1980s

80MBA A Different Kind of ’70s Show
After sending my usual email request for Class Notes contributions, I mentioned that this would be the last column submitted in my 60s before I turn 70 in April. As expected, I received both congratulations and commiserations from classmates regarding that age milestone. Paul Katilas welcomed me to the club, writing that he does not feel a day over 25, but his knees and hips remind him otherwise, and all those sports and extracurricular activities are now catching up — but quickly adds that he would not have done anything differently. Paul will be at the Wisconsin and Miami games this fall. Mike Previte is happy to report that he has changed writing jobs and will now be writing player profiles for the Northwoods League’s Lakeshore Chinooks, a summer team for good college baseball players. Mike sent me a link to his first article, and it was terrific. I especially loved his first headline: “Hometown Grit. Big Bat. Big Comeback. Sam Meidenbauer Returns to the Chinooks.” Rick Abordo writes that he was unable to attend the 50th anniversary of his undergraduate reunion from Notre Dame, but he had a good reason as his son Anthony ’13 was home for his annual visit from his job at Hong Kong U. Rick told a delightful story about Washington DC’s Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was the Abordo family priest. You know you are in good stead when you are on a first-name basis with a cardinal, as Rick elaborated that Bob attended St. Joseph Seminary with his younger brother, and on his path to becoming a cardinal he “officiated at my brother’s and my sister’s weddings, baptized our son, and said the funeral Mass for my mother. A great down-to-earth guy who enjoyed many of my mom’s home-cooked Filipino dishes.” Rick will be at the Wisconsin, Stanford and Navy games in the fall with Dillon Hall roommates and several family members. Finally, I am very honored to pass along the response from Scott Jessup, who has become deeply involved with an early stage nonprofit called the Dad Letter Project, through which volunteer dads write letters to strangers in need of father figures. Since then, DLP has been profiled on CBS, ABC and BBC and was the subject of an in-depth article in The Washington Post. This resulted in over 10,000 requests from people in all 50 states and over 50 countries asking for a handwritten letter of support, care and affirmation from a volunteer dad letter writer. Scott himself has written over 100 letters, and most of them are in response to a heartbreaking request for a simple demonstration of caring. But, he says that his team of dad volunteers has only answered around 3,000 of the 10,000 requests received, and laments that it is kind of overwhelming to see the real pain that so many endure due to the loss, absence or indifference of fathers. If Scott’s message resonates with any classmates who are interested in learning more, they can reach him at sjessup@nd.edu. I will. Go Irish. — Joe Kearney; 475-225-1421; jos.w.kearney@gmail.com

80JD Hello Classmates
Campus is blooming and green is blanketing the lawns. Soon, the ND Law Class of 2026 will graduate. The years have flown by! In four years, we will celebrate 50 years since our 1980 graduation. Some of our classmates have been out of communication and we are wondering where they are. If you have any contact information for the following classmates, please let us know: Peg Allen, Judy Budny, Jim Hengelbrok, Bill Howard, Kathy Majewski, Rob Meyer, Janet O’Neill, Ann Plamandon, Erik Spykman, Sue Sullivan, Daina Vandervort, Barb Warren, Thurman Williams and Paula Wiseman. And, let’s remember our deceased classmates — whose faces and stories are close to us: Gayle Arnold, Harry Bainbridge, Brian Baker, Gene Brady, Mike Curley, Dan D’Antonio, Bruce Dodds, Terry Dytrych, Jim Lepley, John Leslie, Hal Moore, Sister Gaye Morehead, Kathy Moriarty, Dean Richardson, Jim Sanderson, Frank Wall and Morrice Young. They are all missed. God rest them and comfort their families. And, thanks to Tom Bradley for the heads up on all of this. Please send your news. You are important. — Sheila O’Brien; sobrien368@aol.com

81 Reunion Recap
By the time you read this, our 45th Reunion will be in the rearview mirror, with thanks to Jim Veraldi and the whole team behind the successful event. I’ll include a full download in the next set of Class Notes so please send me some stories from the unforgettable weekend. — Mary Murphy; marymurphy81@alumni.nd.edu

