Banquet & Induction Ceremony
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Montini Catholic high school 2026 ALUMNI Hall of Fame
It is with great pride that we welcome you to the 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Congratulations to our newest inductees:
Thomas Young '70
Eileen (Regan) French '74
Lisa Dado '76
Richard Dusek '86
Ryan Neill '01†
Chase Beebe '03
Neil Fernandez '03
Conor Beebe '05
Thomas Young ‘70
Recognized for outstanding support of Montini Catholic High School through continued engagement in our school community.
A member of Montini Catholic’s Chartered Class of 1970, Tom Young played football his freshman year and baseball his freshman, junior, and senior years of high school. After graduating from Montini, he attended Quincy College (now Quincy University) for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Campus (now UIC) and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in History.
Since 1975, Tom has worked in the insurance and investment industry. He has made many stops over his long career and currently works for Brookstone Capital Management as an investment adviser. He is CLU certified and has earned multiple sales awards; during his time at CNA, he received their top sales award for three consecutive years.
Tom’s dedication and commitment to Montini Catholic continues even to this day. He has helped plan multiple reunions for the Class of 1970, including their 55 th Reunion this past fall. He also serves as the moderator of the Class of 1970 Facebook group, in which he frequently shares news and updates about Montini Catholic with his classmates. He also uses the page to send his classmates birthday wishes and to post pictures from previous Class of 1970 events.
Tom resides in Yorkville. He has two adult daughters, Megan and Lauren, and five grandchildren.
Eileen (Regan) French ‘74
Recognized for outstanding service and leadership in the field of nursing.
While a student at Montini Catholic, Eileen French was a member of the Red Cross Club, the German Club, and the Girls Athletic Association. Outside of school, she volunteered at the Lombard Park District as a swim instructor for children with special needs. She graduated as the co-salutatorian of the Class of 1974 and also received the award for the most outstanding student in Physics.
After Montini, Eileen attended Illinois Benedictine College for two years before earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Illinois University. She later earned her Master’s in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago, graduating summa cum laude. From 1979 until her retirement in 2019, Eileen spent her entire professional career at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Now known as the Shirley Ryan Abilitylab, this unique hospital focuses on catastrophic disabilities, such as spinal cord injury, brain, injury and stroke, and helps those patients achieve their highest level of independence. During her time there, she held a variety of positions, including Nurse Manager, Education Program Manager, Infection Control Nurse, and Manager of Nursing Outcomes. She also participated in several research projects, presented at several national conferences, and authored or co-authored several publications to help advance rehabilitation nursing.
In 1991, she received the Best New Author award as primary author for an article in the Rehabilitation Nursing journal. She also received the Henry B. Betts, MD, Innovation Award in both 2010 and 2012 for helping develop and implement innovative programs to advance care.
In 2013, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago broke ground on a new hospital building to replace the one it had used since 1974, and Eileen played a major role in this transition. She helped create and manage a concept unit at the old site for later implementation in the new hospital, then used that to help design and create the patient care units for the new facility. She also co-led the plan for moving patients and equipment from the current RIC site to the new hospital. Following the move, she then managed one of the patient care units at the new location until her retirement in 2019.
Eileen and her husband, Steve, live in Palos Park. They have two children, Jim and Katie, and four grandchildren.
Lisa Dado ‘76
Recognized for outstanding service and leadership through her work in healthcare and in using the field of martial arts to build community
At Montini Catholic High School, Lisa Dado was a member of the school choir, led by Sr. Joyce Banks, and performed in concerts and in musicals such as Guys & Dolls and Oklahoma! She was also a member of the “Culture Vultures,” a group led by Sr. Mary Jo Campbell that attended local events such as operas and concerts. Other teachers that made an impact on her during her high school years include Mr. Hudik, Mr. Huntoon, and Mr. Sola - especially because it was in his Spanish class that she met her future husband, Michael Foley!
After Montini, Lisa attended Illinois Benedictine College, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology, graduating summa cum laude as the only female pre-med student in her class. She later received her MD from The Chicago Medical School and completed a residency at The Ohio State University as the first female resident in the anesthesiology program. In 1990, Lisa moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and became the first woman in her academic private practice group, serving as a pediatric anesthesiologist for over three decades until her retirement in 2021.
