1980s

80 Semper Fi
It is hard to imagine 50 years ago we arrived on campus in late August of the Bicentennial year. In my mind, 2026 should serve as kickoff for our 50-year reunion. Let us gather often at Du Lac between now and June 2030. With that in mind, Beth Larocca and Mark Dobbertein are working on logistics for this year’s class tailgate to be held on MSU weekend in late September. Dan McKay reported on the annual Zahm-centric golf outing, which has not skipped a year since 1980. The most recent event took place last fall in San Antonio, and the following players all made the cut: Steve Carew, Tracy Finn, Bob Jones, Tom Maurath, Tom McGrath, Kevin McMillan, Peter Sullivan, Bill Wetterer, Craig Zebold and Roger Kelly ’78. Iron Man Tom McGrath has yet to miss a tee-off time. Anne Dougherty and her husband, David Dobrikin, served as executive producers for a PBS environmental documentary, Descent Into the Blue, about reviving dying coral reefs off the coast of FL. The film won an Emmy for music score/song at the Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards, and a Documentary Feature Award at the Orlando Film Festival. Congratulations to Leo Latz on the birth of his third grandson, Lucas. We were exceptionally well represented on campus during Navy weekend. Phyllis Washington Stone had a book-signing on Friday at Hammes, celebrating her children’s book, Oh My! Oh My! Look Up at the Sky! John Scully debuted his latest song, “We All Stand Tall,” a tribute to the selfless service of every Notre Dame alum who has served our country. Fittingly, Major General Jim Lukeman, USMC (Ret) participated in the pre-game coin toss, honoring 250 years of the US Marine Corps. Navy won the toss. Oorah! Mary Beth and Bill Fessler traveled to Las Vegas for the Terry Hanratty ’69 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, a recognition long overdue. Thank you, Bill; now let’s get Jim Seymour ’69 enshrined. Beth Larocca and Molly McLaughlin Rhine met up in Austin TX to see Julie Palafox officiate her son’s wedding. Doug Kriegshauser, Bob Cogan and Mark Lynch gathered in December for the Notre Dame Club of St. Louis’ annual Christmas Mass and Brunch. The Dillon Wassail was a sellout and included Kathy (Monahan) ’81SMC and Kevin “Beef” Connor, Terry and Tim Koch, Chris and John Schweisthal, Judy Dean and Tony Fleming, Tom Dormin, Joe Kent, Nina and Mike Mitchell, Susan O’Leary and Bryan Mraz, Ray Balcarcel, Tom Miller, Dan Cahalan, Mary and Joe Bugos, Jack Brankin, Michael “Doc” Cusick, and Peggy and Rocky Romano. Classmates honored the memory of Joe Slovinec by serving dinner in December at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. Participants included Kathy (McGrath) SMC and Nick Zagotta, Judy Dean and Tony Fleming, Joe Kent, Leo Latz, Brian Hanigan, and Katie and Andy Rauh. December was also a difficult month of loss: Gerard Delgado (Dolores) passed away suddenly Dec. 29; Joe Philbin’s wife, Cindy, died suddenly on Christmas Eve; John Langhenry III lost his dad, John; Tracy Finn lost his brother, Pat; and Tom Dormin lost his dad, William. 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. — Michael O’Reilly; 4711 Lawn Ave., Western Springs IL 60558; cell 708-408-8947; oreillys708@gmail.com; facebook.com/groups/notredame80

80MBA Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Tequila
Congratulations to the Coopers as Judy and Doug Cooper recently celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary with a quiet at-home dinner. I am guessing that they are among the longest-married couples from our class. Doug also wrote to say that he is busy with the Knights of Columbus as council chancellor and continuing to tutor English language to a refugee priest who fled Haiti under death threats. Judy’s first children’s book, titled God’s Wonder-Filled World, through OSV Kids Press, comes out March 9. As another reminder of how the years have flown by, Scott Stratman writes: “We lived in Colorado Springs CO for 25 years where I started a couple of companies, The Distribution Team Consulting, AmeriDri restoration and Creative Carpet Care. While I traveled the world with The Distribution Team, my twin sons ran the other companies. In 2018, my wife, Therese, and I moved back to Omaha NE to be closer to our parents and siblings. I was still consulting until Covid hit when I switched gears and got involved with a wine and liquor distribution business. That allowed me to taste, drink and find small, unique and boutique wines and wineries from all over the world to add to our portfolio. While I found many international wineries, I also had to visit many wineries in CA, OR and WA. I also became a sommelier. Traveling to wine regions as a wine buyer is a wonderful experience. Our three children, Jaclyn, Ben and Brad, all live in Colorado Springs, with our seven grandchildren. Therefore, we made many trips across I-80 from Omaha to the Springs. Since my parents passed, and Therese’s dad passed, we decided to move back to Colorado Springs in August of this year. I am still doing some consulting but bought into a new tequila company founded in CO, but the juice is made in Jalisco, Mexico, where all good tequila is produced. So yes, I understand the semi-retired gig, as I know I cannot sit still, cannot play as much golf but can sip fine wines and tequilas forever. In general, life is good for the Stratmans. I spend many hours going to youth football, basketball and soccer games. Our four granddaughters have sleepovers at our house every weekend, and Therese loves it. I guess I did not realize how loud four girls ages 4 to 7 can be when Grandpa is trying to take a nap. I spend much of my time chairing Catholic fundraising events. We missed Colorado Springs, and as anyone who has been here knows, it’s a beautiful place to live. I am sure I will be back at the country club this spring swinging away, but with two new hips, my swing might not be as powerful.” Scott closed by sending his best wishes and prayers to all our classmates. As for my family, on Nov. 13 last year our oldest son, Patrick, and his wife, Jessie, both Syracuse U graduates, welcomed Isaac William into the world. He is our first grandchild, so we are looking forward to spending time with him and doing as many fun grandparent and grandchild events as possible. Future football trips to Syracuse and South Bend will definitely be in the cards. Go Irish. — Joe Kearney; 475-225-1421; jos.w.kearney@gmail.com

