Class of 1972 50th Reunion Yearbook

The Class of 1972

This Yearbook is Sponsored by the De Smet Class of 1972 50th Reunion Committee

Committee Members

John Clark

Ted Kinsella

Brian Lavin

Pat McCarthy

Bob Mills

Patrick Morris

(Director of Alumni Engagement)

Mike Ring

Joe Reilly

Bill Schmidt

Paul Strain

Rick Vogel

Don Vogt

Contributors

Randy Aselage

John Berg

Jack Chartrand

Leo Gamp

Buddy Griesedieck

John DeBroeck

Mark Morrell

Special Thanks to following classmates of 1971 for assisting us in putting this book together

Dave Bussmann

Tom Eschen

Jim Finkenkeller

Frank Furlong

(whose company is printing this book)

John Goessling

Thanks also to:

Teresa Gau – Graphic Designer

Stefanie Williams – Proof Reader

Copyright © 2022 by the 1972 De Smet 50th Reunion Committee All rights reserved.

De Smet Jesuit High School

The Class of 1972

September 1967

Fall 1971 Gorman & Strain tackle SLUH Spring 1968 PE Class

1968 Cafeteria lunch

Winter 1968 the Creaky Buses

Fall 1971 Carnival

Fall 1969 Spring 1970

1970 First Car Rally

Spring 1969 Soccer in the mud

Spring 1969 Cafeteria ping pong

Spring 1969 Bus Rides Mr. Hasser

Fall 1971 Homecoming Dance Spring 1970 Faculty pep rally

Spring 1970 State Tourn.

Fr. Arnold Mrs. Simpson Ms. Dotzler Spring 1971 In the Library

1972 Junior/Senior Prom

Fr. Lawless Mr. Morgan Mr. Dempsey Mr. Faust Mr. Mess Mr. Grawer Fr. Houlihan Mr.DiBlasi Bro. Marheineke Mr. Vitello

1971 Student Council

Jake Jones Band

Teacher Forewords

Mr. Greg Vitello

The boys of the class of 1972. Yep, 50 years ago. Remarkable, yes! You are the guys that St. Louis U High missed out on. I was blessed to actually start my teaching career with the class of ’72. During our first year at De Smet, actually now known as De Smet Jesuit, I continually heard about THE HIGH SCHOOL. Not being from St. Louis I was not sure what that meant or was. I soon found out that De Smet was constantly being reminded of how things were done at St. Louis U High. But De Smet was NOT SLUH. Never was.

De Smet needed to formulate its own tradition. This is where you guys come in. A diverse group of guys from all over the St. Louis area were able to take an unknown high school and transform it into the “Palace on Ballas.” Academically, athletically, spiritually, and any other which way you can think of, folks in St. Louis were taking notice of what was going on at 270 and 40. This was the doing of the class of ‘72.

As teachers, we did the classroom thing. Having some or most of you in class that thing was sometimes a bit of a challenge. We were both learning. I as a new teacher and you as fresh new high school students. Great combination.

There was another aspect to this teaching. It was formulating “Men for Others.” The real lesson was about developing good citizens, good sons, good brothers, being there and caring for your mates, and later in life being good husbands, good fathers, reliable and responsible workers. These were the real messages being taught.

Now, 50 years later, we gather. Good times will be talked about. We remember academic and athletic achievements. We remember demerits and jug. We remember those awful maroon blazers. We played for championships and making the honor roll. We also remember those in the class that have joined the Lord. Probably were fitted with a new blazer as they entered the gates.

I myself remember being totally blessed. The class of ‘72 was my first year in teaching. I was given a gift. I got to teach and coach some of the most gifted and generous human beings on the planet. I stayed for 46 years in this building. Taught and coached a ton of guys, but the class of ‘72 was the closest and dearest to my heart. I thank you for the gift that you have given me. Please stay safe and well during these unpredictable times in life. God Bless you all!

Greg Vitello was born October 10, 1946 in St. Louis, MO. Greg taught biology and physical education, coached baseball for 35 years and soccer for 45 years. He graduated from St. Benedict’s College (now Benedictine) where he played soccer and baseball before getting his B.S. in Education. He began teaching and his coaching career at De Smet when we were Freshman. Besides teaching biology and physical education, he added weight training to his regimen later. Greg began his successful coaching career starting as Freshman football coach, assistant track coach and head soccer coach. Later, he added head swimming coach and head track coach. But it was as our soccer coach that Greg excelled. Even though soccer was at its infant stages at the school (and coming in at mid-season after the previous coach left), he gave the program a shot in the arm with his coaching style.

Using only classes of ’71 and ‘72 players, we played against many varsity schools. “But the kids were receptive and ready to meet the challenge,” Vitello recalls. “I was blessed over the 46 years of coaching at De Smet to coach great young men who were more interested in playing for the school’s name on their jersey than personal accolades.”

During those 46 years, Vitello-coached teams won many soccer honors as well as winning five Missouri state championships. His program developed over 250 collegiate-level players, 80 who went to Division I programs. Included were All-American high school and collegiate players, who went on to play on professional and national teams.

Vitello took over as baseball coach in 1980, emphasizing fundamental baseball. “I prided myself on making every practice a complete learning experience beginning with simple stretching to the most complex strategies in the game,” he says. Greg coached the baseball team to five Final Fours and one state championship. From those teams, De Smet sent 90 players to college programs and 35 to top Division I programs. Twelve of those players were drafted by Major League teams with two reaching the Majors, including Bill Mueller, who played 10 1/2 years in the big leagues, winning the American League batting title and a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox.

For his achievements, Vitello was elected to halls of fame at De Smet and Benedictine College, and by the Missouri High School Soccer Coaches, Missouri High School Baseball Coaches, St. Louis Amateur Baseball, and St. Louis Soccer halls of fame. He was also named the 1990 Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches.

Fr. Bill Snyders, S.J.

Way back in August 1968, we entered De Smet together. Maybe two weeks before your class came out to 223 N. New Ballas Rd. for your first taste of High School, Fr. Passarelli and I drove in from Decatur, IL, straight out of Tertianship, our last stage of Jesuit formation, up the long curving treeless lane to the front door of the Ballas Entrance. There was no Jesuit Residence then. Fr. Greg Jacobsmeyer, President and Superior of the Jesuit community greeted us and showed us classroom space (or an office) where we could stay. Classes started soon, and the Sophomore class (class of ’71), yourself, and the teaching faculty under the leadership of Fr. Jerry Bone, Principal, and John Arnold S. J., Assistant Principal were soon engaged in shaping the spirit and traditions that were to become De Smet.

During your four years, the number of students and faculty (both Jesuit and Izy) expanded greatly; extracurriculars multiplied and the wonderful tradition and spirit at De Smet got off the ground and soared. Traditions of excellence in sports, drama, and art were palpable expectations. The wide-spread student participation in the these became the Hallmark tradition at De Smet

Many of your class participating in this reunion haven’t seen each other in those intervening 50 years. Please help in not only making each other feel welcome, but to spend time to appreciate each other’s journey through life. Your folds sent you to De Smet to support and strengthen the moral compass they were promoting in your up-bringing. Living that out in successive years is no easy task. We are all the same yet very different people from whom we were then by reason of choices we’ve compassionately made. Listen compassionately, appreciate each with ever greater wisdom and understanding. Your previous class (the class of ’71) has set before you yet another tradition-that of producing a reunion yearbook that really helps us get a tiny window into each other’s lives. Hopefully, a few copies of their reunion yearbook and will be on hand at your reunion.

A huge “Thanks You” to those who have been on the steering committee of this reunion, and those of you who have openly shared yourselves with your classmates through your mini biographies.

Fr. William Snyders stayed on as College Counselor at De Smet for another nine years after we graduated. In ‘81, he was assigned to St. John’s College in Belize. He was on the faculty there at the college for fifteen years before returning to De Smet for a second tour of duty lasting for six years, from ‘96 to 2002. After that, he had a second tour of duty in Belize, this time, for seventeen years, from 2002 to 2019. At this period, he was with the College’s Pastoral office involved with weekly student retreats and Kairos retreats. He became heavily involved in Prison Ministry at Belize Central Prison the last fourteen years of those seventeen.

Three years ago, in 2019, he was assigned to St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, LA., a large and eclectic locus of Jesuit activity embracing the Province’s Jesuit Novitiate, a Jesuit Spirituality Center, a Jesuit Retreat House (Our Lady of the Oaks), and a Jesuit Parish & primary school (St. Charles Borromeo), and a retirement home for elderly Jesuits needing nursing care.

He remains actively engaged and in good health.

Mr. George Hasser

The Class of 1972 is celebrating a huge milestone in their lives this weekend. The Class of ’72 is the second graduating class in the short history of De Smet Jesuit High School. (Now, not so short!) This class has produced “Men for Others.” You have left your mark in almost every endeavor that you have taken on. You have excelled in school and continue to in your everyday lives. You are keeping up with your families, your businesses, and your church. In this class, there are construction workers, and bankers; there are accountants, advertisers, architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, financial experts, graphic designers, and military personnel. These are just a few of the myriad areas where your classmates have excelled and left their marks. I purposely stayed away from actually naming classmates because it is too easy to leave out people and I do not want to omit anyone!

The Class of ’72 has spread out all over the country and can be found as far away as Anchorage, Burbank, Boulder, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri; from the East Coast to the West Coast, north to south, you grads are everywhere. Just a quick note, two out of three of you have stayed close to home in Missouri, establishing your homes and families in the areas that you grew up.

The Class of ’72 began many traditions that are still with us today. This class began and was the first class to do the Senior Projects Program in service to the community and metro area winning awards and recognition along the way. You have started the long and storied tradition of winning State Championships, the first of many. There is so much to write about for this class, with outstanding successes with your families, your jobs, and your personal lives in this tough world in which we all live. Over the past five decades I have had the pleasure of keeping up many of the friendships that had their beginnings in the classrooms and on the fields. Many of these friendships are still flourishing and I am proud to know so many of you.

Many of you who were active and involved in your days as a Spartan are still active now. What a great statement about you and your connections to the Palace on Ballas. Those of you who were the “quiet ones” are now becoming the movers and shakers in our De Smet community. Many of you who were involved in high school, are still involved now. That is terrific!

I have been asked to write reflections on this second graduating class and the marks that you are leaving for those who are following you. You are single men, married men, divorced, very hard working and spiritual. This is what we were teaching five decades ago and it seems to have worked. I had the pleasure of watching and participating in the maturing of so many of you, I was not sure of what direction this reflection should take on so I decided to make it a little of each whether it should be humorous, reflective, inspirational or visionary. I realize that I have been talking in generalizations and purposely not naming names so as not to leave anyone out of the 50-year celebrations. Just know that The Class of 1972 is an integral part of the foundation of De Smet Jesuit in which everyone in this class should be very proud of the legacy you have established and left for those who have followed. I am very proud of every one of you. Keep up the great job!

George Hasser

Teacher/Counselor/ Coach/ Alumni Director

George Hasser came to De Smet in 1968 from St. Thomas Aquinas in north county and from Augustinian Academy in south St. Louis. He taught Spanish from 1968 to 1988 and the Senior Lifestyle Class (The Marriage Class) from 1980 to 1988. In 1987 he was made assistant principal, and then he took over as Director of Alumni until his retirement in 2008. He coached freshmen basketball and football for 2 years and then varsity baseball for the next 10 years. George asks, “Where did the 40 years go!?” In 2008 he was elected to the De Smet Hall of Fame.

Editor’s Preface

In March of 2022 I received an email from a former classmate, friend and fellow wrestler, Rick Vogel. In that email, Rick asked all of us to submit a bio of our past 50 years for inclusion in the new 50th Reunion Yearbook. I happily read what Rick had put together as a template for us to follow. It was a wonderful document outlining Rick’s life over the years that was not only informative, but thoroughly enjoyable to read and learn things I obviously did not know. After writing and sending my bio to Rick, he asked me if I’d mind helping out the Reunion Committee. I thought that it was time to dig in, help out and meet up with all the classmates who have so graciously volunteered their time to put the reunion together including this yearbook. Somehow, I now “volunteered” to be the editor of this fine book! It turned out not only being my pleasure to do so, but an absolute joy!

Honestly, it has been many years since I attended a reunion, perhaps the last being our 15th Sociologists who research high school reunions point out that high school reunions give one the opportunity to gauge and examine one’s unfolding life biography. They enable us to put our entire life course in a context in a way that very few events do. After 50 years, we have all changed in many ways. We can look back on our aspirations as Seniors and reflect where we are now. With many of us at about 68 years old, we’re possibly retired, many with children, grand-children, or in my case, grand-pets. These past 50 years comprise the core of our lifetimes, and being able to read about your lifetimes in this book is a treasure for me and I hope all of you

We want to sincerely thank Dave Bussmann of the Class of 1971 for putting the original De Smet 50th Reunion Yearbook together for his inaugural class. He was so gracious in allowing our Committee to use what he had assembled. It is a terrific book that allowed us to merely do some editing incorporating information, photos and biographies from our year. We hope that Dave’s efforts have set a format and structure that all future 50th Reunion Classes can follow. Well done, Dave!

The Reunion Committee would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to John Goessling, Tom Eschen and Jim Finkenkeller from the Class of 1971, without whom the Class of 1972’s 50th Reunion Weekend would not have been possible. Their help and guidance in navigating this entire planning process have been immeasurable. And sincere appreciation to Frank Furlong from the Class of 1971 and his printing company in ensuring we have a wonderful end product to share with everyone. Thank you, gentlemen!

Special thanks to two individuals, who are not connected directly to De Smet Jesuit but their contributions made this Yearbook possible: Teresa Gau’s graphic skills and patience certainly gave our book an air of professionalism, and Stefanie Williams’ keen-eye proofreading kept our grammatical errors to a minimum.

Finally, many thanks go out to the entire Class of 1972 Reunion Committee and all those who took the time to compile and submit their bios, the bios of our Fallen Spartans, and other contributions.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Mike Ring

Class of 1972

De Smet 50th Reunion Yearbook Editor

Introduction

Welcome all to the De Smet Jesuit High School Class of 1972 50th Reunion Yearbook!

The purpose of this Yearbook is to celebrate and memorialize a big, formative part of our lives. It contains biography pages written by each of the 1972 Classmates who chose to submit one, sharing both the details of their lives of the last fifty years, and various memories of their experience at De Smet. Although the biography pages constitute the core of the Yearbook, it also includes a treasure trove of other ancillary material that the Committee agreed would be of interest, amusement, and nostalgic reflection.

The 19 members of the 50th Reunion Committee (listed on the inside cover) have spent countless hours over the last 18 months in planning the reunion, organizing its events, helping gather information and stories on De Smet’s history, identifying and chasing down long-lost classmates, and then convincing, cajoling and encouraging classmates to provide their contribution to this Yearbook. Information was gathered from classmates, faculty, aunts, uncles and many friends. The result we have sought is a “Reunion Yearbook Over the Years”, to accompany a fabulous 50th reunion weekend for second graduating class of De Smet!

As you flip through the Yearbook, take yourself back in time, and re-imagine your younger self at De Smet 50 years ago:

• As a new Freshman, we entered school from the Emerson side of the building. Due to now doubling the number of students, classes were held on both the 1st and 2nd floors. Your 14 year-old self is wearing a maroon blazer with tie from Bond Clothing that your mom bought at their downtown store. School colors and a mascot (Spartan) had been chosen by the class of ’71. With Mike & Pat Finnegan in our class, there were now three Finnegans in the building!

• Sophomore year, enrollment was up to nearly 700, and despite lacking a senior class, many Juniors and some of us were already competing with other schools in varsity sports. New faculty continued to fill the ranks, with Jesuits on staff rising to 21, and the school infrastructure continued to be built out, with the De Smet President Fr. Jacobsmeyer at times serving as both carpenter and landscaper. There was a room with a window in the hall leading to the cafeteria that sold De Smet merchandise. Business was booming!

• With our Junior year, we now had a fully-formed high school with four classes of 900+ students, 27 full time Jesuits in residence, and yet more new lay faculty members We had the chance to take courses that we never imagined would be taught in high school, such as Film Techniques, Anthropology, Black Studies, Mechanical Drawing and African History. Along with the Seniors, we were fortunate enough to have a chance to select the school ring that would be soon worn by the Seniors.

• Our Senior year was filled with Senior projects, wonderful sports and notable plays by our Dionysian players under the direction of John Faust. We also almost had a tragedy when Brother Schmitt was burned on the face and hands when a power panel he was adjusting exploded. That was our first real fire drill! We had dances with live bands like Jake Jones who also played at our Senior Prom.

After four years as classmates, many of us formed bonds that have lasted and been treasured through the years. We mourn but also fondly remember those we’ve lost. A HUGE thank you to everyone for who shared your bios that reveal your life course, accomplishments, tribulations, adventures, sadness, defeats, current interests, and remaining aspirations!

1968-1972: Historical Context of the Era

As our Class started Freshman year in September 1968, America was approaching the end of the 1960s …

Globally, having in the two previous decades decisively consolidated its position as WW II victor, the USA stood as a colossus, dominating the world in economics, technology, finance, military might, and cultural impact.

At the same time, America was locked in the Cold War with Soviet Union bloc, and mired in the Vietnam War that reached its most ferocious intensity during our De Smet years. By our senior year, we were all concerned about the real possibility of being drafted and sent to Vietnam. However, in March 1973, 1974 and 1975, the Selective Service assigned draft priority numbers for all men born in 1954, 1955 and 1956, in case the draft was extended — but it never was.

Domestically, it was a time of youth rebellion and campus unrest, continued struggles in the Civil Rights Movement, the flowering of the environmental movement, the growth of counterculture movements (hippies, yippies, communes, etc.), and the rebirth of the women’s movement that accompanied both a "sexual revolution" and changes in "family" values. We got our daily news from the conservative Globe Democrat in the morning, and the liberal PostDispatch in the evening, and in this pre-Cable era, TV consisted of essentially 3 dominant networks, and a few local channels. In the summer of 1969 between our Freshman and Sophomore year, the Space Program reached a climax, marked by the first manned Moon Landing, which took place a month before Woodstock, the most influential music festival of our lifetime.

Politically, it was a period of turmoil, with year 1968 being a particularly difficult one, scarred by the King and Kennedy assassinations. The ongoing rapid social changes fostered a backlash, bringing a new conservative majority that elected Nixon in our Freshman year. Both the media and political parties were highly conventional, generally respecting a decorum that would be lost in subsequent decades. Nonetheless, the US at times appeared to rend apart by the seemingly irreconcilable differences between supporters and opponents of a Vietnam War that dragged on throughout our high school years, and in some of our families brought great turbulence and consternation

Culturally, despite (or perhaps because of) the social and political turmoil, it was a time of great creativity. There was the Rock Explosion, and the peaking of Soul music just before it fragmented into disparate subgenres, while Jazz music embraced fusion, rock, and electrification. New independent film directors took hold as the studio system declined, and Hollywood influenced by the European New Wave entered a new era, bringing breakthrough cinematic techniques, structures, subjects, and mores, as exemplified by 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Graduate, and Bonnie and Clyde Modern Art fully transitioned into Contemporary Art, marked by edgy and powerful new modes of expression, including Pop Art, minimalism, conceptual art, installation art, performance art, video art

Quang Tri Province, Vietnam 1968

Woodstock August 1969

The “New Nixon” 1968

Miles Davis Bitches Brew

March 1970

Star Trek (1966-1969), one of the most path-breaking TV series ever, entered its final season in our fall Freshman semester Of all of the changes taking place, the cultural changes may have been the most impactful on us at De Smet, because they were most viscerally experienced by us as teenagers.

Economically, during most of our time at De Smet, America basked in a boom, on the back of twin spending on the “Great Society” and Vietnam War. The economy grew at nearly 5%, with muted inflation that disguised the coming Great Inflation of the 1970s. It represented the final peaking of the great postwar boom, and a golden period for the US middle class, driven by still widespread unionization, low unemployment, and growth distributed far more equitably across economic classes than today. US companies generally still lacked serious foreign competition, and thus remained globally dominant, but this would soon change. The S&P 500 (recently at 4,100) stood at 100 in September 1968, and by our June 1972 graduation it had inched up to 110 (or 645 inflation-adjusted). It was a period of unusual financial stability, both in the US and globally, but this also would soon change, as the Federal Reserve and Nixon Administration implemented a flawed monetary policy that contributed to surging inflation throughout the 1970s.

Intel

the first Intel CPU 1971

Technologically, in a realm little known to us or the general public, the microprocessor and Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) were invented, the first supercomputers were built, Moore’s law had just been recognized, and ARPAnet, the precursor to the internet, was established. None of us foresaw then, but the combination of these would form a global information revolution that completely transformed the world in our lifetime. It begs the question as to whether and how the next 50 years may be transformed in a like manner, based on technologies of AI, quantum & neuromorphic computing, biotechnology, CRISPR gene editing, next-gen materials, and other propellants not yet fully appreciated.

St. Louis participated in all of the changes, although with a Midwestern response that seemed to lag the coasts.

Greater St. Louis was undergoing a decisive demographic shift of population out of the City and into the County and other outlying areas. With the fateful 1876 separation of the city and county, this had a devastating effect on commercial viability of downtown STL. The tax base needed to support services and education progressively shrank, and accelerated a downward spiral of the center of what was once America’s 4th largest city.

In sports, there were still two Cardinal sports teams. The dominant Bob Gibson-led baseball Cardinals, which went to the World Series in 1967 and 1968, contrasted with the hapless NFL football Cardinals that eventually decamped to Arizona. In our Freshman year, the second season of the newly-formed St. Louis Blues with a record of 37-25-14 once again made it to the Stanley Cup final, but were swept again by the Montreal Canadiens. By the Spring of 1968, St. Louis’ only NBA franchise, the St. Louis Hawks, would play their last games at Kiel before being sold and moving to Atlanta.

Source: Mapping Decline, by Colin Gordon

Twin Towers Under Construction 1969

4004

De Smet 1972

Both the timing and location of De Smet were strongly influenced by the demographic shifts in St. Louis. A huge cohort of the Greatest Generation’s postwar sons was approaching their high school years facing a shortage of Catholic high school capacity in St. Louis, particularly the county, and De Smet was founded specifically to address this need and relieve pressures on St. Louis University High. The school was made more accessible due to the completion in November of 1968 of I-244, now I-270. Many students can remember the construction while practicing on the football and soccer fields.

With a few notable exceptions, ours was a “white” high school, probably owing to the lay founders of De Smet all being Caucasian, the centercounty geographic location, and the scarcity of scholarships at the time. Yet in our junior year, De Smet offered us semester-long courses in both Black Studies (taught by Bob Christian) and African History (taught by Rich Grawer).

Cultural Markers I: OUR FRESHMAN YEAR

Cultural Markers II: OUR SOPHOMORE YEAR

Cultural Markers III: OUR JUNIOR YEAR

Cultural Markers IV: OUR SENIOR YEAR

Typical Freshman Curriculum

De Smet: Now vs. Then

Now

(partial or full)

(2022)

Then 1968-72

Typical Senior Curriculum

Average daily cellphone time by a De Smet student

World Languages

Offered

• English

• Algebra

• World Language

• Science

• Religious Studies

• Computer Science

• Fine Arts

• Physical Education

• English

• Math

• Social Studies

• Portfolio Project

• Electives: Film Appreciation, World Religions, Forensic Science, International Studies, Modern European History, Best Novels, Computer Applications, Government, Psychology, Statistics, Instrumental Jazz, Economics, American Society, Web Design

How many hours? 2

Spanish, Chinese, Latin

Also, yearly immersion trips to Spain, Taiwan, Italy

• English

• Algebra

• Foreign Language – including Latin

• Science

• History

• Religion

• Typing (on manual typewriters)

• Physical Education

• English (Satire, or Contemporary Novels)

• Calculus (as elective)

• Foreign Language

• Mechanical Drawing

• Religion (“Contemporary Thinkers”)

• Science electives: Physics, Physiology, Adv. Biology

• Social Studies electives: American Problems, Black Studies, African History, Anthropology

• Art electives: Studio Art or Film Techniques

• Senior Project

What’s a Cellphone?

Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Latin (“Immersion trips” would have been an unimaginable extravagance, costing multiples of the annual tuition)

1 There appears to be a direct connection between the cost of annual tuition and the number of Jesuits at De Smet over time. Unlike many diocesan priests, Jesuit priests are required to take a vow of poverty, meaning that they have only the possessions that they require, and any money that may be earned is shared amongst the order equally. The rationale is that humans cannot worship both God and material things, so removing luxuries sustains focus on the spiritual. Our 1972 class thus indirectly benefitted economically from the large number of Jesuits at De Smet at the time.

2 “US teens use screens more than seven hours a day on average – and that’s not including school work”, Kristen Rogers, CNN, October 29, 2019. However, it should be noted that in 2019 De Smet implemented a revised cell phone policy, under which all classrooms and study halls are equipped with hanging cell phone pouches, and when students enter an academic space during an academic time (class or study hall), students are required to deposit their cell phones in the pouches. Pouches are hung near the front of the class, and teachers are present to ensure the security of the devices. Upon the conclusion of academic time, students are allowed to retrieve their phones.

De Smet

Football Coach

De Smet Video Broadcast Network

Inter-scholastic Sports Offered

Now Then 1968-72

Mr. John Merritt

(Succeeded Carl Reed, who resigned in January, 2022.)

Regularly broadcast live De Smet sporting events, assemblies, liturgies on a student-run media network, freely available to the entire world to view in real time.

• Bowling

• Cross Country

• Football

• Soccer

• Swim & Dive

• Basketball

• Bowling

• Ice Hockey

• Racquetball

• Wrestling

• Baseball

De Smet

Dress Code

• Tennis

• Golf

• Track & Field

• Inline Hockey

• Ultimate

• Lacrosse

• Volleyball

• Racquetball

• Water Polo

• Rugby

Mr. Bob Christian (1971-1972)

Would have been unimaginable.

(No video broadcast network on earth had this capability, until CNN in the late 1980s.)

• Cross Country

• Football

• Soccer

• Basketball

• Bowling

• Wrestling

• Ice Hockey

• Baseball

• Tennis

• Golf

• Track & Field

• Chess

• Debating

De Smet

Facilities

• New classroom wing ‘03/’04 adds an additional 24 classrooms.

• Thomas Hunter Memorial Theater, built in the mid-90’s

• Chapel, built in the late 80’s

• Full sized track, turf field, and press box, with stadium lights

• Alumni Pavilion

• Concession stand

• Emerson Lobby (built in the ‘80’s)

• Library (now the “Innovation Center”) with a few books, and the Robotic Center

• Student Government Office

• Admissions Office

• 33 Classrooms

• Grass football field with some metal stands

• Gymnasium – doubling as wrestling practice room

• Cafeteria

• Locker rooms

• Small “weight” room

• “Smoking Room” (now a maintenance room)

• Small “auditorium/theater” on 1st floor with stage (now a music/choir/band room)

• Basic baseball field with metal stands

Business Casual

Maroon Blazers with Tie 3

Now Then 1968-72

• Campus Ministry

• Baseball field and dugouts

• North practice fields (with an “Alumni House” and practice facilities for lacrosse and track/field shotput)

• Expanded parking on Emerson Lot

• Visitor’s locker rooms and band room (underneath the theater)

De Smet 1968-1972: 6 Backstories

1. What is the backstory on how “Spartans” was selected as the school mascot?

In the late Fall of 1967, it was determined that our Freshman class would nominate and then vote on the school mascot. The class came up with several candidates, including “Raiders” and “Spartans. ” “Spartans” happened to be relevant at the time for perhaps three reasons: (a) the Michigan State football team was ranked in the top 2 (along with Notre Dame); (b) there was a rather forgettable early 1960s sword-and-sandals Hollywood film “The 300 Spartans” which many of us had seen that glorified the story of the outnumbered Spartans defending Greece from the invading Persians, and (c) many of us took Ancient History in Fall 1967 that included a class or two on the story of Sparta The Spartan emphasis on military prowess and physical development appealed to us 14 year olds. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of "Spartans "

Note that the current Spartan Logo differs from one that often used in 1968-72, depicted at left, which was modeled on the Michigan State Vintage “Sparty” log. A more conventional Spartan mascot was rejected by many of us students as being an “insufficiently masculine and tough” image for our new school - Dave Bussmann

2. What is the backstory on how “Maroon & White” was selected as school colors?

As with the school mascot vote, our Freshman class nominated and voted on the school colors The class came up with the following candidates: green and white (since this was the same colors as the Michigan State Spartans), green and gold; and maroon and white (to match the maroon De Smet blazers that we all had, which in turn was an idea of the Mothers’ Club to distinguish the school). The only colors not eligible were blue and white, since this was SLUH’s. Maroon and white won, over green and white.

3. What is the backstory on how the first class ring design was selected?

Keeping with high school traditions, as a Junior you were able to purchase a class ring. Of course, De Smet had yet to have a class ring design. We were fortunate enough to have input to the design, along with the current Juniors. As memory serves, we were presented with three or four different designs from the Herff Jones Company (still in business today). After a period of voting by each class, the final design was selected. Our rings are 10K gold. While the Juniors that year had the “alpha” symbol on the ring around the stone, we got just the normal design.

4. What is the backstory on the devout Fr. Jacobsmeyer SJ, President of De Smet, one day walking into a classroom that happened to have a live nude female standing in the middle of the room?

De Smet Jesuit High and the Class of 71 were blessed with so many talented, unique, colorful and interesting teachers in the early years. Bill Christman the art teacher our senior year was clearly no exception.

Bill graduated with an Art degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and has worked for years in the design and production of signs, murals, billboards, exhibits, sculptures and theatrical scenery. He has countless pieces at the City Museum, and is the proprietor at Beatnik Bob's and the owner of Christman Studios. Very creative would be an understatement.

Among his many ideas at De Smet was to do a "living rosary" (take note Jim Finkenkeller) by burying students up to their neck to form a rosary around the football and have each student recite the appropriate prayer. He also collected money to build a glider to fly off the roof of the school. I think it is safe to say he is the only teacher sent home for "dress code" violations when he wore knickers to school, and sent home from our senior prom for showing up in a zoot suit. Yes, he shot the staple gun he was certain didn't work against his temple only to find out it worked but he continued to teach class.

It has been rumored that he was caught on a Saturday by Fr. Jacobsmeyer, the first President of De Smet, with nude female models on the third floor. The line between truth and urban legend is never clear. Some alums recently met up with Mr. Christman and he says it was Mr. Sheckler, the junior year art teacher who had the models. Two faculty reported it was Bill Christman, and Fr. Jacobsmeyer was on the third floor because he like to roller skate up there.

Guess we will never know for sure, but beyond a doubt, Bill was a colorful child and free spirit of the late sixties.

- Mike Sawicki

5. What is the backstory of De Smet’s win over SLUH in football in our senior year using a double pass.

We had practiced that play all week with Dan Welsh at wide receiver, who would receive the first pass and then throw the second pass. When Christian called the play Welsh was nowhere to be found so he sent out Bernie McGuire, our backup quarterback. Shortly after I snapped the ball, Finnegan, Gorman and I went out to the left flat to set up the screen at which time I noticed the lines official watching to make sure we weren't over the line of scrimmage and I purposely backed up a couple of steps to make sure I wasn't off. Bernie received the pass from Brian and Bernie hit Jimmy Kennedy for the TD. While I'm not 100% certain, I believe that team was the first Varsity Bi State Champions.

- Don Vogt

6. What is the backstory on the De Smet-Assumption 1971 basketball game that De Smet won 16-15 in Overtime?

This was the second meeting of the year between the two teams. It was the last home game for seniors Mike Faddis, Steve Kohnen, Larry Linkul, Greg Combs, Pat Ward, and Bob Kuelker. Assumption High of Illinois was led by the All American 6’ 10” Rick Suttle, who later went to the Final Four with Kansas, and played professionally for the San Antonio Spurs. Both Assumption and De Smet were ranked in the top 10 of their respective states. We lost the first meeting on the road and Coach Grawer was wary that we did not have enough fire power to play a wide open game with the Pioneers so he devised a game plan to slow down the game.

The opening tip was one of the keys to the game as the team with the lead (or tied) could hold the ball (unlike today with a shot clock). We really wanted to get the tip so we could control the tempo. Winning the tip against a near 7footer was going to be a tough task, so Coach Grawer devised a play on the tip for us to steal it and turn it into an initial possession, allowing us to control the tempo. My job was to read where the tip was going, make it look like they had an opening, and then to step in and steal the tip. That I succeeded in doing, and scoring a layup to give us a 2-0 lead! 4

4 This opening tip stolen by Faddis who scored the first 2 points— can be viewed today, thanks to Dave Muckerman, on-line here: http://muckermanracing.com/De Smet-jesuit-high-school-film-techniques-class-movie-project/ . There is also footage of De Smet running the 4-corner offense against Assumption, footage from some other game, and Larry Linkul shooting far too many free throws. Originally shot in 8millimeter. It is amazing that Dave Muckerman not only made this film 50 years ago, but still has a digital copy. THANK YOU, DAVE !

Linkul Running the 4-Corners Offense against Assumption

On defense we forced a funneling of the ball down one side (the right side) of the floor knowing Suttle would set up on the low post. Coach Grawer had Steve Kohnen fronting him and Pat Ward behind him. So, we had him double teamed. We put both guards out front pushing the ball down their right side. We did not guard the weak side and made sure someone was in the face of the player with the ball so they could not make the long pass to the weak side. They really had trouble getting the ball to Suttle.

Every time we got possession we ran a 4 Corners offense, slowing the ball and passing -- and only looking to make back door layups. Each possession took several minutes. The game went on like this for all 4 quarters. I still remember that despite holding the ball and slowing the play, the De Smet student body was awesome and loud and wild. Everyone was into the game to see if we could make this game plan work. We had great support in the stands!

The game ended in regulation tied at 15-15. Yes, that is correct 15-15. In overtime Assumption tried to hold the ball and get a last shot but turned it over and I got fouled. I made a free throw to give us the lead with 8 seconds left. Assumption did not get off another shot and we had a 16-15 win! Our student body emptied onto the floor. It was a weird and wild night!

Larry Linkul was the leading scorer with 8 points and Steve Kohnen chipped in with 5. The Loss cost Assumption the Bi-State league championship, giving SLUH the title. Rick Suttle, the All American, scored only 2 points the lowest point total ever by Suttle. After the game, as we were gathering in our locker room, the door burst open and it was the Assumption coach raising heck and calling Coach Grawer and all of us all kinds of names and using every 4-letter word you’ve heard. It was the perfect capper on a wild evening. It was also the spring-board to send us to the upcoming State Tournament.

- By Mike Faddis (Guard)

Our Lives: Then and Now

1972 - Then it was:

Getting the keys to our first car

Long Hair

KEG

Rolling Stones

Trying to look like Marlon Brando

Starved for information

Parkmoor

Passing the driver’s test

Enormous sideburns

Age 30 is 12 years away

2022 - Now it is:

Trying to find the keys ... and the car!

Longing for hair

EKG

Kidney Stones

Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando

Choked by information

Chipotle

Passing the vision test

Don’t quite match the balding head

Age 80 is 12 years away

Steak n Shake Shake Shack

Pontiac GTO

Mom – “Go to school! It’s just a cold!”

Tesla Model S

Mom – “You tested positive for COVID. Quarantine in your room for five days!”

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

De Smet: 33 Legacy De Smet Students of 1972 Class

1972 Graduate Son(s) Who Are De Smet Graduates

Dennis Ahearn

Joseph Behlmann

Thomas Buergler

James Crowley

Dennis Crown

Francis Dorsey

Ronald Duchek

Leo Gamp

John Hofmeister

Michael Hubbell

William Jarvis

Edward Kinsella

David LaRussa

Michael McCarthy

Patrick McCarthy

Robert McCue

Bernard McGuire

Robert Michalski

Robert Mills

John Muller

James Neels

Patrick Postal

Gary Schlicher

Joseph C. Ahearn (1996)

Joshua M. Behlmann (1999)

Jeffrey T. Buergler (1997)

Daniel T. Buergler (2001)

James E. Crowley (2003)

Michael R. Crown (2008)

Matthew J. Dorsey (2013)

Joseph W. Duchek (2000)

Richard L. Gamp (2005)

Matthew S. Hofmeister (2001)

Scott M. Hofmeister (2005)

Luke A. Hofmeister (2007)

Keith M. Hubbell (1998)

William C. Jarvis (2002)

Edward D. Kinsella (2001)

Matthew D. LaRussa (1996)

Nathan R. McCarthy (2001)

Daniel T. McCarthy (2010)

Patrick M. Maher (1998)

Patrick D. McGuire (1996)

Daniel R. Michalski (2005)

Robert G. Mills (2009)

John E. Muller (2001)

James F. Neels (1997)

Paul M. Neels (2000)

Patrick M. Postal (2005)

Christopher L. Schlicher (2001)

Brad Spaunhorst Benjamin J. Spaunhorst (2005)

Richard Vogel

Donald Vogt

John Zipfel

Jonathan R. Vogel (2011)

Christopher J. Vogt (1999)

Gregory D. Vogt (2004)

Cory A. Zipfel (1998)

Scott A. Zipfel (2001)

De Smet 1968-1972: 10 Question Trivia Quiz

1. Which team had the highest inter-scholastic winning percentage in our Senior year?

A. Football Team

B. Basketball Team

C. Soccer Team

D. Golf Team

E. Hockey Team

2. How many last names were shared by two or more classmates?

A. 2

B. 3

C. 4

D. 5

E. 7

3. Who was our first wrestling coach?

A. Greg Vitello

B. Ralph Carraffa

C. Hugh Kelly

D. Dave Satory

4. Which classmate has visited the most countries in the world?

A. Bob Poe

B. Ditmar Luhofer

C. John Lonsberg

D. Pat Finnegan

5. Who scored the last touchdown of the 1971 football season?

A. Dan Welsh

B. Sam Bick

C. Don Vogt

D. Brian Lavin

6. Who starred in all of the plays our senior year?

A. Gary Raeker

B. Bill Schmidt

C. Bill Trigg

D. Bill Dahm

7. Who rigged the attendance system to skip afternoon classes and harass the campus at Villa?

A. Bob Mills

B. Bill Schmidt

C. Joe Reilly

D. Rick Vogel

8. Who made the first track at De Smet?

A. Greg Vitello

B. George Hasser

C. Brother Marheineke

D. Father DeRouen

9. What was the name of the first printed paper in our history?

A. Synthesis

B. Dispatch

C. Mirror

D. Spartan Times

Correct answers are located in Appendix 5 of this Yearbook.

De Smet Class of 1972: In Action (1980s-2020s)

The St. Ignatius Loyola “Prayer for Generosity” on the White House Retreat ground The annual De Smet Alumni Retreat is usually the 3rd weekend in October

Jesus with a dog – University of San Diego

Only one good looking guy here! Can you spot him?!

Bob Poe enjoying Alaska!

John & Barb Kelly in Paris!

Paul Beggan celebrating his 60th at St. Andrews

Rick Vogel at the Moscow marathon – 1989

Mike & Susan Ring at Pikes Peak - 2016

Ted Kinsella & John Batterton in 100 degree heat. July 2022

2017 St. Louis Hall of Fame Inductee

Bob Mills with wife Joanie at Busch Stadium

Bob with Brian Lavin – “Lavin Airlines”!

Bill Schmidt & family in Alaska

Tim Graham & family

John Lonsberg with family in the French Alps - 2021

John Maurath restoring tombstones at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Bill Schmidt & Family in Namibia

Paul Schnoebelen, Bill Schmidt, Lynne Brinker (Villa, ’78), Trey Hogan, Carl Hogan (CBC, ’72) competing in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon

Bob Mills & John O’Connor at De Smet Golf tourney

2010 Sr. Night honoring ’70 & ’75 football teams

Tom Buergler signs with Minnesota Kicks

Tim Graham & family

Bick & Buergler on 1975 All-NAIA Soccer Team

Greg Vitello inducted into Benedictine College Hall of Fame in 2010

Mike Buncher '73, Dick Otto '73, Vitello, Don Vogt ‘72, Mark Vinciguerra '71, and Tom Buergler '72

One of the most memorable events of our class was Bill Trigg and Don Doheny doing their General George S. Patton/General Omar N. Bradley performance. It was always an inspiring event! We asked Bill if he still suited up and did the show after graduation. Here’s his response:

“So, I am forwarding herewith two photos of “General Patton” taken in September 2004 at the State Police Survivors Tribute Weekend at the State Police Academy in Albany. I had the uniform re-done in its entirety that year, given that the “original” uniform was created by none other than my fellow performer, Don Doheny. He put it all together for me in 1971 – which I wore many times for the General’s appearances at De Smet; then at Thomas More College in northern KY; then at UAlbany during graduate school; and then in a NYS senator’s office in the Legislative Office Building in Albany in 1982- was lost in an apartment move in 1987. Yeah, the General got around a bit.”

Bill Trigg

July 2022

Benedictine College Soccer Team includes 6 Spartans: Dick Otto '73, Don Vogt, John Riffle '74, Mike Buncher '73, Tom Buergler, Ivy Thompson ’73, Chuck Korte's brother, Keith

John Clark visiting Mongolia in 2015

45th Reunion – 2017

Back row from left to right

Leo Gamp, Brian Burnes, Jay Branch, Paul Sheehan, Dave LaRussa, Frank Dorsey, John Hofmeister, Mark Morrell, John Schlafly, John Berg, Dr. Kevin Buckley Kneeling

Tim Healy, Ted Kinsella, John Kelly, Charlie Dachroeden, Al Dapron, Kevin O’Brien, Rick Vogel, Bill Schmidt

De Smet Class of 1972: Where is

1972: 8 things you might do if you knew then what you know now?

1. Recognize that even if you’re drafted into the Army, it’s OK … you won’t be going to Vietnam …. except as a tourist on a Danang tropical beach holiday in your 50s or 60s.

2. Dismantle that atomic bomb shelter in the back yard.

3. Buy and hold the US S&P 500 5 , and sell your stocks in the following companies: Korvettes, ITT, Eastern Airlines and Chrysler.

4. Realize that sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan, and it ends up being the best thing that ever happened to you.

5. Chill out. 98% of what you fuss about as a teenager doesn’t actually matter.

6. Stop smoking. Immediately, meaning … right now this second!

7. Move to Palo Alto, buy a house, and join one of two companies that were just in the process of being founded: Sequoia Capital or Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

8. Spend more time with one’s grandparents, while they’re still around.

5 But you’ll need to wait two years until 1974 to buy into the first S&P 500 ETF launched by Jack Bogle at Vanguard. For technical and tax reasons, it would have been better to own the SP500 in Index Fund format, rather than the stocks directly. Because that first SP500 ETF IPO was greatly undersubscribed, and deemed a near-failure of an IPO at the time, you could have easily gotten into the IPO as a retail investor. Today, the largest S&P 500 Index Fund (“SPY”) has a market capitalization of about $380,000,000,000. If you invested $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 1972, you would have about $166,655 at the beginning of 2022, assuming you reinvested all dividends, and were sheltered from tax as in an IRA. This is a compound return on investment of 10.8% compounded per year over 50 years; the inflation-adjusted real return was about compounded 6.6% per year. Investment in the above-mentioned Korvettes, ITT, Eastern Airlines, or Chrysler would likely have resulted in a total loss, due to bankruptcy of each of those companies in the 1970s

De Smet 1968-72: 40 Memories from Faculty of the Era

Some anonymous faculty members of the 1968-72 era provide some memories of the time.

1. Betty Simpson getting stuck in the elevator, furiously ringing SOS on alarm bell….Teachers on first floor, looking up… And then closing their doors because of noise.

2. Class sizes, 36 desks = 36 students, sometimes 37 students

3. Student’s maroon blazers:

after 4 years of wear. Question: Did they ever go home for cleaning?

4. Students in blazer could not remove them without faculty permission

5. Faculty had to wear coats as long as students. When student blazers were no longer required, they still had to wear ties.

6. Vending machines for food and beverages in cafeteria. Removed when there were more slugs than actual coins.

7. 1970 or so: Freshman roller skating party in cafeteria with John Faust on skates. To protect floor for dances, put skate wax on floor as in cafeteria for roller skating. Dances great, PhysEd Classes not so good

8. Faculty dining room in cafeteria – small with one long table. Later became an office for food service.

9. One cafeteria cook served food with a cigarette in mouth. Burgers only.

10.

Basketball game at Kiel against Vashon, State Quarterfinals: Place was packed and nobody had a clue as to the who, the what or the where of De Smet… Radio announcer told listeners they would try to get info on De Smet at halftime… Pat Ward – the Duke –flying elbows.

11. Under the Gas Light – Terry Dempsey, Fr. Dave Koesterer SJ, peanuts, Visitation theater, enraged nuns

12. Fr. Joe Sheehy and his masks

13. Complaints from residential neighbors about our students – “boys and girls” – walking in neighborhood, and sometimes leering at women. Fr. Bone: “We have only boys in blazers”

14. Green & White uniforms

15. JUG: DEAN OF STUDENTS & DISCIPLINE, LARRY MORGAN, WOULD ALLOW SENIORS WHO WERE JUGGED TO GET OUT OF JUG IF THEY COULD BEAT HIM IN FREETHROWS, OR GAME OF HORSE.

Larry Morgan

16. 1970 or so Prank – Juniors placed beer in soda machine for their lunch period, schedule was changed, Freshman lunch had a surprise!

17. Civil defense water and emergency provisions box in locker room (in the event of nuclear attack).

18. Handball courts

Mr.

19. Demerit cards: Faculty given guidance on demerit cards ….. A card every quarter ….. 20 or more code violation listed on cards ….Most popular code was Z for “other”

20. 55 minute classes, 3 minutes passing time, limited locker access, no running. One demerit for being late ….. Remember students sliding into class to beat the bell, and teachers giving demerits for both being late and sliding (z for other). Faculty rule book said student had to be seated in their desk at the bell or receive a demerit.

21. Students could only go to their lockers when they arrived in the morning, before lunch, after lunch and end if day. Violation was a demerit.

22. Teachers were told not to let students go to lockers if they forgot class material, and instead give a demerit for not having class material.

23. Film & Art festivals by Mr./Fr. Terry Dempsey

24. Sawicki’s 3 story high handmade De Smet banner

25. Bleachers only on one side of gym “that's all we need, may not ever fill those”, as one Jesuit remarked at the time

26. An original benefactor, Mrs. Campsi, wanted to visit the school to see how “her boys and girls” were doing

27. Free admission for De Smet students to sports events and plays. Free admission came to an end about 1973. Admission fees charged became income for school.

28. Fires before and after school was open

29. Carnival: Setting up, running the booths; Friday afternoon free rides & games for inner city kids

30. Carnival Coffee House – folk music, coffee and foods

31. Saturday afternoon football, then dance in gym that night

32. Every week-end hosting & dance with live bands.

33. Formal and Semi-formal & Class dances: Set up – run – take down

34. Teachers were instructed not to call other teachers by their first names in public around students. We were to call each other Father, Mister, Mrs. or Miss…Not really followed by faculty, unless administrator was around.

35. First literary magazine. Synthesis, 1970 –Jim Pollack SJ as coordinator

36. First school paper, Spartan, 1970 – Mr. McEvoy as coordinator

37. Art teacher Bill Christman – still alive & well St. Louis: “The staple gun is not loaded, don’t argue, look … ” – as he held it to his head and shot a staple into his head

38. Faculty meeting to discuss allowing jeans on campus after school, and at sports events. Rule was no jeans on campus at any time, and infractions subject to demerits.

39. Midnight Mass in Library with hundreds of lights/candles/all over the place

40. Day commuter teaching scholastics –come to De Smet to teach one class and then return to SLU (while “in theology” at SLU

Mr. Grout, SJ

Mr. Dempsey

De Smet 1968-72: Roundtable Interview of Some Living

Faculty

INTERVIEW: DE SMET FACULTY

a candid and wide-ranging conversation with seven eminent St. Louis high school educators from the 1967-1971 era

(Editors Note: The following questions and faculty answers, while posed by the 1971 50th reunion committee, were deemed appropriate for our class of 1972 as well. I have changed a few references of 1971 to 1972.)

