Vol.

12, Issue 2 • SUMMER 2008

John Carroll’s
Greatest Generation
Five Men, Five Stories
Donald J. Coburn, Class of 1943

Remembering Reverend Joseph O. Schell, SJ Commencement 2008

John CarRoll University

President
Rev. Robert L. Niehoff, SJ
Vice President for
University Advancement
Doreen Riley
Director of University ­
Marketing and Communications
Christine Somosi ’81
Editor
Ken Kesegich
Alumni Journal
Michele McFarland
Campus Photography Coordinator
Cheri Slattery
Advisory Board
George Bilgere
Sherri Crahen
Linda Eisenmann
Kimyette Finley ’95
Jack Hearns ’61
Mary Lavin ’87
Paul V. Murphy
Doreen Riley
Rev. Thomas Schubeck, SJ
Barbara Schubert ’62
Karen Schuele On the cover: Donald J. Coburn ’43
See “The Class of ’43,” page 20. Photograph by Robert Müller
Christine Somosi ’81
Brian Williams
Ex Officio
John Marcus ’72
 Vol. 12 Issue 2 SUMMER 2008

Cover Story
20 The Class of ’43
Sixty-five years ago, they graduated
Carroll and marched off to save the
free world. In their own words, five
members of the class of 1943 share
lives lived and lessons learned.

FEATURE
34 Walk of Life
The campus comes together
to take on cancer.

REMEMBRANCE
2 He Set the Example
Reverend Joseph O. Schell, SJ,
1914-2008

DEPARTMENTS
4 President’s Message
5 Mailbox
6 On Campus
15 Enrollment
16 Athletics
18 Giving
36 Images of Carroll
37 Alumni Journal / Class Notes
59 In Memoriam
64 My Turn
Inside back cover: Carroll People

Contributors: Jeffrey Bendix, David Budin,

Kathy Ewing, Paul Fetters, Al Fuchs, Bruce Gates,
Roger Mastroianni, Robert Müller, Chris Ostrander ’08,
John Reid, Chris Wenzler ’90, Robert Wetzler

Design: Villa Beach Communications, Inc.

Printed by Lane Press

Photograph by Robert Wetzler

John Carroll magazine is published quarterly by

John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Blvd.,
University Heights, OH 44118
journal@jcu.edu / 216-397-4332
Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH 44118,
and additional mailing offices.
ISSN 1542-0418

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

John Carroll Magazine
John Carroll’s 2008 Commencement was a day of achievements
University Marketing and Communications
celebrated and bonds strengthened. Coverage begins on page 12. 20700 North Park Blvd.
University Heights, OH 44118

It is the mission of the magazine to ­provide an

­engaging and accurate reflection of the University and
its ­extended community for its alumni and the other
members of the John Carroll family.
Reverend Joseph O. Schell, SJ, 1914-2008

He Set the Example

R
everend Joseph O. Schell, SJ, a legendary
Jesuit presence at John Carroll University,
died on April 25, 2008, at the age of 93.
He served as the University president from 1967
to 1970 and was the founder and shaping force of
John Carroll’s Campus Ministry program.
Fr. Schell was born in Jackson, Michigan,
in 1914 and grew up in Lakewood, Ohio. He
entered the Society of Jesus after graduating from
Lakewood High School in 1931. He was ordained
a priest in 1944 and came to John Carroll
University as a young instructor of philosophy
in 1946. He retired to the Jesuit retirement
community, Colombiere Center, in Clarkston,
Michigan, in July 2004.
For 58 years, Fr. Schell was the embodiment
of the tradition and values of a Jesuit Catholic
education at John Carroll University. During his
many decades as a professor of philosophy at
John Carroll, Fr. Schell played a formative role in
developing the cognitive skills of generations of
John Carroll students.
National figures such as NBC’s Tim Russert,
John Carroll class of 1972, and Hall of Fame
football coach Don Shula, John Carroll class
of 1951, have long given the Jesuit logician
credit for teaching them “how to think.” Those
comments have been so frequently echoed by
other alumni that, decades ago, Fr. Schell became
firmly established as both a contemporary model
of excellence in the classroom and a leading
exemplar of the nearly 500-year-old tradition of
Jesuit education.
John Carroll board member, namesake of the
University’s business school, and longtime friend

2 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

of Fr. Schell’s, John Boler, John Carroll
class of 1956, reflected, “It has been a
privilege to have such a long association
with Fr. Schell. This humble man had
an exceptional mind, approachable
demeanor, and always made time for
others. Fr. Schell epitomized all that is
good about a Jesuit Catholic education.
I was blessed to know him.”
Fr. Schell was equally renowned
as a spiritual counselor. Former faculty
member Jennifer Cutler-Merritt said
several years ago: “His whole sense of
peace and angelic nature has had a big
impact on me in terms of bringing me
peace. To this day, he is someone that I
always turn to with thought, reflections,
questions, everything.”
Memories of Fr. Schell
The following remembrances of
Fr. Schell are a small sampling
of those contributed to the
University’s online guestbook.
Fr. Schell will also be remembered as
a remarkable repository of memory for
the institution and the people who moved
through it during his many decades on
campus. He was famous for greeting
someone by name after not having seen
him or her for three or four decades.
Fr. Schell is survived by his sister,
Bettymarie Morrison, and many nieces
and nephews, and dear friends.
The funeral Mass was held at the
Church of the Gesu in University Heights
on the morning of May 3, followed by
interment at All Saints Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made in Fr.
Schell’s name to John Carroll University’s
Advancement Division, where a memorial
fund has been created in his name. The
On Sunday evenings, when he was
prefect of Pacelli Hall, Fr. Schell would
bang on my door and shout, “Berg, get your
skates! I’ve got a car and we’re going to the
arena.” We would skate for a couple hours
to the organ music and he would seldom
stop to rest. In fact, during “couples skates,”
he’d drag me out on the ice as his part-
ner. My short legs were a bit of a problem
skating next to his long ones, but being
on the ice was what was important to him.
So, having to skate with a short guy was a
minor inconvenience.
– Jack Berg ’56
endowment will benefit, in perpetuity,
Campus Ministry at John Carroll
University.
Please visit www.jcu.edu/schell
for more information and to share your
remembrances in a guest book.
During Easter break of my junior year in
high school, our family was walking around
campus on a sunny Sunday morning. A man
approached us, his Sunday paper tucked
under his arm. He asked us if we would
like a tour of the campus. After our tour
and “history” lesson, this affable gentleman
asked my parents if he could speak with me
one-on-one in his office. We walked down
a quiet corridor in the AD building to a
door which he opened for me. I looked at
the name on the door. It read, “Office of the
President, Joseph O. Schell, SJ.” We had
just been given a tour by the president of the
University. He had never let on who he was.
He asked me if I would like to attend JCU.
I said, “Yes.” He stood up, shook my hand,
and said, “Welcome to John Carroll.”
– Mike Sullivan ’71
continued on page 63
SUMMER John
20082008
SUMMER Carroll
John Carrolluniversity
university 33
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The Ideal Jesuit
O
n a rainy Saturday in early May, we said
goodbye to Reverend Joseph Schell, SJ.
Hundreds came. Scores of people worked
long hours to ensure the wake, Mass, burial –
everything, down to the last note of music – would be
beautiful. If you were there, I don’t think you’ll ever
forget it. For me, being able to say goodbye to such a
friend was a true grace.
Who was this man who inspired such love? Father
Joe Schell inspired such love because he bestowed it
so freely. Call him the ideal Jesuit. He would resist the
description, of course. But he exemplified our highest
values. He was a teacher, a pastor, a leader. For 58
years on this campus and 62 years total – half the life
of our University! – he accepted us, encouraged us,
and loved us.
As Fr. Schell’s health declined in the weeks
before his death, he asked that his wake and funeral
be held at the Church of the Gesu. “Don’t worry,”
he said, “I’ll be there.” His body failed him, but
his humor never did. I knew him only in the last
years of his life. A short time, yes, but a blessing.
Long enough to observe how one man could
make a profound difference in the world.   John Carroll’s total impact on the Northeast Ohio
The notion of making a difference runs
throughout this issue of John Carroll
magazine. Our cover story looks at
five Carroll alumni from the class
of 1943. They, and so many of
their classmates from the war
years, did what was necessary
in service to their country,
families, and communities. In
4 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
this, the 65th Reunion year of the group from ’43, we
take the opportunity to say thank you by giving voice
to their stories.
Truman Scholar Joshua Marcin, a John
Carroll junior profiled on our Carroll People page,
is indicative of the difference our committed
students make. Our look at the American Cancer
Society fundraiser Relay for Life, John Carroll
style, demonstrates the effect of the entire campus
community working in concert.
Father Joe Schell inspired
such love because he
bestowed it so freely.
The magazine’s On Campus section references a
recent publication prepared by the University: John
Carroll University’s Economic Impact on Northeast Ohio.
Find it online in the “About JCU” section on our
home page. As part of our master planning process, we
set out to quantify the economic and social benefits
that John Carroll brings to Northeast Ohio.
economy is estimated to have exceeded $115 million
in fiscal year 2006. The University also contributes
significantly to the region in ways that can’t be
measured – from community service to cultural
programs – and the study describes those as well.
Through our people and our programs, we will
continue to make a difference – and strive to do more.
As ever, we’ll look to Fr. Schell, who is now in the
arms of our loving God, for inspiration.
God bless,
Reverend Robert L. Niehoff, SJ
 MAILBOX

The Picture Is Completed

“John had a voice that sounded
like the Divinity when he was
on a mike during those raucous
Stunt Night skits and a booming
laugh you’d never forget.”
I am writing in response to the letter from Ray Hils ’55 concerning his wife, Tish. Mr. Hils
asked, “...who’s the guy she’s with?” in the postscript of his letter [spring issue, page 3].
I believe that “guy” is my father, John F. Huddleston, who attended JCU on the GI Bill
after being wounded overseas in Germany during WWII. Dad went on to Georgetown
after graduating from Carroll and pursued a law degree. He also loved to sing, and met my
mother, Dolores Huddleston, through their voice teacher. Dad’s name may be familiar to
some at JCU, since he served as registrar there for a number of years.
My mother also worked at JCU, first for Dr. Pecek in the English department, and later
for Fr. Britt, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. All four of the Huddleston
children (myself, David, John Jr., and Edward) attended and graduated from Carroll as well.
Dad passed away in November 2007 after a long struggle with cancer. Seeing him so
young and handsome again in that photograph was bittersweet for me. I console myself
with the knowledge that Dad and Mom had 53 wonderful years together, and that, for
them, as for Mr. Hils and his late wife, music was a gift that brought them together. I am
grateful to my dad for many things, not the least of which is the education he enabled me
to receive at John Carroll. That education has led me to an elementary teaching career
and the attainment of my master’s degree in education. Thank you for reminding me of
the handsome and joyful “guy” my father once was.
Frances (Huddleston) Webbe ’77
Meyersville, New Jersey

The man in the photo was John Huddleston, class of 1951, whose rich, deep voice resonated across the JCU campus –
from complicated classroom debates to rowdy Stunt Night skits in those extraordinary postwar years – with classmates
ranging from 17-year-olds (like me) to battle-scarred vets like John, whose leg was shattered in battle and put him on
canes for the rest of his life.
This 5-foot, 6-inch shrimp with a leg weakened by childhood polio bonded with the burly giant during our days
together on the Carroll News and countless amiable exchanges. John had a voice that sounded like the Divinity when
he was on a mike during those raucous Stunt Night skits and a booming laugh you’d never forget.
We shared little, John and I, the burly seasoned giant and the inexperienced little guy – except, perhaps, for
restless, curious minds and an earthy sense of humor – but I loved the big guy. I’m the guy in the middle of the pictured
prom goers – with the lovely Jeanne Robinson sitting on my knees.

Lee J. Cirillo ’51

Nashville

Editor’s note: Jim Livingston ’51 wrote to say he’s the man on the left in the photo.
His date that evening was Joan Sullivan, like Tish and Jeanne a student at Notre
Dame College. Mr. Huddleston’s obituary ran on page 63 of John Carroll magazine’s
spring 2008 issue.

John Carroll magazine welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length
and clarity. E-mail journal@jcu.edu; fax to 216-397-3085; or send via US mail to
John Carroll Magazine, University Marketing and Communications,
20700 North Park Boulevard, University Heights, OH 44118.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 5

 ON CAMPUS

Carroll to Welcome New AVP

John Carroll has named John T. Day as its
new academic vice-president (AVP).
Dr. Day is currently the vice-president
of academic affairs and dean of the college
at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.
Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York,
Dr. Day is a summa cum laude graduate of
the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester,
Massachusetts. He completed a doctorate in
English and American literature at Harvard
University, where he also taught in the
Expository Writing program.
Dr. Day spent 23 years at St. Olaf
College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he
served as chair of the English department,
associate dean for interdisciplinary and
general studies, and assistant vice-president
for academic affairs.
Dr. Day will begin his duties in August.
He says, “My commitment to John Carroll
will be grounded in my own Jesuit education
at Holy Cross, with its emphasis on religious
faith, academic excellence, and commit-
ment to social justice, which has shaped my
character and my career since my undergrad-
uate experience.” Dr. Day succeeds David La
Guardia ’65, who will return to the English
faculty after serving as AVP since 2001.
In his new role at JCU, Dr. Day’s
responsibilities will include maintaining
high standards for academic programs,
promoting student learning, and enhancing
the University’s Jesuit Catholic mission.
The academic vice-president also serves as
the acting president in the absence of the
president.
John T. Day

Economic Engine
As a complement to its ongoing master
planning process, John Carroll recently
assessed the impact that the University has
on the Northeast Ohio economy and on
the community where JCU resides. The
University commissioned the Center for
Economic Development at Cleveland State
University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College
of Urban Affairs to conduct the study.
The result, completed earlier this year,
is John Carroll University’s Economic Impact
on Northeast Ohio, a 12-page publication
that describes the University’s economic
and social impact on its region.
The study estimates that John
Carroll’s total economic impact on the
Northeast Ohio economy exceeded
$115 million in fiscal year 2006,
the year analyzed. This spending
generated nearly 1,500 jobs and
produced more than $54 million in
household earnings within the region.
Other highlights of the
study include:
• John Carroll University counts nearly
38,000 living alumni, 58 percent of whom
have remained in Ohio – making their
own economic impact – after graduation.
• Since 1998, the University has invested
nearly $150 million in campus facilities.
• In 2006, more than 1,200 members of
the JCU community participated in some
form of service locally, nationally, or
internationally.
• JCU is the single largest income tax gen-
erator for the City of University Heights.
The University contributed more than
$900,000 – or 10 percent of the city’s
total income tax revenue in 2007.
Find the report in the “About JCU”
section on the University’s home page.

6 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Clean Sweep

O
n April 11, Boler School of Business
students, faculty, and staff fanned out
to five locations around Cleveland to
participate in community service projects. Among
the more than 100 students involved in the first
annual Boler Community Day was Lindsay Pautler
(right), class of 2011, who joined a contingent
cleaning up Perkins Beach on the city’s lakefront.
Projects in the other groups included hosting kids
from Cleveland’s St. Thomas Aquinas School on
the JCU campus, and helping to clean a men’s
shelter. The Boler School’s Student Business
Advisory Council orchestrated the event. Eight
days later, the annual University-wide Cultivating
Community Day took place. JCU students,
faculty, staff, and alumni undertook projects in
Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood. The day is
part of JCU faculty member Peggy Finucane’s ’80
Cultivating Community class, which examines

Photograph by John Reid

the complexities of an urban neighborhood.
Alumni in Pittsburgh; Washington, DC;
and Columbus, Ohio, volunteered in JCU’s
Cultivating Community Day service events in
their cities.
Photograph by Robert Wetzler

Story Teller
“As the Italian American population melts into the general population, I hope
we will keep our families’ stories alive.” That was the message delivered by United
States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Anthony Alito Jr., who presented
“Remember the Story of Italian Americans” in April as part of JCU’s Bishop
Anthony M. Pilla Program in Italian American Studies. In his talk before 1,500
people in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center, Justice Alito examined the experiences
of Italian American immigrants and the way their stories are often negatively
depicted in our history and culture. It’s up to Italian Americans, he said, to pass
their stories down through the generations, and not rely on history books or popular
culture. He shared his own immigrant family’s story in his discussion. The Bishop
Pilla Lecture Series brings distinguished speakers to campus to explore issues
relevant to Italian and Italian American culture. Past guest speakers have included
Justice Alito’s fellow Supreme Court jurist Antonin Scalia.

Supreme Court Associate Justice

Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 7

 ON CAMPUS
High Achievers
From inside and outside the University,
recognition flowed to John Carroll students
and faculty this spring. Here is a sampling:
Among students, senior
political science major
Taneisha Means ’08 was
selected to participate in
the 2008 Ralph Bunche
Summer Institute of the
American Political Science
Association, being held at
Duke University through
June. Only 20 students
Taneisha Means from a national pool were
chosen for the annual
intensive five-week program, designed to
expand opportunities in political science
for students from underrepresented groups.
Two students in the Department of
Classical and Modern Languages and
Cultures are recipients
of the University’s René
Fabien Scholarship for
study abroad. Maria Gazzo
received $6,000 for her
proposed Junior Year
Abroad at the College
of International Studies
(CIS) in Madrid and the
University of Dortmund.
Alyssa Piunno was awarded
Maria Gazzo
$4,000 for her Junior Year
Abroad at CIS in Madrid as well.
In April, John Carroll neuroscience
students earned top honors at the
8 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
62nd Annual Eastern Colleges Science
Conference (ECSC), held at Niagara
University. Timothy Warner and Matthew
Baumann won first place
for a research paper in
psychology, and John
Sullivan won the same
award for a research paper
in biology. In addition, Mr.
Warner and Mr. Baumann
received first place for
a poster presentation
in psychology. And for
their poster presentation Alyssa Piunno
in physiology, Matthew
McDiarmid and Jaclyn Schneeberger
took top honors. More than 300 students
from around 20 colleges and universities
competed at the event. In 20 of the past
21 years, students in the neuroscience
concentration under the
direction of JCU faculty
Helen Murphy and Cyrilla
Wideman have won first
place for a research paper in
biology, chemistry, and/or
psychology at the ECSC.
Bryan Mauk ’08
was named one of five
recipients of the national
2007 Howard R. Swearer
Bryan Mauk
Student Humanitarian
Award for his commitment to community
service. Bryan is the founder and driving
force of the St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Ministry at John Carroll, a project in which
members of the University community
distribute hot meals and other necessities
to Cleveland’s homeless
population. The award
was presented in March
at IMPACT: National
Student Conference on
Service, Advocacy, and
Social Action, held at
Northeastern University in
Boston.
Continuing its
tradition of excellence,
the Carroll News won a
bevy of national awards this year. In the
Society of Professional Journalists Mark of
Excellence Awards, the weekly paper took
second place for best all-around non-daily
student newspaper in Region 4, and Jenna
Lo Castro was named best
columnist for both Region 4
and nationally. Seven more
awards came to the Carroll
News from the Society
of Collegiate Journalists’
national award competition.
The paper was led by editor
in chief Katie Mahoney last
year, with Bob Noll serving
as advisor. Andrew Rafferty
steps up from managing
editor to lead the paper for 2008-09. Over
the last 10 years, the paper has won more
than six dozen national awards.
Among faculty, English department
faculty member George Bilgere was
awarded the University’s highest faculty
honor, the 2008 Distinguished Faculty
Award. His department colleague
Photographs on this page by Robert Wetzler
Christopher Roark received the
Lucrezia Culicchia Award for Teaching
Excellence, which recognizes faculty in
the College of Arts and Sciences. The
Wasmer Outstanding Teaching Award,
The award-winning Carroll News staff.
Jenna Lo Castro (back row, right) was
named best columnist nationally for
Lo Castro’s Lowdown.
 Excerpt
recognizing faculty in the Boler School
A House Without
For Lily Boulos
of Business, went to Scott Moore of the
Department of Economics and Finance. I.
Penny She leans against the stairwell railing,
trying to catch her breath
Harris, professor
as if it were a moth, hovering
Photograph courtesy of George Bilgere

and chair of
sociology at John around a bulb, just out of reach. Her heart
Carroll, received failing for months now, her lungs exhausted
the 2008 Educator as night swimmers, arms flailing
of the Year Award
the black glass of water for something solid.
from the Ohio The knifepoint of each inhaling.
Association of In the convent, as a teen, she could steal
Gerontology and
Education. the ball from any priest and swish a shot
George Bilgere
Jerry from thirty feet. Now, in her last ascent,
she turns, stares down the dark stairwell
Moreno, assistant professor of
Philip Metres
mathematics and computer science, and grabs the rail as if it were the arm
was named Outstanding Educator for of someone trying to rob her. Photograph courtesy of Philip Metres
2008 by the Greater Cleveland Council
of Teachers of Mathematics. The first stanza of the poem “A House Without,” from the collection To See the Earth by
In May, the Philip Metres, associate professor of English at John Carroll. The book, published earlier
North Central this year by the Cleveland State University Poetry Center, is Prof. Metres’s sixth book and
Ohio Counseling first full-length collection of poetry. “The poem ‘A House Without,’” he says, “is an elegy for
Association my paternal grandmother, Lily Boulos, who was the spiritual glue for my father’s Lebanese-
Photograph by Robert Wetzler

presented American family, two generations of whom grew up in a Brooklyn Heights brownstone.
Christopher Though she was a small melancholy woman of slight build, she hid a fierceness of love and will.”
Faiver with the
Faiver Award
for Outstanding
Contributions
to the North
Fast Alert
Christopher Roark JCU Alert is the newest layer of security for the Carroll campus community. The
Central Ohio
University has augmented its Emergency Notification System with a text messaging
Counseling Association, and honored
service that will instantly and simultaneously distribute brief messages in situations
him as its first recipient. Dr. Faiver
posing imminent physical threats to the JCU community. The system can convey
is the coordinator of the community
messages to registered mobile phones, Blackberries, wireless PDAs, smart phones,
counseling master’s program at JCU.
and satellite phones even in times when traditional phones and e-mail networks are
The University as a whole came in
congested due to increased volume.
for a special honor in February. John
Carroll was named to the President’s The new mass notification system complements the existing JCU Emergency
Higher Education Community Service Notification System, which includes e-mails, phone mail announcements, and indoor
Honor Roll. The honor roll is a select fire alarms. The use of the system will be followed by announcements in all of the
group of colleges and universities University’s existing emergency notification channels.
recognized with the president’s highest Registration is voluntary but necessary to be part of the system. In addition to
designation for involvement in students, faculty, staff, and administrators, parents of John Carroll students are invited to
community service. Carroll was one of register for JCU Alert as well. Registration is available from the University’s home page.
nine Jesuit institutions named to the
honor roll. Nine others were chosen
with distinction.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 9

ON CAMPUS

Called to Lead

I
n February, John Carroll alumnus and Board of Directors member Reverend Timothy Kesicki, SJ,
’84, was appointed provincial superior of the Detroit Province by Reverend Adolfo Nicolás, SJ,
superior general of the Society of Jesus. The Detroit Province consists of approximately 160 Jesuits
who live and work mostly in Michigan and Ohio. Fr. Kesicki will begin his six-year term on August
15, taking over for Provincial Father Robert Scullin, SJ. He will leave Saint Ignatius High School,
the Jesuit Catholic institution in Cleveland, where he has been president since 2000. Before arriving
at Saint Ignatius, the Erie, Pennsylvania, native served with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Uganda
and taught at Jesuit schools in Detroit. Fr. Kesicki spoke with John Carroll magazine in April.

What does being named provincial superior mean to you?

I love being a Jesuit. I’m very willing to serve in this capacity as asked by the order. It’s humbling.
I’d do anything for the Jesuits, as you would do for your family. The greatest meaning comes in
that willingness to serve the order.

What will be your fondest memory of Saint Ignatius High School?

Any time I spent with students is the highlight of my time at Saint Ignatius. To be the spiritual
leader of the students has been a great gift to me.

How did John Carroll prepare you for your new role?
I met Jesuits at John Carroll. Because of John Carroll, I became a Jesuit. I first made the
Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola at John Carroll under Father Don Smythe,
SJ. With his spiritual direction, as well as the support of Father Joe Schell, SJ,
I came into the Jesuit order.

What’s the biggest challenge facing you as provincial superior?

We are in the process of consolidating three provinces into one. The current
Detroit Province will eventually form one consolidated province with Detroit,
Chicago, and Wisconsin by 2021. My term will end before that is completed,
but we will begin that process now. First, I’ll engage in conversations with the
other three provincials. We’ll discuss what we together think are the necessary
next steps to make this consolidation happen.

What are you most looking forward to in your new position?

The opportunity to get to know Jesuits in a deeper, more profound way.
I’ll hear the account of conscience of each Jesuit on an annual basis.
It’ll be a grace to get to know Jesuits as a major superior.

To serve the order: Reverend Timothy Kesicki, SJ, ’84 is the new
provincial superior for the Detroit Province.

Photograph, courtesy of Saint Ignatius High School,

by Al Fuchs of Fuchs & Kasperek

10 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

A Celebration of Vocations

advancement
D
uring his homily at a special Mass to celebrate
vocations, Reverend Thomas Schubeck, SJ,
challenged worshippers to take leadership roles
in the Church. “We need leaders in our Church,” he said.
The service on a Sunday in April was an appropriate
occasion for his message. The students and others in
attendance were taking part in the second annual Mass
and dinner to celebrate vocations, an evening to encourage
those John Carroll students who are considering vocations
in the priesthood or religious life.
At the dinner following the Mass, Peter Bernardo
’67, JCU’s director of planned giving, told those
assembled that the young men and women pursuing
vocations represent the “front line of our faith.” The
featured presenters, Reverend Michael Stalla and Sister
Reverend Thomas Schubeck, SJ, celebrated the vocations Mass.
Lenore Thomas, shared their own personal journeys.
According to Mr. Bernardo, 44 seminary students Reverend William
are taking courses in theological studies at John Carroll. Bichl, SJ, John Carroll’s
campus minister, and
An estimated 12 more Carroll students are considering John Carroll students
the path to the priesthood or religious life. shared stories during
Photography by Robert Wetzler
the vocations dinner.

Sister Lenore Thomas invited students to help during Reverend Michael Stalla enjoys a laugh with
her presentation. his tablemates.

Newly Ordained
John Carroll also figures prominently in the lives of all five men ordained as priests in the Diocese of Cleveland in May. Two of the men,
Reverend Stephen Flynn and Reverend Michael McCandless, graduated from JCU in 2002. Two more, Reverend Jared Orndorff and
Reverend Edward Suszynski Jr., graduated from Carroll a year later. The fifth newly ordained priest, Reverend Joseph Brankatelli, attended
John Carroll from 2001 to 2003.

