The Towers - 2021

SPRING 2021

the towers THE LEGACY OF FRANK PA R AT E R

Inaugural group of Parater Scholars set to graduate

INAUGURAL ISSUE

The Towers Magazine Spring 2021 BENE D I CT I N E S CHO OLS OF R I C H MO N D PRESIDENT

Jesse Grapes INT E R I M P R I N C I PA L

Drew Mugford ’86 BENE D I CT I N E H EA D O F S C H OOL

Michael Bussman D I RE CTO R O F C OM MUN I CAT I ON , E DI TOR

Kristina Kerns C ON T R I B UT I N G WR I T E R S

Mike Forster, Windsor Antal ’21, Joseph Clark ’21, and Joseph Colizzi ’23 P H OTO GR A P HY

Kelly Lonergan, Wendell Powell Studios, Mike Forster, Glave and Holmes, Taylor and Parrish, Chris Cunningham

Benedictine Schools of Richmond does not discriminate in its admissions, or in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, or in access to or treatment in any other school-administered program on the basis of religion, race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or any other protected category in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Michael Morrisey ’22 and Miles Moten ’21

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FA C U LT Y F E AT U R E John Fogarty, Dean of Boys

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T HE L EG A CY OF F R A NK PA R AT E R What was once a passing thought has become a principal driver in bringing the sons of middle-class Richmond families to our school.

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A NOTE TO BENEDICTINE ALUMNI Mike Kehoe ’84

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ALUMNI HEADLINERS Dean Ngendakuriyo ’17, Rob Wittman ’77, Deacon Charles Williams ’69, Wesley Steelman ’15, and Rev. Adrian W. Harmening, O.S.B.

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CIRCLING BACK Flip the magazine and turn to page 42 for combined class notes for Benedictine and Saint Gertrude.

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When I reflect back on all the change and uncertainty of 2020-21, it may seem ironic that I find myself filled with gratitude. And yet I am filled with gratitude — gratitude for the courage and opportunity to share this school year with our students in-person; gratitude to have known and worked alongside two amazing men who dedicated their lives in the service of our Cadets; gratitude for the continued generous support of parents, alumni, and friends of the school that help to keep Benedictine strong and vibrant for the future; and gratitude that our Benedictine Cadets and Saint Gertrude Gators are once again able to share in closeness the unique education that our two schools provide – STRONGER TOGETHER! It was one year ago when Benedictine, like all other schools in Virginia, was ordered to close our doors to in-person instruction. This mandate was particularly hard for our school to absorb because we are a school that values the primacy of an in-person experience for our Cadets. As any freshman Cadet will tell you, Benedictine is a visceral in-your-face experience that pushes our young men to their limits of mental and physical toughness. We place a high value on the importance of community events, with a long list of regular and traditional events for Cadets, alumni and families woven throughout the school year. Up until March 2020, we were one of the few schools that continued to resist the trend to put electronics in the hands of our students and as centerpieces in the classrooms. Cadets are not even allowed to use their cell phones during lunch, and frankly, none of them notice – they are too busy enjoying the shared fellowship of face-to-face camaraderie. It was hard for all of us to have those elements of our experience suddenly taken away – toughest for the seniors of the Class of 2020, who had earned the right after four long years to have their Senior Prom, The Figure, and a Graduation.

head of school

Benedictine did not accept this “new normal.” We immediately and courageously committed to having an in-person Graduation for our seniors, where they could celebrate their accomplishments with their families and each other – and we pulled it off in July. We dedicated ourselves to finding a way to enable a full return of in-person instruction in the fall for those who wanted it – and we opened in September with 96% of Cadets choosing the in-person option. We strove to provide our Cadets with as much normalcy as possible this year, even pulling together joint “field day” opportunities for our Benedictine Cadets with the Saint Gertrude Gators in March. While there have been unique challenges, and nobody likes wearing the mask all day long, I am filled with gratitude to be here together, in person, in brotherhood and fellowship with our Cadets.

I am also filled with deep gratitude to have known and worked alongside two great men who unexpectedly left Benedictine early in the school year: John Fogarty and Mike Bumbulsky. I miss John.

John was the first person I met at Benedictine when I joined the school in 2013. He immediately struck me as boisterous and sarcastic, quick with a joke or stinging barb, but just as quick with generosity, humility, and compassion. John was a man of deep thinking and spiritual insight, quick wit, and a servant-leader’s heart. As John and I prepared to take the administrative helm of Benedictine last summer, we shared long conversations about our mutual goals to move the Cadet culture towards a reinvigorated sense of virtue. Despite the tragic and unexpected loss of a great man and friend, I am filled with the sense of gratitude to have known and worked with John for these last eight years.

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Mike Bumbulsky had to take an unexpected leave of absence from Benedictine due to a serious accident in the early fall. Anyone who has been part of Benedictine in the last two decades would agree, Mike is one of the finest human beings you could ever meet. Mike has served Benedictine for 20 years, 14 years as the associate headmaster, and the last six years as a teacher. Mike personally mentored me for the year leading up to my transition as the associate headmaster, and has continued to be a source of confidence, encouragement, and expertise ever since. Mike is a man of extraordinary talent and capability, the finest classroom teacher I have ever known, and one of the most humble men you will ever meet. Mike continues to heal and recover from his accident and hopes to return to Benedictine soon in a volunteer or tutoring capacity. It is impossible to replace a man like Mike Bumbulsky, and I am filled with gratitude for his many years of warm friendship, patient assistance, gentle courage, unwavering dedication, and selfless service to a generation of Benedictine Cadets.

I am filled with gratitude for you – the parents, alumni, and friends of Benedictine who have enabled us to weather the storm of the last year, and who believe in the spiritual value of a Benedictine education for our young men. It is a great blessing to use our new stateof-the-art McMurtrie-Reynolds Pavilion, made possible by the financial sacrifices so many of you made. We are truly blessed to have the Saint Gertrude Gators here on campus with us, bringing the long history and tradition between our two schools together again in close unity.

As many of you know, after eight years of service, my time at Benedictine has come to an end. My family and I are moving to a new school and leadership opportunity in Naples, Florida. Be assured of my deep love, affection, and gratitude for every teacher, parent, student, graduate, and friend of Benedictine that I have had the pleasure to know and serve these last eight years. This is an exciting new chapter in the life of our beloved school, and I am filled with hopefulness for the bright future at Benedictine, confident that we will rise and meet any future challenges that are in front of us.

GO CADETS! Sincerely,

Michael Bussman, BCP Head of School

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memorable moments

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After a month of successful in-person learning, on October 5 Cadets and teachers were glad to finally attend mass together as a whole school while still abiding by COVID protocols and regulations. In lieu of shaking hands, Jude Drew ’24 and Luke Drew ’24 are shown safely giving the sign of peace.

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memorable moments

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Little Brother Jake Janus ’24 makes his way across the parade deck to deliver a token to Sponsoring Officer Miles Moten ’21 and his Sponsor Mia Dickens ’21. Nothing, not even a pandemic, could stop us from honoring our seniors and celebrating this beloved tradition between Benedictine and Saint Gertrude.

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memorable moments

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low rez

Freshman Cadets endure a rigorous Orientation Finale on a cold week in November. These Cadets were expected to hike Richmond’s Buttermilk Trail while performing various challenges, like carrying logs along the path.

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memorable moments

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In sports and in life, there is nothing better than a comeback story. Up against an undefeated St. Christopher’s team, and trailing 1-5 after one inning, Benedictine’s varsity baseball team battled back and brought home their third VISAA Invitational State Championship in four seasons in an 8-7 victory. We are so proud of the strength and determination of these incredible student-athletes. GO CADETS! SP RI N G 2 0 2 1 •

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student spotlight

MICH A EL MOR R IS S E Y ’22 When COVID wreaked havoc across the nation, Michael Morrissey ’22 jumped into action.

Inspired by the actions of his grandfather, Michael initiated a fundraiser to help local families in need of food. In less than a year, he has raised over $7,000 to help feed families struggling to put food on the table.

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What inspired you to start this fundraiser?

My grandfather who is the commander of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) in Ocean City raised $16,000 to make over 2,000 meals for people in need.

His actions inspired me to do my own thing and start a fundraiser to help people locally. One day I started a GoFundMe and so far, I have raised over $7,000 and made over 1,200 meals. People were losing their businesses and really struggling during COVID, and I just wanted to help people who were struggling. But my grandfather definitely influenced me. I look up to him very much; he’s a good dude.

How are the meals made and delivered?

My parents own a catering business so I am able to order all of the food at wholesale prices and use their commercial kitchen. My family (especially my dad) helps me make the meals and deliver them. It’s fun because we get to hang out as a family.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a project like this?

Just go for it! You will learn a lot along the way, but it’s a fun, gratifying experience.

What do you love most about Benedictine?

Of course the brotherhood and the tight community.

It’s so nice to know everyone in the school. But I really enjoy the leadership program. Having a leadership position at the school really helps us become better people. As underclassmen, we learn how to follow which helps us to lead when we are juniors and seniors. I think that is the best part about Benedictine – being able to work with your fellow Cadets to lead and keep everybody organized and responsible.

To Learn More:

Who receives the meals?

We work with various organizations such as the Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, Liberation Veteran Services, St. Mary’s Church, and a few low-income residential facilities like Saint Francis Home and Merrywood Apartments. We also have delivered meals to some local fire departments to thank them for their service. Most of the time we deliver the food in bulk to the various organizations, and they distribute it to the individual families. But when we do get to deliver it directly to them, the look of gratitude and joy on their faces is very gratifying on our end. It’s so nice to see others happy.

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student spotlight

MIL E S MO T E N ’21 When you ask anyone about Miles Moten ’21, they’ll immediately respond with “aww, I love that kid.” And it’s easy to see why. Whether running cross country, hitting a baseball, planning prom, or helping with admissions open houses, Miles continuously strives to be his best and to live up to the high standards set by Frank Parater.

And as Benedictine’s battalion executive officer, he’s helping young Cadets to be their very best as well.

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What are you involved in at Benedictine?

What are you most proud of from your time at Benedictine?

Battalion Executive Officer, cross country, indoor track, baseball, National Honor Society, prom committee, Spanish club, key club, and Ambassador’s Program

I am very proud of the fact that I have been able to do so well here. My dad tells me every morning to be excellent in everything I do, and I feel like I have accomplished that here at Benedictine. I’m very proud that I have committed myself to what this school is trying to do and to its mission and that’s forming Christian men of conscience, discipline, and achievement. You could say that I have given my heart to this school.

What do you love the most about Benedictine?

The fact that I know that the guys that I met here are going to be my friends for the rest of my life. The teachers have been wonderful with their support and helping me with not just school, but with life. The camaraderie, whether that’s in the classroom, the hallways, or on the sports fields, has been a very heartwarming experience for me.

What are the benefits of attending a Catholic school?

I have attended a Catholic school since fourth grade and it has continuously helped strengthen my faith. My theology and religion teachers have all taught me more about being a Christian, the Bible, and how important it is to follow in the steps of Jesus.

Why is Benedictine the best?

Strong academic program, amazing athletics, and incredible support (whether from administration, our teachers, or fellow Cadets). I have loved my time at Benedictine. People always say that when you choose a school, you want to make sure you love it and feel at home there. When I first stepped on campus, it felt like a home for me. I have loved it every day since day one, and I am going to miss it with my whole heart.

I know my brother is coming up behind me (current freshman Pierce Moten ’24), and I know he is going to do great things as well. I look forward to watching him grow and hopefully he can do even bigger and better things than I did here at Benedictine.

What do you like about attending a military school?

The structure has helped me get more organized and prepared for the outside world. Just like in the real world where there are consequences for your mistakes, the same is true at Benedictine.

What advice would you give to an incoming freshman?

Be yourself, learn from the upperclassmen, and make as many friends as you can. Branch out, put yourself out there, and don’t be afraid to show other people who you are. Benedictine pushes you to be your best, so remember to work hard (on the field and in the classroom).

What does it mean to you to be a recipient of the Parater Scholarship?

It is a huge honor knowing the fact that I received a scholarship named after not only a man who came to Benedictine but who is up for sainthood. The fact I was chosen as someone who represents his qualities and characteristics means a lot to me and my family.

Congratulations, Miles!

Congratulations to Miles on receiving the Dr. Michael Lomax Student Success Scholarship, worth over $250,000 covering tuition, room, board, fees, books, summer programs, and transportation to annual workshops and seminars for all four years at Morehouse College. This scholarship is funded by Patty Quillin and Reed Hastings, co-founders of Netflix, and allows Miles to graduate debt-free.

“We are truly elated and want to thank everyone at Benedictine for preparing Miles for his next chapter in life. He is destined for great things, and I am sure he will make us all proud,” says Jeff Moten, Miles’s father.

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faculty feature

JOHN FOGARTY John Fogarty was New York City born and bred. Everything about him spoke to that fact. Over the first four decades of his life, he rarely strayed from the Big Apple. The idea of living anywhere else never crossed his mind until his wife Lisa learned that the company for which she worked was planning to relocate its headquarters to Richmond, Virginia.

As a result, this 6’5” brash personification of a Yankee found himself living in one of the most southern of American cities, and he soon found himself working in a school that contained the sons of that southern city. New York met Richmond. More specifically, New York met Benedictine. And the fit could not have been more perfect.

And while his thick New York accent was the subject of many impersonation attempts, those who made such 16

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tries, like the rest of their fellow Cadets, were crazy for the man, sadly lost to us when he passed away on December 4, 2020.

“I think of him as a ‘larger than life’ New Yorker,” stated Joseph Clark ’21. “He would make fun of you for anything but, at the same time, you knew he liked you. Mr. Fogarty was a teacher, a coach, and, most importantly, someone you could always rely upon for good life advice.”

Having graduated from Cathedral Preparatory Seminary and its adjoining college, he spent his early years teaching, coaching, and serving as athletic director at the same high school from which he graduated. Eventually, he moved over to Regis, one of the most well-known and well-regarded Catholic schools in America.

In fact, prior to coming to Benedictine, Fogarty had spent all his teaching years at all-male, Catholic high schools. “I have never taught anything to a female,” Fogarty shared.

While, Lisa, his wife of nearly 25 years might (or might not) dispute that assertion, we’ll take it on face value. Certainly, she has taught him plenty. But it is his pedigree, steeped in all-male, Catholic learning that made him invaluable to Benedictine.

Fogarty showed his dedication to his family when Lisa’s company relocated from New York to Richmond. He headed south of the Mason-Dixon Line, hoping that similar opportunities awaited him. Even though he had to say farewell to his Yankees and Rangers, he once noted, “This has been a spectacular move for my family. It gave me a life with my family.”

And, though it took a couple of years to happen (during which he kept himself busy through a variety of adventures), Benedictine and Fogarty eventually found one another.

The two decades that Fogarty spent at Benedictine featured eventful years. But over that span, the Cadets heard a uniform message from the man. He stressed faith and family. He wanted nothing more than his school to graduate young men that were just that: men. School administrators over the years saw that desire and ensured that Fogarty was positioned in ways that encouraged maximum exposure of his positive example. Whether teaching math, instructing bioethics, serving as the athletic director, or guiding the lads as dean of boys, Fogarty was always front and center in the Cadets’ lives at school. “In our bioethics class, he talked about how, no matter how much you love certain

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things, God has to come first,” recalled Aiden Johnson ’21.

“Then family.”

Beyond a doubt, he was devoted to the Catholic faith and education. “I would have sent my son (Conor ’14) here even if I hadn’t worked here,” Fogarty once declared. “I know what Catholic education did for me, and I wanted the same for my children.” (His daughter Lauren graduated from Saint Gertrude in 2016.)

His relationship with Catholic education was certainly a twoway street. For while he benefited from his experiences, he gave back exponentially.

His passing was not immediate, so the community had ample opportunity for goodbyes. The senior class took it upon themselves to create a caravan of their cars, which they

“ Mr. Fogarty was a teacher, a coach, and, most importantly, someone you could always rely upon for good life advice.”

— JOSEPH CL ARK ’21 —

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drove around the Fogarty home’s cul-de-sac. The Cadets then got out of those cars, went on Fogarty’s front lawn, and sang the Benedictine fight song as well as Fogarty’s favorite, the “Salve Regina.” “He raised his hands and gave a big clap,” remembered John Carreras ’21, one of those seniors who is also a member of the golf team. “He was the most influential teacher I’d had, plus he was a great coach.”

Of course, the Cadets (as well as the entire Benedictine family) were devastated when they finally learned of his passing. And while tears were shed, the boys knew that Fogarty would appreciate a different reaction from them. On the Monday following his death, the senior class spontaneously left school and headed to the football field.

There they once again sang the school fight song and the “Salve Regina.” At the end of that school day, the Corps of Cadets were joined by the faculty and staff in praying a rosary that was led by Bill Doran ’92, one of Fogarty’s closest friends on the faculty.

faculty feature That evening the seniors built a bonfire near the weight room, near which they sang songs together and listened to the bagpipes played by a trio of Cadets.

“Losing him is huge,” stated Cadet Johnson. “Seeing him in the hallways, hearing his nicknames [that he gave us] ...It is the loss of an awesome energy. I admired his sense of humor, but he was smart, maybe the smartest [person] in the building.

