Class NOTES
Advisory Council for Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming.
other books about the Jersey Shore, with publication expected in 2017.
Lawrence Gubas recently published his third book since his retirement. “It is an 890-page book with 2,000plus illustrations on the subject of photographic history, Zeiss, and photography,” he said. “It’s truly my magnum opus and an exercise in fighting Alzheimer’s. It can be found in the Xavier library.” John Hackett and his wife, Carol, spent time with Dan Cronin while traveling in San Diego. Dr. Albert Rosa has published the eighth edition of his textbook, The Analysis and Design of Linear Circuits. He continues to give lectures on professional ethics and lifelong learning. Victor Vilece qualified for the USTA National Tennis Championships for 65-plus (8.0) men’s doubles with a team from Baltimore County. The tournament was held in Surprise, Arizona, on April 1. 1960 Dr. Robert Weierman retired in September 2012 and is now volunteering one day a week at the Bethel Free Clinic in Biloxi, Mississippi. He and his wife, Teresa, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with a trip to Maui in October. 1962 Fabio Fernandez moved to Castle Rock, Colorado, near the United States Air Force Academy, in March 2015. Rocco Iacovone just released his latest CD of original compositions, Embrace the Change, on the Unseen Rain Records label. The CD features the Rocco John Quartet.
1963
Rick Geffken published his first book, The Story of Shrewsbury, Revisited 1965-2015, in November 2015. He and his co-author (Shrewsbury, New Jersey Mayor Don Burden) updated the history of one of the original Monmouth County townships, founded in 1663. Geffken is currently researching two
1964 Gene Capello is president of the Fair Housing Justice Center in New York. B. Michael Kulikowski and his wife have retired. They are moving to San Antonio, Texas, this spring. 1965 Michael Abbene has joined Schnucks Markets, a major Midwest grocery chain based in St. Louis, as a wine consultant. He continues to teach in the MBA program at Saint Louis University and volunteer at the Saint Louis Zoo. 1966 Ray Dittrich, who recently welcomed his 10th grandchild, is retired and living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Gary S. Horan, president and CEO of Trinitas Health and Regional Medical Center, was awarded the New Jersey Hospital Association’s 2016 Distinguished Service Award during the NJHA’s 97th Annual Meeting on January 29. “When you do something you love, you never just ‘go to work.’ You go to your passion. Healthcare management has been my passion for 44 years,” Horan said. Jim Wickersty and his wife, Renee, are enjoying retirement in Elk Township, New Jersey. “My wife and I live in a lake community and are able to canoe, swim, and sometimes ice skate right in our own backyard,” he said. “We enjoy spending time with our four grandchildren and are in good health.” 1968 In 2015, James Mantle retired after 42 years as a respiratory therapist. His son, Patrick, is a photojournalist and video editor for News 12 Long Island.
Noel Shu ’10
Alumni Profile NOEL SHU ’10 When Noel Shu ’10 arrived at West Point in 2010, he envisioned a life in the military—but then life intervened. When his father’s health declined, Shu was called upon to take over the family import-export business in China. He withdrew from West Point, ultimately completing his undergraduate degree at Columbia University. He soon discovered a thirst for entrepreneurship, attending the Gemological Institute of America and starting his own jewelry company, NJS Jewels. “The main focus of the company is on designing and creating expensive pieces, sometimes in the multimillion dollar range, that act as both an investment and a personal statement,” he said. The company focuses on Chinese clientele, necessitating frequent travels to China. “I saw that my weakness was my inexperience and lack of education in wine,” Shu recalled of his early business trips. He decided to attend an intensive sommelier course—the birth of another business venture. “As time went on, I noticed that there was a massive untapped market in China,” he said. “I delved back into the world of wine and was offered the managing partner position at Prodiguer Brands, one of the premier luxury spirits companies.” Prodiguer is known for creating the world’s most expensive champagne, priced at $1.8 million per bottle. During his short career, Shu has already been featured in Forbes. Last year, he hobnobbed with Jack Ma of Alibaba at a dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This year, Shu will release a book, China Through a Glass of Wine, and a new line of wine, “Regale Ruby.” He’s even shopping for his own vineyard. So what’s next? “I still have much to accomplish before I can be deemed as having achieved success,” he said. “The goal right now is to just focus on my career while slowly building up my name and reputation, both in the U.S. and in China.“
Mathew J. Mari will celebrate his 40th anniversary as an attorney this year as well as his third anniversary as host of The Mathew Mari Show on WVOX Radio. Jerry Capeci ’61 and John Iannuzzi ’52 were the first two guests on the show. Jim Wickersty ’66
Gary Horan ’66
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