Reverend Stephen Reverend Michael Reverend Jared Reverend Edward Reverend Joseph
Flynn ’02 McCandless ’02 Orndorff ’03 Suszynski Jr. ’03 Brankatelli
Photographs courtesy of the Diocese of Cleveland
SUMMER 2008
SUMMER John
2008 Carroll
John Carroll university
university 11
11
Graduation Day
F
or the John Carroll students crossing the
stage and receiving diplomas, Sunday,
May 18, 2008, was a day of celebration.
Wet weather moved the Commencement
proceedings indoors, to the Wolstein Center at
Cleveland State University, but it did nothing
to dampen the enthusiasm of these Carroll
students, their families and friends, and the
faculty and staff who participated.
The afternoon was filled with roars from
the arena seats as 632 students were called to
receive their diplomas – 516 undergraduates
and 116 graduate students shook hands with
John Carroll’s president, Reverend Robert L.
Niehoff, SJ, and strode away as new graduates.
(For more facts and figures around the
graduating class, see Enrollment, page 15.)
Patrick Rombalski, the University’s
vice-president for student affairs, provided the
address to the graduates. The liberal arts, he
12 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
said, form the foundation of a John Carroll
education, training graduates to perform in a
field and to think critically. “But,” he
continued, “we need to ask more of you. We
need you to approach the world in a particular
way. When you do, it distinguishes you as a
graduate of a Jesuit university.”
He enumerated three ways to approach the
world: as people of compassion, as people who
see from the viewpoint of the poor, and as
people whose lives are committed to action.
(An excerpt from his talk can be found on
page 14.) In his time at Carroll, Dr. Rombalski
led five groups of students to Ecuador in his
role as executive director of Rostro de Cristo, a
nonprofit organization whose mission is to
provide immersion experiences for US college
students. Dr. Rombalski’s speech was also a
farewell, as he is leaving John Carroll this Millor Orator Thomas Haren ’08
summer after 11 years to become vice-
The Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree
is presented to Martin J. Schreiber Jr., MD ’72
by JCU Board of Directors member Mary Ann
Corrigan-Davis ’75.
Patrick Carpenter ’08 receives the Beaudry
Award from Fr. Niehoff.
president for student affairs at Boston College.
Later in the ceremony, Fr. Niehoff conferred
an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree
on Martin J. Schreiber Jr., MD ’72. Dr.
Schreiber is chair of the Department of
Nephrology and Hypertension at the Cleveland
Clinic. He was recognized for outreach – both
locally and globally – that exemplifies the
mission and the spirit of John Carroll
University. The degree citation, written in the
form of a poem by this year’s Distinguished
Faculty Award recipient, George Bilgere, was
presented by JCU Board of Directors member
Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis ’75.
Other highlights of the day included the
Millor Orator address, a presentation by a gradu-
ating senior chosen by the senior class officers.
This year’s speaker was Thomas Haren ’08.
Mr. Haren’s classmate Patrick Carpenter ’08

received the Beaudry Award. Mr. Carpenter
was selected by his classmates for the award,
which recognizes outstanding service in
Christian leadership, academic achieve-
ment, and contributions to the University
community.
Three days earlier, eight graduating
seniors received the Outstanding Student
Leader Award at the Senior Celebration.
Honored for making significant contributions
to the campus culture were Marisa Benich,
Libby Bost, Alison Cyperski, Abbey Fox,
Rodney Gallaway, Amanda Maggiotto, John
Simmons, and Beth Wall.
The Commencement ceremony also
included the presentation of the Alumni
Medal Award to this year’s five recipients.
See page 57 in the Alumni Journal.
Ken Kesegich
Photography by Robert Wetzler
14   John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
The following is an excerpt from Patrick
Rombalski’s address to the graduates:
O
ne of my first encounters with poverty happened 20 years ago, during my
first trip to Ecuador, through a friendship I built with one young boy in
the neighborhood. His name was Manuel, and we spent about 14 hours
together daily for two weeks. Each day, I carried him on my shoulders up a steep
hill scattered with unstable houses made of bamboo and tin roofs. During our days
together, I played soccer on the gravel road, visited with his family, and practiced my
very simple Spanish.
What really sticks with me, though, is a haunting image. It was my last day in
Ecuador and time for the group to leave for the airport. We had piled our bags into
the pickup truck just after 6:00 in the morning. We loaded into the truck and started
slowly down the hill toward Guayaquil. I was sitting
in the back of the cab, hanging over the edge as the
truck pulled away.
When we were close to the bottom of the hill, I
saw Manuel. He had come to say goodbye, but he
was too late. He began running down the hill, crying
and waving – all at the same time. As it became
apparent he was not going to catch the truck, he
shouted, “Por favor quedese, no se vaya.” (Please
stay, don’t leave.)
This image, our friendship, and my two weeks
on that place named Goat Hill broke me – opened me
up to a new world that I had never known. It helped
me know the woman I would marry; it helped pick
my career; it helped form my friendships. It continues to challenge me on most every
aspect of my life.
It had never occurred to me that I would leave a part of me behind – that these
days in Ecuador would make me vulnerable – that this relationship would actually
require something from me. I thought it was about giving and then returning home.
No costs involved, no lingering images, no guilty feelings. Experiences like these
were to be remembered with photo albums and journal entries. They were not
supposed to change your life.
I forgot that relationships are two-way, that something else was also required
of me. I knew then, as I was driving down the hill, that I could never leave – that
Manuel deserved more and that a permanent bond had been formed. I learned once
again that relationships are messy. They are not “business as usual,” nor are they
predictable and controllable. Relationships involve people, hurt feelings, moments of
joy, grieving, new horizons, and, mainly, sacrifice.
In the end, the image of Manuel’s tears reminds me that we must stay – we
cannot leave. When we have an encounter with the poor, our perspective changes.
When we build relationships with the poor, our lives change.
Graduation by
the Numbers

Based on the count of expected degrees

as of April 30, shortly before John Carroll
magazine went to press, we worked up some

ENROLLMENT
numbers that look at the 2008 graduating
class from a different perspective.

Expected degrees:
• Undergraduate: 554
• Graduate: 128 By state
OH 537 CA 1
Legacies: PA 62 FL 1
• 86 direct legacy (at least one parent graduated)
NY 26 PR 1
• 135 with any family member who attended JCU
IL 23 WI 1
MI 14 WV 1
First in the family to earn a college degree: 142
MD 3 UT 1
Most common names: AZ 2 TX 1
• Michael (19) MA 2 NE 1
• Jennifer (12) MO 2 ME 1
VA 2
College credits earned: 70,345
For official tallies of undergraduate and
Courses taken at JCU: 26,080
• Taught by 262 different full-time faculty members
graduate degrees granted on graduation
• Taught by 369 different part-time faculty members day, see our Commencement coverage,
pages 12 through 14, in this issue.
Projected average GPA, through fall 2007 grades: 3.24

Attention High School Juniors

Y ou might think summer is not the best time to visit a college, since
most of our students are home and abroad. However, with a little
imagination and good planning, a summertime visit can be worthwhile to
help give you a feel of John Carroll University for your college education.
We invite you to visit John Carroll and take advantage of our campus
tours, sit in on admission and financial aid presentations, see the school’s
surroundings and speak with our student tour guides more informally. If
you have other requests, call us and we’ll do the best we can to meet your
needs for a great visit to Cleveland and our campus.

For our full summer schedule, please go to www.jcu.edu/visit.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 15

 ON CAMPUS
Spring Sports Roundup
athletics
Though the spring sports season at John
Carroll had not officially come to a close at
press time (some track and field standouts
were still hoping to qualify for the national
championships in late May), many teams
and athletes had wrapped up the year with
varying degrees of success.
The Blue Streak softball team started
out the 2008 campaign with just two wins
in their first 11 games. It seemed that if any
history was going to be made, it would be
the kind no one would wish to talk about in
these parts.
16 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Lo and behold, first-year head coach
Erin Kingsbury and her troops righted the
ship. By winning 15 of its final 23 games,
including a regular-season-ending sweep at
Marietta, John Carroll qualified for the Ohio
Athletic Conference postseason tournament
for just the second time in 18 years. Led by
all-time home run leader Jamie Smrdel, the
Blue Streaks engineered one of the greatest
turnarounds in JCU athletics history.
Another team that started slow was
the JCU men’s tennis team. After four
matches, the Blue Streaks were 0-4.
Much like its softball counterparts, the
men’s tennis squad picked up its level of
play in the second half of the season. John
Carroll would win its final five matches to
finish fourth in the regular season standings.
The team moved on to the OAC
postseason tournament. After dispatching Home run leader: Jamie Smrdel helped lead
Muskingum in the quarterfinals, the Blue the softball team to a dramatic turnaround.
Streaks would face top-seed Ohio Northern
in the semifinals. JCU junior James Steward Ms. Shannon essentially won the
defeated Ohio Northern’s Micha Scott – a crown by becoming the only golfer in the
four-time All-OAC selection – in straight field to fire a round below 80 all weekend.
sets, but the Polar Bears would prevail in the At the close of day one, she and Otterbein’s
team score by a narrow 5-3 margin. Natalie King shared the lead after both
The Blue Streaks return five of their golfers shot 83 and created a four-shot
top six players for next year, including Mr. cushion from the rest of the field.
Steward, who also happens to be a biology On Sunday, Ms. Shannon posted a 78
major with a 3.99 GPA. for a final score of 161, edging Ms. King
by two strokes. The JCU athlete, who was
With weather and schedule conflicts, the 2007 OAC runner-up, earned all-
John Carroll senior Amanda Shannon was tournament honors for the second time in
not having much of a spring golf season. her career. As a team, JCU finished fourth
But on the weekend of April 26-27, Ms. out of nine teams.
Shannon would become the first Blue
Streak women’s golfer ever to earn medalist The John Carroll baseball team suffered
honors at the Ohio Athletic Conference a tough ending to what had the makings of a
Championships. historic season. After winning 22 of their first
31 games, the Blue Streaks had the proverbial
snakebite occur. Key injuries and assorted
other bad breaks conspired to send JCU on a
season-ending six-game losing streak that cost
Ace: James Steward will return next it a spot in the four-team postseason Ohio
season to give opponents fits.
Athletic Conference tournament.
 Attention
Baseball
Alumni
John Carroll’s head baseball
coach, Marc Thibeault ’98,
wants to create an e-mail
distribution list to communicate
with fellow alumni about the
team and events.

He asks former players and

Atop the leader board: Amanda Shannon won the OAC tournament.
others who are interested
to e-mail him at
Despite the somber final chapter, the mthibeault@jcu.edu
2008 season marked the second in a row that or call 216-397-4660.
the Blue Streaks led the OAC in earned run
average, and the team’s 22 wins were the
second highest total in program history.

The John Carroll men finished seventh

and the women ninth at the 2008 OAC
Track & Field Championships on April
25-26 in Wilmington, Ohio. In what is
rapidly becoming a John Carroll specialty,
the Blue Streaks produced two conference
runners-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
On the men’s side, it was senior Brett
Cumbo earning all-conference honors (the
top three finishers in an event earn this
accolade). On the women’s side, junior Julie
Myers – who was the All-Ohio champion
earlier in April – placed second. Senior
Kevin McPeek earned All-OAC honors
as well by finishing third in the discus, but
Mr. McPeek is hoping to compete at the
national tournament later in May. He was
ranked 15th in all of Division III as John
Carroll magazine went to press.
Chris Wenzler ’90 and
Chris Ostrander ’08
Blue Steaks Football on the Way
Head coach Regis Scafe and the gridiron men are looking to September, when
they kick off their 2008 season. The first home contest, September 27 against
Heidelberg, is the JCU Homecoming game.
September 6 @ Thomas More
September 20 @ Baldwin-Wallace
September 27 Heidelberg (Homecoming)
October 4 Wilmington
October 11 @ Marietta
October 18 Capital
October 25 Ohio Northern
November 1 @ Mount Union
November 8 @ Muskingum
November 15 Otterbein
Home games in bold face
For more information, visit the JCU football website at www.jcusports.com.

Photography by John Carroll Sports Information

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 17


Gift for the Ages
GIVING
Celebrating the arrival of The Saint John’s Bible are, from left,
Brother Dietrich Reinhart, Fr. Niehoff, John Pellegrene ’58,
Karen Gershman, and Abbot Timothy Kelly, OSB.
O
n the evening of April 12, John
Carroll welcomed 200 guests to
the Dolan Center for a reception
to celebrate a unique unveiling and thank a
special friend. The University shared with
its guests the first look at the Prophets Edition
of The Saint John’s Bible, the first Bible to be
written and illustrated entirely by hand in
more than 500 years. The Prophets Edition
is a gift to John Carroll from Saint John’s
University, in Collegeville, Minnesota,
which commissioned the project. The gift
was made possible through a donation by
Target in honor of retired Target Executive
Vice President of Marketing John Pellegrene,
a member of the Carroll class of 1958.
Mr. Pellegrene joined in the celebration
18 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
John Pellegrene ’58
and offered remarks. Sharing the program
with him were Brother Dietrich Reinhart,
president of Saint John’s University;
Karen Gershman, senior vice-president of
marketing for Target, who represented the
corporation and introduced Mr. Pellegrene;
and JCU President Reverend Robert
Niehoff, SJ. Reverend Val Lassiter, pastor-
in-residence at John Carroll, served as
master of ceremonies.
Fr. Niehoff reserved special thanks for
Mr. Pellegrene, citing him as the common
denominator shared by JCU, Saint John’s,
and Target. Commenting on the gift,
Fr. Niehoff said, “As a Jesuit and Catholic
university, John Carroll strives to develop
each student as a whole person – mind,
Craig Bruner, director of the
Heritage Program at Saint John’s
University, discusses original
pages from The Saint John’s Bible,
which were on display with the
Prophets Edition for the duration
of the premiere.
body, and soul. To that end, The Saint
John’s Bible will be an inspiring resource to
faculty and students alike.”
When he concluded, attention turned
to the cabinet next to the podium. A black
cloth was pulled away to reveal The Saint
John’s Bible. Guests got a close-up look at
what Smithsonian magazine called “one
of the extraordinary undertakings of our
time,” a creation more than 10 years in the
making. The gift to John Carroll is one of
only 12 copies of the Prophets Edition. Only
days earlier, another copy was presented to
Pope Benedict XVI.
Over the following two days, John
Carroll invited the campus and outside
communities to view the gift. Throughout
 A Blue Streak Football
Celebration
Nearly 170 alumni and friends gathered on a
balmy February evening in Naples, Florida, to
celebrate “The Blue Streaks in Pro Football.” 
The event, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort,
featured special guest Don Shula ’51, who
entertained the audience with stories about his
John Carroll days and legendary coaching career.
Other Blue Streak alumni honored at the event
were David Caldwell ’96, P.J. Insana ’95, Joe
Perella ’63, Chris Polian ’93, Chuck Priefer ’63,
Tom Telesco ’95, and Dick Walker ’55.
Don Shula

Photographs by Brian Hemmis

Photographs by Robert Wetzler

This line of honored Blue Streak football alumni includes Fr. Niehoff anchoring the center.
Guests view the Prophets Edition up close.

the premiere, the University showed In

the Beginning, a brief documentary about
the creation of The Saint John’s Bible. In
addition, Joseph Kelly, JCU professor of
Team Leader
religious studies, offered presentations
Kevin Riordan is John Carroll’s new assistant
about the masterpiece.
vice-president of development. He joins
After the premiere, John Carroll’s copy
the University from Saint Ignatius High
of The Saint John’s Bible was moved to its
School, the Jesuit Catholic high school
permanent home in the Grasselli Library and
in Cleveland. Mr. Riordan served the
Breen Learning Center, where it is open for
school for 12 years as vice-president for
viewing during library hours. Mr. Pellegrene’s
institutional advancement. He has 25 years
generosity made possible the transformation
of experience in fundraising and nonprofit
of the lobby niche housing the gift. The
management, including working as senior
Bible is encased in a glass-topped cabinet,
vice-president for United Way.
handcrafted by the monastic woodworking
shop at Saint John’s. Photograph, courtesy of Saint Ignatius High School,
by Roger Mastroianni Kevin Riordan
Ken Kesegich

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 19

Leo Bedell holds the Silver Star he was awarded for his actions at Iwo Jima in 1945.
Photograph by Robert Müller
20 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
 The Class of ’43
Sixty-five years ago, they graduated Carroll and marched off
to save the free world. In their own words, five members of
the class of 1943 share lives lived and lessons learned.

T
hey’re into the latter half of their 80s now. They will convene on
campus in June for their 65th Reunion, a landmark gathering, where
they will talk about their families, toast the days behind them and
the days ahead, and remember the classmates they’ve lost along the way.
Nearly all of them share the bond of having served in the military at
one of the most dire times in human history. As Tom Brokaw wrote in his
1998 book, The Greatest Generation, “They answered the call to help save
the world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever
assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They
faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest.”
John Carroll magazine asked five members of the class of ’43 to talk
about their lives. Leo Bedell, Donald Coburn, Thomas Dunnigan, Mitchell
Shaker, and Bruce Thompson are representative of all the Carroll men
who served their country in World War II.
On the following pages, we gratefully present a glimpse into their
experiences before, during, and after the war, as told in their own words.
Extended versions of the interviews can be found on the magazine’s
website, at www.jcu.edu/magazine.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 21

 Leo W. Bedell Sr.
In 1945, Leo Bedell came home to Ohio from the Pacific, got married, and started a family. His
mathematics degree from John Carroll stood him in good stead at Hastings-Bedell Insurance Agency,
the business he founded in 1952. Leo and Mary Jo Costigan, a hometown girl from Cuyahoga Falls,
had ten children – six went on to graduate from John Carroll – and were married sixty years, until
her death two years ago. Mr. Bedell still attends daily morning Mass and visits frequently with his
children’s families, all of whom live in the area. Every Christmas, he gets a reminder from one of his
shipmates, whose 2007 card contained this greeting, “Thanks again for all you did on February 17,
1945, that allowed me sixty-two more Christmases.”

This guy was injured on my ship, and he writes me every That word “hero” doesn’t mean much to me. How are you
Christmas. I write him a note back, thanking him again. going to be a hero when you save your own life?

I grew up in Cuyahoga Falls. My dad worked at Goodrich in At Iwo Jima, we were going right in where our ships were going
Akron. He never went to college, but he had a pretty good to land in about two days and blow up any Japanese that were in
job. I went to church every Sunday and, during the week, the trenches there. We had 250 rockets to send in. The rockets
some of the time. didn’t fire, and they opened up on us. We got hit three times.

We had nine children in my family. I went to St. Joseph’s
grade school and St. Vincent High School. A good way to go.
My brother Ted became a priest.
At John Carroll, I lived in the dorm for a half year, but it was
too much money. So my brother and I used to hitchhike home
back and forth every day for classes. Then he bought a car,
and we used to drive back and forth in his Model A Ford.
After two years at Carroll, I ran out of money, so I worked for
a year at B.F. Goodrich. Then I came back to Carroll when
I had enough money in my junior year, during the war. I had
enlisted in the navy because I was going to be drafted, and
they paid my way for the end.
The war was over in August of ’45. I dealt with it afterwards
just like I had to. I came home and I got married. I came home
in November. I got married in February of ’46.
I was the only uninjured officer. I had to get that thing out of
there. I turned the ship around and got out of there. Half our
crew was dead or wounded. We pulled up alongside a hospital
ship to remove the dead and the wounded.
I’m telling you something that happened sixty years ago.
I took charge of that ship and got us out of there and got people
that were wounded and pulled them out. I had to get a crew to
get that daggone thing out of there. Had to get somebody in the
conning tower to turn that thing around and move that thing
out of there. I was the only officer. One was knocked off the
ship. There were five officers dead or wounded.
That battle ended up taking three months. If we hadn’t won
that battle and they had kept Iwo Jima, God knows.
Afterward, I felt like I was still alive. That’s how I felt.

We had a little boy who died, our third, named Robert
Thomas. He was about two and a half. He had a childhood
cancer. It was the saddest thing that happened in my life.
I just kept working to get through it. Otherwise, I can’t
complain about anything that happened to me.
These pictures [at his home] are from our family reunion last
year in Norton, Ohio. That’s me, the rest of these are my kids
and my brothers’ kids and my sisters’ kids – the whole crew. I
have 28 grandchildren, one great grandchild, and one more on
the way.

As told to Kathy Ewing

22 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Photograph by Robert Müller

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 23

 Donald J. Coburn
Donald Coburn grew up in University Heights and lived at his parents’ house while attending JCU.
A member of the class of 1943, he went on to medical school at Saint Louis University. Following
medical school, he was sent to an army hospital in Texas, where he interned. He returned to
Cleveland with his new bride, Elaine, and worked as a thoracic surgeon, retiring in 1986. Living in
University Heights, about a block from the Carroll campus, the Coburns raised seven children, five of
whom graduated from JCU and one of whom, Miles Coburn, has taught biology at the University for
more than 25 years. Donald Coburn was awarded the University’s Alumni Medal in 2006.

We at Carroll and, I suppose, most of the other universities
in the country, had kind of an isolationist posture, and this
disappeared almost overnight with Pearl Harbor.
I left John Carroll in ’42, not ’43. There might have been six or
seven of us in that class who were accepted to medical school
after only three years. I applied early, and, of course, with Pearl
Harbor, the word went out that they needed doctors, and the
government encouraged acceleration. In medical school, they
crammed four years into three years. We went right through the
summer. It kind of rings the social implications out of school.
I enlisted in the army. If you were physically fit, they expected
you to be in the military, and other than the few women in our
class and a few people that were infirmed and not in uniform,
the rest of the class was. And we had a certain time set aside
each week for marching and other military ventures.
We remained in the military on inactive duty. As we finished
internship, we were picked up for, in my case, two years of
military service as a physician. I was based in Temple, Texas,
which was a very large army medical facility. These were
veterans returning from the war. My two years there amounted
to a residency. Altogether, I had four years in the military.
I remember being in a lab as an intern and hearing that the
atomic bomb had been dropped. I had been quite certain that
I would be called up and probably sent to Asia. But it didn’t
happen.
There was a time when I routinely biked to [work at] Euclid
Hospital. It’s probably close to 10 miles each way. I rather
doubt that I could do it now. But I still bike. The interesting
thing is I can bike more comfortably than I can walk.
As life expectancy has improved, people are thinking a little
differently of individuals who are 60 and 70. I remember, in
my practice, seeing a person who was 70, and I always thought
that was pretty ancient. But [now] there are a lot of people
getting close to 100.
[Greater longevity] is a tribute to many things: improved
medical care, probably better nutrition, better understanding
of what’s good and bad for you, and generally a more
supportive society. There’s great provision for the elderly
and infirmed. And there have been specific innovations
in the medical field that have very genuinely extended life
expectancy: a better understanding of cardiovascular disease,
and certainly the various operative procedures for coronary
artery disease. And the various joint replacements have kept
people much more mobile.
I met my wife when we were in St. Louis together. She was in
college and I was in medical school. I met her at a dance that
her college offered, and I continued to think she was pretty
neat. And before we left our respective schools, we became
engaged.
One of our parental achievements has been that all seven of
our kids have advanced degrees. Establishing and raising a
family of seven kids has been a very happy experience.
I’ve greatly enjoyed my retirement years. Both Laney and I
have felt that these have been very generous years, ones we’ve
been able to share with our family. We feel very fortunate
that it’s been a very happy family – I mean, everybody talks to
everyone else, and we get to see all of our children’s families.
As told to David Budin

24 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Photograph by Robert Müller
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 25
 Thomas J. Dunnigan
Thomas Dunnigan’s memory for the details of his US foreign service career is razor sharp – a feat,
considering his work over 38 years took him to a wide array of leadership duties in posts around the
world. The Cleveland Heights native served three years in the army as a cadreman, preparing soldiers
to ship to the front lines. When the war ended, he entered the foreign service. His first post, in 1946,
was in Berlin, where he experienced the Russian blockade and US airlift. He and his wife, Rae Marie,
raised five children, whose birthplaces reflect their father’s career: Berlin, London, Hong Kong, and
Washington, DC. Other postings took him from Manila to Tel Aviv. Retired since 1984, the twice-
widowed Mr. Dunnigan lives in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC.

The Depression was a living thing in those days. Everybody
was aware of it. Nobody had any extra money. There were
thousands of people out of work. You’d see people riding the
trains, on the freight cars, just going from hither to yon.
Our class entered in September of ’39. That was the year the
war started in Europe. It immediately became a great topic of
interest at Carroll. The feeling of neutrality and of our staying
out of the war was quite strong at the time. I did not go along
with that. I thought that we were going to have to get into it,
because we couldn’t let Hitler win.
[After applying for the V-7 navy officer training program,] I
was going along sailing smoothly, until they came to my right
eye. They said, “It’s a little weak for us. It’s not 20-20. Please
go get a pair of glasses and come back in a few months.” So I
did. But again they said, “No, you don’t pass.” I’ll never forget
the yeoman who was testing my eyes. He wore very thick
lenses on his glasses. I thought, “Well, they can’t use officers
who can’t see, but they can sure use yeomen.”
I had an easy war, in a sense. Out of my three years in the
military, I spent two years abroad in England, France, and
Germany. It was always behind the lines. That was not the most
exciting part of World War II, but somebody had to do it.
I took the foreign service examination over in Germany. It was
a two-and-a-half-day examination, and it was not too easy.
[In Berlin,] being blockaded in a city 100 miles from freedom
didn’t look too good. We weren’t quite sure how we could
survive the winter. But we did, thank God to the US airlift,
and also to the courage of the Germans.
The worst period came in November of 1948, when we had
three weeks of fog and the planes couldn’t get into Berlin.
Finally, the fog lifted.
You pray. I was always able to get to Mass there.
In London, I had the opportunity to meet Winston Churchill.
It was just after my ambassador had lunch with him, and I
was picking my ambassador up. Churchill came out. It was an
August day. He stood in the doorway of the small mansion
where he was living. His face was absolutely red. He’d been
bubbling. I could see my ambassador behind him trying to
come out, but he couldn’t get around the bulky figure. But
Churchill wasn’t looking at me so much as he was looking
at my secretary, who was standing near me. My ambassador
finally got around him and said, “I’d like you to meet Mr.
Dunnigan.” Churchill said, “Pleased to meet you.” But he
never took his eyes off the girl.
[In the mid 1960s,] I was summoned back to Washington to
take charge of the Junior Foreign Service Officers Program.
I brought in about 700 or 800 officers, many of whom have
risen to very high positions in the State Department and have
become well known in the public.
When I came in, we never worried about nuclear treaties and
things of that nature. But they do now.
The hardest time in my life was having my two wives die.
Fortunately, I got through it with the help of my children. And,
with my second wife, with the help of my stepchildren, who
were very good and very kind and whom I see frequently now.
As told to Ken Kesegich

26 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Photograph by Paul Fetters
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 27
 Mitchell F. Shaker
Mitchell Shaker was born in Niles, Ohio. The second of eight children, he enrolled at John Carroll with the
help of his parish priest. Upon graduating, he received a naval commission and spent two years in the
Pacific theater. He directed a landing craft tank (LCT), which landed tanks on beachheads. After the war,
he earned a law degree from what is now Case Western Reserve University and opened a practice in Niles.
He was elected a Common Pleas judge in Trumbull County in 1983 and remained on the bench, first full
time and then by assignment, until retiring in 2002. He and his late wife, Mary, raised eight children.

I was born right in this town. Niles, Ohio. No hospital. I was I was pretty active in the Democratic Party. I went to
born at home. Kennedy’s inauguration. He was a character.

My father had a store in downtown Niles. Sort of a
department store – little bit of everything. My mother was
never educated, but she was the smartest woman I ever knew.
During the Depression, there were days when my father took
in about $10 for the day.
I enjoyed my four years at John Carroll. My big problem was
getting back and forth to home. My folks had a car, but my
father didn’t drive. My mother drove the car. It was very
difficult for her to come up there to pick me up.
The biggest thing at John Carroll was the religion. I never lost
my religion. To this day, I still practice it.
After I got my commission as a second lieutenant, I went
overseas to New Guinea. And from there I went to the
Philippines and all through that area. I was in charge of a ship,
an LCT. It had a 15-man crew. I had a good boatswain’s mate.
He ran the boat until I caught on to what I was supposed to do.
I’m from Niles, Ohio – what the hell do I know about ships?
I was in the Philippines when I came home on leave and
married my sweetheart, Mary Christopher. She was a nursing
student at St. Alexis Hospital. She started going to John
Carroll for classes. That’s where I met her.
I hadn’t really intended to get involved in politics. It sort of
comes with the territory when you’re in a small town.
[I ran for judge because] I’m used to running things. In high
school, I was active. In college, definitely. When I was on
board ship, I ran the ship. And when I got off the ship, I wasn’t
running anything. So I figured I’d better start running things.
It was very difficult for me to sentence someone to death. But
when you come right down to it and you see what happened,
you have to follow the law. Don’t sit on the bench if you’re
not going to follow the law.
I never had an opponent. First time I ran, the person I was
running against got offered another job. From then on I was
unopposed.
I was the law director of this town for about 22 years. That
helped the income. It wasn’t big, but gave me coverage for my
hospitalization, protected me for my pension.
My advice to a student who will be graduated from JCU:
Before you go to graduation, devote as much time as you
can to your studies. What you learn there you never forget.
Particularly the religious part. They teach it in such a way
that you don’t forget it.

