Issuu

Update - cover - 17.2 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 9/30/26 10:30 AM Page 1

S T .

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 9081

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, Texas 77019-5897

Volume 88

J O H N ’ S

S C H O O L

UPDATE Graduation • Alumni Profile • Class Notes

Military-Bound Mavericks

Fall 2026

Update - cover - 17.2 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 9/30/26 10:30 AM Page 2

2026

OCTOBER SJS vs Kinkaid Football Game Friday, Oct. 30 5:30 p.m. | Family Picnic 7:00 p.m. | Kickoff Hosted at The Kinkaid School

NOVEMBER Network Social Tuesday, Nov. 10 6:00 p.m. | Alumni 6:30 p.m. | Alumni & Interns Chao Family Assembly Hall and Flores Hall Begin the evening with fellow alumni, followed by networking in Flores alongside students from Classes 11 & 12.

DECEMBER College Age Tea Thursday, Dec. 17 | 11:30 a.m. The Quad Close out the year with cocoa, kolaches, classmates and teachers - just in time for the holiday season.

The Alumni Magazine of St. John’s School 713.850.0222

Head of School DANIEL J. ALIG

Alumni Events

Director of Advancement DAWSEY ROMERO VOLUME 88

2027

Writers & Contributors

Young Alumni Happy Hour with Kinkaid & EHS Thursday, Jan. 28 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Location TBA

Inaugural SJS Alumnae Event Wednesday, Feb. 10 | 8:45 a.m. Chao Family Assembly Hall Join us for the Inaugural SJS Alumnae Event. Stay tuned for more details.

WHO AM I? HELP US IDENTIFY THESE “MYSTERY ALUMNI” If you know who these students are, please contact alumni@sjs.org. Thank you!

MARCH Phonathon Tuesday, Mar. 23 | 6:00 p.m Flores Hall

Senior Designer JIM CUNNINGHAM Jim Cunningham Design

Special thanks to the numerous parents, alumni, students, faculty, and staff who contributed to this issue.

Alumni Weekend Apr. 9-10

Please Note: In an ongoing effort to be good stewards of the School’s and Earth’s resources, we have reduced the number of Update magazines printed and now offer an electronic version. Please let us know if you would like to update your email address in the School’s database in order to receive an electronic copy, or if you would prefer not to receive a hard copy of the magazine.

Save the Date

Our Mission Statement

The School seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated, and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge.

PHILIP CANNON ’85 ANNIE CHARLOT JACK CHAVEZ STEPHANIE CROWL BAILEY DUNCAN TESS GEE ANDREA LOPEZ ASHLEY MATTHEWS MARC NATHAN PHOTOGRAPHERS ANA RODRIGUEZ ’20 VALERIE SCHICK CHARLES TSANG ALEX WILL CATHERINE WILLIFORD

Template Design ELLEN PEEPLES CREGAN ’81 Cregan Design

APRIL

St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting standards in the development of individual, spiritual, ethical, intellectual, social, and physical growth. While the means to achieve that purpose may change, it remains the basic mission of the School.

FALL 2026

Editor-in-Chief LISA ARAGÓN-STOKES

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

alumni@sjs.org

WHO AM I SPRING 2026 MRS. CAROLYN CLARE’S CLASS 2 HOMEROOM

Identified by CANDY CLARE KNUDSON ’63 and FRED HEYNE ’62 Many thanks to NANCY GREENWOOD RIDDLE ’62 for submitting this photo.

The St. John’s School Update is published by the School’s Advancement Office and is available for alumni, parents, and friends of St. John’s School. For more information, or to report an email or mailing address change, please contact us at advancement@sjs.org.

S T .

J O H N ’ S

S C H O O L

UPDATE Letter from Dan Alig, Head of School ........................................................p a g e 2

FeatureStories Graduation ............................................................................................................4 • Alumni with Graduating Seniors • List of Schools & Colleges

AroundCampus Start of School - Opening Assembly ..................................................................12 K-12 Back-to-School Dinner ..............................................................................14 Faculty Feature ..................................................................................................15 New & Departing Trustees ................................................................................16 Trustee, Faculty, & Staff Reception....................................................................18 Paul Chapman ’71 Distinguished Service Award ..............................................22 Skip Lee Field & McMurrey Memorial Track ....................................................23 Alumni Awards Luncheon Recap........................................................................24 Chidsey Society ..................................................................................................27

AlumniNews Letter from Bradley Eisemann ’04, Alumni Board President ..............................28 • Alumni Events Calendar Military-Bound Mavericks ..................................................................................30 Summer Internships ..........................................................................................34 Alumni Profiles ..................................................................................................36

StudentExpressions ....................................................................................38 ClassNotes ......................................................................................................41 InMemoriam ..................................................................................................94

Alumni Board Mission Statement: The mission of the St. John’s School Alumni Board is to enhance relationships among St. John’s alumni and between the alumni and the School, to perpetuate the School’s ideals and goals, and to sustain its strong foundations.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

2026-2027 St. John’s School Board of Trustees William Gentry Lee, Jr. ’90 Chair

Dear St. John’s Community,

Christopher B. Johnson ’86 Vice Chair

Jonathan Sloan ’03 Treasurer

Lacey Fluor Goossen ’02, Secretary

August Al-Uqdah Laura Arnold Jean-Pierre Baizan ’86 Scott Bender ’71 Alan Christensen Holbrook Dorn Kate Hobby Gibson ’83 Will Giraud ’98 David Harvey Renju Jose Kuruvila Tola Laniyan LeRoy Melcher ’78 Ba Nguyen ’92 Vivie Knapp O’Sullivan ’78 Caitlin Mullen Pickard ’01 Carolyn Chao Sabat ’97 Leslie Elkins Sasser Suhail Sikhtian Carson Yost Jing Zhou

t’s rare for me to feel culturally relevant. The Odyssey’s popularity as a summer blockbuster has been a moment for this English teacher, though; it’s made me feel kinda hip and happenin’. So, of course I had to focus my opening Upper School Chapel remarks on Odysseus, subjecting 700 teenagers to my pentagenarian musings on his 2,800-year-old story—arguably the Western world’s first novel. And now I subject you: In the epic poem, we first encounter Odysseus in Book 5—hanging out with his own “lustrous goddess,” Calypso, who happens to be crafty at the golden loom, sweet of voice, and desperately in love with him. They reside on her lush, verdant, flower-strewn paradise island, far from the previous decade’s bleak, war-torn Trojan Plain. And what is this hulking Homeric hero—this embodiment of male bravery and bravado, this guileful leader of burly men—what is he doing when we first see him on an island paradise with his besotten immortal supermodel? He sits on a barren strip of dirt, “weeping there as always, / wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, / gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears.” The man, our superhero, misses home, misses Ithaca—a Godforsaken place of rocks, goats, and country bumpkins. That would be like yearning for my Rust Belt hometown of Dayton, Ohio: “Oh, how I miss those spray-painted, derelict, long-abandoned General Motors factories; the pot-holed roads and run-down houses; the sulphuric waft of those Midwestern paper mills.” And why does our superhero, Odysseus, ignore Calypso and miss his podunk island of rocks, goats, and country bumpkins? Because that’s where he went to high school—namely, Ithaca High School, Class of 1327 BCE. Home of the Bronze Age Fightin’ Pumas. Let’s leave Odysseus on that jutting emo headland, and let me explain. One morning in early August, I grabbed coffee with an alumnus from the Class of 2011. We had a lovely time catching up, and I spent that hour trying to square the young teenager I knew with the grown man, financier, and soon-to-be father before me. As we were wrapping up our conversation, to-go Americanos in hand, he posed a question that gave me pause: “Mr. Alig, I’m 33 years old, and I’ve been to many places and met many people since I graduated. Why do half my dreams still include St. John’s? Friends from those years and places around campus—they keep appearing night after night.”

Both weeping Odysseus, Ithaca High School Class of 1327 BCE, and this dreaming alumnus, St. John’s School Class of 2011 CE, were experiencing what neurobiologists and psychologists refer to as the “reminiscence bump” —a feature of our wiring that makes teenage memories pop and stick. We all have more memories—and more vivid memories—from our adolescence and young adulthood than we do from any other period of our lives. The scientists cite neuroplasticity—the fact that brains change more between ages 12 and 20 than they have since toddlerhood; that teenage synapses rapidly connect, prune, and fire. These neural overhauls lend themselves to permanent archiving—big moments, little moments, sights, sounds, and especially smells. The psychologists, on the other hand, think that the experience of so many important firsts creates this reminiscence bump—first dance, first time behind the wheel on Interstate 610, first road trip without Mom and Dad, first genuine friendship, first love. My hunch is that both expert camps are correct: meaningful first experiences meet primed neurobiology. I don’t believe that the adolescent years are the best of our lives—at least I hope they’re not. They might very well be the most memorable, though. Students’ reminiscence bumps both exhilarate and slightly intimidate me as an educator. What a profound honor and opportunity—and what a responsibility—to be part of their lives during these impactful, pivotal years. Introducing them to art and literature, helping them form habits of the mind and grapple with far-reaching ethical dilemmas, exposing them to beauty and the world’s splendors, creating thrilling experiences for them on stages and courts and pitches—that’s amazing. But St. John’s adults, including our quirks and unfortunate fashion choices, eventually become sepia-hued, maybe a little blurry, in students’ memories. We are mere bit players on their adolescent stages, after all. Their classmates and experiences with each other, sans adults, are the main characters and scenes. They remain vivid. St. John’s students invariably remember their peers’ emotional resonance, their impact on how they feel about the world and especially about themselves. I don’t remember high-school biology labs or English grades or everyday 1992 rhythms. I do, however, have crystal-clear recall of pivotal emotional moments: my joy when a friend made me double over in laughter during a precalculus class, my frustration when a grade-

grubbing classmate cheated repeatedly on Americanhistory tests, my embarrassment when a cafeteria tablemate made fun of my mom’s rickety car, my butterflies when a girl two lockers away spoke to me after school, and my weeks-long heartache when she dumped me a year later. Each of these scenes, each of these people—I remember the places, I remember the sounds and scents, I even remember my classmates’ gestures and outfits. Indelible—all because of how they made me feel. That’s bumping reminiscence. Each August, I ascend the St. John the Divine pulpit and lay out my hopes for our year together—and our institutional expectations of students: that they work hard; that they get really curious about others and their world; that they fully embrace the learning process, including its failures and triumphs; that they treat each other, and themselves, with care, courtesy, and consideration; that they exude kindness. These hopes and expectations should come from within each of them, too. They should feel a push within themselves to be good and to spread goodness. And they should feel this push from without, left and right, knowing that they are integral to fellow Mavericks’ emotions and wellbeing today, that they will be part of them for generations. The way they speak to classmates in cloisters, the way they treat teammates in locker rooms, the way they joke in group chats, the way they cheer at games, the way they reach out on quiet weekends—these moments, even the minor ones— many will prove unforgettable. Teenagers write themselves into each other’s reminiscence bumps—their impact, their emotional resonance, their great opportunity and responsibility as classmates. My hope this year, and every new school year, is that each of our students, like Odysseus, will “become a name”—will become a name for selfless service, for faith in others, for virtue in this world, for true friendship. Their individual, indelible good in the world— it’s our institutional legacy, our own epic narrative. Hail, St. John’s. Hail life’s adventure—and then the journey home, the beauty of that “wine-dark sea.” Sincerely,

DANIEL J. ALIG, Head of School

FeatureStories “Class of ’26, we’ve gathered here to celebrate all you’ve accomplished. And I’m here

Commencement & Baccalaureate WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY MAY 20-21, 2026 To watch recordings of the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2026, visit: www.youtube.com/ @SJSMavTV/streams On Thursday, May 21, the Class of 2026 celebrated the School’s 76th Commencement Ceremony. Forecasted rain moved the festivities from the Great Lawn to Liu Court, but spirits remained high as 180 graduates gathered with family, friends, and faculty. Head of School Dan Alig, Board Chair GENTRY LEE ’90, and Commencement speaker and former Head of School John Allman shared words of wisdom with the graduating class. The evening before, Baccalaureate was held at the Church of St. John the Divine, where Head Prefect NATHAN KIM ’26 and Upper School History Department Chair Russell Hardin reflected on their journey and the road ahead. Congratulations to the Class of 2026 and welcome to the St. John’s alumni community!

to honor the hope you’ve inspired in us.” JOHN ALLMAN

“ You are prepared for and are ready to take on challenges that will transform you in unknowable ways.” RUSSELL HARDIN Upper School History Chair

Former SJS Head of School, 1998-2009

FeatureStories

“ Because now, we step into a new chapter. One that is unwritten. One that belongs entirely to us. I beg that as we tread through the unknown, we do not explore it alone. Look within yourselves. Turn to your brothers and sisters all around you. Remember

your St. John’s family.” NATHAN KIM ’26 Head Prefect

TRADITION Alumni with Graduating Seniors

Neville Leibman ’90, Kate Leibman ’26, and Allison Miller Leibman ’00

Suneel Chilukuri ’91 and Sonia Chilukuri ’26

Colton Thompson ’26, Thomas Thompson ’98, and Adaline Thompson ’26

Christina Anomaiprasert Almy ’96 and Owen Almy ’26

Nicholas Heim ’97 and Ava Heim ’26

Laura Rowe ’83, Gracey Crawford ’26, Bruce Crawford ’74, and Virginia Carolyn Crawford ’24

Lisa Jay Burgess ’87 and Ryan Burgess ’26

Katina Ballantyne Jackson ’68, Alexa Christensen ’23, Andrew Christensen ’26, and Marina Jackson Christensen ’91

Raka Agrawal ’26 and Rakesh Agrawal ’93

John Pearson ’95 and Katherine Pearson ’26

Matias Pope ’26, Mariana Ayus Pope ’95, and Gabriel Pope ’26

Melissa Cross ’89, Grace Bowling ’26, Jack Bowling ’25, and John Bowling

NOT PICTURED: Will Lane ’26 and Sarah Jones Lane ’94, Finnian Owsley ’26 and Steven Owsley ’75, Natalia Frost ’26 and Carrie Wilson Frost ’90, John Eikenburg III ’26 and John Eikenburg, Jr. ’89

Christopher McCord ’96 and Topher McCord ’26

Carolyn Wolff Dorros ’93 and Eliza Dorros ’26

Montgomery Ferguson ’26 and Sarah Payne Ferguson ’91

FeatureStories

St. John’s graduates from the Class of 2026 are attending the following colleges and universities. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors! American University Amherst College Barnard College Boston College (4) Brown University (7) Bucknell University California Polytechnic State University Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Colby College Colorado College Columbia University (3) Cornell University (2) Dartmouth College (3) Davidson College (2) Drexel University Durham University Emory University (2) Georgetown University (3) Harvard University Howard University (3) Indiana UniversityBloomington Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College Lehigh University Louisiana State University New York University (3) Northeastern University Northwestern University (6) Oxford College of Emory University Pomona College (3) Princeton University (3) Purdue University Rice University (9) Southern Methodist University Stanford University (4) Stephen F. Austin State University Texas A&M University (10)

FeatureStories

Texas Christian University (2) The Oberlin Conservatory of Music The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Austin (23) The University of Texas at San Antonio (4) The University of the South Tufts University (3) Tulane University (3) United States Air Force Academy (2) United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy (2) University of CaliforniaBerkeley University of CaliforniaSan Diego University of CaliforniaLos Angeles University of Chicago (3) University of Michigan (4) University of North Carolina School of the Arts University of Notre Dame (2) University of Pennsylvania (3) University of Southern California (2) University of St. Andrews (2) University of Virginia (2) Vanderbilt University (7) Vanderbilt UniversityVerto Education Program (2) Wake Forest University (3) Washington and Lee University (2) Washington University in St. Louis (5) Wesleyan University Williams College Yale University (4)

AroundCampus K-12 Opening Day Assembly TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 The new school began with Opening Assembly. With the School’s Precepts & Principles setting the tone, the K-12 community gathered on Liu Court to celebrate a new beginning. In a favorite rite of passage, Class 12 students welcomed the School’s youngest Mavericks, walking with Kindergarten and Class 1 students into the gym. Student speakers from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools greeted new and returning classmates, while Head of School Dan Alig offered reflections and encouragement for the year ahead. The gathering concluded with a look back at St. John’s history, as students from each class shared historical moments from the School’s past. Then, following the singing of the Alma Mater, 1,422 Mavericks headed to class, officially launching a new school year.

AroundCampus

K-12 Back-to-School Dinner SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2026 We kicked off the school year with our fourth annual Back-to-School Dinner in Flores Hall! K-12 families, along with SJS faculty and staff and their families, gathered on Sunday, August 23, for a spaghetti dinner (and the classic yellow cake!) provided by the fantastic SJS Food Services team. From dinner, to lawn games and music from the DJ, to perusing the Spirit Store, attendees enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and making new friends alike.

Thank you to both the SJS Food Services and Facilities teams for another fun night for the school community!

AroundCampus

FA C U LT Y F E AT U R E

RACHEL FABRE, GIRLS HEAD SOCCER COACH For a group of Afghan women who fled their country after the Taliban returned to power, soccer has become more than a sport. In Houston, it has offered a way to reclaim a part of themselves, build community, and begin again. Their remarkable journey is featured in The Away Team, an episode of Texas Monthly Presents: The Story. The PBS documentary follows members of Afghanistan’s women’s soccer program who escaped the country after the Taliban takeover in 2021, when women and girls were once again barred from participating in sports. Several eventually resettled in Houston, thousands of miles from their families and the lives and careers they had left behind. Although they had reached safety, rebuilding was difficult. The women were navigating jobs, housing, education, language barriers, and separation from family members. They were also missing something that had once been central to their lives: soccer. That began to change when Sarah Labowitz learned their story. A lifelong soccer player herself, Labowitz began making calls to secure the basic things the women needed to play again: a field, equipment, cleats, and a coach. One of those calls was to Rachel Fabre, St. John’s varsity soccer coach of 20 years. She agreed to coach the women after hearing what they had experienced. “The background story was shocking, and there was

just no way that I could say no,” Fabre mentions. Soon, what began as an opportunity simply to practice grew into the Houston Shine, a team competing in the Houston Women’s Soccer Association. Fabre’s role extends beyond drills, formations, and competition. The documentary captures the process of building camaraderie among players who have endured extraordinary circumstances and are adjusting to a new culture, language, and home. Under her guidance, they continue to develop not only as individual players, but as a team. For the women of the Houston Shine, their ambitions extend far beyond their local league. The creation of a FIFA-backed Afghan women’s refugee team has given the players renewed hope of competing at an international level. As they continue training, they are pursuing education, careers, and new lives in Houston. Fabre’s involvement reflects the impact a coach can have far beyond wins and losses. By saying yes when a community needed her expertise, she helped give a group of women the opportunity to return to a game they love. In the process, Rachel helped create a team that represents friendship and hope. For the Houston Shine, and for the coach who stepped forward to help them, that inspiration is now being put into practice, one game at a time.

Scan to view The Away Team

Rachel Fabre

AroundCampus

Meet the newly elected members to the St. John’s Board of Trustees D E PA R T I N G T R U S T E E

KATHY BRITTON On behalf of the entire St. John’s community, we extend our thanks to Kathy Britton who completed her Board term this year. We are grateful for her unwavering support, counsel, and service to the School.

VIVIE KNAPP O’SULLIVAN ’78 Vivie graduated from St. John’s School in 1978 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Texas. Shortly after completing her degree, she married her husband and St. John’s classmate, Chris O’Sullivan. Vivie later served as Administrative Director at Village Montessori School before stepping away from that role to raise their three sons: Nick, John, and Cameron, all of whom graduated from St. John’s. Throughout her career and family life, Vivie held numerous leadership positions and contributed meaningfully to a wide range of organizations, including the St. Catherine’s Montessori and Christo Rey Jesuit School. She has also been deeply engaged in Houston’s green spaces through her involvement with the Houston Arboretum, Hermann Park Conservancy, Memorial Park Conservancy, The Garden Club of Houston, Houston Botanic Garden, and Trees for Houston. Vivie currently serves on The Associate Vestry at St. John The Divine and on the Board at The Menninger Clinic. She views service both as a responsibility and a privilege and is grateful to contribute to a community that shares this commitment. Vivie and Chris are parents to three St. John’s graduates: NICK ’08, JOHN ’10, and CAMERON ’11 and grandparents to new Maverick, MAGGIE ’39.

NEW TRUSTEES

CAROLYN CHAO SABAT ’97

SUHAIL SIKHTIAN

Carolyn is the Managing Director of JADEC, LLC, a single-family office, where she oversees asset allocation, manager selection, and execution of investments across public and private markets. Previously, Carolyn spent over 15 years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she was a Managing Director and global head of investment grade corporate bond trading.

Suhail is chairman of Investment Banking and global head of the Natural Resources Group at Goldman Sachs. He has enjoyed a long and productive career at the bank, joining Goldman in New York in 1998 and subsequently assuming roles in San Francisco, London, and Dubai prior to relocating to Houston in 2011.

Carolyn is a 1997 graduate of St. John’s School and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, where she majored in Psychology. Carolyn serves on the boards of Westlake Corporation, Texas Children’s Hospital, The Welch Foundation, and The Center for Reproductive Rights. She has also served on the SJS Finance Committee for several years. Carolyn and her husband Jake have three children attending St. John’s: MADDIE ’29, WYATT ’31, and QUINN ’35.

