Class Notes

Class Notes 1930s GRACE (BOWSER) ROSENBERGER ’38 is 92 years young and she thanks Thiel and the class agents for the class news she receives. Rosenberger is looking forward to the next alumni update. JOANNA (BRADEN) SCHOTT ’38 sends greetings from Washington, Pa. REV. DAVID H. SCHMID ’50 and his wife, Evelyn, live in Plantation, Fla. Schmid is a retired pastor of St. Stephen Church of Pompano Beach, Fla. He is currently in the nursing home section of Covenant Village Retirement Community. ROBERT “DUKE” VANDEGRIFT ’50 lives in South Park, Pa. His wife of 55 years, Patricia, passed away in December 2006. He has three daughters, five grandchildren and one great granddaughter. JOHN ’51 and SANDRA (SUTTLES) DONALDSON ’53 live in Lake Forest, Calif. He has published a book, “The Accidental All Star and Related Stories.” Donaldson writes, “It is essentially an autobiography which describes how I got into Thiel and how I met Sandra there.” DR. MICHAEL LADO ’51 and his wife, Nancy, have homes in Schuylkill Haven, Pa. and Citrus Springs, Fla. Lado is a retired ob-gyn physician. DR. CARMIE (PERROTTA) LEWIS ’51 moved to Fairfield, Ohio to be near her daughter, son-in-law and grandson. She was awarded the title of professor emeritus of Suffolk County Community College in New York. She lives near a magnificent library where she enjoys many activities, including musical programs, a book discussion club and advanced computer classes. JOAN (KENNEDY) MATSON ’53 is a retired school nurse who lives in Brookville, Pa. She reports, “At my age, each day is good news.” She has seven grandchildren. CAROLYN (KECK) REDIC ’53 lives in Normal, Ill. Her husband, Jim, is in a nursing home. She receives a great deal of support from family, church members, friends and her pet doberman. She enjoys many hobbies. ROBERT WETZLER ’54 is an ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Award Winning Composer—for 41 consecutive years. Congratulations! RALPH W. BAKER ’57 lives with his wife, Ruth, in Gettysburg, Pa. and they have three children and five grandchildren. Ralph enjoys playing golf and wood-working. He also works part-time as a tour guide and conductor on the Gettysburg Railroad. KENNETH BASH ’57 lives with his wife, Joyce, in Scottsdale, Ariz. He has received the Thiel Distinguished Alumni Award, the Service to Thiel Award and the Harry Harwick Award. He enjoys golfing, traveling and serving on various church boards. They have four children and six grandchildren. THE REV. DR. JAMES ’57 and CHARLOTTE (McCULLOUGH) BENNETT ’57 have three children and seven grandchildren. They live in Aiken, S.C. James enjoys travel, church music and teaching and is an interim pastor. Charlotte is a Stephen Ministry leader, Web site manager for Southwestern Texas Synod, English tutor, and Meals on Wheels helper. She enjoys traveling internationally and her book club. JACKIE (SHRIFT) BRICKNER ’57 lives in North Huntingdon, Pa. Her husband, C. RICHARD BRICKNER ’57, has been deceased since 1997. They have two children and five grandchildren. Jackie enjoys spending time with family, golf and church activities, especially choir and hand bells. ROBERT “CHICK” DANSAK ’57 lives in North Huntingdon, Pa. with his wife, Jean. They have two children and one grandchild. He enjoys reading, sporting events and gettogethers with Thiel friends. WILLIAM ’57 and PATRICIA (SPADAFORE) EWALD ’57 live in Ashland, Va. where she owns a book store, Bell Book & Candle. 1940s LLOYD GREENFIELD ’40 lives in a retirement home, Arbor Glen, in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was married to BETTY (SLATER) GREENFIELD ’40, who passed away in 1998. Greenfield was in the Coast Guard during World War II as a yeoman, first class. He worked for G.C. Murphy Company for 42 years, retiring in 1980, and worked as a real estate agent until 1992. HELEN (RALSTON) CLARK ’41 and her husband, R. Lloyd Clark, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on August 15, 2007. They have two daughters, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. The Clarks live in Greenville, Pa. JAMES WARD ’42 lives in Hermitage, Tenn. He misses his wife, Grayce. “We were married over 50 years without a fight.” BENJAMIN C. LOVERIDGE ’43 and his