Monthly Archives: September 2012

Class notes submitted August 1, 2012

Posted on by • Posted in Class notes submitted to ND Magazine, Main Page • Leave a comment

Put us in, Coach.

In a rehearsal for the 45th reunion of our class during the first weekend of June, 2013, a group of us met in Canada recently for practice with our recall of each sacred event and connection of our student years.  Dennis Reeder and his wife Elise (Stephens SMC 69) hosted their D.C. area neighbor Carol Ann Dyer (SMC 69), my wife Nancy (Carlin SMC ’69) and me along with our three granddaughters at a grand Ottawa River cabin Dennis’ maternal grandfather and his Canadian buddies built on a small, riverfront farm during the 1950s.  A summer gathering place for the Reeder family during Dennis’ childhood, this lovely spot facing Quebec from Ontario two hours west of Ottawa is now a part of our own Notre Dame histories.  Carol Ann made her visit enroute to see relatives in northern Michigan. The Reeders made room for us among their own children and grandchildren as well as in Elise’s schedule of daily cross-river swims.  For Nancy and me, the days along the Ottawa were a respite from the Midwest sweat lodge where so many classmates led by Class President Tom Weyer are leaning down for the energetic evenings of gatoring and whatever will come along on the reunion weekend.  After the Ottawa, the Reeders, Nancy and I headed to Montreal, where we met with Jim Davis and his Charleston, SC friend Bonnie.  While in Montreal, we impressed the Quebecois with our fluent English and easy management of currency transactions pegged at 1:1.  On the evening of his arrival, Jim was about to enter a store for purchase of bottled water when he paused and asked “Will they take American money?”  A passerby, perhaps a vacationing member of the Development Office, answered, “I’ll take American money.”  The Quebecois are fully bilingual, and virtually all are on Bryan Dunigan’s email list, so we were very much at home as we poked around the city and shared our dossiers on all the people, mischief, hopes and divinities of our South Bend years.  Put us in, Coach.  We are ready for the reunion.

Of course, many others are rehearsing reunion skills, too.  Bryan Dunigan’s annual golf outing on August 9th gave Chicago and South Bend classmates an occasion for more than one kind of sport.  The emails were a good warm-up for the jokes and banter that make for good retelling at a following year’s get-together.

Early in May, Eddie Hagar hosted a similar weekend in Palm Springs, CA for golfers Paul Dunn, Ken Collins, Tom Roche, Bill Sweetman, and Dave Boehnen.  Says Paul in his report, “We told the same old ND stories, and shared fond memories about how smart and good looking we were back then.”

David R. Lee has retired from his Albuquerque, NM law practice and turned the firm over to other ND talent: David’s son Chris Lee ’96 and Mike Ross ND Law ’96.  David mentioned other interests as well as law: he has published a legal thriller on Amazon titled “The Bail Bondsman”.  Also, his grandchildren Fletcher, 4, and Penny, 2, “can sing the ND Fight Song and have the full ND wardrobe for game days.”

Bob Dunphy kept his own black belt schedule over a weekend in June.  First, he directed a UFC Heavyweight Championship fight in San Jose for Showtime before catching a red eye flight to his daughter’s Notre Dame graduation.  Bob enjoyed hearing the grads serenade 96 year-old Father Ted Hesburgh with “Happy birthday.”

John Walsh happily caught mention of Congressman Dan Lungren in a news story about the simplistic level of Congressional orations; our classmate was the exception with his erudition.  Ralph Neas turned up in more than one story about pharmaceutical patents; Ralph heads a D.C. organization representing the makers of generic medications.  In Milwaukee, John Byrnes is a business leader recently prominent for a regional organization’s $1 million investment in petabytes of computing capacity important for medical research and other technological innovation.  John is executive managing director of Mason Wells Inc.

Tom McCloskey is working on the establishment of June 21st as National Music Day.  Tom and his wife Bonnie live in Aspen, CO and have another home near their grandchildren in San Francisco.

Paul Arthur Romanski, a good Navy ROTC friend of Brian Schanning, died on May 5, 2012 in Newport, R.I.  Born in Chicago, Paul retired from the U.S. Navy in 1998 as a Captain.  Please remember Paul, his wife Karen and their children in your prayers.

