Vol.

13, Issue 2 • SUMMER 2009

Lasting Legacy
Carroll Honors a
Man for Others
Timothy J. Russert, Class of 1972

John Carroll’s Culture of Ethics │ Home for Nonprofits

String theory: Robert Haas, a member of the Class of 1970,
performs at The Arts at Lunch! in March. Part of the eighth-annual
A Celebration of Scholarship!, the event featured students and other
members of the John Carroll community reading their poetry and
performing music. Both days it was held, The Arts at Lunch! drew
midday audiences to the D.J. Lombardo Student Center Schott Atrium
and Saint Francis Chapel. For more on A Celebration of Scholarship!,
go to page 6. Photograph by Robert Wetzler.
 Vol. 13 Issue 2 SUMMER 2009

John CarRoll University

President
Robert L. Niehoff, S.J.
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
John Carfagno
Sherri Crahen
Linda Eisenmann
Kimyette Finley ’95
Jack Hearns ’61
Mary Lavin ’87
John Marcus ’72 (ex officio)
Paul V. Murphy
Doreen Riley
Thomas Schubeck, S.J.
Barbara Schubert ’62
Karen Schuele
Christine Somosi ’81
Brian Williams

John Carroll Magazine is published quarterly by

John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Blvd.,
University Heights, OH 44118
journal@jcu.edu / 216-397-4343
Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH 44118,
and additional mailing offices.
ISSN 1542-0418
www.jcu.edu/magazine

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

John Carroll Magazine
University Marketing and Communications
20700 North Park Blvd.
University Heights, OH 44118

Mission: 
As a Jesuit Catholic university,
John Carroll inspires individuals to excel
in learning, leadership, and service in
the region and in the world.

10
13
16
22
On the cover: The impact of Tim Russert ’72 at
John Carroll will continue through the Tim Russert
Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, the
Tim Russert Endowed Scholarship, and the NBC/
John Carroll University Meet the Press Fellowship.
“The Russert Legacy” begins on page 10.
2 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
FEATURES
10 The Russert Legacy
After the sudden passing of Tim Russert ’72 in June
2008, the University wanted to create a lasting tribute in
his honor. Working with his family, classmates, and NBC
colleagues, Carroll has done exactly that. By Ken Kesegich
13 The
A Very Carroll Family
University’s ranks are filled with “legacies,” men and
women related to other members of the Carroll family. In
the case of the Keresman family, the connection dates
back to John Carroll’s beginnings. By Julie A. Evans ’87
16 John
A Matter of Ethics
Carroll students tackle ethical issues in classes
across the curriculum. And they apply their learning every-
where from the streets of Cleveland to neighborhoods in
New Orleans to villages around the world. By David Briggs
22 The
Home for Nonprofits
nonprofit world, facing a retiring workforce, is hungry
to train its next generation of leaders. Enter Carroll’s
Nonprofit Administration Program. By Kristin Ohlson
DEPARTMENTS
3 President’s Message
4
26
On Campus
Images of Carroll
27 Alumni Journal / AlumNews
28 Class Notes
47 In Memoriam
48 My Turn
Inside back cover: Carroll People
ENROLLMENT QUARTERLY
25 John Carroll’s enrollment update and guide
to the college admission process.
Contributors: David Briggs, David Budin, Janet Century, Susan Curphey,
Julie A. Evans ’87, Hilary Flanagan, Andy Johnson ’10, Daniel Milner, Kristin
Ohlson, John H. Reid III, Robert Wetzler
Design: Villa Beach Communications, Inc.
Printed by Lane Press
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.

Lasting Impact of a Man for Others
O
n May 2, John Carroll gave thanks to one of
our own. It was my honor to participate in “A
Tribute to Tim Russert ’72.” The University
organized the campus event so Tim’s classmates could
gather together and celebrate his life. We invited Tim’s
class, 1972, and the two classes immediately before and
after. The response was outstanding. Guests traveled
from near and far, some 250 strong.
Since Tim’s tragic passing in June 2008, we have
been in touch with his family, his John Carroll classmates,
and his colleagues at NBC. Our discussions have centered
on creating a lasting tribute to Tim at John Carroll
University. During the May event, I announced how our
efforts to honor his name have been realized.
As the story beginning on page 10 describes,
our lasting tribute to Tim consists of three parts:
implementing the Tim Russert Endowed Scholarship,
changing the name of John Carroll’s communication
and theatre arts department to
the Tim Russert Department of
Communication and Theatre
Arts, and creating the NBC/John
Carroll University Meet the Press
Fellowship.
Tim often spoke of his John
Carroll and Jesuit Catholic
education. He wanted to help
others have the best learning
opportunities possible. The Meet
the Press fellowship, a partnership
with NBC that no other school
can claim, offers a wonderful
opportunity every year for our
graduating seniors.
Also, it’s fitting that Tim
endowed a Carroll scholarship,
to benefit incoming freshmen
from his beloved hometown
of Buffalo. This fall, we will
welcome the first recipient,
Photograph by Robert Wetzler
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Katherine Warner, whose commitment to Catholic
faith and service to others already embodies what we
hope our students learn at John Carroll. Renaming our
Department of Communication and Theatre Arts in
honor of Tim is equally fitting. One of the most respected
journalists in the world, he was a man who personified
the best that a Jesuit Catholic education offers.
It is appropriate that we write about Tim’s lasting
impact in the same issue with a feature story, “A Matter
of Ethics” (page 16), exploring the culture of ethics at
the University. That culture helps shape our students
today just as it helped shape Tim. Other stories show
members of the Carroll community giving back. Two of
our graduating seniors, for example, will perform service
internationally as the University’s latest recipients of
prestigious Fulbright fellowships (page 9).
Tim touched countless lives. At John Carroll, he
was president of the Student Union and a respected
campus figure during a tumultuous era characterized
by Vietnam War protests. He won the Beaudry Award
in his senior year. While he excelled in his career, he
always remembered his roots and gave back to the
University in numerous ways.
We are honored to have Tim’s name forever
associated with John Carroll University. As Tim said
in his last promotional video for John Carroll, “The
Jesuits have a simple philosophy that there really is a
world beyond yourself… It is essential that we recall
St. Luke’s Gospel: ‘To whom much is given, much is
expected.’ If there’s one message that I took from John
Carroll, that is it.”
Let each of us take away this message and commit
ourselves to live lives of service and to be men and
women for others.
May God bless you,
Robert L. Niehoff, S.J.
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 3
ON CAMPUS

Commencement
2009
Special senior: Peter Niro receives the
Beaudry Award from Fr. Niehoff.

B rilliant sunshine was the order of the day

for John Carroll’s 2009 Commencement,
held May 17 on the Quad. Cheered by family
and friends, degree candidates numbering
990 – 720 undergraduates and 270 graduate

students – crossed the stage in front of Rodman

Hall, received their diplomas, and entered the
next phase of their lives. Bestowing diplomas
held special significance this year for Carroll’s
president, Robert L. Niehoff, S.J. As he pointed
out in his welcome, he and the graduating seniors
joined the University community at the same
time, in the summer of 2005.
Robert Dickinson ’65, retired president and
CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, addressed the

Friends and classmates: Millor Orator

Samantha Cocco delivers her address.

4 John
John Carroll
Carroll university
university SUMMER
SUMMER 2009
2009
Day to remember: The Most Reverend Life of significance: Bob Dickinson ’65 Honoris causa: Fr. Niehoff presents an
Anthony M. Pilla ’61, ’67G, bishop emeritus delivers the Commencement address. honorary degree to John Thomas Mullen.
of the Diocese of Cleveland (left), and Board of
Directors chair Allyn Adams ’64, with faculty
member George Bilgere behind them.

graduates. He drew a distinction between living The day also included the presentation of graduating seniors received the Outstanding
a life of success and living a life of significance. the Alumni Medal to this year’s five recipients: Student Leader Award at the Senior
He also received an honorary degree, as did John James Clark ’57, Anne Conway ’72, Stanley Celebration: Samantha Cocco, the Millor
Thomas Mullen and Catholic Charities Health Glod ’58, Jerald Rachfal ’60, and Daniel Orator, was one, and she was joined by Douglas
and Human Services of the Diocese of Cleveland, Sussen ’51. They were also honored two days Gault, Jessica Landis, Patrick McDermott,
which Mr. Mullen serves as president and CEO. earlier at the Alumni Awards Dinner. (See and Matthew Wooters. They were honored for
This year’s Millor Orator address was AlumNews, page 27.) Other Commencement making significant contributions to the John
presented by Samantha Cocco. Every year, the day honorees included Phyllis Braudy Harris, Carroll campus culture.
address is given by a graduating senior, who is professor and chair in the Department of
chosen by a committee of students, faculty, and Sociology and Criminology, who received the For video of the event and a transcript
staff. Her fellow graduating senior Peter Niro Distinguished Faculty Award. of Bob Dickinson’s speech, visit
received the Beaudry Award. He was chosen by Three days before Commencement, five www.jcu.edu/events/graduates2009.htm
his classmates for the honor, which recognizes
outstanding service in Christian leadership,
academic achievement, and contributions to
the University community.
An extraordinary story surrounded graduate
Leonard Cartor. A World War II veteran, Mr.
Cartor was a student at Carroll in the early
1950s who left the University just shy of earning
his pre-med degree. This year, the University

Photographs by Robert Wetzler

reexamined his case and determined that Mr.
Cartor had earned enough credits to graduate
with a degree in sociology. Mr. Cartor’s health
prevented him from attending the ceremony.
His son Rick, given a seat of honor on stage,
accepted his father’s diploma.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 5

ON CAMPUS

To maintain accreditation, a business

program must undergo a rigorous peer review

Global Distinction every five years, at which the program must

demonstrate its continued commitment to the 21
quality standards relating to faculty qualification,

Photograph by Daniel Milner

The John M. and Mary Jo Boler School
of Business at John Carroll University has
maintained its business and accounting
accreditation by AACSB International – The
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB
International is the longest-serving global
accrediting body for business schools that offer
undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees
in business and accounting.
strategic management of resources, interactions
of faculty and students, as well as a commitment
to continuous improvement and achievement of
learning goals in degree programs.
To realize additional, specialized accounting
accreditation, an institution must first earn or
maintain AACSB International business
accreditation, and then demonstrate
satisfaction of an additional set of 15
standards that are specific to the discipline
and profession of accounting.
“AACSB International
accreditation is the most prestigious
accreditation a business school can
attain,” says Karen Schuele, dean of the
AACSB accreditation is the Boler School of Business. She adds, “This
hallmark of excellence in business education accreditation provides external validation of
and has been earned by less than five percent the Boler School’s commitment to graduate
of the world’s business schools. Today, there outstanding business students through high
are 567 business schools in 33 countries that quality and relevant curricula taught by a
maintain AACSB accreditation, and 171 of faculty committed to advancing management
these institutions also maintain an additional knowledge through scholarship. The Boler
specialized AACSB accreditation for their School is proud to be counted among only
accounting programs, including John Carroll 171 institutions worldwide who have achieved
University. both business and accounting accreditation.”

Scholars All
The week of March 23 was a particularly busy one on the John
Carroll campus. That’s when the eighth-annual A Celebration
of Scholarship! took place. Running Monday through Thursday,
Celebration comprised a plethora of events: speakers, panel
discussions, a poster session highlighting student research, paper
Photograph by Andy Johnson ’10

presentations, and musical and spoken word performances.

The campus-wide event welcomed students, faculty, staff,
and the outside community. Highlights included the Mitsui
Distinguished Lecture, “War and the Environment: The Case of
Japan During World War II,” by William Tsutsui, professor of history
at the University of Kansas; a reading by acclaimed fiction writer Roomful of discovery: The Celebration of Scholarship! poster session
Richard Bausch; and poetry readings and musical performances held in the Dolan Science Center featured dozens of student research
projects, from a statistical analysis of the highest-paid baseball players
at The Arts at Lunch! (see inside front cover). to a study showing the territoriality of red-backed salamanders.

6 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009

New Program for
Healthcare Careers
John Carroll’s College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate Studies division has rolled out a
program for people interested in a healthcare
career but whose undergraduate degree isn’t
in biology or chemistry. The Pre-Medical
Post-Baccalaureate Program is designed for
students who want to fulfill the requirements
for admission to medical school, dental school,
and other professional healthcare schools. The
program offers a way to fulfill undergraduate
science prerequisites needed to apply to these
schools and improve scores on the Medical
College Admission Test (MCAT).
The program, which has the potential
of being completed in one year, is one of
only three in Ohio, according to Mark Storz,
associate dean for graduate studies. It was
approved by the faculty in the spring and
will begin in the fall. He anticipates it being
particularly popular with students who wish to
change their career path to a health profession.
Dr. Storz says application advice is also
available for students who majored in biology
or chemistry as an undergraduate. The program
requires a minimum of 34 semester credit
hours, with courses fulfilling the minimum
requirements for admission to most medical
schools in the United States. Students
are strongly encouraged to take additional
coursework that will enhance their educational
background and preparation for the MCAT.
What distinguishes Carroll’s program?
“We have exceptional faculty who strive for
excellence in teaching and research and who
have experience in working with pre-medical
students,” says Dr. Storz. He points also to
personal attention for each student. “One-on-
one attention will be a program hallmark. Small
class sizes are key. Faculty and staff will help
students stay on track in class and as they apply
to medical and professional schools.”
For more information,
visit www.jcu.edu/graduate.
Briefs
Faculty Honors
Phyllis “Penny”
Braudy Harris,
professor and chair
in the Department
of Sociology and
Criminology, was
presented the
Penny Harris
2009 Distinguished
Faculty Award at Commencement. This
award is the University’s highest faculty
honor. The 2009 winner of the Lucrezia
Culicchia Award for Teaching Excellence
in the College of Arts and Sciences
is Maryclaire Moroney, associate
professor in the Department of English.
She will receive the award in September.
Recognized for Service
John Carroll University has once again
been named to the President’s Higher
Education Community Service Honor
Roll for exemplary service efforts and
service to America’s communities. The
honor roll is a select group of colleges
and universities recognized with the
president’s highest designation for
involvement in community service. Learn
and Service America, a program of the

When the Earthquake Struck Corporation for National and Community

Members of the John Carroll community were concerned for the
safety of Santa Casciani after the earthquake that struck central
Italy in early April. Prof. Casciani, associate professor of Italian,
director of the Bishop Pilla Program in Italian American Studies, and
director of the John Carroll University at Vatican City study-abroad
program, was in her hometown of Castelnuovo when the quake
devastated the area. Prof. Casciani had been living in Castelnuovo
caring for her ill mother. They were sleeping in their home at the
time of the earthquake.
Santa Casciani Both she and her mother emerged safely from the quake, which
killed hundreds, injured thousands, and severely damaged the
town, including their home. Prof. Casciani’s family members who
have worked on Carroll’s Study Abroad Program are safe as well.
As John Carroll magazine went to press, Prof. Casciani was making
arrangements to return to the United States with her mother. She is
planning to resume teaching at the University in the fall.
Service, determines the group. Carroll was
named to the honor roll in 2008 as well.
Winning Combination
In April, three Blue Streak wrestlers were
named Academic All Americans by the
National Wrestling Coaches Association:
Ben Adams, Matthew Harmon, and Dan
Mizener. All three students are members
of the class of 2009. This prestigious
honor is reserved for student athletes who
have achieved success on the mat and
in the classroom, earning a cumulative
grade point average of 3.2 or above.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 7

ONON
CAMPUS
CAMPUS

From the Heart

Thanks to Matt Bury, a member of the Class of 2012, and
his teammates on the Blue Streaks football team, young pa-
tients at University Hospitals of Cleveland’s Rainbow Ba-
bies & Children’s Hospital will have more books to enjoy.
Matt, who took the lead, and fellow freshmen Rocco Miller,
Devin Martin, and C.J. Seitzinger delivered 100 hard-
bound storybooks to the hospital in April as a donation
from the 2009 Carroll football team. The books, More Than
a Spoonful, were written, printed, and donated by David
Rastoka, a 1999 John Carroll alumnus and former member
of the football team. Marge Galla accepted the books on
behalf of the hospital’s children’s library. Matt, Rocco, and
Devin were involved in a similar project while attending
Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School.

Reaching out through reading:

From left are C.J. Seitzinger, Marge Galla,
Devin Martin, Matt Bury, and Rocco Miller.

Leadership Update
David Short, a member of the Class of 1981,
became chair of the John Carroll University
Board of Directors on June 1. A member of the
board since 1999, Mr. Short recently retired as
chairman of the board of American Funds, one
of the nation’s largest mutual fund families, with
more than $650 billion in investments. He lives
in Pittsburgh.
Mr. Short
will continue the
momentum built by
Allyn Adams ’64,
who led Carroll
directors since
2007. Mr. Adams
continues his service
David Short ’81 on the board, which
he joined in 1997. A retired partner of the
accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, he received
the University’s highest alumni honor, the
Alumni Medal, in 1999. During Mr. Adams’
tenure as board chair, Carroll’s accomplishments
included the launch of the Ohio Access
Initiative and significant progress on the
University Master Plan.
Three members have completed their
service: José Feliciano ’72, outgoing board
vice chair and chair of the Corporate
Governance and Nominating Committee;
Kenneth Honecker Jr. ’04G; and Melanie
Shakarian ’00. Another member, Jack Breen ’56,
became director emeritus in December. Four
new members have joined the board: Eric
Jochum ’83, president of F. Eric Jochum Realty
and president of the John Carroll Alumni
Association; Richard Maroun ’77, general
counsel and chief administrative officer of APP
Pharmaceuticals; Samuel Miller, co-chairman
of the board and treasurer of Forest City
Enterprises; and Terence Sullivan ’77,
president of Paragon Advisors, Inc.
Linda Eisenmann, dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences and a professor of history and
of education at John Carroll, is leaving the
University this summer to become provost at
Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.
Dr. Eisenmann arrived at John Carroll in
2004. During her tenure as dean, she worked
with faculty to revise tenure and promotion
guidelines and procedures, and has supported
faculty in the creation of several new academic
programs. She facilitated a reexamination of
the First Year Seminar (FYS), which produced
a new social-justice-centered course organized
around faculty learning communities. Her
commitment to FYS prompted her to teach
in the “Second
Life” FYS learning
community last fall.
She helped
reorganize student
services and
academic advising
in the College of
Arts and Sciences,
Linda Eisenmann and recently
assumed responsibility for arts and sciences
graduate programs. In Dr. Eisenmann’s role as
dean, she contributed to many campus efforts,
including the Administrative Leadership
Team, the University Planning Group, and the
Mission and Identity Committee.
John Day, academic vice president, will
appoint an interim dean.

8 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009

A Night of Thanks Fulbright Honors
On April 28, 2009, John Carroll welcomed about 100 guests to a special gathering: “An Evening
In the spring, two John Carroll University
of Appreciation,” a reception and program in which Carroll thanked its most generous supporters.
graduating seniors were awarded Fulbright
Held in the Muldoon Atrium of the Dolan Science Center, the event was highlighted
fellowships.
by students who greeted guests and talked with them about photographic displays that were
Dina Baky ’09 will spend nine months in
arranged around the atrium. The displays showed Carroll students engaged in campus life and the
community. The reception also featured the JCU Jazz Combo, a student group that performed the Bordeaux Region of France, teaching stu-
throughout the evening. dents ages 8 to 11. Ms. Baky will begin her
After the reception, guests moved to the Donahue Auditorium for a welcome from John Fulbright teaching assistantship in October.
Carroll President Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., and a presentation by Vice President for Enrollment She studied in the Honors Program at John
Brian Williams, who discussed the University’s admission efforts. Carroll and graduated in May with a self-
In his welcome, Fr. Niehoff updated guests on the status of philanthropic giving to the University designed major in political psychology. She is
for the fiscal year, which ended on May 31, about a month after the event. He reported that John from Canfield, Ohio.
Carroll saw a rise in both the number of alumni donors (up 6 percent) and total number of gifts (up 16
percent) over last year at the same time. Carroll also saw a dramatic increase in online giving.
He pointed out that while the cash gifts to the Carroll Fund – which goes directly to student
financial aid each year – were down about 9 percent, the University’s overall cash and pledges
were up 10 percent over last year. Fr. Niehoff said he was encouraged by the higher number of
donors and gifts, which reflects enthusiasm about John Carroll’s future. In addition, he said, John

Photograph by Robert Wetzler

Carroll was seeing the greatest increase
in the number of younger donors
(Carroll grads from the last two years) –
up 18 percent.
“I am energized by our students,
grateful for our committed faculty and
staff, and inspired by our graduates,” Fr. Head of the class: Joshua Marcin ’09 and Dina
Baky ’09 are Carroll’s latest Fulbright scholars.
Niehoff said. “I end every day delighted in
the knowledge that we are making a real Joshua Marcin ’09 will pursue
difference in the lives of our students and
independent research in El Salvador for
in the world. I also end each day knowing
approximately one year. His Fulbright
Photograph by Daniel Milner

that without you, much of this would not

be possible. So thank you. Thank you for
your faith and trust in us. Thank you for
all of our students who have enjoyed the
benefit of your investment and generosity.
We are all the better for it.”
Special guests: From left, student Paulin Byusa ’11,
Dick Barrett ’53, and Director of Multicultural Affairs
Janetta Hammock were among the attendees at
“An Evening of Appreciation.”
fellowship provides a grant to study the
banking and financial education options for
families in El Salvador who are receiving
money from relatives working abroad
(remittances). Mr. Marcin earned a double
major, in political science and Spanish. The
Akron, Ohio, native also graduated in May. In
2008, he received another prestigious federal
award: the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by

Mailbox
the U.S. State Department. For more than
60 years, the Fulbright program has given
John Carroll magazine welcomes letters from readers. students with high academic achievements
Letters may be edited for length and clarity. E-mail and leadership promise the chance to make
journal@jcu.edu; fax to 216-397-3085; or send via
connections between the people of America
U.S. mail to John Carroll Magazine, University
and the rest of the world. Ms. Baky and Mr.
Marketing and Communications, John Carroll
University, 20700 North Park Boulevard, Marcin are the 13th and 14th John Carroll
University Heights, OH 44118. Read letters on the graduates to earn Fulbrights since 1995.
magazine’s website, at www.jcu.edu/magazine.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 9

 Russert
The

L egac y
By Ken Kesegich

After the sudden passing of

Tim Russert ’72 in June 2008,
the University wanted to
create a lasting tribute in his
honor. Working with his family,
classmates, and NBC colleagues,
Carroll has done exactly that.

10 John
John Carroll
Carroll university
university SUMMER
SUMMER 2009
2009
Personal touch: Joining Fr. Niehoff are friends and classmates of Tim’s who played important roles in the
tribute event. From left are Dennis Quilty ’72, M. Colette Gibbons ’73, Bill Doyle ’72, Fr. Niehoff,
Mark Pacelli ’72, and Tom Ahern ’70.
A
t Tim Russert’s funeral last summer in
Washington, D.C., NBC’s Tom Brokaw
approached John Carroll President Robert
L. Niehoff, S.J. Let’s look at how the network and
the University could work together, he suggested, to
create a lasting tribute to Mr. Russert, a man who had a
celebrated impact on both institutions.
The ensuing conversation, which included Mr.
Russert’s family and Carroll classmates, continued
through the year and into 2009. In February, over
dinner in Cleveland, Mr. Brokaw and Fr. Niehoff made
the partnership official. Details began to be drafted for
a fitting way to remember Timothy J. Russert, a favorite
son of both the Class of 1972 and NBC.
On May 2, at a memorial event on campus held for
Tim’s classmates, Fr. Niehoff announced the results of the
University’s partnership with NBC: the NBC/John Carroll
University Meet the Press Fellowship. In the fellowship, a
Carroll graduating senior will be chosen each year to work
“I am a Blue Streak”: Caitlin Huey-Burns ’09, inspired
by Tim Russert to pursue a career in journalism,
shares her remembrance.
on the show that bore Tim Russert’s stamp. Carroll is the
only school in the world with this opportunity.
Lasting Tribute
The Russert fellowship was the last of three
major announcements Fr. Niehoff made at the dinner Tim Russert
n
program of the May event, called “A Tribute to Tim Department of
Russert ’72.” In addition to the NBC partnership, Communication and
he unveiled two other ways Carroll will honor Tim’s Theatre Arts
memory: naming the Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts for him, and announcing the first The NBC/John Carroll
n
recipient of The Tim Russert Endowed Scholarship. University Meet the
The event was an opportunity for Tim’s friends and Press Fellowship
classmates – those from the Classes of 1970 to 1974
The Tim Russert
n
were invited – to celebrate his life and hear how the
Endowed Scholarship
University planned to create a lasting tribute. It drew a
capacity audience of about 250 guests, many traveling
from out of state. The celebration started with a Mass
in Saint Francis Chapel, in which Fr. Niehoff served as
celebrant and six fellow Jesuits as concelebrants. Guests
then proceeded to a reception and dinner in the D.J.
Lombardo Student Center.
All three components of Carroll’s tribute to
Tim Russert – the endowed scholarship, department
naming, and NBC postgraduate fellowship – come with
the blessing of his widow, Maureen Orth, and his son,
Luke Russert. They were unable to attend the event,
but they contributed a video message that was shown at
the dinner program.
The program also included personal remembrances
by Russert classmates Tom Ahern ’70, M. Colette
Gibbons ’73, Bill Doyle ’72, and Dennis Quilty
’72. Video remembrances by Tom Brokaw,
classmates Marty Bergerson ’72 and Mary
Ann Ahern ’76, and U.S. Senators
Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich
from Ohio were shown, as was a tribute
video created by the University. At the
Tribute event photography by Robert Wetzler SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 11
Mass, graduating senior Caitlin Huey-Burns
shared a moving reflection on how Mr. Russert
taught her what it means to be a Blue Streak
when she interned at Meet the Press.
In Tim’s Name
Before his passing, Tim created The Tim
Russert Endowed Scholarship for an incoming
freshman student from his beloved Buffalo or
Western New York who embodies the Jesuit
spirit. The fund has now earned enough that
it can be awarded for the
first time. The inaugural
recipient of the annual Russert
Scholarship is Katherine
Photograph courtesy of Katherine Warner
Warner, from East Amherst,
New York. She graduated
this spring from the Buffalo
Academy of the Sacred Heart,
in Buffalo.
Her long list of volunteer
activities demonstrates her
commitment to Jesuit ideals.
She has served with efforts The first Russert Scholar:
ranging from St. Luke’s Katherine Warner
Mission of Mercy to a Nicaraguan mission trip,
which she made each of the last four summers.
Ms. Warner invited Fr. Niehoff to share
her thank you note to the Russert family.
He read an excerpt, including, “I was always
inspired by how open [Mr. Russert] was about
his faith and his Catholic upbringing. He
always seemed to stay rooted in the values he
was raised with, which are values that are so
important to our society today. I am proud to
be attending John Carroll University and will
do my best to honor Tim Russert’s memory by
12 John
John Carroll
Carroll university
university SUMMER 2009
living my faith in service of others.”
The second tribute component, the
naming of the Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts for Tim Russert, honors
the journalist’s numerous contributions to
his profession. Before his death, he served
simultaneously as the NBC News Washington
bureau chief, moderator and managing editor of
Meet the Press, political analyst for Today and Nightly
News, and host of The Tim Russert Show on CNBC.
“Tim Russert set the highest standards in
his life and his profession,”
says Karen Gygli, chair of the
Tim Russert Department of
Communication and Theatre
Arts and associate professor
of theater. “He was very good
at his job and an admirable
human being, too. We are
very proud to be named in his
honor. I think that having his
name grace our department
will attract many students.”
Fr. Niehoff saved for
last the announcement of
Carroll’s partnership with NBC, which grew
out of his initial discussion with Tom Brokaw.
“This partnership links two of Tim’s beloved
institutions,” Fr. Niehoff said of the NBC/John
Carroll University Meet the Press Fellowship. “It
will annually provide a John Carroll graduate
with a tremendous opportunity to work for
NBC’s number-one-rated Sunday morning
public affairs program and the longest-running
television program in the world.” John Carroll
and NBC are working to have the first fellow
in place for 2009-10.
Betsy Fischer is the executive producer
of Meet the Press. “Tim was a mentor and role
model for so many young people here at NBC,”
she says. “He gave me my first job at Meet the
Press when I was a 21-year-old intern, and he
continued as my teacher, my colleague, and my
friend for the next 18 years. It is in the spirit of
Tim’s incredible impact on so many journalists
and self-described political junkies that this
fellowship is aptly named and dedicated in his
honor. And the fact that it is in partnership
with John Carroll, a place that inspired and
taught him, makes it all the more fitting.”
Only the Beginning
After dinner, Thomas Schubeck, S.J.,
professor of religious studies, provided the
benediction. Then Ryan Daly ’99, senior
director of development and coordinator of the
event, concluded the program by inviting guests
to the O’Dea Room, where they continued the
celebration of Tim Russert’s life.
Mark Pacelli ’72 was one of Tim’s
classmates and close friends. He was
instrumental in bringing about the event,
starting by e-mailing about 30 fellow Blue
Streaks in January. The response, he says,
was spectacular, and the list of 30 quickly
shot to 200. “That’s an indicator of Tim’s
overwhelming effect on everybody,” he says.
“There was such a positive response from
the alumni at the event,” says Mr. Pacelli, who
traveled from Chicago. “All the ones that I knew
– there must’ve been a hundred or so – said it was
great. It was a fabulous experience. On the way
home, 8 o’clock Sunday morning, I was getting
e-mails from people talking about Saturday night,
saying, ‘Wow, that was great. Let’s keep this
going.’ It was a great tribute to a great guy.”
For more information about the University’s
tribute to Tim Russert, visit www.jcu.edu/
TimRussert. At this site, you can view the tribute
video shown at the event, as well as the last
promotional video Mr. Russert made for John
Carroll. You can also read the reflection read by
Caitlin Huey-Burns ’09 at the Mass.
If you are interested in supporting the NBC/John
Carroll University Meet the Press Fellowship,
the Tim Russert Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts, or The Tim Russert Endowed
Scholarship Fund, please contact the University at
800-736-2586, ext. 4516, or rdaly@jcu.edu.
Ken Kesegich is editor of John Carroll magazine.
 A Very Carroll Family
The University’s alumni and student ranks are filled with
“legacies,” men and women related to other members
of the Carroll family. In the case of the Keresman family,
the connection dates back to John Carroll’s beginnings.
By Julie A. Evans ’87
Photograph by Janet Century