wife, Margaret, have homes in Okemos Mich. and N. Fort Myers, Fla. They plan to return to Ann Arbor, Mich. in March for their 60th wedding anniversary. CHARLES and AGNES (McDONALD) PETERSON ’43 have been married for 63 years. They have three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Charles is a former member of Thiel’s Board of Trustees and the Alumni Board. He retired as manager for export sales of the Chemical Division of Lordcorp in Erie, Pa., where the couple live. Agnes is a retired teacher. WESLEY ’49 and NANCY (CARPENTER) ARMSTRONG ’47 live in a condo at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Home in Poland, Ohio. Honor Circle Alumni CLASS REUNION 1950s JANET (FALCK) GEBERT ’50 lives at St. Paul Homes in Greenville, Pa. in a house across the street from TOM ’50 and JEAN (BARTHOLOMEW) HODGE ’50. 36 The Bell • Fall 2007 Front Row: Bruce Redfoot, Jackie (Shrift) Brickner, Charlotte (McCullough) Bennett, Jan Mullin McRoberts, Helen McCullough Hopkinson, William Stewart; Back Row: Kenneth Bash, John Harman, Jim Bennett—all of the Class of 1957. Class Notes CAROL LYNN (McLACHLAN) HAGANS ’57 lives in Harvard, Ill. with her husband, Earl. They have five children and four grandchildren. Hagans spends her time taking care of her children and babysitting grandchildren. RONALD HANNA ’57 loves working on a friend’s horse ranch. He has three children and two grandchildren. Hanna lives in Simi Valley, Calif. THE REV. JOHN HARMAN ’57 and his wife, Stephanie, live in Greensburg, Pa. They have two children and six grandchildren. Harman has retired from pastoring and now spends his time enjoying his grandchildren and other activities, including traveling, trying to keep up an old Bedford County farm and his church choir. He also serves on the boards of the national Lincoln Highway Association and several community-service agencies. IRMA (CARLSON) HOOD ’57 and her husband, A. Wallace, have three sons and five grandchildren. They live in Mount Vernon, Ohio where Hood enjoys church and interchurch activities, golf, needlework and miniature dollhouses. She is also a volunteer at the historical society. HELEN “MICKIE” (McCULLOUGH) HOPKINSON ’57 and her husband, Bob, who attended Thiel in 1956–57, live in Irwin, Pa. After 33 years as a teacher (“and living to tell about it” she writes), she enjoys golf, reading, baking, music and volunteering. NANCY (EBBERT) KALISH ’57 and her husband, Edward, have three children and four grandchildren and they live in Raleigh, N.C. Kalish enjoys bowling, walking and volunteering. DORIS (WECAS) LARSON ’57 is purchasing manager at Clark Laboratories. She and her husband, William, live in McKeesport, Pa. THE REV. G. RICHARD LINDERMAN ’57 and his wife, Dorothy, live in Philadelphia, Pa. They have two children and four grandchildren. He is active at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation. BETTY (COOK) LONGIOTTI ’57 has one son and one grandson. Longiotti lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., where she is self-employed as a craftsman. She is active in church activities and she does workshops and programs on gems, jewelry-making and other crafts. Longiotti enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, reading, needlework and going to concerts, plays and UNC basketball games. LOIS (MARTEENY) MALE ’57 lives in Reston, Va. She has three children and five grandchildren. She continues to work part-time at a preschool, is active in church and community endeavors, and enjoys gardening, reading and traveling. MYRTIE LOU (LEWIS) MANES ’57 has four children and two grandchildren. She has received several awards for teaching as well as the Thiel Distinguished Alumni Award. Her favorite activities are reading and antiquing. JAN (MULLIN) McROBERTS ’57 and her husband, JAMES ’58, live in Nesquehoning, Pa. They have four children and 11 grandchildren. Retirement activities include P.E.O., seniors group, volunteer driver, swimming, travel, entertaining and grandparenting. RICHARD W. MOORE ’57 and his spouse, Joan, live in Erie, Pa. They have two children and four grandchildren. After retiring as a chemistry teacher, Moore enjoys boating and antique/classic cars. MARY JANE (WICK) NELSON ’57 lives in Camp Hill, Pa. She