Class Notes for 1956

Mike Conti is embarking on a new career, Poker. He recently won the championship in Tunica, MS. ... Many of you will be celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary soon (including yours truly) so let me take the opportunity to wish you many more! Fifty years has gone by quickly. ... Your class representative is looking for news from his fellow classmates. Please help him!! ... Leo

Some reunion flashbacks! Bob Pascente attended the ’56 reunion but was inadvertently omitted from the list. Also, thanks to Mike Conti for the bocce ball tournament. It was a great reunion! If anyone else was omitted, let me know. ... Fr. Schell was unable to join us at the reunion so John Boler visited him with Fr. Niehoff in late September. He is doing well in retirement and vividly remembers our class. John will be hosting his mini-reunion lunch in Fort Myers, FL, on March 14, 2007. If any of you are going to be in the area, please contact me or John for details. ... I extend my sympathies to Ted Druhot whose wife died in late May. He was unable to attend the reunion but plans to be at the next one. ... Please send your notes to me on any news you may have. Leo

Last column by Tom O'Neil ----- For those that missed Reunion 2006, I can only tell you to keep 2011 open. It’s well worth the trip. As far as statistics go, we had many classmates and two widows register for the festivities -- John Boler, Tom Bonifas, Jack Breen, John Broderick, Ray Burke, Allen Caine, Bill Carrick, Bartholomew Caterino, Mike Conti, Tommy Conway, John Daley, Ed Daugherty, Joe DeAngelis, Al DeGulis, Charlie DeVille, Otto Dreiling, Leo Duffy, Fritz Eder, Daniel Fetsko, Joseph Fox, Robert Gale, James Gasper, Donald Gehlmann, Mary Lou Giffels, Bill Gilroy, Denny Hoynes, Peter Jenkins, Edward Katalinas, Larry Kinskey, Jim Knechtges, Fred Marshall, Leo McDonough, Ben Miralia, Tom Moffitt, Frank Moran, John Nowlan, Albert Oberst, Don O'Connor, Daniel O'Horo, Tom O'Neil, Frank Paulovich, Ray Pfeiffer, Conrad Pokorski, Robert Porter, Paul Prasse, Vincent Punzo, Pat Riegelsberger, Chuck Rini, Bill Ryan, Bert Samerdyke, David Santoro, Philip Schaefer, Jim Schempp, Paul Schlimm, Don Schuele, Joe Sedlock, Patrick Shannon, John Slattery, George Vaul, John Volpe, George Waldeck, Donald Wingenfeld, Ron Wysocki, and Art Zammikiel. This left us a little short for the overall attendance record but we did set a record for a 50-year class with 27.2% of living members attending which won us the James M. Mackey ’71 cup and beat the previous attendance record of 24.8% held by the class of ’50! The all-time money record for a 50-year class gift was shattered with our class gift of $1,004,878. This total won the Joseph D. Sullivan ’53 cup for the class with the highest class gift for this year’s Reunion. Our gift came from a total of 93 donors and beat the old record by $142,305. As proud as we may be of this accomplishment, let’s hope that it is a short lived record. ... You may recall that when I was “volunteered” to be the class correspondent, I stated that it would be until saner heads prevailed. I am pleased to announce that time has come. After a few Miller Lites, Leo Duffy agreed to write the column. We can make Leo’s job a lot easier by sending him news of awards, travels, volunteer work, health issues, JCU contacts, etc. In this case, no news is NOT good news. ... Thanks for the memories, Tom ***Fr. Schell extends a big thank you for the reunion shirt and card. He said that he will cherish the thoughts and good wishes. He misses attending Reunion and visiting with you at dinner. It was always a great joy to see and visit with so many old friends. You are in his prayers

The winter season, as always, brings alumni and university personnel to Florida and this year was no exception. In February, Father Robert Scullin, SJ, the Detroit provincial and John Carroll staff where in Naples and West Palm Beach for a Mass and Detroit Province gathering. The Naples affair had about 30 Carroll Alumni among the 120 attendees. Our class was well represented with Paul Schlimm, John Boler, Al DeGulis, Danny O’Horo and myself. Our lone representative at the Palm Beach event was Jim Knechtges. ... In March, we had our annual Ft. Myers class luncheon. This year’s group included hosts John and Mary Jo Boler, Mike and Lois Conti, Jim and Marykay Knechtges, Leo and Mary Duffy, Ed and Joan Daugherty, Paul and Noreen Schlimm, Frank Moran, Al DeGulis, Leo Slack, and myself. Needless to say, the JCU war stories were making the rounds. As a sign that we might finally be adults, the restaurant invited us back for next year’s reunion. ... Speaking of Leo Duffy, he and Mary still spend summers in Naperville but really enjoy wintering in Punta Gorda, FL. ... Unless you have been on Mars, you must realize that our 50th Reunion will be held June 23-25. As of the first week of April the following classmates have registered for Reunion -- Jack Breen, Bart Caterino, Edward Daugherty, Robert Gale, James Gasper, Leo McDonough, Ben Miralia, Al Oberst, Tom O’Neil, Ray Pfeiffer, Jim Schempp, Ron Wysocki. If you haven’t committed, it’s not too late to add your name. Remember, there is no cost and you may bring any widow of our class to the events. We need 72 classmates to break the 50-year class record. ... One last note to report is that we lost another member of the class. We learned that Jack Boyle passed away in May of last year. ... See you June 23rd, Tom