He was always prepared for what you might say next.”

Along with teaching, Fogarty was a long-time varsity football and golf coach, touching the hearts of hundreds of players throughout the years. He inspired them both on the field, courses, and in their personal lives. “He was like another father to me, telling me what I was doing wrong with life,” said senior and varsity football player Jay Woolfolk. “He corrected me as a player and as a person. He taught me so many lessons and how to be a man. One of the best things he taught me was to ‘not

care about what others think about you’. I really miss Coach, and I hope I can grow up to be the man he taught me to be.”

It wasn’t just the Cadets whom he inspired. “I’ve always tried to teach things the way he did,” said Savino Padrone ’07, math teacher and assistant varsity football coach, who was hired by Fogarty to that coaching position. “The football coaches are like a family, and now we are missing a piece of that family.

This year was rough.”

But, in the end, Fogarty will be most missed by his students: young men whose memories will forever be blessed by knowing him. “He was the most influential teacher I’ve had,” said Carreras. “I just couldn’t envision Benedictine without Coach Fogarty there.”

Without doubt, young Mister Carreras is joined by many in that sentiment.

Fogarty’s Folklore A TA L E O F T H E B E N E D I C T I N E GOLF TRIP TO IRELAND

By Windsor Antal ’21 The golf trip to Ireland is the highlight of the year for many Cadets and their parents. The trip, an eightday escapade over Easter Break, entails the team and their parents getting to play some of the nicest courses in the country. It was organized primarily by Mr. Fogarty, with minor assistance from the senior class in choosing what courses to play. While there are enough stories from the trip to fill an entire magazine, I will stick to telling my favorite.

On the third day of the last trip, we played at Dooks Golf Club, a 131-year-old course located on the coast of southwestern Ireland. Mr. Fogarty, who was teeing off in the fourth group, spent the tee times of the first three groups talking big smack about everyone’s swing instead of warming up. When it became his time to shoot, Mr. Fogarty confidently walked up to the tee box, teed up his ball, lined up his shot, swung, and shanked the ball directly into the clubhouse. He stood there dumbfounded for a second, while everyone else was dying of laughter. He looked at his caddie, who tossed him a golf ball and said, “Hit another.”

Mr. Fogarty, still a bit flustered from his previous shot, lined up and swung and, once again, shanked the ball into the clubhouse. He turned around to the howling crowd of students and their parents and, in his famous New York accent, simply said “alrighty” and walked to hit his next shot.

Even with this terrible start to his round, he still shot one of the best rounds of the day. Coach Fogarty’s legendary sense of humor shone through times like these, as even he found the situation hilarious.

He always said that as long as he talked with you, he liked you, no matter how much grief he gave you; and Coach Fogarty always talked to everyone.

Nobody messed around with Coach Fogarty, not because they feared him or the consequences, but because everyone knew how much he loved us. While his passing has put the Ireland trip on an indefinite hiatus, I am proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to go when I did.

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A Befitting Tribute NEW SENIOR LOUNGE HONORS FOGART Y’S MEMORY John Fogarty was a man driven by many passions. While faith and family were foremost in his makeup, his love of educating young men and his devotion to his Irish heritage were unshakable.

So, it was only fitting that those aspects of life to which he was devoted should permeate the brand-new John Fogarty Memorial Senior Lounge. The facility, which was formally unveiled on March 19, is a thing of beauty, reflective of the Ireland of Fogarty’s blood and the New York City of his youth. The only irony about the whole thing is that a “lounge” was named for a man who never seemed to rest, as he tended to the development and growth of his beloved Cadets.

The “Room that John Built” has served as the seniors’ own, even prior to its upgrade. Until recently, however, it was less than an inviting place to be, as seniors spent scant time there. Since the move to Goochland, it has been little more than a glorified locker room, one without any furniture or entertainment except for a couple of vending machines.

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Current Commandant Gray Walker helped liven things up a bit, bringing in foosball and ping-pong tables, as well as some lightly used chairs and sofas at the start of the school year. As a result, seniors grew much more comfortable in the place. The Fogarty project, however, cranked the beautification of the room into high gear.

The room was designed to have the ambience of a pub.

But rather than the American version of a pub, with its heavier focus on libations, what was carried out in this case was the Irish-style establishment. Such a place has an atmosphere that is underscored by camaraderie, merriment, and friendly competitiveness. The Fogarty Lounge has all those characteristics, and it has them in spades.

“It is a great place to hang with the guys,” noted senior Christopher Lee. “It helps take off some of the pressure.”

The entranceway is flanked by two huge photos of the Big Apple skyline, with one featuring downtown Manhattan and the other showing off the Statue of Liberty. Once inside the

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lounge, one is struck by the rich wood-planked floor and the lustrous half-wall paneling. But it is the wall decorations that really carry the place. One wall is a veritable tribute to Fogarty, with photos of him playing golf, coaching football, and being in the presence of his beloved Cadets. “Just seeing the pictures of Coach Fogarty every day gets me excited,” said senior Logan Cohn. “It makes for a better experience.”

Another wall dazzles with stained glass windows depicting Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Around the room are posted photos of Cadet legends and beloved Benedictine personalities, including former faculty and staff.

Recreational opportunities abound with a regulation-sized pool table, a pair of professional-grade table-tennis boards, a foosball table, and a dart board. “I like the games and how we can be competitive with one another in a fun way,” shared senior Josh Shaw.

The room was officially opened on March 19, following a Mass said in memory of Mr. Fogarty. The Mass and the reception that followed (in the Lounge) were attended by friends and family members (Cadets also attended the Mass).

The Mass had been a long time coming, originally planned to be held late January or early February. Bill Doran ’92, old-time friend and colleague of Fogarty, worked with the Benedictine choir every week to prepare for it, picking the right songs and getting prepared emotionally. “It’s a really beautiful farewell song (Parting Glass)” said Doran. “My wife’s family does it for weddings and while it was not quite a wedding, it was still a farewell. It was a clearly moving song and, since I was so busy, I wasn’t able to think about the emotions that would come up while singing. It did get me a few times at practice though. It was an honor to sing for him (Fogarty), giving him the voices of my family and the Cadets was the only thing I could really do for him and his family. Sometimes that’s more important.”

From that day forward, the senior Cadets have been ‘livin’ in high cotton.’ During lunchtime, breaks and after school, the Fogarty Lounge is alive with laughter and good fellowship. Just being in the room is a tremendously uplifting experience. The only thing that is missing is the fellow for whom it is named.

Cadets Joseph Clark ’21 and Joseph Colizzi ’23 contributed to this article.

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the legacy of frank parater 22

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I N A U G U R A L G R O U P O F PA R AT E R S C H O L A R S S E T T O G R A D U AT E What was once a passing thought has now become ingrained at Benedictine, as the Frank Parater Scholarship Program has become a principal driver in bringing the sons of middle-class Richmond families to our school.

This June, the inaugural group of Parater scholars shall receive their sheepskins and join the ranks of Benedictine alumni. Eleven Parater scholarships were awarded prior to the Class of ’21 making its arrival in Goochland County. Of that grouping, 10 have persevered through the trials and tribulations of Cadet life. The program, however, has made the financial challenges of attendance less of a trial and eliminated it as a tribulation.

Since its birth, the Parater program has grown significantly. As the scholarship enters its fifth year, Benedictine has awarded a total of 61 Parater scholarships to current and soon-to-be Cadets, meaning an average of over 16 scholarships have been awarded each year since the program’s inception. The idea has been so successful that Saint Gertrude High School has adopted an identical program and has awarded 13 scholarships for the 2021-22 school year. (While both schools are part of the omnibus Benedictine Schools of Richmond, the two schools’ Parater Scholarship Programs are funded and allocated independently of one another.)

While the increase in volume is impressive, what is more so is the effect it has had on the student body of the school. “[The program] has helped us re-establish a foothold in the parochial schools to where, once again, we are attracting their best and their brightest,” said Director of Admission Greg Lilly.

The Parater Scholarship was designed to fill the “donut hole” that Benedictine (and, for that matter, nearly every private school in America) has when it comes to educational financing.

Many families are able to, and do, pay for their children’s education out-ofpocket, with no financial assistance.

Some lower-income families receive substantial financial assistance in enabling their children to attend. Middleclass families, meanwhile, are often in that hole: receiving no assistance while facing substantial tuition bills that may necessitate deep sacrifices in other areas of the family budget.

as the backbone of the initial “Day of Giving,” held in 2017.

The Day of Giving is held each year in conjunction with Frank Parater’s birthday (February 7, a day the Benedictine community hopes will be a feast day in his saintly honor one day).

That single day’s activities, and the generosity that accompanies it, are the sole means by which these scholarships are funded. “Parater Day means more to me,” said scholarship recipient Evan DeLoria ’21. “It gives me an appreciation knowing how those donations affect other people here.”

“The compelling aspect of this scholarship program is the opportunity it affords middle-class kids,” said Ken Sullivan. “The strength of our great country lies in the middle class; it always has and always will. Benedictine, itself, was built on middle-class values. That makes the Parater program the perfect fit for the school.”

“Benedictine has always had a unique, egalitarian culture. There were no silver spoons on Sheppard Street, and there are none on River Road.”

Sullivan, the retired CEO of Smithfield Foods, could be considered a “founding father” of the Parater Scholarship.

From its inception, he was struck by the motives that drove the program and showed that admiration by organizing a substantial matching gift that served

Added Charlie Williamson, another soon-to-graduate Parater scholar: “I enjoy the Day of Giving. It’s an opportunity for people to see what it’s all about. And when I hear us hit [a donation target], I think, ‘Well, that’s going to help out a fellow student.’

That’s what it’s all about.”

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“ This scholarship has given me opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t have, and it’s such a huge honor to follow in the footsteps of such a great man.”

— CONNOR H A NDY ’21— PA R AT ER S CHOL A R

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the legacy of frank parater

Senior Advancement Officer Lori Schattner is the driving force behind the Day of Giving, and she has been so since its inception. Her planning begins shortly after the conclusion of the previous year’s Parater Day activities. Through heavy engagement with, and assistance from, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and Cadets, Schattner blends a mix of fun, spirituality, camaraderie, and generosity to make it a special day. Anyone who has seen the videos from any of the Days of Giving can attest to that.

“Raising money for Parater Scholarships on our annual Day of Giving is the highlight of my job,” said Schattner.

“Planning and supervising the execution of this school day event and fundraiser is by far the most stressful part of my job, but at the same time, it is something I hold close to my heart.”

Windsor Antal, who serves as a captain in the Corps of Cadets and is slated to be the class salutatorian, likely would

have attended school elsewhere were it not for his earning a Parater scholarship.

As an eighth grader, Windsor considered Trinity and Goochland County High School. “The scholarship made the decision easier,” he noted.

Antal also made note of the scholarship’s namesake. “There’s a huge legacy behind all of it,” said Antal, who plans to attend either the University of Virginia or

University of Michigan next year to study mechanical engineering. “Frank Parater died in 1920 yet, over 100 years later, his memory is kept as if he were a Cadet just last year.”

Joseph Clark holds the rank of major while concurrently serving in the United States Army Reserves. “I would have come here anyway, but it would have been more strenuous on my family,”

“ I’m glad to be at Benedictine on a Parater scholarship. It’s a great way to further my education and do so in the name of a man who is up for sainthood.”

— MIL ES MO T EN ’21— PA R AT ER S CHOL A R

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Clark stated, while sharing that he had a sister at Saint Gertrude and two brothers in parochial school at that point.

“I think it’s awesome that Benedictine is able to offer scholarships to middleclass families in order to broaden the background of its student population.”

eighth graders at Benedictine’s parochial feeder schools. That will bring the total of Parater scholars enrolled at Benedictine to 61. In other words, 20 percent of the entire Benedictine College Prep student body is proudly linked to Frank Parater.

Connor Handy, a member of the Class of ’21, is also a standout pitcher on the Cadet baseball team as well as the commander of B Company in the corps, came to Benedictine on a Parater scholarship. “This scholarship has given me opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t have,” he stated. “And it’s such a huge honor to follow in the footsteps of such a great man.”

The link between this Man of God and the recipients of the scholarship that bears his name is undeniable. The scholarship is awarded to the sons of middle-class families, which is exactly the family background of Frank Parater.

When the award was conceived it was done so following the realization that there was a “donut hole” in the way that private school education is funded.

Families in the upper-income brackets were “full-pay,” in that they could afford the cost without benefit of any financial assistance. Those families in lower-income brackets typically received substantial financial-based assistance.

What became clear, after studying BCP demographics is that we were lacking

Miles Moten has earned the position of executive officer in the Corps of Cadets (the second-highest slot in the battalion) and is on his way to Atlanta’s Morehouse College next year. “I’m glad to be at Benedictine on a Parater scholarship,” said Moten. “It’s a great way to further my education and do so in the name of a man who is up for sainthood.”

a middle-class presence that was representative of the general population.

The Parater Middle-Class Scholarship was introduced with one overarching goal: To make attending a superb Catholic high school as affordable for middle-class families as was parochial grade school. Thus, the award wasn’t one directed solely at Catholic students. In fact, a substantial number of awardees have been non-Catholic graduates of local parochial schools.

So, it would appear the program is here to stay. Soon, those 10 Parater scholars will stand proudly in front of their fellow Cadets at graduation and claim the sheepskins they so richly deserve. This most recent stage of each of their lives will have been partially fueled by their selection for the Parater award. It is our hope that their subsequent successes will be guided by the Benedictine education that they received as a result.

As far as the Parater Class of ’21 is concerned, Lilly shared, “The program attracted a nice cross section of kids who have excelled in academics, in leadership, and in athletics. More importantly, all of them have strength in their Catholic faith, which was the impetus of this program.”

At first, they were known as the initial recipients of benefits from a new scholarship at Benedictine. Then, they became known, collectively, as “The Parater Scholars.” This June, they will become the first-ever Parater graduates.

They certainly will not be the last.

“This year we blew the roof off of our objectives,” enthused Schattner.

“February 5 was our first combined Day of Giving with Saint Gertrude, and we killed it…we surpassed our goal by over $100,000, and between our two schools we were able to offer 29 scholarships!”

That total includes the 16 new scholarships that are currently being awarded to young men who are current

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“ Frank Parater serves as a model for people of every age and walk of life.”

— WA LT E R S U L L I VA N — FORMER RICHMOND BISHOP

the legacy of frank parater

The Parater Scholars — CL ASS OF ’21 —

Windsor Antal Joseph Clark Evan DeLoria Ethan Fox Connor Handy Stephen Lord Miles Moten Daniel Mouser Charles Williamson Brendan Wright Ken Sullivan with the inaugural group of Parater scholars their freshman year.

A New Appreciation While Frank Parater has always been a familiar name within the Benedictine community, there is little doubt that the creation of the scholarship fund that bears his name has helped spread a broader awareness, while fostering a deeper appreciation, of the man.

His brief (he passed away at 22 years of age) but meaningful life engendered a story that is heard by each and every student through their Benedictine theology teachers. “I discuss him around the Day of Giving,” said BCP theology teacher Bill Doran ’92, referring to the annual February event.

Students learn of the man almost immediately upon their entrance to Benedictine. “I’d not really heard of Frank Parater before coming here,” said Landon Brown ’22, a graduate of Saint Benedict. “I learned about him during orientation.”

With 57 students attending Benedictine on Parater scholarships (in the 2020-21 academic year), it is no surprise that there has been a renaissance, of sorts, around Frank Parater. The more the Cadets learn about this good and gentle man, the better their paths to manhood. “He’s a good role-model,” noted Brown. “Because he led a good Christian life.”

In a formal decree, then-Richmond Bishop Walter Sullivan wrote: “All people are called to holiness. Frank Parater serves as a model for people of every age and walk of life.

His example of service and total dedication to God, even at a young age, serves as an inspiration of wholehearted service for one’s neighbor. Frank’s example of faith is a model for seminarians who seek to answer God’s call to serve as priests.”

The consensus around the school is that the Cadets have “one of their own” as a real-life role model. Frank Parater is venerated as a “Servant of God” by the Catholic Church.

“I’m hoping he attains sainthood,” declared Dustin Tran ’22.

“He lived a good and holy life and was very spiritual in his relationship with God.” Whether that mighty objective is realized, one thing is certain: Frank Parater’s name is inextricably linked to a program that is enabling young men to become Cadets when they might not otherwise do so. And that program has brought a new appreciation for one of the first-ever Cadets: a man who set the standard for the school’s spirituality.

That is a win-win.

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community snapshots

ATHLETICS AWARDS DAY

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CLASSROOM COMMISSIONING

MASS

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community snapshots

MILITARY LIFE

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ORIENTATION

SPONSORS + OFFICERS

VETERANS DAY REVIEW

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BENEDICTINE ALUMNI AND FAMILIES, I am blessed to write to you today as the chair of the Board of Trustees and as a National Campaign Co-Chair (along with Bridget Ryan Berman ’78) for the future vision of our schools. I say “blessed” because what I have been able to experience at Benedictine and Saint Gertrude over a lifetime, but especially in the past year, has been significant to me and my family. We believe in Catholic education and in particular the community-building aspect of the 100-year relationship of Benedictine and Saint Gertrude. My siblings and I attended the schools in the 1980s. We built memorable bonds that last to the current day. But most importantly, we learned to value a service to God and His truth which transcends our daily material interests. We have the Benedictine Monks and Sisters to thank for those lessons, and we are eternally grateful. I have a senior daughter at Saint Gertrude today and remain an appreciative witness to that ongoing spiritual formation.