has two children and one grandson. Nelson stays busy with church choir, church hand bell choir, church quilting group and gardening. JOHN PIAI ’57 and his spouse, Elaine, live in Beachwood, Ohio. They have three children and six grandchildren. Piai continues his passion for athletics in his retirement activities, which include football coaching, working at a golf course, playing golf and traveling. BRUCE E. REDFOOT ’57 and his wife, Carol, have three daughters and four grandchildren. They live in Baldwinsville, N.Y. Redfoot remains active in Lutheran Ministries and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. He also travels for Habitat for Humanity. LINDA (RUPPEL) SMITH ’57 lives in Martinsburg, Pa. She has two children and two grandchildren. Smith is active in church and community volunteer activities, including church choir, church council, Christian Education, borough council, library and Gideon’s. DAVID W. SNYDER ’57 lives in Bay Village, Ohio. He has two children and two grandchildren. His retirement activities include golf, tennis, bridge, stamp collecting and reading. MARY “MOLLY” (MEHRTEN) STICKLEY ’57 and her husband, David, have five children and 14 grandchildren. They live in Scottdale, Pa. Stickley works part-time, coaches Bible Quiz teams and loves to travel. SARA “SALLY” (MILLER) STRAIT ’57 and her spouse, Robert, lives in North Huntingdon, Pa. They have five children and nine grandchildren. Strait enjoys world-wide travel and hand bell choir. LENORA “LEE” (SHAFFER) STULL ’57 and her husband, Jack, live in Waterford, Pa. They have three sons. Stull is a retired landlady. THE REV. JOHN “JACK” ’57 and BARBARA (SCHERBA) TIMM ’60 have two children, two grandchildren and one great grandchild. They live in Bedford, Pa. Jack published a philosophical theology book, “The Earth Incident: God’s Affair with our Home Planet.” He is a Sunday worship supply pastor and a woodworker at Old Bedford Village. The couple also enjoys traveling. ANNE (PATTERSON) VALESKY ’57 and her husband, Richard, live in Atlantic, Pa. They have nine children, 23 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Her favorite retirement activities include spending 1962 & 1972 Joyce (Simpson-Weller) Kasiara ’72 and Magdaline (Dozer) Frazier ’62 CLASS REUNION The Bell • Fall 2007 37 Class Notes time with her family (especially their annual vacation at Outer Banks, N.C.), writing and church activities. THE REV. RALPH WALTER ’57 and his wife, Priscilla, live in Essex, Mass. They have two children. Their retirement activities include supply preaching, traveling, photography and creative writing. THOMAS WHIELDON ’57 and his spouse, Roseann, have two sons and four grandchildren. They live in The Colony, Texas. The Whieldons enjoy traveling and have been on 11 cruises. They love being able to see their grandchildren on a regular basis. DICK WILT ’57 and his wife, Dianne, live in Mendon, Mass. They have two children and four grandchildren. JAMES S. DELO ’58 and his wife, Martha, live in Morgantown, W.Va. He is a professor emeritus at West Virginia University. They have four children and eight grandchildren. ROBERT E. FISCHER ’59 and his wife, Betsy, live in Greenville, Pa. Fischer is a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences master gardener and a member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers and a life member of Medical Group Managers Association. MARY (CLARK) GALLAGHER ’59 and her husband, Paul, have homes in Cincinnati, Ohio and Fort Myers, Fla. They travel extensively, and have been to all of the U.S. states and Canadian provinces. They have seen all seven continents—they made it to Antarctica in December 2006. THE REV. RICHARD and JOAN (RICH) STOUGH ’59 live in Coopersburg, Pa. Richard is serving as part-time pastor of St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Center City in Allentown, Pa. and is publisher and editor of a small business, King Publications. Class of 1968 RANDY SLOAN is now living in Lake Chapala, Mexico, about 25 miles south of Guadalajara. He first came to the area in November 2006 and bought a house there in March. Sloan also owns a home in Puerto Vallarta where he plans to live most of the year with Lake Chapala serving as his summer home during Mexico’s rainy season. He is the former owner of some west coast business journals. Joan is a resident of Phoebe Home’s nursing center in Allentown. 