Class Notes for 1981

Hi everyone! Our 25th class reunion may be over, but far from forgotten. It was a great weekend. The university did a fantastic job hosting the event and a special thanks to retiring reunion coordinator, Rosalie Massey, for all her efforts to make our 25th reunion so memorable. The most outstanding event of the weekend was our class gift that Hal Hawk presented to President Fr. Niehoff. Hal set an ambitious goal and with his determination, his committee’s support and everyone’s generosity, as of June 24 we donated $ 276,231. Until now, the largest gift ever given to JCU from a 25th reunion class was $110,000. Thanks to everyone but especially to the hard work of Hal Hawk! Let’s get to the news from reunion weekend and beyond ... Catherine O’Brien McCuish’s son, Mike, as well as Jill Conroy, JT’s wife, were early risers on Saturday to participate in the 5k run/3k walk. They did GREAT! JT and Jill live in Spring Lake, MI, with their four children Liam, Lilli, Luke and Molly. Jill home schooled until recently and JT practices law in Grand Rapids. ... Michael Coyle left the Cuyahoga County Commissioners after 22 years for National City Bank. He’s looking forward to his 35th consecutive trip to Disney World in December. ... Guy and Michelle Keresman Connors are busy raising children, John; Annie; and Meg. Michelle visited Michael Day at his business, Flowerville Inc., to thank him for the beautiful floral arrangements he made for the reunion dinner. Michael was unable to attend -- his business is doing well. He travels to Singapore to visit his brother who worked in the World Trade Center until 9/11. ... Tracy and Jim Bichl live in Cleveland with their children Suzy, a freshman at Columbia College in Chicago, and James, Jr. ... Marianne Breen is making a major change. She quit her job at the Humane Society in Missouri and is moving to Michigan to help her mother who needs assistance. Good Luck! ... Bob and Anne Marquard Nicolay live in Westlake where they are raising their children, Kelly, Susie, and Matthew. Thank-you Anne for all your efforts to contact classmates! ... Barb and Paul Sparrow celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year! They have two children, Jeffrey, a Marine Corps lieutenant and Kimberly, a student at Elon University. Paul and Barb recently relocated to Charlotte, NC, to take a new job with NASCAR. ... Greg ’80 and Debbie Tighe Branic live in Strongsville with daughters Katie, Molly and Emily. At the last minute, Debbie and Greg decided to come to reunion, not to eat, or drink but just to say “hi.” It was great to see them! ... Bill and Nancy Loyan Schuemann came well prepared for the beer tasting event. Bill brought a huge German beer stein. Now, that’s a decent size taste! ... Liz ’82 and Patrick Sweeney made a valiant effort to get Myron Terlecky to come to reunion but without success. Myron was moving his father that weekend. Patrick and Liz have four children; the oldest is at Michigan State University studying communications. And next year, they can relive all the great memories from this year when they return for Liz’s 25th! Many classmates enjoyed the reunion weekend like Hal Hawk, Bob Belanger, Larry D’Onofrio, Kevin Kehres, Tom Ginley, Jeff Lehrich, Michael Mitchell, Frank Omerza, Linda Satyshur Pintabona and Pete Carroll. Some classmates had planned to come but unfortunately were unable to make it -- like Bill and Mary Carol Anthony O’Brien. Bill injured two dicks in his back. Their oldest son, Tim, is going to continue the family tradition and will be a Blue Streak this fall! Tim was given a scholarship by the National Alumni Association. Their younger son, Billy, is a sophomore at Loyola Academy in Chicago and wants to go to the Naval Academy but Bill plans on changing his son’s mind because Billy is a football player. ... Check for pictures on the JCU web site http://www.jcu.edu/alumni/classes/1981/index.htm. ... Hope you had a wonderful summer! God bless, Julie

Hello class of 1981. We’re just weeks away from our 25th Class Reunion! It will be wonderful to be together again. In case, you’ve been on another planet and you have forgotten to send in you reservation form, DO IT TODAY! The committee has been working hard to plan a very special 25th celebration for us including lunch in the courtyard of the library and an intimate dinner in the atrium of the Science Center. And I’m going to repeat myself but it is well worth it ... to continue the traditions at John Carroll University as we know and love them, then we need to give generously to our class gift. Hal Hawk, our gift chair, and his committee have been hard at work hoping to present the university with the largest gift a 25th reunion class has ever given. We can do it! You can contact Hal with any questions at -- HHawk@crownbattery.com. Recently, I received some sad news about Hal and his family. Both of his parents have passed away within the year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hawk family. ... I did receive a couple of e-mails from our classmates. Jean Anne Crawford is living in Crescent City, CA. She is a library coordinator for the Castle Rock Charter School -- jhadfield@delnorte.k12.ca.us. ... Dennis Morgan and his wife, Eileen, live in Solon, OH. He is the CFO and vice president of Bird Technologies. His family includes two daughters, Jacqueline (20) and Sarah (18). If you want to find out Dennis’ plans for the Reunion you can write to him -- dmorgan59@adelphia.net. I was really hoping this would be a banner year for information about our class but I guess you’ll have to wait for the next article. At the reunion, I’m looking forward to getting an update on as many classmates as possible. I hope to see you there! God bless, Julie

