Following Weyer! Weyer! Weyer!, Dennis Reeder recorded Ara! Ara! Ara! Here is the audio record of the 1968 Class Dinner in the North Dining Hall, May 31, 2013. Click on the line below:
Also, if you have the means and the heart, make a donation to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation. You can send your contribution in care of Skip Strzelecki, St. Andrews Products, 500 Mariner Drive, Michigan City, IN 46360.
Class Dinner May 31, 2013
The 45th reunion, May 30-June 2, 2013, had a lot of good parts but it lacked – except in spirit – the presence of Dick “Sandy” Carrigan. Dennis Reeder captured the reunion feeling, especially the feeling of Sandy’s friends, in this video. Click here:
Bryan Dunigan photographed some of the classmates during the 45 year reunion. Take some yourself? If you email them to tfigel@lake-effect.com, we can share them here on the blog.
(at left) Tom McCann, Tom McKenna (Chicago cuz) and Dave Kabat
(below) Matt Walsh, Tom McCann
and Tom Gibbs
Paul-Nowak-Adrienne-Brennan-Bryan-Dunigan-Ron-Kurtz-Barb-Nowak-and-Ken-Howard
(at right) Denny & Nancy Emanuel with Pat Cavanaugh
ND Class of 1968 Contact: Tom Figel, 312-223-9536 office
Submitted: May 2, 2013 tfigel@lake-effect.com
Reunion Shock Troops, led by Weyer and Ptak
Dennis Toolan’s wedding to Mary Louise Deane Nash on April 13th was a sort of Blue-Gold 45th reunion scrimmage, minus helmets and safety pads, for a happy group of Chicago and Michigan City classmates: 17 of the fellows by President Tom Weyer’s count. With the snows of Indiana swirling outside Sacred Heart Basilica and a campus rugby match in progress on a field near some new (post-1970) dorms, Dennis and Mary Lou exchanged vows witnessed by Tom Weyer and Mary, Roger Guerin and Jean, Bryan Dunigan, Tom Gibbs and Sheila, Joe Kernan, Tom McKenna and Mary Ann of Carmel, IN, Tom McKenna and Mary Pat of Chicago, Gene Cavanaugh and Pat, Tom Moore and Kathy, Chris Murphy and Carmie, Dave Kabat and Barb, Ron Zabo and Lynn, Matt Walsh and Joyce. On the left side of the basilica, like a rollicking set of visiting fans, were rows and rows of festive Mary Lou relatives, a multi-generation, fecund group probably multiplying during the very ceremony. Through the balance of the day’s parties, from newborns to guys our age, they would hula-hoop, dance, celebrate and, in sum, set a high bar. The family even had its own troubadour, Mary Lou’s brother Pat, who came from Florida with his band and his family lore set to music. Bob Ptak, Roger Guerin and Dennis Toolan countered with a musical number Bob remembered from student days at Lake Michigan. Outside the party hall, Joe Kernan told some Sorin Hall fables that included the celebrated Brien Murphy and a hapless door. It was that kind of wedding.
And it will be that kind of reunion, as you will know from the class blog.
Still, you won’t find some notables in those reunion notes and photos. Bill Kelly and Mary, now living in Scottsdale, AZ, expect to be in the midst of gutting and remodeling their retirement home, this on the heels of a Mediterranean cruise – a 30th wedding anniversary celebration – that will only miss one or two ports and a mountain top Alpine chapel. Bob Brady and Margaret, who spent a month in Hawaii during the winter, will be absent. Jim O’Rourke, a strong reunion recruiter, received no’s from Tom Scully and from Tom Warner: “Tom Scully and his bride will be in Spain and France on holidays. The Warners will be in their Tuscan farmhouse during the olive harvest.” Tom Fitzharris, who booked travel to South Bend months in advance, had to cancel with mixed feelings when he was accepted into an Italian program the same weekend; he will be in Rome for a drawing course.
Jim O’Rourke also reported the loss of Bill Foley, who died January 12, 2013 in Grosse Isle, MI. Bill had been a public accountant before he joined the family business, Michigan Foundation Company in Trenton, MI. John Broderick, who brought his easy laughter and good spirit to many events, succumbed to cancer on February 15, 2013 in Ludington, MI. John’s mother had been a stunt double for Lucille Ball and other actresses. Albert W. Stuchlik died on February 22, 2013 in Bonner Springs, KS, where he was active in all the activities of his family plus those of the VFW. He was a former member of the City Council. Dick Frey ’66 sent the news to our class. John Tracy, only recently celebrated for his achievements as one of the Chicago area’s most accomplished high school basketball players, died in Michigan City, IN in late March, 2013. Mike Duddy died following surgery in Philadelphia, PA on April 9, 2013. Mike and his wife Sandra had a family of three Notre Dame graduates and ten grandchildren. We also send comfort to Dennis Reeder, whose mother Evelyn Wellnitz Reeder died in Columbus, OH on April 21, 2013. May God not punish this mother of Notre Dame graduates for her unflagging loyalty to Ohio State University. The blog has additional notes about each of these departed classmates and friends.
