September three of the girls from Mod 10-B— Elissa Raring O’Hara, Cindy Voloshin Barry, and she—had a 50th-birthday celebratory lunch in Massachusetts. They would like to reunite with their other three roommates, and they are all looking forward to our 30th reunion at BC! Yikes—2016 is just around the corner! • I love hearing all these birthday reunion stories, and we all have the same experience—we made lifelong friends at BC, and no matter where life takes you, when you cross paths with your BC Eagle friends, it is like time stood still, with nonstop fun, laughs, and crazy antics. We are so lucky, and we will always have our BC connections. BC rocks!
Correspondent: Leenie Kelley leeniekelley@hotmail.com
1987 I hope everyone is warm and happy this winter. I have received a number of notes from classmates—thank you! Let’s get right to it. • I had the chance to have lunch with Marty and Kathleen (Flood) Moore in Boston at Smith & Wollensky’s on the harbor. They had a great couple of weeks visiting and caught up with classmates Karen Power McNamara, MBA’95, and Laurie Newman ’86. They also had dinner at Oceanaire with Kathleen’s roommate Beth Sullivan Flanagan and her husband, Bill, MBA’94. Marty and Kathleen were married at Oceanaire in May 2008, and they come back every year for dinner. They currently live in Brisbane, Australia, and would like to tell our BC classmates to make sure to say hello when traveling down under. • Speaking of Beth Sullivan Flanagan, she sent a note on the urging of her dad, Dan Sullivan ’62, about her trip in June to Ireland with husband Bill; their children, Meaghan (19), Michael (16), and Brian (14); her parents, Dan and Lorraine; and her sister Kristen Sullivan. They traveled from Dublin to Killarney to Galway, had a wonderful time, and made memories to last a lifetime. Beth can be found on Twitter at @bethflanagan5. • Thomas Porell sent a note to let everyone know that he is still living in Littleton with his wife, Christine; daughter Caroline; and son Thomas. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is a freshman at Michigan State University and loves it. Last year he sold his company, Tudor Risk Services, to Arthur J. Gallagher, where he is now an area senior VP in the employee benefits division. He recently hung out with Dave Nugent and Dave Widell and reports that he has an annual holiday dinner in New York City with Andy Smith, Dave DeLucia, Olavo Macedo, Tom Livaccari, Dan Reddington, Pat Ard, and Karl Kreshpane. Thomas also speaks to Gerry Lorden, Bill Breen JD’90, and Patti Piechota Emerson from time to time and ran into Jane Trombly at the BC–Clemson game. • Here are some quick hits about our classmates: In April, Ivelisse Iguina started her own law firm, Iguina de la Rosa CSP, dealing mostly in civil litigation. Laura Donovan recently moved from India to Nicaragua and is interested in meeting any BC grads who may be working there. Cathi Seril-Fytopoulos lives in Dover and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Chestnut Hill store, Kosmima Fine Jewelry. • If you are digitally inclined and want to connect with classmates more frequently, please send me your social media handles, and I can list them in this space to help you keep in touch. Remember, everyone turns to these pages 66
first because they want to know what’s going on in your life, so tell them! Send me stuff: imbriano@bc.edu.
Correspondent: Lou Imbriano imbriano@bc.edu
1988 I’m very appreciative to Jeff Muir for this great tribute to his friend and roommate Bob Aube, who passed away in May: “There are many stories I could share, many not suitable for publication, but this is one that I hope will be a good example of Bob as a friend. After the 1992 blowout at Notre Dame, no one wanted to go back for the 1993 game. Bob was a poor grad student, but when I asked if he wanted to go, he quickly agreed. We stayed on couches at Pam Gray Mueller’s apartment in Chicago Friday night. Saturday morning four of us got up at dawn and trekked to South Bend, expecting the same result as the year before. We sat in the end zone where David Gordon’s (’94) kick landed, and as the ball came toward us I said to Bob, “Holy——, I think he made it!” We hugged as pandemonium ensued, ending up on the field taking pictures and celebrating with everyone in maroon and gold. We soon realized the once friendly Irish fans were not happy to have us around, so we went back to Chicago to celebrate. The entertainer, Whitey O’Day, saw our BC sweatshirts, and asked if we knew our fight song. We said yes, and he played a few chords while we sang, hoping it would annoy the Notre Dame fans in the back. It went so well the first time, he had us up again an hour later. I’m sure we sounded awful but it was amazing to do. We were treated to drinks and congratulated as though we had made the kick ourselves! The only thing better than beating number-one Notre Dame in South Bend was sharing it with a friend like Bob. I think of that weekend and the laughs we shared when life gets difficult, and it still makes me smile. Some don’t understand why Boston College means so much to us and why we are still close to the friends we made there. Bob Aube is a perfect example of the friend for life that you can make at BC. I miss him every day, and I treasure the memories we all shared together.” • Geoff Matherson and his wife, Sue Walsh, wrote to say that their middle child, Brooke Caitlyn Matherson, has entered BC as a bio/ chem major and field hockey player in the Class of 2018. Go, Eagles!