Suhail received his undergraduate degree in engineering from Baylor University and then earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University, with a concentration in finance. He serves on the Board of Visitors of MD Anderson Cancer Center and is a member of the National Petroleum Council. Suhail has served on St. John’s Finance Committee as well as the QC Committee. This year, Suhail and wife Janwa will chair the St. John’s Fund. Suhail and Janwa have three children who all currently attend St. John’s School: LARA ’30, KAYAN ’32, and JUDE ’34.

AroundCampus

Trustee, Faculty, and Staff Reception

Service Awards 30 YEARS Sue Ellen “Susie” Mayhew MARTY THOMPSON ’91

20 YEARS Rachel Fabre Maria Hernandez Toby Leakey Susan Medellin Alan Paul Robert Pringle 10 YEARS David Cohn Brendan Emig ALICE FOGLER ’10

Trudy Howard Jeremy Johnson Marie Matter Gabriella Nidus Byron Ortiz CAROLINE KERR ’01

Jimmy “J.J.” Roton Kristiane Stapleton Jorge Velero Brooke Wilson

E. Philip Cannon Awards Judy Adams Julie Ballew Consuelo Chaverria Dwight Raulston

T.C. Evans Award Becky Kalmick

AroundCampus

Faculty and Staff Emeriti

23 YEARS Becky Kalmick

31 YEARS Dan Havel

We honor Becky after 23 years of service as our Business Office’s controller. I was able to unearth the original résumé Becky faxed to St. John’s in 2003. Our then head of school, John Allman, used it for his interview notes. In John’s classic all-caps, mice-type penmanship across the top of this document is the following phrase: “ETHOS OF SERVICE.” John had impeccable judgment and was a great hirer; I’m not surprised that he captured Becky perfectly in that first conversation. Thank goodness he landed her for us. Becky’s dutifulness, can-do spirit, and abiding care—care for everyone— has sustained us all the past two–plus decades. A proud Baylor Bear, Becky began her accounting career in oil and gas; the first 20 years were with the same company, which was bought, sold, and consolidated over the decades, eventually relocating entirely to Boston. Fortunately, Becky left this operation and the for-profit world, stayed in Houston, and found her way to St. John’s School. Becky is a spreadsheet maven and a super-conscientious controller, yes, but she always puts people first—way before the numbers. Unlike many accountants and money managers, she starts at “yes,” she exudes warmth, and she ends every conversation with her mantra: “Don’t worry; we will figure it out.” For two decades, Becky made former CFO Greg Swan and two previous heads of schools look good. For the past five years, she has made me look way better than I am. Greg and Ileana Del Toro sum her up perfectly: “Becky is simply the best”; since 2003, she has been our “thoughtful servant leader.” Thank you, Becky, for 23 awesome years, for your “ethos of service,” for your legacy of care.

Last month, sitting on a Keneally’s barstool next to me, Dan recounted his SJS origin story: He interviewed for an Upper School visual-arts position back in the spring of 1995. He was a nervous wreck, particularly as he approached the Head of School’s office to sit down with Philip Cannon, Sr. “I thought for sure he would stump me—no way I belonged at this place; I was almost shaking,” Dan explained. In classic Philip Cannon fashion, though, he opened the conversation with a warm smile and a disarming prompt: “Dan, tell me all about your art.” From that point onward, Dan felt at ease, at home. And we have all benefited from his presence here for 31 years—his energy, his affability, his pedagogy, his wild creativity, and, yes, his incredible artistry. Dan lives and breathes and perfects the arts without expecting perfection from the fledgling artists in his studio. He is warm and approachable; he is winningly Minnesotan. Legions of teenagers learned to draw in his studio, learned to collage and sculpt and design dream homes. Insecurity zaps creativity; Dan has a knack for putting students at ease and inspiring them to engage and showcase their imaginations, however unconventional or offbeat. He likewise instills the skill of keen observation and the joy of artistic discovery. No wonder that scores of students over the past three decades have been called to his studio—before school, during free periods and lunch, after school: “Havel’s Studio Rats.” Dan has spread his design lessons citywide, creating magnificent art—in some cases, enormous installations— around Houston. Through his sculptures, Dan has connected with thousands just as he has connected deeply, meaningfully with individual students here. What a gift to the City of Houston. What a gem for St. John’s School. We will not be the same without him.

AroundCampus

37 YEARS Brenda Mercado

42 YEARS Richie Mercado ’79

A proud Okie, Brenda grew up in Cushing, Oklahoma, a town of 8,000 dubbed the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World,” truly an oil-and-gas hub. That’s fitting, for Brenda has been our Athletics heart and hub for almost 40 years. After graduating from college, she began her teaching career at Casady School, in Oklahoma City. The 1980s oil bust led to cuts at Casady and prompted Brenda to head south. Fortunately for us, she landed on Claremont Lane, where she quickly made her mark as a skillful coach and devoted mentor to young athletes, pouring into them and forging lifelong connections. And Brenda clearly made an impact on RICHIE MERCADO ’79 in those early years; he asked her out on a date and then married her in short order. In her spare time, Brenda has been the force behind St. John’s annual Special Olympics partnership. She has prepared literally thousands of Class 8 meals on Big Bend and Utah campouts. And she remains a devoted congregant and volunteer at St. Luke’s Methodist Church. Athletic Director David Cohn heralds Brenda’s genuine love and care for all of her student-athletes and her thoughtfulness, which shows up in the smallest, most meaningful ways Thank you for giving to this community for 37 years— for being our heart and hub. We will miss you sorely.

Richie’s mom was one of the first faculty members hired here; his dad followed in the 1950s as a Latin teacher and fencing coach. All of their children walked our cloisters. This July will mark the first time in 78 years that we do not have a Mercado on our full-time payroll. No family is more intertwined in St. John’s history than the Mercados. No family has devoted more service or loyalty or love to this institution. Faculty kid, student, athlete, graduate, master teacher, coach, coach’s coach, mentor—Richie Mercado is St. John’s School, our chief lifelong learner and selfless servant. He graduated from St. John’s in 1979, majored in history at UVA and was a decathlete there, spent one year on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and then returned to St. John’s as a coach and US history teacher in the summer of 1984. Thousands of US-history and pole-vaulting lessons later, tens of thousands of cross-country-practice road miles on bike and on foot, thousands of athletes and lifelong Richie devotees, scores of coaching mentees across Texas and around the world, hundreds and hundreds of track meets and team retreats and legendary canoe parties—Richie’s devotion of time and heart and athletics love is simply unmatched. He is our Cal Ripken; nobody will ever match what he has done here—his commitment, his steadiness, his excellence. Richie is the face of St. John’s Athletics across the great State of Texas— he is a coaching legend, our legend. We’ve all been touched and elevated by this man. Thank you, Richie, for your incredible devotion to St. John’s School—and to all of us. You will always be my great friend, our St. John’s exemplar. We are incredibly grateful to you for your 42 years—your lifetime—of service to this school community.

Excerpts from Head of School Dan Alig’s transcript at the reception

AroundCampus

The Paul D. Chapman ’71 Distinguished Service Award As an alumnus, parent, and trustee, PAUL CHAPMAN ’71 exemplified the School’s mission of selfless service and meaningful contribution to society, embodying the role of the consummate volunteer. Established in 2018, The Paul D. Chapman ’71 Distinguished Service Award is presented by the Head of School to an alumnus or alumna whose exceptional dedication and meaningful contributions have strengthened the St. John’s community. The 2026 award was presented to ANDREW MCCULLOUGH ’86. Andrew’s service reflects a deep and enduring commitment to St. John’s School, its mission, and its community. For nearly two decades, Andrew has served St. John’s School with unwavering commitment, contributing his time, leadership, and expertise across a wide range of roles. He first joined the QC Committee in 2008, serving through 2017 and chairing the St. John’s Fund during the 2010–2011 school year. Following his QC tenure, Andrew was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2019. Over two terms, he served on numerous committees and helped guide the School through a period marked by COVID-related challenges and institutional transition. Most recently, Andrew agreed to serve as Co-Chair of the School’s most ambitious capital campaign to date resulting in the biggest single year of philanthropy in school history, with plans to continue this transformative work through 2029. Beyond his governance and philanthropic impact, Andrew has been a steady and positive presence in the lives of students and coaches. He joined the boys’ lacrosse coaching staff in 2010, serving in roles ranging from assistant varsity coach to Head Coach of the JV team. Over sixteen seasons he remained a fixture on the sidelines, and still receives the occasional call to return to the coaching ranks. Andrew and wife Laura are parents to SJS graduates LILY ’20 and COLIN ’22.

Rededication Skip Lee Field & McMurrey Memorial Track FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2026

On Friday, August 28, the St. John’s School community gathered under the new Friday-night LED lights to kick off the home football season and celebrate a milestone in our campus history: the official rededication of Skip Lee Field and the Frank McMurrey Memorial Track. The evening, which culminated in a thrilling Mavericks victory over Second Baptist, marked the opening of a new chapter on a space that has defined our campus since 1949. The rededication follows nearly a year of intensive construction as part of the School’s campus improvement plan. While spectators celebrated the stunning new turf and beautifully resurfaced track, a vital transformation is hidden below. Directly beneath the playing surface sits a massive 2.2 million gallon stormwater detention vault that is large enough to fill more than three Olympic-sized pools and is designed to provide critical flood protection for the campus and neighborhood. First named in 1996 to honor LaMar “Skip” Lee, the athletic field’s rededication reminds us that our physical spaces are only as strong as the values built within them. Skip Lee served St. John’s for 36 years in nearly every capacity imaginable—as basketball coach, science teacher, PE instructor, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, and football coach. In every role, Coach Lee set the standard for sportsmanship, integrity, and dedication.

L to R: Barry Aidman, Karen Lee Aidman ’74, Robin Lee Green ’83, Alison Lee ’81, Jerry Green, Samuel Lee, Dawsey Romero, Dan Alig, Doug McMurrey ’72, Sarah McMurrey, Jay McMurrey ’02 (holding Odette Kelley McMurrey), Leigh McMurrey ’06, Gwen McMurrey, Odette McMurrey Mace ’76, Bob Mace, Jim Mace ’14, David Cohn, Frank Mace ’10 (holding Charles Ramey Mace)

Rededicated nearly thirty years after its initial naming, Skip Lee Field continues to stand as a monument to a coach and mentor who taught generations of student athletes how to lead with character. Decades of SJS runners have navigated the turns of the Frank McMurrey Memorial Track, which was first dedicated in 1975 by the Class of 1974 in memory of their classmate. FRANK MCMURREY ’74 was an extraordinary athlete, student, and friend. An exceptional pole vaulter, his 15-foot vault in 1973 remained a school record for 34 years. Tragically, Frank passed away during his senior year in the spring of 1974. The McMurrey family’s original gift, a pioneering “spongy” track surface, was one of the first of its kind in Houston, elevating the experience for local student-athletes. Today, the newly resurfaced track stands ready to welcome a new generation of runners. Through this state-of-the-art reconstruction, St. John’s has not only modernized its athletic hub but preserved the heart of what makes this place special. As Head of School Dan Alig remarked, “In the spirit of Skip Lee and Frank McMurrey, our athletes will continue to strive for excellence, both on and off the field, ensuring that their legacies endure.”

AroundCampus

L to R: Eric Lombardi, Head of School Dan Alig, Allison Young Chavez ’03, Dr. Lauren Averett Byers ’94, Michael Seckman, David “Deets” Hoffman ’06, Alumni Board President Rebecca Linn Hughes ’06, and Andrew McCullough ’86.

RECAP Alumni Awards Luncheon The Alumni Awards Luncheon honoring the Class of 1976 welcomed 175 attendees. This year we recognized six honorees: Lamp of Knowledge recipient Michael Seckman; Honorary Alumnus Eric Lombardi; Maverick Award recipients ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03 and DAVID “DEETS” HOFFMAN ’06; Distinguished Alumna DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94; and PAUL D. CHAPMAN ’71 Distinguished Service Award recipient ANDREW MCCULLOUGH ’86. Maverick Award recipient David “Deets” Hoffman ’06’s restaurant Leaf & Grain catered the event. Several of the award recipients shared meaningful connections with one another, which made the recognition especially memorable and highlighted the organic ways their paths have intersected over the years.

2027 ALUMNI WEEKEND April 9-10, 2027 Welcoming all Alumni and honoring Classes ending in 2 & 7.

AroundCampus

Planning for the Future Planning for the future is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give your family. Yet a recent Pew Research Center survey shows that while 64% of Americans believe having a will is essential, fewer than 32% have created one. Establishing a will or estate plan offers clarity, security, and peace of mind while also ensuring your wishes are honored and your legacy reflects what matters most to you. Including St. John’s in your estate plans is a powerful way to extend the impact of your SJS experience. Your planned gift can help future students enjoy the same opportunities, traditions, and transformative education that shaped your own connection to the School. If you are exploring ways to support St. John’s through your estate plans, we can help you get started. We offer sample bequest language and information to guide conversations with your attorney or financial advisor. If you have already included St. John’s in your plans, let us know. We would be honored to welcome you to the Chidsey Society and ensure your intentions are documented.

Wanting your planned gift to count toward Excellence Enduring, the campaign for the new Lower and Middle Schools? At St. John’s, every gift—whether current or future—helps build the legacy of our Campaign. To honor your generosity while ensuring transparency, we follow these gift counting guidelines: IRREVOCABLE PLANNED GIFTS What counts: Charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, retained life estates, and irrevocable bequests. How they count: These gifts are included in Campaign totals once St. John’s is named as the irrevocable beneficiary and a signed gift agreement is in place. Capital Naming opportunities: To qualify, at least 50% of the commitment must be made in cash, with the remainder in a deferred irrevocable form. Valuation: Irrevocable gifts are counted at present value aligned with CASE and NACGP guidelines. REVOCABLE PLANNED GIFTS Age requirement: For your gift to be counted in the current campaign, donors must be age 70 or older by June 30, 2029. What they are: Bequests, living trusts, life insurance policies, and retirement plan beneficiary designations. How they count: Revocable gifts, until realized, are recognized and celebrated for stewardship purposes but are not included in Campaign financial totals. Naming opportunities: Revocable gifts alone do not qualify for naming opportunities, unless paired with an outright gift of 50% or more of the total commitment.

The Chidsey Society

In 1993, the Trustees of St. John’s School established the Alan Lake Chidsey Society to honor those special individuals who have included the School in their estate plans. From the beginning, estate gifts have played a crucial role in the remarkable growth and success of St. John’s. A special thanks to each of our Chidsey Society members for carrying on this important tradition—your foresight will leave a legacy for generations of students to come and ensure our ability to plan for the future. If you are interested in learning more about planned giving vehicles, or if you have already included St. John’s School in your plans, please contact Ashley Matthews, Donor Engagement Officer, at 713-850-0222 ext. 203 or amatthews@sjs.org.

Anonymous

Mr. Lindsay Hall, Jr. ’62*

Mr. Joseph M. Mayhew ’54* &

Mr. Jonathan S. Avery ’80

Mr. Matthew Reagan Helm

Mrs. Joseph M. Mayhew

Mr. Mark G. Avery ’76 & Mrs. Nissa Avery

The Honorable Reagan C. Helm ’59* &

Mr. Jerome C. Axelrod ’59* Marci & Bill Bahr Mr. John H. Beebe ’60* Ms. Maria Wyckoff Boyce ’81 & Mr. William J. Boyce Mrs. Josephine Emilie Cannon* Mr. E. P. Cannon & Mrs. Maurie Ankenman Cannon ’61

Mrs. Cathy Helm David Hendricks & Lorraine McKenna-Hendricks Mr. Edwin H. Higgins & Mrs. Page K. Higgins* Mr. C. Marks Hinton, Jr. ’60* & Mrs. Barbara Hinton Mr. Marks Hinton, Sr.*

Dr. Sally E. Miller Mr. John S. Moody ’67 & Mrs. Eileen A. Moody Mr. Hugo V. Neuhaus, Jr.* Mr. Charles R. Peissel ’67 Mrs. Sarah Rabinow Pesikoff ’86* Mr. Louis R. Pizzolatto* Dr. Dwight L. Raulston ’71 & Mrs. Elva Raulston

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Carpenter

Mr. & Mrs. William J. Hitzhusen

Mr. Vincent M. Reyes ’24*

Mr. & Mrs. Albert Chao

Mr. Paul W. Hobby ’78 &

Dr. George E. Rupp &

Mr. Ollye H. Christopher*

Mrs. Janet Hobby

Mrs. Nancy F. Rupp

Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper, Sr.*

Ms. Molly T. Ivins ’62*

Dr. Herbert H. Schaumburg ’52*

Mr. Bruce G. Crawford ’74 &

Tom* & Rebecca Jay

Mr. & Mrs. David G. Schmidt

Ms. Laura Rowe ’83

Ann & Johnny ’63 Johnson

Dr. David J. Schmoll ’70*

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel S. Crocker

Mr. Lewis Avery Jones ’59* &

Ms. Katherine Shanks Dodd ’85

Mrs. Mary Woodson Crowell ’57*

Mrs. Judith G. Jones

Mr. & Mrs. John Dorian Curtin, Jr.*

Mr. James J. Jump, Sr.

Ms. Alice E. Davidson ’62

Mr. Stuart R. Kensinger ’81* &

Mrs. Helen Bloxsom Davis ’55* Dr. & Mrs. Mark Desjardins Michelle & Mark Dini

Mrs. Angie Kensinger* Mr. J. David Kirkland, Jr. ’76* & Mrs. Anne A. Kirkland

Mrs. Rex Shanks, Jr.* Mr. Jonathan L. Sloan ’03 & Mrs. Ashley C. Sloan Mr. A. Theodore Stautberg, Jr. ’64* Mrs. Elizabeth A. Stephens ’63 Mrs. June Gray Stobaugh*

Mr. John L. Drye ’67

Mr. John A. Kley*

Mr. John R. Sult ’77 & Mrs. Susan Sult

Mr. & Mrs. Brady Sherrod Edwards

Ms. Margaret A. Kostial ’82

Mr. Payson Eliot Tucker ’95

Mr. & Mrs. John W. Elder*

Mr. & Mrs. David M. Kyle

The Honorable Carl W. Vogt ’54 &

Mr. A. Jennings Ellis, Jr. ’62*

Mrs. Sally Lacey

Mr. Jesse Byron Flansburg*

Ms. Margo E. Lamb ’52*

Mrs. Carnes W. Weaver*

Mr. Michael A. Freeman ’71

Mrs. Brenda Lary

Dr. Lisa L. Weaver

Mr. L. Henry Gissel, Jr. ’54*

Mr. Laurence Scott Leopold ’86

Mr. & Mrs. Darryl L. Wilson

Lt. Colonel Daniel Francis Goodwin ’88 &

Mr. Roger Kutnow Lewis ’58*

Ms. Jocelyn V. Bell Winslow*

Mr. Leo Linbeck, Jr.*

Mr. James O. Winston, Jr.*

Mrs. Kathleen P. Goodwin Mr. Timothy L. Goodwin ’60 & Mrs. Virginia N. Goodwin Mr. David F. Gow ’81 & Mrs. Audrey H. Gow

Mrs. Margrit W. Vogt

William J. Mares ’58* & Christine Hadsel Mr. Barry H. Margolis ’63 & Mrs. Rosalyn Margolis

* DECEASED

F R O M T H E A LU M N I B OA R D P R E S I D E N T

2026-2027 St. John’s School Alumni Board

Dear Alumni,

Bradley Eisemann ’04 President

Mollie Bracewell ’04 Matthew Alexander ’02 Michael Chadwick ’70 Nick Dhesi ’03 Cherry Ding ’04 Kevin Dowlen ’06 John Drye ’67 Andrew Edelman ’01 John Elkins ’10 Sue Gibson ’91 Lawson Gow ’08 Grace Hobby Grundy ’08 Noelle Hicks ’01 Deets Hoffman ’06 Nelle Pace Jennings ’85 Sehr Charania Lalani ’03 Louisa Lummis ’16 Courtney Miller ’06 Morgan Allen Neal ’11

he goal of the St. John’s School Alumni Board is to build and strengthen connections among our more than 7,300 alumni and foster meaningful relationships between our alumni community and the School.

While every student’s experience at St. John’s is unique, the School has provided us the skills and foundation to learn, create, and contribute to our communities. Fifteen years after my own graduation, watching two family members graduate from St. John’s gave me an opportunity to reflect on the role the School has played in my life. My engagement as an alumnus began in 2021 when I became a sponsor in the St. John’s Summer Internship Program. That experience led me to join the Alumni Board, serve as the chair of the Networking Committee to help expand the summer program, and now serve as the Alumni Board President. This past summer, over 120 rising seniors participated in the SJS Summer Internship Program. Working with a sponsor, students have the opportunity to explore careers, develop skills, and gain real world experience. The program continues to grow each year, both in size and quality, and I am excited to help continue that growth. The impact extends beyond the students. We love hearing from sponsors about the tangible and intangible benefits they experience through their involvement mentoring and gaining a renewed connection to the SJS community.