Team Carroll: From left are Keresman family members

Katelyn ’09, Mike III ’79, Miriam ’85, and, far right,
Michelle ’81. Second from right is Jim Burant ’73.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 13


ry Lou Boester
urtesy of Ma
Photograph co
Chapter one: Frederick Burant
on his wedding day in 1906.
M
iriam Vincler was a student majoring in
education at the University of Detroit in 1956
when she met her future husband, Michael
Keresman Jr., a charming engineering major from John
Carroll University. Mike was three months away from
completing his B.S. degree at the University of Detroit
as part of a cooperative arrangement between the two
Catholic universities.
From day one, Mike and Miriam were inseparable. He
urged her to run for Engineering Queen (she didn’t win) and
to meet his parents back in Cleveland (she won them over).
They married seven months later and had four children,
all of whom would become Carroll alumni, like their dad:
Michael III ’79, Michelle ’81, Matthew ’82, and Maureen ’85.
Mike rose to become chief engineer for Parker-Hannifin in
Cleveland. Miriam managed the busy household.
“My parents had four kids in five years, so we were the
classic ‘stair-step kids’ who never got too far away from
each other,” says Mike Keresman III, the oldest of Mike and
Miriam’s children. “Growing up, we all went to the same
schools and played in the same summer league sports, so
there wasn’t a lot of separation.” It made sense, he says, that
the kids would stick together in their college years, as well.
In 1985, Miriam herself graduated from John Carroll
with a degree in psychology. She shared the spotlight on
that special day with her youngest, Maureen, who earned
her degree in communications. “We threw our hats up
together to celebrate our victory,” says Miriam. “Graduating
14
14 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
with my daughter was the fulfillment of a dream.”
Miriam had worked her way through John Carroll
as a secretary and assistant to the chairperson in the
Department of Psychology, while carrying 18 credit hours
per year. The full-time position also helped defray tuition
costs for the four children. Today, Miriam is “Dr. Keresman”
to her clients. She holds a Ph.D. in marriage and family
therapy and works as a therapist in those areas. Her husband
passed away in 1992.
If the story stopped here, the Keresmans already would
stand out as a remarkable “legacy family,” which the
University defines as a family in which at least one relative
of an alum attends. (See “Special Connection.”) But the
Keresman-Carroll connection began much earlier. Michael
Keresman Jr.’s grandfather Frederick Burant graduated
from Saint Ignatius College, John Carroll’s predecessor
institution, at the turn of the last century. Another of Mr.
Burant’s grandchildren, Jim Burant, graduated in 1973, and
great-granddaughter Karen (Boester) Burrows earned her
degree in 1995.
And still the legacy continues. This past May, Katelyn
Keresman, Mike III’s daughter and Frederick Burant’s
great-great granddaughter, graduated from John Carroll
University with a degree in religious studies. A younger
sister, Jaclyn, has been accepted and may attend in the fall.
Home Away from Home
“It’s cool to know that my parents and grandparents went
to JCU,” says Katelyn. “My dad and I have a special bond
that we share when we talk about school. We even had
some of the same professors.” She cites Larry Cima, from
economics and finance, and Bob Kolesar, from mathematics
and computer science.
Katelyn also shares stories with her aunts and uncle
and sometimes makes surprising discoveries. Her freshman
advisor, for example, was Aunt Michelle’s suitemate. That
would be Peggy Finucane ’80, a communication and theatre
arts faculty member and director of the Center for Service
and Social Action.
Mike says he was careful not to pressure Katelyn into
choosing John Carroll. He almost discouraged her from a
Carroll education by being overly objective in an attempt
to play fair. “I wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to John
Carroll for me. I wanted it to be her decision, not mine.”
Mike is president, CEO, and chairman of
CardinalCommerce Corporation, a company based in
Mentor, Ohio, that specializes in technology to ensure
 the safety of e-commerce transactions. He looks back on his
Carroll years with a mixture of fondness and disbelief that a
scrappy young man from blue-collar Parma, Ohio, could fit in
to John Carroll’s campus environment. He applied to other
schools but chose Carroll under pressure from his father, which
was somewhere between “coercion and insisting,” Mike recalls.
“I hated it at first,” he says. “I used to go home every
weekend. My buddies back home were a bunch of motor heads,
and I didn’t fit into Carroll very well. I thought it was small
and the people dressed funny. So it took me a while to adjust.”
Mike not only survived his bumpy beginnings at Carroll,
Special Connection

A
but he encouraged his siblings to enroll. He got excited by
t John Carroll, legacies constitute a significant
his studies and learned to love campus life. A finance major,
portion of the student body, averaging about 30
he joined the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, which his
percent of new enrollment over the past decade.
younger brother, Matt, also joined. He made new friends while
In 2008-09, 216 of the 792 freshmen shared a legacy
holding onto old ones.
connection, including 47 with alumni parents and 57 with
For parents, says Mike, there’s an undeniable comfort in
siblings having a Carroll education.
knowing a few details about the place where your child may
Legacy families claim a special relationship to their
spend the next four years. With John Carroll, he continues,
alma mater, and both University and alumni benefit,
“You know it’s a safe environment. And with a Jesuit
says Tom Fanning, the University’s director of admission
education, it’s a relief to know there are core moral values in
and retention. Legacy students form a bridge from one
place. With Carroll, you’re getting the sure thing.”
generation to the next and keep alumni connected and
involved in campus life. Incoming legacy students typically
Julie A. Evans, a writer in the Cleveland area,
know what to expect when they choose Carroll over other
is a 1987 graduate of John Carroll.
schools. They’ve heard stories, skimmed yearbooks,
visited the campus, and learned some of the traditions
and history. A special connection often develops, Mr.
Fanning says, as parent and child compare and contrast
experiences and swap campus stories.
Within the past few years, the admission office has
been working more closely with the Office of Alumni
Relations to boost legacy enrollment. Two new regional
directors of advancement and enrollment, based in Greater
Chicago and the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, were
hired last year. They report jointly to the offices of admission
and alumni relations. The arrangement is a first for the
University and may expand to other cities, says Mr. Fanning.
“If admissions and alumni aren’t working together, you’re
missing a great opportunity.”
resman

Legacy connections should be forged early on, says

m Ke

Mary Lavin ’87, director of alumni relations. Newborns

urtesy of Miria

receive a Blue Streaks bib, and events for children are held
on Reunion and Homecoming weekends. Students host
events for younger siblings on campus. Legacy students
Photograph co

get special recognition during the academic year, beginning

with an official legacy group photo during orientation and
Back in the day: The Keresmans celebrate the graduation ending with acknowledgment at graduation.
of Miriam and Maureen in 1985. From left are Mike III,
Matthew, Maureen, Michelle, Miriam, and Michael Jr. J.A.E.
SUMMER 2009
SUMMER 2009 John
John Carroll
Carroll university
university 15
 A Matter of
John Carroll students tackle ethical issues in classes

across the curriculum. And they apply their learning

everywhere from the streets of Cleveland to neighborhoods

in New Orleans to villages around the world.

By David Briggs

Bridge to learning: Part of the long Carroll tradition, Lena Chapin ’10 applies her
classroom learning in ethics to the world beyond campus, in her case by leading a
student team that visits Cleveland’s homeless every week.

16
16 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
Ethics
Gone is the sun’s warmth that earlier on
this spring day sent temperatures into
the 50s and students onto landscaped
campus greens to toss Frisbees. As
nighttime approaches, a strong wind
Lena Chapin ’10 brings a chill through a desolate stretch
of West 53rd Street in Cleveland.
A solitary figure, John Carroll junior Lena Chapin,
walks along the sidewalk over a bridge, broken glass
crunching beneath her feet. She calls out names over a
landscape of piled-high rocks and brick, where a rotting,
burned-out car gives way to an abandoned factory
littered with graffiti.
Photography by Robert Wetzler

SUMMER 2009
SUMMER 2009 John
John Carroll
Carroll university
university 17

As Ms. Chapin searches in the opposite
direction, four figures emerge – first their
heads, then parts of their bodies can be seen
silently rising from underneath the bridge
and through a hole in the fence out into the
street. The two men and two women, dressed
in patched jeans and old sweatshirts, are of
indeterminate age. Before Ms. Chapin can
turn around, more than a dozen John Carroll
students pour out of two University vans
onto the sidewalk.
What follows are handshakes and hugs.
Some students distribute a warm meal, while
others gather around to listen to stories about
children and grandchildren whose memories
spark flames of humanity into an uncertain
night.
W
hen students and faculty
discuss an ethos of John Carroll
University, it comes back to
moments like these where young women and
men, participants in the University’s Labre
Project, sacrifice their Friday nights to feed the
hungry and visit those in prisons of poverty
and mental illness.
In a time when the U.S. economy is
facing one of its greatest challenges since the
Depression, when everyone is being asked
to do their part to rebuild a nation suffering
18 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
The John Carroll approach is
“ethics from the bottom up.”
– Thomas Schubeck, S.J.,
the effects of personal and corporate greed,
John Carroll, like many top universities, is
preparing students to confront ethical issues
throughout its curriculum.
From mandatory ethics classes for
business students to intentional discussions
about complex moral issues in courses on
subjects from biology to political science to
communications, John Carroll students are
given the intellectual tools to discern the
ethical dimensions of situations they face in
their lives and work.
Yet what distinguishes John Carroll
from other public and private universities
is something more, say members of the
University community. It is the opportunity
for students to apply what they learn in
the classroom. They do so in programs that
allow them to gather with the homeless in
Cleveland, or live with the poor in Ecuador
and Nicaragua, or build housing in New
Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The emphasis on integrating ethics
throughout campus life starts with the
University vision statement to develop
“individuals of intellect and character
who lead and serve by engaging the world
around them and around the globe.” Then
it continues to the classroom and beyond
where students have the opportunity to
professor of religious studies
immerse themselves in the wider community,
to come to personally understand the human
dimension of global ethical concerns.
Thomas Schubeck, S.J., professor of
religious studies, calls the John Carroll
approach “ethics from the bottom up.” When
it is successful, students live out the Jesuit
ideal of being women and men for others,
from the poorest of the poor to their future
co-workers in corporate offices.
For her part, Ms. Chapin says, John
Carroll has shattered preconceived notions
about the world and challenged her to
develop her personal ethics.
“Really, it’s just helped me to develop
into a good human being, or what I like to
think is a good human being,” she says. “It
definitely makes you think about what is
right, and what you should do with your life.”
Moral Questions, Real-Life Issues
Paul Lauritzen, a professor of religious
studies, starts his class on moral decision
making by asking students to talk about
ethical issues in the news. In a recent class,
the discussion ranged from stem cell research
to the language used to describe people with
physical challenges.
One young woman shares her experience
with her wheelchair-bound grandfather,
how her initial impatience with his fierce
independence and rejections of help evolved
into an appreciation of his sense of personal
dignity and caused her to rethink the
appropriateness of the term disability.
Moving on to the day’s subject of ethics
at the end of life, Prof. Lauritzen exposes
students to official Catholic teachings and
detailed opinions of a varying group of
medical ethicists. He even offers his own
feelings by his mother’s side before her death.
In those moments, he says, he knew there
was a difference between allowing a patient
to die and killing a patient, between not
getting a court order to insert a feeding tube
and administering a lethal injection.
The idea of relating moral questions to
real-life contemporary issues is prevalent
throughout the academic disciplines at
John Carroll. It is not enough just to inspire
students to excel in learning. The John
Carroll mission statement says that as a Jesuit
Catholic university, the school also seeks to
equip individuals for leadership and service
in the region and the world.
The emphasis on ethics begins right away
for incoming freshmen.
In the required First Year Seminar
program, students may join learning
communities dealing with subjects such
as corporations and social justice or global
climate change or human rights. A goal of the
seminar is to create “informed compassionate
citizens who are committed to serving others.”
Before they graduate, students will take
classes in philosophy, international affairs,
diversity, and religious studies.
“Through the core curriculum
requirements, I would have trouble
understanding how someone gets through
without having ethics,” says Earl Spurgin,
professor of philosophy and director of the
University Core Curriculum.
In addition, several departments have
their own ethics courses. Communications
students take classes in media ethics, while
all business students are required to take
a class in business ethics. Students may
also choose courses in medical ethics or in
science, technology, and ethics.
Team Teaching
One growing trend is team teaching
across departments so ethical issues can
be raised from different perspectives. For
example, this fall, a political scientist and
economist will join Prof. Schubeck in
teaching a course on the search for social
justice in El Salvador.
In a course this spring, faculty member
Andrew Welki of economics and finance
joined Prof. Spurgin in leading a seminar
on environmental ethics and the economy.
Beginning one class with the question “Can I
donate my blood to a relative?” the professors
pressed students on the subject until there
was a lively discussion on the ethics of
selling bone marrow or blood or even body
parts. Participants weighed the value of the
increased supply that economic incentives
might bring against the unequal pressure to
be donors that such incentives would place
on the poor.
A major source of support for integrating
moral concerns in campus life is the Program
in Applied Ethics, directed by Prof. Lauritzen.
The program offers course development
grants to help faculty develop classes in
subjects such as research ethics for the
sciences. James Lissemore, associate professor
of biology, created a course on the biological
consequences of poverty.
The effort does not stop at the classroom.
As part of the integrated approach of learning
and service at John Carroll, the applied ethics
program also assists students by sending them
to seminars – such as a bioethics conference
at Harvard – and by funding paid student
internships for students working at social
service agencies in Cleveland.
“There is a pretty serious commitment
to frame a lot of what is going on in the
University, in coursework, in service projects,
in terms of ethics,” Prof. Lauritzen says.
And students are responding, he says.
Pre-med students volunteer at a free clinic.

“I feel like we’re

constantly surrounded
by something greater.
Our actions, right here,
right now, matter.”

– Samantha Cocco ’09

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 19
 “I really learned to respect
the dignity of all people. …
I realize I was missing this
whole part of the world. I
was missing other people.”

– Natalie Terry ’10

Hundreds of students will spend Friday nights
with the homeless over the course of the year.
The Arrupe Scholars Program for Social
Action, which is completing its second full
year, combines academic classes with service
and social justice projects. The program
numbers 37 students, with another 20 expected
in the fall, says Christopher Kerr ’00, program
co-director.
“I find it stunning how much they’re
doing, and the kind of passion they bring to it,”
Prof. Lauritzen says of John Carroll students.
“It is a joy to work with them.”
Here for Each Other
The home was a shack made of crushed
sugar cane, with the wall on one side
collapsing inward. Inside, there was one
mattress for six children to sleep on. The
parents slept on the floor.
And still in this home and others in
Ecuador, people were always talking to then-
sophomore Samantha Cocco and other John
Carroll students about the blessings of God
and their faith. “I felt they had so much love
to give and so much faith to share,” says Ms.
Cocco, who graduated in May. “I felt they had
more to share with us than we had with them.”
Ms. Cocco returned to John Carroll with
marks from bed bugs and about 200 mosquito
bites, and with a new perspective from a
leather maker named Gabriel: “The one thing
I’ve come to learn is life is beautiful if you
know how to live it.”
She is not alone.
Several hundred students spent more
than 26,000 hours in community service in
the 2007-08 academic year, says Margaret
Finucane ’80, director of the Center for
Service and Social Action.
Even better, the numbers are going up.
For example, in the 2005-06 academic year,
18 students joined international immersion
experiences such as the one Ms. Cocco
participated in. The number rose to 75 in the
past academic year.
And the success spreads across different
academic majors. John Carroll’s Students in
Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won a regional
competition in March sponsored by the
international organization. The team’s entry
included a project donating 35 computers to an
orphanage in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, and a presentation on handling
ethical dilemmas in a free enterprise system.
In her classes, in her work with Migration
and Refugee Services for Cleveland Catholic
Charities, even in homilies at campus services,
Ms. Cocco observes almost a seamless garment
of ethical reflection encouraging students to
evaluate how their actions shape the rest of the
community and the rest of the world.
“I feel like we’re constantly surrounded
by something greater. Our actions, right here,
right now, matter,” she says.
Ms. Cocco says the ethics that permeates
the University is not preaching. Instead, she says,
Carroll offers “a positive message of how to love
one another, how to be human to one another.”
Ronald Brownrigg ’10 agrees. “To be one
for another, I think that’s the overall message
John Carroll portrays,” he says. “I see that on
campus every day.”
An education major who plans to become a
teacher, Mr. Brownrigg has visited the homeless
with the Labre Project and tutored students at
Wiley Middle School in University Heights.
What he will take from the University into later
life, he says, is the idea that success involves
working together with others.
What John Carroll teaches, he says, is,
“We’re all here for each other.”
Guided on a Path
Natalie Terry ’10 chose John Carroll
because serving others was an important part
of her own morals and values.
Her experiences have included a trip to
Nicaragua, working with Habitat for Humanity
in New Orleans, and serving as a mentor at
the Arrupe Neighborhood Partnership at Saint
Ignatius High School. She helped bring fair
trade coffee to John Carroll and is working with

20 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009

student groups and the school to offer more
fair trade products, from T-shirts to rice on
campus. fair trade promotes ethical relationships
between consumers and producers.
“Since I entered the John Carroll
community, I’ve been guided on a path of
service and social action that has led me to
be a woman for others,” says Ms. Terry, who
begins her senior year in the fall. “I really
learned to respect the dignity of all people. …
I realize I was missing this whole part of the
world. I was missing other people.”
Not everyone is going to have Ms. Terry’s
experience. There are no guarantees that a
John Carroll education will make someone a
more moral person. “If a person comes into this
school, or any other, not caring about ethics …
I don’t think there’s anything any educator can
do to change that,” Prof. Spurgin says.
Professors such as Spurgin and
Lauritzen also know describing the ethos
of a school, particularly a Jesuit Catholic
university integrating academic freedom and
transcendent ideals, is not easy. Students and
faculty come from various religious traditions.
One professor may make a point of presenting
the perspective of Catholic social teaching,
while another will stick to a secular model.
But for those students who care about
ethics, who care about right and wrong,
“The University gives students the tools to
recognize ethical issues when they encounter
them and to form reasoned responses.”
Director of the University Core Curriculum
John Carroll is a special place, members
of the Carroll community agree. Through
opportunities for both practical service and
intellectually challenging discussions of moral
issues, says Prof. Spurgin, “The University
gives students the tools to recognize ethical
issues when they encounter them and to form
reasoned responses.”
For a growing number of students, that
means volunteering for a year after graduation in
programs such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and
the Peace Corps. Eight students, or little more
than one percent of the Class of 2000, became
postgraduate volunteers. That number increased
almost three-fold, to 23, in the Class of 2008.
Among the new graduating class,
Samantha Cocco has been accepted to Jesuit
Volunteers International, part of the Jesuit
Volunteer Corps. She’ll spend the next two
years on the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia,
teaching English, theology, and music to high
school-aged men and women.
Ms. Terry does not know what she will
do after graduation in 2010. She may do a
volunteer year of service, or she may enter
into a graduate school of theology or become a
youth minister.
She is sure of only one thing: “Being a
woman for others and with others is what I’m
going to be.”
– Earl Spurgin,
Be the Change
Over at Carroll’s Green Road Annex
on a spring Friday afternoon, Lena Chapin
is cooking the meal to be distributed to the
homeless that night. The thin track athlete
struggles to break apart the frozen ham and
apples from the Cleveland Food Bank to
allow them to heat through thoroughly. The
huge pot of mashed potatoes is unwieldy
for someone her size. And this is only the
beginning. The last containers and serving
utensils may not be put away until 11 p.m.
What she does not do is give up. The
discussions on ethics in almost all her classes
and the 15 hours a week she volunteers in the
student-run program to befriend the homeless
have helped equip her with the social and
business skills and personal passion to run an
effective organization.
Whether she becomes an English professor
or does public relations for IBM, Ms. Chapin
will bring her gifts of drive, compassion, and
the pursuit of excellence to the world.
“Even if it is a corporate situation,” she says,
“I want to go there and be the change.”
A longtime journalist covering religion and ethics,
David Briggs recently relocated from Cleveland to
Nashville.
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 21
 Home for
The nonprofit world, facing a
retiring workforce, is hungry
to train its next generation of
leaders. Enter Carroll’s Nonprofit
Administration Program.
By Kristin Ohlson

It’s interdisciplinary:
The Nonprofit Administration
Program, directed by
Elizabeth Stiles (left),
combines the heart of
Carroll’s social sciences
with the business
acumen of the
Boler School.

