeed to that dean, the honorable Thomas Shaffer ’61JD, forever endeared to our Class for his certifiably truthful proclamation: “There is reason to believe that the Class of 1975 is the most intellectually able law class in Notre Dame history.” By the time you read this column, our 50th reunion will be history. I will dedicate the next column to that gathering and the classmates who were able to attend. Until then, enjoy your summer and prepare for another 16-game (fingers crossed) football season. — Frederick Giel; fggiel@gmail.com

 

76 Our Golden Legacy

A vibrant group of 76ers and guests gathered in person and via Zoom for an indoor tailgate and brainstorming session, facilitated by Mark Nishan and Debi Dell, before the Blue-Gold Game on April 12. Don Opal, Dave Tulsiak and Bob Quakenbush delivered passionate speeches as part of the theme conversation for our June 4 - 7, 2026, Reunion. In the end, a possible theme emerged: “Spirit of ’76: Our Golden Legacy.” We set an ambitious Reunion attendance goal of 760 attendees, which would significantly surpass the current record. I have agreed to lead the attendance initiative, and several others have volunteered to join the team, including Sally Naxera Benson, Ron Skrabacz, Cathy Howard and Lou Pereira. We plan to reach out to constituent groups and encourage additional classmates to do the same. Interested? Please email me your contact information with a list of your groups in the subject line. For example, I’m looking for veterans, Asian Pacific alumni and Native American alumni. Consider your dorm, sport, major, activities and even drinking buddies. My subject line might read “Farley / Cheerleading / Architecture / Line Dancers at Senior Bar.” Feel free to create your own group; let’s have FUN with this! Also participating in the planning session were Bob Bartl, Pete Bialek, Ed Brower, Matt Cockrell, Wendy Duffey, Frank Fransioli, Jim Gradoville, Paul Hakel, Art Kahlich, Steve Klug, Fran McDonald, Sue Caranci Pronove, Jean Prina, Rob Quigley, Chuck Sanders, Pat Sarb, Tom Klein, John Carrico, Ed Byrne, Joe Klockenkemper and Bill Delaney. As we look ahead to our golden reunion, we also celebrate the “golden” moments of our second acts. At the NDSA spring Board Meeting, Augie Grace and Bob Quakenbush were recognized for their years of dedicated volunteer service to NDSA. Lionel Phillips was elected to a six-year term on a three-person board for the Black Jack Fire Protection District in Florissant MO, with — fittingly — 76 percent of the vote! This marks Lionel’s “third act,” after careers at IBM and his own company, Phillips Concrete. Patrick Buckley is currently performing as the conductor in the Prescott AZ production of Murder on the Orient Express. In March, Kevin O’Mara MD, Cathy and Gerard Martin MD, and Sue Hudak ’77 and Steve “Rudy” Tomlanovich MD enjoyed a 27-mile bicycling tour of Tucson AZ. Steve recently retired after an extraordinary 32-year career as a transplant nephrologist at UCSF, while Gerard concluded a 36-year tenure as an attending emergency physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Kevin finished his residency at the same Detroit hospital after a stint as a senior scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View CA, and he is currently an attending physician at Barrow Emergency Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. Bruce Fortelka recently completed a 3,000-mile move from Hilton Head Island to Blaine WA in January, with Don Opal as his co-pilot on the five-day journey. Bruce is now settling into his new home near Kurt and Kim (Fortelka) Kuchenbecker ’07 and spends time with his two granddaughters. We pause to remember Terry Lyons of Lakewood OH, who passed away March 8. Our condolences to his family. [One edit from the spring issue — Denise Crowley Brenner is Class of 76!] On a personal note, this is my final column, as I’ve made the difficult decision to resign as class secretary. Balancing my many family commitments has become increasingly challenging, so I believe it is the right choice to step back and allow someone else to join the leadership team during this critical year leading up to our Reunion. My heart remains with all of you — my Notre Dame Family. — Shelley Muller Simon; 5972 Dune Harbor Dr., Portage IN 46368; 573-268-3690; ssimon823@gmail.com

 