Kathryn Casey Principe ’89 Emily Duncan Rodgers ’98 Marty Thompson ’91 Faculty Ex-Officio

Stephanie Herbert Wiegand ’02 Briana Williams ’13 Edward Williams ’09 Lea Williams ’02 Joshua Winslow ’11 Sushma Chilukuri Yalamanchili ’93

Our Head of School, Dan Alig, makes a point of reminding our graduating seniors that St. John’s should always feel like home. I hope our Alumni Board can carry that message forward within our alumni community. The academic year is packed with alumni-focused events. We continue to create new opportunities for alumni to connect with and support current students. Our annual Network Social event brings Juniors and Seniors together with alumni to share experiences and discuss life after St. John’s. These connections have continued beyond the event with alumni returning to campus to speak with student groups throughout the year.

AlumniNews

Each spring, Alumni Weekend includes an awards ceremony celebrating alumni who are making an impact around the world. We also take this opportunity to recognize current and former faculty members who have helped shape the St. John’s community. The Alumni Board is honored to help select these individuals, and we are grateful for the nominations we receive from our alumni community. Nominations for the awards can be submitted on the alumni page of the SJS website. Descriptions of each award and a list of past recipients is available there as well. The School offers many avenues to enjoy the benefits of being alumni, and there are many ways to give back to the school. I’m hopeful that the Alumni Board will continue to build on these opportunities and strengthen the connections among current students, recent graduates, and seasoned alumni. Please take advantage of the many opportunities throughout the year. Updated details about these events are available in the Alumni section of the SJS website. Please let us know if you would like to get involved. I’m looking forward to a great year ahead!

SJS VS KINKAID FOOTBALL GAME Friday, October 30, 2026 7:00 p.m. at Kinkaid NETWORK SOCIAL Tuesday, November 10, 2026 6:00 p.m. in Flores Hall COLLEGE AGE TEA Thursday, December 17, 2026 11:30 a.m. in The Quad INAUGURAL SJS ALUMNAE EVENT Thursday, January 21, 2027 8:45 a.m. in Chao Family Assembly Hall YOUNG ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR WITH EPISCOPAL AND KINKAID Thursday, January 28, 2027 6:00 p.m. ALUMNI WEEKEND Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10, 2027

BRADLEY EISEMANN ’04 Alumni Board President

Back row: Will, Thomas Front row: Kori, Luke, Jack

AlumniNews

t. John’s School opened its doors in 1946, just after the end of WWII. Given the scale of that conflict, over 16 million Americans served in the military during the war, among them founders and founding faculty members of SJS. Alan Lake Chidsey, the first Head of School, left education during the war years to serve in the Army, where he was stationed at the Pentagon. His successor Charlie Salls served in naval intelligence during the war. These WWII veterans, and those who came after them, have served as role models for their students as they helped them learn and grow.

Since its founding, St. John’s has had several alumni go on to serve in the military, many of them through the military academies. This year, a record five members of the Class of 2026 went on to attend service academies, including the School’s first female student, Kori Hagins.

All these young alumni departed for Plebe Summer or Basic Training in late June. Before reporting for duty, they responded to the questions below. In some cases, their responses have been edited for brevity.

LUKE: The short answer is that my dad went to the Naval Academy and served as a pilot in the Navy, and as a result I always considered the Naval Academy as an option. So I agreed to apply to the USNA summer seminar, thinking that I would just do it and tell my dad that I did not want to apply. However, I ended up loving my time at the USNA summer seminar. It was a transformative experience that caused me to make the Naval Academy my number one choice. Here is an excerpt from the essay that I submitted to the Naval Academy that goes into more detail:

What led you to decide to attend a service academy and what led you to pick your specific academy? KORI: I decided to attend a service academy after a conversation with Coach Campbell, who asked me if I had considered a service academy. I decided to apply to USMA, USNA, and USAFA and was accepted to the Naval Academy just over a year later. The Naval Academy is the perfect place for me. I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember and swam competitively for many years. I also like that the Navy has so many career options from submarines to pilots to the Marine Corps. You really can’t go wrong with any of the service academies, but everything worked out for me in the end.

US Naval Academy (USNA) KORI HAGINS and LUKE NANNA US Air Force Academy (USAFA) WILL LANE and THOMAS WADE US Military Academy West Point (USMA) JACK STANGER

“The morals and ethics my family has instilled in me have stressed the importance of serving others, and our nation: both of my great grandfathers worked as FBI agents under J. Edgar Hoover, my grandfather served in Vietnam, and my father is a proud USNA graduate who served as an EP-3 pilot. However, while my initial interest in naval service stemmed from this family history, the decision to pursue military service is entirely my own ...”

HHHHH

AlumniNews

WILL: For me, when looking at colleges, I wanted to find a school that would provide me with a great education while also allowing me to play Division I football. When the service academies started recruiting me, I realized that they fit my main criteria, and went even further by providing the opportunity to serve our country as an officer after graduation. Out of the bunch, the main factors that led me to select the Air Force Academy were the location in Colorado Springs, the amazing campus and facilities that USAFA has to offer, the football coaching staff, and the fact that I believe the Air Force is the most suitable branch for me, as I either want to be a pilot or work in Air Force Acquisitions. THOMAS: When I attended Philmont Scout Ranch as a Boy Scout, my ranger was a United States Air Force Academy Cadet. He told me about USAFA and the opportunities like flying and parachuting. It planted the idea of USAFA as an option when I later started looking at colleges. JACK: I wanted to attend a service academy because of the opportunity they present. In the back of my mind I have always wanted to serve our country but I did not want it to get in the way of my college education by enlisting. I thought an academy was the best of both worlds because I get that opportunity to serve while also pursuing an excellent education. I specifically chose USMA because I think the Army is the most hands on branch, which I feel will serve me best in my future. I think the structure of the Army produces the best leaders and helps you develop skills in the field that are unavailable in the other branches.

Do you know what you plan to study? Do you have a major in mind, or will you wait to decide after spending time there? KORI: I am deciding between majoring in cyber operations or foreign area studies and either minor in Spanish or Arabic. I have until the end of Plebe year to decide, so I’ll spend some time there first before making a definite decision.

32 x

LUKE: I am planning on studying mechanical engineering. I am open to maybe switching to electrical engineering or aerospace engineering if I decide that those appeal to me more, but as of right now I am pretty set on ME. WILL: I am not 100% decided, but I will likely major in management. THOMAS: I am planning to major in mechanical engineering, but I am open to other options if I find something that interests me. JACK: I am thinking about majoring in economics. That is a soft decision though. I want to keep my options open when I get there. Economics is just #1 on my mind right now.

Are there any specific activities you plan to pursue while at your academy? KORI: I definitely want to continue competitive sports, so I’ll hopefully join the triathlon or marathon team. I’ve looked into rowing or sailing a bit, so I might also give that a go. Other than that, I’ll probably try things out when I get there and see what sticks. LUKE: There are not any specific activities that I am sure I will pursue while at the Academy, though I have expressed interest in maybe trying out for the parachuting team or potentially doing a semester at the Air Force Academy. I am not 100% sure just yet. WILL: Playing football and hopefully taking full advantage of the outdoors that Colorado has to offer by doing things like fly fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, and of course, some golf at the course on campus. THOMAS: I look forward to parachuting. I want to try out for the Wings of Blue skydiving team. I am also interested in special ops, combatives, and exploring the idea of becoming a pilot. JACK: I would like to walk on to the football team. If I do not play a sport, I would like to participate in the academy exchange program and spend time at the Naval Academy.

AlumniNews

Do you have an area or specialty you would like to work in while serving on active duty after graduation? KORI: I don’t know exactly what I’ll do after graduation, but it will likely be something in intelligence. LUKE: Right now I am leaning towards becoming a Nuclear Submarine Officer, but I am not set on that decision and plan on waiting until the Professional Training of Midshipmen (PROTRAMID) to make up my mind. WILL: My dream job would likely be to fly jets. However, I am not fully set on that. THOMAS: I am planning to study engineering, but am also going to explore being a pilot. JACK: I am facing this like I am my major. Right now I am thinking I'd like to be an Infantry officer but I am still open to other options. I like Infantry because I think being in the field creates the best type of leaders and the best community/family of soldiers. I will not have a definitive answer until I am exposed to each service selection.

At this point, how do you think your time at SJS has prepared you for attending a service academy and serving as an officer in the years after? KORI: I built discipline without even realizing it at SJS. I ran cross country and distance track and also played soccer. During soccer season, I’d get up at 5:00 a.m. and head to school to run on the track and maybe do weights before showering and going to class. I’d go to soccer practice after school, then, if I had extra time, go to the gym with my dad at night. Keeping that routine for multiple years while maintaining my academics taught me discipline and got me in good shape without me even realizing it. What I was doing is very similar to the routines I’ll likely have at the Naval Academy. LUKE: I think that my time at SJS has more than prepared me for the academic rigor of a service

academy, and I think learning to grind and work hard at SJS as well as balancing my busy schedule will be the most useful skills that I will take with me at the academy and as an officer. WILL: SJS does a great job of forcing you to have good time management skills and to also just keep pushing forward when times get tough. THOMAS: Being captain of the wrestling team and the academic rigor of SJS have prepared me for the challenges at USAFA. JACK: I am highly optimistic about my future at West Point because I know the schedule is very similar to my SJS schedule. Workout in the morning, classes all day, sport in the evening, and studying at night. I think SJS gave me a head start because I have mastered my time management skills already, and I know how to study effectively.

Why do you think there are so many service academy matriculations in your particular SJS Class? KORI: I honestly have no idea why there are so many service academy matriculations. I’ve wondered about it, but I genuinely don’t even have a theory as to why there are suddenly so many. LUKE: I have no idea. For my entire time at St. John’s there has been nobody that has gone to a service academy, and this year there are five. It is an unusually high number, and I think it is more of a coincidence than anything else. I am very pleased to be surrounded by like-minded peers and have fellow St. John’s friends that will be able to empathize with my experience. It is very unique and I am very grateful. WILL: I think many of us realized not just the incredible undergraduate opportunities of the academies, but also the amazing opportunities these schools provide, and how well they can set you up for the future. THOMAS: I think attending a military academy creates a unique college experience that traditional colleges can not replicate. It also allows me to have a clear career path when I leave college.

H We applaud our military-bound Mavericks and wish them Godspeed on their journeys of service!

33 x

AlumniNews

SJS Summer Internships

Alex Raizner ’24 and Dr. Bradley Eisemann ’04 teamed-up for a 2-week summer internship

At St. John’s School, education extends far beyond the traditional classroom. Established in 2011 by the Alumni Board, the Student Internship Program has spent well over a decade connecting rising seniors with real-world professional environments. By matching rising Class 12 students with alumni and parent sponsors across the Greater Houston area, the program provides students with a rare head start in discovering career pathways, developing self-confidence, and building professional networks. For many 16- and 17-year-old students, stepping into an internship is their first time trying on “adulthood.” While students undergo mandatory professionalism seminars during the school year, sponsors play a crucial role in providing ongoing guidance as students adapt to professional life. DR. BRADLEY EISEMANN ’04, who has sponsored interns since 2021, reflects that he feels a responsibility to participate. He emphasizes that the ultimate value of the internship lies beyond testing a single career path. “Exposure to many different things... different experience is good,” Eisemann notes, highlighting how crucial early real-world perspective is for students. For some students, a valuable outcome of the experience is figuring out what they don’t want to do.

Carolyn Chao Sabat ’97 visited Business Competition Club on Thursday, April 30, 2026

Alumni Sightings on Campus 2025-2026 Not pictured: Joey Romano ’01 - visited with Environmental Studies classes on Monday, March 30, 2026. Hunter Perrin ’95 & Paul Beebe ’96 - played music at the Reunion Weekend Kick-off Celebration on Friday, April 10, 2026

AlumniNews

While the immediate hands-on experience is vital, former participants emphasize that the true, long-term power of the program lies in the relationships forged. ALEX RAIZNER ’24 considers the summer internship program to be “by far, the most valuable and underappreciated opportunity at St. John’s.” Raizner notes that “not only does an internship help you discover if you enjoy working in a particular field, but adding that experience to your resume proves to colleges and employers that your career goals are backed by real experience, differentiating you from other candidates.” Beyond college applications, Raizner emphasizes that the real transformation happens when students treat their sponsors as long-term partners in their professional growth. “Looking back, the single best decision I ever made was staying in contact with my boss after my internship ended,” Raizner shares. “Having an alumnus with 25 years of real-world experience in your dream industry, who has simultaneously developed relationships with high-ranking professionals at top companies, is an invaluable connection. However, that relationship is a

two-way street. If you don’t put in the effort to work hard, reach out, and nurture the connection, they won't have a reason to advocate for you in your career.” For students who might feel intimidated by the prospect of maintaining a professional relationship, Raizner offers reassuring, actionable advice: “While developing that relationship seems daunting, it’s simpler than you think. Every couple of months, send a brief update email, set up a quick Zoom call, or ask to meet for a coffee chat. Share any exciting updates, ask thoughtful questions about their journey, and stay genuinely engaged. If you’re willing to put in the work, that boss can transform into a lifelong mentor who will open more doors for you than you could ever imagine.” Ultimately, the Student Internship Program continues to serve as one of the most meaningful bridges between St. John’s students and the broader school community. As Raizner’s experience demonstrates, when bright, curious students actively nurture the connections made through dedicated alumni and parent sponsors, a two-week internship can blossom into a lifetime of professional mentorship and opportunity.

Caitlin Mullen Pickard ’01 - visited Business Competition Club on Thursday, April 23, 2026

Sheila Herman Hall ’97 (red dress), Artist-in-Residence, with faculty member Roxie Allen in February 2026. Pat Murray ’86 - visited with Environmental Studies classes and members of the Fishing Club on Thursday, April 9, 2026

AlumniNews

ALUMNI PROFILE

For MAX MELCHER, a 2014 graduate of St. John’s School, taking flight offers a magical feeling of complete control. His passion for aviation was sparked by his father, LEROY MELCHER ’78, a pilot himself, and grew into an eight-year dream that led Max to earn his pilot's license following graduation. That milestone eventually launched his most ambitious achievement yet: circumnavigating the globe. Executing a journey around the world required two full years of preparation, from researching State Department guidance to securing necessary equipment. Melcher credits the driven culture at SJS for pushing him to accomplish something extraordinary. The global flight tested every aspect of his training, proving that piloting demands precision, adaptability, and meticulous planning. While the trip brought inevitable challenges, including a flat tire on the runway in Indonesia, the rewards were immense. Sri Lanka emerged as his favorite destination, standing out for its breathtaking natural beauty, impressive airport, and exceptionally welcoming people. Melcher’s perspective on aviation bridges classic piloting with modern technology. Noting that much of aviation technology remains surprisingly antiquated, he brought a portable Starlink satellite internet system on future circumnavigations. While discussing his planning and the importance of being quick on your feet, Melcher highlighted the powerful crossover between high-level business strategy and cockpit decision-making, citing a Wall Street Journal article on the subject. The 2017 article, “The Connection Between Leadership and a Pilot’s License,” explores how “Pilot CEOs are very different from other people, willing to take more risks in seeking the experience and sensations related to flying and innovation,” according to McGill University professor Jingjing Zhang. The research revealed that companies led by pilot executives tend to invest more in research and development and produce nearly twice as many high-impact, interdisciplinary patents, demonstrating how managing complex risks and executing broad strategies require both long-term planning and quick adaptability. As Zhang notes, “It’s a risky hobby, but the fact that people still want to pursue flying shows you something about their drive,” adding that “CEOs with this kind of intrinsic motivation to learn new things can create a lot of long-term value.” Much like the narrative in the film Slumdog Millionaire, Melcher believes that varied life experiences shape a person’s trajectory in ways they might not realize at the time. Having successfully flown around the planet, his next mission is to share that mastery with others; he recently became a flight instructor.

C I R C U M N A V I G A T I N G

T H E

G L O B E

Max ’14 and LeRoy ’78 Melcher

AlumniNews

Student Expres

Shuffling Past into Present ALEXANDRA BROWN ’28

sions These student pieces of artwork and literature are taken from Imagination Spring 2026 issue.

Spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds were the quiet constants of my childhood, the shapes that threaded themselves through so many evenings that I stopped noticing their presence. The cards weren’t sacred objects or symbols of some grand tradition; they were simply part of the landscape of home, as familiar as the chipped bowls in the cupboard or the squeak in the hallway floorboards. My family started, like everyone else, with the standard Bicycle decks, blue and red, bought without thought and used until the edges softened. But gradually, the drawer began to fill with others, collected without a plan, each one joining the pile almost accidentally. A gas station in Salisbury, Connecticut, sold us a deck decorated with a stylized colonial facade, nothing remarkable, but for some reason, it came home with us. A ski shop in Sundance had cards printed with long white slopes that twisted across the backs like lines someone had drawn quickly and confidently. Airports handed us decks printed with city skylines; hotel gift shops offered ones with overly bright colors and simplified maps. None of these places were destinations in the grand sense; they were dots on trips that weren’t memorable for their scenery, but the decks accumulated anyway, the way small habits take shape before you realize they’ve become routine. The drawer grew dense: boxes stacked upright, sideways, shoved in at angles that made the whole thing jam if you opened it too quickly. Some decks remained perfectly crisp, their plastic wrapping still intact, while others were softened by use, their corners slightly curved, their faces bearing faint discolorations from being handled so often. I was young enough that shuffling felt like a skill worth showing off. The cards snapped together sharply, the sound echoing more loudly in the quiet of the house than it actually deserved to. When my sisters fell asleep, the house shifted into a calmer register, and that was my cue. I’d call for my parents, always too eagerly, always at full volume. “Mom, Dad!” “Yes, sweetheart. We’re coming.”

Topher McCord ’26 Woodworking Tempera on cardboard, 2026

No eye rolls. No sighs heavy with exhaustion. Even if my parents were tired, they didn’t show it. They came to the kitchen table as if it were its own kind of obligation, not in a burdened way but in the way that routines sometimes anchor a family with surprising strength. We’d sit at the table, the wooden surface already smoothed by years of everyday use. — Continued next page.

StudentExpressions Shuffling Past into Present continued.

The light above us wasn’t dramatic, but it created a kind of certainty, as if the night had narrowed to just the three of us and the cards. Choosing a game became part of the ritual. We never agonized over it, but we didn’t rush it either. The rest of the world, school assignments, friendships, expectations of the next day, stayed outside that circle of light. The game wasn’t about winning or losing; it was about the slow unfolding of the night itself. A simple pattern. A steady sequence. A space that didn’t need to explain itself. These nights were not framed as special. No one paused to remark on how important they were. They simply happened, over and over, and I assumed they would continue to happen indefinitely. Now the drawer opens differently. It no longer pushes back with the weight of too many boxes crammed together. It opens easily, too easily. The decks lie still, stacked neatly in a way they never were before, because they no longer collide with daily use. A faint layer of dust has settled on the cardboard edges, the kind every untouched object eventually collects. The stillness is not dramatic; it is simply the result of lives that have sped up. Growing up didn’t arrive with a sharp break. It came quietly, in the rearranging of schedules, in the slow stretching of responsibilities, in the way a calendar fills itself until there is no longer a free evening to spare. School became more demanding. I had practices to attend, early mornings to prepare for, and plans that didn’t leave space for lingering at the kitchen table. My sisters grew older, too, no longer falling asleep before I called for my parents. Our routines diverged in ways none of us intended. Sometimes I stop at the drawer without opening it. I rest my hand on the handle, letting the weight of the memories settle without indulging in anything dramatic. I remember small things: the faint friction of shuffling, the mismatched rhythms of our laughter, the way my dad leaned back in his chair when he won, or my mom pretending not to care as much as she actually did.

Emily Yen ’27 Whirlpool Digital art, 2026

Summer Street NOLA MILES ’28 The summer sun beats heat on the street Still, burning bright white Summers change But this glimmer of a memory remains the same She rides her bike, cruising down the street The summer sun beating its heat Sunscreen, sweat, sneakers slapping to the door

The cards remain exactly as they were, unchanged by the years we left them untouched. They wait without expectation. There’s something steady in that, something unbothered by time. The drawer may stay closed for now, but the memories remain, imprinted like the designs on the backs of our decks. And maybe someday, when time slows again, we will find our way back to the table.

“Ding!” And I'm on my feet Pedaling with her, down the street With the summer sun beating its heat Still, burning bright white Summers change But this glimmer of a memory remains the same.

ClassNotes

ClassNotes CLASS OF 1959 HARRIS GREENWOOD harris@myhogheaven.com ROGER BEEBE rogerbeebe@outlook.com

MARCIA HEYNE MODESETT reports that the Modesett clan is doing well. “Jack will be ninety in December, and on the 30th of that month, we will have our 65th wedding anniversary. Five of our grandchildren are married, and between them, we have six great grandchildren. The other six grandchildren, all boys, are spread from Texas to California. We are very blessed. I wish all of you good health and great joy.” From BINKY PETERS STEPHENSON-STROM: “It seems as if you bring up your children to fly, they take you seriously! Blake and his precious Thai bride met teaching in Chiang Mai and are renovating her childhood home as a “House Swap.” Youngest son Kittredge sold his medical practice after a final Fellowship at Menninger and did the Appalachian Trail, except he added an extra two months by starting in Key West. (Where else!) Ruthie has my two Grands in Atlanta, chewing up swim, track, and baseball records. John died three years ago, so I have moved to The Tradition-Woodway. It’s for folks 58 & older so I just made it! I still take tours through Miss Ima Hogg’s Bayou Bend, and I am thrilled to be back at St. John the Divine and working with one of their urban mission mentoring projects. It may be hard to believe, but the mission is Lamar High School! School Choice and the Texas Public Policy Foundation are high on my list. Much Love & Blessings to All, Binky.”