Hello class of 1981! I’m going to repeat myself, but this a Reunion year. Not just any Reunion but our 25th! We have 503 people in our class. If 113 are in attendance for our reunion, we will break the all time attendance record held by the class of 1977 at a 25th Reunion. We can do it! Just a few reminders about the weekend so you can begin planning -- Reunion will be June 23-25, the weekend AFTER Father’s Day. Please bring your spouse, special friend or significant other. And don’t forget the kids. There are wonderful age appropriate activities all weekend for them to enjoy. If you want to know more about Reunion, please check the web site at http://www.jcu.edu/alumni/reunion/index06.htm. ... Without further delay, I heard from some classmates. John Capka and his wife, Christine ’83, live in North Royalton, OH. John is the CFO of Business Banking for KeyBank N.A. To get in touch with him so you can make plans to meet at Reunion -- capka@yahoo.com. ... And I was so happy to hear from Beth Paolella Alves. She works for Regency Hospital Company as the director of human resources. Beth -- balves@adelphia.net -- lives in Cuyahoga Falls with her husband, Bruce, and her daughter, Caitlin Rose. ... Oh, how I love reunion years because I get so many updates! I also heard from Peter and Amy Kocis Carroll. They live in Rocky River, OH, with their three children, Peter (13), Colleen (10) and Christopher (9). Amy works as a comptroller for Once Upon a Time and Peter is an account manager for Brush Wellman. If you’d like to know if they are bringing their children for the family luncheon during the reunion weekend, you can write to them at carroll5@sbcglobal.net. ... Debbie Tighe Branic and her husband, Greg ’80, live in Strongsville, OH -- gdbranics@sbcglobal.net. They have three daughters, Katie (16), Molly (13) and Emily (11). ... And last, but not least, I heard from a classmate in Texas. Richard Corcoran, Jr., the endowment director for the Circle Ten Council, for the Boy Scouts of America -- dcorcor@bsamail.org. He is attempting to raise $70 million endowment initiative for his council in Plano. This has never been done before in the history of the BSA. Good Luck Richard. ... Speaking about fundraising, let’s make this a record breaking class gift year, too. First and foremost, we want you to come back to John Carroll University, to see old friends, explore the changes on campus and to have fun. But to continue the traditions at JCU as we know and love them, the university counts on our class gift. So, please, dig deep and be generous! Hal Hawk has agreed to be our gift chairperson. If you have any questions, please e-mail him at HHawk@crownbattery.com. ... God Bless and best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year. Julie

Hi everyone! Did I mention before that our 25th Class Reunion will be June 23-25, 2006? Let’s all make a special effort to attend. It will be a wonderful weekend of renewing old friendships, strolling an ever changing campus and enjoying multiple activities. And I have great news; Hal Hawk will be our gift chairperson. Hal sent an e-mail to tell us the news of his appointment to the reunion committee and to share some family news. The Hawks had just returned from their annual vacation to Orlando, FL, with the Cua and Whalen families. He said that they were all well. His children are growing up fast, Megan (9) is a fourth grader and Morgan (6) is a first grader. I have very vivid memories of a past reunion and the Hawks had a stroller with a new baby in tow. ... Thank goodness we have these regular get togethers so we can get caught up! I also received updates on other classmates. Marianne Breen is living in St. Louis, MO, and is the director of development for the Humane Society. ... Jim Bichl and his wife, Tracy, and their children, Suzy (18) and James, Jr. (13) live in Cleveland. Jim is a member of the National Ski Patrol, is certified in outdoor emergency medical care and is an instructor of Mountain Search and Rescue. ... Patrick McDonnell and his wife, Cathy, have great news. Their oldest daughter, Allison, is a senior at JCU this year. Congratulations! Pat is the president and CEO of McDonnell Horticulture Inc. in Cameron, NC. He and Cathy have three other children, Caitlin (18), Meghan (16), and Shannon (12). ... And lastly, I heard from Daniel Bader. He is a sergeant with the Cleveland Metroparks Department. He and his three children, Jessica (18), Michael (17) and Danny (6) live in Lakewood, OH. ... Thank you for all the updates. One last request from Hal Hawk -- Hal is asking all classmates to dig deep for our 25th. We need to make this a great reunion, for both attendance and class gift. And I second that! God bless, Julie