We bring you herewith an interview with eight living faculty who taught at that renowned American secondary school De Smet Jesuit, a half a century ago, during its nascent founding period of 1968-1971. They are all now in their late 70s and 80s

Surely few high schools currently boast as high a proportion of living faculty from 50 years ago as De Smet,

“At

we’ll take beer!”

owing to the fact that the school was founded in 1967 and it needed to recruit new teachers to the school. Thus, for many it was the start or near-start of their teaching careers.

This roundtable conversation showcases some of the most celebrated educators in the history of De Smet, on a range of subjects, including teaching, student culture at the time,

“One day, I was on the stairs going from my 3rd floor American Problems class to the first floor and then suddenly was picked up by the elbows by two class of ‘71 football linemen, Gibbons and Hake, and carried back to the 3rd floor – with me desperately intoning ‘give me your cards … give me your cards …’, and they are going ‘Haha…Haha….’ This was my first year teaching, and I am thinking...Fr. Houlihan is surely going to fire me!”

JUG, demerits, pranks, sports, coaching, and their overall experience as skilled but young teachers of De Smet’s Class of 1972.

The participants are Kevin Buckley, Greg DiBlasi, Rich Grawer, Fr. Ralph Houlihan, Chris & Yvonne Fernau Mess, and Greg Vitello.

“I remember being called in, and Fr. Lawless saying ’We’re going to start teaching African History.’ And I said, hey that sounds really great! And then he said, ‘Well, YOU are gonna teach it!’ I didn’t know anything about African history, or Canadian history that I was also told to teach I joked, ‘What should I do, bring in a hockey player?’ But you spend the time and effort and learn how to teach it.”

the beginning, we at De Smet were financially really limited.

One summer, Fr. Jake said you can have either soda or beer, not both – the scholastics said,

1

- How did you come to teach at De Smet, and why did you accept the offer to teach at the school?

Yvonne Fernau Mess: Sister Jane de Chantal was my teacher and mentor at Fontbonne University, and she told me this school in West County was looking for a typing teacher (typing was my minor) with a French major, so I came out, interviewed, and got hired by father Bone on the spot. It was one of those things where life just throws something at you when you take a chance. I started in 1969.

Greg Vitello: I started in 1968, and was also hired by Gerry Bone. I'm from Chicago and knew very little about St Louis. But I went to school with a lot of guys from Saint Louis and played soccer with them, and I wanted to get into coaching and they said if you want to coach soccer you gotta go to Saint Louis.

So, I came to St Louis for an interview with Hazelwood school district and they had science teaching openings but no coaching openings, so I was pretty disappointed and I thought my next step would be to go back to Chicago. But I was staying with a close friend here in Saint Louis whose sister was the Visitation Principal at the time, and she said there's a new school down the street from us, and you might want to give them a call so that afternoon I call and talk to Gerry Bone, and he said you know we're in the process of hiring and we may be interested. The following week Gerry Bone offered me a contract. I said wow, and when I told St. Louis friends at school they all want to know what was De Smet all about, since they had never heard of it.

Greg DiBlasi: In 1969, I had been teaching part time at Rosary High School for 3 years. I was in graduate school at SLU at the time I was also working part time at Kroger and had twin boys, so I accepted a (boring) job at McDonnell Douglas on the F-15 project. But I really missed teaching, so when I saw a teaching position open at De Smet, I applied, got the position, and came during the sophomore year of the Class of 72, and stayed and loved it.

Kevin Buckley: I taught at CBC from 1965 to 1969 great kids but they cussed a lot and I was used to kids from the South who would not cuss. I have kept in touch with several of those students to this day In 1969, there was an opening at De Smet to teach Middle and Far Eastern History - a semester of each. Fr. Bone hired me I left in 1980 but always loved teaching, and enjoyed teaching young men. I loved the subjects and I loved my students I taught. I hated to leave but my family was more important and the reality is with 5 children I needed to better provide for my family. I got into the insurance business with Mass Mutual and I am still with them. My 3 sons went to CBC, SLUH, and De Smet and both daughters to St.Joe’s.

Gerry Bone offered me the job. It so happened that I signed the contract to join De Smet in the cage at De Smet in the hour before my SLUH freshman basketball team played De Smet for the first time, when we slaughtered the Spartans, coached by Larry Morgan.

So, the reason I came to De Smet was that they offered me the chance to be the varsity coach, and I would have needed to wait a decade or more before the SLUH varsity coach position opened up. SLUH was a great situation at a fine Jesuit high school, but De Smet offered me essentially the same thing, but with the varsity basketball coaching job immediately. When I went to the SLUH Principal to tell him I was leaving, he said “If you stay here, you’ll eventually be the head basketball coach”, but for me that was a long time down the road.

Fr. Houlihan: I came to De Smet because I was assigned by the Provincial. In those days, you did not interview, you were told, and then you just went. Fr. Sheehan and Fr. Paul Rienhart were the Provincial’s consultors, and they pushed him to build De Smet, because of all the complaints from SLUH alumni that they could not get sons into the U High. I was 35, and the oldest of a cohort that had joined SLUH in the years before. At the time, the Order thought they could get 20 vocations a year from the new school.

Chris Mess: Thank you Ralph, for hiring me! I was finishing my graduate degree, and made a bunch of applications to high schools, and invitations to interview came from some, one of them from Fr. Houlihan. I drove out, met with Fr. Houlihan and Jack Bergin. We're in the office having an interview and the school looks nice. Okay, let's see what they have to say, I thought. The first question I have for Ralph was “You have a question for De Smet teaching positions, asking if the applicant is left handed or not. I am left handed.” Ralph is smoking a cigar holding it in his left hand, and he said “I don't know. I just inherited the application.”

Jack Bergin then comes in, and 2 things I found out: (1) Jack Bergin’s brother knew my father who was in the plumbing business, and (2) Jack wanted out of teaching Far Eastern History and Middle Eastern History. He brought in the Middle Eastern History textbook used, and it was the same one I had when taking Middle Eastern History, so Jack said “Hire him! And I’ll go back to teaching American History.”

Rich Grawer: In 1968, I had been at SLUH for three years, as a history teacher, varsity baseball coach, and freshman basketball coach. My first love was baseball, not basketball. But in the 3 years at SLUH, I grew to love coaching basketball, partly because it was indoors. I was coaching baseball where we practiced and played at Forest Park, where it was windy, dusty, and cold, next to a noisy highway, and it was driving me nuts with my contact lenses.

One day, I was told about this new school that had opened up that was looking for a varsity basketball coach, and I was approached, and

A while later, when I went to sign the contract on the weekend, it needed to be signed by the De Smet President, and we went to find Fr. Jacobsmeyer. He was in the football bleachers, scraping them down, in overalls, preparing them to be painted. I looked at this man, with paint all over him, and said this is going to be interesting.

Greg Vitello: A side note on Jake. I'm in gym class and I have 90 guys in gym class and parent-teacher conferences are coming up I think that night. I see Jake walking into the gym with 2 chairs in his hand, sets them on the wall, walks out and comes back he's got 2 more chairs. He does this like 4 times and I'm thinking what's that guy doing? So, I ask him what he’s doing, and he says I'm bringing the couple hundred chairs for tonight. Well, I got 90 guys in gym class, and say, “Jake, I think we can do that about 5 minutes.” But that's how that guy was, he was the president of the school, has a white shirt on, but I think he rarely set foot in the president's office – he was always he always doing something somewhere around building.

2

- Is there any particular memory or memories that stand out during the period within the 4-year span of 1968-72 at De Smet when you were there?

Grawer: Parents were supportive of whatever a coach or teacher needed to do. They were very into the school and that was a very special thing.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: The MacLeod’s used to have chili parties after the football games and invite the faculty.

Fr. Houlihan: The parent parties were great. It was a fairly young group of parents and the faculty was young as well.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: Mrs. Holland and the other mothers in the Mother’s Club. They ran the whole place.

Fr. Houlihan: I remember the golf tournament and got in trouble with the Board. I was running the Stuco and we didn’t have any scoreboard or bleachers. Dottie Henscke says, “why don’t we have a golf tournament at the old Creve Coeur Golf Course?” I said that was a great idea and we did it. We made enough money to buy the scoreboard and bleachers. Mrs. Kosakowski would sell popcorn outside the end zone. If there was any left over, she would buy the bags and donate the money to the fund. That is an example of the parents being supportive and that really stands out to me.

Grawer: One thing that I remember is every Friday night one of the parents would throw a party after the game. The coaching staff would go and we would get along well with everyone. I am not sure that would be the same today. The parents would give us some friendly ribbing about who we played and didn’t play. The point was that coaches and parents, and teachers and parents, got along so well. I am not sure that you could say that about parent relationships today. When I think back on that time at De Smet, the relationship with parents is what I remember the most.

Fr. Houlihan: Another thing that I remember is my first year and Bone was still here and the principal. The room at the end of the first floor was the Jesuit Rec Room. One night, it was a school night, he looked out the window and said it was snowing, implying that school might be called off next day. He closed the blinds and went to his room, and got a bottle of scotch or bourbon and came back. So, we all have a couple of drinks. No one got drunk but about 1:00 am he opens the blinds and there is no snow. Oh my goodness, we have to get to bed, and teach soon. So, the next day a bunch of Jesuits are walking around with dark glasses.

Vitello: I was a first year teacher and trying to figure out what to do. I remember how tight knit the faculty was. We used to play basketball twice a week. (Pointing at Houlihan) I remember his left handed shot.

Fr. Houlihan: (laughing) It never went in.

Vitello: There was a special bond with the faculty. For the first two years when there was a Friday afternoon football game, we all gathered in a 3rd floor class room that we weren’t using at the time. The Bashwinner’s and Larry Morgan would provide adult beverages for the faculty. The wives were invited also. We would just socialize and form bonds that made this faculty so unique.

Rich mentioned the parents. Back then, whatever that coach said or that teacher said, well, that’s it. I remember that last couple of years I was here. I caught a kid cheating for the third time. I called his Mom and explained the situation and her reply was, “well, maybe I ought to get my son’s side of this.” I told her that this conversation was done. That was the difference between the parents in the 60’s and 70’s and the parents

of the 2000’s. But again, to me it was the bond of the faculty. We used to have parties and it was a fantastic atmosphere to be around.

We used to have “pimp” posters. Certain people would take pictures from the yearbook and put silly little sayings in them. We would then post them in the faculty room. That continued until further down the line some people began to take offense. So, we had to stop them. We could laugh with each other and at each other. It was great.

I remember the date Jim Marheineke called me and said that Gerry Bone was gone and that (pointing to Houlihan) you were the new principal. I am not sure you were ready for that.

Fr. Houlihan: Let me tell you a story about that. Father Sheehan, the Provincial, came to me when we were meeting for our annual visit. He said to me I am thinking about sending Jake to Denver to build a new high school.

Remember, I am only the third oldest Jesuit at De Smet. Bone will be President and Principal and I want you to be Superior of the Community. I stammered and he said that I have been in the Society for 13 years and knew what the drill was. I said okay but he didn’t tell me that Bone was leaving. I am not sure he knew at that time. In the spring we are having a meeting here in the library and he brings me into Betty Simpson’s office.

He told me then that Father Bone was going out of town. He wasn’t going to move Jake to Denver so he was going to stay and continue as President and Superior. I said, “great!” As I was leaving, he mentioned if I ever thought about being principal. I thought it was a joke. I told him no, that I wasn’t trained to do that. I went downstairs and over to the residence and went to bed.

The following Sunday morning the phone rang and it was Father Sheehan. He said to me, “we have not resolved that administrative problem at De Smet. I said that he was correct. He then told me, “Well, I have!” That was that.

Sheehan simply said that I shouldn’t do anything overtly stupid. If I had questions that I could call him, Rich Baily at SLUH or Jim Reinhardt in Wichita. I then started to keep score on the area grade school principals. I figured out who gave you good advice about kids and who didn’t.

Vitello: Those early years we had that second fire in the gym. It was right after lunch in 71 or 72. I went up there and the building was rattling. I went into the gym and Frank Schmidt was in front of the electric panel and was literally on fire. His hair was on fire. I sprinted over to him and am literally trying to put the flames out with my hands. His glasses were shattered. The whole panel was on fire. He told me to get the fire extinguisher. I ran to the other side of the gym but he said not that one but to get the one out of the kitchen.

By the time I got back upstairs the fire had pretty much subsided. Now here is Frank, his shirt is burned off, his glasses are crystalized, his hands are burnt. I said to him, “Frank, we have to go to the hospital. He said, “no, I am okay.” By that time someone had pulled the alarm and the fire department was on the way.

Fr. Houlihan: Nansen was the fire chief and drove us crazy. It was only when St. John’s opened that he left us alone.

Grawer: The Province sent us two great people in Brother Frank and Brother Jim. They were really good people and worked hard. The Brothers we had were tremendous.

Houlihan: (turns to Grawer) Tell him the story about Ed Shortal and Gibault.

Grawer: The parents were very supportive and they would get on the officials. They thought it was all in good fun. But we were at Gibault High School in Waterloo, Illinois. We were playing a very good basketball team Ed was really on the officials so much so that they came over to me and said if we didn’t do something about him, we were going to forfeit the game. We went to Ed and he agreed to leave the gym but as he was walking out, he threw his coat across the gym floor a la Bobby Knight. Ed then stayed outside but looked inside. I couldn’t get upset with Ed. That was so great about the parents being supportive. By the way we won the game. So that is the story about Ed.

Fr. Houlihan: Rich was extremely thorough in preparing for a game. Gibault had about five different lines of tape on their floor. In order to prepare our kids, Rich put the same number of lines on the gym floor to get them used to it.

Chris Mess: Greg said earlier how close the faculty was. I was not a coach but all of my peers coached and taught. Greg said how special it was. I felt very much a part of the camaraderie. We were all teachers first. We were all going to sink or swim together. This was very beneficial to me as a new teacher right out of graduate school. That is what made De Smet so special as we were all involved in the activities of the school. We worked games, chaperoned dances and worked with the club activities. Everyone helped out. This continued on and made it part of the reason kids and teachers wanted to come to De Smet. Everyone wanted to be here and we were all on the same page.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: When you think about it, we were not that much older than the kids we were teaching. We enjoyed their music and it was as much fun for us as it was for them.

Vitello: We didn’t have any traditions here when we started. I was 21 years old and new to St. Louis. I wasn’t aware of traditions at high schools. I had a Jesuit tell me that at the “THE High School” they did this or that. I asked him what the THE high school was and he said St. Louis University High School. The first year we had a lot of SLUH does this or SLUH does that. I finally said that this isn’t St. Louis U High, this is De Smet. We had an opportunity to formulate our own traditions. This is something that the Class of 71 did really well. We didn’t have to have other schools to tell us what to do. We had the ability to make our own mistakes. One of the things that kids enjoyed was the creativity to try new things. We didn’t have 40 years of constraints put on us. Some ideas worked and others were horse crap. That was very unique.

Diblasi: I feel like an insider and outsider with this class. When I came the 1971 class were juniors. I taught very few of their classes. The teaching today is a lot different with the internet. Rich and I would assign an obscure person to research and identify. We gave students three clues and a week to figure it out. Today you would just go to Google. Grawer: The History Department was tasked with teaching library usage. It wasn’t the English Department, it was the History Department. We would find the name of the man who drove Kennedy’s limo. We would give a clue of Dallas, Texas and tell students to figure out who he might be. At the end of the week, we would give them another clue and so on until they researched it to the answer

3 - What were some of the biggest differences between the classes of the late 60s and early 70s compared to the early 2000s, or just prior to your retirement?

Vitello: One of the differences is the emergence of the tablet computer, the iPad. It made a big difference later in the 2000s, where as a teacher you were required to use a computer tablet and smart boards in class, and we weren't brought up that way. I was still demanding that guys take notes in class, and I'm getting a lot of raised eyebrows especially from parents about how come you're not using the internet and fancy technology more. I responded that it is because I believe in my own my mind that this is how you actually learn. 6

There were kids who resisted things no matter what we did. Every answer was in that computer. There was no thought process at all – “I gotta go to the computer and there is where I'm going find this answer”, when the answer was not in the computer. I used to have students in my biology class do summaries after a biology lab, it was simply “Hey what did you just do, or just find?” Well, rather than think that out, they thought the answer was just going to be on the internet. Yeah, that was tough.

You're looking at here several of the best teachers that ever taught at De Smet. Year in and year out, I sat in parent-teacher conferences, and parents would tell me these are fantastic teachers. Students would tell me years after these guys had graduated that these teachers were some of my best teachers they ever had. I used to watch Rich Grawer coach, especially when I was a first year coach. In many instances I was clueless, and I watched him and Bob Christian coach to figure out how to coach because although I played baseball and soccer in college, I had not coached those sports when I was at college. I think that was part of the growing process when I got here. There wasn't that mentor that many new teachers have they come into a situation we had to figure that stuff out ourselves.

I'll never forget when somebody said go and put together your playing schedule with other teams, and I said, how do you do that, and was told you get on the phone you start calling other coaches. But I already was teaching 6 classes and thought I just don't have time to do that. No, you must make the time.

Chris Mess: In psychology classes, an ongoing assignment in my later years was sometimes very specific -- You need to go home and talk to your parents about what we just talked about in psychology class. I wanted to talk to them about a certain topic such as adolescent identity, and then I follow up and turns out only 2-3 students actively engaged with their parents on the topic, with others saying I'm too busy or they’re too busy, or offering excuses. If we had the same request in the seventies, it was just done. Inside households, a different dynamic emerged over time families back in the sixties and seventies had dinner together every night, and this has faded a lot.

The other thing was when computers came to De Smet. I confess that I am not a computer expert. The entire time I was here I wrote with a fountain pen. But when I saw that coming in, I saw that there were changes in attitudes. I would counsel kids, saying that you would do better if you paid attention in class and took notes, but many kids resisted, and were enamored with computers so much that they felt all the answers were somewhere on the computer. It shifted from the

6 Editor’s Note: Cognitive research in the last decade bears this out. Taking notes by hand allows one to remember material much better than typing that same information on a computer. Reason: In the case of taking notes during lectures, people are more predisposed to engage in verbatim unthinking note-taking when they type of the material. By contrast, writing down the material by hand usually involves a more in-depth processing, since people tend to give more consideration

to which parts of the material they should write down, as opposed to just transcribing everything the speaker says word-for-word. (Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). “The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking” - Psychological Science, 25, 1159-1168.)

perception that the teacher knew what he was talking about, to that he doesn't know what he’s talking about in various respects.

Vitello: How many times have you heard “well you know I'm paying $18,000 for my kid go to school. You should be taking care of him. Well, you know there are some things that maybe they can get from home. Or I can't tell you how many times I've asked at a parent teacher conference, do you ask him what's going on at school, and what he is involved with daily.

Chris Mess: And study skills changed. We had to teach the kids about website reliability and veracity, and how to use them properly. They would just call up any website and say that since it on the computer, it must be true. We had to teach them what is a good website, and how you approach and use them. Parent’s expectations previously were always the same – they wanted for their sons a good education, faith based, and getting into college. By the 2000s it becomes “my son needs to go to this college or this kind of college”. Our specialist college counselor always had discussions with every parent and their child about what college or type of college would suit the student and his abilities and interests, and increasingly the reaction was “No, he must go to this top school or else.” And it is clear that in reviewing the kid’s record and test results, their target college would challenge him beyond his capabilities, and so forth.

Vitello: Another big difference is the parents and their approach to teachers and education in general. 50 years ago, it was whatever the coach or teacher said and that's it. But it changed by the time I retired. I remember in my last couple years here, for the third time caught a kid cheating. And I told his mother, and she says, “Really? Well, you know maybe you ought to ask him to give his side of it.” That was a difference between the parents back in the early 70s and the parents and those of the 2000s. But again, to me it was the bond of the faculty in those early years.

4 – Denny Dietz, who taught physics for a year (1970-71), mentioned to me recently that one of the enjoyable things was the comradery of the Faculty Lounge, where —unknown to us students at the time—the faculty would talk about the ways students were always looking to get at the teachers or the system, and that to catch a clever ruse would be great fun for the teachers. Did you find this to be the case? And any clever ruses that you uncovered that you can tell us about?

Fr. Houlihan: As one senior prank, students overnight got a key to the school, and somehow moved a Volkswagen Beetle, owned by the school, in the Emerson Lobby. But Jesuits caught on when Passarelli went to say early Mass at 6 am at the chapel, so Passarelli and me and another Jesuit were able to find the key to the car, and moved it out. So, we were standing around as the seniors were coming in, most of whom were expecting a Bug in the Lobby, and it was fun noticing the looks on their faces, since we ended up pranking the senior pranksters! It was sheer luck that we discovered it.

Vitello: Yeah, there were some pretty good senior pranks and some awful ones. One was when they brought geese from Des Peres Park and put them all over the school one time. Another one they filled the assistant principal’s room with shredded paper. They also got the Shoney Big Boy and marched up and down up Ballas road.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: And Ernie Beutenmiller let his goat loose. I was teaching typing on the first floor, and I could hear this strange noise in the hallway, and went to close the door, and there is this goat running and yelping down the hallway with a student chasing it OKaaaayyy

Another day at De Smet!

Fr. Houlihan: And one day, students put beer in the vending machines in the cafeteria.

Chris Mess: I had a prank on me using one of the classroom podium desks that teachers used. You could roll them around. One day, there is a student who has crawled into it, and is kind of sitting there, and I pretended not to notice, and just rolled it into the wall, and went on lecturing with the student silently stuck there for the whole class.

Buckley: When I taught, I had maps on all of the walls. One day, I walked into a very quiet classroom, unusually quiet, so I knew there was something up. I figured that there was something on the map that would cause a stir when I pulled the map down. Usually, I would walk to the main map and then say let’s look at the map to see where such and such a place was. So, I then stopped and said, “better yet, turn to a specific page in your book to find the location”. I did this the entire class and they caught on that I knew there was something posted on that big main map. Class was dismissed and the boys kept looking in to see if I was going to pull the map down to reveal what they had put up there. I did not give them that satisfaction until much later. I finally pulled the map down that revealed a picture was posted on the map, yes - that kind of picture

Vitello: And then one guy got himself on the intercom system and made a comment about Houli one time you member that? I didn’t have too many pranks in the classroom, I don't remember anything really.

Chris Mess: Another one involved me going to my American Problems class – I guess the name sums it up and being the only one there. On another day, going to same American Problems class and finding room empty of students and desk. The bathroom next door was very crowded on both occasions. On another day, I was going from my 3rd floor American Problems class to the first floor for next class and then suddenly was picked up by the elbows by two Senior football linemen, Gibbons and Hake, and carried back to the 3rd floor – with me desperately intoning “give me your cards give me your cards …”, and they are going “Haha…Haha….” And this was my first year teaching, and I am thinking Fr. Houlihan is going to fire me!

Yvonne Fernau Mess: There was some problem of theft going on in the locker rooms, and Larry Morgan decided he would have student leaders take charge of this problem and get to the bottom of it. So, one day two big football players, John O’Guin and Henry Autrey, came to my classroom one day said we would like to have a “word” with so and so, and looking at these big imposing guys, I said you can have anybody you want! So, they took this kid out, and he never came back

Vitello: And one time, Larry Morgan decided to put a couple guys in lockers for punishment of some kind. Those days, the student lockers were these tall lockers that students shared, but he found a couple of empty ones to use. For “a better student life” I suppose! Remember that campaign slogan when Rooney and Rife ran for class leaders – “For a better student life, it’s Rooney and Rife.”

5

– Related to this, was there anything about the faculty at the time we were at De Smet together that we students wouldn’t know about at the time? Any “behind the scenes” faculty stories that are particularly interesting or humorous from 1967-71?

Vitello: First of all, most didn’t know what Dale Bergman was all about. That was probably a good thing! And sliding down the stairs on cardboard on your belly, that was one of our activities. And there was Belly Busting with George Barhorst. George was a unique individual, who liked to live naturally, and so never used deodorant, but he was a great teacher.

Chris Mess: George was a naturalist, who was ahead of his time. He devised these 3rd floor Belly Busting contests by faculty members. He would stand at one end of third floor, challenger at the other end. They would run towards each other and hit bellies; winner was who was still standing. George had a large belly. On one occasion a young teacher, Denny Deitz, challenged and was knocked out cold.

There was also Art teacher Bill Christman and his antics. Christman had an art exhibit, but used helium balloons to carry the art skyward. And he tried to create a living rosary – a whole group of students buried up to their necks in the football field in a rosary formation. He also collected money to create wings to fly off the roof of the school.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: And Larry Morgan sent Christman home one day, because he was dressed in knickers and had an artistic tie with a nude figure on it.

Vitello: Has anybody contacted Larry Morgan?

Questioner: We can’t find him. Last we heard he was in the Tampa area, and some guys have run into him in Florida in years past. Yvonne Fernau Mess: You could hear Larry coming down the hall because he had these taps on his shoes… Click click click … I remember the day he was let go, I’m standing at the mailbox, and he opens the door and says, “I’m outta here.” And I said, you can’t leave! Vitello: When Morgan was made Assistant Principal, the administration said he should not coach or run PE, so that’s one reason I was hired –to run PE.

Grawer: And that’s how I got the basketball job – he was the Freshman basketball coach, and the school wanted an experienced basketball coach, and so I was hired to replace him in role of basketball coach, and told him he could not coach.

6 - What did you think of the demerit system –pros / con?

Grawer: I think it was a very good and effective system, especially for younger teachers and female teachers. It helped protect them. I'm not so sure that's true today. The demerit system helped both the younger faculty and the kids to the extent that it generally took 5 incidents for them to go to JUG. In the old days when I was a kid at SLUH in the 1950s, if you were talking in class or something you went immediately to JUG

Yvonne Fernau Mess: Unless you were John Faust, who would give a kid 5 demerits and write “insolence” on the card!

Fr. Houlihan: That is where the assistant principal would say, “John, you can’t do that.”

Vitello: I think it was effective at the time, and then JUG really meant something too. But later it just evolved to the point where nobody wanted to stay after school to run the Juggees, so they tried to take them outside, asking the maintenance director to put them to work but you had to have somebody monitor it so that became a nightmare. And

then JUG simply became sitting around for an hour and doing a puzzle or math problem, not memorization, and it was diluted.

Chris Mess: In the 70s, Demerit cards were given out every quarter, unlike later when it was every semester. Demerits were given liberally. Your collar wasn’t buttoned. Your tie was not tied right. You were talking in class. You were a minute late for class. Your hair was too long. It took 30 demerits and had an S at the end, when you were suspended if you got there. It was very effective system. When they instructed new teachers on use of the system, they said be sure to mark it with a pen, not a pencil, since some students might try to alter the card. And put the code underneath – there were dozens of categories, including the last one “Z”, for “other”, and use this one if you’re not sure which category to use.

Buckley: I never used the demerit system. I taught for too many years and I knew what was going and knew and understood young men. If a student acted up. I would call him up after class saying I wanted him to write one sentence very neatly from the textbook and turn it in the next day. The student would come in the next day and ask “is that all”? I explained I was on their side, wanting them to learn and was not interested in crushing them, not wanting to persecute them and they then would react appropriately. Years later I was told I was different. I was told I respected my students and commanded respect.

Vitello: Some kids were really creative in trying to game the demerit system. Like trying to get extra cards to use, or you get a guy's card and it was obvious that he tried to erase some demerits, since the card was just a mass.

Grawer: So, what is JUG today?

Vitello: I don't know how it is run today. In my last year here, it consisted of sitting in a room where you had to be there for an hour busy with something.

Questioner: We remember a story of Fr. Timothy Lawless, in a Far Eastern History class, where during a test he would slowly walk around and sometimes out of the classroom, and one day Gibbons is taking the test and Lawless strolls out of the room, and Gibbons suddenly asks a fellow student what’s the answer to number 7? The fellow student immediately notices Lawless suddenly standing in the doorway as Gibbons is pressing him, and trying to look like he is ignoring Gibbons, and Gibbons is getting more impatient, and suddenly Gibbons turns to look back at the front and sees Lawless staring right at him, “Gibbons, your card!”.

Grawer: Fr. Lawless was really ahead of his time. He was the head of the History Department in the early years of De Smet and had a PhD, and he had a keen interest all aspects of world history. He insisted that to prepare students for the postwar world we lived in that we offer history courses in nearly every region of the world. I just noticed that Illinois passed a law, due to the anti-Asian incidents recently, requiring that Asian history be taught in schools. Well, we taught Far Eastern history back beginning in 1969, and also Middle Eastern History, Latin American History, etc. I myself taught Canadian History, and I even taught African History! That was the Lawless’ curriculum. He wanted the student not just to learn American or European or Ancient History, which they did, but all world histories.

Chris Mess: Every semester from freshman year on was a different history course, and it went on for the full four years with different a different part of the world each year or semester.

Grawer: I remember being called in, and Lawless saying “We’re going to start teaching African History.” And I said, hey that sounds really great! And then he said, “Well, you are gonna teach it!” I didn’t know anything about African history, or Canadian history. I joked, “What should I do, bring in a hockey player?” But you spend the time and effort and learn how to teach it.

Chris Mess: Basically, I was hired because Fr. Lawless was transferred to another school in 1970. I took over his Far Eastern and Middle Eastern history courses. At De Smet, we used the same textbook for Far Eastern history that I used when I took the same course at SLU. Grawer: In those early years, I remember how fluid some of the teaching assignments were. In addition to teaching history, one year I was asked to teach Religion, as a layman. One year I actually taught Typing, believe it or not, because whoever was the typing teacher suddenly took leave or something, so I took over a typing class.

To motivate the students, I created a game called “Typewriter Football”. I drew a big football field on the blackboard, and separated the class into two groups, and selected captains, and they would each pick a student to do a round of typing in competition. I put footballs at each end and if one student typed 15 words per minute, I put it on the 15 yard line, and if his successor did 20 words per minute, I moved the ball up 5 yards, and so forth. And the kids were screaming and ranting and raving as the competition proceeded. And one day, we are playing Typewriter Football, and there is all this commotion, and the Principal comes by, and asks me, “What’s goin’ on here? This is a typing class?” My point is, back then, we taught a lot of things, and it was part of the deal of being part of the faculty. You taught what needed to be taught.

Chris Mess: My first impression of teachers at De Smet was when I went to my first History Department meeting in 1970. I walk in and see Grawer, Buckley, DiBlasi, Christian, and Bergin, and I go “Good Lord”, this is some major cranial firepower here. I sat in the corner and didn’t say a word.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: Talk about your first encounter with Larry Morgan.

Chris Mess: At my first general faculty meeting, Larry Morgan threw me out, saying, “This meeting is for teachers, not students!” I said, “But I am a teacher!” And he asks, “Just who are you?” And I say Fr. Houlihan and Fr. Bergin hired me, and he says are you sure? I said yes. Grawer: We were all young at that time. I was 24 or 25 when I started at De Smet.

Questioner: And there was Jim Haskins, a math teacher. Who apparently was asked to leave because he mentioned in class that he had tried marijuana on weekends. It got back to the administration, and he was a goner.

7 – In what ways do you think an incoming student’s expectation of attending a private college preparatory high school is different today than it was when De Smet opened its doors in 1967?

Vitello: Your time at De Smet was a different era, and you were not expecting all the bells and whistles that kids are expecting these days. I remember driving up the entrance on my first visit to De Smet and there was only a single goalpost on the football field. The building was pretty sparse initially, and remember the biology lab did not have a whole lot of stuff that you would have today, and for PE equipment I had almost

nothing when we started. I remember giving President Jake a list of stuff needed, and he came back with a budget, and turns out I could buy about $30 worth of stuff. I don’t think you students at the time were interested in lots of fancy stuff.

Questioner: We didn’t know any better. When we were freshman, if you were a football player, you had to cut the football field with push mowers, since the school did not yet have a tractor. The football and soccer fields had all this sharp-edged hay that would cut you up when you fell.

Vitello: We did not have a proper weight room or even universal machine. We finally got a single universal machine that we put in this small room for strength training. Today there is a huge weight room with all kinds of advanced equipment unimaginable back then.

Fr. Houlihan: At the beginning, we were financially really limited. One summer, Fr. Jake said you can have either soda or beer, not both – the scholastics said we’ll take beer!

Grawer: The amazing thing to me about the faculty is how long they stayed at De Smet. Many could have made more money going elsewhere, but it shows their commitment to the ideals of De Smet to stay their entire careers. I left after 14 years here, not because I was dissatisfied, but rather I had an ambition to try coaching basketball at the Division I college level. But then after a decade of seeing what it was like, I went back to high school when I joined Clayton. Something has to be said about the faculty’s commitment to the school and its philosophy. So many that came in the late 60s and early 70s stayed a very long time, and that is complementary to De Smet.

Fr. Houlihan: I think the Jesuit high schools are academically better these days, with their large lay faculty. You generally have a more diverse faculty.

Vitello: But my son who went to De Smet really appreciated the Jesuits on the faculty.

8 – To what extent should the De Smet curriculum be focused on career-oriented and narrow college prep subjects, or on a wider range of diverse subjects/viewpoints that expand the mind regardless of their impact on a student’s future work life? Are there any subjects that you think are not being taught currently that maybe could be?

Chris Mess: My philosophy is that De Smet and other good high schools should expose the student to many things, many different things, not necessarily stuff that is focused narrowly on a particular career subject. That is what college is for. At high school, you should expand a student’s horizons, be it in English, writing, poetry, history, math, science, and the like – it should be more like a liberal arts college to give a foundation to learn at the university level.

Now you see so many kids who go to college and they have to declare their major early in their freshman year – I think that might be too soon for some. Parents want high schools to teach more collegelevel courses to maybe shorten the college period, and I can understand that, but they seem to want to have students take college AP courses that are very narrowly career-related, rather than a more generalist or

wider in approach. In the 1970s, as mentioned we taught eight semesters of history, of all the major world histories and cultures. I remember I had former students telling me that later when, for example, the Middle East would blow up, and them saying they already understood the background and issues, since they learned that in class at De Smet, something not typical high school students would learn.

Fr. Houlihan: You can ask the question differently. What are we really teaching the students in the end? They forget a lot of details and narrow facts and the Latin and such. I think we teach students how to take a lot of data, analyze it, and draw a logical conclusion. How to write, how to use the library, appreciation of beauty, religious values, and so on. If you can find ways to do this with newer disciplines, then try it. The stuff that kids do at De Smet with robotics is amazing. But you sometimes run into issues with state accreditation in trying new approaches, so you don’t have complete freedom to change the curriculum.

DiBlasi: I think we have to be a school that teaches values, and this is a big difference between going to De Smet or another Jesuit school. Today, at a public school you are very constrained to take a position on many ethical issues. So many things are off limits in terms of saying this is wrong or this is right. That is what we do differently. If we are not doing that, I am not sure that we are doing much that is different from good public high schools.

Fr. Houlihan: If you get a chance, check out Bishop Barron on YouTube on a presentation he recently made to the National Council of Bishops and he talks about how kids don’t go to church, etc., but it is broader than that – it is the culture. He has this concept of five paths to get them back, and it is very interesting.

Questioner: You guys taught us love and respect. You were tough on us, but you teachers were really respected, and it was obvious you had our best interests at heart.

Grawer: Do today’s students at De Smet talk about the faculty the way your class of 1971 does?

Vitello: I don’t think they do. I think they see the faculty in a different way. They see the faculty as someone they need something from, and if you can’t give it to me the way I want it, then I don’t care for your approach.

DiBlasi: Isn’t that a reflection of how the society has changed?

Vitello: Yes, for sure. The word “values” was used a couple of times here. The term Men for Others is over-used a lot, but you know there are other people in the world besides yourself. I prided myself on when I was here to teach people that there's other people in the world besides me and the respect thing.

Grawer: Obviously a class of 71 had that, but does the class of 2021 say that? I don't know I think I can look at my grandkids yeah, I would probably say no.

Vitello: Well, that’s the way the society is now.

9 – One aspect of being a high school student in the 1968-72 period versus today is that we were taught by a lot of coaches and teachers that were “old-school”, meaning tough, demanding, and sometimes almost “marine drill-sergeant” disciplinarian in approach. Are there any ways in which you might need to modify the approach you

used back then to teach/coach kids today in the year 2021?

Chris Mess: It is hard to make the comparison since it is a very different world. The norms of education changed. It is hard to express negativity now.

Vitello: You can’t tell no to anyone anymore. You can’t be negative, everything has to be positive, even if it one does not fully deserve it. It’s the same thing with athletics too.

Grawer: I always asked myself. Could I teach De Smet today the way I taught and coached back in the 70s. I don’t know. I had to make some adaptations as my career progressed, especially when coaching at the college level.

Houlihan: Rich, you would adapt if you needed to. The way you would do it, would be different. Good teachers adapt. You did it with your Typewriter Football story earlier.

DiBlasi: The lecturing part would have to change. I think also you couldn't say certain things today that you said back then. But hey, I never saw myself as a marine drill sergeant!

Vitello: But when Grawer coached, he had a style that he could bring, and get a lot out of kids in his own way. We all knew that there was one thing we had to do. To try to bring the best out of each and every individual whether we were teaching in the classroom, or as some part of athletics and you know the way you went about that obviously was different, but that was your goal, and I think right now you could adapt because you were successful at that particular time to do it the way you did and I think that you would figure it out that you can't do that anymore, can't say that anymore.

DiBlasi: In the classroom, if somebody was causing some disturbance, or was doing something to interfere with what we were doing, I might call out some student named John and simply say, “You know, John, its sometimes it's better remain silent and not speak, and be suspected being a fool, rather than speak and remove all doubt.” And you know today that would be considered unacceptably insulting. You can’t do that today. At the time it kind of shut the troublemaker up.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: You would get an email from their parents and all kinds of complaints, if you did that.

Maybe even a threat of a lawsuit!

Vitello: The Blues are going through that right now with Taresenko. The Blues coached called him out a bunch of times, and Taresenko got ticked off for things that were said to motivate him.

Grawer: When I went to the public school system, I was Athletic Director, but was asked to take over a class for the semester. So, at my class, I found that kids would be strolling in late, and I got so ticked off that I shut and locked the door after class started, and kids were banging on the door, and I wouldn’t let them in, because they were late for class, and wanted to show them the price for being 10 minutes late. Well, I just ignored them. Next thing I know, the principal calls me, and said you can’t do that. I had to figure out another way to deal with kids for coming late.

Vitello: So, you adapted. Some teachers can’t do that. Some coaches can’t do that. I remember first year teachers coming in here to De Smet and wanted to be everybody's friend and then when a student crosses

the line and they try to discipline him, the student complains, “But I thought we were friends!” That's a difference.

10 - If you were the principal of De Smet in 19681972, what would you have done differently, if anything?

Vitello: I was still just trying to get my coaching and teaching legs, so I really didn’t think about how things could have been done differently then. But a key thing to emphasize is that at that time nothing was set in stone at De Smet, and we were creating our own precedents and styles. There wasn’t an already established way in many matters, and I thought that was great.

All of the sudden, the students decided that green was not our color, it was going to be maroon. Michigan State green is not good enough for us, we want something different. Hey why not? You think they would have done that at SLUH? No way.

And by the way, speaking of SLUH, what is this thing with the new powder blue that is in the De Smet colors!? Come on, gimme a break!

Grawer: My son is the principal of Maplewood high school and he's been there for 10 years but it's a school of four hundred kids, a small school, and he just got me thinking about how he can visit every family in the school in their home during the school year. It's not a fair comparison to compare Maplewood high school with De Smet, the size of the enrollment is different. But I have thought what would be the impact if the principal visited every freshman class family each year. I know that would be a monumental task, but my son says that when the parents see the principal visit a home it makes a huge impact. There is a bond and camaraderie that emerges. But what if the De Smet principal visited the freshman homes every year? Would it be acceptable to De Smet parents? How would they react?

Chris Mess: I was on a committee a few years ago at De Smet, dealing with school identity, and a consulting company was giving a big presentation on ideas for the school, and the meeting was wrapping up and I was asked if I had anything to say. I had been sitting in the meeting, and getting madder and madder, but not yet saying anything. So, I said, not once did I hear the word Catholic; not once did I hear the word Jesuit; not once did I hear the word values. And I thought our identity was Catholic Jesuit with Values, but everything said was talking about how students succeed, and it seemed to lean towards materialistic goals. Why don’t you emphasize Jesuit traditions, customs, practices and their biggest contribution was this new seal or logo with powder blue color. The meeting was supposed to be on values and identity.

Grawer: I've got 19 grandkids and the youngest is 8, and the oldest are in college. I don’t think I have ever heard them talk about one of their teachers. That’s sad. The good news is they don't talk about their teachers in the negative way, but they don't really mention them.

Yvonne Fernau Mess: Something else that was different about those days, in talking about visiting people's homes. We were invited to student’s family homes. We knew them on almost on an equal basis, it wasn't like they only called when the kid was in trouble. We socialized regularly with some parents. We used to have dinner after carnivals, and people just opened their homes to us.

11 – There appear to be three headwinds that Jesuit (and other Catholic) high schools face in America currently: (1) economics (i.e., high tuition costs for non-scholarship students, compared to the alternative of free public high schools), (2) demographics (slowing population growth),

and (3) creeping secularization (i.e., declining church-going by all faiths). Can anything be done to lessen the impact of such macro trends on Jesuit high schools such as De Smet in the coming years?

Vitello: Just in terms of the early years in the 1970s and 1980s, I think the president that time felt like he did not think recent grads would help us since they were very young at the very early stages of their careers, so let’s not focus on them. Guys were coming up with very small gifts, but the president said, no we are looking for something bigger.

Fr. Houlihan: Here's my opinion on what private schools need to survive and thrive. You need three things: (1) strong programs, which means you gotta pay the teachers well enough, (2) suitable facilities, and (3) a good endowment to support the teachers and facilities And I worry about this. I'm told that the De Smet endowment is about $10 million. Regis Denver, which got on its own in 1979, is working towards $35 million. And SLUH is about $70 million now, thanks to a big effort in the last five years. I hope Dr. Zepp can make progress on this. The problem is that tuition continues to rise, and you get beyond the means of the middle class. If you raise the tuition, and have so many students on grant and aid, you have to raise the grant and aid levels, so it’s not always worth it to simply raise tuition.

DiBlasi: In looking at Catholic education in general, you reach a point where most people cannot pay that kind of money for a secondary school education. You can talk about endowments, and stuff, but I honestly think the way for Catholic to survive and thrive is through a reformed government voucher program. In a certain state like Montana now they're allowing a voucher program.

There is an opportunity right now, in that a lot of people are dissatisfied with the public school systems, and it was exacerbated by COVID. I think there has to be a concerted effort nationally to advocate for a voucher system, on the basis that it improves overall education outcomes, and it is that parents have a right to you know decide where their children go to school without incurring undue economic disadvantage. I think that's the only way that Catholic schools can really be saved. Of course, you will still have Catholic schools if that doesn't occur. But soon you're gonna have to start charging people $25 or $30 thousand a year, and so on. Then you're going to have a system that is going to be limited to a smaller group of people, not having the kind of influence you otherwise would have.

Fr. Houlihan: In the old model, I think you can still make it work. At SLUH, we have 440 kids who get help, and we have an average grant of $11 thousand that is funded by annual giving and the endowment So, for a lot of middle class kids, the effective tuition is $9,000, which is much more affordable that the headline tuition number. We also have something called Father Kellet’s closet. It’s got clothes, shoes, materials, all kinds of stuff that is free if it is needed. And if kids need more than an $11,000 grant, they can get a larger amount, so it's possible. I think you really need to focus on increasing the endowment. The issue with the vouchers is that in various states it is an issue many voters still oppose,

so it would really need to be a national legislative change to be nationally effective.

DiBlasi: And I think that with some recent court decisions, things like vouchers being more widely adopted has potential for more opening down the road.

Fr. Houlihan: I hope there is. It certainly is a much better solution. Vouchers clearly would change the game in a very substantial way.

DiBlasi: In fact, it is the ultimate solution.

Fr. Houlihan: An innovative thing that the Jesuit Christo Rey school in Denver does is it partners with the corporate world, and all students have an entry level part-time job, with four students sharing one job while at school. It requires 6 days a week to ensure everyone meets the required number of classes. It pays 70 percent of their coverage. That's another way of doing this.

Perhaps we should see death as an opportunity, not to pass a final verdict, but to reflect on our own mortality and limitations … to quietly admire what was good in the person, and take humble lessons of our own from any mistakes made. Death should inspire in us humility and self-reflection, based on our common human fate.

In Memoriam Classmates

The 29 Fallen 1972 Classmates

Lives Completed, but Not Forgotten … Requiescat in Pace

Richard Logger 10/22/1972

Sean Gallivan 06/26/1983

Paul Devereux 09/24/1985

Timothy Tulley 10/26/1988

James Voskamp 11/10/1989

Thomas Gaertner 06/10/1990

Mark Foster 01/01/1992

Kevin Braun 07/09/1997

Brad Spaunhorst 12/31/2000

John Graczak 06/27/2002

James Schaus 12/15/2004

Dennis Ahearn 06/18/2009

Robert Michalski 12/07/2010

Floyd Baldwin 07/07/2011

Terrence Nicholson 12/05/2011

Joseph Reidy 02/26/2012

Stuart Jackson 11/02/2013

Richard Freschi 02/19/2015

Lawrence Padberg 03/18/2016

Michael Carlsen 10/09/2017

Stephen Brendecke 01/03/2019

Timothy Flick 06/25/2020

William Westura 01/01/2006

Richard Gerber 11/14/2006

John Sciortino 02/06/2009

Charles Von Doersten 04/11/2009

Donald Doheny 12/09/20

Glennon Schaefer 02/24/2021

Joseph Dukeman 04/29/2022

32 Deceased Faculty Who Taught During Our Years

Mr. Thomas Kelly

Treasurer

10/6/1973

Mr. Gerald McMahon

Academic Assistant Principal 3/29/1974

Fr. Patrick Lawless

Religion 4/8/1976

Sr. Jane Snyder, C.S.J. French 10/11/1978

Fr. Joseph Sheehy

Algebra 11/25/1978

Fr. Thomas Curry Poetry Appreciation, Satire 12/29/1980

Mrs. Jean Smith

English 11/8/1984

Mr. Jim Pollock

Various 10/26/1990

Fr. Bernard Hoyer

Spanish 2/18/1993

Mr. John Gibbons Geometry, Algebra 7/11/1994

Fr. Ralph Passarelli Religion, Spanish 10/29/1995

Fr. William Doyle

Studio Art 12/19/1995

Fr. Timothy Lawless History 2/16/2004

Fr. William Kane English 2/16/2004

Mr. Robert Christian AD, Social Studies 6/12/2009

Fr. Gerhardt Lehmkuhl History, Social Studies, Econ 3/9/2012

Bro. Jim Marheineke Groundskeeper; Coach 3/12/2012

Mr. John Faust English, Drama, Speech 4/12/2012

Fr. Ralph Renner Music Theory 6/23/2013

Mr. George Barhorst Chemistry 3/14/2014

Fr. John Bergin Social Studies 11/30/2014

Fr. Gerry Bone 1st Principal 4/28/2015

Bro. Robert Snyder Treasurer 3/6/2016

Mr. Neil Kimmel English 8/21/2017

Fr. James McFarland

Counseling 2/22/1997

Fr. Robert Holmes

Religion

8/16/1999

Fr. Greg Jacobsmeyer

1st President 5/8/2001

Fr. Thomas McQueeny

2nd President

3/6/2002

Mr. Robert Kelley

Math, Asst Principal 3/2/2019

Mr. David Koesterer German 3/11/2020

Fr. John Arnold

5th President 11/15/2020

Fr. John (Jack) Zupez

Geometry 2/21/2021

50th Reunion Events

Day/Date Time Event

Friday, September 30th 6:00p Stag night at De Smet

Saturday, October 1st 4:15p – 5:30p Rosary & Mass for our Deceased Classmates

5:30p – 6:30p Cocktails at Innovation Center (former library)

6:30p – 9:00p Dinner and Fellowship at De Smet Dining Hall

1972 Classmates

We were able to contact and obtain from 85 classmates, two-page profiles of their life after graduating from De Smet. They are a brief glimpse into their life activities, accomplishments, hobbies, favorite books, movies or TV shows, where they’ve lived and cities/countries they’ve visited. Included are also some favorite memories of their time at De Smet as well as favorite teachers/coaches. We have also included tributes or obituaries from our 29 fallen classmates.