When I joined the board community for Benedictine in 2011, the school was just beginning to recover from the effects of a challenging financial situation. Recently, Saint Gertrude had a similar experience. However, in both cases, the schools responded to adversity not with a melancholic resignation but instead with a bold, entrepreneurial plan to reestablish themselves with an exciting vision for Catholic education in Richmond. My own experience in business, although perhaps more prosaic from a spiritual sense, solidifies my belief in the schools’ responses during those challenging times. Put simply, “think big.”

My firm, Kinsale Capital, operates primarily based on the analysis of risk. Some might say that should make me more risk averse. To the contrary, what I see every day both in my professional world and personal life is that if you are unwilling to risk anything, you rarely gain anything.

alumni letter

There’s a great passage from the book of Matthew 25:14-30 that, to me, illustrates this point.

Christ uses the “parable of the talents” to describe the kingdom of Heaven. In the parable, a landowner entrusts three of his servants with varying amounts of his talents (money) to safeguard. Two of the servants risk their lots in business transactions with success, and thereby return their master more money than they received. The third servant, however, acting out of fear and resignation, accepts no risk and instead buries the money in the ground to protect it. The first two servants are later received by their master with praise and reward, but the third is cast out for his laziness. He did not “think big.” Jesus underscores the point that whoever thinks big for God will reap the most reward.

I am so proud of Benedictine and Saint Gertrude for the ability to “think big” in critical moments.

It is why my wife, Bevin, and I support the schools for their very promising futures. We hope that you will join us.

Go Cadets!

Mike Kehoe ’84 Father of Mary Kehoe ’21

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MIKE KEHOE ’84

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alumni headliners For over a century, Benedictine graduates have been making significant, positive impacts in their communities and across the globe. On the following pages, you’ll read the stories of five remarkable men from very different walks of life that are working to improve outcomes in mental health, public policy, the police department, race relations, and education.

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DEAN NGENDAKURIYO ’17 future army medic

Born in Burundi (East Africa), Dean Ngendakuriyo and his family made their way to the United States when he was six years old. Growing up with a love and talent for football, Dean had his heart set on playing professionally, but always saw his mom (a nurse) as the one who wore the superhero cape. After participating on Benedictine’s Middies football team, Dean saw a future as a Cadet thanks to the Corporate Internship Program. Through that program, he worked at Bon Secours where his love for medicine was heightened. Destined to play football for an ivy league school, Dean instead chose a path in the military via West Point. Unfortunately, Dean experienced several injuries during his four years of playing collegiate football and grew into a deep depression, with a lost sense of identity and hope. Realizing football wouldn’t be his future after college, Dean recalled his time in the hospital and his love for medicine and helping others. After overcoming his own struggles and with his strong Catholic faith as a foundation, Dean became a counselor for his football team and his military company. Now, this summer, Dean will begin his training in the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence and will later be stationed at Fort Hood. When Dean first planned to pursue a career in the medical field, he wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon but after his own battle with depression, he knew God was calling him to something greater. With a desire to bring light to the realities of mental illness, Dean intends to be a psychiatrist for veterans and those serving our country.

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ROB WITTMAN ’77

united states congressman Throughout his life, Rob Wittman has continuously asked himself “where can I best serve?,” and what began as a career in public health and science has developed over time and grown into a life of public service. Beginning in 1984 with a desire to give back to his community, Rob helped reform the local Boy Scouts and the Junior Chamber of Commerce which led him to serve on the Montross Planning Commission. And from there, his life in politics took off. Over the next 20 years, Rob served on town council, as Mayor, and on the Board of Supervisors before being elected in 2005 to the Virginia House of Delegates. And since 2007, Rob has served as the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. During his time in office, he authored and helped pass into law the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act, a bill that works to enhance and properly manage Chesapeake Bay programs and resources. And as part of his role on the Natural Resource Committee, he has worked with Virginia’s six Native American tribes to formally receive the federal recognition they deserve. Furthermore, throughout his time in Congress, Rob has been an outspoken advocate for proper defense funding for the United States and for overall global stability. Whether advocating for our men and women in uniform, being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay, or speaking on the House floor, Rob has set a foundation of servant leadership in all that he does. Influenced by his parents, his faith, and his experience at Benedictine and through Virginia Tech’s Corps of Cadets, Rob is committed to serving others, building a better society, and leading from the heart.

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DEACON CHARLES WILLIAMS ’69

director of the office for black catholics in the diocese of richmond When his church was closed in the name of integration more than 50 years ago, Rev. Mr. Charles Williams walked away from his faith claiming he did not need the God who allowed it to happen. More than 25 years later, he found his way back to God and immersed himself in his faith and with the goal of effectively serving the black Catholic community. After being ordained in 2013, he became a volunteer chaplain with the diocesan prison ministry and served on the board of GraceInside, an organization aimed at bringing God’s Word to those incarcerated. In 2016, Deacon Charles was recognized for working on the front lines for justice with the national “Keep the Dream Alive Honors” from Catholic Charities USA in appreciation for his lifelong commitment and service. Just two years later, Deacon Charles was appointed director of the Office for Black Catholics to seek opportunities for ongoing inclusion and participation of black Catholics within the life of the diocese. As director, Deacon Charles knows there is a lot of work to be done in Central Virginia. With the realization that there are wounds that need to be healed, he is on a mission to hold listening sessions with the African American Catholic community in an effort to move forward. Constantly seeking ways to change individuals’ minds and hearts, Deacon Charles emphasizes the importance of educating others, engaging in and staying in conversation, and always seeking God’s calling. As only one of two African Americans in his graduating class at Benedictine, he says he always felt cared for and that his voice mattered. Now, he hopes to show that same kindness to other young men – to be that role model – and to show them that they, too, matter.

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WESLEY STEELMAN ’15 henrico county police officer “Knowing if someone would have stopped them, they might still be alive.” At the end of his middle school career, Wesley Steelman started researching options for high school and was immediately attracted to Benedictine’s military leadership program where he went on to play varsity baseball and become S-4 Captain. After graduating from Lynchburg College, Wesley was left struggling to figure out his next steps. During his time as a Cadet, he was affected by the deaths of three fellow Cadets (Sam Cadden ’13, Sean Reynolds ’15, and Seth Wilson ’17) – each of whom died in separate automobile accidents. As he reflected on his own life and the lives of these Cadets, he kept thinking how each of their accidents could have been prevented. In January 2020, after seven months of intense training through the 71st Basic Police Academy, Wesley started his career as a Henrico County police officer. Thinking of his friends, he’s dedicated to road police as he wants to help prevent the loss of life and to save their families the grief of losing a loved one. Wesley even aspires to one day be on the state’s Crash Investigation Team, where he will study, examine, and report on how crashes occur to prevent them from happening again. However, what Wesley likes the most about his job is the interaction with the community. He enjoys learning from citizens, hearing what they need from the police, and how the department can help the community be safer and ensure citizens feel at ease.

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REV. ADRIAN W. HARMENING, O.S.B. benedictine legacy

For more than six decades, he was “The Rock of Benedictine.” Immediately following his ordination as a Benedictine monk, Rev. Adrian W. Harmening, O.S.B. found his way to Richmond in 1955 to serve at Benedictine High School. Over the course of the next 65 years, Father Adrian served the Benedictine community as a friend, mentor, teacher, role model, and priest. He embraced the school and its students with great enthusiasm, teaching chemistry, Latin, and religion, as well as serving as disciplinarian and then as principal for 25 years. Under his leadership, Benedictine experienced growth in the student body, the introduction of programs in the arts, continued excellence in athletics, and, above all, an emphasis on discipline and the Catholic faith. While his passion was the education and moral development of boys through Catholic education and the Boy Scouts, he also founded and served as first pastor of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church. A true servant of God always looking to make fishers of men, Father Adrian had an internal guidance system – what he referred to as a GOS: God first, Others second, and Self third. There is no question that this system was his guiding star, and he lived it each day until he passed away in May of 2020. While Father Adrian wasn’t an official alumnus of Benedictine, he certainly bled green and white and left a legacy of Cadet alumni who will ever be devoted and grateful to this wonderous man: the prime driver in their formation.

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After you circle back in time on this page, flip the magazine and turn to page 42 for combined class notes for Benedictine and Saint Gertrude.

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SPRING 2021

the towers WHERE THE HEART IS

Finding a new home in Goochland

INAUGURAL ISSUE

The Towers Magazine Spring 2021 BENE D I CT I N E S CHOOLS OF R I C H MO N D PRESIDENT

Jesse Grapes I NTE R I M P R I N C I PA L

Drew Mugford ’86 SA I N T GE RT R U DE H EA D O F S C H OOL

Amy Pickral ’95 DIRE CTO R O F CO M MUN I CAT I O N , E DI TOR

Kristina Kerns CO NT R I B UT I N G WR I T E R S

Mike Forster, Pilar Martinez ’21 P H OTO GR AP HY

Kelly Lonergan, Wendell Powell Studios, Mike Forster, Glave and Holmes, Taylor and Parrish

Benedictine Schools of Richmond does not discriminate in its admissions, or in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, or in access to or treatment in any other school-administered program on the basis of religion, race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or any other protected category in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Meadow Messerschmidt ’23 and Nan Kerner ’21

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FA C U LT Y F E AT U R E Fran Pochily, Director of Athletics

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WHERE THE HEART IS Saint Gertrude said farewell to their beloved campus on Stuart Avenue and found a new home in Goochland, joining their brother school Benedictine College Preparatory.

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A NOTE TO SAINT GERTRUDE ALUMNAE Bridget Ryan Berman ’78

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ALUMNAE HEADLINERS Ann-Frances Lambert ’93, Christine Cadigan-Benonis ’04, Kathleen Burke Barrett ’65, Joanna Kettlewell, Ph.D. ’09, and Brenda (Bullock) Brickley ’69.

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CLASS NOTES After you read the combined class notes for Saint Gertrude and Benedictine, be sure to flip the magazine and check out the news from our brother school.

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I have vivid memories of laying on the floor when I was a child, pouring over my parents’ Saint Gertrude and Benedictine high school yearbooks cover-to-cover. I squinted to look through flipped bobs, hornrimmed glasses, and letterman jackets to find my aunts, uncles, and parents of my own friends. What was a “hop”? Was I going to need gloves when I grew up? So much marching. I should probably pay more attention in music class; singing seems important.

Sometimes my parents would find me and start flipping through the pages too. “A hop is just a dance. I remember the time…” I loved listening to their stories. It was even better when my parents’ high school friends came over and the stories became about my parents. Those were the real stories! In fact, it was mostly my parents’ high school friends who came over whenever we had a cookout. And who we talked to after Mass. And who sent us Christmas cards.

head of school

Not too long ago, my own daughters found my high school yearbooks. They giggled a bit at everyone’s hairstyles, but quickly wandered off. I, however, sat and fanned through those pages for far longer than I intended. Having been dragged along to similar events ever since my daughters could remember, the pages of Saint Gertrude yearbooks did not hold as many surprises as they had for me when I was young.

Now, I have the eyes of a teacher and administrator. I know exactly how many of these events still occur today, how excited the girls are to reach those very same milestones, and how meaningful traditions can continue to be, even the ones that inspire so many curious questions at first glance.

This year, as I look through old Saint Gertrude yearbooks, I cannot help but categorize annual events as “wins” or “losses” for myself according to whether we were able to safely and practically hold them during a pandemic. We have missed so much — some of it big, some small. Admittedly, even by continuing to hold our important ceremonies with restricted attendance, masks, and social distancing, what we have been able to do is different without beaming grandparents and receptions afterwards.

And yet, the joy on students’ faces (well, in their eyes) during every event we have been able to hold has been undeniable. I would argue that the students of the 2020-21 school year are among the most appreciative and engaged that I have encountered. Our students have always been quick with “thank yous” for their teachers, but there is an extra level of helpfulness and awareness of the amount of work behind the scenes.

We have truly been able to create memories for our students just the same. All of our students will have a yearbook. There will be some pages missing, but they will still get to giggle at their freshman smiles with teeth full of braces because we spent two days having socially-distanced school photos.

There will be a page full of hands with shiny class rings because we were able to space the juniors out on the parade deck for the ceremony while parents brought their own chairs. They will know who the sports team captains were and whether they had a winning season because the athletic director avidly negotiated competition safety guidelines with anyone who would play us. They will have pictures from the senior nativity, although they will have to squint past face masks to remember who was Mary and who was Joseph.

And they will have new pages. A page about moving to River Road (see page 22). A page about saying good-bye to Stuart Avenue. Candids of smiling faces at lunch sprawled out all over the parade deck bundled up in coats and sweatpants. A countdown to the opening of the new school building with photos

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of bulldozers. Photos of our championship basketball team cutting down the net while the entire school yelled even louder because we had to sit so far away (see page 20). A page about being the first class to graduate in the new gymnasium.

Their daughters will find these yearbooks in 20 years. “Why is everyone in masks?” “Is that Mass in the gym?” “I thought you went to an all-girls high school; aren’t those boys in the hallway?” “Eye makeup seems really important in 2021.” But then it will move onto, “There’s your aunt. There’s your uncle. You know Jenny from the pool? Her mom was our Song Contest Leader.” The most important things will be just as they have always been.

We certainly did not have the year that we planned. We did not even have the year that we re-planned. However, the school year we have had has been a very real one and we have fought hard to preserve the most critical elements. Lessons have been taught, friendships have grown, wins have been celebrated, and yes, tardies have even been issued because late is still late. Seeing each other every day in-person has taken more work but has become more precious.

What our teachers and staff have accomplished has been remarkable. I knew Saint Gertrude would deliver for families, even when I did not know how it would happen. The Benedictine spirit of faith-filled ingenuity imbued in us by the Sisters has sustained each of us in very personal ways over the years. Once we were able to safely gather, pray, and work together, I knew that spirit would guide us through whatever happened next.

I look forward to welcoming all alumnae personally to our beautiful new River Road campus once it is safe to do so. Thank you to all our families, both current and past, for the incredible support and enthusiasm for our mission. Please, as you see our faculty and staff, make time to commend them for the unparalleled work they have accomplished over the last twelve months. This work was carried out with love, faith, and professionalism. As one of our seniors remarked, “I was worried it wouldn’t feel like Saint Gertrude any more, but it really does!” Saint Gertrude has looked different over the years, but we always figure out how to make it feel the same, whether we are having Mass in a church, a chapel, a gymnasium, or a gymacafetorium.

Amy Pickral ’95 Saint Gertrude Head of School

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memorable moments

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Thanks to a little creativity and a lot of determination, a time-honored tradition is made possible during the pandemic. The Class of Orange and White were honored to receive their class rings from Sr. Cora Marie Billings, RSM who offered a blessing on the perseverance and tenacity of the Class of 2022. (Pictured: Corrine Boyd ’22 receiving her ring and an orange rose from Sr. Cora Marie) SP RI N G 2 0 2 1 •

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memorable moments

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Saint Gertrude’s varsity basketball team was a real-life example that even a pandemic cannot pause a dream or stand in the way of a goal. Congratulations to the 2021 VISAA Invitational State Champions!

We are so proud of the resiliency, hard work, and determination of our students. GO GATORS!

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memorable moments

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Benedictine’s officers were commissioned prior to the start of the school year during a closed ceremony. In March, senior officers formally presented each sponsor during a special ceremony in the new McMurtrieReynolds Pavilion. Pictured: Sponsor Abby Gray hugs her father, Doug, after her introduction. Her mother, Julie, and Bravo Company Commander, Captain Connor Handy look on.

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memorable moments

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In a year filled with many challenges, one thing was certain: Saint Gertrude was determined to find a way for students to perform on stage for Song Contest, the school’s most beloved tradition. With creative lyrics, perfect harmonies, and precise motions, the Class of Pink and Lime sang their hearts out and earned the well-deserved victory. Congratulations, Class of 2023!

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student spotlight

ME A DOW ME S S ER S CHMID T ’23 Last December, Meadow Messerschmidt introduced the idea of transferring schools to her parents and used her time during quarantine to explain to them why she was pushing to come to Saint Gertrude. Over the course of the spring and summer, Meadow and her family talked with other Gator families, scoured the website, drove by the River Road campus, and evaluated the logistics and admissions process. In the fall, Meadow joined the sophomore class as a transfer from public school and immediately found a home at Saint Gertrude.

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How was your first day at Saint Gertrude?

A friend of mine who is on my soccer team was already a student here so she helped introduce me to some of her friends before the school year began. Also, a friend of mine from Hanover was also transferring so that helped put me at ease. But even the girls I didn’t meet prior to the first day are all so nice. Everyone is so welcoming and so are the teachers. I left that day meeting 50 other girls who I can already call my best friends.

What are you looking forward to at Saint Gertrude?

