Warren Johnson ’48

SPORTING GREEN a weighty legacy

By Heather Maddan-Dowdell ’96

ALONG WITH BEING A HALL OF FAME ATHLETE, WARREN “FATS” JOHNSTON ’48 HAS SPANNED DECADES WITH HIS LEGACY OF COACHING, TEACHING, MENTORING, AND RAISING AN SHC FAMILY OF DISTINCTION.

Warren and wife Betty on their 70th anniversary “F ats” wasn’t an obvious nickname for an average size guy who became a three-sport athlete. But, as a well-fed depression-era kid, Warren Johnston ’48 was bigger than his skinny brother and didn’t care much for his given name, so he embraced “Fat,” as his dad called him. In 7th grade, his Italian coach added the “s.” “Sports were his passion. As a child, playing all sports was his joy. As a teenager, they were his identity. As an adult, he became a coach. As a parent and grandparent, he was a fan,” said daughter Karen Hipp, “He always enjoys a good game to watch.” Johnston’s lifelong affiliation with sports landed him in the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame in 1986. A plaque honoring the inductees is displayed at Oracle Park. In 1976, he was elected to the first class of the SH Athletic Hall of Fame. Born in 1930, Johnston grew up in Noe Valley and attended St. Paul’s School. In 1944, he enrolled in SH, where he gained multiple all-city accolades across sports — football, baseball, and basketball — as a scholar athlete. “It was the four best years of my life,” Johnston said of SH. “I met some great people and played with some great kids — especially the 1947 football team. I can still name every kid in the starting lineup.” Football was Johnston’s favorite sport, but his talent in baseball earned him an offer with the Boston Braves. He declined and went to college at the University of San Francisco. After graduating in 1952, he pursued his teaching credential and master’s degree. After two years in the army, he spent 35 years working

for the San Francisco Unified School District. “He has great admiration for the Christian Brothers and continued to connect with them throughout his career as a teacher,” said daughter Janis Lee. From 1955 to 1962, he was a teacher and coach at Horace Mann Junior High School. He continued to Polytechnic High School from 1962 to 1969, where he taught, coached varsity football and golf, and served as athletic director. Johnston completed his tenure at Galileo High School from 1969 until 1990 as a teacher, athletic director, and golf coach. He led the Lions to five championships as the assistant football coach. Sports are at the core of many fond family memories. “His first Turkey Day victory was in 1974 while coaching football at Galileo High School. Mom was cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and there was a lot to be done, but going to the game was so important,” remembers Janis. “Dad was thrilled to have finally experienced that victory and exuded so much happiness that night and all weekend long.” In 1992, at the 100th anniversary of the Bruce-Mahoney football game at Kezar Stadium, Johnston and his lifelong buddy Bill Henneberry ’48 served as honorary team captains. They went out on the field to much fanfare for the coin toss. In 2005, three of Johnston’s grandsons — Dan Ryan ’06, Tim Hipp ’07, and Tom Lee ’07 — played St. Ignatius as their grandfather rooted them on to victory from the bleachers. A photo of the foursome is proudly displayed in his den. The Johnston athleticism spans generations. “As a young female athlete growing up, I never felt like I couldn’t play a certain sport or play ‘too tough,’” said Erica Hipp ’13. “My grandpa loved seeing us all play hard and never give up. He always encouraged our love of sports and made it to as many games as possible.” “When I played basketball in high school, his advice to me was ‘anticipate’; it helped me to be a better defender,” daughter Karen Hipp said. “It’s been fun to send Pops videos of my oldest son, affectionately known as ‘Lefty Davis,’ pitching on the mound in little league,” said granddaughter Amy Davis. “He always has great advice for my sons, our up-and-coming ball players!” Johnston’s advice to current student-athletes? “First of all, behave yourselves; second, aside from being a good player on the field, set an example in the classroom and pay attention. Don’t be a jerk,” he said. At 93, Johnston still follows college football, the 49ers, and the Giants. He gave up golf a couple of years ago but stays active, heading to the San Mateo Elks Club pool three times a week. Johnston met his wife of 70 years, Betty, during his junior year of high school. They have four children, Michael ’71, Joanne Ryan (deceased), Karen Hipp, and Janis Lee. He has 15 grandchildren, 10 of whom are SHC alums: Gerald Ryan ’01, Matthew Ryan ’04, Daniel Ryan ’01, Kaitlin Hipp ’05, Timothy Hipp ’07, Lisa Hipp Alemann ’10, Emily Hipp ’13, Erica Hipp ’13, Thomas Lee ’07, and Stephanie Lee Murphy ’12. As for future members of the Fightin’ Irish? Johnston has 10 great-grandchildren and two more on the way.