The 1972 Reunion Committee hopes that you will enjoy a look into these fellow classmate’s last 50 years!

Dennis W Ahearn

Date of Birth: November 30, 1953

Date of Death: June 18, 2009

Ahearn, Dennis W. of Brighton, MI formerly of Ballwin, MO, baptized into the hope of Christ’s Resurrection, died June 18, 2009 at the age of 55. Dearest husband of Cathleen Hilboldt Ahearn; dear father of Joe (Katie) Ahearn, Maureen (Matt) Keller, Colleen and Maggie Ahearn; papa of Frankie and Charlie Ahearn; son of the late Francis B. and Mary Catherine (Good) Ahearn, Patricia and the late James Dowd; son-in-law of Sis and Jack Hilboldt ; brother of Jane (Bob) O’Brien, Frank Ahearn, Julanne Ahearn, Mary (Chuck) Luntz, Donna (Kevin) Decker, the late Sue (Roy) Evers, Amy (Randy) Helling, Carrie (Patrick) Judd and the late Casey (Robert) Doverspike; brother-in-law of Renee (Brian) McMahon, Denny (Jane) Hilboldt, Terry (Mike) Kickham, Suzy (Bill) Kotaska, Pat (Theresa) Hilboldt, Larry, Jackie, Matt Hilboldt and Maureen (Brian) Dragus; dear husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, greatuncle, godfather, cousin and friend.

Dennis was president of Huron Valley Glass Company, L.L.C., a National Construction Enterprises Company. He joined the glass and curtainwall contracting company as a vice president three and a half years ago and was quickly promoted to president.

From Steve Kling - I consider myself one of Deni’s close friends during high school. We spent a lot of time together and often went out on double dates or went to football and soccer games and mixers together hoping to meet girls. Deni had some family challenges during his high school years but always had a quirky, funny and dry sense of humor. He could spend hours in the lunch room talking about the kooky “crew” as he would call them, from North County, and have several of us howling with laughter. I remember in particular that he was resilient and honorable. He was a loyal friend and when I needed something or some humor to get me out of a funk, he was always there to help. Deni had many friends at DeSmet and I am sure is fondly remembered by most of them. From what little I know of his life after college, he was a wonderful husband and parent. He ended up marrying his high school sweetheart. He had a large family and I am sure is deeply missed.

Bio from Denny’s wife, Cathy - Dennis has many wild and funny stories from his time at DeSmet. His favorite class was mechanical drawing which was the catapult to his construction career. After graduating from DeSmet, Dennis commuted to UMSL receiving a degree in business management. Like many of us, he put himself through school while working more than one job.

He began his career in general contracting at RW Murray a design build firm in St. Louis, from there C Rallo Construction and then to McCarthy Brothers. Around 1986 he switched gears and began working for a curtain wall subcontractor, NGG Ltd. Notable general contracting and subcontracting projects in St. Louis were, General Motors Wentzville MO, the Airport expansion project, St. Louis County Jail, Monsanto Headquarters and AG Edwards. In Chicago the Ray Meyer Fitness Center at De Paul University.

In 2006 Dennis was recruited by Huron Valley Glass (National Enclosure) in Ypsalanti Michigan as President. In his short time there he was able to turn the business into a profitable success. He was known for telling his children and the people that worked for him to “Surround yourself with good People and Do the right thing.” To this day the company holds a golf tournament in his memory and gives the “Do the right Thing” award to a deserving employee voted by his/her peers. He would be proud. Notable projects while at HVG… Cleveland Art Museum, U of M Ross School of Business, Northwestern University-Silverman, Miami Valley Hospital, Cleveland University Cancer Unit…

Of all of his accomplishments he would say his family was the biggest and most important. Now all adults, some with their own families. Joe Ahearn (96), Maureen Ahearn Keller, Colleen Ahearn, Maggie Ahearn Burke and 9 grandchildren. They all exemplify his example of doing the right thing. He would be so proud.

While he was not perfect, he was a good man. Strived to do the right thing at all times. Put others before himself. He was funny, intelligent and a man of integrity. People inspire us and influence us throughout our lives shaping us into the person we become. I know there were teachers at DeSmet that touched his life in one way or the other, good and bad. DeSmet should be proud of the man he became.

In July of 1976 he married his high school “sweetheart”. That would be me, Cathy Ahearn. This July we would have been married 46 years. He is deeply missed.

Surround yourself with good people and Do the right thing Dennis Ahearn (’72)

Randy Aselage

13615 Sturbridge Road St. Louis, MO 63131

ssaselage@aol.com

In spite of my evil twin I have landed in a charmed life. It is my ambition to keep enjoying my good fortune. I’ve met interesting people and possess a life of learning and adventure.

My Jesuit education (Regis 76) had great influence in this outcome.

So lucky to be married to an energetic and exciting woman, Susan Seabury Aselage.

Thankful for our equestrian farm life of Show Jumping and Fox Hunting.

Following hounds on a strong scent at full gallop on my thoroughbred, Bounder, is a heart pounding experience that has stayed vivid in my mind.

My bride and daughters have had and continue to have success in the Hunter/Jumper show ring.

So many great memories associated with golf. One standout is birdieing the “Road Hole” at St.Andrews. Bashing on with hiking, skiing and canoeing. (Perhaps some of you recall Mr. Kimmel taking us on the sporting waters of the Jack’s Fork as freshman.)

For a long time I raised heirloom tomatoes and many tasty organic vegetables.

In a nod to The Black Robes I would recommend the short read “The Soul of an Indian” by Charles Alexander Eastman. (Thanks to Father Steele at Regis for the freedom to explore the Native culture.)

I still like a good party and sometimes play my music at full tilt.

Floyd Baldwin

Date of Birth: Monday August 17, 1953

Date of Death: Thursday July 07, 2011

Date of Birth: Monday, August 17, 1953

Date of Death: Thursday, July 07, 2011

Est. Age at Death: 57 years, 10 months, 20 days

Confirmation: Verified

Last known residence:

City: Pittsburgh; Kilbuck County: Allegheny

State: Pennsylvania

Zip Code: 15233

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3 daughters

Grandchildren: 9

Career:

37 years Firefighter/Paramedic

8 years - Crestwood Fire Dept.

29 years - Fenton Fire District

John Batterton

12834 Bourbon Red Drive Des Peres, MO 63131

Jbatt953@gmail.com

Spouse name: Sheryl (45 years)

Hobbies: Piddling around the house and woodworking

Greatest personal achievement: Proud dad of 3 wonderful daughters

Greatest professional achievement: Attain rank of Fire Chief

Most memorable travels:

- Omaha Beach in France

- 9/11 museum in New York

Memory’s from DeSmet:

- Bus ride to North County

- Playing handball with Mr Vitello and making smokers mad

- Mr. Morgan

- Watching a football game from 3rd floor john when there was an earthquake and hoping to never be in that situation again

- Dances

- Mr. Barhorst

- Being grateful for my education

Future plans: Spend time with my wonderful wife, daughters, and grandchildren, and enjoy retirement.

Enjoying a Junior Dance

Ted Kinsella tracking John down for the reunion!

Fire Chief John Batterton

Freshman Year

Graduation

Paul Beggan

68 Osprey Point Drive

Osprey, Florida 34229

pebeggan@gmail.com

941-735-4554

Marital Status: Happily married 42 years! Spouse name: Jeannie

Children: Joe 36, Johnny 34 and Emme 28

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: not yet

Colleges and degrees: BA Marquette University

Main Life activities: Being a positive spirit, still a good son, a friend, an attentive and loving father plus a supportive and loving husband.

First job out of college was Oscar Mayer & Co. for 4 years, then a short 2 year stint with the Galo Winery. Then a long 30 year career with Bacardi Limited, yes the RUM company!

Senior level leadership positions of US VP Sales, CEO of Bacardi Canada and Global Business in Geneva Switzerland. Love going to work every day.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: If someone had told me 50 years ago what my life would be like I would not have believed them. I have been truly blessed with 3 great kids, a truly remarkable and beautiful wife, a professional life that I enjoyed daily, had a chance to see the world and make a positive impact on people and on an organization.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Avid golfer but still no aces! Tennis “used to be”…Huge St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan.

De Smet Memories: Being a new kid in Senior year and really enjoying it. Called into the Principal’s office after opening night in “The Indian wants the Bronx” due to excessive bad language on stage…(it was in the script). Karaoke down the hall with the Finnegan twins even though it wasn’t invented yet.

All the laughs with Schmidt, Teddy, Stoneman, Jay Branch, Mark Hayes (Milwaukee) et al. Too many to mention.

Memorable Teachers: Without a doubt JOHN FAUST.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Straight From the Gut by Jack Welch (my business management bible), anything by Ken Follett, ESPN, Fox Business and John Hughes. History and interesting biographies.

Cities lived in: Wow, get ready…born in Chicago, moved to Milwaukee and then to St. Louis for my Senior year. Professionally Jeannie and I have lived in Milwaukee, Chicago (twice), NYC area (twice), Miami FL (twice), Pittsburgh, Toronto Canada, and Geneva Switzerland.

States visited: All 50

Favorite States: I loved big cities like Chicago and New York but am now a confirmed Floridian

Countries visited: Been to a lot

Favorite Countries: Love Europe…Italy, Paris, Ireland are favorites plus golf in Scotland

Continents visited: Never been to Africa

Favorite Continents: India was amazing in their pure chaos and Hong Kong’s juxtaposition was very interesting

Remaining Goals in Life: Visit Australia, New Zealand and some selected countries in South America. Get a Hole in ONE. Keeping our family healthy, happy and growing.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: It’s not how you start it’s how you finish!

60th birthday at St.Andrews

65th birthday

The Beggan family and spouses

Marital Status: Married

David Bene

1014 W Sun Valley Court

Hernando, FL 34442

dwbene@aol.com

847-610-0313

Spouse name: Patti Rose

Children: Ryan (37) Erik (35) and Kyle (35)

Sons attending DeSmet: 0

Grandchildren: Silas Bene (7) and Rowan Bene (5)

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri ’75 BA Psychology, University of Missouri ’78 MEd Counseling

Main Life activities: High School Guidance Counselor & Coach

33 years Highland Park High School

3 years Shanghai American School

9 years Retired

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Coached high school soccer for 36 years and never played at DeSmet.

Coached against DeSmet and Greg Vitello in 2009 my final year at Highland Park. First girls varsity coach at Highland Park in 1980. Travelled to all 50 states and 5 continents.

Florida state Pickleball doubles champ 2019 65-69.

Will be playing PB in the Senior National Games in May 2022.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Golf, travel, pickleball, Special Olympics Coach and volunteer

De Smet Memories:

Playing football 3 years and tennis senior year.

Friends with Ted Zink, Bob Zehr, Kevin O’Brien and Ron Kirchoff.

Memorable Teachers:

Bob Christian

Greg Vitello

Father Hoyer - made me write Chichimeca on the blackboard 600 times after school for talking in class ( I would have rather had a demerit)

Mr. Barhorst - standing on top of a desk and ready to jump demonstrating potential energy

George Hasser - my advisor and cut me from the baseball team on the last cut freshman, sophomore and junior years. I played tennis my senior year and became a guidance counselor.

Favorite Books / TV / Movies / Music:

Brad Thor (Author)

Tuesdays with Morrie (book)

Rascal Flats, Coldplay, Eagles, Tim McGraw, Queen, Styx (music)

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Chicago (Lake Bluff & Deefield), Shanghai, Hernando and Florida

States visited: All 50 Favorite States: Florida, Hawaii and Alaska

Countries visited: Ireland, Great Britain, Wales, Scotland, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Germany, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand, Bali, Brazil. Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and Rwanda

Favorites Countries: Ireland, China, Thailand and New Zealand

Continents visited: 5 North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa

Favorite Cities: Chicago, St. Louis, Shanghai, Florence, Orlando and Hernando

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy life with family and friends, stay healthy and try to make a positive difference.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Had a great life and tried to be a good person, husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Last guy on the right, first row - B Team Football

John Berg

9343 Pine Avenue

Brentwood, MO 63144

johnjberg1953@gmail.com

314-800-7782

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Karen Berg

Children: Joe Berg, T.J. Berg and Ashley Berg

Grandchildren: Jamison and Layla Berg

Colleges and degrees: South County Technical School

Main Life activities: Certified welder for Ameren UE for 41 years, proud father of 3 children who grew up to be hardworking and thoughtful adults and home projects.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Raised over $250,000 dollars within 18 years for Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Going from store to store to find the specific items and large quantities on the annual gift list to fill a stockpile room every year with toys, art supplies, video games and more. These items were passed out at Christmas, but throughout the year to sick children, which some may had been the last gift they received. This has been a front-runner in my life accomplishments.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Volunteering for Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, keeping a keen eye on the stock market, rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals, attending concerts, talking on the phone/Facetiming with my kids and going out to eat with old friends.

De Smet Memories: My team was playing a basketball game at De Smet against Beaumont High School and the stands were full mainly of their fans. We were getting our asses kicked SO bad, we took a time out and coach Denny Cerneka says, “I don’t know what to tell you, just go back out there and play.”

Memorable Teachers: Father Hoyer and Mr. Mess

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Tombstone, Pink Floyd, KSHE 94.7, Styx and The Nightly News

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Missouri

States visited: 40 States

Favorite State: California

Countries visited: New Zealand, UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and St. John

Favorite Country: Italy

Continents visited: North America, Europe and Oceania

Favorite Cities: Florence and San Francisco

Remaining Goals in Life: Traveling the world and the states with my wife, staying healthy and fit, keeping close ties with my children and grandchildren that are near and far, and enjoying retired life by relaxing but also staying busy.

John with his wife Karen

Samuel T. Bick

3320 Natchez Lane

Louisville, Kentucky 40206

samtbick@gmail.com

502-494-9773

Marital Status: Married (42 yrs) Spouse name: Mary Beth

Children: Brian, Daniel and Kevin

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: Three - Bode (3 yrs), Riley (2 yrs) and Archer (2yrs)

Colleges/degrees: Quincy College/University – B. A. Business Administration

Main Life activities: Happily married to Mary Beth for 42 years and blessed with 3 great sons who grew up to become better men than myself. After playing 11 years of professional soccer in the NASL/MISL, methodically advanced my career in real estate through property management, leasing, brokerage and ultimately development (still working/ developing apartment communities and looking forward to that evasive retirement chapter). Many thanks to fellow classmate/teammate, Brian Lavin, for raising me from the depths of my post soccer career and reestablishing a career path in the world of real estate.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Extremely fortunate to have captured some of the best years of professional soccer in the old NASL and MISL, including a short stint with the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 1978 World Cup Qualifying Rounds. Played against some great international soccer stars including Pele, George Best, Johan Cruyff, Rodney Marsh and Eusebio. During the off-seasons, completed several short-course triathlons and dozens of road races (5k, 10k, half marathons & 1 full marathon). Recently became an ASA certified keelboat sailor and hoping to hone my skills in retirement!

Hobbies: Cycling, sailing, woodworking and traveling to visit grandkids in California and Washington D.C.

De Smet Memories: Competing with teammates on the Spartan soccer and football teams along with great weekend fun activities with Don Vogt, Dan Callahan, Pat Postal and Mark Hayes among many others.

Memorable Teachers: Greg Vitello and Bob Christian

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Minneapolis, San Jose, Chicago and Louisville

States Visited: Most

Favorite State: California

Countries Visited: Holland, Haiti, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and Canada

Favorite Country: USA (there’s no place like home!)

Continents Visited: Europe, North and South America

Favorite City: Amsterdam

Remaining Goals in Life: Travel, enjoy grandkids, make peace and spread joy.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Here lies one son of Bick”

Running over a Junior Bill

Theater

As a Steamer

Bruce Jay Branch

14468 Tramore Drive, Apt 2

Chesterfield, MO 63017

314-810-9517

Marital Status: Been there, done that…now Single

Children: None

Grandchildren: The Godfather of many children

Colleges and degrees: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Main Life activities: Enjoy working out, keeping up on commercial and residential real-estate local news, monitoring my investment portfolio, seeing friends and family and FISHING!

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Love to fish and spend time on the water / I’m the center-post to my three sisters since my parents passed 5+ years ago

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Fishing, hiking, living well / always open to helping others big and small

De Smet Memories: Driving the Dad’s Cadillac with Larry Padberg and Bill Schmidt; time spent in Mr. Hasser’s class; great dances with Susie M. (she was such a sweet girl!); theater performances especially the One Acts.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Faust, Mr. Mess, Mr. Hasser and Mr. Vitalo

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Ball (Public TV)/ Logan’s Run, True Grit/ Classic Rock and Roll!

Cities lived in: St. Louis, MO…my home town!

States visited: Too many to list Favorite State: Bolder CO

Countries visited: Canada

Favorites: Boundary Waters area

Remaining Goals in Life: Just keep on keeping on!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Watch Where Your Walking

3 old classmates and good friends!

Backyard 2019

Cheers to turning 50

Jay & Sara

Kevin C. Braun

Date of Birth: May 2, 1953

Date of Death: July 9, 1997

Stephen Gerard Brendecke

Date of Birth: September 13, 1954

Date of Death: January 3, 2019

Stephen Gerard Brendecke, 64, passed away on January 3, 2019 in Riverside, California at his home. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 13, 1954 to Robert and Marie (Brady) Brendecke. He obtained his Master’s degree and worked as a financial planner in the insurance industry for 30 years. He has been a resident in Riverside County for 36 years.

He is survived by his wife Lori Brendecke (Ledbetter), sons Michael and Philip, daughter Kristine and grandchildren Clark and Dean. He is also survived by his sisters Patricia (Patti), Agnes (Bobbi) and Geri.

From Ms. Lorie Brendecke, wife of Stephen

Spouse name: Lorie Brendecke

Children: Michael (Victoria); Phillip (Shawna) and Kristine Brendecke-Crandal (Max)

Sons attending De Smet: none

Colleges and degrees: UC Davis – BS 1976 Avian Science

UC Riverside – MBA 1984

Main Life activities: Loved spending time with family, children and grandchildren

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Prudential Financial Advisor, 30 years; Peace Corp 1976-1978 included nutrition/food access by raising poultry in Philippines; Eagle Scout in St. Louis, MO; Scout Leader in Riverside, CA

Favorite Books/TV/ Movies/Music: Loved all types movies and music

Cities lived in: Riverside, CA; Mission Viejo, CA; St. Louis, MO; Cecebu, Philippines

Favorite City: St. Louis, MO

Countries visited: Philippines, Mexico and Canada

Favorite Country: Philippines

Closing Comments: Stephen was a wonderful and supportive Husband, Father, Grandfather, Son and Brother

From John Maurath - Steve Brendecke was a friend of mine in grade school at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Crestwood, MO, and we went to DeSmet together, along with other St. Elizabeth of Hungary classmates Leo “Moose” Gamp, Kevin Bardot, John Zipfel, Mike Cullen and a couple of others. I don’t know about the other guys, but I applied to St. Louis University High School and was accepted there. But, St. Louis University High later called my parents and explained that they were filled beyond capacity, and suggested that I go to their new Jesuit High School by the name of “De Smet”. And the rest is history.

In grade school, I remember Steve as being a quiet, humble guy, and very friendly and nice. His parents were wonderful, and his dad Bob (1928-1991) was involved in Scouting, and had Steve and I come along on a couple of campouts (in cabins, not tents) as helpers and chaperones.

Varsity Cross Country

Enjoying the Chess Club with friends (on the right)

Lending his shop skills at the Museum of Science and Natural History for his Senior Project

Varsity Distance Runner on Track Team (1st row, 2nd from right)

Dave Brunts

73 Ladue Estates Drive St. Louis, MO 63141

davebrunts@aol.com

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Dr. Kathy Brunts

Children: Two daughters

Colleges and degrees:

Mizzou: B.A. in Psychology

West Virginia: M.A. & Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology

Maryland: Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology and Behavioral Pediatrics

Career:

33 years in clinical practice as a Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychologist in St. Louis. Retired in 2019.

Greatest Privilege:

The trust of the parents and children I was able to work with.

Principal recreational activities:

Sailing, hiking and travel

De Smet Memories:

Tim Healy’s spot-on impression of Larry Morgan freshman year.

A drunk Bob Christian with the game ball from the win over SLUH at a mixer in fall 1971.

Being pulled out of chem lab with Bill Gerber the first class period of junior year by Ralph Houlihan because he was angry about an article we printed that day in the school paper.

Bill Dryer’s mike drop after announcing his graduation party right after John Faust dropped the mike and stormed out of the library because we were “disrespectful.”

Fiddler on the Roof: every…minute…of…those…2 ½ …months

Memorable Teachers:

Tim Lawless, chain smoking through Latin American history (“then you must write!”)

Rich Grawer’s creative methods in European history

Jack Renard’s stimulation of intelligent nuance in ethical thinking

Pat Lawless and his calm guidance of student council and everyone he met

Favorite travel destinations so far:

Galapagos Islands, Virgin Islands (sailing) and New Zealand

Remaining Goals in Life: Much more travel

Potential Gravestone Epitaph:

None. Scatter my ashes from the stern of a sailboat on a reach.

Yukking it up with Tom Geisse

Dave with fellow Editor, Bill Dahm, of the SPARTAN

Member of the Student Council (1st row, 1st on left)

Marital Status: Married

Children: Jeff, Lisa and Danny

Tom Buergler

62 Castle Bluff St. Charles, MO 63304 tbuergler@thomasmarketingstl.com 314-565-7211

Spouse name: Patricia

Sons attending De Smet: Jeff and Danny

Grandchildren: Cal, Helena, Penelope, Lucas and Gavin

Colleges and degrees: Business Administration

Main Life activities: Family, Career and Friends

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Attended Benedictine College, fellow alum Paul Devereux (deceased 1983) he was my first-year roommate, when he left, I roomed with fellow alum Don Vogt for 3 years and we have remained lifelong friends. I played 4 years of college soccer, finished 3rd in the country NAIA Division in 1975. Selected to the 1975 All American NAIATeam, selected to the Benedictine Hall of Fame. Had a brief opportunity to play for the Minnesota Kicks, my roommate was fellow De Smet alum Sammy Bick. While my career was short it was a great experience, Sammy proceeded to have a successful career. I met my wife Patty in college and have been married for 45 years.

Worked in the Food Service Brokerage Industry for 39 years. Started Thomas Food Marketing in 1988 and had a successful company for 27 years, eventually selling out to national company, so I retired in 2015. Retiring is not easy…. you never get a day off!

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Played soccer (indoor and outdoor) until age 40, a lot of racket ball years ago, a little skiing, a little golf, bike riding and exercising. I coached my kid’s baseball and soccer teams. Occasional volunteer at the St Louis Area Foodbank packing food boxes for the needy.

De Smet Memories: Good friends, the North Side Crew, carpooling with Mark Foster (a friend since 3rd grade, deceased 1992) and Denny Crown, playing on the soccer team, attending school activities, demerit cards and of course the “maroon blazer with tie”.

Memorable Teachers: Favorite teacher was George Hasser

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Books on history, Cheers, It’s a Wonderful Life

Cities lived in: St Louis area

States visited: 30

Favorites: Florida, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii

Countries visited: Canada, Mexico and Bahamas

Favorite Country: Canada

Continents visited: North America

Favorite Cities: Kaanapali, Sarasota, and Charleston

Remaining Goals in Life:

Family get to togethers and vacations enjoying the grandkid’s interactions and excitement, staying healthy

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven, But Nobody Wants To Die…… Hope To See You There Someday”

Freshman year Soccer

Brian Burnes

4820 Belinder Court

Westwood, Kansas, 66205

bpburnesiii@gmail.com 913-593-6205

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Debra

Children: Jessica and Charlie

Sons attending De Smet: Grandchildren:

Colleges and degrees: Bachelor of Journalism, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1976 Master of Science, Journalism, University of Kansas, 1998

Main Life activities: Married Debra in 1990. Met Debra at The Kansas City Star, where I worked for 38 years. Currently working as a contributing writer, most recently for Kansas City Public Broadcasting.

Accomplishments: My family

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Currently serving as president of the Jackson County (Mo.) Historical Society.

De Smet Memories: Trying out freshman year for the baseball team, and bailing out of the batter’s box after getting first look at Coach George Hasser’s curve ball. Somehow I didn’t make the team.

Going to see The Who at Mississippi River Festival in summer of 1971 and seeing close to half of the DeSmet Class of 1972 there.

Being yelled at by graduation coordinator John Faust during ceremony rehearsal at Powell Symphony Hall – his last chance to yell at us – great acoustics.

Memorable Teachers: Terry Dempsey

Cities lived in: Washington, D.C., Omaha, Kansas City

States visited: Many

Countries visited: Bahamas

Remaining Goals in Life: Staying healthy and able.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Thanks to everybody, for everything.

Daniel P. Callahan

Spouse name: Molly

Children: Erin, Dan, Caitlin, Kevin and Peter

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: 10; Oliver, Sawyer, Emma, Archer, Camryn, Jack, Jarek, Leila, Eavan and Magdalene

Colleges and degrees: BSBA Georgetown Univ

Main Life activities: CPA. Making amends for bringing home a great black lab from Postal’s.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Chartered two sailing yachts and took children & spouses sailing around British & US Virgin Islands for a week. Food was so good some of my children actually now like seafood, though they complain that it isn’t as good as on the boat.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Golf, no longer running, parish men’s club mainly, Knights of Columbus

De Smet Memories/Stories:

Playing hockey in the creek or on the pond across from school where one time during a break I was jostling with Vogt when he fell on me and broke my collar bone. Of course, since I had picked up Vogt and Postal, I had to drive them home before going home and seeing the doctor. Since I missed his normal hours the doctor made me wait till halftime of the Mizzou basketball game and then told me to go to the hospital for x-rays.

Writing the one-act senior play with Schatzman; it wasn’t accepted for award but if you watched any number of sitcoms they were exactly as we wrote it.

Too many football, soccer and track stories; two shorts; CBC I was playing fullback and had a great run up the middle to put us in scoring position; in the huddle Lavin says, do you want to take it in? As I went through the line I was picked up and thrown back like a blocking dummy.

Playing Lafayette, which seemed like the end of the world at the time, it was past the haunted dairy! Their halfback was big and fast and gave us fits and one of their guards received scholarship to UCLA; I was hit and ended up with a hip pointer but went back in a few plays later and hit again when I passed out; needless to say my mother was a wreck in the stands. We lost and when we got back to school in the locker room coach Vitello says ‘you’d be a hell of a football player if you didn’t get hurt’ - too funny. The bad part of that is that the hip pointer prevented me from contributing much to the school’s first victory over SLUH!

Memorable Teachers:

Actually all in their own way; wish I had copy of Dr. Buckley’s eastern history book, if I remember the course title correctly. You can’t get correct middle and far eastern history these days.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music:

Aristotle, Chesterton, CS Lewis, Levin and US Grant

Patton, Christmas Carol (GC Scott) and most things funny as break from daily grind

Last Man Standing and the History channel

Music has changed as children have grown but they also like music from my age such as Allman Bros and Grateful Dead among others, which I have found surprising.

Favorite Cities:

SF & LA early 2000’s, not now I’ve enjoyed the different & unique things the numerous cities I’ve worked in have had to offer.

States visited: All but approximately 10 Favorite States: AK, CA, CO, FL and HI - haven’t been anywhere I haven’t enjoyed Countries visited: Not enough Favorite Country: Italy

Continents visited: Hopefully more

Remaining goals in Life:

Selective meaningful travel rather than checking boxes

Enjoy watching the continued growth of my children and grandchildren

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “That’s Bullshit”

Writer and Director: Knock Knock,Who’s There? Callahan heads off tackle

Enjoying family

Michael Carlsen

Date of Birth: November 7, 1953

Date of Death: October 9, 2017

Michael William Carlsen, 63, of Awendaw, SC, entered into eternal rest on Monday, October 9, 2017.

He was born on November 7, 1953 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the Late William Carlsen and the Late Margaret (Koegel) Carlsen.

Mike was a graduate of Florida Atlantic University, he pursued a lifelong career in Mechanical and Ocean Engineering. He enjoyed swimming, windsurfing, fishing, and spending time with his family and friends. Mike was a dedicated parishioner and attended mass daily. He will be remembered as a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend.

He is survived by his loving wife of 15 years, Donna L. Carlsen, of Awendaw, SC; brothers, Danny (Betsy) Carlsen, of St. Louis, MO; Mark Carlsen, of San Jose, CA; sister, Meg (Paul) Hinckley, of Coppell, TX; step-son, Michael Landis, of West Palm Beach, FL; nieces, Susie (Raymond) Shipley, of Chicago, IL; Kristin (Grant) Moore, of Grapevine, TX; nephews, Michael Hinkley of Coppell TX and Steve Carlsen, of St. Louis, MO; and many loving friends.

Memories of Mike Carlsen, shared by his sister Meg Hinkley

Mike Carlsen was born in Cincinnati Ohio on November 7, 1953, the oldest brother to three siblings. His family moved three years later to St. Louis where Mike spent his youth.

I don’t know what you may remember about my brother, but my earliest and life-long memories of Mike are of his love for the ocean and fishing. He treasured our family’s trips to Florida every summer where he would rise early to fish and swim in the ocean. Some of you may remember an old movie starring Don Knotts called The Incredible Mr. Limpet, about a man who loved fish so much that he actually became one when he fell in the ocean. Our family joke was that the same would happen to Mike one day!

Mike’s love of the ocean resulted in his attending the University of Miami where he received a degree in Marine Biology, and later to Florida Atlantic University where he received a degree in Ocean Engineering.

Mike began a long and successful career with the AUTEC, Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, where he worked until his retirement in 2014. Mike had a distinguished career at AUTEC working on classified projects for the US Navy. His work allowed him to spend a lot of time outdoors at AUTEC’s testing site in the Bahamas.

Mike met the love of his life, Donna, later in life and married for the first time at age 48. Mike and Donna shared a love of the outdoors and enjoyed spending time between their homes in West Palm Beach and Awenda, South Carolina. While Mike and Donna did not have children of their own, they spoiled their nieces and nephews who adored their Uncle Mike.

Mikes devotion to Christ and his Roman Catholic faith played a significant role in his life. For the last 15 years, Mike attended mass daily, rarely missing a day. His faith brought him great joy and comfort and he was known for teaching two of his parish priests how to deep-sea fish and surf!

Mike left this earth way too soon and left a huge hole in our family, we miss him every day. He was a caring and devoted husband, brother, son, uncle and friend. He had a wicked sense of humor and loved all those who knew him so well, we are grateful to God for his life and the rich memories.

Mike freshman year with John Bender, Tim Healey, & Steve Brendecke

Sophomore Homeroom (3rd from left)

Junior Class Picture

Marital Status: Married 42 years

Jack Chartrand

7127 Maryland

St. Louis, MO 63130

jchartr272@sbcglobal.net

314 297 6874

Home - 314 725 5713

Spouse name: Christine Flood Chartrand

Children: Scott 39 and Christopher 32. Smart boys. Both went to S.L.U.H.

Grandchildren: Evie 4, Isla 1.5 and a little guy on the way

Colleges and degrees: Parks Air College of St. Louis University - Bachelor of Science

Career: Decades in the travel business. Short stint in financial planning. Decades in Office furniture industry.

Awards: I wish I had more to say.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Rich Grawer

De Smet Memories: Mr Faust walking behind me on stairs saying “Chartrand you are a boil on the ass of humanity.” Vitello saying to the gym class “If you forget your gym uniform come up without it.” It was a warm day and we went outside for class. Ole Mike Couch walked out on the field in black loafers, red socks and his white underwear, no shirt. Vitello never made that statement again to another class in all his years.

Remaining Goals in Life: To enjoy retirement and spend time with family and friends.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I told you I was sick.

Tom Chulick

850 Stable Ridge Lane St. Louis, MO 63122

Marital Status: Married 27 years Spouse name: Kim

Children: Son- TJ Chulick

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: None

Colleges and degrees:

Rockhurst University- Marketing Degree

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Washington University-Olin School of Business: Executive Program

Main Life activities:

Chairman & CEO, UMB Bank- St. Louis and President of Midwest Region (Retired)

President & CEO, St. Louis Regional Chamber; Public Policy & Economic Development (Retired)

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Civic Involvement:

Regional Business Council, Board of Directors

Webster University, Board of Trustees

St. Louis Zoo, Board of Trustees

St. Louis Sports Commission, Board of Directors

CEO’s Against Cancer- St. Louis, Board of Directors

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Playing golf, squash, pickleball, cycling and salt-water fishing

De Smet Memories: Freshman and sophomore year running wind sprints for football practice down the school’s 3rd floor.

Memorable Teachers:

Dr. Kevin Buckley- Far Eastern History Class

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

“The Match”- Mark Frost

Cities lived: St. Louis

States visited: About 70% of US

Favorite States: Colorado, Florida and Michigan, Second Home in Marco Island, Florida.

Countries visited: France, Spain, England, Ireland and Canada

Favorite Country: Spain

Continents visited: Europe

Favorite Cities: Barcelona

Remaining Goals in Life:

Travel to New Zealand and Australia, Active community volunteer

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Make Every Day a Masterpiece”

Hanging with friends

Proud member of the 2nd graduating class (on the left) As a Dionysian Player, performing in “Indians”

John D. Clark, Jr.

5253 Devonshire Avenue St. Louis, MO 63109

jdcstl@yahoo.com 314-239-8416

A life in three movements… Overture

It seems impossible that we left De Smet fifty years ago, more so that so many friends have passed on well before their time. I miss them all.

In the land of Inago Loyoa Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola

For all the toils and troubles that we suffered under the Jesuits, the reality is we are all far better for the experience. To this day I run into people from all walks of life who will turn a phrase or reference an obscure event and nine out of ten there is a Jesuit influenced education just under the surface. And if someone utters a phrase in Latin, it’s a dead giveaway.

Reluctant Adult

I never thought for a moment that I would be married.

For me, a constant theme in my life is searching and exploring. Searching for enlightenment, seeking adventure, and always looking beyond the next horizon. Along the way I have met and spent time with Sherpas, archeologists, cooks and porters, fishermen, billionaires, trackers with rifles if things got dicey, and guides whose other fulltime job was chief of the local tribe and some of the most famous people in the world. Without exception they have been some of the kindest, humble, and competent people on the planet… Judge Judy, not so much.

Since my first big trip to Washington D.C. with De Smet classmates to today I have visited somewhere around 80 different countries, been shot at two times in Ethiopia, a junkie tried to stab me in Qatar and sneaked into the Forbidden City in Beijing*.

My love for travel was fired by the Book of Marvels, by Richard Halliburton. I can see it from my bookshelf as I type this. Originally printed in 1937 and my book has been on my family’s printing dates from 1941. I want to see them all. And sadly, time is swiftly passing by.

The most dangerous situation involved an out-of-control St. Louis Policeman who put a loaded sidearm to my ear for “not fully stopping at an intersection” near my home in Lafayette Square. I have no doubt if he had shot me, he would make it look like a drug buy gone bad. Eight police cars don’t show up for a traffic stop.

Working for the Man

Professionally I spent 35 years in the packaging industry, in plants for years and then into IT specializing in creating cost and operational models for plants in the USA and Operations in North American and overseas. I gained a good reputation for calculating the values and metrics and I could explain it in way they could verify and modify when required.

My favorite project was in Wolverhampton, England where an existing enterprise moved and expanded their operation with brand new converting equipment and a new corrugator. Corrugated converting is a high volume/low margin business so this influx of expense of machinery was most unusual. Doing the math, it took me about two days to figure out that all the machinery (and a Corrugator, which makes the corrugated sheets is ¾ the size of a football field and the supporting machinery runs into the millions of dollars each) was a massive fraud.

When I asked more focused questions, the management went into hiding until I went back to the states. It turned out they had counterfeited titles to the machinery, and they all went away for years. I hope they spent their time behind bars asking the same question: How did that guy figure it out so quickly?

The curtain comes down too soon

For those that travelled frequently you quickly find out you can’t do everything and be every place. If you are smart you prioritized your family. The worst thing you do is prioritize work and ignore your health. And when you are travelling 25-30 years there is no one to tell you to slow down. I found out the hard way... TA couple of years ago I built a financial model for a company in the Great Lakes region. That night I had a stroke. My career was over.

Looking back, I often think of those early days and our collective steps to adulthood. I think of the first friendships were the guys we road to school. Many are still my friends today. It was a world of 200 strangers that became friends. Most importantly they left De Smet on the way to be productive citizens good parents, and good men.

But it was still pretty cool!

* Truth be told, the guards let us in into the Forbidden City in exchange for allowing them to sit on the motorcycles and play like they were riding like the wind.

Visiting Temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Sneaking into the Forbidden City on motorcycle

Traveled to KorakorumCapital of the Mongolian Empire

John visiting the Tomb of Tamerlame

Marital Status: YES

Bob Costello

1327 Crystal Drive

Frankfort, MI 49635

bobcostello54@gmail.com 847-707-9636

Spouse name: Suzanne

Children: Cary (41), Sarah (37) & Devin (35) Grandchildren: Louie, 5 years old Sons attending De Smet: All 3 kids attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette IL Colleges and Degrees: BA Economics George Washington University 1976, MA Accounting Roosevelt University 2009

Main Life activities: Happily married for over 45 years to Suzanne. Raised 3 kids and currently spend a lot of time with my only grandchild, Louie. When Louie and his parents were in Saigon for a year and a half, I was able to visit him 4 times. I have had over 20 different jobs since graduating from college - many of them short term positions for libertarian/conservative campaigns or initiatives. Longer-term jobs that actually paid the bills were in the investment markets. Currently work part-time for Innovis Asset Management in Chicago. Also oversee the accounting & finances for a small print finishing business in Grand Rapids, that I own with a partner. Spending my time between Frankfort MI, Grand Rapids, and Chicago.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Best job was when I ran the Chicago Capital Markets office for First Horizon Bank with roughly 25 to 30 people.

In 1994 I spoke to a room full of reporters at the National Press Club in D.C. regarding ads advocating Congressional Term Limits. Our educational ads were considered pivotal in defeating then Speaker of the House, Tom Foley, that November. He was the first Speaker to be defeated for re-election since 1862. Our organization, Americans for Limited Terms, ran ads in over a dozen states that year.

The last 10 years I have served on the board of Wyoming Catholic College, which is one of the newest Catholic colleges in the country - opened in 2007.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Played rugby for 2 seasons in college. Hiking, biking, and sailing. I have volunteered on parish, political, civic, and non-profit activities.

De Smet Memories: Breaking my foot at football practice freshman year and missing the whole season. Hitchhiking home most nights to north county sophomore year.

Junior Year: Wrecking my new car on 270 on the way to school. Riding in Mark Foster’s rambler going 70 miles & hour when one of the front wheels fell off, while the Worst of Jefferson Airplane was playing on the 8 track, on 270 on the way home after wrestling and soccer practice.

Taking Suzanne to the junior and senior prom. Doing model UN senior year. Most of my social life was with friends from the north county who went to Rosary, McCluer, Aquinas, Hazelwood and Riverview.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Buckley, Mr. Mess, Mr. Grawer and Mr. Barhoush

Favorite Books: In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

TV: In Plain Sight

Movie: Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield.

Cities lived in: Washington DC, Alexandria VA, San Francisco, Evanston IL, Denver, Frankfort MI

States visited: Every state but Alaska

Favorite State: Michigan

Countries visited: England, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherland, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Cuba.

Favorite Country: USA

Continents visited: N. America, Europe and Asia

Favorite Cities: Frankfort MI, San Francisco (before the politicians let the homeless destroy it)

Remaining Goals in Life: To be there for my family, friends, and strangers on the same path.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “I told you I was sick!”

Jim Crowley

12533 Ridgemoor Lake Court St. Louis, MO 63131

crowleyj44@charter.net 314-922-4444

Spouse name: Donna - We met the summer of 1972 and have been happy and blessed ever since Children: Jen, Jimmy, Cara

Sons attending De Smet: Jimmy - 2003

Grandchildren: Aidan, Connor, Ava

Colleges and degrees: M.A. Marketing, Webster University, B.A. Economics, UMSL

Professional:

IBM Federal – National Security Team (39 years) supporting the U.S. Intelligence Community – National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Primary responsibility supporting National Reconnaissance Office (Supra et Ultra) TS/SCI access programs associated with the NRO satellite constellation and satellite ground stations worldwide.

Men for Others:

Chairman, Board of Adjustment, City of Town and Country - current

General Chairman, Annual Catholic Appeal Archdiocese of St. Louis, 2013-2014. Raised over $14 million for Archdiocese of St. Louis

Recognized with Order of St. Louis King Award by Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis for service to Archdiocese in 2013-2014

Parish Chair, Annual Catholic Appeal, St. Clement of Rome, 1991-present Mayor, City of Crystal Lake Park, 1984-1986

Memorable Teachers: George Barhorst, George Hasser, Father Hoyer, Father John Arnold, Father Jack Bergin, Mike Bashwiner, Chris Mess

Junior Yearbook

Student Council Sophomore Year

Charles Dachroeden

570 Monty View

Washington, MO 63090

cadach54@att.net

636-900-2112

Marital Status: Happy Spouse name: Marsha

Children: 3 Grandchildren: 6

Sons attending De Smet: 0

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri – Columbia and St. Louis BS Biology, Minor Chemistry

Main Life activities:

Enjoying and Staying Involved with Family, Kids and Grandkids

Management Positions at:

- Clark Oil and Refining (10 years)

- United Medical Mart (4 years)

- Missouri Department of Natural Resources (29 years)

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Went on a multitude of float trips on Missouri rivers on tubes and in canoes (never flipped); Hiked many trails in the mountains of Colorado and National Parks in Utah and California (never got lost); Spelunked a number of caves in Missouri (got lost occasionally but always found the way out); Rode out Hurricane Sally in a condo in Gulf Shores, LA in 2020

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

- Fishing, Camping, Canoeing, Snorkeling, Hiking – family, friends, scouts, youth

- Played 8 years on Church Softball Team (but made a better manager than player)

- Den Leader, Cub Master & Scout Master for son and grandson (17 years total)

- Youth Leader for Junior / Senior High church youth (10 years)

De Smet Memories:

- Pep Rallies prior to Football Games and enjoying the games with classmates

- Dances with live bands in the Gym and at various girls schools

- Spelunking with Mr. Barhorst and Mr. Boehm &??

- Retreats (and the free time) at White House

- Smoking at the Handball Courts (and on the buses)

- The Senior Rec Room with it ‘pipe maze’, beer can wall, hidey-hole (cooler stash) wooden benches and playing pool and bumper pool waiting for the bus

Memorable Teachers:

Mr. George Barhorst

Mr. Chris Mess

Fr. Bergin

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

Books: Dan Simmons – Hyperion Series (& others) ; H.P. Lovecraft (all); McPherson – Battle Cry of Freedom TV: People of Earth; Resident Alien; Big Bang Theory / Young Sheldon; NCIS (all variants) Movies: Brazil; Fargo (all Coen Brothers); Lord of the Rings series; Uncharted; DeadPool (both)

Cities lived in: MO: St. Louis, Columbia, Washington; Ohio - Mansfield

States visited:

New York, North Carolina; Ohio, Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Texas, California, Washington

Favorite States: Missouri; Colorado; Louisiana

Countries visited: Mexico and Canada

Favorite Countires: Mexico and Canada

Continents visited: North America

Favorite Cities: most all

Remaining Goals in Life:

Visit all the National Parks; Float the Colorado River; Watch my grandkids / great grandkids graduate from college

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: He Loved His Family, Most Loved His Wife, Enjoyed His Friends, Had A Great Life

Marital Status: Married forever

Children: Desiree, Jessica, Annie and Zoe

Grandchildren: Shane, Sophia and Emily

Alan Dapron

3507 Sorrel Tree Lane

St. Louis, MO 63129

314-799-8929

Spouse name: Jackie

Colleges and degrees: Master of Architecture

Main Life activities: Enjoying life everyday with my wife and children. Watching my grandbabies grow up too fast and laughing with them endlessly. Attending Jazz and Blues concerts, enjoying the outdoors, birds and the lake by my house.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: My Family: When I was young, I remember telling my Father “someday I am going to drive a red convertible and be surrounded by beautiful girls.” As life went on, I did get my red convertible and was surrounded by women which grew into my 4 beautiful daughters. My dream did come true. Jackie my wife is my life savior during hard times with my Multiple Sclerosis and beyond. Each day is a new adventure with them. Their belief is: Yes you can, yes we will and book the flight! They keep me going.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Traveling, Jazz and Blues music

De Smet Memories: The friendships I developed from wrestling would top my greatest memories. Remaining close friends with Mark Yeager and Frank Dorsey after all these years is a plus. I also enjoyed playing hockey with my friend Jim Voskamp. Double dating with Rich Vogel was full of adventures.

Cities lived in: St Louis, New Orleans, Fort Collins and Dallas States visited: CA, LA, FL, TX, CO, IL, IN and TN Favorite State: CA

Remaining Goals in Life: To live life every day and be thankful to God I made it this far. To face M.S. head on. To always be thankful to my wife and children for their never-ending encouragement and support on my hard days. My grandbabies letting me live my life through their eyes. Never give up!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I’m not comfortable! Are we there yet! Can you heat this up again! Jackie!!!!!!!!

Dapron chins his opponent to the mat

Al, as usual, on top!

granddaughter Sophia

grandson Shane

granddaughter Emily

daughter Joe daughter Annie daughter Jessica daughter Desiree

John E. DeBroeck

303 91st SE Place

Everett, WA 98208

JDbro@gmail.com 425-438-1467

Marital Status: Yes 39+ years Spouse name: Mary Children: 5

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: 10 and growing

Colleges and degrees: St. Louis University Bachelor of Science in Business Admin with emphasis in Accounting. MBA Puget Sound University

Main Life activities:

Worked for Philip’s Ultrasound Customer Service for 33 years. Wagner Electric 4 yrs, Lockheed Shipbuilding 5 yrs. Love playing/visiting with family – 7 of 10 grandchildren live within 4 miles of us, and friends.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Eagle Scout and then assisted 3 sons to become Eagle Scouts.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Many years with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul. Slow Pitch Softball for 20 yrs. Church choir for 45 yrs.

De Smet Memories: Mr. Barhorst jumping up on his desk to demonstrate the electrons around a nucleus. Remember chemistry science project demonstrating how to make clean water from a stream. Wrestling, Biology classes, Geometry and Japanese History classes. Pole Vaulting in P.E. Classes. Going to Football, Soccer and Wrestling matches. Trying to stay in 112lbs Wrestling weight. Running laps around basketball court for Wrestling stamina. Junior Prom.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Barhorst, Biology, Geometry and Japanese History classes. Pole Vaulting in P.E. Classes.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, TV – How the Universe was made. Fr. Spitzer’s Universe. Religious Books – Divine Mercy St. Faustina – Understanding Divine Mercy by Fr. Chris Alar,MIC, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena, Divine Mercy Chaplet for the sick and the dying – Orders > 1-800-462-7426. I highly recommend getting all three!