I am looking forward to all of the events that we can have once protocols with COVID are lifted, like attending football games and sponsors events. I have heard so much about all of the traditions and the joint events with Benedictine, and I can’t wait to experience those. Even with events that we did get to have like Song Contest, I can’t wait to experience them to its fullest.

What does SGHS have that your previous school doesn’t?

Family and the sisterhood. But also the connection with my teachers. I don’t think my old teachers even knew my middle name; I don’t think they cared to make that special bond with each student. Saint Gertrude teachers really care about your grades and want to help you succeed. They really care about each individual and how each can grow to become a great student.

At public school, it was really hard for me to understand the curriculum. Here, I am learning in a whole different way which is really great. And, I love reading now.

Mrs. Velde has taught us different ways of reading and annotating which has sparked a new love of reading for me. I’m being taught in way that’s much easier for me to understand now, so I feel a lot more confident in my academics and actually feel smarter.

Coming to Saint Gertrude was your idea, so how did you convince your parents?

I knew I wouldn’t convince them if I only talked about the sisterhood or the social aspect, so I focused on the advantages when it came to my grades and academics.

Grades are such a big deal with my parents, and they want me to be successful. They knew I wasn’t learning very much at my old school, which was even more clear once COVID hit. I told them that if they want me to be successful that staying at a public school wasn’t going to work. I also had them talk with some other current parents so they could hear firsthand about their experience with Saint Gertrude.

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student spotlight

N A N K ER NER ’21 There was never a doubt that Nan Kerner ’21 would eventually find herself in the halls of Saint Gertrude. With her mom, aunts, and cousins all Saint Gertrude alumnae and her dad and brothers Benedictine alumni, it was destined for her since the day she was born. Growing up and hearing all about the traditions and memories, Nan couldn’t wait to make memories of her own. Now, a senior, a stand-out three-sport athlete, and a dedicated school leader, Nan has paved her own way and made her own mark on Saint Gertrude’s history.

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What extracurriculars are you involved in at Saint Gertrude?

What advice would you give to an incoming freshman?

Freshman year: JV and varsity field hockey, varsity basketball, varsity softball, spirit club, student ambassador, and SCA freshman class representative

Don’t be nervous to get involved. Do everything you can to be a part of the experience. The more people you know and the more activities you do, the more memories you will have.

Don’t be scared to meet the upperclassmen because they have been in your shoes before and aren’t scary.

Sophomore year: varsity field hockey, varsity basketball, JV and varsity lacrosse, spirit club, student ambassador, and SCA sophomore class representative Junior year: varsity field hockey, varsity basketball, varsity lacrosse, spirit club, student ambassador, and SCA secretary/treasurer Senior: varsity field hockey, varsity basketball, varsity lacrosse, spirit club, student ambassador, interact club, Sponsor, and SCA president

What do you love about playing sports at Saint Gertrude?

From the start, I was able to make friends so easily. Because we are such a small school, I was able to get involved in a different sport each season. It’s so fun playing right beside my friends, and it grows my relationship with them while still competing (especially when we have such a great season like we did for basketball). Our (basketball) team was like a little family; we did everything together. And because of how close we are, that’s why we did so well this season.

What’s your favorite memory at Saint Gertrude?

Oh, gosh. There have been so many. The state championship was obviously really good this year, but honestly coming out to Benedictine and the schools being brought back together has been so great. My family is a part of Benedictine, so I’ve just always wanted Saint Gertrude to have that relationship back. I feel like we have that back now, and things are just better. I’m really excited for the future of both schools, and I hope we can get a lot of those joint traditions back.

What are you looking forward to for Saint Gertrude?

Well, the new school is going to be beautiful and I am jealous I won’t be a part of that. Our sports programs are on the rise, and I know basketball will continue to do well. I think the future is bright for Saint Gertrude! I can’t wait to come back and visit as an alumna and just help in any way to keep the school going because I want to send my kids here.

Do you have a guiding principle when it comes to playing sports?

I give it my all every day. If I don’t think I’m doing my best, I go home and work on it so I can come back to practice and be better than I was before. Also, I really like to push other people to be their best. I’m not really the loudest person on the team, but I try to lead by example every day.

What do you think the benefits are of attending an all-girls school?

I am pretty quiet, and coming to an all-girls school helped me come out of my box and go for leadership positions I wouldn’t have otherwise. I can speak up in class and open up without being nervous. I have created so many amazing friendships and relationships with teachers and the Sisters. The little relationships Saint Gertrude has created for me is something I’ll never forget.

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faculty feature

FRAN POCHILY It was enough to make one’s head spin. And, if you are cut from the same cloth as Fran Pochily, it takes a lot to get that rotation going.

When the Benedictine Schools of Richmond organization was announced in January 2020, one of the logical benefits was the opportunity to consolidate various administrative functions. The general thinking was such staff consolidation might happen over a long stretch of time.

The COVID-expedited migration of the SGHS campus to Goochland, however, shortened the timetable. Pochily, the Gators’ athletic director soon found herself with double the responsibility as she became the BSoR athletic director.

This dynamo was now the athletic director of two schools,

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with the Benedictine Cadets’ athletic programs added to her portfolio.

“Fran has been such a pivotal part of the success of BSoR this year,” noted Gators basketball coach Robyn D’Onofrio. “Her constant dedication to our student-athletes is the main reason for our ability to participate and succeed on the playing fields.”

While Pochily is intimately familiar with field hockey and volleyball, she was now involved with sports for which she had a bit less of a feel, such as football and wrestling. And, whether girls’ or boys’ versions, basketball is basketball, and soccer is soccer. Yet, those sports need schedules, coaches, equipment, uniforms, and facilities. Now, there are twice as many of those needy squads.

While Pochily is quite familiar with the Saint Gertrude landscape, having served as the school’s athletic director for the past five years, stepping into the Benedictine role was still quite demanding. In addition to the aforementioned unfamiliarity, she had the big shoes of John Fogarty to fill. Fogarty had moved on to become dean of boys for Benedictine but left behind a legacy of success (recent state titles in football, wrestling, and baseball) and participation (over 90% of Cadets participate in some athletic endeavor).

called. It turns out, he was looking forward to a change, and he offered his full support to what needs to be done.”

Pochily met the challenge head-on and with vigor, and she had the wherewithal to check in with Fogarty. “When I was offered the position, I asked, ‘What does John think?’” she recalled. “He was one of the first people I

While Pochily earned a degree with a double major (in psychology and sociology), coaching turned out to be her siren song. She returned for a brief spell at her old stomping grounds (Fallston High School, in Maryland) and then heading

It was a somewhat tortuous road that led Pochily to the Saint Gertrude (and eventually the BSoR) family. A native of Maryland, after high school graduation she went north (rather than in the proper direction) as she landed at Syracuse University and walked on to the school’s lacrosse team. After four years, her abilities and leadership were rewarded with a captaincy of the orange lax unit.

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north, yet again, to New York’s Saint Bonaventure College, a school she says, “I’ve never heard of before.”

Meanwhile, Matt eventually worked himself into the area, close enough so the two could become one, in August 2010.

That would change as Pochily had three major events take place in her life during her time with the Bonnies. First, she earned her master’s degree; second, she had worked herself into position as a woman who was “ready to be a coach; and third, Pochily met her to-be husband, Matt (who was the assistant golf coach at the school).

The couple has been blessed with a pair of children (with a third due to arrive in early September of this year). Anna Marie must be destined to be a coach, herself. We make that claim since she waited until the very last day of the 2012 lacrosse season to make her appearance in the world. Matthew, age 6, was an off-season arrival.

Theirs was to be a relationship of the long-distance variety, as Pochily was hired to be the head coach at Virginia Wesleyan.

“I was ready to get out of the snow,” she recalled, noting that Saint Bonaventure is sited squarely in the land of the 30-inch storms. She headed up the Marlins program for eight years.

Meanwhile, the appeal that the Richmond area offered was simply irresistible to the young family. In her job hunt, Pochily stumbled onto an opening for an assistant athletic director and coaching position. “I had never heard of Saint Gertrude before,” said Pochily. “But I knew Missy Ackerman (who was the athletic director at SGHS at the time) from coaching against each other at the college level.”

“ I fell in love with Saint Gertrude, its students, and the whole community.”

She had also grown unfamiliar with sports at the high school level, but that didn’t last long. “I fell in love with Saint Gertrude, its students, and the whole community,”

— F R A N P O C H I LY —

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faculty feature she recalled. “I was blown away by the students’ maturity. I quickly realized that this is where I want my daughter to go.

And she was only two years old!”

Pochily has a lot of road ahead of her before Anna Marie dons the Gator green. She also faces significant challenges, including the most pressing present one: “Can we safely play games and travel while following spectator guidelines in taking on COVID?” That test comes on top of the usual demands in a “normal” year: logistics, facilities, scheduling, and the like.

Yet, this athletic director sees the joy in her work. “I want to know all of the student-athletes,” she avers. “I’m not just overseeing roles. I’m here for them as a recruiting advisor and in helping to build relationships with coaches. The goal is to provide the best athletic experience possible. I want each student to look back on his or her athletic career with nothing but a positive-growth mindset.”

And that sentiment extends to both sides of the house, and it is winning Pochily some BCP fans. “Fran is always positive,”

attests Benedictine teacher and assistant athletic director Daniel Gill. “She will always take on the more difficult job, even though she’s the boss. She is cognizant of what people are good at doing, and she lets us play to those strengths.”

D’Onofrio concurred: “Fran has been in constant pursuit of keeping students active and her model of ‘always do the right thing’ has translated to coaches, players, and our community as a whole.”

By any objective measure, the athletic programs under her watch have thrived. Since the start of the school year, for example, the Gator basketball team has added a state championship to its belt, the Cadet football team pieced together its first undefeated seasons since 1962, and Benedictine’s baseball claimed its third state title in four seasons. But, to Pochily, there’s more to BSoR athletics than that. As she declared: “When we have coaches who love their student-athletes, help them realize their goals and help them find their love of sports, then we have a successful athletic program.”

Coach’s Club The Coach’s Club was founded 15 years ago, and its mission remains unchanged. A donation to the Coach’s Club is purely restricted to support enhancements to the schools’ athletic programs and athletic facilities. As you consider your charitable distributions this year, please consider our Coach’s Club.

For further information, contact the BSoR athletic department at 804-708-9526 or email Barry Gibrall at bgibrall@benedictinecollegeprep.org.

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Already Making a Mark G AT O R B A S K E T B A L L W I N S B I G I N M C M U R T R I E R E Y N O L D S PAV I L I O N D E B U T S E A S O N Well, that was fast.

The ladies of Saint Gertrude wasted no time in making their presence felt in Goochland, doing so in a memorable and tangible fashion. The Gator hoopsters earned a state title in the first season of any kind played on the hardwoods of the brand-new McMurtrie-Reynolds Pavilion. With the championship comes the highly coveted state banner, which shall be hoisted to the rafters of that facility.

The Gators closed out a magnificent 15-3 season by topping Catholic, 56-36, in a finals contest played on their new home hardwoods. The state title is Saint Gertrude’s first since the 1974-75 season, nearly half a century ago. But, if you think this team is a flash in the pan, you’d best think again. By all appearances, the Gators have the makeup of a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.

Yet, third-year head coach Robyn D’Onofrio points to more than the tangible goodies her squad earned. “The banner is special,” she said. “But the relationships are what matters. This is just icing on the cake. The banner is just a representation of what a Saint Gertrude education provides these girls.”

The team maintained a strong bond with the Benedictine Sisters, who sent the Gators supportive emails, posters, and a video, featuring Sister Charlotte, O.S.B. ’58. The former hardwood standout now served another role in

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Saint Gertrude basketball. What Sister Jean is to the Loyola-Chicago men’s team, Sister Charlotte is to the Gator hoopsters.

Strictly adhering to COVID-19 guidelines throughout the season (“It was hard, but it was worth it,” said D’Onofrio), the Gators made their run without a single positive case; the downside being that they played their games in front of crowds consisting almost entirely of their parents. But the lack of attention did nothing to diminish the ladies’ enthusiasm and drive. “This was very special,” said Kaitlin Puccinelli ’21, one of the team captains. “I wouldn’t have wanted to [have this championship season] with anyone else.”

That sentiment was shared by the team’s other two captains: Nan Kerner ’21 and Katie Pilot ’21. The trio were the only seniors on the squad.

Kerner led via her actions on the court and could be counted upon for strong offensive output as well as displaying an Einstein-like basketball IQ. If you were looking for a highlight play, she would often deliver the goods. Of note, Kerner’s aunt, Karen (Kerner) Neil ’76 was a member of Saint Gertrude’s last state championship hoops team. “She was excited,” Kerner noted. “She followed all of our games, and it was a big deal for her.”

Pilot was the defensive leader of the bunch. D’Onofrio instinctively assigned her to the opposition’s most

faculty feature

Saint Gertrude High School Basketball — 2020 -21 ROS T ER — Nan Kerner - Senior dominant player, and Pilot would respond with terrierlike ferocity, usually shutting down the threat. The stingy defense she led held Catholic to a total of 12 first-half points. She also greatly enjoyed playing in the McMurtrieReynolds Pavilion. “It’s intimidating for other teams,” she smiled.

Puccinelli was the team’s emotional leader, the kind of player whose contributions might not dazzle in the scorebook but translate into critical drivers of the allimportant “W” column. Puccinelli was also key in building relationships among the players.

The ten ladies who made up the team can certainly hold their heads high, knowing that they have already made a great athletic contribution the Benedictine Schools of Richmond. In addition to the captains, the team includes: Kate Samson ’22 (Navy commit), Kayla Ford ’22, Cherese Lampkins ’22, Sam Smith ’23, Erin Woodson ’23, Audrey Munro ’24, Kendyl Wright ’24.

The team can also take great pride in the knowledge that it is the first squad to win a title of any kind while playing in that new pavilion. While the name of “Gators” is set into the wood of the court’s end line, the rafters, so dominated by Cadet signage, will soon get more

companionship in the form of another Saint Gertrude championship banner.

That bit of glory was earned in that very building by a group of athletically gifted and grittily determined athletes, who made the outcome of the championship game never in doubt.

Katie Pilot - Senior Kaitlin Puccinelli - Senior Kate Samson - Junior (Navy commit) Kayla Ford- Junior Cherese Lampkins - Junior Sam Smith - Sophomore Erin Woodson - Sophomore Audrey Munro - Freshman Kendyl Wright - Freshman

But the memories these ten teammates built will likely revolve around more than a championship game. “Fifty years from now, they’ll remember the 6 a.m. practices, the sleepovers, the sisterhood,” said D’Onofrio. “They have helped establish a culture for the school that they have embodied. They have a tremendous work ethic, drive, and strength in character.”

The respect and the esteem are mutual, with Puccinelli noting, “We love coach; she’s like a second mom to us.”

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where the heart is 22

• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • SAINT GERTRUDE HIGH SCHOOL

FINDING A NEW HOME IN GOOCHLAND While the initial announcement of Saint Gertrude’s move to Goochland was met largely with shock, in the aftermath of the move, it is fair to say it has exceeded expectations. And, while there are aspects of the Stuart Avenue campus that are neither replaceable nor replicable, the consensus has been that the move is, and will be, good for the Gators (and for their brother Cadets of Benedictine College Preparatory).

“Stronger Together” has been the theme that emerged shortly after the announcement of the expedited transition date. They are hardly hollow words; rather they are manifest in daily life as well as in the long haul. While it may be difficult for those who spent their entire Saint Gertrude days on Stuart to envision being anywhere else, today’s girls have embraced their lives in Goochland. The proof: 98.4% of current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors plan to return to the school next year, and

next year’s freshman class is projected to be the largest in the past five years.

Rare is the change that happens free of turbulence. “At first, we didn’t feel at home,” acknowledged Sam Beirne ’21.

“By the second quarter, it was much better and now, I really like it here.” “‘Stronger Together’ is exactly what happened,” said Amy Pickral ’95, SGHS head of school, Pickral noted that the coordinated and unified response of

the two schools was a major plus.

“Having administration and staff from both schools on the same campus was helpful throughout the transition. We were able to collaborate and be more intentional in our decision-making from the very beginning. And with COVID, our unified approach made what could have been a very challenging year much smoother for our students and faculty.”

The fortitude and determination that the students of Saint Gertrude have

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“ This is an exciting time for the future of both our schools. The vision is to do something truly revolutionary for Catholic education in Richmond...”

— JESSE GRAPES— PRESIDENT OF BSoR

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where the heart is shown in their initial year in Goochland has been nothing short of remarkable.

While leaving the Stuart Avenue campus was difficult (see accompanying article), there are some immediate and tangible benefits that are being realized in the Gators’ arrival in Goochland.

The logistical improvements are undeniable. One of the strongest benefits has been realized by families who have children at both schools. The mere fact that such families now have one drop-off/pick-up location obviates the need for double trips (or in the case of driving students, double vehicles).

The same logic applies for joint events, such as dances and plays. With athletic fields on campus and more on the way, there has been less shuttling back and forth to the Outdoor Athletic Center (although both schools continue to utilize the OAC). Parking is also a much simpler affair than in the Museum District.