Photography by Janet Century,

except where noted

22 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009

Nonprofits
Around the country, nonprofits quake at
the approach of a demographic tsunami. The
thousands of baby boomers who poured into
the nonprofit sector around the 1960s and
form the bulk of today’s nonprofit leadership
are getting ready to retire. While a large
number of younger people surged into the
nonprofit sector in the wake of 9/11, many
don’t have the administrative skills to replace
their elders.
In places like New York City and
Cleveland – the two American cities with
the highest concentration of nonprofit
organizations – the skills gap could be
devastating. This is why the introduction
of John Carroll University’s Nonprofit
Administration Program in 2006 was so
timely and has been so successful.
“When you get an MBA, you learn how
to manage companies, but there haven’t
been enough programs acknowledging that
nonprofits are a different animal,” says Mary
Paxton, a current student and associate
Immediate impact: The program, says The
Gathering Place’s Ben Light ’08G, made him a
better employee right away.
development director at E CITY, an after-
school program that teaches entrepreneurial,
business, and life skills to inner-city kids.
“I’ve been in the nonprofit world for 10
years, I’ve had some management experience,
and I wanted the formal education that will
prepare me to be a nonprofit leader. That’s
what this program does.”
Penny Harris, chair of John Carroll’s
sociology and criminology department, led
the early legwork to establish the program
after she learned that the Council of Graduate
Studies had seed money from the Ford
Foundation to establish new professional
master’s programs in the social sciences.
First, she secured a planning grant
from the Council to do an extensive needs
analysis. Working with a Carroll steering
committee representing sociology, economics,
political science, psychology, the Office of The right preparation: Student Mary Paxton, of
Multicultural Affairs, the Center for Career E CITY, is on the path to nonprofit leadership.
Services, and the Boler School of Business, as a cohort through the two-year program.
a team from sociology worked with area Most are already working in nonprofits
nonprofits to identify areas in which they need and have been out of school for 10 years
knowledge and skills. or more, so they bring plenty of real-life
Carroll’s final proposal for a master of arts experience into the classroom for discussion
program based on these areas of need won an and study. Carroll recently added a certificate
implementation grant from the council – one program in nonprofit management for people
of only 30 nationwide. with MBAs, so some of the students are still
working in the private sector but plan to
Across the Disciplines transition into nonprofit work.
While other institutions offer graduate “This is an intense program in which you
programs in nonprofit management, Carroll’s really make tight connections with people,”
stands out for several reasons. First, it’s says Elizabeth Stiles, a professor of political
intensely interdisciplinary, with coursework science and the Nonprofit Administration
in sociology, political science, economics, Program’s director. “Our first cohort
accounting, management, communications, graduated in August of 2008, and they’re very
and marketing. “This program takes the close. It’s a nice network – they’ll work with
heart of the social sciences – looking at issues each other for years, maybe for the rest of
related to diversity, ethics, social policy, their lives.”
advocacy, and program evaluation – and The Nonprofit Administration Program
combines it with the business acumen of the stands out for another reason as well: John
Boler School,” Prof. Harris says. Carroll offers a 40 percent tuition discount
The new program is also small, accepting a to its students. “Because John Carroll
select group of about 20 students who proceed University is committed to the greater good,
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 23

Photograph by Robert Wetzler
From nonprofit to classroom: Todd Welki, an administrator at the Free Medical Clinic of Greater
Cleveland, teaches in the Nonprofit Administration Program.
we want to be sensitive to the needs of people
in nonprofits,” adds Prof. Stiles. “They’re
notoriously underpaid and often don’t have the
money to get the skills that nonprofits need.”
Given the challenge of the global
economic crisis, nonprofits need a more sharply
defined set of skills than ever. As endowments
shrink, investments falter, and contributions
dwindle, many nonprofits have an increasingly
hard time managing their budgets and
maintaining their current level of service –
even as the needs of their constituents rise.
The Nonprofit Administration Program
provides training that can help nonprofit
leaders nurture their staffs and prevent burnout
in these difficult times, as well as bolster
them with an array of business skills to help
organizations thrive with fewer resources.
“My class teaches them how to do a cost-
benefit analysis and make important business
decisions,” says Walter Simmons, chair of the
department of economics and finance. “For
instance, when there are fewer resources, several
nonprofits might decide to merge, because
they don’t want to duplicate services. Whether
you’re a nonprofit or a private company, there
are ways of merging organizations that are more
efficient and productive.”
Even when not faced with huge decisions
of that nature, students find that the program
helps them do their jobs better – while they’re
still in the middle of coursework.
24 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
“The first thing we did in the leadership and
managerial skills class was to fill out personal
assessments, which we used throughout class
to build career plans,” says Benjamin Light
’08G, who was in the first graduating class and
is now director of operations at The Gathering
Place, a program for people whose lives have
been touched by cancer. “Part of the assessment
was a peer review, which I took back to work
and asked both my supervisor and the people I
supervised to fill out. I got immediate feedback
about the strength of my work – it made me a
better employee right away.”
Prof. Stiles is thrilled by the range of
students who come to the program. They
arrive from all over the city, from diverse
backgrounds, from nonprofits as various as the
Cleveland Orchestra and the Northeast Ohio
Coalition for the Homeless. As they gather to
study and swap experiences on everything from
board composition to marketing, she believes
they’re creating new approaches that will
reshape the nonprofit world.
She declares, “They’re inventing what’s
going to be happening in the nonprofit sector
for the next 30 to 40 years.”
For more information on the Nonprofit
Administration Program, visit www.jcu.edu/
graduate/programs/nonprofit/nonprofit-home.htm.
Kristin Ohlson is a writer in the Cleveland area.
The Capstone Project
Each year, Nonprofit Administration Program
students get the opportunity to work closely
with a local nonprofit organization. The
program sends out a Request for Proposal
to some 80 area nonprofits, asking how
students can help. After the proposals
are evaluated, students work in teams to
complete a project together.
Here is the next group of
Capstone projects:
• The Ronald McDonald House: At this
home-away-from-home for families with
a child undergoing treatment at a local
hospital, students will develop and
conduct a survey on client satisfaction
with family waiting rooms.
• Malachi House: For this hospice for
people with limited or no financial
resources, students will help increase
name recognition among donors and
referring agencies.
• The Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention
Center: Students will assess why some
youths are sentenced to detention
facilities and some are not, as well as
survey current detainees to see if the
services they’re receiving there are
helpful and if other services are required.
K.O.
Quarterly
Enrollment

John Carroll’s enrollment update and guide to the college admission process

Unleash the Entrepreneur in You

Seventy percent of high school seniors
think about working for or running their own
smaller enterprise. Yet, traditional business-
education models don’t nurture those ideas
as well as they could.
John Carroll offers a unique resource
to turn innovation into reality. The
Entrepreneurs Association (EA) numbers
250 members, each of whom is the principal
shareholder of a successful private company
that has been in business at least five years
with at least $1 million in revenue. They are
driven, successful, and interested in passing
that innovative spirit on and seeing John
Carroll students succeed.
During your four years, you will be
given many opportunities to interact with
EA members, including idea-generation
contests, where you can try out your great
ideas; Reality Bridge, a cool program that
actually launches companies; and our minor
in entrepreneurship, which lets you enhance
any major offered at John Carroll.
Innovative opportunities like Reality
Bridge partner our top students with
experienced business owners to identify
realistic business opportunities and create
operating enterprises for Northeast Ohio.
With assistance from their business owner
coaches, students develop a feasibility study
for a business idea and present their results
to a panel of judges responsible for providing workspace, brings students who are
a go/no-go assessment. Phase two involves interested in entrepreneurship together.
launching the business. Unleash the entrepreneur in you. Join
Your journey at John Carroll may also students from across John Carroll’s Boler
include the Entrepreneurs’ House. Located School of Business and College of Arts and
in Murphy Hall, this freshman housing option, Sciences. We invite you to bring your unique
with an access-only lounge and collaborative skills to our program.

Visit John Carroll this Summer

John Carroll welcomes you through August 21, 2009.
Are you interested in visiting John Carroll University? We invite all students and their families to visit campus this summer and ex-
plore all that we have to offer. Choosing a college can be overwhelming, so let us help make your transition as smooth as possible.

Check out our summer visit opportunities:

Group Information Sessions
If you are looking for an information
session that is more than facts and
figures, then this one is for you. Not
only will you hear the story of John
Carroll University, but you will also
learn about our mission and our
philosophy on education, what
makes us unique, and how to join
the community. The group
presentation is offered Monday
through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Campus Tours
Sometimes a campus tour is
all you need to know if John
Carroll will be a place you can
call home. You will have an
opportunity to see the whole
campus, including classrooms,
residence halls, and dining
facilities. Campus tours are
available Monday through Friday
every hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exploring Cleveland
For out-of-town visitors, you will
find much to experience in and
around our campus. Consider
planning your visit to Cleveland
around some of the other events
happening in the region this
summer.
Go to www.positivelycleveland.
com/ for regional events, and the
John Carroll website for campus
events.
We look forward to seeing
you this summer!
To sign up for a campus visit,
please visit our website at
www.jcu.edu/visit or call
216-397-4294.
Please keep in mind a few
dates to avoid: July 3, July 24,
July 31, and August 7.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 25

 Carroll Images of

Can you identify anyone

in these photos?
We’d like to know!
Please e-mail us at journal@jcu.edu.
26 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

alumNews
Distinguished Alumni Calendar
Friday, June 19 –
Sunday, June 21
Reunion Weekend 2009

Thursday, July 23
Chicago Alumni
Class of 2009: Welcome to
the Alumni Association
Hosted by the Class of 1999
Schuba’s Tavern

Wednesday, August 26
Chicago Alumni
With honors: John Carroll’s 2009 Alumni Medal recipients are, from left, Daniel Sussen ’51, James Clark ’57, JCU Alumni Night with
Anne Conway ’72, Jerald Rachfal ’60, and Stanley Glod ’58.
the Chicago Cubs
This spring, five graduates received the Alumni Anne is a United States district judge, serving as Wrigley Field
Medal, the highest honor awarded by the John chief judge of the Middle District of Florida, one
Carroll University Alumni Association. The of the largest courts in the federal system. Saturday, August 29
medal recognizes professional accomplishments, Three other Carroll Mid-Atlantic Alumni
exemplary family and personal life, community graduates received awards. Cleveland Indians
contributions, and dedicated service to John Fred A. Hartman Jr. ’68 vs. Baltimore Orioles
Carroll. The recipients are: was posthumously awarded Camden Yards
Daniel C. Sussen ’51. A business leader the Campion Shield, which Register at www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect
committed to Cleveland for more than 40 years, recognizes heroism and bravery by June 29
the former air intelligence officer in the U.S. on the part of a John Carroll Fred Hartman Jr.
Saturday, September 12
Marine Corps has served his alma mater in community member. Fred Hartman, who enlisted
Men’s Alumni Soccer Game
numerous ways, including as a member of the in the marines while he was still a student at
Board of Directors since 1992. John Carroll, was killed in Vietnam. He was Saturday, September 12
James D. Clark ’57. Jim, a leader at posthumously awarded two Purple Hearts and a Ride for Miles 2009
Bridgestone/Firestone for decades, has amply Legion of Merit, a year after receiving his degree Second annual commemorative bike
demonstrated his commitment to John Carroll in political science from Carroll. ride in memory of biology professor
and Cleveland, from helping to found the The Alumni Volunteer Miles Coburn ’75G.
JCU Parents Association in 1984 to providing Service Award, recognizing Visit www.rideformiles.org
leadership for nonprofits in Northeast Ohio. exceptional alumni service,
The Hon. Stanley J. Glod ’58. Stan is a was awarded to Peter Bernardo Friday, September 25 –
former chairman and chief judge of the Foreign ’67, ’72G. Pete, who is Sunday, September 27
Circle K Reunion
Claims Settlement Commission of the United director of planned giving
States. He has established a long record of at Carroll, was honored for Peter Bernardo
Friday, October 9 –
leadership and service to his country, to industry, activities ranging from assisting
Sunday, October 11
to the Catholic Church, and to John Carroll. in the Camp Carroll kids’ camp at Reunion to Homecoming Weekend 2009
Jerald J. Rachfal ’60. Jerry is active in his longtime service as a chain-gang member at
his community and church, and he is deeply Blue Streaks home football games. Saturday, October 10
committed to John Carroll. As a sample of The 2009 Silver Quill, Women’s Alumnae Soccer Game
his Carroll involvement, Jerry attends every awarded annually to a John
Reunion, assists in alumni outreach activities Carroll magazine class columnist The events listed above are
subject to change. 
in Western New York, and is a member of the for exceptional dedication to the
For more information and a
Magis Legacy Society. role, went to Gerald O. Patno
complete schedule of events, visit
The Hon. Anne C. Conway ’72. Among ’73. Gerry has been collecting
Gerald Patno
www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect or e-mail
the trailblazers in the first class of women the news of his class and writing alumni@jcu.edu.
admitted as full-time students at Carroll in 1968, it up in his distinctive style since 1979.
Photographs on this page are by Robert Wetzler, except for the Fred Hartman Jr. photo, which is courtesy of William Ward ’69. SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 27
ALUMNI JOURNAL
to our Readers
For further columnist contact information, please call us at 216-397-4343 or
800-736-ALUM (2587). Note that we continue to publish additional class notes and
archived columns online. Visit www.jcu.edu/alumni/publications/classnotes.htm to read
unabridged copy as well as previous columns.
For our fall 2009 issue, we are planning to publish an honor roll of donors. While this
will result in limited space for class notes, our goal is to print Reunion-year columns. All
columns for the fall issue will be available online at the above web address.
The Golden Years
UP TO
’39
Larry Kelley ’36
216-941-1795
journal@jcu.edu
The column is due today, Monday, April 6, and
since Michele has told us to be very brief and on
time, I will comply by limiting the column to one
page – or less! For those older alumni that might
read my column: Reunion Weekend 2009 is June
19-21, beginning Friday through Sunday. I
recommend and urge you to attend every Reunion
you can. It keeps you “forever young” and helps
keep the mind functioning – at my age, I need
both! I thank the members of the classes of the
’50s for inviting me to their monthly luncheon. I
was the only one left from the classes of the ’30s!
Keep praying, just Larry
‘40
Carl Giblin
727-518-7961
GIBBI612@aol.com
Gleanings from John Sweeney, veteran manager
of the Northeast Ohio news bureau, are meager.
The fact that most of us, who don’t lie about our
age, are 90 and counting, might tend to reduce
the size of the group. Pizzazz was the scene for
the regular luncheon meeting, and John fired off
some questions to me for answers – one in
particular intrigued me. I quote John, “Of those
who claim to be 1940 graduates, how many are
still living?” I’ll have to get back to you on that,
John. Available data indicates that 29 of the Class
of 1940 still show signs of life. Class records
report night classes, and I’ve spotted three who
were not in our class. They were all female. ... I
have submitted a copy of my autobiography From
Here to Senility to Herr Peter Bernardo ’67 for his
imprimatur. Anything possibly affecting JCU must
be approved. There is a chapter covering life at
John Carroll that mentions all of the lunch bunch
plus a lot of others. I hope to have it published
A new work by artist James O’Connell Morgan ’40
28 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
later this year. ... James O’Connell Morgan sent
me the print that appears here. I am offering a
prize for the most appropriate name for it. Since I
am offering the prize, I will be sole judge. Just
send your entry, along with a $10 entry fee, to my
home address. First prize will be an all-expenses-
paid trip to Fairport, OH, for one week! Second-
place prize will be an all-expenses trip to Fairport
for two weeks! (fanfare) My name for Jim’s
artwork is “Mixed Emotions,” the blending of
colors, from red (anger?) to the cool colors of
calm, suggest mixed emotions. Save your stamps.
I have sent a book of Jim’s work to John Carroll.
Maybe they will see fit to cover his art in an
upcoming issue. ... Take care of each other, Carl
’42
Art Wincek
We are very sorry to report that
Art Wincek passed away on April
28, one day before his 88th
birthday. We offer our condolences
and prayers to his wife, Fran, his
children, and his friends.
’43
Bruce E. Thompson
216-382-4408
journal@jcu.edu
On this early April date, I was mulling over my
notes for this piece harking back to a May 9 Sunday
in 1943. Yes, 66 years ago when the following, 33
in number, the second “half” of the 1943 class
were gathered for their commencement ceremony:
Bachelor of Arts: Warren Corrigan, Edward
Kupcik, Mitchell Shaker. Bachelor of Philosophy:
Robert Bambrick, John Carey, Pasquale
Columbro, Maurice Denbo, Fred Fanelly,
Henrietta Heintel, Robert Horan, Philip McGrath,
Robert McGraw, Robert Obringer, John Sacuto,
Lillian Schlund, Jerome Sullivan, Helen Weil, Sr.
Mary Wypyszynski. Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration: Neal Carroll, Robert
Cleary, Robert Costello, Edward Heil, John
Kearney, Edward McCormick Jr., Richard
Moriarty. Bachelor of Science: Frank Ausflug,
Mary-Terese Bernardic, Bernard Brysh, Louis
Cachat, Robert Cliffel, Aloysius Fanta, Richard
Huelsman, Edgar Ryan. ... A memorable group
indeed. (The 35 grads listed in the spring 2009
edition of John Carroll magazine were the
accelerated/first half of the 1943 graduating class.)
Getting back to the May 9 grads, their academic
procession was unique indeed. As six or so of them
(no actual record exists) had already been called to
military duty. They were represented in the entire
commencement ceremonial function by their
fathers, right down to receiving their prized
diploma. The fathers’ participation had to be a first
for this University, hopefully not to be repeated.
Interestingly, 1943 saw some grads receive their
diploma without benefit of an academic ceremony.
Len Marous was required to take additional
chemistry hours because of illness absence, which
he performed as a student-teacher when the V-12
Navy students arrived on campus in mid ’43. Late
in 1943, his diploma arrived in the mail. Leo Corr,
Al Francesconi, Leo Frantz, and Joe Tulley,
originally of the class of ’44, were also pursuing an
accelerated schedule when they too completed
their courses late in ’43. But no ceremony. It was
only within recent years that these four asked to be
designated as 1943 grads. ... It is sad to report a
phone call interrupted this writing to tell of Leo
Corr’s passing. Leo was active and talented on
campus, academically, athletically, and socially. He
was respected, admired, and will be remembered
by all. Our deepest sympathy to his wife, April, to
their seven children, 25 grandchildren, and their 25
great-grandchildren. ... Reunion Weekend this year
is for the classes of 4s and 9s, June 19-21.
Hopefully ’43 will be well represented at the Gray
Streaks dinner Saturday, June 20. We are guests of
the University for Mass at Gesu followed by
cocktails, dinner, and dancing in the newly
remodeled Schott Dining Hall. It is a wonderful
opportunity to meet once again with former
classmen and campus friends. If you haven’t
signed up, do so by calling Sue Lender in the
Alumni Office at 216-397-4336. Let’s have a ’43
table or two. Take care, Bruce
’44
Don McDonald
216-991-9140
journal@jcu.edu
REUNION YEAR
Remember that our 65th Reunion is June 19-21,
2009. If you have not registered, give me a call at
216-991-9140 or, better still, call the Alumni Office at
216-397-4336. The main event for most people in
our class is the reception and dinner planned for
Saturday evening, June 20. It would be great to have
at least one table for dinner. At the rate members of
our class are leaving us, we want to take advantage
of the opportunities to be together. ... John Buckon
’50 was good enough to send me Joe Kolp’s write
up about his lifetime accomplishments and
dedication to the medical profession. Joe started
early in his endeavors – Eagle Scout, Captain in the
U.S. Army Air Force, and his M.D. from St. Louis
University. He was president and chief of staff at
Mercy Medical Center. He was really a man for
others in all he did for the organization that he
headed and helped. At the time of his sudden death,
he was planning the next seminar, which he
organized every year. Joe was married to Mary
Catherine (Buckon) for 62 years. Mary is John
Buckon’s sister. Remember him and his family in
your prayers. ... Remember Leo Corr, who started in
our class and accelerated to ’43. He passed away
April 1, 2009. ... Bob Colopy, another dedicated
doctor from our class, still lives in Painesville, OH.
Bob has had some health problems in the past two
years since his wife, Margaret Cannon, passed
away. Remember him in your prayers. ... Let’s at
least get one table of 10 for the Saturday, June 20,
Reunion dinner. See you there, Don
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

‘47
Ed Cunneen
216-561-1122
edcunneen@ameritech.net
Thank you, Frank O’Reilly. You won my ’47 award
for responding to my plea for class members to
write or call to tell me how they’re doing. I haven’t
selected a prize yet but I’ll buy you a “pop” at the
Reunion. I really enjoyed our conversation recalling
the better days. I’m glad that you are still “hanging
in there.” Maybe since you set the example, a
few others from our class of ’47 will give me a call
or drop me a note about their lives today. Don’t
Cuyahoga Falls High School and then at John
Carroll. He was in the army and served in the
Pacific Theater. He returned to JCU and graduated
with us in 1948. He is survived by his wife and
three sons. ... I recently visited Bill Coyne, one of
JCU’s finest. He broke his hip and femur. He is
battling back but it’s a tough grind. Please
remember him in your prayers. ... Julius Sukys (I
know him) was fortunate to spend the winter
months in California – very fortunate to miss the
brutal winter in Cleveland. Adios, and hopefully
there will be news in the next issue. J.P.S.
the original painted linen fabric with a special
Dacron material, the plane is prettier, lighter, and a
little faster. Bill recently completed his required
bi-annual flight review, qualifying him for two more
years of solo flight operation. ... Because Joe
Spaniol and I enjoyed our 55th Reunion visit, I
called Joe in Maryland. Joe and wife Viola are
enjoying regular visits from their five sons and
three daughters, 18 grandchildren, and two
great-grandsons. Joe continues to enjoy his
retirement from service in the U.S. Supreme Court
and looks forward to both the Ignatius and Carroll
reunions. In forthright Spaniol style, Joe said, “At

‘49
forget the June 20 Reunion dinner. I’ll try to catch our age, every commitment is subject to change.”
Tom Harrison
you all there. Ed 440-331-4343 ... It was great to visit with Joe Kundrath, who
taharrison2001@sbcglobal.net regularly serves as an usher at the St. Raphael
4:30 p.m. Saturday Mass. Joe had an interesting

‘48
Julius Sukys
440-449-8768
journal@jcu.edu
Spring greetings! I recently receive news from Bill
Brugeman regarding his grandsons, Joe and
Matthew Brugeman. The brothers have been
awarded commendations by the U.S. Army and
the U.S. Navy. Joseph, a petty officer in the navy,
served on a submarine, the USS Rhode Island, a
ballistic missile nuclear submarine. He received
his award in September. His brother, Matthew,
received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained
against the enemy in Iraq. He was hospitalized for
a long period but now has returned to duty.
Congratulations to both brothers. We are proud of
them. ... Our classmate John K. Gallagher
passed away on Feb. 11, 2009, at 84. He had
worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. He
lived in Logan, OH, then moved to LaGrange, IL.
He had a passion for basketball and played at
REUNION YEAR
Vic Stewart, the long retired mayor of Elyria, OH,
has firm plans to return from his winter home in
Fort Myers, FL, in time to prepare for our 60th
Reunion. Vic and wife Helen haven’t visited
campus since attending the graduations of their
sons and daughter. One grandson is now a Carroll
freshman. Because Vic served several terms as
mayor, I knew he could explain the origin of the
city’s unusual name. He explained that in 1803,
Mr. Ely, who was the leader of this small village,
loved a beauty whose first name was Ria, and, at
the wedding, the village of Elyria was officially
established. In 1830, Elyria established itself as
the western leader in higher education, when it
established the first high school west of the
Alleghenies. ... Bill Varga has spent the winter at
home, occasionally traveling to the Lorain County
Regional Airport hangar to visit his personally
rebuilt 1947 Stinson airplane. Because he replaced
career with General Electric. He retired in 1987
from the GE accounting department, whose
offices had provided a great view of Lake Erie at
1000 Lakeside Avenue. Joe is spending time in
recent months watching GE stock regain its
pre-slump glamour. ... When we partied with
George Wurm and wife Mary Jane at our 50th
Reunion, they were 10-month-a-year residents of
Florida. George tired of the balmy and occasionally
steamy weather and moved to Marlboro, MA!
George was sorry to report that both he and his
wife are in declining health, and plan to spend the
summer there, which is the best part of the year
in Massachusetts. ... Dick Kappus was working in
the yard when I called. Dick and wife Rita visited
Carroll when their two daughters graduated, but
haven’t yet seen the beautiful Dolan Science
Center. With some promised help from Mary
Lavin ’87, director of alumni relations, Dick plans
to call some other pre-med classmates to
encourage participation at the June 19-21

All alumni are invited to

come and celebrate with
this year’s Reunion classes!
Friday, June 19
Vegas Buffet and Casino Night
Join us for dinner and/or
entertainment as the Big Tent
transforms into the Carroll Casino. Go
all in and try your luck at the Texas
Hold ’Em Tournament, Blackjack, or
dance to the live music of Pineapple
Wine and The New Barleycorn.
Sunday, June 21

Reunion
Father’s Day Brunch
Bring your family to celebrate Father’s
Day on campus in the Big Tent.

It’s not too late to come to Reunion!

Weekend 2009 Visit www.jcu.edu/alumni

for more information.

SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 29

ALUMNI JOURNAL
Reunion. Dick is a native of East Cleveland; after
graduating from Carroll, he went on to St. Louis
University med school and established his
pediatric practice in Toledo, OH. ... News needed,
send news, good news preferred. All reported
with reasonable accuracy. Tom
‘50
Jack Reilly
216-291-5762
tatlerjack25@sbcglobal.net
I hope everyone enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day. My
wife, Kathleen, and I went to downtown Cleveland
and celebrated with daughter Teresa (who
marched in the parade) and her family. It was a
great day and over 400,000 of our closest friends
were on hand to celebrate! We saw many current
JCU students having a great time. Saw Fred
Korey at a student recruitment phonathon and he
told me that when he got out of the service he
wanted to go to Notre Dame, but his father
suggested he look at John Carroll (smart Dad!).
Fred and I have done the phonathon for 30 years.
Bob Knotek said he attended Carroll because it
was close; he lived about a mile away. Bob also
has been active in many alumni activities. Bob is a
coast guard veteran. John Koval is recovering
from two heart attacks. He sounded good when I
spoke with him recently. John transferred from
Xavier because of Carroll’s excellent business
school. He claims to be the only one to graduate
with a degree in secretarial science. After
graduation, John accepted a secretarial position
with American Steel and Wire Company. Prior to
college, John spent time in the navy and was later
recalled to serve in the Korean War. One of his
Carroll memories is going to prom and having his
car break down. Coming to his rescue was John
Buckon. Thankfully they both made the prom,
greasy hands and all. John Koval has a son who
graduated from Carroll 28 years after us. After the
army, Hugh Gallagher said he wanted to go to
Notre Dame or Holy Cross. He took a ride with
Shamus Kilbane ’48 and ended up visiting Carroll.
While there, he met Fr. Murphy, and being the
salesman he was, he got Hugh to enroll that day.
A decision Hugh says he never regretted. After
graduation from John Carroll, Dr. George Stead
went to medical school and then fulfilled his air
force obligation. He was stationed in South
Carolina and in the State of Washington. He liked
Washington so much he set up his radiology
practice there. He retired from Swedish Hospital
in Edmonds. Once a month he would go to Alaska
and work in a hospital there. Now he goes
occasionally just to fish. He has been married to
Helen for 56 years, and they have four children.
His favorite memory was car pooling to Carroll. ...
Sorry to report the deaths of Paul Schlund, Ed
Giese, and Raymond Chay. Please remember
them in your prayers along with other ill and
deceased classmates. ... The mystery person in
last issue’s photo was correctly identified as Hugh
Gallagher by Charlie Byrne and Len Terry. ... Our
60th Reunion is coming up in June of 2010. Please
plan on attending. ... Until next time, God bless
and all the best! Jack
30 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
‘51
Donald A. Ungar
330-723-5234
donyal@aol.com
The February Gray Streaks luncheon was a real
treat. Carol Dietz, associate VP for facilities, spoke
about Carroll’s five-year plan for the University.
Present from our class were Frank Nugent, Dick
Joliat, Bob Revello, and Don Carroll. When we
think about John Carroll in 1947-1951 and SEE
what John Carroll is today, we know that the
University is going forth to provide for future
generations. Ray Smiley has served as a member
of the Carroll board of regents and currently is
working with the Boler School of Business Advisory
Board. Ray also serves as an advisor to Our Lady of
the Wayside. ... The March luncheon gave details
about the planning for underprivileged and minority
students at Carroll. Janetta Hammock, director of
multicultural affairs, reminded us that as a Catholic
university, we must have an outlook that provides
for all. Time marches on for all: from St. Ignatius
College on the West Side of Cleveland to University
Heights in the 1930s, JCU is making its mark on
the world. John Carroll University is thinking of the
future. The deeds of our alumni contribute to the
society that we live in. Our family life helps our
world go forth. Then one day, will I say: “Lord you
gave me these gifts to work with, Thank You.” ...
As our class grows older, we realize that most of us
are in our 80s. Joe Stipkala celebrated his 80th
birthday with a party that included his children,
grandchildren, and friends. “Happy Birthday, Joe”!
... An e-mail from Lee Cirillo says that his mail
comes from below the Mason-Dixon Line. Lee says
that his youngest daughter, Leslie, has a British
husband and two sons that speak with a “posh
London” accent. Cirillo sent a photo of his
grandson learning to play baseball. Even though his
grandson is a great second baseman, Cirillo worries
that he may never be discovered since he lives in
Britain. Lee’s daughter, Diane, lives in San Diego,
CA, and is a beach person while son Chip is a
sportswriter for The Tennessean. ... While watching
TV, do you think you saw someone in a commercial
that you thought was Bill Switaj? You’re right! Bill
and Lillian Switaj appear in a Catholic Charities
commercial; Bill even says “doing something for
somebody.” Bill and Lillian spend their Fridays
helping out at the Bishop William M. Cosgrove
Center. The Switajs have been helping with the
food distribution for the past 17 years. They say
this is what we do to help our fellow mankind. ... At
the May Alumni Awards dinner, Dan Sussen was
awarded the Alumni Medal, the highest honor
given annually by the Alumni Association. He is
another of our class that is contributing to the world
that we live in. ... Just what are you doing – how
about a note or e-mail - donyal@aol.com. Spend a
couple of minutes to tell us about your life. Don
‘52
Dorothy Poland
PolandMomdot@aol.com
I hope by the time you read this that all this
silliness will be over. It is April 6 and I am looking
out at SNOW. Not enough to cover the ground –
just enough to be annoying. ... Betty and Bill
Kenealy spent New Year’s on a cruise (their
eighth) from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera.
This is the same route that the humpback whales
take. While on a bus tour from Puerto Vallarta, they
ran into a JCU student who recognized Bill’s class
ring (the second, he lost the first in the Pacific in
1954). He then introduced his father, also a JCU
grad, who retired from the Secret Service and now
lives in St. Louis, MO. Bill has also connected with
Larry Kelley ’36; reading his column, Bill learned of
the late Jack Lavelle ’38, who is probably the first
general officer from Carroll and who was
commander of the 7th Air Force during the time
Bill was in Vietnam. Gen. Lavelle was relieved of
his command by President Nixon based on
somewhat trumped-up charges of striking
unauthorized targets. He was later pardoned by
President Bush. He had been in line to succeed
Curtis LeMay as Chief of Staff of the Air Force
(Gen. LeMay spoke at graduation). A small world
indeed but it shows that the Blue Streaks play a
disproportionately strong role in the affairs of our
nation. (Think Shula and Russert – world class in
their fields, for example.) Bill also reports that son
Kevin and daughter Teresa represented Carroll in
the April Washington Cherry Blossom 10-mile run.
Good for them. Thanks Bill and Betty. ... I also lost
my ring several years ago while Jim and I were
playing tennis on St. Thomas. Back in the day, they
did not have rings for the women, so we wore
men’s rings. ... I received some photos from
Chuck Ferry of himself, son Mark, and two of Joe
Weber’s sons, Joe and Jim. They got together for
breakfast one Sunday so that Chuck could give the
boys a copy of John Carroll magazine in which they
are mentioned. ... Don’t forget Reunion, June 19 to
21. It should be a blast. For the first time since our
50th, I will not be in attendance. One of my
grandsons is graduating in Ramona, CA, and I am
going out to help (or not) and then up to Portland,
OR, and on to Kennewick, WA. Can’t just visit one!
... I also heard from Dan Boland ’54 who would be
celebrating his 55th Reunion if he hadn’t transferred
to Notre Dame. I tried to tell him that was a
mistake; young people never/rarely listen. Dan
would love to hear from any former classmates, or
anyone who worked on the Carroll News with him
- bolandparke@sbcglobal.net. ... Until next time,
stay safe and God bless. Dorothy
‘53
Jim Myers
440-358-0197
cealejim@gmail.com
Hello to all in the Class of ’53 and to your family and
friends. I talked with Don Huhn, who lives in Leo,
IN. He had recently returned from visiting the three
sons and their families who live in Jackson Hole,
WY. He visits twice a year for six weeks each time.
He also visits Hawaii for six weeks each year and
also makes an annual trip to Disneyland. I remember
in our accounting classes how Dr. Christiansen used
to kid Don about Don’s having served his whole time
in the navy without ever being on a ship. ... Dick
Zoller still lives in Boynton Beach, FL. Dick says he
plays golf five days a week at Lake Worth Golf
Course and still finds some time for gardening. ...
Former JCU roommates John Church and Elmo
Miller linked up for lunch last fall in Youngstown,
OH. John and Lois were in from their home in West
Hills, CA, to visit his mom in Ashtabula, OH, for her

99 birthday. John and Elmo crammed in a lot of
th
nostalgic conversation during their brief meeting
about their days as the first residents of Pacelli Hall,
and especially those late-night chess games, which,
according to Elmo, John invariably won. They also
enjoyed exchanging stories about their 12 children -
each with six - and their 24 grandchildren, John and
Lois with 11 and Elmo and Pat with 13. Inevitably,
their conversation turned to their army days and the
time in 1955 when they met in Pusan at the Barge
Hotel for a good old Carroll ROTC reunion. ... John
“Max” Fabian sends his regards to all his
classmates. Max and Charlotte had lived in Florida
for about 12 years but moved back to the Chicago
area about six years ago to be closer to four of their
five children. About five years ago, Max had surgery
for spinal stenosis and has difficulty getting around.
He says he is in good shape from the waist up. Max
says he talks with Leo Scully a few times each year.
... When I asked John Burke how long he has been
retired, he asked, “Which time.” He has retired at
least three times from the education field, the first of
which was in 1985. He does continue to sing with
the choir at St. Therese parish in Garfield Heights,
OH. He and his wife, Irene, stay with their
grandchildren (3 and 5) five days a week while the
grandchildren’s parents work. The Burkes have a
total of nine grandchildren. ... Send in your news for
the next issue. God’s blessings to you all, jim
‘54
Peter Mahoney
440-933-2503
peter007@centurytel.net
REUNION YEAR
..in the last issue, I mentioned a belated
honeymoon trip taken by The Blakes and the
Sutphins ... these guys always were a little slow.
The Blakes married 40 years ago, the Sutphins 50.
This escapade generated more comments than
anything I have reported. Here are some of the
e-mails, letters, and phone calls ... from Jack W.
(Texas): I cannot believe these two – Jim Sutphin
would think Uzbekistan was somewhere near
Toledo, and Jake Blake would think a Benedict
was a drink you would have with a cheese
sandwich ... Gene B. (Ohio): You said they played
golf in Ireland with Padraig Harrington; those two
would ask for his autograph on the third hole and
it would be for sale on eBay by the time they
got to number six ... Mike F. (New York): Those
two haven’t changed in all these years. I’ll bet
they took their wives to Uzbekistan to visit one
of Sutphin’s Dutch relatives who raises poppies
... Jack H. (Minnesota): I cannot understand how
two fine sweet women like Eileen and Louise
would let those two old dogs (Jack used another
word) out of the backyard; like some wines, they
do not travel well ... There were other comments,
but none would be up to the standards of this
publication. ... If you read the local papers or are
a visitor to Facebook or Twitter, you know that
Charlie O’Toole has changed law firms. Recently,
he has been working with the U.S. Attorney
relative to the Bernie Madoff investigation. One of
Charlie’s specialties is the law relative to family-
owned and closely held businesses. Charlie’s
new firm sent out invitations to a party honoring
Charlie as Irishman of the Year. The party was
on Mar. 17. My invitation was mailed on Mar. 20
and I received it on the 22 . Well, the mailroom
nd
is a little slow at times. Oh, the new firm is C,
F, D & F and O’Toole. ... Some time ago, Tom
Harrison ’49 wrote to me about a letter sent to
Cleveland’s Plain Dealer written by Dom LoGalbo.
In the letter, Dom explains how a new plan for the
lakefront is a billion dollar rip off (Tom agrees). If
you can, get a copy of the letter printed Jan. 25,
2009, or try the Internet. The letter is well written
and gives facts behind the issue. Better watch
out, Dom, this is how Thomas Paine got started.
Almost every Friday, a classmate and I meet at a
local coffee shop, we compare notes on what the
medical profession is telling us, what the financial
world is doing to us, what we thought about the
homily last week, what movies or books we have
been chasing – you might say we have a reunion,
and that is what reunions are all about. The
buildings at John Carroll are outstanding, but the
people who were there with us – the class – are
what really matter. I hope you can find the time for
a visit at Reunion, June 19-20-21, with the Class
of ’54. ... Prayers, please, for Joanne Groden, Fred
Blodgett, Sandra Nilges, and Gail LaRiche. Keep
the faith, Pete
‘55
Ray Rhode
216-381-1996
rrrhode@aol.com
In the last column, I mentioned the passing of Jim
Riccardi. Not many of us knew Jim as he walked
very quietly thru the halls of Carroll but he left a
very large footprint in the world of videography. He
was an Emmy Award winner and garnered dozens
of other honors in his profession. And there is
another John Carroll connection: Larry Faulhaber’s
foster child, Tony Kessler, married Jim’s daughter
Mary. ... Fr. Leo Cachat, SJ, was featured in the
winter issue of the Jesuits’ Company magazine. He
is currently a retreat director at the Manresa
Retreat House in Bloomfield Hills, MI. ... Marge and
Ed Schwallie will celebrate their 55th wedding
anniversary this June; their granddaughter will get
married on Mount Hood this October. ... Bob
Dolgan became a grandfather for the first time
when his daughter, Ann (Dolgan) Potter ’00, gave
birth to a daughter named Katherine. ... John
Class of ’56 members gather in Fort Myers. Seated, from left: Marykay Knechtges, Marie Miralia, Noreen
Schlimm, Pat Schaefer, Mary Duffy, Lois Conti, Joan Daugherty, and Mary Jo Boler. Standing, from left: Mike
Conti, Ben Miralia, Leo Slack, Tom O’Neill, Ed Daugherty, Jim Knechtges, Paul Schlimm, John Boler, Phil
Schaefer, and Leo Duffy.
ALUMNI JOURNAL
(Buck) Byrne and his wife, Linda Sue, live by the
motto “we are family.” John and his wife have
raised nine children and now have 18 grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren. ... And I thought that
the only St. Ignatius High School with a connection
to John Carroll was in Cleveland. Well, in talking to
Jim Nowlan and Dick Waddick, I found out
differently. In case you didn’t know, members of
our class who attended St. Ignatius, the one in
Chicago, include Nowlan and Waddick as well as
Jim McDonough, Joe O’Connell, Paul Raglow,
Dick O’Grady, Jim Trainor, John Morley
(deceased), and several others who left early. ...
Jim Nowlan left Carroll after three years to enter
medical school. He graduated from Loyola
University Medical School. He practiced internal
medicine in Cook County for seven years and then
on a cold wintry day, at the urging of his wife, Jo
Ann, they went to visit California and never looked
back. While at JCU, Jim ran track, which was then
considered a minor sport. Dick and his wife have
five children and five grandchildren, the oldest of
which is 7 years old. ... Dick Waddick was an ROTC
graduate and served his mandatory two years in
the Transportation Corps in Korea and at an atomic
test site in the U.S. After his military service, he
worked for IBM for 32 years in White Plains, NY;
Kansas City; Northern Wisconsin; and Tampa, FL.
He keeps in touch with his St. Ignatius/John Carroll
buddies and will be playing golf with Jim Trainor in
Atlanta before you read this column. Dick has five
children and three grandchildren. ... Thank
goodness no deaths to report in this issue. But
continue to pray for our classmates who are ill and
suffering greatly. May God bless all of you. Ray
‘56
Leo Duffy
630-355-2199
January-May: 941-505-8394
leoduffy57@hotmail.com
I have heard very little from you and I would sure
appreciate hearing something! For this issue, let’s
say that no news is good news. ... Some of your
classmates got together in mid-March 2009. In
Phoenix, Lauretta and Jack Broderick, Marie and
John Nowlan, and Gloria and Bob Pascente
shared a pleasant lunch. Unfortunately, they did not
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 31
ALUMNI JOURNAL
send me a picture – maybe next year! The other
group that got together in Fort Myers, FL, was
Marykay and Jim Knechtges, Marie and Ben
Miralia, Noreen and Paul Schlimm, Pat and Phil
Schaefer, Mary and Leo Duffy, Lois and Mike
Conti, Joan and Ed Daugherty, Mary Jo and John
Boler, Leo Slack, and Tom O’Neil. We did get a
picture at this lunch. Both groups say hello to our
classmates and urge you to join us in March if you
are traveling south. ... On February 24, John and
Mary Jo Boler were honored at a lunch in Sanibel
by the State of Florida for their philanthropy in
Southwest Florida, particularly to BIG ARTS, MS,
Sanibel Historical Society, SW Region of the Florida
Arthritis Foundation, St. Isabel’s, and the American
Cancer Society of Lee County, FL. Fr. Niehoff gave
the benediction at the luncheon. ... My best to all of
you, and God bless! Leo
‘57
Salvatore R. Felice
440-842-1553
srfelice@cox.net
Bill Comiskey is now doing great after having
vascular surgery on his leg in late January. ... On
Feb. 3, Tom Wilson died of a stroke. At Cathedral
Latin High, Tom was active in all sports. As a “day
hop” at Carroll, he played varsity football. After
graduation, he was quite active in Carroll reunions
– in the earlier years. He was the principal of
Wilson & Associates Financial Group. Our
condolences and prayers are with Edwina (Edie),
Tom’s wife and high school sweetheart, and their
four children. ... Jerry Cicero had abdominal
surgery in early March and is doing well. He
extends greetings to all. ... Laverne and Dick
Murphy traveled to California in July 2008 to visit
granddaughter Ava. In September, they renewed
their marriage vows, celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary, and have been partying ever since. ...
Jim Gasper reports that Fr. Brian Paulson, son of
Peter (deceased) and Jane, has announced that
he will step down as president of St. Ignatius Prep
(Chicago) to pursue other interests and
challenges, sometime in the summer of 2010.
Jim’s youngest son, Charles, has taken a new job
with Datum, a chemical company in Houston,
after being laid off with 49 others from a
commercial real estate firm in December 2008. ...
Congratulations to our own, Jim Clark, who was
selected, along with four others, for the JCU
Alumni Medal – the highest alumni award. Jim,
very active at Carroll and the community for many
years, is most deserving of this special honor.
Honorees were recognized at the Alumni Awards
Dinner and at the 2009 Commencement in May.
... On May 30, Rose Marie and this reporter
celebrated our 50th anniversary. ... Barb and Matt
Skowronski send their best wishes to their
friends, Monica and Chuck Novak. The
Skowronskis will celebrate their 50th on August
22. ... Reminder - plan to attend Reunion 2009,
June 19-21 (Father’s Day weekend). This is a
perfect opportunity to visit the beautiful campus,
meet new and see old friends, and meet the
young JCU administrative professional staff. For
more information, contact Carla Gall ’05 at
216-397-1592 or 1-800-736-2586. Y’all come! God
bless, Sal
32 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
‘58
John E. Clifford
210-497-4045
JohnEClifford@prodigy.net
I write this on April 6, 2009. In six weeks, Stanley
J. Glod will accept the highest honor given by the
John Carroll Alumni Association – the Alumni
Medal. (Because you are reading this after the
award ceremony, May 15, he has already received
the award.) I’m sure that you remember Stan. He
played Fr. Murphic (aka our beloved Fr. Murphy,
dean of men) in the Stunt Show our senior year.
Even though he did that 50 years ago, he has now
been judged to have “distinguished himself in his
personal life and career, thereby reflecting credit
upon John Carroll’s educational efforts, moral
principles, and philosophical tenets.” Well, I guess
we can all reform. Congratulations, Stan! You
deserve it. ... Speaking of accomplishments,
Chuck Jacobson will see his granddaughter
married on June 27, and her brother (Chuck’s
grandson) married on August 1. (My oldest
grandson is in the 4th grade.) Sandwiched in
between those will be Chuck and Margee’s 50th
wedding anniversary on July 11. “Imagine,”
writes Chuck, “7/11 and we’ve never had craps.
Some downs but a whole lot more ups.” ...
Speaking of anniversaries, Ann (Butler) and Don
Emmerich celebrated their 50th. They live in
Naples, FL, but had Mass at St. Ann’s Church in
Cleveland Heights, where they were married in
1958. “We had the same priest officiate that
married us originally, Father David Baugh, who
attended JCU. Our six children and their families
attended (13 grandchildren), and we had a
reception at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown
Cleveland.” ... And John E. Clifford (that’s me)
and Nancy Clifford (that’s my wife) celebrate their
(our) 50th on July 4, Independence Day. Have not
been independent since July 3, 1959. ... I would
love to mention other 50th wedding celebrations if
you would let me know about them. ... Got to go.
It’s time to listen to Powder River Kid on Frontier
Gentlemen as broadcast on April 6, 1958, on CBS
Radio. ... Peace, JEC
‘59
Richard E. Dodson
804-748-8432
dodson59@comcast.net
REUNION YEAR
As I pen these notes, we have 52 classmates who
have committed to attend Reunion Weekend in
June, which is three months hence. Clare and
Jack Piatak “are still vertical” and were in
Augusta, GA, helping their daughter who
underwent knee surgery in February. She fell off a
ladder putting a “Welcome Home” sign up for her
husband, who returned from Iraq. The Piataks will
be in Cleveland in June for their nephew’s
wedding and the Reunion! ... John Szuch
provided his business card, which shows him
standing before a picture of General Casimir
Pulaski. As president, Polish Genealogical Society
of Greater Cleveland, John is a speaker, collector,
and author about “Anything Pulaski Wanted.” He
will be on campus in June. An e-mail from Joseph
Kung, who worked day and night in the
comptroller’s office for his entire four years in
order to put himself through JCU, did not
remember me nor I him. After a peek in the
Carillon 1959, page 156, I remembered seeing him
around the halls. Joseph is the president of the
Cardinal Kung Foundation, which advocates for the
underground Roman Catholic Church in China. Visit
the foundation – www.cardinalkungfoundation.org.
... Bob Twohey regrets that a standing reservation
at Chautauqua Institution in New York State will
preclude him from attending the Reunion. He will
be thinking of the Reunion that weekend and
remembering the wonderful years at JCU. ... Most
of the interesting things in Mary and Dave Ross’
lives center on kids and grandkids. Dave’s retired
and Mary has her decorating business, which
provides the funds for Dave’s golf fees. If you
twist Dave’s arm at the Reunion, he’ll probably tell
you all about the 78 he shot last summer. ...
Barbara and Bob D’Alessandro will be celebrating
their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Bob used
to arrange lunches for classmates Ed Coyne, Tom
Hoban, J. Peter Fegen, Dennis Fagan, and Dave
Washtock when they wintered in Bonita Springs,
FL. Ed, J. Peter, and Bob are planning on attending
Reunion. ... Philip Cusick says hi. He is doing well
and provided me his 144-word life history, which
will be available on the ’59 website. ... Marty
Dempsey called me to task on a photo
attachment I sent to all classmates for whom I
had an e-mail address. I captioned the photo:
“1958 picture is summer camp at Fort Storey.”
Marty reminded me that we were never at Fort
Storey at summer camp in 1958 due to the
Lebanon alert. The picture was taken in Virginia
Beach. Marty then charged me to be a little more
accurate when I submit the quarterly class notes.
... Dolores and Tom Barrowman just returned
from four weeks in Florida. Tom is still competing
annually in the Armed Forces Skeet Competition,
which will be held this year in Albuquerque, NM.
He is looking forward to catching up with
classmates at the Reunion. Sue and Joseph
Harrison are coming off their second three-month
stay in the Tucson area since retirement in 2008,
and they too are looking forward to the Reunion.
Barbara and Don Gould will be attending the
Reunion. Don is into cruising and recently spent
some time in San Francisco and Bodega Bay, CA,
on an overnight at the Inn of the Tides before
sailing Carnival’s Splendor of the Seas for a
two-night cruise to nowhere. ... Well, I think I’ve
busted my 600-word limit, so I’ll sign off with a
request (plea) for updates from all classmates. Go
to the website for the longer version of these
notes with more detailed information. Rick
‘60
Jerry Schweickert
216-381-0357
bjschweick@sbcglobal.net
On 23 March, I received the news that our
classmates Steve Chechak and Jim Powers
passed away. Steve spent four years at Carroll
with us, but eventually graduated from the
University of Rochester. The following appeared in
the Rockford Register Star newspaper one week
prior to Jim’s death: “ROCKFORD – Honorary
street designations are not supposed to be on
main arterial streets or more than three blocks
long. Michael Diventi was hoping City Council