1960s DR. JAMES R. DINGFELDER ’61 is a selfemployed physician. He and his wife, Judythe, live in Chapel Hill, N.C. and they have five children. REBECCA (ROGERS) JANOW ’61 has four daughters and five grandchildren. She lives in Plano, Texas and enjoys playing tennis and swimming. She teaches English as a second language. Janow and TOM LERCH ’59 recently visited Thiel and are friends with BOB ANDERSON ’59 and JOHN ’58 and DEE (BENSON) ’59 LEUENBERGER. THE REV. GEORGE E. KECK ’61 lives in Collegeville, Pa. with his wife, Betty. He is a retired Lutheran pastor and co-director of the Faith & Life Institute at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. DAVID M. MILLER ’61 and his wife, Ruth, gifted Mercer High School (Pa.) with a Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame in September 2007. Miller was inducted into the Mercer H.S. Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame three years ago. This year, he also celebrated the start of his 45th year of teaching at Thiel, making him the professor with the longest tenure in the College’s 142-year history. He serves as chairman of the Department of Business Administration & Accounting and is director of the Haller Enterprise Institute. DR. CAROLYN (STINEMAN) SCHROEDER ’61 lives in Lawrence, Kan. and she recently celebrated her 50th high school reunion in South Fork, Pa. She is looking forward to a North Carolina vacation with fellow Class of 1961 alumni, MARILYN (JOHNSTON) BROWN, BONNIE (YOUKERS) SOWERS, CAROLYN (NEIL) SHANER and MARTY (BURKETT) SCHMIDT. DR. LARRY MILLER ’62 and his wife, Mary Ann, live in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They enjoy travel and bird watching and have been to southeast Asia, Hawaii, Mexico and New Zealand. Miller is a professor emeritus at Queen’s University. CHARLES GEFRORER ’64 lives in Gradyville, Pa. He retired in 1998 and was inducted into his school district’s Hall of Fame in June 2007. Gefrorer has visited Thiel’s campus and marvels at the changes. He keeps in close contact with his Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers, DR. JIM BOCK ’64, DR. BRIAN McCAUGHEY ’65 and THE REV. ELTON GRUNDEN ’66. His travels have taken him to Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, South America and Central America. LINDA (YOUNG) MATHEWS ’64 has retired as elementary principal of Penn-Trafford 1977 & 1982 Shawn Brooks ’82 and Cynthia Leister Kelly ’77 CLASS REUNION 38 The Bell • Fall 2007 Class Notes School District. She was married in March 2007 and travels extensively across the country. She lives in Phoenix, Md. “This is what retirement should be!” she writes. “I would love to contact any alumni who live in the Baltimore area.” ROBERT PETRILLA ’64 is “now 70 and still going strong…can’t imagine retirement in my future…life is good!” He lives in Roosevelt, N.J., where he is an antiquarian bookseller and appraiser. Petrilla is a volunteer for local government and he travels, draws and paints, plays blues guitar and likes to work-out and trail-bike. DR. WILLIAM PFEIFER ’64 lives in Littleton, Colo. He was recently recalled to active duty with the Army, stationed in Landstuhl, Germany. Pfeifer has been a trauma surgeon for 30 years. He likes to hear classmates’ news and requests and says, “Keep the news flowing!” LINDA (RITTENOUR) BURNS ’65 and her husband, Robert, live in Upper Darby, Pa. Burns teaches nursing at Delaware County Community College. They have one son. DAVE REPACK ’65 and his wife, Nori, live in Summerton, S.C. on the shores of Lake Marian. Repack is a realtor who specializes in lakefront homes. He still rides a motorcycle and, yes, he’s been to Sturgis Run Bike Week in South Dakota. JOHN R. BRODY ’67 and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Ridge Manor, Fla. His primary interest is restoring and operating old model trains. CATHY (PFEIFFER) DORAN ’67 lives in Trussville, Ala. She has retired from Haslett Public Schools. DR. GARY ’67 and ELIZABETH (LOCKER) FINCKE ’68 live in Selinsgrove, Pa. where Gary is a professor of creative writing and director