Stuart Avenue offered around 20 organic parking spaces, the rest had to be scavenged on the city streets. The new campus offers over 600 parking spaces.

While parallel parking skills development may suffer, timely attendance to first period class has dramatically improved!

Some fruits of the new facilities have already been realized as well. The brand new McMurtrie-Reynolds Pavilion is considered by many to be among the finest (if not THE finest) high school gymnasium in the state of Virginia. Saint Gertrude’s basketball team made itself right at home in the pavilion, earning a state championship title while ringing up a season-long record of 15-3.

However, the most important aspect of the move is a long-term vision for Saint Gertrude to compete at the highest level of academic, spiritual, and leadership education for girls. Jesse Grapes, longtime Benedictine headmaster and the first appointed president of the Benedictine Schools of Richmond, says “This is an exciting time for the future of both our schools. The vision is to do something truly revolutionary for Catholic education in Richmond. We will preserve and strengthen our dedication to single-sex education and our Benedictine values, while providing our

community with something exciting: the best campus and educational program of any independent school in Richmond.

That is our goal – to be the best, period.

We are well on our way.”

An obvious part of that vision is taking shape in the construction zone to the south of the current school building. “[Being located in the same building with

fact, it was built as a convent for the Sisters who were teaching at the old St. Mary’s). So, this new building presented the first opportunity for Saint Gertrude people to design and build a place of their own. And that opportunity was seized with vigor, drive, and expertise.

Key to that capitalization was the formally structured Design Committee.

“ We very much are designing a school that felt like a Saint Gertrude that would nurture these families.”

— AMY PICKRAL ’95 — SGHS HEAD OF SCHOOL

the boys] is tolerable,” noted senior Abby Gray, “knowing that the new building is coming. Our good attitude is a product of what’s coming.”

What’s coming should open in the 2022-23 school year, the centennial celebration school year for Saint Gertrude. When the school opens its brand-new, state-of-the-art 50,000 square-feet educational center sited on the banks of the beautiful James River, the facility shall host some fantastic features within its three stories. The new Saint Gertrude High School will be a stand-alone structure occupying the most visible and high-value piece of property on the entire 50-acre campus. VDOT estimates that 89,000 motorists, daily, will gaze at the majesty of Saint Gertrude’s new bell tower while crossing route 288 northbound.

Says Grapes, “We look at it as free advertising for perpetuity. The new Saint Gertrude will be one of the most visible and recognizable buildings in the commonwealth because of its design, the land it sits upon, and the proximity to the highway. It’s a golden opportunity.”

Those who are intimately familiar with Saint Gertrude’s early days know the much-loved Stuart Avenue building was initially built for purposes other than that of educating young women (in

This group began holding meetings in May 2020 and continued its efforts through February of this year. Three non-classroom spatial goals revolved around praying, gathering, and eating.

“Sister Cecilia [Dwyer, O.S.B.] was big on those three,” recalled Kristin Snellings, SGHS’s fine arts department chair. Snellings and science department chair Liz Czaja served on both the Architectural Committee and the Design Committee. Other teachers and staff members, such as Meghan Madel, Peggy Hanafin, Jen Unger, and Robyn D’Onofrio were drivers on the Design Committee.

“It was great,” claimed Pickral, of the planning process. “Everyone involved [on the Architectural Committee] had a relationship with both schools and it created a positive experience. We very much are designing a school that felt like a Saint Gertrude that would nurture these families.” The 15 meetings that the Architectural Committee had were indeed fruitful. The Spanish Colonial architecture was a deliberate choice that nodded to the old building. “It’s not like the architecture [on the Goochland campus],” noted Pickral. “But it still fits.

We tied it in.”

Nobody seems more excited about the new building than those who will soon

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call it their home. “It will be open with lots of light,” said Sam Smith ’23. “And it will bring new life to the Saint Gertrude community.”

Smith, the sophomore class president, was joined on the design team by Dayna Adeso ’22, who serves as the vice president of both the Robotics Club and the Outdoor Club. “We were able to give our opinions,” she said. “I think that is important because this is a high school designed for girls. If you want people to come to the school, you have to provide what students like.”

A few aspects of the new building that are bound to be liked by the students are

the “Great Hall,” a chapel that harkens back memories of Stuart Avenue, a dedicated dining facility, a dance studio, a choir room, and a veranda that overlooks the mighty James River. “As the first class [that will use the building], it’s very exciting to have something new that is built on Saint Gertrude’s firm foundation and traditions,” said Smith.

“I’m both interested and excited to see it all come together.”

Additionally, the new building eliminates the need for the old “Multipurpose Room,” for which there was a “love-hate relationship,” per Snellings, which some referred to as the “gymacafetorium.”

Another plus is that the building will

be able to accommodate four large groups at the same time, a key for Song Contest rehearsals.

Meanwhile, life goes on in the interim.

The Gators showed flexibility in their preparations for this year’s Song Contest. They are fully engaging in sports, while utilizing both the Goochland campus facilities as well as the OAC. Thanks to cooperation and understanding, the shared spaces are fully utilized in an effective fashion.

In short, the interim solution is working as the two schools grow more comfortable with one another in closer quarters. “We absolutely feel

Farewell to Stuart Avenue Sometimes, a building is just a building. That, however, was far from the situation with Saint Gertrude’s Stuart Avenue campus. And saying farewell would be difficult enough, let alone with the COVID-19 situation driving logistics.

In what was probably the most emotionally difficult aspect of the move to Goochland was that the Gators really had no chance for a fitting farewell for the place that they called home for nearly a century. In fact, for nearly everyone associated with the school, March 13, 2020 was the last they saw of the campus’s interior. By coincidence, happy or otherwise, it was also the date of the school’s trademark Song Contest.

By Monday, students were sent home for the start of virtual learning. Both students and teachers departed uncertain as to whether they would conduct any portion of that year’s schoolwork from inside the building, which eventually remained shuttered throughout the spring and into the summer. The consensus, however, was that a return to Stuart Avenue was in the cards, especially since the previously announced move to Goochland had the relocation scheduled to take place prior to the 2021-22 school year.

That consensus fell by the wayside with the call to execute the move a year earlier: a decision driven by the impacts of the pandemic. The 2019-20 school year was completed via Zoom as the campus lay dormant, shuttered for safety reasons, though many current students would visit the

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building, perhaps to have lunch on the chapel steps and reflect on what the place had meant in their lives.

With the arrival of summer, however, BSoR employees dove headlong into the move, both in readying the Goochland campus for the arrival of nearly 200 Gators and in closing down Stuart Avenue. There was scant time for melancholy reflection for a place that meant so much for so many women. Once their collective breath was caught, however, the Saint Gertrude student body assembled for one final visit with an old friend.

On a misty autumnal morning in late September of last year, Sister Joanna Burley, O.S.B., led a reflection and blessing ceremony from the top of the school’s steps. In front of her was a group of Saint Gertrude students, the first to experience life on the new campus and the last to haunt the halls of Stuart. During her talk with the ladies, Sister Joanna stated: This building has seen and heard so much in its 107 years as a part of the Benedictine Sisters and 98 years as the home of Saint Gertrude High School. It’s been remodeled, reconfigured, updated, and upgraded...This building is, in a way, family to all who have walked its halls, sat in its desks, played in its gym, and climbed the bell tower.

Your memories, your stories from your experiences in this building are now a part of the lore of Saint Gertrude High School – share them!

where the heart is welcomed,” said Madel. “We all had to change, but the space [on the current school building’s third floor] lends itself to feeling we’re our own school. It feels like Saint Gertrude up here, and the girls are happy.”

It shall be something of a whirlwind experience for the ladies. The Class of ’23 is an example of the group that, if anything, shall become somewhat inured to change. That group (the Class of Pink and Lime) started out as freshmen in the Museum District. Their sophomore year was spent sharing the BCP building with the Cadets. During their junior year, the ladies will be able to see their new campus rise from what had been a Benedictine practice field. And, in their senior year, the Class of ’23 shall be the first to inhabit those new digs.

“We have enjoyed [the Goochland] campus,” said Snellings.

“Having a dedicated building will make it that much better.”

Your school – our school – is alive and well and becoming something eager for the future – the memories you have of what was need to be honored, so that the new school will be shaped by them, will grow from them. You will be the last alumnae to have touched these walls.

That same evening, Saint Gertrude alumnae gathered for “Vino on the Veranda,” the beloved tradition that is expected to continue post-pandemic. Amid the splashes of chardonnay and nibbles of charcuterie, these Gertie Girls of years gone by managed to scratch out a few chuckles as they recalled the happy times they had spent on Stuart Avenue.

“The mood was initially very sad,” recalled Sheila Arrighi Gervasoni ’73 (who is also the mother of three SGHS alumnae). “But as people saw classmates and friends from other classes, they laughed and shared memories of their exploits and times together. “Seeing that made very concrete what Sister Joanna had said earlier that day.”

Make no mistake, the decision to move was upending, and it wrenched a lot of emotion. “[When the decision to eventually move was made] I was sad, thinking that I was supposed to be part of the last class to graduate from that building,” said Sam Beirne ‘21. “But I was also excited because so many of my middle school friends went to Benedictine.”

Sam is well-versed in the world of both SGHS and BCP, with an uninterrupted line of family members attending the schools, including an ancestor who was part of the very first Saint Gertrude class. Now, she is a member of the first class that will graduate from the kernel that is growing into a beautiful presence on the Goochland campus.

To the uninitiated, it might seem simple to look at the move as a simple change of venues. And, with the construction of the new Saint Gertrude High School building underway, that change of venues is cloaked in beauty and modernity.

For those who once filled the hallways of the Stuart Avenue campus with their laughter, their tears, and their very beings, it is not simple.

Yet, the future burns brightly for the Gators. Someday, and we hope it is in the near future, graduating classes of the school will remember with fondness and love their new digs, and that those who graduate in upcoming years will have as joyous a remembrance of their times in Goochland as those who passed through Stuart Avenue.

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A Front-Row View Townley Marchetti is a graduate of Saint Gertrude High School (Class of ’81), as are all five of her sisters. Her father, two brothers, and husband are all proud Benedictine alumni. Townley’s four sons all attended Benedictine, and she has worked in the front office of the school for the past two decades, so she has seen it all.

She has had countless relatives attend the two schools. Her desire for the schools to succeed is unquestioned, as is her devotion to them. Townley shared her thoughts and observations about the transition to Goochland.

Townley and her five sisters with their father, Jack Hankey ’56 at SGHS on the bench dedicated in the new garden. Front row from left: Ginny Hanky Lewis ’73, Cindy Hanky Gill ’77, Lori Hanky Haas ’76, Bobbie Hanky Ansell ’78. Back row: Townley Hanky Marchetti ’81, Jack Hanky BHS ’56, Jackie Hanky Harvey ’79.

When it was under consideration that a different (other than Saint Gertrude) girls school would be established, I just trusted that such was the future of Benedictine, but I was so sad it wasn’t going to be Saint Gertrude. However, I was thrilled when I found out that Saint Gertrude was to be the other school.

Still, I was sad for the girls, knowing the circumstances and the timing.

When Benedictine left Sheppard Street, I felt as though the campus had served us well for 100 years, but being on the Goochland campus has allowed us to offer the complete package. I feel the same will be true for Saint Gertrude.

The relationships between the students at Benedictine and Saint Gertrude will be even better than they were when both schools were in the Museum District.

It’s beginning to feel like a true brother-sister school.

We’re looking far into the future. We’re going to be set up so well, so perfectly.

We were guided by the Holy Spirit, and this is all part of God’s plan. I’m excited to see the vision of our two beloved schools come to life!

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where the heart is

S T U A R T AV E N U E

by Pilar Martinez ’21 The bonds, Warmth, And tears Stuart Avenue Home of our sisterhood Where unbreakable bonds flourished Where sisters supported each other Where we looked after one another The warmth, That emanated from the building For miles, all one heard Was the joy of laughter That emanated from the building The tears Of uncontrollable laughter The tears of stress The tears of pure emotion Stuart Avenue housed all Raw emotions It was our safe haven Once filled with warmth Now colder than winter Once filled with laughter Now filled with dead silence But the memories still linger and Dance through the hallways SP RI N G 2 0 2 1 •

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community snapshots

ATHLETICS CLASSROOM

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• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • SAINT GERTRUDE HIGH SCHOOL

RING CEREMONY

HALLOWEEN

MASS

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community snapshots

SONG CONTEST

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MAY DAY SPONSORS EVENTS

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S A I N T G E R T R U D E A L U M N A E C O M M U N I T Y, Looking back on this past year, I can’t help but be amazed. The transition of Saint Gertrude to the Benedictine Abbey campus was by no means an easy feat, especially given the timing and the pandemic. Thanks to a “can-do” attitude of our dedicated administration and incredible faculty and staff, ultimately the move was quite seamless, and the results both exciting and rewarding for all.

There is no doubt that this unification of the Benedictine Schools brought many questions to the table, particularly for our alumnae. To those of us on the outside, the transition of our beloved Saint Gertrude from Stuart Avenue may have seemed unexpected, or even avoidable.

As a loyal “Gertie Girl” with a long history and extensive family of alumni from both BCP and SGHS, the topic certainly swirled around our dinner tables and family video chats. After lots of conversations and considerations, we concluded the transition of SGHS moving to River Road was, in fact, necessary – necessary for the future of Catholic education in Richmond and also necessary if Saint Gertrude was going to survive long-term.

I can now reassure you that this move has proven to be a terrific success. Inquiries from potential parents and families has skyrocketed. Enrollment has grown substantially, and the financial support of our community has been overwhelming (be sure to check out the cover story for more details on page 22.) Saint Gertrude has had a transformative year, and it gives me great confidence in the future of our school and the vitality of Catholic education in Richmond.

alumnae letter

When I visit the new campus in Goochland, I enjoy taking a trip down “memory lane.” I’m reminded of 2013 when the school’s last construction project, our Outdoor Athletic Center, was unveiled. Eight years prior, I remember when our beloved building on Stuart Avenue added the new gymnasium. And of course, there was the original expansion of that building in 1972. SGHS has had a long history of progress.

The latest project at hand is much more substantial. A few months ago, we launched an unprecedented $30 million Capital Campaign to help build the new home for Gertie Girls.

We expect Saint Gertrude’s school building to be complete in the fall of 2022, in time for our centennial. And while the school itself will be new, the foundation will not. It will be built on nearly 100 years of educational success, storied traditions, and treasured memories. Saint Gertrude has been inspiring young women and preparing them to endeavor the challenges of life and a changing world for the last century. In our new home, I have no doubt that it will continue to do the same.

On the following pages, you will read stories of five extraordinary women who exemplify what it means to be a Saint Gertrude graduate. Each was educated in a different time, but the value and similarity of their experiences is immeasurable. I am so grateful for all that Saint Gertrude has done for me in my life. I hope you will join me in supporting the future of our school as we look to strengthen our traditions and support generations of Gertie Girls to come.

Go Gators!

Bridget Ryan Berman ’78

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BRIDGET RYAN BERMAN ’78

From left to right: Elaine Caravati Ryan ’45, Maureen Ryan Nay ’72, Shelley Williams White ’05, Bridget Ryan Berman ’78

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alumnae headliners From the frontlines responding to the COVID-19 crisis to fighting climate change in America’s forests, the five alumnae featured on the following pages are living, breathing examples of Saint Gertrude’s mission, each making a positive impact on her community.

These five women are changemakers – working to build a better world for those around them.

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ANN-FRANCES LAMBERT ’93

richmond city councilwoman Shortly after graduating, Ann-Frances Lambert began her public policy career as a City Council liaison for (the now) Delegate Delores McQuinn, and later as a senior policy analyst for the City’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations of Richmond. Her dream of living in California sparked the opportunity for her to start her own drone business, where she provides aerial photography and videography services. Ten years later, she returned home after the passing of her oldest brother, Ben (BCP ’85). Upon her return, she felt called back to public service to build on her late father Sen. Benjamin J. Lambert, III’s historic legacy (who was instrumental in the Innocence Project’s first success in Virginia and the first black to sit on the Senate finance committee). AnnFrances’s father showed her how to bring communities together, and in her new role on City Council, she hopes to do just that.

When she ran for office this past year, she built her platform on the slogan “Preserving History for Future Generations” with a focus specifically on the North Jackson Ward neighborhood. Ann-Frances hopes to be a bridge builder to unify all the residents of the city especially the Third District and to build on its past in order to create a new reality of peace and community. While her term has just begun, she is already making a statement with a listening tour during her first 100 days in office and by giving a voice to some tough topics and collaborating with the Richmond Police Department. Some might say public service is in her blood; others may say she simply has a heart to serve. We’d say it’s a little bit of both, but either way, Ann-Frances is set to make a difference right here in Richmond and we are excited to see her build on her family’s legacy.