80JD Retire and Join the Fun
From Debbi Thomas Boye: “I am hoping to retire after the first quarter of 2026 (as soon as I can finish a couple of financings and untangle myself from my practice) to spend more time with my family and four adorable granddaughters (all under 3) and do anything other than read and draft documents.” Debbi is at Kutak Rock and rocking it there with a wonderful career. Congrats, Debbi! Bo Scott sends greetings to all from Kansas City, and Jim Gresser continues to represent our republic around the world as a legal adviser at the State Department. Very importantly, our own Jamee Decio is running for Congress — 2nd District Congressional seat from South Bend. As we all know, Jamee was born and reared in Elkhart IN and, after practicing law and being a public servant, moved to CA to pursue her career as a screenwriter. She moved “home near the Dome” and decided to run for this seat, leaving her darling granddaughter and son in CA. Reach out to Jamee if you are interested in her journey: jameed@aol.com or decioforcongress.com. She is still as much fun as ever! Send your news, so we can share your joy. You are important. — Sheila O’Brien; sobrien368@aol.com

81 “Reunited and It Feels So Good”
In May 1979, Peaches & Herb’s single “Reunited” topped the Billboard 100 chart, four weeks running, with the lyrics, “Reunited and it feels so good …” Sounds like a good theme for our 45th reunion — June 4 - 7. The ND Alumni Association (NDAA) always hosts a tremendous weekend, and the Class of ’81 reunion planning team is putting the finishing touches on unforgettable class-only events to add to the celebration. There is only one thing we need from you: You! Visit reunion.nd.edu to register. Let’s set reunion attendance records, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy the beauty of our campus one more time together. The NDAA has as its mission, “We welcome and uplift all members of the Notre Dame family to thrive in learning, service, faith, and work. Together, we celebrate Notre Dame, forge lifelong relationships, and inspire each other to be forces for good in our communities.” In that spirit, one of the many pillars of the NDAA is an alumni awards program that recognizes the extraordinary impact of our alumni. Tom Ahearne was recently awarded the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, CSC, Award in recognition of his decades of successful advocacy for the enforcement of constitutional rights, election integrity and equality. Tom had no plans to become a constitutional lawyer, but he was the only litigator in his Houston law office the weekend someone needed an emergency injunction striking down an unconstitutional statute. Thus began his decades-long career of advocating for the enforcement of the constitutional rights of the powerless. In one case, Ahearne won a ruling requiring WA state to increase its annual public school funding by $6 billion to provide students in low-income areas with the education to which they were constitutionally entitled. He had no plans to advocate for NAACP or civil rights disputes, but he did after a snowboarding accident that permanently bound him to a wheelchair. The experience opened his eyes to the isolation, inequity and exclusion felt by those with physical disabilities. His experience motivated him to become one of the most effective advocates for equal justice for all in his state. To the question, “What would you fight for?”, Tom’s answer is clear. Ann Stockman Firth, in her role as vice president and chief of staff to Notre Dame’s president, Rev. Bob Dowd, CSC, ’87, was part of the five-person Notre Dame delegation to have a private audience with Pope Leo last November. The delegation extended the good wishes, prayers and support of the entire Notre Dame community. Their discussion centered on the role Notre Dame and other Catholic universities can play in serving the Church, addressing the challenges of our times and fostering human flourishing. The Holy Father expressed gratitude for Notre Dame’s many contributions as a global Catholic research university, and he encouraged Notre Dame to continue its efforts to build bridges. Please email updates before our April 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 Welcome Spring
Dear classmates, I hope this note finds you in good health and excited about 2026! It was a great comeback effort by our Fighting Irish football team, but the football gods did not align for us. We will be back! It is a bit quiet on the news front, as I have not heard from anyone. It seems like a simple problem to solve, but I really need your help: You could send me your current email address as well as that of any ’81MBA classmates you may be in regular contact with. Sheila and I are looking forward to a very good 2026 with our family, friends and especially our three grandsons. We are planning our escape from the AZ heat in July as we will head up to northern MI (Higgins Lake) for a few weeks of lake life!! I am still working and continue to enjoy working with our strategic business partners around the globe. I do have to admit that I have more and more conversations with myself regarding retirement. I look forward to updates from all of you — please take a moment to send me news, events, trips, etc. As always, please let me know if you see any incorrect email addresses — I am trying to update the accuracy of the class email. All the best to you, your family and friends! Thank you and Go Irish! — Steve Simmerman; 3126 E. Desert Broom Way, Phoenix AZ 85048; cell 602-524-7662; srsimmerman@gmail.com

