Camaraderie the Antidote for the Pain:             

            As August ended, Bob Smith sent a letter of such quality that, by itself, his news about twenty classmates, from Dick Crouch to Bill Follette, justifies a visit to our class blog, http://ndclass-1968.figelpr.com.  Look for the letter in the notes submitted August 1, 2007.  Here’s a taste: “I hope we have a great turnout to the reunion next June as our ranks will only get shorter.
        “I ran into Arnie and Ginger Vance (Florida), Dick Crouch (also Florida formerly Pittsburgh), Dan Hollingsworth (still an Okie), and Dick Murley (New Orleans area) at the Sugar Bowl.  Dick got his BS and MS at ND in civil engineering and Dick's specialty is now the dams and levies in the New Orleans basin.  Needless to say he has a lot of work to do and he did not contribute to the problem but is contributing to the solution.  I also see Brian Peters, another civil engineer graduate, and the better of the two catchers on our baseball team (Joe Kernan being the other one).” (continued on the blog).

Lenny Joyce, retired in Oak Park, IL and noticing Brian McTigue’s request for Mike Lonergan’s address, sent that San Francisco address along with a bonus, Steve Rodger’s address in New York City.  Maybe Chuck Perrin will have the same luck.  Along with his new Beat.itude Revisited CD of his live performances at his San Diego Club Dizzy’s, Chuck asked to be remembered to Tom Moore and Kathy and asked for Pete Hurley’s address.

In New York, Jim Davis is hitting his stride again after a couple of operations during the fall.  Jim will get to the reunion in time for the Thursday night dinner we like to have as a first event. 

            Fortunate John McCoy was on campus in September for witnessing of Class President Tom Weyer’s strong performance on the Old Boys Team that vanquished the Notre Dame undergraduates’ rugby team.  With Weyer administering crushing tackles and playing a key role in the scrum that produced the first Old Boys score, Tom Gibbs could remain at the ready on the sidelines this time.  Maybe the Old Boys wanted a victory but not a rout.  John said that “Weyer played substantial minutes (relative to a David Beckham appearance in an MLS game).  

            Rugby hasn’t been the only Notre Dame sport looking to the past for its glory.  Later in the season, John Pergine would tell friends at the ND 68 tailgate that “We didn’t give up this many points all year.”  Jim Hutchinson sized up the season during the first game and said, “I think we should engage Rich Rogers, recently retired from the FBI, to find out where the ND football team has gone.”  Many others gathered with John beneath the class flag during the season.  Tom Weyer said friends gathered under the tailgate flag included “Ray Munchmeyer from MA, a sight for sore eyes after many years, Arnie Vance,  Rich Jurjevic and Susan and son from Ashland, OH, (who gave the day a bad football, great meatloaf review), Mike Helmer and son Nick from Napa, CA;  Bill Dewey, now from Chicago; Paul Nowak and Barbara, up from TN.  Many came for the Ara statue dedication during the MSU game: Danny (Bump),Harshman, Kevin Rassas, Steve Quinn and Sandy,  Dave Martin and Jan, and the rare but much enjoyed visit by John Pergine, looking younger than the rest of us thanks to his Italian hairstylist wife.”  Rich and Neil Rogers, Mike Ryan, Brian Sullivan and Nancy came to the first two games.  Rocky Bleier, after having his high school stadium and a street in Appleton, WI named for him, will be honored at the Navy Game before his coming reception of the National football Foundation’s distinguished American Award.”  Roger Guerin was at the tailgate with Milwaukee’s Jerry Cherubini and Jerry’s son Michael, ND 2005 class.

            John Walsh said, “At the Class of '68 tailgate for the USC game, I saw more of our beloved classmates in one place than at any time since the 35th Reunion.  For example, Dennis Withers (Atlanta), Mike Brennan (Santa Fe, NM). Sen. Bill Gormley (entire state of NJ), Ralph White (Akron), and I believe I saw Ken Howard (20,000 leagues under the sea), though my facemask was a little fogged up.  In addition, the usual list of local suspects–whose tenacity and perseverance, delicious food and cold beverages are the heart and soul of this great class–were also splendidly arrayed, even in a below-.500 year: Guerin, Dunigan, Weyer, Tom Gibbs, Tom Misch, Tom Moore (yell 'Tom' or 'John' and half the class will answer . . .), Bob Ptak, Jim O'Rourke, Gene Cavanaugh.  And these are just the folks I  recall–one of the best pre-games I can remember!  One piece of news that's mentionable in print (because he'll never tell you) is that Tom Moore is being honored at the Alumni Awards Dinner for Loyola University (Chicago) School of Law on October 27.  He will receive the Francis J. Rooney / St. Thomas More Award, which is presented annually for outstanding loyalty and dedicated service to the law school. With Tom's years of teaching trial practice at Loyola and volunteering additional time on Loyola's behalf, he has distinguished himself in that commitment.”