With the passing of Dick Giffels, the class not only lost a dear friend but also our class correspondent. To remedy this situation, John Boler and Al DeGulis “volunteered” yours truly. You are stuck with me until saner hands prevail. It’s obvious that they didn’t look up my old English grades. The adage of “garbage in -- garbage out” applies to any class column, so send any news items to either the alumni office or myself. ... In talking to Boler he is again hosting a class luncheon, in Fort Myers, in the middle of March. If you are going to be in the area, call John at 847.358.6141, or myself, for more details. Of course, our “Last Hurrah,” will occur June 23-25. The reunion will only be as good as the turnout, so let’s all make an effort to attend. ... Tom

We can be justly proud that our class will again be well represented among this year’s Alumni Medal winners. John Boler and Jack Breen will receive this coveted award at this year’s commencement ceremony. They have both served as long time members of the university’s Board of Trustees and have given unselfishly of their time and treasure to further the goals of this university. Both eminently deserve and will join classmates Al DeGulis, Denny Hoynes, Rip Reilly, Bishop A. Edward Pevec, Ralph D. Lach, and yours truly as Alumni Medal winners thus giving the class of ’56 a total of eight Alumni Medal winners. This is the highest honor bestowed by the alumni and we extend hearty congratulations to these two latest winners. It is richly deserved. ... On March 16, Paul and Noreen Schlimm, Jim and Mary Kay Knechtges, John and Mary Jo Boler, Tom O’Neil and Mary Lou and I gathered at the Mucky Duck restaurant on Captiva Island, FL for the second annual gathering of ’56ers in Southwest Florida. Sincerest apologies to Ed Daugherty for a mix-up in location. We expect this to be an annual event so stay tuned for details. On the other hand, if Florida is not for you in the winter and you want to get your rays out west here’s an answer in the form of an e-mail recently received from Bob Pascente as follows “Since moving to Arizona two years ago I’m finally getting around to inviting our classmates to experience the wonderful winters which includes playing golf, seeing the Cubs and Sox during spring training and the FBR Phoenix Open. We have extra bedrooms and bath so anyone from ’56 is cordially welcome. My number is 480-634-4244.” You can e-mail Bob at Gloriapasc@AOL.COM ... Now there’s an offer you can hardly ignore. ... On a more somber note, John Czechowski and Hank Strater passed away recently and we extend our sympathies to their families. ... Due to advancing health issues this will be my final submission of class notes. Gippo

When nearly 400 guests from the Pittsburgh area gathered in September to honor “The Treasures of Italy,” they saluted none other than our classmate Dr. Phillip Ripepi as their Man of the Year. Our hearty congratulations to Phil and thanks to Larry Kinskey for supplying this information. ... Last March a group from our class gathered for lunch and fellowship in Fort Myers, FL. By popular demand, we’re going to do it again on March 16, 2005. There were eight of us from the class of ’56 together with several of our wives who gathered in ’04. With a bit of forward planning we should add to that number maybe even double it. Tom “hurricane” O’Neil has agreed to be the point man for collecting names and notifying interested parties. Drop him a line at 1411 NE 30TH Court Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334, or call him at 954-561-5253 if you can join this group. This gathering is not sponsored by JCU and absolutely no fund-raising will occur. In fact, there is a good chance you’ll get that elusive free lunch so notify Tom if you are available and he’ll provide the exact details. While you are marking dates, put down June 16-18, 2006. That is the projected date for our 50th reunion weekend at Carroll. Don’t miss it! ... Otto Dreiling writes that he and JoAnn have downsized from the four-bedroom house to a two-bedroom villa. They now reside at 1805 E. Western Reserve Rd. Unit #56, Youngstown, OH, 44514. If you are close by, call or stop in, it’s another chance at that elusive free lunch. We remember Otto as the hero of the 1953 St. Patrick’s day massacre - but that’s another story. Joe DeAngelis e-mails that he and John Boler met recently at Grandparent’s Night in the Chicago area school where their respective grandchildren attend. ... Generally, working as your class rep often makes me feel a lot like the guy who was hired to fix the wash machines that never break. There’s not a whole lot of business. Send in your news! Gippo