81JD Rest in Peace, Harold
Lorne Liechty (Dallas) called to share the sad news of the passing of Harold Ray (West Palm Beach FL). This was a particular shock because Adrienne Coffin (West Palm Beach) and I had just had lunch with him a few weeks before. Harold was Lorne’s dear friend and classmate at Oral Roberts U before they both came to ND Law. Harold was serving as senior pastor of Redemptive Life Palm Beach, which he founded in 1991, having previously served as senior vice presiding bishop of the Global United Fellowship (1,400 churches in 43 countries). As founder and CEO of the National Center for Faith-Based Initiatives, he received presidential and Congressional recognition under President George W. Bush. Harold is survived by his wife, Brenda, and two children and seven grandchildren. On another note … Jim Blase (St. Louis) just published Theodore Roosevelt’s Brotherhood of America: A Daily Journal of the President’s Nationwide Travels. Tim Kapshandy (Schererville IN — not far from Scooter’s Drive-Thru Coffee Shop) recommends we all run out and buy two copies of the book! Since you all didn’t send much news, and we can’t comment on the unfair exclusion of ND from the CFP, I thought I’d give you an idea of what a “yacht lawyer” does. SuperYacht Times just reported: “In a transaction which closed in international waters off the coast of Barcelona, Bob Allen led the buyer’s legal team in the acquisition of Here Comes the Sun, the 89-meter (292 feet) flagship of the Amels fleet. The team included a network of legal, tax and technical specialists from Spain, Italy, England, France, the US, Monaco and Cyprus. The seller’s legal team was based in England and Poland. The Marshall Islands shipping registry, along with their corporate registry, and that of Cyprus, facilitated the transaction. Financial issues were managed through banks in the US, Germany and Switzerland. Insurance was placed with underwriters in England, Norway and the United States. Brokerage house based in London and Monaco introduced the parties. And VAT consulting was provided by European and Spanish specialists.” If you’d like to know more, please check out the Robert Allen Law LinkedIn page, and if you’d like to know less, send us more news! Go ND! — Bob Allen; ndlaw81@robertallenlaw.com

82 Celebrations
James Derico hosted a Class of 1982 party at his home in Chicago. Sylvester “Sly” Johnson, Darlene Sowell, Ron Hyde, Bernadette Freeland-Hyde, Gina Shropshire, Linda Roach, Greg Jeffries and Stephen (Michelle) Gibson were in attendance. Darryl Williams ’81, Kim Hereford Mullins ’81, Colette Mann ’84, Regina Howell Atkins ’84 and Dr. Valeria Walker ’84 joined the festivities. Sylvester is the chief administrative officer for an accounting firm in San Antonio; Darlene is the chief executive officer of Unleashing Potential, a child social welfare agency in St. Louis. Gina works for the Mendoza College of Business at our alma mater. Linda Roach lives in Dallas and works for Jacobsen-Daniels, an aviation consulting firm (co-owned by ND alum Darryl Daniels ’84). Greg Jeffries recently retired from the federal government and lives in Baltimore. Steve Gibson works for NASA in Houston. James is a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago. Most of the group attended the USC game at ND. What an awesome get-together. Lou Ritten married Carolyn Neff. Their families (children and grandchildren) celebrated Lou’s mom’s 88th birthday over Thanksgiving with a blowout party in New Glarus WI. Lou’s dad, J. Peter ’55, had a similar party held in his honor, and after reaching his 90th birthday left this world after a bout with Lewy body dementia combined with a fall. Among the 32 converging on the Swiss-inspired village were Chris Ritten ’84 and his wife, Kathy ’84SMC, Marta Ritten Melin ’86SMC, daughter Christie ’10, Chris and Kathy’s daughter Sarah ’19 and two of their triplets, Maris ’21 and Annie ’21 — all of whom, together with J. Peter’s brothers Charles ’53 and Jon ’65, have graduated from ND or SMC. Lou and Carolyn split their time between their townhome in LaGrange IL and a condo in New Orleans, where their son Steve, his wife and their 6-year-old twins live. Carolyn retired after a long career in the title insurance business and Lou after trading in futures and other financial securities for over 20 years. After health scares for both, they are humbled by their recovery and prayers from the ND-SMC community. Carolyn stays busy doing volunteer work in driving cancer patients to their treatments and reads and records the news and books for WRBH, a radio station for the blind in New Orleans. Lou indulges in his passion for history, primarily through reading and traveling, heavy involvement with the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance and guiding bus tours along the trail. Among their constant ND companions are Rose Hardart and Jim Wylie, Alisa Collins Anderson, and Maura Welch and her husband, John Abernethy. — Tess Lewis; 30 Battle Ridge Road, Morris Plains NJ 07950; cell 973-219-4050; tess@lewislegal.com; dave@lewislegal.com