In 1991, Lisa co-founded, along with her husband Mike, the Center for Humane Living. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, its mission is to develop future leaders by teaching traditional martial arts values such as discipline, compassion, respect, and service. It operates as a “pay-it-forward” culture and provides tuition-free programs in martial arts, leadership, and wellness to families across the Phoenix metropolitan area. These programs are based on the integration of the traditional Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do, “Ancient Wisdom” philosophy and mainstream modern leadership theories. The Center currently has over sixty students who have earned the rank of black belt that are also certified instructors.
As a 6th degree black belt herself, Lisa is well aware of the ways that martial arts have impacted her life, and she continues to help others through the micro-community she and her husband have created.
Lisa resides in Phoenix with Mike. They have three children, Bonnie, Molly, and Michael, and four grandchildren.
Richard Dusek ‘86
Recognized for outstanding career accomplishments in the field of education.
During his time at Montini Catholic, Rick Dusek was heavily involved in the performing arts. He played the clarinet in the band, sung in both the Show Choir and Concert Choir, and performed in both the Fall Play and Spring Musical, starring in shows such as South Pacific, Anything Goes, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and Bye Bye Birdie. After graduating from Montini, he attended Millikin University and continued to pursue his love of the arts through Millikin’s celebrated performance group, The Singing Blue. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Millikin and later earned his Master’s in Education from DePaul University.
For over thirty years, Rick has taught 20 th Century History at Hinsdale Middle School. His passion for the subject is clearly felt in the way his lessons are structured. For example, his World War II unit concludes with a day in which Rick has invited veterans and Holocaust survivors to personally share their experiences with his students. In recent years, he obtained a grant from the District 181 Foundation to have these presentations professionally recorded to preserve them for future generations of students.
Other innovative lessons Rick has designed in the past include a recreation of a Civil War field hospital in his classroom, and a curriculum based solely on the historical events mentioned in the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Rick’s love of history is best exemplified by his “Duseum,” a bookcase in his classroom that contains historical artifacts along with gifts from his students.
Rick’s love of the performing arts continues to this day, as he also serves as the Director of Musical Theatre at Hinsdale Middle School. In the fall, he directs one-act plays usually written by students, and in the spring, he stages a popular musical, with past performances including The Wizard of Oz, Shrek: The Musical Jr, and most recently, The Lion King. His productions are much-anticipated events in the community and normally receive coverage in local newspapers.
A native of Darien, Rick now resides in Chicago.
Ryan Neill ‘01 †
Recognized for outstanding athletic accomplishment while at Montini Catholic High School.
One of the most outstanding athletes in Montini Catholic history, Ryan Neill was a three-year starter on the boys’ varsity basketball team for head coach Tom McCloskey. He was a team captain during his junior and senior years and led the team to Suburban Catholic Conference Championships both years.
He was also named All Conference and All Area both years, and was named Honorable Mention All State his senior year. Ryan graduated as Montini’s leading scorer and all-time leader in wins.
In addition to his success on the basketball court, Ryan was also an accomplished member of the Montini Catholic golf team. He was a four-year starter and helped the team qualify for the state tournament in both 1997 and 1998. He was the SCC Player of the Year and an individual state qualifier in both 1999 and 2000.
After graduating from Montini, Ryan attended Carthage College on an athletic scholarship for golf and basketball. After two years of playing both sports, he decided to concentrate on golf for the remainder of his college career.
Following his graduation from Carthage, he joined the family business, Neill Cartage, and served as the Vice President of Operations. He later served as a volunteer assistant coach at St. Mary of Gostyn, coaching the fifth grade girls’ basketball team for two years.
Tragically, Ryan passed away unexpectedly on February 4th , 2024. He is survived by his wife, Kendra, and his daughters, McKenna and Caroline.
Chase Beebe ‘03
Recognized for outstanding athletic accomplishment while at Montini Catholic High School.
One of the most successful wrestlers in Montini Catholic history, Chase Beebe was the seventh wrestler in IHSA history to win four individual state titles in high school. He won at 103 pounds as a freshman, 112 as a sophomore, 125 as a junior, and 130 as a senior. Chase finished his high school career with an overall record of 174 wins and just 12 losses. His career win total puts him tenth all-time in Montini history, while his winning percentage of 93.5% is third all-time. He also recorded 77 pins (ninth all-time) and 34 technical falls (third all-time) during his wrestling career, and won 46 consecutive matches from 2000 to 2001, the seventh longest winning streak in Montini history.
As a freshman, he helped the Broncos to the 2000 Class A State Championship, which was not only the first team state championship for the wrestling program,but also the first team state championship for any sport at Montini Catholic. He would later be part of the teams that won state titles in 2002 and 2003.
