1950s

50 Grounded in the Love of God
Dr. Bernard G. Auge passed away June 1 in Pittsfield MA, just short of his 102nd birthday. Bernie’s family posted this tribute in the Berkshire Eagle: “He remained a diehard Fighting Irish fan throughout his life. He was drafted three months into college and served in the Navy in the capacity of Naval Intelligence in WWII from 1942-1945. He returned to Notre Dame to graduate and later attended Tufts Dental School. Upon graduation he returned to Pittsfield and opened a thriving dental practice in Dalton, which he operated for 40 years as a staple of our community. He was an avid member of the Massachusetts Dental Society, where he served as president for two years. He was also a member of the Dalton Rotary and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. He had the amazing ability to connect with people and engaged almost everyone he encountered. He loved his large family deeply, had the gift of gab, loved politics and a fiery debate. But most of all, his foundation was grounded in his love of God and his wife of 78 years, [Ellie]. They lived as devoted servants of the Lord who prayed the Rosary together daily. We take comfort that they are joined together again in the eternal kingdom of heaven.” Bernie was preceded in death by his beloved wife and his firstborn son, Bernie Jr. (“Jerry”), but is survived by four children, 12 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. The family of Robert M. “Bob” Moran was busy this fall, celebrating the baptism of his newest great-grandchild at Christ the King Catholic Church in Tulsa OK (Sept. 28) and then celebrating the life of Bob’s widow, Bonnie Coogan Moran, at St. Helena Catholic Church in Hobbs NM (Oct. 7). Christ the King was Bob’s “home parish” as a young man and he was later an early/founding member of the St. Helena community — their parish hall carries his name. I was fortunate to attend both events and was joined by many friends and members of Bob’s/Bonnie’s family, including their Domer children (my cousins): Trish Moran Jones ’85, Kathy Moran ’89, Kevin Moran ’93 and Tim Moran ’98. Following Bob’s death in 1985, Bonnie was a tremendous supporter of the University of Notre Dame and inspired many other people to follow lives of faith, service and philanthropy. She will be missed. If you would like to share news about the Class or stories from your time at ND, please let me know. — Jim Coogan ’91; jcooganv@alumni.nd.edu

51 Happy New Year
Will anyone be attending our 75th reunion on campus June 4 - 7? Information is available at reunion.nd.edu. — Jim Jennings; jimj4703@gmail.com

52 Family and Friends Two
Following up on the fall issue, there were no more stories about people you knew, so I thought I would add a story of my own. My parents’ circle of friends included Dick and Rose Flood. Rose was a close relative to Sam Giancana, the Chicago mob boss. Sam was a good friend of Jack Kennedy’s dad, Joe. During the 1960 presidential race, Joe was quite concerned that if Jack did not win the IL vote he would lose the entire election. Joe called Sam expressing his concern and told Sam that if he could help, he would see to it that Jack would not bother the Mafia if he was president. Sam decided to help. He called Rose, among others, and asked for assistance. Rose enlisted all her many lady friends, including my mom. They responded by stuffing the ballot boxes. Jack won IL by 8,058 votes. He became president. Later, when Bobby decided to pursue the Mafia for crimes, Sam and his pals became very displeased. You can decide for yourself what happened after that. — George Heidkamp; 9308 Linden Reserve Drive, Prairie Village KS 66207; 312-206-4128; georgeaj@rcn.com

53 Yours in Notre Dame
There are a couple of passings I am sad to share. Richard G. Schreitmueller of Detroit passed away June 28 in Rockville MD. Dick graduated with a BSEE. After one year as an engineer and two years in the Army, he pursued a career as an actuary. While working for Aetna, he completed his actuarial exams in three years, to become a fellow in the Society of Actuaries. His 40-year career in employee benefits for insurance, consulting and government included moves to the Princeton and Atlanta areas, before settling down in the Baltimore area. Dick was an avid golfer and managed to score two holes-in-one. He was a skilled bridge player who became a life master in his early 20s. He was also an active church member, a Eucharistic minister visiting the elderly, and a member of a bible study group. David J. O’Leary passed on Aug. 8. Our Lady’s University was special to him, but primarily as a conduit to people, classmates that ultimately became lifelong friends and a significant influence on his life. David Sponseller passed away on Sept. 25. He received an engineering degree in metallurgy then served four years in the Navy. He taught two years in Annapolis then got his Ph.D. and taught at Notre Dame until the late 1950s. He made many contributions to the oil and gas industry as well as jet engine alloys. He loved watching Notre Dame football every weekend with his wife and son. Mario A. Pasin ’53, ’54JD also passed on Aug. 18. Mario led Radio Flyer from the 1960s into the early 1990s. In lighter news, I heard from the families of a couple of former classmates. John Gelson Jr. ’77, son of John Gelson Sr., reached out to me ahead of the Arkansas game, which we coincidently both attended down in Fayetteville. I also heard from Teresa Mulvihill Walton ’87, daughter of former Class Secretary Jerry Mulvihill. It’s a privilege to hear from members of the class and their families. — John Olson ’15; 630-272-2110; jolson5@alumni.nd.edu