From CAROL BOREN: “I am still enjoying my life here in Colorado Springs and staying very busy with golf, pickleball, book clubs, mahjong, etc. My big news is that my sister (JEANNE BOREN WOODWARD ’62) has invited me to help her celebrate her 80th birthday and recent retirement from Apple with a 3-week trip to China in late October. The trip will include a 4-day cruise down the Yangtze River and visits to a wide variety of cities. I am really looking forward to this adventure! I will have about 4 weeks to recover from China before heading to Rome in mid-December for Christmas with my family. I will be passing through Houston for a couple of days on my way to Rome and hope to have a chance to catch up with any classmates who might be available.” DEBORAH DETERING reported, “I had another wonderful 4th of July in Estes Park. Saw Wade and Lanier Whilden there. I continue to travel frequently. My last trip to Africa was almost a year ago so that is old news by now but will be with Polar Bears in Canada in October. I traveled with daughter KATHERINE CENTER ’90 on her book tour this spring. Thinking about limiting travel to this hemisphere, but the world is still calling. Otherwise I am mostly occupied with family and friends here at home.” JOHN KELSEY shared the following update: “I don’t know how many of our friends know this, but I have lost all my visionary activities that have kept me occupied all my life. Fortunately I have a beautiful wife Gaye and a great group of staff at home taking care of me and keeping me energized. Most of them were working with me before I went blind, so I know how beautiful they are, and that helps me enjoy their company. I guess I could recommend to those of us who are eking out our existence to have some good staff to adjust to the conditions. I spend a good deal of my time reading books on Audible and stay occupied with books of all types. I suggest those of us who can set up Audible on their phone do so as a backup to their vision conditions. I know that there are plenty of good books out there to serve any desire for readership.

ClassNotes

So far the overall Kelsey Family is intact, and we congregate with frequency and enjoy each other’s company. We have quite a brew of four generations of people who know each other’s names and enjoy each other. All living in Houston and Austin. What a deal. What does a blind man do? I am interested in new projects that I can deal with, with mind power only. Sometimes, according to my staff and wife, they’re more complicated than I was before I lost my vision. I am sorry to hear of classmates who have passed on, and I am determined not to do so anytime soon. I workout three times a week with a trainer for 45 minutes, and I am staying in pretty robust health. I get a good night’s sleep and usually read one full book a day. Needless to say we have the same number of bills now before I lost my vision. My bookkeeper/ advisor Kimberly keeps me in touch and timely with keeping ahead of the pressure to pay. I have an assistant Christina who helps us stay ahead of the house and the yard, and both of them are world class beauties. Celia is our housekeeper, Yessie is our ironer, and Victor is our gardener. I am continuing my involvement with the Coronado Club, and I go down for lunch as often as possible. I would love to take anybody that is available out to lunch at the Coronado Club if they get in touch with me after seeing this letter. Numbers don’t matter.” The “update” from HARRIS GREENWOOD and wife ROMELIA FAVROT ’61 is a Grandparents Report, as follows: Granddaughter, Madison Jones (a graduating senior in the honors program at Sam Houston State University) switched from pre-veterinary medicine to engineering two years ago where she is enjoying a straight ‘A’ GPA taking 20 hours per semester while holding down a full-time work schedule that includes shepherding fainting goats, a holdover from her pre-vet days. Grandson, Elliot Morrow, is pursuing a chemistry major at Purdue University where his grandfather, Darrel Morrow, graduated as a chemical engineering major 65 years ago. Granddaughter Valerie Morrow is practicing law like her two grandfathers while her twin sister Mary Isabelle Morrow has just enrolled in the Master’s Degree program in accounting at UNC-Chapel Hill. Not to be outdone by their cousins, James and George Hemingway are both thriving at the University of the South (aka Sewanee) where the 13,000-acre campus was recently declared “most beautiful college campus in America” by The Princeton Review. James, a senior, and George, a sophomore, are fraternity brothers in Tennessee and just plain old Hemingway brothers in Austin, TX, where they recently moved their domicile.

Meanwhile, Romelia and Harris are celebrating 26 amazing years on their Pedernales River wildlife ranch outside Hye, Texas where they just experienced a major July 15th river flood a year after the horrific Guadalupe River 4th of July flood in 2025. All of which reminds me that one week in July 2002, a 42-inch rain recharged Hill Country aquifers and springs in the Edwards Aquifer and Jacob’s Well, which hydrology experts had unanimously predicted would not recharge in our lifetime but were recharged in that one week. Does anyone sense a July rain trend or just a wet hill country coincidence? And now, having extolled the virtues of life on a Pedernales Hill Country river ranch, Romelia and I are forced to confess the reality of country living. Early Sunday morning July 19th just after midnight, I was awakened by a critter gnawing on my left ear which I instinctively brushed off before feeling a surge of pain in that ear. Long story short, with Romelia’s assistance, we discovered the large black red-headed centipede that had left its negative impression on the virtues of country living with all-night excruciating pain. Finally, at 7:00 a.m. with Romelia’s son Noel’s arrival from the barnhaus for a cup of coffee, I invited him to join me on a bedroom safari that exposed the still living ten-inch critter. Noel promptly dispatched it with his size 14 clodhoppers to end my mystical, magical euphoria of hill country living with a nightmare of an excruciating 10-inch centipede saga. And yes, major July flooding does encourage centipedes to seek refuge in human habitations. Such a painful critter invasion can’t totally cancel the wonders of Hill Country river ranch living, but it definitely introduced a painful crimp and caveat to our river ranch lifestyle. Upon hearing my centipede saga, one Blanco County cowboy friend who had experienced a similar centipede saga told me that his leg swelled up to three times its normal size and doctors told him the wound should be treated like a snake bite. As I sign off on this Grandparents Report, I cannot help but recall SJS history in the 1950s when our grandchildren’s great grandparents, the Favrot/Greenwood combo, had eleven students in St. John’s School while the Ballantynes had eight and when tuition was a whopping $500 back in the day. No way!

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1962 JIM ROWLES jrowles93@gmail.com

ANN HEINZERLING KELSEY reports, “TOM and I are currently enjoying a three-week vacation in Basalt, CO. We continuously remind each other that we need to be drinking lots of water at this altitude of 6,600 feet. We are doing some walking, eating at good restaurants, reading, and enjoying the beautiful scenery from our rented house which is right on the Fryingpan River. In general, we are both doing just fine health wise. We both have challenges but are trying to manage them as best as possible. Tom goes to the fitness center four times a week, misses practicing law, but spends a lot of time looking after family matters. We both are spending a lot of time working on projects at the ranch north of Katy. Recently we have put in a pool, a pool house and are in the middle of adding a pickleball court. The ranch has become a very important gathering place for three generations of our family. We are also both involved, especially Tom, in continuing our efforts to preserve the Katy Prairie from encroaching development. I have committed myself to lead a Bible study course this coming fall and next spring at our church, am in the midst of updating a family cookbook, and still working as a board member (my 30th year) for the San Jacinto Museum and Battleground Association. We are just starting a major capital campaign to raise funds for a new state of the art visitors center and educational program to tell a much more accurate story of the Battle of San Jacinto. We are fortunate to meet every so often for dinner with JoAnne and DAVID GRAHAM, Carolyn and PLATT DAVIS, and Janet and FRED HEYNE, when they are in town. We are also looking forward to spending more time with TOMMY ROYCE, who just lost his lovely wife Karen to a long battle with cancer. We both enjoy hearing what you all are up to and how everyone is doing. Sending our love to all.” Responding to condolences on the recent loss of his wife Karen, TOMMY ROYCE shared, “Thanks for the condolences. Must say it is tough. However, I was a very lucky guy for 47-plus years.”

DAVID GRAHAM shared: “Somebody once said ‘life is just a constant roller-coaster ride; lots of ups and downs.’ I’m now a big believer in that philosophy. In the past two years I have had two major back operations, but with a great rehab program, I’m currently 90% recovered. That said, it did require selling our two-story house, in which we have lived for 48 years, and moving into a four bedroom one-story house near my son. One of the bedrooms is my art studio. Both JoAnne and I love that every room is on the same level and close to each other. The other positives of the roller-coaster life is both our kids’ lifestyles improved significantly in the past two years. My daughter, who has never married, married her longtime boyfriend last year and has never been happier. My son, who divorced his wife early last year with LINDSEY SHORT ’61’s help, found a wonderful new wife who he married in January in Big Sky, MT. She has the second largest event planning company in Houston, but more importantly, like my wife, she grew up in Louisiana and went to LSU. They have a great blended family of four girls (my three granddaughters) and one son, all within six years of age, so they have all become very close and are enjoying their life together. This certainly fills our remaining days with great joy and satisfaction. Along with the many ups in this roller-coaster life, the downs include the number of classmates and friends we have been losing.” MARGARET SHER ELLISTON reported from New Mexico: “I’ve been living on the bank of the Rio Grande in Corrales, NM, for 56 years. It’s been wonderful to embed myself in New Mexico, enjoy my community, and hold down the fort. Now it’s becoming quite difficult, and I wonder if the apocalypse is approaching. Our community thrived on an ancient irrigation system which kept orchards and fields green and productive. That system is broken. Even if the system worked, there is very little water in the river. There was very little snow last winter; therefore, no spring runoff. The monsoon rains have failed. Trees are dying, pastures are brown, and the heat dome continues. I caught radical optimism from my late husband Fred Harris, but this year it has been hard to maintain that practice. What helps is enjoying the nature around me. A brown bear visited a vineyard two houses down from me. Coopers’ Hawk fledglings are hanging out on my patio. The semi-wild turkeys are withstanding the increasing coyote population, and most of all, good friends, family, neighbors, and SJS classmates stay in touch! Together, we can keep laughing, sharing joy about overcoming health challenges, and looking for signs of hope going forward. Thanks for being there. Let’s have a 65th reunion!”

ClassNotes

LLOYD BENTSEN writes, “Dearest classmates, The remembrances shared bring smiles and warmth to the heart. I lost Gayle to ALS a few months ago. A mean autoimmune disease which finally, and gracefully, ends in sleep. I continue to work, often six days a week, at our family office locally as well as for the past 15 years with the National Christian Foundation headquartered in Alpharetta, GA and as one of its twelve board members. NCF has been blessed as we have grown to 35 offices nationally and $3.5 billion in grants annually. When asked, I describe it as ‘the world’s largest Christian foundation which no one has ever heard of.’ I so much enjoyed Jim’s amazing efforts to keep us in touch and genuinely appreciate the gift of being part of St. John’s greatest class…ever. May He continue to keep you safe in His arms.” JIM ROWLES reports, “I have come through a challenging year in relatively good shape. After an angiogram in April and the insertion of two stints, a recent hospital stay has confirmed my heart is in good shape. I moved to Moraga, CA, a year ago, which is only 15 minutes from Molly’s house in Walnut Creek. She’s about the only “family” I have left, even though we’re not married, after 22 years. I continue to publish my newsletter on Substack (“Trenchant Observations” at ‘jamesrowles.substack.com’). I urge you all to subscribe (either as a free or as a paid subscriber). I’m a lawyer, so I naturally support the Rule of Law. I’m an international lawyer, so I naturally advocate and seek to uphold international law. I try to be objective, basing my analysis on facts with citations to my sources. I published two books based on previous columns in November and December 2024. They can be found on Amazon and at Ingram Spark. You can purchase them directly by clicking on a link to Ingram Spark at the bottom of each column. Here is a link to a recent column in my newsletter, which includes a lot of autobiographical material: https://jamesrowles.substack.com/p/reprise-it-all-boilsdown-to-empathy?utm_source=publication-search. I hope we can all make it to the Reunion next year. And that everyone has a good year.”

From DAVID BARBER: “Hello from the high plains of southeast Colorado. Tomorrow my wife Sharon and I will celebrate our 59th wedding anniversary! We will take a day trip up to the mountains to escape the 100 degree-plus heat. Our three girls, nine grandkids, and a great grandchild on the way are a great blessing for us. We live in Las Animas, CO, on the banks of the Arkansas River, about 90 miles from Pueblo. My wife directs a nonprofit that helps meet the emergency needs of Bent County residents named Las Animas Helping Hands. Our farmers and ranchers are suffering under extreme drought and the population is struggling to put food on the table and pay the high utility bills. The long-term effects of COVID and the growth of the homeless community have put more stress on our rural areas, and we are committing to help establish a permanent resource for emergency assistance for our county. We are a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductible. Being on the frontlines of outreach to those on the fringes of society has been a challenge, but the blessings are countless. Our website to learn more about us is www.lasanimashelpinghands.org. By the way, our city is on the south side of the Arkansas River, so we were Texicans at one time, and our motto is ‘Neighbors helping neighbors.’ We’re also on YouTube for a look at our ministry. Hope everyone has a blessed summer and year to follow.” JEANNE BOREN WOODWARD shared, “After nearly 30 years as a senior editor at Apple, I retired last year and continue to make my home in Pacifica, CA. Life has been full: supporting my daughter through breast cancer treatment, celebrating my son’s retirement after a career as a firefighter and paramedic, and rekindling my love for the Sonoran Desert. I still love to read, travel, and take long walks with my little dog, Pixie.” MARCIA WIGBY CARTER, who had a cameo role in the movie about Molly Ivins (see below), reported: “Life in Atlanta is going well. Living with my daughter MARION ’90 and her husband and daughter is about as spoiled as it can get. But, I still greatly miss Houston and my friends there. My spare time is spent reading, registering voters, playing pickleball and hoisting a glass of wine with ALICE DAVIDSON at times. I also travel to see my sister in Ecuador and family in Norway. I hope some version of a reunion for our class can evolve. I’m definitely willing to help.”

ClassNotes

The Overstreet Family back in the day ... Back: Charlotte (mother), Louise, Carolyn ’64 (deceased), and Katy ’67 with Herman, the dog. Front: Robin ’73 and Bob (father)

LOUISE OVERSTREET MALEY shared: “I completed a two-week hike in Norway, bottom to top. It was awesome, and we loved eating sticky toffee pudding while there. On our first day, one friend ordered it and gave us a taste. We all ordered it every night after that. Sometimes we had to ask the cook in the morning if she would serve it at dinner! I just finished The Good Women of China by Xinran, which Molly told me to read before going to China. Even though I went to China years ago, I finally read the book and was glad for her recommendation. A few more books I enjoyed: The Ride of her Life by Elizabeth Letts, who also wrote The Perfect Horse. Her ride begins in Maine very near my family cottage and ends in California. Others include: The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Bob the Robin by Tony Putman, and The Children of Willesden Lane.”

Left: Eagle in tree next to Louise and husband Terry’s cabin on Lake Cascade, ID Right: Buck in the front yard of Louise and Terry’s home in Boise, ID

From SUSIE THOMAS HERMANSON in response to JIM: “Congratulations on your improving cardiac condition, says I hopefully, as I face a double procedure at Yale New Haven in October. I am also grateful for my MSK oncologist in New York who put me onto a bi-specific immunotherapy called teclistamab in April, and I am now miraculously cured of multiple myeloma. I am spending the summer here on the Connecticut coast, welcoming the two Wyoming daughters and their families for varying stays and my New York daughter and her family most weekends. Sadly, instead of doing good works for the world like most of you, I spend much of my time playing duplicate bridge and attempting to get better even as my mental abilities diminish. I head back to Jackson Hole, WY, after the Yale procedure to the family, friends, bridge and church I have there. My rector at St. John’s Church in Jackson is coincidentally an SJS graduate, albeit quite a bit younger than our ’62 crowd. I hope all of us who are lucky enough to be upright remain that way and continue to deal successfully with the challenges life presents us.” BILL WILBY wrote, “Cynthia and I are living still in Rumson, New Jersey, New York, and Hobe Sound, FL. I had a nice lunch with ERNIE WERLIN in Sarasota, FL last spring. Ernie has been very active on the local speaker circuit in Sarasota and publishes an interesting series of historical and current essays on docwerlin.com. He looks great and hasn’t changed a bit! Cynthia and I just attended a mini family reunion in Highlands, NC, at the home of my sister BET WILBY HUNTER ’75 with other sister MARY WILBY SCHREIBER ’67, and my brother TOM WILBY ’81 and their kids. It was especially nice because Highlands (elev. 4,200’) was not bothered by the 100 degree weather we left behind in New York! I miss everyone in ’62, and hope if any of you pass through Florida or New York/New Jersey, you will give me a call on 917-414-2088 or email at wlwilby@gmail.com! ALICE DAVIDSON wrote: “I hope we’re all staying healthy and engaged in what we enjoy. I’m grateful for MARCIA’s and her family’s presence in this southeastern outpost. One fun thing Marcia and I do is demonstrate for good government with a retired group every two weeks for an hour, just long enough to make a statement with fun homemade signs and lots of walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. Somehow I stay busy with walking the dog and some volunteer jobs. My favorite is playing the piano for a communion service at the nursing home once a week,

ClassNotes

mostly old favorite hymns. Amazingly the residents wake up and sing all the words from memory. Katherine and I try to travel a couple of times a year, and our next adventure is with our hiking group in the Tetons this fall. We have scaled back the level of difficulty considerably! If you haven’t heard, the wonderful documentary on MOLLY (Raise Hell: the Life and Times of Molly Ivins) is currently available on Netflix. You might see yourself in it. Do not miss it!!” Finally, PLATT DAVIS weighed in: “I do have a suggestion for a book if you want something nonfiction ... two books actually. One recently reviewed by the NYT—They Stole a City—and another on the same topic—Wilmington’s Lie, which is several years old. There was the earlier Cape Fear Rising, which is more of a historical novel. The events were also the subject of an American Experience show a couple of years ago. All concern what can charitably be called the 1898 coup in Wilmington, NC, where my father and I were both born. I note that we watched the Raise Hell documentary the other night, and it caused me to recall our attendance at a book signing at the Brazos Book Store for Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She? shortly after we moved back to Houston. We were fortunate to have a brief discussion with Molly, and she inscribed our book heralding the Class of ’62.”

Molly’s inscription in Carolyn and Platt Davis’ edition of Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1963 A.P. (ANDY) GREENWOOD apgreenwood1946@gmail.com

Tempus fugit. The class of 1963 graduated 63 years ago. LESLIE SEYFRIED SALMON is still savoring her 80th birthday celebration when her entire family (19 plus one “significant other”) went to Isle of Palms near Charleston for a week. She has done no travelling for a while because her second major foot surgery kept her off balance. But she still keeps busy with two book clubs, two weekly bridge groups, and her two beagles keep her sufficiently occupied. Leslie reports that the Lynchburg, VA, neighborhood where she moved several years ago has been great. It’s mostly people her age, and she and her neighbors do lots of things together, many built on the belief that they don’t have to cook any more. In the summer, she enjoyed having two of her grandchildren visit, Logan from Montana and Jason from Maryland. Janet and JIM HAMILTON still divide their time between the California desert and the California coast. He is still playing golf as and when he can. He says, “The number of my rounds has decreased, while my average score continues to rise despite my efforts to hold the line. Nonetheless, I still enjoy getting out on the links for the increasingly rare but always satisfying quality shot.” Jim still hosts monthly old time jams and plays at occasional square dances and other gigs, with his banjo in hand. In the summer, he participated in his 27th pilgrimage to West Virginia for a week of traditional music with kindred spirits, deeply steeped in the same, who have become quite good friends of Jim. BETSY HARRIS STEPHENS is still living in Clear Lake, in the same house where she’s been for years. Her daughter wants her to move to Austin, but it is not Betsy’s favorite city. She says she knows that one day she may have to move, but will wait until it is necessary. Betsy still works for her philanthropic organization the Bay Area Service League, where she has volunteered for years.

