1950 65TH REUNION May 29–31, 2015 I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and a great winning season for BC football. • I want to pass on the sad news of the death of our classmate Richard Tyrell, whom we lost on May 10 at the age of 89. He was the husband of Genevieve (Doonan) ’52; father of Patrice, Richard Jr. ’81, David, and Jennifer ’85; and proud grandfather of six. At BC, Richard was a hurdler on the track team coached by Jack Ryder, and he served in the Army during World War II. Richard was a professor of English and department chairman at Boston State College for 40 years, and a professor emeritus at Worcester State College for 12 years. A longtime trustee of the Winthrop Public Library, he was also a member of the Clover Club of Boston, the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association, and the Cottage Park Yacht Club. • I hope everyone stays healthy and safe through the long, cold winter. For those of you who are snowbirds, I am very jealous. Please pass on any news you have. • As all of you know, this May is our 65th year out of BC. Congrats to all of us! The BC Alumni Association is going to organize some sort of event in May to celebrate our class and reunion. I will keep everyone posted in my notes. • Stay well and God bless.
Correspondent: Bob Chandler bob.chandler1950@hotmail.com 43 Pine Hill Road Chelmsford, MA 01824; 978-449-9720
NC 1950–1953 65TH REUNION May 29–31, 2015 As I write this, I am a week away from moving out of the house we have lived in for 43 years, with its massive accumulation of “goods” and memories. Thankfully, the latter can go with me. I have been working assiduously to reduce the former, and not knowing the patron saint for movers, Monsie O’Brien Clifton NC’53 has opted to pray to St. Joseph for me. • I have had news from Grace Conley Hiney NC’53 of her very active life. Gracie has lived in Pacific Palisades, CA, for the past 50 years. For 42 years, she worked for the local newspaper, the Palisadian Post, writing a weekly restaurant column and selling advertising. She still writes a monthly restaurant review for the American Legion Post 283 News, which was recently recognized by the National American Press Association with a 2014 Media Award as the best American Legion paper in the U.S. in its category. Gracie is also secretary for the AASH-LA, which is composed mostly of westerners but also a few St. Louis grads and occasionally someone from 91st Street in New York—and Gracie, from Greenwich and Newton. Gracie has two children, and five grandchildren who keep her very busy: Four are in high school, and the fifth is in seventh grade. All are athletes—swimmers, cross-country runners, and baseball players— voracious readers, and good students. Gracie keeps fit, working with a trainer, and since her husband died 12 years ago, she and her sister Carrel have traveled to China and Vietnam, taken Rhine and Danube River cruises, and of course visited their sister Elaine Conley Banahan NC’57 in Ireland. Gracie also spends 52
time on Carrel’s ranch in the mountains south of Tucson, AZ, where, like her children in the past, her grandkids now go to ride, tend cattle, and build fences. “I am one truly blessed Newton alumna,” she writes. • Peace and joy for 2015.
Correspondent: Ann Fulton Coté NC’53 171 Swanton Street, No. 79 Winchester, MA 01890; 781-729-8512
1951 Philip Dolan of Amelia Island, FL, writes that he and his wife are “celebrating 63 years of a great marriage and 5 years of going together. How many of you can say that?!” He reports that he is still going strong, like BC, and enjoys playing golf, skeet and trapshooting, and swimming.
Correspondent: James Derba jjderba@aol.com Brookhaven at Lexington 1010 Waltham Street Lexington, MA 02421; 781-538-6502
1952 The memorial Mass for the Class of ’52 was held on October 9 in Trinity Chapel on the Newton Campus. Our class president, Joe O’Shaughnessy, extended greetings to all, and Jack Leary served as cantor. Fr. Fred Enman, JD’78, MA’87, MDiv’88, celebrated the Mass, where the names of 25 deceased classmates were also read. At the luncheon following the Mass, I shared a table with Bob Richards JD’55 and Gene Giroux JD’57. Dick Driscoll and Barry Driscoll were at the next table, and I had the opportunity to chat with them. A special note of congratulations is extended to Tom McElroy. Over the past 15 years, Tom has donated 300 pints of blood. What a beautiful gift to needy recipients. • Fred Tarpey sent along a note from Larry Sullivan, MBA’57, of BC baseball fame. Larry says he keeps in touch with Rocky Charlton ’54; Lew Ayres; John Brosnahan ’49, JD’55; and Jim Doherty ’53. • My son, Navy SEAL Patrick, has been promoted to chief petty officer and, just as important, he has been promoted to assistant team leader of his SEAL team. • Once again, I am sending out a plea for news about you and other classmates. Let me know where you are and what is going on in your life. • I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas.