Hi everyone! Our 25th Reunion is less than a year away and it’s never too soon to begin making your plans to attend. And I think this is a first for John Carroll but the reunion weekend will be the weekend AFTER Father’s Day, June 23-25, 2006. Many of us have very busy lives with our families, jobs, homes, etc. ... so get the reunion date on your calendar, or palm pilot, now! Let’s have the best turn out ever because it is our big 2-5. It’s a great opportunity to see friends, explore an ever-changing campus and just have fun. Speaking of reunions, I received a wonderful letter from Anne Marquard Nicolay which I understand was co-authored by Michelle Keresman Connors. They wrote and said that on June 17, Anna Zalar Kmetich, Lori Neff Seidel, Anne and Michelle got together for dinner at an Irish cafe near JCU. They enjoyed catching up on their lives. (Michelle is living in Medina, OH, with her husband, Guy and kids, John (16), Annie (14), and Meg (5). Anne lives in Westlake with her husband, Bob, and their children, Kelly (16), Susan (13), and Matthew (10).) Then Michelle and Anne popped in on the 25th Reunion of some of their friends in the class of ’80. They were happy to see other ’81 grads like Chad Gross and his wife and Tony Vespoli. Anne said it was also great seeing the class of ’80 celebrators too especially Kevin Whalen, and his wife, Suzie McChesney ’82, Tommy Cua, John Ettorre, and Susan and Jim Antall, but someone was noticeably missing from the Whalen-Cua trio-you know who you are Hal Hawk. Michelle and Anne said the night was just a warm up for our 25th next June. They hope to see many of their friends next year! Anne and Michelle, thanks for the terrific update! ... I also received an update from Lynn Buckley Childs. She is the senior director Financial Report for Brooks Pharmacy. Lynn lives in Saunderstown, RI, with her daughter, Brittany (17). Speaking of children, the reunion weekend includes a lot of activities for kids and the family. So when you’re making plans for next June 23-25, make it a family vacation! This would also be a great opportunity for a campus visit with your high school students. They’ll be able to see the fun and crazy side of JCU. ... One last update, but far from least, comes from Julia Sullivan Ahern. She lives in Charlotte Hall, MD, with her husband, Michael ’79, and two sons, Matthew (19) and Daniel (12). ... It was great to hear from everyone. Keep the letters and e-mails coming. Oh, and did I mention the Reunion is June 23-25, 2006. Hope to see you there! God Bess, Julie

Hi everyone! I’m happy to say that I’ve heard from a couple of our classmates. ... Ed Sekerak retired from the Army at the end of 2001 as a Lieutenant Colonel after 25 years of service. Ed and his wife, Adele, and their three daughters lived in many cities in the U.S. as well as Germany and the Marshall Islands. They are currently living in Huntsville, AL. Ed is employed by BAE Systems. It was good to hear from you, Ed! ... Beth Paolella Alves has recently moved from Peninsula to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Best wishes to you, Bruce and Caitlin on your new home! I’ll be waiting for the house warming invitation. ... That’s all there is for this edition. I’m sure most of you have noticed that I have so little news to write about -- help me out. Please write to and let’s get the news out about us, the class of 1981! God Bless, Julie

Class Notes 1981

	Bob Hill 414.254.9880 Soar1@aol.com


fall 2008	After seeing the opening for our class columnist, I couldn’t help but apply for the job and reconnect with many peers who I haven’t seen or talked to in 27 years. I hope that you will write some great stories for me to share. ... After leaving Carroll, I moved back to Chicago and worked in the printing industry for 13 years. I was promoted to a position in Milwaukee, WI, land of cheese, beer, the Packers, and the Brett Favre story. In 1996, I moved to a smaller printing company, Teuteberg, Inc., where I am currently senior vice president and part owner. When I was Student Union president at John Carroll, I wanted to someday be the United States president, but I have settled for a less stressful career path. I hope to hear from you soon. ... Bob


summer 2008	This is the final column written by Julie Sanner Hepfer Hi everyone! The time has come to “pass the pen.” After many years as your class columnist, unfortunately, I must retire. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know you, especially classmates that I didn’t know when we were in school. Our class is an amazing, generous group of people. I’m so proud to be a member of the Class of 1981. I hope that one of you will please consider replacing me. If you would like to be our columnist, e-mail Michele McFarland at journal@jcu.edu. God bless, Julie John Carroll magazine sends thanks and good wishes to Julie Sanner Hepfer for her fine work as class columnist since 1997.