Mary was a terrific woman. Her death was unexpected. We had
eight children. The first two were girls, which was good because
they could help their mother when they got a little older.
After graduating law school, I immediately opened an office in
Niles. I did prosecuting and practiced general law.
I’ve been very successful politically – local, county, state. You
mention my name anywhere in Ohio to someone who’s been
in the game for a long time, they know me. I always valued my
word. I learned this at John Carroll.
The best advice I can give anybody is to make sure you pursue
some activity that you feel you enjoy.

As told to Jeffrey Bendix

28 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Photograph by Robert Müller
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 29
 Bruce E. Thompson
Bruce Thompson grew up in Cleveland Heights, graduated from John Carroll in January 1943, and
entered the navy’s V-7 officer training program. Following officer training, he married, spent two weeks
with his new bride, Mary Ruth, and then left for a two-year tour of duty on the minesweeping ship
YMS-46. His ship conducted operations in New Guinea, the Philippines, and other locations. After the
war, he returned home and began a 46-year career in magazine advertising sales. He and Mary Ruth
raised four children. Mr. Thompson also dedicated himself to the advancement of John Carroll. For his
service, he is the only JCU graduate to receive four alumni awards – the 1999 Alumni Medal, the 2002
Silver Quill class columnist award, and, in both 1994 and 2008, the Alumni Volunteer Service Award.

When I was at Saint Ann’s [in Cleveland Heights], I was head
of the altar boys.
Midway through high school, I started to work at the
University Club at 3813 Euclid Avenue. Anderson 10091 –
I remember the telephone number.
I paid every penny of my way through John Carroll.
I was sitting at the switchboard [at the University Club]. On
the radio, they broadcast the news of the attack on Pearl
Harbor. One of the residents came running down from his
room upstairs and shouted to me, “Bruce, did you hear the
news?” “Yes,” I said, “you seem so excited about it. Will that
affect you?” “I will probably be in my uniform in a week.” He
was a graduate of the naval academy. Within a week, he was
gone in his uniform.
came up, and he was holding a 5-inch shell in his arms. “Mr.
Thompson, look at this.” “Where did you get that?” He said it
was on the floor of the engine room. It was a dud.
We were terrified. Very much so.
Some years ago, when the political situation in the
Philippines was very anti USA, I thought to myself, “You
wouldn’t be alive. We saved you. Wrested you out of the
hands of the Japanese.”
It’s a different world. Isn’t as friendly as it used to be. You
have to be so defensive all of the time. Frankly, it scares me. It
really does.
The happiest moment in my life? Oh, my word. Marrying my
wife. She’s a wonderful wife. She’s a beautiful catch.

We were young and brash and fearless and nobody thought of
being killed or anything like that. Just do your duty.
We got on this navy seaplane, and there was a lot of anxiety
for me since I had never been in an airplane in my life. We
taxied down the water runway, and the plane couldn’t get up.
Tried it two or three times. Finally, the pilot announced to us
that we had to take some of the weight off the plane. I said,
“Let us off!”
YMS-9 struck a mine in Corregidor and sank in 10 seconds. I saw
it. It was right in front of us. YMS-9 was our companion ship.
All of a sudden, you hear the sound of artillery whistling past.
I’m standing there with a seaman named Wayne Wright.
“Where the hell did that go?” We continued on. Then Wright
I can’t play golf anymore. Arthritis.
I’ve always been happy to be alive.
Father Frank Smith, SJ, was a professor in the English
department for many years. [In the 1990s,] he had a private Mass
every Saturday afternoon at 4:30 and Sunday morning at 10:15 in
the chapel on the second floor of Rodman. He said, “I have this
little Mass. If you’d like to come.” The first few times Mary Ruth
and I went, we sat there, and I said, “Father, you need an altar
boy.” He said, “Do you know anything about it?” I said, “I spent
my life being an altar boy.” So he said, “OK, take over.” I was his
altar boy for ten or twelve years, up through 2002. I vested him
before Mass every Sunday. After Mass, I took care of the sacred
vessels. I did everything so that he wouldn’t have to.
As told to Ken Kesegich

30 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 Photograph by Robert Müller
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 31
 Photograph by Robert Müller

32 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

Men for Others
Sixty-five years later, the class of 1943 can say
they followed the example of Saint Ignatius.

T
he statue of Saint Ignatius Loyola in front
of Saint Francis Chapel captures the Basque
nobleman and soldier at a moment of
transition. Presenting his sword and dagger at the Shrine
of Our Lady of Montserrat in Spain, he is offering himself
as a knight and servant of God. Shortly after, he would
write the Spiritual Exercises.
The men from the class of 1943, and their classmates
in surrounding years, understand the concept of
transition intimately. They answered their nation’s call
to service. After the war, they returned home to start
businesses, establish careers, and raise families. They
experienced joy, endured tragedy.
Through it all, they showed what it means to be “men
for others.” They followed the example of Saint Ignatius,
the former soldier who founded the Society of Jesus
in 1540 and whose determined visage has graced the
crossroads in front of Saint Francis Chapel since 1998.
The sculpture, by Lawrence Griffis, was given by the
John Carroll class of 1962 for its 35th Reunion.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 33

34 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
 Walk of
Life
The campus
comes together to
take on cancer.

O
n the last weekend in April,
upwards of 1,300 people descended
on campus to join in the Second
Annual American Cancer Society Relay
for Life of John Carroll University. Relay
for Life is a festive fundraiser. The event
at John Carroll, orchestrated by 19 tireless
student leaders, drew 76 registered teams
and 1,009 individual participants. For 18
hours, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, teams
of enthusiastic relay goers walked, ran, or
used wheelchairs for laps around campus.

John Carroll’s relay raised $84,743.29, with

all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer
Society. Results are not yet available on how
JCU’s effort ranked nationally among schools
in its enrollment bracket of 2,500 to 4,999
students. In 2007, the University’s first year
of participation, JCU raised $100,356.86,
tops in the country for its bracket.

Three generations strong: John Carroll

student Andy Flynn ’09 and his mother, Kathy
Photograph by Robert Wetzler

Flynn, and grandmother, Ruth Farkas, take

part in the Survivors’ Lap, which inaugurates
the relay. Kathy and Ruth are breast cancer
survivors. They intend to walk in next year’s
relay, for which JCU is already making plans.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 35

 Carroll Images of

Can you identify anyone in these photos? We’d like to know!

Please e-mail us at journal@jcu.edu.
36 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

The Golden Years
1939
Send your notes to:
Larry Kelley ’36
16213 Marquis Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44111
UP TO
216-941-1795
If you read the April 18, 2008, issue of the
Universe Bulletin, you all know that our classmate
Fr. George Follen, SJ, died on April 8 at
Colombiere Center in Michigan. He was the
“chemistry wizard” of our class. If Professor Frank
Burk, freshman chemistry class, had a question
that no one knew the answer to, he’d look at
George -- who always came up with the answer.
He finally authored a chemistry book in the early
’60s. In his later years, he was in pastoral ministry
and was much in demand instructing converts
to the Catholic Church. ... Over a year ago, I got
a call from Bob Eredics, the son of Louis Eredics ’31
(the other half of the twin brothers who were
star halfbacks in the late ’20s and early ’30s – Bill
Eredics, the elder, graduated with the class of
’30). If my memory is correct, both played for
Lakewood High School (OH). Lou died on May 5,
1995. Remember them in your prayers and all the
other “Golden Agers.” ... Since Chuck Heaton ’38
died on February 14, 2008, I am the lone survivor
of the group of alumni from the ’20s to ’30s that
met the first Wednesday of every month. So as a
word of warning to Carl Giblin, columnist for the
class of 1940, he better keep praying for me, as
he is the next in line for columnist of the “The
Golden Years.” ... Getting back to Chuck Heaton, it
was tragic to lose Patricia Hurd, his first wife, who
died suddenly, leaving Chuck with five children
(Mike, the middle one, was 14 years old). God
gave him Cecilia, who enabled Chuck to carry on
with the Browns and become the famous and
successful sportswriter for the Plain Dealer and
the Browns. Chuck had been ill for some time.
I’ve been “caretaker” for my wife, Frances, since
1994, so I know what Cecilia has been doing the
last few years -- and all my children were adults
and on their own when Frances became ill. ...
Reunion Weekend will be here June 20-22 – all
of you over “50” years since leaving John Carroll,
come back for the Saturday night dinner. ‘Til then,
keep praying. Just, Larry
Send your notes to:
1940
Carl Giblin
1100 Ponce DeLeon Blvd., 401 N
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-518-7961
GIBBI612@aol.com
Most of this information is from our intrepid class
reporter, John Sweeney. The lunch bunch has
one thing in common -- lunch. They get to Pizzazz
monthly, except for Jim Carey, who is smart
enough to spend February and March in California.
John’s report sounds like it’s coming from Iraq, with
all the casualties. Bud Noetzel is recovering from
his scare of fluid in his lungs. You are supposed to
swallow the beer, Bud, not inhale it! Jim Schlecht
had cataracts removed from both eyes and didn’t
recognize Lou Sulzer. He hit the big 90 on June 7,
and his son had a party and invited the lunch bunch.
John Sweeney had a knee job that goes back to
when he sustained a football injury. They were
playing with a round football in those days. John
directed some questions to me, including whether I
get back to the Cleveland area (no) and do I miss it?
Yes, I would love to tour the new campus at JCU.
The pictures I get show how it has changed since
we graduated. They continued the Tudor Gothic
architecture combined with state-of-the-art technol-
ogy, with outstanding results! Be proud, sons of
Carroll! Take care of each other! Carl
Send your notes to:
1942
Art Wincek
2015 Maciel Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831-475-1210
atwincek@aol.com
John T. (Tom) Corrigan, after graduation, went
to USN Midshipman School, Loyola U. Chicago
in early 1943. After his 120-day indoctrination,
he was transferred to Anti-Submarine Warfare
School, Miami, where he spent three months
learning ASW. He was assigned to PC-583 (ap-
proximately a 200-foot patrol craft), which ran
with the smaller sub chaser, SC, slightly more
than 100 feet long; together these vessels gave
yeoman service. He served as gunnery officer of a
3-inch battery for three years. His ship was never
equipped with a dual 40-millimeter, which would
have replaced one of the 3-inch guns. PC-583
served at Tarawa and Gilbert Islands (the closest
it came to shooting warfare), and Eniwetok and
Kwajalein (both Marshall Islands). The convoys in
the Pacific had fewer escorts than those in the
Atlantic. PC-583 also went to Guam and Saipan
and returned to the US in May 1945. He came
home to Lakewood and married Marion. Anacostia
was next and then to Pearl Harbor. He became ex-
ecutive officer of a DE, and helped mothball it. He
returned to Cleveland and went to work for Chase
Brass and Copper, division of Kennecott Corp., for
seven years, then to Detroit for 13 years. He was
transferred to the Okonite division and eventually
worked in St. Louis, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.
He became a manufacturer’s rep and worked until
1986, continuing to live in Salt Lake City, where
he lives at the present time. ... H. Kenneth (Ken)
Fitzgerald, Lakewood resident, received a Knights
of Columbus Fellowship for four years of study at
Catholic University of America. Dr. John Murphy,
Sociology Department at Carroll, referred him to
the program with a recommendation that was sup-
ported by the local Knights of Columbus (George
Quinn) and his pastor, Rev. Schmidt. This was
touch-and-go, because the Lakewood draft board
was hot on his trail. He finished several months of
graduate school when he had to make a military
election. He opted for the navy, received a direct
commission because of being in grad school and
was sent to Harvard University USN Communica-
tions School, where he spent six months, and
then on to Camp Pendleton, a marine and naval
base near San Diego. He was assigned as a com-
munications officer to Admiral Richard Connelly’s
staff aboard the USS Appalachian, AGC1, where
he served two years including the invasions of
the Marshall Islands, Guam, Leyte Gulf, and Subic
Bay. When the war ended, the ship entered a port
west of Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido, Japan. The
ship eventually went to Aomori Bay, Honshu, and
then to Tokyo. He returned to San Francisco and
ALUMNI JOURNAL
was transferred to Washington, DC, where he
edited a navy bulletin. He was able to get some
time at Catholic University but then became a
full-time grad student, from September 1946 to
June 1950. He completed his master’s and doctor-
ate in social work, among the first 100 to receive
that doctorate. It was then to Cincinnati with the
Red Cross and as a part-time instructor at Xavier
University. He later became director of Catholic
Social Services in Atlanta, the first layman in that
capacity in the US. He returned to academia at
Syracuse University in 1966 until retirement in
1988. He taught in Tehran, Iran, 1975-76. His wife,
Caroline, is still teaching at Le Moyne College and
has edited and written crossword puzzles for the
New York Times. ... In our last column, we wrote
of Ray Casey. His uncle, Fr. Haggerty, SJ, was a
member of the JCU faculty during our freshman
year. ... Art
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1943
Bruce E. Thompson
2207 South Belvoir Blvd.
University Hts., OH 44118
216-382-4408
This is it! This issue of John Carroll magazine marks
the 65th anniversary of our commencement from
Carroll. As of this date (if publishing plans proceed
as intended) you will have received this issue in
sufficient time to phone in your reservation for our
June 20-22 Reunion festivities. If you require an
attendant, that person too will be a guest of the
University. Advise us when you call in your reserva-
tion to the alumni office – 216-397-4322. If you don’t
make it back to campus for the gathering, let your
mind dwell upon the significance of this occasion.
Put on your beanie and reminisce a bit – be proud
of yourself and of your accomplishment. At that
September 1939 enrollment date, ours was the
largest freshman class to register at John Carroll
University. We were approximately 130 in number.
We now are 25. Think back to 1939. Pause and
reflect upon some who schooled us and guided and
directed our lives on campus: President Fr. Horne,
Dean McCue, Fr. W. Murphy, Fr. Cronin, Fr. LeMay,
Fr. McQuade, Fr. Otting, Fr. Joliat, Fr. Pickel, Fr. W.
Ryan, Fr. C. Ryan, Fr. Puhl, Fr. Kiefer, and Fr. Teply;
Professors Bungart, Burke, Cairo, Fabien, Gavin,
Graff, Graul, Jablonski, Petit, Reilley, Seliskar, Wiess,
and Thomas; and coaches Conley, Oberst, and Gaul.
Yes, there were others, but this is a good sampling.
Not a single person named above remains. Let us
offer a prayer in thanks for those who helped mold
our careers and influenced our being who and what
we are today. ... Indications are that Leo Corr, Mitch
Shaker, Tom Dunnigan, Ed Kipfstuhl, Milan
Busta, Dick Moriarty, Pete Diemer, Sal Calandra,
Ed Heil, Ed Hurley, Jack Kerr, Jerry Sullivan,
Wally Schwarz, and Bruce Thompson will be on
campus. Hopefully others will be, too. ... Had a call
from Frank Sullivan in Los Alamitos, CA. In January,
he fell at home, breaking a hip. Rehabilitation has
been long and difficult. His return to Reunion is
problematic. ... John Rozance writes from El Cerrito,
CA, that mobility problems prevent his attendance.
Al Balocca, Joe Seibert, Tom Mazanec, Bernie
Brysh, Joe Sepkoski, and Bob Obringer will most
likely be missing because of bothersome aging frail-
ties, despite their heart’s desire to participate with
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 37
ALUMNI JOURNAL
us. ... Unfortunately for us, Eileen Corrigan (John V.’s
widow) will be vacationing in Denver, visiting son
Jack, who is the radio voice of the Denver Rockies.
Chances are good that Jane McSweeney Nicolay
will join us for the Reunion gathering – all the way
from Mesa, AZ. ... The joyful anticipation of our Re-
union, socializing once again with former classmen,
has been marred by the recent passing of Arnold
Schmidt on February 23, and Warren Corrigan on
February 29. We of ’43 and the JCU family extend
our sincerest sympathy to the Schmidt and Corrigan
families. Arnold and Warren will be memorialized at
the Moment of Remembrance during Reunion Mass
on Saturday, June 21. ... Rita and Dick Moriarty and
Mary Ruth and Bruce Thompson celebrated their
mid-April 64th wedding anniversaries quietly dining
together as they traditionally do. Glasses were raised
on high in toast to all of you. ... See you at our 65th
Reunion, June 20-22. Take care, Bruce
Send your notes to:
1944
Don McDonald
3440 South Green Rd.
Beachwood, OH 44122
216-991-9140
Our numbers, which were never very large to begin
with, are dwindling too often. Father Joe Ciolek
died February 3, 2008. He had been a good and
faithful priest of the Diocese of Cleveland for well
over 50 years. ... I am still working on a current list of
our classmates still with us. I will make it a separate
mailing to you. If you have changes concerning your
correct mailing information, please send a note of
correction to the Office of Alumni Relations at
Carroll or call 216-397-4332. ... The week of Pope
Benedict’s visit to the US gave us all inspiration
and rededication to our church and Catholic faith.
The mention of John Carroll, the first bishop in the
US, was significant. Umberto Fedeli ’82 attended
the White House reception as a guest of President
Bush’s. He too felt the importance of the Pope’s vis-
it, particularly at this time of crises in our church. The
TV stations gave Pope Benedict’s visit wonderful
coverage. ... Don’t forget the Gray Streaks Luncheons,
which will start up again in the fall. They are on the
second Wednesday of every month on campus. ...
Until next time, stay well and send in your correct
mailing information if it is not up-to-date. Don
Send your notes to:
1947
Ed Cunneen
22020 Halburton Rd.
Beachwood, OH 44122
216-561-1122
edcunneen@ameritech.net
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1948
Julius Sukys
440-449-8768
journal@jcu.edu
This is written in April, and, as of this date, I know
of a few alums who will be attending our 60th
Reunion. Joe Walker is planning to attend. Joe
lives in Plano, TX. During the Christmas season,
he suffered a major heart attack. Thank God he
38 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
recovered. He is such an avid fan of John Carroll.
It will be great to see him. ... Bill Brugeman of
Corapeake, NC, also plans on attending. He may
come on horseback. He takes care of his horses
as well as others. ... I’ve been trying to reach
Chuck Codol. His last address that I had was
San Antonio, but I understand he’s moved to
Anaheim, CA. His last appearance at John Carroll
was at our 50th Reunion. It would be great to see
him again. ... I’m sure Bill Claus will be here from
Toledo, OH. Others attending at this time are Bill
Duhigg, Charlie Eder, Frank Hogan, Dan Hurley,
Bill Kelly, Maury Logsdon, Andy Piccuta, Jack
Quinlan, Bill Sweeney, Bill Coyne, and yours
truly. ... This is all there is. Adios, JPS
Send your notes to:
1949
Tom Harrison
3980 West Valley Dr.
Fairview Park, OH 44126
440-331-4343
216-881-5832 (fax)
taharrison2001@sbcglobal.net
Richey Snider is now only lightly involved in the
banking and building business. He and his wife,
Kathleen, recently returned from a winter vacation
to Topsail Island. Three of their seven children
now reside in the Carolinas, so they’ve found this
coastal island in South Carolina an ideal location
for a late winter family gathering. ... Jerry
Slattery and wife Rosemary wintered briefly in
Orlando. They’ve returned and are performing
their regular scheduled duties as volunteers at
Lakewood Hospital. Jerry proudly reported that
while golfing and keeping an honest count, he
shot his age before his 81st birthday. Sadly, a new
back problem makes it unlikely that he’ll repeat
the feat, even if he lives to be 100 years of age. ...
Bob McMahon recently underwent some
treatment at Fairview Hospital. He was referred
for further testing at Lakewood Hospital, where
he’ll look for the Slatterys. ... Good news, Ray Fox
is home from a brief hospital stay at St. John’s.
We really spread our business around, don’t we?
Ray plans to be up and around the golf course by
mid-May. ... Ed McKenna, Pete Corrigan, Jim
Pojman, Al Zippert, Ray Fox, Frank Washko, Bill
Barker, Jim Conry, and I are the ’49ers who have
attended the Gray Streak Luncheons. We’ve
enjoyed these events, since they provide an
opportunity to renew old friendships, reflect on
pleasant memories, enjoy the collegiate atmo-
sphere, learn of the development and growth of
the University, and enjoy the pleasant surround-
ings of the expanded campus. As a group, we
urge every local ’49er to turn your calendars to
September and mark the second Wednesday of
each month through December for your planned
attendance. Call Chris Anderson – 216-397-4336 –
for your reserved place at the table. ... Send
news! Good news preferred! All reported with
reasonable accuracy. Tom
Tom wrote to say, “The printing of the Saint
John’s Bible issue was beautifully done. The
introduction of students, the review of football
standouts, and a few illustrious grads made the
spring issue a big success...”
Send your notes to:
1950
Jack Reilly
1371 Dill Rd.
South Euclid, OH 44121
216-291-5760
tatlerjack25@sbcglobal.net
Emil Centa, Highland Heights, OH, and his twin
brother, Ernest, may be the only twin attorneys
practicing law in Ohio. Emil’s specialty is probates.
Although retired, he still practices on a reduced
scale. Emil and his wife, Mary Ann, have three
children and 11 grandchildren. Emil says he enjoys
the time spent with them. ... Had a great
conversation with Tom Mahoney, Galion, OH.
About two years ago, Tom popped a vertebrae and
had it surgically repaired. Following the doctor’s
instructions, Tom exercised regularly. Low and
behold, while exercising he popped another one.
He declined a second operation and now takes a
shot (medicine) every day. Tom says his Golden
Years are a little “tarnished.” Tom sees Warren
Cummings on a regular basis, as both wives were
roommates in college. ... We are sorry to report
the death of Bob Zarobell. After graduation, Bob
went to work for the City of Cleveland and retired
from the city in 1985. After he retired, he reverted
to his first love, the piano. Bob, an accomplished
piano player, played with many local “Big Bands”
and did some touring with them despite gradually
going blind. Bob was a twin and leaves five
children: four sons and a daughter. ... Bill Kilfoyle,
Elyria, OH, has retired twice -- first from an Elyria
bank and then from his law practice. He now
spends his time golfing and doing yard work. Bill
and his wife, Marci, have six children, 13
grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Bill
and Marci have 17 siblings living in Florida, and,
every St. Patrick’s Day, they host a party for them.
Bill and Bob, also a classmate, are twins. During
the summer he plays golf with Bob O’Donnell. ...
John Bonner now lives in the Mount Dora
Retirement Center in Mount Dora, FL. Since
retiring from his Akron and Painesville beer
distributorships, John has lived in Florida, close to
his son and daughter. After graduation, John
joined the marines and became a fighter/bomber
pilot. He flew over 100 missions in Korea and
received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Bronze Star, and the Navy Flying Cross. He says
he would like to hear from some of his friends. ...
After graduation, Dr. Richard Blackwell taught
philosophy at Carroll for five years. He then went
to Saint Louis University, where he did research on
the Vatican Library microfilm created during and
after World War II. He said his interest has always
been on the religion/science area, especially as it
pertains to Galileo. Richard has written ten books,
his latest being Behind the Scenes at Galileo’s
Trial. Richard’s wife, Rosemary, died six years ago.
The Blackwells have six children. Although he
retired in 2000, Richard is still at the library doing
his research. ... Please remember our sick and
deceased class members in your prayers. Until the
next issue, God bless and all the best. Jack