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CHRISTINE CADIGAN-BENONIS ’04 senior director at american forest foundation

As a young explorer of the natural world, Christine Cadigan-Benonis found a love for the environment that would eventually pave the way for her future. During her ninth-grade environmental science class at Saint Gertrude, she noticed her textbook showcased various professional opportunities in the environmental world at the end of each chapter. A lightbulb turned on, and she realized she could take this environmental ethic she had within her and turn it into a profession that makes a difference. Now, as one of the American Forest Foundation’s leading experts in policy and forestry, Christine helps bring together rural family forest owners and companies to address climate change. Nature-based solutions, especially forests, have the potential to provide a third of the necessary mitigation by 2030 to stay on a 1.5 degree warming pathway. The challenge in the U.S. is that most of America’s forests are owned by families and individuals, and their small parcel size means they are largely sidelined from providing meaningful solutions via carbon markets.

Christine directs the Family Forest Carbon Program, an innovative new program, which gives family forest owners an opportunity to benefit from private financing in exchange for implementing sustainable forest practices that help sequester and store more carbon. This new initiative not only advances forest conservation, but it also introduces opportunities to more landowners, providing additional revenue streams they wouldn’t have otherwise realized.

While we may not see the effects of her work for years to come, the good work is already inspiring others to respect all of God’s creation.

Christine is driven to make the world a better place, both on her own small, family forest and beyond, for all those she works to serve, but most especially, her daughter.

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KATHLEEN BURKE BARRETT ’65 ceo of st. joseph’s villa

Kathleen Burke Barrett has spent her entire career in education and philanthropy, providing compassionate help and hope to those in need. She started as a teacher at Saint Gertrude and has since served in several advancement and leadership positions at various local non-profits (including Virginia Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and the Greater Richmond Chapter of the Red Cross to name a few). Most recently as CEO of St. Joseph’s Villa, under Kathleen’s leadership, the organization has tripled the number of families served each year, expanded to serve over 50 localities throughout Virginia, added new services, and forged partnerships that connect marginalized children and families with the resources they need to gain independence. Amidst the pandemic, St. Joseph’s Villa has even expanded into a new area: eviction prevention which has helped nearly 700 individuals in the Tri-Cities area avoid displacement from their homes. But perhaps her biggest venture and the one in which she is most proud, St. Joseph’s unveiled the substantial $9.5M renovation of their autism center in March. There is a tsunami of students with autism coming, and the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism aims to have a ripple effect in the community by not only teaching students with autism but training professionals who serve that community. Kathleen’s servant leadership and strategic vision has not only been a gift to The Villa, but also to the Benedictine Schools of Richmond as she has served on the boards of both schools and was instrumental during the recent unification. A proud graduate, Kathleen says she credits Saint Gertrude for helping instill in her a sense of community and the value of giving back. Whether in times of stability or in times of crisis, Kathleen continues to lead by example in her steadfast commitment to improving the lives of those around her.

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JOANNA KETTLEWELL, PH.D. ’09 covid-19 response postdoctoral fellow with the association of public health laboratories While many of us were quarantining at home for the majority of 2020, Dr. Joanna Kettlewell was on the frontline working as part of a team within the Hawaii Department of Health to assist with COVID-19 response. As a postdoctoral fellow for the Association of Public Health Laboratories placed at Hawaii State Laboratories Division, she plays many roles. Whether testing samples in the laboratory, collaborating with epidemiologists on testing strategy, or defining laboratory protocol for sewage surveillance, Joanna has helped to implement expanded testing and control of COVID-19 across Hawaii. Adequate pandemic response requires a large team with varied expertise and skill sets and Joanna says she is honored to contribute. The aspect of her job of which she is most proud? Helping to facilitate the connection between mobile vaccine outreach and kupuna (elderly)-focused community groups in order to identify and vaccinate homebound individuals. Additionally, she works routinely with the National Guard in the coordination of pop-up testing events to provide free COVID-19 tests to communities across the island of Oahu.

She also supported the establishment of the Hawaii Department of Health COVID-19 Call Center.

Joanna is grateful for the opportunity to get hands-on experience in varied aspects of pandemic response, knowing her work has helped to protect the most vulnerable. As for next steps? Dr. Kettlewell will be pursuing a career in the Army as a microbiologist. She will be stationed at a major research or healthcare facility where she will work to support the well-being of the men and women who serve in the United States armed forces.

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BRENDA BRICKLEY ’69 saint gertrude teacher

While most teachers knew from the start they were destined to be in a classroom, Brenda (Bullock) Brickley’s story is a little different. After graduating from SGHS, Brenda attended Longwood College where she received her B.S. in mathematics and spent the next eight years teaching in the public school system. But with a love for math (thanks to her own Saint Gertrude teacher Ms. Ann Morano), she changed directions and set out in the world of banking and auditing. She thrived in this fast-paced environment, but after nearly ten years, she felt there was something missing from her day-to-day life. On a whim, she contacted Sister Charlotte Lange, was immediately offered a teaching job, and the rest is history. And while Brenda seemed to just “fall into” teaching, looking back she realizes God was calling her to teach and to teach specifically at Saint Gertrude where she could be surrounded by the love of the Sisters and fully embrace her Catholic faith. Twenty-six years later and Brenda has found herself as a head moderator, math department chair, assistant principal, board of trustees member, and recipient of the Faculty Ingenuity Hearts at Work Award for her initiation of the Math Peer Tutor Program. As a true Gator at heart (before we were “Gators”), Brenda served Saint Gertrude dutifully and faithfully at every level since she first walked the halls of Stuart Avenue in 1965 as a student. And this past March, after 26 years of service, Brenda announced her retirement. Every student she taught may not remember the quadratic equation or the Pythagorean theorem, but they will remember the joy and life she brought to the classroom every day. At the end of the day, Brenda was so much more than a teacher; she was a role model, a spiritual leader, a confidant, and friend. While we will miss her cheerful spirit, we know she will be back to visit often and will be praying for her next steps as she “graduates” once again from Saint Gertrude.

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class notes W E WA N T T O H E A R F R O M Y O U! Submitting a class note has never been easier.

www.benedictinecollegeprep.org/supporting-bcp/contact/alumniclassnotes

1956 1 Luie ’56 and Maria Morales celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary last November. Since retiring in 1996, Luie has been buying/selling American Indian collectibles. Two of the three shows he displays in were canceled last year, but he hopes to do two this year. He continues to jog/walk two miles three times a week.

1959 2 Father Adrian ’59 is a charter member of Benedictine’s Class of 1959. His first year as a priest at BHS was 1955. As a “member” of the class, he helped all of the students to become men, the men they are today. At the Class of 1959’s 60th class reunion, Father Adrian was presented with a reminder of what he meant to them, and in return he was grateful for the education he received from the Cadets.

Bruce Hulcher ’59’s wife, Mary Alice, passed away five years ago; however, together they raised six children and now have 12 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Bruce still works for Hulcher and Associates, but is hoping to soon retire and play more golf.

Danny Seaman ’59 has moved to Newton, NC to be closer to his grandchildren.

George Colby ’59 is retired in Florida and has 12 grandchildren, seven girls and five boys. He still plays golf three days a week but is not ready to join the tour...yet.

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Jack Meagher ’59 is still working and unsure if he will ever retire. He has two granddaughters, ages three and five. His daughter, Anne Watson, works with him in the business.

Carpin ’56, Tony Martin ’65, and Francis Ferguson ’67. After the round of golf, the group toasted Henry, a beloved member of the Class of 1960, who passed away on February 9, 2021.

Albert Meyer ’59 is dedicated to being a lifelong learner (even has a student ID card from UR) and spends his time keeping up with his kids’ families and their activities.

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Johnny Lenzi ’59 has three grandchildren (a grandson who is a junior at Princeton majoring in neurology and two twin granddaughters). He got remarried and now has seven step-grandchildren.

Tony Baker ’59 lives in Pennsylvania but spends winter months in Florida at Delray Beach. He has 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Tony and his wife, Mary, are very active in their communities, and Tony even volunteers to cut grass at one of the large Christian schools in their area.

1960 Evan Oliva, grandson of Sheila W. Hudgins Oliva ’60, graduated from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington as part of the Class of 2020.

A golf outing was held April 14, 2021 in honor of 3 Henry Berling ’60 (note the cigars) at the Brickshire Golf Course.

From left to right, the participants were: Mike Keller ’67, Brendan Soden ’67, Les Wagner ’65, Charlie Moore ’60, Tom Scanniello ’64, Dana Roussy ’68, Chip Stumpf ’65, Chip Bliley ’67, Frank

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“The First Year It Sleeps,” 4 Brenda Netherwood Gibrall ’61’s coming-ofage novel set in the 1950s near McGuire Veterans Hospital in Chesterfield County, VA, was published in January 2020. The threat of polio forms the backdrop for the story of five young people who must avoid the August heat and plan their play in the somewhat cooler evenings. Kate, Charlie, Will, Sonny, and Bucky meet on Kate’s front stoop after supper each evening to start their adventures with each one accepting a dare. Biking off to the abandoned Civil War era manor at the entrance to their neighborhood, they step past crumbling headstones in its eerie, gated cemetery and peer through the windows of a cabin behind it. When they see a tall, muscular Negro sitting at a kitchen table, a book and a beer in front of him, they decide to make him the target of their games, naming him “Tramp” because to them what else could he be? One night, one of them doesn’t make it back to the group. A racist police lieutenant and an overzealous night watchman search for the missing child, all along suspecting Tramp. The younger sister of one of the five, defying the racial segregation of the day, befriends a young black girl living in a former servant bungalow across from the manor. Inspired by the words of Rosa Parks — “You must never be fearful about

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8 2 what you are doing when it is right.” — the two join forces and solve the mystery of the missing child.

Almost 65 years after BHS graduation and working 35 years for CSX RR Co., 5 Maurice Robinson, Sr. ’61 has been fortunate enough to write four history books. Two books are about North Florida, where he lived for 14 years. One book is about a miraculous recovery from a brain abscess, where he was unconscious for seven days, and with God’s help was one of the few adults to recover. Miracles do happen, and he was one of the persons God had chosen. His last history book is about Midlothian and Richmond, and was just completed and published in 2020 called “Hidden History of Early Richmond” (16071865) through The History Press. It tells how the residents of this area understood the hidden area of their country and about many stories of unique historical events occurring on the Seven Hills of Richmond.

This book will not only relay the stories on Richmond’s Seven Hills, developments

5 in Midlothian, Powhatan, all along the winding James River, all during this early period, but will help readers enjoy the history during this period.

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Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; he’s now a life member after 50 years as of 2021. Mary Louise retired from the Library of the Joint Forces Staff College shortly after serving as the only civilian member on a mission to Ethiopia in 2006. Their big excitement during the pandemic has been brewery hopping with son, Chris, and face-timing with their granddaughters.

7 William Solari ’62 and his wife, Sylvia, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last August.

Patricia Mallory Ray ’62 graduated from VCU in May, a goal she achieved after retiring from The State Corporation Commission.

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6 Jim O’Brien ’62 and his wife, Mary Louise, are enjoying their grandchildren: Andrew and Alicia’s Theresa (4) and Laura (2), and Marquis and Amber’s Kalilah (3) and Adeliyah (6 weeks). Jim retired after 47+ years from Tidewater Community College, where he was named Carnegie Foundation Virginia Professor of the Year. A

8 The Class of 1964 couldn’t have their annual Christmas get together this past year due to COVID so they did it by Zoom. Pictured: Top Row: Maria Barrow, Cookie Giannini, Jackie Oley Dowdy, Gail MacCallum Burke. Row Two: Ann Saxby Sayles, Carol Bagley Amon, Patse Brooks Younkins, Marilyn McGehee Savedge.

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2 Row Three: Sue Langley Taylor, Gail Jones Sorensen, Pat Boschen, Barbara Powell Smith. Bottom Row: Linda Simon Bannister, Jennifer Cohn Klotz, Frances Gudell Kusterer.

Patricia Younkins ’64 is ecstatic to announce the arrival of her grandson, Sean Thomas, on February 2, 2021. He lives in Norfolk and is the son of Christopher ’95 and Tammy Younkins. Christopher is in private practice as a psychotherapist. His first child, Kevin Patrick, passed away in 2008 at age one due to chromosomal abnormalities. Kevin is their angel watching over them, and they are so blessed to have Sean in their lives.

1966 For at least the last 30 years, 1 Linda Ward Lane ’66 has been very involved in animal rescue, a huge and important part of her life. She also creates pottery (wheel thrown and hand-built pottery), donating 80% of the proceeds to animal rescue causes. Additionally, Linda and her husband, Bill, have conducted three-tofive-day nature photography workshops in seven states along the east coast for the last 25 years. All Linda’s sisters live close by and she has two nieces, two wonderful great-nephews, and one great-niece.

Kathy Beirne Schemmel ’67 will celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary on August 28!

2 Tony Martin ’66 and Lynn Haddon Martin ’67 will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August of this year.

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Jim Donahue ’65 was elected vice president of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond for the 2020-21 club year. Kiwanis Richmond was founded and chartered in 1919 and today has nearly 150 members.

Lynn Haddon Martin ’67: See update under Tony Martin ’66

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Cathy Moore Stumpf ’67 is happy and excited for her granddaughter, Lydia Stumpf, to join the Gator family as a freshman in the fall. She will be the fourth generation to attend Saint Gertrude.

3 The Class of 1967 can hardly wait for their lunch gatherings to start up again.

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4 Phillip Gibrall ’67 ran his 43rd consecutive Richmond full marathon on November 7, 2020 and is the ONLY person who has ever run in and completed all of them! 43 marathons is 1,127 miles!

Several ’67 classmates cheered him on for this monumental race, and this photo was taken following his finish. Shown left to right: Jimmy Straus, Scott Coffield, Phillip Gibrall, and Staunton Cottrell.

Catherine Pemberton ’68 retired in 2018 after 34 years in social services. She had worked in the City of Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Essex, and Powhatan, as well as the State Department of Social Services. Since retirement, she has volunteered as a docent in the executive Mansion of Virginia and is currently head

class notes leaves. UCU aims to be “a center of excellence in the heart of Africa,” operating under values of Christ-centeredness, diligence, integrity, stewardship, and servanthood. Richard and his wife are humbled and thrilled to be able to take on these second careers.

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1971 Saint Gertrude’s Class of ’71 has reconnected on Zoom and would love to have more class participation. If you would like to join them, please email Sue Jones ’71 at hsj821@aol.com. They are looking forward to their 50th reunion year and are hoping to have a reunion in the fall.

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8 docent. Catherine is honored to be the current president of Saint Gertrude’s Alumnae Board. Her older granddaughter, Catie Beth Woody ’24, the daughter of Cate Pemberton ’98, is a freshman at SGHS, and is really pleased and proud to be able to watch her progress. Catherine says, “The building may be different, but the spirit is the same!”

After 23 years living in Raleigh, NC, 5 Helen Liscio Dietz ’68 and her husband, David, both retired and have come back home to Virginia, where they have built a beautiful home in a 55+ community in Scottville at Powhatan Courthouse. It is wonderful having four siblings and many nieces and nephews living in Richmond, with three of their siblings living two-tothree hours away.

1969 6 Brenda Bullock Brickley ’69 announces the bittersweet news of her retirement from Saint Gertrude, where she taught for over 26 years.

1970 7 Several members of the Class of 1970 met at Bistro 804 on St. Patrick’s Day and are looking forward to their 50th reunion this year!

8 Donna Lange ’70 got a hole-in-one on hole #5 at Piankatank River Golf Course on February 25! The date was extra special as it’s her late grandmother’s birthday, and she played golf with her often before she passed away.

In June, 9 Richard Ranger ’70 and his wife, Catherine, will relocate to Mukono, Uganda, to take on mission supported faculty and administrative positions with Uganda Christian University, which is operated by the Anglican Church of Uganda. Richard will serve as an instructor on topics related to energy and resource development and major capital projects with UCU’s Law and Business Schools.

Catherine will serve as administrator for UCU’s John Sentamu Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. They will live on UCU’s Mukono campus of 7,000+ students, and expect to live there for three-to-five years with occasional home

Marci McReynolds ’71 bought a small working farm in Onalaska, WA, which she shares with three generations of her family, including Carson, her twoyear-old grandson. Additionally, she teleworks as the manager of the City of Bellevue Conflict Resolution Center where her favorite task is teaching the Art of Listening to classes of highly diverse people (now on Zoom).

1972 George Saunders ’72 is organizing next year’s reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the graduation ceremony of the Benedictine Class of 1972. He can be reached at gsvgbs8@gmail.com or George Saunders, PO Box 6324 Richmond, VA 23230

1973 Sheila Arrighi Gervasoni ’73 announces the wedding of her daughter, Erin Gervasoni ’09, to Eric Croscutt: November 7, 2020. Maids of honor were her sisters, Lisa Gervasoni ’08 and Sarah Kate Gervasoni ’13. The Croscutts are living in Grand Junction, Colorado.

10 Terri Keel ’73’s first grandchild was born on January 15, 2021. Max Conrad Keel was 8 lbs. 4 oz. at birth. Her son, Sam, and his wife, Laura, are just as thrilled as Terri and her husband, Steve.

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1975 1 The 1975 class reunion was postponed last year, but is hopeful it can be rescheduled for this summer — stay tuned for more information! Here is a throwback to Class of 1975 reunion at the home of Robbie Stanley Bean ’75 in 2015.

David Doane ’75: See update under Robin Matthews Doane ’80

1976 2 Eugene Caine ’76 is enjoying retirement after working in the engineering field since graduating from Benedictine.