fall 2007	Hi everyone! Time has a way of getting away from me. It has been a whirlwind of activity at our home. Our son, Brad, finished his Master’s in Accounting at the University of Iowa and took a position with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago. We got him moved just in time to pack our 17-year old, David, for a trip to China. David is a member of a select concert band from his high school that performed throughout China in a Cultural Arts Exchange Program. One of their performances was on the Great Wall. It’s all very exciting but I got a bit distracted from the column. So here’s the news from our classmates ... I received my first handwritten note in 21 years of writing this article and it was from Colleen Buckley Glaab. Colleen and her husband, Tim ’80, live in Youngstown, OH, with their three children. Their oldest son, Jonathan, is a senior at JCU. He has passed the MCAT and has been accepted to Cincinnati Medical School. Erin Colleen is also attending JCU majoring in education. And Kelly, the youngest, is a junior at Ursuline High School. Colleen works for her brother, Dr. John Buckley ’77, a plastic surgeon. Colleen, thanks for the note. It was such a nice surprise! ... Tom Loeffler and his wife, Betsy, live in Medfield, MA, with their two children. Tom works at the Bank of America. ... One last e-mail from Beth Koenig Kasper -- in July, she was elected chairman of the board of directors for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Congratulations Beth! This chapter services three counties and an army post. She also volunteers as a catechist in her parish religious education program. Her parish is the only Roman Catholic Church in the county so she has 24 students from six local high schools. Beth and her husband, Bob ’80, have two sons. Joseph, the oldest, is a senior at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, majoring in biochemistry. His summer internship was at the Institute of Polymer Science at the University of Akron. While he was in Northeastern Ohio, Joseph enjoyed seeing many of his JCU alumni family members -- grandfather, Thomas Kasper ’57, aunt Mary Kasper Pavlescak ’82, aunt Kathy Kasper Shearer ’92 and uncle Mark Shearer ’93. Beth’s youngest son, Daniel, is a high school sophomore with a keen interest in biology. ... Thanks to everyone that wrote! God bless! Julie


spring 2007	Hi everyone! The news is brief but, as always, important. Melinda (Valena) Sheets joined Mo Huntley as a principal partner to form Huntley-Valena Hospitality Group. Their company has acquired four Michigan restaurants. Their acquisitions include Gilbert and Blake Seafood and Steak Grille in Okemos, D Coy Duck’s in Lawton, The Parlour Old Fashioned Hand Dipped Ice Cream in Jackson, and The Parlour in Kalamazoo. Melinda will serve as vice president/secretary and general council for the company. She is an attorney with an extensive background in real property law, business organization, and probate-estate planning. Melinda, we wish you well in your new venture! ... I’m sad to share with you the news that one of our classmates has passed away. Patrick J. Hanrahan died on February 2, 2007. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time. ... One last thought; after 16 years as class columnist, I’m well aware that I have made mistakes in the column. I don’t do it intentionally, and I consider these errors to be incentives to keep you curious about my articles. Hopefully, I have never offended anyone. Please try to find humor in the mistakes. God Bless, Julie

winter 2007	Hi everyone! It’s finally looking like winter in the Chicago area. Up until now, I thought we were suffering from some major global warming. The snow is great as long as it just covers the lawn but not enough to shovel. Growing up in Erie, PA, and dealing with lake effect accumulations, I really appreciate Chicago. Well, enough about the weather, I’m beginning to show my age. ... I heard from Michelle Keresman Connors. She is very busy with her job, her kids and all her charitable work. But one sure way to slow down a frantic schedule is to have a sick child. Michelle’s daughter has mono. Our best wishes to her for a speedy recovery! ... Gary Wells sent a note to let us know he is living in Cleveland. If you get a chance drop him an e-mail - wells_58@hotmail.com. ... The snow may be falling, but it won’t stop Bob and me from attending the Dance Marathon at the University of Iowa in February. The marathon is a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network. Our oldest son, Bradford, a graduate student in accounting at U of I, is truly committed to this cause and has worked at their summer camp, Heart Connection. Brad spends his weekends with the children at the hospital or “canning” (fundraising) on the streets of Iowa City. He is also a morale couch for a team of dancers during the marathon. Brad has faced this illness head on himself with a wonderful outcome. We look forward to volunteering at the dance to support the cause and our son. ... This a busy time in our lives but if you get a chance to send me an e-mail, I’d really appreciate it! God bless, Julie

