MEMORIALS

PAUL PRIMEAU, retired Gilmour Academy instructor and coach

MICHAEL B. REGAN, Gilmour Academy AVI chef

DANIEL RIPEPI, cousin of Gianna ’18 and Vincent ’22 Stafford

KATHLEEN RODDY, retired Lower School staff member; mother of Timothy Roddy ’87 and Mary Roddy-Stretar, Gilmour Academy senior marketing manager; aunt of Daniel ’83, Michael ’85 and Matthew ’86 Roddy; great-aunt of Matthew ’18 and Joseph ’21 Roddy

PATRICIA ROONEY, mother of Arthur ’70 and James E. ’86 Rooney; and grandmother of James P. Rooney ’14

SR. MARIA ROSA, O.S.F., founder of Sociedad Amigos De Los Ninos, Gilmour Academy Honduran mission partner

MARIATANA SALERNO, grandmother of Michael Huber ’16

KENNETH P. SARGI, great-uncle of Samantha ’20 and Timothy ’23 Sargi

JAMES SCHUERGER, former Gilmour Academy religion instructor

PATRICIA A. SEETCH, sister of William Seetch, former Gilmour Academy instructor and coach

LATIFY SHIBLEY, mother of Myron Shibley ’58; and great-grandmother of Francis ’33, Luke and Peter Daberko

ANDREW A. SIMS, father of John Sims ’80

JEAN SMITH, grandmother of Elizabeth Blanchfield, Gilmour Academy advancement consultant

LINWOOD J. SMITH, SR., husband of Arlene Smith, Gilmour Academy advancement associate; and father of of Lyle Smith ’88 (deceased)

NORENE SOMMER, grandmother of Stephen ’15 and Christopher ’18 Sommer and Michael Riley ’12

CAROLE SROUB, mother of Brian Sroub ’77; grandmother of Katherine ’06 and Jackson ’09 Sroub; and mother-in-law of Jennifer Stephan Sroub G.O. ’75

CONSTANCE J. SWEDA, mother of Todd Sweda, Gilmour Academy trustee and former Gilmour Academy administrator

FRANK E. TEGEL, father of Frank ’76 and Carl ’78 Tegel

FRANK J. TOMASELLI, uncle of Capri Burns, Gilmour Academy AVI staff

DEBBIE TOMBA, aunt of Kimberly Pfundstein, Gilmour Academy Upper School office manager; and great-aunt of David ’25 and Morgan ’27 Pfundstein

FLORENCE B. URANKAR, wife of Frank Urankar, former Gilmour Academy instructor; mother of Thomas Urankar ’78 (deceased); and aunt of Stanley ’69, Paul ’75 and Anthony ’79 Urankar

KELLEY L. VICCHIARELLI, sister-in-law of Reece Gerbitz ’90

MARY ANN WESTROPP, mother-in-law of Lee Howley ’65 and Elizabeth Booze Westropp G.O. ’77; and grandmother of Blaine Westropp ’08

MARILYN YOUNG, mother of John Young ’80; and grandmother of Charles ’07 and John ’10 Young, Maria Young Paine ’08, Juliana Lanese ’16, and Kenneth ’17 and Hannah ’17 Kirchner

If you hear of the passing of a member of the Gilmour community and would like the news included in the magazine, please email Advancement Associate Arlene Smith at smitha@gilmour.org.

On November 20, 2020, Bernadette Coffey passed away peacefully at her home. Bernadette worked at Gilmour Academy for 34 years managing the Middle and Lower School offices and later worked in the Academy’s Business Office.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, the family will celebrate a Memorial Mass as soon as it is safe to do so.

Bernadette was the mother of Head of School Kathleen C. Kenny and the grandmother of Michaela ’05, Mary ’07 and Maureen ’10 Kenny. She was loved by everyone in the Gilmour community, referred to by many as Saint Bernadette.

Longtime Gilmour employee Lois Boyer, who worked alongside Bernadette for years, remembers her as a wonderful friend, and someone she could always count on. “You could tell her anything and she had the best advice. I miss that. I miss the conversations with her. She was the best friend anyone could have, everyone should have a friend like her. I could talk about her for hours.”

Bernadette loved Christmas and made it unforgettable each year for her family, her colleagues and her students. Former Lower School students still refer to her as “Mrs. Pockets,” remembering her Christmas apron full of pockets that she would stock with goodies at Christmastime, surprising students throughout the days leading up to her favorite holiday.

Whether it was the Christmas season or not, Bernadette Coffey treated everyone like family, spreading joy to all she encountered. She was a legend at Gilmour - someone whose impact extended far beyond the walls of her office and long after she left the Academy.

On January 21, Brother Robert Arndt Kelly, C.S.C. passed away at the age of 95. Br. Robert worked at Gilmour from 1980-2010. During his 30-year tenure, he served in many important roles, including as the co-founder of the service program with Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58, as the Men’s Club moderator, and in his final years on campus, as the leader of the Sunday night prayer services in the dorm. However, his work as a guidance counselor remains his greatest contribution to the Gilmour students. His encouragement and his ability to connect with young people impacted his students well beyond their years at Gilmour. Upon hearing of his passing, one alumnus reflected, “Any time I needed to talk to someone, I would go straight to Br. Robert. who would no doubt put a smile on my face and make my day better.”