On Friday, May 21, 2004 the annual awards dinner at Carroll was a proud night for the class of ’56. They came back to campus from near and far to honor our classmates Al DeGulis, for his steadfast loyalty and support of JCU, and Bishop Edward Pevec, for his 54 years of service as a priest in the Cleveland Diocese. These two ’56 graduates were among five people receiving the prestigious John Carroll Alumni Medal that night. You had to be proud of all these Alumni Medal winners and their many and varied accomplishments. John Boler presented Al DeGulis and Bob Maynard ’58 presented Bishop Pevec with their awards. These medal winners were also honored at graduation on May 23. ... Among those in the audience at the awards dinner from our class were Dan and Joan O’Horo, George and Mary Kay Vaul, Bill Ryan, Jim and Marykay Knechtges, George and Gail Waldeck and Mary Lou Giffels and me. ... Tom O’Neil was an overnight guest at our home in June just prior to beginning his annual tour of major league baseball stadiums. He proudly reports he has attended a major league game in 40 different stadiums. Can you beat that? While in Philadelphia Tom contacted Joe Fox and extracted Joe’s promise to attend our 50th reunion in ’06. ... Bear in mind, the alumni notes from our class depend entirely on your input. So don’t be shy. Gippo

A couple of the self-appointed deep thinkers from our class recently decided there was a need for the class of ’56 to have a presence in these alumni class notes. So they did what self-appointed deep thinkers always do-they found someone else for the job. That’s me. I’m no Rip Reilly but I’ll give it a try. You’ve got to feed the news to me. Send it by mail, by e-mail, by telephone or let’s do lunch. Just get it to me. -- May 23rd was graduation day and the class of 1956 was uniquely honored as once again one of our own, Al DeGulis, was awarded the Alumni Medal in recognition of his many years of service to JCU as trustee, as president of the alumni association, and as a loyal supporter of the university. Al is most deserving in light of his relentless dedication to Carroll. He became the fourth member of our class to receive this most prestigious award. ... Eight of us from our class gathered this winter in Fort Myers, FL, to celebrate our 70th birthdays. You probably felt the heat on March 3rd -- we burned a bunch of candle wax as we celebrated what collectively totaled 560 years of good living. Seated around the table were Ed Daugherty, Leo Duffy, Larry Selhorst, Jim Knechtges, Jack Breen, John Boler, Tom O’Neil and yours truly. It required 8 separate birthday cakes -- that’s a lot of candlepower! We reveled, we drank, we ate, we sang, we listened to each other’s lies. But we were respectful because seated at the nearby “MARY TABLE” were Mary Jo Boler, Mary Kay Knechtges, Mary Jane Breen, Mary Therese Duffy and Joan Marie Daugherty. The festivities ended promptly at 2:30 p.m. as O’Neil needed his nappy. ... George Eppley has completed his first novel Life Comes To The Archbishop. It includes a sensitive discussion of many of the problems of the Church in the modern day. You can access a description at George’s Web site http.//www.csnmail.net/~eppley/. ... In January Bill Ryan was appointed to the Cleveland Metroparks board. As one of three commissioners, Bill aids in setting policy for a staff of over 500 people in the operation of the zoo, 5 golf courses, the famous Emerald Necklace of Metro parks and much more. Congratulations commish! Bill, George Vaul and I recently had lunch together to talk things over. ... Don’t forget, the success of this column depends on your input so shoot me your stories. Gippo

Dear JCU and Class of ‘56 -- We had wanted to kick off the clergy appreciation month with this issue but, we will officially start it in October of 2003 instead of 2002. You still can send a card to one of your favorite persons who have dedicated their life to their vocation in the service of Christ. Fathers Joseph O. Schell, SJ, and John Crawford are two who immediately come to my mind. Father Crawford, 1545 S. Green Rd. (Saint Greg's), South Euclid, 44121 was one of our classmates, who not only served as associate pastor at St. Greg's but also was a great teacher at Notre Dame College and at John Carroll. ... Another person who needs to be praised and prayed for is the Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, STD. He took classes with us at JCU, attended Borromeo, the Universite de St. Joseph in Beyrouth, Lebanon, and Catholic U. He taught at JCU and St. John’s College, and at Catholic U. Since 1967 he has been rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary in Washington, DC. Archbishop Francis Zayek appointed him Chorbishop. He has published many articles and was awarded the National Order of the Cedar by the President of Lebanon. We were blessed to have had Chorbishop Beggiani at JCU when we were there. ... My total words are limited so the rest must be short. Many JCU Alum News’ ago I told you how concerned I was with the direction JCU was taking. Well, as I predicted, there is evidence that the Future Church is turning up their organized dissension at JCU to a new level. I would like to remind them that Pope John Paul II wrote “Veritatis Splendor” and “Ex Corde Ecclesia” for their purposes. Or please look them up: http://www.newadvent.org/Pope/ppjp02.htm. ... Thanks for your responses to my e-mails. I would sure appreciate getting some news from you. Only 3 more years until our 50th reunion (1956-2006). It is hard to believe. So God bless and keep you, yours and JCU. Stay healthy and full of grace! Also, take time to pray for our dedicated clergy. ... Al