After graduating from Montini, Chase continued his wrestling career at Purdue University. As a true freshman, he posted a record of 16 wins and 9 losses with 10 pins, wrestling at both 125 and 133 pounds. He transferred to Eastern Illinois University as a sophomore and went 9-0 on the season before leaving to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. Known as “The Rage” during his MMA days, Chase compiled a career record of 30 wins and 10 losses, with 20 submissions and 3 TKOs. He was a two-time World Extreme Cagefighting champion and a World Fighting champion before leaving the sport.
With his wrestling and fighting days over, Chase now works in construction. He is the owner of CMB Construction Services, which primarily handles interior renovations, and lives in Villa Park.
Neil Fernandez ‘03
Recognized for outstanding career accomplishments in the field of video production.
Neil Fernandez first discovered his passion for film through a project in Mr. Brooks’ English class while still a Montini Catholic student, making a short film about Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Concurrently, his experience working on a farm in Plainfield picking vegetables and doing manual labor taught him the value of hard work and instilled in him a strong work ethic. After attending College of DuPage for a few years, in 2006, Neil left Illinois and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream, and over the past nineteen years, has worked his way to becoming an accomplished cinematographer.
Neil is the owner and executive producer of Lucky Finn Productions and has worked with multiple high-profile individuals, including Bill Nye, Alicia Keys and Manny Pacquiao, in his career. He has directed commercials for companies such as Chipotle and Realtor.com, as well as music videos, concert films, and travel documentaries. He has also worked for Go Go Luckey Entertainment on their reality TV shows Laguna Beach and Paranormal State.
More recently, Neil worked as a director on the Destination Channel show Staycation, which showcases the world’s best vacation rentals, and won three Emmy Awards for his directorial work.
Neil is also the founder of the non-profit organization “Have a Rice Day.” The son of Filipino immigrants, and intensely proud of his heritage, Neil is committed to helping those in need in the Philippines. He uses his platform as a filmmaker to prioritize compassion, community, and cultural connection, remaining grounded in his Midwestern roots and putting others before himself.
A native of Downers Grove, Neil now resides in Los Angeles - when he’s not traveling all over the world for work!
Conor Beebe ‘05
Recognized for outstanding athletic accomplishment while at Montini Catholic High School.
Not to be outdone by his older brother, Conor Beebe also had a stellar career while wrestling at Montini Catholic High School. Like Chase, Conor was a fourtime individual state champion, the eighth in IHSA history.
He won at 103 pounds as a freshman, 112 as a sophomore, and 125 in both his junior and senior years. His overall career record stands at 179 wins and 15 losses, good for seventh all-time in program history, and his career winning percentage of 92.3% is sixth all-time. His 32 technical falls put him fourth all-time, and his 47-match winning streak from 2002 to 2003 is good for sixth all time in school history. In addition to his four individual state titles, Conor was also part of teams that captured state titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, making him an eight-time state champion.
After graduating from Montini, Conor wrestled at Central Michigan University, where he was a four-time NCAA qualifier, a 2010 MAC Champion, a 2-time Ken Kraft Midlands place winner, and a 2-time University Freestyle All-American. In his senior season of 2010, he was a team captain and the recipient of the Central Michigan Coaches Award. After graduating from Central Michigan, and following a brief tour on the senior-level wrestling circuit, he decided to get into coaching. Conor has coached wrestling at Gardner-Webb University, Lyons Township High School, and Northwestern University. In 2011, he founded Beebe Trained Wrestling Academy, and in 2018, moved the business from Illinois to Florida, where he still operates it today as the Founder and Head Coach. In his coaching career, he has worked with one NCAA champion, five All-Americans, 14 NCAA qualifiers, 3 Fargo Champions and 6 Fargo All-Americans, as well as multiple high school state champions and place winners in both Illinois and Florida.
Conor currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. He and his wife, Danielle, are expecting their first child in the coming weeks.