Still in hospice, battling Parkinson’s, GRANT THOMAS is doing the best he can at his awesome and charming Austin abode. In a recent communication, wife Margot reported that he was walking and dancing with help from his walker to the strains of Dr. John’s “Such a Night.” Three grandkids living in Switzerland visit Grant and Margot each Easter, and Margot often takes trips to visit them. Most evenings, friends drop by for a visit and an aperitif, with Grant abstaining. In the spring, ANDY GREENWOOD paid Grant a visit and delivered to him copies of emails of greetings and well wishes from about fifteen of his SJS classmates. Grant’s wit and intellect remain in play, and as always, conversations with him by phone, email, text, or in person are a treasure. Memories of her classmates bring warmth to ANN STRICKLAND SHERRER’s heart. She still lives in the same house in Keller, TX, where she’s been for 45 years. Added to her household last fall, Elmer is a well-trained four year old, 80-pound part mastiff and part pit bull dog Ann rescued from a last call shelter and is the only animal she has now. He keeps her company, alerts her about things around her, and gets between her and anything he senses is a danger to her. There are no longer horses in her pasture, only wildlife like snakes, owls, a few foxes, several bunny families, coyotes, and who knows what else. Ann’s family continues to grow, now with four married children and spouses, six wonderful grandchildren (one married and one engaged), and one beautiful great-granddaughter born in June. At the time Ann submitted her report, she was struggling to get around (hopefully a temporary situation) but noted that she’s still active in her church with Meals on Wheels (distributing food for delivery routes), works in her area food pantry for those food insecure, and recently added volunteering at her city senior center. She normally leads a 30-minute walking group every morning and helps with various activities at that center. JUDY CARMACK BROSS submitted her report this past summer from the historic resort area Murray Bay, Quebec Canada, where she spent pleasant hours walking in the beautiful fresh air, the St. Lawrence River as a backdrop, with friends from Canada and the USA to enjoy the lovely produce and gardens awakening from the usual harsh winter. In 2015, Judy published her well-written and fascinating book Murray Bay. She was delighted that a few grandchildren and children paid her a visit in August. When in Chicago, Judy continues to publish her very popular and well-written online Classic Chicago Magazine which notes the varieties

ClassNotes

of wonderful people and events in the area. She loves living in Old Town, very close to Lincoln Park and the scene of a very fine June Art Fair, with her wonderful cat Eugenie, a delightful companion. This year, Judy attended five graduations from Dallas to New York City, high schools and colleges; four for her grandchildren, one for a dear friend’s son. She loved each one, then had fun writing up graduation do’s and don’ts for her magazine. Seemingly on the move frequently, Judy boarded the TransCanada Railroad with her son George in Vancouver where they saw Banff and the glaciers for four days in a domed car. In October, she went with friends to Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya to see the Greek and Roman ruins of what was once Carthage, studied so long ago at SJS. Judy, as always, thinks so much of her very talented parents Bonnie and George Carmack who made it possible for her to attend St. John’s. As expected from our valedictorian, BYRON MCCORD wanted his submission to uplift others, request commiseration or prayer, or give or humbly solicit assistance, divine or otherwise. He said his response should entertain, not just document. Because of that, his words are included here verbatim. “Andy’s last plea came during six days of hand tool improvement work on the evolving Tutka Backdoor Trail that stretches 22 miles from Kachemak Bay to the Gulf of Alaska (Taylor Bay). Thank God for the health to participate, and contribute. Otherwise, contributions include supporting my “first wife” (ask HG THOMAS about this term) of 56 years with her support of our adopted grandson who has been struggling with addiction, flipping between incarceration and treatment. In the latter now, so there’s always hope for the future. I am EMS “director” in a town of 400; likewise, on the Seldovia Volunteer Fire Department; mow the grass over at the school (no one else would take the job for the pay) with a 46 year-old Kubota tractor that we bought new from old man Hartley in 1980. Use the same tractor to move venue stuff for the Seldovia Arts Council (e.g., the 25th annual Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival this year). “Next to a good woman, every man needs a front end loader!” – not from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, nor worthy of it! I also sew up lacerations at the local clinic when called. Bob Dylan got at least one thing right: ‘It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.’ Love to all, Bye.”

During the summer, because of ear lobe cancer, JOHN WADE HARRIS was not able to spend six weeks in the wild forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan like he’s done for years after driving his friend there. After weeks of radiation, he did take that trip in September, and after that, he spent some more time at another friend’s goat ranch west of Austin. BARRY MARGOLIS and his wife of 56 years Rosalyn continue to make their home in Houston. This past year has been especially meaningful for their family, highlighted by the college graduations of their twin grandchildren Alex and Olivia. Barry and Rosalyn were delighted to attend both ceremonies—Alex graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington and now beginning his career with William Morris Endeavor in Los Angeles and Olivia graduating from SMU in Dallas, where she has accepted a position with a successful ophthalmology clinic. During the past year, Barry and Rosalyn travelled with family and friends. They enjoyed a tour of Japan with close friends and their daughter and son-in-law. Then, they set out on a trip, again with friends and family, to Spain and Portugal with a river cruise down the Douro River. They spent part of their summer visiting their daughter Leslie and her husband in Vail. Later, the extended family gathered for a European cruise to celebrate the 80th birthdays of Rosalyn and her twin sister Carolyn—a special trip that included children and spouses from both sides of the family. Closer to home, Barry enjoys the rhythms of everyday life, including regular poker games and golf days with longtime friends and early evening dinners with friends and family, especially with his brothers Ken, RODNEY ’57, and their wives. Also, they enjoy attending performances at the Houston Symphony Pops and Broadway plays at The Hobby Center. They also make time to enjoy their lake home at Walden on Lake Conroe near Houston. Barry and Rosalyn continue to expand their charitable giving. Barry says, “Like many in this stage of life, these days also bring moments of reflection, including the loss of dear friends. With that comes a deep appreciation for each day and the friendships that have endured over the years.” Barry sends his warmest wishes to all his classmates.

ClassNotes

Six months after turning 80, VAN TALMAGE made it up Graybeard Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NC, an elevation gain of 2,700 feet and a roundtrip of ten miles. He reports that his knees are still good. Van said that he is getting to know his youngest, two-and-a-half year-old grandchild, watching learning, language growth, and consciousness development all happening before our eyes. He still enjoys his residence in Vermont. Enjoying the view from his tenth story apartment at The Tradition, just a couple of miles from where he grew up in Tanglewood, JIM GAY is happy to be living close to sea level after many years in Santa Fe, NM. He frequently visits his daughter, Courtney, and her family, two miles from The Tradition, and takes a luxury bus to Austin to visit his other daughter Caroline and her family whenever he can. One of his favorite pastimes is bragging about his talented grandkids (Google: Ella Carr-soccer, to read about a bona fide future superstar.) A few days a week, a very pleasant and efficient caretaker helps Jim with errands and medical appointments. Last 4th of July (2025), after a quarter century together, TOM JACKSON and Pat got married, and this past summer they celebrated their first anniversary. They still live in Cotacachi, Ecuador, which Tom refers to as living the dream. He listens to all the news from up north and knows that he and Pat made the right choice living in Ecuador. Tom finally broke down and bought transportation that gets them to and from a nearby town, but they still hire a car and driver for any trips further away. Tom says that for a couple of octogenarians he and Pat are doing better than average. He’s had a hip replacement, a left shoulder replacement, and has a problem with his right shoulder but his cardiologist recommended against surgery. Tom says he feels like the Johnny Cash song, “One Piece at a Time.” Pat had a right knee replacement several years ago and is doing fine. All of their surgeries have been done locally, by what Tom says are excellent surgeons in Quito. They wonder whether their 15 year-old Shih Tzu (PJ Prissy Jackson), will outlive them. They aren’t traveling much, mainly because they don’t want to leave PJ. Tom was pleased to report that he’s lost about 55 pounds; not just because of a specific diet, but because he’s simply not eating as much.

MARTIN KAPLAN wakes up about 5:30 a.m. each morning, gets up, checks the obituaries. Then he fixes coffee, drinks coffee, and fixes breakfast. Then he peruses the Internet, fixes lunch, and again peruses the internet. Then he fixes his afternoon coffee, drinks the coffee, and one more time, peruses the Internet. Then it’s eat dinner, clean up kitchen, and at 8:45 p.m., get ready for bed, and at 9:00 p.m. goes to bed. Rinse and repeat. Sounds quite normal, but Martin asserts it’s boring. Martin, like many of us, likes to brag about his grandchildren: two boys in Houston, and a boy and girl in Portland, OR. The Houston grandkids have already done a lot of traveling, including national parks, the Galapagos Islands, South Africa, and many trips to Disney World. The Oregon grandkids are focused on lacrosse and during the summer played in several East Coast tournaments. Much of the time Martin has spent on the internet has been involved with investing strategies, and over the years, he’s learned a great deal. So much so, that he is in the process of transforming his lifelong passion into a business. He is working with a consultant to develop a website marketing strategy and subscription service that will provide specific recommendations using his objective strategy for both long and short sale positions, along with follow-up alerts advising subscribers when to sell long positions or cover short positions. Sounds exciting. MARGIE BALDWIN ESSE and Brent celebrated their 60th anniversary in April. They have lived for the past five years in a mid-rise condominium between Westheimer and San Felipe just inside the 610 Loop and love living the leased life and not owning property any longer. They have 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, but only two live in Texas, so they don’t see them very often. They have been traveling as much as they can: cruised to the Mediterranean and to Alaska and from LA to Ft. Lauderdale through the Panama Canal in the fall. Margie and Brent also travel across the US to attend shows choreographed by their son Parker. (Google “Parker Esse” for an impressive list of musical theater accomplishments.) Three years ago Margie had congestive heart failure but is doing great now. She plays tennis one or two times a week and goes to the gym in her building about four times a week and works out on the rowing machine. Her other passion is the Ronald McDonald House in the Houston Medical Center, where she has volunteered for eight years in various positions. Last year Margie was honored with being awarded their Volunteer of The Year.

ClassNotes

DAN WHITMORE claims the scope of his life in Evanston, IL, is exceedingly narrow. His wife Lori retired from the Shirley Ryan Ability Center on the first of July, making it easier to travel, first to Pittsburgh for her niece’s graduation from a Physician Assistant program, and then home to Houston and Austin later in the summer. Another anticipated change in Dan’s routine is due to his son Calvin’s matriculation this fall at Loyola University of Chicago, where he will live in the dorm. Finally, there’ll be no more driving back and forth to Calvin’s mother’s house several miles away. Calvin graduated in June from Evanston Township High School, and according to his dad, is commendably capable at Chinese and naively interested in philosophy. When not going to doctors’ appointments or physical therapy, Dan walks or reads. The walking distance has gotten shorter recently because of his systemic arthritis and lumbar spinal stenosis. Dan’s reading list includes Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and Unsettled Land by Sam Haynes. The unsettled land in question is 19th century Texas. As for Blood Meridian, Dan recommends looking up all the obscure words, simple Spanish, and Norte place names online as you go along, which makes that novel more enjoyable. Dan says, “I continue to sing with the choir in church. In the summer it’s nice because there are no robes or anthems. You just show up and sing.” Similar to last year, Dorothy and TODD EVANS spend most of their time in Atlanta and Pensacola, and some time in Park Ridge, IL, all with family and friends. In the fall he planned to be in California with other family members and friends. Todd reports reading slowly Middlemarch by George Eliot, books about G. I. Gurdjieff and his teachings, and How the Bible Began by Jacob Wright. Todd especially likes reading the London Review of Books. He says, “Like all of us, we monitor health issues that affect those we know. Having dealt with Meniere’s disease for almost 40 years, I thankfully wear hearing aids and sometimes, especially at night, walk with a hiking stick for balance.”

ANN BARBER is still full-time employed in Southern California. She has a five-pound Yorkie she named Arabella and nicknamed the terrorist. This year Ann has loved learning the art of grooming a “drop coat” Yorkie, the kind you might see at the Westminster Dog Show, making Arabella the “princess” she insists she always was. Once a month, motivated by culinary desires, Ann gets together with a group of ladies at the house of one who is a fantastic cook where afterward she always remarks, “I’ve just had the best dinner in LA.” She recently started doing what’s billed online as a 7-minute Tai Chi workout. Ann attests that it is doable, and she recommends it, saying it’s not too strenuous at all. She also joined a group called the Knerdy Knitters of LA where everyone works on their individual projects. It’s not a class, but if there’s a question, somebody in the group always knows the answer. When Ann doesn’t attend, she claims the average age is approximately 25. According to Ann, Gen Zers are addicted to their knitting needles and crochet hooks. Speaking of crochet, this year Ann celebrated two women who inspired her with a kind of tribute. One is Francis Holliday Alford, who was a member of our SJS class, who authored A Life in Quilts: 80-Year Retrospective, and who is considered a master in the art of quilt-making. According to Ann, her story is inspirational. The other woman is Sharon Barber, the wife of her brother DAVID ’62, who established a food pantry called Helping Hands over 20 years ago that feeds 25% of Bent County, CO. The people waiting in lines for food at Helping Hands in the freezing winter need warm beanies, and that’s where Ann’s tribute comes in. She began crocheting and delivering those beanies, discovering it’s a great way for her to get a little R and R from what continues to be her very busy schedule. She hoped to have 25 completed by this fall, and can provide anyone who asks with the necessary patterns and details. (Google: Las Animas Helping Hands Denver Post for a good read.)

ClassNotes

Still in their beautiful home in River Oaks, CANDY CLARE KNUDSON says she isn’t sure if she has normal days. She tries to get in a Pilates class and a couple of workouts every week. While she admits to a scattering of doctor appointments, she’s pleased to report being vertical and moving. For Candy, lunch and dinners with friends are not as frequent as she would like but she and husband Tom try to work that in. Recent travel has been to Annapolis (Tom is a United States Naval Academy graduate), to Richmond to see grandkids, and to their home in Fredericksburg. She’s definitely had fun watching and celebrating four of their grandkids graduating from high school. Mary Joy and GEORGE HURLBURT have not slowed down. Mary Joy still serves on the board of the Xaverian Brothers, which runs several private high schools, and mentors a Head of School in Connecticut via Zoom. She also volunteers to chair a local philanthropic foundation. Overcommitted as usual, George was re-elected to chair the University System of Maryland Regional Higher Education Center for another two years and still serves as an Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE IT Professional Magazine, and a co-editor of the IEEE Computer Magazine Educational Column. IEEE, according to its website, is the world’s largest professional organization and stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. George marvels that, “As a liberal arts guy, I also somehow achieved Life Senior Member status in IEEE.“ He has also served as treasurer for his county food bank and literacy council boards for several years. George reports that he and Mary Joy are both in relatively good health except for his peripheral neuropathy in both feet. Nonetheless, they still enjoy traveling, albeit a bit more slowly. This year’s destinations include: Washington D.C. frequently, Boston in March, Madrid/ Bilbao/Bordeaux in July, and New York City in October. Their 20-year-old grandson is entering his junior year at James Madison University, and their granddaughter is entering the 8th grade and has become a poised level 4 Cheer participant. Despite the uncertain times, George and Mary Joy remain content and comfortable.

Still in her same townhouse, ANNE PEDEN TUCKER spends a lot of her time happily walking her black poodle Claudie and is enjoying life in general. She reads the Houston Chronicle and Wall Street Journal every day. She had fun going to Houston restaurants during the FIFA soccer games in the summer because many of the tables were full of club-garbed fans with Dutch accents, or the more familiar accents of Mexico. She reports that the excitement was very engaging. Regarding her health, Anne had a parathyroid operation, a returning problem with a previous surgery 15 years ago. She was so ready to get past this and return to a more carefree lifestyle. Twenty-five miles south of Myrtle Beach, SC, in beautiful and historic Pawleys Island is where RICHARD MOORE still lives. His normal day begins with a “long black” espresso with his breakfast while reading the online newspapers and working on the various NYTimes puzzles. Then he cleans out his email folder and reads the few worthwhile things received overnight. In the spring, this activity takes place on his screen porch, but in the summer the heat and humidity make it an indoor activity. The weather reminds Richard of Houston, but he asserts the air is cleaner where he lives. Usually, he spends an hour or two in the afternoon working on, what he hopes are, the final revisions to the third edition of his book, Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Some mornings he’ll get up early to do a little early bird-watching, and some afternoons he works on projects for several local environmental groups. When asked about travel, he says travel for him much of the past year has been to the grocery store, although at the time of his report, he and Robin were back to making future travel plans. After their one cruise experience, they’ve decided they’re not “cruisers,” as for them such travel is far too regimented. Their son Merlin and his wife Karin live in Brisbane and have become Australian citizens. It’s been a couple of years since they’ve seen them, so, in terms of future travel, a return visit to the land down under is a high priority. Richard says, “Australia is a huge place, the size of the entire U.S., but with a fraction of its population. I highly recommend going there, and if anyone wants suggestions, I’d be glad to share my experiences.” Other travel destinations on their wish list include Bermuda (close and quick), and Uruguay (part of Latin America to which they’ve never been).

ClassNotes

Asked how she tolerated the cold Vermont winters, NANCY TIPS reports that living on a steep hill in the Green Mountains her driveway is usually not passable from December 1 through April 1. Fortunately, she and husband Frank are still mobile, and their kids live a five-minute walk down a different hill. Once a week, they park at their kids’ house and grocery shop, figuring the hauling of food up the hill is good for them. Nancy loves cold weather; Frank not so much, but he doesn’t complain.

The widow of BOBBY GRAY, Rachel, lives in a condominium in Hudson Oaks, a wooded neighborhood in the Memorial area of west Houston. She spends much of her time baby-sitting her four grandchildren, the offspring of Bobby’s kids, Kellen and Ian, both living nearby. Bobby’s other daughter resides in Philadelphia. Rachel reports that she’s doing well, and has no interest in finding a husband, which is understandable as Bobby is irreplaceable.

Still living in Dallas with his wife Diane, TOM ADLER reports being in good health. All of their children and grandchildren live in Dallas and they remain very involved with their lives, which takes up much of their time. Always trim and fit, Tom exercises regularly–cycling and weights.

Still living in Hunters Creek, within a mile or so of the homes where classmates Bob Gray, Tom Adler, and Byron McCord lived in 1963, ANDY GREENWOOD spends part of his days reading fiction novels, and part of his days working on his 15th fiction novel which has an expected Amazon publication date around the end of this year. Each day he uses bird seeds, peanuts, and chopped carrots to keep his back yard a welcome haven for rabbits, squirrels, and all kinds of birds including woodpeckers, dove, titmouse, Carolina chickadees, wrens, blue jays, cardinals, and depending on the season, migrating birds passing through for just a few weeks. By doing in-home physical therapy and exercise for an hour each day, Andy is able to stay mobile, playing golf once a week, maintaining 85 potted plants and flowers in his yard, running errands, and doing the majority of the cooking for him and Tanya, his wife of 16 years. His health issues include COPD (no effect), A-Fib (no effect), neuropathy, and lumbar spinal stenosis, hence the need for in-home physical therapy. In June, he had robot-assisted inguinal hernia repair surgery which he found to be quite fascinating, and fortunately his recuperation was assured by the dedication of his very competent nurse Tanya. A few times a year, he and Tanya still enjoy visiting San Angelo, TX, with its great shopping and restaurants. There, Andy enjoys rooting for the local high school (Bobcats) and college (Rams) sports programs and being involved with some unique local non-profit organizations: the West Texas Boys Ranch and the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue.

Still enjoying the work as a senior Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals, the Honorable BILL BRYSON plans to stay at it as long as his health permits. Recently he’s handled a number of pharmaceutical cases, which he says are intriguing. He said, “It is amazing to see what progress is being made against particular diseases that have plagued mankind for eons, and how promising the future is for health care. The problem, of course, is that the costs associated with all this progress are staggering. Our grandchildren may live to be over 100, but only those who can afford the medical care needed will do so.” This year, he and wife Penny completed an item on their bucket list, traveling around the globe to see all of the Caravaggio paintings shown in public. The last one they saw this past summer in Berlin. Caravaggio is an important Italian Baroque artist (1571-1610) with a fascinating biography worthy of a Google visit. Bill hasn’t had the chance to do as much stargazing from his place in West Virginia as he would like, as his work has been very busy this year.

ClassNotes

The average high temperature in July in Houston is 95 degrees; the average high temperature in July in Nantucket is 74 degrees. That’s why JOHNNY JOHNSON and wife Ann spend summers in Nantucket. While there, they spend lots of time outside with the lovely weather and among the beautiful flowers. They play nine holes of golf occasionally, pick up fresh veggies from the many local farms, meet up with neighbors at Siasconset for potluck dinners, and bike to Sconset Market to buy groceries. Their children and grandchildren visit and keep active with shopping and trying restaurants. When in Houston, Johnny still drives his awesome bright yellow car to his club to play nine holes of golf three to four times a week. Like many of his classmates, Johnny takes an active role in health maintenance, which for him includes periodic infusions. PAUL BEST provided a brief report. From Midland, he said he had nothing to report, that his life was status quo, but he did want to say hi to his 1963 classmates. There was sad news from LESLIE MCGRATH. Her husband David Reid passed away. Last year it was reported in our Update Magazine that he had cancer, but his death occurred during surgery this past June and was unexpected. Needless to say, Leslie could use our thoughts and prayers.

CLASS OF 1964 ROB MUIR robmuirphoto@yahoo.com

Welcome fellow travelers. Four score plus or minus years ago the class of 1964 for SJS arrived. The following are some samples of members still being ‘out there’. JOHN JAY is still practicing law; LEE ENFIELD LOCKWOOD is spending the usual cool time on Lake Champlain; GINGER ROTAN YOUNGREN, having finished her book Homegrown Crooks is starting her new thesis on scams; KIPPY GOLDFARB has moved from the storied Charles River to the Tennessee River. FRANK HARMON still spends time on the Law, and MAVIS KELSEY still has his fingers in commercial real estate. And, of course, JULIE WAREING MCILHERAN is still traveling. A lot of comments on “easing” into our eighties or the ‘Big Eight Oh’. What an amazing achievement in the history of the world to even be contemplating that joy. Now for some details: the usual crew met at Mo Ranch this Spring. Attending were Peggy and TOM CURRIE, Kathy and BILL HEINZERLING, BOB GRAHAM, DOUG HANNAH and JUDI GORDON HANNAH, DRUE FRENCH BOYLES ’67, ALLEN CRAIG, Karen and IRV TERRELL. There were lots of good memories of DAVID BOYLES with Drue attending. Irv and Karen now spend about four months in Crested Butte. Grandsons Oscar (26 months) and Robert (six mo) will be taking up lots of Houston time. Planned trips are Blackberry Farm and NYC (where Irv will contribute money). FRANK HARMON, with 49 years of a great married life, has six grands 10-18 with five in Houston. Less time on the water, but grandsons enjoy the Ensign sailboat at HYC. Frank thinks about the great SJS teachers we all learned from: Mr. Salls, Mr. Murphy, Lamont, Wallace and Moore. WENDY and MAVIS KELSEY tried out Spain, and grandson ROBERT RISER ’23 joined them in Madrid. Helpful pickleball player Wendy is mentoring a young student in East Houston. All progeny have attended SJS, with grandsons playing football and being captains of the lacrosse team. Mavis wants suggestions for what to do with free time after they all graduate. Our JULIE traveler took a biking trip to Santa Fe where she was in charge of the sag wagon. To celebrate her 80th she is off to Costa Rica with her son, his wife, and grandchildren 8 and 7. “Life is good,” she notes.