Please note that our class blog has settled at the address www.ndclass1968.com.  There you will find announcements, emails and plenty of photos, including a recent one sent by John Williams.  He was attending an annual lunch with Dan Jordan, John Kukankos, and John McGrath

Send news to: Tom Figel, 1054 West North Shore, Apt. 3-E, Chicago, IL 60626, tel. 312-881-7391.

Welcome to the class notes serving the Notre Dame class of 1968.

Posted on by • Posted in Main Page • 3 Comments

Classmates and friends of the Notre Dame Class of 1968,

In addition to reading new and old class notes – with the ability to search for names – you can submit photos and comments of your own.

Using the file directory at the right, you can navigate to pages set aside for various kinds of news

We can use the blog to leave comments, too.  In order to add your comment, you will have to register.  If you want to post photographs or new articles, send me your username at tfigel@reputecture.com and I will take care of the blog administration needed.  You can also email me the note or the photo with instructions and I will post the material for you.

If you attend a game, look for the Class of 1968 flag.  There, between the stadium and Legends (once the Senior Bar), you will find many of your friends.

 

Class notes submitted May 1, 2012

Posted on by • Posted in Class notes submitted to ND Magazine • Leave a comment

The Ageless Class

A 45 year reunion looms for us in June, 2013.  With recently retired Brian Higgins of McLean, VA and active lawyer Ed Kickham of the Detroit area already intending to come, Class President Tom Weyer is overseeing preparations for a merry time.  Rich Rogers, ex-FBI, will plan security with a special area designated for Occupy the Great Class demonstrators.  Tom Gibbs will continue as liaison with the sister class of 2003.  Edina, MN Federal Magistrate Jeff Keyes is gathering information about senior discounts and early bird dining. Former Pangborn Hall social denizen Mick Hyland will lecture on eye contact, part of a seminar series that may include “Remembering Professor Frank O’Malley, Lola, and the location of the game tickets.”  Pat Keenan and Gene Cavanaugh are collaborating on an all-AARP gator pile during the Saturday night party.  Save the first weekend of June, 2013.

As a backdrop for anticipation of our 45 year reunion, an ordinary email from Tom Hansen ’74 about the existence of a new site, http://ndsa.undgroup.org, for senior alumni produced the realization that hey, there are guys younger than we admitting to being seniors.  Admitting!  How unlike us, who are continually fresh, irreverent and, in moments of maturity, even sophomoric.   But imagine these other people, youngsters really, as they revisit the Huddle.  Attired in The Shirt and sharp ensembles filled out from the Hammes Bookstore spring collection, stomachs sucked in, they look about, only to find themselves the objects of dressing leers.  In the glance of the coeds, these alums are removed from view under a cascade of coats, hats and mittens that would make the work uniform of a Mideast sheik seem like a speedo.

For us, it is different.  Even our retirees are on the move.  Brian Higgins, who capped his career as a professional engineer during the past year, will travel to Dublin in late September with his wife Brenda.  The two met after Brian completed Army service in Vietnam and returned to Notre Dame in the mid-1970s for his Ph.D.  He and Brenda met as grad counselors for students in Professor Emil T. Hoffman’s course.  John Broderick, healthy after treatment for cancer and willing to credit smart University of Michigan caregivers for the good result, is flirting with retirement.  Tom Condon, who is the Hartford Courant’s deputy opinion page editor, has won the first-place National Headliner Award for editorial writing.

The Monogram Club in late April made Joe Kernan the 2012 recipient of the Moose Kraus Award, an event that included a video about Joe and another video with Joe’s touching remarks, including recognition of Sandy Carrigan and Mary.  Bryan Dunigan put together a crowd of classmates: Tom Gibbs, Dave Kabat, Tom Weyer, Skip Strzelecki, Mike Heaton, Dennis Toolan, Roger Guerin, Tom Cuggino, Tom Durkin, Tom Misch, Dr. Steve Anderson, Dr. Fred Ferlic and Pat Barth.  See http://youtu.be/kTdQiFPPVOQ and http://www.und.com/allaccess/?media=317514.