Carroll alumni got together in Fort Myers (top photo) and Palm Beach, Florida. Fort Myers, from left: Class
of 1962 alumni Ron Reuss, Paul Napoli, John D. Smith, and Paul Dwyer. Palm Beach, from left: John Kovach
’64, Paul Kantz ’63, John Doyle ’62, Bud Meyers ’62, and Bob Andolsen ’62.
would see fit to make an exception to the rule.
The aldermen did. Monday, the nine-block stretch
of Huffman Boulevard was given the honorary
street name of Col. Ret. Jim Powers Parkway. City
Council unanimously approved the honorary street
designation. Mayor Larry Morrissey described
Powers as a humble ‘citizen servant’ who has
actively campaigned to make his community a
better place to live. Morrissey credited Powers
with authoring the city’s first graffiti abatement
program. He was surprised and honored at what
city leaders had done for him. ‘I never expected
that,’ he said. The 25-year army veteran retired as
a colonel. Upon his discharge from the army, he
returned to Rockford and began a second career
of serving, this time as city public works
superintendent of property and equipment. In that
role he became a driving force in the fight against
street graffiti by taking pictures and documenting
the vandalism and understanding the culture of
hip-hop and gang graffiti. He also was a founding
member and former two-term president of the
North End Square Neighborhood Association. He
also served one year on the Fire and Police
Commission. Powers said his tireless desire to
serve stems from an awakening of sorts. ‘I think
that later in my life, a light bulb went on,’ he said.
‘A real joy in your life comes from focusing on and
helping others. If you can get to the point where
you can focus more on others, there’s real joy in
that.’ Reciting his favorite Mother Teresa saying,
Powers said, ‘We don’t have to do great things,
but only small things with great love. For me,
that’s what it’s all about. That’s what cops do.
That’s what fire fighters do. Once you get in that
groove, life is a great pleasure.’ Those who know
Powers said the pleasure was all theirs in
watching the strong-willed colonel making a
difference in the community that he loves.” Many
other compliments were contained in the article,
but space limitations require me to wrap this up.
Jim received another award in recognition for his
service to the Rockford Airport Commission. It is
significant to note that the only other recipients of
this award are President Barack Obama and Illinois
Senator Dick Durbin. May Steve and Jim rest in
peace. Be well, Schweick
ALUMNI JOURNAL
‘61
Jack T. Hearns
216-291-2319
jhearns@sbcglobal.net
With only two years to go for our 50th reunion, the
Class of ’61 will again hold a mini-reunion on
October 10 when JCU plays Marietta
(Homecoming 2009). Since our next class column
will be after the mini-reunion, review Homecoming
announcements from the alumni office and then
contact Tom Gerst, 330-867-2900, or Tom
Theriot, 606-787-2405, for further details. In
recent years, some of our classmates have come
to the mini-reunion from as far away as California,
Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. ...
The Carroll faithful that migrate to Florida during
the winter months have been holding an annual
Mass and gala reception each March – attendance
normally includes several John Carroll
administrators who provide updates as to what is
taking place back on campus. This year, Len Judy
sponsored a golf outing and dinner for several
foursomes at the Estuary at Grey Oaks Country
Club in Naples, FL, the day prior to the JCU
reception. Fellow classmate and avid golfer Gerry
O’Connell challenged the course record at the
Estuary. ... Dr. Paul Boyce, retired endocrinologist,
is now serving as an independent witness in the
field of internal medicine for hearings related to
disability claims under the Social Security Act. Paul
reviews records and files and then testifies as to
the merits of claims based upon medical records
only. He functions from an office in Indiana but is
able to testify at cases held throughout the
country via video monitoring. He and his wife,
Joyce, have been married 48 years and have nine
children and 19 grandchildren. Paul and Joyce
recently spent five weeks in Italy. ... Richard Orr
is in his 30th year of teaching mathematics at
Rochester Institute of Technology, where he
teaches discreet mathematics. Dick received his
M.A. in mathematics from Case Western Reserve
University. In the past, he has taught calculus and
real analysis. ... Dr. Charles Van Tilburg received
his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College
of Medicine and was a pediatrician for half of his
medical career with Kaiser Permanente. He
presently teaches in the clinical performance
center at the Northeastern Ohio Universities
Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. Chuck served
with the 199th Infantry Brigade in Vietnam and
received the Bronze Star. He and his wife,
Kathleen, live in Medina, OH, and have six children
and eight grandchildren. ... Bill Buscher and his
wife, Eleanor, are living in Sloatsburg, NY, and
have three children, seven grandchildren, and one
great-grandchild. Bill retired from IBM, where he
was an applications programmer and is better
known as the inventor and manufacturer of
“Buscher Blocks” – a set of wooden building
blocks “That call forth the architect in every child,
and the child in every architect.” Jack
‘62
Bob Andolsen
440-327-1925
rrandolsen@aol.com
We hope that this finds you in good health. Many
of your classmates were spending the winter in
Florida. ... Michael Leonard writes that he and
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 33
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Patty spent Christmas week through Jan. 4 at
their Bonita Springs, FL, condo and had a chance
to visit other JCU friends. They met Carolyn and
Jim McDonald ’64 for lunch on Friday, Jan. 2, then
had dinner that night with Barbara and Harry
Steller ’61 and finished up on Jan. 3 for dinner
with Fran and John Smith. It was great to see all
of them and catch up on old and new. Will
definitely schedule visits with them the last week
in April. ... Paul Dwyer related that Larry
Senffner, who was his roommate at Carroll, and
his wife, Ellen, visited in Fort Myers. He is an
internist in California, and Ellen teaches nursing at
a community college. They were in Fort Myers for
an evening and stayed with Paul and Sharon, and
that was fun, he’s sent two photos. Additionally,
on Feb. 18, Ron Reuss, Paul Napoli, John D.
Smith, and Paul Dwyer met for lunch in Fort
Myers. We all have much to be thankful for and
John Carroll is certainly one of those. ... On the
East Coast, meanwhile, four classmates, Bud
Meyers, John Kovach ’64, John Doyle, Bob
Andolsen, and Paul Kantz ’63 got together at
Rooney’s in Palm Bay for lunch. ... Unfortunately,
there is some sad news to report. The Hon.
William R. “Bill” Mooney, 68, passed away
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, at Wellmont Hospice
House in Bristol, TN, after a brief illness. Born in
Cleveland, OH, he was the son of the late Frank J.
Mooney Jr. and Gertrude Bossong Mooney. In
1955, his family moved to Bristol, TN. He was a
graduate of St. Joseph Preparatory High School in
Bardstown, KY, John Carroll University, and the
University of Tennessee School of Law, Knoxville.
He was a captain in the Judge Advocate Corps of
the U.S. Air Force in Denver before returning to
Bristol to enter the private practice of law with his
father. He then served the state of Tennessee as a
highly respected and effective assistant district
attorney for 25 years, for the counties of
Washington, Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, and Sullivan.
He was appointed the city judge of Johnson City,
a post he held for 14 years. ... Until next time,
please stay in touch. Bob
‘63
Pete Mykytyn
618-549-1946
mykytyn@cba.siu.edu
Hi, everyone. Hope that the first six months of
2009 have been good to you. It’s hard to believe,
but by the time you read this column, it will be
about one year since we last gathered at Carroll,
for our 45th Reunion. A great time for sure! Let’s
hope and pray that come 2013, we have the best
50th that Carroll has ever had! As for news items,
my mailbox is practically empty. Again! Come on,
everybody. I hate to keep begging like this. But
many are retired, thinking of retiring (or perhaps
delaying it for a while due to the financial issues of
the day; one friend of mine told me the other day
his 401k program is now a 201k!), still having
grandchildren, traveling, etc, etc. So, drop me a
note, or two, or three. As for notes this time:
Ronald R. Ledin, P.E., president and CEO of
Middough Inc., has been inducted into the
Cleveland Engineering Society Design &
Construction Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame
honors individuals for their outstanding
achievements in the fields of construction,
34 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
building, or architecture. Ron has served as
president and CEO of Middough Inc., a top 100
U.S. architecture, engineering, and management
company since 1978. He’s been an owner of the
firm since 1974 and served in many other
positions throughout the years. In addition, Ron
taught mathematics for several years while
earning his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
from Cleveland State’s Fenn College of
Engineering. He is active in many professional
societies and was honored by the Project
Management Institute, Northeast Ohio chapter,
with the Kerzner Award for Project Management
Excellence in 2004. Cleveland State honored him
as an outstanding engineering alumnus in 2003
and a Distinguished Alumnus in 2004. He is a
registered professional engineer and has patented
several equipment designs. ... Some not so good
news, too, unfortunately. Richard Keith (Dick, Big
Coach) McPhie passed away March 18, 2009.
Dick completed studies at Carroll subsequent to
1963, but he was considered part of the social
class of 1963. Our prayers go out to his family. ...
Until next time. Have a great summer, and please
let me hear from you. Pete
‘64
Frank Kelley
607-648-5947
fkelley@stny.rr.com
REUNION YEAR
Every summer since 1969, after our first reunion, I
have literally counted off the years until the next
one: Four to go ... now only three ... finally it’s
here, our 45th, and another great opportunity to
revisit our roots. I remember the farewell speaker
in 1979 finishing with “see you back here in 1984,
[dramatic pause] when we’ll all be over 40.” I’ll
just let that thought sit there while you go stiffen
your drink. By now, you will have received an
exciting schedule of events and an attendance
questionnaire from Reunion chairman Tom Leahy.
Hopefully the great majority of you will have
already returned those in the affirmative. For any
fence-sitters still out there, here is a quick review
of the major Class of ’64 activities to help
convince you to get on board. Thursday evening:
our popular Cleveland welcome soiree will be held
at Pizzazz Restaurant at Fairmount Circle; $20
charge per person at the door and cash bar. Friday:
our traditional downtown excursion will include
bus transportation to the historic West Side
Market area and lunch at the Bier Market Café,
2948 W. 25th St. We’ll return to campus via a tour
of Cleveland on Lolly the Trolley; cost is $30 per
person. Friday evening features VEGAS NIGHT on
campus, a swinging affair to which all Cleveland
alums are invited. Saturday: The class lunch will
feature guest speaker Loung Ung, world
renowned author, lecturer, and activist. Loung,
Gordy Priemer’s daughter-in-law, has written two
highly acclaimed, bestselling books, First They
Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia
Remembers and Lucky Child. Loung has served as
national spokesperson for the Campaign for a
Landmine-Free World, and has lectured worldwide
on this and other humanitarian topics. To learn
more, visit her fascinating website at www.
loungung.com. Later Saturday afternoon, the class
photo will be taken at 4:15 p.m. in front of the
Dolan Science Center. Followed in rapid
succession by Rev. Robert L. Niehoff’s State of
the University Address, the Reunion Mass, and
class reception and dinner. All this leaves plenty of
time to visit your personal relevant landmarks
around the East Side and tour the remarkable
campus that JCU has grown into. Sunday:
features Father’s Day brunch and last-minute
reminiscences, tall stories, and outright lies.
Joanne and I are sure looking forward to seeing
you all in University Heights. Travel safe and
Godspeed. Frank
‘65
Dick Conoboy
riton@comcast.net
My friend and our classmate Chuck Krajniak
passed away on 11 March in Lincoln, CA, after a
long bout with cancer. After several years in the
army, including a combat tour in Vietnam, Chuck
had a career as an FBI agent, retiring in 1995. A
few years ago, I was able to spend a few days
with Chuck in New Orleans, where we had a good
time reminiscing about our days at John Carroll
with the Pershing Rifles and about drinking 3.2
beer at the Crossroads Tavern at Cedar Center. In
retirement, Chuck was very active. He was a
member of The Elks Club in Roseville, CA; the
Kiwanis in Lincoln, CA; and the Polish-American
Club, also in Roseville. Chuck also volunteered at
Sutter Roseville Medical Center and Kaiser
Hospital. He loved playing his guitars and banjos,
riding his motorcycle, and cruising on his boat. ...
And we hear from Illinois that Dan Burns joined
the staff of Tyler’s Justice Center for Children,
Stockton, IL, as a forensic interviewer. He will also
coordinate public relations and fundraising. Dan
earned his J.D. degree from Cleveland-Marshall
College of Law, where he was a member of The
Law Review. He also received a master’s degree
from Carroll in 1966. Previously, Dan served as a
development officer in the Office of University
Development at Case Western Reserve University
in Cleveland, as assistant dean of its School of
Law, and as director of professional personnel at
the law firm Baker & McKenzie in Chicago. ... I
just returned from five weeks in Southeast Asia,
during which time my wife and I visited Hanoi and
Halong Bay in Vietnam; Siem Reap, Battambang,
Kampot, Kep and Phnom Penh in Cambodia; and
Bangkok, Thailand. In spite of much development,
grinding poverty continues to be the norm,
especially in Cambodia. Travel there is becoming
much easier but there is no way to escape the
heat. ... No class news is not good news. Send
me your news. Regards, Dick
‘66
Dave Griffin
727-944-5229
David.Griffin@MDIAchieve.com
Hello to all. Spring has arrived for most of us but
still some snow in the North as I write. From the
alumni office, I learned that Dan Burns ’65 joined
the staff of Tyler’s Justice Center for Children in
Stockton, IL. He is a forensic interviewer and
coordinates public relations and fundraising. Dan
has many credits in his career including his juris
doctor from the Cleveland-Marshall College of

Law and has served as assistant dean of the Case
Western Reserve law school. ... Dr. Mike Traina
e-mailed. He got his master’s with us and also
was a prefect in Murphy Hall the first year it
opened, in ’64. He is retired from teaching and
training. He is looking for some old friends – Ray
Pana, Paul Ladouceur, Joe Byrnes, John Young,
and Harry Barnes – if you read this, contact Dr.
Mike at 330.337.3572 - mtraina@neo.rr.com. ...
Jack Wyar called me. After his early career in
teaching, he got his master’s in electrical
engineering from Cleveland State and now works
for STERIS Corp. His wife, Bonnie, was a teacher
in the Mentor schools. Jack told me that he has
been in touch with Andy Tadie and Bob Wander.
They both live in Washington state. He said that
Chuck O’Brien is still hanging out around Medina,
OH. On a sad note, he told me that Mike Perme
died at the end of March. Like many of us, Mike
was a Vietnam vet. He was also an attorney and a
life-long resident of Euclid, OH. Our condolences
go out to his family. ... Paul Klaus told me that he
is alive and well in Westfield Center, OH. He
continues to work in the commercial insurance
field. He and Judy plan to move to the Orlando,
FL, area when they retire in a couple of years. ...
My wife, Jane, had knee replacement surgery in
February. That made me Mr. Mom for a while. She
has been religious about her therapy and
exercises and is doing well. On a closing note,
don’t forget Reunion Weekend. It is June 19-21
this year and Cleveland-area alumni are invited to
attend Vegas Night on Friday and the Sunday
Father’s Day brunch. For more info, contact Carla
Gall ’05 – cgall@jcu.edu or 216.397.1592. If your
name has not been in this column, I would sure
love to include you in the next issue. Give me a
shout or send an e-mail. Take care, everyone,
Dave
‘67
Peter French
440-734-5553
peter2play@yahoo.com
Hello. I spent St. Pat’s Day in Chicago visiting my
daughter, Jenny ’99. Their St. Pat’s parade is
always on the Saturday before the 17th. Thought I
might run into some of our classmates during the
parade, but it was like trying to find my first class
at JCU. I did find a great place – Celtic Crossings.
If you are homesick for Ireland, this is the place to
be. I also attend the Cleveland St. Pat’s parade.
There were 400,000 people in downtown
Cleveland that day as there was record high
temperatures (take that, my retired friends in
Florida). I actually did run into several Carroll
alumni. ... Recently stopped by Carroll to visit with
Pete Bernardo. We spoke of old times and the
current events at John Carroll – certainly is a
University on the move. We took a tour of the
campus and then had lunch in the cafeteria. Sure
was good, and a vast improvement over our years
there – they even serve health foods. Of course,
Pete and I skipped that food station! Don’t forget
that Pete heads up the Magis Society. You can
reach Pete at pbernardo@jcu.edu. ... Bob Spicer
recently retired from Gilmour Academy, near
campus, where he has been head football coach.
Congratulations, Bob! Bob was a great football
player at Carroll. The only active head football
coach from our class is John Gibbons. Spoke to
John recently and he feels very optimistic for the
upcoming season at Bedford (OH) High School. ...
Speaking of sports, how about the Blue Streaks
basketball team! They again advanced to the OAC
Tournament semifinals and hosted the OAC finals.
They set a school record with 21 consecutive
wins. I attended several games and they were
very exciting. ... Richard Keith (Dick, big coach)
McPhie, who began his studies with the Class of
’63 but finished with us, passed away on March
18, 2009. Dick graduated from Borromeo
Seminary High School. Dick had a long and
successful career in teaching and coaching
(football, basketball, and track). He worked at
several area high schools and retired from
teaching in 2007. He continued as football coach
at Brunswick (OH) High School, where his team
was the runner-up in the state finals in 1995. Dick
will be missed. ... Don’t forget Reunion Weekend,
June 19-21. Friday night is Vegas Night and all
Cleveland area alumni are welcome. A group of us
are planning to attend. It is a great time and hope
to see you there. We can even start to plan our
45th Class Reunion! ... If you get a chance, let Ken
Kesegich - kkesegich@jcu.edu - and Michele
McFarland - mmcfarland@jcu.edu - know what a
great job they do for John Carroll magazine. Yours
truly recently sent out numerous e-mails and
postcards to class members. So, keep the cards,
e-mails, and news coming. We are all interested in
you. Hope to see you around soon, Peter
‘68
Jeff Hawk
317-845-4199
jjhawk68@sbcglobal.net
Onward, Forward, Upward with ’68 ... Peers
bestow highest rating upon Donald E. Caravona
– the founder of Caravona & Czack, P.L.L., was
awarded the AV rating, which is the highest rating
available, from Martindale-Hubbard. ... Dick
Kassar is living in NYC with his wife, Janet. They
have two grown children and have their first
grandchild, Lucy. After serving in Vietnam and
working in the Mideast, Dick worked primarily in
consumer brands and is currently the CEO in a
start up for refrigerated fresh dog food called
Freshpet. Still playing bridge weekly with his
roommate, Steve McCann. ... Barbara
Witkiewicz wrote that she spends her winters in
Arizona and her summers in the Chicago area.
Barbara is a retired teacher who received her
bachelor’s degree at Marquette University and a
master’s from Carroll. Since she lives so close to
Marquette, she has been able to be active with
their alumni group. Barbara still supports the
Carroll Fund, but hasn’t been back to the
Cleveland area for many years. She sends her
best regards to all. ... Jim Robinson was elected
president of the Butler County (OH) Bar
Association. The Bar consists of 405 lawyers and
judges. His daughter, Tara R. Jones, is a member
of the firm and practices law with her father. Jim
is licensed to practice law in Indiana and Ohio, and
Tara is licensed to practice law in Ohio and
Kentucky. Thanks for writing, Jim, and
congratulations. ... For You, JCU, and ’68, Jeff
ALUMNI JOURNAL
‘69
Gerry Grim
grimg@hoban.org
REUNION YEAR
Classmates, June 19, 20, and 21, 2009, is a great
time to plan a little visit to the great city – Lake Erie,
University Heights, Ohio, for your 40th anniversary
of graduation from John Carroll. (I know University
Heights is not on the lake and the lake hasn’t
moved. It just sounds good.) From the last phone
session the committee had, the number of those
planning to attend is approaching a record for a 40th
Reunion. For many years, we held the attendance
record for a 10th Reunion (of course, your’s truly
was working at Carroll at the time and made sure
the record stayed in our class’s name). It would be
nice to climb back up the record board again. Of
course, the climb is not as high as it was in 1979.
The committee tried very hard to get the current
owner of the Crossroads location to change the
name for the weekend but failed. We also fell short
in our efforts on the current occupants of the Blue
Streak Lounge, the Lemon Tree Lounge, and Pickle
Bills to change their names. We recommend a visit
to Coventry during the weekend, but the Pepper
Pot will not be available to satisfy a Saturday-
afternoon thirst. We can report Geraci’s still lives on
and is excited to see your smiling faces sometime
during the weekend. ... We hope to see Thomas
and Linda Sarnecki at the Reunion so we can get
filled in on all Tom is doing for Canyon Acres, a
charity that helps provide shelter for abused and
neglected children in Southern California. Tom just
joined the board of directors at Canyon Acres.
Tom’s full-time work is general counsel, human
resources for Amcor Sunclipse. Tom got his law
degree at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. ... I
would recommend you check into JCU Connect.
It’s a great way to find a classmate you would like
to catch up with or e-mail. It’s on the alumni page
and easy to use. Also please support the class gift
in honor of our 40th Reunion. It is a great way,
especially in these tough times, to support JCU in
their mission of providing the very best in Jesuit
education. ... See you in June and bring news and
pictures for our next column. Take care ... the 50th
is coming soon. Grimmer
‘70
Ted Heutsche
517-669-4005
tedh@midwestairfil.com
The following news release was forwarded to me
by the alumni office: “John Carroll University Grad
Named Top Attorney: JCU alum Donald J. Brown
Jr. has been named by Illinois Super Lawyers
magazine among the top attorneys in Illinois for
2009 and is featured in the February issue of
Chicago Magazine. Only five percent of the
lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers.
Donald J. Brown Jr. is a partner at the Chicago
firm Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC
and specializes in the defense of professional
negligence and general liability cases. He is an
experienced trial attorney in both federal and state
courts and has tried a significant number of cases
to verdict in 35 years of litigation practice. Well
respected by his peers, Mr. Brown was selected
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 35
ALUMNI JOURNAL
as one of the top 20 Chicago tort defense lawyers
by the Chicago Lawyer. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of
the Society of Trial Lawyers and the American
Board of Trial Advocates.” ... John Compisi sent
me a great note. He said that he and his wife,
Linda (high school sweetheart), are enjoying life in
their Sonoma County, CA, wine country home,
which they designed and built in 2005-2006. John
is the VP for Global Solutions Consulting for Savi
Technology, based in Mountain View, CA. John’s
duties keep him busy traveling to Alexandria, VA,
on a monthly basis as well as periodic trips to
London, Singapore, and Australia to check in on
team members supporting sales activities. Savi
- www.savi.com - is a provider of radio frequency
identification device (RFID) solutions and
principally supports the U.S. Army and
international militaries including the UK MOD,
NATO, and the Australian Defense Organization.
John has been with Savi for nearly seven years.
Prior to that and immediately after retiring from
the U.S. Army as a colonel, Transportation Corps
(28+ years), John worked for Metricom Inc., a
technology leader in early wireless internet
service. At Metricom, John was the VP of
Network Logistics Services. John stays in fairly
close touch with old singing duo-mate Bill Brown
and old Glee Club associate Jim Reilly, and (by
the time you read this) he enjoyed a visit in
Sonoma from Katie and Wes Catri. Linda works
out of their home as a field nurse case manager
for Workers Comp clients. They are the proud
grandparents of Jimmy and Jake (mom Aimie and
dad Jim Hanson), who currently reside in Hawaii.
Life is good. John and Linda are always looking for
a reason to go wine tasting so if you are going to
be in the Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino wine country,
give them a heads up - jcompisi@savi.com. Ted
‘71
Tom and Rosemary Costello
217-344-2076
tcostello@cumtd.com
Another NCAA tournament has concluded and a
clap of the hands to our friends in Michigan. Our
Jesuit friends at other schools did not do too
badly, either. ... As you read this column, we will
have attended a JCU memorial service for our
friend Tim Russert ’72. Mark Pacelli ’72 has done
a tremendous amount of work bringing together
several classes that were part of Tim’s life. We are
looking forward to the service to remember Tim
and to see old friends. We will have a full report in
our next column. ... Dave Price continues to hit
the bagpipes and, if you would like to see
pictures, check out his Facebook page. ... The
Zenger Group, a Buffalo print and marketing
communications provider, has named Tom
Surwill vice president of business development.
Tom has over 20 years of business development
experience especially in graphic communications.
... John Urban and wife Mary Rita tells us that
their son, Michael, got married on May 2. In
addition, Michael is establishing a chiropractic
practice on the West Side of Cleveland. So for
those of us feeling a bit creaky – and who isn’t? –
we now have a connection. Ryan Urban, the
younger son, after having graduated from
Columbia College, is in Hollywood helping to
36 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
create movie magic. We had the opportunity to
visit, not that long ago, and are pleased to report
that the pizza at Geraci’s is still just as good as
ever. We visited with Mrs. Geraci and she sends
her regards. They still do not take credit cards. ...
Dom Iacuzio now has three daughters on the left
coast and they are all working. He has managed to
keep his son out East. This works unless your
company, Roche, announces a major acquisition in
California. Horace Greeley’s words may be ringing
in his ears. ... Rose Costello recently appeared as
an Oompa Loompa, which might not be so
remarkable except for the fact that all of the
Oompa Loompas in the school’s performance of
Willy Wonka looked just like their Holy Cross
school principal, Mrs. Costello. ... Hope this
column finds you happy and well. This week, why
not take a little time to think and to laugh about
your college days. Got News? - tcostello@cumtd.
com ... Tom and Rosemary
‘72
John M. Marcus
202-296-0901
jmarcus887@aol.com
On May 2, our class gathered to pay farewell to
our own T.J. Russert ... this column is written in
advance, but I have seen the list of expected
attendees and I’m sure it will be an Irish-wake-
kind-of sendoff old T.J. would have loved. Not
sure if Frankie P. made it in from Jolly Ole
England, but I did hear from Tom Joyce, who is
also living in Jolly Ole, in Reading. Says he and Sir
Francis would meet up for a pint at (and I’m not
making this up) “The Golden Hind” just off the
Marleybone High Street. Why does “English”
sound so good. Why can’t we speak it here?
Anyway, Joyce has been working for the UN in
Addis Ababa and Geneva, and for management
consulting companies in Melbourne, Tokyo, and
London. He is currently working with two
companies, Pyromex ( a waste-to-energy
company) and Swiss-Copter, which either makes
helicopters or Swiss cheese – I forgot to ask. Tom
reminds me that he is the Tom Joyce from
Cleveland, not the Tom Joyce from Pittsburgh.
(With all the cities he’s lived in, I’m not sure how
he can remember where he is from ... especially
after a jaunt to the Golden Hind with Sir Frankie).
... Chris Leicht writes in from Olympia, WA,
where he has spent the last 30 years with Ecolab,
in sales and management. He is a pol of sorts –
like our own Pat Hoak, the mayor of one of those
little towns around Buffalo. Chris has been a
board member in Olympia, and even president pro
temp… Gianpetro writes to say he and Tim
Franzinger got together in Chicago recently. No
laughter there, I’m sure. Especially since they
were hitting hard on guys like Cavanagh, Farrell,
Chico, Marty, Mike, Smitty, Al Collinger ’71,
Regis Albrecht ’71, and other ghosts. ... Heard
from Bernie Gesenhues – here’s an AARP story.
He is flying planes for Northwest, this I knew. But
he didn’t start flying for them until he was 48.
Motivates me to try the NHL ... and there’s good
news for “Her Honor” Anne Conway. Our own
federal judge (in Florida) recently was awarded the
JCU Alumni Medal. ... Rich Harkey ’70 writes from
the left coast that he saw Jim McHale recently.
Jim has seven kids – six girls and a son for an
extra point ... and finally, Don and Patty Farrell
were cited by their church/school as winners of
the Mario Zanoni Honorees, for outstanding
service. Patty did all the work. Don shared the
credit. ... That’s it for now. Please write ... or text
... or Twitter. Take care, JM
‘73
Gerry O. Patno
216-228-4291
patno@att.net
“Hi, Gerry, this is Bob Zola ’74. I have some bad
news to tell everyone: Joe Usher passed away
suddenly on Feb. 12 from an embolism in his lung.
He lived in Phoenix with his wife, Ana. His two
daughters, Joanna and Barbara, are both recently
out of college and Joe was looking forward to
slowing down, buying some property up in
Prescott, and enjoying the good life. It was weird,
but I just saw him for the first time in seven years
in January when I was in Phoenix on business.
Fortunately, I stayed over a couple days and Joe
was in town, so we had some time to catch up.
He was one of the good guys and stayed that way
till the end.” This note from Bob arrived in my
e-mail a few days after Ana Usher had informed
me of the sad news. It’s great that Bob was able
to spend some quality time with Joe so recently.
Unfortunately, this was only the first of three such
items. ... Equally sad news comes out of Akron,
where visionary airport leader extraordinaire
Frederick Krum passed away after brain surgery.
Fred had been the director of the Akron-Canton
airport for the past 27 years, taking it from a
sleepy little after-thought to one of the nation’s
fastest growing airports and the envy of the
aviation industry. Fred took over as director at age
29, youngest of any airport director in the country,
overseeing $250 million in capital improvements
and quadrupling passenger figures through
creative, aggressive marketing campaigns. He is
survived by his wife, Diane, and three grown
children: Jim, Mike, and Lisa. ... And lastly, Dr.
John M. Malone Jr. of Grosse Pointe Park, MI,
former head of the Wayne State Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, died recently from a
staph infection. John started as a history major at
Carroll, but switched to pre-med and graduated
from Wayne State’s medical school in 1977. John
leaves behind his former wife of 26 years, Mary,
and sons John III (23) and Austin (20). ... Bob
Larocca, long-time claims representative with the
Ohio Bureau of Workers Comp, has dipped his
toes into the entrepreneurial world of natural gas.
With all those alternative gas-choice plans out
there, how do you know which one is best?
Rock’s Consumer Choice Marketing is designed to
help people living in Ohio, Michigan, and
Pennsylvania. ... And finally, I am proud to
announce that I, myself – your humble scribe –
have received a major award. No, it’s not a
cheesy, risqué leg lamp; it’s the long-sought,
highly coveted Silver Quill Award for class
columnists in John Carroll magazine. Thanks! I
could not have earned this great honor without all
the contributions from all of you. -- gop