summer 2006	Hi everyone! Our 25th class reunion may be over, but far from forgotten. It was a great weekend. The university did a fantastic job hosting the event and a special thanks to retiring reunion coordinator, Rosalie Massey, for all her efforts to make our 25th reunion so memorable. The most outstanding event of the weekend was our class gift that Hal Hawk presented to President Fr. Niehoff. Hal set an ambitious goal and with his determination, his committee’s support and everyone’s generosity, as of June 24 we donated $ 276,231. Until now, the largest gift ever given to JCU from a 25th reunion class was $110,000. Thanks to everyone but especially to the hard work of Hal Hawk! Let’s get to the news from reunion weekend and beyond ... Catherine O’Brien McCuish’s son, Mike, as well as Jill Conroy, JT’s wife, were early risers on Saturday to participate in the 5k run/3k walk. They did GREAT! JT and Jill live in Spring Lake, MI, with their four children Liam, Lilli, Luke and Molly. Jill home schooled until recently and JT practices law in Grand Rapids. ... Michael Coyle left the Cuyahoga County Commissioners after 22 years for National City Bank. He’s looking forward to his 35th consecutive trip to Disney World in December. ... Guy and Michelle Keresman Connors are busy raising children, John; Annie; and Meg. Michelle visited Michael Day at his business, Flowerville Inc., to thank him for the beautiful floral arrangements he made for the reunion dinner. Michael was unable to attend -- his business is doing well. He travels to Singapore to visit his brother who worked in the World Trade Center until 9/11. ... Tracy and Jim Bichl live in Cleveland with their children Suzy, a freshman at Columbia College in Chicago, and James, Jr. ... Marianne Breen is making a major change. She quit her job at the Humane Society in Missouri and is moving to Michigan to help her mother who needs assistance. Good Luck! ... Bob and Anne Marquard Nicolay live in Westlake where they are raising their children, Kelly, Susie, and Matthew. Thank-you Anne for all your efforts to contact classmates! ... Barb and Paul Sparrow celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year! They have two children, Jeffrey, a Marine Corps lieutenant and Kimberly, a student at Elon University. Paul and Barb recently relocated to Charlotte, NC, to take a new job with NASCAR. ... Greg ’80 and Debbie Tighe Branic live in Strongsville with daughters Katie, Molly and Emily. At the last minute, Debbie and Greg decided to come to reunion, not to eat, or drink but just to say “hi.” It was great to see them! ... Bill and Nancy Loyan Schuemann came well prepared for the beer tasting event. Bill brought a huge German beer stein. Now, that’s a decent size taste! ... Liz ’82 and Patrick Sweeney made a valiant effort to get Myron Terlecky to come to reunion but without success. Myron was moving his father that weekend. Patrick and Liz have four children; the oldest is at Michigan State University studying communications. And next year, they can relive all the great memories from this year when they return for Liz’s 25th! Many classmates enjoyed the reunion weekend like Hal Hawk, Bob Belanger, Larry D’Onofrio, Kevin Kehres, Tom Ginley, Jeff Lehrich, Michael Mitchell, Frank Omerza, Linda Satyshur Pintabona and Pete Carroll. Some classmates had planned to come but unfortunately were unable to make it -- like Bill and Mary Carol Anthony O’Brien. Bill injured two dicks in his back. Their oldest son, Tim, is going to continue the family tradition and will be a Blue Streak this fall! Tim was given a scholarship by the National Alumni Association. Their younger son, Billy, is a sophomore at Loyola Academy in Chicago and wants to go to the Naval Academy but Bill plans on changing his son’s mind because Billy is a football player. ... Check for pictures on the JCU web site http://www.jcu.edu/alumni/classes/1981/index.htm. ... Hope you had a wonderful summer! God bless, Julie

spring 2006	Hello class of 1981. We’re just weeks away from our 25th Class Reunion! It will be wonderful to be together again. In case, you’ve been on another planet and you have forgotten to send in you reservation form, DO IT TODAY! The committee has been working hard to plan a very special 25th celebration for us including lunch in the courtyard of the library and an intimate dinner in the atrium of the Science Center. And I’m going to repeat myself but it is well worth it ... to continue the traditions at John Carroll University as we know and love them, then we need to give generously to our class gift. Hal Hawk, our gift chair, and his committee have been hard at work hoping to present the university with the largest gift a 25th reunion class has ever given. We can do it! You can contact Hal with any questions at -- HHawk@crownbattery.com. Recently, I received some sad news about Hal and his family. Both of his parents have passed away within the year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hawk family. ... I did receive a couple of e-mails from our classmates. Jean Anne Crawford is living in Crescent City, CA. She is a library coordinator for the Castle Rock Charter School -- jhadfield@delnorte.k12.ca.us. ... Dennis Morgan and his wife, Eileen, live in Solon, OH. He is the CFO and vice president of Bird Technologies. His family includes two daughters, Jacqueline (20) and Sarah (18). If you want to find out Dennis’ plans for the Reunion you can write to him -- dmorgan59@adelphia.net. I was really hoping this would be a banner year for information about our class but I guess you’ll have to wait for the next article. At the reunion, I’m looking forward to getting an update on as many classmates as possible. I hope to see you there! God bless, Julie