Send your notes to:
1951
Donald A. Ungar
721 E Reagan Parkway Apt. 185
Medina, OH 44256-1243
330-723-5234
donyal@aol.com
Time goes on and things change. I have taken
over the alumni news duties for our class. I thank
J. Donald FitzGerald for his dedication and work
these past years. I hope that I can do the job as
well as he did. ... If you don’t remember me, I’m
the guy with the camera. I took pictures at football
and basketball games and other events for the
Carroll News and Carillon. There are many stories
I can tell about various events at John Carroll. Bill
Switaj, that sports reporter from the Carroll News
way back, said that I would enjoy our classmates’
comments. I traveled the world as cameraman/
reporter for WEWS-TV5 and enjoyed the many
places and people I met. I produced a weekly pro-
gram – football season for the Cleveland Browns
– Cleveland Browns Quarterback Club. I’m
telling you some of these things only so that you
might relate to me some of the things you have
done that I can put in our class column. Mario
D’Alanno, how about your years of teaching?
Joe Stipkala, tell us about your many years in
Washington, and Dr. TePas, share your impressions of
JCU when you were here for Reunion. ... Looking
forward to hearing from you via e-mail or even the
old-fashioned way, US mail. Don
John Carroll magazine thanks Don FitzGerald –
class columnist since 1995 – for his service to his
classmates, the University, and the magazine. Job
well done. Also, welcome and thank you to Don
Ungar for taking over the role.
And the 2008 Silver Quill Goes To…
…Dorothy Poland ’52. The Silver
Quill award is presented annually to a
class columnist for exceptional dedi-
cation to the role. Dorothy served as
columnist for the class of 1952 from
1981 to 1992. She resumed the duties
in 2004, when columnist Sam Wetzel
became ill and later passed away.
Dorothy didn’t miss a beat in her time
away. She is once again dispensing
word of her fellow graduates in her
singular style – telling it like it is in a
voice that is warm, witty, and wry.
Send your notes to:
1952
Dorothy Poland
PolandMomdot@aol.com
Hi, everyone. It looks like spring is finally here
(although I do expect snow sometime in April).
I heard from Mike Gavin. He and wife Marjorie
entertained the presidents of Beaumont School and
Ursuline College and Sr. Angelita (Mother Superior
of the Ursuline Order in Cleveland) at their home
in Florida. There was boating, lunch, and dinner. By
the time this goes to press, Mike and family will be
home in Ohio. ... I have had several e-mails from
friends and alumni suggesting that everyone should
stop what we are doing at 8 p.m. Central Time
each evening for one minute. A one-minute prayer
from everyone contacted could work wonders.
It couldn’t hurt! ... I also had an e-mail from Don
Terrell, Santa Barbara, forwarded from someone
who claimed that Bill Gates and Microsoft would
give money if the message was forwarded on.
I don’t think I did that, because I never got any
money. Anyone else? I’ve also gotten many e-mails
from Tom Fields ’71 re: elder abuse – physical,
psychological, and financial. I feel very fortunate to
have not one, but three, attorneys in my family. ...
Jeanne and Larry Casey will be in the Cleveland
area soon, but won’t be here for Reunion Week-
end. Larry sends me some great e-mails, which
I appreciate! ... My computer and I are barely on
speaking terms, so I can’t give the rest of Elizabeth
and Bill Kenealy’s trip yet, but I will. ... George
Englehart and I were the only ’52ers at the Gray
Streaks Luncheon in April. One last one has been
scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, when Fr. Niehoff
ALUMNI JOURNAL
will be the speaker. ... Well, I am off to Houston
tomorrow, where my daughter tells me it is warm
and sunny. Till next time, please let me know how
you are doing. God bless, stay safe, Dorothy
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1953
Jim Myers
315 Chesapeake Cove
Painesville Twp., OH 44077
440-358-0197
cealejim@gmail.com
Hello to all in the class of ’53 and to your family
and friends. This should arrive in your mailbox just
before our Reunion. I hope to have, in the next
issue, some news from those in attendance. ...
The Reverend George Murray, SJ, MD, recently
received the Alumni Achievement Citation from
Creighton University, where he earned a Doctor of
Medicine degree in 1972. Dr. Murray is well known
in psychosomatic medicine and neuropsychiatry
as a clinician and as a teacher. He has brought
to these fields a unique educational background
as the holder of degrees in theology, philosophy,
biology, medicine, and neurophysiology. The
Alumni Achievement Citation was bestowed upon
George on December 15, 2007. We congratulate
you, George. George says he is semi-retired in the
psychiatry department of Massachusetts General
Hospital. He goes in only four days a week. ... Paul
Budnick’s newest grandchild recently celebrated
its first birthday. Paul has nine grandchildren. He
was able to get away from the Cleveland winter
with January and March visits to his daughters in
Florida and Georgia. ... Tom Krause and his wife,
Delores, completed their 17th cruise in January
and are planning number 18 in September. Both
of those are Caribbean cruises. The Krauses have
two grandchildren, ages 4 and 7. Tom retired
approximately 14 years ago after 40 years at
Cleveland’s Plain Dealer. I well remember reading
his columns. ... Ted Marsh has been retired for 13
years. When asked what exciting things he has
been doing recently, he replied, “Living quietly and
contentedly in retirement.” ... Bill Weaver says he
is just hanging around in retirement and rather en-
joys not teaching after 43 years in the classroom at
JCU, where he taught organic chemistry. Bill asked
about Bill Hoehn. When I mentioned that about
three years ago we talked in this column about
Hoehn and his ’69 Dodge Charger, Weaver said he
remembers Hoehn riding a motorcycle during our
school years. The reason Weaver remembers it so
well is because he made a round trip to Lima, OH,
sitting on the back of the cycle. ... Jim Myers (your
columnist) and his wife, Ceale, sold their Tucson
condo just before coming home in April. Perhaps
we will get a chance to experience a Northern Ohio
winter next year. We did have one more chance
to visit Ginette and Bob Cummings in Anthem,
AZ, in February. They took us for lunch at Anthem
Country Club, a beautiful setting. ... Bob Rourke
and his spouse, Peggy, are looking forward to
attending Reunion this month. Bob is still working
as an inspector for the health department for the
State of Tennessee. He has been with the state for
26 years and says he does enjoy his work. ... Send
in your news for the next issue. God’s blessing to
you all. Jim
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 39
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Class of ’55 members who managed to escape the very cold winter
of ’08 are shown gathered in Florida. From left are Bud Feely, Jane
Feely, Nancy Donatucci, Jerry Donatucci, Hal (Doggie) Ziegler, and Phil
Buchanan.
Send your notes to:
1954
Peter Mahoney
401 Bounty Way, #145
Avon Lake, OH 44012
440-933-2503
peter007@centurytel.net
... Just a few notes from my stringers on what
has been going on ... Therese and Gene Burns
were in DC for the Papal visit. Gene was there on
Homeland Security business and had the good
fortune to get tickets to the White House affair.
... Bill Bloomstine was appointed to a special
committee for the preservation of the Great Lakes
water supply. Living in Erie, PA, and boating on
all that water, he is a natural for the job. ... Tom
Corbett says that the continued growth in Las
Vegas is such that he is considering giving up his
job as senior advisor to the hit TV show CSI: Las
Vegas and becoming a carpenter. ... Mike Faul,
retired judge in Phelps, NY, was mentioned as a
candidate for governor when the last governor
resigned. ... Gene Flynn is putting his eyeshade
and No. 5 pencils away after another tax season.
He now has a Mass said for all members of the
IRS. Gene hopes the next Congress makes many
changes in the tax laws -- good for business. ...
Austin Groden, our senior golf pro, is in rehab
after his hip replacement. He met with a staph
infection, which delayed his recovery. A zipper in
lieu of stitches would have been best since the
incision had to be visited several times. ... Bob
Wischmeyer is back in the Cleveland area. He
has written a play, which was performed locally. ...
Pat Hynes served as an usher at the Papal Mass
in St. Pat’s on Sunday, April 20. Lou LaRiche
was also in New York for the Papal visit. Seems
that the Popemobile, while of German design
and construction, has a Chevy block and four-
barrel hemi compliments of LaRiche Chevrolet in
Findley, OH. ... Prayers for Sandra Nilges and Fred
Blodgett. ... Keep the faith, Pete
40 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Members of the class of ’56 enjoy the Fort Myers sunshine.
Send your notes to:
1955
Ray Rhode
1543 Laclede Rd.
South Euclid, OH 44121
216-381-1996
rrrhode@aol.com
Stan Gorski is on the move. He has settled into
a nice 1.2-acre spread in Valley City, OH, is the
business manager at Saint Coleman Parish, and
teaches in the Medina City Schools. He keeps
in touch with Bob Tuma ’57. ... Tony Stavole is
slowing down a bit. He has moved his law office
from downtown Cleveland to a location near his
home in Parma Heights, where he has been law
director since 1974. He has 13 grandchildren; the
oldest (Kalie) was recently married in Minneapolis.
Tony plans to gather his entire flock in Destin, FL,
in early June. ... News from Williamsburg -- Mike
Caplice will gather 74-plus of his and his wife’s
family at Chautauqua, NY, to celebrate the 100
years that his wife Pat’s family has been coming
to the Chautauqua Institution. That is where he
and Pat met. This celebration will come after he
recovers from his hip replacement surgery this
April. Best wishes for successful surgery and a
quick and painless recovery. ... I recently heard
from Bill Gardner. Bill sends his greetings to
Mike Scalabrino, his classmate and army buddy
from Fort Leonard Wood, MO. After being drafted
in 1955, Bill received his basic training at Fort
Leonard Wood, taught English at Fort Bragg, and
served with the Army Security Agency in Japan.
He returned to Cleveland for his master’s in library
science at Case Western Reserve University
and then was librarian at Cornell University,
the University of Kentucky, and for 25 years at
Marquette University. He retired in 1995 and
resides near Marquette. He has three children
and four grandchildren. He enjoys woodworking
and, of course, babysitting for his grandchildren.
... Leo Leiden checked in with a bit of history.
After graduating from Carroll, Leo received a
master’s degree in economics from the Ohio
State University. He was the industrial relations
manager for the Grabler Manufacturing Co. before
returning to the family business, the Leiden
Cabinet Co. He retired four years ago. He has
three children and nine grandchildren. Many years
ago, Leo and I bowled in a league together. ... Also
heard from Bill Doslak. Bill fondly remembers his
days in the Carroll dorms and his roommate, John
Mackin. After graduating from JCU, Bill attended
Georgetown University and the University of
Pennsylvania to earn his degree in dentistry and
complete his training as an oral surgeon. He
retired in 1999 after practicing in Lorain County for
over 40 years. He has been married for 47 years
and has nine children and 14 grandchildren. For
the past five years, he has been wintering in New
Smyrna Beach, FL, where he visits JCU classmate
Merle Townley and Bob Farces. ... Molly
Sweeney reports that she is expecting her 16th
grandchild on May 9 ... that’s George’s birthday,
folks. I’ll keep you posted. ... As always, remember
to keep your classmates in your prayers. Some are
in poor health and some are suffering greatly. Your
prayers will be greatly appreciated. Ray
Send your notes to:
1956
Leo Duffy
1561 Towhee Ln.
Naperville, IL 60565
630-355-2199
January-May:
1500 Park Beach Cir., Unit 5G
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-505-8394
leomaryduffy@peoplepc.com
Again, a group of John Carroll spouses and
their husbands got together for a long lunch to
celebrate another year on March 13 in Fort Myers.
Attending were Betty and Joe Kost, Pat and Phil
Schaefer, Marie and Ben Miralia, Mary Jo and
John Boler, Noreen and Paul Schlimm, MaryKay
and Jim Knechtges, Mary Therese and Leo
Duffy, Mary Lou Giffels, Mike Conti, Al DeGulis,
Tom O’Neil, Leo Slack, and Don Buckley ’57. We
hope to continue this gathering and encourage all
of you who are in the area to join us next year. ...
Not all snowbirds go to Florida -- in Casa Grande,
AZ, Gloria and Bob Pascente, Lauretta and Jack
Broderick, and Marie and John Nowlan also had
a long lunch to chat about old times as well as
what is going on now. Unfortunately, I was unable
to get a picture of them for this issue. ... Again,
please send me some tidbits. God bless, Leo

At his January wedding in Phoenix, Jerry Malizia celebrates with friends from the class of 1960.
From left are P. Conboy, J. Shannon, B. Colson ’59, J. Mason, J. Magnotto, Mr. Malizia,
J. Schweickert, T. Strader, P. Flask, and D. McGrath.
Send your notes to:
1957
Salvatore R. Felice
3141 W. Pleasant Valley Rd.
Parma, OH 44134
440-842-1553
srfelice@cox.net
Margaret and Dave Milroy keep active by visiting
grandchildren, traveling, playing golf, and also with
the Knights of Columbus. ... Dick Murphy has
been on the board of trustees as a volunteer with
West Suburban PADS (Public Action to Deliver
Shelter) in Cooke County, assisting the homeless.
Formed in 1992, PADS is a $1.3-million operation.
Shortly after our 50th, a mini-reunion was held for
George Mihelic and Les Lyons in Oak Brook, IL.
In attendance were Dean Gassman, John Rae,
Richard Collins, Jack Lynch, and Dick Murphy.
... Dan Collins informs me that Chuck Guthrie
had rotator cuff surgery in early 2008 and was
recuperating at home in Gainesville, GA. Send
Chuck a note - CHUCKPAT@BELLSOUTH.NET -
he would love hearing from you. ... G. Richard
Olivier enjoys the class notes; however, as a
“day hop,” he was not familiar with many “dorm
students,” due to demanding work schedules
while attending classes, as was the case with
the majority of the JCU students at that time.
(Note: As a “day hop” myself, I can clearly relate
to Dick’s views. Hopefully, in the near future, the
University will acknowledge same and address
the “day hop dilemma.”). ... Bart Merella was
pleased to lunch with Fr. Niehoff and Doreen Riley
in Washington, DC, in late February. Bart’s son-
in-law, Ted Steiner ’93, recently began working at
Carroll in the Center for Service and Social Action
with Dr. Peggy Finucane ’80 in organizing class-
related immersion service projects. He had been
youth minister at St. Dominic’s in Shaker Heights,
OH, for 15 years. ... Tom Moran enjoyed attend-
ing the NFL/JCU event in Florida. He especially
enjoyed chatting with JCU staff, grads, and friends
of Carroll. Sixteen Moran clan members gath-
ered in Florida on St. Patrick’s Day for a week’s
visit. ... Involved with Catholic Charities (Chicago
Archdiocese), Joe Luby assisted in setting up a
complex for veterans on Chicago’s South Side – a
joint project with Veterans Affairs and the State
of Illinois – a first of its kind sponsored by private
and government groups. Also, in April 2007, they
opened a VA clinic and a 141-unit residence for
homeless veterans. In the fall, they opened a
10-suite housing unit for disabled vets. ... On a sad
note, we lost two more class members – Michael
“Mickey” Acquaviva, a former longtime spokes-
man for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor
and Industry and passionate publicist for Italian-
American causes around Pittsburgh, died March
2 at UPMC Passavant hospital. According to Jack
Szabo, Mickey, as he was known while at Car-
roll, played in the Jack Szabo All-Stars Band. His
wife, Lois, died last October. Mike is survived by a
daughter and four siblings. ... John Mitchell Grogan
passed suddenly on February 4, 2008, at age 73.
John served in the US Army as an officer and
was honorably discharged in 1969 as a captain. In
2007, he retired after 20 years as a distributor with
Safeguard Business Systems in Grafton, OH. John
is survived by his wife of 26 years, Linda, four
daughters, one brother, and three sisters. ... Have
a safe and fun summer! God bless, Sal
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1958
John E. Clifford
922 Hedgestone Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78258-2335
210-497-3427 (w)
1-888-248-3679
JohnEClifford@prodigy.net
Because of the high price of gas (currently $3.32
here in San Antonio), the unreliability of airline travel
(currently many MD-80 aircraft are out of service
being inspected), and my desire to get back to
my normal weight of 148 (currently at 152), I have
decided to walk to the 50th Reunion (“50 for 50
Years”). This column is due on April 17, and I start-
ed walking about March 19, so that is why there
is no 1958 column in this issue. In addition, the
issue is scheduled to be in the mail on June 13, so
I saw no point in writing to encourage you to attend
ALUMNI JOURNAL
(“50 for 50 Years”). Such encouragement would
be too late (too little, too late). I am pulling my little
red wagon (Radio Flyer - what else?) packed with
clothes (covered with a tarp). So, if I am a little late
for our 50th Reunion (“50 for 50 Years”), you’ll
know why (only if you are there will you know I’m
late). I am now just past Waco moving along I-35
north. Got to go -- I see a Texas DPS State Trouper
(or trooper), so I need to pull over and hide this
laptop. Walking along the interstate in Texas while
using a laptop is prohibited by law. Using a cell
phone while driving is OK, though. Wish I would
have remembered my cell phone! ... Peace, JEC
Send your notes to:
1959
Jerry Burke
1219 W. Grove St.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005-2217
847-398-4620
gburke987@sbcglobal.net
Send your notes to:
1960
Jerry Schweickert
14285 Washington Blvd.
University Hts., OH 44118
216-381-0357
bjschweick@sbcglobal.net
The past three months have provided many op-
portunities to enjoy the company of classmates.
In January, Jim Keim and John Slosar returned
to campus for a reunion of the 1957-58 basketball
team in recognition of the first on-campus varsity
basketball game in the history of JCU. Remember
it? JCU vs. Xavier. We lost a very close contest
to the team that went on to win the NIT Tourna-
ment that season. Slosar reminded all who were
present at the reception that he would be in the
JCU Athletic Hall of Fame if Keim and Jim Thailing
would have returned any of his passes. If we had
played Loyola of Chicago 20 times a year at JCU,
I have no doubt that John would have made the
HOF. ... At the end of January, Carol and Pete
Conboy, Polly and Paul Flask, Lynn and John
Magnotto, Melinda and Jim Mason, Judy and
Denny McGrath, Sue and Tim Strader, Jim , Bev
and I attended the wedding of classmate Jerry
Malizia and Jean Ralls, in Phoenix. We had such a
great time golfing, partying, and watching Sinatra
impersonators that we didn’t mind the rare inch-
and-a-half rainfall we experienced one day. We
even let Bill Colson ’59 hang out with us at the
reception, even though he upped our age group a
bit. ... In February, Bev and I visited with Mary Pat
’63 and Frank Dempsey for a week on Kiawah
Island, SC. After a miserable snowy March in
Cleveland, Jim Mason, Frank Dempsey, Dave Nichting,
and I joined Steve Schuda, Bob Fitzgerald, Greg
Fisher, and Denny McGrath for a week of golf in
Santee, SC. While down there, we also spent a
Sunday afternoon and evening with Sunday and
Dick Fromholtz at their home in Summerville,
SC. We also had a visit from F.X. Walton ’59, who
lives in the Columbia, SC, area. We would love to
expand the group next year. Anyone interested,
send me an e-mail and I’ll fill you in on the details.
We try to go each year the last weekend of March
into the first week of April, depending on the date
of Easter. We leave on a Friday and return on a
Friday. You don’t have to be a Clevelander to join
us. Only four of us live in Cleveland. ... Again, keep
in mind that our 50-year reunion comes up in two
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 41
ALUMNI JOURNAL
years. No matter what your feelings toward JCU,
please give serious thought to coming back to
see classmates and relive the good times we had
together. The stories get better over the years. In
the meantime, send me something for the next
column. You have to be getting tired of hearing
about my travels. I’m sure getting tired of writing
about them. In the meantime, be well. Schweick
Send your notes to:
1961
assisting with church projects and ministries. The
Bertelkamps have two children and two grand-
children. ... Jim Dial and his wife, Rosina, have
been married for 47 years and live in the West
Park area of Cleveland. They have six children and
nine grandchildren. Jim continues to be a consul-
tant and enjoys golf. ... Paul Zifchak and his wife,
Carolyn, reside in Clemmons, NC. They have been
married now for 43 years and have four children
and seven grandchildren. Paul retired from his
County. As you recall, Tom played b-ball at JCU
and, in retirement, has become a faithful follower
of Blue Streak basketball. ... Ed Sumnar operates
an insurance business in Hillsdale, MI. He and his
wife of 44 years, Molly, have four children and six
grandchildren. In his spare time, Ed is a golfer. ...
Jim Smith, from Seattle, has retired from the prac-
tice of cardiac surgery - he was also Ed Sumnar’s
roommate at JCU. Jim and his wife, Elizabeth, have
six children and five grandchildren. Jim is enjoying

Jack T. Hearns
4186 Silsby Rd.
University Heights, OH 44118
216-291-2319
216-291-1560 (fax)
jhearns@sbcglobal.net
Jack Bertelkamp and his wife, Helen, have been
married for 39 years and are residing in Nellysford,
VA, in the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains south of
Charlottesville. Jack spent 26 years with the 5th
Special Forces and the Army Aviation, Research,
and Development Command, including being
project manager for over 1,000 Cobra helicopters.
Following military duty, he was employed for 12
career as a national accounts representative in the
area of consumer goods. The Zifchaks recently
toured Southern Italy and California, and they were
involved in a golf vacation in the Great Smoky
Mountains of NC. ... John Wittman is involved in
renovating properties. He and his wife, Jacqueline,
have been married for 38 years, live in Cleveland
Heights, and have four children and one grandchild.
... Donald Wysocki and his wife, Susan, live in
Coraopolis, PA. Don earned a PhD in chemistry and
worked in the material science division of Bayer
Corp. until his retirement in 2002. Married for 40
years, Don and Susan have four children and two
grandchildren. ... Tom Sponseller is residing in
his retirement by sailing and taking some courses
at the University of Washington. ... Dan Smalley
from Reminderville, OH, has retired from selling
computers with Burroughs and Unisys. He and his
wife, Josephine, have been married for 51 years
and have three children and seven grandchildren.
In retirement, Dan is performing valet service for
Davis Auto Group by driving BMWs, Jaguars, and
Maserati vehicles. ... An update on Tom Theriot
-- our oil company executive turned farmer – he
recently assisted in the birth of 25 baby lambs. ...
Keep us informed, Jack
Send your notes to:

1962
years with Sikorsky Aircraft. Jack is enjoying retire- Lakewood, OH - he is now retired after teaching Bob Andolsen
ment by hiking, fishing, and exploring history, and at Padua and Holy Name High Schools and serving 36100 Maple Dr.
he is involved with Habitat for Humanity as well as as a substance abuse counselor for Cuyahoga North Ridgeville, OH 44039-3756
440-327-1925
440-327-5629 (fax)

alumNews
rrandolsen@aol.com
We received a recent note from Jim Carnago,
who is still practicing law in Michigan. He writes
that much time has passed since the June

Direct Descendant graduation date in 1962. He was admitted to the

Michigan Bar in January 1966 and has been mar-
ried to his favorite wife, Nancy, for 37 years. They
have been blessed with four daughters: Maria
Michael Naylon ’64, retired US Army colonel, shares the following story: ’92, Catherine ’95, Theresa, and Laura. Maria
is now Maria Book and Catherine is Catherine
On March 5, 2008, my wife and I took a day trip to Charlottesville, VA, to visit Badalamente. Jim’s other daughters have either
Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence.  found someone or are looking. Catherine and
Following our visit, we stopped at the Michie Tavern gift shop, located close to the her husband, Michael, have provided Nancy and
Jim with their first granddaughter and Maria has
Monticello grounds. I was wearing a John Carroll University alumni sweatshirt, which two stepchildren, Nicole and Christian. Jim had
my brother had purchased and given to me following a visit to the JCU campus with received a direct commission as captain in the
his daughter, who will be attending the University in the fall.  Michigan Army National Guard JAG corps and
The young lady managing the gift shop was discussing with me who John Carroll fought the Detroit wars in 1967 and 1968. Recent-
ly, Jim confessed that he has had some health
was, when a young man asked, “Who just mentioned Charles Carroll?”  Charles Carroll issues, and related that it “Ain’t fun gettin’ old. At
was from Maryland, a signer of the Declaration least I can collect Social Security.” Jim states that
of Independence, and, according to my research, his retirement is imminent. ... Dan Shaughnessy
John Carroll’s cousin. writes that he is still engaged full time with the
company he owns – TCR Services, Inc - www.
This young man, who stated he now lives in tcrserv.com. Dan states, “We have as clients a
Charlottesville, indicated that Charles Carroll wide range of international nonprofit organizations
was his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather engaged in hunger and feeding programs, disaster
(I’m not sure about the number of “greats”) relief, and economic development. We help them
with fundraising, grant writing, overseas manage-
and that he had recently done some exhaustive ment, etc. This is the type of work I have been
genealogy research and determined he was a direct doing since leaving JCU. We help them with
descendant of Charles Carroll. Happily, I pointed everything from onsite management in some
out to him that John Carroll, therefore, was his very difficult situations, to shipping supplies, to
dealing with Congress and the executive branch.
blood relative. I told the man that JCU was in I’ve probably been to at least 70 countries over
Cleveland, John Carroll had founded Georgetown the years in this business. Also Judy and I have 10
University, etc. grandchildren from 6 to 22. We live in a little town
One of the surest bets I would ever have bet called Purcellville in Northern Virginia” ... We also
heard from Earl “Dobs” Brieger, who indicates
against would be that I would meet John Carroll’s that he is currently busy with income taxes and
cousin. also volunteers at the local AARP Center doing tax
returns for senior citizens, relating that it “keeps

42 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008


Let’s Stay In Touch!
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Name
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Address
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Mail this form to: Alumni Relations, John Carroll University,
20700 North Park Blvd., University Heights, OH 44118
You can also submit class notes at JCU Connect.
Log on to www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect.
me out of trouble. Both my wife, Judy, and I are
retired, so have the time.” Earl and Judy, who
have two children, indicate they are fortunate to
have four grandsons, whose ages are 4 ½, 8 mos.,
with a couple of 2-year-olds. Being all boys, they
don’t know what pink is! They all live within one
half mile from them in Erie, PA. Dobs and Judy
have been doing some traveling about the country
and even managed a trip to Ireland a year ago.
... During the time we were in Florida, we had
the opportunity to socialize and have lunch with
John Doyle of Melbourne, whose son Michael
and family visited from Avon Lake, OH. Also hav-
ing lunch was Bud Meyers, who is traveling the
country for book signings of his second terrorist
novel currently in publication, Cry Judas, and Paul
Kantz ’63, currently righteously battling the City of
Melbourne, FL, to allow expansion of Daily Bread,
a soup kitchen in Melbourne that helps to feed the
hungry. ... Thanks to those of you who wrote and
support to those of you who will write before the
next publication. Take care, Bob
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1963
Pete Mykytyn
3015 Alveria Dr.
Carbondale, IL 62901
618-549-1946
618-453-7885 (w)
mykytyn@cba.siu.edu
Paul Kantz here, pinch-hitting for my friend Pete
Mykytyn, who has been a faithful writer of this
column for, lo, these many years. Enjoy the break,
Pete, and hope to see you June 20-22 at our 45th
Reunion. Read a piece recently on the “secrets” of
happiness. One suggestion: “Forget spending
Employment Information
Company
Position
Business address
Business phone
Business e-mail
Where would you like to receive communications
from John Carroll? n Home n Business
News, notes, or other special events you’d like to share?
May we pass it along to your class columnist? n Yes n No
money at the mall -- and instead spend more time
with your friends.” That includes your old college
friends from JCU. Take that tax stimulus rebate
you’re getting and put it toward a trip to our
Reunion. In that regard … Classmates I’d like to
see who, to my knowledge, have never made one
of our reunions: Mike Merlo, Chicago attorney,
Kingston Trio lover, and star Latin pupil. Command-
ed our Latin prof Doc Spath one day, “Merlo,
translate.” “I pass, Doc,” came Mike’s reply. “I
doubt it, Merlo,” said Doc. What have
you been up to all these years, Mike? ... Lou
Tarantelli, who got me into trouble at ROTC
Summer Camp when he said, “Here, hold this,”
and gave me a lighted cigarette as inspection
officers came through our barracks. I took the heat,
but I forgive you, Lou. ... Jack Snow, a friendly,
mild-mannered Michiganer who had a career in
secondary education. ... Ron Tomaselli, who lived
in Dolan with us freshman year, and hasn’t been
heard from since settling in his native Rochester,
NY. ... Steve Carroll, another Rochesterian, who I
understand is a deacon in a Catholic church near
Fairport, NY. ... And whatever happened to the
football-playing brothers, Jim ’67 and Tom
Ohradzansky? And Blue Streak teammates Frank
McKeon and Tom Ward, also Clevelanders?
C’mon, guys, make an appearance! ... Classmates
who’ve come to at least one reunion awhile ago
but are due for an encore: Bruce Noble, my
freshman roomie from Chicago. Bruce has lived
many years in the Atlanta area, as has Dale
Leonard, whom we’d like to see make the trip
back this year. ... Pete Hoffmann, with whom I
went to first and second grades on Long Island and
then didn’t see again until we were reunited at
JCU. Pete lives in “hurricane alley” in Goulds, FL.
ALUMNI JOURNAL
... Another Floridian we’ve missed is Pete Brandt,
Ft. Lauderdale real estate attorney. Pete and wife
Connie are due for a Cleveland visit. How about it,
Brandts? ... Ed Sopko, whom I soldiered with in
Germany, must be long retired by now from
Business Week mag, where he sold ad space. With
time on your hands, Eddie, why not motor our way
for the Reunion Weekend? ... Jack Sheehan, the
barrister who lives right there in Cleveland. C’mon,
Jack, no excuses. Your friends miss you! And CPA
Ken Lutke, too. Ken’s also right in the area. ...
Who’d you like to see at the Reunion? Contact that
classmate now and plan to get together at our 45th.
The Alumni Office (1-800-736-ALUM) can provide
contact information. See you in June. Paul Kantz -
Melbourne, FL - pkmk8@bellsouth.net.
Send your notes to:
1964
Frank Kelley
20 County Knoll Dr.
Binghamton, NY 13901-6109
607-648-5947
fkelley@stny.rr.com
Lots of news centered around the Windy City.
The Des Plaines Daily Herald recently reported
that Jim Capparelli’s establishment, Sims Bowl
and Lounge, is up for sale. Originally opened 54
years ago by Jim’s aunt and uncle, Bill and Angie
Sims, the bowling alley and restaurant, with its
distinctive neon sign, has been heralded through
the decades as a classic bulwark of downtown
Des Plaines. Jim, who has owned and managed
the operation for the past 32 years, is described
in the article as “something of a classic himself.”
No argument here. A combination of demograph-
ics, the city’s creation of a tax-increment financing
district, and the decline of league bowling
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 43
ALUMNI JOURNAL
have merged into the perfect storm nudging the
planned sale. Recognizing that the market may not
allow this to happen quickly, Jim stays busy plan-
ning events such as the upcoming “Bowling with
Santa” and catering to passionate regulars who
lined up in praise of Sims, a testament to Jim’s
management style: “really nice people, really good
food”; “just like Cheers, a place where everyone
knows your name”; and my favorite, “the guy
that sings Sinatra in the lounge kicks butt.” Best
wishes, Jim Capp, you’ll be successful at what-
ever comes next. ... Tish and Tony Petricca have
completed their move to the greater Tampa area in
the Sunshine State and provided new contact info:
2602 Eagle Crest Court, Holiday, FL, 34691; 727-
935-4361. Before their departure from Chicago,
their son, Michael, was married to Claire Keegan
in late November 2007. The week before, in a
combination send-off to Florida and pre-wedding
celebration, the assembled Petriccas and Keegans
enjoyed a joint Thanksgiving dinner and bowl-off
hosted by Capparelli at the aforementioned Sims
Bowl. I wanted to report some bowling scores but
no one was talking, not even the guy who sings
Sinatra. ... A brief note from Ellen and Tom
Ungashick reported 2007 travel to southern
France and the Kona coast of Hawaii’s big island.
Unfortunately, the Hawaii trip was three days, business
only, and they never left the hotel. However, Tom
did recount their unexpected Halloween adventure
in Lahaina, Maui, years back. The city is closed to
auto traffic, there’s a makeshift bar on every corner,
and everyone (except the Ungys) were in the most
Photograph provided by the Chicago Tribune
Play ball! John Peters ’67, president of
Northern Illinois University, throws out the
first pitch at the Chicago White Sox home
opener in April.
44 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
imaginative costumes. That’s on my bucket list.
... Received updated contact information for Suzy
and Jerry Zel, now residing in Singer Island, FL.
Send mail to 7950 S. Military Trail, Suite 204,
Lake Worth, FL 33467 - Jerryz18@aol.com. Jerry
is currently vice-president, operations, for Mordecai
Claim Service. They have raised two children,
Cary (43) and Laura (41). ... Next summer is our
45th Reunion and you are urged to begin planning
now. At this writing, Fr. Joseph Schell, SJ, is
reported in severely failing health. He was a
pivotal icon in our lives and we are all thankful for
the opportunity to have visited with him at the 40th
Reunion in 2004. Our prayers are with him. Until
next time, God bless all Streaks. Frank
Send your notes to:
1965
Dick Conoboy
165 South 46th St.
Bellingham, WA 98229
riton@comcast.net
As of 1 February, Tom Pogros retired, after 42
years and 5 mos., from the US Army Tank-
Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)
in Warren, MI. After graduation from JCU in
August ’65, he started working at TACOM in the
supply field as an intern, and eventually in other
positions in supply. His last position was that of
manpower management analyst. Interestingly,
Tom has been an active dancer and competitor
in ballroom competitions and now a competitive
dancer in West Coast swing dancing. He travels
to various dance events to have fun, meet new
people, and participate in competitions. When the
weather gets a little warmer, Tom plans on being
on the golf course. He wants to spend more time
with his two grandchildren, Lauren (3) and Evan
(5). Tom also has two daughters, Jennifer and
Janelle. ... Since my last column, my wife, Cecile,
and I traveled to Mexico City for a week of won-
derful weather and great sites. Dr. Corrigan would
have been aghast at the deterioration of my ability
to speak Spanish. Unfortunately, even bad Spanish
could not keep this columnist from becoming yet
another victim of the legendary Moctezuma as a
result of a visit to a restaurant near the pyramids
of Teotihuacan. Not the best weight loss plan, but
effective! ... Is anyone else out there traveling?
Would like to hear from you. Dick
Send your notes to:
1966
Dave Griffin
1347 Solitaire Pl.
Holiday, FL 34690-6454
727-944-5229
David.Griffin@MDIAchieve.com
Hello to all. I trust that spring arrived for all those
in the northern areas. Seems like winter held on
to you for longer than normal. We talked with Rob
Searson recently. He and Weezie were planning
their beer tasting party in mid April. He calls it
a “So long, winter and taxes” celebration, but,
as most of us know, we all love a good party no
matter what it is called. He mentioned that Bob
Jacobs and Margie would be there. Bob has been
doing some charity work lately and enjoying life.
Tim Robertson and Georganne may also have
joined them. I have been told that Tim now has a
pacemaker and is doing well. That may, however,
restrict him to a couple of six packs instead of his
normal case. ... The alumni office has told me that
two of our classmates have died during this first
quarter. Martin Tiernan passed away in January
and Fred Fillinger in March. I am sure that we
all offer our sympathies to their families. ... I was
told to keep this column shorter in case the page
count for the summer edition were to be fewer
pages. I had not planned on it being this short and
I am sorry that I do not have more news for all of
you. I have a form of leukemia and have been in
chemo treatments since January. My response
to the chemo has been very good, so I plan to be
back in form before the next edition. I trust that
everyone will have a great summer. As always, let
me know how and what you or some of our class-
mates are up to these days. If you are wondering
where a classmate is since we left the hallowed
halls of JCU, let me know and we will do our best
to track them down. Take care, Dave
Send your notes to:
1967
Peter French
27955 Forestwood Pkwy.
North Olmsted, OH 44070
440-734-5553
peter2play@yahoo.com
Hello class of ’67. Spring has finally sprung and
I hope all are well and that you can enjoy the
weather. First off, a note about Jerry Pockar’s
retirement from John Carroll. You all know him
as the university editor. We watched as under his
stewardship John Carroll magazine has expe-
rienced tremendous growth. He was of great
assistance to all class columnists and always
offered the best advice to make us better writers.
On behalf of the class of ’67, I want to thank Jerry
for all of his efforts in producing such a quality
product. At the same time, I want to wish the new
university editor, Ken Kesegich, congratulations
on his selection. I hope to meet with Ken in the
near future. ... For several years, a group of alumni
has been meeting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
at Mavis Winkle’s Irish Pub in Independence, OH,
on Rockside Road. Bob Spicer ’66 started this
tradition. It has been in existence for four years
and grows each year. The common bond is that
we all graduated from either Cathedral Latin or
Saint Ignatius High Schools and also from JCU. I
will not mention the age range but it is sufficient
to state that none of us needs an interpreter yet.
It is a lively crowd and all are invited. OK, OK, we
all graduated between 1965 and 1970. ... I have to
admit that I recently have not been in contact with
our alumni. There is a good reason: On Feb. 14,
2008, I was conducting a meeting at Federal Court
in the office of US Marshal Pete Elliott when, in
mid sentence, I froze. I was talking about how
excited I was about the Weed and Seed Program
that I oversee. We were working on the mar-
shal’s “Operation Second Chance” for the youth
in Cleveland. It targets kids wanted on truancy
charges and works on clearing up their warrants.
I drew a blank and stared at the wall as I began
to fall to the floor. In attendance were Cleveland
Municipal Court Judge Marilyn Cassidy and Ellen
Fishman, the executive director of the Learning
Disabilities Association in Cuyahoga County. They
guided me to the floor as I passed out. Pete Elliott
noticed that my eyes rolled up. I stopped breath-
ing in his office. Apparently I was gone. Judge
Cassidy, a registered nurse who has maintained