Hall of Fame Members by Class Year
Class of 1970
Donald Davis
Armand Esposito
Barbara Velsor Friedrich
Carol Kearney Kelly
William Leeberg
Mike Manna
James Van De Velde
Thomas Young
Class of 1971
Paul Cesaretti
Jim Fitzpatrick
John Frendreis
Thomas Gaucius
James Izzo
Martin Kolinski
Margaret Scholz Noe
Lorraine Pintozzi
Diane Kosmach Schumacher
Michael John Tellone
Richard Terrien
Class of 1972
Thomas Arlis
Michelle Brusseau Johnson
Class of 1973
Timothy O’Malley
John Tumpane
Tom Umberg
Mark Williams
Class of 1974
Kathleen Sterritt Bartels
Dian Boeh Davies
Fred Fosnacht
Eileen Regan French
Janis Orlowski
Ronald Pudlo
Dick Schroeder
Nicholas Trongale
Class of 1975
Lewis Borsellino
Mark Duerinck
Debra (Tauscher) Goff
Kate Ingalls
Larry Kolinski
David Smith
Howard Tribble
Walter Weisenburger
Class of 1976
Thomas Boeh
Lisa Dado
Rick Rafanelli
Matthew Thompson
Class of 1977
Michael Buhtanic
Terrence Donahue
Anthony Fitzpatrick
Daniel McCann
David Pojman
Jay Williams
Class of 1978
Larry Brady
Class of 1979
Judy Mullins Lucas
Kathy Wagner Rezny
Kevin Tribble
Mark Varnes
Class of 1980
Joe Capparelli
Lawrence Dalla Berta
Joseph Hennessey
Jodi Frankovelgia Murphy
John Riggs
Martin Thompson
Jess Toussaint
Class of 1981
Susan Matejka Bythell
George Panos
Kimberly Caffarelli Richmond
Maggie Thompson
Class of 1982
Lawrence Diedrick
Kevin Holman
Class of 1983
Michael Bukovsky
Edward Chalifoux
Lisa Ballarini Festle
Marcella Raymond
Lisa Harzich Scudder
Robert Westerkamp
Class of 1984
Robert Cull
Nancy Kuster Economou
Margaret Young Kremkow
Melissa Caffarelli Muroff
Eugenia Wasson Scavone
Anne Westerkamp
Class of 1985
Richard Capparelli
Victor Ciardelli
Thomas Mahoney
Todd Rimkus
Class of 1986
John Arlis
Kelly Kramer Blim
Tara Choud Joyce
Frank Conforti, Jr.
Michael Considine
Sandra Workman Decraene
Joseph Dunn
Richard Duserk
Class of 1986 continued
Michael Gilmartin
Kevin Kuster
Daniel Laughlin
Bridget (Moriarty) McNamara
Class of 1987
Peter Farina
Susan Marschall
Richard Martinello
Rich Monis
Tim O’Connor
Joseph Senese
Class of 1988
Jeffrey Bukovsky
Frank Markett
Christine O’Neill McManus
Class of 1989
Rosalia Badalamenti Knudtson
Tammy Kocher
Richard Starmann
Class of 1990
Steven Klafeta
John Lee
Tim Ogan
Margaret Sewell
Class of 1991
Donald Dulkoski
John Gavin
Donald Jamiola
Michael Kroening
Patrick Mahoney
Gerard Wallock
Class of 1992
Lynette Pestel
Class of 1993
Shannon O’Connor Ferris
Dawn Massani
Rick Munaretto
Class of 1994
Joseph Hyland
Class of 1995
Scott Sobkowiak
Class of 1996
Matt Andriano
Vito Bonomo
Edward Meegan
Class of 1998
Daniel Blagaich
Mac Brandt
Jason Ciarrachi
Jesse Izzo
Class of 1999
Christopher Dziewiatkowski
Nicole Caez McLaughlin
Julie McGivern Maddox
Shannon Herold Spanos
Class of 2001
Craig Dziewiatkowski
Ryan Neill
Patrick Vena
Class of 2002
Michael Grimes
James Rondinelli
Joseph Rondinelli
Class of 2003
Chase Beebe
Adam Clay
Anthony Joseph Guido, Jr.
Class of 2004
Courtney James
Jennifer Westerkamp
Class of 2005
Conor Beebe
Vincent Colletti
Jeffrey Farnell
Michael Mucha
Class of 2006
Lindsay Bava Leeberg
Joe Norton
Class of 2007
Timothy Fugger
Sam Vlahos
Class of 2008
Garrett Goebel
Class of 2009
Paul Kaefer
Class of 2010
Michala Johnson
Class of 2011
Whitney Holloway
Class of 2012
Jaleel Johnson
Jordan Westerkamp
Congratulations, to the newest members of our Alumni Hall of Fame, and thank you to of those who came out to support our honorees.
Live, Jesus, in Our Hearts … Forever.