winter 2006	Hello class of 1981! I’m going to repeat myself, but this a Reunion year. Not just any Reunion but our 25th! We have 503 people in our class. If 113 are in attendance for our reunion, we will break the all time attendance record held by the class of 1977 at a 25th Reunion. We can do it! Just a few reminders about the weekend so you can begin planning -- Reunion will be June 23-25, the weekend AFTER Father’s Day. Please bring your spouse, special friend or significant other. And don’t forget the kids. There are wonderful age appropriate activities all weekend for them to enjoy. If you want to know more about Reunion, please check the web site at http://www.jcu.edu/alumni/reunion/index06.htm. ... Without further delay, I heard from some classmates. John Capka and his wife, Christine ’83, live in North Royalton, OH. John is the CFO of Business Banking for KeyBank N.A. To get in touch with him so you can make plans to meet at Reunion -- capka@yahoo.com. ... And I was so happy to hear from Beth Paolella Alves. She works for Regency Hospital Company as the director of human resources. Beth -- balves@adelphia.net -- lives in Cuyahoga Falls with her husband, Bruce, and her daughter, Caitlin Rose. ... Oh, how I love reunion years because I get so many updates! I also heard from Peter and Amy Kocis Carroll. They live in Rocky River, OH, with their three children, Peter (13), Colleen (10) and Christopher (9). Amy works as a comptroller for Once Upon a Time and Peter is an account manager for Brush Wellman. If you’d like to know if they are bringing their children for the family luncheon during the reunion weekend, you can write to them at carroll5@sbcglobal.net. ... Debbie Tighe Branic and her husband, Greg ’80, live in Strongsville, OH -- gdbranics@sbcglobal.net. They have three daughters, Katie (16), Molly (13) and Emily (11). ... And last, but not least, I heard from a classmate in Texas. Richard Corcoran, Jr., the endowment director for the Circle Ten Council, for the Boy Scouts of America -- dcorcor@bsamail.org. He is attempting to raise $70 million endowment initiative for his council in Plano. This has never been done before in the history of the BSA. Good Luck Richard. ... Speaking about fundraising, let’s make this a record breaking class gift year, too. First and foremost, we want you to come back to John Carroll University, to see old friends, explore the changes on campus and to have fun. But to continue the traditions at JCU as we know and love them, the university counts on our class gift. So, please, dig deep and be generous! Hal Hawk has agreed to be our gift chairperson. If you have any questions, please e-mail him at HHawk@crownbattery.com. ... God Bless and best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year. Julie

fall 2005	Hi everyone! Did I mention before that our 25th Class Reunion will be June 23-25, 2006? Let’s all make a special effort to attend. It will be a wonderful weekend of renewing old friendships, strolling an ever changing campus and enjoying multiple activities. And I have great news; Hal Hawk will be our gift chairperson. Hal sent an e-mail to tell us the news of his appointment to the reunion committee and to share some family news. The Hawks had just returned from their annual vacation to Orlando, FL, with the Cua and Whalen families. He said that they were all well. His children are growing up fast, Megan (9) is a fourth grader and Morgan (6) is a first grader. I have very vivid memories of a past reunion and the Hawks had a stroller with a new baby in tow. ... Thank goodness we have these regular get togethers so we can get caught up! I also received updates on other classmates. Marianne Breen is living in St. Louis, MO, and is the director of development for the Humane Society. ... Jim Bichl and his wife, Tracy, and their children, Suzy (18) and James, Jr. (13) live in Cleveland. Jim is a member of the National Ski Patrol, is certified in outdoor emergency medical care and is an instructor of Mountain Search and Rescue. ... Patrick McDonnell and his wife, Cathy, have great news. Their oldest daughter, Allison, is a senior at JCU this year. Congratulations! Pat is the president and CEO of McDonnell Horticulture Inc. in Cameron, NC. He and Cathy have three other children, Caitlin (18), Meghan (16), and Shannon (12). ... And lastly, I heard from Daniel Bader. He is a sergeant with the Cleveland Metroparks Department. He and his three children, Jessica (18), Michael (17) and Danny (6) live in Lakewood, OH. ... Thank you for all the updates. One last request from Hal Hawk -- Hal is asking all classmates to dig deep for our 25th. We need to make this a great reunion, for both attendance and class gift. And I second that! God bless, Julie

summer 2005	Hi everyone! Our 25th Reunion is less than a year away and it’s never too soon to begin making your plans to attend. And I think this is a first for John Carroll but the reunion weekend will be the weekend AFTER Father’s Day, June 23-25, 2006. Many of us have very busy lives with our families, jobs, homes, etc. ... so get the reunion date on your calendar, or palm pilot, now! Let’s have the best turn out ever because it is our big 2-5. It’s a great opportunity to see friends, explore an ever-changing campus and just have fun. Speaking of reunions, I received a wonderful letter from Anne Marquard Nicolay which I understand was co-authored by Michelle Keresman Connors. They wrote and said that on June 17, Anna Zalar Kmetich, Lori Neff Seidel, Anne and Michelle got together for dinner at an Irish cafe near JCU. They enjoyed catching up on their lives. (Michelle is living in Medina, OH, with her husband, Guy and kids, John (16), Annie (14), and Meg (5). Anne lives in Westlake with her husband, Bob, and their children, Kelly (16), Susan (13), and Matthew (10).) Then Michelle and Anne popped in on the 25th Reunion of some of their friends in the class of ’80. They were happy to see other ’81 grads like Chad Gross and his wife and Tony Vespoli. Anne said it was also great seeing the class of ’80 celebrators too especially Kevin Whalen, and his wife, Suzie McChesney ’82, Tommy Cua, John Ettorre, and Susan and Jim Antall, but someone was noticeably missing from the Whalen-Cua trio-you know who you are Hal Hawk. Michelle and Anne said the night was just a warm up for our 25th next June. They hope to see many of their friends next year! Anne and Michelle, thanks for the terrific update! ... I also received an update from Lynn Buckley Childs. She is the senior director Financial Report for Brooks Pharmacy. Lynn lives in Saunderstown, RI, with her daughter, Brittany (17). Speaking of children, the reunion weekend includes a lot of activities for kids and the family. So when you’re making plans for next June 23-25, make it a family vacation! This would also be a great opportunity for a campus visit with your high school students. They’ll be able to see the fun and crazy side of JCU. ... One last update, but far from least, comes from Julia Sullivan Ahern. She lives in Charlotte Hall, MD, with her husband, Michael ’79, and two sons, Matthew (19) and Daniel (12). ... It was great to hear from everyone. Keep the letters and e-mails coming. Oh, and did I mention the Reunion is June 23-25, 2006. Hope to see you there! God Bess, Julie