Another alumnus reached out with his thoughts, stating, “While I never had the opportunity to meet him and get to know him, I always enjoyed reading about his efforts and contributions to the Gilmour community, particularly in the service program and projects with Fr. John.” He continued, “It felt like his contributions may have contributed to the expansion of the school’s motto (Perseveranti Dabitur - ‘Success to the One Who Perseveres’) into the more expansive, updated Mission Statement.”

After leaving Gilmour, Br. Robert spent the last 10 years living in the Holy Cross retirement community on Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend.

-On November 30, Patrick McCartan, Jr. passed away surrounded by family. Patrick was a board member for 21 years from 1980-2001 and was the father of Patrick McCartan III ’81, who predeceased him (2009).

After joining the Board of Trustees in 1980, Patrick served on the Executive Committee as the chair of the Nominating and Academic Affairs Committees. Patrick was a strong proponent of co-education and an advocate for the merger of Gilmour Academy and Glen Oak School.

Patrick was a renowned trial lawyer at Jones Day and served as managing partner of the firm from 1993-2002. He was cited in surveys conducted by The National Law Journal as one of the country’s most respected and influential lawyers.

In addition to serving on Gilmour’s Board, Patrick was the chair of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees, president of the Bar Association of Greater Cleveland, and chair of the Board of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. He also served on the boards of the Cleveland Clinic and Ursuline College.

Reflecting on his service to the Academy, Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. said, “ He was a pillar of leadership, a person of strong Christian principles, very personable, ready to help when or wherever he could, and dedicated to fulfilling his commitments with much honor and generosity. Pat was an inspiration to me, personally and professionally. I found Pat to be a true friend who made an imprint on my life.”

January 21, former Trustee Anne O’Neill passed away at the age of 90. Anne, the mother of Patty O'Neill G.O. ’79 and Kevin O’Neill ’83 was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1982-2001. In her 19 years, she served on the Enrollment Management Committee and always helped to increase Gilmour’s enrollment with the admissions department. She believed wholeheartedly that the impact of the Brothers of Holy Cross at Gilmour was unmatched and was what made Gilmour “an outstanding educational institution.”

Her daughter, Patty, wrote, “She was my best friend and an amazing mother and I can’t imagine what life will be without her. She was a force to be reckoned with and the most selfless, loving and compassionate person I’ve ever met.” She continued, “She touched so many lives, and my brothers and I were so blessed and honored to be able to take care of her this past year as her health declined. She was an incredible mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She devoted her life to God and her family and will be forever in our hearts.”

On November 23, 2020, Paul Primeau passed away at the age of 93. Paul worked at Gilmour from 1957-1992 as a chemistry teacher and also founded our storied cross country program. In a nod to his lasting impact, Gilmour's cross country invitational, the state's oldest continually run cross country meet, was renamed in 2011 and is now called The Gilmour Academy Paul Primeau Invitational.

In the years after his retirement, Paul was still a regular presence on campus, attending sporting events frequently and serving as an unofficial team photographer! Everyone knew Mr. Primeau and delighted in his presence at Lancer meets and games.

In the weeks after his passing, alumni reflected on his impact. One described him as “one of the most genuine and kind souls anyone could have known.” Another said that he “was always so gracious, accommodating and forthcoming with advice for me.” He added, “From the first day I stepped onto campus, Mr. Primeau was a great mentor and even better friend. He always had nothing but positive things to say.”

Paul leaves an incredible legacy at Gilmour through all the lives he touched, whether as chemistry teacher, coach or superfan extraordinaire. He will be sorely missed, but that legacy will be celebrated each September as thousands of cross country runners descend on the Academy’s grounds for the annual race in his honor. The thousands of photos he took during athletic contests and are now in Gilmour's archives give witness to his love of competition, his focus on perseverance and his passion for Gilmour.

On November 1, Ray Rhode '51 passed away. Ray was quite involved at Gilmour Academy while he was a student and later as a parent. Three of Ray’s five children attended Gilmour - Patrick '88, Chris '93 and Matthew '96.

Ray was one of Gilmour’s “pioneers,” graduating in just the second class. “We considered ourselves as the leaders of the generations to follow,” Rhode said in an Alumni Spotlight back in 2011.

Ray joined the Board of Trustees in 1992 and served on the Enrollment Management Committee as well as the Academic Affairs and Institutional Advancement Committees. He also served more than 20 years on the Alumni Board of Governors and, in 1989, was honored as the Alumni Association's "Man of the Year." In 2011, he was named an Honorary Life Trustee.

Ray believed wholeheartedly in Gilmour’s mission and spoke at different times to students about the importance of that mission. He said, “Gilmour is an outstanding prep school. Maintaining that philosophy imparted by the Holy Cross Brothers is what makes the school outstanding.”

He was an inaugural member of GAAPA and enjoyed attending their events with his wife of 59 years, Noreen.

Ray’s funeral Mass was celebrated on November 7 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. He will be deeply missed by his large family and the community he was so committed to serving.

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