82MBA Received a Few Hellos
Well, I received a few responses to my plea, so let us keep this going! Tom Anderson filled me in with some of his news. Ev and Tom celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary last year, and have three children (two are alumna Domers) and four grandchildren. They live in Gwynedd Valley PA and St. Michaels MD, where they enjoy swimming, golfing and boating. Tom spent 40 years in pharma and biotech, was a two-time CEO and is now semi-retired. He currently serves on a couple of boards and continues to work with Lehigh U at the new College of Health, as well as doing some angel investing, company advisory and mentoring of LU and ND students. His last visit to campus was in 2019, but he is motivated to return for our 45th Reunion in June 2027. I also heard from Rev. Doug Smith, CSC, ’71, ’75M.Th., ’82MBA, who has been primarily involved in financial administration, except for 15 years that he served as a US Navy chaplain. He is now retired and living in Corby Hall on campus, but he finds that there are not enough hours in the day! He keeps in touch with Terry Fairholm, and admires Terry’s work within Catholic secondary education. Father Doug recently had lunch with Prof. Ken Milani, who continues to be a live wire! Father Doug would enjoy welcoming anyone from our class visiting campus. Now that I have heard from a few of us, please reach out with any news to share. Reminder: June 3 - 6, 2027 is our 45th Reunion, with more information coming. Let us try to get a nice showing for that event. I am planning on attending. I hope to hear from more of you! — Renee (Amirkanian) Sutherland; mobile 630-846-2707; reneemsr@aol.com

82JD Ed McNally Has a Farm
Carol and I spent a lovely day with Monique and Ed McNally on a trip to the Hudson Valley in October 2025. Monique and Ed own a 100-acre farm near Rhinebeck NY where they raise sheep and chickens and harvest maple syrup. Their farmhouse was built in the early 1700s by Dutch settlers. Ed is still practicing with the Kasowitz firm in NYC where he is a litigation partner. I saw Anita and Tom Veldman and Sheila and Perry Vieth at the Law School Advisory Council meeting in November. The Veldmans hosted a brunch at their home the Sunday after the Syracuse football game. Rev. Dexter Brewer, Kathy and Tom Brickley, Betsy (Wolf) and Brad Friestedt, Madonna and Mark Spitler, and Carol and I attended. Father Dexter celebrated Mass before the brunch. While he recently retired as pastor of his parish in Nashville TN, he is still saying Masses there. The Brickleys’ son, T.J., recently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at ND. Mark your calendars now for our 45th Class Reunion, which will be held June 3 - 6, 2027, on campus. More details to follow. — Frank Julian; ndlaw82@gmail.com

83 Condolences and Many Congratulations
Please keep Matthew Westover and his family in your thoughts and prayers. He passed away Oct. 8, 2025. Congratulations to Jean Collier on her election to the Stratford CT Town Council this fall. Congratulations also to David Odland on his recent retirement from the oil refining industry and ordination as a Catholic deacon. He is now working and committed full-time to service to the Church. Congratulations to Alex Severino and family on the wedding of Alex’s daughter, Grace. The wedding was held outside San Francisco. Grace’s husband, Reese, is the son of a Domer who lived in Morrissey and overlapped time at the University with Alex for a year. 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 classmates 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 Accomplishments
Daria Nacheff Absher wrote to share some exciting news. Dan Absher has written a book, The Fab Four Pillars of Impact: Building Dynamic Teams The Beatles’ Way. The book combines Dan’s passion for The Beatles with his expertise in business and coaching. The book was published on Feb. 3. You can find it on Amazon. Here’s Dan’s website: fabfouracademy.com. I subscribed to the Daily Words of Wisdom and am finding them quite meaningful. Congratulations, Dan! 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 Send in News
Well, that was a weird end to a great college football season! I can’t wait to see how the team responds in 2026! Paul Kennedy is in his 34th year as an anesthesiologist. He is chief of anesthesia at St. Luke’s Hospital in Lake Jackson TX, as well as chief of anesthesia at Austin Gastroenterology in Austin TX, and has never once called in sick. Mindy (Fey) Kaiser continues to lead fabulous trips for Bella Vita Journeys! Her European trips look amazing! Speaking of trips, my group’s annual trip came early this year as 12 of us headed to Costa Rica in January! I joined Maureen Canavan, Ellie (Knapp) Cullom, Marie Devlin, Mary Jo (Conradt) Francis, Josie (Kaiser) Froelke, Kelly (Frank) Kehl, Anne (Wernimont) Kritzmire, Sheila (Dresser) Novak, Paula (Toohey) Smith and Teresa (Hedrick) Williams for a glorious visit to the Nosara region where we hiked, planted trees at the Costas Verdes site, relaxed on the beach and at yoga sessions, took a cooking class, played pickleball and mah-jongg, ate delicious food and sooo enjoyed each other’s company! Connecting with classmates on a regular basis is such a treat. Let me know if you have any get-togethers to report! Please keep the family of Joe Baum in your prayers. He passed away suddenly the day after Thanksgiving. — Martha (Burns) Avery; mayoravery@comcast.net

84MBA Class Secretary — Dhanraj Bhagat; dhanrajbhagat@yahoo.com

84JD Leave No Doubt
The 2025 Notre Dame football season ended on a 10-game winning streak and a snub by the CFP committee, which left the Irish out of the playoffs, even as they had the third-best odds to win the national championship. At least one classmate enjoyed the title game in person, as Indiana U graduate Greg Cozad ’85JD/MBA attended the game at Hard Rock Stadium with his son, Robb, also an IU graduate. Also attending the championship game was Peter Schulz, son of Stan and Judy Murtagh Schulz, ’81,’84JD and an IU graduate and four-year member of the IU football team! Congratulations, Greg and Peter. — Matthew J. Dunn; 773-294-6851; mdunn19834@gmail.com