His wife, Brenda, also recently retired but unfortunately their travel plans were put on hold due to the pandemic. They are looking forward to traveling in the near future.

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3 3 Van Coots ’76 is serving on the Maryland Governor’s COVID-19 task force and was recently recognized in Marquis “Who’s Who Top Doctors” publication for 2021.

1977 Married for 37 years Frank Howard ’77 and his wife, Jody, are proud of their two sons. Andrew lives in Queensland, Australia and Connor lives in Napa, CA. Frank is in his 28th year in the Insurance Business helping clients with life insurance, annuities, disability income, medicare supplements, and retirement.

4 Lisa Jones Dixon ’77 retired from her 40-year career in retail banking. She and her husband, William, are relocating back to Charlottesville, VA this spring.

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Richard Cosby ’77 retired from the Henrico County Police Department.

5 Sam Dibert ’77 and his wife, Susanne, have a growing family and spend lots of time having fun with their grandkids.

Their children: Susanne ’02, Sam Jr. ’04, Kelly ’05, and Christian ’07 have a combined 10 children (seven girls and three boys). As a family, they enjoy time at The Land and Sandbridge Beach. Sam is still active at work as president of Dibert Valve and Fitting Company.

Stewmaster 6 Tom Giannasi ’77 started cooking brunswick stew in 2002 to raise funds for Boy Scout Troop 715 where he and Jeff Giannasi ’09 were members.

Since then, he has also helped Knights of

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7 Columbus 395, James Madison University Catholic Campus Ministry, St. Bridget’s Church, Boy Scout Troop 777, and 250 raise funds. To date, he has helped raise over $175,000 for these organizations with a goal of $500,000. Jeff and Tom are also members of Knights of Columbus 395, and since 2009 have raised over $75,000 in funds through their brunswick stews to support various charities and projects for the Knights. Knights of Columbus 395 dedicated a portion of the Columbian center to Father Adrian in 2019 as he was their chaplin. Tom was chairman of the project to celebrate this event. In addition to honoring Father Adrian, they celebrated his birthday with a lunch for his family and friends and members of Knights 395.

Sponsors for this event raised $5,000 as a birthday gift for the Father Adrian fund at BCP.

1978 Martin Doane ’78 received awards in the 2021 White House News Photographers Association contest: Video Television Photography. He won first place for Spot News and an Award of Excellence in Day Feature categories, WJLA-TV Washington, DC. After a successful 33 1/2 years as a practicing chiropractor and business owner, Mary Elsea ’78 retired in November 2020. She experienced uncountable miracles in her practice over the years and had patients with her from the very beginning, eventually becoming like family and experiencing all milestones in life together. She is married, with two “step-adults” and three grandkids. She resides in Longmont, Colorado.

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1980 8 Edward “Eddie” S. Whitlock, III ’80 is celebrating 33 years practicing law where he is a partner at the Henrico-based law firm of Lafayette, Ayers & Whitlock, PLC. Eddie and wife, Mary-Alice, have three children and are celebrating the birth of their second grandchild. Eddie also is publishing his second book entitled “Preserving Liberty and Keeping the American Republic,” which discusses political theory and government. The ribbon cutting ceremony of the new gymnasium brought about a wonderful photo opportunity for the Class of 1980 reunion committee.

After 35 years of real estate and construction experience, Paul Marchetti ’80 is excited to announce the opening of Marchetti Construction Services, a class A contractor, specializing in residential construction.

After an EPIC snow/ice storm in South Texas last February that caused power outages and loss of water for days on end, Katherine Mulholland ’80 has a new appreciation for the simple things — like flushing toilets. However, there is even more to be grateful for! Katherine’s youngest daughter, Caroline, is thriving in

the greater Seattle area and was recently promoted to a managerial CPA position within her company. Her eldest daughter, Liz, is a registered dietitian and recently moved closer to home. God’s timing is always perfect because Liz is scheduled to deliver identical twin girls on Good Friday — or as their family has dubbed it, GREAT Friday! Kathleen and Charlotte will be Katherine’s first AND second grandchildren. Additionally, Katherine is active in the Rachel’s Journey ministry to help those touched by abortion. As a RN, she has been invited to speak to nursing school students to discuss the long- and short-term effects of abortion over the last several years. Katherine’s sister, Elizabeth Knightly ’83 still resides in Charlotte, NC and is doing well.

9 Kathleen Morley ’80 is excited to announce the marriage of her son Matthew Dailey ’08 to Megan on September 19, 2020. Matthew and Megan reside in Alexandria, VA. Kathleen’s mother, Helen Morley, died last May, and is currently a caregiver RN to her father.

10 David Doane ’75 and Robin Mathews Doane ’80 married in June of 2019. David is retired from the Richmond City Fire Department, and Robin will retire from The Steward School in June so they can enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and eight grandchildren.

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1981 Mark Smith ’81 is the owner of Markley Farms in Crozier, VA where he raises purebred mini-Hereford cattle for breeding and beef purchase. He also has returned to the direct response print industry, working with Conquest Graphics in Richmond, VA and Bradley Graphics in Philadelphia, PA. He and his wife, Lori, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in December.

Mark was recently inducted into the American Softball Association VA Softball Hall of Fame.

1982 1 Mike Solari ’82 and his wife still reside in Vegas where he will be finishing his 25th year with the FBI later this year. Their oldest, Nicolaus, is married with one son and a daughter on the way. He is an officer with 82nd Airborne in NC. Their second son, Marcus, will graduate from Bishop Gorman High School in May and will attend college in Nevada in the fall.

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Gertie Girls went to Philly! It was such a treat for 2 Ann Renee Bell (Garrett) ’82’s old classmates, Rebecca T. Fore and Sue McNamara, to spend the day with her in Philadelphia! They did a whirlwind tour of Philadelphia Museum of Art grounds with a personal introduction to “Rocky” and a obligatory “run up the museum steps”!

Afterwards, the Gertie Girls headed to Reading Terminal Market for a classic cheesesteak lunch and walk through the grounds of City Hall. It warmed her heart to share her new(er) home town with her old friends. Gertie Girls are truly friends for life!

Bill LaFratta ’82 is a realtor with SRMF Real Estate, serving the Richmond area.

This is his 26th year in real estate and was the top producer in 2021.

David Miller ’82 lives in western Henrico County with his beautiful wife, Viviane, and their two children. His eldest daughter is living and teaching in the western part of the Commonwealth.

2020 was a strange year for everyone, so 3 Jeff Nichols ’82 focused on highlights of 2019 which include visiting the University of Notre Dame, home of

• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP + SAINT G ERT R U D E H I G H S C H O O L

6 the Fighting Irish. He had heard about this enchanted school ever since he was a little kid, but what made it most memorable was being able to experience it with five other classmates from the Class of 1982: (David Stumpf (ND ’86), Paul Toler, Steve Pancham, Joe Sanders, and John Graziano). A great time was had by all, and they are looking forward to planning their next trip together! 2020 was bittersweet for Jeff, as he said goodbye (sold) the first (and was still the last) HandCraft Dry-Cleaning business near Patterson and Libbie after an incredible 50-year run.

However, despite the challenges of 2020, Jeff managed to grow his healthcare business and expanded into North Carolina.

4 Kathleen Nelms Smith ’82 welcomed her first grandchild, Jack Cutler Vann, on July 25, 2020.

Kevin Proffitt ’82 has been teaching middle school for 30 years, 24 of those at Falling Creek Middle School. This is also his 19th year coaching softball at Randolph-Macon College. His team played

class notes

7 in the 2019 College World Series in Tyler, Texas, and in 2020, they finished the season ranked in the National Fastpitch Coach’s Alliance Top 25 poll. Kevin’s oldest son, Jackson, is engaged and is planning a wedding in fall 2022. Kevin’s youngest son, Kipp, is finishing school at LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

Ray Olson ’82 moved his wealth management firm from Midlothian to downtown in the Bookbindery Building, doubling their footprint.

5 Robert Morley, Jr. ’82 will celebrate 35 years of marriage to Jill Pohlig Morley.

Their oldest child, Robert III ’06 still resides in Richmond, and the other three are located in VA, NH, and OR. They have been blessed with two granddaughters and are looking forward to more in the future. Robert has been at McKesson Corp. for nine years as a senior software developer for their imaging and content platform team.

8 COVID, he has pivoted his team to home renovating with Ampa Creative Home (ampahome.com) and launched a retail furniture website exclusively focused on ‘Made in the USA’ products with white glove delivery to consumers’ homes (artisansmarketusa.com).

7 Tony Everett ’82 is semi-retired in Waynesboro, VA but still owns a laundromat in Staunton and also has four grandkids in Charlottesville. Tony’s daughter, Cara, has a three-year-old daughter, with another child on the way!

Over the past 15 years, Tony has traveled the country with his dog, a black and white pitbull named Buster. He has lived in Las Vegas, SoCal, Idaho, Colorado, and Western Maryland, and his hobbies include restoring and updating (with a high performance Chevy crate engine) a vintage cigarette boat, which is often on Lake Anna. Currently, Tony is restoring and updating a 1982 Winnebago to pull the boat and/or travel around America some more!

Shell Hulcher ’82 and his wife, Susan, welcomed their first grandson, Thomas Patrick Hulcher, Jr., in July 2020. Also, their daughter Megan got engaged and is planning an October 2021 wedding.

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6 Theodore Rubis ’82 launched WeddingsByTed.com for an exclusive approach to wedding planning that draws on the strength of Ampa Events (his full-service event production company) and his 25 years of designing events.

While business has been slow due to

Amy Boehling Lehmkuhler ’83 has moved to Virginia Beach year-round, leaving Alexandria, VA after spending most of the past 23 years there. Her eldest daughter is a sophomore at William & Mary, her son is a junior at Cape Henry Collegiate, and her youngest daughter is in seventh grade at Norfolk Academy.

9 Despite COVID eliminating most trips, 8 John Pudner ’83 was able to plan a September trip to see John Twiggs ’83, best friends since high school. The day Pudner arrived, his seventh and eighth grandchildren were born back in Auburn.

The trip came about when Pudner was invited to a September 11 get-together in Jackson Hole, WY with Dick Cheney on the 19th anniversary of the terrorists attacks that occurred while Cheney was Vice President. Twiggs is an award-winning journalist for Montana PBS, where his duties include moderating political debates including candidates such as US Senator John Tester. While it would be a conflict for Twiggs to interview Pudner, Pudner did interview with the Fox News affiliate while in Missoula where Pudner discovered the producer was a student of Twiggs at the University of Montana’s broadcast school.

Coincidentally the next morning Pudner appeared nationally on Fox and Friends, before returning to Alabama. Pudner and his wife Kalynne Hackney Pudner (PhD, UVa), have nine children and eight grandchildren.

9 Mary Jo (Cowan) Tomlin ’83 lives in Forest, Va with her husband, John, and will be celebrating 31 years of marriage in September. Mary Jo is a RN of 28 years and currently works at Centra. John retired seven years ago at the age of 50 as a public works director and is a life member of their local rescue squad. Mary Jo and John have two daughters: Morgan is a RN in labor and delivery and is married to Josh (6-16-2018) who is a police officer.

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2 Morgan and Josh blessed Mary Jo with a beautiful grandson, Wyatt, on April 22, 2020. Their other daughter, Erin, is a 911 dispatcher.

1 Tracy Gibrall Craddock ’83 and her family have had a lot of life changes. Her son, Jarrett Craddock ’06 was married in early 2019. Jarrett and his wife, Christina, welcomed their first child, Caleb Charles Craddock, in 2020 who has been the best thing to happen to their family during the pandemic. Jarrett and his wife are expecting a second child in August of 2021! Two of her daughters were engaged over the Christmas holiday. Mariah Craddock ’15 and her finance, Matthew Atkins, have a December 2021 wedding planned.

Mariana ’18 and her fiance, Williams, are living in Texas and plan to marry in the next few years. Tracy started a second career at Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin, PLC in 2017 working in their real estate development division and was recently promoted to a land planner position.

During the pandemic, 2 Vincent Serio ’83 restored an eight-foot-long sailing pram

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originally built in 1957. This boat was given to Vincent’s yacht club, the Southern Idaho Sailing Association, for use in their youth sailing program which partners with the City of Boise to provide sailing instruction for kids 12 to 17. The boat is an El Toro class sailboat built entirely of wood, and he restored it with all the original fittings and with a traditional fit and finish of boats of that era. Last year, Vincent became a level 1 sailing instructor through US Sailing, the governing body for sailing in the USA, including Olympic sailing teams.

1984 Coakley Brown ’84 is a local Richmond artist who has created oil paintings of SGHS and BHS at the Sheppard Street campus. You can view images of this artwork on her website: coakleybrown. com or you can visit Crossroads Art Gallery. She also has an upcoming solo exhibit at the Gateway Gallery at VCU Health in June and July.

3 Mauritia Gauvin Kamer ’84 retired in 2020 after almost 30 years as an employment law defense attorney. Mauritia and her husband, Joe, have two grown sons. Paul is a freshman at Duke University

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and Michael, a UVA graduate and consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, will be starting Vanderbilt Law School in August.

4 Several members of the Class of ’84 met for lunch in March to discuss COVID protocols, vaccines, the movie Innerspace, and the pros and cons of social distancing between those who have been vaccinated and those who already survived a bout with the plague.

1985 5 Leo Lantz ’85 was honored as the 2020 NAHB National Remodeling Designee of the Year for Continuing Education. Leo Lantz, CAPS, CGP, CGR, GMB, GMR is the owner of Leo Lantz Construction, Inc. in Glen Allen, VA. Michael Fortune ’85 celebrated 30 years of marriage to Jennifer Fortune last September 29, 2020. They have three children, Andrew, Carolyn, and Savannah.

1986 6 Drew Mugford ’86 has been working at Benedictine since August teaching sophomore English and senior theology.

class notes

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8 He has enjoyed sharing office space with Coach Arnold and reminiscing about “the old days.” He is also happy to be working along numerous fellow graduates including Bill Doran ’92, Daniel Gill ’11, Barry Gibrall ’64, Mike Kaplan ’01, Savino Padrone ’07, and Del Smith ’01. Mr. Mugford states, “I am amazed at how hard all of the faculty and staff work each day.

The culture is better than I could have ever imagined.” He has enjoyed having Saint Gertrude High School on campus and is excited about the future of the two schools. Beginning March 1, he was happy to begin serving as interim principal of The Benedictine Schools of Richmond.

His wife, Sharon, has been extremely supportive of his new role, and they are both happy that their son Aidan will start attending the school in the fall of 2021.

Their three daughters who graduated from Saint Gertrude are doing very well.

Taylor ’13 is in her second year teaching at Saint Mary’s Catholic School, Mary Peyton ’16 has entered the MSW program at VCU to get her masters degree in social work, and Harper ’19 is finishing her sophomore year at Virginia Tech.

After almost ten years of service in the active duty US Air Force (1990-1999), Jon Sexton ’86 moved his family to Seattle, WA. He and his wife raised their three

children in Seattle where he has been a pilot with Alaska Airlines for 21 years.

Jon recently completed his checkout on the new Boeing 737 Max aircraft at the Boeing Flight Training center in Renton, WA and currently serves as a 737 Captain for Alaska Airlines. His wife, Sara, is a current board member actively involved in helping to start a brand-new Catholic high school, Aquinas Classical Academy, in Bremerton, WA which is basing its curriculum on the Catholic classical education model and is scheduled to open this fall.

7 Mary Fisk-Taylor ’86 was honored to have been named the president of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) which is a 30,000 member strong trade association across 50 countries. She is the second Virginian and first female Virginian to hold the position. Mary has been a professional photographer for almost 25 years and serving this great association is beyond exciting for her.

Walt Kelley ’86 was married to Amy on March 16 in Charlotte. The couple has five kids between them: Charlie (Virginia Tech), Jake (CPCC), Brooke (NC State), Connor (junior in high school), and Brooke (sophomore in high school). Walt is looking forward to introducing everyone to his family at the next reunion.

1987 8 Amy Carle Babcock ’87 recently returned to work for HopeTree Family Services as the office manager of their Richmond location. Through God’s love,

HopeTree fosters hope by empowering families, youth, and adults to lead fulfilling lives. She works primarily in the foster care ministry, but also supports the organization’s group homes, development office, and human resources. If you would like more information on HopeTree or becoming a foster parent, let her know!

9 Kate Bednarz Kerstetter ’87 now lives in Frisco, Texas with her husband, Corey, and three kids: Liam (18), Ryan (16), and Haley (14). Fourteen years ago, she quit her job in marketing at Frito Lay to stay home with the kids and has loved it ever since. She says she hasn’t been good at keeping in touch with Richmond friends, but she reconnected with Rhonda Turner Spear ’87 years ago, and she has visited Kate in Texas several times. This is a photo of them at their spa day in 2019.

After graduating from SGHS, 10 Rhonda Turner Spear ’87 married in 1992 and was married 14 years. Her professional career has spanned almost 22 years serving two Virginia government agencies, Department of Transportation for 10 years and currently the Department of Housing and Community Development for almost 12 years. In 2013, she published the first of 10 stories in an online magazine for writers with disabilities, two of which won a second place prize in a fiction contest.