76MBA The Chairman Updates

Lawrence A. Overlan reports he has 10 grandchildren. Seven males and two females and not one named Lawrence or even Chairman! His oldest grandson is a freshman at Purdue. I told how the Boilermakers ruined my freshman year in 1967 when Bob Griese defeated the Irish 28 - 21 at Purdue … end of a repeat championship after 1966 victory. But I remind my grandson that the overall record versus Irish is 26-60 favoring the Irish, not to mention last year’s drubbing, 66-7. May join him at ND this year. You can reach The Chairman at: loverlan@suffolk.edu. Thanks for the news. Some sad news to report. Jim Cannon shared that Bruce Carusi passed away Oct. 14 after a battle with melanoma and then kidney failure. He was a housemate of mine in South Bend and a very close friend. Rest in peace, Bruce. Jim is still working at Mettler-Toledo Thornton in Billerica MA as head of OEM and markets. He is still sailing in the summer and continuing to do some racing. Thanks for the news. Send some news. — Mike Norris; 248-330-5366; norris1021@comcast.net

 

76JD Class Secretary — Virgil L. Roth; 625 Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 255, South Pasadena CA 91030; 626-441-1178; fax 626-441-1166; vroth@vlrlaw.com

 

77 Time for Every Purpose

On Jan. 20, Christopher Kuhl shared a note and photo: “So much going on. New president and ND [football] finals on the same day! Photo ‘in honor of [President] Jimmy Carter passing away. I worked for him 1978 - 1980 at the Office of the President: Special Trade Representative. It is a mouthful, we called it STR, period. We took photos with Ambassador John MacDonald and Jimmy Carter [Class of ’77 commencement speaker] in the Rose Garden.” Susan Micinski sitting on an aisle seat had “the thrill that day to shake President Carter’s hand at Commencement.” Argery Bitchakas Cooke shared that her former roommates “Mariann Mihailidis, Terry Molony and I created new memories when we met in New York City on Dec. 13 - 16, 2024. It was a renewal of old adventures and the birth of new ones! Mariann, Terry and I were ‘up on the roof’ of our hotel bar overlooking Manhattan.” They took a photo with one of the Nutcrackers on Fifth Avenue after being bedazzled at the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. Jen Ryder Raabe spearheaded successful fundraising efforts for a Sister John Miriam Jones Memorial Tree, honoring her pivotal role in Notre Dame’s transition to co-education; excess funds raised will support Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Women of Impact Scholarship. John Shaughnessy’s article “Upon Further Review” about the exciting ’24 - ’25 ND football season was featured in Notre Dame Magazine in January. Karen Crowley Metzinger was executive director of publications and marketing at Bradley U, noting, “Kerry Temple was my inspiration for many years! I moved from a career as a lifelong educator into college administration. I am now happily retired and working as a foundation writer for the OSF Sisters of St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.” In 2018, Peoria Notre Dame High School honored Bob and Karen Crowley Metzinger with its Foundation Award. Colleen McCarthy attended the 45th reunion of her Duke Law School Class of 1980. She noted that “the only fly in the ointment was the Duke v. Houston game.” Under the leadership of ND Club President Mary-Louise Houghton Polo, the ND Club of Southeastern CT won Outstanding Club of the Year (D Class) at April’s NDAA Conference. Janet Carney O’Brien and Mark O’Brien celebrated “70” with an Amazon River cruise. Jack Bergen traveled to Antarctica to see penguins, whales, seals and majestic scenery; he is the first recipient of the newly established LGBTQ+ Leadership Award presented by ARC ND at this June’s Reunion. Class treasurer and Miami resident Bob Blanck writes that “Team Blanck supported [then] No. 1 ND women’s basketball team in a resounding victory against ‘the U’ — son-in-law Tyler Roberts, daughter Hannah Blanck Roberts, daughter-in-law Michelle Blanck (’Canes fan boo), son William Blanck and proud dad Bob Blanck.” Rich Wanders reports “ND ’77 is in the house” at the Irish Times Pub in Naples FL, home base for the ND Club of Naples hosts Cathy Callas, Val Zurblis, Deb Kenny Ellsworth and Bill Ellsworth, Kathy DePauw Graham and Jerry Graham, Barb MacCourtney ’77SMC and Leo MacCourtney, Karen and Rich Wanders, and Liz and Bill Turnure. Congrats to Mitzi Bucchi and Doug Ogburn, who wed in April with ’77 friends in attendance. Happy new grandbaby news: Kathy DePauw Graham and Jerry Graham welcomed second grandson Jack into their family; Sherman Williams celebrated the birth of their third grandchild on March 25; Sharon and Jeff Vitter welcomed grandson Cormac Vitter McCabe, son of Audrey and Ryan; and Dan Bishop Sr. and I welcomed granddaughter Louisa Walburga Bishop, daughter of Dan Jr. and Mary. Our hearts go out to Chris Bergin on the loss of his beloved mother, Barbara Bergin, who passed away in her hometown of South Bend at the age of 98. OK attorney Chris’ daughter, attorney Kelly Bergin, performs rodeo skills with the Canadian Valley Rangerettes. Deepest condolences go to the family of Theodore “T.R.” Paulding, who passed after a heroic battle with cancer, joining his beloved wife, Michele; survived by four children, Daniele Paulding Daveline (Nick), Nichole Paulding Susat (Rick), Adrian Paulding (Lexie), and Aaron Paulding (Allie); and five grandchildren. In remembrance of Pope Francis, we remain grateful for our Class of ’77 Rome trip and wonderful papal audience with Pope Francis in 2023 to US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly ’77, ’80JD. — Virginia McGowan Bishop; classof1977@alumni.nd.edu