Warren with grandsons Dan Ryan ’06, Tim Hipp ’07, and Tom Lee ’07 in 1992

Tearing up the gridiron

INNOVATIONS the innovation of service

By Lucie Duffort

Inquiry and Innovation (i2) projects are changing this year, with service learning opportunities incorporated. Mariflor Medrano, who joins the team as Co-Director alongside Dabney Standley, explains the initiative by reminding us that “We’re not just innovating because we can make money out of it. Our motto isn't ‘Enter to Learn, Leave to Make Money,’ it’s ‘Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.’ For Medrano, balancing the dual concerns of innovation and service isn’t a zero-sum choice. “We can be innovative in the ways we function as a society. With the 9th graders, I talked to them about the difference between (imposing a solution on a community and) working with a community to solve a problem. In order to truly understand a problem, one must understand the nuances of being part of the community. Though helping isn't wrong, we're really emphasizing the ‘serve’ portion of our school motto for the i2 projects.” The first year of this shift will be less prescriptive, Standley shared. Students are simply being asked to consider communities in need as their focus. This should enable the evolution of this initiative to be more student directed. “So often, kids these ages start off with ‘I know what I want to do: I want to make this new surfboard.’ They (decide on the project and then) ask who is going to use it and why. ‘It’ll be cooler than a regular surfboard because it will be up on two hydrofoils and will have a battery...’ But that’s backwards. I tell them: don’t fall in love with the solution, fall in love with the problem.” The first step, then, is user-focused: figuring out which community these young innovators want to serve, where to focus and who they want to help. Medrano underlines that the relationship itself is central. Students need to research and understand their audience rather than impose something that might not be feasible or provide true use. As Standley puts it, they need to ask themselves: “In what way is this providing a service or addressing progress in the community?” Transitions like this take time, and there are legacy projects that will continue this year and next that aren’t specifically service-focused. Standley points out, however, that even small impacts can make huge differences over time, nudging students towards a more holistic perspective on innovation causing a ripple effect. “Turning three or four degrees in one direction may not seem like much now, but project out a number of years and you are in a hugely different place.” With a little luck, it will be a place where innovation and student-directed inquiry can center around improvements in the daily lives of those around us, and shift the perspective of our students outward towards connection with the communities they encounter, interact with, and are a part of. The i2 speaker series, meanwhile, has continued, with two speakers so far this fall. This series brings professionals in a number of spheres to speak on specific topics to i2 students. In September, Mark Freudenberg spoke about ideation and demonstrated an ideation process used at Frog Design, where he is the Executive Director of Design Technology. Reece Hart, father of Graham ’24, and Chief Technology Officer and MyOme, a consumer genetic testing startup here in the Bay Area, spoke to students on the subject of team building and the importance of maintaining diversity within those teams. All in all, as the i2 program grows it evolves with our times, our community, and our goals as a school, regularly re-evaluating its engagement with students, and taking advantage of the wealth of perspectives our students, faculty, staff, and parent community can provide.

i2

Mariflor Medrano watches Aaron Duffin ’23 at Open House Parent Reece Hart addresses i2 scholars

PERFORMANCE

Theater productions at SHC are a signature of the boundless talent, work ethic, and passion of our theater arts students. This year's sold-out production, The Play That Goes Wrong, was something different, however: a manic play-within-a-play that chronicled the various misadventures of a cast and crew and left audiences rolling in the aisles. Countless hours of rehearsals and set building, exquisite costumes and fantastic make-up, and professional-level sound and lighting made for yet another stunning fall play. Bravo!