Thanks for sending news to: Tom Figel, 1054 West North Shore, Apt. 3-E, Chicago, IL 60626, tel. (office) 312-223-9536, tfigel@lake-effect.com.
John H. Stafford didn’t just get a degree from the University of Notre Dame — he ensured that many Pittsburgh residents could do the same.
With a passion and determination recognized by many who knew him, the Fox Chapel resident joined forces with fellow alumnus and the Notre Dame Club of Pittsburgh to raise scholarship money to help fund future students at Notre Dame.
Mr. Stafford died from complications of a brain aneurysm Saturday in North Carolina. He was 67.
Growing up in Mt. Lebanon, Mr. Stafford attended South Catholic High School before moving on to Notre Dame.
In his college days, Mr. Stafford could almost always be found lying on his dorm room bed reading Time magazine, a photo of his soon-to-be wife propped nearby on his desk.
Even though his fourth-grade crush Judy Conley was set to join a convent and become a nun — a thought that friend and classmate Dick Crouch said “crushed” Mr. Stafford — he was convinced she would come back to him.
He was right, as proven by their 43 years of marriage and four children.
“I think he and Judy were more in love than anyone I’ve ever known,” Mr. Crouch said.
The couple settled in Fox Chapel a year after Mr. Stafford received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Notre Dame in 1968.
Mr. Stafford’s son Joseph said his father saw where the future of technology was headed and wanted to be a part of it. He gained his master’s degree in computer systems at the University of Pittsburgh, jumpstarting a career he only “half-retired” from last year.
Known in the computer consulting and technology business for his level head and calm nature, Mr. Stafford was considered a trusted leader by colleagues and clients at Aptech Computer Systems Inc. in O’Hara, Golf Digest Information Systems and Schneider Downs, Downtown, throughout his career. Most recently, he served as president of his private consulting firm, Ruby R. Consulting Inc.
“There was never a question with John,” said Raymond Buehler, president and CEO of Schneider Downs. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder because you knew John was going to do what was right.”
Mr. Stafford never lost his love for Notre Dame football either, embodying the Irish spirit “down to his toes,” Mr. Buehler said.
At least once a year, Mr. Stafford returned to South Bend, Ind., to relive his days at Notre Dame and share his love for the Fighting Irish with his family.
His daughter, Margaret, and his son John Jr. went on to earn degrees from Notre Dame. Mr. Stafford and his wife most recently attended the BCS National Championship Game to see the Fighting Irish take on Alabama.
“He celebrated the little things in life,” Joe Stafford said. “[He said,] ‘If Notre Dame is in the national championship, we’ve got to go, no matter how much it’s going to cost.’ ”
Today, Mr. Stafford’s work is remembered through the local academic scholarship to Notre Dame that bears his name. He also received the Distinguished Service Award for his work with the university in 1986.
In addition to his wife and son Joseph, of Fox Chapel, Mr. Stafford is survived by his sons, John Jr., of Raleigh, N.C., and Michael, of Fox Chapel; daughter, Margaret Delfausse, of Atlanta; his brother, Regis, of Mt. Lebanon; and seven grandchildren.
Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at John A. Freyvogel Sons Inc., 4900 Centre Ave. at Devonshire Street.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Scholastica Church, 309 Brilliant Ave., Aspinwall.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Notre Dame Club of Pittsburgh Scholarship Fund in care of Susan Hagan, 153 Main Entrance Drive, Pittsburgh; or to the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, 6202 Alder St., Pittsburgh.
In addition to the names of departed classmates, we can post remembrances and photos.
Steve Novak, class of 1971, sent this news of our classmate’s death:
I don’t know what the policy is with respect to those who didn’t finish at ND, but I thought I’d pass along the news that Ralph Moore died earlier this month.
Ralph started with your class in September 64, but was back home by the time I was applying to schools two years later. So he wasn’t there long, but perhaps a few people remember him. How many black guys could there have been in your class? The 28 in ours apparently were a record high, and about half the black enrollment of the school our freshman year.
With your reunion on the horizon, I thought I’d pass the bad news along.