ClassNotes

LEE ENFIELD LOCKWOOD is still in her too big house with its great garden filled with plants and critters and escaping from “the chaos and misery riding high in our nation.” Lee visited Kathy and Bill H at their new home in Walnut Creek, CA (somebody needs to replace all the people leaving for Texas). She and Kippy talk regularly. Lee says she is content easing into 80 and likes talking to the younger Kippy. ETHAN HIRSH continues with his patch of country heaven spending 60% of their time there. You can learn a lot about nature by visiting https://g-m-f.press/greenmountainfarmphlog/. Since ETHAN likes to keep track of wildlife, he says the fifth grand has arrived. He probably has a trail camera set up in the house. Now for our horse loving THEA ENTZMINGER BALDWIN. Saved her for last as she needed the most space. “Life goes on! Have four grandchildren that have graduated from: 1-Texas A&M, 3 from Texas State. One grandchild is married, two have bought their first homes, and my fifth grandchild will be a senior this year at Kingwood Park in Kingwood. One granddaughter starts PA school at Baylor in August. Last summer my oldest and youngest daughters went to Italy, and this year all four daughters are taking a trip to Charleston, SC, for my 80th birthday! My youngest daughter, who lives in Austin and is a PA, is expanding her business Refine Aesthetic to a bigger space! My youngest four grandchildren who are 6, 6, 8, and 9 are RVing together. Taking them to Washington on the Brazos this summer! Hope all is well with all and in good health as we enter our 80’s! Now I don’t have to pay a fine (for a delayed response to our class scribe)!” One final thought from your scribe ... Now, the World Cup has affirmed soccer is a big deal in Houston. In 1963 and 1964 if you wanted to play varsity soccer in the city, you had to be in a private school. None of the public schools offered the sport. Coming from years of soccer on Long Island, NY, that was part of the attraction of St. John’s. Only SJS had a Mr. Fairweather, however. I will harass everyone in the spring of ’27, well after the midterm elections. ROB MUIR, Scribe for the Class of ’64

CLASS OF 1965 JUNE RIVES juneinparis9@gmail.com

The Class of ‘65 sadly lost three dear classmates in the last two years: SUZIE MURPHEY HARMON, FRANN GORDON LICHTENSTEIN, and most recently ED HILL. All will be sorely missed. Our class is pretty spread over the globe. TOM LEISER and wife Birgit live in Germany, and this correspondent lives in Paris, France, and is still actively planning tours for Americans including wine tours of Burgundy. MARGARET BANES MARSHALL and husband Mac always have a houseful of family at their summer home in Maine. KAY LLOYD KETELSEN beats the Houston heat with a home in Nantucket. ELAINE BALDWIN GRASTY lives in a retirement community outside Austin and loves it. She and fellow alumnae sisters MARGIE BALDWIN ESSE ’63 and SANDRA BALDWIN ’60 travel together often to their favorite destination of Ireland. We have a great class! Send me more news.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1967 JOHN DRYE jldarch@aol.com BARBARA BATES PRESS barbarapress@yahoo.com

As part of Alumni Weekend last April, the class gathered at Goode Company for our 59th reunion, later convening at RANDY SCHAFFER’s home for more visiting. Class of 1967 Reunion Back row (l-r): Gail Wandel Hendryx, Randy Schaffer, Terri Ballantyne, Dana Ballantyne, Stephen Coffee, Drue French Boyles, David Peden, Dan Remick, Jill Remick, Conrado Acevedo Front row l-r): Polly Hutcheson, John Drye, Nancy Hull Godshall, Tish Prior Peden, Ardis Eichhorn

Last September, RANDY SCHAFFER’s book Tales as Old as Crime was published with great reviews. Several classmates attended a book signing in December. Standing behind Randy are David Peden, Tish Prior Peden, Dana Ballantyne, John Drye, Ardis Eichhorn, and Ann Boylston Farnell.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1968

CLASS OF 1970

JULIE WILLIAMS ITZ jwiemail@aol.com

MIKE CHADWICK michael.s.chadwick@gmail.com

An email was sent out to the class of ’68 asking for news and three classmates responded with news to share. SUSAN CHADWICK is living in her native Houston, mostly retired (but maybe not) from journalism, art, writing and environmental advocacy. With the help of a few SJS alumni, among many others, she tried her best to defend our local rivers, forests, and streams against ignorance and profiteers. Wishing we could have class reunions every year and grateful for the privilege of visiting with people she has known and admired since kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond.

From ALICE WOMACK MARSEL: “Hello 1970 Classmates! I’m moving to Seattle (where my older son lives). I’ll start by leasing an apartment in June and find a permanent place from there. I plan to have room for visitors there. The Seattle drizzle stops and the weather is wonderful in July and August. Even May was dry last year. This beats the extreme heat and cold of Oklahoma City where my younger son lives!”

BOB CHENOWETH and Kathaleen traveled the Great Lakes this year from Lake Ontario (Niagara Falls) up the lochs to Erie, then to Huron, and Michigan. He reports that they were impressed with the beautiful water and cities they had visited. “Our children are spread out in Austin, Tulsa, and Chicago, but we hope to get together at Lake Geneva, WI, later this summer. Other than that I see TIM MAHER and DON JONES at the Trotter YMCA. Go, Mavericks!” It was hard to pin down MARK KAMIN to a brief report; he sent the following update: “I am still actively leading the consulting firm I started 43 years ago. We were named by Inc. Magazine as one of the most effective in the space of organizational consulting and transformation. We build high performing organizations based on the proposition that integrity and honoring one’s word are the basis for high performance ... i.e. without integrity nothing works. I donate time to supporting Israelis in being more effective in having their enterprises work. At one point I was the consultant to Shimon Peres and the Labor Party of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization during the peace process of the early 2000s. I still am active in Israeli politics and give support to those opposing the Netanyahu government. I also donate time and money to organizations that are effective in taking legal actions that protect our Constitution. I am a funder of and past consultant to the Texas Democratic Party, two Senatorial campaigns, and one of the critical get out the vote organizations in Texas. I also donate time and money to rescue some of the 20,000 Ukrainian children stolen by the Russians.”

ELLEN LOUCKS reports that she and her husband Walter Vorfeld are enjoying their retirement, including visits to their 2 ½ year-old grandson River and his parents in California. They are looking forward to repurposing their on-site engineering office to a rental cottage after disposing of 35 years’ worth of drawings and files! CINDY VIETOR KAHLE and DAVID MORRIS were surprised and delighted to discover that we were both members of the Gulf Coast Fern Society. Other SJS classmates are welcome to join us.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1973 TOM PEDEN tbottspeden@gmail.com

FRANZ BROTZEN, who spoke at her memorial service in May, shared the following tribute to our classmate: The Class of ’73 lost a stalwart member on April 28, when KATHERINE BOMAR CHILDS passed away. Katy will be remembered for her outgoing personality, her enduring friendships, and her quick wit. She was also a formidable organizer, from high school parties to her successful career in advertising. She was instrumental in the annual SJS fundraising effort that put the Class of ’73 at the top of the league in participation for 17 years. Katy is survived by her husband John Childs, her daughter MORGAN CHILDS ’07, her brother MORGAN BOMAR ’81, and her sister Melissa Bomar Jacobs.

From JOHN NICKELSEN, in June: “I decided I had had enough fun and wanted to leave some for others, so I retired at the end of March. What followed did not match my vision of lazy days catching up on some long-put-off reading and chasing of ideas down rabbit holes. Out of the blue, Carol was hit with recurring pericarditis, a nasty inflammation of the sack around her heart. She has been in and out of the hospital four times since March. Her flares are diminishing, and she appears to be getting back to some level of normal. We are going to San Diego with the kids to spend our ritual 4th of July weekend watching the fireworks over the bay. We had to cancel a cruise booked in April due to Carol’s health challenges. An ocean break is sorely needed. Our fingers are crossed as a year ago we booked three back-to-back cruises around Australia and New Zealand. I have been down under for business a couple times, but Carol has never been. We will snorkel the Great Barrier reef and see many other amazing sites. Our son Garrett and his band The Maine are having a great year. With all of the children of the band members growing up, touring has purposefully slowed down. But they play larger venues when they go out. Trey, our older son, continues his life outside of LA. This still blows my mind. I could not live there on a bet, but he loves the music culture and all of the rest of the LA craziness. Regards, John.” From TRACY VAUGHT, in June: “We opened Zaranda downtown on Discovery Green in October of 2025. It’s based on the cuisine of Las Californias, a historic region that encompassed Alta and Baja California as if they were never split. Soon, we will reopen a new and improved Backstreet in its same location but in a new building and with a new menu. Our daughter, Sophia, is working with us as Director of Communications. I miss seeing everybody. I need to get out more!” From TREVOR VIETOR, in July: “Paige and I continue to enjoy life in central Florida, where we are close to our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Personally, I, along with our fundraising team, are grateful to the members of our class, who for the umpteenth time hit the 100% mark in giving to SJS! Given that no other SJS class has even sniffed anything CLOSE to that, it would take a herculean effort to come close to what we have done together! Thanks to everyone!”

Katy Bomar Childs

ClassNotes

From DEVITT ELVERSON, in June: I stopped playing guitar about two years ago because I had a number of other things that I wanted to pursue and get in order, but I’m now more than ready to start playing again. As usual, I’ve been traveling as much as possible. Since the last update I was in Puebla, Mexico, which is beautiful, and the Talavera tile and pottery is sensational. Also, the food is fantastic! I then spent the month of February in Uruguay living with a family and studying Spanish. I did several weekend trips, including going to Iguazu Falls, where the highlight was seeing coatimundis in the wild. This winter was a particularly cold one in New York, and I was glad to have missed February in NY. I have made the executive decision that I am going to spend February in some Latin American country, getting to know the city and people and trying to improve my Spanish. I’ve reached the point where I don’t want to go to a lot of different places, but instead want to stay in one place and really get to know it. I look forward to seeing everybody at our next reunion or hopefully sometime before.

From PATTY NEUHAUS NAPOLEON, in July: In April, I had lunch with AMY MAISLIN MITCHELL, ELSA WHITMORE MORSE, MOLLY BENTSEN, and NANCY TUSA. Such a treat to get together and visit! In May we proudly watched our granddaughter Hazel cross the stage at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for her high school diploma. The location tells you something about her class size ... In June we took a family vacation in Fredericksburg with our three daughters and their families, and we had a blast. Climbed Enchanted Rock, visited a winery, watched the bats emerge at Old Tunnel State Park, and played games in the swimming pool. Next up is a trip to Austin in August to meet up with SUSAN MCKALLIP HARP and MEREDITH JOHNSON LANDRY, and then attend a Santana with Doobie Brothers concert! In between the fun with family and friends, Frank and I are often at our country place south of Weimar, which in the summer means a lot of sweating and breaks in the A/C between chores.

From ANNE COCHRAN FRISCHKORN, in June: “Recently, we traveled to Ascot and to Vienna, a good experience! I looked forward to it all year. We did have to deal with one setback – Lufthansa and the Austrian airline lost my bag! My grandson enjoyed attending a summer camp in New Hampshire. Writing this, I was remembering amusing carpooling experiences from the years when my daughter Eloise was a student at Kinkaid.” From JEFF HINES, in June: “Hey, Tom! Found out recently my two oldest grandkids will be entering Kindergarten at SJS: GENE HINES and AUGIE HINES-PIERCE!” From JOHN MONTGOMERY, in June: “I stepped back into the CEO position at Bridgeway three years ago, and things are VERY busy as we reposition the firm for ETFs (if you don’t already know, don’t ask!), everything AI, and ownership transition to something called a purpose trust. I love the people I work with and what I get to do. A recent personal highlight is that I ran the Houston marathon in January, part of a crazy goal I set at age 28—when I had no idea what it involved at age 70, or more importantly, at age 80, which was also part of the goal. Life is good with nine grandchildren and blessings of health. Ann and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary next year (another life goal!). Hope all are well. Peace, John.”

Patty and husband Frank at Lake Livingston State Park

ClassNotes

Devitt Elverson, Kress Williams, and friend Bill George

Robert Claiborne at a California winery

From KRESS WILLIAMS, in June: We had some interesting trips last year, including Sicily, where we were on an active Mt. Etna that actually erupted six hours later that night! In September, we took an Alaskan cruise and managed to have seven days with no rain and saw bears, bald eagles, and whales. Alaska is amazing and highly recommended!

From ROBERT CLAIBORNE, in July: “All good here in Connecticut. Gwyn and I have been traveling quite a bit in the last year. First to Flagstaff in December to see our son Thomas receive his doctorate in physical therapy. Then to San Juan in March to escape the brutal Connecticut winter. Next was Houston in April to see my sister and family, and we also had dinner with John Childs, DICK MCDUGALD, and Dick’s wife Martha McDugald. Then to San Francisco in June for a wedding. We did a California road trip from San Francisco and stopped in San Luis Obispo (hiking, wineries), Los Angeles to see an old college friend, and finally San Diego to visit our son Dylan for the July 4th weekend. We just got back from a visit to friends in Cape Cod, and then we’re off to Beaver Creek for my great niece Kate’s wedding in August. I’m still volunteering as President of Community Sailing of Fairfield and helping at the Fairfield Theater Company. Gwyn stays busy volunteering at a local food pantry a couple of days a week.” From AMY MAISLIN MITCHELL, in June: Amy reports that she has a new grandson who was born on May 13, 2026, joining his older brother, who is almost three. AMY, ELSA WHITMORE MORSE, PATTY NEUHAUS NAPOLEON, NANCY TUSA, and MOLLY BENTSEN had lunch in Houston to celebrate Nancy’s visit to Houston in April. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Kress Williams and his wife Vanessa, plus dog Lucky, at Mt. Etna (top), and in Alaska (bottom).

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1976 CAROLINE WILLIAMS HASSELL Carolinehassell98@gmail.com

Bill Cooper, Jerry Harper, and Caroline Williams Hassell

The Bicentennial Class of ’76 celebrated our 50th Class Reunion with our biggest gathering ever! Fifty years ago, we led the school’s Bicentennial Celebration with an all-school (Student-Faculty-Alumni) production of the musical 1776, with History teacher David Adams playing his ancestor John Adams and STEVE DUSON rendering the Lexington Lament (“Mama, Hey Mama”). The all-school Bicentennial Field Day featured a red, white, and blue hot air balloon.

ClassNotes

For our 50th Reunion, classmates came from LA, North Carolina, England, Austin, North Dakota, and more! We were hosted by JENNY ARNOLD ELKINS at her beautiful home, enjoying a wonderful dinner outside with 45 classmates plus their spouses. We were treated to a special visit by former History faculty member Jerry Harper. As for news, DANA FORD STEWART was sad to miss our reunion. She’s been busy self-publishing her book What’s in Your Wardrobe? and managing their Lavande Farms with husband Craig in Santa Ynez Valley in California. AMES SMITH and his wife Charlotte are now living in Sandpoint, ID, where he’s transitioned from surgery to a dedicated hereditary cancer risk practice.

JOAN NEUHAUS celebrated America 250, visiting the attractions in DC (including sitting in on oral arguments in the Supreme Court) and the Flight 93 Memorial. “And I am celebrating America 250 all the time, sponsoring an exhibit at The Heritage Society in June over the July 4th week. With husband Jim, we’ve done two family road trips across Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to find 10 of my Revolutionary War Patriots!”

Class of ’76 members at the Alumni Awards Luncheon (l-r): Tori Simpson Schroer, Odette McMurrey Mace, Catherine Stewart Heidrick, Jill Flake Jewett, Ames Smith, Evan Quenon, Anita Jacobe Elder, Diana Mayor Hawkins, Cissy Smith Curtis, Deboarah Bearden Martin, Hunter Baker, Bebe Wright Hansen, Carline Williams Hassell, Jenny Arnold Elkins, and Joan Neuhaus

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1977 CATHY WILDE catherinerwilde@gmail.com

University of London and worked at the BBC producing various political podcasts and also working with Radio 4/ World News. She got married in August of 2024 to an actor named Frederick Wardale who is British and so Mary doesn’t think she will ever leave and one day Mary will have little Brits for grandchildren. Three days after the wedding, the whole family went to the Paris 2024 Olympics, so what a honeymoon! Mary’s husband, Robert, retired in July of 2025 from Marathon Petroleum and she is in the process of selling her company, Family Solutions International, to her employees, with closing in late 2026, slowing down on a slew of volunteer activities (she was Symphony League President in 2022-2024 and Board Member of the Moore’s School of Music at UH and also a Board Member of Dacamera). This summer they spent five weeks traveling the West Coast, California, Oregon, and Washington and had a fabulous time one afternoon in Portland reconnecting with JIM KELLEY. They figured out that they had not seen each other in the “flesh” for 46 years. Mary sent a photo! TAMMY COCKE JENKINS writes that she and classmate, CARLTON WILDE, JR., share three BRILLIANT grandchildren! They all spent this past Thanksgiving together. SALLY LOMBARDO was ordained June 28, 2025, at Christ Church Cathedral, in downtown Houston. Among others in attendance were MIKE WYCKOFF, ANN ULMER STOUT, NANCY WILSON KELLEY, CATHY RAINE WILDE, and DAVID WILDE. Sally has two sons, Noah and Nathaniel, getting married this year.

Jim Kelley and Mary Moritz Fusillo

MARY MORITZ FUSILLO reports selling her Houston house and buying a condo in Chicago, off Michigan Avenue, in the middle of the Gold Coast as a summer house and renting a condo in Houston while she and her husband decide if their place in Galveston will become their home in Texas or whether they will buy something in Houston or other parts of the world. Her twins are all grown up. Twin A (William) lives in Austin and works in Regulatory Affairs for Philips Medical Systems after graduating with a degree in Computer Science and Info Technology and working for the consulting firm of Cap Gemini for a few years out of college. Twin B (Catherine) lives in London, UK, where she received her graduate degree in radio journalism from the

According to MIKE WYCKOFF, it is great having SALLY and Randy Lombardo in Austin. He and Sally chat about church goings on and she seems to be enjoying her new parish. Mike’s wife, Martha, volunteers at the Settlement Home and he works part-time as retired clergy at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Their daughter, SoRelle, and her family moved to Charlottesville, VA where she is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia. Mike’s two grandsons, James and Lewis, are encouraging their grandparents to move there someday. His son, Talbot, who is a mortgage banker at Key Bank, and his wife, Macy, were married on May 9, 2026 in Dallas, their home for the last eight years. PEYTON BURCH replied that because both of his children are SJS alums he had decided to let them handle their own stories!

ClassNotes

Former classmate GREG CARTER is happily settled in New Hampshire with his wonderful wife Emilie and dog Scout. Their five children are grown and are keeping them busy with their 12 (so far!) grandchildren. It’s a lot to keep track of. Most of the children and grandchildren are nearby in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, although their youngest is in Chicago and just announced that grandchild number 13 is due next year! The Carters travel here and there and recently returned from a birding trip to New Mexico. While there, Greg visited an apartment where he lived in Carlsbad 45 years ago. BENNETT ROBERTS and NOEL DUVIC ROBERTS recently got together with JOE ANDERSON and his wife in Atlanta. They have also seen CHARLES SETTLE and his wife a couple of times during the fall of 2025. According to Bennett, the common theme is watching Longhorn sports “for some reason.” ANTHONY THOMPSON’S artist name is Anthony Ausgang, and he resides and works in Los Angeles, CA. This year he designed a clothing line for Insomniac, a rave company that puts on music festivals and sells all sorts of (legal) stuff there. His art show in New Orleans just closed but he has work in a group show currently up in Hamburg, Germany. Anthony and his wife now have a seven-year-old grandson, Oscar, in addition to their 10-year-old granddaughter, Rose. No awards to speak of, but he has been selling his paintings regularly, so that’s kind of an award, he supposes. The last bands that Anthony worked with were Green Day, MGMT, and Frost Children. He is currently writing a book on the Los Angeles “alternative” art scene from 1980 to the present day. His wife, Dr. Liz Koskenmaki, is a veterinarian doctor so they travel to conferences once a year, last trip to the Dominican Republic; before that, Curaçao and Hawaii… Anthony’s mom is 95 years old and still lives in Spring Branch. He took a drive to SJS last time he was in Houston and got a tour of all the new buildings, that was pretty amazing. He checked out the chapel and was surprised how small it was, seemed much larger back in our time there… JETT WILLIAMS and AMY BURKHALTER WILLIAMS are doing great. Their son, Jettboy, married Madeleine Scullin at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX in May 2025 and a good time was had by all. No awards or accomplishments to report. In fact, Jett is currently in last place in their fantasy football league, so sees no awards on the horizon.