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Seattle area since 1979

States visited: Every state but No Dakota and Alaska

Favorite State: Washington (less the politics)

Countries visited: Mexico and Canada

Remaining Goals in Life: Being a Good Catholic father and Grandfather. Continuing to be more and more like Jesus Christ. Stay as healthy as possible while fighting: Mild dementia. Scoliosis and Parkinson’s Disease.

Paul Devereux

Date of Birth: April 12, 1954

Date of Death: September 24, 1985

Remembrance from Paul’s brother, Greg ‘78 - Man, you guys are OLD!! FIFTY YEARS…..

Paul loved life, lived it to the fullest and cherished his wife, JoAnn (Grimmer) and his son, Paulie. Paul was diagnosed with non-primary site cancer in July of 1985 and we buried him two months later. JoAnn was about 29, Paulie had just turned 2 and I was 25—I did not really know what losing someone so close to you was like and I miss him calling me “nut” to this day.

He was a wonderful husband and father and a great brother. He was a car guy, he loved his music, he loved hanging out with his friends and definitely did not mind a good party. I am fairly sure he would have supported this whole cannabis thing…

Paul had a calm about him, a friendly demeanor and would readily engage people. He had a special talent for being able to tweak my dad just enough at the dinner table to spark some very interesting, and very spirited debates, over some fascinating topic of the day that Paul had little interest in, but, he knew he could get my dad going. We all loved these “discussions”.

Paul was a very good soccer player and after graduating DeSmet, he joined a number of his soccer playing friends from DeSmet and went to Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas to play soccer. The soccer was good, the college part not so much, and after a semester (maybe not a full semester) he had the distinct pleasure of driving home from Atchison in a car with my dad…He came back, started working at Schnucks and started at UMSL graduating with a degree in accounting. He then went to work for Traveler’s Service up on Olive in Olivette and began implementing a new computer system for them. Just about that time Maritz came along and bought Traveler’s Service and soon after that Paul got sick.

Paul bought his dream car, a Firebird Formula, all the bells and whistles including an 8 track!! Washed it every other day it seemed like….my senior year at DeSmet, we were scheduled to play Rosary in soccer up at Larimore Park in North County. At that time, the players were driving from school to the game, and, somehow, we did not have enough cars to take the team (details are still sketchy), so I asked my mom if I could drive her car but she was busy with her car, but, she did say if I was very careful I could take Paul’s car. I was very careful until the exit ramp at Bellefontaine Road and Highway 270, where Mike Balota, who was driving his mom’s Delta 88 (the tank version of the 88), had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him….I can still see in very slow motion the pieces of fiberglass from the hood of Paul’s Formula Firebird spraying apart and flying into the air. I cannot remember if it was two or three trips back to the auto body shop to get the paint to match exactly. I mean exactly.

JoAnn and Paulie moved to California in early 1986 and are enjoying a wonderful life in the Sacramento area. Jo absolutely made the very best of an awful situation and did an amazing job of raising their son and creating an awesome life for herself and Paulie. Jo owns her own thriving business and Paulie is married with two young children and is doing very well. It’s funny, I spoke to Paulie on August 3rd, his birthday, as I was writing this….he has that same incredible demeanor as Paul, he has that same great belly laugh, the unending optimism, the friendly approach, the love of his family and the same love of cars.

Enjoy the celebration of the years since you graduated and make each day better than the last.

Paul and his son Paulie

Paul & JoAnn’s Wedding Party (Includes Mick Markway ’71 & Pat Costello ’72)

James “Jim” Didion

1715 N. Geyer Road

Frontenac, MO 63131

jmdidion@gmail.com 314-550-5509

Marital Status: Married for 42 years Spouse name: Laura

Children: Three – Julie (40 years old), Mark (39 years old), and Lisa (37 years old) Grandchildren: Six – Clayton, Josephine, Sloane, Sophia, Gwendolyn and Coraline

Colleges and degrees: BS in Industrial Engineering from Mizzou.

Main Life activities: After working as an engineer for the first nine years following graduation from college, I made a career change to the commercial real estate industry. I worked as an industrial real estate broker for CBRE before moving to Trammell Crow Company in 1990. I served as the Director of Brokerage for five years then became the Director of Development for the St. Louis office. I retired from Trammell Crow in December 2021 as the Business Unit Leader for St. Louis and Kansas City.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: I joined Phi Kappa Theta fraternity while at Mizzou and served as the treasurer and president. While at Trammell Crow I developed over 10 million square feet of office and industrial space. Notable projects include Shaw Park Plaza, a 275,000 sq. ft., 14-story office tower in Clayton, MO and a 2.2 million square feet regional distribution center for P&G in Edwardsville, IL. I’m a licensed real estate broker in the state of Missouri.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Hobbies include golf, snow skiing, water sports and bike riding. Favorite sports to follow include Mizzou football, Cards baseball and Blues hockey. I’ve served on numerous non-profit boards over the years and currently serve on the board of directors for United Services for Children in St. Charles County.

De Smet Memories: After graduating from St. Dominic Savio in Affton we moved to St. Charles where the family business relocated a couple years earlier. No one from my grade school nor my new St. Charles neighborhood attended De Smet. I didn’t know anyone when I walked in the door that first day of high school back in 1968 but made some great new friends including Chip Von Doersten, a great, fun-loving guy. I’m still saddened by his untimely passing so many years ago. The Jesuits and other teachers at De Smet instilled a desire in me to excel in the classroom which really helped get me through engineering school at Mizzou. I’ll never forget the varsity football team beating Duchesne (where my St. Charles friends attended high school) 23-0 back in 1969 when we didn’t have any seniors on the team. My work with non-profits is a direct outgrowth of the senior projects we did at De Smet. Rick McBride, Mark Johnson and I worked at the New Hope Learning Center, a school for children with learning disabilities and delays. I ran the hurdles on the track team for four years and never beat Bob Mills!!!

Memorable Teachers: European history with Fr. Timothy Lawless, Fr. Bill Snyders, Principal Larry Morgan, biology and track with coach Greg Vitello, chemistry with crazy Mr. Barhorst, Spanish with George Hasser and Fr. Hoyer…and last but not least, history with Chris Mess.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Pillars of the Earth and others works by Ken Follett. Seinfeld and Breaking Bad on the TV. And The Godfather on the big screen.

Cities lived in: Only St. Louis but I spent a lot of time in Kansas City.

States visited: All but Alaska

Favorite States: Utah, Wyoming and California

Countries visited: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Canada, Mexico and several Caribbean counties.

Favorite Countries: Italy, France and Canada

Continents visited: North America and Europe

Favorite Cities: Rome, Paris, St. Petersburg and Tallin (Estonia).

Remaining Goals in Life: Travel to see more of Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and the Greek Isles. Spending as much time as possible with friends and family before it all ends.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “It was a great ride…I’ll see you on the other side!”

Extended family at our 40th wedding anniversary. Beyond Blessed!

Children: Thomas, Ryan, Tricia and Kate

Don Doheny

Date of Birth: September 29, 1954

Date of Death: December 9, 2020

Grandchildren: 1 granddaughter and 2 grandsons

College & Degrees:

• University of Notre Dame – Bachelor of Architectural Engineering

• University of Notre Dame Law School – Juris Doctorate

• United States Army Judge Advocate General School – Graduated as a commissioned Captain in the U.S. Judge Advocate General Corps

• United States Air Force, Air University – Advanced U.S. Government contract law courses in Federal Procurement Law

Main Life Activities: Practiced law (government & private) / Assisted disabled veterans

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

• Captain in the U.S. Army

• Contract Attorney Advisor for the office of Judge Advocate General in Heidelberg, Germany

• U.S. Army Chief Trial Defense Liaison Council in Mannheim, West Germany

• Received international Architectural Awards while in college

• Worked with the Pentagon

Hobbies/Volunteering:

• Volunteered at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

• Volunteered at the St. Louis Fisher House

• Volunteered with design projects for charitable programs

• Collected military memorabilia

Favorite Books/ TV/Movies/Music: History all genre

Cities Live in: Fairfax, VA / St. Louis / Chicago / Cincinnati / Heidelberg, Germany / Manheim, Germany / Rome, Italy

Closing Comment:

• Member of Tau Sigma Delta (Honor Society for Architecture)

• Tau Beta Pi (Honor Society for Engineering)

• U.S. Army ROTC Program Distinguished Military Graduate

• Don had a deeply held devotion to God and country

Remembrance from Bill Trigg III - Donald A. Doheny, Jr. was one of my closest friends at DeSmet Jesuit High. I knew him by his nickname at the time, “D.A.”, which seemed to be well suited for him as he always talked about going to law school. I was glad to learn that, in fact, he did at Notre Dame University. His love for history and the military was something we had in common, especially with respect to WWII. Following the release of the movie “Patton” in summer 1970, D. A. and I began a new adventure smoking cigars (especially bourbonsoaked stogies that he lovingly prepared) and re-enacting scenes from the movie. I did a pretty good impression of George C. Scott’s Patton (still do, in fact) which led to D.A. creating a uniform for me and our doing a two-man show where he dressed up as Colonel Codman and I did Patton’s famous speech in full regalia.

After I moved to Kentucky, I learned that D.A. began doing the Patton speech at Notre Dame University, while I continued to do it at Thomas More University for my college classmates (and eventually grad school mates).

What a hoot! I will always treasure the times that D.A., George Carver and I hung out together, did theater together at DeSmet, and just enjoyed being great friends together. Here’s to you, D.A. I will be sure to smoke a cigar in your honor later today.

Don (on right) acting in production of “Apollo”.

Don (center) styling at the Senior Prom

Marital Status: Married

Children: 3

Sons attending De Smet: Mathew 2013

Grandchildren: 0

Colleges and degrees: MBA UMSL

Frank Dorsey

2919

Spouse name: Pietrina

Main Life activities: Retired 36 years Transportation & Logistics Industry

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Fly Fishing, Scuba Diving, Golf and Sailing

Memorable Teachers: Barnhorst

Junior Class picture

Sophomore Class picture

Obviously enjoying the carnival Junior year

Freshman Year

John Dougherty

575 Main Street #1112

New York, NY 10044

johndtp@me.com

646-469-0667

Marital Status: Single Spouse name: My late wife, Nina Wintringham, passed away in 2014

Children: My daughter, Rebecca

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: 1 grandson, born in March of 2020 just as COVID swept over NYC.

Colleges and degrees: Grinnell College, BA in Mathematics

Main Life activities: I was the Technical Director for a prepress company and later for a magazine publishing company here in New York. I am now happily retired, which means I get to choose which projects to take on.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

I was privileged to work with a number of the most accomplished technologists in the magazine industry. Together we redefined editorial workflows and the systems that supported publishing. We kept magazines out in the forefront as long as we could, but eventually the tsunami of web publishing overtook most magazines. Some survive in hybrid form although magazine publishing doesn’t have anything like the prominence it once enjoyed. Sic transit gloria mundi.

I received a few publishing industry awards including the 2000 Luminaire Award and the 2011 IDEAlliance Circle of Excellence Award, the former for educational activity and the latter for technical achievement.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

I play a lot of sports though tennis is the one that’s keeping me healthy. (According to Danish statistics tennis players live the longest!) I also enjoy bike riding (my main form of transportation), skiing, kayaking, and scuba. I have dived in the company of large sharks, manta rays, eels, octopuses, and a humpback whale and her rambunctious calf. I’ve also made one or two idiotic mistakes in deep water that almost cost me my life.

I live on a small island in the center of New York City (right under the Queensboro Bridge). It’s like a small town with lots of community organizations. I am on the board of a few of them. My biggest involvement is with MSTDA a thriving community theater organization which has brought the performing arts to generations of Roosevelt Islanders, including my daughter who loved dance. I try to carry on the work of my late wife, Nina, who served it as President for many years and helped rescue it from oblivion at its lowest point. She would smile to see how strong it is today.

De Smet Memories:

My friends were the ones who played chess and ping pong in the lunch room. My daughter laughs at the nerdiness that implies. But, it has given me skills in table tennis that remain somewhat to this day. Mike Schaller had quick slam moves. Dave LaRussa was a defensive genius. Our friend Myron Souris became a chess master before he lost interest and switched to Go (more challenging). I was on the chess team. (Thank you, Fr. McMahon, for coaching and driving us.) Our best player, Bill Gerber, went on to the Wharton School of Business. He was smart and strategic, and I think a

bit cooler than the rest of us, if you can apply that label to a member of the chess team. I was also a mediocre wrestler who was in awe of our State Champion, Mark Yaeger. I didn’t have to worry about moving from JV to Varsity because Mark was in my same year and weight class. But Mark was such a great teammate who was happy to help the rest of us catch up if we could. The JV team went undefeated one year!

I enjoyed watching Sam Bick play soccer. He was awesome. And who can forget Coach Grawer prowling the sidelines of the basketball court?

Memorable Teachers: There were many smart and caring men (and a couple of brave women) who were on the faculty at De Smet when I attended but none impressed me more than Mr. (later Fr.) Renard. The man could read and write in over 20 languages, including ones like Aramaic and Syriac, and he was fluent in a dozen. And yet he was humble and kind. Fr. Lucas (I hope I am remembering his name correctly) taught us Latin. He made the class fun with games (Latin Buzz!) and an ear for poetry. He went on to record a couple of albums of classical piano music and I think he later became principal of DeSmet.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Just finished “Entangled Life”by Merlin Sheldrake. It definitely challenged my thinking about how life forms, particularly fungi, are interconnected and it forced me to rethink what intelligence even means. I am just finishing up Ron Chernow’s biography of Grant. The second half illuminated the difficulty of carrying out Reconstruction. I’m a big fan of Ezra Klein’s podcast.

Cities lived in: Guatemala City (where I was born), Miami, St. Louis (of course), and New York.

States visited: All but Alaska Favorite State: New Mexico right now

Countries visited: I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to travel and I hope to do some more.

Favorite Countries: France for its culture, food and wine; Morocco for its exotic beauty and the sweetness of its people; Sicily for its layers of history and its craggy scenery; Bermuda for its wild beaches.

Continents visited: Haven’t been to Australia or Antarctica

Favorite Cities: Paris, Budapest, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Dubrovnik, Quito and Lisbon

Remaining Goals in Life: I want to finish and hopefully publish my novel (30 chapters done, about 5 to go). I am enjoying being a grandfather and would like to go on being an active grandpa for a while longer.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: He hoped to do more good than harm.

with his grandson

Children: One red-headed daughter

Main

Hobbies/Sports:

Dave Droege

Freshman year

Sophomore class picture

Dave with his 2 sisters

Joe Dukeman

Date of Birth: January 28, 1954

Date of Death: April 29, 2022

Joseph “Joe” Dukeman III passed away at the age 68 on April 29, 2022. Beloved husband of Carol Dukeman; cherished father of Joseph (Helen) Dukeman IV and Gina (Andrew) Elmendorf; dear grandfather of Harper Elmendorf, Nolen Elmendorf, Aubrey Elmendorf, and Michael Dukeman; dearest brother of David (Debbie) Dukeman; devoted cousin, uncle and friend to many; Joseph is preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Jean Dukeman, as well as his brother Steven Dukeman.

Joe above all loved his family. He was a devoted husband to his wife Carol for 37 years of love and friendship. He was a proud father to his children and he loved the title earned later in his life of Poppy. His family was his life. Joe was also a great friend. He could be found with his buddies cracking a beer and jokes. He had a comedic heart and was the life of the party. Joe could make a friend anywhere, he never met a stranger. He was the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have in their corner. Joe served as a pipefitter in Local 562 for over 35 years. Joe was an avid fisherman and loved to be out on the water with a pole in one hand a cold beer in the other. His kind heart will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

From Joe’s wife, Carol Dukeman

Joe attended Good Shepard grade school in Ferguson then went of to De Smet for high school. Joe was very proud of going to De Smet. He said he got the best education there. He would always talk of the good friends he made there, how hard the teachers were on the boys, the blazers they had to wear, and how he would hitch hike home from school every day.

After graduating De Smet he went to Southeast Missouri State. He loved his years there too! He graduated with a degree in business and went on to become a pipefitter Local 562.

Joe bought his first house in Florissant in 1980 and we married in 1985. We had our son Joey in 1986, and our daughter Gina in 1988. Joe loved to fish so we bought a condo at the lake of the Ozarks and spent every weekend there with fishing and boating with our kids.

We moved to O’fallon Missouri in 1996. We have 4 beautiful grand children. Joe loved spending time with them.

Joe was always so happy, he never met a stranger, he was everyone’s friend. Sadly he passed away April 29, 2022. We miss him every day.

Joe with Mark Foster and friend at the Senior Prom

Partying at the Junior Prom

Joe (lower left) with friends Freshman year

Marital Status: Divorced Children: Amanda Hudaon Grandchildren: Ario

Duane Eise

34 Trade Winds Drive St. Peters, MO 63386

dw.eise@gmail.com 314-337-1370

Main Life activities: Worked as a carpenter in many facets

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Managed to keep close family ties and never went to prison or died.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Hand ball, lifting weights and fishing. Played music as a drummer and found creativity in carpentry.

De Smet Memories: Typing teacher sitting on her desk in a mini skirt.

Memorable Teachers: Mr Hasser

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Platoon and Weeds

Cities lived in: St. Louis Favorite State: Colorado

Remaining Goals in Life: Quit doing crack and meth.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Lived and Died.

Bennett Springs with Sis

Tom’s Memorial

Marital Status: Married

Greg Erker

122 Ross Street Apt. C2

San Rafael, CA 94901

gregoryerker@gmail.com 314-393-4734

Spouse name: Monique Rios

Children: Austin (33), Collin (31) and Amelia (28)

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: None

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri – St. Louis / degree in Biology

Main Life activities:

Travel Industry

Real Estate Industry

Raising 3 children

Hobbies: Travel and reading books

Sports: Cardinal fan

Volunteering: Fitness trainer

De Smet Memories: So many memories: Great school. Great friends & classmates. Great education for Christian values.

Favorite Book: 1984

Favorite Authors: James Michener, David McCullough

2 points for Greg Greg and Monique

Cities lived in:

St. Louis, Vienna (Austria), London and San Francisco. These are also my favorite cities since I lived there for a while.

States visited: 46 states EXCLUDING Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and North Dakota.

Favorite State: California

Countries visited:

North & South America: Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Barbados Europe: Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, Greece, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, Hungary

Africa: Morocco

Asia: China, South Korea, Japan

Favorite countries: USA, Italy, Austria

Continents visited: Been to all continents except Antarctica.

Brothers: De Smet graduates. Jack ( class of 71 ), Mark ( class of 73 ), Rocco ( class of 77 ), Christopher (class of 85 from SLUH ) Sisters: Mary and Claire

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy the golden years and keep healthy.

Potential Epitath: The only things you can take with you when you leave this world are the things you’ve packed inside your heart!

Greg, Collin, Amelia, Austin, Julie Austin, Amelia, and Collin

Marital Status: Partnered

Ed Ferrie

7345 E. Sierra Vista Drive

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

eferrie@cox.net 954-205-9224

Spouse name: Daryl Roche

Children: Just two adorable Boston Terriers (Lena and Louie) – a total of 5 in my lifetime plus one adorable Schnauzer once upon a time.

Sons attending De Smet: None. No 2 legged kids. Just 4 legged ones.

Grandchildren: None

Colleges and degrees: U of MO - Bachelors in Political Science with Minor in Criminal Justice

The Pennsylvania State University – Masters in Public Administration

Main Life activities: Next November will be 42 years with my partner. One life, one love. We have spent our lives buying and reinventing the houses we have lived in. We are in the last one – no more!!! Going out of this one on a gurney to the crematorium. I am still working for the same company I have been with since November 1985. Working from home since August 2019. It is easy to do and keep an income coming in along with great flexibility. And still doing some work travel.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Spending 21 years operating my own business as a franchise of the company I continue to work for as a Home Office employee. Sold the business in Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2006 and moved to Scottsdale, AZ to work in the Phoenix home office. Retirement will come, just not quite ready for that just yet.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Skiing – Mainly each January in Aspen, CO with a regular group of friends. Didn’t learn til I was 42. Turns out I’m not half bad.

For 23 years in South Florida, bowled in the same league and travelled the country doing amateur tournaments with friends from the league.

Been a regular at the gym since I was about 22 (ok, no shade – still a skinny white kid). Love to ride my bike whenever possible. Movies – in the theatre. Gardening. Dining with friends. Playing Mexican Train.

Travel – We travel a great deal and have been to some amazing places. The most noteworthy was 13 of us on a private trip/safari to Africa in 2019 (Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa). A life changing experience I recommend to everyone. But you have to go 5-star. The animals, the people, the scenery. So amazing. Also been to China, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Central and South America, The Galapagos Islands, Europe, an amazing 2-week cruise along the coast of Norway. Traveling the world is the best medicine for narrow-minded Americanism. Amazing to see how the rest of the world lives and thrives.

De Smet Memories: Of course, theatre with John Faust. Running through the halls after school with Bill Dahm and Gerry Schlueter. Driving carpool to school. Beating Althoff 16-15 in basketball. Graduating with 36 hours of college credit so that I could finish college in 3 years.

40 years & going strong...

500 hours of drama earned Ed membership into the International Thespian Society Troupe 2567

Memorable Teachers: John Faust, of course, and for all the obvious reasons. Kevin Buckley referring to Dave Bates as Master Bates. Father Koesterer yelling at Gerry Schlueter and calling him “an impudent shit.” Father Lawless teaching South American history while smoking like a chimney and telling us when we missed the answer to a question or talked out of turn: “then you must write.”

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

Books: Any book by David Baldacci, Steve Berry, John Grisham, James Chandler or Doris Kearns Goodwin. Love auto biographies of Presidents, the best being Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Bully Pulpit” about Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft…. all 800+ pages of it. I am a history nut for sure. When we fail to understand history, we are doomed to repeat it…. and it appears we are.

Movies: Every Star Wars and Star Trek movie, The Hunt for Red October, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and so many independent films I can’t begin to list them all. Absolutely love movies.

TV: Bosch, Bosch Legacy, Sex Education, MASH, The Big Bang Theory, The Lincoln Lawyer, Halo, Star Trek:Strange New Worlds and much, much more.

Cities lived in: Webster Groves, MO; Lighthouse Point, FL; Scottsdale, AZ.

States visited: 49 of the 50 – haven’t been to N. Dakota yet.

Favorite States: CA, CO, AZ, NM, UT, WY, MT, NY

Countries visited: So many.

Favorite Countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Peru, China, Vietnam, Thailand

Favorite Cities: London, Rome, Paris, Nice, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Saigon, Singapore, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver

Remaining Goals in Life: Get to the last two continents. Go back to Africa. See as much of the world as possible before I bite the big one. And all with the love of my life for the last 42 years.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: There won’t be one. Cremation is in the will. But, if you want a theoretical one, then I would have to go with Bette Midler’s great line: “Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke.”

Marital Status: Divorced

Children: Ryan and Patrick

Sons attending De Smet: None

Mike Finnegan

7246 Princeton Avenue

University City, MO 63130 mfinnegan2@juno.com 314-808-6989

Colleges and degrees: BS...Southwest Mo. State

Main Life activities: I’ve worked several jobs (all sales) ..last 17 years at Catholic Cemeteries

Noteworthy Accomplishments: Like Buck - I’ve been able to travel and loved all the different cultures & experiences.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: I coached both my sons in Football, Baseball, and Soccer (like most Dad’s I loved it)

De Smet Memories: Friday lunches our Senior year ...playing indoor hockey in the Gym against the teachers ...getting a good lick on Mr. Morgan or any of our coaches was a blast

Memorable Teachers: Chris Mess, Coach Grawer and the Bear (Bob Christian)

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Anything written by Leon Uris, James Michner, Tom Clancy and Conn Igluden

Remaining Goals in Life: 1) to stay alive & have both my sons married and give me Grand Kids

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: It was a good ride

Never shy on stage

Guess which one is Mike!

Marital Status: Married

Children: 1 stepson

Sons attending De Smet: N/A

Grandchildren: N/A

Patrick Finnegan

55 Marshall Place

Webster Groves, MO 63119

Patrick.Finnegan@edwardjones.com (email good for another 2 years) 314-753-3412

Spouse name: Karen

Colleges and degrees: SMSU (Bachelor)

Main Life activities: Have been a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones for the last 30 years. Prior to that, I was with Maritz Travel for 10 years and got paid to travel the world.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Have spent less than 48 hours total in jail as an adult!

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Love to travel and have been blessed to visit as many countries as I have. Both Karen and I love to travel and will continue to do so as long as we are able.

De Smet Memories: Meeting fellow U City classmates in the “sick room” as we all pretended to have a sickness/nose bleed, headache, etc) to get out of Mr. Faust’s class.

Beating SLUH in football our Sr year. Having Fr Van Dell tell me “Mr. Finnegan, we will not make the De Smet golf team playing like that” after he saw me throw a golf ball onto the green from a sandtrap.

Celebrating Prom Night!

Memorable Teachers: My goal was to stay out of JUG so I avoided teachers as much as possible but certainly want to mention Brother Schneider and Mr. Mess.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

Like Dan Brown and Tom Clancy too much as both have the ability to keep me up late at night.

Cities lived in: St. Louis

States visited: Have been to most states (still have 5 more to go to complete the list).

Favorite state: Hawaii

Countries visited: Have been blessed to travel the world. Too many to list and it would sound cheesy to mention all but my favorite would be Switzerland.

Continents visited: Have traveled to most and Africa was my favorite as it is exactly as imagined.

Favorite Cities: Athens, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong

Remaining Goals in Life: Stay out of trouble! Would like to teach/introduce investing to the under privileged to help them understand the importance of reaching financial goals

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I did not do it!

in addition to football, Pat had theatrical skills!

Tim Flick

Date of Birth: December 6, 1953

Date of Death: June 25, 2020

Remembrance of Tim from brother, Dennis ‘78 - Timothy L. Flick was one of four born to John and Virginia Flick, on December 6, 1953. Tim was always one to think “outside of the box”. Tim could see opportunities where none of us could even begin to imagine. Tim went to Our Lady of Loretto Catholic grade school, then attended DeSmet Jesuit High. Tim showed great artistic ability in high school as he painted and sketched numerous figures and Missouri landmarks from soccer players to the Eads Bridge. Tim was always one to test the waters, like when he and some buddies opened the rear emergency door on the North County DeSmet bus while moving! After high school, Tim attended Southwest Missouri State in Springfield Mo and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1977. During those years, Tim always worked part time to get beer money and somehow made enough to purchase a used motorcycle….unknown to the rest of the family.

In August of ’77, Tim worked in a graduate assistant role at Southern Illinois University teaching new students how to use wood working shop equipment. In order to earn enough money for graduate school, Tim worked as a welder at Continental Boiler works in St. Louis. There Tim refined his welding skills to assist in creating his future sculpture pieces. In June of 1979, Tim headed south to attend the University of Georgia and graduated with a Masters in Fine Arts in 1981, with an emphasis on sculpture design.

Once in Georgia, Tim was sold on the warm weather! In 1982, Tim landed his first major position in the art industry. He was hired at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan Wisconsin as the Technical Coordinator/Preparer. Tim was only in the frozen tundra for a year before returning to the warm southern breezes in Mobile Alabama where he was hired as the Chief Exhibit Designer on the USS Alabama Battleship in August of 1983. While in Alabama, Tim learned how to survive hurricanes, high humidity and learned how to go shrimping, bring the catch back to shore and make Low Country Boil. In 1985 Tim was hired as the preparator at the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga Tennessee. Tim designed, constructed and installed exhibitions. Tim finally returned to the warm and comfortable surroundings of Columbus GA where he was hired as a curator at the Columbus Museum. Tim bought ground in Fortson GA where he eventually designed and built his own home. Tim was an avid follower of Frank Lloyd Wright, so his home was designed with many angles and unique features.

After fulfilling his art endeavors, Tim decided to start his own business and named it TLF Design. Tim met and worked closely with a local attorney in Columbus who owned numerous business and residential properties. Tim stayed busy maintaining everything from office buildings, to pool houses and rental property on Sea Island. From there Tim’s business grew to the point of him working 7 days a week. But that was Tim, never saying no and always willing to help regardless of how busy, tired or if there was even pay involved.

Tim never married or had a family of his own, but that did not keep him from being a father figure to a 13 year old young man named Kris. Kris started working with Tim until he was old enough to join the US Army. Even when Kris was on military leave, he would assist Tim with any project he was working on. Eventually, Kris was promoted to Captain, which is how I learned of him thru Tim’s stories about “Capt. Kris”! I never talked or met Kris in person until Tim’s passing at which time Kris found Tim deceased at his home and called me. Kris was one of Tim’s angels as he contacted the local authorities and acted on our behalf since Covid was rampant! In the 2 years since Tim’s passing, my

wife and I have become close with Kris and his family. Kris helped us arrange a memorial in Tim’s honor in June of 2021 with most of the clients Tim did work for in Georgia.

I have hundreds of other memories and examples of Tim’s love for family and friends, so here are just a couple….. In 2007, my wife Lisa and I purchased a house to take in Lisa’s mother. My intentions were to finish the basement for her. Two months after moving in, our daughter Amy was hospitalized with sepsis. During the next 6 weeks, while sitting in the hospital with Amy, I would call Tim and ask him to come up and assist me with the basement. So, after ordering all the materials, Tim arrived in his Green Ford Ranger full of tools! After numerous Dairy Queen trips, bags of M&Ms, lots of laughs and too many sleepless nights for Tim on a blowup mattress, Tim, our older brother John and I finished a 1200 SF, 1 bedroom, 1 bath lower level in 2 weeks!

Another was in August 2018, after our youngest daughter Ashley passed, I called Tim to tell him the sad news. He dropped everything he was doing and headed north to St. Louis from Georgia. Tim stayed a few days with us and helped us get through those hard days. On the day of the funeral, Tim was suffering from kidney stones, but did not say a word to anyone. We only found out later after he returned to Georgia, what he was dealing with. Tim’s love for the water, warm air and seafood was never ending. In 2019, we purchased a small condo in Gulf Shores since most of our vacations took us there for the same reasons Tim enjoyed. Several weeks after closing virtually, we met Tim at the condo because he offered to help paint and make some improvements. Tim was only 5 hours away in Georgia, so I gave him a key and told him to enjoy it every chance he got.

Tim lived his life as a “Man for Others”

Remembrance from Pat Finnegan - Quick 1 on Tim Flick: Tim lived with 1 of my best college friends for a semester in Springfield. Whenever the twins (Pat & Mike Finnegan) would visit their house, Tim would hide his beer from us as he was sure we would drink it all if we had noticed it…AND HE WAS RIGHT!

Remembrance from Mike Gavosto - Tim Flick - a great college roommate and practical joker. He was a leader on our soccer team that inspired others to perform their best on and off the field.

A bearded Tim

Tim’s College days

Mike Floodman

6911 Aberdeen Wichita, Kansas 67206

mfloodman53@gmail.com

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Deb

Children: Banks, Blake, Paige, Kyle, Abby and Macee

Grandchildren: Pierce, Van, Porter, Capri, Emily, Maddie and 3 on the way

Colleges and degrees: BS – St. Louis University, MHS – Wichita State University

Career: Producer/Benefits Consultant – Health Insurance for over 30 years

Hobbies: Tournament racquetball for over 40 years, starting pickleball to find new players. My racquetball buddies are dwindling, so I need a new sport.

Volunteering: Eucharistic Minister for over 10 years at Ascension Health Care. I no longer serve on Community boards which I did for over 25 years. Member of Rotary and Knights of Columbus.

Memorable Teachers: Chris Mess, Fr. Houlihan, Mr. Faust, Coach Christian and Mr. Buckley, who taught me to take really good notes.

DeSmet Memories: The camaraderie of being there. 3 PB & J sandwiches a day, JUG, Coach Christian’s summer practices and all the football games

Remaining Goals in Life: Stay healthy and travel as much as I can to experience as many cultures as possible. This year we have traveled to St. Lucia, Budapest, Vienna and Munich with plans for other countries next year. We also plan to spend more time with the Grandchildren, as the numbers continue to grow.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Spread my ashes in the Rocky Mountains near Breckenridge, on Quandary Peak.

Mike & Deb with son Banks, his wife and children

Mike and Deb with 4 of their grandkids

Varsity Football 72

Mike running track / Tommy Harris (left)

Mike at St. Andrews, Scotland

Mark Foster

Date of Birth: 12/26/53

Date of Death: 1/1/92

I met Mark in third grade, St. Thomas Apostle, Florissant. We grew up together as friends. We attended third grade through DeSmet together. We played on the same baseball, basketball and soccer teams in grade school and the soccer team at DeSmet. Mark was a very unique individual; he was smart, he was care free, he was unfiltered, he was competitive and he definitely lived in the moment, never did he consider the circumstances to follow, he just dealt with that later. I use to try to rein him in and sometimes I was successful, but if we were around other friends, forget it! He was a fun loving individual with a contagious belly laugh. Remember his favorite saying WHOOOA, followed by a big laugh!

After DeSmet, Mark attended and graduated from Mizzou in 1976, and as some of us know he had a few legendary moments to remember (some not so good)! Mark was in my wedding in 1977 and a couple of years later he made his way to San Diego to attend The California Western School of Law. While attending law school, Mark met his future wife Kelley. When she got pregnant he took a year off law school and moved to Deadhorse, Alaska. There he was doing accounting work for the Alaskan pipeline. Apparently they were paying pretty good money for all kinds of work. Eventually he moved back to San Diego and graduated from law school.

He started a law practice in San Diego with another friend from school, he did this for a couple of years. He then moved to the mountains in San Bernardino and took a job as a public defender. One of the judges told his family that Mark was very entertaining in court, and I think we can relate! On one occasion Mark requested a continuance so he could get his client a haircut and cleaned up for a theft conviction. The judge asked Mark if he was going to take him to his barber, and the client yelled out NO! Another story the judge told was that during one case, Mark and the prosecutor were having a heated exchange in the judges changers, and the prosecutor stuffed a lit cigarette in Mark[‘s shirt, the bailiff had to be called in because Mark as on top of him making him pay the price (I can definitely see that happening).

One New Years Eve, 1991 Kelley (his wife) was not feeling well so Mark decided to walk down to a nearby tavern by himself. He was walking home when a pick-up truck slid off a snow covered road and struck Mark. Mark was air lifted to a hospital in Big Bear where he died. The driver left the scene of the accident but was captured a few days later. The driver was able to avoid jail time by paying support to Kelley and their son Casey.

After Mark’s tragic death his son Casey was never the same. Mark had a very good relationship with Casey and was his soccer coach, and from what I hear he was a very good player. Casey was eventually diagnosed with a bipolar disorder.

Mark’s wife Kelley passed away about five years ago, she had some heath issues including diabetes. And to add to this family of tragedies Mark’s son committed suicide after his mother died.

“THE NICEST PLACE TO BE IS IN SOMEONE’S THOUGHTS”

“THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN SOMEONE’S PRAYERS”

“THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS IN THE HAND’S OF GOD”

Such a sad and tragic life story of our dear friend Mark Foster. If there was ever a person that could bring a smile to your face just by thinking of him, it was Mark! Mark we miss you, there will never be another like you, Thanks for the memories!

Tom Buergler in collaboration with Mark’s brother, Mike.

Soccer Team Picture - Junior Year (Mark fifth from right top row)

Mark was always close with the police

Rick Freschi

Date of Birth: June 2, 1954

Date of Death: February 19, 2015

Beloved husband of Kristine Grow Freschi, dear step-father to Bennett and Daniel Johnson.

Preceded in death by his father Robert A. Freschi, his mother Anne Cortis Freschi, and his brother, Robert Freschi. Rick is survived by his sister, Barbara (Jim) Matteson of Hallsville, MO and brother John Freschi.

Remembrance from Bob Poe - Rick Freschi was one of the smartest most capable people I have ever known. He was also crazy, mostly in a good way but he did have a thing for breaking streetlights. Rick lived just up the street. He and I went to the same grade school, usually hung out together on the weekends, and once we were 16, he drove us to DeSmet most days. People who didn’t know Rick well probably didn’t understand the half of who he was.

At 14 he was designing his own electronics, which was used in the band he played drums in. By 16 he had started on his love of fast cars culminating in the gold ’67 Mustang we drove to school every day. This one really did pop wheelies, which he would occasionally do on the right straightaway snapping me out of my doze on the way to school.

Rick was from a great family with a deep history in St. Louis, Freschi was the “F” in RF Spaghetti. His father and uncle spoke fluent Italian. We used to go down to the plant near The Hill to use the drill press down there located next to the kitchen where they made toasted ravioli for the restaurant trade – to two teenage boys, the opportunity to eat as much toasted ravioli as we wanted was nirvanic. Rick was always fun, constantly creative, brilliant, capable, and a little crazy. We lost touch after he went to Chaminade University in Hawaii, I’m sorry we did, he was a good friend.

Remembrance from Brian Burnes - Anyone who knew Rick Freschi even slightly knew that he had a friendly sense of anarchy working at all times. Entire conversations would sometimes be conducted by Rick in a series of cartoon voices, in which he may or may not address you with one or two nicknames he had chosen for you – only reverting to normal speech when he felt it necessary.

He was an occasional visitor to Jug, and one of his offenses was especially memorable. One day Rick came around a school hallway corner and he saw me saw me at my locker. He was carrying a DeSmet book bag – the kind with the metal studs on the four corners of the bag’s base – and from a distance of perhaps 15 yards he flung the bag across that hard-surface hallway floor towards me. I saw the bag coming but it came too quickly – it was heavy with books – and the bag hit me and I fell backward onto the floor. Rick literally bowled me over. Fr. Van Del saw the whole thing and came up and asked Rick for his demerit card. Rick handed it right over. He had seen opportunity and just couldn’t resist. Rick was freaky smart in unexpected ways – such as in the personal electronics of that era. It was common for me to go over to his family’s house in Webster Groves and find him in the basement working with a soldering gun on some kind of circuit board.

In 1968 he decided that I needed to be in his rock band and, since I had little money to speak of, he made it his mission to set me up as a bass player. First, he contacted some friends who wanted to unload an old bass guitar. That transaction occurred along some railroad tracks in Webster Groves. For a small amount of money – I can’t remember how much – I got the bass guitar, but it didn’t have any strings. So Rick took me to the Mel Bay music store in Kirkwood, where I bought four bass guitar strings which cost more than the old guitar. For an amplifier Rick took an old pre-amp he had around and then built me a speaker case. I paid for two 15-inch bass woofers at Radio Shack, and Rick built the cabinet out of plywood and fake black alligator fabric. So I became a bass player. That I had little or no aptitude for the instrument was secondary. It was all Rick’s doing.

After graduation Rick went on to college in Hawaii and eventually worked, I believe, as an accountant in St. Louis. He came from the family that produced Ravarino & Freschi pasta and, if I remember correctly, the DeSmet alumni publications often listed a Freshi family foundation as a prominent donor. Rick was a great guy and a great friend. He passed away in 2015.

From Rich’s brother in law, Jim Matteson - My wife, Barbara Freschi Matteson, passed in November 2018. I was married to her for 38 years and had a great relationship with Rick. I will try to fill in some blanks as best I can. Rick was married 3 times, but had no children. While I knew them all, I cannot remember his 3rd wife’s name. She was by his side when he passed from early onset Alzheimer’s disease. He graduated from Washington University with a degree in accounting. His favorite sport was water skiing and was very good at it. He loved reading a multitude of topicssome for fun, lots for edification. He and Barbara were very close and spent a lot of time together- lots of laughter! I heard lots of stories of - ahem- difficulties he and his buddies were involved in. I miss them both.

Marital Status: Married

Children: Ian

Tom Gaertner

Date of Birth: September 12, 1954

Date of Death: June 10, 1990

On June 10, 1990 Tom had a heart attack and passed.

Spouse Name: Amy

Grandchildren: Anthony, Hailey and Kolby

Main Life Activities: Certified Accountant

Vice President Boatman’s Bank

Cities lived in: St. Louis and Chicago

Having fun at Junior-Senior Prom

Amy, Tom’s now deceased wife

Ian, Tom’s son

Sophomore Class Picture

BIRTH 22 Jun 1954

Sean Patrick Gallivan

Date of Birth: June 22, 1954

Date of Death: June 26, 1983

Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA

DEATH 26 Jun 1983 (aged 29)

San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA

BURIAL Saint Thomas Cemetery Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho, USA

Junior Class Picture

Marital Status: Married

Leo Gamp

11920 Sarthe Drive

Maryland Heights, MO 63043

lgamp@sbcglobal.net 314-494-9242

Spouse name: Pat

Children: Angie, Lisa, Cindy and Ricky

Sons attending De Smet: Ricky graduated in 2005

Grandchildren: Carlie, Joseph, Nick, Ryder, Ky and Gabe

Colleges and degrees: Spring Hill College Bachelors, Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting

Main Life activities: Being happily married for 37 years and helping raise 4 great kids.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Operating a Lighting Service Company and then becoming a lighting project manager for May Department Stores

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Hiking, sailing, tennis and walking

De Smet Memories: Plastic fork fights in the men’s restroom. Senior skip day at Babler State Park. My Senior project at Busch Wildlife. Dennis Ahearn would get Mr. John Gibbons to talk about his bowling game and this would knock at least 15 minutes off our math class.

Memorable Teachers: Dr. Kevin Buckley, Mr. John Faust and Mr. Ralph Caraffa

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Mel Brooks movies

Cities lived in: St. Louis and Mobile, AL

States visited: Most of them

Favorite States: Michigan, California, Alaska

Countries visited: Many

Favorite Countries: Ireland and Germany

Continents visited: North America and Europe

Favorite Cities: Santa Barbara, San Diego, Killarney and Garmisch

Remaining Goals in Life:

Enjoy more time with my family and travel. Reconnect with old friends and establish new friendships.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Deep down I am really a nice guy

Wientge, Welsh, Hubbell, Morrell, McAllister, Gamp, Harris, Jackson

Gamp family in Michigan

Mike Gavosto

6264 Leon Young Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80924

mgavosto3@gmail.com 312-720-1593

Marital Status: Married (44 yrs 8-19-1978) Spouse name: Jennifer

Children: Jon-Michael - 37 and Jaime - 32

Grandchildren: Zero - just grand dogs

Colleges and degrees:

BS in Elementary Education/ Special Education - Southwest Mo State 1977 Masters in Education - Corporate Wellness - UMS L 1982

Main Life activities: Retired now but was involved in non profit work - Elementary Teacher, JCCA Fitness Director, YMCA Executive and YUSA Resource Director specializing in board development, capital campaigns and strategic planning for Ys across the country.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: International travels representing the JCCA and the YMCAs

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Mountain biking, Collegiate Soccer

De Smet Memories: Pat “Buck” Finnegan my locker mate regularly stealing my lunches. Also our rivalries between those of us living in North County vs our U City classmates

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Mess, Mr. Christian and Mr. Vitello

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Springfield, MO and Colorado Springs

Remaining Goals in Life: Staying active, continuing to enjoy retirement, and being a good husband and father

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: A hard working, fun loving guy

Richard Gerber

Date of Birth: February 9, 1954

Date of Death: November 14, 2006

Remembrance from Rick Vogel - Rick, along with John Pfuntner, Mike Hubbell and myself taught at St. Mark’s Grade School for our senior project. We also were the coaches for their track team and were chartered with preparing them to defend their title as St. Louis area grade school champions. The team was very cocky and most were larger than both Rick and myself. Needless to say, they had very little respect for us west county boys and our athletic ability. They basically ignored us so we challenged them to a relay race. If we won, they would stop goofing around and start practicing. As I recall, by the time John and Rick were done blowing them away, Mike and I could just cruise home as we lapped their last runner. Rick was a quiet guy, couldn’t be nicer, and a hell of an athlete as he proved that day.

From Kevin O’Brien - I played both baseball and football with Rick and was always impressed with his athletic ability. He was always quiet and very humble, humility that disguised his true athletic ability. I’m really sorry to know that I’ll never be able to talk with him again.

From Don Vogt - Rick had the heart of a lion and the demeanor of a lamb. I’ll never forget our game against Augustinian, senior year, when Rick took the handoff up the middle and after gaining at least 10 yards was being gang tackled by 4 players and there wasn’t a whistle blown for forward progress. So I ran up to the bunch trying to pull their players away from Rick. A whistle was finally blown and when I reached Rick, still standing, he turned, looked at me and didn’t say anything but he had the biggest grin on his face. 4 players couldn’t bring him down. The heart of a lion.

From Ken Gorman - I was shocked and sad to hear that Rick Gerber had died. What I remember about Rick was a that he was a quiet leader and an outstanding athlete. I think he played almost every play on offense and defense in football and yet every time I talked to him in the huddle he was never out of breath while I was sucking wind (and I did not play anywhere near as much as him). I never heard him complain about anything. He always was ready to give his all. He was always paired up against the guy on the other team that was their fastest who was usually taller than him, but he always covered them like a blanket.

I met a guy in college named Deuce Alber from Chaminade. Deuce was at least 6 foot 3. I do not remember how tall Rick was but I do not think he was 5 foot 8. Deuce said he was covered by Rick in the game. Deuce said that he could not get open but he got a lucky call in the end zone against Rick. I remember that call because they put the ball on the 2 with a first down. Rick came into the huddle and apologized for putting us in a bind. He then proceeded to be instrumental in stopping Chaminade for no points.

In my opinion, He was clearly the most valuable player on the Football Team.

From Paul Strain - Ken Gorman sent me his tribute to Rick after a discussion we had about the 50th reunion. Everything Ken said is true. Rick played every down on offense, defense AND special teams. He played every down and every minute of every game, he literally never left the field — he was a great athlete. And he did in fact receive the MVP trophy for the team! And it was well deserved.

Swinging mightily for the fences

Member of De Smet’s Hockey Championship Team

William K. Gerber

1380 Dorstone Place

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

gerberwilliamk@comcast.net

Marital Status: Married 38 years Spouse name: Pamela

Colleges and degrees: Wharton School, University of Penn. - B.S. in Economics

Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration - M BA

Main Life activities: Currently Managing Director of Cabrillo Point Capital, LLC a private investment fund since 2007. Served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Kelly Services, Inc. a global staffing solutions company from 1998 to 2007. Also served as VP Finance, and VP Corporate Controller for The Limited, Inc. a $10 billion retail enterprise. Began my career as a CPA at Arthur Andersen in 1975.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: For the past 15 years I have focused on corporate board work, having served as a director on four public company boards. Currently on the board and audit committee of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. a $22 billion steel company, which is the largest flat rolled steel producer in the U.S. Also currently on the board, audit and compensation committees of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. a $3 billion footwear and apparel company that markets the Sperry, Merrell, Saucony, Keds, Sweaty Betty and related brands. Previously served on the boards and chaired the audit committees of AK Steel, Inc. and Kaydon Corporation.

Hobbies/Sports: Have been a committed runner for over 40 years, along with enjoying biking and hacker level tennis. Also collect and savor the wines of the world, with a particular focus on the French Burgundy and Rhone regions.

De Smet Memories: Hanging out in the senior lounge and shooting pool.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. George Barhorst and 0-99 Physics.

Favorite Books: My favorites are always what I’m currently reading: History (The Norman Conquest, Marc Morris) and Physics (Until the End of Time, Brian Greene).

Cities lived in: Currently split time between Bloomfield Hills, MI and winters in Coronado, CA.

Previously lived in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Jackson, TN and San Diego.

States visited: All, except Alaska (so far).

Favorites: California (except for all the crazies).

Countries visited: For business, too many. For vacation, too few.

Favorites: France (for culture, food and wine).

Favorite Cities: Paris, Bayeux, Beaune, Chablis, Reims, Valence or anywhere with great wine.

Remaining Goals in Life: To live long and prosper.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Here lies an unrepentant capitalist who laughed and loved before his loan was called.