53JD Class Secretary — Bob Berry;

5806 Spaulding St., Omaha NE 68104; 402-457-4142; yokeemup@aol.com

54 Football and Holidays
The football season is going well. A bowl game is in the works. My family doesn’t want me watching our games. In the past when I watched our games we lost. But I did not watch the two losses. My son Paul attended the USC game with my grandson Jack. I’ll have details in the next column. Thanksgiving is always a day to eat too much. Be careful. Christmas is a day of celebration, the birth of Jesus. I’ll be dressed up, coat and tie. No shorts. Gifts are checks, as sizes and wishes are too much to deal with. On the personal side, much to say. The romance, or I should say the love for Elizabeth Tomei, is very, very strong. If not for a death certificate and a date we would be talking about marriage. I met a 91-year-old widow and love took over. People ask, “What made you fall for Elizabeth?” I smile and say, “Everything.” She encircled my heart and it feels wonderful. We can spend hours of quiet time and know we are close. Elizabeth has a 16-year-old dog who acts like a 3-year-old puppy. I walk Mitzy every morning around 7. We both walk her later in the day. My balance is a health problem. I go to therapy three times a week. I hope it does some good. A walker is my aid. Four wheels prevent falls. The walker is a nuisance getting in and out of the car. Yes, I still drive, except after dark or bad weather. Now for the obits. Keep them in your prayers: Paul Ewing, Donald Bedell, Edward Maher, John Casey, Donald Shanley, Lawrence Buckley, Ronald Carissimi, Jerome Hoffman, John Woulfe, Richard Kwak, Jerome Thomas, Richard Lenart, William Greif, Mario Pasin, Mark Watson, T.J. Folks, David Immonen and Thomas Haas. Go Irish and God bless. — John Mertens; 550 Wilmette Ave., Ormond Beach FL 32174; cell 845-216-7251; land 386-615-3685; jacknd54@gmail.com

55 Father Sorin
During my junior year, I lived in the Sorin basement with such luminaries as Jim Norton, John Morrissey, Don Yeckel, Dick Burke and Frank Maier. Perhaps living there led me to recently read the sweeping volume Edward Sorin by Rev. Marvin R. O’Connell ’59. It offers a definitive account of the life and labors of Father Sorin, and I believe it to be an excellent book. In a letter that Father Sorin wrote in 1842, he stated, “This college cannot fail to succeed. Before long it will develop on a large scale. It will be one of the most powerful means for good in this country.” And that has, indeed, happened. Charley Pollnow died in July. He was a chemical engineer and after serving in the Navy, he owned Brulin, a specialty chemical company. He was predeceased by Nancy, his wife of 65 years, and is survived by six children. My twin sister, Carcy Connaughton, is a resident of Holy Cross Village, a senior living facility next to Saint Mary’s College. She was on the faculty of Saint Mary’s, and I was on the faculty of Notre Dame. Dick Beeman, Jim Hesburgh and Jim’s wife, Mary, are also residents of Holy Cross Village. So Jim, Dick and I have mini-Class of 1955 reunions from time to time. Dick was the station manager of WNDU when he was a senior. In other words, he was the boss. So, either Jim or I never fail to mention, in Dick’s presence, how great the campus radio station was. Bernie Tracy has had six months of medical problems, but he hopes that little by little he can get back to normal soon. Although he admits that, at his age, he is not sure what “normal” entails. Pray for Bernie. Arthur E. Johnson died in March, Berkley T. Cook died in April and Charles J. Meyer died in April. May Our Lady take them in her care. With the completion of the Harris Family Track and Field Stadium, our sports facilities are as good or better than those of any other college or university in the country. We have, of course, the super football stadium “that Rockne built,” Purcell Pavilion for basketball, Arlotta Stadium for lacrosse, Alumni Stadium for soccer, Melissa Cook Stadium for softball, the Warren Golf Course, Rolfs Aquatic Center, and Frank Eck Stadium for baseball. I thought I was a solid second baseman for the Wapakoneta (my hometown) Warriors. So, as a freshman, I joined Notre Dame’s baseball walk-ons tryout staged by Coach Jake Kline. I was cut the first day … maybe I was the first one out the door. But despite that, in later years, Coach Kline and I became friends after meeting at weekday Masses. To paraphrase Jerry Mulvihill ’53: Let us be grateful for the joys our Class of 1955 connections have brought us, and pray for the classmates who have left us. Kyrie Eleison. — John Connaughton; 1516 Marquette Blvd., South Bend IN 46628; 574-289-1445; jcithaca37@yahoo.com