81MBA Summer Approaching
Dear ’81MBA classmates, I hope this note finds you in good health, enjoying the spring season and getting ready for a nice, relaxing summer! We are less than a week away from the Blue-Gold game. I was planning to attend, but this thing called “work” got in the way. Nonetheless, I will be watching from home, and I am anxious to see a strong Fighting Irish football team! There’s not much to report for this issue as it is a bit quiet on the news front. I have not heard from anyone for this edition of Notre Dame Magazine. Hopefully we’ll have more news for the next edition! It seems like a simple problem to solve, but I really need your help if 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 planning our escape from the AZ heat in late June or mid-July as we will head up to Northern MI (Higgins Lake) for several weeks of lake life!! I am still working and continue to enjoy working with our strategic business partners around the globe. Retirement conversations continue to play in my head. I look forward to updates from all of you — please take a moment to send me news, events or vacation trips. 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 A Miracle, Another Book, Travel and Stuff
Life is a miracle. It is with reverential awe that I share a special story and it involves Shawn Gallagher (Spearfish SD), his wife, Mary Pat, and their son, Brian, who lived for only 43 minutes, having been born and passed away June 16, 1982, in Fort Knox KY, just about one year after we graduated. Since Shawn and Mary Pat were from SD, Brian was buried there, but in 2019, they decided to move his casket to Black Hills National Cemetery. In the process the casket was damaged. When it was retrieved and opened for reburial, something unheard of was discovered. The body was intact without signs of decomposition. The incredible story was reported in Catholic Times and can be found through Google or AI. Scientifically unexplainable, a sign of God’s presence in death, the story has brought hope to many, including me, my wife and I having lost our son Tyler and our daughter Hope, on the day they were both born at St. Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach. Thanks to Ted Forrence (Philadelphia) for sharing the story with me. Tim Kapshandy (Schereville IN) reached out when he was in Miami and brought my attention to Jim Blase’s (St. Louis) latest book, Theodore Roosevelt’s Brotherhood of America: A Daily Journal of the President’s Nationwide Travels, available on Amazon. Nothing else to report, except … I participated in March on panels at Superyacht Investor London titled “Has Globalism Failed?” As you can imagine, it was a spirited debate, findable on YouTube. And then on two more — one also in March at the IYBA’s Superyacht Law Summit in Palm Beach titled “International Yacht Arbitration Council Rules Update” and another in Viareggio, Italy, at the annual Benetti Legal Forum, on the subject of “Commissions in Superyacht Transactions.” Our firm’s legal team led the purchase of the largest brokerage yacht sold in the world in the first quarter of 2026, the 292-foot M/Y Here Comes The Sun, reported on in Boat International. Our 50th graduation anniversary is in five years. Hopefully, most of us will still be around. If you are interested in helping organize it, let me know, and we can start a conversation. God bless you all and Go ND! — Bob Allen; ndlaw81@robertallenlaw.com

82 A Few Good Men
Rich Keenan passed away April 16 after a long battle with ALS, which he confronted with great dignity, grit and humor. Rich was a resident of St. Edward’s Hall, a proud member of the Irish Guard and an accounting major. He had a long and successful career in finance. Shortly after 9/11, Rich and his wife, Jane, founded a flag company named Old Glory in Canton MI. He was a consummate Notre Dame man and an American patriot. Donald Casey Jr. passed away on Feb. 19 in South Bend IN. Don was a man of passion, integrity, generosity and faith whose life was distinguished by his dedication to his loved ones, an extraordinary career and an enduring connection with his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. Don was married to Ann for over 40 years. They share three daughters, Meghan, Katie and Bridget, all ND grads as well as members of the swim team, just like their dad. Don was captain of the swim team, after honing his aquatic skills as a lifeguard at Sandy Hook in NJ. He had a remarkable career at Johnson & Johnson, rising through the ranks, culminating as a worldwide franchise chairman and member of the executive committee. He finished his active professional career as CEO at Dentsply Sirona. As an alumnus of our alma mater, he was honored to serve as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and as president of the Monogram Club. Don mentored thousands of student-athletes whose lives are forever changed. Don was an avid cyclist, swimmer and runner. He loved to travel with Ann, but he was happiest at home in FL. Dave and I have been honored to write this column for over 40 years. We love keeping in touch with our classmates through the highs and lows of this journey called life. Please keep sending us updates. We look forward to seeing many of you this fall at a game. — Tess Lewis; 30 Battle Ridge Road, Morris Plains NJ 07950; 973-219-4050; tess@lewislegal.com; dave@lewislegal.com

82MBA Class Secretary — Renee (Amirkanian) Sutherland; mobile 630-846-2707; reneemsr@aol.com

82JD Tidbits
Tim Abeska and John Smith taught a Trial Ad class at the Law School in February, keeping alive a tradition that began shortly after our graduation. I ran into Anita and Tom Veldman at an ND basketball game on campus in February. Bruce Baty, Liz Imhoff, Tim Nickels, John Smith and I were on campus in March for the ND Law Association Board meeting. John reports that he keeps in contact with Jane Lynch, who visits Chicago frequently. Please mark your calendars for our 45th Class Reunion, which will be held June 3 through June 6, 2027, on campus. More details to follow. Please send me news items. — Frank Julian; ndlaw82@gmail.com