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1947

Gilbert J. Schoenstein, born January 1, 1929, passed peacefully in his sleep on August 10, 2022. He was a proud graduate of Sacred Heart High School, and always loved receiving the alumni news.

1952

Homer Hudelson recently published a book with BookBaby, Homer’s Odyssey: A Memoir. The book can be found in Barnes and Noble or digitally with Amazon Kindle.

1958

1 Carmelita (Leola) Gallard

Hanson is enjoying being in her 80’s. She feels very lucky to have good health and a wonderful marriage.

1962

Bernard Phillips is wondering who’s still around. He’s interested in connecting with classmates. Go Irish!

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1967

2 This is a photo of Bernard Phillips, Paul Capurro, and Father Harry Schlitt. Bernard and Paul were invited to a book signing of Father Harry’s latest book, I’ll Never Know, held on June 9, 2022 at the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco. Father Harry was on San Francisco AM radio stations KFRC and KYA during the 70’s and 80’s (along with many other stations across America, Armed Forces Radio and on airline inflight entertainment) with a 20-30 second spot delivering uplifting messages correlated to the musical genre of the time. He was known across America as the "Rock and Roll" priest.

1969

3 Alumni Mike Kelly and his wife Trish are, once again, proud grandparents of their daughter Monica ’06’s new little lady, Georgia Kelly Shuster, born on August 17, 2022.

Matt Mullan, Angelo Rizzato and Steve Nurre ’70 bask in the glow of a tournament win in Redwood City. All play for the RC Blues 70’s team. 5 Dennis White and J. Rodriguez celebrated Memorial Day this year at the Presidio. “The history and meaning of this place on this day grabs your soul. It humbles you, to never take freedom for granted,” Dennis shared. “Every day is Memorial Day.”

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1970

6 The Bowes Brothers, Peter

Bowes and Dave ’74 are working in the tradeshow industry, happy to be back at it again in San Francisco and greater Bay Area. GO IRISH!"

1972

7 15 of 27 members of the 1972 varsity football team gathered in October at Westlake Joe’s. They were joined by Head Coach Steve Ellison, SHC Hall of Famer & former Head Coach Rudy Lapera ’63, assistant coach and future head coach Ed Cota ’70, and defensive line coach Terry Oakes. Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach and then-offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren could not make it, but he sent a video to address the group. Members of the 1971 team who recorded SH’s first WCAL victory (over SI) attended as well, including Ray Siri ’71, John Ziomek ’71, and Steve Drane ’71. GO IRISH!

1973

Louis Bertolini is enjoying retirement & living in Reno, Nevada. 8 Members of the Class of 1973 meet annually to play golf and raise money for the SHC golf program in honor of late classmate Gene Norgard. Matt Graham medaled, one shot ahead of Rick Landucci and Pete Sitov, and big shout out to Rick Camozzi and Rick Landucci for coming all the way from Arizona to join the group. Way to go, men!

1975

Mary Ann McCarthy Morales is widowed and moved to Nevada in 2019 after retiring. She is enjoying her time there and is very happy with herself.

1976

9 Christian Brother alums Steve

Scalise (Archbishop Rummel High School - Metairie, Louisiana) and Louisiana Congressman and House Republican Whip with Al Galindo at the Jefferson Chamber member meeting. Galindo is the incoming Chair for the Jefferson Chamber in 2023.

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1978

10 Members of the 1978 WCAL

Championship Baseball team took Coach Franceschi out to breakfast this past summer. Members who came far and wide are: Bob Bodeker, Jr., Matt Gallegos, Commander Tony Rogers ’79, Lou Pinotti, Jeff Lakers, Sr. ’79, Robert Baldocchi, Ron Ragussa ’79, Ron Silvestri ’79, Dan Pino ’80, and Bob “Big Doc” Baldocchi, Sr.