Kim and Donna with son Chase

KIM SAWYER sent a picture of his 13-year-old son, Chase, and Donna, his beautiful second wife and the woman of his dreams! Everything else is “wonderful, magnificent detail.” VAUGHAN CLARK’s mother currently resides in Assisted Living at The Village of River Oaks in Houston, next door to CATHY’s mother, and until recently, right across the hall from SALLY’s mother. This happenstance has served as a wonderful opportunity for three members of the class to reunite over lunches and hallway visits. Our former classmate, JERRY SPLAINE, now lives in Sun Valley, ID. He and his wife, Becca, sold their Nantucket house and bought the house in Sun Valley after Becca retired in 2015. Jerry commuted between Massachusetts and Idaho for two years, then retired from Nantucket Public Schools in 2017. JOE ANDERSON replied that he and Sydney did indeed have a great time with BENNETT and NOEL at the Texas v Georgia game this fall, even though the game results weren’t so great. DAVID LAWRENCE provided the following quick update: Cheryl and I are retired now. In 2025 Cheryl wrapped up 38 years with her firm, going from intern to owner. I retired in 2023 as GC at Oceaneering, closing out 18 years there. We’re headed to Italy and Greece next month for some off-season exploring. This trip is kind of a sequel to our trip to Egypt last winter. 2027…wow!

ClassNotes

Jim Plummer and Beth Dunn Plummer in Patagonia, November 2025

Jim and BETH DUNN PLUMMER have lived in San Antonio since they both attended Trinity. They have three sons, two daughers-in-law, and five grandchildren. All are remarkable, of course! Since Jim retired, they have visited 18 countries (three twice). Traveling will continue until they get it right (or run out of time)! KEVIN GOLDEN reports that he has not been the best at keeping up with old classmates other than DAVID LAWRENCE, who lives about a mile from him and coincidentally their home phone numbers only differ by one digit. He and David occasionally go on a bike ride together or have a beer or dinner or coffee or a combination thereof. Once in a while Kevin sees ANN ULMER STOUT posting a ride or walk on Strava. Kevin has been retired for more than 10 years and has spent time doing bike tours and a couple of hiking tours. One time he confessed his riding habit to Coach Phillips (who also lives in the neighborhood) and he asked, “Is that all you do? Ride your bike?” Kevin’s response, “Can you think of something better to do?” Coach Phillips chuckled. Actually, Kevin can’t think of anything better or at least anything that’s as much fun except trains. He loves trains. He reads magazines about trains, take pictures of trains, and goes to meetings about railroad history. His friends have to endure train talk, even during bicycle rides whether his companions want to hear it or not. This might explain why sometimes he has to ride alone. Every year Susan and Kevin go to Santa Fe, NM, for Fred Harvey Weekend. Fred Harvey was an English immigrant who changed rail passenger travel back in the 19th Century by creating Harvey Houses and Harvey Hotels

along the Aitchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe rail system. He also founded the famous Harvey Girls who served in his restaurants as memorialized in the Judy Garland movie, The Harvey Girls. So, every year Kevin listens to railroad people, chefs, artists, architects, scholars, descendants of Fred Harvey, and even old Harvey Girls talk about everything related to Harvey and then we go have a Harvey dinner at La Fonda, a Fred Harvey hotel off the plaza in Santa Fe.” It’s a tough job, but Kevin loves the stimulation and the camaraderie, and he is his own boss. JAYNE PEARMAN moved from the Kansas City area, after 37 years, back to her hometown of Columbia, MO, in 2021. She was planning to retire December 31, 2024, but was appointed Associate Circuit Judge in Boone County, MO. It is a two-year appointment, which means she will retire on December 31, 2026. Jayne still travels to scuba dive and camp with her horse as often as she can. She is trying to play pickleball as much as she can and hopes to do much more after retiring from work. DAVID and CATHY RAINE WILDE are mostly retired and living in Houston near daughter, JANIE WILDE ZILKHA ’10, her husband, DANIEL ZILKHA ’10, and their three children - the oldest of whom now attends kindergarten at SJS (Class of 2038). DAVID WILDE, JR. ’11 is currently a fellow, head and neck oncology and reconstructive surgery, at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He and his wife, Kelly, will be returning to Houston next fall, when he joins the UT faculty at the new Harris Health John O’Quinn Hospital.

ClassNotes

JOHN LEWIS resides in Colorado, where he has lived for the last 27 years. He continues to work part-time as a minister and missionary and also works part time as a real estate agent. John was widowed eight years ago, but has remarried. His wife is from Japan and “it’s been a great blessing and cross-cultural experience getting to know each other in these recent years. Two of my three children are living with their families in the Denver area and the third one is in Austin. Altogether, we are thankful to now have eight grandchildren and it’s a challenge and a joy to keep up with all of them!” John is looking forward to the reunion and catching up with some of our classmates. He has seen BINZ DEWALCH and Nancy off and on in recent years, and is looking forward to seeing others next year at the reunion. DAVID TODD sends the following news “All is well here. Wendy and I are empty-nesters, except for a sweet old dog and busy yard squirrels. The kids are busier than we are. Hannah is working as a doctor in Boston, and Margaret is going to grad school in Philadelphia and working for a think-tank in DC. Wendy has been volunteering for the Austin’s Library and Airport Commissions. I have a book about my pet interests in environmental and oral history making its way ever-so slowly through the press. Our family is still in the cattle business with some interesting new detours on carbon sequestration and prairie restoration. Grateful for health and happiness. That’s about it. Hope all is well with our far-flung class.”

From LISA BALLANTYNE MCDONALD: “Went to Davidson College, played field hockey there and just found out this year at our reunion I’m the sixth leading scorer in the history of the school. Married in 1982, taught high school Spanish, French and psychology for six years and coached the varsity girls’ basketball in Augusta, GA, while my husband Andy did medical school and residency and that is where we had our two children Mark and Christie. Moved to Newnan, GA, and still live here. Our son Mark now lives in Charlottesville, VA, with his family and he is a neurologist. He has three children. My daughter Christie and her husband now live 30 minutes from us and they have one daughter. They have been in the film industry. I went back to school when they were in middle school, got my horticulture degree and was a landscape designer for 20 years. Andy and I are both retired now and are traveling all over the place and are loving this time of our lives!” ANN ULMER STOUT writes “I retired in 2020, and spent the next four years traveling and re-discovering creative writing. Thank you, Mr. Read! I’ve welcomed two grandsons since July 2024, conveniently located in Boston and Eugene, so my travel is now largely to visit one of them. Mr. United thanks me. On the plane I work on revisions of my memoir. Tim is still working so someone can pay for all my writing classes and travel. Thank you, Tim! Hope I’ll be in town next year for our 50th! And DOUG LAUNIUS reports that he is still happily married to Beth after 40 years, continuing and enjoying his work in real estate development (although not putting in the hours he used to), hitting the lake, taking fun trips with family and friends and loves living in Austin. All in all, he feels exceptionally lucky and happy. DAVID MERCADO and his wife are back in New York after 15 years in London. He has retired from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and is considering a return to Houston for the 50th reunion after an absence of almost 40 years! Congratulations are in order for CATHY HOLLEY, now Mrs. Robert F. Carter. Cathy married in 2019 and is now living in Colorado! TODD MITCHELL has no major news to report but seems to be adding more dogs than grandkids.

Wendy, Hannah, Margaret and David Todd

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1979 LARRY MORRIS texas@netropolis.net

The Honorable DAVID GUNN, Justice, First Court of Appeals, was selected as the Appellate Judge of the Year by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. Also this year, Justice Gunn received the Outstanding Law Review Article Award from the Texas Bar Foundation.

Brenda, William ’14, Payton, and Richie Mercado

WILLIAM MERCADO ’14 and Payton were married March 14 in Portland. A week later Payton was matched for Emergency Room residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, so they moved last summer. MATTHEW MERCADO ’18 serves as a youth leader at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and is working toward a Masters of Theology at HCU. RICHIE and Brenda just retired after 42 years at St. John’s and will relax, travel, fish, etc. Well done, Brenda and Richie!

Richie receiving SPC Award Honoring 42 Years of Service.

LORI KOSBERG BLUMENTHAL just turned 65 years young and received her Medicare card. Welcome to our growing group, Lori! All children are married and live in Boston, Boulder, and Brooklyn. Lori has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for over 20 years and still loves the world of foster care. Lori and husband Jeff enjoy backroads travel and recently completed a hiking trip to the glaciers of Argentina. Lori enjoys traveling cross-country with her mother to see family. CARRINGTON “CANNY” WEEMS, President of Virtually Anywhere Interactive, is testing out partial retirement and has started sailing, building, and collecting remote control model sailing yachts. Dust off grandpa’s old boat model that you found cleaning out the attic, and he will get it sailing again. His boats (currently seven total) have their own Instagram account just in case you want to see them in action: www.instagram.com/rcsailing.atx/.

SJS Track Lanes #4 and #2 presented to Richie Marian and Brian

MARIAN WALLACE BRISCOE and husband BRIAN ’80 loved seeing the World Cup in Houston. Soccer/Futbol stirs up a lot of fond memories of Basil Fairweather and Hans Tischner from St. John’s days!

ClassNotes

A full fiesta capped a beautiful evening for the Class of 1981 at the home of Maria and Bill Boyce.

Woo-hoo! Our 45th Reunion was a home run, capped by a great backyard fiesta at the home of MARIA WYCKOFF BOYCE on Saturday. Jetting in for the occasion was our Barcelona-based sculptor and artist EDUARDO PÉREZCABRERO and many others, including BARRY BLOCK, LIZ DAVEY MARSAN, and ALEX FLATHER-MORGAN CIST. Friday’s tribute to STUART KENSINGER, followed by margaritas at nearby Cyclone Anaya’s, set things in motion for the weekend. Lots of good ideas for the 50th were generated!

CLASS OF 1981 MARK WORSCHEH mworscheh@aquinasco.com

Mary Kempner Daniel and Catherine Lippincott share a laugh at the Friday mixer at the Kensinger Pavilion.

Beth Bowen Urdahl and Eduardo Pérez-Cabrero reminisce about senior year, only 45 years ago!

As the near-oldest US boomers, we’re seeing boots being hung up. Retired lawyer and resident author HUNTER WHITE is now teaching at UH Law School. Offspring news also continues apace: EDWARD GRIFFIN’s son BEN ’13 and wife ROBBY ’13 welcomed the birth of Gemma Pauline in May. And your humble class scribe celebrated the wedding of middle daughter SOPHIE ’17 in South Lake Tahoe. Keep the news coming, or post it on our Facebook page. TOM WILBY reports that he plans to show off his newly discovered golf skills with TODD RUTHVEN this fall in North Carolina.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1988

BRYN LARSEN hosted an impromptu gathering of classmates in her home last fall. Front: Kathy Wheat Huntsman, Shelley Pannill Stein, Josetta Jones Middle: Elizabeth Matthews, Evelyn Knolle Back: Cass Van Winkle McNinch, Jessica Locheed, Bryn Larsen

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1990 HAISE ROE BORGMANN haiserb@me.com

JOSH LINDSEY wrote, “I had a great visit from LOWELL MCKELVEY here in Nashville, TN, and it was fantastic to meet his girlfriend. We went to see José González at the Ryman Auditorium and had a great dinner. It felt as if not a day had gone by since SJS graduation in 1990. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing JOHN STEPHENS, BAKER MITCHELL, and many other SJS friends. Please let me know if you’re ever coming to Music City!” Making a move back to their old stomping grounds, OLIVER PENNINGTON and Katherine are back in NYC after spending two years in Austin.

After years of running circles around the rest of us, RAINEY KNUDSON is admitting that “my bedtime has moved from 10:30 to 9:30 p.m., and I’m getting ready to have my hip joints scanned. I’m living the dream!” TRISH SNOUFFER RINGLEY “had so much fun reading everyone’s updates in last year’s Update, I’d love to contribute one of my own. I’m still in San Luis Obispo, CA, working part-time as a NICU nurse and part-time running my online NICU store, Every Tiny Thing (everytinything.com). It’s a nice balance between bedside work and entrepreneurial creativity. For the last 10 years, I’ve been volunteering with Canine Companions as a puppy raiser of future service dogs. After raising five puppies, I’ve made the leap to becoming a breeder caretaker. My dog Yndigo is expecting her first litter in August, so the house is about to be overflowing with newborn labradors. Meanwhile, my daughter graduated from UCLA last spring, and my son is wrapping up his final year at Cal Poly. Life is delightfully chaotic right now!”

Cris Pye, Craig Dawson, Walter’s son Charlie, and Walter Wukasch enjoy a little time on the links in Charlottesville.

ClassNotes

l - r: SJS alumna Congresswoman Lizzie Pannill Fletcher ’93, Katherine Pannill Center, Christina Ling McAllister, Haise Roe Borgmann, and Katherine and Lizzie’s mom Deborah Detering ’59 all gathered to hear Katherine talk about The Shippers at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. (Not pictured: Melissa McSherry, who had to dash before picture time!)

For fans of KATHERINE PANNILL CENTER’s novels, summer can never come soon enough, as it means a new book for our reading pleasure. “My 13th novel The Shippers came out this summer and was an instant New York Times bestseller. I did a 5-week, coast-to-coast book tour—a different city every night—and got to see HAISE ROE BORGMANN, CHRISTINA LING MCALLISTER, and MELISSA MCSHERRY while speaking at the Smithsonian in DC! Now I’m home, finishing up edits on my 2027 book and about to start the first draft for 2028! My novel The Bodyguard is currently becoming a movie starring Leighton Meester, Jared Padalecki, and Andie MacDowell. Since there’s already a movie called The Bodyguard, this adaptation will be re-titled Guarding Stars. Look for it on Netflix during the holidays!” Lisa Neuberger Fernandez, Katherine Pannill Center, Bryn Larsen ’88, and Katherine’s husband Gordon at a launch party for Katherine’s latest book, The Shippers.

ClassNotes

A few of our classmates have new or growing business ventures. It was wonderful to get the following update from KATE GORDON, who is “currently a grad student pursuing my Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University’s Mindfulness-based Transpersonal Counseling program (mostly online, though I do have to travel to Colorado periodically for school intensives, graduating in May 2027). I’m excited to embark on a new career as a therapist; it already feels so much better to me than a corporate job ever did. I’m currently interning at a private practice here in Houston, in Montrose specifically: Therapy Center of Houston. As long as there’s not a dual relationship, I’m open for client referrals! www.naropa.edu/programs/graduate-academics/ clinical-mental-health-counseling/mindfulness-basedtranspersonal-counseling/ www.therapycenterhouston.com/katherine-gordon Big news for DONOVAN HOHN, who continues to garner recognition for his writing: “This past year I received a Guggenheim Fellowship to support work on my next book, which I’ll be writing when not teaching at Wayne State University or editing Lapham’s Quarterly.” KAREN DALTON WALKER has hired a brilliant new employee at her law firm: “MICHELE CONLON FRIEDMAN joined Karen, KATHRYN STASNEY CHILDERS ’89, and PHIL CARSON ’72 at Oaks, Hartline, & Daly, LLP, a boutique law firm specializing in estate planning and probate. If you have any questions about wills, trusts, or probate, call us!” And HAISE ROE BORGMANN has started a needlepoint canvas line, Ruby and Pearl, after designing with a friend for a few years. Some of her designs can be found at the Needle House in Houston! Haise has enjoyed seeing lots of classmates who have come to town: KATHERINE PANNILL CENTER on her book tour, JULIE RINGOLD PRICE and husband Andrew when they were dropping daughter LILLY PRICE ’23 off for summer internships in D.C., WALTER WUKASCH and family (en route to PAT and JENNIE SINCLAIR PACE ’91’s daughter Caroline’s wedding in Charlottesville), and an upcoming fall get-together with APRIL. Pat and Jennie Sinclair Pace ’91 give a toast to their daughter Caroline at her wedding.

APRIL COLLETT BINGHAM is a pediatric rheumatologist who relocated from Allentown, PA, to Charlottesville after having gone to med school at UVA post-college.

ClassNotes

LISA NEUBERGER FERNANDEZ “feels compelled to share that it is such a joy to collaborate with ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS—a reunion success story. Since reconnecting at reunion last year, we have been having a blast taking fabulous women like our very own NICCI WHITE GREELEY on the Camino Walking Retreat and advising the CEO of a Houston-based energy company on her talent strategy. (If you missed the Spring 2026 Update, you can read about their adventures at st-johns-school.dcatalog.com/v/Spring2026/?page=32). Viva SJS—it is so rewarding to bring our expertise together and have an excuse to spend more time in Houston catching up with our local stars KATHERINE at her book launch and STUART ROSENBERG at his art events. Please let me know if you or your kids (so many are studying abroad) are in Madrid.”

CLASS OF 1992 BA NGUYEN banguyen@comcast.net

Class Reporter’s Note: The year 2027 is our, ahem, 35th reunion year, so please be on the lookout for details of our reunion event. As for venue, Magic Island—obviously and as usual—continues to be a lead contender. Semper Insula Magica. Now on to the updates:

Jason Lee

Lisa Neuberger Fernandez and Allison Wright Brooks gather with fellow Camino travelers over dinner.

BA NGUYEN (me again) happily reports that he recently reconnected with JASON LEE, who lives in Seoul, South Korea, where he is an attorney with the Greenberg Traurig law firm. Jason’s practice centers on advising strategic and financial investor clients on corporate and M&A transactions, including leveraged buyouts, going private transactions, joint ventures, carveouts and divestitures, internal reorganizations, and minority equity investments. Prior to his current firm, Jason worked at other law firms as well as in investment banking. A number of classmates celebrated college graduations as proud parents this past spring, including VIRGINIA WATTS REDDY, whose daughter Maya graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts with an emphasis in costume design and a history minor. Virginia reports Maya is working as a costume design intern at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre for the summer 2026 season, with plans to move to New York afterward to pursue costume design in theater, film, and television. LAURA MAYER CYPROW reports that her son, WYATT ’22, graduated in the spring of 2026 from the United States Military Academy summa cum laude.

Lisa Neuberger Fernandez and Stuart Rosenberg at one of Stuart’s art events.

ClassNotes

Upon his graduation from West Point, Wyatt joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team as a 2nd Lieutenant. On the high school end, JEFF WU recently celebrated the graduation of his son Jake from Fairview High School in Boulder, CO. Jake will be attending the University of California-Santa Barbara in the fall (go Gauchos!).

CLASS OF 1995 Ruthie Johnson Miller ruthiejmiller@gmail.com

TRACY MANFORD CARLSON is proud to announce a recent career change. Over the past few years she attended William & Mary and is now a licensed therapist. She has started her own practice here in Houston and loves the idea of being able to work with folks from the greater St. John’s community, if needed. Tracy reports that she found her heart and home in counseling and is grateful to have turned this passion into a burgeoning career.

Virginia Watts Reddy with husband Sandeep and daughter Maya

CHASE THEBAULT sends his greetings from his home in Detroit, MI. Chase and his wife Jenny have four children. The girls are entering their sophomore and senior years at the University of Michigan; Anna has been studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, while Evie works at UM Hospital as Nurse Assistant. Their two boys are entering freshman and sophomore years at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. Sam caddies at the Detroit Golf Club, and Isaiah is constantly taking photos and creating videos for school and church. Chase’s wife Jenny serves as their church’s youth pastor, while Chase works as a Family Physician at the Stellantis Family Health & Wellness Center in Detroit. Busy, busy!

Laura Mayer Cyprow and son Wyatt ’22 Chase Thebault and family say hello from Detroit, MI

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 1996 MINDY MCGEHEE RISEDEN mriseden@craincaton.com

JULIE WAREING ALDRICH and her family recently relocated to Malibu, CA, where her husband Griff is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Pepperdine University. Go Waves!

Morgan Barsi enjoying scuba diving.

MORGAN BARSI reports that he is retiring from life as a working lawyer and moving to Bonaire in August 2026 to work in the scuba diving industry as life is too short to continue to do something that you do not enjoy.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2001 DARLA CHOW Darlachowdvm@gmail.com

ELIZABETH ETHUN MOSELEY has been appointed the new Executive Minister of First United Methodist Church, Dallas, a congregation of 180 years. She and her family are grateful to be a part of such a service-minded and justice-oriented community. The class of 2001 celebrated our 25th reunion this spring. Thanks to all of our classmates who planned the event. We had a great turnout, and everyone had a great time reconnecting with one another. See you at the next reunion or sooner!

