CLASS NOTES
Hitting It Out of the Park On August 27 at Fenway Park, Dave Perini ’55 and his wife, Eileen, received the 2013 Boston Red Sox Jimmy Fund Award, the Jimmy Fund’s highest honor. This award recognizes the work they have done over the past 20 years with Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund to help cancer survivors cope with the physical and emotional aftermath of their treatments. In 1993, Dave and Eileen founded the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of The Perini clan at Fenway Park (l to r): Andrea Perini, Jennifer Perini, Eileen Perini, Quinn Perini, Life Clinic, named in memory of their son who died Tom Driscoll, Finn Cunningham, David Driscoll, Bill Driscoll (kneeling), Eli Driscoll, Stella Perini, Nell at age 26 after an eight-year battle with cancer. The Cunningham, Olivia Perini, David Perini, Kristin Perini, Tim Perini, and Patricia Perini. And Wally, of clinic has become a national model for the treatment course. Family members missing from the photo are Meave Cunningham and Lily Cunningham. of pediatric cancer survivors. In 2004, the Perini Survivor Center was established to treat adult survivors of cancer. The award ceremony at Fenway Park highlighted the Perini family’s long history with Dana-Farber, beginning with Dave’s father, Lou Perini, who established the Jimmy Fund in 1947 through his ownership of the National League Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves). “It was a great thrill and privilege for us to receive this award and it was especially meaningful because we were accompanied by our four children, their spouses, and eight of our ten grandchildren,” said Dave.
retiring, they set out in their motorhome for the West Coast, with a plan to see as many National Parks as they could. Since then, they have crossed the country several times, each time visiting relatives along the way. In 2010, they sold their home of 23 years in Beverly and hit the road again in a new 40’ Tiffin Allegro bus. “We are still traveling and loving every minute. We have no regrets about doing what we are doing, since we get to see family members we would not get to see if we had stayed put,” he says. In Massachusetts, they stay with eldest son, Christopher ’91, in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Son Michael lives in Westchester County, NY, and the youngest, Charles A. IV, is planning to move from Los Angles to San Francisco. They have two grandchildren – Aaron, 10, in Massachusetts, and Ava, 3, in New York. When they’re not traveling, they settle down in Titusville, FL, where they own an RV lot. “We have met so many wonderful people during our travels, and have made many lasting friendships.” Carl Panza loved every bit of his 50th reunion at the Prep and still can’t believe it was four years ago! “That same year, my wife and I were invited to the North Cambridge Catholic High reunion. I had gone to St. John’s grammar school and
Nancy and Carl Panza at her North Cambridge Catholic High School reunion.
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www.stjohnsprep.org
NCCH was the extension to the grammar school. My Catholic education was the best ever. It was a little tiny nun named Sister Mary Ralph that convinced my mother and father to make me go to St. John’s Prep. It was the best decision my parents ever made. It was life changing,” he says. Since then he has welcomed three grandchildren: his son’s two daughters, Hero and Indigo, and his daughter’s son Leonardo. “As you can see the old names are out and the new names are in,” he reports. Life is busy with his re-election to the Keene School Board and his work as a consultant for a large electric motor repair company. His wife of 50 years, Nancy, is busy in real estate. “Our plate is full and exciting as we get older. We don’t particularly need the money, however, it is good to buffer one’s savings with a little extra income. What’s really important is keeping the mind well-lubricated. It gives a purpose to life. Life is boring only to boring people.” Poet, playwright, journalist and blogger Bill Costley is featured in the recently published “Paperback Island,” a collection of literary essays, history and biographies. The essay on Bill is called “The Bill Free Library.” Published by Arts End Books in Dover, VT, the collection can be found online at www.marshallbrooks.com. George Christian writes that he and his wife, Ann, had a nice visit with Bonnie and Bud Rickus, who were on their way back to their home in Erie, PA, from Bonnie’s annual tennis visit to Florida. Bonnie and Bud took the ferry across the James River to Williamsburg, where they treated Ann and George to lunch at the Blue Talon Bistro. “Great fun,” says George. “Bud is going to try to get a 55th reunion organized. Stay tuned.” Ann and George are blessed with two new grandchildren. Little Emily was born to their youngest son, Mark, and his wife, Mandy, in Canberra Australia. Mark has a company there where he produces
online training for customers in Australia and New Zealand. Their fifth grandchild, Theodore George Christian, was born in Falls Church, VA, in April. “All is well. My best to the great class of 1959.”
’60
Jack Hayes says life has been busy since his Prep 50th reunion. Self-described perpetual students, he and his wife are involved in a number of seminars at the University of Maine, Bates and Bowdoin, most of them on Asia and the Middle East. He keeps in e-contact with Tom Dennen, Bill McDonald, Dick Morse, Joe Albiani, and John Doyle. Travel is a big part of life for Jack, who worked in Moscow, and took part in an archaeological dig in Guatemala shortly after graduating from the Prep. Recent trips have taken him to China, Italy, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Guatemala. This fall, he took his wife out for a “genuine Turkey dinner – pida in Istanbul – as recommended by Bill McDonald,” he writes. Tom Dennen is doing a 13-part series on environmentalism for DeenTV in Durban. South Africa (deentv.co.za), where he lives. After retiring in 2005 and prompted by the global economic crisis of 2008, Tom wrote three books on economic history that are being used at Rhodes and other universities in South Africa. He also wrote a children’s book called “The Animal General Meeting,” with illustrations by none other than classmate Jack Hayes. Bill McDonald reports that he has no plans to retire from teaching at Georgetown University yet. He and his wife, Irene, spent three weeks this summer with their two granddaughters at his daughter’s family beach house in Orient, NY. He continues to take horseback riding lessons, “deluding himself,” he says, into thinking that since virtually all the equestrian athletes in the Olympics are males over 50 he still has a chance to make it in 2016 in Brazil. He hopes to