85 Church and Industry Leaders
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Russ McDougall, CSC, to serve as a consultor of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, which works to support an ecumenical spirit throughout the Catholic Church. The group also strives to strengthen relationships and collaboration with other churches and ecclesial communities. Father McDougall previously worked as the assistant director of campus ministry at King’s College. During his 2019 - 2023 tenure at the institution, Father McDougall furthered the college’s interfaith efforts by building relationships between local congregations and organizations. He served as a member of the Wyoming Valley Interfaith Council, organized ecumenical conversations at the college, promoted events related to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and regularly participated in worship services at local churches and synagogues. Bishop Patrick Neary, CSC, of the Diocese of Saint Cloud MN has been selected to chair the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Board. US Conference of Catholic Bishops President Archbishop Paul Coakley appointed Bishop Neary to the post for a term that runs until November 2028. According to its website, CRS serves about 225 million people throughout 122 countries each year. Bishop Neary has said, “[i]t is a profound honor to serve as chairman of the Catholic Relief Services board. My years in Africa and in parish ministry have shown me the face of Christ in the poor and the vulnerable, and I carry those encounters with me into this role.” Bishop Neary previously worked in Kenya and Uganda for eight years before returning to the United States. He then served as rector of Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland OR. In December 2022, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Saint Cloud. Bishop Neary was ordained in 1991 at Notre Dame where he was also rector for many years. Former Deloitte regional managing partner Kevin McGovern has been named president of the National Association of Corporate Directors New England Chapter. During his 39-year career at Deloitte, Kevin served clients primarily in the financial services industry, including leading global investment management firms, many large US banks and insurers, and premier private equity firms. He also led Deloitte’s Boston-based Board Ready for Women program, which prepares female senior executives from the local business community for board service. I’m looking forward to hearing from you! — Kathleen Doyle Yaninek; yanzlaw@comcast.net

85MBA Hello Everybody
I have returned as our Class Notes author, so please email me your updates for the next Notre Dame Magazine by April 18. In September 2025, I was able to have lunch with Jim Lawn and Bill Schaffer while in Tampa FL for business. It was a wonderful mini-reunion, and Bill shared that he had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as I shared my plans for a safari in Kenya. Since then, we have set up a group text with Frank Budde, Joe MacDonald and Tom Breitenbach. Lots of banter. Personally, I also made it back for the Purdue at ND game where my two sons and stepson joined me. It was also their first time on the campus, and the first return trip for me in approximately 20 years. As always, it’s an impressive place to be. I also stay in some contact with Tom Mack and Tom Varga and recently heard from Barry Wood. Barry recently retired and is anticipating becoming a grandfather in March. While Barry spent the first part of his career in NYC as an investment banker, he migrated into academia as a professor at Georgia State U. Teresa (Mendieta) and Kevin McBride reached out to me as well and are still in the Milwaukee area. They stay busy with six grandchildren and recently have taken the entire family to Peru. Additionally, they have seen Pete Klebba and Steve Karaffa this past year. I have also heard from Eileen O’Brien, who has worked for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 37 years. Her current position is director of chancery facilities and operations. Outside of work she is the volunteer chaplain for Sunday Catholic Services at the local nursing home and coordinates the parish’s monthly food drive. I’m hoping to hear from many of you in 2026. — John Newbanks; jnewbanks62@gmail.com

85JD Sorrow and Joy
Art Aylward wrote to share that his wife, Karen, passed away on July 5, 2025. The Aylwards would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary a week later. Karen had retired from her position as the deputy director of economic development of Chesterfield County VA in January 2022. Art retired from active practice six months earlier. In August 2022 Karen was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive disease, adrenal cortical cancer. After two major surgeries and multiple courses of chemotherapy and radiation, she succumbed to the disease. The Aylwards have four children and nine grandchildren, all living close to their parents. Please keep Karen, Art and the Aylward family in your prayers. Art is grateful for the love and support his family received following Karen’s passing. He was able to visit last fall with his closest friends from law school: Tony DeChello and his wife, Donna, and Mike Dunn and his wife, Cathy. Amid such sorrow, there is also hope. Classmates continue to report on the joyful arrival of grandchildren. Joseph Shannon has welcomed six grandchildren in the past 18 months, with one more on the way. Congratulations to all the grandparents! Please send news to share in the next Class Notes. — Kelly Kiernan Largey; kellyjd1985@alumni.nd.edu