her license, resuscitated me with mouth-to-mouth
1970 1969
until a medical crew arrived and transported me to
a hospital. The bottom line was that I had a stroke.
I was in the right place at the right time with the
right people. A potentially bad incident turned
out to be OK. Now I am known as the man who
received the best kiss ever on Valentine’s Day! All
is well. ... As I recovered, I began to think of our
classmates who may be suffering from an illness.
If anyone knows of such a class member, please
advise me and I will be sure to send that person a
card on behalf of our class. JCU alumni have sev-
eral outings scheduled this spring and summer, so
don’t forget to read your e-mails from Carroll. This
summer, it’s an Indians baseball game. Well, that’s
it for now. Don’t be shy, let me hear from you.
This is the time of the year when JCU really looks
great. Take a drive and check it out.
See you later, Peter
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1968
Jeff Hawk
317-845-4199
jjhawk68@sbcglobal.net
Calling all ’68ers who were members of the
Pershing Rifles, Scabbard and Blade, and com-
missioned as officers in the United States Army
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps – drop me a note
and let me know what you’re up to. ... Spotlight
on Bob Nelson - please contact Paul Armstrong
(p.armstrong@comcast.net), and Francis Foley -
please contact me (jjhawk68@sbcglobal.net). ...
Bill Edwards retired from Hilton Hotels after 36
years and formed his own company, Edwards &
Associates LLC. Bill proudly points out that his
son Brian is a member of the John Carroll class
of 2008. ... Chip Maloney and his lovely wife,
Weedgie, are both retired and are looking forward
to their 40th wedding anniversary in August.
Congratulations, Chip and Weedgie, and may you
have many, many more. Chip had a near death
experience, so let us all pray for him, Chip went in
for a simple hernia operation, and four surgeries
later and with much physical therapy has returned
to good health. Chip reports that he and Weedgie
went with Dan MacDonald and his wife for a visit
to the Virgin Islands right before the first surgery,
so Chip had great memories to keep him company
in the hospital. Dan and Chip are AKPsi fraternity
brothers. I’d like to hear from you other AKPsi
fraternity brothers too. Chip and Weedgie are very
involved in the church and lead three weekend
retreats every year. ... Tim DeHaven writes that
he is assisting gift co-chairs Larry Kennard and
Paul Mockenhaupt on the fundraising aspect
of our 40th Reunion. So let us get behind this
effort and give financially to help JCU. Tim’s wife,
JoAnn, has had two bouts with breast cancer and
now approaches nine years of survival. Congratu-
lations, JoAnn; enjoy every minute of life. Tim is
in the lawn and garden business. Tim reports that
his wonderful background in biology from JCU
has benefited him over the years. ... Tim Curran
wrote a beautiful letter as did so many. I plan to
share more with you in future columns. You are a
super group of people, and ’68 is the best class of
JCU. ... For you, JCU, and ’68, Jeff
Send your notes to:
Gerry Grim
grimg@hoban.org
Send your notes to:
Ted Heutsche
2137 East Howe Rd.
Dewitt, MI 48820
517-669-4005
tedh@midwestairfil.com
I received an e-mail from Stephen Nypaver -
SteveNypaver@elpasoco.com - who is living in
Colorado Springs. “Just wanted to let you know
that I did something great – on a personal level.
I have always wanted to see Mount Everest and
climb in the Himalayas in Nepal. In early October
2007, my wife and I went to Nepal with a group
from the Colorado Mountain Club to trek in the
Mount Everest area and to give me a chance to
climb a 6,000-meter (20,000-foot) mountain named
Island Peak. So after nine days of trekking from
Lukla, I and five others and a group of Sherpas
started on a two-day climb of Island Peak. We had
a high camp at over 17,700 feet. After a short night
of little sleep, we were up at 1:30 a.m. to go up.
It was dark, cold, and rocky. At the snowline, we
put on all of our snow gear – crampons, harnesses,
ascenders, etc. – to go up snowfields and the
glacier. At around 9 a.m. on Friday, October 12,
2007, a beautiful day, I stood on the small top of
Island Peak, 20,305 feet! All around we could see
the famous mountains of the Himalayas, to include
Lhotse, Makalu, Nuptse. I was really tired, but very
happy that I could climb so high and fulfill a dream.
Nepal was a great place to visit, and the Sherpas
there are some of the best persons in the world
(even though they never heard of JCU). My wife
wants to go back next year! (After I retire from the
district attorney’s office in Colorado Springs.)” ... Ty
Freyvogel - tmf@freyvogel.com - had the opportu-
nity to address Professor Tom Conklin’s class in the
Boler School of Business last October, where he
spoke on entrepreneurship. Ty is finishing his term
on the JCU Board of Regents, and wanted to let
us know how very excited he was about the future
of Carroll under the leadership of Fr. Niehoff. One
of Ty’s final acts as one of the regents will be to
present a JCU diploma to his son, Bill (number 6 of
7 children) at May’s commencement ceremonies.
... The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company named
Thomas A. Connell, CPA, vice-president and chief
information officer. Connell had been vice-president
and controller for Goodyear since 2003. Prior to
that, he spent 24 years in financial management po-
sitions with TRW Inc. Connell joined TRW in 1979
as manager of financial accounting. He was named
director of financial reporting in 1983; finance
director and controller, valve division, in 1986; and
finance director and controller, engine components,
in 1987. He became vice-president of finance, oc-
cupant restraint systems, in 1990, and was named
vice-president and corporate controller in 1996.
Prior to joining TRW, Connell was with the account-
ing firm Ernst & Whinney from 1970 to 1979. He
worked in the company’s Cleveland and Sao Paulo,
Brazil, offices. “As controller, Tom led Goodyear
through a critical period in which he created and
then led a world-class controllership team. These
ALUMNI JOURNAL
strong leadership and organizational skills are both
necessary traits as we look to enhance the busi-
ness focus and functional capabilities within our IT
organization,” said Goodyear CFO Mark Schmitz....
Keep the calls and the e-mails coming. Ted
Send your notes to:
1971
Tom and Rosemary Costello
716 West Vermont Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801-4827
217-344-2076
tcostello@cumtd.com
Well, another school year has ended and the
University of Illinois is once again quiet. It is at
least as quiet as 9,000 summer school students
can be. Longtime reader and first-time writer Tom
Mangione - tmang27772@aol.com - tells us that
he and wife Vicki have lived in Las Vegas since
1972. They are parents of five children: four boys
and a girl. Tom is the Nevada Region president of
Capitol Bankcorp. Tom oversees five banks with
assets of over $500 million. Next time any of you
are in Vegas and maybe running a little short, Tom
is the guy to call. ... Dr. George Nista - gmnista@
juno.com - finally saw his way clear to tell us of
his 32-year optometry practice in Chicago. George
tells of son Nicholas, a CPA in Chicago; son David,
a former marine who served in Iraq and is now in
college; and daughter Noelle, an accountant who
lives in Washington, DC. Noelle is getting married
in September in Chicago with festivities taking
place at the Art Institute. Ouch! Noelle and fiancé
met at Saint Louis U -- the Jesuit reach continues.
We wish them all the best. ... George Batyko -
Batyko@wachoviasec.com - informs us that the
dinner to honor Sheila ’73 and Denis Nowacki’s
son Andy, an Iraq war casualty, was very well at-
tended. The crowd included a number of politicians
and Carroll grads. In some cases, there were politi-
cians who were also Carroll grads. George’s wife,
Mary Tullio Batyko ’72, has become part owner of
a gym. It may not be long and we’ll see
George in a Zoolander sequel. ... Paul Pojman -
pep216@sbcglobal.net - has been quite busy. He is
singing in a number of community choruses. Paul
continues his interest in libraries, as he has become
treasurer of Bedford’s Friends of the Library. Paul
joined my wife, Rose, in Indianapolis at the meet-
ing of the Catholic Education Association. They
apparently didn’t see each other, but when you
attend meetings along with five thousand others,
connecting can be difficult. ... On a personal note,
Joe Costello, a BC grad and our oldest son, gradu-
ates from Catholic U Law School this summer. Did
I mention that he is looking for a job in DC? If I took
anything away from the Pope’s visit to the US, it
was a message of hope. I hope you stay well, I
hope you serve others, and I hope you have a great
summer. Look forward to hearing from you, Tom
Send your notes to:
1972
John M. Marcus
5707 Trafton Pl.
Bethesda, MD 20817-3738
202-296-0901
jmarcus887@aol.com
I hear from a lot of you ... “When I get the alumni
magazine, the first thing I do is open to our
column.” Well, this time, you’ve got work to do.
There’s nothing. No news. Nada. Closest thing
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 45
ALUMNI JOURNAL
that came to news from you guys was me and under the Class Notes section, click General to
Send your notes to:

my son driving past Bergy’s place in Michigan
City, IN, on my way to a Notre Dame college
trip. So here’s the e-mail: jmarcus887@aol.com.
I’m not going to whine – unless the last graph
counts as whining. Instead, I’m going to “prod.”
Joe Duffy – never heard from him. Same for Les
Svoboda. My Boston buddies John Collins and
Dennis Quilty – too busy with the Bruins, Celts,
and Sox? Drop me a line. Vic Sossi? - last I heard
was selling Healthy Choice for a food company.
What about the other DATers? Gurgol, Jirousek,
Novacek, Tremp, Loos? Where are you guys? I
never get to report on Cleveland guys – what are
you guys doing? What about the ladies of the class
– Anne Conway is a judge in Florida – how about
the others? Linda Heiss, Irene Wander, Linda
Hurley, Maureen Thornton, and Patty Farrell,
who carries that huge burden being married to that
guy from Fenwick HS. Speaking of Fenwick, what
about Mullen? The U Club? I know Chris Schuba
’74 – 35 years later – still hates IChis but come
on – drop me a note. We always talk about Bergy
and Maggio and that guy with the TV show. But
what about Fr. Bob, Jimmy Peters, Jim Hughes,
Big Frank, and Kevin Byrne? Then how about
Big Bob Sidow and Leon Miernicki and Marv
Tryon and Roto and Roger? What about the little
Schmidt-fella, and Gianpetro and Chico? Cisek
1974
Dave Robinson
3963 Oakland Hills Dr.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
248-642-9615 (h)
800-240-3866 (fax)
DRobby_18@Yahoo.com
Ed Kelly Jr. ran his second Marathon Des Sables
(MDS) in Morocco and placed 329th out of 801.
The 152 miles was the longest in the history of
the course and was one of the hottest years ever.
The MDS, considered the toughest footrace on
the planet, is a physical, emotional, and spiritual
journey. In addition to carrying his own food, cloth-
ing, sleeping bag, medical supplies, and manda-
tory items (compass, flare, emergency blanket),
Ed had to manage his water consumption, which
is rationed each day; food consumption; energy
output; and emotional swings. Ed selected the
following as inspiration for the race, “Not once will
I whine, complain, or in any way express discon-
tent, irrespective of what happens.” Ed ran to
raise money for the Academy for Global Citizen-
ship in Chicago. Many classmates made generous
pledges in support of Ed’s efforts. If you would like to
contribute, contact Ed - EJK@coyleasset.com.
Visit JCU Connect - www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect -
read Ed’s journal. It is inspiring! If you haven’t
signed up for JCU Connect, this is a great reason
to get connected! ... Leo Grim and his wife, Joy,
live in Houston. Leo is a chiropractor and Joy a
consultant for a local school district on matters of
child motor development. Their daughter, Jill (12),
is a swimmer and rides horses English style. Joy
will be running in this year’s Boston Marathon and
Leo is on the medical support team. ... Val Street,
San Francisco, is recovering from knee replacement
surgery. She writes that she is finally on the mend
and plans to vacation this September in Charleston,
SC, where she will continue her research on the
Gullah people. The Gullah are African Americans in
South Carolina and Georgia known for preserving
more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage
than any other African-American community in the
US. ... Bob and Mary Madden became grandpar-
ents for a second time when grandson number 2
was born March 1. A granddaughter is expected
in late August. Bob was just named head football
coach at St. Thomas Aquinas HS in Louisville,
OH. Meanwhile, Mary takes great pride in spoiling
their grandkids. ... Steve Noon’s son Aaron, a junior
at Carroll, majoring in English and French, was
inducted into the Kappa Eta Chapter of Pi Delta Phi,
the national French honor society, in March. He

alumNews
and Narducci are lost at sea and I never hear from
my old friend Dave O’Brien, who, like most of
us, married way above our station. Anyone heard
from Lindstrom? I once was in Santa Monica,
stopped at an intersection, and Marty was sitting
on a park bench talking to drivers as they stopped
at a red light. ... Visited U of Chicago on the Le Moyne’s New Leader
college search and thought of Joe Pearl, whose
son played football in the stadium where – I think Fred P. Pestello ’74 has been named the thirteenth president of Le Moyne College.
it was Spook and Mouse – invented the atom Dr. Pestello, who will assume the presidency on July 1, becomes the first non-Jesuit permanent
bomb. Jack Scheid, Bob Longo, Danny Pierce,
president in Le Moyne’s 62-year history. Le Moyne, in Syracuse, is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and
what’s the excuse? Kristoff is now on the East
Coast. Think he’d come down from Philly and buy universities in the United States.
me dinner? Nope. What about the best backfield He is going to Le Moyne after a 24-year career at the University of Dayton (UD)
in the PAC: Zinger, and Danny Carroll, and in Dayton, OH. He began his time there as a sociology professor, and served from
Mulkeen, and Boland, and Johnny Pollard, and
Slingin’ Sam? Your knees are killing you from old 1993 to 1997 as chair of UD’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work.
football injuries and you can’t pick up a pen? Eddie From 1997 to 2000, he was associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Since
Egnatios, where are you? And Jeff Rogo – best 2001, he had served as provost and senior
yearbook picture – what are you doing? Come on,
vice-president for educational affairs.  
guys. Help me out. Take this to your computer
right now and spend five minutes telling me what Dr. Pestello earned his undergraduate
you are up to, how great your dog is – anything degree in sociology from John Carroll. He
– and better yet, send sordid tales that we can
received his graduate degrees in sociology as
twist into unrecognizable gossip on someone else.
Facts aren’t important here. Write ... JM well – a master’s degree from the University
of Akron and a PhD from the University of
REUNION YEAR Akron-Kent State University joint program.
Send your notes to: “I was immediately and powerfully drawn
1973

Gerry O. Patno to Le Moyne College’s mission and aspirations,”

Photograph courtesy of Le Moyne College

13421 Merl Ave.

Lakewood, OH 44107-2707
says Dr. Pestello. “I am honored to be welcomed
216-410-0129 into this precious Jesuit learning community
73
patno@att.net and humbled by the opportunity to serve as
its president.”

Presidential: Fred Pestello ’74

46 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008


From left are Carter Ham ’76; Dom Pompelia;
Father Neal Buckon ’75; and Kristen (Biada) Wills,
daughter of Greg Biada ’75. See class of
’75 notes.
will study French at Laval University of Quebec
for six weeks. ... Molly and I became first time
grandparents. Our daughter Kate ’98 and husband
Jim Bongiorno were blessed with Bridget Hannah
on April 1, and our youngest daughter, Macklin,
will graduate from Fordham in May. ... Finally,
with a little help from fellow alums, I was able to
track down one of our class’s more humorous and
well-liked classmates. He lives in Aurora, OH, and,
since 1992, has been a partner in a real estate
appraisal firm serving local and national clients.
As he states, “The good thing about real estate
appraisal is that no one really has an idea what it is
that we do, which spells good job security!” He is
very proud of his two children. Son Rick gradu-
ated from Arizona State and is looking to start
law school in Denver this fall. His daughter, Julie
’05, is a pediatric intensive care nurse at Akron
Children’s Hospital. He loves golf but golf does not
return that sentiment, still plays softball, loves to
cook, and claims to be a madman when it comes
to pierogies and stuffed cabbage. Who is this man
of many talents and diehard Cleveland sports fan?
None other than Rick Shina. Zorro, thanks for the
update! ... Robby
Send your notes to:
1975
Rick Rea
7450 Grant Village Dr., Apt. A
St. Louis, MO 63123
314-843-4703
rick.rea@sbcglobal.net
Hello, classmates! Frank Magliochetti was the
first to e-mail me the correct answer to the trivia
question in my last column - Fr. Henry Birkenhauer,
SJ, was our commencement speaker. Frank and
wife Bonnie live in Media, PA. He is the northeast
regional business manager for Jennie-O Turkey
Store. They have two daughters: Sarah and Katie.
Frank is active in leadership roles with his parish,
the Knights of Columbus, and volunteering as a
reading tutor. Irene Tschismadia Wander ’72 and
’75G (biology) guessed that Bob Hope was our
commencement speaker. John Randall guessed
that George H. W. Bush was our commencement
speaker. As if, John! John, wife Karen, and son
Jack recently met with Mike Messina, PhD, wife
Karen, and daughter Claire, John’s goddaughter, for
dinner in Chicago. (Mike, John asked me to make
sure to include PhD after your name.) John and
family live in Naperville, IL, where he works for
FedEx Ground in the safety department. ... Gary
Saracene guessed our speaker was the Bishop of
Cleveland. Gary is an insurance broker of health
plans at S. A. Nichols Brokerage and has four boys.
He lives in Cincinnati and would like to get together
with John Carroll alums in the area “to try and get a
city club going.” Contact Gary - gary@sanb1.com.
... Our class prez, Joe Bertolone, e-mailed me the
real story and it’s great. Joe tried to recruit Bob
Hope to speak at commencement, but Mr. Hope
was booked, so Joe decided to ask Fr. Birkenhauer
to finish our “personal education.” Joe scheduled
an appointment with Fr. B. and took two cans of
Budweiser with him in his sport coat. Joe said to Fr.
B., “The senior class would be honored if you
would be our commencement speaker.” “Joe, I
would be honored,” Fr. B. said and asked Joe to
shake on it. Joe replied, “How about we drink
on it?” and pulled the two cans of Bud out of his
pockets, to which Fr. B. said, “Let’s do it in style,”
went to his cabinet and took out two pilsner glasses
with the JCU seal on them, and they proceeded to
down the beer to close the deal. Joe’s a ninth-grade
guidance counselor and head wrestling coach at
Archbishop McCarthy HS in Ft. Lauderdale. Joe’s
son, Christian, is a vacation planner for Carnival
Cruise Lines and Joe is hinting at a class of ’75 cruise! ...
Marc Thibeault ’98, head baseball coach at John
Carroll, wants to create a baseball alumni e-mail list
to correspond with former JCU baseball players. He
is seeking JCU baseball alumni addresses for a JCU
baseball newsletter as well. If interested, send your
e-mail address - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... I received a
nice e-mail from Sandra Perroni. “Rick: Living so
far away it is good to hear what is going on with the
’75 gang, and I love to read your column. Keep it
comin’.” Thanks, Sandra! ... OK, my new trivia
question is fairly easy once more: Which UClub
member was president of the Student Union our
freshman year? The first class member to e-mail
me the correct answer will be recognized! ... Father
Neal Buckon, USA, was recently deployed on a
90-day tour of duty in Iraq, circuit riding, providing
the sacraments and pastoral care to Catholic men
and women serving our country during Lent and
Easter. He writes, “Last July we had a reunion of
sorts for JCU at Fort Sill, OK. Lieutenant General
Carter Ham ’76, married to Christi Ignaut Ham,
came to Fort Sill to give COL Dom Pompelia
command of the 75th Fires Brigade. Greg Biada’s
daughter, Kristen Wills, was also present for the
Change of Command. She lives at Fort Sill with her
husband, CPT Tony Wills. I have been serving at
Fort Sill as the Garrison Chaplain since July 2006.”
Remember Fr. Neal in your prayers and pray for
peace. Hi, Sam! RR
Send your notes to:
1976
Diane Coolican Gaggin
118 Elm St.
Fayetteville, NY 13066
cools@twcny.rr.com
Hi ho all! Another column but this time ushering
in summer vacation. After a somewhat snowy
spring, I will have to dream on what the warm
ALUMNI JOURNAL
weather and sun is like while you are reading this.
Thanks to all who have kept me up-to-date with
their various snowstorms, especially Bob Tullio
for the picture of himself dressed for a day of
snowblowing the length and breadth of Erie, PA.
Nice outfit, Bob! ... I received a special message
from JCU’s head baseball coach, Marc Thibeault
’98, who is in the process of creating an alumni
e-mail list of all former players. If you played for
JCU, please contact coach - mthibeault@jcu.edu -
he’d really appreciate it. ... Steve Tracy sends
his change of e-mail address - nycsteve@live.com.
He had a computer meltdown and would
appreciate all who have been in contact with him
to resend their addresses so he can recreate his
address book. ... Congratulations are in order for
Gwen Benovich Dickerhoof, who became a
grandmother for the first time thanks to mommy
Jessica and daddy Michael (Gwen’s son) and the
birth of their son, Evan Michael Broestl. Welcome
to the world, little one! ... And, as sometimes
happens, when one door opens, another closes.
Such is the case with the death of our classmate,
George G. Kmiecik, who passed away last
August. George graduated as a psychology
major. Our condolences go out to his family and
friends. ... Now that you have all come out from
hibernation and/or dried out from the flooding, it’s
time to collect your thoughts and send them over
to me. Here’s to a lovely summer! Cools
Send your notes to:
1977
Dennis J. Lane
8144 Winding Ross Way
Ellicott City, MD 21043
dlane@ryancom.com
In case you hadn’t noticed, I sort of dropped the
ball on my class columnist duties for the past two
issues. Well, OK, not sort of, I really did drop the
ball. Sue me. Better yet, fire me. Until then, I
shall simply endeavor to be more consistent.
Unfortunately, the flow of alumni news from y’all
has dried up considerably since last year’s Reunion.
Surely something must be going on out there that
you can share. Consider this, if you don’t send me
stuff, you’ll just end up reading about my exploits
with fellow classmates. For example: Much like
the swallows returning to the mission at San Juan
Capistrano every spring, Stan Mambort,
Urban Picard, Mike Downing, Bill Gagliano,
Dave Cullen, Brian Henke, Bob (“Sha”) Keir,
John (“JR”) Rutherford and your humble class
columnist gathered once again for their annual
“spring training” trip this past March. Al Hess ’79
also attended. The venue again was Naples, FL.
Spring training is basically five days of baseball,
golf, fishing, eating, and – well, let’s just say that
what happens at spring training stays at spring
training. Joe (“Dictator”) Crogan was not able
to attend this year, so several toasts were made
in his honor. I can report that one night some of
the boys met up for drinks with Terry Roberts,
who lives in Naples. I should also add that, ten
months late, I paid off my debt to Stan for last
year’s weight challenge. Stan was the big loser. ...
Any other group gatherings going on out there in
Class of ’77 land? ... I also have some sad news to
report. The alumni office informed me that Elsie
Pollock, “an avid bridge player,” died March 29 in
North Dartmouth, MA. She was 91. I don’t know if
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 47
ALUMNI JOURNAL
anyone has kept track, but I’m guessing that Elsie
was the oldest member of our class. If you are
interested in making a contribution to her memory,
the family suggests Coalition Against Poverty, 30
Union Street, New Bedford, MA. ... And finally,
since this is baseball season, Marc Thibeault ’98,
the head baseball coach at JCU, is trying to con-
nect with Blue Streak baseball alumni. He asks
that you drop him an e-mail - mthibeault@jcu.edu.
... Keep those cards and letters coming. Dennis
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1978
Tim Freeman
334 N. Catherine Ave.
LaGrange Park, IL 60526
773-975-6909 (w)
708-579-9075 (h)
tim@jesuits-chi.org
Greetings! Here’s the latest: Mary Burke lives in
North Olmsted, OH, and is an accountant. Mary’s
son Patrick graduated as a mechanical engineer
in May; daughter Catherine is a junior at JCU
majoring in business (she spent a semester abroad
in London, studying and traveling throughout
Europe); and son Daniel is a junior at Saint Ignatius
HS and beginning his college search. Mary is an
avid bike rider (riding about 1,500 miles/year and
raising money to help fight multiple sclerosis) and a
certified scuba diver (took the trip to Bonaire, near
Aruba -- a diver’s paradise). She enjoys Cleveland
winters by cross-country skiing. Mary hopes to see
Rose Piening and Carol Rotterdam Ebdon and
others at our Reunion in June. ... Here’s a partial list
of classmates planning to attend our 30th Reunion
June 20-22, 2008: Pete Sheehan, Mark McGinley,
Which best describes John
Carroll’s mascot over the years?
A. Arf!
B. Snarl!
C. Streak!
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
If you answered A, B, C, D, or E, go to www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect.
We want you to give us your opinion on what the
JCU mascot should be. Your opinion matters!
48 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Nancy Veselica, Terry O’Brien, Bob Rees,
Thomas Olbrych, Maria Gonzalez, Rob Herald,
Joanie Snyder, Warren Potonak, Paul Carney,
Cathy Hogan, Bob Kehoe, Mary Egan, Bill
Peruzzi, Tom Lanese, Ruth Hassing, John Baran,
Laura and Mark Fasano, Bruce Luecke,
Jonathon Manilla, Michael McDonough, Dan
Weitzel, Mary Burke, Tim Freeman, Kevin
Leonard, Phil Rist, Mark Ruth, Jack Schufreider,
Anthony Sebastiano, Laure Rauch Senatore,
Bruce Swartz, Phil Devereaux, Sandy Anderson,
Jim McGrath, and many more! See you in June! Tim
Send your notes to:
1979
Nancy Agacinski
4009 Washington Blvd., #3
University Heights, OH 44118-3865
216-932-2824
nagacinski@yahoo.com
Greetings! Heard that Jim and Theresa Ptak
Buiel’s son, Alex, has been accepted at Interlochen
Arts Academy for the coming school year.
Interlochen is a performing arts high school in NW
Michigan. Alex has quite a talent for playing the
organ and piano, and I was fortunate to hear him
play locally last August. I was quite impressed
with his ability. Very exciting for him and his fam-
ily! ... Heard from Marc Thibeault ’98, the head
baseball coach at John Carroll – he’s trying to
create a JCU baseball newsletter and would like to
obtain e-mail addresses of alumni baseball players.
If you would like to be included in this project,
please contact him - mthibeault@jcu.edu - or at
216.397.4660. ... No other scoops for now! Do
you have any you’d like to share? Hoping to hear
from you soon! Take care, Nancy
Send your notes to:
1980
Matt Holtz
22487 Laramie Dr.
Rocky River, OH 44116
440-331-1759
mfh2885@sbcglobal.net
Summer greetings to all. Reunion Weekend will
be hitting the campus June 20-22 and vacation
season is in full swing. The Holtz family will be
trekking out to Myrtle Beach at the end of July in
the new Saturn Outlook. Great vehicle. Gas
mileage is not much better than the 10-year-old
Venture that it replaced. Go figure. I would have
thought that Detroit would have tried to improve
the fuel economy without sacrificing safety and
quality after 10 model years. I will do a Keith
Olbermann if I see any GM execs complaining
about market share. ... Summer time is also the
opportunity for friends and family to gather for
picnics or maybe catch a son or daughter
participating in America’s grand old game, namely
baseball. Speaking of baseball, JCU head baseball
coach Marc Thibeault ’98 is in the process of
creating a baseball alumni e-mail list to correspond with
former JCU baseball players. If anyone is a former
baseball player or you know of a classmate that played
on the Streaks’ baseball team, e-mail
mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... Good luck to Ron
Zajaczkowski’s Westlake baseball team, on which
his son is a player. I saw the team taking in some
spring drills then off to a local establishment, Loco
Leprechaun, to enjoy some R&R. ... Pat Divito
celebrated the big 5-0 birthday with his wife, Gisele,
and kids Tim (25), Leah (22), and Erika (19). Pat’s two
oldest have completed their undergraduate degrees
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