My fav classic 1982 911SC Targa

Cabo San Lucas 2018

Paris Foundation Louis Vuitton

Biking on Coronado 2020

Hotel del Coronado 2021

Co-editor of the Spartan newspaper

John Graczak

Date of Birth: June 28, 1954

Date of Death: June 27, 2002

1976 Notre Dame A.B. Theology

Remembrance from Bill Koncen - I have a fond memory of John from a chance encounter during, I believe, our senior retreat. I did not know John other than in passing until somehow he and I crossed paths. During our conversation I mentioned that I enjoyed back packing out west, mainly Wyoming. He said he did also, at which point I realized we had something in common, more than just DeSmet.

Toward the end of our conversation, I said that I was going to hike the Berryman Trail in South Central Missouri over our Christmas break with two of my grade school friends and that he was welcome to join us. Sure enough he called me about a week later and said he would love to. We spent 4 days and 3 nights hiking the 38 mile Berryman Loop Trail during which we had a 6” snow fall the first night out. We all had a great time and that is my fondest memory of a really great fellow. John Graczak, may you rest in Peace.

Remembrance from John Dougherty - I knew John Graczak only slightly while we attended De Smet. We were in a number of classes together and I always found John’s comments to be thoughtful and interesting. We became friends during our college years. John went to Notre Dame where he began a journey of deepening faith and exploration. He told me about his involvement with the Catholic charismatic movement. He had the experience of speaking in tongues and having prophetic visions. He didn’t know the words that he spoke when in a holy rapture, but he recognized them as being related to Hebrew and Aramaic.

That greatly increased John’s interest in the languages spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus. He went on to study those two languages plus Syriac. He moved into the Benedictine community at the Priory, 4 miles down the road from De Smet. He expected to become a Benedictine monk. However, during that time John became aware that he was gay and that part of his identity became more central to him. Eventually he decided to move to San Francisco which was then, and probably still is, the center of gay culture in the United States. I lost track of him at that time. I hope that journey turned out well for John.

1996 Response in Hartford Courant newspaper

Tim Graham

662 Carman Meadows Drive Ballwin, MO 63021 grahtj@gmail.com 314-922-8114

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Michelle

Children: Carly and Colin

Sons attending De Smet: none

Grandchildren: One

Colleges and degrees: Loyola University of the South Jewish Hospital School of Nursing

Barnes Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia

Main Life activities: Providing anesthesia primarily at St. John’s (Mercy)

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Many medical mission trips providing anesthesia (Haiti, Honduras, Brazil)

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: cycling, swimming, woodworking and spoiling my granddaughter

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Caraffa and Mr. Snyder

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music: 70’s/80’s rock, jazz

Cities lived in: St Louis

States visited: all but Alaska, Hawaii and Montana

Favorite: Colorado

Favorite Country visted: France

Continents visited: North and South America, Europe

Favorite Cities: Paris and Madrid

Remaining Goals in Life: Watching my children and grandchildren get old.

Buddy Griesedieck

438 Par Lane

St. Louis, MO 63122

B.Griesedieck@yahoo.com 314-374-5329

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Gail Griesedieck

Children: Buddy II I, Corrie, and Lucy as well as 3 step-children - Kelly, Steven and Jen

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: Sofia and George

Colleges and degrees: St. Louis University / Bachelor of Arts & Science

Main Life activities: Working and spending time with my 6 children and 2 grandchildren. Travel.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Built up a highly successful beer and wine distributorship in St. Louis and Kansas City, MO.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Hiking, swimming, parenting and grandparenting

De Smet Memories: Lunch in the cafeteria while watching many food fights. Wrestling practices after school with our coach, Dave Satori, and watching Mark Yager wrestle Greg Tuck in the State final.

Memorable Teachers: Chris Mess for History and Father Hoyer for Spanish

Cities lived in: St. Louis and Denver, Colorado

Favorites States visited: Colorado, Wyoming and Florida

Favorites Countries visited: Germany, France and Scotland

Favorite Foreign Cities: Rudesheim, Germany Savigny-les-Beaune and France

Remaining Goals in Life: Happiness and traveling with my wife, Gail.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: A heart who forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God.

Marital Status: Happily for 45+ yrs

David J. Harris

14114 E. 96th Terrace

Kansas City, MO 64139

dwharris31277@gmail.com

816-260-3846

Spouse name: Wanda

Children: Kimberly (2 Veterinary Clinics), Bridget (Human Resources) and Joseph (Purchasing)

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: Lily, Marlee, Tagen, Bennett, Luke and Maverick

Colleges and degrees: Rockhurst University – Bachelor of Science-Business Administration (Accounting)

Main Life activities: Happily married for 45+ years and we raised 3 fantastic children. Survived a heart attack at age 39. Worked 22 years at Fairbanks Morse Pump Corporation in Accounting Management and then 20 Years at Butler Manufacturing (BlueScope Steel North America) in Accounting Management. Retired 12/31/17. Now we are on permanent grandparent duty helping with getting grandchildren to/from school activities, piano lessons, horseback riding, baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, violin, karate, etc., etc., etc.!

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Head RA 3 years at Rockhurst University. Chairman of Social Activities Board while at Rockhurst University. Who’s Who in American Colleges & Universities.

Coached youth sports – baseball, basketball, volleyball…won 4 city championships in boys basketball, and 1 city championship in girls volleyball.

Chairman of St. Bernadette Elementary School Board. All three of our children attended Catholic grade and high schools.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Trout fishing every year of my life at Bennett Spring Park, golfing and trail walking. Volunteering throughout my career. Currently volunteer weekly at St.Lukes East Hospital and Lees Summit Social Services.

De Smet Memories: 2nd graduating class, B-Team Basketball team, carpooling to school, always beating Chaminade, meeting Fr Joe Damhorst at a Day of Recollection…he ultimately married me and Wanda at St Francis Xavier in Kansas City in 1977.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. George Hasser, Mr. Gregory Vitello, Fr. Bernard Hoyer, Coach Dennis Cernecka, and Coach Richard Grawer

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: We don’t watch much regular TV shows. Mostly National Geographic, Discovery Channel, HGTV, old black and white shows/movies and especially Sports.

Cities lived in: St Louis – 22 years / Kansas City – 46 years

States visited: I have 9 states yet on my bucket list.

Favorite States: Those with National Parks.

Countries visited: Canada, Mexico, Bahamas

Favorite Countries: Canada – walleye fishing - Lake of the Woods

Continents visited: North America

Favorite Cities: St. Louis and Kansas City

Remaining Goals in Life: Live-Love-Laugh with family, friends and all people that I encounter!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Always try to Give more than you receive.

Thomas C. Harris

95 Morgan Street Apt. 9E

Stamford, CT 06905

rhinofilms@aol.com 203-561-0426

Marital Status: Single

Children: Byron Jason and Blake Samuel

Sons attending De Smet: N/A

Grandchildren: Samuel Solomon and Savannah Louise

Colleges and degrees: UMSL, B.A. Political Science; SLU, J.D., MBA; Washington University, L.L.M. Taxation

Main Life activities: Sports (Officiating, Coaching and Playing), Education, Travel

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Coached the King School of Stamford Girls’ Volleyball team to five consecutive undefeated seasons.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Coaching Volleyball and Softball; Collecting Poster Art; Building a Massive Film Collection; Writing Screenplays

De Smet Memories:

Coach Vitello; Running Track; Riding the City Bus back and forth to school; damn near everything else

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Vitello, Mr. Hasser, Fr. Bergin

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

Book: Siddartha

TV: Married…with Children

Movie: Chinatown

Cities lived in:

St. Louis; Boston; Los Angeles; New York City; Stamford, CT; London, England, UK; Brussels, Belgium

States visited: 44 out of 50; missing WA, OR, ID, WI, AK, HI

Favorite State: South Dakota

Countries visited: USA, Canada, Most of Western Europe

Continents visited: North America, Europe

Favorites Country: UK

Favorite Cities: London

Remaining Goals in Life: Hit the last few states. No stress. That’s enough.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I did what I was supposed to do.

Marital Status: Married

Tim Healey

156 Westview Lane Ithaca, NY 14850

tjh10@cornell.edu 607-793-1854

Spouse name: Sandra Cuellar

Children: 3 daughters and 1 stepdaughter

Grandchildren: 3 granddaughters, 1 grandson and 2 step granddaughters – all 3 months to 5 years of age. Colleges and degrees: B.S. U. Missouri, M.S. & PhD U. Illinois

Main Life activities: I’ve had good luck since graduating from De Smet. For starters, I was awarded the Evans Scholarship to Mizzou (the real caddy scholarship – a full ride, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_Scholars_ Foundation). During my second year there, I took a course from an inspiring professor who noticed my interests/talent and pointed me in the direction of applied math/engineering science. I caught fire and never looked back. After my PhD and during a 1-year post-doc at U. Maryland, my work attracted the attention of some people at Cornell University, and I was hired there as an assistant professor the following year (1985). It’s been a rewarding and fascinating job for me – I really love it. Friends and family always ask me how I like teaching. Indeed, I like it. But this only entails two or three classes per academic year. Of greater importance (especially for tenure and promotions) is my research program, the training of PhD students, and the development of an international reputation.

I also raised three beautiful daughters along the way (with my first wife). A devoted father, I tried my best to raise them to enjoy life while being resilient and ambitious. For instance, all of them were excellent soccer players – two played in college. (I coached their various teams until they were about age 14, when they moved on to greener pastures.) Each of them now has a successful professional career (a communications director for the state legislature of Pennsylvania, a high school chemistry teacher, and a CPA). They are all married with kids.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: To date, I have garnered 4 teaching awards, published over 70 scholarly articles (see https:// math.cornell.edu/timothy-j-healey), enjoyed continual support from the National Science Foundation for my research, given 125+ invited presentations throughout the world, and successfully mentored 19 PhD students (see https://www.mathgenealogy.org/id.php?id=28464) - with 2 more currently in the works.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Fitness, piano, Spanish, history, and travel.

De Smet Memories: Playing soccer – especially with Coach Ralph Caraffa; Father Timothy Lawless telling us “You eat chili; you walk on Chile” – the latter pronounced Cheelay (Rick Freschi started calling me Heelay after that); Larry Morgan’s crackly voice (which I could imitate well in those days); Mark Foster in freshman year mischievously asking Father Van Del just before we viewed a health video “Ahhh Father – what’s masturbation?”; John Faust telling a heckler in class “You have your head so far up your ass that you need to have a window installed in your navel.”

Memorable Teachers: Fr. Timothy Lawless, Joe Snyder, Gerald McMahon, Jack Renard, and John Faust.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

2 recent noteworthy books: Sapiens, by Y. Harari; Deficit Myth, by S. Kelton.

No TV shows – a little nightly news only.

No recent movies – only oldies like Patton, Young Frankenstein, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Champagne-Urbana (IL), Los Angeles, College Park (MD), Ithaca (NY), Minneapolis, Bogota (Colombia), Paris (France) (the last 3 were year-long sabbaticals).

States visited: Almost all on the eastern seaboard and upper Midwest, California & Hawaii.

Favorite States: Depends on the time of the year, e.g., upstate NY in summer and Florida in winter.

Countries visited: Scotland, Ireland & England, nearly all in Western & Northern Europe, Greece, Turkey, Australia, Japan, China, Colombia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico - 22 in total.

Favorite Cities: Barcelona, Copenhagen & Istanbul.

Remaining Goals in Life: Write a couple of math books in my field of specialization, and after retirement (say, in about 5 years if I’m still here) improve my Spanish and devote more time to piano and keyboards.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: From the ELP song: What a lucky man he was.

Charlie Hiemenz

10 Berkley Lane

St. Louis, MO 63124

achiemenz@aol.com

314-991-9176

Marital Status: married since 1979 Spouse name: Margaret “Mimi” Hibbard Hiemenz

Children: Chip (1983) and Jono (1986)

Grandchildren: Mary Margaret (2018) and Quint (2022)

Education: Graduated from Saint Louis University Cum Laude in 1976 with a BA degree.

Life Adventures:

Professional: Upon graduation from SLU in 1976 I entered our family business, becoming President & CEO in 1982. In 2000 the business was acquired by a public international company after having grown organic revenues by over 2,000% between 1982 and 2000.

Civic: Elected to the Ladue City Council in 1997. Served on the Ladue City Council from 1997 – 2018 … the last two terms as President of the Ladue City Council.

Noteworthy Accomplishments: Former National Chairman of the Southern Methodist University Parent Leadership Council …Former Chairman of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Danforth Society Friends Committee … Former Chairman of the SLU Arts & Sciences Executive Advisory Board … Current member of the St. Louis Mercantile Library Board of Direction … Current Chairman of the City of Ladue Archives Committee.

Favorite De Smet Memories: The annual carnival … White House Retreats … Cafeteria food catered by King Carter (father of Mark Carter – DeSmet ’74).

Memorable De Smet Faculty & Staff: De Smet President Fr. Thomas F. McQueeny, S.J. who married us in 1979, baptized both of our sons, and gave both of our sons their First Communion … History teacher & my advisor Rich Grawer, who I reconnected with during his time coaching basketball at Saint Louis University.

Remaining Goals in Life: Spend time with family & friends … volunteer in Catholic non-profit settings.

Hobbies & Activities: Travel, investing, researching family history and genealogy

Favorite Movies: Apollo 13 (1995) … Top Gun (1986) … James Bond movies: Dr. No (1962) – No Time To Die (2021)

The Hiemenz Family

Charlie, Mimi, Chip, Alexis, Mary Margaret, Kaitlyn and Jono

Buzz Hoerr

330 Broadlake Road

Colchester, VT 05446

buzz@IGESPower.com

802-734-1621

Marital Status: 35 yrs Spouse name: Sarah

Children: 2 Sons attending De Smet: 0

Grandchildren: 0

Colleges and degrees: BS Sociology St. Michaels College, Burlington, Vt

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: I’ve restored a lighthouse on Lake Huron and am prez of the advocacy group for all 129 Michigan lighthouses. Chair of the Lake Champlain Basin Program restoration effort for 26 years, traveled to many of the world’s lakes helping build citizen action to clean up theirs. Co-author of the UN Environment Programme and World Bank restoration manual “World Lake Vision” while living on Lake Biwa in Japan and co founded Lake Net, group of 926 lakes around the world as a tactical and info sharing network, all of it supported by USAID funds obtained by my great friend and fellow St. Michaels College alum Sen Patrick Leahy. Lived in Paris twice doing undergrad research for my thesis studying immigrant workers that came from North Africa. Was the US distributor for 5 hockey product mfr’s including Titan sticks used by Wayne Gretzky, traveled the hockey circuit in North America and Europe for years at training camps, playoff games, made a lot of great friends.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Still playing hockey 3x week, I played college and then coached my St. Michaels college team, coached my kids all the way through youth hockey. Daughter Sally 2 time national champion at Liberty U. Love sailing my Hobie on Lake Champlain, a passion shared with classmate and still great friend David Bates. I’ve lived on Champlain in the same spot for over 40 years, 32 of which I’ve been married to fellow St. Louisan Sarah Moore.

De Smet Memories: I was at De Smet for only the end of my HS years and remember Bates and I starting the De Smet HS hockey club that played games at Winterland in Florissant. I left to play at St. Michaels College after graduation and have returned many times, still follow the Cards and the Blues and do holiday visits with family.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Historical fiction, anything by Bernard Cornwell, Conn Igguldon, Wilbur Smith. Hockey on TV, no real fave movie.

Harbor Beach MI Lighthouse my 35 year project

Cities lived in:

Paris, Montreal, Quebec City, Madison WI, Otsu on Lake Biwa in Japan

States visited: 46?

Favorites: Cali, Florida, Arizona, etc, love most all of them

Countries visitied: Most of the EU, SE Asia

Favorites: Japan, Indonesia, Italy, France, UK

Continents visited: All except Aus and South America

Favorite Cities: Paris, Otsu, Montreal, Quebec City, London

Remaining Goals in Life: Water is my fave topic, passionate about cleaning up pollution in lakes, and recently started a new company with a tech we’ve developed that produces 100% green hydrogen using any kind of water on site and on demand. Finally get to use it as a tool to lower carbon emissions and repower the world.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Live long and prosper” Spock….

NE Senior tournament win, me top right

Kids Billy and Sally, 2 time National Champ

Bates a big fan

Sally and son Billy at Clayton Cheesecake after her win.

Marital Status: Married

Children: Three sons

John Hofmeister

140 Greentrails Drive N Chesterfield, MO 63017

jahkah@yahoo.com 314-518-4464

Spouse name: Kathy

Sons attending De Smet: Matt (01), Scott (05) and Luke (07)

Grandchildren: Joel (8 yr), Alice (1 yr)

Colleges and degrees:

1976 - University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

BS Business Administration

1984 - University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO

Master of Business Administration

Main Life activities:

Tried to be a good husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Professional: Had 36 great years working in numerous IT leadership positions with McDonnell Douglas, EDS and HP.

Personal: Married 43 years to my wonderful wife Kathy. Blessed with three awesome sons and two amazing grandchildren.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Golf, snow skiing, taking walks and bike riding.

De Smet Memories:

Have so many memories of my years at De Smet. Made lifelong friends. Enjoyed watching sports teams (especially football, basketball, and soccer. While my sons were at De Smet, I made it to the dome to watch De Smet win the state championship in football.

Memorable Teachers:

Fr Lawless, Fr Hoyer, Mr Christian, Mr Barhorst, Mr Vitello

Cities lived in: Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis

States visited: Been to almost all of the states, with the exception of Hawaii. May go there for our 50th anniversary.

Favorite States: Colorado, Alaska and Florida

Favorite Countries: Italy and Canada

Favorite Cities: Melbourne Beach, Fl.

Remaining Goals in Life: Travel, give back more, make memories with family and friends. Hope to see Mizzou win a national championship in football or basketball.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: One of the luckiest guys in the world

at Mount Rushmore

John with his favorite dentist Mark Morrell

Marital Status: Married

Children: Keith, Rachel, Nick, Jack

Sons attending De Smet: Keith Grandchildren: 2 Grandkids

Mike Hubbell

32 Riva Row

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

michael.hubbell@dillards.com

770-355-7578

Spouse name: Gay Hubbell

Colleges and degrees: UMSL - marketing degree

Main Life activities: Love to play golf, enjoy traveling, Playing Gin with my wife, enjoy hanging with Kids and Grandkids of course

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Youngest Store Manager ever in the May department stores age 29, worked for them for 32 years holding numerous positions including Regional Vice President, started with Dillards in 2008 as a District Manager and now run the biggest District in the company.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: I was the Club Champion in the Senior Division Golf Tournament in 2 Golf Clubs-Treesdale in Pittsburgh and Craig Ranch in Dallas

De Smet Memories: Being on the Freshman basketball team that won the first basketball trophy at De Smet , volunteering with Rick Vogel at an inner city school, making friends with guys from all over the city like the North Side guys, U city guys. having my car flooded with a hose by Vogel and Warren--ha

Favorite Books / TV / Movies: Sanford and Son is the best show ever and best movie ever Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

My favorite band was the Allman Brothers and I had a chance meeting with Gregg Allman’s manager who got me backstage to meet Greg Allman on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta--terrific.

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Cape Girardeau, Boston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston

Favorite is St. Louis of course!

Countries visited: Enjoyed the Grand Cayman Islands the most on my Caribbean vacations

Remaining Goals in Life: Sounds corny, but travel to Italy, help raise my grandkids to be good people.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Very hard working -- a little crazy --devoted to his family, never left a bar without making friends with everybody--ha

with Mom

Mark Huneke

3701 Ascot Bend Court

Bonita Springs, FL 34134

markhuneke@sbcglobal.net

314-560-9512

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Deirdre

Children: 3- Adrienne, Ali and Michelle

Sons attending De Smet: I only had daughters!

Grandchildren: soon to be 5!

Colleges and degrees: Univ of MO Columbia – BSBA; Univ of IL - MBA

Main Life activities: Raising three daughters, traveling internationally for 20+ years, and trying to keep handicap at 6!

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Daughters all graduated from great schools: 2 at Emory Univ and one at Univ of Richmond. All married and four grandchildren (2 boys 2 girls) with my youngest daughter’s first child, a boy, due in September which will lead to a majority of males in my family…..first time in history at 7 to 6 including sons-in-law.

Visited many foreign countries and sites: Great Pyramids, Machu Pichu, Great Wall, Angel Falls, Rio de Janerio (where I blame everything)

Played 86 of top 100 golf courses in the world….still a work in progress, will check off five more during trip to Australia/New Zealand next year.

Raced various high performance 911s around Sebring track for a day…..and survived.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Golf, grandchildren and traveling - not necessarily in that order

De Smet Memories: Wearing coat and tie (not!), various teachers and coaches, and attending the mixers with girl schools which the Snyder brothers (both scholastic at the time) chaperoned and made it difficult to meet said girls; as brothers were doppelgängers for Derek Sanderson (Bruins) and his brother, for Robert Conrad (Wild Wild West fame)

Memorable Teachers: Frs: Arnold, Lawless, Hoyer (especially when he pronounced past tense of Poner…..yo puse), Coaches Vitello & Grawer, Chris Mess

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Too many to list

Cities lived in: St. Louis (duh); Chicago and New York City

States visited: All

Favorite States: LaLa land, AZ, FL, MT, HI, VT

Countries visited: Quite a few

Favorite Countries:

Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Scotland, Ireland, China, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Greek Islands

Continents visited: All but down under, on list for 2023

Favorite Cities:

Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, Edinburg, Beijing, Osaka, Buenos Aires, Lugano, Milan, Santorini, Rio (of course)

Remaining Goals in Life: Keep handicap under 7 and finish Top 100 courses played; enjoy the grandchildren

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Be a light, not a judge

Stuart C. Jackson

Date of Birth: March 5, 1954

Date of Death: November 2, 2013

Stu was a good friend and brave fighter in the end. He is at peace now. Our prayers remain for Becky and the Jackson family.

Bill Mikita, November 7, 2013

Name: Stuart C. Jackson

Age: 59

Birth Date: 5 March 1954

Birth Place: Missouri, USA

Residence Place: Ohio, USA

Death Date: 2 November 2013

Death Hospital: Nursing Home/Long Term Care Facility

Death Place: Ohio, USA

Inquest Questions:

Autopsy Performed?: NO

Manner of Death: Stu died of a rare form of salivary cancer

Tobacco Use Contribute to Death?: NO Method of Disposition: Cremation

From Stu’s sister, Patty Gaines

A quick bio for Stu: He graduated from Xavier in Cincinnati. He remained in Cincinnati until his death, and worked for many years as a manufacturers rep in the office products industry. He had a common law union with Karen, and they had one daughter, Rebecca. Although he lived in Cinci for many more years than St Louis, he remained loyal to the Cardinals and to his favorite beer, Budweiser.

Enjoy this milestone reunion!

Regards, Patty Gaines

He was a very fun guy with a great attitude…never met a stranger and always had a good word for everyone. He was a better student then I was so we didn’t have a lot of classes together but did have some very fun times on the bus. One story I remember vividly…

When you take a bus so often, you get to know the bus driver and he gets to know you. One driver that Stu dubbed “Crazy Bus Driver” was always friendly to us and joked daily about life. The driver used to drive the bus in a circle to pick us up at St. John’s and he would call out his window at Stu…yelling “Hey Steward, how was school today?”. We would laugh at Crazy Bus Driver’s antics, and he would laugh at ours.

Those were happy days back when your 14/15 years old. Good times and great memories. And Stu will always be apart of my memories as well as many in the Class of ’72!

Cheers, Bill Schmidt

Stu on the freshman basketball team

John Kelly

1818 Stone Canyon Circle Manchester, MO 63021

kellys06@aol.com

314-322-3908

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Barbara

Children: Rachel, John, Michael and Stephen Grandchildren: Jack and Adelaide

Colleges and degrees: St. Louis University, BS in Accounting

Main Life activities:

Personal – Raised 4 children, long time involvement (coach, lector, Men’s club, Parish Council, etc.) at our Parish, St. Gerard Majella, since we joined in 1978; now babysitting is #1 on our agenda.

Professional – I worked at the Missouri Pacific Railroad from 1976 – 1983. I then worked at the Internal Revenue Service from 1984 through October 2017 when I retired. At the end of my career, I was the manager of the Computer Audit Specialist Team.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Being married 43 years and raising 4 kids have been my most noteworthy accomplishments.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Running has been a big part of my life since high school, albeit not running far or fast anymore. Still like to golf. Don’t get to play tennis much anymore. Currently in St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Gerard.

De Smet Memories: Cross Country with Mr. Grawer and Brother Jim, tennis with Fr. Zupez and Mr. Loehr. Also going to basketball and football games and attending the plays.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Hasser (Spanish), Fr. Lawless (History), Mr. Buckley (History),

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: TV – Mostly Channel 9 shows – Nature, Nova, This Old House; Movies – I really like old movies, e.g. Casablanca, Shane, The Searchers, but also love many of the favorites of our generation, e.g. Jaws, Star Wars; Books – I like listening to books while walking. Stick to old favorites – Currently listening to White Fang and Call of the Wild prior to our upcoming trip to Alaska.

Cities lived in: Feet of clay – I have lived in St. Louis my entire life.

States visited: Almost all visited – will be adding Alaska soon

Favorite States: Wyoming

Countries visited: France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary

Favorite Country: I really enjoyed France especially going to Normandy

Favorite City: Paris

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy my grandkids. Try to clean my basement so my kids won’t have to (speaking from experience). I still hope to get to Ireland, Britain, and Scotland, plus travel again to almost any National Park.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Husband, father, grandfather (great grandfather would be nice too).

Ted Kinsella

2361 Maybrook Lane Kirkwood, MO 63122

ted.k@sbcglobal.net 314-614-8791

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Beth

Children: Corinne, Teddy, Alex and Colby

Sons attended DeSmet: Teddy ‘02

Grandchildren: Sophie, George, Henry, James and Nathaniel

Colleges and degrees: University of Dayton ’76 - BA Psychology

Main Life activities: hanging out with Marley.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Kevin Costner double making American Flyer movie in town–Kevin’s character name is Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams movie. Retire 2022 June - 42yrs roofing industry

Rode L’Etape Du Tour 2010 & 2012– Hipster Nation Bike Club, Kirkwood HOG’s Club

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Anything outdoors

De Smet Memories: Club ice hockey, coach Brother Jim Marheineke, David Bates scoring machine. Host of classmates getting kicked out of school. Buds w Larry Stoneman, Bill Schmidt and Paul Beggan. Doughnuts on snowy parking lot in old Ford wagon.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Mess, the nicest guy, Mr. Barhorst, wearing Chinese hat, Chemistry clue to finals test “afterwards you will go out and paint the town red” chemistry of paint.

Mr. McEvoy English “spot submarines in ocean looking above horizon.” John Faust Big smile bigger laugh.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music: Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Centennial by James Mitchner thickest book I ever read. Bill O’Reilly - The Killing Series.

Cities lived in: St. Louis

Countries visited: France Scotland Wales Ireland

Continents visited: North America & Europe

Favorite Country: Scotland – Outlander Tour

Favorite Cities: Still looking

Remaining Goals in Life: Get closer to God, read more books, motorcycle travels, National Parks.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Hope I left you everything you need”

Ronald A. Kirchoff

1635 W Chelsea Place

El Lago, TX 77586

kirch76@gmail.com

832-875-5871

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Sharon “Sherry” Kirchoff

Children: 1 son, Tyler

Sons attending De Smet: Son attended Strake Jesuit in Houston, TX

Grandchildren: None

Colleges and degrees: BS Computer Science. US Air Force Academy MS Operations Research, Air Force Institute of Technology

Main Life activities: My Air Force career involved being an instructor pilot in the T-37 and T-38, an Aircraft Commander in the C-141 and an operations research analyst for the Defense Logistics Agency. After retiring from the Air Force, I worked for Honeywell’s Commercial Aircraft division in Phoenix, AZ. There I was an engineering supervisor maintaining the aircraft simulators used to test various avionics components.

I then was relocated to Houston, TX, where I continued working for Honeywell’s Space Systems division on the International Space Station program supporting the development of avionics software. Following my 10 years with Honeywell, I moved to Cimarron Software Services where I was a Program Manager for their efforts developing software for the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station and other defense programs. I retired from Cimarron in 2011 as an Executive Vice President. Since then I have managed my own woodworking business creating custom furniture pieces for clients.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Accumulated over 2500 flying hours in 3 different aircraft. Did the MS 150 from Houston to Austin for 5 consecutive years from 2004-2009 raising over $5000 dollars from MS research.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Woodworking, cycling, avid baseball and soccer fan. Volunteered with the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Galveston Historical Society, the Houston Super Bowl committee and various local tennis tournaments.

De Smet Memories: The state baseball championship run our senior year, shooting basketball with classmates and Mr. McMahon on Friday nights, developing life-long friendships.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Barhorst, Mr. Mess, Coach Hasser, Father Arnold , Mr. Fritag

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: I enjoy science fiction, spy and fantasy novels. TV: Game of Thrones.

Cities lived in: Colorado Springs, CO; Columbus MS; San Antonio, TX; Del Rio, TX; Vincentown, NJ; Dayton, OH; Richmond, VA; Phoenix, AZ; Houston, TX.

States visited: Only states not visited Idaho and Vermont Favorite States: Colorado and Arizona

Countries visited: Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, Germany, England, Bahamas, Turkey, Honduras, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia. Favorite Countries: Greece and England

Continents visited: South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa Favorite Cities: Athens and London

Remaining Goals in Life: Learn something every day.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: He made a lot of contributions to the world, hopefully on balance they were positive.

Junior Prom

Marital Status: Married

Children: Katie and Shannon

Sons attending De Smet: None.

Grandchildren: None.

Stephen L. Kling, Jr.

12380 Whitworth Terrace Court Creve Coeur, MO 63141

skling@jenkinskling.com

Work (direct dial) #: 314-561-5074

Spouse name: Rebecca (Becky)

Colleges and degrees: B. S. Management, University of Missouri-Columbia; M.S. Finance, St. Louis University; J.D., St. Louis University

Main Life activities: Private practice attorney after a short stint as a bank examiner; writing 18th century military history books; serving on not-for-profit boards; spending time with my family; keeping fit.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: 27 years of Marriage to my wife Becky; founding of Jenkins & Kling, P.C. in 1991 of which I have served as president almost since its founding; author and editor of The Great Northern War Compendium (2 vols.); author of The Battle of St. Louis, Attack on Cahokia and the American Revolutionary War in the West; author of Cavalry in the Wilderness: Cavalry in the West during the American Revolutionary War; author and editor of The American Revolutionary War in the West; author of James Colbert and his Chickasaw Legacy; author of “Joseph Robidoux, the Battle of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Robidoux Legacy;” Co-Curator of the American Revolutionary War in the West Museum Exhibit at the Heritage Museum in St. Charles County, Missouri; Best Lawyers of America recognition from 2007 to date; Creve-Coeur Olivette Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year; former Finance Committee chair and President of the Board of Trustees of De Smet Jesuit High School; award winning HEC-TV documentary on my Battle of St. Louis book in 2021; finding long lost relatives in Israel.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Research and writing military history of the 18th century; exercising each day; playing with and caring for my dogs; Segs4Vets; Creve Coeur-Olivette Chamber of Commerce; helping museums; speaking to historical groups.

De Smet Memories: Demerits; wrestling team; learning about other religions of the world and the history of other countries; friendships; carnival weekends. Later, the Jesuits not accepting any of my excuses and attempts to avoid their desire for me to be the president of the De Smet Board of Trustees.

Memorable Teachers: Rich Grawer, Father Bergen, Father Hoyer.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: The Count of Monte Cristo; The Man in the Iron Mask; Dune; Ben Hur; El Cid; Far Pavilions; Last of the Mohicans; Timeline; V for Vendetta; Lord of the Rings; the Mandalorian.

Cities lived in: Columbia, Missouri for undergraduate, Kansas City for 2 years and St. Louis.

States visited: Many Favorite State: Missouri

Countries visited: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Estonia, China, Japan, South Korea, Holland, England, Scotland and Bahama Islands. Favorite Country: Sweden

Continents visited: Europe, Asia and North America. Favorite Cities: Stockholm and New Orleans

Remaining Goals in Life: Learning, reading, traveling and enjoying time with family and my dogs.

Our boys

Ron Jenkins and Steve Kling, founders of Jenkins & Kling. P. C.

Early Family Picture

Becky, Shannon and I are big Mizzou fans

With some of my Spanish co-authors at the opening of the American Revolutionary War in the West Museum Exhibit in St. Charles County, Missouri, 2022

Bill Koncen

321 Horse Creek Ranch

Macks Creek, MO 65786

billkoncen@yahoo.com 573-216-9351

Marital Status: Happily married to my dream girl for 30 years Spouse name: Joanne Children: William C. Koncen I II (1992) Colleges and degrees: Studied Forestry at MSU then veered off to follow my passion for building and start my own company.

Main Life activities:

Self-employed since 1972. General Contracting and Home Construction. Still working.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Built the first house in St. Louis County with an all-weather wood foundation - featured on the Television segment “Auble at Large.”

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Hunting Bear, Deer, Elk, Turkey and Antelope in Missouri, Canada, Alaska, Colorado and Wyoming. Fishing in Missouri, Canada and Alaska Anything to do with Guns. Knights of Columbus

Men’s groups at Church

Any time spent on my 300 acres

Family time

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Greg Vitello, Mr. John Schneider, Mr Neil Kimmel and Father Ralph Houlihan

Favorite TV: Don’t watch tv now but still laugh when I think of Archie Bunker

Favorite Movies: Deliverance and Jeremiah Johnson

Favorite Music: Most genres. Enya being one of my favorites.

Cities lived in: Olivette, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights, O’Fallon, Rocky Mount, Osage Beach, and Macks Creek.

Favorite Cities: Sioux Narrows, Ontario Canada

States visited: All except Hawaii

Countries visited: Canada & Mexico

Remaining Goals in Life:

Spend one year alone surviving the Alaskan Bush

Spend one year with my wife in the Caribbean

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: This man lived a charmed life.

Marital Status: Married

Children: Mathew and Mark

Step Children: Jeff and Brandi

David LaRussa

2 Haywood Court St. Charles MO 63303 dlarussa@att.net 314-330-9483

Spouse name: Donna

Sons attending De Smet: Matthew (class of 96)

Grandchildren: Nina and Leo

Main Life activities: I was a computer operator for over 25 years. My last computer job was at the gas company here in St. Louis. I was there for 13 years. After I retired I worked a couple of years at Norwood Hills Country Club in the bag room. My wife took ill and I have become a caretaker for her ever since.

Noteworthy Accomplishments: Being a great father and grandfather.

Hobbies: Bowling and Golf

De Smet Memories: First day of school I got picked up first on the school bus and by the time I got off I had my nickname for the next four years. I started De Smet being 4ft 11inches. I received my nickname of mouse that day. I grew 1 inch the first year and 5 inches the second year. But the name remained. Everybody knew who mouse was and I was proud of that.

Memorable Teachers: George Hasser and Kevin Buckley

Remaining Goals in Life: Take life one day at a time and enjoy and make the best of it and help as many people as I can.

Junior Yearbook Picture

David recording the high game in the competition

Bowling Team Picture

Tutoring Senior year

Marital Status: Married

Brian Lavin

Fox Haven Farm

9402 US Highway 42

Prospect, KY 40059

blavin@ntsdevco.com

502-727-3738

Spouse name: Mary

Children: Theresa Lavin, Matthew Lavin, Natalie Underhill, Bridget Rohlfing, Meredith Denbow, Meg Coffey, Audrey Strickler, Nick Lavin, Olivia Lavin and Drew Lavin

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Upon graduating from De Smet, I played football at the University of Tulsa, then graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I was soon hired by a national real estate development firm and relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. In my career, I have built apartment communities, office buildings, subdivisions and golf courses, throughout several states.

Though I have been very fortunate professionally, the accomplishment of which I am most proud is my family. My wife and I were married in 1977 and have been together for 45 years. Mary is from Virginia and is a graduate of Fontbonne College. We have ten children – 7 girls and 3 boys, ages 44-20 – spread out between Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., West Palm Beach, and Louisville.

We have been blessed with 18 grandchildren (so far). Together as a family, we have traveled to the Holy Land, throughout Europe and Africa, and have enjoyed many wonderful experiences traveling in the United States. My professional success has also allowed me to support things dear to our hearts, such as: the Magdala Center in Tiberius, Israel, and the Interfaith Center at the University of Louisville – which has activated worship for the on-campus Catholic community as well as other denominations.

De Smet Memories: Being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2021 was a tremendous highlight. It will probably not come as a surprise to anyone that most of my De Smet memories are centered around sports, not academics. Two of my favorite memories are: when our Freshman basketball team, under Coach Hasser, won the first athletics trophy in the history of De Smet. Also, our Senior Varsity football team victory over SLUH – our first ever win against ‘Big Blue.’

Memorable Teachers: As per my comment above, many of my memorable De Smet teachers also became legendary De Smet coaches: Greg Vitello, Bob Christian, George Hasser, Rich Grawer, Dennis Cerneka and Dale Burgman. I had the good fortune of being influenced by these men both in and out of the classroom, and they helped shape me into the person that I am today. They instilled in me many important and meaningful lessons, and modeled the virtues of being good, Christian men.

*In the ‘small world’ category - our Junior English teacher, Scholastic Bill Jelinek, left the Jesuit order, moved to Denver and married my future sister-in-law, in 1975.

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Dallas, Louisville

Countries Visited: Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, England, Greece, Malta, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Oman, Egypt, Israel, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania and several Caribbean islands

The Lavin Family

Richard Logger

Date of Birth: August 30, 1954

Date of Death: October 22, 1972

Tribute from Michael Olszewski - Dick (“Dickie” as his family and close friends called him) graduated with us all from Powell Symphony Hall in May of 1972. Unfortunately, Dick was one of our earliest classmates to leave us only five months after that night – passing away in an auto accident at age 18 in Columbia, Missouri on October 22, 1972.

I was one of Dick’s early friends at De Smet, as he and I shared some family connections through our older sisters who have been lifelong friends since high school. I first met him during freshmen year football team try outs. Dick went on instead to wrestle on several of De Smet’s wrestling squads, was an active golfer and caddie at several area courses. Dick was a staunch optimist (always a glass half full kind of guy) and had distinct ambitions for his future. He and I along with another friend made a college visit to Mizzou in the spring of 1971, and he developed a strong love for University of Missouri and specifically the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was instrumental in my joining Sigma Chi that fall of 1972.

During his short time at Mizzou & Sigma Chi, he was totally devoted to the fraternity and was a leader in our pledge class. His “can do” attitude was a strong example to his other pledge brothers. On a trip home early that fall, he returned to the fraternity house with a trunk full of frozen steaks that his father arranged through a local meat company to supply the fraternity at cost. This connection provided a steady flow of steaks to the fraternity even after Dick’s passing, for the next four years.

I was lucky to have known Dick and thankful that his influence led me to stay active in the fraternity and close to his family over the last 50 years since his passing.

Kansas City Star 10/23/72

Junior Year Wrestling Team (last on right- 2nd row)

Sophomore Year cheering on the football team

Freshman Class Picture

Marital Status: Married

John Lonsberg

Riyadh KSADubai UAE and Kennebunkport ME

johnvlonsberg@gmail.com 314-705-2251 or 966-53-933-9384

Spouse name: Dominika Elzbieta Bajuk

Children: Nico (3/2020) Kaiden John (1/2014) and Milan Ela (1/2014) Grandchildren: None

Colleges and degrees: Notre Dame Political Science Summa Cum Laude and University of Michigan Law Cum Laude

Main Life activities: Raising my late blooming family of 3 and that is plenty. They will keep me young until the day they kill me. But I will go out smiling. Best thing ever.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: I joined Bryan Cave in 1979 and moved to Saudi Arabia that same year for “18” months to open our first foreign office. Now in year 43 overseas, I opened and managed the firm’s offices throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe and spent 26 years there. Highlights were representing the two Yemens in their first oil production deal with a group led by Exxon. That led to the unification of the two countries and the Russians being evicted from the South. I was then hired by Exxon and Total and took them both into post war Iraq and Kurdistan, as well as Kuwait. I also, during that time, was the lead counsel for the State of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for their war claims against Iraq before the UN tribunal established for the claims in Geneva. After many years of multiple week hearings in Geneva for those claims and upon the conclusion of those claims, I was hired by what was then postWar Iraq to help with their post-Saddam Hussein crises and legal claims. I then joined Fulbright & Jaworski and opened their Middle East practice but left when the firm later merged with a global English firm. I spent my last 8 years in private practice with Baker Botts working fairly closely with Sec of State Baker.

Based upon my many years of doing defense work for the major defense companies, I was hired as Chief Counsel to the Saudi Government’s private sector defense company which when was a start up but now leads most of the country’s major defense transactions with US, European and Asian OEMs.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: My kids and golf. Dominika and I opened a veterinary practice somewhat as a hobby 8 years ago to provide a needed service in Dubai and she now has more than 30 employees in her business, which includes caring for the Ruler’s 40 plus big cats in his zoo.

De Smet Memories: Too many to count really. It was a hell of a ride. But Pfuntner breaking his bat over his own head and McGuire charging into the stands at St. Mary’s with his bat had to be among them.

Memorable Teachers: Bill Buckley. I still refer to our Middle East history book from time to time. A great mind and scholar. Bob Kelly. Quiet and unassuming but a great teacher. Jerry McMahon. A great friend and mentor right up to his way too early death.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Silverado. Band of Brothers.

Cities lived in: All over Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Our US home is in Kennebunkport ME and we have an apartment in Germany due to Dominika’s Polish relatives there. D and the kids live in Dubai and I work in Riyadh and commute back to the UAE every few weeks.

Dubai 2019 at their School

Favorite Cities: Jerusalem/Paris/Munich for very different reasons.

Remaining Goals in Life: Finish strong and teach my kids as much as I can in the time I have. Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “It wasn’t funny at the time” which also is the title of the book I hope to write when everyone involved is too old to complain or to remember.

Seychelles 2020

French Alps 2021

French Alps 2021

The Traveller at 18 months

Cool Dude Maldives 2020 Mauritius 2022

Marital Status: Single

Children: None

Dietmar Luhofer

Germany

Colleges and degrees: Diplom II der Informatik (roughly, a master’s degree in computer science) at U. of Hagen, Germany

Main Life activities: Since 2014: enjoying retirement.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

3-year advanced business training as Wirtschaftsassistent at Thyssen AG in Germany

Worked on an international scale and got around the world a lot as a consultant and troubleshooter for large-scale geographic information systems.

Co-authored a couple of scientific papers while still a student and presented one in Geneva, Switzerland.

Cities lived in: Numerous

States visited: Numerous Favorite States: M O and PA

Countries visited: Numerous Favorite Country: To vacation? Greece

Favorite City: Toronto, Canada

Remaining Goals in Life: Staying alive, Moving my retirement to someplace on the Mediterranean

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: N/A, since I don’t intend to die.

Sophomore Photo

in the lab

Dietmar roaming the halls!

Dapper Dietmar & Mike Shaller in their De Smet sport coats freshman year!

Marital Status: Divorced

John L. Maurath

4415 Bellewood

St. Louis, MO 63125 maurath1@juno.com 314-791-4351

Children: Krista, Katrina “Katie” and Cossette

Family Attending DeSmet: Andrew Stilinovic, Esq., Class of 2006 (son of cousin Steve)

Grandchildren: Jordan, Alyssa, Antinino, Kylie; Desi, Ava, Olyvia, Ami, Arianna, Aleena; Shiloh, Austin.

Colleges & Degrees: St. Louis University (Pre-med program, 1 year), Quincy College (now University) (Business Administration, 1 year).

A sincere thanks to my Parents and an Uncle who helped pay for my tuition at De Smet. He was a great guy, taught me a lot and encouraged me greatly in all endeavors. He was a man of De Smet’s own heart, that is “a man for others!” His name is Father Justin E. Maurath, and he is the only Catholic Priest buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. And a special thanks to my sweet Mother (Evelyn) who will be 91 years young.

Main Life Activities: Family, friends and just keeping busy/active and being outside. My Faith, family genealogy, history and languages (esp. German & French).

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

1.) 1991. “Almost” met the Holy Pope John Paul II in Vatican Square.

2.) Interacted with and sold supplies to Vice President Dan Quayle in the White House.

3.) 2003-2021. Along with my friend Mark Trout (Museum Chairman & a Master Crafstman in my opinion), I was one of the Founding Board Members of the Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks, which we created in the abandoned, neglected and derelict old military gymnasium and entertainment center. Mark and I gutted the whole building (12,000 square feet) and completely restored it to its original beauty, which took 10 years to restore. In the interim, we acquired several other properties, including the “Mansion” of Missouri Civil War General and State Senator John Brooks Henderson in Louisiana, Missouri. Henderson was a personal friend of President Lincoln and wrote the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, freeing the slaves and forever prohibiting slavery. Henderson, also an attorney, later moved here to St. Louis, where he was the first “special prosecutor” in the Whiskey Ring scandal. The sabre which Lincoln was able to avoid using in a duel against James Shields, is proudly displayed in our museum.

4.) Restored old tombstones at Jefferson Barracks which was a great honor since my Dad and Uncles are all buried at Jefferson Barracks. I am so thankful to all of our veterans!

Restoring Charles Madden tombstone at JB National Cemetery

DeSmet Memories: February 11, 1971. No hard feelings. All is good.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Hasser & Father Lawless, to name just a couple. They were all great to me. No demerits.

Cities Lived In: Fort Monmouth, NJ - St. Louis, MO - Chicago, IL - Shanghai, China (1 month) – Guadalajara, Mexico (2 times, 1 1/2 months each time).

States Visited: Many, but my beloved Home State of Missouri is still my favorite.

Countries Visited: Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Austria, Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia (I was there in 1991 when the war started, but was able to see the beautiful medieval city of Dubrovnik [founded in the 600’s] before it was bombed), Canada, Mexico and China.

Favorite Cities: There are so many wonderful cities in this world, especially in our own awesome country, but other memorable ones for me are Rome – Paris & Strassbourg, France (from near where my ancestry stems from) - Celle, Germany - Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) - Avila, Spain – and all of the beautiful & quaint villages and hamlets nestled throughout the Alps, especially in Tyrol Land.

Remaining Goals in Life: In all my travels, I really wanted to make it to the Holy Land and then maybe the British Isles, but now I’ll settle for just being happy and making it to Heaven.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: This one is interesting, and I could cheat because I use to restore old tombstones in old cemeteries and have seen many a great epitaph inscribed in stone, but I hope that I could maybe earn one of these………“Homo Qui Laboraverunt Ad Auxilium Aliis” or “Fecit Eam In Caelum”. At least, I think Father Van Del would have approved of these?!

Dec 1990

White House photograph with Dan Quayle

Patrick J. McCarthy

5 Arundel Place

Saint Louis, MO 63105-2308

p.mccarthy@specialservices.us 314-378-1822

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Susan Tammany McCarthy

Children: Kathleen Ann, Daniel Tammany

Sons attending De Smet: Daniel Tammany McCarthy 2010

Grandchildren: None currently

Colleges and degrees: M.I.T. (Missouri In Town - UMSL) - B.S. Administration of Justice

St. Louis University School of Law - Juris Doctor

Main Life activities:

Serving as a man for others; trusted advisor; operations specialist and executive officer.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

In our senior year, served in the Auxiliary Fire Brigade and was Captain of Police Explorers in University City.

As a Metropolitan Police Officer, led a 1981 joint task force on child pornography; headed the St. Louis Mayor’s Protective Detail. As a Sergeant of Police, served as a patrol supervisor and watch commander; served as Lead Trial Counsel defending fellow police officers in Federal litigation. Retired in 1996 after 21 years of service.

Served as the Chief Deputy Election Commissioner of the City; set up the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission as Acting Director and then as General Counsel; appointed as a Special Assistant Circuit Attorney and Special City Counselor and a special prosecutor by various courts.