83 Condolences and Lots of News
Please keep Michael Pichey and his family in your thoughts and prayers. He passed away on Jan. 6. Eduardo Magallenez travelled to Europe this winter and visited the “other” Notre Dame in Paris, attended an event where the pope was present, took in some of the Milano-Cortina Olympics and met other Domers. Bill O’Neill has reported that there is now a scholarship that has been established in the name of Peter Grant. Peter was a classmate who passed away in 2011 while both his daughters were students at Notre Dame. His son also attended Notre Dame after Peter’s passing. Peter was also one of Bill’s roommates. The scholarship is intended primarily for students who lose a parent while they are attending the University. Terry John Brown has reported that he, Pierre Miller and Jim Cameron got together in Pittsburgh this past fall for a great time at a tailgate and then cheered the Irish on to a great win. Mike Berrigan did 20 years on active military duty in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (as did his wife, Beth) and has written a book titled You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up. The book is a memoir of his time leading the Military Commissions Defense Organization in Guantanamo Bay from 2007 to 2010, as well as some stories from his time at Notre Dame. The book is available on Amazon and is available in multiple formats. Tom Schreck has also written a book, titled The Second Burning, about a series of murders taking place during a Notre Dame football weekend that are staged with symbolism tied to Gen. Sherman in the US Civil War. Tom describes the book as a Notre Dame thriller about football, faith, history and the ghosts America never buried. Russ Wyborski reminds us that this is the 50th anniversary of the Keenan Revue and has posted some pictures of the Keenan Tumblers on the Class Facebook page. Included in the photos are Bill Bastedo, Mike Shea, Terry Brown, Pierre Miller, Jim Cameron, TJ Conley and Mike Power. Tom O’Brien has reported on the efforts of medical missions in Guatemala undertaken by Tom and his wife, Mary, with the Faith in Practice organization. The mission depends on donations to fund the missions and donation details are available on the Class Facebook page. On a more personal note, I retired from a long career as a pension and benefits lawyer this spring. I’m looking forward to a brief spell of a life of leisure before I manage to find projects to keep me entertained and busy. 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; ldenkovic@gmail.com

83MBA Hello Class
It has been a while, but I know many of you still check this column. Please keep sending news so we can stay connected. Chas Bourland reports a milestone year. Daughter Angelica was married last August in Rio de Janeiro. Daughter Maria was cast on MasterChef Season 16 representing Brazil. Son Charlie IV works as a software developer for the federal government. Chas remains involved with Strauss Surgical, the medical device company he founded focused on prostate and bladder cancers. He and Barry live in Miami Beach. Chas also shared that his father passed away in December at age 92 after a battle with liver cancer. His mother recently celebrated her 91st birthday and remains active and independent. Dave Valenti reports that the Tailgate Guys gathered Oct. 3-5 for their 43rd annual Notre Dame football weekend, joined by family members including Mike Jr. and DJ Valenti, both ND graduates. Mike’s daughter Hillary is a Saint Mary’s grad. Dave continues as managing director at Virtue Asset Management and says he still enjoys the work. He and Annemarie recently welcomed their third granddaughter. This year’s game weekend is set for Stanford, Oct. 9-11, and classmates are welcome. Jim Hart, my former roomie, checks in as president and chief investment officer of the Oliver Estate in South Bend. Jim and Karen now have six grandchildren after Kate and Kyle welcomed their second child. A 3,000-unit master-planned community on 1,260 acres in Henderson NV is now going vertical, with its first open house recently completed. Jim is also working with fellow Domers to help move one company into a new growth stage. Karen may retire this year after an impressive 50-year career. Phillip Pinkstaff retired at the end of 2024 after more than 35 years in commercial real estate appraisal, including the last 15 years with the federal government as a risk analyst. Both sons were married in the last two years, and Phillip and his wife are now awaiting grandchildren while practicing with grand-cats. Retirement has included travel to Portugal, Spain, England and winter escapes to Mexico from the Seattle area. He also plays tennis regularly and stays active in the gym. Mike Burton writes from Minneapolis that he will retire June 30 as senior vice president and assistant general counsel of Ameriprise Financial. He and Doreen look forward to spending more time with their six grown children, spouses and seven grandchildren, with an eighth on the way, all living nearby in MN. Jay Carter reports he has been with PE-backed agency CG Life for nearly two years in business development. His role has scaled back, allowing much better work-life balance. Grandchild No. 9 was born March 27 and lives nearby, which Jay says is great fun. Jay adds that Mike Burton, Dave Valenti, Al Jonas, Phil Pinkstaff and he will celebrate Motorhome 44 for the Stanford game — sans motorhome — at their weekend house. They would love to catch up with classmates. Lastly, Sue and I moved to Montana 10 years ago and love life there. Our children Jack, Annika and Tom all live in Montana and, between them, have five children. Son Christian has two more in Chicago, bringing the grandchild total to seven. I continue management consulting, executive coaching and board work. Sue continues in sales and is a powerhouse Mema to our grandchild brood. Daughter Sanne will be married at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this fall, and Jack will marry at the family cottage in Quebec. Daughter Nikki lives in Todos Santos, Mexico. Nephew Anderson Hilbrich Davis ’27 plays lacrosse for the Irish. Go Irish! — John Hilbrich; 630-677-2725; john.hilbrich@gmail.com

83JD More Accomplishments
In my last column, I shared that Dan Absher had written a book. I am now ever more excited to report that he and Michele Feeney will be doing a joint book signing at the ND bookstore on Friday, Sept. 18, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. That is the day before the ND-Michigan State game. Dan will be signing his new book, The Fab Four Pillars of Impact: Building Dynamic Teams the Beatles’ Way, and Michele will be signing her new book, Like Home, which will be released on June 19. This is the second book by Michele in the Like Family series. Congratulations, Dan and Michele! Is this an opportunity for a class mini-reunion? I am excited to share that this past March, I received the Bishop Patrick Heffron Award from Saint Mary’s U of Minnesota. This award is the highest recognition that Saint Mary’s gives to employees. It honors employees who demonstrate long-standing service, dedication to the mission of the university and a deep commitment to its Lasallian Catholic values. I am deeply humbled by this recognition of my work at Saint Mary’s. Please send me an email with an update on you or a classmate for this column. — Ann E. Merchlewitz; 507-450-6609; bus 507-457-1587; amerchle@gmail.com