Class Notes 1956

	Leo Duffy 1561 Towhee Lane Naperville, IL 60565 630.355.2199 January to May 1500 Park Beach Cir. Unit 5G Punta Gorda, FL 33950 941.505.8394 leoduffy57@hotmail.com


summer 2008	Again, a group of John Carroll spouses and their husbands got together for a long lunch to celebrate another year on March 13 in Fort Myers. Attending were Betty and Joe Kost, Pat and Phil Schaefer, Marie and Ben Miralia, Mary Jo and John Boler, Noreen and Paul Schlimm, MaryKay and Jim Knechtges, Mary Therese and Leo Duffy, Mary Lou Giffels, Mike Conti, Al DeGulis, Tom O’Neil, Leo Slack, and Don Buckley ’57. We hope to continue this gathering and encourage all of you who are in the area to join us next year. ... Not all snowbirds go to Fla. -- In Casa Grande, Ariz., Gloria and Bob Pascente, Lauretta and Jack Broderick, and Marie and John Nowlan also had a long lunch to chat about old times as well as what is going on now. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture of them for this issue. ... Again, please send me some tidbits. God bless, Leo


spring 2008	Paul Schlimm and his better half, Noreen, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December with a family party that included all the children and grandchildren followed by a three-day skiing trip to a resort with the whole group. ... Bob Pascente is teaching social studies “full time” at St. Agnes Catholic School to sixth to eighth graders. Don’t know how you do it Bob!!!. He and wife Gloria, with their son, are heading to Paris during spring break. My guess is that Bob will need a break. ... John and Mary Jo Boler spent their 50th anniversary with their five children, their spouses, and 10 grandchildren along with Mary Jo’s brother and his wife on a very nice tour of Italy. As John says -- he hopes to celebrate the 50th for at least a year. Congratulations to all of our other classmates who have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. ... Sadly, I am also reporting the death of Otto Dreiling’s wife, JoAnn, in late summer of 2007 after a long illness. Our sympathies, Otto. ... Fellow classmates, this column depends on your input. Without it, there is no news and/or history of the class of ’56. I would deeply appreciate your response. Thanks much and God bless, Leo


fall 2007	Al Oberst made a “pilgrimage of Lafayette’s Liberty” to France in September and was able to stay in a Lafayette Chateau. His group celebrated Lafayette’s 250th birthday along with the American Ambassador at Chateau Lafayette. They toured 15 sites in Paris where General Lafayette along with Ben Franklin and other patriots met to plan the American Revolution and the development of our new nation. Al is going back to France in 2009 to celebrate Adrienne Lafayette’s birthday. ... Bill Hagerty is the oldest full-time teacher at Xavier University. He was in England at our 50th Reunion but promises to make the 55th. ... Mary Jane Breen hosted a reunion of the class of ’57 nurses from St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Mary Jo Boler was also in this class. A number of these nurses (Mary Jane, Millie Collins, Anne Marie Dyke and others), who married JCU graduates, later earned degrees at JCU. Jack Breen and John Boler owe their success to the tender care that their wives provided them over these 50 years. ... For those of you who will be in Florida in March 2008, John Boler will be hosting the mini-reunion in Fort Myers on March 13. Call me or John for the details. ... Leo


summer 2007	To my ’56 classmates ... I have just returned from a land tour/cruise to our great state of Alaska with another couple to celebrate both of our reaching 50 years of marriage. My wife and I are sure milking this one because our five children with 10 of our 11 grandchildren threw us a party on July 29. We were joined at the party by none other than our illustrious class president, Ed Daugherty and his wife, Joan. We had a great time with many relatives, friends and a host of nieces and nephews and their children. Now I know many of you are having similar events in your lives. Let us know what is going on so that all of us can share in your joys and or sorrows. ... We expect to have another ’56 mini reunion in Fort Myers, FL, hosted by John Boler in mid March 2008. Contact me for more info if you can make it. God Bless, Leo


spring 2007	The class of ’56 Florida mini-reunion hosted by John Boler, in Fort Myers was held March 15, 2007. Those attending, with our spouses, were John Boler, Mike Conti, Ed Daugherty, Al DeGulis, Leo Duffy, Jim Knechtges, Ben Miralia, Tom O’Neil, Bob Pascente, Phil Schaefer, Paul Schlimm, and Leo Slack. ... Mary Therese and I were joined by all our children and grandchildren at our daughter’s home in Orlando to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary on February 2. ... Ruth Ann and Fritz Eder will be celebrating their anniversary with their family on a cruise in June, and Mary Jo and John Boler will also be celebrating their’s with a family trip to Italy in November. ... Leo


winter 2007	Mike Conti is embarking on a new career, Poker. He recently won the championship in Tunica, MS. ... Many of you will be celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary soon (including yours truly) so let me take the opportunity to wish you many more! Fifty years has gone by quickly. ... Your class representative is looking for news from his fellow classmates. Please help him!! ... Leo


fall 2006	Some reunion flashbacks! Bob Pascente attended the ’56 reunion but was inadvertently omitted from the list. Also, thanks to Mike Conti for the bocce ball tournament. It was a great reunion! If anyone else was omitted, let me know. ... Fr. Schell was unable to join us at the reunion so John Boler visited him with Fr. Niehoff in late September. He is doing well in retirement and vividly remembers our class. John will be hosting his mini-reunion lunch in Fort Myers, FL, on March 14, 2007. If any of you are going to be in the area, please contact me or John for details. ... I extend my sympathies to Ted Druhot whose wife died in late May. He was unable to attend the reunion but plans to be at the next one. ... Please send your notes to me on any news you may have. Leo