As an agent of SPECIAL S ERVICES and, later as the Senior Agent-in-Charge, protected hundreds of special events, including most major parades and festivals; investigated and resolved numerous issues requiring high levels of discretion and confidentiality; oversaw operations for the visit of the Pope as well as those of many foreign dignitaries, U.S. presidential candidates and a former U.S. Vice President; secured the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and supported several National Security Special Events.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Immediately after graduation, was appointed to the Metropolitan St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and marshaled the Parade before serving as Chairman in 1992, still involved after 49 years; Served as President of the Missouri Athletic Club and am active in several civic organizations.

De Smet Memories: The inculcation of logic and wit epitomized by Jesuit pedagogy

Memorable Teachers: Bob Christian, George Barhorst. John Faust, Fr. Bergen

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Trinity, The Art of War, Works of Mark Twain

Cities lived in: Both University City and Saint Louis States visited: Several Favorites: None in particular

Countries visited: Mexico, Caribbean, England Favorites: Ireland (visited regularly)

Continents visited: North America, Ireland & British Isles Favorite Cities: Dublin, Galway

Remaining Goals in Life: Remaining alive

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Duirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite

Pat freshman year with Chuck Korte and Jim Schaus

Robert Michalski

Date of Birth: December 9, 1954

Date of Death: December 7, 2010

ROBERT MICHALSKI OBITUARY

Michalski, Robert J. Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, Tuesday, December 7, 2010. Beloved husband of Jane E. Michalski (nee Skedzeleski); dear father of Daniel R. Michalski; dear brother of Carol (Andrew) Rosen and Joseph R. (Kathy) Michalski; brother-in-law of Stephen (Connie) Skedzielewski of Rivermore, CA; dear nephew of Janet and the late Fred Sawyer of Royal Oak, MI; dear uncle, cousin and friend to many. Bob worked as comptroller of Top Care, Inc. Services: Funeral Fri. 9:20 a.m. from BOPP CHAPEL, 10610 Manchester Rd., Kirkwood to Ascension Catholic Church for 10:00 a.m. Mass. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. Memorials preferred to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Freshman Year - Bob last one sitting on the right

Junior Class Picture

Sophomore Class Picture

Marital Status: Married for 36 Years

Bob Mills

13801 Clayton Road

Town and Country, MO 63017

RgMills17@yahoo.com

314-952-0900

Spouse name: Joanie Children: 3 Lauren, Kyley and Bobby Grandchildren: 5 Sons attending De Smet: Bobby 2009 Colleges and degrees: Graduated Texas Christian University

Main Life activities: Working in the health care industry, raising 3 incredible children (now 5 grandchildren) and still playing basketball, golf and pickle ball and work out 3-4 times a week. Fortunate to have worked for leading health care companies, Johnson and Johnson, Boston Scientific and Mallinckrodt. Worked for and helped sell 3 early stage companies. Had the opportunity to work with the pioneers in Cardiovascular Surgery (Denton Coley, Walt Lillehei and George McGovern). Traveled around the globe to present new technology and start clinical trials at top academic centers. We will all live longer due to better pharmaceutical and medical devices; very proud to be a part of this dynamic industry.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Survived coaching my oldest daughter and son in grade school basketball (4th8th grade). Past Chairman of DeSmet Jesuit Board of Trustees. With the assistance of classmate Randy Asleage we secured the land to the north of the school (House is alumni office and sports fields). Inducted into the De Smet Hall Of Fame. With the help of Fr. Richard Bailey established the Michael D Mills track at De Smet. Over the years was board member and chair of MS Society, Arthritis Foundation, Foster Care Coalition, Kilo Diabetes Foundation, Kids Rock Cancer and Crohns and Colitis foundation (Joanie and I were honored with Couple of the Year). Still think I can play basketball (my body says stop), 1 hole in one, play several rounds of golf a year and now play pickle ball 3 times a week.

De Smet Memories: From the first long bus ride to school and meeting so many life long friends to sitting around the lunch table listening to lies about went on over the weekend. Playing in so many great basketball games and running track. Being a part of a high school where we were the first at so many traditions: picking school colors, The Spartan, class ring. Winning the first trophy for De Smet playing basketball. Playing sports starting with George Hasser, Greg Vitello, Rich Grawer. Looking out onto the new football field Coach Christian was so proud of and seeing a buffalo eating the new grass (Coach went crazy to say the least). My memories when looking back was Jesuits, teachers and Coaches who really did want to help us grow into the men we are today. Too many great memories of basketball games; setting scoring record, classes, jug, running track and making life long friends to mention.

Memorable Teachers: Fr. Snyders, Fr Hoyer, Fr. Arnold, Fr. Miller, Chris Mess, Bro. Marheineke, Fr. Houlihan ( pulled me out of basketball game for giving the finger to the Ref when he called a foul on me). Larry Morgan (became close friends during Jug). Bob Christian always telling me to shoot more. George Hasser for always being patient and pushing me to do better. Favorite Coaches, Greg Vitello always pushing me and never giving up on me. Coach Grawer tried his best to make me play defense to become a better player and stop shooting so far out.

Bob’s four sisters, sister in law and 4 brother in laws

Favorite Books / TV / Movies / Music: the Bible, Wooden, The Life of Father De Smet, Titan, Living up to your Eulogy, In Search of Excellence, Red Auerbach MBA, The Life of Larry Bird, Shoe Dog; Any good book on Golf; Hogan, Tiger Woods, Arnie. The Greatest Game Ever Played.

Favorite Movies: Tin Cup, Sound of Music, The God Father, Rudy, All Clint Eastwood movies and The Greatest Game ever Played

Favorite Music: The Beatles, Moody Blues, The Eagles, Elton John and The Supremes

Favorite Songs: Lying Eyes, Nights in White Satin, Happy Christmas Cities lived in: KC Missouri, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Fort Worth States visited: Every one except Alaska

Favorite Cities: Chicago, Beaver Creek, St. Thomas and Destin Florida Countries visited: All of Western Europe, Cyprus, Japan, India

Favorite Countires: Japan and Brussels

Remaining Goals in Life: Spend quality time with Family and Friends

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Sorry to report I do not plan to have a grave stone; do not want family and friends feel guilty they need to visit. Body will be donated to science (who knows what they will find).

I would hope friends and family will say when I die ”He really did try to be a man for others”

My request as a final song leaving the church will be “My Wish for You” by Rascal Flatts

Dedication of Michael Mills Track with Fr Bailey and Jane and Judge Mills

Entire Mills Family at our annual Christmas Celebration

Cardinal Dolan, Joanie and Bob

Christopher P. Moran III

4632 N. Francisco Avenue

Chicago, IL 60625

chicagoismykindoftown@gmail.com

Moved to Chicago suburb of Winnetka in Aug of 1971 after 8 years in Clayton. Born in New Rochelle, NY. Holy Family parish, then Lourdes in U. City. Three years at Priory, then De Smet. Attended senior year and graduated from Loyola Academy in Wilmette Il.

Started first Illinois high school rugby club there. As at Priory, we were the only team in the state.

Took Playboy’s recommendation of Regis College as a great party school. Might have topped the list as Springhill was deemed professional party school and thus excluded. College didn’t go well. Went to work at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Clerked on the trading floor in the pits. Did a couple of stints with Merrill Lynch, qualified for series 7, and early admission to the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Became CBOE member in 1987.

After attending a cousins wedding back East, I visited a friend on the NYFE trading floor, struck up a conversation with a member on the big board and was offered a job as test pilot/trader for a proprietary options trading program based on the Black Scholes model.

Met Maureen in New York at the spring dance of the New York Catholic Forum. Really seemed to be the Boston College Alumni Assoc., maybe they had liability issues.

Had a hand in working with Chris Slattery opening Manhattan’s first pro life crisis pregnancy clinic, EMC Expectant Mother Care. Cardinal O’Connor wanted St. Louis - based Pearson Foundation to bring their work to a place where abortions outnumbered birth. Peter Grace and his Knights of Malta took an interest and made it a corporal work of the Order. Bill Simon, Bowie Kuhn, Ambassador John Moore all took active roles. Robert Pearson showed them how to intervene. Slattery has probably fostered interventions that have saved about 60,000 lives.

Schlafly arrived at NYU about then. While a member at CBOE I was named to the first board of govs for a proposed European Mercantile Exchange in Dublin. I wanted it to be known as the Dublin Financial Futures Exchange, and call it DUFFE, too bad they didn’t listen, might still be open.

Preparing for sophomore dance featuring Jay Barry Revue

1971 Long Distance Runners “…getting in shape for his rugby days!”

We live in Chicago, 2 daughters, one a SLU grad. I am a real estate broker. Mo is on faculty at Feinberg School of Medicine, aka Northwestern. During the summer I produce the Ravenswood Manor Summer Concert Series. Neighbors volunteer to raise some money and book about 10 concerts in a local park. My “house band,” Generation, has a singer/ front man who just wrapped up a few years as front man for Paul Revere & the Raiders. George Bardenheier, ’74 commented after a show about how happy these shows leave their audience, it is a lot of work but the neighbors love a good summer night’s dance party.

I inherited a family archive and discovered a few rich veins of history. An Irish MP, jailed by Balfour, his son was the first rugby ref in the East. Namesake grandad had a plane in the 1928 National Air Race, his father was an Irishman who wound up in the Plains Indian Wars and was a member of the party sent to relieve Custer, his son a member of a party visiting DP camps in 1947 with Bronfman for the WJC and were invited to bring their report to Pius XII in the Vatican.

I have become something of an historian with an eye toward producing a film or two. All you MQoP guys will be interested in one rugby story centered around Jostrand & Richeson and Tulane RFC. Small world, the civil servant who oversaw creation of the Merc in Dublin is now a close advisor to me with a focus on the same people, Parnell and his MPs, and will likely lecture on the subject at Boston College.

A.M.D.G. Laus tibi domine.

Marital Status: Married

Children: Tim (40) and Joe (39)

Mark Morrell

13352 Conway Road St. Louis, MO 63141

Docmo82@yahoo.com 314-799-2294

Spouse name: Beverly

Grandchildren: Colton, Emmett, Jackson and Ryan

Colleges and degrees:

UMSL BA

UMKC DDS

SLU MS Orthodontics

Main Life activities:

Proud husband, father and grandfather Orthodontist for 36 years

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

A full life loving and serving my family, friends and others.

Maintaining lifelong friends with 1972 grads: Bill Koncen, John Hofmeister, John Schlafly and Jim Schaus until he passed away.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Yes

De Smet Memories: The LAUGHS! Enjoyed every minute of it!

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Hasser – taught me what a man for others was all about.

Cities lived in: St. Louis and Kansas City

States visited: 48

Favorite States: Alaska and Montana

Countries visited: Many 3rd world countries

Favorite Countires: Uganda, Cambodia and Lebanon

Favorite Cities: Kampala and Uganda

Remaining Goals in Life: Never really had goals…took life as it came and it was good and meaningful

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: My epitaph will be a dash… Jan 3, 1954 ____________________ MM,DD,YY Born Died

Mark looking for the rebound

Fellow mates John Hofmeister and John Shlafley

Mark with fellow ’72 classmate in Alaskan arctic

Terrence Michael Nicholson

Date of Birth: June 22, 1954

Date of Death: December 5, 2011

Terrence Michael Nicholson fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on Monday, December 5, 2011 at the age of 57. Beloved husband for 34 years of Nellie Lawlor Nicholson; loving father of Shannon Nicholson Wegner (Reggie) and Terrence Michael Nicholson Jr.; dear “Poppie” of Declan Michael Wegner; beloved son of Helen McCarthy Nicholson and the late Cletus A. Nicholson; dear son-in-law of Gerald T. Lawlor Sr. and Elizabeth George Lawlor; dear brother of Judith Hartenstein, Janet Palcheff (John) and Larry Nicholson; dear brother-in-law of Mary Lawlor, Gerald T. Lawlor Jr. (Nina), Michael G. Lawlor (Denise) and Patrick N. Lawlor (Susan); our dear uncle, great-uncle, cousin and a dear friend to many. Terry was a long time attendee of the Holy Week Retreat at the White House Retreat, Legion of 1000 at Carmelite Monastery, Men of the Fleur de Lis. He was an avid golfer at Glen Echo who won the year’s closing day tournament. He served as an Executive at Mitek.

Terry loved his years at DeSmet and I know he is with you all in sprit to celebrate 50 years!

Terry attended St. Dismas Parish Grade School in North County and was very excited to go to DeSmet for High School along with many of his North County buddies. He shared many funny stories about the North County consolidated school bus. He also had fond memories of wearing the maroon wool blazers and ties to school every day. Teachers he mentioned through the years were Mr. Mess and Mr. Faust along with a Jesuit German teacher, Fr. Koester. At DeSmet, he played Football and Wrestled. He was very smart and managed to get through his High School years without getting into too much trouble.

At Notre Dame, Terry continued playing soccer until he needed knee surgery our sophomore year. He changed majors several times and ended up with a Degree in Electrical Engineering and American Studies. While in school, he married the Saint Mary’s girl he had met at a toga party freshman year, me.

After graduating, Terry and I moved to Berkshire County, MA, where Terry worked for General Electric Ordinance Systems in the Edison Program and attended Grad school at Rennselaer Polytech. Our first child, Shannon, was born in 1979. He received his Master’s Degree in Engineering as our second child, Terrence Michael Jr. was born in 1981.

In 1983, Terry accepted a job at McDonnell Douglas and we all moved back to Saint Louis. We lived in Immacolata Parish for about 30 years where Terry volunteered as Soccer Coach and Soccer Coordinator and volunteered for many years in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorer Scouts. He was an Extraordinary Minister and served on Parish Council for many years. During these years, he worked for many different companies and traveled extensively throughout the world. Terry traveled to every continent except Antarctica!

In 1996, we moved to Des Peres and Terry took a job with Imany in Maine. He helped take the company public in 2001. After Imany, he worked for several companies around the United States and continued his extensive travel for work. In 2007, he accepted a position in St. Louis at Mitek. He still traveled quite a lot but was able to play quite a bit of golf at his home away from home - Glen Echo.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2011, Terry had a heart attack while playing with his first grandson and passed away a few days later. We now have three grandsons, Declan, Terrence and Waylon Wegner. They live in Wisconsin with our daughter Shannon and her husband Reggie. Our son, Mike, lives with his wife, Winnie, in San Francisco. Terry loved music, ALL music. He loved going to concerts, playing golf, and fast cars. He loved his church and his family. He attended over twenty Jesuit White House Holy Week Retreats. He loved doing a good job and always tried to take the higher road. He told his children to work hard and play hard. I’m pretty sure that he never met a stranger. He was the happiest, most joyful person I have ever met and I feel so very blessed to have been married to him.

Nellie Lawlor Nicholson

Marital Status: Married since 1979

Children: 5

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: 7

Kevin O’Brien

8 Rue Grand Court

Lake St Louis, MO 63367

kevin@buildagape.com 314-565-2494

Spouse name: Amy

Colleges and degrees: Mizzou BS Civil Engineering

Main Life activities: I still work part-time at the company that God gave me to manage, Agape Construction. I say God gave it to me because I dreamed of one day being a contractor. But I gave up on the dream at age 26. A few years after that I gave my life to Christ and discovered the truth of Psalm 37:4 “Delight your self in the Lord, and he will give you the desire of your heart.” 1985 began Agape Construction Co. It is now a design-build architectural firm that specializes in residential work. www.AgapeConstruction.com.

Agape is a Greek word for love. It means “Unconditional Love.” It is has formed the basis of our mission statement of our company and is how we want to do business and live life.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: The most notable project the company has done from a business standpoint is to buy and convert an 1896 train depot into a single family residence on a speculative basis… then sell it. It had lots of publicity from local newspaper and television.

The most notable project the company has done from an eternal perspective is to build a house for the widow (with seven kids) of a former employee – free of charge. She was given the keys to the house and land free and clear. It was a wonderful act of God to see it all take place when none of us had the wherewithal to do something like this.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Love hiking in the mountains. Taking walks with my lovely wife of 43 years. I serve on the board of directors of Missiongate Prison Ministry which does an awesome job of turning men (and women) “From Crime to Christ.”

De Smet Memories: Beating SLUH 14-13 senior year. An upstart school beating a perennial powerhouse was heady stuff.

Memorable Teachers: Fr Koesterer struggled to teach me German for four years. I was grateful for his hard work when I finally had the opportunity to use it while backpacking through Europe.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Favorite book, the Bible. Favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Favorite TV series, “Heartland”

Rounding 3rd Base

Cities lived in: St. Louis and Denver.

States visited: Most all

Favorites: Have tried to visit all the national parks. Almost there!

Countries visited: Very fortunate to have visited several.

Favorite Countries: New Zealand and Switzerland

Remaining Goals in Life: To bring as many people into the presence of God that I can through discipling, witnessing, modeling, and loving them while living a well-balanced life.

My specific goal for this year is to walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. The centuries old pilgrimage that traverses from southern France to the west coast of Spain.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: He loved God and tried to serve Him.

Baseball Team Picture

Football Team Picture

Senior Year

Johnny O’Connor

314-623-0378

Marital Status: Almost Best friend and Love: Linda Reich

Children: Two daughters Meridith and Michaela O’Connor

Grandchildren: None

Sons attending De Smet: n/a BUT Michaela worked at De Smet in Marketing 2013-2017

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri St. Louis and Columbia

Professional Life activities: 42 years as Promotional Advertising Consultant specializing in Corporate Logoed Apparel and Promotional Items, member PPAI and ASI Association 42 Years Serving National Regional and International clients Anheuser Busch - SKF/Lincoln - Dent Wizard - Brinkmann Constructors - Metals USARoofers Mart- Smokehouse Market

Noteworthy/Interesting Incidents /Accomplishments: 25 Year Bible Study with my spiritual mentor Walter Enoch/ FCA Member Sigma Chi Fraternity Xi-Xi Chapter MU, Columbia, Brentwood Mens Hockey Championship Team, Missouri Athletic Club Basketball Championship Team. Predicted/Won wager the 1973 De Smet Basketball would win State Championship.

Hobbies/Sports/Other favorite activities: Golf, Tennis, Blues and Cardinals fan, Rotisserie Baseball Sports League 6X Champion

De Smet Memories: Lifelong friends especially my lunch table crowd, great teachers and mentors, educational foundation for successful career in sales/marketing, hitchhiking from Central West End to and from De Smet every day, solo hitchhike to Florida/Senior Spring Break, Thank you for not expelling me Fr. Houlihan, SLUH/De Smet rivalry Classics and finally receiving my De Smet diploma in 2010, lol! THANK YOU Tim Walsh ‘72 and especially Joe Wientge ‘76

Memorable Teachers: Chris Mess, George Hasser, Brother Henskin, of course Miss Dotzler, Mr. Morgan really! Mr. Conlan, Fr. Arnold, Brother Keane, Fr. Hoyer

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music:

TV: Breaking Bad, Anything Ken Burns, Frontline and Seinfeld

MOVIES: Saving Private Ryan (most anything Spielberg), Gladiator, Godfather, Platoon and Cool Hand Luke

BOOKS: The Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984 and Are We Rome

MUSIC: Stones, The Who, Beatles, Four Tops, Lou Reed, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Temptations, Dave Matthews, Cat Stevens, Florence and the Machine, Satchmo, Beethoven and Mozart

Cities lived in: New York, St. Louis and Columbia

States visited: California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, North Carolina, Nevada, Texas and Indiana

Favorite States: Florida, California, Hawaii, Colorado, Michigana and Nevada

Countries visited: Monaco, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia (1984 Winter Olympics), Austria, Switzerland, France and Brazil

Favorite Countries: Monaco, Germany (Bavaria), Switzerland (Lucerne and St. Moritz), Yugoslavia (Sarajevo) and Brazil (Rio)

Continents visited: Europe-South America

Favorite Cities: Napa, San Francisco, Monterrey, Lake Tahoe, NYC, Winter Park, Vail, Kaanapali, Pupukea, Douglas, New Bern, Austin, Dallas, Sarasota, Ft. Lauderdale by the Sea and Key Largo

Remaining Goals in Life: Continue to live a Christian life trying to help and support others in need. Keep maintaining life long friendships, see my daughters thrive and be healthy, grow old with my Best Friend.

Epitaph: LIFE IS SHORT, HURRY UP AND BE KIND

Marital Status: Married – 43 Years

Michael Olszewski

903 Cat Hollow Club Drive #7 Spicewood, TX 78669

MikeOlsz@aol.com

713-504-9003

Spouse name: Cindy Rehme

Children: 2 Daughters: Pam 34 and KC 32

Colleges and degrees:

University of Missouri-Columbia – B.S. Business & Public Administration

University of Missouri – St. Louis – M.A. – Political Science/Public Administration

Main Life activities:

After graduating from De Smet I attended Mizzou for four years and joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity, serving as chapter President my Junior and Senior years. I went on to get my master’s degree from UMSL while interning with St. Louis County government and then worked for the City of Webster Groves as Assistant to the City Manager.

In 1979 I married my high school sweetheart – Cindy Rehme (De Smet Rep from St. Joseph’s Academy in 1973). In 1980 I ran a cousin’s campaign for U.S. Congress in Kansas (but we lost).

After that I went to work for Price Waterhouse in their management consulting division – which became my near life-long career. During my PW career, I worked on a financial management system implementation project for the U.S. Department of State, taking me to Washington D.C. and 30 countries & U.S. Embassies around the world during the 1980s. While in Washington D.C. we hiked and camped on several long stretches of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. I was admitted to PW’s partnership in 1988 and was transferred to Florida and later to Texas, where I served as managing partner of the firm’s North American Energy Consulting practice. I retired from PW in 2005 which led me into a private equity venture – as President/COO of a marina/waterfront acquisition, development and management firm which grew to 26 properties in the Caribbean, Florida, Texas and Mexico. After selling this venture in 2009 I dabbled in consulting and some oil exploration…but mostly retired. 2010 -2011 was consumed with my successful battle with prostate cancer and I’ve been in remission ever since.

A 2017 European trip included a stop in Czarnikau, Poland where we visited my ancestral village and home, only to find some distant cousins still living in my great-great grandparents home from the mid 1800’s. A very special and emotional trip with our daughters including a face time call back to my 96 year old father.

During our tenure in Florida and Texas, we developed a love for boating, leading to a succession of longer cruises along the Florida and Texas gulf coasts. In 2019 we bought a 44ft power catamaran and embarked in 2020 upon a 6,000 mile journey to circumnavigate the eastern United States by water – called “The Great Loop.” We cruised across Florida’s Okeechobee Waterway, up the east coast Intra-Coastal Waterway, the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, Lakes Erie/Huron/Michigan, down the Illinois, Mississippi, and up the Ohio to the Tennessee River, then down the Tombigbee River to Mobile and back to Florida. After some COVID hold ups, we completed the journey in March 2022.

Our next adventures will include more cruising in the boat to the Keys and the Bahamas next winter and then maybe RV’ing the western U.S. and Canada. We love traveling, so those and visiting our daughters in Austin and New York City, as well as family visits back to St. Louis from our home on Lake Travis outside of Austin - will be our next activities. Might write a memoir about all these experiences and travels as a next lifetime goal. I have been blessed ….it hasn’t been boring!

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering:

Hiking, camping, fly-fishing for trout and boating

De Smet Memories:

- Being part of the first football team to defeat SLUH in 1971

- My first date with my future wife at a De Smet mixer in the gym

- Father Lawless European History class

- Developing great friendships – some becoming life-long

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I have been blessed ….it hasn’t been boring!

Marital Status: Happily married to Gail

Ed Ossie

51 Tabby Circle

Daufuskie Island, SC 29915

913-244-6156

Children: Sons Jonathan, Luke and daughter Arrington

Grandchildren: Not yet

Colleges and degrees: Missouri State University, Exec education at Stanford GSB

Work stuff: 30 minute on-campus interview/offer/job shot me right into the technology world with Texas Instruments for 20 years. Exited to build and sell technology businesses together with Private Equity the last 20 years in CEO/ COO/Board roles. Still working away and serving on variety of Boards.

Notable work stuff/family fun - Went public on London Stock Exchange, went public on NYSE and rang the bell, did same on NASDAQ, ran out of exchanges and went private. But way more fun was coaching all three kids sports teams in the grade school years and then watching them throughout high school.

Sports: Now down to Left handed golf & pickleball. Somehow aged out on the church basketball and softball teams. 2nd base and other end of Basketball court seem so far away now. Removed Ironman competition from personal goals sheet. Volunteer roles: University of Kansas Health System, Chairman Heart Funding Council, MOCSA and variety of other community engagements

De Smet Memories: Too many to write, but it did dawn on me we all went to a “start up” high school 54 years ago, which is now over half of century old.

Do remember struggling in typing Freshman year with Miss Dotzler, got to ride Bi-State bus to summer school on Ballas for a remedial work. Parents not amused. Home row keys haunted me –but followed by 40 years in computer business … keyboards everywhere. Go figure.

Memorable Teachers: Coach Grawer, Coach Christian, Mr. Buckley & typing with Miss Dotzler

Streaming/Movies: Must have constant action or I’ll nod off in chair, so Reacher, Jack Ryan, Godfather(s) & Taken #1-22?

Cities lived in: Houston, Leawood-Kansas City, Dallas-Plano and Daufuskie Island/Hilton Head SC.

States visited: All, but mostly working, want to go back and redo a dozen at leisurely pace

Countries visited: UK, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Japan, China, Germany, France, Monaco, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland. Sure hope to do Spain, Portugal and an Italy redo soon.

Remaining Goals in Life: Stay healthy, stay grateful, be giving, be helpful, double down on the important stuffwe’re on the back nine

Larry Padberg

Date of Birth: December 19, 1953

Date of Death: March 18, 2016

Children: L. Michael Padberg II, (Lacy), Margaret Anne Schuyler (Fabian), Robert Richard Padberg, (Jackie) Grandchildren: Augustus Lawrence Fabian and Finnegan John Fabian Main Life activities: Bike Trips, Snow Skiing Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Biking, Skiing, Roller Hockey, BBQ’s, Driveway Nights, “The Tour de France” Every Year…All Day Long… All Month Long!!!, Favorite Books / TV / Movies / Music: Read: The paper every day and did the crossword puzzles, etc. TV: Loved NPR & watched all the old sitcoms: F Troop, Hogan’s Heroes, Walking Dead Music: Steely Dan, Classic Rock, Big Band, Blues Movies: Magnificent Seven Cities lived in: St. Louis; Ft. Lauderdale States visited: CO, WI, MA, IL, NY, CA, VI, FL Favorites: CO, F L Countries visited: Greece, Fiji, Israel, Egypt, England, Ireland, Caribbean Island…Loved to travel! Closing Comments: Larry loved life and he lived it large…right to the very end. He was a living lesson to all of us. Larry was loved by many and is sorely & truly missed.

LAWR ENCE “LARRY” PADBERG OBITUARY

Padberg, Lawrence Michael “Larry” Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church Friday, March 18, 2016. Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Beloved father of Michael Padberg, Meg (Schuyler) Fabian, and Robert Padberg; longtime special friend of Lisa Kulage; dear brother of Tina Padberg and John Padberg; our dear uncle, cousin and friend of many.

Remembrance from Pat Finnegan - I was TD with Maritz Travel back in the 80’s. I was @ STL airport for a biz trip to Hawaii and the crowd was large and my cheap ass company had me in the last row of the plane. I get called to the desk & handed a 1st class boarding ticket and a note…note was from Larry who was working another gate but noticed me and he upgraded me to 1st class. I am so glad I did not try to sell him an elevator pass or try to borrow lunch $ from him!

Remembrance from Dan Callahan - Larry & I weren’t close friends in high school, he was a north-sider, I was a south-sider, not that it mattered, and ultimately it didn’t matter as we are all Spartans, Men for Others.

Larry worked in the airline industry. He started with Ozark Airlines then TWA and finally American as companies were bought. He had the power to make things happen. He always made it sound like it wasn’t a big deal since he was humble but if you travel enough you know that it was. He made my travel life incredibly more tolerable and it was always great to see he & Lisa’s face & spend time to have a laugh.

He enjoyed beer, golf & bike riding. He enjoyed the beer & bike riding with Lisa & other friends often on the Katy Trail. He collected watches though I’m not sure how extensive but I think a fair amount. Since I traveled so much Larry told me that if I got to the airport early enough on a Sunday he would take me up into the control tower to observe how everything worked. When I asked about security he said just let him know the day before and he would have me cleared as if it was no big deal.

I regret to say that I never made time to have a beer, play golf or go up into the control tower with Larry as I often was only home for 48 hours. As much as I love my family, I wish I had taken a few additional hours with Larry, enjoying his easy-going approach to life, big smile and laugh.

Remembrance from Jay Branch - One weekend in our senior year, Larry and I went out to Jim Trulaske’s farm…there were a couple of “blonde bombshells” from Mary I. there also. Anyway, on Saturday we all went water skiing on Jim’s lake. Jim, the girls and I were in the boat pulling Larry skiing. He went down during a hard turn. We brought the boat around to pick him up but Larry wouldn’t get in. He kept hemming and hawing as he floated in the water. We asked if he wanted another turn and he emphatically said “No!”. After a while we all started getting anxious and told Larry to get into the boat; he still wouldn’t do it.

It seemed when Larry fell off the skis, he lost his swimsuit. We didn’t have any towels or another suit in the boat and he wouldn’t get in the boat. We all thought it was hilarious…couldn’t stop laughing at Larry’s poor predicament, and of course the girls loved it! Well anyway, Larry ended up swimming to the shore then high-tailed it to the house for another suit. It was a very funny happening that we talked about for a long, long time. We called it the lunar eclipse…seeing the “moon” in the middle of the day!

Remembrance from Bill Schmidt - Larry and I became friends at DeSmet because we shared many classes together. He was always a fun guy, up for any adventure (i.e., trouble) that typical high school boys could find. We would go to all the girl schools’ dances and parties… always having fun with fellow classmates and the “cute girls”.

As we all began reaching the age of 16, driving became a “Big Deal”. One other good friend was Jay Branch…and Jay turned 16 almost 10 months earlier than Larry and me. Plus, Jay had his dad’s Cady, so the three of us became a pretty cool unit (or at least we thought so). After school, we’d tool around St. Joe/Villa/Viz/Nerinx/Ursuline/wherever in Jay’s Cady honking and waving at the girls.

Larry was the best looking’ of the group so he always was a little more popular with the girls. In fact, for a few weeks, Larry dated my future wife, Lucy. I don’t think it was a big deal, but she always had a certainly flirtatious smile on her face when she ran into Larry at the airport!

Of course, I would run into Larry at the airport and have a little visit with him. He was always so proud about his children, especially his daughter who was a NYC fashion designer. And just like he did for all DeSmet classmates, he’d jump me up to First Class if available. I remember one time Lucy and I were traveling, Larry upgraded her but it seemed there was no room for me…that was a little suspicious.

During our visits at the airport, Larry and I would talk about bicycling riding. He was quite an adventuresome rider. If the weather was right, he would ask me to join him and his riding friends for a full-moon/midnight ride out at Busch Wildlife. It sounded so cool, but I didn’t have the right equipment, so I never join him…now in hindsight I’m sorry I didn’t.

Another time at the airport, I was going to a gate and Larry was coming off-duty with a group of co-workers. Holding his hand was this pretty young lady and you could see she was something very special to Larry; that’s when I met Lisa. They were a beautiful, loving couple!

I remember going to Larry’s wake and meeting all his siblings and children. After meeting the children, I could easily see why he was so proud of them. Such fine, upstanding adults…true blessings for any parent.

To sum this all up, I would say Larry Padberg was certainly “A Man for Others”. He always helped out when he could, always had a good word for others, and was loved and respected by all.

Padberg children and spouses

Grandchildren Augustus and Finnegan Larry and Lisa

Larry and Marleen

Marital Status: Married

Joe Patane

15810 Baycross Drive

Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

jmpatane@aol.com 941-330-5150

Spouse name: Kelley

Children: Twin Daughters, Josie and Jessie and Stepsons, Jimmy & Nicholas

Grandchildren: Twin Grandsons, Rory & Robbie, Kosta, Leo & Gia

Colleges and degrees: St. Louis University {BSBA Accounting}

St. Mary’s University School of Law {JD}

University of Miami, FL {LLM Taxation}; CF P; AIF

Main Life activities: Married Becky, my best friend from SLU, in 1981, who passed unexpectedly at the young age of 50 in 2004 when our twin daughters were in their first year of college at SLU and Notre Dame. Moved to Sarasota, FL to be closer to my sister and Mom and clear my head. Introduced by good friends to Kelley in 2006 and we got married in 2010. Blessed twice in life with wonderful spouses. Crazy opportunistic entrepreneurial career path including M&A, manufacturing companies and Florida real estate development too long to list. Best career move was leaving the practice of tax law in 1991 to free up more time to spend with my family. Opened a Wealth Management office in Sarasota for St. Louis based Wealth Management Firm Plancorp in 2005 and am still enjoying the work as well as serving on a couple of private company advisory boards.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Helping others (1) resolve their challenges and (2) take advantage of opportunities. Attribute success to “Hard Work, Dumb Luck and the Grace of God.”

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Family, golf, travel & wine.

De Smet Memories: Washington DC/New York trip!

Memorable Teachers: Father Hoyer, Mr. Mess & Mr. Hasser

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music: Catch 22/The Godfather/The Beatles

Cities lived in: San Antonio TX, Miami FL, St. Louis, Krakow MO, Clarkson Valley MO, Sarasota FL, St. Albans MO and Lakewood Ranch FL

States visited: Many

Favorite States: Colorado, Utah, Washington, Texas and Florida

Countries visited: Western Europe & American Samoa

Favorite Countries: Italy & Northern Croatia

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy family and friends, continue to help others, improve my golf handicap & travel to new places.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: A friend to all.

Mark Picker

2979 Chevy Chase Lane

Naperville, IL 60564

mpicker2@aol.com 309-846-0521

Marital Status: Happily married 45 years Spouse name: Mary (nee Hunkins)

Children: Andy, Greg and Jeff

Grandchildren: Jacob, Emma, Molly, Paige and Riley

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri – Columbia

BA University of Central Florida

Ph.D.

MBA Benedictine University (Lisle, IL)

Main Life activities: Raising three great kids, who are now raising their own great kids! Forty-three years in the automotive industry with Enterprise Rent-a-Car and General Motors.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Mentoring and coaching newly hired employees at General Motors for a new position, District Digital Managers, to assist GM dealerships with developing better websites.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Enjoy international travel, reading, swimming and golf.

De Smet Memories: As an incoming freshman, seeing everyone in their brand-new burgundy blazers with the De Smet Jesuit High School embroidered crest on the breast pocket, and by the end of the junior year, seeing many of us still wearing the same ratty blazer. Thank goodness they let us wear sweaters in our senior year!

In a gym class early in freshman year, watching Mr. Satory pin a cocky classmate up to the cinder block wall of the gym, with his two feet fluttering three ft. off the ground. That got my attention - I didn’t mess with Mr. Satory! Playing the part of “Duke” in the De Smet Dionysian Players production of Stalag 17.

Memorable Teachers and Staff: Herr Michael Ziemann, Fr. David Koesterer, Mr. John Faust, Mr. Bob Christian, Fr. William Snyders, Fr. Ralph Houlihan, Fr. John Bergin, Mr. Kevin Buckley, and of course, Mr. Satory. Mr. Larry Morgan deserves a special mention for helping me realize early in freshman year that I did not like JUG, and therefore did not like demerits – so I stopped behaving in a way that earned them. And Mr. George Barhorst, for his one-man crusade to stop anyone he caught from smoking cigarettes. Brothers Frank Schmitt and James Marheineke maintained facilities and grounds that were first class!

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind and Absolute Monarchs

Cities lived in: Columbia, MO; Mattoon, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Naperville, IL (3 times); Jacksonville, FL; Winter Springs, FL; Winfield, IL; Bloomington, IL; Carmel, IN; Novi, MI

States visited: Most Favorite States: Hawaii, Florida and Colorado

Countries visited: Many Favorites Countries: New Zealand and Switzerland

Remaining Goals in Life: Mentoring my grandkids to be contributing members of society.

Bob Poe

113 Calle Acacia Vieques, PR 00765

Marital Status: Happily married to Terzah for 28 years Spouse name: Terzah Tippin Poe Children: Nope Colleges and Degrees: UMSL BS Business, IT, Intl Finance, 1976

UMSL MBA Finance and Economics, 1978

Main Life activities:

• Adventure, business, and government leadership – in equal parts –probably best defines my fortunate life.

• Forty years of my life centered around Alaska - climbing, skiing, camping, hunting, fishing, kayaking and countless other adventures was a weekly experience. And serving five different Alaska Governors in a variety of cabinet-level positions really allowed me to contribute to the place I lived and loved. In those roles I had the opportunity to travel widely and meet leaders and top officials all over the world. These roles also enabled me to travel to every corner of Alaska, and to develop many good friendships around the state. I particularly enjoyed traveling throughout rural Alaska and the insight Terzah has helped me have into the life experience of Alaska Native people.

• More recently, Terzah and I decamped from Alaska moving all our worldly goods to the island of Vieques, PR just one month before Hurricane Maria devastated all of Puerto Rico. I thought I was retiring on Vieques, but instead the Governor of Puerto Rico appointed me to the Governing Board of the Puerto Rico Electric Authority setting me on one last threeyear path of government service (I had previously run the Alaska Energy Authority).

• Retirement finally came in January of 2022. I now take care of our vacation rentals on Vieques, dividing my time between Puerto Rico, and Cambridge, MA where Terzah teaches at Harvard University.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

• Played a leading role in the recovery of the electric system on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria as a member of the Governing Board – Executive Committee over the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. We stood the system back after the storm, secured $14.7 billion from FEMA to build the entire electric system back better, and privatized the operation of the transmission and distribution system.

• Business Professor for 7 years at the University of Alaska - Anchorage in Business Strategy – working with over 300 students per semester was really one of the most fun things I have ever been allowed to do!

• Candidate for Governor of Alaska – Sarah Palin resigned.

• Led the marketing and negotiating teams to land the FedEx and UPS Asian Cargo Hubs at the Anchorage International Airport - among the top three cargo airports in the world.

• During Perestroika (1989) I arranged the first commercial jet flight between Alaska and Russia in 40 years reuniting Alaska and Chukchi Native families who had been separated for decades by the “Ice Curtain.”

• Organized cardiology practices in Alaska to form the Alaska Heart Institute –dramatically improved cardiac care availability in Alaska.

• Designed Alaska State Accounting System – one of the first big relational data base systems of its time, predated Oracle and PeopleSoft.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Remodeling houses, guitar, learning Spanish, hoping to teach local Vieques kids to build strip-wood kayaks for use and sale around the island, catching wahoo and mahi mahi on my boat on the Carribbean!

De Smet Memories: The spelunking club with George Barhorst, a five-day canoe trip down the Big River with Mark Winter, working on the Fall Carnival, getting in lots of trouble with Danny Hart, Frank Filo, Brian Murphy and Rick Freschi.

Memorable Teachers: George Barhorst, Greg Vitello and Father Hoyer (I’m still trying to learn Spanish)

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Too many books to mention, but currently 1491 and 1493 by Charles C. Mann

Cities lived in: St. Louis MO, Juneau AK, Anchorage AK, Los Angeles CA, Calgary AB, Vieques PR, Cambridge MA and Portland MN

Favorite Cities: Juneau, San Juan (PR), Shanghai, Berlin, Reykjavik, Amsterdam, London and Cambridge (MA)

States visited: Almost all of them

Favorite States: Alaska and the Yukon, Puerto Rico, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California

Countries visited: Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, China, Iceland, Netherlands, Germany, UK, Ireland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Grenada.

Favorite countries: Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, UK, China, Korea, France and Croatia

Continents visited: North America, Eurasia (Russian Far East), Asia and Europe

Remaining Goals in Life: Live life as fully as I can with Terzah until it’s all over!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: I’m going to be cremated. I’ll trust anyone who might think of me to make up their own caption. Having spent much of my life in the press, I’ve never been misquoted, but reporters have sometimes made me sound better than I deserved – perhaps the same will be true after I’m gone.

Bob in Mexico

Bob & Terzah

Patrick M Postal, Sr (Pat)

446 Parkwoods Avenue Kirkwood, MO 63122

postpmp23@gmail.com 314-956-4457

Marital Status: Married 45 Years

Spouse: Connie – Met at Spring Hill. Education major. Taught at both primary and secondary levels. Spent 14 years at St. Joe Academy teaching music & theology.

Children:

Kristen - Ursuline Academy & Rockhurst U. Lives outside Detroit with husband Dan Nance and their 2 daughters. Katie - St. Joe & Marquette U. Lives in STL with husband Joe Mantovani and their 4 children. Patrick, Jr. - DeSmet Jesuit, Marquette U. & Mizzou. Lives in STL with wife Kelsey (Hinds) and their 2 children.

Sons attending De Smet: Patrick M. Jr., 2005

Grandchildren: Callie, Evelyn, Mia, Lena, Peter, JoJo, Lottie & Tripp…hopefully more to come!

Colleges and degrees: Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL – BS in Political Science, Minor Business Administration. Vanderbilt U. – Owen Graduate Management Program.

Main Life activities: After De Smet, attended Spring Hill (Notre Dame of the South) & took full advantage of the Gulf Coast experience. Played soccer 4 years. Graduated in ’76 and went to work for Sheraton Hotels holding various management positions. In ’78 I entered the medical sales field with Becton Dickenson. In ’83 I went to work for Clinical Systems in St Louis, owned by Paul Schneider from our class. Worked with Paul until mid-1993 when the company was sold.

For the next 20 years worked as a medical capital equipment manufacturer’s representative, acquired, refurbished and sold medical equipment until I joined US Med-Equip in 2013, a client of mine for the previous 13 years.

Currently, I am a Strategic Account Vice President for USME in hospital system contracting. I have system responsibility for the Upper Midwest and Southeastern US. I have been fortunate and blessed to work with such a phenomenal team of people.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

• Raised 3 great kids with my wife, Connie. We are very proud of what they have accomplished in their lives, each now raising their own families. We are blessed to have 8 healthy and happy grandkids.

• Co-founded Spring Hill College club soccer team with 2 other DeSmet grads, Chris Schatzman & Leo Gamp. Played 4 years. Soccer is now a school sport, NCAA D-2.

• Recorded first and only hole-in-one at St. Albans #4.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Golf, Fishing and Travel. Spending as much time as I can with the family.

De Smet Memories:

Loved the whole experience...maybe not the maroon blazer & clip-on ties! Beating SLUH in football 14-13 senior year. Being selected captain of hockey team and beating Vianney in the inaugural year of Mid-States Hockey for our first championship. Getting a record number 20 demerits at one time from Mr. Bahrhorst…Larry Morgan credited all but 5! Spent a couple of summers working parttime for Bro. Jim mowing and other odd jobs around campus. Being part of the Class of 72.

Memorable Teachers: There were quite a few…George Hasser, Chris Mess, Bob Christian, Fr. Bergen, Greg Vitello, Mr. Faust, Ralph Carafa, Fr. Tom McQueeny, not a teacher but a family friend.

• Most memorable was Fr Pat Lawless, who guided me through some tough times. A true friend and mentor. In ’76 both his Rockhurst HS and De Smet family lost a very good man all too soon.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Books…non-fiction. TV…watching anything sports and travel. Started binge watching a few series during COVID, watched The Sopranos and The Wire for the first time ever. Best movie of ’72 was The Godfather. Another, maybe not the best was Summer of ’42…what 18-year-old guy did not like Jennifer O’Neil. Others…any movie with Brad Pitt or Sean Connery.

Cities lived in: The LOU and Mobile, AL

States visited: All but a few.

Favorites: Family vacations in Michigan & Gulf Coast

Countries visited: Italy, COVID cancelled trip to England & Wales in 2019. We had tickets to see the Card & Cubs play in London…rescheduled trip for ’23 to include France. Favorite Countries: Italy. Loved Tuscany and Lake Como.

Remaining Goals in Life: Still enjoy working. Complete my career with US Med-Equip. Stay healthy to enjoy time with our family & friends, spoil the grandkids & support their interests, more travel, golf and fishing.

Volunteer more.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “It was a beautiful life.”

Captain of the first Championship hockey team

72 Football

Pat on Student Council (far right first row)

Gary M Raeker

#3 Ivanhoe Woods

Kirkwood, MO 63122

raekergary@yahoo.com 314-575-7675

Marital Status: Same gal for 47 years and happy Spouse: Christeen

Children: Gus (Missouri Department of Conservation) and Emily (Microsoft)

Grandchildren: Abby (starting college this year), Ella (high school), Buck (grade school)

Colleges and degrees: Mostly street smarts and construction related (even worse at college than at high school)

Main Life Activities: Being retired / being a husband, father and papa

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Plumbing General Foreman on many of St Louis’ major projects / Plumbing Designer and Project Manager on several LEEDS (green energy) projects – Raeker, Beetz, Murphy, Corrigan, and Bieg Plumbing Companies

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: +/- 30 years racing sailboats (Commodore of Carlyle Yacht Club) / gardening / Painting artwork / Being at second home on Lake Michigan / Volunteer rebuilding furniture for “Home Sweet Home” charity / woodworking. Past: +/- 15 years as high school youth advisor with Presbyterian Church / experiential education leader with American Youth Foundation, Stream, and Outward Bound / certified rock-climbing instructor

De Smet Memories: Playing music, Shooting #2 pencil out of typewriter (it hit the teacher on the butt, and she had on a white dress that day)

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Martin and Mr. Barhorst

Cities lived in: St Louis States visited: Most

Favorite City: Sturgeon Bay, WI

Countries visited: Canada by canoe, Mexico by sailboat and BVI by sailboat

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Got-er-done” and “I did it my way”

Joseph Michael Reidy

Date of Birth: June 23, 1953

Date of Death: February 26, 2012

Joseph Michael Reidy, born on the 23rd of June 1953, in Iola, Kansas, passed away peacefully on Sunday, the 26th of February 2012, following complications from diabetes.

Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and a long-time Houston resident, Joe was preceded in death by his father, the late Thomas P. Reidy, Sr. He is survived by his mother, Leanna L. Reidy; his three brothers, Thomas P. Ready II, John F. Reidy and Dan X. Reidy; and his three sisters, Mary R. Kelly, Anne R. Servos and Patricia Waller Reed. He was uncle to eleven nephews, four nieces, three great-nieces and one great-nephew.

A memorial mass is to be offered at ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 3rd of March, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston, where Rev. Douglas Guthrie is to celebrate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Joe’s name be directed to The Mental Health Co-op,

From Joe’s brother, Jack - As you know, my brother Joe died in 2012. I am 9 years younger than Joe. Joe was a great, big brother. He fostered my love of sports by taking me to Cardinals baseball & football games and by playing ball w/ me at our house even though I was an annoying little kid. I attended yall’s football game vs. SLUH your Senior years. My Dad and oldest brother were SLUH alums. I vividly recall the last-second, double pass play DeSmet executed to beat SLUH! Joe would occasionally speak fondly of yall’s football coach “Bob Christian?” I think he must have been very kind to Joe.

After yall graduated we moved to Houston, Texas. Joe was the 2nd oldest of 7 kids. Joe went off to college at Adams State in Colorado. He didn’t last long there as he started hearing voices……….that’s no bullshit. Joe transferred to Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, TX but that didn’t go well for Joe either. By the winter of ’73 Joe was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic. I’ll never forget the family meeting when our parents gather all the kids except Joe to tell us of Joe’s diagnosis. Consequently, Joe was medicated the remainder of his life which may have contributed to his death at a relatively young age (liver/kidney damage); however, without the meds Joe may have hurt or killed himself or someone else. For most of Joe’s adult life he lived independently and worked for many years for our father, the Harris County Texas Tax Assessor’s Office, and the Houston Lighthouse.