1980

Michael Baldree has lived and worked in a variety of wonderful places throughout the west. He is currently in Oregon. Lawrence Sekara is the owner of Life & Health Insurance Services where he helps people sign up for Medicare.

1989

11 The Class of 1989 had a reunion in May at the Italian Athletic Club coordinated by alumni Tony Williams. They are looking to gather again in the fall.

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1991

12 Marco Cuneo spent the summer vacationing in

Hawaii with his wife Jasmin, mother-in-law Joselyn, sister-inlaw and fellow alumni Jade ’02, Jade’s husband Albert and their three children.

Sacred Heart Cathedral’s graduating Class of 1991 celebrated their 30 year reunion on October 15, 2022 at the Italian Athletic Club in the illustrious North Beach District of San Francisco. A night filled with laughter echoing throughout the room, delicious foods, and recounted memories kicked off the fun-filled evening. Many thanks to our 1991 Reunion Committee for making this night possible!

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1993

14 Newly appointed SHC Registrar Judith Nievera Tangaan stands with her oldest daughter Livy ’25 prior to her first girls varsity volleyball match.

1994

Members of the SHC Class of 1994 had an informal reunion at the Broken Record on July 16th to catch up and enjoy a fun evening together. Head Golf Coach and Alumni Parent Jim Enright is excited to welcome two new assistants to his staff this season: Ramsey Raher who works in Course Management at Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland and Kayla Choy ’17, who recently completed her collegiate golf career at Cal State Monterey Bay. Go Irish!

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1996

Christon Rance is absolutely thrilled to be back at SHC as an Instructor of English and Social Studies. In addition to his teaching duties, he will be assisting the varsity football team as Defensive Coordinator. He’s excited for a productive year in the classroom and on the field. Go Irish!

Kevin Sullivan has been practicing law since 2003 handling employment, business and injury matters.

1997

16 LyRyan Christopher Russell, pictured with his dad LyRyan Russell. Together, they are coaching the College of Marin Mens Basketball Program.

1998

17 Derrick Higa recently started Higa Art: Art for Your Business and Home in El Cerrito, California.

1999

18 Eric Bickel is working as a mortgage loan officer in Pacifica, California. 19 Meghan Duff Fernandez and

Kevin Fernandez welcomed Faye Fernandez on July 3, 2022. They live in Novato CA.

2001

Shann Kao is currently living in Hong Kong. It’s definitely a great experience to live here!

2002

Kurt Rifbjerg is an attorney and practices probate and trust law. Kurt returned to the Bay Area after many years in San Diego and now lives in Petaluma with his wife and two daughters.

2003

Daniel LaPrevotte is married with a new son, living outside of Seattle. Go Fighting Irish!

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2003

20 Jessica Marquez Smith is currently working at a physical therapy clinic in the Bay Area. She loves spending time with her family on her off days.

2006

21 Monica Kelly and her husband Nick Shuster welcomed Georgia Kelly Shuster born on August 17, 2022.

2011

22 It’s been quite a year so far for Grace Cooley Martin. In March, she married the love of her life, Jeff Martin and became a bonus mom to their beautiful daughter, Avery. In July, Grace was promoted to Associate Director of IQVIA and will be celebrating her three year anniversary with the company in October. 23 Longtime sweethearts Kevin Soracco and Brandi Allen were married at Saints Peter and Paul Church in North Beach this past Summer.

2012

In July 2022, Stephanie Lee and Pat Murphy ’11 got married surrounded by friends and family, many of whom attended either Sacred Heart, St. Vincent’s, Cathedral or Sacred Heart Cathedral. Alumni in attendance ranged from Mildred Lee ’45 and Warren Johnston ’48 to Erica Hipp ’13 to current student Robert Keith Baldocchi ’25. Congrats, Steph and Pat!