Correspondent: Frank McGee fjamesmcgee@gmail.com 1952 Ocean Street Marshfield, MA 02050; 781-834-4690
1953 Our Class of ’53 annual memorial Mass was held on November 2 at Gasson Hall on the main campus, celebrated again this year in conjunction with Boston College’s annual alumni memorial Mass. On a day that was overcast, with some snow, classmates and guests met at Cadigan Alumni Center and were transported by bus to Gasson Hall for the morning Mass. The presider was Walter “Skipp” Conlan, SJ, MDiv’76; the cantor was Margaret Felice ’02, MA’12; and Melanie Houlihan ’08, MEd’09, was the pianist. The Eucharistic ministers and the readers were engaged by the University, unlike last year
when our classmates had had some of those assignments. Following the Mass a reception and dinner was held for the 30 classmates and guests in attendance. All you could eat of large, juicy shrimp were served, and an assortment of fancy cheeses and crackers were presented on a nicely decorated table. An open bar was available for all. After the blessing, the traditional meal of seafood Newburg, roast beef, Caesar salad, and all the fixings was available at the buffet table. Maureen and Joe Tower were spotted dining with Maureen and Bob McCarthy, Mary and Jim Willwerth, and Jean and Paul Murray. At another table, Priscilla and Dennis Cronin and Mary and Bob Willis visited with Patricia Carroll Conway and her daughter Sheila. Fred Good, MBA’62, was dining with Jim Wholly and Betty and Bob Sullivan, MEd’60. Arthur Delaney and Nancy Duggan were dining together. Arthur’s wife, Muriel, came down with Lyme disease and had to cancel at the last minute. John McCauley and his wife, Gerry, were also at that table, and I’m sure they were enjoying some of Gerry’s stories. Helen and Jim Queenan, JD’58, were dining with Claire and Ray Kenney, JD’58, and BC Trustee Associate Dick Horan and his wife, Joan, and Salvatore Venezia and his wife, Eleanor. Perhaps Eleanor was sharing with her dinner companions some stories about their recent trip to Sicily for a family wedding. Barbara and Spike Boyle, Joan and John Keating, John Norton, and Barbara and Austin Smith had signed up to come but were not able to do so. After dinner, Gerry McCauley, with very little persuasion, entertained the group with some new stories. She was better than ever. Dick Horan again had a story or two to share with the group, but when a vote was taken, I was told that Gerry won hands down again. • Fr. Larry Drennan’s sister Ann Drennan Forsyth has established a memorial in his honor at the Catholic TV Network. For more information, contact Maria Bain at mbain@catholictv.org.
Correspondent: Jim Willwerth jammw19@aol.com 19 Sheffield Way Westborough, MA 01581; 508-366-5400
1954 Our annual memorial Mass was held on October 12. In attendance were Mary Jean and Jim Coughlin; Clare (Carr) MEd’73 and Frank McLaughlin MA’57; Ed Smith; Tom Warren and Trudy Gately; John Driscoll; Jack McGrath and Terry Di Loretto; Eileen and Newman Flanagan; and Elia Mottola (spouse of our deceased classmate Mary Mottola MS’61), with sons John and Joseph ’86, granddaughter Elena, and Mary’s sister and brother-in-law, Rosalie and Charles Crevo. Also present were Nancy and Tom Murphy; Al Papineau, brother-in-law of classmate Tom Cosgrove; Tom Andrews’s widow, Sue; Gerry McCourt’s widow, Mary; Margaret (Molloy) ’58 and Pete Vasaturo; Joe Skerry; Peter Nobile; Francis Flannery; Mary Curtin, widow of Jack Curtin JD’57, H’91, with son Kevin ’81, MA’87, JD’88; Lori and Lou Totino MBA’65; Charley Pelczarski and Bob Ward’s widow, Carolyn; Jim Flynn MA’55; Billy Maguire; Ed Collins; and Jane and John Ford MSW’61. • Since our last column we have lost several of our classmates, including Dick Curley JD’59, Michael Waldron, John Moreschi, and Eleanor O’Brien McManus. Also, Aurora Leydon, wife