summer 2006	Last column by Tom O'Neil ----- For those that missed Reunion 2006, I can only tell you to keep 2011 open. It’s well worth the trip. As far as statistics go, we had many classmates and two widows register for the festivities -- John Boler, Tom Bonifas, Jack Breen, John Broderick, Ray Burke, Allen Caine, Bill Carrick, Bartholomew Caterino, Mike Conti, Tommy Conway, John Daley, Ed Daugherty, Joe DeAngelis, Al DeGulis, Charlie DeVille, Otto Dreiling, Leo Duffy, Fritz Eder, Daniel Fetsko, Joseph Fox, Robert Gale, James Gasper, Donald Gehlmann, Mary Lou Giffels, Bill Gilroy, Denny Hoynes, Peter Jenkins, Edward Katalinas, Larry Kinskey, Jim Knechtges, Fred Marshall, Leo McDonough, Ben Miralia, Tom Moffitt, Frank Moran, John Nowlan, Albert Oberst, Don O'Connor, Daniel O'Horo, Tom O'Neil, Frank Paulovich, Ray Pfeiffer, Conrad Pokorski, Robert Porter, Paul Prasse, Vincent Punzo, Pat Riegelsberger, Chuck Rini, Bill Ryan, Bert Samerdyke, David Santoro, Philip Schaefer, Jim Schempp, Paul Schlimm, Don Schuele, Joe Sedlock, Patrick Shannon, John Slattery, George Vaul, John Volpe, George Waldeck, Donald Wingenfeld, Ron Wysocki, and Art Zammikiel. This left us a little short for the overall attendance record but we did set a record for a 50-year class with 27.2% of living members attending which won us the James M. Mackey ’71 cup and beat the previous attendance record of 24.8% held by the class of ’50! The all-time money record for a 50-year class gift was shattered with our class gift of $1,004,878. This total won the Joseph D. Sullivan ’53 cup for the class with the highest class gift for this year’s Reunion. Our gift came from a total of 93 donors and beat the old record by $142,305. As proud as we may be of this accomplishment, let’s hope that it is a short lived record. ... You may recall that when I was “volunteered” to be the class correspondent, I stated that it would be until saner heads prevailed. I am pleased to announce that time has come. After a few Miller Lites, Leo Duffy agreed to write the column. We can make Leo’s job a lot easier by sending him news of awards, travels, volunteer work, health issues, JCU contacts, etc. In this case, no news is NOT good news. ... Thanks for the memories, Tom ***Fr. Schell extends a big thank you for the reunion shirt and card. He said that he will cherish the thoughts and good wishes. He misses attending Reunion and visiting with you at dinner. It was always a great joy to see and visit with so many old friends. You are in his prayers


spring 2006	The winter season, as always, brings alumni and university personnel to Florida and this year was no exception. In February, Father Robert Scullin, SJ, the Detroit provincial and John Carroll staff where in Naples and West Palm Beach for a Mass and Detroit Province gathering. The Naples affair had about 30 Carroll Alumni among the 120 attendees. Our class was well represented with Paul Schlimm, John Boler, Al DeGulis, Danny O’Horo and myself. Our lone representative at the Palm Beach event was Jim Knechtges. ... In March, we had our annual Ft. Myers class luncheon. This year’s group included hosts John and Mary Jo Boler, Mike and Lois Conti, Jim and Marykay Knechtges, Leo and Mary Duffy, Ed and Joan Daugherty, Paul and Noreen Schlimm, Frank Moran, Al DeGulis, Leo Slack, and myself. Needless to say, the JCU war stories were making the rounds. As a sign that we might finally be adults, the restaurant invited us back for next year’s reunion. ... Speaking of Leo Duffy, he and Mary still spend summers in Naperville but really enjoy wintering in Punta Gorda, FL. ... Unless you have been on Mars, you must realize that our 50th Reunion will be held June 23-25. As of the first week of April the following classmates have registered for Reunion -- Jack Breen, Bart Caterino, Edward Daugherty, Robert Gale, James Gasper, Leo McDonough, Ben Miralia, Al Oberst, Tom O’Neil, Ray Pfeiffer, Jim Schempp, Ron Wysocki. If you haven’t committed, it’s not too late to add your name. Remember, there is no cost and you may bring any widow of our class to the events. We need 72 classmates to break the 50-year class record. ... One last note to report is that we lost another member of the class. We learned that Jack Boyle passed away in May of last year. ... See you June 23rd, Tom