Correspondent: Rob Murray murrman@aol.com
1989 Happy winter! With an updated online community and a blast email to all our BC classmates, it was much easier to gather news, as well as track down and connect with classmates, for this issue. Thanks to all who wrote! While you can always email me directly with a note or news, you can also submit updates online at bc.edu/alumni. I’m happy to keep hearing and sharing all the great news! • In 2013, Kevin Connelly, a practicing family law attorney for the past 20 years, was sworn in as an associate justice of the Probate and Family Court and is now presiding throughout the Commonwealth. Kevin was a four-year starter on the BC
baseball team and captain in his senior year. • Kimberly Bates (kbates@waterfordschools. org) wrote that after teaching third grade for 22 years in Waterford, CT, in 2013 she completed her sixth-year degree in educational leadership and administration from Sacred Heart University and is now a math coach. She very much enjoys working with teachers and students across grades K–5. • In December, Daniel McConnell (dmcconnell1@metlife. com) began his third year as chief of the Halesite (NY) Fire Department on Long Island. Congrats! • Five years ago, Ellen Pascale Grealish (ellen@flexprofessionalsllc. com) and Sheila Royston Murphy (sheila@ flexprofessionalsllc.com) launched a niche staffing firm in the DC area, specializing in flexible, part-time work arrangements. Having recently recovered from our 25th reunion, they’ve decided to bring their part-time model to Boston! Of course, they hope to tap into their BC network as they recruit for a territory manager to run the Boston operation. • And the last update (slightly belated): As many of you heard from the Kopflers in support of our 25th reunion, here’s their full update. Mike and Amy (Fay) Kopfler (breen85@comcast. net) have been living in London for about three years. Their kids attend the American School in London: Caroline, a senior, is looking at colleges and zooming in on BC as a favorite. Haley and Taegen are sophomores, and Anna is in seventh grade. Amy reports that they all love living in London, and while they are committed to stay through this year, they hope they may extend longer!
Correspondent: Andrea McGrath andrea.e.mcgrath@gmail.com
1990 25TH REUNION May 29–31, 2015 John “Ox” Kawczynski writes, as part of the Class of 1990’s 25th reunion celebration, that Bob Capablo ’62, MA’74, PhD’90, will be hosting an RA reunion at his home to benefit the Frank A. and Mary Grace Capablo Scholarship Fund at BC, which provides financial grants to first-generation students. • Steve Soukup and his wife, Ginger (Boettcher) ’92, recently returned from two weeks in Italy to celebrate their 15th anniversary. One of the highlights of the trip was an audience and Mass with our Jesuit pope! The Soukups moved to the Atlanta area three years ago. Steve works as senior VP, sales, for the Austin-based software company Q2, and Ginger works at home with their four children: twins Tommy and Charlie (in sixth grade), Michael (in fifth grade), and Maggie (in third grade). They are looking forward to our 25-year reunion! • Karen McCarthy Balerna has started a private health-care advocacy company, Nurse Advocate Partners. She attends doctor appointments with clients to ensure that all questions and concerns are addressed and then assists with follow-up appointments. • Phil Rectra has founded the Cape Cod International Film Festival. The inaugural event will take place at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in East Dennis in September. Phil resides in Boston and Yarmouth Port with his springer spaniel, Duke. • For 24 years now, Br. Celestino Arias, H’08, has been a friar appointed by the minister general in Rome to conduct fraternal visitations in