‘74 ‘77
Dave Robinson
248-642-9615
DRobby_18@Yahoo.com
REUNION YEAR
If you are interested in scuba diving, the next time
you are in Fresno, CA, stop by Bob’s Dive Shop:
Fresno’s oldest and most trusted name in SCUBA
training, and check in with Ed Salamone. Ed and I
recently connected just before he was leaving on a
scuba trip with a group to Mexico. He has two
children and two grandkids, with grandchild
number three due in April. ... Ginny and Steve
Noon’s son, Aaron, will graduate this spring from
JCU with a Bachelor of Arts in French and English.
He plans to attend graduate school and teach.
Their daughter, Morgan, is a freshman at the
University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of
Music. ... I was able to catch up with Terry Dwyer
for a brew at the Detroit metro airport on his way
back to Indianapolis from a business trip in the Far
East. Terry is the COO at AuthorHouse in
Bloomington, IN. ... Helen (Callahan) Hirsch and
her husband, David, moved from Ohio to
Summerville, SC, where she is enjoying easy
access to beaches and great restaurants in
Charleston. She is currently teaching 10th grade
English at a nearby high school. She hopes to
attend the Reunion. ... Jim Dillon and his wife,
Alice, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary
this April. They have three children who are in
various stages of college. Bruce just completed his
32nd year of federal service and is currently with
the FDA as a program analyst. He acquired his
Master in Public Administration from the
University of Oklahoma in 1987. ... Molly ’75 and I
were joined by fellow alumni Maureen ’91 and
Chris ’90 Cosgrove and their three sons, and by
Adam Waechter ’91 and his daughter to cheer on
the John Carroll men’s club lacrosse team as they
beat Oakland University 8-5 at a game played in
Pontiac, MI, March 14. It was great to see the
Blue Streaks knock off a D-1 ranked team.
Hopefully it will become an annual event. ...
Looking forward to seeing many of you at our 35th
Reunion, June 19-21. As a reminder, Cleveland
area alumni are invited to attend Vegas Night on
Friday and also the Sunday Father’s Day brunch.
For more information, contact Carla Gall ’05,
reunion coordinator - cgall@jcu.edu or 216-397-
1595. ... Have a great summer and remember to
send me your updates and news - drobby_18@
yahoo.com. Robby
‘75
Rick Rea
314-769-9051
col.rickrea@charter.net
Hello, classmates! Well, Dave Vtipil’s trivia
question in my last column was so good that no
one came up with even a guess as to the correct
answer. Hmm, maybe his question will be a good
topic of conversation at our 35th Reunion next
June! Hope you are enjoying your summer and
taking some time out from your career to spend
time with friends and family. I just received an
e-mail with some really funny religious cartoons
and a wish for a happy Easter from Fr. Neal
Buckon. Not sure where in the world (literally) he
is as of this writing, but the last I heard he was in
Afghanistan serving the U.S. Army and his fellow
troops. ... Received a nice e-mail from the alumni
office sent by Rita (Henninger) Danks, who
recently was on a trip to Chiapas, Mexico, with the
Witness for Peace Delegation sponsored by the
UCC Justice Jubilee Committee, Church of the
Brethren, and Equal Exchange (a fair trade
company). There were 18 delegates from all over
the U.S. who met with many human rights and
NGO Organizations during their stay. “While
spending time with coffee farmers in their small
village, we learned about the intense work
involved in producing organic coffees for the U.S.
and the very small amount of money these
farmers make per year (about $600 U.S.). One of
our most moving days was a visit to the small
town of Acteal, where the government massacred
45 pacifists as they prayed in church in the late
’90s. To this day, the masterminds of the killing
have not been brought to justice. We learned
about the negative effects of NAFTA and other
U.S. laws on the poorest of the poor in our
neighboring country. The current human rights
abuses in this area are overwhelming.” You can
contact Rita in Kirtland, OH, at 440-256-0423 or -
danks12@msn.com if you would like more
information. ... Since it is almost baseball season
as of this writing, here is a baseball trivia question
this time. During our years in Cleveland, the
Indians had a player that sported such a big Afro
hairstyle that it was very hard for him to wear his
helmet while batting. Who was this player? The
first classmate to e-mail me the correct answer
will be recognized in my next column. While you
are e-mailing the answer, how about some
personal news? C U at JCU in 2010! Pray for
peace, RR
‘76
Diane Coolican Gaggin
cools@twcny.rr.com
All hail summer! About time the warmth made an
appearance. John Ruddy popped a note over to
tell us that David Harrington hit double-nickels
earlier this year and that while fully retired, Dave is
consulting part time for the City of Chicago’s
Mayor Daley. Gee, David, nice birthday present!
As for our buddy Ruddy, Bank of America/Merrill
Lynch is still where he hangs his hat as vice
president portfolio manager of the PIA Portfolio.
On the home front, his two sons, ages 12 and 16,
are keeping him pretty busy. John is coaching one
in baseball and plays driving instructor for the
other. Thanks for the update, John! ... Bob Tullio
reports that Erie is still... well, Erie. Happy news as
well in that his son, Brian, finance major, graduated
from John Carroll in May and is on his way to law
school. At the time of the report, Brian had
received acceptances from several schools but
had not yet made his decision. Congratulations to
father and son! ... Have a wonderful summer!
Cools
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Dennis J. Lane
dlane@ryancom.com
‘78
Tim Freeman
708-579-9075
tim@jesuits-chi.org
Here’s the latest ... John Martin made a career
change in March, becoming the director of sales for
the Ohio Lottery Commission. John has
responsibility for the sales of all lottery products
around the state:
nine regional
offices, over 100
sales reps, and a
small staff
(including Ralph
Stilphen ’77).
John’s wife,
Colleen, kids (Dan
and Kate), and
stepkids (Ryan,
Kelly, and Maura)
are all well. Dan is
an on-air video Judge Ken Callahan ’78
journalist in
Youngstown for
channels 27 and 33. Kate is a customer service
manager for Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati and the
step-children are all in college while living at home
in North Olmsted, OH. ... Larry Wyrobek made a
career change from banking to owning a restaurant.
Larry opened Pete Mitchell’s in Frankfort, IL, earlier
this year. ... Judge Ken Callahan joined the law firm
Buckley King as partner in March. Ken will be
specializing in white collar criminal defense,
business litigation, and mediation. Judge Callahan
serves on the International Community Council
Board, the Irish Archives Board of the Western
Reserve Historical Society, the Executive
Committee of the Manos Inn of Court, and the
Metropolitan Bar Association’s Judicial Taskforce
Committee. He is a former member of the Law
Library Board, the Arrupe Board of St. Ignatius High
School, the Common Pleas Court Civil and Criminal
Rules Committee, the Cultural Board of the 2005
International Children’s Games, the Cleveland Bar
Association ADR Committee, and the Ohio
Common Pleas Court ADR and Judicial Advisory
Boards. In 2004, Ken was awarded the Cardinal
Bellarmine Award from St. Ignatius High School,
and was named the Outstanding Alumnus of the
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2005. He was
presented the Golden Gavel Award from the Ohio
Common Pleas Judges in 2008. ... John Baran’s
daughter, Audrey, was married in August 2007 and
is now expecting identical twin boys in early June.
Congrats on grandparent life, John! John is also
organizing the next Circle K Alumni Reunion at
Carroll the weekend of September 25-27. He’s
looking forward to a tremendous turnout of Circle K
brothers, especially those from ’78. Activities
include: Friday night cocktail party; and Saturday
golf in the morning, dinner dance in the evening. ...
Over 75 IChis celebrated the 50th anniversary of the
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 37
ALUMNI JOURNAL
founding of the fraternity with a celebration in Las
Vegas in March. Chairs Mike Schmidt ’81, Nick
Iarussi ’81, and Tom Hartnett ’81 planned and
executed an awesome weekend; special
congratulations to Schmitter and his leadership in
the IChis JCU Scholarship endowment, now over
$600,000. Our class had a great showing – Marty
Lutz, Chris Parrilli, Steve Ryan, Earl Hamlin,
Jack Blackburn, Dan Weitzel, Brian Farrell, and
yours truly. The MGM Hotel was very
accommodating – they even tried to help Weitz
after he lost his shirt Friday night. ... Thanks for
writing! Tim
Please consider giving – no matter what size gift.
We’d like to show the greatest percent of reunion
class participation. I’d like to thank our reunion
committee members for their time, commitment,
dedication, and creativity. For complete details,
pricing, and schedule of events for Reunion
Weekend, please refer to www.jcu.edu. As an
incentive for some, please note our luncheon on
Saturday, June 20, will be catered by Geraci’s!
(You will be coming now, John Legutki, won’t
you?) ... So far, I have not heard from anyone
about taking over as class columnist. There is
always ample information for the column from
Reunion Weekend, and it seems to be the best

‘79
Nancy Agacinski
216-932-2824
nagacinski@yahoo.com
REUNION YEAR
Hello, everyone! Class news: Villanova University
appointed James M. Danko dean of the College
of Commerce and Finance, which has about 1,700
undergraduate students and 800 graduate
students, most of whom are part time. Jim will
officially become the dean August 1. After he
graduated from Carroll, with a degree in religious
time to make the transition. So, please consider
becoming our class columnist for the next five
years. Let me or the alumni office know if you are
interested! It has been an honor and privilege to
serve as the class columnist for all these years. It
helped me to stay close to my classmates, make
new friends, and stay involved in the John Carroll
community. Carroll is one of the greatest
opportunities I experienced in my life and thank all
of you for keeping in touch over the years with
your news. ... Looking forward to seeing you in
June under the big tent, Nancy

Who Are They?
Thanks to all the readers who identified
people on the spring 2009 issue’s Images
of Carroll page.
Mark Summers, Class of 1980, wrote
to say he’s the young man reading a book
in the top right photo. The book is John
Dewey on Education, and the economics
major was reading it for a philosophy
course. He was the Millor Orator for his
class. Thomas Cua, a fellow member of
the Class of 1980, also wrote to identify
Mr. Summers.
For the photo of the Jesuit and
students with the kite in front of Pacelli
Hall, Ron Timpanaro, Class of 1964,
recognized some of his classmates. To
the right, holding the end of the flag,
is Tom Ungashick ’64. In the middle,
wearing sunglasses, is Frank Vincent ’63.
Immediately behind the priest is Mike
Mazzucca ’65, who is now deceased. The
priest is Thomas Biecker, S.J., professor
of physics and mathematics. He was
identified by Nancy Greene Rountree ’84.
While a student, Ms. Rountree served as a
cook in Rodman Hall, when it was still the
Jesuit residence. She remembered that
Fr. Biecker, retired by then, continued to
enjoy flying kites. Fr. Biecker died in 2000.
Rosemary Costello, Class of 1971,
wrote to identify the lead bicycle rider in the
photo at the bottom left. The young woman
in sunglasses is Z. Cecilia Neimanas
Brubeck ’71, a classmate of Mrs. Costello’s
at John Carroll and in high school.
38 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
‘80
studies, he ran Exercare Co. for 17 years (a Matt Holtz
medical supply and exercise equipment company).
Then he received his MBA from the University of
440-331-1759
mfh2885@sbcglobal.net
Michigan and served as the director of executive
skills, multidisciplinary action projects program and
A warm summer hello to all! Here are a couple of
lecturer of corporate strategy there. Subsequently,
items from the mailbag ... Bob Donelan has
he served as director of the University of
recently been hired by Resource Systems of New
Washington’s (Seattle) MBA program; lecturer at
Concord as director of operations. Resource
the Kenan-Flagler School of Business-UNC at
Systems is the developer of CareTracker, a
Chapel Hill; associate dean at the Babson College
software system that helps nursing homes and
F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business in
MR/DD facilities perform documentation
Wellesley, MA; and has also been an associate
electronically on wall-mounted touch screens.
dean for strategy and operations at Dartmouth
College Tuck School of Business in Hanover, NH,
Prior to joining Resource Systems, Bob was with
Owens Corning as controller for both their Newark
since 2000. He is also the president of the MBA
Manufacturing and Granville R&D operations. ...
Roundtable, an international business school
Mentioned in the last column was the big IXY 50th
consortium established in 1995. Wow! What an
bash in Las Vegas. Bob Beringer was supposed
impressive résumé, Jim! And what do you do in
to be our reporter on the spot, but he never made
your spare time? ... Chris Coburn, Cleveland
it to Vegas. Instead, Bob partied on the Florida
Clinic Innovations executive director, recently
Intracoastal Waterway with Ken Rudzki ’75 and
received the 2008 Gold Electrode Award as the
most valuable financial professional by editors of
Neurotech Business Report. Chris is recognized as
an authority on technology commercialization and
has consulted and spoken on the subject
throughout North America and in more than 20
countries! ... I hope everyone is making plans to
attend our 30th Class Reunion, June 19-21, on
campus. I have already heard from many
classmates who are planning to attend! Let’s have
a “snowball”-effect reunion – you know –
someone decides to come and tells their friends
and they decide to come and so on and so on.
Michael Allison called to say he is coming in from
Florida and would like to see Gary Tarquinio and
his DAT brothers (OK, John Molchan, Scott
Smiley, Mike Dicarro, Al Giammaria, Mark
Kobak, Tony Ianiro, and Greg Melega, that
means you! We expect to see you there!). As
usual, it will be a fun and festive occasion and we
look forward to a record ’79 turnout! Gil Macali,
Mary Davis Riley, Tamee Tucker, and I are our
Class Reunion committee members. Mary Davis From left, Bob Beringer ’80, Ken Rudzki ’75,
Riley and Norm Riley are the Class Gift chairs. and Tom Schoen ’77 boating on the Florida
Intracoastal Waterway.
 ALUMNI JOURNAL

Tom Schoen ’77. I guess the fishing was better in
Florida than in Vegas. ... Garfield Heights, OH,
native Gary Szelagowski and spouse Jo
celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary during
the past year. All their kids are either in or on their
way to college. Gary and Jo did celebrate New
Year’s Eve at an outdoor party in Queen Victory
Park overlooking Niagara Falls with entertainment
featuring Roger Hodgson, former singer of
Supertramp. ... Earlier in the year, Mario Fioritto
Jr. broke bread with Irma DiFranco and Sam
Bonsignore. Masina Frate Santangelo was in
Italy, so she missed out on the fun. Last year
Mario participated in John Carroll’s Relay for Life
as a team member for Wiley Middle School. ...
Former Bernet Hall roommate Colonel Bob
Kasper is doing another tour of duty as a U.S.
Army doctor in Iraq. Bob’s duties vary from day to
day depending on where he is needed. He is to be
Bowman works for the Hightower Report, a
futures analysis and forecasting publication based
in Chicago. He and his wife, Mary Beth, live in
Barrington, IL, with their son. ... After doing his
undergrad at camp John Carroll, Gary Wells spent
15 years bartending and booking rock shows. Gary
is currently banquet chef at the Q with ARAMARK
in Cleveland. ... Pete Langenhorst has been with
General Motors since he graduated from Carroll.
He’s had a variety of assignments all over the
world and just completed move number 10 in 28
years. His wife Beth ’82 has been instrumental in
getting the kids processed in and out of all the
schools throughout the years. ... Finally, I hope
you are all healthy and happy and coping with this
economic downturn. In the spirit of the Class of
1981, stay positive and keep focused on a brighter
future. Until next time, Bob
‘83
Mark Schroeder
216-210-2020
briome@auctionbrio.com
The annual migration to University Heights is
underway as Reunion Weekend kicks off June
19. We had a great turnout last year and it would
be fun to continue the party under the big tent
this year. I reunited with Suzanne (Schlichtman)
Greenberg conducting a festive Marti Gras
benefit auction to successfully raise more money
for the CAN Council of Saginaw, MI. Suzanne is
the passionate president of the organization that
aids and supports prevention of abused and
neglected children. ... Facebook has become a
great connector: 25 years without seeing Cathy
Babcock and I got this, “Cathy is alive and happy
and living in Indy.” She got to the point, quickly.
... Rancho Mirage, CA, is the home of Andrea

‘82
commended for his sacrifice and service he is McGinty and daughter Dagny (4). Andrea
Paul Hulseman
providing to his country. ... Cleveland-area alumni 847-867-9322 (c) founded “It’s Just Lunch.” The matchmaker sold
are reminded that they can attend Reunion PJHulseman@aol.com it three years ago but is already on to another
activities June 19 with Vegas Night and they are social based venture. The outdoors has Andrea
welcome to attend the Father’s Day brunch. hooked on hiking, skiing, and golf. ... After 17
Greetings from Chicago! Early April and no signs
Contact the alumni office - 216-397-1572 – for years in Houston, Terese (Buehrle) Booth and
of spring in Chicago – except the Cubs are playing
more details or check out www.jcu.edu. ... Send her husband, Richard, are back in Ohio. School
baseball. There is a second baseball team in
an e-mail anytime and high-five Lobo. MH changes were rough on their kids, but not as
Chicago, but I can’t remember their name. This
tough as acclimating to snow in Cincinnati. ... You
year I am trying to “swim” to John Carroll.

‘81
Bob Hill
414-254-9880
Soar1@aol.com
It’s exciting to hear from so many of you. Great
memories from 1977-1981 come back as I read
your e-mails. We are only two years away from
our 30th Reunion! I hope that many of you make
plans to attend in 2011. Also, congratulations to
you who are hitting the BIG 50 this year. ... Mary
Carol O’Brien writes from Edison Park, IL, where
she and Bill have two boys. Tim is a junior at
Carroll and Billy is heading there next year. They
keep in touch with Ray and Betsy (Peffenbach)
Mendelsohn and Dawn and Dan Casey. ... Jim
and Ann (Gardner) Russ live in Downers Grove,
IL, and have four daughters and a son, Michael,
who is a junior at Marquette. Ann keeps in touch
with Diane Lebryk Montgomery. She is in
California wine country living on a vineyard, raising
her two boys with husband Monty. ... Lynne
Fugate wrote from Rochester, MI, where she
enjoys working at a public library. ... I heard from
Marianne Breen, who moved to Chicago in 2007
after living in Michigan and St. Louis. Marianne is
fundraising for two Chicago-area high schools. She
caught up with Lore (Feitl) Castrigano on a visit
to Cleveland. Lore has three boys, two who
graduated from Georgetown and one who is at St.
Ignatius. ... Wo Schiffman (Wende Whitcraft) sent
a note from Los Altos Hills, CA. Wo and her
husband, Barry, have two grown children, David
and Katy. Wo built a 52-foot sailboat, Azul, and
raced it in the Pacific Cup to Hawaii, where she
took 2nd place! ... From Mount Washington, PA,
Debbie Brown and her husband, David, are
enjoying a lot of travel. Debbie hosted a mini
reunion in October. She is currently heading up
the audit department for Orphan’s Court in
Alleghany County. ... Emily (Kelsey) Ingram
writes that her daughter, Kelsey, is off to Denison
this fall, where our class speaker, Dave Short,
also has a daughter attending college. Mark
may not know the famous ghosts of Millikin
MapQuest has it at 373 miles from my home in
University in Decatur, IL, but I know Denise
Winnetka, IL, to 20700 N. Park Boulevard (I should
Green does. Denise is the electronic resources
probably add some more yards to end at the
and technical services/references librarian at the
Johnson Natatorium?). So I am adding up my
Staley Library. Besides teaching honors program
yards in the pool four mornings per week and
students for research, she walks Millikin’s
converting them to miles. Last year I swam
beautiful campus, which reminds her of Carroll.
around 300 miles with a couple masters groups,
Denise, leave three pieces of candy for the “Rail
so I need to pump up the yardage if I am going to
Girl” ghost in the theater. ... Congrats to Dr. Greg
make it all the way. Through March, I have
Iaderosa: The Boardman, OH, dentist was
water-logged just over 100 miles – probably close
named the president of the Corydon Palmer
to South Bend, and we all know there’s no reason
Dental Society. Greg is a leader in restorative and
to stop or slow down there! ... Our classmates
cosmetic dentistry. ... St. Pat’s day in Cleveland
from the Iota Chi Upsilon fraternity assembled in
was awesome with warm temps and Deb
Las Vegas in March to celebrate the 50th
Solyan on my wing. We toasted Ireland’s patron
anniversary of their founding at JCU with 75
saint with Beth Gill Oldford ’88. Beth is an
brothers. By all accounts, the boys were well-
insurance adjuster and lives in Shaker Heights,
behaved. Classmates included: Bill Bolton, Dave
OH. ... First graders in Painesville, OH, receive
Schmidt, Bobby Gentile, Tony Parrilli, Bobby
special education from their teacher Beth
Parrilli, and Paul Olexa. The IXYs are well on their
Devney. After school, Beth teams with her twin
way to raising $1,000,000 to endow JCU
brother, Ed, as talent managers. Ed Devney, who
scholarships – I can’t think of a better way to
lives in Manhattan and owns a talent
support our alma mater. ... Speaking of Schmitter,
management company, came home to head the
Dave Schmidt and his band, the Blue Snouts, have
volunteer talent escorts for inductees and
lots of gigs planned for April and May around
presenters at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and
Chicago. Check out future dates on his website:
Museum inductions in April. Mary (Power)
www.myspace.com/daveschmidtandthesnouts.
Patton’s public relations company, Patton PR,
He also has a CD available at www.cdbaby.com/
spearheaded the induction’s audience
daveschmidt. ... Suzanne Carroll-McGovern
management. Ed did an amazing job coordinating
recently served on the Chicago Club’s Scholarship
all the inductees and presenters for Cleveland’s
Committee. She had just returned from a trip to
stellar gala and Beth was right there with him. He
Fiji and New Zealand with her sister. Suzanne is
hooked me up as rapper Eminem’s talent escort
trying to find the Chicago city limits from her
– what a great experience. Up next for Ed is
homestead in rural Naperville. ... Katie Grace
handling the snowboarders at the 2010 Olympics
Brandt saw Steve Nicorata (our class president)
in Vancouver. ... Continued success for everyone
at a benefit in Chicago. Steve apparently has his
and have a safe and fun-filled summer! Mark
oldest son at a Jesuit university in Milwaukee, but
I can’t remember the name of the son or the
school. My wife tells me we have a son there,
too, but I can’t remember that, either. ... Sadly,
Mark Schell succumbed to pancreatic cancer in
February. Our prayers are with his wife, Becky,
and his daughters. Rest in Peace, Mark. ...
Onward On! Paul
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 39
ALUMNI JOURNAL
‘84
Don D’Amore
440-235-1323
jcuclassof84@yahoo.com
REUNION YEAR
If you think about it, this isn’t our 25th Reunion; it
really is our 5th Reunion! How did I come up with
this math? Well, we have attended reunions every
five years since we graduated, and that makes this
the 5th Reunion we have attended. Therefore, it is
our 5th Reunion! Don’t you feel so much younger?
This issue is scheduled to come out right before
we attend our 25th Reunion. If you haven’t
registered, there still might be time for you to sign
up to join in the fun! ... Anne Lynch DiJulius,
Esq., relocated to Sacramento in May 2008. First,
she took over the operations of a 24-store chain of
shoe and apparel stores; then, by June 2008, she
took over the business development activities of a
major shopping center developer from Los
Angeles in the western and mountain states. By
November 2008, she had earned a promotion to
oversee marketing and business development and
relocated again, to Bakersfield, CA, with three of
her five children in tow. Anne earned her J.D. in
1991 and practiced law in Cleveland for ten years,
operated The Successtores chain of stores, and
published the motivational book, “The Edge.” Ann
said she would love to hear from anyone from
Carroll via edgebysuccess@aol.com. ... I was
forwarded an e-mail from Tim Cavanagh, who
reports they had their second set of triplets (two
girls and a boy: Kiley, Kate, and TJ) on July 22,
2008, after three boys (Ryan, Jack, and Charlie) on
December 24, 2006! Tim has formed the
Cavanagh Law Group, which prosecutes cases
involving automobile liability, railroad liability,
product liability, among other areas. Over the last
10 years, Tim personally obtained over $150
million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his
clients. In 2007, Law Dragon Magazine named Tim
one of the top 500 plaintiff’s lawyers in the United
States. Among his other recognitions in his field,
Leading Lawyers, a division of Law Bulletin
Publishing Company, has named Tim a Leading
Lawyer every year since its inception in 2003 – an
honor that is limited to the top 5 percent of
lawyers in Illinois. ... I hope to put in some clips of
info about those classmates who attended the 25th
spread out in the following issues. Hopefully we
will see you soon! Don
‘85
Diane (Nerem) Wendel
914-238-2227
DWendel@Optonline.net
Get out your calendars and start to plan now to
attend our 25th Reunion next June! John Connolly,
who left our class after sophomore year and later
graduated from Boston College, lost his mother
suddenly this past February. Please keep him and
his family in Boston in your prayers. ... I am so
excited to report that I have heard from some
long-lost classmates! Dan Skidmore wrote that he
is well and living in Detroit, working for Universal
Truckload Services as director of logistics. He is a
proud father of three: sons Jordan (11) and Drew
(5), who celebrated his birthday on St. Patrick’s Day;
and daughter Taylor (10). Dan and his wife, Kari,
40 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
spend most of their time as taxi drivers with soccer,
baseball, and football on weekends. He thinks his
Outlook calendar has just as many kid activities as
he does business meetings. I think many of us can
relate to that. ... Gloria Merolla Garvey hosted a
mini-third floor Millor reunion with Karen Euritt
Shankman, Suzanne Ziemianski Chartier, and
Marie Koch Foe at her home near Naples, FL, for a
fun weekend of laughs and walking down memory
lane. Gloria is currently living in Westport, CT, with
her husband of 21 years and four daughters, ages
16, 13, 11, and 7. Karen lives in Aurora, OH, with
her husband and two daughters. Suzanne lives in
Shelby Township, MI, with her husband and four
kids – three girls and one boy. Marie and husband
Kevin are in Oron, MI, with four children – three
boys and one girl. Karen has a daughter in college,
and the rest of us are in the thick of college visits,
SATs, etc. The college process certainly was not
this hard when we were younger! Suzanne and
Marie both have a set of twins – must have been
something in the Millor water! ... Our golf pro, Tony
Ciabattoni, wrote me with the most remarkable
story. Tony has recently married and is now living in
Colombia, South America. To read Tony’s story, I
urge to check out his website, at www.agameforall.
com.” ... The IXY reunion in Las Vegas this spring
has been sealed and staying in “Vegas.” Thank you
for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop
me a line or two! We would love to hear from you
for the next edition as there will only be two more
editions before our big 25 Reunion. Let me know if
you are coming! Be well and God bless you. Ciao
for now - Diane
‘86
Gigi Togliatti-Rice
419-529-5530
gigirice@neo.rr.com
Beth (Bonanno) Hausoul
ehausoul@mac.com
I was able to meet up with Chris O’Brien Kramer,
Paula Zerbi, Grace Volpe, and Lisa Geraci ’85 for
lunch in March. The girls are all doing well and it
was great to spend time with them – more
information will be provided in the next column. I
heard from Susan Menner, who found Paulette
Duganier on Facebook. After Carroll, Paulette
went to Wright State for an M.S. in counseling and
then worked for Case Western Reserve doing
psychological research/counseling. She married
Mark, her high school sweetheart, in 1991 and
currently lives in Houston with their three children,
Joseph (15), Angela (13), and Anna (8). She asked
about her suitemates – Mimi, Karen, and Denise. If
anyone has information for Paulette, please let us
know. ... We received an e-mail from Bob Sferra.
His 2½-year-old company, Bob Sferra Culinary
Occasions, is doing well. He is catering events all
over Cleveland and branching out a bit. In
February, he was hired to cater a 50th birthday
party in Evanston, IL. He said it was a great time
but, unfortunately, he had no time to check in with
any of the Chicago old-timers from Carroll. Bob
asked if anyone knew if Peter Anthony ’88 was
still in the Chicago area or if anyone knows where
he can be found. Bob has also branched out to
culinary travel. Last year he took a culinary journey
to Umbria, Italy. The sojourn was 12 days of the
beautiful country sides of Italy. His next trip is to
Jamaica October 11-17, and then more European
travel when he visits Provence in April 2010. You
can visit Bob at www.culinaryoccasions.com. ...
Speaking of Europe, I was lucky enough to hear
from Cara Williams. She is living in Mallorca,
Spain, in a tiny village called Deia, which overlooks
the Mediterranean Sea. Cara has a huge organic
garden and grows enough to share with all her
village neighbors. Surprisingly enough, she also
has a baby donkey, three cats, a kitten, a
sheepdog, roosters, hens, a peacock, and a
hedgehog! She reports that she and her two
daughters, Maximilla (11) and Emanuella (9), have
learned to appreciate modern conveniences ...
heat and water sometimes can’t be taken for
granted in a mountain village! They have enjoyed
and adapted to their new home and the trials and
tribulations of Spanish life. Cara mentioned they
do not have television in their lives, only books and
a love of reading. ... It was so nice to hear from
some new classmates this time around ... keep
the information coming. We hope you are enjoying
your summer! Gigi and Beth
‘87
Sue Farinacci Grazia
440-256-0338
jsgrazia@adelphia.net
Hi, everyone. I want to first apologize for not having
a column last edition. I had no new information to
share and, before I knew it, the deadline for
submission had passed. I was a little more
proactive this time and sent a few e-mails to some
of our long, lost alumni with the hopes of having
some of them respond. To my pleasant surprise, I
heard back from David Clifford. Dave is currently
operating his own company, Advantegrity LLC,
which is an executive search and management
consulting firm in Cleveland, OH. I believe he has
had this business for five years or more. Good for
you, Dave. He also has two children: David (17) and
Tracey (14). David is playing football at Holy Name
High School. Tracey is a soccer player and also
pitches for her fast-pitch softball team. Dave said
both are looking at Carroll as a possibility for
college. I’m sure Dave would love nothing more.
Thanks for writing in, Dave. ... Dan O’Malley also
updated me on two exciting events in his life. Dan
was married last year to Annika, who is from
Germany. He met her while on business there.
They now live in Pittsburgh and have welcomed a
little girl named Emma Grace. Great name, and
congratulations! Dan and Annika are in the process
of completing a nine-month rehab project on a
100-year-old home. They are planning on moving
into the home in May. Dan is also working many
hours as a managing director of Industrial Events
Inc., an exhibit marketing company. They have
offices in Pittsburgh, Frankfurt, and Shanghai.
Thanks, Dan. ... I also heard from John Rock and
Lisa Moreschi ’88. They are currently living in
Highland Heights, OH, with their three children:
Michael (11), Jenna (9), and Catherine (7). He writes
the girls are into soccer, softball, basketball, and
dance while Michael is into skiing, golf, baseball,
football, and basketball. John not only attends the
events, but he coaches at least one team for each,
which doesn’t leave much time for anything else.
This is what John gets for treating each child fairly.
John also wrote that he and Lisa hosted Mike
Humenik, Rob Eagleye, and John Sullivan at their