winter 2006	With the Reunion less than four months away, it’s time for everyone to hold June 23-25 open for something great to add to our memory bank. The class of ’55 holds the record for a 50-year class attendance at 72. With 290 living classmates (37 address unknown) we would need a 25% turnout to take that title. For your information, we had 57 at our last reunion and, we are up to 94 deceased members of the class. On an early survey of those planning to attend our 50th Reunion, we had 27 yes and 20 maybe. This was out of 50 replies. Our committee, chaired by Ed Daugherty, has come up with a great package -- including Jack and Mary Jane Breen again hosting our Saturday brunch. We are also inviting the widows of our Cleveland area classmates to attend some of the functions. As you probably know, the university picks up the cost of the entire weekend for the 50 year class. We will be asked for a class gift and before you write that check, I suggest that you grab your bible and look up Luke 12:48. ... In other matters, John Boler will host our Ft. Myers class luncheon sometime during the week of March 12. We will be contacting those that we know are in that area – and remember that any classmate and spouse are invited. Call John at 239.472.5071 for details. Congratulations are in order for John since he has taken on the chairmanship of the American Cancer Foundation. He will be going around the country raising funds for that cause. ... From the Christmas card notes came the news that Jack and Lauretta Broderick will be moving from Pittsburgh to Sun City, AZ, in April. It’s hard to picture Jack in one of those senior communities. ... Frank Moran reports that his throat cancer problems are behind him and he is looking forward to the Reunion. He also reported that he got together with Dave Kerwin while on a visit to Modesto, CA. Speaking from my own experience, Frank makes a very good tour guide, if you are in the Las Vegas area. ... Father Niehoff’s alumni reception came through Naples in January and in attendance were John Boler, Jack Breen, Al DeGulis, and myself. His message gave an optimistic and challenging time for the university. ... Our next issue of this column will have the names of those signed up for the Reunion so, get those reservations in now! ... Tom


fall 2005	With the passing of Dick Giffels, the class not only lost a dear friend but also our class correspondent. To remedy this situation, John Boler and Al DeGulis “volunteered” yours truly. You are stuck with me until saner hands prevail. It’s obvious that they didn’t look up my old English grades. The adage of “garbage in -- garbage out” applies to any class column, so send any news items to either the alumni office or myself. ... In talking to Boler he is again hosting a class luncheon, in Fort Myers, in the middle of March. If you are going to be in the area, call John at 847.358.6141, or myself, for more details. Of course, our “Last Hurrah,” will occur June 23-25. The reunion will only be as good as the turnout, so let’s all make an effort to attend. ... Tom


spring 2005	We can be justly proud that our class will again be well represented among this year’s Alumni Medal winners. John Boler and Jack Breen will receive this coveted award at this year’s commencement ceremony. They have both served as long time members of the university’s Board of Trustees and have given unselfishly of their time and treasure to further the goals of this university. Both eminently deserve and will join classmates Al DeGulis, Denny Hoynes, Rip Reilly, Bishop A. Edward Pevec, Ralph D. Lach, and yours truly as Alumni Medal winners thus giving the class of ’56 a total of eight Alumni Medal winners. This is the highest honor bestowed by the alumni and we extend hearty congratulations to these two latest winners. It is richly deserved. ... On March 16, Paul and Noreen Schlimm, Jim and Mary Kay Knechtges, John and Mary Jo Boler, Tom O’Neil and Mary Lou and I gathered at the Mucky Duck restaurant on Captiva Island, FL for the second annual gathering of ’56ers in Southwest Florida. Sincerest apologies to Ed Daugherty for a mix-up in location. We expect this to be an annual event so stay tuned for details. On the other hand, if Florida is not for you in the winter and you want to get your rays out west here’s an answer in the form of an e-mail recently received from Bob Pascente as follows “Since moving to Arizona two years ago I’m finally getting around to inviting our classmates to experience the wonderful winters which includes playing golf, seeing the Cubs and Sox during spring training and the FBR Phoenix Open. We have extra bedrooms and bath so anyone from ’56 is cordially welcome. My number is 480-634-4244.” You can e-mail Bob at Gloriapasc@AOL.COM ... Now there’s an offer you can hardly ignore. ... On a more somber note, John Czechowski and Hank Strater passed away recently and we extend our sympathies to their families. ... Due to advancing health issues this will be my final submission of class notes. Gippo


winter 2005	The big paycheck for editing and assembling these class notes is hearing from classmates. Last issue it was Larry Kinskey reporting Phil Ripepi receiving Man of the Year recognition in Pittsburgh. This time it’s Jim Schindler e-mailing news about his recently completed book, Tiny Tales & Whatnot. He is sending a copy as of this writing. Jim joins George Eppley who authored Life Comes To The Archbishop (available at http://www.csnmail.net/~eppley/). who followed John Boler who authored Leap of Faith. Now that’s a good bit of published writing for one class and I’ll bet there is more out there if you’d just let us know. ... Mary Lou and I had dinner with Jim and Marykay Knechtges recently before they departed for their winter digs in Port St. Lucie, FL. We see Al DeGulis on a regular basis for dinner and a movie. ... Don’t be shy about sending in news about awards received or published works. Gippo