1988 Angela Saunders Puryear ’88 married Kenneth Puryear ’89 on May 18, 2019.

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party consisted of their four children; Sarah Cronin ’12, Joey Cronin, Abby Puryear, and Libbie Puryear.

In December 2020, 1 David Duke ’88 was promoted to partner at his firm, Kian Capital Partners. Kian (which is Gaelic for enduring, lasting) is a lower middle market private equity firm with over $425M AUM in Atlanta and Charlotte investing in founder owned/owner operated businesses in distribution, services, consumer, and niche manufacturing.

David joined Kian’s Atlanta team in early 2018 having known the co-founders for twenty years.

1989

1990 2 Class of 1990 still found a way over the pandemic to connect and catch up.

They gathered over Zoom — who doesn’t love a Zoom happy hour nowadays?!

3 Patrick Belcher ’90 is publishing his first book, “Fundraising Is: Everything You Do Before You Ask For Money,” which shares his insight, to those involved in nonprofit organizations, about all it takes to develop an effective and sustainable fundraising program. The book is a collection from his experience working with nonprofits facing diverse issues like addiction and recovery, education, and the arts. The experience is made relevant (and entertaining) with stories that illustrate the importance of relationships taught to him by his parents and anecdotes from his clients. The book will be available through Morgan James Publishing and everywhere books are sold in August 2021. You can learn more at PBJmarComm.net.

Kenneth Puryear ’89: See update under Angela Puryear ’88

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• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP + SAINT G ERT R U D E H I G H S C H O O L

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1991 4 Rebecca Yohe Lavelle ’91 has three beautiful granddaughters (Skyla Lavelle 7, Maisie Palacios 3, and Isabella Lavelle 3) and her grandson (Lucas Lavelle) is due any day. These four are the great-grandchildren of Sally Marks Harrison ’70.

5 A few members of the Class of 1991 gathered on a Zoom call recently to reminisce and catch up. Pictured: Krista Kretowicz Arnold, Leslie Stewart Winder, Susan Stinson, Courtney Spanos Wyatt, Bridget McComb Neddo, Shannon Geary Weisleder, Kristin Scafidi Robinson, Eve Alfonso Duval, Jen Conly Cox, Christy

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11 back to the Richmond area for the first time since 2003. They are looking forward to being home with their family and friends!

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8 Tomczak Luck, Christie Gragnani-Woods, and Emily Awad. They hope to see even more faces next time!

6 Krista Kretowicz Arnold ’91 and her husband, Rob, celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary, and they bought a new home so her in-laws could move in with them. They were even able to take their granddaughter on her first vacation with a stay on Edisto Beach. Krista has returned to school to work on her bachelor’s in creative writing.

1993 7 Kelly Geary ’93, and her husband, Andrew Wyant, have continued to grow their business ISSA – the International Sports and Sciences Association, and in March 2021, announced a major

investment by a private equity group, Tailwind Capital, to continue the company’s mission of connecting 100 million people to healthier living by 2030! While continuing to be based in Phoenix, AZ, Kelly and her family look forward to a month-long stay in Richmond in June 2021.

8 Mary Stewart Mitchell ’93 is excited to start selling real estate for Virginia Properties, a Long & Foster company, here in Richmond. Mary Stewart and her twin sister, Katherine Hatfield ’93, also enjoy staging houses for other local realtors through @Upstagers2018. A few years ago they were actually able to meet another famous twin duo, Jonathan and Drew Scott from Property Brothers on HGTV, when they were at a Staging Conference in Charlotte. Mary Mitchell also just started a radon testing business, Richmond Radon Testing, to test homes for high levels of radon.

1998 In June, Meghan Ward Ho ’98 and her family (husband, Martin, and sons, Spencer (10) and Walden (8)) are moving

9 Timothy Talbert ’98 is excited to welcome Esther Adele and Gertrude Grace born on March 17, 2021. Esther and Gertrude join their sisters Eleanor (4) and Sybil (2) as future Gators.

2000 10 Alana Hughes ’00 is a pediatric cardiologist working in Philadelphia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is working in the cardiac ICU and is loving the fast pace and complex medical decision making. Alana is newly engaged to Benton Boone of Richmond, VA who works as a senior relationship manager for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Benton is also working towards his MBA through VCU. The couple is excitedly planning a spring 2021 wedding in Philadelphia.

2001 11 Allison Huff-Ritchie ’01 and Darren Ritchie welcomed with all of their love a daughter, Elliott Wilder Huff-Ritchie, at 7:02 p.m. on June 14, 2020 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, England.

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2 1 Carmen Jones (Giovenco) ’01 was named teacher of the year for New Kent Elementary School. This is her second time being named Teacher of the Year.

2 Dr. Sara Burton Jennings ’01 has accepted a position with the International Association of Forensic Nurses as the education director. Sara resides in Hanover County with her husband, Brian, and their nine-year-old twin boys, Blake and Brayden.

2002 3 Brenda Castro ’02 welcomed her second son, Benito William Alexander Castro, into the world on May 28, 2020.

LCDR Nicholas Cornwell ’02 and his wife, April, have four kids and live in Portsmouth, RI. Nick graduated from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI in March 2021 with a master of arts in defense and strategic studies and is currently working in the War Gaming Department.

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2003 Juliane White (née Green) ’03, married Nikolay Mihov of Bulgaria on February 5, 2021.

4 Kristen Angster ’03 recently passed the last of her medical board exams for her subspecialty of neurotology. She is an ear, nose, and throat surgeon specializing in ear and lateral skullbase surgery and has been practicing at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI for the past two-and-a-half years. This exam was the culmination of almost 100 hours of testing during her 11 years of post-graduate medical training.

She decided to pursue medicine while at Saint Gertrude after Mrs. Czaja nominated her for a summer mini med school (nerd camp).

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5 Surrounded by family and friends, Paul Puccinelli ’04 married Lauren Overmeyer on August 15, 2020 at the Virginia Crossings Resort in Richmond, VA. Paul is the oldest child of John ’85 and Sherri ’85 Puccinelli and the oldest grandchild of O. Ralph ’60 and Mary ’60 Puccinelli.

Fellow alumni in the wedding party were classmates Jonathan McDonald ’04 and Nick Wolfe ’04 along with siblings Nick Puccinelli ’07 (best man) and bridesmaid Bianca Puccinelli ’13. Paul and Lauren also purchased a home in Mechanicsville earlier this year to start their happily ever after together.

Alex Nyunt ’04: See update under Caitlin (Pierce-Osborne) Nyunt ’05

2005 6 Caitlin (Pierce-Osborne) Nyunt ’05 and her husband, Alex Nyunt ’04, reside in Tempe, AZ with their six children (Eric, Sophia, Emily, Patrick, Thomas, and Max), where both she and her husband attended graduate school at Arizona State University.

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8 10 Caitlin received her master’s degree in special education (applied behavior analysis) and Alex a MBA at the W.P. Carey School of Business. Caitlin will begin another master’s program this fall in non-profit management and leadership. Caitlin and Alex have spent the last 17 years moving for Alex’s military career and while it has given their family a chance to see exciting parts of the world such as South Korea, they are looking to staying in one place for a while! The family recently purchased their forever home in San Antonio, Texas and can’t wait to put down roots.

7 Class of 2005’s Pete Hanley, Woody Vaughan, Chris Tangard, and Thomas Mcnalley enjoyed Benedictine’s homecoming football game in 2019.

2006 Paul E. Lathrop ’06 graduated Summa Cum Laude from Liberty University with a Masters of Education in administration and supervision in May 2021. Paul has since begun his Doctorate of Education with a concentration in educational leadership at Liberty University.

2007 Kathleen Morgan ’07 married Lotus Lee on March 29, 2020 in Bryan Park on a beautiful spring day. She is also now a business owner of a small, historic preservation consulting firm, Sadler & Whitehead.

8 Kayci Williamson ’07 had her first baby, Witt Nelson, who was born on October 26, 2020.

9 On August 30, 2020, Mary Meacham Bahen ’07 and Thomas Bahen ’07 welcomed their second son, Hayes Michael Bahen. Teddy is a proud big borther!

2008 Bradford Burgess ’08 currently resides in Oklahoma City working for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last year, he was a performance analyst for the Thunder, and was recently assigned to the OKC Blue, the GLeague team.

12 10 Frank Krimowski ’08 and wife, Kathryn, are happy to share the birth of their son, Hayden James, born on Sunday, November 1, 2020 in Newton, MA. Hayden is fortunate to have two Benedictine uncles, Daniel Krimowski ’04 and Thomas Krimowski ’11. Frank, Kathryn, Hayden, and their chocolate lab, Penner, reside in Carlisle, Massachusetts.

11 James Dailey ’08 married Megan on September 19, 2020.

Joseph Haboush ’08 was married to Sally Habchi in December. After playing soccer professionally overseas and then working as a journalist based in Beirut since 2014, Joseph returned to the States in March 2020. He is currently the Washington correspondent for Al Arabiya English (news website), where he focuses on US foreign policy.

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2 to join two friends sailing around the world this coming summer for a much needed vacation.

2009 1 Aaron Stumpf ’09 and his wife Kelsey Creech Stumpf ’09 welcomed their daughter, Adler Jean, on January 2, 2021.

She joins her sister Josie on the path to becoming a Gator.

2 Julia Goode Hemmatian ’09 and her husband, Milad, rescued a pandemic

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pup, a Great Pyrenees mix, in March 2020 named Cruz. Julia and her family moved back to Richmond from Arlington, VA in August 2020 and bought a house in Sauer’s Gardens and were married on October 10, 2020 in Charles City, VA. In addition to their full-time remote careers in the technology industry, they started a company called Rebuild RVA Development, where they buy, renovate, and sell homes around the city.

2010 3 Alexander Taylor, III ’10 was recently promoted to 1LT in the United States Army and is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he serves as an engineer officer with the 37th EN BN. Chris Hogan ’10 and Jillian Van Winkle Hogan ’10 are expecting baby girl Hogan in May 2021.

• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP + SAINT G ERT R U D E H I G H S C H O O L

5 Katie Irvine Wadey ’10 married Bryan Thomas Wadey II on October 10, 2020 at St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, VA.

2011 Aubrey Martin ’11 completed her masters degree in environmental/coastal engineering in May 2020.

Eric Saunders ’11 married Katelyn Flaherty on October 10, 2020 in Boston, MA. 4 Thomas Meacham ’11 married Bailey Lynn Price on January 30, 2021, at St. Bridget Church. Thomas and Bailey met freshman year at Virginia Tech.

class notes

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10 been stationed in Poland since fall 2020 (but will return to Fort Hood later this year). He recently became the battalion intelligence officer, and is looking forward to a career in military intelligence.

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2012 5 Colton Konvicka ’12 and Brayton Spicer ’14 are set to marry on October 2, 2021 in Richmond, VA. 6 Hunter Morgan ’12 will be marrying Leah Alvin on May 1, 2021, at Saint Bridget Catholic Church. Leah graduated from Godwin in 2012, and the couple just moved to Charleston, SC, where Hunter practices law as a medical malpractice defense attorney and Leah manages the volunteer services division at Prisma Health.

Travis Kerner ’12 started a new job as a doctor of chiropractic in the Miami Beach area, working in South Beach with

professional athletes from all sports.

He has been in practice for one year and is licensed in the states of Florida and Virginia.

2013 On September 19, 7 William Toler ’13 and his wife, Abigail, celebrated their wedding with friends and family.

2014 Brayton Spicer ’14: See update under Colton Konvicka ’12 Noah Chetelat ’14 had a lot of incredible opportunities in 1-82 Field Artillery, 1ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division and has

2015 8 AnneRussell (Russie) Moore ’15 was recently engaged to Dylan Whitesel, and after completing her Doctor of Physical Therapy program in May 2022, a Fall 2022 wedding is planned.

9 Colleen Geary ’15 is engaged and plans to marry her fiancé, Tanner McClelland, in November 2021. Colleen currently works in microbiology for a bio-pharmaceutical company in Frederick, MD and plans to continue her career there and move to Northern Virginia with her fiancé.

10 Olivia (Simon) Maynes ’15 married Michael Maynes on September 6, 2020.

Olivia and Michael met at Virginia Tech and now live together in Fort Worth, TX. Olivia passed the CFP® Exam and is a financial planner at Aspen Wealth Management.

Michael is an aerospace engineer at Lockheed Martin and is finishing up his masters in aerospace engineering.

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class notes

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W E WA N T T O HE A R F ROM YOU! Submitting a class note has never been easier. Scan here to be featured in the next issue of The Towers.

2 1 Reid Gormus ’15 is a Corporal in 1-14 CAV Ares Troop at Joint Base LewisMcChord in Washington State. Reid was married in August 2019 to Ashley Bergsmith, and they are expecting their first child in April.

2018 3 Harrison Talton ’18 purchased her first home in Richmond, VA.

2016

2019

2 Ryan Cury ’16, Bridget Ryan ’16, Jordan Foster ’16, Marissa Jacques ’16, Dana Dabson ’16, Isabella Iannini ’16, and Sydney Venable ’16 visited together in Arlington, VA in October 2020.

Margaret Langan ’19 was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi National Honor Society.

Keely Curran ’16, Mary Peyton Mugford ’16, and Jennifer Carr ’16, all members of the Class of Black and Lime, just graduated college in 2020 and are moving in together in downtown Richmond.

Kathleen Baughan ’16 got engaged in August of 2020 and is excited for her wedding this May!

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• T H E TOWE R S MAGA Z INE • BENEDICTINE COLLEGE PREP + SAINT G ERT R U D E H I G H S C H O O L

in memoriam We extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of the following members of the Benedictine Schools of Richmond community who have recently passed away.

Charles W. Matt ’52 10/28/2020

August J. Bain ’54 1/10/2021

James B. Hotze ’66 10/29/2020

John J. Muldowney ’56 1/16/2021

George O. Crone, Jr. ’54 11/13/2020

John N. Oley II ’76 1/27/2021

Thomas P. O’Keefe ’65 11/18/2020

Henry A. Berling ’60 2/9/2021

Joseph E. Purcell, Jr. ’67 12/2/2020

Charles T. Rao, Jr. ’68 2/12/2021

CPT Michael F. Ott ’83 7/10/2020

John P. Fogarty 12/4/2020

Virginia Seay Terrell ’48 2/19/2021

David G. Moates, Jr. ’62 7/16/2020

Alexander L. Ross ’59 12/9/2020

Jahdon A. Robinson ’19 2/22/2021

Richard L. Holtz ’56 7/28/2020

Debra Gaulin Prifel ’76 12/20/2020

Ann Tolker Nichols ’56 8/7/2020

Richard Prezioso ’61 12/22/2020

Cheryl Ann McDonald Watson ’74 2/23/2021

Sue James Beaton Bennett ’63 8/11/2020

Elaine Caravati Ryan ’45 12/24/2020

Mary Christine “Chris” Bruno Pollard ’85 5/9/2019

Richard D. Goodman, Jr. ’69 3/28/2020

Michael J. Agnes ’71 10/24/2019

Rev. Adrian W. Harmening, O.S.B. 5/18/2020

W. Edward Riley, III ’58 10/26/2019 Louis J. Matt, Jr. ’49 11/4/2019 Robert E. Lee ’48 11/13/2019 John P. Black ’38 11/27/2019 Michael A. Hughson ’69 11/27/2019 CPT Paul S. Kiniry ’72 12/5/2019 Winfred M. Jenkins ’64 12/6/2019 Lee R. Boschen, Jr. ’58 12/18/2019 Maurice L. Phillips ’49 12/25/2019 Ronald L. Cowardin ’64 1/23/2020 LCpl. Sean M. McDonough ’10 1/30/2020 John E. Farrell ’66 2/3/2020 Michael R. Schoenenberger ’61 3/17/2020 John M. Timberlake ’46 3/19/2020

Jonah F. McKeever ’18 6/4/2020 O. Ralph Puccinelli, Jr. ’60 6/14/2020

Marie Rhodes Cappiello ’47 9/27/2020

Michael F. Archie, Jr. ’96 12/24/2020

Thomas J. Bliley, III ’84 10/2/2020

William E. Dvorak, Jr. ’53 12/24/2020

William G. McMurtrie ’56 10/13/2020

Frances Murphy Powers ’63 1/2/2021

Peggy Terrell Perkins ’56 10/22/2020

Gen. James M. Morgan, Jr. ’41 1/2/2021

Sr. Henry Marie Zimmermann, O.S.B. ’48 10/24/2020

John E. Reardon ’47 1/9/2021

Marian Scruggs Loehr ’48 2/27/2021 Rt. Rev. Benedict R. McDermott, O.S.B. 3/19/2021 Bernard L. Baughan ’67 3/26/2021 Richard D. Donovan ’53 3/29/2021 William A. “Bill” Butcher ’77 4/8/2021 Paul M. Loehr ’47 4/13/2021 Jasmin Sadé Thomas ’10 4/28/2021

These notices were received as of May 1, 2021. Please contact the Advancement Office at advancement@benedictineschools.org if there is any incomplete information or to submit a condolence.

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