86 On the Launch Pad for the 40th
Since this column is being written in January, I can say you will have received a lot of information on our June 4 - 7 40th Reunion by now. We have an incredible celebration planned and this one is not to be missed! Watch for further updates and remember to go to reunion.nd.edu to find all the details on our class events and to register. In January, Dr. Brian G. Donley assumed the role of president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, after serving as executive vice president and COO since 2023. Prior to his new role, Brian drove operational efficiency across the health care system; strengthened collaboration with their medical school partners; led strategic planning to drive growth and expansion; fostered a patient-centered culture with a strong focus on empathy, quality and innovation; and supported the development of their many talented teams. John Kunz had an impromptu get-together at his home in Sarasota FL, including Colleen (Carroll) and Dan Pacifico, Kevin Morrissey, and Tony Consoli. They had a great time and look forward to expanding the group as more retire in Sarasota. Speaking of another gathering, we received a great photo where Tom Ryder, Kathy (Nemsick) and Conrad Rehill, and Mike Brogioli were celebrating at a Christmas party. We learned that Regina Degnan is at Columbia U working with international students, while her husband, Greg, is retired. They look to spend more time in London, where their daughter will be married this summer. John “JC” Coffey traveled down to Mexico City to see Brian “Flounder” Brisson ’85. Judith Windhorst Cahill decided to give up her Jones Walker LLP partnership in 2019 to become special counsel. Since then she has been spending most of her time traveling and spending time with family and friends. She and husband Chip recently welcomed their third grandchild (first girl)! She hopes to catch up with everyone at the 40th. In the meantime, as always, they would love to house or just get together with any ’86 folks visiting the New Orleans area. She says, “Come on down, y’all!” I met up with Greg Duncan, Keith Spatz ’87 and John Nicodemus ’87 at Salem Country Club as they were finishing their round. They came off the course in the beginning of a raging nor’easter. Despite driving winds and a torrential downpour, along with a few cocktails, they managed to get through 18 holes. For those not on our ’86 group email, I am very sad to share again the news that we lost two classmates. We lost Joseph John Kennedy on Oct. 31, 2025. On Jan. 2, we lost John B. Allen. On behalf of our class, we had candles lit at the Grotto for Joe and John and their families. 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 Bits and Pieces
Can you believe we will be marking 40 years as ND alumni in May? Are you planning to get together with classmates to celebrate? Please share your stories so we can all join in the fun. Check out Jorge Valencia’s son Aiden in a YouTube video posted in January titled, “Who Goes to College.” Aiden’s love for all things Irish and his desire to be a graduate someday figure prominently. Sue Giovanini and her dad shared an adventuresome journey to India in January 2025. They even spent a week traveling by train through the heartland. Lisa and Dave Greiner hosted a fundraiser at their home in Grand Rapids MI in October. Two surprise guests — Grant Irons ’02 and his brother, U of Michigan’s Jerrett Irons — were present. They were super engaging and both were amazed at Dave’s mom’s football knowledge and recollection of Michigan football lore. Visiting Italy during the Jubilee Year was crossed off my bucket list. My bestie since grade school and I had a fantastic trip, with Rome, Florence and Venice on the itinerary. Stay connected! — Maureen (Mullan) Decker; 21231 Lilac Lane, Clinton Twp. MI 48036; bus 586-741-4305; mobile 586-817-1317; maureen.decker@mclaren.org

86JD Reunion Is Upon Us
This is the last Class Notes column before our 40th Reunion, which will be on campus June 4 - 7. It will be a blast, so visit reunion.nd.edu, mark your calendars and make your travel arrangements. And, in this our 40th year, please consider a donation to the Law Class of ’86 / McCafferty Fund. The value of our fund is now in excess of five hundred thousand dollars, of which approximately 5% is distributed annually to need-based students studying to become a “Different Kind of Lawyer.” Let’s help them out! Now, the class updates: Last fall C. Thomas Evans was named interim president and CEO of the Kemper Corporation. Go Tom! Maureen (Watz) Gornick sent me an email with a picture of her and Andy Dunne at the 8th US Circuit Court where Andy was making his last appellate argument that day. Andy has retired after a long, distinguished career as an AUSA. He wrote that he was truly sorry to leave but that it wasn’t his DOJ anymore. Andy will stay busy teaching at two law schools and hanging with his five grandkids who live in the Twin Cities. Also retiring in 2025 after 40 years: Mary McPherson. (I know more of you have retired based on the email kickbacks I get from employers informing me that [XX] is no longer affiliated. Please share that news with me for this column.) Don Passenger wrote that his and Janese’s daughter, Lindsey (Passenger) Wieck ’16Ph.D., is an associate professor and director of public history at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio. Lindsey was born in our third year. Don is still practicing in Grand Rapids MI. As you know, Felecia Rotellini is chief counsel of the Civil Litigation Division in the AZ attorney general’s office. Despite the time-consuming duties, last year she managed to travel to Ireland, Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Egypt. Bert Sugayan wrote that he recently registered for Medicare (I suspect that isn’t newsworthy to this crowd). John Glowacki moved from South Jersey to a western suburb of Philly, Harleysville PA, to be closer to grandchildren. Kevin Griffith stepped down as a shareholder at Littler in Columbus OH where he was longtime chair of the employment law group, and will give “senior counsel” a try. Kevin, on the board of directors at Scioto Country Club, which hosts the US Senior Open in early July, invites us all to attend. Kevin’s wife, Julie, continues as a practicing physician specializing in stroke and spinal cord injuries. Their daughter Kelly (Griffith) Bell ’16, ’18ME and husband Brendan Bell ’15, ’17ME live in Philly where Kelly works in private philanthropy and Brendan is a new litigation associate at Dechert. Julie and Kevin’s daughter Amy and her husband, Andrew, are preparing for the birth of their first child this spring; their daughter Carly got married to her husband, Jacob, back in August; and daughter No. 4, Molly Griffith ’26, is a graduating senior who accepted a position performing economic analysis for Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities. Al Weldy wrote that after 20 years as general counsel of health systems in IN and FL, he retired in 2022 and that he and wife Carla are enjoying retirement in Sarasota FL, where they have the privilege of caring for their daughter’s four children, age 5 and under. Al and Carla also enjoy visiting their daughter Malaina (Weldy) Snyder, ’18MBA, ’19JD, her husband and their baby boy. John Duggan sent a pic of him and Mark Miller snowshoeing in Paradise WA on the south slope of Mount Rainier. Rich John recently wrapped up 10 years as a county legislator in Ithaca NY and is now renovating and transforming an old garage into a beer and wine garden. Rich’s son recently began a Ph.D. program at CU in Boulder. I’ll let Rich buy me a beer when he visits. Liz ’79 and Paul Peralta celebrated the last of their three daughters’ weddings last year when daughter Grace married Andrew Gallo. Daughters Kate (Peralta) Soloff ’10 and Ellen (Peralta) Disher ’12 have blessed Liz and Paul with three grandchildren. Kim Reid, back from a trip to Portugal with her siblings, wrote that her cancer has not progressed (great news). Kim regularly keeps in touch with Ernie Dominguez and Philomena and Charles Ashdown. Hey, retirees who no longer access employer email accounts, if you haven’t heard from me it is because I don’t have your new/personal email addresses. Please send so I can keep you updated on plans for the 40th! — Brian Bates; mobile 303-523-4883; bbates@abblaw.com