84 We’re on the Move
Talk about being a world traveler!! Todd Aiken sent in details of visiting his 193rd country in January. As he puts it, he and his wife landed in Timor-Leste and were greeted with double rainbows. Todd is a 36-year cancer survivor, so “the rainbows were particularly auspicious.” Todd’s passion for travel began in 1981, when he was an ND sophomore on the Innsbruck program and he took trips with classmates and in particular, his roommate, Kevin Appleby, to the USSR, Morocco, Poland, Italy and more. He and Kevin continued to travel after ND, but it was Todd’s early bout of cancer and a promise to his mother, who did not survive her own cancer, that set him on a quest to keep traveling. He has visited every country — including six days in North Korea — climbed four of the seven summits, and run five marathons to raise money for cancer research. He also raised three great children. To learn more, follow him on Instagram: Toddtravels197. — Martha (Burns) Avery; mayoravery@comcast.net

84MBA Wedding Bells
I have an update from Michael Sheperdson. Michael has three kids — Mike, who is a 2015 ND grad, lives in Phoenix working in an asset management company, and has one daughter and another little one on the way; Catherine, 32, is married and has a little one on the way; and Colin, 28, is in the AF Special Forces and based in TX. Michael is engaged and will soon get married (second time) to a wonderful person, Mary Frances Broda. His to-be wife also has two kids and works as a fractional CFO and as an independent investment banker. We wish all the best to Michael and Mary for their upcoming wedding! It would be lovely to receive updates from the rest of the guys in our class. — Dhanraj Bhagat; dhanrajbhagat@yahoo.com

84JD Condolences
Don Hubbard’s wife, Lori Hubbard, of West Roxbury MA, passed away March 19 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Don and Lori met while attending Georgetown. Don shares, “Lori wanted to get married the summer after she graduated from Georgetown, the summer after Don’s 1L year, but Don cautioned that two years in South Bend might be difficult on a relationship. So, they postponed the wedding until the summer after Don’s 2L year and enjoyed 42 wonderful years together.” Please keep Lori, Don and their family, including daughter Caroline and son Billy, in your prayers during this difficult time. Those of you who follow the Notre Dame Law School Class of 1984 Facebook page received this information in real time via a post from Jim Slattery ’81, ’84JD. — Matthew J. Dunn; 773-294-6851; mdunn19834@gmail.com

85 Remembering Michele and Donny
Maureen O’Neil and Margie Gallehugh wrote to inform us of the death of our classmate, Michele (Marchio) Martis: “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal.’ The sentiment from this Irish proverb aptly describes the emotions felt by so many with the passing of our dear classmate Michele (Marchio) Martis. Michele passed away peacefully and surrounded by her loving family in Glen Ellyn IL on Jan. 14 after living with cancer in her final years. She will be remembered by all who knew her at Notre Dame for her kindness, sparkling smile and authentic friendship that she extended to the Notre Dame community, especially the women of PE. She lived a wonderful life with well-placed priorities that revolved around her faith and family including her husband of 40 years, Greg, and daughters Megan ’12 and Molly ’24SMC. So many of us have great memories of Michele in recent years at ND games and tailgates, and perhaps her greatest legacy will be how her amazing spirit and zest for a life can be a blueprint for all of us to become the best versions of ourselves. We can take comfort in the fact that she’s now reunited with her dad Tom and roommate Rita Murphy, and I know they will be cheering above us for every Irish game.” Timothy Farrell let me know about the passing of our classmate Donald “Donny” Heintzelman. He died in December 2025 in his home in Muncie IN. A successful wrestler, Donny competed in the Junior Olympics in the Soviet Union in 1980, and was a member of the ND wrestling team, serving as captain in his senior year. Donny traveled the world, including Mexico and Guatemala, with the mother of his children, Susan Koper. He studied economics at ND, worked as a commercial fisherman and enjoyed gardening. Please keep in your prayers our deceased classmates and their families. There is also news from the “St. Ed’s contingent”: Dave Wood splits his time between Lancaster PA and his Bay house in MD. He retired as a brigadier general from the Army in 2021 after 34 years of service and continues to work in critical infrastructure protection. He enjoys his new grandson, Owen O’Brien Wood (ND class of 2047!). Joe Bongiovi is still in Louisville KY after his retirement from Sazerac. His post-corporate retirement gig is working as a management professor at the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the U of Kentucky and teaching online courses at Cornell. Scott Hobar retired from his position as CEO of Tichon Inc. and relocated to Carmel IN, which he uses as a base for world travel. Bill Stuhldreher retired in 2022 after 30 years as a freight railroadman; spends his time with girlfriend Melissa, his five kids and two grandkids; and lives in the Dallas area where he frequents EDM shows and raves. Bill Weiler is still practicing law in Chicago and trying to master his woodworking skills to prepare for his post-retirement career. Ben Suplick retired from his role as director of facilities engineering at the U of Pennsylvania and now tends his chickens and bees and is working on getting his Datsun 260z running again. Tom Limanek lives in VT and works for IBM when not competing in (and winning!) disc golf tournaments around the country. — Kathleen Doyle Yaninek; yanzlaw@comcast.net