2013

After graduating from Sacred

Heart Cathedral, Alexandria Andreotti left home to play softball at Linfield University, spending the next 6 years in Oregon. She then left and lived in Washington where she lived and volunteered at Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue. Currently residing, working, and playing in Juneau, Alaska with her spouse and three dogs, Alexandria works as a Prevention Specialist for a non-profit focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault, specifically adolescents and youths. She and her family enjoy hiking the ridges of southeastern Alaskan mountains, kayaking to glaciers, letting their dogs roam on secluded beaches, and flying back to the City to spend quality time with family. She hopes to move back home in a few years after traveling a little bit more!

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2014

Justin Marquez is currently working for the City and County of San Francisco as a User Support Admin and just celebrated his 1 year work anniversary. He is an avid baseball fan and coaches travel ball teams in his free time. After coaching SHC swimming for four seasons, Andrew Ng was given the opportunity to work fulltime in the Advancement Office. Every moment of coaching has been a joy, and now, with this new opportunity, he is glad to be able to give back to the school. Congratulations to GeAnna

Luaulu-Summers, one of the best athletes to ever wear an SHC uniform, on her new position with the University of Oregon Women’s Basketball program! You continue to make us so proud, GeAnna! Go Ducks, and go Irish!

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2015

Erin Lithgow is so excited to be back on our awesome SHC campus! Since her days here, she has graduated from the University of Portland and gained a background in education. It is incredible for Erin to see how this community has grown and developed over the years, and she looks forward to working in Admissions to help bring in the next generation of Fightin’ Irish!

2016

27 Kieran Byrne met up with classmate Natalie McMyn at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to celebrate their “2020 Comeback Commencement” this past May.

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28 Alumni Keith Ismael attended San Diego State University where he earned his degree in three years. He was a 3 year starter for the Aztecs, drafted by the Washington Commanders and is currently on the practice squad of the 49ers. Go Irish!

2018

It was a record-breaking year for SHC alum Marty Cole, who smashed the Niagra’s single-season pitching appearances record with 34 during the regular season! Go Niagara Baseball! Go Irish! Prior to accepting her role in Admissions, Julie Ira was a student and employee at the University of Washington. As the Zero Waste Program Assistant for the UW Recycling, she was busy conducting UW’s first Zero Waste Assessment, a process where she evaluated the waste operations at all three UW campuses (Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma) in order to develop a strategic report and plan with the goal of helping the UW achieve zero waste. Julie recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies in June and she just moved back home to San Francisco.

James Woods has been named head coach of the Irish Wrestling Program. Congratulations and Go IRISH! #HeartOfTheCity!

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2020

32 Congratulations to Angelo Marcon for qualifying for the 2022 US Amateur Golf Championship held this August in New Jersey. Great job, Angelo, and Go Irish!

2022

33 Congratulations to Lucas Kelly for being named CCS Senior Baseball Player of the Year. Go Irish! Go Aggies! Spotted over the summer months in Lake Tahoe, Dmitri Ryan was the head lifeguard at Northstar Resort. Dmitri was happily watching over the pools keeping everyone safe and building community spirit with activities.

BOARD OF REGENTS

William D. Rauch, JD Board Chair Elizabeth Brown Parents Association President Kase Abusharkh ’00 Sr. Adella Armentrout, DC Stella Bialous, DrPH Kevin Buckley ’13 Courtney Chin ’03 Br. Victor Kenneth Curley, FSC Richard Cutler, PhD Carol Wicklund Enright Stefan Gartrell ’02 Miguel Guzman ’91 Sandra Gulli Francois Hechinger Daniel J. Holland ’79 Janet Holland ’77 Jim Jones Monica Kelly ’06 Thomas P. Mazzucco ’78 Sister Frances Meyer, DC Joey Nevin ’01 Margaret O’Driscoll Jeffrey Porter ’72 James Ryan, Jr. Stacie Solt, MD ’99 Ed Wang ’90 Harold Wong ’77

EX-OFFICIO

Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD President Gary Cannon, EdD Principal John Gumina ’91 VP for Advancement, Communications & Enrollment Shani Mahany Director of Finance John M. Vigo ’81 Director of Stewardship and Future Giving