Alex Niebruegge and Sara Childress Fallon

Elizabeth Lawrence, Mary Itz, Georgina Petronella, Leanna Petronella, and Susan Elliott Fagan

Thomas McConathy, Campbell Eifler, Michael Pipkin, and George Demontrond

Darla Chow, Leslie Farish Cammuso, and Caitlin Mullen Pickard

ClassNotes

Krystal Wilson Garces and Eduardo Garces

Jenine Alig, Dan Alig, and Campbell Eifler

Ryan Hunsaker, Leslie Farish Cammuso, Steffen Van Doesburg, David Heaney, and Darla Chow

Andrew Edelman, Erica Lancaster, Jerad Bloom, and Grant Martinez

The Class of 2001

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2002

CLASS OF 2004

ALICIA BLACKBURN SUMMERS alicia.b.summers@gmail.com

COURTNEY BLACKBURN JEFFREY courtbjeffrey@gmail.com

SUZANNA ATTIA is back in Houston full-time with her two children Samantha (born 2021) and Veronica (born 2023). As a complement to her research in the prevention of Maternal-Child Malnutrition, she is launching a new Executive Coaching Business (DrSuzCoaching@gmail.com) and would love to hear from you!

MADDIE MATHEWS THOMAS welcomed her third child, a son named Clay, on April 24, 2026. Everyone is doing great, and big sisters TATUM ’39 and Greer are thrilled!

LAUREN “L.E.” BUTLER BERGIER and her husband, Hugolin, have moved back to Hugo’s hometown Angers, France, a lively college town and the “Pearl of the Loire Valley.” L.E. teaches theology and literature at the seminary of the St. Martin Community, as well as at the Catholic University of the West. Her first book of poetry translations and essays was finally published this year in London. Their oldest son Jean will study cinema and philosophy next year at a French liberal arts college. Genevieve, a rising junior, enjoys social dancing, Irish fiddling, and her Girl Guides of Europe patrol; she is considering medical school. Esther-Marie, 7th grade, loves to read and draw; she studies part-time and sings soprano in a semi-professional choir. Lauren couldn’t stop crying at Esther’s Christmas concert because the children’s choir was singing songs from Candlelight with the local symphony orchestra and student opera singers from La Scala. Anselm, 5th grade, plays soccer at the SCO, serves the altar, and is an avid Cub Scout. Anselm and Madeleine, 2nd Grade, walk Basil, pre-K, down the street every day to their Catholic school, which is fully handicap-inclusive. SUZANNA ATTIA came to visit in July for the baptism of her godson, baby Cassian. We would love to show you around Angers! Please get back in touch, and then come visit us! CLAIRE NOELLE FROST celebrated 20 years since she opened up her clutter coaching practice. She has been cheering on her son at his school chess tournaments winning first place and most valuable player this year.

Maddie Mathews Thomas’ three children, Greer, Clay, and Tatum ’39

ROXIE MAISEL says, “I just graduated from the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema with an MFA in Film PostProduction. I am very excited to begin my new career in comedy editing and post-production engineering! WES ANDERSON ’87 - call me!”

NEELIMA GONUGUNTLA joined SriSN, a boutique strategy and operations firm serving small to mid-sized organizations. She remains an active Director of the Texas Lyceum and will take on an expanded leadership role on the Executive Committee in 2027. She also continues to stay civically engaged through her service on education and public service boards.

ClassNotes

Mark McClure ’04, Sarah Jewett ’08, and Gabe Malek ’16 at the Fervo IPO

On May 13, Fervo Energy IPO’ed on the Nasdaq, and there were four St. John’s alumni in attendance. MARK MCCLURE’s company ResFrac works with Fervo providing software and engineering services, and he serves on their external technical advisory board. SARAH JEWETT ’08 is Chief Operating Officer and a member of the core leadership team. GABE MALEK ’16 served as chief of staff and now works on Sarah’s team while he is pursuing a JD at Stanford as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. NICK DHESI ’03, a partner at Latham & Watkins, was one of the lead attorneys on the IPO. BRADLEY EISEMANN has helped grow the St. John’s Summer Internship Program through his role on the SJS Alumni Board. This summer, over 120 rising seniors participated in the program. He looks forward to serving as president of the SJS Alumni Board for the next two years.

Bridal Party (l-r): Meredith Massey, Margaret Elkins Davis, Martha Portwood Barrow, Annie Sharman (SJS teacher), Kate Donnelly Gehrs ’07, Kyle O’Keefe, Laura Donnelly O’Keefe, Ali Palacios Donnelly, Jae Boggess Castillo, Avery Pickard, Jackie Keller Goldberg, Maggie Schutza, Frank Donnelly ’00

LAURA DONNELLY and Kyle O’Keefe got married on April 18, 2026, surrounded by friends and family and many SJS alums. They moved to Anchorage, AK, shortly after for Laura’s job.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2005 ALEXANDRA JARDINE apjardine86@gmail.com NISHA GADGIL gadgil.nisha@gmail.com JORDAN SCHMIDT SHAUGHNESSY jordan.k.s.shaughnessy@gmail.com

Mary with husband Tucker, daughter Maeve, and new baby West

Alice with her PhD advisor Dan Shaw at graduation in June 2026

MARY KEY and her husband Tucker Witsil welcomed their son West Conrad Witsil on September 11, 2025. His big sister Maeve has grown to love him. The family of four resides in Chapel Hill, NC.

ALICE YANG REED recently received her PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. Her dissertation entitled Indigenous, Decolonial, Evangelical Bible Translation: Case Study of the First Nations Version New Testament was passed with distinction by R. Daniel Shaw, Soong-Chan Rah, and Collin Cornell, in consultation with Chris Hoklotubbe. She currently serves as an international Bible translation consultant with SIL Global, based out of Calgary, Canada.

ClassNotes

Katie’s cat, The Dingus

KATIE FRENCH and her husband celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary as well as two wonderful years with their adopted cat The Dingus. On a professional note, Paradise, the television drama series she helped write and produce, received seven Emmy nominations.

Bobak with his wife Andrea and new baby Yasi

BOBAK FATEMIZADEH and his wife Andrea welcomed their daughter Yasi in February 2026.

Big brother Joseph with baby sister Barbara

CRISANTA GERMAN DELLA ROSA lives in Los Angeles and serves as General Manager of evolvetogether, a fine fragrance body care brand. This May, she welcomed her daughter Barbara who joins big brother Joseph (4). The family is thrilled to welcome their newest addition!

Ashley and her husband Andrew at their wedding

ASHLEY ALEXANDER married Andrew Raabe in an intimate ceremony with family and friends. The wedding was held in a castle in Scotland.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2006 DEETS HOFFMAN deetshoffman@gmail.com

The Krupin family

CLARE DOODY KRUPIN and her husband Stephen welcomed their second child Charlotte on June 26th. Her brother William is head over heels in love.

The Hoffmans

DEETS HOFFMAN and his wife Murray welcomed their first child Whit in August 2025. Whit is an adorable giggle machine, loves his mom more than anything in the world, and is, at the time of this writing, huge. KATIE MCGEE FIELD and her husband Alex welcomed their third child Eleanor Field in October 2025. Katie also published her 10th book in July, Ungodly Rich, her first novel outside the young adult genre.

NICK MANN still lives in Los Angeles, CA. He and his wife Lauren Earl recently welcomed their second child Archer Mann in April. Nick maybe still works in TV/film production, and he definitely creates short outdoor educational videos with a focus on wild edible and medicinal plants and weeds. Follow along on Instagram @NickMannForage.

ClassNotes

RACHEL HILLER KUPERINSKY and her husband Brandon welcomed Eliana Rose Kuperinsky on September 13, 2025. Their son Jacob loves being a big brother. Rachel is still in the Philadelphia area and is entering her 12th year in Penn Athletics as the Associate Athletic Director, Compliance/ Senior Woman Administrator. SALLIE ARMSTRONG BENTLEY and husband Matthew welcomed Caroline Armstrong Bentley on January 25, 2026. Proud siblings Rebecca (5) and Bascom (3) are enjoying their roles as big sister and brother. Sallie continues to work in the Texas Legislature for the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives as the Associate Director of Finance for Budget. Should you find yourself at the Texas Capitol, please look her up!

Caroline Bentley The Kuperinsky family with sweet baby Eliana

Bentley family with their newest addition, Caroline.

ClassNotes

Hannah Fogler in a promo photo for Hamlet/Black Parade

HANNAH FOGLER shaved her head! Why? She’s so glad you asked. Over the past year, Hannah has produced, adapted, directed, and performed in three original productions of Shakespeare musicals. The series began in October 2025 with Hamlet / Black Parade - an adaptation of Hamlet with the music from My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade album (featuring Hannah as a bare-headed Ophelia). Caesar / Americana ran over the Ides of March and Midsummer / Bowie Elton Queen ran during Midsummer (of course). Closing out the series in October 2026 will be Titus / Meat Loaf - an adaptation of Titus Andronicus featuring music from Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell albums 1 and 2. The series has been wildly successful, performing to sold out houses and receiving critical acclaim from Baltimore’s NPR affiliate. Between shows, Hannah fit in a visit to Houston to surprise HANNAH CURRY-MCDOUGALD for her birthday. Hannah cried.

THE CLASS OF 2006 - WE ARE OLD!

The 2006 Class is collectively reporting that it’s hard to believe it was time to celebrate our 20th reunion this spring! The reunion had a great turnout–classmates from near and far–in early April. Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word, organize, and particularly to Yuri and Harry Thompson for opening their home to the group.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2007 ALLISON BLAND FLICK sjsclassof2007@gmail.com

Twins Sam and Jack Shea

Sarah, husband Peter, and friends

George and LAURA JANE WOLCOTT SHEA welcomed identical twins Sam and Jack in October 2024. Andrew (4) has embraced his new role as big brother. Taking a break from her daily studio practice in the UAE, Laura Jane and family have been living out of their suitcases in Sri Lanka, the UK, and the USA. They’ve been able to visit friends and family along the way. Before the end of the year, she hopes to be settled and back to painting.

SARAH DANIEL married Peter Blake in a festive winter wedding held in Aiken, SC, in December 2025. Fellow alumna LINDSAY PEARSON ERICKSON was an exceptional Maid of Honor, while brother REED DANIEL ’10 and Reed’s fiancée LOUISA LUMMIS ’16 also supported the wedding party. Nearing 14 years with global mining company BHP, Sarah is currently lead for Policy & Advocacy within the Global Human Rights & Social Performance team, while Pete is a professional umpire with the United States Polo Association. They, plus their dogs and ponies, split their time between Washington, D.C., South Carolina, Florida, and Texas.

MATTHEW ZIEMNICKI has been named Principal Gift Officer at The University of Texas School of Law. In this role, he partners with alumni to secure transformational philanthropic investments that advance legal education, faculty excellence, student opportunities, and the school’s strategic priorities. He is helping lead fundraising for a new law student residence hall that will transform the UT Law experience beginning in August 2028. ROXANA, ALLISON, ANNA, KATY, and MAGGIE are looking forward to planning our 20th reunion in April!

HENRY CAPLAN is moving to Denver to start a new job at Children’s Hospital Colorado as a pediatric surgeon. He is looking forward to exploring the mountains with his wife Christina and son Eli (2). CAROLINE WILSON accepted a position teaching 10th grade English at St. Johns!

Freedmans and friends welcomed Niclas back to the US SAM FREEDMAN and his wife Auna hosted a group of the Class of 2007 and friends to welcome Niclas Rohrwacher, who joined our Class from Germany during senior year, back to the US!

2007 Classmates at Germany’s World Cup match in Houston

ADAM HINES, DILLON CHAPMAN, BUCK ELKINS, WILLIAM FARLEY, SAM FREEDMAN, Niclas, and friends enjoyed watching Germany play in the World Cup in Houston in June.

Andrew Yeh and family

ANDREW YEH and Ann Elise Debelina welcomed a baby girl, Rosalie Yeh, on October 27, 2025.

Daphne Flick

ALLISON BLAND FLICK and her husband Bryan welcomed their daughter Daphne on September 28, 2025. Charles (2) is a great big brother!

ClassNotes

Joelle, Chanel, and Jeremy in Italy.

; Joe, Levi, and Sarah

JEREMY SLAWIN and CHANEL TRAN joyfully welcomed their first child Joelle Quynh Slawin on April 28, 2026. They are enjoying life as new parents and recently took their first family trip, attending a destination wedding in Italy.

SARAH KAPLAN FEINMANN moved to London with her husband Joe and three year-old son Levi after 14 years in Washington, DC. They don’t plan to return until Levi has a full British accent. MARY MARTHA DAVIS HARDIN has joined Storgate, a multifamily office serving individuals and families. In her role as Director of Client Operations and Governance, she will ensure every client family fully harnesses Storgate’s modern, technology-driven family office, while also leading the governance and next-generation work that sustains family success.

The Boettcher brothers

KATY TERRELL BOETTCHER and husband John welcomed their second child Robert on December 31, 2025.

In addition to these exciting updates, there are some new hobbies to share! ANNA DOMNING DELUCA has taken the laboring oar in teaching many of the Class of 2007 to play Mahjong (JENNIE CAVEN ADAMS now works for Maison Mahj!). NORA NIEBRUEGGE BOWERS spent some time in Montana this summer catching some really big fish! EMILY WEBER sprouted a green thumb and is harvesting tomatoes out of her home garden in LA.

Amanda and Alex at their wedding. To the right of Alex is Amanda’s brother Nick ’06, his wife Anna, and their four daughters.

CLASS OF 2008 LAURA DIEZ laura.diez.12@gmail.com

AMANDA RUSSELL married Alex Stickney at St. MonicaSt. George Catholic Church in Cincinnati on August 30, 2025. Her brother NICK RUSSELL ’06 was a groomsman, and his four daughters Lina, Elsie, Lydia, and Izzy were flower girls. On May 13, Fervo Energy IPO’ed on the Nasdaq, and there were four St. John’s alumni in attendance. www.nytimes.com/ 2026/05/13/ business/energy-environment/fervo-geothermalenergy-ipo.html. SARAH JEWETT is Chief Operating Officer and a member of the core leadership team. GABE MALEK ’16 served as chief of staff, and now works on Sarah’s team while he is pursuing a JD at Stanford as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. NICK DHESI ’03 is a partner at Latham & Watkins and was one of the lead attorneys on the IPO. MARK McCLURE ’04’s company ResFrac works with Fervo providing software and engineering services, and he serves on their external technical advisory board. CHRISTINA MAI KAUL and her husband Saagar welcomed their second son Ishan Mai Kaul in January. They are so happy to have completed their family!

Sarah Jewett ’08, COO at Fervo, addressing the team at the IPO listing ceremony

Sophie and Nathan Porter-Ziemnicki

CLASS OF 2009

CLASS OF 2010

ANNA M. ZIEMNICKI and husband Chase J. Porter welcomed their daughter Sophie Marie Porter-Ziemnicki on June 15, 2026. Newly-promoted big brother Nathan Henry Porter-Ziemnicki (age 2) is loving his new role!

JAY LARRY jaynlarry44@gmail.com

CLAY NICKENS and his wife Ashley welcomed their daughter Adelaide on December 3, 2025.

CLASS OF 2013 ALLIE ROBINSON allie.robinson.13@gmail.com Anna Ziemnicki with daughter Sophie

CAROLINE COWAN HIGGINS is a licensed landscape architect based in Dallas, TX. After almost eight years in the commercial design world, Caroline recently started her own studio, Caroline Higgins Design, with a focus on residential design and urban infill projects. She is so excited for this new adventure and all of the projects to come. Feel free to reach out if you are in the Dallas area! website: carolinehigginsdesign.com

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2014 NIKHILA KRISHNAN njk33@georgetown.edu

Max, his father Le ’78, and his plane The Kaplan family

MAX MELCHER completed an eastbound circumnavigation of the globe in a light aircraft, which he chronicled on his FlyingTexas channel.

Xavier celebrating his dissertation

XAVIER GONZALEZ earned his PhD in Statistics at Stanford. He has begun work as an AI Researcher at the startup Unconventional AI, also located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

JACK KAPLAN and his wife Jena had their first child in 2025.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2016 JENNIFER TRIESCHMAN jennifertrieschman@icloud.com

Griffin Eldon Wallace

WES WALLACE and GINNY GRIFFIN WALLACE welcomed a baby boy, Griffin Eldon Wallace, to the family.

The Luedde family

Parker at the 2025 Austin Film Festival

PARKER DONALDSON directed the documentary short film Cosmic Cowboys, which was an Official Selection at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. Cosmic Cowboys is about people gathered in Bandera, TX, the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” to witness the Great North American Eclipse. The documentary is Parker’s graduation film from London Film School and features Texas country legend Gary P. Nunn. DANIEL JELLINS started a law practice focusing on AI policy.

SYDNEY MOYE LUEDDE and CADE LUEDDE welcomed Annabel Adair Luedde on November 11, 2025. Born at 4:56 p.m., weighing 7lbs 6oz, Annabel is healthy and happy! MARGARET TRAUTNER will begin as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin this January in the Math Department and Oden Institute!

US Field Hockey Team celebrates Kelsey’s 100th cap. Congratulations to KELSEY BING, U.S. Women’s National Field Hockey Team goalkeeper, for playing her 100th international cap for Team USA!

l-r: Parker Julian, Ryder Desenberg, Hunter Kowalski, Philip Kensinger, Pete Bechtol, Michael Cowan, and Jeffrey Paine

Chula and Philip

Philip and Electra Kensinger

PHILIP KENSINGER married Electra Thomas on May 2, 2026 in Dallas. The wedding party included CHARLES DORFMAN, PAUL LABANOWSKI, TREY LEWIS, CHRIS RANDALL, and LOUISA LUMMIS. Additionally, RYDER DESENBERG, HUNTER KOWALSKI, PETE BECHTOL, MICHAEL COWAN, JEFFREY PAINE, CADE LUEDDE. ARDEN ONANIAN, NICK VOGELEY, LINDSEY MCKONE, and other SJS friends were in attendance to celebrate the Kensingers! Sweet pup Chula joined in the fun, too!

ClassNotes

CLASS OF 2021 After graduating with honors in May from the United States Military Academy West Point, CAMERON GARLAND was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. Cameron branched Aviation and headed to Fort Rucker, AL, for helicopter flight training.

Cameron Garland ’21 at his graduation ceremony from West Point, along with Army classmate Wyatt Cyprow ’22.

CLASS OF 2022 ZOE HIRSHFELD zoehirsh@gmail.com

WYATT CYPROW was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army following his May graduation from the United States Military Academy West Point in May. Graduating summa cum laude, Wyatt branched Infantry and will be joining the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.

ClassNotes

CICI CALHOUN and her Rice teammates won the AAC Championship Track & Field Meet

SJS ALUMS AT RICE GRADUATION Top row (l-r): Rahul Lal, Jackson Harvey, Alexander Grenier, Vikram Shah, Nyla Hartigan, Caroline Thames, Ayush Suresh ’21, and Stefan Gustafson Bottom row (l-r): Indrani Maitra, Max Stith, Mia Baumann, and Cici Calhoun

InMemoriam MARILYN FLAITZ ANDREWS ’56 JEROME “JERRY” C. AXELROD ’59 DAVID J. BONIUK ’80 KATHERINE BOMAR CHILDS ’73 HART L. GOODRICH ’74 WILLIAM “ED” EDWARD HILL III ’65 FRANN GORDON LICHTENSTEIN ’65 SAMUEL “MAURICE” MCASHAN III ’60 LENOX M. REED

Former Trustee VINCENT REYES ’24 ROBERT “BOB” D. STRAUS, JR. ’60 CARL A. WHITE

Former Faculty

Update - cover - 17.2 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 9/30/26 10:30 AM Page 2

2026

OCTOBER SJS vs Kinkaid Football Game Friday, Oct. 30 5:30 p.m. | Family Picnic 7:00 p.m. | Kickoff Hosted at The Kinkaid School

DECEMBER College Age Tea Thursday, Dec. 17 | 11:30 a.m. The Quad Close out the year with cocoa, kolaches, classmates and teachers - just in time for the holiday season.

The Alumni Magazine of St. John’s School 713.850.0222

Head of School DANIEL J. ALIG

Alumni Events

Director of Advancement DAWSEY ROMERO VOLUME 88

2027

Writers & Contributors

Young Alumni Happy Hour with Kinkaid & EHS Thursday, Jan. 28 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Location TBA

Inaugural SJS Alumnae Event Wednesday, Feb. 10 | 8:45 a.m. Chao Family Assembly Hall Join us for the Inaugural SJS Alumnae Event. Stay tuned for more details.

WHO AM I? HELP US IDENTIFY THESE “MYSTERY ALUMNI” If you know who these students are, please contact alumni@sjs.org. Thank you!

MARCH Phonathon Tuesday, Mar. 23 | 6:00 p.m Flores Hall

Senior Designer JIM CUNNINGHAM Jim Cunningham Design

Special thanks to the numerous parents, alumni, students, faculty, and staff who contributed to this issue.

Alumni Weekend Apr. 9-10

Save the Date

Our Mission Statement

Template Design ELLEN PEEPLES CREGAN ’81 Cregan Design

APRIL

FALL 2026

Editor-in-Chief LISA ARAGÓN-STOKES

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

alumni@sjs.org

WHO AM I SPRING 2026 MRS. CAROLYN CLARE’S CLASS 2 HOMEROOM

Identified by CANDY CLARE KNUDSON ’63 and FRED HEYNE ’62 Many thanks to NANCY GREENWOOD RIDDLE ’62 for submitting this photo.

Update - cover - 17.2 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 9/30/26 10:30 AM Page 1

S T .

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 9081

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, Texas 77019-5897

Volume 88

J O H N ’ S

S C H O O L

UPDATE Graduation • Alumni Profile • Class Notes

Military-Bound Mavericks

Fall 2026