Ken DiLaura sent more information than Google.  First, Ken and Veronica are grandparents of Nicholas Anthony DiLaura, born to Brian DiLaura ’96 and Jackie.  The DiLauras saw Jim Ewing while in Naples, FL.  Michael Coleman will be a grandparent in November.  Joe Scott will retire from the Lexington, KY bench in September and return to private practice: a daughter is marrying soon.  Andy Kelly and Mike Wolf are happy retirees: Andy in Winston-Salem, NC and Mike in Williamsport, PA.

Cowed by threats from Jim Hutchinson’s lawyer, the magazine editors removed a reference to Jim in the preceding notes.  The full report appears in our blog, www.lake-effect.com/NDclass1968.  If you like the white bread version of our class activities, stick with print.  But, if you want it all, plus photos, intermittent notes and a chance to post comments, come online.

Please send news to: Tom Figel, 1054 West North Shore, Apt. 3-E, Chicago, IL 60626, tfigel@lake-effect.com.

Gary P. Verleye, September 22, 2012

Posted on by • Posted in Classmates Gone Home • Leave a comment

Feb. 10, 1946 – Sept. 22, 2012
MISHAWAKA – Gary P. Verleye of Mason, Ohio, formerly of Mishawaka, IN, passed away on Saturday, September 22, 2012, in the Otterbein Retirement Living Community in Lebanon, OH. Gary was born on February 10, 1946, in Mishawaka, IN, as the son of the late August and Irene (VanOoteghem) Verleye. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, James Verleye. On June 11, 1966, Gary married his high school sweetheart. Linda Vernasco. They have one son, Michael Christopher. He is also survived by his brother, Stephen (Marianne) Verleye of Sammamish, WA; two brothers-in-law, David (Diane) Vernasco and George E. Vernasco, Mishawaka; his sister-in-law, Mrs. James Verleye (Elaine, South Bend); 12 nieces and nephews, and 15 great-nieces and nephews. Mr. Verleye was born and raised in Mishawaka, IN. He attended St. Bavo Catholic School, St. Joseph High School, Tri-State College (currently Trine University), and the University of Notre Dame where he graduated in 1968 with a B.A. in Business Administration, majoring in accounting. After graduation he accepted a job offer with Alexander Grant and Company (currently Grant Thornton) in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the accounting department. In 1969 Gary was called to serve our country, which he did willingly, and spent the next two years in the United States Army. His basic training was at Ft. Benning, GA, followed by three months at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in MD. The rest of his tour of duty was spent in Pirmasesn, Germany, in the Accounting and Finance Departments. Gary and Linda returned to Cincinnati where he continued to work for Alexander Grant and Company for three more years. He obtained his Certified Public Accountant license on September 14, 1972, and became a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the National Accounting Fraternity. In 1974 Gary started his own accounting business. He would run his company until he semi-retired in 2010, servicing hundreds of clients in the greater Cincinnati area over the years. Gary’s favorite hobbies included golf on almost every Sunday come rain, shine or snow for over 15 years, traveling, reading, and following Notre Dame football. He was a member of the Ohio Society of CPA’s and Good Shepherd Church. Among all of his accolades and achievements nothing could compare to his proudest, the birth of his son, Michael. Gary was a hands-on father enjoying everything being a father could offer. He loved every aspect from changing diapers, at the age of 44, to helping with the soccer team, being a good listener and to teach by being a good example. Michael will graduate from the University of Notre Dame in the spring of 2013 with a degree in chemical engineering. Gary will be missed by all who knew him. He was a loving husband, wonderful father, brother and friend. He will always be remembered for his kindness, his warm wonderful smile, and his easy going pleasing personality. To live in the hearts you leave behind is not to die Visitation will be on Saturday, September 29, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., with a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. in Hahn Funeral Home, 505 W. 8th Street, Mishawaka, with Rev. Barry England officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Mishawaka. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Gary may be made to the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association , Memorial & Tributes Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL 60674; or Crossroads Hospice Charitable Foundation, 8069 Washington Village Drive, Dayton, OH 45458; or University of Notre Dame, Dr. Ken Deye, Band Director, University Bands, P.O. Box 1023, 100 Ricci Band Rehearsal Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556; or to the charity of the donor’s choice . To leave the family an online condolence or to share memories with the family, please visit our website at www.hahnfuneralhomes.com.

Published in South Bend Tribune on September 27, 2012