56 Remembering Paul and Jack
September brought the sad news of the deaths of Paul Nolan and John “Jack” Bower. Paul, a prominent Chicago attorney, was beautifully eulogized by his former ND roommate, Dave Collins. Paul was a successful lawyer, trial court judge, president of a successful Chicago business and remarkable family man. Paul was also fond of sending comedic notes to his friends and family. His obituary can be found via the Leonard Memorial Funeral Home in Glen Ellyn IL. Jack, a structural engineer with master’s and doctoral degrees from the U of Illinois, authored 30 technical papers and held four US patents. Jack spent 29 years with US Steel and joined Lehigh U’s Research Center in 1986. His obituary can be found at carolinacremation.com. In July, classmate Dick Brown arranged and hosted a wonderful lunch at his club in Hilton Head Island SC. I was in Hilton Head as part of my own family gathering, so I was able to attend. Also at Dick’s invitation were classmates Dick Yeager and Brian O’Neill. Dick came in from Jacksonville FL, and Brian came from Sun City SC. Dick and Brian had similar successful careers with IBM and told delightful stories to entertain us. Dick Yeager reminded us that the website he developed for our class is still operating. It’s at nd56.org. It contains the list of every classmate from 1956. So check it out. The last update was 2020. For the ND/Purdue game this year, Mary Pat and I hosted ’56 classmate Dr. Angelo Capozzi and his charming wife, Louise. To really appreciate the impact Dr. Ang has had on the world, Google him and check out his amazing accomplishments and his many awards. The weekend with this great couple was a treat that can’t be duplicated. We, of course, did Sunday Mass at the Basilica and lit candles at the Grotto. I received a friendly note from Deacon Jim Revord. He and Pat have moved to an assisted living community in the Chicago area, but he is still performing deacon assignments when requested. Bill Stotzer helps keep me posted on special ND sports activities. Bob Welsh tells me that he has serious neuropathy in his legs that prevents him from attending home football games. Bill Warren has an extremely successful stallion — Formidable Man — running in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar CA. Good luck, Bill! I want to promote a wonderful new book written by Rev. Nate Wills, CSC, ’99. It’s titled Pray Like A Champion Today. Father Nate is the chaplain of the ND football team and a faculty member of the highly successful Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). The foreword is written by Coach Marcus Freeman. It’s a great read! Books can be ordered from Ave Maria Press at ND or via Amazon. Lastly, I’m not sure how many classmates are interested or healthy enough to attend our 70th Reunion June 4 - 7, but give me your thoughts and I’ll see if I can organize something. The registration site is reunion.nd.edu. You can call me, email me or text me at the information below. — Joe Kalbas; 317-679-1550; hjkalbas@yahoo.com

56JD Class Secretary — Lauren Sharkey ’08, ’11JD;