 

77MBA Remembering Leon

I received a call from Joe Rudolph to share that Leon F. Doane had passed. Joe and Leon had kept in touch over the years. Leon was an attorney and business owner in Tulsa OK. He was also an adjunct professor at the U of Tulsa Law School. In early 2025, Joe received a call from Leon’s law office and was told of Leon’s death. Leon never married and was devoted to the extended care of his mother. Joe retired recently as CFO of Lamrite West Inc. / The Michaels Companies, Cleveland. Dorothy, his wife, passed several years ago. Joe is living in Lakewood OH. His “retirement schedule” includes Sunday Mass with his brother. We talked about our time at ND. We reminisced about Rev. Matthew M. Miceli, CSC, ’47, who trusted Joe and me to be his RAs in Cavanaugh Hall. He laughed about meeting Mary Ellen Ference and Brad Kowetz on the first day of class. — Alan J. Fisher; ajfisher7577@gmail.com

 

77JD Funds for Affordable Housing

Bill Werntz has been involved with Common Bond Communities in MN for over 40 years. It is no surprise that Bill came up with a plan and then, for the last year and a half, has implemented a program that takes advantage of tax incentives for affordable housing and clean energy. He has raised over $400,000 to fund solar rooftop installations on four new affordable housing units built by Common Bond or by Project for Pride in Living. In addition to the environmental benefits, solar rooftop installation reduces or eliminates the low-income residents’ electric bills. Bill has enjoyed his involvement in something very worthwhile and outside his usual roles in the legal profession. Bill and his wife, Ann ’75JD, have moved to a senior residence. Bill is making a difference there also by organizing a weekly, very-well-attended speakers’ series. Bill and Ann’s oldest grandchild is graduating from NYU Law and, no doubt, has plans to follow in Bill’s and Ann’s footsteps by making the world a brighter place. Frank O’Shea is retired from the State of NJ Department of Banking. He is happy to share that he has a 3-year-old granddaughter who is now the focus of his life. While traveling from AK through the Midwest, Fred Torrisi ’74, housemate of my brother Joe Becker ’74, and his son Mihai made a stop in Chicago where we reminisced over pizza with my younger brother Dan and his wife. — Janey Bennett; 50850 Tarrington Way, Granger IN 46530; 574-298-9251; res 574-383-5745; jane1977nd@outlook.com

 