Joe liked to play golf which he did on weekends w/ our father until Dad passed away in 1996. Joe also liked to hunt on occasion and once went on a pheasant hunt to North Dakota. Candidly, we were worried Joe might flip-out on that trip but it apparently went well. Joe would also go snow skiing on occasion. Joe never married nor had children. Joe did date some but, for obvious reasons, it never went anywhere.

In 2008 or so Joe started having some medical problems and thus moved into an assisted living facility for people with mental problems. His health and mental state continued to decline until his death. Toward the end of his life I would bring him Our Lord’s Body and Blood which he received. Joe was an outstanding big brother with a great sense of humor. I really miss Joe and I am eternally grateful to you and your classmates for honoring Joe. If ya have any questions please call my cell below. If ya find any old pictures of Joe at DeSmet please send em!

I’m sending this from my wife’s email, mine is: jackr@kilrush1.com

Thanks again!

John F. (Jack) Reidy

Marital Status: Not Married

Children: Kevin (1982)

Joe Reilly

15 Berkley Lane Ladue, MO 63124

joe.reilly@comcast.net 801-558-2414

Grandchildren: Not yet, but Kevin married in June!

Colleges/Degrees: BSBA, University of Missouri - St. Louis

Noteworthy Accomplishments

• Nationally recognized as one of the top eight CIOs in banking by ‘Bank Systems and Technology’ in 2012.

• Carded my first - and only! - eagle on the 589-yard par 5 16th at the Soldier Hollow Gold Course in UT. Ha!

• Most important by far, fathered a wonderfully gentle and kind son, Kevin

Life Adventures

Professional: After an undistinguished early career, was blessed to discover a passion for technology, and enjoyed a fulfilling second act as a technology executive in banking, capping it off as CIO of Zions Bancorporation, a $90B regional bank holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City.

Personal: Upon retirement in 2018, I moved back to St Louis to be near my son Kevin, and my three brothers. It has been wonderful to have the time for deeper relationships with them all. We have a weekly family dinner with everyone, including whichever kids are in town - great fun! Very grateful to be able to focus on family now.

Son Kevin

Activities

Sports:

• Tennis addict (as long as my knees hold up!)

• Still love golf, even though I can’t knock it out there very far any more

• Really enjoy cycling also - have a mountain bike and a road bike

• Haven’t skied since moving back to St Louis, but used to live in Park City, and skied every week

Other Pursuits:

• Reading - a good book, a quiet room, and a comfortable chair - …

• Love to travel - mostly to Europe, but there is adventure everywhere, if you look for it

• Photography - enjoy learning digital editing

• Crazy about Impressionist art

• Currently studying French

• Hope to learn how to sketch (can’t draw a stick man, presently)

Favorite Movies (High School Era): The Graduate (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Godfather (1972)

(A Few) Favorite Books and Authors: ‘All the King’s Men’, Robert Penn Warren; ‘Wickford Point’, John P. Marquand; ‘Look Homeward, Angel’, Thomas Wolfe. Writers: Willa Cather, Frank O’Connor, William Boyd, John Cheever, Eudora Welty and EB White

I wear a helmet these days!

De Smet Memories: Never forget seeing Fr Lawless drinking Budweiser long necks in the cafeteria in the afternoons…loved watching the sports teams, basketball especially…Senior skip day at Babler State Park… ’Psst - party in Berkley Manor Friday night!’…

Memorable Teachers: Mr Mess, Fr Bergan, Fr Lawless (and his coffee can ash tray!), Mr Faust, Fr Hoyer and Mr Conlon

Remaining Goals in Life: Give back more; make new memories with family, friends and loved ones; stay curious - never stop learning!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Have to go with Dorothy Parker’s ‘excuse my dust.’

Lake Como

Mike Ring

13 Lippizan Road

St. Peters, MO 63376

michaelkring@att.net 314-488-7651

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Susan

Children: Philip and Bridget Grandchildren: None yet Sons attending De Smet: None

Colleges and degrees: UM Columbia – BA Psychology

Washington University - Masters of Data Processing (talk about being dated! Today – Information Technology)

Main Life activities: Married for 44 years. Now retired. Main activities include music (singing and guitar playing), watching/attending sports (Cards and Blues), house projects, volunteering, working out, playing pickleball, a little golf, attending concerts including our son’s two bands and a bit of traveling mostly to beaches and mountains.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Spending 18 years at Venture Stores, Inc.’s IT department, and even after the doors being closed for 20+ years, some of us old “MIS” folks still occasionally get together for a beer and reminisce. Just a great group of people and we really enjoyed our work and each other. After Venture, surviving for 22 more years in IT primarily in insurance companies here in town. Talk about change (was using punch cards at first at Venture). My phone has more memory and processing power than the machine we first used at Venture. But, I loved all the changes that have occurred and witnessing Moore’s law in action!

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: As mentioned above, very involved in Choral Society of St. Charles County (currently the President of the board). When not injured, love playing pickleball, hitting the elliptical (knee won’t let me run distances any longer). Besides my time with the choral group, I volunteer with St. Peters City’s Parks, Recreation & Arts Advisory Board, as well as occasionally with Operation Food Search and the St. Peters Rec Plex. Enjoy BBQing on my pellet smoker, kayaking with my wife and occasionally geocaching with her. Last but not east, enjoy visiting craft breweries.

De Smet Memories: Being able to help select the class ring design. Four years of wrestling, especially coach Dave Satory, and coach Grawer yelling at us when we ran laps in the gym but cut corners onto the basketball court! Getting cut from the baseball team, but then being able to try out for Fiddler On The Roof production and being selected to play Fyedka. Pep rallies. Basketball and football games. Mixers and live music at them! Senior projects – going to retirement centers and performing acts from Fiddler. The De Smet carnival! Demerits and jug (just a couple of times!)

Memorable Teachers:

George Barhorst – Chemistry – he was hilarious!

Barry Lewis – French – used to lose his temper with us all the time!

Dale Bergman – Mechanical Drawing – I loved that course.

Favorite Books/ TV/ Movies:

Books: (here’s a small cross-section as retirement allows time for much reading!)

“One Last Strike” – Tony LaRussa

“Brother In Battle – Best Of Friends” – William Guarnere and Edward Heffron

“My Blues Note” – Bernie Federko with Jeremy Rutherford

“Tuesdays With Morrie” – Mitch Albom

“Wicked” – Gregory MaGuire

TV Favorites: Blue Bloods, Magnum PI, NCIS (all of them), Bull, HGTV

Property Brothers and Holmes on Holmes, All of the Star Trek series’ (Discovery, Pikard), etc., all of the Marvel series’ and a few HBO seriesChernobyl in particular.

Movies: As noted above, anything sci fi; all Marvel movies, all Star Trek, Star Wars, Top Gun (both), Dune, Dunkirk and Saving Private Ryan to name just a few favorites.

Cities lived in: Just here (U City, Clayton, Crestwood and now St. Peters)

States visited: CA, CO, AL, IL, IN, PA, NY, AZ, IA, KS, AR, WY, NB, FL and LA

Favorite States: Colorado and Alabama (gulf coast)

Remaining Goals in Life: Stay healthy and active for as long as possible, continue volunteering and making a small impact on other’s lives

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Beam me up, Scotty!”

Marital Status: Married

Children: None

Steve Sanders

1559 Prospector Trail

Wentzville, MO 63385

sns51780@gmail.com

636-332-5146

Spouse name: Nancy

Colleges and degrees: BSBA from UMSL

Main Life activities: Retired but worked as an internal auditor and CFO for financial institutions. This included a bank holding company, a Savings and Loan and several credit unions.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Photography and Rock Tumbling/Polishing would be two things I tinker with.

De Smet Memories: I remember Mr. Barhorst standing on top of his desk in Chemistry class in a weird configuration to demonstrate for the class what a tetrahedron was. I also remember a De Smet football game in our freshman year on a Saturday morning against SLUH. De Smet was ahead only by a point or two when SLUH attempted a field goal with just seconds remaining. Paul Strain was able to partially block the kick and De Smet won the game.

Memorable Teachers: Dr. Buckley, Mr. Barhorst, Mr. Vitello and Mr. Grawer

Favorite Books/TV/Movies: Caddyshack and Animal House

Cities lived in: St. Louis

States visited: Almost all

Favorite States: Hawaii and Florida

Countries visited: Denmark, Sweden, Mexico, Canada and many of the Caribbean Islands

Continents visited: North America and Europe

Favorite City: St. Louis (Nothing like home sweet home)

Remaining Goals in Life: To live as long as possible!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “And that’s all she wrote.”

Carver House Party Senior year

Hanging on campus

Track Team Sophomore Year (4th from right, 1st row)

Glen Schaefer III

Date of Birth: August 7, 1954

Date of Death: February 24, 2021

Glennon Sylvester Schaefer III, 66, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on February 24, 2021. The loving companion of Randall Sorensen for 39 years; dear brother of Cathy (Dan) Flynn, Anneliese (Paul Taghert) Schaefer, Kurt (Stacia) Schaefer and the late Peter Henry Schaefer. He was also preceded in death by his parents Dr. Glennon and Catherine (nee Stahling) Schaefer. He was an uncle, cousin and friend.

Glen was a very social person and enjoyed life before his health began to decline. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021 from 9:00 am until 11:00am at Hutchens-Stygar Funeral & Cremation Center, 5987 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., St. Charles, MO 63304. Interment will follow at Our Lady Cemetery, Lake St. Louis.

Glen prepares for open heart surgery at St. John’s Mercy Hospital for his Senior Project

Sophomore Class Picture

Styling with buddies freshman year (3rd from left)

Marital Status: Married 45 Years

Children:

Chris Schatzman

110 Hillwood Road Mobile, AL 36608

Spouse name: Mary Lynne

(Son) William Christopher Schatzman, Age 32

(Daughter) Margaret S. Newton

(Son-in-law) Andrew M. Newton

Hobbies: Golf

Flying: Hold a Commercial Pilot License, with Instrument and Multi-Engine Ratings

Fishing

Recent Exciting Experience: Daughter’s marriage while on Safari in South Africa last year

Some Memorable Moments at De Smet:

- Beating S LUH (Bob Christian carrying the football around that night at the party)

- Mark Hayes as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof

- Playing in the Past Prediction Band with Jim Schaus, John Schaus, Brian Murphy, Gary Raeker and Dan Welsh. (still have one of the original business cards!)

- Great parties at Dan Callahan’s house.

Favorite Teachers: George Hasser and John Faust

Chris…one of 19 Spartans whose 500 hours of drama work merited membership into the International Thespian Society Troupe

Member of Student Council

2567 (top row, 4th from left)

The Schatzman Family

Varsity Football Team (4th from right, top row)

Marital Status: Married

Children: 2

Sons attending De Smet: No

Grandchildren: No

John Schlafly

5251 Redfield Court

Atlanta, GA 30338

schlaflyj@gmail.com

770-668-4711

Spouse name: Leigh Anne

Colleges and degrees: UMSL, Univ of Kansas City Law School (JD) New York University School of Law (LLM)

Main Life activities: Worked for Ernst & Young in St. Louis 6 years in tax dept, IRS in Wash D.C. for 4 years and The Coca-Cola Company as tax attorney for 26 years

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: I got to travel all over the world while working for Coca-Cola.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Volunteered preparing tax returns for low income taxpayers while at UMSL and while living in Wash D.C.

De Smet Memories: Got called down to the principal’s office one morning and was scared to death as I didn’t know what I had done. As I was sitting next to John O’Connor waiting for my turn to see Ralph Houlihan, O’Connor calmly told me to relax as I merely forgot to pay my tuition.

Memorable Teachers: Mostly all of them were unique in their own way.

Cities lived in: Kansas City, Wash D.C., New York and Atlanta

Favorite City: NYC

Countries visited: Visited countries in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Favorite Country: Nepal

Remaining Goals in Life: Staying healthy

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Lights Out, It was a good run.

Location: Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Mark Morrell invited me to join him, along with John Hofmeister & Bill Koncen on a fishing/canoe trip in 2018. I don’t fish and couldn’t find a beer or a bear in Alaska, but as you can see life has been good to me, somewhat.

John with Mark Morrell in 1975 at BWCA (Boundary Waters)

John’s Wedding - standing with Mark Morrell

Marital Status: Married

Bill Schmidt

2228 Croydon Walk St. Louis, MO 63131 bill@hotinthekitchen.com 314-614-0626

Spouse name: Lucy

Children: Sara (35), Will (33) and Megan (29) Grandchildren: None

Sons attending De Smet: None

Colleges and degrees: Undergraduate St. Louis University - BS in BA Graduate Program St. Louis University - M BA

Main Life activities: Husband, Fatherhood, Business Owner

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Married of 37 years and raising 3 good kids who call me at least every 2 weeks or when they need a little fatherly advice.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Avid outdoorsman (hunting/fishing); Cyclist; Triathlete; Active with the White House Retreat, MicroFinancing Partners In Africa and De Smet Jesuit High School

De Smet Memories: Bill Trigg and Don Doheny doing their “General Patton/ General Bradley” performances; Mark Hayes in Fiddler On The Roof; Mark Johnson and Paul Schneider’s “bare knuckle” fight over in Runnymede (did it really happen and why were those two fighting?); Beating SLUH in football our Senior Year; Mr. Morgan yelling at the class because someone had the “audacity” to steal a book from the library during School Retreat; Past Prediction band practicing “Watermelon Man”

New England Bird Hunting

Memorable Teachers: Dr. Kevin Buckley (incredible teacher), Mr. John Faust (sharpest wit at DSJ), Mr. Bob Christian (tremendous influence), Fr. Bob Homes (the Best!), Fr. Terry Dempsey SJ (inspiration); George Hasser (a man who has done so much for DSJ)

Favorite Books / TV / Movies / Music:

Books – The Return of the Prodigal Son (H. Nouwen SJ); The Revenant (M. Punke);

The Greatest Beer Run Ever (J. Donohue)

Movies – Tombstone; The Outlaw Josey Wales; Jumanji (all 3)

Music – Almost all the traditional Broadway Musicals; late ‘60’s/ early ‘70’s Motown; easy listening Jazz

Cities lived in: St. Louis, MO; Milwaukee, WI; Providence, RI

States visited: Many

Favorite States: Montana/Wyoming/Michigan

Countries visited: Many

Favorite Countries: South Africa and Ireland

Continents visited: N & S America; Europe; Africa

Favorite Cities: Saugatuck, Kalispell, Cape Town, Galway and Buenos Aires

Remaining Goals in Life: Would like to do a few more elk hunts and fishing adventures; walking The Way; Running the Bulls in Pamplona; visit Medjugorje

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Here Lies A Good Man

Ireland

Handsome Couple

Kilimanjaro

Family

Marital Status: Married

Fred Schneeberger

47030 Via Lorca

La Quinta, CA 92253

schnee53@yahoo.com

760-848-0972

Spouse name: Cathryn

Children: Christian, Elizabeth, Emily and Meghan

Grandchildren: 8

Colleges and degrees:

Parks College St. Louis University, BS Aeronautical Engineering

Main Life activities:

Retired Naval Air Engineer RDT&E Lab, grandfather and training horses.

Senior Prom

Senior Prom

One of 19 students earning International Thesbian Society Troupe 2567 status for over 500 hours of drama work.

Freshman Soccer Team

Junior year Varsity Tennis Team

Sophomore class picture

Marital Status: Married

Paul Schneider

740 Des Peres Road

St. Louis, MO 63131

skybuddypaul@gmail.com 314-324-2160

Spouse name: Debbie

Children: Lizzie , Paulie , Lauren, Allison

Sons attending De Smet: none

Grandchildren: 3 – Lily (15) Stone (12) Kaya (12)

Colleges and degrees: Southeast Missouri State University BS - Business Administration

Main Life activities: Husband, Fatherhood, Business Owner, Boxer Owner

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Married 29 years and raising very good kids from 2 marriages

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: outdoorsman (some duck hunting), (some fly fishing), (some snow skiing), (travel abroad) - bad at golf – confirm that with Mr. Pat Postal

De Smet Memories: Mr. Mess’s good attitude towards our unrelenting obnoxious behavior. Ditto for Mr. Hasser, Father Hoyer, and Mr. Barhorst.; Mark Johnson and Me “bare knuckle” fighting over in Runnymede (why were we fighting?); Smoking and playing pool in the lounge – one last note, 3 weeks after graduating I was roaming through ruins in the Adriatic Sea on a deserted Greek island. I walked around a large pillar and here sat Joe Reidy and John Sciortino, they both casually said “Hi Paul” like we were back at De Smet (small world) – sadly, I read they are both deceased

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Bob Christian (tremendous influence – I should have told him that); George Hasser (the man understood how to handle knuckleheads)

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music:

Books – The Return of the Prodigal Son (H. Nouwen SJ); The Revenant (M. Punke); TheGreatest Beer Run Ever (J. Donohue)

Movies – Tombstone; The Outlaw Josey Wales; Jumanji (all 3)

Music – Broadway Musicals; Beetles, The Stones, Garth Brooks, Credence Clear Water Revival, Alan Jackson

Cities lived in: St. Louis, MO

States visited: All but Alaska

Favorites: Colorado, California, Montana

Countries visited: Many

Favorites: Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, South Korea

Continents visited: North and Central America; Europe; Asia

Favorite Cities: Seoul, Milan, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Vienna, Athens

Remaining Goals in Life:

Would like more fishing adventures with Debbie; want to go to Prague and back to Greece and Tokyo

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Loved His Family

Marital Status: Married

Michael Schultz

2223 Enlund Drive, Condo #6 Palatine, IL 60074

mschultzhome@sbcglobal.net

mschultz@oigresearch.com 815-260-6337

Spouse name: Sarah Elizabeth Wilson

Children: Sarah Jane Schultz (18 years old -Junior-Georgia Tech)

Sons attending De Smet: N/A (numerous Godchildren, Nephews and Cousins)

Colleges and degrees:

University of Missouri-St. Louis / Bachelor Science Business Administration

Main Life activities:

Backpacking/Mountaineering/Wilderness Hiking/Kayaking Tennis Sailing

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

USTA NATIONAL CHAMPION

Owner-Engineering Recruiting Firm: Engineering Resources Group

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Coached Girls Basketball and Softball

De Smet Memories:

Basketball and Football Games, Handball Courts, School Dances, Ralph Caraffa back-handing a Classmate out of his desk in homeroom (& years later at Tennis Tournament denying it.)

Creve Coeur policemen taking beer away from us on a side street off of Emerson Rd. St Charles Police Department waiting at the Bridge after a State Basketball Game and pointing 6-7 carloads of De Smet boys back towards St Louis County.

Memorable Teachers:

Chris Mess, Bob Christian, Greg Vitello, John Faust and George Hasser

Favorite Books:

Substantial Library of Spy/Espionage/Mystery/Adventure Books

Cities lived in: Chicago

Favorite City: Paris

Traveled extensively in Caribbean

Remaining Goals in Life: Attain total consciousness

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: SLAINTE ….and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

Celebrating at the Blues Parade

Café Notre Dame

John Stanley Sciortino

Date of Birth: September 9, 1954

Date of Death: February 6, 2009

SCIORTINO, JOHN STANLEY on February 6, 2009. Beloved son of Mrs. John S. Sciortino (Olga) and the late Dr. John S. Sciortino; dearest brother of Francesca J. Sciortino (James A. Campanella, deceased), Dr. and Mrs. William J. Sciortino (Amy), Dr. Rosellen S. Meystrik (Joseph) and Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Sciortino (Dr. Patricia McGuire); dearest nephew of Ms. Jean A. Sciortino; uncle of Emily F. and Madeline C. Sciortino, Megan C. and Michael J. Meystrik, Rose K. and Julia F. Sciortino, Edward and Alicia Ryder; numerous cousins and friends. Friends may call at EVERLYWHEATLEY FUNERAL HOME, 1500 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA on Saturday, February 14, 2009 from 12 Noon until time of service at 2 p.m. Private interment in St. Louis, MO.

All of John’s brother and sisters, with the exception of one sister, were doctors, as was his father.

John’s sister’s wedding announcement notes John living in Alexandria, VA as early as 1983

From John’s brother, Robert - I’m sure you are aware he passed away in 2009 from heart disease from complications of diabetes. Although he had a lot of medical issues in the last 10 or 15 years of his life, his demise came suddenly from a heart attack.

John spent the majority of his adult life in Washington, DC. He graduated from Georgetown University, and also graduated from Georgetown law school. He worked for the government for most of his working life as an attorney for the federal trade commission, if I remember correctly. He retired from this job perhaps 5 or 10 years prior to his death due to health reasons.

He never married and has no children.

As for as hobbies, he was an active scuba diver before he had health issues. He also enjoyed white water rafting. In his later years he enjoyed cooking, and I believe he went to a culinary school. He was also a voracious reader and I remember his apartment literally filled with books on every wall and every surface. I doubt even he could name a favorite.

I know John had many devoted friends, but these friends were all in DC, which is why we had his memorial service there instead of St. Louis. He rarely visited St. Louis, especially in the last years of his life.

Robert Sciortino

Remembrance from Myron Souris

When I think of John Sciortino at DeSmet, I remember at least two standout admirable qualities. John never seemed to have a harsh word about anyone, in spite of having reasons to say otherwise. And I tried to emulate his keen insights into problem solving and reasoning that arose in our classes together.

of the debate team

Editor with the school newspaper along with others

DeSmet Model U.N. representative

Member

Dr. James G. Shaus

Date of Birth: September 12, 1954

Date of Death: December 15, 2004

From Brian Burnes - Many of his DeSmet peers knew Jim Schaus for his time on the offensive line for the football team. I remember the day our senior year when DeSmet beat St. Louis U. High, at DeSmet. There was a dance at school that night and, as Jim and his girlfriend Mimi went through the door into the gymnasium, Jim raised his hands up over his head, making a big entrance. It was a pretty epic night in early DeSmet history, and Jim was right in the middle of it.

I knew Jim as a drummer. Go to page 60 in the 1971 yearbook and you’ll see Jim, in the gym, playing drums for the Christmas mass. Go to page 116 and you’ll again see Jim with his drum kit, back in the gymnasium, only this time playing at an all-DeSmet “Battle of the Bands” with our band Graham Road, which featured Jim, his brother John, Joe McLaughlin, Bryan Murphy, me and Marianne Ribaudo (our friend from St. Joseph’s Academy).

When he played his drums at DeSmet gym masses, Jim would pack his drum kit into his family’s white station wagon. For Graham Road gigs he would take the same station wagon and find room for his drum kit, his brother’s keyboard, and all kinds of other gear from the rest of us. It was generous of him and when I think about him now, that’s what I find myself thinking about.

When he got a job as a maintenance worker at a north St. Louis apartment complex, he got me one there, too. In 1977, when I got a job in Omaha, Jim was attending dental school at Creighton University. He and (by-then-wife) Mimi put me up in their apartment until I found my own place. Then they introduced me around to their dental school friends, and invited me along to various parties and events.

Jim ultimately became an orthodontist in Arnold and Festus, and I would see Jim and Mimi occasionally when visiting family in St. Louis.

Jim died in 2004. It was only upon his death, while reading online tributes from members of the St. Louis area orthodontist community, that I learned how Jim had served as a member of a regional disaster mortuary operational response team, identifying victims of tragedies through dental records. In that role he went to New York following the 2001 terrorist attacks. I hadn’t known any of that before his death but, after thinking about it, I wasn’t surprised by it. It was just a new way Jim had found to be generous to others, in a profoundly meaningful way.

Remembrance from Chris Schatzman - I was sorry to hear about Jim. He and I started a band called the Past Prediction back in 1971. Jim was the drummer, Gary Raeker was on guitar along with Brian Murphy playing bass guitar. I played guitar and was lead singer…not a very good singer. Later on, Dan Welch came on as a singer and Jim’s brother joined us as the keyboard player…always fun. We had some great times playing at parties…Oh what memories! In addition to the band, Jim and I played on DeSmet’s football team…he was a great lineman…a fierce football player with a heart of gold. And off the field, a gentle giant who always was there to help his fellow students.

Remembrance from Bill Koncen - Jim and I both had a passion for the outdoors. I was lucky to spend many adventures with him. We hunted deer, turkey, pheasant, ducks and geese in Missouri. We hunted bear in a wilderness area of Ontario Canada, using primitive weapons and fished for trophy northern pike in northern Manitoba Canada. Jim was very knowledgeable in all of these venues and truly a great friend on these events. He was a great leader, hard worker, always helpful, supportive, and last but not least he was funny. In quiet reflective moments I often wonder what adventures I might have had with Jim had he been here in these last 18 years. See you in the happy hunting ground Jim.

Remembrance from Mark Morrell - Jim Schaus was not only a very good friend but he was also a colleague, an orthodontist. We were in the same residency at St Louis University (Class of 1982). We remained members of the same orthodontic study club until Jim passed.

My friend was a devoted husband to his wife, Mimi and his daughter, Annie, and his son, Joe. He loved his friends.

Jim was a bigger than life kind of guy who was passionate about many things. He loved sports and really loved hunting and fishing. Jim enjoyed many outdoor adventures with his friends and he was always a lot of fun. He had a passion for life. He also had a laugh that was contagious. It was so outrageous…it would make others around him laugh. I can still visualize how Jim’s eyes would well up with joy when he laughed. It was something to see.

Jim also got quite involved in forensic dentistry…often being called to travel away from St Louis to identify human remains. It takes a special person to do this type of service for his community.

I have so many wonderful and funny memories of Jim over the course of 20 years…too many to recount here. He had a Coach Mike Ditka personality and when people met him they would not forget him.

Unfortunately, Jim died suddenly at age 50 of a heart attack. It is hard to believe he has been gone 18 years. I still miss him very much…he was a man’s man and a good man. He made a difference in my life and so many others.

John Sheehan

2170 Hickory Drive

Chesterfield, MO 63005

johns1873@gmail.com

314-239-4107

Marital Status: Yep, 45 years Spouse name: Sigrid (formerly Sigrid Erickson) Children: Beth and Jack Sons attending De Smet: Nope, maybe one of the four grandsons, too soon to tell Grandchildren: Five, currently 5 to 11 y/o, all living in the St Louis area, we’re very blessed

Colleges and degrees: BSBA-concentration in accounting, MBA, both from UMSL

Main Life activities: Married 45 years in August, raised two fantastic kids that make us proud every single day, and now we spend as much time with the kids and grandkids as possible. Our kids went to Notre Dame and Xavier for college, both eventually married classmates and returned home to start their families.

I’ve only had two jobs, part time at Schnucks for 7 years from jr. year of high school through grad school. Then 35 years at BKD, LLP a CPA firm. Started as a generalist auditor, quickly specialized in hospitals, and spent the last half of my career consulting. It was challenging and very rewarding helping smaller rural hospitals thrive and serve their communities in a difficult, constantly changing regulatory environment. Most of my clients were in Missouri and Illinois, but I spoke at many local, regional and national conferences and worked all over the US both with individual hospitals and helping large systems operate their small hospitals. Comp was good too, allowed me to retire in 2012.

I’m so busy in retirement I can’t imagine finding time to work now if I had to.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Sigrid and I both learned to ride horses as kids. About 25 years ago we bought a couple horses just for fun and we’ve shared 4 horses for many years now. New horses have come and others, sadly, have gone. Our horses are at a boarding barn, Diamond Farms near Grey Summit, MO, not on our property. At Diamond they’re well cared for even when we travel and on days we don’t get to the barn. Every time we ride is like a short vacation. Our riding discipline evolved from hunter/jumper at the beginning, to dressage and trail riding now.

I played just a little hockey off and on after graduation. Then in my mid-40s when our son started playing, I coached his teams and joined a recreational league team myself. For a while I played on two teams and was fortunate enough to play into my early 60s. Fondest memories, however, were playing defense together with Jack for many years after he moved back to St. Louis. Wish I still could.

We’re big Blues fans, 2019 was awesome!

I have a small vintage and antique gun collection and enjoy shooting. The HSHS health system, a Catholic system, was a client and their CFO asked me to join their Finance Committee when I retired. The system later invited me to serve on the board of directors where I’m in my third 3-year term. I chair the Finance Committee and serve on another Board committee. The last few years have sure been interesting!! I also do other volunteering here and there.

De Smet Memories: Far too many to mention. But the best has to be winning the first ever Mid States Hockey Championship in 1972. Also, being the only 1972 player at the last alumni game in about 2010 was fun. I was playing regularly, had three games the prior two weeks, so most were surprised by the “old guy” still going strong at the end of the game.

I’d never really thought this through until now as I type this……. I was never a great student. But I believe the grounding and strong educational base I received at De Smet, plus 110% support from family, gave me the tools I needed to make the most of my opportunities.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Life was good”

Paul Sheehan M.D.

St. Louis, MO

psheehanmd@aol.com

Leaving The De Smet graduation stage behind, the next academic destination was Mizzou where a B.A. degree (mathematics) was completed in Dec. 1974.

Upon returning to STL the next 10 years were spent at St. Louis University, 4 years in medical school, and 6 years completing a neurological surgery residency. From 1985 until retirement in 2013 I practiced in a single specialty private practice group covering the north county area.

I am not currently married, look after mom, born 1923, with whom I live in a house on the Missouri river, selfdesigned in the early 1990’s.

Current pursuits include activities related to my memberships in WAG Investors LLC, The Florissant Rotary Club, and the St. Louis chapter of the Porsche Club of America. Other interests include reading, wine and travel.

The next scheduled bucket list destination is Antarctica.

Twin daughters Erin and Lauren were born in 1982. Both attended St. Joseph’s Academy and have business degrees from the University of Miami, Florida. Erin is a stay-at-home mom, raising Gianna b. 2010, Weston (De Smet class of ’37), and Aurelia b. 2020. Lauren pursues gold investment sales in Las Vegas and will transition to a stay-at-home mom this December.

It has been a great ride so far. Here’s to a great group of guys getting together and sharing past, present, and future adventures!

From Brad’s wife, Sandy

Bradley Vincent Spaunhorst

Date of Birth: March 9, 1954

Date of Death: December 31, 2000

Marital status: Married (deceased 2000) Spouse name: Sandy

Children: Sarah Spaunhorst Walsh & Ben Spaunhorst

Sons attending De Smet Jesuit: Ben ‘05

Grandchildren: Jeremiah Vincent Spaunhorst 2013, Alice Lillian Spaunhorst 2017, Arthur Bradley Walsh 2021

Colleges and degrees: Undergrad - Northwestern University, Law School - Washington University School of Law

Main Life activities: Family, Golf, Cardinal baseball

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Single digit handicap in Golf. Amazing trivia knowledge

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Golf, baseball. Coaching kids baseball, Loved TV! Photography

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music:

Books: Hobbit, Lorde of the Rings Dune.

TV: Star Trek, the Three Stooges, the Simpsons, Looney Toons

Movies: Godfather I and 2, James Bond Movies, Star Wars, Star Trek, Animal House, Any Cartoon movie the kids liked.

Music: Rolling Stones, Todd Rudgren, Beatles, Steely Dan, Billy Joel

Cities lived in: St Ann, Spanish Lake, Wildwood, Evanston, Illinois

States Visited: Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi

Brad worked for the Evans and Dixon Law firm in St. Louis and later became partner there. He worked there his entire career. We’ve shared Cardinal season tickets since 1982. The kids, grandkids and I continue that tradition.

We spent 2 weeks most summers at Lake of the Ozarks.

Larry Stoneman

wstoneman@att.net

Letter from Mr. Morgan to Larry’s parents warning of potential suspension along with his demerit card.

Framed and hanging proudly in his office today!

Larry in “The Indian’s”

Larry again in “The Indian’s”

Freshman Year (1st row, 2nd from right)

Paul K. Strain

5080 Avenida de Los Reyes Yorba Linda, CA 92886

paul@designedprotection.com

714-337-5570

Paul raised five children, and actively participated in their interests: participating in club soccer, baseball and scouting. He is a former board member of the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra and has active membership in the California Association of Health Underwriters. In 2014, Paul became certified as a PPACA Professional by the National Association of Health Underwriters.

He currently resides in Yorba Linda and enjoys the time he spends with his 8 grandchildren and thinking about all the fun he had at De Smet!

Paul is an employee benefits executive with over 30 years experience in sales, management and consulting services. He has experience in multiple lines of insurance, has worked for carriers, and as an independent consultant.

Paul has excellent human relations skills and can work effectively at all levels within an organization. He is particularly adept at analyzing complex problems and developing innovative solutions.

In January of 2001, he joined Designed Protection as a principal and now provides consulting services for a wide variety of clients, including those in both the private and public sectors.

Prior to joining Designed Protection, Paul was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Maxicare of California. At Maxicare, Paul reorganized the Sales and Marketing Department, which resulted in a 96% retention rate for existing business and new growth of approximately 70,000 commercial members. In addition, Paul took the company’s Medicare Risk business from its infancy to annualized revenues of over $100,000,000.

While at Maxicare, Paul’s responsibilities included oversight of key accounts such as, CalPERS, Los Angeles Unified School District, Inglewood Unified School District, Times-Mirror Corporation, City of Los Angeles, McDonnell Douglas/Boeing Corp, The Motion Picture Health and Welfare Trust and Cedar-Sinai Medical Center.

Sophomore Year Varsity Soccer Team (3rd row, 4th from left)

Varsity Football Team (3rd row, 2nd from left)

Freshman year with Bill Trigg and Terry Nicholson

Sophomore Class Picture

William C. Trigg, III

15 Park Avenue, Box 546

Stillwater, New York 12170

wtrigg@neny.wish.org 518-817-3024

Marital Status: Single

Children: Genevieve, age 35 and Amelia, age 33

Grandchildren: Not Yet

Colleges and degrees:

Thomas More University, Covington, KY -

B.A., Psychology and Theater, 1976 University at Albany, Albany, NY -

Master’s, Criminal Justice, 1978

Ph.D., Criminal Justice/Police Studies, 1984

Main Life activities:

Nonprofit Executive – C EO, NYS Trooper Foundation, 1984-2005

CEO, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York, 2006-present Parish Council; Lector Volunteer Wish Granter

Accomplishments:

My two beautiful daughters, Genevieve and Amelia Helped establish a program to provide ongoing support and services to the families of NYS Troopers killed in the line of duty

Graduate of the Lay Leadership Institute, Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, 2008-2010

Nonprofit Executive of the Year, 2019 awarded by Capital Region Chamber of Commerce

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Downhill Skiing, Running, Hiking, Volunteer Wish Granter with Make-A-Wish

De Smet Memories:

- Playing the role of Sitting Bull in our 1972 production of Indians

- Making an 8mm movie (spoof) about a student uprising at DeSmet involving the Channel 5 traffic copter (1971)

- Playing the music for Fiddler on the Roof (1972)

- Senior retreat at the White House Jesuit Retreat Center

- Senior Prom

Memorable Teachers: Kevin Buckley, John Faust, Neil Kimmel, S.J. (gave me my first demerit), Richard Grawer

Favorite:

Movie - Patton; Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan

Books - The Green Mile by Stephen King, Never Too Late by Bobby Delaughter

TV - Criminal Minds, Star Trek, the original series and TNG

Music - Country

Cities lived in: St. Louis, MO; Cincinnati, OH; Dixon, IL; Albany, NY; Saratoga Springs, NY

States visited: IL, IN, WI, AZ, CA, NY, MA, ME, VT, NJ, TN, TX, FL, MI

Countries visited: Province of Quebec, Canada, Province of Ottawa, Canada

Remaining Goals in Life: To enjoy retirement by spending more time with my kids, reading a lot, learning German and visiting a lot of historical sites around the U.S.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Thank You, God, for a Life Richly Blessed

Dante Event

Izzac Cake with Bill

John E. Tucker

731 NE 7th Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

jetresolute@hotmail.com

954-548-9882

Marital Status: Widower since May 2019 after 35 years of marriage

Children: None

Colleges and degrees: BS Industrial Management, 1978 Georgia Institute of Technology

MBA coursework - Florida Atlantic University

Main Life activities: 23 years of commercial banking in the South Florida market. Primary activities were Commercial and Corporate lending/banking. Managed several bank branches in my middle career along with commercial lending responsibilities. Owned a commercial mortgage banking firm prior to the secondary mortgage market collapse related to the subprime lending bubble in 2006.

Avid sailor and racer in South Florida and the Bahamas from 1978 until 1999. Owned several sailboats over 35 years. Commodore of my Yacht Club in 1995.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: My wife, dog and I left Ft. Lauderdale in 1999 for a 3 1/2 year sabbatical on our 36’ sailboat. We traveled the eastern Caribbean island chain from Florida to Trinidad and returned. Our trip, the memories, and the people we met from the islands as well as fellow sailors from over 15 countries was truly the highlight of my life.

De Smet Memories: Carrying a MG midget up to the 3rd floor which was then used as housing for the Jesuit Scholastics.

Memorable Teachers: Mr. Barhorst and the Chemistry classes. Fr. Koesterer who threatened to fail me in German every term and went with Tim Walsh and me to Europe after graduation.

Cities lived in: Unlike many of my classmates my family and I lived in 5 states prior to our move to St. Louis (my father as an engineer). I think I had attended over 10 schools prior to De Smet. After graduating and 3 semesters in Rolla (then UMR), I moved to Atlanta for college and then to Ft. Lauderdale and South Florida where I have lived for the past 44 years including over 15 years aboard our boat.

Travels: I have been to Canada, Mexico, Western Europe and the Eastern Caribbean nations. My favorites are the places I have spent the most time in including Bad Tolz south of Munich, the Dominican Republic, Dominica and Grenada. Honorable mention goes to the Tobaco Cays in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where we spent the Millennial change with 5 other cruising boats from the US, Canada, Great Britian and Ireland.

John and Cindy on their boat in Granada 1999

John being installed as Commodore in 1995

John and Lauren at the theater 12-2021

John’s boat “Resolute” off Nevis Island 1998

1986 John and Cindy at their house

Birth: 1953 Kirkwood, Missouri

Timothy J. Tulley

Date of Birth: September 23, 1953

Date of Death: October 26, 1988

Death: 1988 New Haven, Franklin, Missouri

Spouse: Mary B. Coffey

Children: Jess, Lauren, Hannah

Lived in: St. Louis, Hermann, Augusta

Sophomore Class Picture

Junior class picture

Tim with Bill Koncen freshman year in uniform

Marital Status: Happy

Children: Jessica, Jack and Carly

Sons attending De Smet: Jack (2011)

Rick Vogel

1917 Kings Row Manor St. Louis, MO 63146

rickvogel54@gmail.com 314-610-9936

Spouse name: Susan

Grandchildren: None yet

Colleges and Degrees: UMSL – Bachelor degree in Business Administration

Main Life activities: Raising 3 great kids and being happily married for 30+ years now. Only 2 real jobs - 15 years in computer sales prior to 28 years in upper management for a privately owned company. Retired in 2020.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Raising three incredible kids is number one. After 6 years of playing rugby I got hooked on running. Ran 8 marathons in total including Boston, Honolulu, London and Moscow. Of course I’m paying the price now! Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Cycling, hiking and traveling. Volunteer work with church, Knights of Columbus and others. On the board of St. Louis Navy League. De Smet Memories: A fight after a basketball game that resulted in handcuffs on Mr. Vitello (or so I was told because I left immediately when Mr. Vitello told me to go home). Winning $200 in a poker game during the De Smet trip to DC & New York- then blowing it all on a date the next night at the Copacabana where the Temptations were performing. Wrestling match with cracked ribs after falling over a balcony at a party the night before...only time I was pinned (other than by teammates). Totaling my car at Babler State Park on skip day. Wrong place at the wrong time with Rick McBride and Al Dapron at Chaminade dance. Frank Fillo getting backhanded in homeroom after one of his classic performances. Senior project at St. Mark’s grade school in the inner city was life changing for me. I could go on and on.

Senior Project at St. Mark’s Grade School Gerber, Phuntner, Vogel & Hubbell

Jamaica Wedding 1990

Family at daughter Jessie’s wedding 2021

Memorable Teachers: Bob Christian, Father Hoyer, Rich Grawer and Kevin Buckley

Cities lived in: St. Louis States visited: Most

Favorite State: Colorado Countries visited: Many but not enough

Favorite Country: Ireland Continents visited: Europe, Asia, North and South America

Favorite Cities: Dublin, Limerick and London

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy grandkids, travel, stay healthy and volunteer work

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Thank you God for all the second chances!”

Mt Shavano Dad and Jack 2007

Mardi Gras Rugby Tournament 1980 Rick with the ball

FA15 landing behind us on the USS Harry S. Truman

Royal Gorge with Jack and Scouts

Don Vogt

Marital Status: Married Spouse name: Ann

Children: Aimee, Christopher, Michele, Katie and Greg Sons attending De Smet: Christopher ‘99 and Greg ‘04 Grandchildren: 6 Grandsons and 5 Granddaughters

Colleges and degrees: Benedictine College, BA in Accounting

Main Life Activities: Son/Brother/Husband/Father/Opa; Professional career in the areas of Finance and Merger & Acquisitions for companies in the manufacturing, technology, and professional services industries.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Marrying my wife 43 years ago; Assisting my wife in raising 5 reasonably responsible children; Passing the C.P.A. and C.M.A. Exams; Inducted into Benedictine College Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1974 soccer team; Successfully completed treatments to subside my CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia)

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: Genealogy; Played collegiate soccer with Tom Buergler and our 1974 team earned a berth to the national championship tournament for the first time in the program’s history finishing third (Sam Bick’s Quincy College team won the national championship); Coaching my sons’ grade school baseball and soccer teams; Assisting with the Parish Capital Campaign; Coordinated 50th grade school reunion.

De Smet Memories: Going on a couple Saturday float trips with classmates and Jesuits during the summer between Freshmen and Sophomore years; Br Frank Schmitt, later to be Fr Schmitt, racing out of the gym, with his hair and face burned, to turn off the school’s main power switch after experiencing an electrical fire while working on the gym’s scoreboard; Saving Chris Schatzman from getting the hell kicked out of him by some Auggie guys outside the Emerson Lobby after a basketball game; Attending various school plays, especially Fiddler on the Roof featuring Mark Hayes as Tevye; Senior Projects; Senior Retreat; Playing in the state soccer quarterfinals junior and senior years; Playing football and beating CBC and SLUH and becoming Co-Champions of the Bi-State Conference in our senior year; Admiring John Stockberger’s perseverance despite his challenges and obstacles; Attending numerous school mixers with the Jay Berry or Soul Town Revue bands; Friendly North Siders/ South Siders rivalry, while the U City guys not knowing where they fit in; Serving as an officer for the Lettermen’s Club; Coaches Christian and Vitello advocating for my various football and soccer recognitions and their assistance during the college recruiting process; Being Tim Walsh’s locker partner.

Memorable Teachers/Coaches: Bob “Bear” Christian, Padre Hoyer, Greg

Vitello, Chris Mess, Fr John Bergin, Fr Robert Holmes, Fr William Snyders; George Hasser and Br Jim Marheineke

Cities lived in: St. Louis, Dallas and Detroit

States visited: Hawaii, California, Nevada, North Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Michigan, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina

Favorite States: Michigan and Florida

Countries visited: Germany, England, France, Spain, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea and Israel

Favorites Countries: England and Germany

Continents visited: Europe, Asia and North America

Favorite Cities: London, Moscow, Milan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Paris, Barcelona, Tokyo and Munich

Remaining Goals in Life: Continue to work on my family Genealogy project; Continue family vacations in Western Michigan on Lake Michigan; Attending grandchildren’s various events; Continue to serve others who can benefit from my knowledge and experience.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: We don’t accomplish anything on this earth alone, many thanks to those who have accompanied me during this journey.

Charles “Chip” von Doersten

Date of Birth: May 29, 1954

Date of Death: April 11, 2009

Jim Didion’s Remembrance of Chip - Charles Berne “Chip” von Doersten was one of the funniest guys I ever met. He could make you laugh with just a look. On Monday mornings Chip would tell stories of how he and his friends terrorized Malcolm Sweet around Kirkwood over the weekend. Chip got his degree at TCU in Fort Worth and went on to become a very successful businessman in the chemicals industry. His untimely death saddened many, but those who knew Chip will always remember him fondly. He was truly a Man for Others.

Bob Mills’ Remembrance of Chip - Chip lived his life by the lessons he learned from DeSmet Jesuit; “A man for others” and left this world way too soon from a tragic accident at his house on April 11, 2009.

Chip was the son of Byrne and Marilynn von Doersten and grew up in Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Glendale. Chip had two younger brothers Jeff and Eddie who both attended DeSmet Jesuit for a period of time as well. Chip was the guy in high school who everyone liked and wanted to get to know. The happy guy who ran track, was smart in the classroom and faculty, coaches and classmates all praised. One thing Chip was famous for in high school was being selected as a caddie for the 1971 Ryder Cup held at Old Warson Country Club.

After graduating from DeSmet, Chip went south and became an adopted Texan at Texas Christian University. The khaki pants and penny loafers were put in the closet for wrangler jeans and Justin cowboy boots. His great outgoing personality made him a natural leader for his fraternity, Sigma Chi. I had the terrific experience of being Chip’s roommate in college but I am not sure he enjoyed some of the TCU athletes who dropped by our house at 2:00am some nights on their way back to campus. What Chip did enjoy was the opportunity to work out in the weight room with some of the football players. Our college days were filled with laughter, working hard in the classroom and listening to Chip’s great stories. As graduation approached Chip was the only one who would graduate on time; the rest of us took the 5th year victory lap. It was during senior year Chip met the love of his life Debbie Sanders and then became the first of all his friends to get married in 1977.

Chip continued to use his leadership skills and incredible personality to have a very successful 19 year career with Monsanto. During his time at Monsanto he went on to earn his MBA, take on a 3 year assignment in Brussels, and have 3 wonderful children, Chad, Lindsay and Elizabeth. While in Brussels Chip was introduced to the fine red wine of the French. On returning to the US, Chip was able to ship several cases of this fine wine with their furniture. Now between Debbie’s incredible cooking and Chips fine wine everyone wanted the invite for dinner. As the night would go on more wine would come out and Chip’s stories became longer and funnier.

Chip always dreamed of owning his own company and in 2005 he purchased a small chemical manufacturing business to form PCI. The business still thrives today. Chip‘s leadership and wanting to give back to the community did not stop at the office. Being a man for others was very important to him and this was obvious by Debbie and his support of St. Martha’s Hall, Loyola Academy, Ducks Unlimited, Churchill School and several other non-profits in St. Louis.

Chip’s love of golf continued at Algonquin Country Club where he was elected to the Board of Directors and today a golf tournament is named in his honor.

Chip’s greatest pride in life was Debbie and his three children, all married today and each have two children. Anyone who ever met Chip would walk away saying what a terrific guy he was. It is difficult to comprehend such a great person who was always willing to help out, give back and tell a funny story is gone today.

Chip, we only wish you could be with us at the 50th year reunion and share some of your fine red wine and tell your hilarious stories.

Bob Mills & Monsignor John Shamleffer with Chip

Jim Voskamp

Date of Birth: Jan 25, 1954

Date of Death: Nov 10, 1989

Remembrance of Jim from his brother, Bob - James David Voskamp 1954-1998. Jim was brought up in your typical St Louis Catholic family with two older brothers and two younger sisters. Jim grew up in Des Peres in West County and went to St Clements Catholic grade school on Bopp Road. Jim went on to the newly formed DeSmet High School where he loved the tradition, academics and hockey.

Jim’s two older brothers both went to SLUH as well as his mother’s brother and father. His grandfather was an electrical engineer for Southwestern Bell on Pine. Jim’s father was a highly decorated World War II pilot who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and flew numerous combat missions in the South Pacific and later the F-4 Program Mgr and F-18 D Program Mgr at McDonnel Douglas. Jim’s mother was very kind and compassionate and always there for him and all her children.

Jim loved the St Louis Blues and hockey. Jim was on one of the early hockey teams at DeSmet. He was the goalie and from what I understand he was fearless and a leader on the team. Jim went on to graduate from Southwest Missouri State with a degree in Geology and from there went to work in Midland, Texas in oil exploration. His older brother had a degree in Geophysics and worked in oil exploration in Texas as well. Jim loved his job and worked a lot at the rig sights which put him outdoors.