85MBA We Are Back
Over the last few months, I have heard from many of you (directly and indirectly) and have created a group text to better stay in touch. We have been able to share family photos this way, and collectively we have traveled the world. I am planning on setting up our own group Facebook page. Some of us are hoping to attend the Miami game in November and put some sort of tailgate together. I hope I manage to capture everyone below and to include more news in the future. I have contact information for the following: Barry Wood, Bill Schaffer, Bob Flaig — who is keeping the ND spirit up with his boat named Fighting Irish and a decked-out green golf cart, Brad Amman, Frank Buddie, Jill Strenzel Gibson, Jim Lawn, Jim Gleason, Jim Vignone, Joe MacDonell, John O’Sullivan, Karen Morinelli, Teresa and Kevin McBride, Kurt Cornell — who was sailing the Caribbean this spring, Pete Klebba, Scott Kamienski, Steve Karaffa, Tom Breitenbach, Tom Mack, Tom O’Connell, Tom Varga, and Eileen O’Brien. Please reach out to me if you would like to share news or catch up with the class. — John Newbanks; jnewbanks62@gmail.com

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

86 Annual Mini-Reunion: MSU Weekend
By the time you receive this we will have celebrated our 40th Reunion. We’ll have more on that in the next issue. Our 41st Annual Mini-Reunion is MSU weekend, and all details have been sent your way via email. If you need details on our Friday night bash, tailgate tickets or Class Mass, please email me below. Jean and I had a fun visit with Pam Fox and Jim Raycraft at their home in Amelia Island FL. We did some biking off the south end of Amelia Island through North and South Talbot Islands, and had some great local seafood at the Sand Dollar. We enjoyed Pam’s personal Amelia Island Museum of History docent tour and chilling at The Amelia Island Club’s Long Point Grill. We also got a bird’s-eye view of Donald and Daisy, two ospreys preparing their nest for soon-to-be-laid eggs on Jim’s home-built osprey platform. Last year these ospreys welcomed three little ones who eventually matured and left the nest. This will be the second year Pam and Jim’s nest has helped contribute to the osprey population. Werner “Rip” Graf’s Heroes Foundation is now a Notre Dame case study in Prof. Joe Urbany’s sophomore Marketing Research class. As the department’s first AI-based marketing project, student teams will leverage AI as a synthetic customer, activating “personas” with priorities, constraints and emotional drivers to build a comprehensive marketing plan. Two classes will present their insights on April 28 in South Bend to Werner and his board. Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, added Michael McClory as senior counsel in its Portland OR office. Michael has been advising employers on complex employment and labor law matters for more than 35 years. This October, internationally renowned publisher Rizzoli will release The Jungle Garden: Preserving a Tropical Landscape, a richly photographed commemorative volume chronicling more than a century of vision, decline, rescue and renaissance at McKee Botanical Garden. Photographed by celebrated landscape photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo and written by author and former editor-in-chief of Vero Beach Magazine Heather O’Shea, the book captures the extraordinary evolution of a FL wilderness into one of America’s most enchanting tropical gardens. Founded in the 1920s by visionary horticulturist Arthur G. McKee and his business partner Waldo E. Sexton, the original McKee Jungle Gardens quickly became an internationally admired destination, famed for its cathedral-like royal palms, rare orchids, waterlilies and immersive subtropical plantings. After decades of popularity, the garden closed in 1976, facing near destruction from development. What followed was an unprecedented grassroots rescue. In the 1990s, a passionate coalition of local citizens mounted a bold campaign to save the historic core from bulldozers. Their efforts culminated in the formation of the Indian River Land Trust and the garden’s triumphant reopening in 2001 as McKee Botanical Garden, today recognized on the National Register of Historic Places and celebrated as an award-winning model of horticultural preservation. For those not receiving our class email, I am very sad to share again the news that we lost classmate Thomas “Chad” Henke on March 2. On behalf of our class, a candle was lit at the Grotto for Chad and his family. Take care and God Bless! — John Spatz; 201-264-2459; john@jjscb.com

86MBA Hoping to See You at 40
As we celebrate 40 years since graduating from the MBA program, a reunion tailgater is planned for the Stanford game on Oct. 10. Jeff Fiocci and Dave Sobek are hosting in either the Stadium or Joyce lot. Please contact them if you’re planning to attend or let me know and I will relay the information. Jorge Valencia, Carmen Cinco, Carolyn (Anderson) Wells and I plan to join in, and I hope to see you there! I’m currently recovering from knee replacement and hope to be 100 percent before then. Carolyn scratched off a bucket list item in April, going to a practice round at The Masters in Augusta. She followed some big name golfers (Rory, Justin Rose), enjoyed perfect weather and spent lots in the gift shop. Dave Greiner also crossed off a dream vacation — he rented a ski in/out house at Winter Park ski resort, cycled 22 friends through and managed to ski 30 days in a row. Let me know about your recent adventures — it is interesting to hear where you’ve been and who you’ve seen. — Maureen (Mullan) Decker; 21231 Lilac Lane, Clinton Twp. MI 48036; bus 586-741-4305; mobile 586-817-1317; maureen.decker@mclaren.org