home before one of Sully’s Cincinnati St. Xavier
High School football games that was in town. John
Sullivan is now the athletic director at St. Xavier. He
also sees Joe Norris and Dave Nash a couple
times a year when they attend a few Browns’
games together. I would love to hear from you
guys, too. He also wrote that he saw Kerry and
Dan Shannon over Christmas. They are living in
Pittsburgh where Dan is working for Sherwin-
Williams. Thanks, John and Lisa, for the update. ...
Reminder, don’t forget about Reunion this year,
June 19-21. Vegas Night is planned for Friday night
and it should be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there,
even if it isn’t our reunion year. ... God bless, Sue
‘88 ‘90
Jamie Jamison
330-702-1965
jjamison@zoominternet.net
Kathy Reali Matthews
440-871-7283
bk3matthews@yahoo.com
‘89
David Gassman
440-934-0366
dgassmktvp@aol.com
REUNION YEAR
Greetings, fellow Blue Streaks ... spring has sprung
and the hard work for our 20th Class Reunion is in
full swing. As most of you are aware, hopefully,
Reunion Weekend is June 19-21 in lovely
University Heights, and it’s not too late to register.
Log on to www.jcu.edu for a complete list of
scheduled events, including a Friday night reception
and Vegas Night, a Saturday breakfast with the
Jesuits, family fun lunch, State of the University
Address followed by Mass, and cocktails and
dinner. Sunday morning offers a Father’s Day
brunch with live music entertainment by John
deHaas ’87. Our Class Gift goal is $30,000 and as
of March 24 we are at about $14,000. We are
hoping to have at least 25% class participation
attending reunion. Our class photo will be taken on
Saturday, June 20, at 5:30. Again, we hope to see
you all there. ... As for class news, I have a few
things to report: Amanda (Kiss) Snowman writes
from Allen, TX, and advises that she and husband
John have opened the first Goddard School in
North Texas. For those of you who don’t know, the
Goddard School has been the #1 childcare
franchise for nine years running, and Amanda and
John are very excited about this facility and its
clients, who range from infants to children 6 years
old. Tami (Mattern) LaGattuta came down for the
grand opening. Thanks for the news, Amanda, and
good luck with the school. ... I was made aware
that Brian Rauch is Sargento Foods director of
pricing and trade management and will manage the
consumer products division trade budget. Before
joining Sargento, Rich served as the director of
trade marketing and customer service for American
Dairy Brands in Kansas City, MO. Congrats, Rich! ...
Theresa Weinberg has been named partner-in-
charge of client relationship management for
Weltman, Weinberg and Reis Co, L.P.A. Theresa
has practiced in the area of consumer collection
litigation for over 13 years and previously managed
WWR’s legal action recovery department. Theresa
graduated cum laude from Carroll and received her
J.D. from Case Western Reserve in 1992. In 2006
and 2007, Theresa was recognized as an Ohio
Rising Star by Cincinnati magazine and serves on
many associations. Her community involvement
includes serving on the board of Dress for Success,
which promotes the economic independence of
disadvantaged women by providing professional
attire and career development tools. Congrats on all
your success, Theresa - tweinberg@weltman.com.
... That is all for this edition. Let’s all think warm
weather and sunshine, and we hopefully can get
together in June for a cold beer back on campus,
David
Melissa Wenzler
440-725-0753
WenzJCU90@aol.com
Because things are the way they are, things will not
stay the way they are. ~Bertold Brecht. This quote
could not be truer when remembering one of our
class’ favorite stomping grounds – Café Rock. The
north side of Cedar Center was recently razed to
make way for a whole new development of new
stores and shops. Gone is the physical structure of
the plaza that housed one of our favorite watering
holes, but our memories of that place will last a
lifetime. ... While I do not have a lot of notes to
share, what I do have is pretty awesome! I got
some very exciting news from the alumni office
about Bruce Ianni! Bruce is the founder and CEO
of Chemidex, located in Overland Park, KS.
Chemidex’s vision is to transform the product
formulation process for scientists within the global
chemical industry. The company achieves this
through state-of-the-art Internet, database, and
search technologies. In January, Bruce was
announced as the “Innovator of the Year for 2008”
at KTEC Pipeline’s annual event. KTEC Pipeline is a
statewide technology entrepreneur fellowship
program. Congratulations, Bruce – a job well done!
... I re-connected with Chris Drajem via Facebook.
Chris and his husband, Patrick, live in Seattle with
their two children. Chris and Patrick were married
in California in 2001. They adopted two children –
daughter Isabella (5) and son Jordan (3). Chris is
teaching 11th and 12th grade English in the Bellevue
school district. He mentioned that Missy Vertes
Butler ’91 popped in for a quick visit last summer.
Thanks for the update, Draj! ... On a personal note,
I graduated again from JCU ... this time with my
master’s in nonprofit administration. So, if anyone
within the Cleveland area nonprofit arena is looking
for a fundraiser or grant writer, let me know! ...
Here’s to a terrific summer, everyone! Let me
know what you did over your summer vacation.
Cheers, Melissa
‘91
Molly Coughlin Fanta
440-716-1749
mfanta4714@wowway.com
Leslie Bross and Jeff Pawlowski were married at
Saint Francis Chapel on campus on October 11,
2008. They met on the first day of classes in 1987,
and 21 years later had their wedding at Carroll.
They were joined by Rob Taylor and wife Colette,
who live in North Ridgeville; Dave Somodi and
wife Heather ’93, who drove up from the Columbus
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Leslie Bross and Jeff Pawlowski (both ’91) were
married at Saint Francis Chapel on Oct. 11, 2008.
area, where they are raising their six kids; Lisa
(Constantini) Groewa and her two daughters from
Sagamore Hills, OH; Mark Postak came up from
Wadsworth, OH, where he is teaching; and Gregg
Eichenberg, who lives in Westlake, OH,
showcased his karaoke talents at the rehearsal
dinner. Jeff writes, “Celebrating our marriage
where we met, and with our Carroll classmates,
was truly unforgettable. Leslie and I will be living in
Lyndhurst and look forward to many more
memories.” ... Congratulations to J.B. Schneider,
who is a co-founder of a company called P’kolino
(derived from an Italian word that means “little
one”). Schneider and his partner were recently
featured in Business Week. The company sells
furniture for little ones; the style is hip and urban.
The company is Florida based and recently created
a low-priced line for Babies “R” Us. J.B. Schneider
is the product development and marketing brain of
the company while his partner handles the financial
end. Good luck, J.B., we wish you the best! Check
out the playful furniture at www.pkolino.com and
you will be amazed. ... Congratulations to Tim
DeGeeter and his wife, Pam, on the first birthday
of their son, Jack. They reside in Parma, OH. ...
Happy 40th birthday to anyone turning the big 40
this year! Enjoy celebrating with family and friends
as you begin another chapter of your lives. ... Try to
make a stop on campus this summer, even if you
are just passing through on a trip or short visit. ...
Time sure goes quickly. My oldest son is off to high
school next year. It seems like only yesterday that
we were applying to high school and college. Savor
the moments, count your blessings, and take time
to simply enjoy the joys surrounding us each day. ...
May God continue to bless our fellow alums. Molly
‘92
Jim Sislo
440-269-1245
James@Sislo.net
Hello, everybody: With all the bad news we have
heard regarding the banking industry lately, I
thought I’d share a positive story. First Federal of
Lakewood has announced changes to its
executive management team, which became
effective Jan. 1, 2009. After achieving strong
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 41
ALUMNI JOURNAL
growth from its regional expansion and in its core
markets in 2008, the 74-year-old financial
institution has promoted Tom Fraser to senior
vice president of lending. “First Federal of
Lakewood’s strong financial position has allowed
us to expand our product offerings and geographic
reach, particularly in the residential and
commercial lending areas,” said Gary R. Fix, First
Federal of Lakewood president, CEO, and
managing officer. “This expansion has created
employment opportunities within First Federal,
and I am pleased that we had strong personnel on
staff that could be promoted to senior
management positions.” Fraser joined First
Federal in 2007 with nearly 15 years of experience
in financial services. He earned his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from John Carroll University. ...
Ever wonder what that “crazy O’Maille boy” is
doing? Well, I was happy to hear that Brian
O’Maille and his wife just opened up
“Cafénated,” a coffee shop in Historic Marietta,
OH. As it turns out, Brian buys many of his
products from Berardi’s in Cleveland – specifically,
from fellow Carroll alumnus Brian Leneghan. Good
luck on your new venture, Brian! ... Just a quick
reminder that Reunion Weekend is June 19-21,
2009. Even though this isn’t our “official” reunion
year, there hasn’t been a time that I’ve attended
Reunion Weekend where I haven’t bumped into
someone from our class. I hope to see you there!
Jim
‘93
Julie (Roddy) Reardon
440-877-0939
dereardon@roadrunner.com
‘94
Maureen “Moe” McGuinness
moe@unt.edu
REUNION YEAR
Come one, come all to our 15th Reunion – can you
believe it! We are planning a fun time and hope to
see many of you this June 19-21 on campus.
Come back and see the changes, catch up with
classmates, and enjoy a relaxing fun-filled
weekend at Carroll. Be sure to check out
www.jcu.edu/jcuconnect for up-to-date
information, a look-who’s-coming list, the schedule
of events, and information on Camp Carroll for
children ages 5-17. So join the Class of ’94 15-year
Reunion to share memories and connect with
classmates. Hope to see you there! Moe
‘95
Annie (Hummer) DePerro
330-966-8845
anniedeperro@sssnet.com
Reunion 2009 happens June 19-21 and ’94 is
celebrating 15 years out. All alumni are invited to
Vegas Night on Friday and the Sunday Father’s
Day brunch. Next year will be “our year,” so
here’s my pitch: Meet me in Cleveland for
Reunion Weekend 2010! ... Facebook is the
source of most of the class notes this time.
42 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
Alison Dillon Klika works in orthopaedic research
at the Cleveland Clinic and is married to Kevin
Klika ’92. They have a nine-year-old pug named
Sting. Alison has some great “big hair” snapshots
on her photo pages. ... Liesl Stalzer-Callahan
received a master’s in education from Cleveland
State in 2007 and is now employed at Ruffing
Montessori. She is married to John Callahan ’93
and has a son. ... Brian Barrett has a really scary
profile picture on his page. Fortunately, his wife is
Jeanne Romano; I’ll let you know what they are
up to next time. ... Adele Fini works for STERIS
Corp. out of Mentor, OH, as a sales rep and has
traveled to 122 cities in her lifetime. Incidentally,
STERIS is the medical manufacturing company
that actually makes the equipment seen on the
show ER. Now some of the props from the show
(which ended this spring) are moving on to the
Smithsonian in Washington, DC. ... Bill Morycz
works for Lawson Software and lives in Pittsburgh
with his wife, Abigail, and two daughters. ... Erin
Guirlinger Gisel lives in Cleveland Heights and
loves spending time with her family at the
Botanical Gardens. Erin is the annual giving
director at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker
Heights. ... Finally, Miles Dean recently returned
from a trip to Mexico with his wife, Stacie. Miles
owns AGA Gymnastics and Creative Learning
Academy and has three children: Cameron,
Karson, and Cooper. ... Cleveland’s Lola was the
venue for a farewell dinner for Carole (Chandler)
Sullivan, who has moved to San Diego to join one
of the San Diego Chargers coaches (husband Mike
Sullivan). When I arrived, fifteen minutes late,
Kathy Apple Francis and Nathalie Lacouture
were already sipping wine with Carole. After
dinner, Nathalie said goodbye and Kathy, Carole,
and I high-heeled it to the Cadillac Ranch where I
came face to face with a mechanical bull.
Fortunately for you and me, I kept it classy. We
are not, after all, 21 anymore, and my name is not,
well, you know who you are. Later, we were
“approached” by a drunken star-struck fan. I say
we, like it was me. I actually just laughed as
Carole explained to her admirer that she is happily
married and we are having a super private girly
chat. It was a “Christmas Miracle” that he got the
hint and walked away. ... See you at Reunion!
Annie
‘96
Amy Spisich Kogovsek
ASKamy@aol.com
I hope this issue of John Carroll magazine finds
you all healthy and well. I have some nuptial news
for you all: Paul David Palumbo married Valerie
Ann D’Eramo on October 11, 2008, at St. Nicholas
Roman Catholic Church. Groomsmen included
Christopher Migneault and Alan Boose. The
happy couple honeymooned in Italy. Paul is a
director at Designing You Clinic in Boardman, OH.
Congrats on your new beginning! ... We’d love to
hear great news from more of our classmates, so
if you have a minute or two, please send an e-mail
and let us know what you’ve been up to.
Remember, you can send pictures as well! Until
then, the Lord bless you and keep you, Amy
‘97
Brian Sparks
440-746-0309
bdsparks@meistermedia.com
A lot of us must have the winter blues, because
the past couple of months have been very slow
for receiving news. I did receive an update on
Gregory Halko, CPA CFE, who has joined the firm
of Skoda Minotti as a senior manager in the
accounting and auditing department. He
previously worked at Ciuni & Panichi Inc., where
he was a manager in accounting and auditing. He
is a member of American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants, Ohio Society of Certified
Public Accountants, and Association of Certified
Fraud Examiners, as well as a board member for
the Cuyahoga County Critical Incident Stress
Management Team. ... In case you haven’t
checked, the John Carroll University Class of 1997
group on Facebook has 66 members as I’m
writing. Be sure to check it out, and sign up! ... I’d
like to hear who has the most interesting job right
now. If you think you have a job that’s gonna make
everyone else say “Wow!” let me know, and I’ll
include it in the next issue. Until then, take care!
... Brian
‘98
Cherie Skoczen
216-741-1823
cherieskoczen@ameritech.net
‘99
Meg Galligan
galliganm22@hotmail.com
REUNION YEAR
Ten years since our graduation and our classmates
have lots to report! Mike Shields is currently prac-
ticing law for the Pittsburgh law firm of Eckert
Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. His practice areas
include corporate, real estate, and political law.
Mike graduated from The Catholic University of
America Law School in 2002. Following law
school, Mike served as a legislative assistant for
then-State Senator Allyson Schwartz and then
joined the Rendell Administration at the Pennsyl-
vania Department of Education. Subsequently, he
served as a judicial law clerk to a judge on the
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Mike’s
looking forward to seeing his fellow classmates at
Reunion this year. ... Sarah (Matsik) Brenner is
enjoying life in Seattle. Six and a half years ago,
Sarah moved to Washington with fellow Carroll
graduate Beth Petrus. Within a month of the
cross-country move, Sarah met her husband,
whom she married in August 2007. She is in
graduate school for school counseling, doing her
internship at a local middle school, and she
graduates in June. ... Meg Wolchko and Ryan
Matthews announced their engagement earlier
this year. The Blue Streak couple plans on getting
married at Carroll in the summer of 2010. Meg
lives in the Boston area and teaches sixth and
eighth grades in Plymouth, MA. Ryan lives in
Plymouth and is practicing law. ... Andrea (Kifus)
Bordonaro is currently in her 10th year of teaching

Nada Montoni Ingram ’99 and her three girls,
Alaina 5, Lidia 4, and Silvia 10 mos., celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day.
first grade at Edison Elementary School in the
Willoughby-Eastlake (OH) City School District. She
received her master’s in the art of teaching from
Marygrove College in 2003. On July 19, 2008,
Andrea married Thomas Bordonaro of Chester-
land, OH. The couple currently lives in Willoughby.
The wedding party included bridesmaid Michele
Shipley and groomsman, Ryan Kifus ’03, and
Maura Evans, another one of our classmates,
was in attendance. ... Erin Collins-Stoddard
passed on the great news that Julie Worthington
married Larry Muennich in Sonoma, CA, on March
13, 2009. Several of our JCU classmates were in
attendance for the lovely event. The couple now
lives in Louisville, KY. ... Brandy M. Mlechick and
Seth C. Staffen were married Sept. 13, 2008, at
Duquesne University Chapel in Pittsburgh. Seth
holds a master’s degree from Duquesne Univer-
sity. He is employed as a chemical specialist for
VWR International. The couple currently resides in
Hopewell Township, PA. After leaving the
hallowed halls of John Carroll, Nada Montoni
Ingram married her husband, Bret, originally from
Southampton, NY, in 2001. Nada worked in the
healthcare field in assisted living/retirement
communities before having her three girls: Alaina
(5), Lidia (4), and Silvia (10 mos.). The couple lives
in the Cleveland area where Bret works for
FirstEnergy. ... Jennifer French now resides in
the Lakeview area in Chicago. She worked for a
law firm in downtown Cleveland immediately
following our graduation but shortly decided to
relocate to Chicago. After working in advertising,
Jennifer found her niche in retail sales and
management. Since working at Ralph Lauren and
Jake, she is now the general manager of the retail
store Handle With Care located in the Old Town
area of Chicago. Jennifer can be reached at
312-751-2929. She is looking forward to returning
to Cleveland for her 10th Reunion in June.
Speaking of Reunion – remember, it’s June 19-21!
Cleveland-area alumni are invited to attend Vegas
Night on Friday and also the Sunday Father’s Day
brunch. You can contact Carla Gall ’05 for further
information - cgall@jcu.edu – 216-397-1592. Meg
ALUMNI JOURNAL
‘00 ‘02
Lisa Foster Kristen (Muoio) McVean
440-339-6572 585-259-3955
lisafoster19@gmail.com jcuclassof2002@gmail.com
Clare Taft
claretaft@hotmail.com “Summertime and the livin’s easy!” It’s a fabulous
time of year, isn’t it? Lots of wedding news to
share this time around, and other good news, too!
Sadly, we begin our column with news of the
Michael ’01 and Laura (Andrasak) Murphey
passing of one of our classmates. Victor Nolan
welcomed their first baby, Sean Ryan, on Dec. 20,
passed away on March 13 after battling lymphoma
2008. ... Jason and Charlene (Sten) Seibert were
and leukemia. Victor graduated from Cleveland-
united in marriage on Oct. 11, 2008, at Immaculate
Marshall College of Law and was a patent
Conception Church, Washington, DC. Charlene is a
attorney practicing with Fay Sharpe LLP in
2006 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh
Cleveland. Victor’s parents request that donations
School of Law and is now an attorney in Pittsburgh.
in his memory be made to a memorial scholarship
... Ryan Scott is getting married to Melissa Hopper
fund at Carroll. Our sincere condolences go out to
on June 27 in Huntsville, AL. ... Dan Guzzo was
Victor’s family and friends and our thoughts and
married May 16 at St. Christopher’s Church in
prayers are with them. ... Megan (Schmidt)
Rocky River, OH, to Abbie Gnandt, who is an Ohio
Pasquini welcomed her son, Decklan Russell, on
University grad. Dan has owned his home in the
Jan. 6, 7 lbs. 3 oz. He joins sister Ava Lily (4). ...
Cleveland area for nearly five years. He works as an
Scott and Taryn (Leas) Chmielowicz welcomed
acute care medical sales rep for The Encompass
their second son, Grady Paul, on Feb. 3, 8 lbs. 3
Group. ... Jeff Carlson and Laura Ley Carlson
oz. and 19.5 inches. Grady’s big brother, Brandon,
welcomed their first baby, Ethan Edward, in
turned 2 on May 10. ... Michael ’01 and Laura ’02
December 2008. ... Nick Mehall and his wife,
(Andrasak) Murphey welcomed their first child,
Kristen, are Ethan’s godparents. ... Kristy Neelon is
Sean Ryan, on Dec. 20, 2008. Mike is completing
getting married in Cleveland in July to Michael
his master’s degree at Carroll and is a guidance
Morelli. Jess (Frisina) Schneider will be one of the
counselor and assistant football coach at Kenston
bridesmaids in the wedding. Kristy is an
High School. ... Katie (Farrell) and Brian
intervention specialist in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst
Zielaskiewicz celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this
City School District. Theresa Litz was scheduled to
year welcoming their son, Noah Joseph, into the
world. Noah arrived the evening of March 17 at 6 be married to Jonathan Somich on June 13 in
Cleveland. Laura Carlson and Joelle (Lindner)
lbs. 2 oz. and 19 inches. ... Michael and Liz
Byers were bridesmaids. Lauren Gambatese and I
(Donnelly) Burke were married July 2008 in
did readings at the ceremony. Kevin and Alana
Chicago. Bridget (Houlihan) Kennedy, Brian ’01
Fleming Dunn were married in September 2007.
and Catherine ’01 (Cummings) Barton, Kelly
They are now awaiting the arrival of their first baby,
Cummings ’01, and Henry Lee celebrated with Liz
due in August. ... Thanks to all of you who have
and Michael. ... Our 10-year Reunion will be here
provided updates! If we haven’t heard from you
next summer, so start looking and planning ahead
lately, drop me a line! It’s been (gulp) seven years
for a great weekend on campus. For the time
being, Cleveland area alumni are invited to attend since graduation, so I know there is a lot of news to
share! Kristen
Vegas Night on Friday, June 19, during this year’s
Reunion. Contact Carla Gall ’05 for more
‘03
information - cgall@jcu.edu or 216.397.1592. ... Theresa (Jurak) Polachek
Have fun and keep us informed, Clare and Lisa jcu2003@hotmail.com
‘01
Maureen DeMers Fariello
jcualumni2001@yahoo.com Hello, I hope everyone is having a great summer!
Here’s the news for the Class of 2003. Jacqui
At Ethan Carlson’s baptism, standing from left are Jeff and Laura (Ley) Carlson (holding Ethan),
and godparents Kristen and Nick Mehall (all ’02, except Kristen).
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 43
ALUMNI JOURNAL
alumProfile
The Best Job in the World
heard in decades.
“Jumpin’” Joe Madigan’s show, Retro Radio,
comes to you over John Carroll’s radio station,
WJCU-FM 88.7, which you can also listen to
online, at www.wjcu.org. Retro Radio airs on
Saturdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Mr. Madigan, who graduated from John Carroll
in 2007, has been hosting this show since January
2004. Every week, he features a countdown of songs
from that same week in a chosen year from the ’60s.
He draws from surveys of Cleveland’s AM rock
radio stations of that era, including WIXY, KYW,
and WHK. His show harkens back to the earliest
days of WJCU, which went on the air for the first
time 40 years ago, as WUJC, in 1969.
Photograph by Jonathan Tramontana ‘07
The young alumnus, who says he’s always
liked oldies music, listened to some online air
checks from a ’60s DJ one day and said, “Wow!
I’ve never heard this style before. This is really
interesting! I wonder what Cleveland radio
sounded like at that time.”
He found old WIXY surveys online and
then he discovered air checks from a WIXY and
At the controls: Jumpin’ Joe Madigan ‘07
brings back the ’60s with his popular WJCU WKYC DJ, Jack Armstrong. “I loved the way he
program Retro Radio. presented music on the radio,” Mr. Madigan says.
What’s going on here? Outside your window, it’s “He talked 10,000 miles an hour. He had all this
2009, but inside your radio, it’s 1966. A young energy; he was so excited about the music. And
DJ is loudly and happily extolling a song from when I hear a song that’s fantastic, I’m jumping
this week’s listener survey – a Beatles tune – with up and down and yelling. You have to be excited
rapid-fire delivery enhanced by a ton of echo. about the music if you want the listeners to get
Then there’s the old WIXY-1260 jingle, followed excited about the music.”
by more cheerful chatter and a record you haven’t His listeners do get excited. They call in
Lingler sent me an e-mail with several updates:
She and Brieana Rowles published their first
article while working together for the Discovery
and Wellness Center for Children, a nonprofit
pediatric research group at University Hospitals
Case Medical Center that specializes in psychiatry.
The article, “A Pilot Pharmacotherapy Trial for
Depressed Youths at High Genetic Risk for
Bipolarity” can be found in the Journal of Child
and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
Congratulations! Jacqui also wrote that Jenny
Basa and Jay Nemec ’01 are engaged, and Kellie
Caimi joined the 2009 Polar Bear Club in Chicago!
... Tom Ianni and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their
first child, Matthew Thomas, into the world on
Oct. 3, 2008. Tom is a store manager for
Gianna Caprice Bona, daughter of Carmen and Walgreens and currently taking classes toward his
Jennifer (Farzetta) (both ’03). MBA. Congratulations, Tom and Lisa! ... Jen
Gardner is starting a new job as an associate
44 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
every week from around the country to make
requests. And they donate money during
WJCU’s annual fundraising radio-thon. Jumpin’
Joe’s show raises about 10 times more than any of
the station’s other shows.
Mark Krieger, WJCU general manager and
adjunct assistant professor in communications,
taught Mr. Madigan in three classes. “Even when
he was doing this as a student,” says Mr. Krieger,
“he really had a passion for it. He got mentally
connected with that period in Cleveland and
started finding the people who were part of it and
are still around, and started making connections
with them. A lot of doors opened up for him
– people with reels of old radio station jingles
and air checks. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot
of hours he devoted to it. He’s built a faithful
audience doing that.”
Besides doing this show and working a
couple of part-time jobs, Mr. Madigan also works
as a studio engineer for the Cleveland Cavaliers
radio network. He would like to start an online
radio station.
Jumpin’ Joe remembers listening to the radio
one day when he was a kid. “It was a nice day
and the guy on the radio said, ‘It’s a great day
outside. I wish I could be out there, but I’m stuck
in the studio.’ And I thought to myself: Wait a
second – you’ve got the best job in the world;
you’re on the radio and you get to play records. I
want to do that!”
David Budin
attorney at Jester Gibson & Moore in downtown
Denver. ... Carmen and Jennifer (Farzetta) Bona
welcomed their first child, Gianna Caprice, on Nov.
17, 2008 ... As for me, I made it through my first
year as a mom as my daughter turned one in
April! Take care, Theresa
‘04
Paul Clapp
440-796-4947
pclapp04@jcu.edu
REUNION YEAR
Hello, everyone! This is our last update before
Reunion, June 19-21, 2009. The Class Reunion
committee has been working hard to make sure
we have a great time and has put together a
Facebook group with a lot of information. Make