87 New Seasons
Hello Class of ’87 and happy spring; I hope you’ve had a blessed and happy Easter. Christa-Marie Singleton, our class coordinator, wrote in that she has recently completed 19 years of federal service as chief medical officer, US Office of Personnel Management. Now she’s thrilled to start her next season using her passion for ensuring equitable access to health care as senior medical director, client engagement and virtual care outcomes research at Teladoc Health. Christa will continue to live in Atlanta with her husband, Brett Westmoreland, and cheering on their son, Matthew, a sophomore at Michigan State U’s James Madison College. Congratulations, Christa, on these years of service and on your wonderful new career chapter! Speaking of following passions, my Jungian analytic practice is up and running now after many years of study … although I still need to finish that darned dissertation! I’d imagine many of us are beginning to explore ways to retire and pursue interests that have been shelved during the busy years of building careers and raising children. Write in and let us know what you’re up to, or dreaming of being up to, as retirement approaches! — Meg Brennan Hamilton; meghamilton@yahoo.com

87MBA Rest in Peace, Mark
Please keep the family and friends of Mark Brostowski in your prayers. Mark passed away Feb. 2 after a brief illness. He built a distinguished career in finance, holding positions at both Solomon Brothers and BankBoston, before creating and building Regiment Capital. His vision, work ethic, leadership, and integrity left a lasting impact. Mark will be remembered for his warmth, humor, sharp intellect, generosity and unwavering dedication to those he loved. While he will be so missed, his legacy will live on through the family he cherished, the friendships he valued, and the many lives he touched. — 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 Judges and Babies
Our class was well-represented in the latest issue of Notre Dame Lawyer. US Magistrate Judge for the District of Guam Mike Bordallo; MI Third Circuit Court Judge Mary Beth Kelly; retired US Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of IN Mike Gotsch; and US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judge Joe Falvey are all highlighted. Since retiring from his role as an appellate immigration judge at the Board of Immigration Appeals, Ed Kelly is finding plenty of ways to stay busy. He’s assisting Church World Service with lawful permanent residence applications for Afghan refugees; serving on the faculty of Pen & Sword, an immigration clinic in Kansas City; volunteering at a food bank in Winchester VA where he has also joined the Civil Leadership Academy; and biking with a club in Winchester and with his wife, Sara. Paul Lochner and his wife, Jen, welcomed their first grandchild, Ronald James Towers, in November 2025. Lee Cameron and his wife, Pat, are proud grandparents for the seventh time, welcoming granddaughter Anna Ellen Crowley on Dec. 1, 2025. Kristin (Tomonto) Jaros and her husband, Bob, were the recipients of a Christmas blessing Dec. 23 with the birth of their first grandchild, Luke. Ken Clingen’s son, Conor ’17, fills in calling Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as Notre Dame hockey games for ESPN. Finally, looking forward: Leave No Doubt. Please send me news to share in this column or in our class email loop. — Mike Gurdak; 202-879-3939; mpgurdak@jonesday.com