86JD We Did It: 40 Years
Forty years since our Juris Doctor degrees were conferred; it hardly seems possible. Details of what was learned at our reunion in June will appear in the fall issue of Notre Dame Magazine. Nick Simeonidis shared that after 12 great years of living in Taiwan, his wife, Tara, left her post in June as deputy head of school at Taipei American School. Nick and Tara have now returned permanently to the US and are looking forward to being nearer to their two sons, beautiful daughters-in-law and new grandson, Theo. Steve Powell wrote that his high school daughter had the lead in the musical Frozen and will be attending UM in the fall while Steve’s youngest daughter won the state championship in cheerleading. Once again, Mike Shields hosted his annual NDLS ’86 night at the Red Wings for Detroit-area classmates. From the West Coast, Southern Californian Bill Brown and his family had had a wonderful trip to the Winter Olympics in Cortina and Milano. With this last Winter Olympics, that makes 12 Olympiads that Bill has attended. He looks forward to seeing all of us in LA for the XXXIV Olympiad. Seattleite John Duggan shared an exchange that he had with Jack Horas (details not fit for a family publication). Here’s the most interesting note I received: In a fit of nostalgia, Susan (Lindbloom) and David Link recently purchased a house in South Bend near campus and in a neighborhood filled with friends from the Law School. David recently had the pleasure of joining new neighbors Brigid and Prof. Fernand “Tex” Dutile ’65JD to catch up over breakfast. David and Susan look forward to having a second home in South Bend for Notre Dame games, visits to South Bend and future reunions (we are all invited). In addition, Susan and David are delighted to announce the engagement of their eldest son, also David Link ’13, who will be married to Hanna Ozarski this October. Maureen (Watz) Gornik shared that her daughter Lily Gornik ’26 was selected by the Notre Dame Accountancy Department at the Mendoza College of Business to receive the Elmer Layden Award, given to accountancy seniors with the highest GPA. She will graduate with honors and will go on to work in Chicago for PwC. Paul Peralta found himself in Chicago a few months ago and had lunch with Jim Landenberger and Tom Evans. I heard from Beth (Schneider) Naylor that she, Beth (Spencer) Meyer, Ellen (Kelly) Cordrey and Mary McPherson met in Paris in April to celebrate the beginning of a beautiful friendship over 40 years ago. Ah, they will always have Paris. … Finally, in this our 40th Reunion Year, let us not forget our NDLS Class of ’86 McCafferty Fellowship Fund. And a final note: As I was submitting this notes column, I just received the very sad news that our beloved classmate Bellew McManus passed away April 20. Please keep Heather (Ribar) McManus and Bellew and Heather’s entire family in your prayers at this difficult time. Stay safe, all, and please send me your updates. — Brian Bates; mobile 303-523-4883; bbates@abblaw.com

87 Save the Date for Reunion
Please spread the word to join us June 3 - 6, 2027 for an unforgettable Reunion weekend! Let me know if you’d be willing to help on the planning committee. There’s not much news this quarter, but I hope everyone is enjoying a restful summer. Chris Ryan recently retired from The Baldwin Group, where he specialized in construction liability claims, advising clients and carriers on complex, high-severity casualty matters. Chris and his wife, who he met while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay (1987-90), are relocating to Spain, reflecting their shared interest in international living and Spanish-speaking cultures. I wish Chris and his wife all the best and hope that they, along with any other Class of ’87 alumni, make their way to Switzerland at some point and look Jeff and me up … we welcome visitors! I’m saddened to write that I heard from Susan Bona, Christopher Bona’s wife, very shortly before this column was due. Chris passed away Aug. 10, 2024. She included in her note that he was the captain of the golf team, and I’m sure we have class members who have happy memories of him. If you’d like to share any of those, please contact me and I’ll make sure they are published in the October issue of the magazine. In the meantime, our prayers are with Susan, along with those who were close to Chris in our class. Steve Taeyaerts passed away peacefully at home on April 8 surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Eileen (Sullivan) Taeyaerts ’87SMC, and their children, Kevin and Mia. I see grandchildren, retirements, travel and a good amount of fishing and golfing on social media! Write in and let us know what you’ve been up to! — Meg Brennan Hamilton; meghamilton@yahoo.com