winter 2005	Hi everyone! I’m happy to say that I’ve heard from a couple of our classmates. ... Ed Sekerak retired from the Army at the end of 2001 as a Lieutenant Colonel after 25 years of service. Ed and his wife, Adele, and their three daughters lived in many cities in the U.S. as well as Germany and the Marshall Islands. They are currently living in Huntsville, AL. Ed is employed by BAE Systems. It was good to hear from you, Ed! ... Beth Paolella Alves has recently moved from Peninsula to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Best wishes to you, Bruce and Caitlin on your new home! I’ll be waiting for the house warming invitation. ... That’s all there is for this edition. I’m sure most of you have noticed that I have so little news to write about -- help me out. Please write to and let’s get the news out about us, the class of 1981! God Bless, Julie

fall 2004	Hi everyone! Thanks to all the classmates who took the time to write in and share their lives with us. David Beringer and his wife, Colette (Gibbons) ’80, currently live in Chicago. He is the director of Client Services for Systems Xcellence. ... I also heard from Beth (Paolella) Alves. She lives in Peninsula, Ohio with her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Caitlin Rose. Beth has recently started a new job with Park Federal Savings Bank in Solon as their HR generalist. Good Luck Beth! ... On another job related news front, Richard Boyd, senior vice president and national sales manager for the Broker/Dealer Division of Federated Investors has been elected to the Point Park University Board of Trustees. Richard has been with Federated Investors since graduation in 1981. His responsibilities include overseeing the sales and distribution of all products and services within the broker industry. Richard currently lives in Upper St. Clair, PA. I received a note from Bob Belanger. After 10 years with the State Attorney’s Office in Florida, Bob has decided to run for Circuit Judge in the 19th Judicial Office. Since this article is written prior to the elections but printed post elections, our thoughts and prayers go out to Bob and his family on a successful election! Bob and Gale live in Stuart, Florida with their children, Sean and Katie. Good Luck!!!! ... Diane N. Wendel ’85 is the owner and designer for her business, Diane’s Designs in Chappaqua, NY. She and her husband, Petter, have two children, Joshua and Elizabeth. Diane, e-mail me and let me know what type of product you design and make. I’d like to share that with our classmates! And the other day I received a great note from the Hawk group. Hal wrote that his wonderful wife of twelve years, Diane, was the president of the American Cancer Society, president of PTO and leader of the Market Day group at their school. And Diane volunteers endless hours as a volunteer at school for lunch, recess and computer classes. I thought I had been an involved mom ... WOW Diane, you are fantastic! I work in a school and moms like you are truly a gift and sincerely appreciated. Hal also said that he speaks to Tom Cua ’80 and Kevin Whalen ’80 often and they are both doing well. And Hal is doing what Hal does best ... fundraising. He is raising money to build a swimming pool at the high school in Fremont. To date, he has raised 2 million dollars and he’s hoping to get another million. So if anyone has any loose change you can contact Hal at hhawk@crownbattery.com. Thanks again to one and all for the updates. It was great to hear from you! God Bless, Julie

summer 2004	Hi everyone! It was wonderful to hear from a couple of our classmates. John Barrett’s ’79 daughter, Colleen, had an awesome experience this summer with their church’s youth group. She went to Guadalajara, Mexico on a mission trip. Colleen and the other teens painted and repaired two different churches in the area. And a highlight of the trip was a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine. John wrote that Montezuma didn’t visit too much. ... I also heard from Jim Bichl. He’s living in Cleveland with his wife, Tracy, and his children, Susannah (17) and James Jr. (11). Jim is a program administrator for the State of Ohio. And he is an instructor for the National Ski Patrol. ... Well, that’s all for this issue. Thanks to Jim and John for the updates. I really appreciate it. Hope you all enjoyed your summer! God Bless! Julie