88 Phones, Freedom and Football
While it’s widely known that 1966, the birth year for most of us, was a banner year for ND football — with the Game of the Century played against Michigan State and a national championship shared with Alabama — curiosity led me to unearth some other notable ND ’66 happenings. It turns out that 1966 marked the first installation of phones in dorm rooms, with Farley Hall being chosen for the trial run. Additionally, landmark student rule reform came about in ’66, giving students more personal freedom in regards to dorm curfews (determined by individual hall councils for the first time), social visitation (11 - midnight for female guests), and access to cars (for off-campus students). Finally, ’66 saw the beginning of the shift to the stay-hall system, whereby students remain in the same dorm for four years to foster community spirit and peer mentorships. A ’65er, Chris Simms, led the charge in celebrating and had an action-packed, classmate-filled 60th year. It started when he and wife Yolanda (McCullum) welcomed his Grace Hall roommates Chris Bednarski (wife Maria), Tom Brennan (wife Katrina Lentych ’92SMC) and Jeff Elia to Lexington KY in May ’25 for the wedding of their son David to Madison Saladin. Unfortunately, missing from the gathering was roommate Tim Spires, who unexpectedly passed away a week earlier, leaving wife Karma, four children, three grandchildren and many other loved ones to process his loss and cherish his memory. (More on Tim later in the column.) In October, the guys united again, this time for the USC game at ND — and for a surprise 60th birthday party that Yolanda threw for Chris. Joining them for the celebration were Leo McWilliams ’81, ’82, ’85MS, ’93Ph.D.; Glenn Hegewald; Mary (Pedulla) ’91JD and John Lake ’88, ’91JD; Ann (Seifert) and Dave McMonagle; Mike Stenger ’78 and wife Marion; John Gugle ’92 and fiancée Tracy Gonzalez; and Teresa (Sheppard) and Mike “Coma” Meyer. The reunions were filled with laughter and stories honoring their beloved friend Tim. When asked for a favorite memory of Tim, Yolanda responded that in October 2022, she and Chris made an event of attending that year’s Shamrock Series game in Vegas with Tim and Karma plus Tom and Katrina. Tim loved Cirque du Soleil, so they added attending a show to cheering for the Irish. She also emphasized that Tim had a personality and a smile that would light up a room and that he squeezed much love and life into his 59 years. His obituary can be found at sheridanfuneralhome.net. From Kenmare, Ireland, John Adams sent news of a major career move. After 24.5 years working with young people at Killarney Youthreach, he has taken a position as the manager of Kenmare Further Education and Training Centre, now working with adults. He works two minutes from home and is really digging his new role. His three children are all finding their way: Ellen (24), having completed a Master of Education degree, is teaching nearby at a rural primary school; Laurie (22), wrapping up studies in biopharmaceuticals and applied biology, is heading for her final placement in Malta this spring; and Conor (20), settling back from an Erasmus semester in Innsbruck, is in his third year as a business student at the U of Limerick. In his free time, John coaches his wife Anne Marie’s basketball team. Go Kestrels! One last thing, please consider checking in with an update soon! — 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 Spring Updates
Guess who I heard from? John Beatty! It has been a minute! John is approaching retirement and has been very busy over the past 40 years! After law school, John returned to AZ and took a job as a prosecutor with Maricopa County. For seven years, he prosecuted domestic violence and sex crimes, after which he moved to a northern town (Flagstaff) and prosecuted there for three years. John then left AZ to join the Jesuits. For five years, John lived and worked around the US and in a couple of other countries. After leaving the Jesuits, John lived in Armenia for a year, volunteering with a DOJ organization called ABA-CEELI, working with local lawyers who were coming to terms with the rule of law. His time prior to and during the Jesuits and CEELI allowed him to visit and/or work in over 25 countries! After leaving Armenia, John returned to AZ in 2004 and to his work as a prosecutor in Maricopa County. John again prosecuted sex crimes and then homicides. Now with 30 years of prosecution, John anticipates returning to travel. According to John, “With my persistent penchant to uproot my life, I never got married or had children. Must be God’s way to protect the women in my life!” John looks forward to this next phase of life! Thanks so much for checking in, John! In other happy news, Karen and James Lowery are pleased to announce the birth of their third grandchild, Liam Matthew Lowery. Liam was born Jan. 28 in The Woodlands TX. Congrats, James and Karen! Thanks for the updates! Wishing you a wonderful spring! — Lori Merlo Coticchia; lcoticchia@aol.com

89 New Documentary, Retirement, Grandchild
Patrick “Creeds” Creadon has reassembled the creative teams behind Catholics vs. Convicts and Hesburgh to tell the story of college football’s greatest coach, Knute Rockne ’14. He worked with several ND Film, Television, and Theatre students while they were shooting on campus during the week of the Navy game. The goal is to have this outstanding documentary released in the fall. If anyone has information they would like to share or is interested in being involved, send Patrick an email (patrick@ocpmedia.com). Andrew J. Alexander, who lived in Cavanaugh Hall, shared that he recently retired after 30 years as a senior partner and emergency room physician with a large group in Tampa FL. He and his wife, Susie, are excited for this next phase of life, which will include plenty of travel, tennis and cheering on the Fighting Irish. Their eldest daughter is pursuing her master’s in public health, and their twin daughters are both studying to be physician assistants. Everyone is healthy and thriving, and the family feels incredibly fortunate and blessed. My roommate from Lyons Hall, Alejandra Gonzalez Brady, shared that life has been full and deeply meaningful. She celebrated her 35th anniversary in June with her husband, Art ’88. Their son, Ryan, is married, and they became grandparents for the first time on Christmas Eve to a beautiful little boy. Professionally, Alejandra is an award-winning, best-selling author and the founder of Casa Shui Life, a holistic design and consulting practice rooted in intentional living. Through Casa Shui Life, she blends BTB feng shui, interior design and biophilic principles to help people create homes that truly support their lives. It is with great sadness that I share the passing of Robert Hennig this past September. Rob lectured in UCLA’s political science department before founding a successful law firm specializing in employment litigation. He was a dedicated mentor to young attorneys and was known for his generosity. Domers who were in London with Rob in the fall of 1987 remember him as a soft-spoken, funny guy. He is survived by his husband of 30 years, Steven Endo, and his mother, Diana. I’m looking forward to hearing from more classmates with news to share in the next edition. — Mary Policastro Hillen; 12810 Olde Banyon Blvd., North Fort Myers FL 33903; res 440-840-5303; mhillen89@gmail.com

89MBA Updates Needed
I didn’t receive any updates this quarter but would love to hear from you. Send me your life updates by April 18. — Maggie McJoynt DeVoe; 612-845-9662; maggiedevoe@yahoo.com

89JD Write Me
Please send me your life updates by April 18 for the summer column. — Jenny O’Leary Smith; 312-504-2298; jennyoleary@comcast.net