87MBA Honoring Mark
As announced in our last Class Notes, our friend and classmate Mark Brostowski passed away in February. While incredibly sad, the funeral and Mass were a wonderful tribute to Mark and his family. Many of our classmates sent notes of condolences to me that I have passed along to the Brostowski family. Thank you. In attendance at the funeral were Ken Kavanagh, Jake Frego, Bill Simeone, Bill McGillicuddy, Mike McCarthy, Chris Murphy and me. Again, while not the best of times, it was great to see each other and to catch up. By all accounts, each of the classmates in attendance are doing well. It was a great showing from our class after so many years. Mark loved the University of Notre Dame. In particular, Mark loved his friends and memories from Notre Dame. Both of his children, Ginger and Ian, are ND alumni. As loving parents who always loved their children’s ND classmates, Mark and his wife, Maribeth, always said the kids at Notre Dame “are just different, they are better than most.” Allow me to say this on behalf of the MBA Class of 1987: As a family man, a business person, as a human being and as a friend, “Mark was different, he was just better than most.” God Bless Mark Brostowski and the Brostowski family. Go Irish! — Perry N. Dellelce; Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, Suite 800, Wildeboer Dellelce Place, 365 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5H 2V1; 416-361-5899; fax 416-361-1790; perry@wildlaw.ca

87JD Retirements and Weddings
Joanne (Johns) Matousek advises that Brad Purcell is still valiantly holding on in his fight to remain retired. Joanne and Paul Matousek hosted Brad and his wife, Jane, along with Laurie (Giunti) McKeon and her husband, Dave; Susan and Ken Clingen; Beth (Spencer) ’86JD and Paul Meyer; and Mike Ross for the Second Annual Brad Purcell Retirement Party. Paul Meyer hated to see Brad retire alone, so Paul joined the ranks of the retired as of Jan. 1. Congratulations to John Fitzpatrick, who walked his firstborn, Mikayla, down the aisle in April in Costa Rica. The wedding was at a mountaintop castle above the coast. Mikayla’s husband, Rylan Stewart, graduated from law school at Arizona State, which was John’s undergrad alma mater. John Farnan and his wife, Stacy, have been and will be busy with weddings. Their second daughter, Rachel, was married in February, and their third daughter, Theresa, will be married in September. John and Stacy also welcomed their third grandchild, Ryan, in April, and their fourth grandchild is due in October. James Scranton checked in from New York City, where he has lived since graduation. A diehard Tigers fan, James is dating a Mets fan, but at least she does not root for the hated Yankees. Since retiring two years ago after 10 years as a securities litigator followed by a career switch to computer programming, James has been keeping busy going to baseball games, reading and volunteering at a nursing home on the Upper East Side, where he deals a weekly poker game (for play money), emcees a chat group on politics and visits the residents one-on-one. As you read this, our 40th (!) Reunion is less than a year away so mark your calendar for June 3 - 6, 2027. Finally, looking forward to this college football season: 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 A Great Loop Adventure
In the summer of ’25, Drew Greeley started on a year-long sabbatical from his position as a cardiac surgeon and traded his scrubs for flip-flops to embark upon America’s Great Loop. Along with wife Paula and their children, he lived aboard and traveled on the Mary Lou, named for his mom. They began by navigating the Hudson, the Erie Canal, the Great Lakes, inland rivers and the Gulf. Then they stopped in Naples FL to prepare for traveling around the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. By the time you’re reading this column, they will be back on dry land in NJ. Sounds like an amazing way to see the country and to recharge for life’s next decade. This February, 10 years after last convening, 10 Badinites gathered in FL to celebrate turning 60 and do some recharging of their own. The group was composed of Jane (Blaha) Vitou, Kathy (Goggin) James, Monica (Imbriaco) Torter, Chris (Lum) Coyle, Lindsay (Dodd) Gannon, Jen (Uber) Kincaid, Grace (Giorgio) Dyleski, Diane (Magill) Trammel, Stephanie Iverson and Ann (Costello) Eddy. Jane kindly provided an update for each attendee, and here they are in the above order. Jane herself is a realtor in Cleveland, splitting her time between OH and FL. Having five grandchildren, she loves her role as “Nan.” In Oxford OH, Kathy switched roles in the education world and shifted from serving as a reading specialist and literacy coach to teaching first grade in her local school district. Monica works as an investment banker in NJ and enjoys traveling the globe with husband Tom Torter. In Rochester NY, Chris is a teacher, plus mom to Joe, a rising senior at ND. Lindsay, a librarian in NJ, has five Domer children with husband Bill Gannon. Their youngest, Caroline, will graduate in ’27. Jen has five children as well and is a grandma to twin girls. She works as an attorney for Indiana U. Living in Bozeman MT, Grace works remotely as counsel for O’Connor & Stolinas Law Group in Orlando, a firm that specializes in construction litigation. Diane makes her home in Lake Mary FL, where she and her husband own a company that manufactures trim molding for commercial construction. In the Berkshires, Stephanie designs jewelry and owns a boutique, Sala, where she sells her creations, along with art and clothing. (I’ll add that I searched “Sala Berkshires,” landed on her website, and was struck by the beauty and affordability of her pieces.) Not lacking for talent, Stephanie also sings, plays bass and writes songs with her band, The Rockford Elevens. Finally, Ann has retired from the FBI and now runs her own private investigation firm while raising two children in Weston FL. Badinites Kelly (Gore) O’Brien and Lauren (Pillar) Trocano were missed, as they were unable to attend. My heart is heavy as I now report that we have lost three classmates since the start of the year: John “Jay” Beaghan on March 1, Donato “Don” Montanaro on March 6 and Peter “Pete” Collette on April 21. Classmates Tom Conforti, Ed Froeschl, Steve Kwak, Paul Pittman, Andy Shea, Mark Deffley, Kevin O’Neill and Jim Fitzpatrick attended Jay’s funeral and burial in CA, with Rev. Vince Kuna, CSC, ’99 serving as presider. I encourage you to read the obituaries of Don Montanaro and Pete Collette online to gain a greater appreciation of these remarkable men. — 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 Happy Summer
Megan Bovee has some heartfelt advice for our classmates: “For all classmates who are considering retirement, let me just say it is wonderful!” After a brief time in labor law early in her career, Megan found her calling as a Social Security disability attorney. The work was demanding and personally fulfilling. By the end of June 2025, Megan finished most of her cases, gave up her downtown office and closed out the rest of her cases from her home office. By the end of 2025, she changed her status with the Ohio Supreme Court to inactive, and began the retirement phase of life! Megan and her husband are enjoying time with her parents, kids and five grandkids. They travel as much as possible. When they are home, they plan and prepare for their vegetable and pollinator garden, try new recipes, go on long-distance bike rides and tackle house projects. Megan says, “Best wishes to all of our classmates, wherever you are on the journey!” Retirement is definitely in the water! Lien Galloway retired at the end of December 2025 from the Peace Corps after almost 24 years with the agency. In late March 2026, she was given a part-time expert appointment in the Office of the General Counsel to work on agreements, so it’s a wonderful work-life situation. Lien feels very blessed! Brian Pummil and his wife are expecting their sixth grandchild (a little girl) in May, arriving to their daughter, Molly Pummill Stiegman ’14. Brian is still working for the US Army, now as a civilian staff attorney for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. Brian also keeps busy teaching eighth grade CCD at his home parish, and his 12th class was confirmed in March! He can hear Charlie Rice laughing that “they couldn’t find a better instructor than me all these years!!??” Brian’s oldest granddaughter will be a student in next year’s class! For those of us who may not be aware, and on a more somber note, Brian passes our friend and classmate Greg Wulczak’s headstone multiple times per day. Greg rests with his parents in Brian’s and his common hometown. Greg passed in 1998 and Brian was honored to give his eulogy. Eternal rest grant unto Greg, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Lastly, are you planning to attend a football game this fall to cheer on the Irish? Consider joining your classmates for the Nov. 7 game against Miami. The Law School will be hosting a Homecoming Tailgate Party, and we’re hoping members of our class can meet up! Feel free to reach out with any questions — we’d love to see you there! Don’t forget to send in your updates, big or small! — Lori Merlo Coticchia; lcoticchia@aol.com