spring 2004	Hi everyone! It was wonderful to hear from a few of our classmates. Colleen Buckley Glaab is currently managing her brother’s medical office in Youngstown, OH. Her three children keep her very busy. Colleen and Tim ’80, her husband, are hoping there oldest son, Jonathan, will be attending JCU in the fall. It would be fun to have a son follow in his parent's footsteps, good luck! ... Bill Burns wrote that he is working on his doctorate in Key West, FL. And in his free time, Bill enjoys coaching is son's sports. We’ll be looking forward to hearing about the completion of your studies, Dr. Bill! ... And I received a wonderful note from Michelle Connors. Her days are filled with her three children’s’ music events, sporting events and learning how to help her child with special needs master many tasks we take for granted. Michelle also said that her daughter has taught her what really matters in life -- hugs, family and laughing. Everyday I work with children with special needs in our school district and I have found that teachers and specialist can do just so much for a child but the best teachers by far are the parents! We wish Michelle and Guy, as well as all our other classmates, continued love, laughter and success with their children. Please keep writing. It was GREAT to hear from you! God Bless, Julie

winter 2004	Hi everyone! Hope you had a wonderful 2003 and that your New Year is filled with laughter and love. Unfortunately, I do not have any new information about our classmates to share with you. I miss hearing from you. I didn't want another alumni journal to be published without a note from your columnist. I could write a whole article about my family but I just finished typing our Christmas letter and I'm tired of bragging. So I'm pleading one more time for information about you! ... Did you get married for a first time, or fifth time? News of a new baby or more likely for me at least, grandchild? How about a new job or have you gotten together with some classmates? PLEASE WRITE! May God Bless ... Julie

spring 2003	Hi everyone! I'm writing this article on one of the many subzero days we have had this winter. Fortunately, when you are reading this, the weather will be much warmer and the arctic winter we've had will be memory. ... I received an e-mail from Mary Carol and Bill O'Brien. Bill was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in the November General Election. He defeated 2 other candidates in the March 2002 Primary Election as well as one candidate in the General Election. Bill was sworn in on December 2, 2002 and is currently assigned to traffic court at the Daley Center. Prior to this, Bill spent over 18 years with the Cook County States Attorney's Office and the past 4 years as Chief of the Narcotics Prosecution Bureau. Congratulations Bill! Mary Carol and Bill have two sons, Tim, a freshman at the Loyola Academy and Billy, a 6th grader. In January, the O'Brien family was in Cleveland for a Soccer Tournament and they got together with Betsy (Peffenbach) and Ray Mendolsohn. Betsy is a second grade teacher at Gesu. They have two children, Brian, an 8th grader and Meghan, a 6th grader. ... Thanks for all the wonderful news! If anyone has information about our classmates that are overseas in anticipation of war, please write to me so I can share their stories with everyone. If addresses are available, that would be even better so we could write to them. My brother-in-law is the Chief of Command of the U.S.S. Constellation. He has often expressed his sincere appreciation for news from home. We need to be there for our classmates. Hope to hear from more of you, soon! God Bless America and all of you! Julie

winter 2003	Hi everyone! As you probably noticed, I did not have an article in the last issue. This was not a moment of forgetfulness but a lack of information about YOU, my classmates, to share with everyone. Please write to me! There must be something new or a change in your life you could share. For my family, we had a major change this year. Our oldest son, Brad, went to college. He is attending the University of Iowa with a major in economics. This is our BIG news and I wanted to share it with you. Now write to me and tell me your news! ... Beth Koenig Kasper wrote to share some good news about her husband, Robert Kasper. He has been promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard. He still works as a family practice physician for Premier Medical Group and he also serves as chief of family practice for Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville, TN. Beth, thanks for getting in touch! ... While on vacation this summer, we stopped by to visit Beth Paolella Summers and her daughter, Caitlin, in Peninsula, Ohio. Beth just returned home from a vacation in Italy. She had a wonderful trip in spite of one mistake. Beth misread a map and ended up taking an all day hike over the mountains instead of a leisurely stroll across a rolling meadow. She said the mistake led her to some beautiful scenery, she would have otherwise missed. Beth would encourage everyone to go to Italy someday and to leave your map at home. ... Congratulations to Elizabeth Martin Stearns! She received the 2002-2003 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies. This is the highest honor awarded to a faculty member. She was teaching a computer course for the university for the past six plus years. Elizabeth also conducts workshops nationwide on the topic of desktop publishing. ... I also heard from John Bongorno. He is living in University Heights. After John received his master's in accountancy from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, he took a teaching position with Cuyahoga Community College. It was great to hear from you John! ... And I would like to hear from YOU, all my classmates. Please write even if you don’t have something new to share, it’s just great to keep in touch. God Bless America! Julie

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Class Notes 1981