You can go home again.

See for yo u r self.

Homecoming 2008
September 26-28
Come back to John Carroll
to see old friends and be
part of events with the entire
New this year University community.
• First-ever ROTC Reunion, including
dinner, on Saturday, September 27

Looking to get involved?

Volunteer training to be provided:
• Reunion 2009 needs you. Let the
planning begin for the 4s and 9s
• Help continue to bring new life to
JCU’s alumni city clubs
• Learn how to assist in the
“Alumni-in-Admissions” process

Returning favorites
• Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
• Homecoming Street Fair
• The Big Game (first home football
game, against Heidelberg)
For more information, please contact the Office of
• Homecoming Mass and Breakfast Alumni Relations or visit www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect.

from Heidelberg and John Carroll ’07. Erika attends
school at Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC.
Pat and his family live outside of Youngstown, OH.
Pat has been working at Reynolds American for
almost 28 years. ... Tom Burland sends greetings
to all from - www.linkedin.com. This site offers
you the opportunity to network among associates
and get acquainted with folks in your profession. I
have not spent much time on the site but there
the 2007 NCAA Division I Championship soccer
team - the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest
University. Rich and spouse Debbie (Toth) happily
reside in a Western suburb of Cleveland. I think
they have moved since I occasionally ran by their
house doing the Bay Day 5K Run. ... Feel free to
drop a line anytime, MFH
1981
consider replacing me. If you would like to be
our columnist, e-mail Michele McFarland –
journal@jcu.edu. God bless, Julie
John Carroll magazine sends thanks and good
wishes to Julie Sanner Hepfer for her fine work as
class columnist since 1997.
Send your notes to:
1982

are a number of JCU classmates registered. ... Paul Hulseman

The Office of Alumni Relations sent out a survey
via e-mail exploring the interest in establishing a
mascot for John Carroll whose “identity and
visibility may strengthen and enhance school spirit
and tradition.” As of this writing, I am not aware
of any results being published. Perhaps with the
next column I will have some news to share. ...
Rick Chelko is keeping busy with his consulting
business, the Chelko Consulting Group. He recent-
ly ran into Ted Grabowski, who is working at Key
Bank. Rick is chairing the JCU Entrepreneurs
Association this year. Rick’s son was a member of
Position is now open. Please drop a
note of interest to journal@jcu.edu.
Hi, everyone! The time has come to “pass the
pen.” After many years as your class columnist,
unfortunately, I must retire. It has been a wonder-
ful experience getting to know you, especially
classmates that I didn’t know when we were in
school. Our class is an amazing, generous group
of people. I’m so proud to be a member of the
class of 1981. I hope that one of you will please
120 Evergreen Ln.
Winnetka, IL 60093
847-867-9322 (c)
PJHulseman@aol.com
Paul.Hulseman@solocup.com
Greetings from Chicago! Jerry Kohl was spotted
in Chicago in February at a surprise party for one
of our favorite RAs – Jeanne Ann Wall Cannon
’80. You might recall an incident our first week
freshman year in 1978. Jeanne Ann caught Jerry
red-handed trying to burn down the newly opened
New Dorm (now called Sutowski Hall). Well, that

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 49

ALUMNI JOURNAL
might be a bit of an exaggeration. Jerry was try-
ing to prove to Jeanne Ann that simple cigarette
smoke would not set off the fire alarms. I guess
we can say now that it ended up just fine and, as
far as I can remember, it was the only time Jerry
appeared before the University Hearing Board. ...
Katie Grace Brandt, Suzie Whelan Shoup ’81,
Ellen McMullen Tighe ’81, Mary Walsh Freeman
’87, Mary Ann Wall ’84, and Patrice McCauley
Hulseman ’80 gathered downtown to celebrate the
Queen of Michigan City’s 50th birthday. Yikes! Tim
Freeman ’78 apparently had other plans that eve-
ning. I doubt he even missed it. ... Bobby Gentile
spotted Jerry Herber, Patrick Harrington, Greg
Wozniak, and our class president, Steve Nicorata,
dining in Chicago this spring. I hope the troopers
didn’t stick Winky with the bill. I bet it has been
years since they “dined and dashed”! At least the
dash part. ... There has been a lot of activity at the
Brown house. Charles Brown ran for judge. His
campaign manager was Tony Coyne, future mayor
of Cleveland and onetime cousin. The campaign
came up a little short this time - better luck next
time. The last I heard of Chuck, he was calling
bingo at St. Margaret Mary’s and paying college
tuitions. ... Tremendous news for the class of ’82
– our very own Barb O’Brien Brown will receive
the Alumni Medal at graduation. Barb has done
extremely well professionally with the success
of her PR firm – Brown Flynn Communications.
She continues to give back to our alma mater and
currently serves on the Boler School of Business’s
Advisory Board. You make your fellow Chicagoans
proud, too. John Carroll is a better place because of
Barb – congrats! ... My fourth son, Michael, will be
a freshman next year at Carroll. That’s JCU three,
Marquette one in the Hulseman household, in case
you are counting. (Don’t ask about the one that got
away!) I hope to see classmates at Orientation this
summer – let me know if you have a legacy in the
class of 2012. ... I need scoops – please drop me a
line! Onward on! Paul
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1983
Mark Schroeder
216-210-2020
briome@auctionbrio.com
My thanks to Deb Solyan and Mary Patton who,
after 25 years, believe I am good for this job, and
thanks to Tony Pallotta for the last five years of
great class updates! Those who know me, start
writing. Those who don’t, start writing, time to be
a star! After leaving WJW-TV8 as sports anchor,
I earned my real estate license and auctioneer’s
license. I am a full-time professional auctioneer
licensed in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and, soon,
Illinois. I am one of the first 90 auctioneers to earn
a Benefit Auctioneer Specialist certification from
the National Auctioneers Association. There are
only 120 certified in North America. I own
my auction business, Auction Brio LLC -
www.auctionbrio.com - serving corporations and
nonprofits. ... Maureen Garvey-McDonnell
and husband Mark ’82 are Reunion bound from
Winfield, IL. Son Patrick will be a junior at JCU,
Connor will attend Loyola Chicago, and Kelan
is at Marmion Academy in Aurora, IL. ... Living
50 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
in a van down by the river is Rich Glass. That’s
what he wrote me. My guess, Rich does not live
by wife Carolyn’s (Cahill) rules in Clearwater,
FL. Rich is the SE Zone Manager-Cardiology for
GE Healthcare. ... The best broadcasting voice I
have ever heard belongs to Steve Passwaiter.
No longer in broadcasting, Steve and wife Valerie
live in the DC area. He uses the silky voice as a
consultant for media companies with BIA Financial
Network Inc. ... Tom Wancho tells “The Story of
Texas” in Austin. Tom does exhibit planning for the
museum. He would like me to auction his 34-year
collection of Sports Illustrated magazines. I’d rather
listen to his expertise of the Bluebonnet Bowl – it’s
worth more! ... Trading quakes of California for
the swamps of Jersey is Dave Campisano and
wife Kathleen. Dave works for Verizon Wireless.
Wonder if son Kramer and daughter Olivia enjoyed
their first East Coast winter. ... Rich Merkel
is doing well in Birmingham, AL, as regional
director of US LEC PAETEC. ... John Russell
is a business reporter for the Indianapolis Star.
He has a great sense of humor and would like
to reconnect with classmates following a prison
stint. He’s kidding! Check out John’s column at
Indystar.com. He’s good! ... Mike Forbush is
amazing! PhD in high energy physics at Texas
A&M, postdoc at Cal Davis, spent two years in
Germany, owns several patents in biotech industry.
He is director of operations for EDC BioSystems
and living in Hollister, CA, with wife Colleen,
four children, and two cats. ... What can’t Nitsa
Karas McClatchey do? Met hubby Jay, moved
to PA, founded a human resources consulting
business, board of director of Meals on Wheels,
chairperson for Clara Barton Forum, coordinator of
Reading Is Fundamental, vice-president of Band
Parents Association in Indian Lake, PA. Gave birth
to daughter Maria who ... take a guess ... plays
trumpet, piano, and bassoon while mastering
water-skiing and earning her black belt in tae kwon
do. ... Clevelander Joe Keller is a navy commander
selling real estate for 11 years for Real Living
Realty One. ... JCU baseball coach Marc Thibeault
’98 is looking for all baseball alums. He needs your
e-mail addresses - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... See you
at Reunion number 25! Mark
From John Carroll magazine, farewell to Tony
Pallotta and thanks for your work as class
columnist. And, to Mark Schroeder, thank you and
all best wishes for your new career in class notes.
Send your notes to:
1984
Don D’Amore
29570 Dorchester Dr.
North Olmsted, OH 44070
440-235-1323
jcuclassof84@yahoo.com
Remember writing those 500-word essays back in
school, and having to add in a lot of extra words like
“very, very, very” to make it to the 500 minimum
requirement? Well class columns need to stay
under that word count, so forgive me if I have to
cut any of your submitted details -- we will include
the important facts. ... Sherry (Schafer) Collmar
got married on January 19, 2008. Her groom
is Bud Collmar, a software developer working
in downtown Cleveland at First American Title
Insurance. Sherry works in IT as a project manager
at Progressive Insurance in Mayfield Village. They
both have 14-year-old daughters, Abby and Alyssa.
Denise (Petronzio) Geisler, John Wargo, Karen
Domke ’82, John Dragas ’88, and Dave Rastoka
’90 were in attendance for the big event. ...
Michael Ritchey writes that he could not help but
respond to my last column, where I was speaking
of the challenges that two other classmates - Pat
Reardon and Dave Murphy - must have to face
while raising five kids each. I even chimed in about
Michelle and my own four kids. Well, Michael has
us all beat in that he has six children to raise: Brian
(21), Melissa (18), Kevin (16), Greg (14), Michelle
(10), and Monica (6). Michael says: “As far as I can
tell by your entry, I will be claiming the ‘most kids’
prize. If I said ‘a handful, quite literally,’ you would
probably want to see my hand. Brian is a junior and
Melissa is a freshman, both at JCU. I’m feeling
pretty old right there with ya.” I think that the
“largest minivan needed” award definitely goes to
Michael, and, probably, “most kids at JCU” as well!
... I discovered Marc Raia is playing the guitar with
a band called the Mudpies; in addition to that, Marc
is a teacher in the Cincinnati area. ... JCU’s current
head baseball coach Marc Thibeault ’98 wrote that
he is trying to create a JCU baseball alumni e-mail
list to start a JCU baseball newsletter. Former JCU
baseball players can send their e-mail addresses -
mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... One year from now it will
be our turn under the big tent at JCU. Our big 25th
Reunion is coming in ’09! ... Perhaps for the first
time we will be the ones assigned inside one of the
buildings, as our old class of ’84 bones might not
be able to handle the night air’s chill much longer.
If you are able to write in a note to this column
during the next year, be sure to let us know which
classmates you would hope to see at next year’s
Reunion! You might be their inspiration for coming!
Also let us know what category of Reunion
“extremes” you think you could win: For example:
most countries traveled to, most dogs
or cats, most kids in college, lives closest (or
furthest) from JCU, most bikes in your garage,
looks have changed the least (or most), longest
beard, etc. You get the idea? Don
Send your notes to:
1985
Diane (Nerem) Wendel
629 Quaker Rd., Rte. 120
Chappaqua, NY 10514-1507
914-238-2227
DWendel@Optonline.net
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll
land among the stars…”~author unknown. As the
anniversary of the passing of our classmate Karen
Schipke, it is certain that we are shooting for the
moon for her. A heartfelt thank you to the following
classmates and friends who have contributed to
the scholarship fund set up in her name; Draga
Gostic Anthony, Dr. Lisa L. Apicella ’87, Douglas
Baker, Lola Bennett, Cheryl A. Cramer, Linda
Crouch-Roepken, Donald D’Amore ’84, Jennifer
Dietsch, James Fedor, Rhea Gilmore, Pamela
Gregg, Dr. Mary Beth Hogan, Vicki Hollinger,
Wendell Hull, Mary Javorek, Jeffery Linker,
Carolyn Madden, Maureen McCormick, Lu Ann
Miller, Judith Newell, Elizabeth O’Donnell, Jean
Orehek-Dreyer, Dennis Percy ’95, John Randall
’75, Elizabeth Randall-Dodd, Dr. Timothy
Reid, Andrew Saluan, Matthew Scarr, Elaine
Schipke, Stella Schmid, Nancy Spieles, Mary and

Class of ’86 members gather during an outing in Pittsburgh. From
the left are Eileen Gerity, Jenny (Labuda) Prangle, Karen Judy,
Karen (Delserone) Gust, Maria (Amelio) Magee, Cathy (Coyne)
Walsh, LuAnn (Mayle) Gabel, and Mary (Hoenig) Ward.
Margaret Swan, Harriet Trumper, Michael Patrick
Walsh, Vanice Wells, and Diane Wendel. Let’s
keep the momentum going so that together we
reach the moon for her by our Reunion in 2010.
Please continue to send donations attention to
Peter Bernardo ’67, JCU, 20700 North Park Blvd.,
University Hts., OH 44118. ... Calling all JCU
baseball players! Coach Marc Thibeault ’98 is
looking for you. Marc is seeking to obtain an alumni
list of baseball players. Contact Marc -
mthibeault@jcu.edu – so he can correspond with
former JCU baseball players. Double congratulations
to Matt Koenig as he is now director of business
development for Polynova Composites in Milford,
MA, and will be father to Irish twins – Charlie
and baby due October 2. ... Susan “Bubbles”
McAllister Cahill is busy with the soccer mom drill
in Cheshire, CT, with daughter Lizzy as Brownie
leader. The Cahill family has been busy skiing this
past winter. Bubbles is also co-chairing Cheshire’s
town Relay for Life Kidscare this spring. Her family
connected with Maureen Flaherty Menton’s
family last Thanksgiving on Cape Cod. Maureen,
Bernie, and Patrick are all doing well and living in
Braintree, MA. Mary and Jim Petit are currently
living “down under” with their family in Australia.
We wish you “no worries and good on ya mate”!
Drop us a line, two, or three here! ... Finally, rumor thawed out from the winter months and enjoying
confirmed that Anne “Slim” Walker Watterson
’86 is now employed at Saks Fifth Avenue as an
underwear model. Congratulations, Slim! ... Be well
and God bless, Diane
Send your notes to:
1986
Gigi Togliatti-Rice
931 Sheirer Rd.
Mansfield, OH 44093
419-529-5530
gigirice@neo.rr.com
Beth (Bonanno) Hausoul
179 S. Kenilworth Ave.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
ehausoul@mac.com
Hello, classmates -- It has been a long winter
for those of us who live up North. We heard
from Robbyn Redding Jones. After one year
of paperwork and two trips to Russia, she and
her husband brought home a beautiful baby boy,
Denis Redding Jones.
She reports that he has
adjusted well and that
she took some time off
to stay home and spoil
him. Congratulations,
Robbyn, to you and your
family. Unfortunately,
Robbyn also reported
that Bill Joyce’s father
passed away this winter.
We are sorry to hear
about your loss, Bill. Our
thoughts and prayers
are with you and your
family. ... I also had the
opportunity to talk with
Annie Sutphin Nock.
She and her husband,
Mike, live in Bay Village,
OH, with their two
children: Michael and
Madeline. She has also taken some time off
to stay home and enjoy her family. We are all
very happy for you, Annie. Annie sent a photo
of some of our classmates from a recent outing
in Pittsburgh. As you can see, Eileen Gerity,
Jenny (Labuda) Prangle, Karen Judy, Karen
(Delserone) Gust, Maria (Amelio) Magee, Cathy
(Coyne) Walsh, LuAnn (Mayle) Gabel, and Mary
(Hoenig) Ward all seem to be having a very good
time. I sent an e-mail to all of them and hopefully
by the next column we will have some details to
report on what all of them have been up to lately.
... Finally, Marc Thibeault ’98, the head baseball
coach at John Carroll, sent us a note saying he’s
trying to create a baseball alumni e-mail list to
correspond with former JCU baseball players. He
is asking all JCU baseball alumni to contact him
so that he can start a JCU baseball newsletter -
mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... Gigi and Beth
Send your notes to:
1987
Sue Farinacci Grazia
10338 Loreto Ridge Dr.
Willoughby, OH 44094-9547
440-256-0338
jsgrazia@adelphia.net
Hi, everyone, I hope this column finds you all
the sunshine! We have a short column this month,
but nonetheless a column. An update from Kelly
and Pat Langan who are, with their two children,
back in England, just outside of London, for the
next three years. Pat works for the Department of
Defense. ... Maria and Steve Imburgia and their
children are living in the beautiful city of Chicago.
Steve is employed by Starbucks. Steve, send us
a little more. …Melanie and Domenic Vitale and
their three children, Gia, Domenico, and Antonio,
are residing in the lovely community of Kirtland,
OH. Domenic worked for IBM for many years
after JCU until joining Cisco in the area of sales.
He also went on to receive his MBA from Case
Western Reserve. ... I also spoke with my dear
friend and community neighbor Tim Kehres. He
and his wife, Carla, and their two children, Chris
and Ben, live in Kirtland. Tim and Carla have been
very busy during the past 10 years renovating
their century home, which had belonged to Carla’s
grandparents. They moved in knowing the work
ALUMNI JOURNAL
ahead, but it was well worth it. Tim has been
very involved in social work and is currently the
director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast
Ohio. He loves what he does and feels he is
living his faith in his work. What more can you
ask for? He is also very involved in hockey and
coaching his son Chris’s hockey team. Thanks for
the update, Tim. ... And last but not least, Laura
(Abramovich) Pestotnick and husband Tom,
along with their two children, live in Highland
Heights, OH. Laura is a stay-at-home mom,
volunteering her time at school and transporting
her children to many activities. In her spare time,
which is very little, she started a business making
and decorating cakes for all occasions. From what
I hear, her work is amazing. So if you ever need
a cake for a special event, call Laura. ... That is all
for now, God bless, Sue
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1988
Jamie Jamison
7072 Kildeer Rd.
Canfield, OH 44406
330-702-1965
jjamison@zoominternet.net
Kathy Reali Matthews
28012 W Oviatt Rd.
Cleveland, OH 44140-2145
440-871-7283
bk3matthews@yahoo.com
The reunion committee has been hard at work
planning our 20th Reunion. We hope all of you will
seriously consider coming back for all or part of
the weekend festivities! ... Please send updates
about yourself or classmates. We’d really like to
hear from you! Hope to see you in June. Jamie
and Kathy
Send your notes to:
1989
David Gassman
3996 Astoria Way
Avon, OH 44011
440-934-0366
dgassmktvp@aol.com
Greetings, fellow Streaks of the class of ’89, and
happy spring. It is mid April here on the North
Coast and we have had an entire week of
sunshine, a rarity of sorts in this neck of the
woods. I had the privilege of seeing the JCU
campus and it looks better than ever. Back in the
day, the Frisbees would be flying around the quad
this time of year and the studying would get harder
and harder due to the festivities. ... Congratulations
to Mike Krizmanich and his wife, Krista-Marie, as
they have welcomed Cole Dmitry into their
Fairview Park, OH, home. Mike and Krista traveled
to Russia three times over the winter and cannot
express their joy and satisfaction in seeing Cole
adjust so well to the States. A special thanks goes
out to their employers, Continental for Krista and
Recon Logistics for Mike, for their understanding
and flexibility during this process. Mike tells me
that Recon Logistics is owned by none other than
fellow ’89er Hank Newman. Hey, Hank, how
about a note for the next article since your
company got two plugs here? Anyway, congrats
again to Mike and Krista and I wish your family
much happiness. ... Our own Pearl Graham-
Johnson was selected as a winner of the
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 51
ALUMNI JOURNAL
prestigious Plain Dealer Crystal Apple Award
sponsored by Bryant & Stratton College for the
2007-2008 school year. As a winner of this award,
Pearl joins an elite group of teachers in Northeast
Ohio who have been recognized for outstanding
efforts and accomplishments in education. This
award is so special because it is voted on by
students, co-workers, administrators, family, and
friends and then the final decision is made by a
team of Northeast Ohio educators. Congrats again,
Pearl, and keep up the good work with the
students. ... Dan Seink has informed me that he is
certified as a specialist in elder law and is a
founding partner in a Brecksville, OH, law firm that
focuses on long-term care needs and estate
concerns of seniors. Check out www.ohioelderlaw.com
for more info. Dan is married to JoAnne Behr and
they are expecting their first child in July of this
year. They keep busy by scuba diving and
renovating their century-and-a-half-old Sagamore
Hills home. Dan also passes along news of Kevin
Augustyn, who is a magistrate for the Cuyahoga
County Common Pleas Court, foreclosure division.
Kevin is married and lives in Strongsville. Thanks for
the updates, Dan. ... Finally, Marc Thibeault ’98, the
head baseball coach at JCU, is trying to start a JCU
baseball newsletter with alumni. All baseball alums
who see this article, send your e-mail address -
mthibeault@jcu.edu - or phone 216-397-4660. ...
Still looking for further updates on other
classmates, so send any info you have to share.
Have a safe and happy spring/summer. Peace,
David
Send your notes to:
1990
Melissa Wenzler
4021 Wandsworth Rd.
South Euclid, OH 44121
216-691-3759
WenzJCU90@aol.com
Hi there, everyone. This column is short –
I have not heard from many of you. I am sure
some of you must have some news. My e-mail
address is listed above, so there is no excuse!
... For any of you who are former JCU baseball
players, please contact JCU head coach Mark
Thibeault ’98 - mthibeault@jcu.edu. He is
creating a baseball alumni e-mail list to
correspond with former JCU baseball players. ...
Enjoy your summer – don’t forget to drop me a
note to tell me what you did on your
summer vacation! Cheers, Melissa
Send your notes to:
1991
Molly Coughlin Fanta
25107 Wildwood Dr.
Westlake, OH 44145
440-716-1749
mfanta4714@wowway.com
Dear class of 1991, congrats to Tara O’Neill
Lavelle on the adoption of a baby girl. ... Betsy
Benander Traben is expecting baby number six.
We are anxiously awaiting the news. ... Steve
’90 and Mary Beth Tirpak have four children
and reside in Rocky River, OH. Steve is with
Chambers Funeral Home and Mary teaches in
the Rocky River City Schools. I was fortunate to
celebrate Steve’s 40th birthday with his family and
friends at the Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Tony Georges was present also. Tony has two
52 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
boys and resides in Westlake, OH, and manages
the beverage store that he used to talk about in
college that his dad owned. We laughed about old
RA stories and fun times on campus. ... Many of
us are celebrating our 39th birthdays and are trying
not to think of that 40th birthday next year – happy
39th birthday to all of our classmates! ... Please
share your news, classmates! We look forward to
hearing from you. Enjoy the summer and consider
each day a gift. ... Fondly, Molly
Send your notes to:
1992
Jim Sislo
203 Marilyn Ln.
Eastlake, OH 44095-1561
440-269-1245
James@Sislo.net
Hello, everybody! Spring is in the air on campus.
When you think of spring, you can’t help but
think of baseball. John Carroll’s baseball coach,
Marc Thibeault ’98, is in the process of creating
a baseball alumni e-mail list to correspond with
former JCU baseball players. So send your e-mail
addresses - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... Steven
DeLuca is in the process of selling his insurance
agency and moving to the Denver area. Steven is
sick of the Midwestern weather and loves to ski
and is currently training for “Grandma’s Mara-
thon” in Duluth, MN, June 16. This will be his
third marathon. “I’m trying to catch up with Ted
Rieple and Brent Desiderio. Last time I talked to
them they had run four or five.” Steven’s family
is well; his sons are playing flag football. Steven
wanted to send hellos to his old roommates, Ted
Rieple, Brent Desiderio, Joe (Buck) Ferencak,
Timmy Pearl, and Lou Cozza ’93. Thanks for the
update, Steve. ... We always knew that Sharon
Neura was a class act. Now she has a store to
prove it. She traded in her corporate vice-president
title to launch her own business. Class Act Resale
Shoppe, located in the heart of Cleveland’s Little
Italy, opened its doors for business on March 13.
Sharon embarked on this creative entrepreneur-
ship adventure because of her love for old, new,
and everything in between. Class Act hosts a
variety of new and gently used designer labeled
clothing for women, unique and trendy leather
handbags and fashions for both ladies and men.
Actually, the store has so much to offer that it
wouldn’t fit in my column. However, you can see
it all - www.classactresale.com - or by calling
Sharon at 216-707-9000. ... See you on campus, Jim
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1993
Julie Reardon
12361 Woodridge Dr.
North Royalton, OH 44133
440-877-0939
dereardon@adelphia.net
Remember the days of needing to go to the TV
lounges to watch cable TV (and all those 90210
viewing parties on Wednesday nights)? Not
anymore. Today’s students all have cable TV wired
into each dorm room. And the cafeteria? You
wouldn’t even recognize the place -- it’s scheduled
to be remodeled again this summer. And have you
seen the sports facilities? They’re much improved
from when we attended Carroll. The football
stadium even has lights! If you haven’t been back
to John Carroll since graduation, there’s definitely
a lot to see. And even if you have been back
recently, there are new things happening all the
time. That’s why you’re invited back to campus
to reconnect and reminisce with your fellow
classmates. Experience Reunion Weekend 2008 --
June 20-22! It will be an entertaining weekend
for the entire family. There are the always-fun
events to attend like the beer tasting and wine
tasting seminars, talks given by John Carroll
faculty, and full use of the campus facilities. There
really is something for everyone. Don’t leave the
kids at home, either! Camp Carroll has an entire
weekend of age-appropriate activities for all the
kids. Whether it’s an animal show with Jungle
Terry, swimming in the pool, getting pictures done
by a caricature artist, or a campus tour for the
teenagers, the kids will have a ball. Returning this
year will be our popular Family Picnic being held
Saturday afternoon. This event has proven to be
so successful (we’re the only class to have more
than 100 alumni at a class-only event - and we’ve
done it twice!) that other classes have taken our
model and used it for their reunions. If you are
attending Reunion for the entire weekend, the
picnic is included in your weekend package. If
not, it’s only $15 per person -- and kids under 5
are free! You can find out additional information
about Reunion at www.jcu.edu/alumni/reunion08.
You’ll be able to see who has already registered
and then you can register for Reunion online.
... If you’ve been to Reunion Weekend before,
you already know what a great time it is. If you
haven’t attended, this is the perfect time to come
back and see what you’ve been missing. Our
attendance goal is 100 classmates -- achieving this
would continue the record-breaking attendance
marks for our class! Mark your calendars,
schedule that vacation from work, make plans,
and be sure to join us at JCU from June 20-22 for
Reunion Weekend. Looking forward to seeing you
there! Vinnie Close and Julie Reardon
Send your notes to:
1994
Maureen “Moe” McGuinness
940-566-1361
moe@unt.edu
Hello, classmates, and happy summer! I cannot
believe it has been 14 years since we left JCU ...
some days it feels like yesterday and others, well,
I have some gray hair. Wanted to get you caught
up on the events in the lives of the people who
have contacted me. Lately, it has been dwindling
off, so if you are reading this and have some
news in your life, please shoot me an e-mail. I
would love to hear from you and so would our
classmates. Suzanne Sadd has recently been
promoted to vice-president of the Fifth Third
Bancorp in Cincinnati. She joined the company in
2002 as a customer service manager and quickly
moved up the ranks to VP. Congratulations,
Suzanne! ... Apryl and Keith Seide report that
Keith Allen Seide II joined their family on Decem-
ber 16, 2007. He joins big sister Juliana. Mom
reports that Keith Jr. is “pretty darn cute.” ...
Allison ’02G and Alex Spinos had their second
son, Noah Spinos, on February 8, 2008. He joins
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