89 Memories, Legacy, Retirement
Surely many of us reflected on our senior year upon hearing about the passing of Coach Holtz. What an incredible way it was to end our college days — with a national championship under his leadership. Many classmates (too many to list) returned to campus for the funeral services and to share memories of the impact he had on the Class of ’89. The block of tickets for our class for the Miami game on Nov. 7 sold out in just two days. If you weren’t able to secure a ticket, we still hope to see you at the class tailgate — we’ll share more details soon. More ND memories were recently shared at the home of Leslie (Snook) and Brian “Bman” McGuckin in Bonita Springs FL. They live near classmates Chris “Leo” Saenger and his wife, Maryellen, as well as Kelly (Dempsey) and Mark “Buzz” Connolly. Several classmates have made the trip south this winter, including Pat “Catholics vs. Convicts” Creadon and, more recently, Pat “Marge” Marget and Joe “Caps” Capko, for a week of golf, boating and multiple happy hours. Stories flowed — South (the best) vs. North (where is that again?) Quad, Dillon vs. the world, the football national championship run and the joy of staying in touch after all these years. Everyone was especially excited about the number of legacy ND students in the group: the McGuckins have two daughters, Katie ’20 and Megan ’25; the Saengers have Ella ’22 and Christopher ’24; the Capkos have daughters Grace ’25 and Rowen ’28; and the Connollys have Patrick ’16 and Kathryn ’23. All are looking forward to football season and reconnecting at the Miami game. Go Irish! Lyonite Kelly (McGoldrick) Curran, who lives in the suburbs of Rochester NY, adds to the ND legacy list with her oldest son, Tom ’20, and youngest son, Kevin, who will begin his freshman year in Mendoza this fall. She also has a daughter, Kate, 26, and a middle son, Michael, who graduated from Boston College in 2024. David Best (Alumni Hall, Innsbruck Program) and his wife, Margaret, recently retired as assistant directors after more than 30 years at the US Government Accountability Office, an independent agency that works for Congress. David spent most of that time assessing developmental weapons programs and helping Congress oversee the Department of Defense. Their daughter, Carolyn, is beginning an acting career in New York City; their son Tom recently completed US Marine Corps Infantry Officer training and has begun active duty; and their youngest son, Dominic — an Eagle Scout — is finishing his junior year of high school. Dave and Meg have been enjoying retirement through travel (including Portugal, ME and HI) while continuing to cheer on the Irish — especially the lacrosse team when they’re near DC. — Mary Policastro Hillen; 12810 Olde Banyon Blvd., North Fort Myers FL 33903; res 440-840-5303; mhillen89@gmail.com

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

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