CLASS NOTES In recognition of the effort our Maryland BRs have made to come to our Virginia breakfasts, the Northern Virginia IHOP Breakfast Crew had a class of 1981 brunch at a Maryland IHOP on Jan. 26. The NOVA IHOP Crew (Jeff Adler, Jerry Manley, K.C. O’Neil, Ken Herbert, Grover Outland and Joe Provenzano) drove up to Bowie, MD (just off the D.C. Beltway), to meet with Tom Albro and John Ferry (who drove down from southern New Jersey) for pancakes and eggs. A great time was had by all. At the end of the breakfast, Ken Herbert announced that he would be visiting our ailing BR, Bobby “Coke” Savage, in Norfolk, so an impromptu collection was gathered up for Ken to deliver to Bobby and Glynis at the hospital. Bogey Bogart is looking for his next assignment. It looks like he will be at Fort Eustis, near Williamsburg. His wife, Susan, will be staying in Colorado, so he will be a geographic bachelor for about a year. He is expecting to report the first week of April. If anyone knows of a studio apartment (above-the-garage deal – something real economical), he would be greatly appreciative for the lead. He expects he will be working early mornings and late nights and doing lots of travel. Dave Taylor proposes an idea for our 35th anniversary of Breakout ’81 centered on the “Tough Mudder” events. More details will be coming out later on this. John Locher sadly reported that Jeff “Wiver” White’s father passed away the first weekend in December. Funeral services were held Dec. 4 in Lynchburg, VA. On Dec. 7, Mike Shupp underwent major surgery to replace three disks in his neck. By the time you read this, he should be well on the way to recovery. The surgery went very well. A big thank you to Jerry Manley for helping Mike’s wife, Sherrye, in the waiting room. Jim Frishkorn sadly reported that John Holloway’s father, Duane Holloway ’51, passed away. Judge Gordon Duane Holloway of York County died on Dec. 11, 2012. He was born Jan. 10, 1931, in Newport News to Robert S. Holloway and Helen Amory Holloway of Poquoson. Judge Holloway is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia Grier Holloway; their four sons and their respective wives; and seven grandchildren. Judge Holloway graduated from Poquoson High School as senior class president in 1947, having won letters in football and basketball; from the Virginia Military Institute in 1951 with a degree in history; and from William and Mary Marshall Wythe School of Law with a BCL in 1955. In 1957, Judge Holloway was appointed as a substitute county judge for York County. In 1959, he was elected commonwealth’s attorney for York County and took office on Jan. 1, 1960, at the age of 28, the youngest attorney to hold that
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position in Virginia. He resigned as commonwealth’s attorney in 1971 and ran unsuccessfully for the state senate in the Democratic primary against William Fears. Gov. Mills Godwin appointed Holloway to serve on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission from 1968-72 and on the Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission, which he served from 1975-80, including two years as chairman. In 1980, Holloway was elected by the general assembly to serve as a circuit court judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. He served two years as chief judge of the circuit, and he retired Jan. 1, 1995. Mat Merriman reports that, since retiring from the Navy after 30 years of commissioned service, he is working for Paul Boulden at Appendix R Solutions in Innsbrook, VA. He has an apartment nearby, as well as maintaining his home in Augusta, GA. As both his children are away at college, his wife, Robin, has been spending about 50-75% of her time in Richmond with him. He has now officially joined the antics of the Richmond Alumni Association. Mike and Tonya Hatfield report that the Hatfield clan has gone from one to seven grandchildren rather rapidly. They went from one to six in one year! Their second daughter, Katharine, married Gilberto Tirado and had a daughter, Hannah Lynn, on Aug. 24, 2011. This was exactly one year to the day since their first daughter, Elizabeth, had their first grandchild, Abigail Elyse. Katharine also inherited four stepchildren and this past Oct. 22 had a baby boy, Brayden Michael. (Yes, he is named after Michael.) So, they are kept quite busy. Michael is working for a firm out of Ohio called Cocca Development and also has his own business, Hatfield Engineering, Inc. They report life is good in Florida. Their daughter, Katharine, and her clan live in Florida, as well, and Mike and Tonya get to Virginia a couple times a year to see Elizabeth and her family. I am sorry to share that Clarkson Meredith’s mother passed away the beginning of November in Norfolk. Gabe and Lotte Mastrobuono share that all is well. Gabe earned his certified financial planner designation in 2012. Their family is living in southern New Jersey. Tim and Kim Nitz have gone through a very difficult time. Feb. 5, Tim gave a beautifully faithful eulogy for his sister, Joan Nitz Ackermann, who died unexpectedly the week before, after years of medical challenges, while she cared for their father in his twilight years. Jeff and Cindy Gill and Mike Denton attended the service at St. Benedict Catholic Church. Tim’s and Joan’s father, Mr. Gerald Nitz, sat quietly up front in a wheelchair. Tragically, Mr. Nitz also passed away on the funeral night of his youngest child, Tim’s sister. I am overwhelmed
relaying this news. Tim knew the dangerous strain his aged dad was under, and Tim has a strong Christian faith and is bearing up well, but he surely needs to feel the support of his Brother Rats now. Gerald F. Nitz died Feb. 6, 2013. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Nitz; wife, Ruth Holsten Nitz; brother, Robert Nitz; and daughter, Joan Nitz Ackermann. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Peggy A. Nitz. Also surviving are his children, 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Jerry was born in North Chicago, IL, on March 13, 1931. He attended Lake Forest College and served in the U.S. Air Force. For over 25 years, he was employed in the family business, E.A. Holsten Inc., as vice president. He started the Divine Mercy Cenacle at St. Benedict’s Parish where he had been actively involved. Services were held on Feb. 9 at St. Benedict’s Church, Richmond, VA.
’82
Charles Kause
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well That, for all they care, I can go to hell, But on earth indifference is the least We have to dread from man or beast. How should we like it were stars to burn With a passion for us we could not return? If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me. Admirer as I think I am Of stars that do not give a damn, I cannot, now I see them, say I missed one terribly all day. Were all stars to disappear or die, I should learn to look at an empty sky And feel its total dark sublime, Though this might take me a little time. — W.H. Auden, “The More Loving One” What always takes me a little time is to generate this quarterly note, especially when I have had an action-packed three months of labor, loss and love. On the eve of my deadline, Russia was attacked by a meteorite, and the good ship Earth came within 17,000 miles of being schwacked by an asteroid. So, perhaps, opposites attract, or celestial bodies find one another across the trackless emptiness of time and distance. The Mayan calendar ended with a whimper, but only because they ran out of stone. The Pope quits his day job but builds
VMI ALUMNI REVIEW