In 1989 Jim succumbed to the ravages of Multiple Sclerosis; way too early for someone bright, energetic and who loved the God created outdoors.

I’m sure Jim wishes everyone the best on this very celebratory day.

Midland, TX Softball Team

Jim is in the back row, third from the left

Freshman year with Chris Wilson, Bob Righter, and Bob Wientge

72 Hockey Team (4th from left, 1st row)

Marital Status: Single - Widower

Children: None

Tim Walsh

10413 St. Henry Lane St. Ann, MO 63074

314-420-8901

Colleges and degrees: Attending UMSL 1972 to 1975 / no degree

Main Life activities:

Employed at SWBT (Bell Tel) 1979 – 1982

Employed as Heat & Frost Insulator 1982 - 2013

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Elected Alderman – City of St. Ann 1984 – 1990

Inducted into the De Smet Hall of Fame 2002

Hobbies:

- Attending vintage car & truck shows and rallies

- Driving historic RT66, Hwy 40 (Nat. Rd) & other historic 2 lane U.S. Highways

- Visiting National Parks & Historic Sites throughout the U.S.

De Smet Memories: Senior year football when De Smet defeated S LUH 14-13. The curse had finally been broken.

Memorable Teachers: Fr. Tim Lawless, Fr. Dave Koesterer, Chris Mess, Greg DiBlasi and Bob Christian

Favorite Books/TV/Movies:

- Books - None

- TV - Big Bang Theory and MASH

- Movies - The Wizard of O Z and It’s a Wonderful Life

Cities lived in: St. Louis

States visited:

All except Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, N. Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, W. Virginia

Favorite States: Colorado, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Countries visited: Canada, Mexico, England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, France, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany (1972 East & West), Austria, Italy, Swizerland and The Vatican

Favorite Countries: Canada, England and the Republic of Ireland

Continents visited: North America and Europe

Favorite Cities: London and Venice

Remaining Goals in Life:

1. Celebrate my 80th Birthday

2. Drive historic Rt 66 from Chicago to L.A. on one continuous trip

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “He was a nice guy who tried to make a difference!”

Walsh on retreat in High School

Senior Project at Regency Nursing Home

William (Bill) A. Westura

Date of Birth: September 24, 1954

Date of Death: January 9, 2006

Both William (Bill) and his brother, Michael, passed away on the same date in VA.

Death: 9 Jan 2006 (aged 51)

Burial: Saint Francis Xavier Church Cemetery Compton, St. Mary’s County, Maryland, USA

Bill packing cookies with Gary Raeker at a charity event

Bill joined fellow Spartans at a Christmas party and food drive at Carver House

Sophomore Class Picture

Freshman year with John Paterson and John Kelly on his right

Freshman Year Drama Club

Marital Status: Married

Children: 2

Sons attending De Smet: none

Grandchildren: 5

Colleges and degrees: SLU – Bachelors

U of Florida – Masters

Main Life activities:

Mark Winter

719 Champeix Lane

Creve Coeur, MO 63141

wintermarkb@gmail.com 913-624-4716

Spouse name: Vickie

Formerly working; now retired (as of July 1).

Travel, hiking on a regular basis

In addition to living in the city, managing a farm in southern Missouri

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments:

Spent a number of years in International Trade Lane Security, post 9/11.

Memorable Teachers: Fr. Ralph Passarelli

Cities lived in: Besides St. Louis, Raleigh NC and Leawood KS

States visited: All

Countries visited: Numerous

Continents visited: Several

Remaining Goals in Life: TBD

Favorite States: North Carolina and Colorado

Favorite Countries: Germany, England and Taiwan

Favorite Cities: Berlin, London and Hong Kong

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: Haven’t worked on this yet.

Old Newsboy Day is better than a school day!

Sophomore class picture

Mark - far right. Member of the SPARTAN press

Mark in Track Team Picture (he is the one out of uniform)

Marital Status: Married

Spouse name: Patty

Children: Fortunately….None

Robert J. Zehr

4851 Bonita Bay Boulevard 1702 Bonita Springs, Florida 34134

zehrr@comcast.net 239-860-6268

Colleges and degrees: University of Missouri-St. Louis ’76 BS Chemistry

University of Missouri-St. Louis ’79 MS BioChemistry

St. Louis Univ. School of Medicine ’85 MD

Cleveland Clinic Foundation ’90 Orthopaedic Surgery

University of Florida- Gainesville ’91 Orthopaedic Oncology

Case Western Univ. Weatherhead ’94 Exec. MBA

Main Life activities: Orthopaedic Surgery …. Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: Married a remarkably intelligent, insightful and patient woman before I ever accomplished anything of value. Very Lucky!!!

Head of Orthopaedic Oncology Cleveland Clinic ’94-’98 / Medical Director, Chief of Staff, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery / CEO of Cleveland Clinic Naples ’98- ’06

Orthopaedic Surgery Private Practice ’06 to present in Naples, FL performing ~500 joint replacements annually. Founder and CEO of Seaside Surgery Center where we were to first in this area to perform outpatient hip and knee replacement surgery.

De Smet Memories: Specific memories are a bit sparse but my general feeling of having had a very strong education despite this school being 2 years old when I started there. Felt very prepared to compete at the next level of education when I left.

Memorable Teachers: Barhorst, Boehm, Hoyer, Lawless, Christian

Remaining Goals in Life: Wake up every day with…purpose!

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “No worries…my fate was decided before I was born”

with Ted Zink Freshman Picture with Stu Jackson and Duane Eise

Tennis Team Sophomore Year

Between classes Sophomore year

Marital Status: Married

Ted Zink

675 Pansy Place

Henderson, Nevada 89052

tzink44@gmail.com 914-391-2245

Spouse name: Mary

Children: Meghan, Kathleen and Jacqueline (Jackie)

Sons attending De Smet: None

Grandchildren: Reagan, Charlie (a/k/a “Moose”) and Teddy

Colleges and degrees: BSBA University of Notre Dame

MBA Washington University in St. Louis

Juris Doctor Washington University in St. Louis

Main Life activities: International Law Practice; pursuing, but never really approaching, excellence; raising children; enjoying my family (including my in-laws); trying to learn one new thing each day; representing clients to the best of my ability.

Noteworthy/Interesting Accomplishments: The details are rather inconsequential, really. Partner with two international law firms; Resident Managing Partner at Firm’s Office in Hong Kong. Ran and completed Marine Corps and New York City Marathons.

Hobbies/Sports/Volunteering: CrossFit, golf, tennis, sitting on beaches with adult beverages and Reggae music, reading, American Heart Association (Westchester County), Board Member and President of the Larchmont (New York) Shore Club, laughing at myself, cringing when thinking of all the mistakes I’ve made.

De Smet Memories: Hallway and stairway student “mooing” on Friday dismissals; two-a-day football practices in the August heat; manning the snack bar during Friday night basketball games and meeting all the “hot” girls, riding the North County bus, meeting at DeSmet some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met in my entire life.

Memorable Teachers: European history Freshmen year with Mr. Rich Grawer; Latin American History with Fr. Lawless; various classes with the one and only Chris Mess; calculus with Mr Gerald McMahon SJ; Spanish with Padre Hoyer.

Favorite Books/TV/Movies/Music: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; The Single Best Investment; Breaking Bad; Better Call Saul; Goodfellas; Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre; Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, George Benson; Sade; Rolling Stones, Earth Wind & Fire, Fleetwood Mac.

Cities lived in: Chicago, New York, Hong Kong, Greenwich, CT; Las Vegas, NV

States visited: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Kansas and Colorado.

Favorite States: California, Florida, Oregon, Maine and Texas.

Countries visited: England, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, China, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines; Singapore, Colombia and The Dominican Republic.

Favorite Countries: France and Italy.

Continents visited: Europe, Asia, North America and South America.

Favorite Cities: San Francisco; Los Angeles; New York City; Venice, Italy; and Paris, yes, love me some Paris.

Remaining Goals in Life: Enjoy retirement, get into the best shape of my adult life, create wonderful memories with my wife, daughters and grandchildren, travel.

Potential Gravestone Epitaph: “Often wrong, but never in doubt.” Or “He was often clueless until it was too late.” “Professionally, he did ok considering all the grossly dysfunctional people with whom he had to deal.”

Appendix 1: Full 1972 Graduating Class

Dennis Ahearn

William Dennis

Philip Ahern Paul Devereux

Charles Aselage

Joseph Bafaro

Floyd Baldwin

Richard Bange

David Bates

John Batterton

David Beckham

Paul Beggan

Joseph Behlmann

James Didion

Ronald Diebold

Donald Doheny

Francis Dorsey

John Dougherty

William Dreyer

David Droege

Ronald Duchek

Joseph Dukeman

David Bene Duane Eise

Robert Bennett

John Berg

Samuel Bick

Bruce Branch

Gregory Erker

Edward Ferrie

Francis Fillo

Michael Finnegan

Kevin Braun Patrick Finnegan

Stephen Brendecke

David Brunts

Timothy Fleming

Timothy Flick

Daniel Bube Michael Floodman

Thomas Buergler

Thomas Harris

David Harris

Daniel Hart

James Hart

Mark Hayes

Timothy Healey

Arthur Hiemenz

Joseph Hoffman

John Hofmeister

Gary Hogan

Michael Hubbell

Mark Huneke

Thomas Hutchings

Stuart Jackson

Arthur James

William Jarvis

Harold Johnson

Michael Juergensmeyer

John Kelly

Edward Kinsella

Mark Foster Ronald Kirchoff

Brian Burnes Richard Freschi

Daniel Callahan

Michael Carlsen

Thomas Gaertner

Sean Gallivan

George Carver Leo Gamp

Jack Chartrand

Gary Chastain

William Chulick

John Clark

Paul Colombo

Robert Costello

Patrick Costello

Michael Gavosto

Thomas Geisse

William Gerber

Richard Gerber

Joseph Glynn

Ronald Goehler

Kenneth Gorman

James Crowley John Graczak

Stephen Kling

William Koncen

Charles Korte

Edward Kramer

John Krieger

Francis Kubik

James Lambright

David LaRussa

Brian Lavin

Daniel Leonard

Richard Logger

John Lonsberg

Dennis Crown Timothy Graham Dietmar Luhofer

Charles

Dachroeden John Green John Maurath

William Dahm

Donald Griese

Charles Dapron Alan Griesedieck

John Debroeck

Richard Haley

Patrick McCarthy

William Schmidt

Robert McCue Frederic Schneeberger

Bernard McGuire Paul Schneider

Joseph McLaughlin Michael Schultz

Robert Michalski Kim Schwartzkopf

Robert Mills John Sciortino

Christopher Moran John Sheehan

Mark Morrell Paul Sheehan

Robert Mosher Kent Shockley

John Muller Fred Smith

Richard Muraski

James Neels

Terrence Nicholson

Myron Souris

Brad Spaunhorst

Thomas Stephenson

Kevin O'Brien John Stockberger

John O'Connor William Stoneman

Michael Olszewski Paul Strain

Joseph O'Neill William Trigg

Edward Ossie

John Tucker

Lawrence Padberg Timothy Tulley

Joseph Patane

John Pfuntner

Mark Picker

Robert Poe

Patrick Postal

Gary Raeker

Gregory Raffel

Joseph Reidy

Joseph Reilly

Robert Righter

Michael Ring

Steven Sanders

Glennon Schaefer

Michael Schaller

Christopher Schatzman

Timothy McAllister

Richard McBride

Michael McCarthy

Richard Vogel

Donald Vogt

Charles Von Doersten

James Voskamp

Timothy Walsh

Gregory Warren

John Welsh

William Westura

Robert Wientage

Mark Winter

James Woodward

Mark Yeager

Robert Zehr

Thomas Ziegler

Norman Zink

James Schaus John Zipfel

Joseph Schieszer Scott Zoeller

John Schlafly

Gary Schlicher

Appendix 2: De Smet: Notes on Its Founding 19621968

The definitive history of the founding of De Smet remains to be written. Unfortunately, the school never established a proper archive in the decades following its founding, so after fifty years, almost no documentary evidence remains of its founding 7 Nonetheless, we herewith provide some summary historical notes, in additions to recollections by Bill Holland below.

A - Summary Notes on the Founding

1. On August 15, 1962 - Fr. John Choppesky, SJ, was appointed rector of SLUH, with a mandate to build another Jesuit high school in St. Louis. The plan was endorsed by then Archbishop, Joseph Cardinal Ritter, who at the time ambitiously stated he would like to have two or three more Jesuit high schools in his archdiocese, since by the early 1960s, over 800 boys were applying to SLUH for the 230 available seats. SLUH was traditionally a feeder of vocations to the diocesan and religious priesthood. It was hoped the new school would do the same. (And in fact, De Smet has been a significant source of vocations, although obviously not the 20 per year that was hoped for.)

2. The name chosen for the new school was De Smet in honor of Fr. Pierre Jean De Smet who was one of the chief founders of the Missouri Province and of the Society of Jesus in mid-America. The building of De Smet Jesuit was the first time SLUH called on its friends and alumni for financial aid for new construction. In addition, it was decided that SLUH would give De Smet $500,000 - "it is given solely and exclusively for setting up a scholarship fund for students attending De Smet Jesuit High School, but only as long as De Smet is a Jesuit sponsored high school.”

3. Early planning for De Smet in the 1963-66 period took place on Friday afternoons in booths at a neighborhood Irish tavern down the street from SLUH on 6400 Oakland at McDermotts (now known as Pat Connelly’s), attended mainly by those Jesuits involved in the planning.

4. The plan was to build the school on a 30-50 acre tract in St. Louis County (the original location was on Weidman Road but changed to the North New Ballas Road location). The school facility would consist of an academic wing, cafeteria, auditorium-chapel wing, gymnasium, and faculty residence. The academic wing was to be built first and the others added as funds became available.

5. Total cost of the new school was estimated to be $3,000,000. In 1964, a fund-raising drive was initiated, focused on alumni, parents, and friends of SLUH, to raise the remaining monies beyond the SLUH $500,000 grant, and by January 1966 pledges had reached $1.2 million.

6. The fathers of 20 incoming freshmen agreed to serve on a provisional Board of Trustees They advised the school administration in matters of public relations, school policy, operations, budget, and the solicitation of future gifts (corporate and individual). Bill Holland, SLUH 1943, was the chair of the Board. Fr. Greg Jacobsmeyer, SJ, was the first president of De Smet and Fr. Gerry Bone, SJ, was the first principal. Both sat on the Board as ex officio members. Groundstone was laid in 1966.

7. On September 5, 1967, De Smet Jesuit celebrated its First Day of Classes. The initial faculty in Fall 1967 comprised 71% Jesuits, including 6 priests, 4 scholastics, 2 brothers, and 5 laymen. The course of studies was modeled after that at SLUH with minor exceptions The freshmen took a modern foreign language (French, German, Spanish, Japanese); chose an elective from Latin, a second modern foreign language, or geography/government; English, algebra, ancient history, typing, religion, and PE.

8. A permanent Board of Trustees was formed with Fr. Greg Jacobsmeyer, SJ, as chairman. The school was formally dedicated on February 25, 1968. With each new year, De Smet added another class to the student body, so that the initial Freshman class of September 1967 had the unique experience of “being seniors” for four years in a row.

7 The Reunion Yearbook editors sought any and all information and documents related to De Smet from both the school and the Jesuit archives in St. Louis, but alas almost nothing was forthcoming. There were no financial records, board minutes, board memoranda, letters, photographs, or other documentation that might have otherwise enabled us to write a proper history. (Class of 1971)

Original Design Schematic of De Smet, circa 1964

9. In July 1969, Jesuits finally moved into their residence. Up to this time they had been living in the school building itself, and there were 27 Jesuits at De Smet at the time of the school’s First Annual Commencement on June 2, 1971.

B - Further recollections of Classmate Bill Holland 8

1. Fr. Gerald Sheehan was the principal at SLUH in the early 1960’s. SLUH was receiving far more applications that it could accept. Many of these applications were from legacy alums who wanted their sons to go to SLUH. It was causing quite a problem with the alumni. Like Cardinal Ritter and Fr. Choppesky, Father Sheehan saw the need for a second Jesuit high school and helped Fr. Choppesky begin the process of forming committees to raise the funds and identify and secure a site.

2. As we all know, the demographics of St. Louis were changing in the 60’s Expansion into the suburbs was exploding in all directions. North County was growing very rapidly but so was South County. West County was just starting to pick up its development as well. Several noted institutions were leaving the City of St. Louis and relocating to the County. One of the most prominent was the Sisters of Mercy who were moving their hospital from Grand and Chippewa to Ballas and US 40. Highway 40 was still a four lane highway and I-270 was just being built, and was called I-244 at the time.

3. As I remember it, Father Sheehan took an airplane and flew around the area where the new St. John’s Hospital was being built. He saw a farm located to the north of Ladue Road on Ballas. That farm was chosen as the ideal site for the new high school. The original site was larger than what was finalized as there was a disagreement between the two sisters that owned the land. Included into the sale was the land to the north of the handball courts. In order to keep peace with the sellers and move forward the original plot site was amended to what we knew in 1967. (Later, De Smet did buy the land and that is where the new fields are located as well as the house which is now used for offices.)

4. In 1962, my Dad came to me and told me he wasn’t going to be able to be home for my birthday, February 18th. I was nine years old and pretty upset. He told me he had a very important meeting to go to and that meeting would be impacting my future. I found out later that is what the initial meeting that Father Sheehan had called to form the fundraising effort for De Smet Jesuit High School. My Dad, along with Frank Finnegan, Ed Nestor, Dick Fitzgibbon and others that I can’t remember, all started the tough job of raising the $2.5 million was going to take to complete the project. The SLUH alums from ’42-47 took the lead in this effort, but SLUH alumni from classes from the 1930s also participated in the effort.

5. We were all set to take our entrance exams at SLUH in the spring of 1967 for the opening in September, 1967. I remember sitting next to John Goessling and remember how smart he must be because he finished every section before anyone else.

6. During August there was the spontaneous combustion fire which caused smoke damage on the second and third floors and in the gym. We were in Chicago on vacation and my Dad received a telegram telling him about the fire. The City of Creve Coeur wasn’t going to grant an occupancy permit. My Dad, Father Jacobsmeyer and others pleaded to let the school open. They agreed to the first floor only and that is how we started De Smet, all crammed in the first floor. The Jesuits lived in the front offices.

7. In April, 1967 the school started to get organized. A Mother’s Club was formed. It was the Mother’s Club that thought it would be nice if we would wear blazers There was a concern that De Smet would not have a unique identity and to wear a blazer was a way to differentiate it. Bond Clothiers downtown was where our mothers bought the blazers.

Emerson Entrance, September 1967

Appendix 3: De Smet - Faculty & Staff 1968-1972

Fr. Greg Jacobsmeyer 1st President 5/8/2001

Fr. Thomas McQueeny 2nd President 3/6/2002

Fr. John Arnold 5th President 11/15/2020

Went to Trinidad Parish in Colorado to serve as Pastor.at Holy Trinity Church.

President of De Smet 1971-1981, then director of Missouri Province Development Office. In 1991, returned to De Smet as assistant to the president until 1997.

After completing his theology studies, he returned to De Smet as a priest and served as principal from 1974-77. He was then moved to Fusz Memorial, where he was a floor superior for Jesuit scholastics and also taught religion at St. Louis University High School for a year. After earning an MBA at the University of Chicago in 1980, he returned to St. Louis to serve as assistant treasurer and revisor for apostolates in the former Missouri Province Offices. In 1988, he was appointed province treasurer. In 1992, he returned to De Smet as rector and teacher of mathematics, and named president of the school in 1998, serving in that role until 2006. In 2006-18, Father Arnold served in the province office as an assistant to the treasurer. During that time, he also served as either acting superior (2011-13) or superior (2013-17) of Ignatius House community. Failing eyesight made necessary his retirement and move to Jesuit Hall in May 2018.

Fr. Gerry Bone 1st Principal 4/28/2015 Left priesthood to marry.

Fr. Ralph Houlihan 2nd Principal

Fr. John Apel Chemistry

Fr. John Bergin Social Studies 11/30/2014

Mr. George Barhorst Chemistry 3/14/2014

Mr. Tom Bashwiner Dir of Devt., Spanish

Mr. Edward Berns Studio Art

Mr. Ron Bick Math

Mr. Peter Bishop Mathematics

Mr. Gerald Boehm Earth Science, Biology

Fr. Richard Buhler Anthropology

Mr. Dale Burgman Mech Drawing/Coach

Mr. Kevin Buckley History

Mr. Ralph Caraffa Science

Mr. Dennis Cerneka Director of Development

Mr. Frank Conlan English

Miss Linda Clemons French

Went to SLU in 1974 and then in 1979 went to Regis High School in Denver. Currently Retired at Jesuit Hall.

Taught from 1971-1979. Celebrated 50 years as a Priest in September, 2019.

Continued to teach at De Smet (history and religion), and ultimately was a teacher or otherwise associated with the school for over 25 years. Also taught at Regis in Denver.

Later taught Physics and outdoor education at John Burroughs High School.

Later became Rector at SLU and now at Coventry, Louisiana.

Succeeded Rich Grawer as Varsity Basketball Coach; Retired to Lake of Ozarks

Taught at De Smet for many years.

Mr. Robert Christian AD, Social Studies 6/12/2009 Left De Smet in 1984, and worked in private sector.

Mr. William Christman Studio Art Left De Smet in 1971 and pursued career in the arts.

Fr. Thomas Curry Poetry Appreciation, Satire 12/29/1980

Mr. Terrence Dempsey English

Mr. Dennis Dietz Physics

Entered Jesuits; became Director of the Jesuit Museum in St. Louis

After De Smet, got a PhD, worked for Johnson & Johnson, then started a medical technology company in Denver, ran it for years,

then sold it, and is a private aircraft pilot, and flight instructor in Denver.

Miss Jeraldine Dotzler Typing

Mr. David Doughty English

Fr. William Doyle Studio Art 12/19/1995

Mr. Gregory DiBlasi History

Taught at De Smet for many years.

Mr. John Faust English, Drama, Speech 4/12/2012 Left De Smet to join John Burroughs as drama instructor.

Miss Yvonne Fernau Typing

Mr. Norbert Freitag History

Mr. John Gibbons Geometry, Algebra 7/11/1994

Mr. William Griffin Physiology, Phys Ed.

Mr. Richard Grawer History / Coach

Mr. James Grout Religion

Mr. George Hasser Spanish

Mr. Vernon Heinsz Religion

Mr. Bernard Hensgen History

Fr. Robert Holmes Religion 8/16/1999

Married Chris Mess / taught at Chaminade after leaving De Smet in 1974.

After coaching De Smet to its 3rd State basketball title in 1981 hired as assistant coach at Mizzou, then in 1982-1992 was Basketball Head Coach of SLU, followed by AD of Clayton High School until retiring. (see also bio accompanying the Forward)

Taught at De Smet until retiring in 2004.

Became Spiritual Director at Rockhurst. Retired at SLU.

Fr. Bernard Hoyer Spanish 2/18/1993 Taught Spanish at De Smet for many years.

Mr. William Jelinek English

Fr. William Kane English

Mr. James Keene Mathematics

Mr. Robert Kelley Math, Asst Principal 3/2/2019 Remained at De Smet until the late 1980s.

Mr. Thomas Kelly Treasurer 10/6/1973 Went to SLU.

Mr. Neil Kimmel English 8/21/2017

Mr. David Koenigs Biology, Adv. Biology

Fr. David Koesterer German 3/11/2020

Mrs. Cathy Kubec French

After leaving the order, married with four children and was a realtor for 40 years in Denver, CO.

Pronounced final vows at De Smet in Feb., 1972. Taught for 9 years. Received master’s degree in piano and eventually went to serve at White House Retreat

Fr. Patrick Lawless Religion 4/8/1976 Served as Principal at Rockhurst. Taken by cancer.

Fr. Timothy Lawless History 2/16/2004

Taught at Regis Jesuit in Denver; spent several years in Himalayas.

Mrs. Pat LaPresto Secretary

Fr. Gerhardt Lehmkuhl History, Social Studies, Econ I 03/09/2012 Ordained in 1974

Mr. Barry Lewis French

Mr. Thomas Loehr English, Film Tech. Left as a scholastic, and currently teaching at Tulane University.

Bro. Jim Marheineke Groundskeeper; Coach 3/12/2012

Left the order and married a widow who was the mother of a student who he coached in cross country.

Mr. Robert McEvoy English

Fr. James McFarland Counseling 2/22/1997 Worked at a parish in California.

Mr. Larry Morgan Assistant Principal

Mr. Christopher Mess Social Studies

Mr. J.J. Mueller English, Religion

Mr. Michael Mueller Trig

Fr. James McMullan Religion

Mr. James P. Neill English

Mr. Gerald McMahon Asst. Principal, Math 3/29/1974

Mr. James P. Neill English

Mr. Gerald Nonnenkamp Religion

Mrs. Mabel Nordstrom Secretary

Mrs. Nancy Knieja Secretary

Mr. James O'Hagan English

Mrs. Cathi Ott English

Fr. Ralph Passarelli Religion, Spanish 10/29/95

Mr. John Polizzi Band

Mr. Jim Pollock Various 10/26/1990

Continued to teach at De Smet until retiring in 2004. Married Yvonne Fernau

Went to Gonzaga U to teach.

Scholastic who was transferred to Denver, then left the order, and currently in DC

Went into theology at Berkeley, but died in a canoeing accident on river in California.

Stayed at De Smet many years, then went to Trinidad Parish in Colorado.

Scholastic who was later ordained and ran the parish at the iconic Holy Trinity Church in Old North St. Louis

Mr. Jack Renard Religion, Latin Became Islamic scholar and taught at SLU.

Fr. Ralph Renner Music Theory 06/23/2013 Taught at SLUH and was band director

Mr. Dave Satory Physiology, PE, Coach Left De Smet in 1971.

Bro. Frank Schmitt Maintenance, Bookstore Ordained as a Jesuit priest

Mrs. Beverly Schraibman Spanish

Fr. Joseph Sheehy Math 11/25/1978 Taught for many years at De Smet.

Mr. Bruce Simeone English

Mrs. Betty Simpson Librarian

Mrs. Jean Smith English 11/8/1984

Bro. Robert Snyder Treasurer 3/6/2016 Went to SLU

Mr. Joseph Snyder Math, Religion

Mr. Ron Snyder Algebra, Trig

Sr. Jane Snyder, C.S.J. French 10/11/1978

Fr. William Snyders Head Counselor

Mr. Douglas Timm Physiology, PE, Coach

Mr. Patrick Travers Math

Mr. Shuji Tsunemi Japanese

Fr. Curtis Van Del Religion

Mr. Ken Suzuki Japanese

Mrs. Elizabeth Ward Secretary

Mr. Richard Weiman English

Went to Regis High, became Principal, then Rockhurst, then left order to marry and became a school administrator.

Left De Smet in 1973 to join Faith In Action International where he is now Director of Organizing. Ron is married, with six children and eight grandchildren.

Taught from 1967 to 1983. Went to Concordia in Kansas, eventually retired to Jesuit Hall, where he is nearing 90.

Left as a scholastic, but continued to teach at De Smet for two decades.

Bro. Thomas Vaikman

Jesuit Community Minister, Bookstore

Mr. Gregory Vitello Physiology, PE, Coach

Mr. Steve Yavorsky English

Mr. Michael Ziemann German

Fr. John (Jack) Zupez Geometry

Coached and taught at De Smet. Currently retired.

2/21/2021 Taught from 1970-1976.

Appendix 4: History of De Smet: Historical Timeline

We thank the right honorable George Hasser for providing this timeline, which unfortunately only extends to 2003, the year he retired. Surely a future Reunion Class will find someone to bring it up to the present!

1964

1968

1968

1969

1969

1970

• 5/4/64 – Creve Coeur approves De Smet plans

• 5/15/66 – Groundbreaking ceremony

• 9/5/67 – 1st day of class – 245 freshman

• 2/25/68 – Dedication Ceremony

• StuCo formed

• Jesuits move into Jesuit Residence on De Smet Campus

• Hasser & Vitello come to De Smet

• Cernecka & DiBlasi arrive at De Smet

• 1st Varsity CC meet – beat Cleveland

• 1st Pep Rally

• 1st Varsity Football game – loss to Rosary

• 1st victory was Duchesne

• Dedication of Beirne Memorial Field (Football Field)

• Faculty Pep Rally

• 1st De Smet Car Rally

• 1st Wrestling District Competition

• Spartans meet & discuss with Pentecostals

• Fr. De Jaeger discusses Vietnam

• 1st De Smet Film Festival

• 1st Varsity Baseball game

• 1st De Smet ring

• 1st Prom

• Spartan becomes 1st newspaper

• Synthesis became 1st literary magazine

• Yvonne Fernau arrives

1970

1971

1971

1972

• Stalag 17 – Dionysian Players perform 1st show under Faust

• Old Newsboys Day

• 1st Queen of a Dance crowned – Christmas

• Jacobsmeyer leaves De Smet – Builder & 1st President

• McQueeny becomes President

• 1st Senior Retreat

• 1st Model UN

• Art show by French artist Georges Renault

• 1st Senior Projects

• 1st Graduating Class

• Mr. Mess arrives at De Smet

• 1st Carnival

• 1st victory over SLUH in Football and BBall

• Gym Fire

• St. John’s Disaster Drill

• Final Vows – Houlihan, Koesterer, Bill Synders

• 1st Debate Team

• Hockey wins City Championship

• Mirror established as 1st newspaper

• 1st JV Baseball Team

• Berns & Bick start at De Smet

1972

1973

1973

1974

• 1st Frosh Field Day

• Mock Election (Debates & Election)

• First ever perfect season @ De Smet – C Football

• Christmas Midnight Mass moved to gym due to size

• 1st Jesuit Cup hockey game @ Arena

• Basketball wins State Championship

• “Communications Night”

• 1st Junior Retreat

• 1st State Appearance for CC

• Last of the Original Four Classes

• 1st group of Men of the Year (naming or citation??)

• Nighttime Mass of the Holy Spirit concelebrated by Jesuits & local Priests

• Creation of the Advisory Board

• 1st Student directed play “David & Lisa”

• 1st Mission Week

• Loss of Jerry McMahon S.J. & Tom Kelly

• Frank Hawkey arrives @ De Smet

• “D” installed in Stadium

• 1st year without Blazers & Ties

19741975

19751976

• Fr. Arnold names Principal

• “The Sting” in the Advisory Board - $200 to Sr Class

• 1st Water Polo team

• 1st Swim team

• Basketball & Football wins 1st Bi-State Championship outright

• Christian named Coach of the Year

• “Dirty Thirty” finished 2nd in State Football

• DiBlasi begins coaching B Soccer

• Christmas Dance on Jan. 3

• Hockey wins Championship under Coach Bick

• Introduction of the Maroon Trunk (Cheer Cone)

• Evola & Luecke arrive @ De Smet

19761977

19771978

• Bro Snyder takes Final vows in De Smet library

• Fr. Craig comes to De Smet as Pastoral Director

• 1st Racquetball team

• 1st official Girl Cheerleading Squad –Grawer, Burgman, Vitello & Berns Girls

• Hockey State title

• Basketball 31-1 (lost 1st game, start 63-0 stretch) State Champs

• Cohen arrives at De Smet

1978

1979

1979

1980

• 1st Sophomore Retreat

• Mess takes over Activities Department

• Yearbook officially named Spartan Olympiad

• Faculty vs Police BBall game

• 1st ever Parade All-American Soccer Team takes Bill McKean

• 2 soccer players drafted to professional teams

• Basketball – undefeated State Championship 32-0

• 1st Freshman Tennis team

• Bosher, Stevinson & Doughty start

• 1st and only outdoor football field graduation

• 10th Graduating Class

• Creation of the “Animals” (Maroon Platoon)

• Press Box was built

• Spartans see John Paul II in Des Moines for his first visit

• 1st Freshman Night of Recollection

• Formation of Peer Counseling Group > Big Brothers

• Burning of De Smet’s Mortgage

• Fr. Craig takes over Theater program

• Soccer wins District with 7-12-4 record

• Basketball ends 63 game winning streak

• Hockey wins title (Chura goalie)

• Hasser retires from Baseball

• 1st Faculty member gives Birth – Mrs. Jerry (Richard Timothy)

1982

1983

• Seniors sweep Senior/Faculty VBall, BBall, & Softball games

• Wheelchair Basketball

• Cerneka becomes Athletic Director

• Hawkey takes over Golf Program

• Donahue, Walsh & OB arrive

• 1st Homecoming Week (Carnival)

• Golf State Title

• District Titles – Football, Soccer, Wrestling, Basketball, Golf

• Durham begins coaching Frosh Wrestling

• Creation of the Band as a class

• Evola takes over Mirror

• First time Senior projects done as they are today

• Fr. Curt Van Del S.J. leaves – last original teacher to leave

• Densberger becomes Principal

• Densberger & Durham begin

1983

1984

1980

1981

1981

1982

• 1st 4th BBall team

• Vitello takes over Baseball Program

• Dinner served @ Prom for 1st time

• 1st organized group of Cheerleaders

• Creation of Men’s Club

• Kelemen takes over Bowling Club

• Death of Junior Doug Klump

• 1st Graduation @ New Cathedral

• Kelemen & Kramer arrive

• 17 New teachers

• 1st Freshman Orientation Overnight

• Addition of Junior Projects on Tuesday afternoons

• Football Playoff berth

• District Titles – Soccer, Wrestling

• First Freshman Soccer Team – Coach Jim Gummels

• Burgman takes over Basketball from Grawer

• Basketball State Championship over SLUH

• De Smet Cheering section – “The Horde”

• Wrestling Program – 2nd in State as a Team

• Rich Weiman takes over Activities

• Creation of StuCo w/Pres, Sec, Treas & Com (Soc, Pub, Past, & Spirit)

• Fr. Harrison takes over Yearbook

• Creation of the Jazz Band

• Berns creates the A/V Club (now known as Media Club)

1984

1985

• “Challenge for Excellence” – 1st new capital campaign since opening – Fr. Boian

• Phase 1 – Building Emerson Lobby, Wrestling Room, weight room & old band room

• Phase 2 – Chapel started

• Cross Country State Championship –Coach Horas

• Hockey State Champs

• Golf State title

• Create Science & Engineering Club

• Karpowicz takes over Band

• NHS recognized for its work

• JCL wins title

• DiBlasi forms Thinktank

1985

1986

1986

1987

1987

1988

• Addition of 7th class to schedule

• 1st Fr. De Smet Birthday Mass

• Sothers takes over CC program

• Hockey State champs

• Tennis State champs

• Golf State champs

• JCL wins State again

• Fr. Francis Ryan takes over Pastoral Dept

• “Men for Others” song written & put to music by Dan Kriss & John Blank

• Chapel dedicated by Archbishop May

• De Smet named school of Excellence in Private Education by state of Missouri

• 1st Computer class

• Jack Buck speaks to students at Father/Son Banquet

• Cerneka takes over football program

• 1st Volleyball team (built by Pat Chura)

• 1st Spartathalon

• 1st Spartanfest w/o Carnival

• Football introduces Pollcat Football offense to beat Vianney @ Stadium 28-27

• Students added to Iron-Lung Chain

• 1st Full Speech team

• Cycling Club formed

19881989

19891990

• “Church Lady Mixer” – Pastoral fundraiser mixer

• Spartan Service work in Honduras

• Bunny Bash ‘89

• Hockey wins State title

• Sothers takes over Swim team from Vitello

• Skate Club

• Fr. Ryan’s last year in Pastoral

• Mr. Kelly retires after 21 years @ De Smet

• Schulte & Weiss invited to tryout for World Cup Soccer Team

• Luecke takes over Activities

• 1st 2nd generation student

• Royal Lichtenstein Circus @ De Smet with Fr. Weber

• Fr. McMahon (current provincial) & Mr. Olmsted take over Pastoral

• Opening of Guidance Center

• Iron Lungs incorporates Students

• Sr. Margaret takes over NHS

• Football takes out Vianney @ Busch to end season with 1st win

• Hockey wins State

• Hicks wins State in 400 Track

• El Salvador Martyrs

• Boian’s last year as President 1990

1991

• 450th anniversary of Jesuit order

• Fr. Bailey becomes President

• SLUH & De Smet perform “The Fifth Sun” together

• Emerson Parking Lot becomes Beach Volleyball Court

• Creation of 2nd floor computer lab

• 1st Spring Arts Festival

• Creation of BBA (organization for Black Awareness)

• Science Club created under Mr. Walsh

• Challenge prayer group formed by Fr Pione

• Environmental Awareness & Recycling Club formed

• Kendrick takes over VBall team

• “Spirit Brigade”

1991

1992

• 25th Anniversary

• 1st State Soccer Championship (CoChamps w/ Vianney, 0-0 tie after 4 OT’s

• Lights put in Stadium - 10/5 v SLUH

• Track opens

• McKeon named Gatorade National Soccer Player of Year

• Maroon Platoon resurrected

• Return of Winter Dance

• Student Awards Assembly moved to De Smet

• 1st Lacrosse Team

• 1st Frosh Baseball

• Amnesty International formed

• Burtelow wins State High Jump title

• Walsh takes over StuCo/Activities for Luecke

• Luecke takes over Athletics for Cerneka 19921993

• Formation of Glee Club

• Formation of Senior Leaders

• 1st MCC Track title

• Walsh – Wrestling State Champ – 140 lbs

• 1st ASC teacher – Rotello

• 2nd Frosh Soccer Team

• Secret Service Spirit team

• Smallest Graduation Class (146)

• Largest Frosh Class (280) at that point

1993

1994

• Creation of the “Maroon Lagoon” at Spring Dance

• New Art Rooms opened

• De Smet wins 1st Bishop McNicholas Award (Pro-Life Act)

• 1st Belize Trip

• Separation of StuCo & Activities - Kendrick 1st full StuCo Mod & Walsh Activity Director

• Largest Mirror Newspaper – move to 12 pages

• Running Club formed

• OBA becomes MSC (Minority Students for Change)

• Macro takes over Challenge Prayer

• Soccer wins State Soccer outright

• Miller takes over Hockey program

1994

1995

1995

1996

• Last Spartatholon Spartanfest

• Valentines Mixer

• Fr. Ruhl challenges us to be “Mission Men”

• Kairos #1 held @ White House for Seniors & 12 Juniors

• Video News Magazine formed under Mr. Berns

• Water Polo returns to De Smet under Fober

• 1st Spartaned Out” Dating Competition

• DDP perform “Wild Oats” @ Missouri State Thespian Competition

• Last play in Theater (RM 1002)

• Soccer wins State title

• 1st Volleyball State title

• 1st Lacrosse State title

• 1st MCC All-Sports trophy

• De Smet hosts Pro-Life Youth Convention & wins 2nd consecutive Bishop McNicholas Award

• 1st All Senior Kairos - #2

• Soph Day of Rec moved to Kenrick

• 1st AMEX printed

• Art Club forms

• Football – 1st winning season since ‘86

• Fober takes over Swim team

19961997

• Lose Jim Gummels & Fileen Begin in September

• Opening of LaBarge Stadium (bleachers in stadium)

• Opening of Hunter Theater

• Hockey State Title

• Lacrosse State Title

• New weight room/Band Room/Locker room

• Internet installed @ De Smet

1997

1998

• Bro Lee takes final vows

• Callahan takes over StuCo for Kendrick

• 1st Roller Hockey team

• 1st Rugby team

• FCA formed @ De Smet

• Glee-Club becomes a class

• Separate Junior & Senior Proms

• Rowing Club

• Soccer State Champs

• Hockey State Champs – 10th title

• Steiner takes over Basketball (from Chaminade)

• Lacrosse State title

• De Smet hosts MCC track meet – 1st time

• Hour Class added to schedule

• De Smet begins work in Pruitt-Igoe Development

1998

1999

20002001

• Keppel taken in draft by Mets in 1st round of draft

• DiBlasi retires from coaching

• Mrs. Durham retires

• 30th Graduating Class

• Return of Spartanfest Bonfire

• Weiman retires

• 1st Manresa retreat

• Outdoor Club created

• Football goes to playoffs – 1st since ’85, best record since ‘75

• Ott wins 2nd consecutive State Wrestling Title – 130 lbs

• Lacrosse State title

• 1st Rugby Western Championship – finish 6th in Nation

• Chura returns & takes over Volleyball

1999

2000

• 1st overnight Odyssey Days

• Fr. Arnold takes over as President

• Expansion of Band program

• Friars earn #1 rating in a row @ State

• Pope visits St. Louis – Schoemehl gives Pope hockey stick, Karpowicz plays in band for rally

• Alonzo scores 1600 SAT

• Hockey State title

• Basketball State title

• Lacrosse State title

• Computers begin to be used in classrooms

• Juniors begin receiving rings at Mass w/Mom’s

• Return of Spartanfest Carnival

• New Pastoral office opens

• Pete Musso takes over StuCo for Callahan

• 1st Magis retreat

• 1st Pilgrim retreat

• Institution of Mid-quarter report cards

• Hockey State Title

• Foy eats fire @ Talent Show

• 1st Career Night

• Ott wins State Wrestling 130 lbs

• 1st SJLS workshop

• 1st (& only) DABS Mixer (De Smet Association of Black Students)

• 1st Baseball State title

20012002

20022003

• 1st annual Sophomore Midnight Ski trip

• 1st Christmas on Campus

• Spartans join in prayer on 9/11/01

• StuGo changes to StuCo (for 1 year)

• IHS forms

• Speech & Debate become 1 club

• Chinese Buffet Club reborn

• Hawkey takes over Sports & Spirit for Walsh

• 1st Special Olympics

• Mahoney takes over Football for Cerneka

• Hockey State title

• 1st Swimming State title

• Lacrosse State title

• Blechle wins Golf State title

• Musso takes over Activities for Walsh

• Hawkey takes over StuGo for Musso

• Activities Leadership Project

• Formation of Archery & Paintball Clubs

• Mission Week returns after 1 year off

• 1st Senior vs Alumni Basketball game

• Formation of ASLSLC

• Return of Mission Week Arcade

• 1st MCC Football title & beat SLUH (1st in 14 years)

• Durham takes over Wrestling for O’Brien

• Golf wins State title

Appendix 5: Answers to “De Smet: Trivia Quiz”

Question 1: Correct answer is a E, the Hockey Team, which had a 91.7% winning percentage (11-1) Cross Country was 82% (9-2), Golf was 78.6% (11-3), and Football was 70% (7-2-1), Soccer was 66.7% (18-6-3)

Over the 1971-72 school year, many of De Smet’s varsity teams posted very strong performances. The Hockey Team capped a successful season winning the St. Louis High School Hockey League championship, and were rewarded with the Sid Salomon trophy. In the city that would emerge in the early next century as America’s top chess city, De Smet’s Chess Team was ranked #2 in the St. Louis Metropolitan Chess League (behind perennial powerhouse U City), the Cross Country Team, led by Chuck Korte and Paul Heck defeated both SLUH and CBC winning the Bi-State crown. The Football Team won their first Bi-State Conference trophy with big wins over CBC and SLUH. The Baseball Team, in spite of a 510 record entering state play, was acclaimed as the “Cinderella” team and “18 legged monster” and overcame all odds by making it to the State semi-finals where they finally were succumbed by State champ Lafayette. They were the first De Smet sports team to reach a State semi-final.

Question 2: Correct answer is E, seven Costello (Patrick & Robert), Finnegan (Michael & Patrick), Gerber (Richard & William), Harris (David & Thomas), Hart (Daniel & James), McCarthy (Michael & Patrick), Sheehan (John & Paul)

Question 3: Correct answer is D, Dave Satory

Dave coached the wrestling team and taught Physical Education for our Freshman and Sophomore years leaving De Smet for an insurance sales position. He now lives in Las Vegas, NV.

Question 4: Correct answer is D, Pat Finnegan

Pat (Buc) traveled around the world for ten years working for Maritz Travel and in his own words: "too many to list and it would sound cheesy to mention all but my favorite would be Switzerland."

Question 5: Correct answer is A, Dan Welsh

In the last game against Helias of Jeff City, Brian Lavin at Quarterback passed to Dan Welsh resulting in the final score of 28-8 and the first Bi-State Conference trophy.

Question 6: Correct answer is B, Bill Schmidt

Bill appeared in all four plays that year; The Man Who Came To Dinner, Four One-Act Plays, Indians, and Fiddler On The Roof.

Question 7: Correct answer is D. Joe Reilly

A student used to go around to each of the classrooms at the end of the day to collect the attendance sheets. John O’Connor somehow talked this student into ‘misplacing’ the sheets from our last two classes of the day, and so we skipped town and headed over to Villa Duchesne, honking the car horn and so on. All of the gals ran to the windows of their upper floor classroom to wave and see who was causing the commotion. I’m sure they were bored and glad for the diversion.

Question 8: Correct Answer is A. Greg Vitello

Question 9: Correct Answer is G. The Mirror

Page 104 of our Senior yearbook states, “In the wake of four years of various and sundry De Smet newspapers, the MIRROR has emerged as the foremost of student publications. Due to the persistent efforts of John Sciortino in particular, the MIRROR now represents the first printed paper in De Smet History.”

Appendix 6: Rich Grawer’s Philosophy of Basketball

The essay at right was first published in the 1969-70 De Smet Varsity Basketball Yearbook in the Spring of 1970.

It remained Coach Grawer’s Basketball Teaching Philosophy throughout his entire coaching career, and had an influence on the hundreds of students who were his players.

Appendix 7: Other Photos from Classmates and 1968-1972 Yearbooks

Finally, graduation at Powell Symphony Hall!

Erecting the first goal posts on the football field, circa 1967

Cafeteria Ping Pong 1968

De Smet Entrance Exam 1970

Greg Vitello and Brian Lavin and other football pics

How some of us may have felt after the prom!

Faculty Montage - Selected Teachers 1968-1972

Br. Schmidt SJ Bergman

Fr. Timothy Lawless SJ (with the ever-present Pall Mall) Haskings & Barhorst

Fr. Koesterer SJ Mr. Loehr SJ

Mr. Minogue SJ Mr. Pollock SJ McEvoy

Mr. Renard SJ

Conlan

Kelley

Vitello

O’Keefe

Fr. McMullen SJ

Satory

Koenigs

Fr. Buhler SJ

Mr. Halloran SJ

Mr. Mueller SJ

Sheckler

Dempsey (now Fr. Dempsey SJ)

O’Hagan Fernau (now Fernau Mess)

Mess

Dietz Buckley

DiBlasi Hasser

Fr. Arnold SJ

Lewis Grawer

Boehm

Grawer

Appendix 8: ’72 Seniors - A Final Take on De Smet’s Second Graduating Class

The following words, spoken by John Pfuntner in behalf of the 185 seniors receiving diplomas in De Smet's second commencement at Powell Symphony Hall, expressed the sentiments of all on this evening. The President's Medal, conferred annually upon the senior who, in the eyes of the faculty, was most outstanding in the areas of service, leadership, and loyalty, was presented to Chris Schatzman by the Rev. Thomas F. McQueeny, the principal speaker of the evening.

De Smet's faculty and underclassmen wish the departing seniors good luck, happiness, and fulfillment in their future lives.

" 'The future does not belong to those who are content with today. . .Rather, it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason, and courage in a personal commitment.' These words summarize the aim of De Smet High School. De Smet exists in order to teach its students to care, to love, to have a personal commitment. To care deeply about someone or something, to devote our entire selves, both mind and body, to the achievement of some goal. . .We are the De Smet Class of '72 we have made mistakes in the past and will undoubtedly make some in the future. But, all in all, we are proud of who we are and what we stand for."

One of the Class of ’72 girlfriends that got away!

Until the next time we see each other, just remember the De Smet motto. Men for Others

SIGNING PAGE!