fall 2004	When nearly 400 guests from the Pittsburgh area gathered in September to honor “The Treasures of Italy,” they saluted none other than our classmate Dr. Phillip Ripepi as their Man of the Year. Our hearty congratulations to Phil and thanks to Larry Kinskey for supplying this information. ... Last March a group from our class gathered for lunch and fellowship in Fort Myers, FL. By popular demand, we’re going to do it again on March 16, 2005. There were eight of us from the class of ’56 together with several of our wives who gathered in ’04. With a bit of forward planning we should add to that number maybe even double it. Tom “hurricane” O’Neil has agreed to be the point man for collecting names and notifying interested parties. Drop him a line at 1411 NE 30TH Court Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334, or call him at 954-561-5253 if you can join this group. This gathering is not sponsored by JCU and absolutely no fund-raising will occur. In fact, there is a good chance you’ll get that elusive free lunch so notify Tom if you are available and he’ll provide the exact details. While you are marking dates, put down June 16-18, 2006. That is the projected date for our 50th reunion weekend at Carroll. Don’t miss it! ... Otto Dreiling writes that he and JoAnn have downsized from the four-bedroom house to a two-bedroom villa. They now reside at 1805 E. Western Reserve Rd. Unit #56, Youngstown, OH, 44514. If you are close by, call or stop in, it’s another chance at that elusive free lunch. We remember Otto as the hero of the 1953 St. Patrick’s day massacre - but that’s another story. Joe DeAngelis e-mails that he and John Boler met recently at Grandparent’s Night in the Chicago area school where their respective grandchildren attend. ... Generally, working as your class rep often makes me feel a lot like the guy who was hired to fix the wash machines that never break. There’s not a whole lot of business. Send in your news! Gippo


summer 2004	On Friday, May 21, 2004 the annual awards dinner at Carroll was a proud night for the class of ’56. They came back to campus from near and far to honor our classmates Al DeGulis, for his steadfast loyalty and support of JCU, and Bishop Edward Pevec, for his 54 years of service as a priest in the Cleveland Diocese. These two ’56 graduates were among five people receiving the prestigious John Carroll Alumni Medal that night. You had to be proud of all these Alumni Medal winners and their many and varied accomplishments. John Boler presented Al DeGulis and Bob Maynard ’58 presented Bishop Pevec with their awards. These medal winners were also honored at graduation on May 23. ... Among those in the audience at the awards dinner from our class were Dan and Joan O’Horo, George and Mary Kay Vaul, Bill Ryan, Jim and Marykay Knechtges, George and Gail Waldeck and Mary Lou Giffels and me. ... Tom O’Neil was an overnight guest at our home in June just prior to beginning his annual tour of major league baseball stadiums. He proudly reports he has attended a major league game in 40 different stadiums. Can you beat that? While in Philadelphia Tom contacted Joe Fox and extracted Joe’s promise to attend our 50th reunion in ’06. ... Bear in mind, the alumni notes from our class depend entirely on your input. So don’t be shy. Gippo


spring 2004	A couple of the self-appointed deep thinkers from our class recently decided there was a need for the class of ’56 to have a presence in these alumni class notes. So they did what self-appointed deep thinkers always do-they found someone else for the job. That’s me. I’m no Rip Reilly but I’ll give it a try. You’ve got to feed the news to me. Send it by mail, by e-mail, by telephone or let’s do lunch. Just get it to me. -- May 23rd was graduation day and the class of 1956 was uniquely honored as once again one of our own, Al DeGulis, was awarded the Alumni Medal in recognition of his many years of service to JCU as trustee, as president of the alumni association, and as a loyal supporter of the university. Al is most deserving in light of his relentless dedication to Carroll. He became the fourth member of our class to receive this most prestigious award. ... Eight of us from our class gathered this winter in Fort Myers, FL, to celebrate our 70th birthdays. You probably felt the heat on March 3rd -- we burned a bunch of candle wax as we celebrated what collectively totaled 560 years of good living. Seated around the table were Ed Daugherty, Leo Duffy, Larry Selhorst, Jim Knechtges, Jack Breen, John Boler, Tom O’Neil and yours truly. It required 8 separate birthday cakes -- that’s a lot of candlepower! We reveled, we drank, we ate, we sang, we listened to each other’s lies. But we were respectful because seated at the nearby “MARY TABLE” were Mary Jo Boler, Mary Kay Knechtges, Mary Jane Breen, Mary Therese Duffy and Joan Marie Daugherty. The festivities ended promptly at 2:30 p.m. as O’Neil needed his nappy. ... George Eppley has completed his first novel Life Comes To The Archbishop. It includes a sensitive discussion of many of the problems of the Church in the modern day. You can access a description at George’s Web site http.//www.csnmail.net/~eppley/. ... In January Bill Ryan was appointed to the Cleveland Metroparks board. As one of three commissioners, Bill aids in setting policy for a staff of over 500 people in the operation of the zoo, 5 golf courses, the famous Emerald Necklace of Metro parks and much more. Congratulations commish! Bill, George Vaul and I recently had lunch together to talk things over. ... Don’t forget, the success of this column depends on your input so shoot me your stories. Gippo