78 Back on Campus

Greetings, fellow members of the Class with class! Here’s hoping we all have a great summer, the best time of the year. Back on campus for the annual Alumni Association Leadership Conference were Mike Mulherin, Don “Dancing Bear” Smail, Jim “Souls” Coyne, Pat O’Donnell, Mark Merriman, Jean Kinney, Peter Morelli and Tom Wittenberg. Congratulations to Mike Staub for finishing his term as ND Senior Alumni Board Chair. Ken “Hawk” Haffey was also visiting and received an award from the Mendoza College of Business for his many years of service on the ND Accountancy Advisory Board. Speaking of Ken, his firm just merged into CBIZ, making them the sixth or seventh largest CPA firm in the country. They have a large presence in the Philadelphia area, with three or four suburban offices along with one in center city. Ken says that being on the road has its advantages, like having the opportunity to visit with classmates Bob Sobanski in OH, Doug Becker in Cincy, Steve Orsini in Dallas, and Terry Eurick and Terry Murphy in the Detroit area. Don Smail is currently an executive with Celtic Euro Foods US Inc., a company that is importing Irish butter into the United States. Keeping with the Don Smail theme, he joined Jim Coyne, John Delaney and Nace Mullen at the Philadelphia Club’s Universal Notre Dame night in April, which featured Dolly Duffy interviewing Coach Marcus Freeman. We showed the California Kid how we celebrate East Coast style. Jimmy “Dunne-Bar” Dunne got a shout-out from Jim Nance during the Masters telecast. Ray VanderHayden passed on March 19 at hospice at Holy Cross Village. Ray worked in the Career Development Office. Tom Humen passed quietly in his sleep at home in March. In attendance at his funeral were the following classmates: Jim “Boobie” Clarke, Chris Crnkovich, Greg Gibbons, Brian Brodfuehrer, Mike Conti and John Goodall. Ed May passed away in April after a bout with cancer. Please also keep in your prayers the family of James G. Healy, who has died. Jeff “Carps” Carpenter visited Hillary and Chris Crnkovich in March at their new home in Naples FL. Joe Camarda hosted the second annual “’78 in the Desert” golf group in late March. Greg “Sweets” Switaj, Pat Flynn, Danny James and Danny Romano had a blast over five days in Palm Desert bunking up together like the old days. They played 36 holes per day! An update on our Class of 1978 scholarship, as we honor the memory of Jimmy Martin: We want to provide future generations with the same opportunity we were all so very lucky to experience. The fund’s overarching principles: Anonymity. All gifts will be confidential as to source and amount. We do not intend to cannibalize any existing donation or gifts to the University. Max participation. This is a permanent gift from the Class of ’78. We want to engage the entire Class to be a part of it. A matching fund has been established. To donate, visit giving.nd.edu, enter your donation amount, type 1978 in the Designation field, and select Class of 1978 Scholarship. Keep us in your gifting plans; include The Class of 1978 Scholarship Fund, where possible. Consider supplementing current gifting plans (Sorin Society, football lottery) and life insurance policies. Every gift, in any amount, is important. We can accept any gift the University accepts. This is about our class legacy. Our chance to pay it forward to future generations of ND students. The fund has raised in excess of $295,000 to date! This is great news, but it doesn’t mean we stop! While it may be more difficult to contribute at this time, consider any gift that you can. After all, we are the Class with class! For more information, contact Pat Flynn at pat.flynn@indianabev.com. Please remember our deceased classmates and their families in your prayers. May eternal rest shine upon them, and may they rest in peace. Reach out! — Jim “Souls” Coyne; 1801 Butler Pike, Apt. 20, Conshohocken PA 19428; 267-847-8808; jcoyne@cohs.com

 

78MBA Class Secretary — Mamie Anthoine Ney; 41 Applewood Lane, Falmouth ME 04105; res 207-229-0989; bus 207-333-6640 ex 2020; irishwasherwoman@alumni.nd.edu

 

78JD Class Secretary — Vincent R. Johnson; 210-410-3562; vjohnson@stmarytx.edu

 

79 Grandchildren

In February, Kathleen O’Connor ’10 and Joseph Camarda Jr. ’10, daughter and son of Ann (Muller) and Tom O’Connor and Marcia (Mach) ’80 and Joe Camarda respectively, welcomed Kieran Francis. Kathleen, Joseph, Marcia and Joe live in VA and Ann and Tom are in Chicago suburb Northbrook. In March, Kathy Downs’ daughter Alyssa welcomed twins Aurora and Phoenix. Kathy lives in Boston. Reyn Leutz of Chicago suburb Wilmette visited with Mike Pino and his wife, Kathy, at Reyn’s home in Naples FL. Reyn also spent time in Indianapolis with Connie Price MacTaggart and Carolyn O’Connor-Ferry. In January, Reyn visited France to see friends he met there during his SUNDEF year in Angers. Remember Patti DeCoste Guido and her family and friends in your prayers. Patti died in March after five years fighting frontotemporal dementia. Patti was on the first women’s varsity field hockey team at ND. She started a career with Northwest Airlines after graduation. She then earned a master’s in education from Lesley U and had a long career as a special education teacher in MA. After retirement, Patti enjoyed spending time with family and friends on Cape Cod. Patti is survived by her husband, Albert, daughters Stephanie and Kathryn and their families, and grandson Sean. Patti and Marybeth Dougherty stayed connected with Marybeth visiting her frequently, sometimes joined by Beth Larocca ’80. — Barbara A. Langhenry; res 216-651-8962; cell 216-509-8962; breclw@aol.com

 

79MBA Class Secretary — Patty Kennedy Kerr; 7750 Leonard St. NE, Ada MI 49301;
616-682-1223; kerrtaxcpa@gmail.com

 

79JD Class Secretary — Daniel F. McNeil; 1001 NW Lovejoy, Unit 205, Portland OR 97209;
503-539-9188; mcneil.daniel12@gmail.com