alumNews

Photograph, by Bruce Gates, courtesy of Tommy Bruno

It’s Another Gilby Day
You may not be a regular viewer of Ask Gilby, an
educational children’s TV program, but chances
are good, and getting better, that a preschooler
near you is a fan of the show. Gilby, a cute
Dalmatian, answers kids’ questions. The show’s
creator and executive producer, Tommy Bruno,
graduated from JCU in 1995.
Mr. Bruno went to work for Cleveland’s
WJW-TV8 while he was still at JCU, majoring
in television and radio communications. In
one of his classes, the instructor mentioned
the availability of an internship at WJW. It
required going in at 4 a.m. every day. “I was more
interested in radio,” Mr. Bruno says, “but no one
else wanted it, so I said, ‘I’ll take it if I can get it.’”
He not only got it, but the station hired him
soon after he started his internship. He worked
there as a producer for six years, before going to
work for Akron public radio all-music station
WAPS-FM91.3, known as “The Summit,” where
he serves as general manager. The station is a
service of the Akron Public Schools, for which
Mr. Bruno also works in public relations and
marketing. It was in that capacity that Mr. Bruno
began developing Gilby.
“In 2001, I was asked to create a character for
the school district, potentially for a TV show,” he
says. “We recognized that kids were coming into
pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and even first
grade unprepared to learn – they
didn’t know letters, numbers,
colors, shapes, how to spell
their names.”
So he helped to design
a show that addressed
those concerns. He
sought advice from
JCU communications
faculty member Bob Noll. “Bob
has been a mentor to me for a long
time. He’s given me a lot of his off
time, consulting on the show. His
legacy was Hickory Hideout,” says Let the learning begin: Tommy Bruno ‘95
Mr. Bruno, referring to a children’s show
Mr. Noll created, wrote, and produced
for Cleveland’s WKYC-TV3 in the
1980s. The show was eventually
syndicated nationally by NBC.
“That was a real motivator for me. I
remembered it from when I was a kid, and it was Connecticut; Cleveland; Fort Wayne, Indiana;
kind of serendipitous how it all worked out with San Francisco; and a few other cities.
Bob. Now I speak in his classroom a couple of Just about every kid in Akron knows about
times a year.” Gilby. In fact, Mr. Bruno says, “When a child is
And now Ask Gilby is broadcast around the born in the city of Akron, we give the parents
country as well. The E. W. Scripps Company has and children some Gilby tools, including a
begun showing it on its stations in Baltimore, growth chart and some things that teach parents
Cincinnati, Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, and how to engage children in learning.”
Tulsa. It can also be seen in Boston; Bridgeport, David Budin

big brother Kevin. ... Kevin ’93 and Melissa
Manner had their first child, Wyatt Edward
Manner, on August 12, 2007. They continue to live
outside of San Antonio, where Melissa works as a
keep in touch with. We want to hear from you! at their home in Berea, OH, where Mike continues
Luck to you always, Moe to coach football for the Cleveland Browns and
Carole reports the news part time for Channel 3. ...
Send your notes to: I caught a photo of Nathalie Lacouture in Crain’s
1995

district sales manager for Celgene Corporation and
Kevin is a self-employed builder/developer.
Congratulations to the Seide, Manner, and Spinos
families. ... Joseph Walton has succeeded his
father as president of Jamestown Paint Co. The
company has been in the family for the last 60
years. ... I reported on “Nicole Mastropietro” but
failed to let you know she was the infamous
Nicole Duffy. She is currently a stay-at-home mom
for daughter Emilia, who is one. Her husband,
Chris, is a pediatric intensivist at Children’s
Annie (Hummer) DePerro
4161 Glenmoor Rd., NW
Canton, OH 44718
330-966-8845
anniedeperro@sssnet.com
According to the class of 1992 column, our favorite
Dolan Hall RA, Cindy Ford, is climbing incredibly
high mountains, backpacking out West with her
mom and donating her time and money to interna-
tional charities. I knew I always liked her. If she has
inspired you in some way, I’d like to hear from you,
Cleveland Business recently. She is an account ex-
ecutive at the Fedeli Group, an insurance brokerage
and consulting service organization in Cleveland.
Congratulations, Nathalie. ... Please e-mail me your
updates, or call me to chat on my cell phone. If
you don’t, I may have to open up an account on
Facebook or create a MySpace page so I can find
you out there. Happy summer! Annie
Send your notes to:
1996

Hospital of Michigan. They moved to Michigan
two years ago from fast-paced Manhattan. Thanks
for touching base, Nicole. ... Well, that is all that I
have at this time. Please continue to send me
information about you and all those friends you
too ... keep your notes coming. I’ll be brief this time Amy Spisich Kogovsek
since I don’t have a whole lot to report. Tiny Carole ASKamy@aol.com
(Chandler) Sullivan gave birth to Teagan Ann
Sullivan, a 9 lb. 7 oz. girl on March 28. Teagan joins
her parents Mike and Carole and big brother Patrick

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 53

ALUMNI JOURNAL
Send your notes to:
1997
Brian Sparks
5011 Oakes Rd.
Brecksville, OH 44141
440-746-0309
bdsparks@meistermedia.com
Most of our class must still be getting over the
winter doldrums, because I received very little news
for this update. So, when you get this issue, take
a few minutes to shoot me a message. In most
cases, when someone sends me an update, they
make a point of saying how much they enjoy reading
about their fellow classmates, even if they didn’t
know them too well while they were at school! To
make things a little more interesting, I’m proposing
a contest. There’s no prize involved (I haven’t made
my millions yet), but let’s see who can win in these
categories: person living furthest from campus right
now; most interesting job; best family update. ... I
did receive a message from Marc Thibeault ’98, the
head baseball coach at John Carroll. He said: “I am
trying to create a baseball alumni e-mail list to cor-
respond with former JCU baseball players. I was in
the process of determining how to accomplish this
goal, when I thought of your connection with the
‘alumni notes’ portion of John Carroll magazine. I am
asking if you could please add in your alumni notes
that I am seeking JCU baseball alumni addresses to
start a JCU baseball newsletter.” So any former JCU
sluggers, be sure to pass along your information
to coach Thibeault - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... In the
meantime, let’s hear what you’re up to! My e-mail
address is listed at the top. Brian
REUNION YEAR
Send your notes to:
1998
Cherie Skoczen
216-741-1823
cherieskoczen@ameritech.net
Hello, class of ’98! This June, we celebrate our
10-year class reunion. If you came back to Carroll
for our fifth-year reunion, you know that Reunion
Weekend is a fun time, especially the evening
events under the big tent on Friday and Saturday
nights. Make plans to be there! If you haven’t reg-
istered yet, do so online - www.jcu.edu/alumni - or
call 216-397-4322. ... In other news, fellow ’98er
Marc Thibeault, the head baseball coach at John
Carroll, is creating a baseball alumni e-mail list to
correspond with former JCU baseball players. If
you played baseball at Carroll, send Marc an e-mail
- mthibeault@jcu.edu... And that does it for our
class notes for this edition; I think it’s our shortest
column ever! Please e-mail me so I can mention
you in the next column. Looking forward to seeing
everyone at Reunion June 20-22! – Cherie
Send your notes to:
1999
Meg Galligan
galliganm22@hotmail.com
Hi, everyone! It’s great to be writing this column and
so great to hear from some of ya’ll. I’m a little
tentative about following in the footsteps of the great
54 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Mark Annichine, but I’ll try my best. Thanks, Mark,
for all your work on the previous columns! So here’s
the latest from our classmates -- Amanda (Plesco)
Hall reports that she married Doug Hall in October
and lives close to Pittsburgh. In addition to her work
in advertising at Ketchum, she co-owns a style-savvy
boutique. Check it out at www.jupeboutique.com.
Hopefully it will be coming to a town nearer me (oh
– and you) very soon. ... Monica (Kramer) Russell
and her husband, James, are enjoying the company
of their little daughter, Madeleine. She arrived last
May. In addition to being a mom, Monica is an
attorney at Carlisle-Kesling & Adamczyk Co., LPA
in Middleburg Heights, OH; her husband works at
Goldman & Rosen in Akron. ... Joe Chernowski
just completed his thesis on lay ministry. Congrats,
Joe. He and his wife, Kelly (Zobel), reside in New
York with their three daughters. ... John Longo and
his wife of six years, Jenni, have an adorable
2 ½-year-old son named CJ and are expecting
another child right now. Look for updates in the next
issue. ... Gigi Awad, who was married last summer,
is also expecting a little bundle of joy. I recently
caught up with her and discovered that she now
resides in Austin, TX, where she works at the
University of Texas-Austin as an assistant professor.
... In case “ya’ll” haven’t guessed already, I have
also moved back to the great state of Texas. I’m in
Dallas staying warm, but of course I’m already
looking forward to visiting Cleveland for our reunion
next year! Drop me a note whenever you get a
chance. We’d all love to hear from you. Meg
The magazine thanks Mark Annichine for his
column service since 2006 and welcomes Meg
Galligan to her new role.
2000
Send your notes to:
Lisa Foster
3795 Lowell Rd.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44121
440-339-6572
lisafoster19@gmail.com
Clare Taft
2171 Middlefield Rd.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
claretaft@hotmail.com
Hopefully, everyone is enjoying the warmer weath-
er, and with spring comes news from our class-
mates. George Dubic is a licensed nursing home
administrator, working at Geneva Pointe Skilled
Nursing and Rehab in Geneva, OH. As a licensed
nursing home administrator, George is licensed to
operate long-term-care facilities. ... Billy Meade
and Becky Kumor were married and live in Cleveland.
... Marc Thibeault ’98, head baseball coach at John
Carroll, is in the process of creating a baseball
alumni e-mail list to correspond with former JCU
baseball players. If you fit that bill, e-mail Marc -
mthibeault@jcu.edu - with your contact information
to keep in touch with other former ballplayers. ...
Crowley Webb and Associates, a Buffalo marketing
communications agency, promoted Tricia Barrett
to vice-president/management supervisor. Tricia
joined the agency in 2003 and most recently served
as account supervisor. ... We are always looking for
news from our fellow classmates, so please send
along your announcements. Enjoy the summer,
have fun, and keep us informed. Clare and Lisa
2001
Send your notes to:
Maureen DeMers Fariello
257 Ironbark Court
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
jcualumni2001@yahoo.com
Jenni (McGregor) Haag was promoted to head
of children’s services at the Garfield Heights (OH)
Library in June 2007; also, Jenni and her husband
recently bought their first home, in Parma. ...
Kelly (Scott) Cerifko and her husband, Steve,
welcomed Emma Katherine Cerifko into the world
on March 18. Emma weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz. and was
20 inches long. Kelly is taking the rest of the year
off from teaching second grade and will return
to work in the fall. Kelly says, “We are all home
and loving our new life and family in Buffalo,
NY!” ... Lauren (Hill) Lesagonicz and her family
recently purchased a new home in Poway, CA.
... Last year, Molly Toussant had an article about
teaching writing published by the National Writing
Project. She recently found out that the article
was submitted for and is one of four national final-
ists for a Distinguished Achievement Award from
the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP). ...
Attention JCU baseball alumni: Marc Thibeault ’98,
head baseball coach, is trying to create a network
with JCU baseball players. Please contact him
with your information - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ...
Enjoy the summer, Maureen
2002
Send your notes to:
Kristen (Muoio) McVean
9 Warrington Dr.
Fairport, NY 14450
585-259-3955
jcuclassof2002@gmail.com
Here is the latest news from the class of 2002.
Nicole Hepp became engaged to Jim Costigan in
March 2007. They bought a house in Twinsburg,
OH, and will be married on June 14, 2008. Nicole
is an English teacher at Kenston High School,
and Jim is a tax auditor for the State of Ohio. ...
Angela Flowers received an MSSA from Case
Western Reserve University and is currently a
licensed social worker at a school in Euclid, OH.
She also started a consulting business in July ’07
called Making a Difference Consulting. On May
1, 2008, Angela traveled to Chicago to accept a
check for winning the Miller Urban Entrepreneurs
Series Business Plan Competition. ... Rich and
Emily (Farkas) Wyman moved to Las Vegas in
August 2007. Emily is a marketing coordinator for
GES Exposition Services, a global convention
company. Rich is a plant engineer at Chemical
Lime, a global limestone mining, exploration,
and production company. The couple recently
purchased their first home in Summerlin, a
suburb of Las Vegas. ... Jamie Andrews became
engaged to Erin Pappas and they are planning
a June wedding. Jamie works for University
Hospitals of Cleveland as a cardiothoracic research
assistant. A captain in the US Army Reserves,
he is serving a tour of duty in Germany. ... Kate
Webber received her PhD in pathology from Case
Western Reserve and is working at WellPoint as
a HIPP Associate. ... Timothy and Kelly (Young)
Jamieson announce the birth of their first child,
Grace Ryan, on February 9, 2008. Timothy, Kelly,
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

alumNews
Let’s Get This Party Started
There are different types of DJs. One kind plays
prerecorded music on radio stations. Another
plays prerecorded music in clubs, bars, and
other public places and at events, creatively
flowing one piece into the next, matching beats,
overlapping songs, mixing different types of
music, controlling the energy of the crowd. Mick
Boogie – who was known as Mickey Batyske
when he attended John Carroll – started out
as the first kind and is now making a name for
himself as the second.
He has been hired to work his magic at
high-end parties and events in New York, Miami,
Las Vegas, and other cities. He has received
attention from music magazines and from hip-
hop and rap artists. He has started consulting
with top-name artists, offering advice about
music and marketing. Mick credits his marketing
prowess for a good part of his success. “In order
to show that you have any skill,” he says, “you’ve
got to market yourself. The fun part of my job is
the night part, where I get to perform. But the
became lucrative. And because I could set my If you have attended Cleveland Cavaliers
own schedule and I had the time, I went to grad home basketball games, you’ve heard his work in
school.” He received his MBA from JCU in 2005. Gund Arena as the Cavs’ official DJ. That will
It wasn’t just his business education that led end in June, though, when he moves to New York
to his career. “One of the reasons I went to John City. “I’m 30 now,” he says. “There’s probably
Carroll,” he says, “was because I knew I’d have a five more years I can do the DJ thing. Then I’ll
good chance of getting a radio show [on campus transition into more of the business side.”
station WJCU-FM88.7]. When I went on the David Budin
campus tour, my mom and I stood outside the radio
station and I was amazed and in awe.”
He went from doing his WJCU
radio show to working local events to
snagging a regular gig on a commercial
radio station in Cleveland to working on
projects with recording artists, and then
to where he is today, which he makes
clear is still far from where he wants to
wind up. Among his other projects, “I’ve
invested in a clothing store in Michigan
called Motivation that’s doing very well.
I have a website – a social networking
site called Urbpage.com – that’s about

Photograph courtesy of Mick Boogie

business part, the nine-to-five, is also fun for me,
because it’s what I went to school for.”
After he received his bachelor’s degree in
2000, he thought he might get DJ gigs until he
figured out what he wanted to do in life. But,
he says, “The role of the DJ in entertainment
culture started expanding to the point where it
to launch, as well as my own website,
mickboogie.com.” On the personal
front, he recently got engaged and, as
John Carroll magazine went to press, was
planning a May wedding.
High energy: Mick Boogie ‘00, ‘05G

and Grace Ryan reside in Cranberry Township, PA.
... A note to any baseball alumni – JCU head coach
Marc Thibeault ’98 is putting together an e-mail
list so that he can correspond with all of you.
Send your e-mail address - mthibeault@jcu.edu. ...
That’s it for this issue. I hope that you have a great
summer, and keep the news coming! Kristen
REUNION YEAR
2003
Since the Cavs are in the playoffs for the third year
in a row, I thought a basketball quote was appropri-
ate. (I couldn’t find any LeBron quotes.) Go Cleveland!
There’s not much to report this time around, but
here’s who I’ve heard from: Jessica Dillon Esq.
has moved back to Pittsburgh from New York City.
She is the national director of legal and compliance
recruiting for RJ & Makay. ... Amy (Koehler)
Lombardo married Joe Lombardo on October 20,
2007, in Willoughby Hills, OH. Megan (Johnston)

Send your notes to:
Theresa (Jurak) Polachek
4844 Westbourne Rd.
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
jcu2003@hotmail.com
“These are my new shoes. They’re good shoes.
They won’t make you rich like me, they won’t
make you rebound like me, they definitely won’t
make you handsome like me. They’ll only make you
have shoes like me. That’s it.” –Charles Barkley
Grace Ryan, daughter of Timothy and
Kelly (Young) Jamieson ’02.
Kayser served as the matron of honor. Those
also in attendance from Carroll included: Jason
McGee and Chrissy (Wojtila) Lapinski ’04. Amy is
working as the marketing manager for Park Place
International in Chagrin Falls, OH. Congratulations,
Amy! ... Calling all JCU baseball players -- coach
Thibeault ‘98 is starting a JCU baseball newsletter
and is looking to collect e-mail addresses from past
players. If you’re interested in being on the mailing
list, e-mail him at mthibeault@jcu.edu. ... Short and
sweet this time. Hopefully everyone can catch up
at our 10th Reunion this summer! Take care, Theresa
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 55
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Amy (Koehler) Lombardo ’03 celebrated her marriage to
Joe Lombardo with the help of JCU classmate Megan
(Johnston) Kayser, who served as the matron of honor.
2004
Send your notes to:
Paul Clapp
1681 Rush Rd.
Wickliffe, OH 44092
440-796-4947
pclapp04@jcu.edu
Thank you to everyone who sent updates. We
have a lot of career updates and a few wedding
announcements to share ... Melanie Hudak
is living in Chicago, next to Wrigley Field. She
is the benefits administrator, HR department,
for Playboy Enterprises Inc. Melanie has been
working there for over a year and was recently
selected as Who’s Who of Playboy for the month
of January 2008. ... Kristen (Hallsky) Taylor
works for 21 WFMJ (NBC) and WBCB (CW) in
Youngstown doing marketing and promotions for
both stations. She has been there since shortly
after graduation. She also married Jordan Taylor
(Mount Union 2000) on September 22, 2007, in
Hubbard, OH. Celeste Cappotto was her maid of
honor and Teressa Fiderio was a bridesmaid. ...
Brook Miller and Daryl Lee (Central Washington
University) plan to be married on October 4 in
Salem, OH. ... Lindsay Recktenwald is living
in Connecticut and working in development at a
theater venue in Hartford. ... Jim Lilly celebrated
Nada Faddoul ‘04 joined the Akron law firm of
Stark & Knoll.
56 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
From left are Lauren Sawyer, Laura Mavissakalian, Hanna Rennhoff, Emily Toussant,
Jamie Wacker, and Emily Belz – all class of 2003 members.
Jacob, son of Sarah (Keating) Albanese ’04
and husband Jay.
From left are Lindsay Recktenwald, Emilie
Lupiani, and Danielle LoVaglio, all class of ’04.
his three-year anniversary at National City Bank
and is currently working as a commercial lending
officer in West Michigan. Jim also recently got
engaged to Sarah Garlough, a Michigan State
class of 2006 graduate. ... Stephanie Tomko was
promoted to assistant vice-president at Marsh
USA, which is an international corporate insurance
broker. She also bought a house in Willowick, OH.
... Rebecca Machusick accepted a new position
in the PR and Marketing Department of Maxim
Healthcare. ... Tina Choudhri was accepted
at George Washington in DC in emergency
medicine. ... Nada Faddoul joined the Akron law
firm of Stark & Knoll after graduating in 2007 from
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Nada joins
Stark & Knoll’s growing Litigation and Employment
Department. She is a member of the American,
Ohio State, Cleveland Metropolitan, and Akron
Bar Associations and is admitted to practice
in Ohio. Nada will focus on business litigation,
immigration issues, and counseling clients on
employment matters. ... Katie McPhie and J.P.
Krainz both graduated in December 2007 from
the MBA Accelerated Program at Cleveland State
University. ... Sarah (Keating) Albanese and
her husband, Jay, had a baby, Jacob, on
December 21, 2007; you can check out their blog -
jmpalbo.blogspot.com - or see the photo they sent
in. ... And finally, JCU head baseball coach Marc
Thibeault ’98 - mthibeault@jcu.edu - is looking
for former JCU baseball players. If you played
baseball at Carroll, e-mail him. ... We are about
to go into our fifth year out -- Reunion next year!
Start thinking ahead for summer of ’09 -- things
are already in the works. I cannot believe how fast
time has gone by. Enjoy your summer, Paul
2005
Send your notes to:
Jennifer Tolhurst
jtolhurst04@jcu.edu
Hi, everyone. Hope you’re enjoying the nice
weather. Just don’t forget to take a break from
basking in the Cleveland sun to write to your
lonely class columnist. Got a few updates from
’05ers around the country: Natalie Scala is
currently studying industrial engineering at the
University of Pittsburgh. She just received her
master’s degree in December 2007 and is now
continuing for a PhD. ... Andy Guild, a fellow
former English major, is now a full-time graduate
student in the MBA program at JCU, as well
as a graduate assistant for the Boler School of
Business. He’s also working as a marketing intern
at thunder::tech, a Cleveland-based marketing
firm, and lives in Cleveland Heights. ... Gladymar
Guzmán was recently promoted to national
account executive for Univision Network in Miami.
With this new role, she is selling more than 69
continued on page 58
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

Alumni Extraordinaire
T
he Alumni Medal is the highest award
bestowed by the John Carroll University
Alumni Association. Established in
1961, the medal is presented annually to alumni
and others who have, through the distinguished
conduct of their lives, either brought extraordinary
credit to the University or contributed
conscientious service to the alumni association,
or both. This year, the association awarded five
medals. They were presented at the annual
Alumni Awards Dinner, on May 16, and again at

Photograph by Robert Wetzel

Commencement two days later.