            Bob Nenoff’s letter sparked a reminiscence from Bill Clark, who is a Gallina LLP CPA and partner in the San Francisco area.  Bill and Bob were Keenan Hall neighbors of the recently overlooked Iowan Denny Emmanuel our freshman year.  “Weyer along with Tiger Schaefer and a few others were part of the ‘Flaming A—-holes’ of which I got honorable mention for eating a gross concoction – for $10 – in the North Dining Hall.  The FA’s dressed up for Bball games and did other assorted craziness.  I saw Jim Chapman in Eugene, OR, where he and his wife own and run a pewter business.  I lived with Jim in Venice, Italy in 1970.  He had some great stories about the ND motorcycle gang in Europe which included Tim Swearingen (Jim wrecked his bike in a crash), and I think, Joey Brennan, John Walsh and John Fleming.  Jim golfs with Paul Higgins a lot.  In September, I had a reunion in Seaside Heights, NJ with four friends going back to grammar school.  Two of them are also ND grads, Mike Carroll and Terry Adrian.  Mike is a professional photographer who also founded and is president of the Romanian Childrens’ Relief Fund which was profiled in the last ND Magazine.  Mike lives in Pepperell, MA.  He’s married for 30+ years to Joan and has two kids.  Terry teaches English in a state college in New York City, where he’s lived most of the time since graduation.  Terry is also involved with the theater in the city.  He’s married with a daughter.  Our reunion was a blast; it was like no one had changed at all in 30+ years.  And our alcohol consumption was certainly on par with the good old days at Kirby’s.” 

            Tom Condon, in West Hartford, CT, is now the Hartford Courant’s deputy editorial page editor.  Tom joined the editorial page department four years ago as editor of and columnist in the groundbreaking Place section in Commentary. His innovations there included Forum on Form, a series on architecture styles in Connecticut. His editorials and columns on sprawl won a top prize this year in a national journalism competition sponsored by the American Planning Association.  He has won numerous recognitions, including the New England Society of Newspaper Editors' Master Reporter Award and an Emmy for TV Commentary on Channel 30.

            Bryan Dunigan sent some non-Chicago news along with the advice that “Our entire class will be moving here soon to enjoy our temperate climate devoid of hurricanes, mudslides, forest fires and sinkholes.  Anyway, Adrienne and Mike Brennan’s daughter, Brigid, and Mary and Dr. Fred Felic’s daughter, Katie, were both recently married in Santa Fe, NM.  The Brennan’s wedding was on September 15^th (so we were spared watching the second half of the Michigan game) in the Cathedral in Santa Fe, and the Ferlic’s wedding was on October 7, 2007.  Katie Ferlic is a government attorney in Santa Fe and Mike Brennan has been a practicing attorney in Santa Fe for over 30 years.  I understand both wedding parties prepared for the nuptials by slaking their collective thirsts at ‘The Cowgirl Hall of Fame.’  Mike even joined the band for the singing of a few Rolling Stone Classics – Mike was the only one who knew the lyrics!”   Bryan said that, in addition to Mary and him, guests at the Brennan’s wedding included Tony McGarry (’67) and his wife Kathy, Mike’s brothers Pat (’63), John (’69), and Bill (’74) and Pat’s children Jennifer (’89) and Michael (’92).  Brigid’s sister, Colleen (’94) was the maid of honor and her brother Sean (’00) was one of the groomsmen.  Sean is currently on active duty with the Army in Jerusalem, where he serves with a small, multi-national unit monitoring relations between the Fatah faction of the Palestinians and the Israelis.

         Also use the blog for planning of our 40^th reunion get-togethers: See the Reunion and other Rendezvous News section.  Send news to: Tom Figel, 1054 West North Shore, Apt. 3-E, Chicago, IL 60626, tel. 312-223-9536 ext. 301, tfigel@figelpr.com.