sure to check it out and share some of your
memories before we all get together. If you haven’t
already registered, hurry up so you don’t miss out
on all the good times! We have a lot of updates this
issue, so here we go: J.P. Krainz and Katie
McPhie were married on July 26, 2008. In great
JCU fashion there were plenty of Carroll grads in
the wedding: Colleen McPhie ’06 (maid of honor),
Sarah (McGuire) McKay ’05, Megan (Harrington)
Eadeh ’05, and Matt Warner. ... Deana Calcagni
became engaged to Stephen Davis on New Year’s
Eve and is planning the wedding for April 2011. ...
Kevin ’03 and Meg (Sweeny) Harrison were
married on July 19, 2008, in Cincinnati. Meg, who
is teaching fifth and sixth grade at Urban
Community School in Cleveland, sent a great
picture of a lot of Carroll grads having a great time
at the wedding. ... Dana DelSignore and John
Garber are to be married May 30, 2009, in Saint
Francis Chapel with a reception in The Dolan
Science Center. Dana completed the accelerated
nursing program at Cleveland State and received a
bachelor’s in nursing. She is a pediatric registered
nurse at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in
Cleveland. John is a social studies teacher and
soccer coach with Twinsburg City Schools. ...
Thomas Kerr is engaged to Diana Strauchon and
plans to be married in July. Thomas also received a
Bill and Theresa (Dwyer) ’04 Boston celebrated
William Charles’ first birthday in May.
Boler MBA in ’06 and recently passed the CPA
exam. He works for KPMG in NYC, where the
couple lives. ... Elizabeth Sessions and Evan
Langfeldt were married Nov. 15. They enjoyed a
trip to Placencia, Belize, and now live in Charlotte,
VT. ... Jessie Kron recently moved to Buffalo, NY,
and is a staffing manager for Accountemps. ...
Abby Fernandez graduated from Cleveland-
Marshall College of Law last May, passed the bar
exam in July, and is practicing in Canton. ... Kathy
Henkels is at Ohio State earning her master’s in
social work. ... Katie Crowther joined the WTVO
(Rockford, IL) news team as an anchor in January
2008. Katie earned her master’s from Northwestern’s
Medill School of Journalism. Before WTVO, Katie
had interned at TV stations in Chicago; Cleveland;
Detroit; Washington, DC; New York City; and
Dublin, Ireland. She loves covering something
different everyday, and getting to know a wide
John Carroll classmates celebrate at the wedding of Meg (Sweeny) Harrison ’04 and Kevin Harrison ’03. Front
row, from left: Mimi Harrison ’06, the groom and bride, Kristin (Beardsley) Glisson ’04, Allison (Bower) Quaresma
’04, Kerry (Obyc) Smith ’04, and Erin (Gregory) Eiser ’04. Back row, from left: Bryan Fialkowski ’01, Maureen
(Bachtel) Soeder ’02, Mike Mystic ’02, Nick Soeder ’02, Brendan Ward ’02, Jeff Lerner ’03, and Veronica Delorenzo
’02. Also at the wedding but not pictured were Martha Buckley ’04 and Julie (Kiser) Lerner ’05.
variety of people in her community. She also gives
back by remaining active with the YMCA’s Big
Brother Big Sister program. ... Brendan Conway
joined the law firm of Cavitch, Familo, Durkin &
Frutkin in Cleveland. Brendan graduated from Case
Western Reserve University School of Law earning
a juris doctor. In law school, Brendan worked for
the IRS and KeyBanc Capital Markets. Prior to law
school he was an operations supervisor for MCR,
Inc. Brendan’s walls are full of diplomas and
certificates as he received a BSBA degree in
accountancy from Carroll, is a Certified Public
Accountant, and is a member of the Ohio Society
of CPAs. ... And finally, come late summer/early fall
a few of our classmates will experience parenthood
for the first time. In August, Paul ’03 and Katie
Murphy as well as Audra Van Winkle and
husband Brian are expecting their first baby. And a
couple of months later, in October, Kristen
(Hudach) Lydecker and her husband will become
new parents as well. ... William Charles, son of Bill
and Theresa (Dwyer) Boston celebrated his first
birthday in May. ... Until next time, Clapp
‘05
Jennifer Tolhurst
jtolhurst04@jcu.edu
Thanks to all for sharing your news this time
around – Catherine (Ramella) Myers married P.J.
Myers on July 6, 2007. JCU grads in their wedding
party included: Shannon McConville ’04, Lauren
(Myers) DeFazio ’02, Mike Myers ’00, Tom Arth
’03, and Peter Koch. The couple lives in Bay
Village, OH. ... History major Cheryl Kelley shared
her extensive travels with us – since graduation
she’s gone from Cleveland to Cairo, to North
Carolina, and will soon be on her way to London.
After a year of service working in inner city
Cleveland schools as part of the AmeriCorps
program, Cheryl decided to jet off to Egypt to
teach English and learn about the culture. One of
ALUMNI JOURNAL
the highlights of her trip was when she went to
Morocco and visited Casablanca and Marrakesh.
After returning to the States, she taught sixth
grade at Our Lady of Perpetual Help school in
Rocky Mount, NC. But her travels aren’t over yet
– in the fall, she’ll attend City University of
London’s Cultural Policy and Management
program. ... I’ve also heard through the grapevine
that Elise Deramo married Adam Stredney on
Sept. 20 of last year. Elise works as an expo
coordinator in Chicago, and her husband is an
assistant manager with Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
These two burned their fair share of jet fuel, too –
they honeymooned in Greece and Paris. ... Now
that I’m good and jealous of all of your travels,
what are the rest of you up to? P.S. – Don’t forget,
even though it’s not our turn for a reunion YET, all
JCU grads are invited to come to Reunion
Weekend’s Vegas Night on Friday, June 19, and to
the Sunday Father’s Day brunch. Hope to see
some of you there! Jennifer
‘06
Christine Bohn
440-668-8210
Cbohn06@jcu.edu
Roberta Muoio
330-284-7722
rmuoio06@jcu.edu
Ashley Fink and Kenneth Henry Jr. were married
Sept. 20, 2008. Ashley is working at Reimer,
Lorber and Arnovitz Co. LPA in Twinsburg, OH. ...
Andrew Kollman and Amanda Brooke-Lynn
Williams will be married June 20, 2009. Andrew
received a Master in Business Administration from
John Carroll in ’08 and is a consultant for the
Kollman Clinic in Dover, OH. ... Jake Beiting has
received a master’s in exercise physiology from
the University of South Florida. He is now working
at the Cleveland Indians’ new spring-training site
in Goodyear, AZ, as the minor-league strength-and-
conditioning coordinator. ... Shea Keats recently
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 45
ALUMNI JOURNAL
moved to Los Angeles and is working in
advertising. ... Annamae Heiman and Nick
Kacsandi are engaged. Nick proposed at the Walt
Disney World Resort, where Annamae is a cast
member. The wedding is planned for July 10,
2010. After graduation, Annamae received a full
graduate assistantship in history at Kent State
University and graduated last May with an M.A. in
history with a concentration in public history. ...
Craig Cohen is engaged to Kimberly Gafric and
they are planning to marry Memorial Day
weekend. After receiving his MBA, Craig now
works for KeyBank in corporate investigations. ...
Kevin Johnstone can be seen at www.ireport.
com/docs/DOC-207219, a CNN news clip
reporting about the journey Americans and
Mongolians took to watch the first live broadcast
of this year’s Super Bowl in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Kevin can be seen at the 1:02 mark. It took him
almost seven hours in two cars and a bus to get to
the pub showing the game. Kevin is currently
living in Selenge as a Peace Corps volunteer. ...
include Patrick Keller, Jeremy Kemp, Kevin
Elliott, John “Rudy” Rudell ’08, Mariana Samanez
’06, Derek Norris, and Chris Wasik. You can
check out the website they developed at www.
mustachepgh.com. Great job, everyone! ...
Jennifer Scott will be entering her third year with
AmeriCorps VISTA with Ohio Campus Compact,
and she has been promoted to VISTA Leader for
her third term. Her first year was at Mount Union
and her second (and third) at Notre Dame
College. ... We also have plenty of exciting
engagement news! Christa Arkebauer was
recently engaged to Aaron Pumerantz, and they
are planning a December 2010 wedding. Christa
will graduate from the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine with a master’s in
biomedical sciences, and Aaron will graduate from
PCOM with his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine,
both in 2009. They plan to move to Washington,
DC, after graduation. ... Brianna McKeown and
Cole Clougherty were engaged in early
November 2008 and will be married this July.
while Niki received hers in biology. Good luck,
guys! ... Todd and Tonya (James) Kline were
united in marriage on June 21, 2008, at Stan
Hywet Hall in Akron. The couple honeymooned in
Antigua and resides in Green. Tonya earned a
bachelor’s of business administration in
accounting from Kent State University and a
master’s degree in business administration from
John Carroll. ... Master’s recipient Helen M.
Dumski was named program director for the
Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland
(DAGC). Previous to this role, Helen held the titles
of VP and COO. Ms. Dumski is a registered
licensed dietitian and has been intricately involved
with the diabetes community in Northeast Ohio
for more than 25 years. She received her
bachelor’s degree in medical dietetics from The
Ohio State University and her master’s in
non-profit administration from Carroll. ... As
always, please submit any and all news to my
contact info. Take care, MJ

Renita Simons won the Bronze Award for sales
in 2008. ... Mike Santangelo graduated from
Hofstra University School of Law in May and will
be sitting for the New York State bar exam in July.
... On April 20, Chris Zerucha finished his
internship at St. Mary in Mentor for seminary
formation. ... In January, Lindsay Sykes and
Joseph Haller were engaged. They are planning a
May 2010 wedding. Lindsay is in her second year
working as an account executive at Stand
Advertising LLC in Amherst, NY. ... Skip Kawalek
is serving in the U.S. Army. In November 2008, he
returned from Kuwait and heads to Egypt in March
for his next duty assignment. Roberta and
Christine
‘09
More details to come after the wedding. ... Bob Lisa Ugran
Blazunas ’92 let us know that his son Frank lugran09@jcu.edu
Blazunas became engaged to Nao Tsuzuki,
Christmas 2007, and they are planning a wedding
for the latter part of 2009. Frank spent his junior
When we first walked onto campus four years ago
year studying in Japan at one of JCU’s sister
for orientation, we were handed a highlighter and
universities, and this is where Nao and he met.
told to sign the T-shirts of people we were not
Frank is working for Bank of America. Nao works
familiar with. Now that the time has come to
as a childcare specialist in Japan, and they plan to
move on, we have been handed a diploma and
reside in Northeast Ohio after the wedding. ...
asked to put our education to good use in a world
Krystina McGiffin was recently engaged to
we may not be fully familiar with. Clearly, our lives
Christopher Thomas. The bride and groom plan to
have developed into something much more
be married on July 11 at Holy Family Church.
complicated than a graffiti party. I think I speak for
Krystina is the communications coordinator for
most of you when I say that it is hard to believe
Nationwide Better Health in Solon. Mr. Thomas is
time has flown by so quickly. During my time at
a social studies teacher and swim coach at
Carroll, the people I met and befriended were

‘07
Lisa Iafelice
liafelice07@jcu.edu
Brittany Bush
bbush07@jcu.edu
REUNION YEAR -
first time ever
We have lots of exciting news this issue! It was
great to hear from everyone ... keep the
information coming. Jessica Lubrano is working
for a company in Westlake, OH, called Wellington
Technologies, Inc. She is now the executive
assistant to the president/CEO of the company
and loves it! ... Jenny Dambrosio will be finishing
her master’s in business with a concentration in
Normandy High School of Parma City Schools. ...
what made my four years so wonderful. That is
Rhiannon Lathy and Alex Decker were engaged
why I am happy to have the opportunity to write
in May 2008 and will be getting married Aug. 8,
this column. It allows me to stay in touch with all
2009, in Traverse City, MI. Rhiannon will be
of you and share the triumphs of your lives with
graduating with an M.A. in English from JCU in
the rest of our class. I encourage you to please
August, and Alex is getting his master’s in
contact me with information about what you are
education from Ursuline this May. ...
doing with grad school, work, service, or travel. It
Congratulations to everyone and best of luck!
would also be great if you could contribute news
Don’t forget: Our class has been invited to the
regarding engagements, weddings, and, maybe
first-ever 2-year Reunion at Carroll from June
someday, children. Even if we personally never
19-21, 2009! Not too late to attend – please
got the chance to know one another, I hope that
contact Carla Gall ’05, reunion coordinator, at
you will not shy away from contributing to the
cgall@jcu.edu or 216-397-1592, to register. We are
efforts of this column. After all, you just can’t rely
looking forward to seeing everyone there! Lisa
on your Facebook news feed to tell you
and Brittany
everything... Lisa

marketing from Cleveland State this August, and
she’ll walk in December. She is currently working
with Michelle Anderson and Kristin Barclay ’03 at
American Greetings on the Walmart Merchant
Card Team. They also sit together, which they
think is fun! ... Dan Pollick will be moving to
Baltimore to take a McCormick in-house position
as an account executive for his company
MatchPoint Marketing. Also, Dan and some of our
fellow graduates just finished a month-long
fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They
raised over $3,500 for the foundation (enough to
grant a wish) through local volunteer events in
Pittsburgh. Those who helped raise the money
‘08
MJ LaPerch
mjlaperch@gmail.com
As the first year since our graduation comes to a
close, a lot has happened in the world. A historic
election and an unprecedented economic climate
have been the news for the first part of the year in
our country while our classmates continue to
experience it. ... Niki Foos and Steve Gittinger
are now engaged to be married and have set the
date for July 3, 2010. The couple, who were high
school sweethearts, made it official on Dec. 17.
Steve received his bachelor’s in mathematics

46 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009

IN MEMORIAM
Helen Gallagher ’30 12/21/2008
Ernest A. Ryavec ’38 3/24/2009
Joseph A. Britton ’40 2/19/2009
Raymond J. Casey ’42 4/8/2009
Art Wincek ’42 4/27/2009
Leo E. Corr ’43 4/1/2009
William J. Duhigg ’48 4/20/2009
John K. Gallagher ’48 2/11/2009
Edward A. Giese ’50 11/25/2008
Thomas R. Ott ’50 3/6/2008
Paul J. Schlund ’50 3/25/2009
F. Wm Sullivan Jr. ’52 4/9/2009
James A. Mazzi ’53 4/18/2009
Preston P. Kellogg ’54 7/22/2008
James P. Monaghan ’54 3/29/2009
Mark Ruffing ’54 2/4/2009
George J. Prpic ’56G 4/23/2009
Sr. Marian Leonard OSU ’57 11/26/2008
Thomas J. Wilson ’57 2/3/2009
Paul A. Mauerer ’58 3/7/2009
Rev. Robert A. Bonnell ’59G 3/5/2009
Donald L. Vogel ’59 3/23/2009
James H. Powers ’60 3/23/2009
Richard W. Niedzwiecki ’61 4/13/2009
Thomas A. Russell ’61 7/31/2006
Sr. M. Genevieve Jankowski ’62 7/1/2007
William R. Mooney ’62 2/24/2009
Richard Keith McPhie ’63 3/18/2009
Carol G. Stringer ’63 4/21/2009
Thomas P. Bettendorf ’65 4/15/2009
Charles A. Krajniak ’65 3/11/2009
Michael R. Perme ’66 3/29/2009
John Joseph O’Block ’69 12/24/2008
Joseph T. Sopher ’69 5/27/2008
Gary F. Kopmeyer ’70 2/25/2009
Thomas E. Czech ’72 3/16/2009
Lavelle Esgar ’73G 3/26/2009
Frederick J. Krum ’73 3/2/2009
Anne B. O’Donnell ’73G 3/9/2009
Joseph T. Usher ’73 2/12/2009
Roger A. Ott ’74 2/13/2009
William R. Sweet ’74G 4/27/2008
Jane F. Perchinske ’79 5/7/2009
Sr. Joyce Marie Krysler ’81G 10/2/2008
Mark E. Schell ’82 2/22/2009
Eric C. Dix ’83 4/4/2009
Michael A. Doberdruk ’84 2/13/2009
Ann F. Chapman ’86 2/5/2009
Edwina G. Whitlock ’89G 3/2/2009
Michele Allen ’94G 2/11/2009
Michele A. Grasnik ’94 2/11/2009
Erick C. St. John ’94 9/3/2007
Judith A. Jeran ’95G 3/18/2009
Victor Nolan ’00 3/13/2009
Murlan J. Murphy Sr. friend 4/18/2009
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.
ALUMNI JOURNAL
Joseph W. Kolp ’44
Joseph W. Kolp, M.D., ’44 died in Canton, Ohio, on
Jan. 19, 2009, at the age of 86. Dr. Kolp was born
in North Canton and he remained in that area his
entire life. He graduated from John Carroll University
and St. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Kolp
served as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Force. He
operated a private medical practice in Canton for 40
years. In addition, he served as the president and
chief of staff at Mercy Medical Center in Canton.
After retirement, Dr. Kolp volunteered at the Canton Community Clinic.
He was active at St. Michael’s Church and the Stark County Medical
Society, among other involvements. He served on many boards, including
Loyola of the Lakes Retreat Center and the John Carroll University Alumni
Association. Among the many honors he received was the Knight of St.
Gregory Award. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Catherine
(Buckon); children Patricia and Peter; seven grandchildren; two great-
grandchildren; and a brother. Dr. Kolp was preceded in death by sons
Joseph and David, daughter Mary Jane, and a sister, Sr. Kathleen.
Anne Bernet O’Donnell ’73G
Anne Bernet O’Donnell ’73G, an esteemed
educational and community leader in Greater
Cleveland, died on March 9, 2009, at the age of
71. Born in Shaker Heights, she graduated from
Manhattanville College, in New York, and John
Carroll, where she earned an M.A. in educational
administration. “Miss O’D,” as people knew her,
worked at Saint Clare Catholic School, Saint
Ignatius High School, University School, and
Gilmour Academy teaching history, math, and
English. She also held many administrative positions. She was the
first female chairwoman of the Walsh Jesuit High School board and
a founding trustee of Saint Martin de Porres High. Six years ago, she
left the board of the Garfield Heights branch of Boys Hope Girls Hope
to become executive director, a position she held until her death.
During her tenure, she significantly grew the program, which aids
promising teens from difficult backgrounds. She also started Hope
Prep, which helps disadvantaged middle schoolers prepare for college.
Ms. O’Donnell was the granddaughter of John J. Bernet, the Carroll
benefactor for whom the University’s first residence hall was named.
She is survived by several cousins.
Murlan (Jerry) Murphy Sr.
Murlan (Jerry) Murphy Sr. died in Cleveland on
April 18, 2009, at the age of 90. As president and
chairman of the family company that made Murphy
Oil Soap, he elevated the vegetable-oil product from
a locally sold brand to a national one. The soap had
been developed in Cleveland by his grandfather
Jeremiah in 1905. Born in Cleveland Heights, Mr.
Murphy graduated from Saint Ignatius High School
and what is now Case Western Reserve University.
He and his wife, Margaret, were generous donors to
many institutions, including Saint Ignatius and John Carroll, where a floor
in the Dolan Science Center is dedicated in their honor. In recognition of
their generosity to Catholic programs, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were named
Founders of the Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus in 2007. Mr.
Murphy assisted the Jesuit mission internationally in East Africa, India,
and Nepal. Three of his children run the Murphy family companies: JTM
Products, which produces industrial soaps, and ChemMasters, which
makes concrete curing compounds. Mr. Murphy was married to his wife
for more than 60 years, and he is survived by her; their children, Murlan
Jr., Raymond, Paul, Rita Murphy Carfagna, and Brian; 17 grandchildren;
and six great-grandchildren.
SUMMER 2009 John Carroll university 47
 MY TURN
Employers continue to
tell us how much they
value our students.
John Carroll has always
been a quality-over-
quantity school for their
recruiting needs, and
that serves our students
well in any economy.
48 John Carroll university SUMMER 2009
Many Interests, Many Paths
“How are you coping in this bad economy?” This is not
a surprising question for any of us to be called upon
to answer. But I have been fielding it for almost a year
now in my role as director of the career center at John
Carroll. “It must be really bad,” everyone says, as they
wait for my “woe is us” response. But the response they
receive is quite different.
We have experienced a great year in employer
attention to our students and alumni, having more
appointments for on-campus interviews than students
interested in interviewing. These are international,
national, regional, and local employers with internships
and full-time opportunities. We also have not seen a
slowdown in job opportunities posted through Career
Connection, our online system. That system is available
to all Carroll students and alumni in search of part-
time, summer, internship, and full-time entry-level as
well as experienced positions. We still had more than
100 employers at our annual career fair, too.
Employers continue to tell us how much they value
our students. John Carroll has always been a quality-
over-quantity school for their recruiting needs, and that
serves our students well in any economy.
While I can certainly attest to the effects of the
economy on the workforce, when you work with
students having diverse interests in their future career
paths, the impact is not as great as it would be on a
campus with a more single-minded focus. In addition
to the premium education our students are gaining in
the classroom, many of them are taking advantage of
the Career Education courses the career center offers.
These credit-bearing courses are designed to meet
students at every step in their career development
– such as exploring a choice in major and career,
developing the skills necessary to secure an internship
and other ways to try out a career path, and preparing
for the successful transition to life after John Carroll.
Students can also work with our office to receive
academic credit for the internships they secure. Of course,
students can always come in to work with the career
center staff individually. Either way, they will receive
guidance for a comprehensive approach to the questions
integral to career development and tied to the mission of
our institution: Who am I? What am I good at? Where is
that needed in the world? How do I get there?
The Class of 2007 First Destination Survey shows
that 98 percent of the class work in full-time careers, 29
percent are in full-time graduate programs, 63 percent
are employed full time, and 6 percent fulfilled a year
of service. While the majority of our graduates remain
in Ohio, we have alumni across the country, as well
as overseas. By the time this is published, the Class
of 2008 First Destination Survey information will be
available. Access it on the career center’s website, www.
jcu.edu/careercenter. Follow the Success Stories tab.
Alumni, three months or 30 years out of Carroll,
can take advantage of continuing their relationship
with the career center. Whether they are in a career-
transitioning role or wanting to help current students
and other alumni by serving as a Carroll Contact
(networking contacts to share experiences), the career
center is happy to hear from them. We have such a
supportive alumni community at John Carroll, another
thing that really makes our University stand out.
Access to career services for alumni is not something
that every university offers, and we are proud to extend
that to our graduates.
Hilary Flanagan
Hilary Flanagan is the director of John Carroll’s Center for
Career Services. If you have a postgraduation success story
to share, call career services at 216-397-4237.
CARROLL PEOPLE

All the Ways that God Would Lead Us

Pastor-in-Residence Valentino (Val) Lassiter brings a from memory, a verse from the spiritual “We Will Understand
different viewpoint to campus. And yet, not so different. It Better By and By,” written by Charles Tindley in 1905:
The Protestant teacher, minister, author, and lecturer
puts it simply: “We celebrate the same God, have the same Trials dark on ev’ry hand
concerns, and experience the same joys and struggles in life.” And we cannot understand
The Rev. Dr. Lassiter, who recently celebrated his 30th All the ways that God would lead us
anniversary as minister of the Eastview United Church of To that blessed promised land.
Christ in Shaker Heights, has been a member of the religious But he guides us with His eye.
studies faculty at John Carroll since 1989. In 2002, he was And we’ll follow till we die
appointed the University’s first pastor-in-residence. A leading For we’ll understand it better by and by.
scholar of African American religious traditions, he teaches
several courses centering on the African American church, Better understanding – that’s exactly what Val Lassiter
theology, ethics, and sacred music. In addition, he teaches hopes to achieve at John Carroll as its pastor-in-residence.
a course on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., who was also Through his work as an educator, scholar, and preacher, he
the subject of his 2001 book, Martin Luther King in the African strives to instill deeper insights in the Carroll community and
American Preaching Tradition (Pilgrim Press, Cleveland). greater appreciation of one another.
His mission at John Carroll, he says, is to “assist people Susan Curphey
to be more tolerant of one another and appreciative of other
faith communities. I hope to instill the importance of unity and
understanding and the great rewards that come from that. And
we’re beginning to see that happen. The ecumenical movement
is strengthening on campus and elsewhere.” He sees a growth in
a “nondenominational spirit” and “students coming together”
through several campus activities, such as the John Carroll
Gospel Choir and the student-led Praise and Worship services,
which supplement the traditional Catholic liturgies.
This year, the Rev. Dr. Lassiter developed a pilot program
for Campus Ministry consisting of a series of five ecumenical
church services at Saint Francis Chapel. John Scarano,
director of Campus Ministry, says, “Val’s presence here not
only allows us to reach out to the non-Catholic Christians,
but as a faculty member, he influences the wider University.
And he really understands the Jesuit tradition. He has a
wonderful way of weaving our mission into his work.”
Beyond teaching, the professor’s role as pastor-in-
residence involves speaking at churches and organizations
throughout the community, providing spiritual support to the
University’s Protestant community, and organizing a series
of lectures revolving around African American religion.
“Our lectures entice local leaders and ministers, as well as
minorities, to visit John Carroll,” he says.
The University’s pastor-in-residence most enjoys
interacting with students and faculty. It is evident he cares
about his students. He is clearly committed to sharing his
passion about his subject matter. During a recent class on
African American sacred music, he spontaneously delivered,
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address, please notify us
at journal@jcu.edu or 216-397-4332.

The Dance Ensemble, a Carroll student group, performs after

the opening ceremonies of the American Cancer Society Relay
For Life of John Carroll University on April 25. In its third year of
participation in the 18-hour fundraiser, Carroll, led by students,
drew 856 participants and raised $63,069.89.

Photograph by John H. Reid III.