shark.byam@gmail.com

57 Man Behind the Camera
If you remember anything about Gerry Trafficanda, you remember his big New York Italian smile. I suspect that smile goes a long way in explaining his career as a professional advertising photographer in Los Angeles. No need to say “smile please” to Elizabeth Daylor, Helen Hayes, Doris Day, or Barbra Streisand, not to mention Don Knotts, Jonathan Winters or Milton Berle. They just smiled back at the smile behind the camera. Gerry was kind enough to send me his small paperback, Behind the Lens, that features dozens of his pix and his own wry commentary - which might have been written by his talented wife, Barbara, who writes her class column for the St. Mary’s alumnae magazine. Their last fold-out Christmas card featured some fifty Trafficanda progeny. Burke Cueny writes from Detroit to ask who decides who speaks at graduation and is there or is there not a tradition of inviting US Presidents to do so. And the answer is: There has been a tradition of inviting first-term Presidents to speak at commencement but it is not a University policy. For example, Eisenhower was invited but Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon were not. Carter and the two Bushes were, but not Clinton. Obama was but not Trump. The decision was and remains up to the University president alone. In the previous class column I quoted Joe Santos saying that he planned to join his wife after cremation on a shelf in Cedar Grove Cemetery. I have reservations there as well, but for internment in the ground for Betty and some of our children. So what’s it going to be for you out there: cremation or internment of the body and why have you chosen one way rather than another? Results to be published in the next class column and don’t tell me you have yet to decide. I close with a self-report: I managed through luck and chicanery to spend about two minutes talking with Pope Leo at the Vatican in October. I urged him to come visit his hometown, Chicago, though I doubt he will come to this country before 2029. I also gave him a copy of my last book, Getting Religion: Faith, Culture, Politics From the Age of Eisenhower to the Ascent of Trump. Looking forward to his book review. He is exceedingly gifted and well prepared for office and I am very pleased this Midwesterner has been elected pope in these fraught times. Mike Coughlin shared the sad news of his father’s death. Please keep the family of James Mace Coughlin in your prayers. Richard John “DJ” Streit died peacefully at his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Sept. 12. He served in the Marine Corps then attended John Marshall Law School and specialized in patent law. — Kenneth Woodward; kennethlwoodward@gmail.com; 1155 N. Dearborn St., #1202, Chicago IL 60610

58 Fondly Remembered
The Indiana Department of the American Legion announced that Joe Bumbleburg, has been appointed Department Judge Advocate for his 26th term of office (2025 – 2026). Thomas Ball of Rochester NY passed away June 17. After graduation, Thomas took over the Caledonia Lumber & Coal Co., founded by his father in 1929, and expanded the business over his four-decade career. Thomas also proudly served in the US Marine Corps Reserve. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Geraldine, three sons and spouses and three grandchildren. David J. Immonen of Charlevoix MI passed away July 31. After graduation, David served in the US Army in Korea before returning to obtain an MBA at the U of Michigan. David became a CPA in Detroit and Grand Rapids before acquiring and improving several businesses across MI, OH and PA. David is survived by his wife of 63 years, Patricia, a son and daughter, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Thomas Carl Haas of St. Helena CA passed away July 27. Tom served in the US Army for two years before beginning his entrepreneurial career, starting several different businesses including Autocon, which manufactured industrial mixing systems for clients including 3-M, DuPont and Johnson & Johnson. Tom is survived by his wife of 58 years, Anneliese, two daughters and three grandchildren. — Arthur L. Roule Jr.; 114 Sagamore Parkway, La Porte IN 46350; alroule@yahoo.com. Assisted by Mark J. Roule ’98; mroule@gmail.com

59 A Few Notes
Again, thank you to all who pray the Saturday virtual Rosary. There must be multi-trillion Hail Marys saved and ready for use from the prayer bank. Ed McGee (no relation to Kristofferson’s Bobby McGee) called with news that his family has just crossed the four-generation graduate line with grandson Ryan ’25, known by some as Casey, making it official in May. ND has been full of McGees: Ed’s dad, Arthur ’31, Ed’s son, Brendan ’95, and daughters Monica ’91 and Moira ’92. What a wonderful achievement. When graduates tell me this, I can hear their emotions. It is startling. Congratulations to all the families that are generation four and beyond and to those that have tried. Many graduates take enormous pride in this achievement and frankly, many are disappointed. Ed’s other news was that he had dinner with Joe Mulligan, Joe Higgins and Joe’s son, Mike Higgins ’87, last weekend at Legends of Notre Dame where they told stories about junior and senior years living in the most historic dorm, Sorin. Speaking of Sorin, Joe Mulligan and I are planning to attend Reunion 2026 on June 4 - 7, and hoping that a few, some or many might join us. Please give it thought and visit reunion.nd.edu for more information. On your behalf and with your permission, the Class of ’59 proudly recognizes Jeremiyah Love for outstanding representation for the University. A wonderful person from a wonderful family. Ditto from all Golden Domers from his hometown of St. Louis. — Bob Brennan; 855 Clubhouse Drive, Ballwin MO 63011; 314-807-1011; bobbrennan76@gmail.com