Richard M. Hamlin Sr. ’49. The Hamlin

name is well-known on campus through the
family’s gifts to the University that have
established Hamlin Hall and the Richard M.
and Yvonne F. Hamlin Quadrangle. A successful
businessman, he has very generously given
back to Carroll and other many other nonprofit
organizations. Mr. Hamlin has served on the John
Carroll Board of Directors for more than 20 years.
Jack T. Hearns ’61, ’64G. Jack Hearns
virtually grew up at John Carroll. For many
years, his father directed the University band,
and his mother taught English. The now-retired
nationally known educator worked his way up
to superintendent of schools in Warrensville
Heights, Ohio. He has contributed to the
University in numerous ways, from serving as a
longtime class notes columnist to co-chairing his
two most recent class reunions.
Recipients of the 2008 Alumni Medal are, from left, Michael L. Hardy ’69; Barbara O. Brown ’82;
Sr. Nancy J. Conway, CSJ, ’71; Jack T. Hearns ’61, ’64G; and Richard M. Hamlin ’49.
Michael L. Hardy ’69. Mr. Hardy is partner- serves as president of the Leadership Team. The
in-charge of the Cleveland office of Thompson congregation sponsors more than 40 organizations
Hine LLP, one of the largest and most-respected law and institutions, including schools, social service
firms in the country. He leads a group of more than agencies, shelters, and adult literacy programs.
150 attorneys while specializing in environmental
law. Mr. Hardy’s service to the University includes Barbara O. Brown ’82. Barbara Brown
membership in the Entrepreneurs Association, co-founded BrownFlynn Communications
where he serves on its advisory board. in 1996. She is chief client officer of the
Cleveland company, which has evolved into
Sr. Nancy J. Conway, CSJ, ’71. Sr. Nancy an award-winning corporate responsibility and
Conway helped bring together seven formerly sustainability consulting and communications
independent congregations of Sisters of Saint firm. Ms. Brown remains actively involved at
Joseph from seven states and Japan to form the John Carroll as past vice-chair and current
new Congregation of Saint Joseph, of which she member of the Entrepreneurs Association.

A sixth alumni award was presented at the Alumni Awards Dinner:

The Alumni Volunteer Service Award, recognizing exceptional
Photograph by Robert Wetzel

alumni service, was awarded to Bruce E. Thompson ’43. Mr.

Thompson received the award in 1994 as well. Calling him the
consummate man for others, the alumni association celebrated
Mr. Thompson’s scores of contributions, the latest of which is his
tireless work as chair of his class’s 65th Reunion.

Bruce E. Thompson ’43 receives the Alumni

Volunteer Service Award from Fr. Niehoff.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 57

ALUMNI JOURNAL

alumNews
A Great Day at Yankee Stadium
Reverend Eric Schild ’02 was ordained as a Despite being in the upper deck, he had a the priesthood,” Fr. Schild says, “so, of course,
priest less than a year ago, so, naturally, one of good view of the Pope. Though not as good a knowing that he was a cardinal, I approached
the first things he gets to do is distribute view as he had when he met him in person. him and said, ‘Your Eminence, would I be able
Communion during Pope Benedict XVI’s Mass That was during his senior year at JCU, when a to take a picture with you?’ He was extremely
at Yankee Stadium in April. He didn’t get to University group took a trip to Rome. They were gracious and gentle and humble and agreed to
meet the Pope, but, hey, he’d already done that. scheduled to meet Pope John Paul II, but he was the picture. And then I come to find out a
Some might say Fr. Eric is, well … blessed. ill. Instead, they went to a Mass celebrated by couple of years later that Cardinal Ratzinger
As he explains, each diocese in the United the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. would be elected Pope Benedict the 16th.”
States was given 50 tickets to the New York “At that point, I was having thoughts of David Budin
Mass. The campus ministry at St. Wendelin
High School in Fostoria, Ohio, obtained
enough tickets to take 14 students, who would
be accompanied by Fr. Schild. The school is
part of St. Wendelin Catholic Parish, where he
serves as associate pastor. The names of all the
priests going to the Mass were submitted to the
Archdiocese of New York, he says, and they
called and “wondered if I’d be willing to
distribute Communion. They needed some-

Photograph courtesy of Reverend Eric Schild

where around 400 to 500 priests to distribute
Communion to 60,000 people. It’s no small
task. Of course, I was absolutely thrilled to do
it.”
He was stationed in the upper deck, to
serve the people seated there. “They wanted to
do Communion within 15 or 20 minutes, for
60,000 people. That was the goal, and I think
we accomplished that.” Meeting to remember: While a JCU senior, Fr. Schild met then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger –
soon to be elected Pope Benedict XVI – in Rome.

continued from page 56

Spanish stations in the US She’s looking to receive be entering her third year of teaching second
2007

Send your notes to:

her master’s degree in integrated marketing
communications from Florida International
University in December 2008. ... How about you
all out there -- let me know about all the exciting
things you’re doing! Jennifer
2006
grade in Charlotte, NC. She is also currently
Lisa Iafelice
working on her master’s of education at Wingate
liafelice07@jcu.edu
University. ... Jake Oresick is a political organizer
and strategist whose clients have included
Brittany Bush
Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, US
bbush07@jcu.edu
Senator Bob Casey, US Representative Jason
Altmire, and Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge We have not received a lot of news this time, but

Send your notes to:

Christine Donohue. He most recently served John
Christine Bohn
Edwards’s presidential campaign. ... Christine
440-668-8210
Bohn will be attending Purdue University in the
Cbohn06@jcu.edu
fall, working toward her doctorate in chemistry. ...
And lastly, calling all JCU baseball players! Coach
Roberta Muoio
Thibeault ’98 is attempting to create a baseball
4216 N. Paulina Ave.
alumni e-mail list, in addition to starting a JCU
Chicago, IL 60613
baseball newsletter. If you are a baseball alum,
330-284-7722
please e-mail coach Thibeault - mthibeault@jcu.edu -
rmuoio06@jcu.edu
with your current e-mail and snail mail addresses.
Hello, class of 2006! These past few months have He would appreciate it. ... Friends, keep the
been busy for our fellow classmates -- Lindsay updates coming. We love to hear what you are up
Sykes is working as an account executive at Stand to, and I’m sure your fellow classmates enjoy it,
Advertising in Amherst, NY. ... Amy Howley will too! Christine and Roberta
it seems like things are going great for the people
we have heard from. Liz Mahoney is engaged
and will be getting married to Kevin Barmann ’06
on October 18, 2008, in Philadelphia. ... David
Schuld is completing graduate studies in Brussels,
Belgium, and will begin working for the European
Parliament in May. ... Michelle Anderson is still
busy at JCU as a graduate student and resident
minister. She will be traveling to Duran, Ecuador,
as part of JCU’s Rostro de Cristo immersion
experience. ... Finally, Marc Thibeault ’98, the
head baseball coach at John Carroll, wants to get
in contact with all former JCU baseball players to
start an alumni e-mail list. Please contact him -
mthibeault@jcu.edu - to sign up. ... Don’t forget to
send us your news! Lisa and Brittany

58 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008

 IN MEMORIAM

Chuck Heaton ’38

Charles W. Heaton, longtime sportswriter
for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and a 1938
graduate of John Carroll, died February 14 in
Westlake, Ohio, at age 90.
Mr. Heaton was a fixture on the Cleveland
sports scene for nearly half a century, from
covering the Cleveland Indians’ baseball
world championship in 1948 until his
retirement in 1993. While best known as a
beat writer covering the football Browns, he
also reported on other sports and wrote a
general sports column and a column on TV
sports. He became a mentor to many of the
younger reporters in the sports department,
and was inducted into several halls of fame,
including John Carroll’s. He also received the
University’s Alumni Medal, in 2003.
Mr. Heaton got his start in sportswriting
at John Carroll, where he served as sports
editor of the Carroll News and of Carillon.
He also played on the tennis team, and after
graduating became the John Carroll sports
publicist and coach of the tennis team.
In addition to his own prolific work as
a sportswriter, Mr. Heaton was known for
being the father of Emmy Award-winning
actress Patricia Heaton from the TV show
Everybody Loves Raymond. Another of his
children, Michael Heaton, is a reporter and
longtime “Minister of Culture” columnist
for the Plain Dealer. (See “Remembering
Chuck Heaton.”)
Mr. Heaton is survived by his
second wife, Cecilia; five children; 10
grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Remembering Chuck Heaton

By Michael Heaton

My youngest daughter, Shorty, just received her First Communion. It was the usual
family affair, a big celebration. And the first one without Grampa. He passed away two
months earlier, on Valentine’s Day, at the age of 90. He always called her the “little
girl.” “Where’s the little girl?” he would ask. They were close.
At the after-party, we had lunch and wine and cake. My sister Alice said when she
first walked into the church and saw us all there in the front pew she was looking for
Grampa. Then she remembered.
I think we’re all going to be looking for him for a long time. When he died, so
many people we never knew remembered him as well. They remembered the kind-
nesses, large and small, he did for them.
The late, great Jewish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer once described a life well-lived
with three words: Kindness is everything.
I don’t think my dad ever read Singer. Staunch Catholic, he was a Graham Greene
man. The Power and the Glory was on our coffee table when we were little kids.
But he practiced Singer’s prescription every day. Maybe he felt so lucky to be doing
something he loved, writing about sports for a major daily newspaper, that he wanted
to spread his good feeling about his good fortune.
But he also went to Mass every day he was able. He served the Lord as best he
could living in the challenging, real world of work, marriage, and family.
Chuck Heaton was a great writer. Men and women from three generations tell me they
grew up reading his every word. People who never met the man felt like he was family.
Chuck Heaton ’38 He, in turn, treated everyone he met as if they were family. And in his eyes they
were. They were all a part of the family of God.
My dad wasn’t a pious sort. He appreciated the pleasures of a properly made
martini, and loved to repeat the occasional off-color joke for the right crowd when he
made speeches.
But that’s why people loved him so much and remember him so dearly.
At the end of the Mass at my daughter’s First Communion, I leaned down and
whispered in her ear. “I wish Grampa was here to see this.”
She smiled and beamed back at me.
“He is,” she said.

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 59

 Jack Wasmer ’45
John C. “Jack” Wasmer Jr., a former director
and regent of the University, died February
24 in Naples, Florida.
Born in Cleveland in 1923, Mr. Wasmer
enrolled at John Carroll in 1941, later serving
as a navy gunnery officer during World War
II aboard the USS Concord. After the war,
he joined Lake Erie Screw Corporation,
where he remained for 43 years and rose
to become chairman and chief executive
officer. He was also chairman of the board
of Lakewood Hospital, and president of the
Lakewood Hospital Foundation.
Jack Wasmer ’45
William Cenker
William John Cenker, an accounting
department faculty member for 21 years
and twice head of the department, died
March 21 after a year-long battle with colon
cancer. He was 54.
Highly popular with both students and
colleagues, Prof. Cenker taught numerous
courses in the accounting department. He
continued teaching even while undergoing
treatment. He also raised $1.5 million in
scholarship funds for use by JCU account-
ing graduate students
who needed a fifth year
of courses to meet state
educational requirements.
The money was matched
by an individual donor for
William Cenker a total of $3 million.
“Bill was an outstand-
ing academic and
practicing accountant,”
60 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Mr. Wasmer served on John Carroll’s
Board of Directors for 16 years and Board
of Regents for three. He was awarded the
Alumni Medal in 1984. He and his wife,
Mary, received honorary doctorates from
Ursuline College in 2002. After moving to
Florida, he founded Professional Givers
Anonymous in 1990.
He is survived by Mary; their seven
children and 11 grandchildren; three sisters;
and a brother, George Wasmer ’58.
says Department of Accountancy Chair
Gerald Weinstein. “He was an enthusiastic
teacher, unusual in that he was capable
of teaching nearly every subject in the
accounting curriculum. He published
around 50 articles during his life. He also
co-authored with nearly all of the full-time
JCU accounting faculty. He was a CPA
and a recognized expert in taxation and
business valuation. He counseled many
students on entering a career in account-
ing and helped countless others in landing
their first position out of college.”
A native of Akron, Prof. Cenker
obtained an undergraduate degree from
the University of Akron and master’s
and doctoral degrees from Kent State
University. He is survived by his wife,
Barbara; children Joseph, John, Jennifer
(currently a student at John Carroll), and
Jessica Cleaver ’01; and brother Michael.
Norman Fuerst ’49
Norman Fuerst, who served as a Cleveland
Municipal Court and a Cuyahoga County
Common Pleas Judge, died December 17,
2007. He was 82.
A Cleveland native, Judge Fuerst served in
the navy during World War II. He graduated
from John Carroll in 1949, subsequently
earning a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall
College of Law. He served three terms in the
Ohio House of Representatives beginning in
1954, and was majority whip from 1959 to
1960. In 1961, he was appointed a Cleveland
Municipal Court judge, and was a common
pleas judge from 1979 to 1996.
Judge Fuerst is survived by his wife, Mary;
five daughters and two sons; 15 grandchil-
dren; and four great-grandchildren.
Norman Fuerst ’49
Sweet Adieu to Noble Pal
By Paul T. Bohn ’49
Norm passed with hardly a whisper. Maybe the skirl of a bagpiper as the casket moved from
altar to vestibule but no more than that and the buzz of onlookers gathered at St. Jerome’s in
celebration of the mortal departure of this gentle, talented man last December.
I was one of the privileged who knew and loved this fellow ’49er. Not because he was a
crackerjack in meting out justice as a judge at both the municipal and com­mon pleas levels.
But more because he embodied the person I wanted to be more like in terms of wit, wisdom,
good nature, trusting ways, open honestness, sense of truth, fair play, and verities of the heart.
Judge Norman A. Fuerst, in his heyday, had this faculty for being one of the crowd yet
quietly standing above so many others in the practicalities of wholesome living, wonder-
ful wife Mary at his side along with a passel of friendly, hustling, independent, gifted, and
brightly able children.
Especially do I remember such nonsense – including, if not starring, Norm – as in sitting
side-by-side in the gent’s room talking philosophy, shouting near-obscenities at Fat Pat
Seerey in the late ’40s when that muscular Tribesman was either misjudging another fly ball
or swinging wildly at another home run pitch, or the times he and Mary parked themselves
in front of a piano when the party lagged and reinvigorated proceedings with some silly little
Latin American ditty.
Fuerst was the guy you could joke about: “Yah, he’s got nothing on under those robes
when he’s in court.” (He characteristically wore slippers for comfort as he padded about his
chambers.) On the other side of that radar, I can’t remember ever calling Norm for lunch
when he didn’t respond as though mine was just the invite he’d been waiting for. Norm in a
nutshell, gracious almost to a fault.
If ever a function ignited the kind of spirit that marked the immediate post-World
War II years at Carroll, it was a weekend of many sorts at the old Fuerst home near what
was then Euclid Beach Park. At these gatherings, we learned the nature of hav­ing fun
without needing to blow the lid off bad taste. Little did we know that we were also be-
ginning to hone that well-rounded individual our Jesuit teachers were aiming at once
we traded sheepskins for paychecks.
Yes, the good Jesuits mainly saw to the nature of man and the knowledge and modus
operandi of things around us, but Norman grounded people in the fundamentals of how to
behave and enjoy as a person.
For that, put the signature of Judge Fuerst on the best years of my life.
SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 61

Edward Walter at the helm of the SS Constance
off Gloucester, Massachusetts.
John Drinko
in memoriam
George R. Follen ’36 4/8/2008
Charles W. Heaton ’38 2/14/2008
Anthony A. Zaher ’38 6/08/2000
Clement L. Tulley ’39 2/20/2008
Warren Corrigan ’43 2/29/2008
Arnold J. Schmidt ’43 2/23/2008
Rev. Joseph F. Ciolek ’44 2/03/2008
Thomas J. Barrett ’45 2/25/2008
James R. O’Malley ’45 4/4/2008
John C. Wasmer Jr. ’45 2/23/2008
Jack J. Moran ’47 7/14/06
Robert B. McCoy ’49 2/10/2008
George P. Murphy ’50 11/20/2007
Robert J. Sheil ’50 3/15/2008
Robert J. Zarobell Sr. ’50 3/23/2008
Robert W. Gable ’51 2/12/2008
Norbert A. Riha ’51 3/10/2008
Vernon J. Cooke ’52 11/09/2005
Francis D. McNicol ’52 3/12/06
Robert E. Bacher ’56 4/12/2008
This is the deceased list as we know it. We apologize for any omission and ask that you please notify Joan Brosius at 216-397-4332.
62 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
Edward Walter
Noted seismologist Edward J. Walter, retired
John Carroll professor and longtime director
of the University’s former seismological obser-
vatory, died March 24 at University Hospitals
of Cleveland. He was 93.
Prof. Walter earned bachelor’s, master’s,
and doctoral degrees at Saint Louis Uni-
versity. As an instructor there, he was part
of a team that used seismological data for
long-range weather forecasting. The system
was used to predict weather during the D-Day
invasion in Europe. In 1946, he came to
John Carroll, where he taught mathematics,
John Drinko
John Deaver Drinko, a self-described “poor
boy from the hills of West Virginia” who guid-
ed the Cleveland law firm Baker Hostetler
to national prominence, died January 30 in
Palm Springs, California. He was 86.
Mr. Drinko often credited education with
helping him to escape a life of poverty. As
a result, he gave away millions of dollars
to numerous colleges and universities,
including John Carroll, which awarded him an
honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1987. He
earned a bachelor’s degree from Marshall
Ernest U. Fisco ’56 3/24/2008
Richard J. Panko ’56 2/25/2008
Michael A. Acquaviva ’57 3/02/2008
James J. Dunn ’57 2/07/2008
John M. Grogan ’57 2/04/2008
Paul M. Kubinski ’58 1/26/2008
Donald A. McMillan ’59 10/06/2005
Mark L. Stewart ’60 3/17/2008
James R. Eagan ’62 3/16/2008
Francis J. Weiland ’62 2/06/2008
Robert S. Dunne ’63 12/24/2004
Fred Fillinger ’66 3/16/2008
Maurice J. Beggiani ’67G 11/24/07
Dennis A. Susnik ’67 4/6/2008
Alexander B. Abood ’68 1/17/2008
Donald E. Biehl ’68 10/17/06
Dennis P. Murnighan ’68 4/1/2008
V. Craig Yuskewich ’68 3/3/2008
Ralph Micallef ’69 2/22/2008
Dennis R. Trietsch ’69 2/12/2008
physics, and earth sciences in addition to
heading the observatory. He retired in 1995.
Along with his teaching, Prof. Walter
headed a consulting company, which pro-
vided seismic vibration data to the construc-
tion, mining, and quarrying industries. He
also published the Bulletin of the Seismologi-
cal Observatory and co-wrote three books on
vibration control and explosives engineering.
He is survived by his wife, Thelma; three
daughters and six sons; 26 grandchildren;
and 12 great-grandchildren.
University and a law degree from the Ohio
State University.
Mr. Drinko joined Baker in 1945. He
served as the firm’s executive partner from
1969 to 1985, overseeing the firm’s growth
from 69 to more than 200 attorneys world-
wide. He was a major donor to the Cleveland
Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art,
United Way, and the Cleveland Institute of
Music. He is survived by his wife, Mary; two
sons and two daughters; one grandchild, and
two great-grandchildren.
Patrick W. Pennock ’70 2/22/2008
Carroll E. Reeves ’71G 11/30/2007
Carol H. Donah ’72 3/29/2008
Grace H. Ellis ’72G 2/15/2008
Frank C. Lesinski ’74 2/27/2008
Elsa R. Konigsberg ’75G 3/20/2008
Elsie R. Pollock ’77 3/29/2008
James E. Servis ’78 3/22/2008
Rita Ferry ’91 3/11/2008
William J. Cenker
Faculty 3/21/2008
Garen N. Kelley
Former Board of Trustees 3/9/2008
Rev. Joseph O. Schell SJ
Former President/Faculty 4/25/2008
John D. Drinko
Friend 1/30/2008
Edward J. Walter
Retired Faculty 3/24/2008
Reverend Joseph O. Schell, SJ, 1914-2008

He Set the Example continued from page 3

Many of us students were gathered around the
flag pole to protest the Vietnam war. There was
much unrest and tension on our campus and
many others around the country. Fr. Schell came
out to us and talked to us. He spent time with us
that afternoon and listened to what we had to
say. He helped us get through that difficult time
with courage, strength, and compassion.
– Irene Tschismadia Wander ’72, ’75G
Fr. Schell once told me something that has
been a cornerstone for me. He told me that
God had given me a great capacity to love.
This has shaped my life. I hope that I do what
God wants me to do with a loving and generous
heart. I have clung to Fr. Schell’s words. I have
also used these same words to bless young
people with whom I’ve worked. “God has given
you a great capacity to love,” I tell them.
– Grace Carroll ’78
Many times I visited the old chapel for peace and
reflection. Fr. Schell was always there, working
in his office to the left of the chapel. He would
tiptoe out quietly to see who had arrived and
whether they needed anything. He was very
sensitive to one’s need to be alone, but seemed to
be able to sense when more was wanted.
– Chris Moravec ’78, ’84G
Fr. Schell was my spiritual director on my first
eight-day retreat. He made me feel like he
could see God right inside of me. He taught me
how to pray. That is an amazing gift.
– Mary (Myers) Becker ’97
When I was a freshman, I received a phone call
after my first swim meet. It was from Fr. Schell,
whom I had never met. He said he watched the
meet, he was a longtime fan of the swim team
(he was a swimmer himself, in his day), and he
wanted to congratulate me on my success. I was
so honored to have anyone take such notice –
especially someone I didn’t know.
– Shannon (Murphy) Krajewski ’00
When I was a sophomore, I approached Fr.
Schell with questions about the Eight-Day
Silent Retreat that Campus Ministry holds
twice a year. I was unsure if I wanted to
participate at first, but Fr. Schell encouraged me
to attend, and he helped me to prepare for eight
days of silent prayer and reflection. That retreat
saved my prayer life and transformed my faith.
– Tracy Butler ’06

Fr. Schell selected me to be a fortunate

recipient of his most precious possession: his
time. He would lap swim afternoons in the
pool and often stop to watch and encourage
me. I had no understanding of his greatness
as I struggled to master new dives, subjects,
finances, and life itself. His encouragement
and generosity ultimately gave me what I
needed to achieve a varsity letter in diving,
complete my studies, balance my finances, and
become a graduate.
– Erin Monihan Dittoe ’90

SUMMER 2008 John Carroll university 63

MY TURN
All That Is Carroll
A
t the end of March, I joined John Carroll as
the editor of the University’s magazine. By
way of introduction, let me share a few points
about myself.
I love magazines. I’ve lost count of how many
subscriptions my family has delivered to the house.
Ten? Twenty? Our poor mail carrier mumbles epithets
every time he trudges up our walkway, his back bent
under the weight. In the bookseller or grocery store,
I’m helpless to resist the gravitational pull of the
magazine racks.
I love creating magazines. It’s what I’ve done
nearly my entire working life, now numbering more
than 20 years. My magazine work has taken place in
Cleveland, where I was born and raised. Exceptional
mentors and colleagues have helped me build my
knowledge of the craft. Out of college, I joined the
editorial staff of a city magazine. Not long after, I
found my way to alumni magazines.
I love alumni magazines. Colleges and universities
are rich with interesting people doing interesting
things. I review dozens of alumni magazines. Some of
the finest writing, photography, and storytelling I’ve
seen anywhere are in these publications. A strong
magazine always makes me think, “I’d like to be part
of that university community.”
I’m grateful to be part of the John Carroll
community. You don’t have to be here long to
understand: This is a family.
To this family, I feel a great responsibility. It’s my
job to direct the production of a magazine that tells
you what’s happening on campus and in the lives of
our 38,000 alumni. A magazine that conveys ideas and
challenges you to think, which is the essence of the
University itself. Whose words and images compel you to
open the publication and spend time with it. A magazine
64 John Carroll university SUMMER 2008
that invites response and dialogue. A magazine that, four
times a year, encapsulates all that is Carroll.
The Carroll magazine enjoys a long tradition,
and my colleagues and I hope to build on that. We’ve
implemented some changes with this issue. More will
follow. We’ll be asking for your opinion in a reader
survey.
Now I’d like to ask your help. Please continue
engaging with the magazine. Send updates on your
life to your class notes columnist. If your class needs
a columnist, volunteer for the job. Everybody likes
a rich class notes section. The more you share, the
richer it becomes. (Someday, read through all the
class notes, from the earliest class to the most recent.
If you want a glimpse of life’s spectrum, it’s all there.)
I’m grateful to be part of the
John Carroll community. You
don’t have to be here long to
understand: This is a family.
Write letters to the editor. Did you like a story
in the magazine? Write. Didn’t like a story? Let us
know. Have something additional to contribute to
something we wrote? See page 5 for where to send
your comments.
Share story ideas with me. Are you doing
something you think our readers would find
compelling? Or do you know of other Carroll people
who are? E-mail kkesegich@jcu.edu or call me at
216-397-1687.
Thank you for the warm welcome to John
Carroll. I am eager to meet as many of you as possible
and hear your stories.
Ken Kesegich
Editor, John Carroll Magazine
CARROLL PEOPLE

National Scholar

J
oshua Marcin and Arizona
Governor Janet Napolitano have
at least one thing in common.
They’re both recipients of the
Harry S. Truman Scholarship,
a federal scholarship granted to US
college juniors who have shown
leadership potential and have indicated
a commitment to public service. The
scholarship is awarded to only 65 or fewer
students each year, out of about 700
applicants. Recipients get $30,000 for
a graduate education that will lead to a
career in public service, plus enrollment
in a summer program before they begin
graduate school, and placement in an
internship in a Washington, DC -based
nonprofit following their first year.
Cleveland’s Center for Families and
Children. The classes, on areas such as
résumé writing, were part of the program’s
focus on easing the transition from prison
back to the community.
“I’m interested in public interest
law,” Josh says. “I’ve always been really
intrigued and motivated by poverty-
relief policy. I’d like to find a position
that would allow me to work at the
federal level or possibly the state level,
working on anti-poverty policy, and
also, alongside that, policies that assist
in the process of reentry for individuals
leaving prison and returning to society.”
Josh’s interest in poverty began
when he was a child, volunteering at
a food bank, where his father worked.
Volunteering regularly, he says, “creates
service as a lifestyle – it’s not just some
activity you do. Once you get in the
habit, it’s really easy to go from the direct
service to looking at the broader context
and structural issues that go along with
poverty and criminal justice.”
“The problems in our society,” he
says, “sometimes they’re economic issues
or criminal justice issues, but, really,
they’re all community issues. They
demand that we work with one another
in unified support of an economy and
justice system that truly serve the
interests of our society as a whole.”
David Budin

The Truman Scholarship Man of the people:

is awarded to only 65 Truman Scholarship recipient
Joshua Marcin
or fewer students each
year, out of about 700
applicants.

Josh, who is from Akron, Ohio, will

begin his senior year at John Carroll
in the fall. He has a double major in
political science and Spanish, with
a concentration on Latin American
studies, and finds the time to do much
more. For example, he serves as the
founding editor of World View, a
32-page magazine written and produced
by JCU students that focuses on social
justice and human rights. The twice-
yearly publication debuted in April.
Josh interned last summer with Policy
Matters Ohio, working on credit-lending
issues, and wound up back at school doing
projects that studied payday lending
and foreclosure growth. During the fall
Photograph by Robert Wetzler

semester, he also facilitated classes for

an ex-offender reentry program, through
 It’s Cleveland Night at Reunion
All Cleveland-area alumni are invited
Music and dancing under the big tent
to celebrate with the 5-year Reunion
classes ending in 3 and 8. The New Barleycorn –
Irish folk and traditional music
Come celebrate with the Admission is FREE, but please
Reunion classes Hawaiian style! register at the big tent. All who
register are eligible to win an iPod
Friday, June 20, 2008 Cash bar
9 p.m.
RSVP today at JCU Connect:
John Carroll University www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect

REUNION WEEKEND 2008

— A John Carroll Tradition

It’s not too late to come to Reunion

And, on the subject of get-togethers, it’s not too early to plan
for Homecoming 2008, September 26-28. Save the dates!

20700 North Park Boulevard

University Heights, Ohio 44118-4520

If you receive duplicate copies of

John Carroll magazine, or a copy
for your son or daughter who has
established a separate permanent
address, please notify us
at journal@jcu.edu or 216-397-4332.