of the Writers Institute for Susquehanna University. Elizabeth retired from teaching in January 2007. The couple enjoys spending time with their three grandchildren, traveling and doing volunteer work. DR. BERNADETTE (MALINOWSKY) MARCZELY ’67 shares homes in Brecksville, Ohio and Conneaut Lake, Pa. with her husband, David. Marczely is a professor/attorney employed by Cleveland State University. GREGORY L. TAKACS ’67 lives in Rotonda West, Fla. He enjoys working out, riding his wave runner and staying in touch with fraternity brothers, KEN CARLSON ’67 and JOHN TODD ’65. A very busy guy, he is CAM manager for Lemon Bay Breezes Condo and a mortgage broker with Professional Mortgage Solutions, Inc. Takacs also does painting, lawn mowing and maintenance work; and he is a member of a local neighborhood watch. “In short, I try my best to ‘keep on rockin’ in the free world,” Takacs writes. “Cheers!” JAMES W. UMMER, ESQ. ’67, H’07 was one of seven attorneys at Rothman Gordon P.C to be named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for 2007. He was also selected by his peers to be included in the 2008 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” for trusts and estates law. Ummer and his wife, Janet, reside in Fox Chapel, Pa. Ummer is a former Thiel trustee and was the keynote speaker at this year’s Honors Convocation in October. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. DR. JACK M. WILSON ’67, H’04 is president of the University of Massachusetts. He has turned UMassOnline into one of the nation’s largest distance learning programs. JOSEPH ’68 and MARSHA (SAWYER) HARDIN ’68 live in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Joe has retired as a quality control engineer specialist while Marsha continues to work as a senior technical service manager for Class Notes policy n Please send us your news AFTER it has happened. Future events (for example, expected births or vacation plans) will not be listed. n News that appears in this issue arrived at the Alumni Office on or before October 2007. If your news was submitted after that date, it will appear in the next issue. News for Class Notes, Marriages and Births must be reported either by or with the explicit approval of the subject(s). Photos become the property of the alumni office and may not be returned. Reckitt Benckiser, Inc. The couple has four children and four grandchildren. They enjoy living in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. JOHN F. ROSS ’68 is retired from Youngstown City Schools. He lives in Boardman, Ohio. WILLIAM J. MITCHELL ’69 resides in Murfreesboro, Tenn. with his wife, Janice. Mitchell is a certified substance abuse counselor who works at the Alvin C. York Campus of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. He also enjoys writing and has completed and, as yet, unpublished “coming of age” novel, several short stories and a book of poetry. “Thanks to Thiel College—the older I get the more I realize how valuable my experiences were at Thiel in shaping me, my CLASS REUNION David M. P. Wilson, Carolyn Forbes, Barbara (Gregory) Sicz and Christine (Gregory) Powers 1992 The Bell • Fall 2007 39 Class Notes character and even my God-chosen career path,” Mitchell writes. “Not bad for an English major who struggled through Dr. Pedicord’s English classes, huh?” BARBARA (GERMOND) FARISHIAN ’72 lives in McLean, Va. with her husband, Richard. Farishian is a dentist in Washington, D.C. JEANNE (KOTA) ROSSI ’72 received her Ph.D. from Cleveland State University in May 2006. (It was mistakenly reported in the spring issue of The Bell that Rossi received her M.Ed. on that date. We apologize for the error.) KEITH MYERS ’73, who lives in Woolrich, Pa., was promoted to national sales manager of the Woolrich Company in May 2007. JUDITH (MacWILLIAM) DOERNER ’74, state conservationist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service in Vermont, was presented with the Society President’s Leadership Award at the National Soil and Water Conservation Society’s 2007 Awards Program in Florida. Doerner lives with her husband, Karl, in Burlington, Vt. LORA (THUNELL) BOGDANY ’75 is environmental health and safety coordinator for County College of Morris in Randolph, N.J., and