winter 2003 Last column by Al Oberst	Dear JCU and Class of ‘56 -- We had wanted to kick off the clergy appreciation month with this issue but, we will officially start it in October of 2003 instead of 2002. You still can send a card to one of your favorite persons who have dedicated their life to their vocation in the service of Christ. Fathers Joseph O. Schell, SJ, and John Crawford are two who immediately come to my mind. Father Crawford, 1545 S. Green Rd. (Saint Greg's), South Euclid, 44121 was one of our classmates, who not only served as associate pastor at St. Greg's but also was a great teacher at Notre Dame College and at John Carroll. ... Another person who needs to be praised and prayed for is the Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, STD. He took classes with us at JCU, attended Borromeo, the Universite de St. Joseph in Beyrouth, Lebanon, and Catholic U. He taught at JCU and St. John’s College, and at Catholic U. Since 1967 he has been rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary in Washington, DC. Archbishop Francis Zayek appointed him Chorbishop. He has published many articles and was awarded the National Order of the Cedar by the President of Lebanon. We were blessed to have had Chorbishop Beggiani at JCU when we were there. ... My total words are limited so the rest must be short. Many JCU Alum News’ ago I told you how concerned I was with the direction JCU was taking. Well, as I predicted, there is evidence that the Future Church is turning up their organized dissension at JCU to a new level. I would like to remind them that Pope John Paul II wrote “Veritatis Splendor” and “Ex Corde Ecclesia” for their purposes. Or please look them up: http://www.newadvent.org/Pope/ppjp02.htm. ... Thanks for your responses to my e-mails. I would sure appreciate getting some news from you. Only 3 more years until our 50th reunion (1956-2006). It is hard to believe. So God bless and keep you, yours and JCU. Stay healthy and full of grace! Also, take time to pray for our dedicated clergy. ... Al


spring 2002	Many of us are still trying to find the true meaning for 911. Are you still mourning for loved friends or relatives? Some of our Carroll brothers and sisters lost loved ones. To quote Father Tom Lichtle’s letter he sent to Mary and Larry Unterbrink: We “live restless lives until we rest in God.” ... Two more of our great classmates who were at our 45th are now resting in God and joined Christ for their eternal peace. They are Charles Maxwell and Frank Tesch. All of us know of Frank’s great dedication to JCU -- he was even honored at our 45th for his contributions to the Pershing Rifles. He was a leader for at least 16 organizations at JCU. Chuck who was from Erie, PA, according to Jack Berg, was a great tennis player and committed to many of the religious organizations at JCU. Many of us remember them for their contributions but Frank never finished his book and because Chuck’s cancer was so sudden he never could finish many of his great goals. ... Another person who died and will not be forgotten is Father Tom Lichtle. Larry Unterbrink shared his soul searching letters from him with me. Those of you on the GI bill from the Korean War had another type of 911. Father Tom was searching for the reasons why he miraculously survived that war. He spent his life searching and giving back to God. He summed up his life by quoting saintly Father C. A. Castellano: “most people get their crosses in splinters.” Father Tom suffered and died serving the poor people of California. ... Now let us spend some of your time remembering some living great classmates and their classy mates. Doc Don and Clare Schuele and Paul and Noreen Schlimm were at the 45th. And could I see the radiant God given signs of loving couples in them. Doc and Clare (ne: Kirchner) are the proud parents of 6 daughters. Among these daughters’ gifts to our community include one teaching at JCU and one at CWRU. Clare has retired from nursing and Doc keeps on going with his programs at CWRU which include being active with their alum assoc. and Olympic technology and equipment. Don has been working with the bobsleds and like my cousin, Frank Masley, with the luge, they brought home medals for the USA. Any of you for Athens in 2004 with me? I even got a picture of Don pitching at the Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp in Florida. He’s playing in Jacobs Field with the Indians May 11, 2002. ... To watch Paul and Noreen Schlimm talking with Marguerite and George Riley ’51 at our 45th was great. George, I think, was about 6’ 9” when he played for JCU in the late 1940s only our Bob Eckert seemed close to George. (Bob I hope will be covered in the next issue along with Bart Caterino.) Do you remember Paul meeting Noreen at a Carroll basketball game at St. Edward’s? Noreen had attended Ursuline High School and JCU. Good places to start courting. The Schlimms have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. Paul just retired after 42 years at Goodyear. Among their children and grandchildren there are: a banker, builder, chef, engineer, nurse, golf pro, interior decorator, high school teacher, accountant, and a consultant. Paul can open a Class of ’56 golf course in Florida. But, even with his golf pro son, Paul admits his game “could stand some improvement.” Knowing Paul can say that should be encouragement for all of us. By the time this issue is out I will have been to France on a Pilgrimage of Liberty to thank Lafayette and the French for our freedom as a nation. In case you are interested I will send my Web site. ... Ray McGuinness did you enjoy Te Diem? Bart did you get my fax? Carl why do you not return my calls and e-mails. Phil how was your trip to Germany? ... he followed me. Ray what happened in Asia. Dr. Bob and Gloria did your golf games improve -- any other JCUites near you in Arizona? Where are all your responses? Pax to all of you! Al

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Class Notes 1956