she continues to teach as an adjunct professor. Bogdany lives in Denville, N.J. JAMES DAVY ’75, recipient of Thiel’s Distinguished Alumni Award during Homecoming 2007, provides management consulting to county and local governments, nonprofits and businesses through his company, James M. Davy Associates LLC. He is also affiliated with the Alman Group, which does business development and government affairs work. Davy has written a book and is in the process of securing a publisher. He and his wife, Lucille, live in Pennington, N.J. DR. CHRISTINE (FRANTZ) HAMMOND ’77 has resigned as executive director of planning and administrative affairs at the Michigan State University College of Law and accepted a new position with Michigan State University. She is now senior project coordinator with the University’s initiative in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This job will provide new challenges and opportunities for international travel. Hammond lives with her spouse, Tom, in Okemos, Mich. JANE (CULLEN) MARSTELLER ’77 has three children and two grandchildren. She is a human services program specialist supervisor, working with the Office of Children, Class of 1977 1970s HARRY MATEER ’70 was named chief executive of Altier Credit Union in July 2007. He also serves on the Board of Community Health Charities in Arizona and was elected to the Association of Financial Professionals Top 300 for 2004–05. He and his wife, Pam, live in Mesa, Ariz. ANDREW CRAGO ’71 retired as director of shared services at Walt Disney World in April, 2007. He and his wife, Carol, live in Windermere, Fla. LYNNE (NORDENBERG) CRENNEY, ESQ. ’71 is director of family services for Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity, where she lives. DR. ROBERT D. CRUTCHFIELD ’71 has been a Schrag Fellow at the University of Washington, for the past three years. He and his wife, Susan, live in Seattle, Wash. MARK FUNKHOUSER ’71 is the mayor of Kansas City, Mo., where he lives with his wife, Gloria. He is in the process of writing a book covering international government auditing practices. TED SELBY ’71, a Fernandina Beach, Fla. resident is the current interim administrator for Nassau County. Selby has more than 21 years of operational management experience and retired from the Navy as a commander. MIKE BROWN ’72 recently retired from Redbank Valley High School, after 32 years of service in roles as administrator, athletic director, teacher and coach. He is currently head baseball coach at Clarion University and lives in Seminole, Pa. His daughter, CARI (BROWN) HARMON is a 2004 alumna of Thiel. ANDREW “TERRY” DUVALL ’72 and his wife, Anita, are living on Andros Island in the Bahamas, where they are teaching grades 6 through 8. The school is located on a military base on part of the sea called “TOTO” or The Tongue of the Ocean. They welcome visitors! 40 The Bell • Fall 2007 DAN PREKUP is employed as a construction manager for Fluor International and has been assigned to several reconstruction projects in Iraq, including the largest wastewater treatment facility in that country. Prekup met President George W. Bush and discussed his current Iraq project with him when the president visited the American Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, in June. Prekup’s wife, Marilyn, serves as the medical officer at the embassy. Prekup’s daughter, Amanda, and niece, Kelly Donovan, are currently enrolled at Thiel and are members of the class of 2008. Prekup was back on campus in August 2007 when his daughter moved in for her senior year. Youth and Families. Marsteller lives with her husband, Bryan, in York, Pa. (The alumni office apologizes for a reporting error in a previous magazine). THOMAS FRANTZ ’78 and his wife, Jane, live in Appleton, Wis. They have four children. Frantz is employed by the University of Wisconsin as a teacher and department administrator. He enjoys the production of video and other media programs, and has served on several campus committees. MARTHA “MERT” (ERHARD) HELLEIN ’78 and BRAD HELLEIN ’79 live in Kittanning, Pa. They have three children and their eldest daughter was married in June 2007. Mert teaches first grade and Brad is an attorney. BILL BUCHANAN ’79 is in his 20th year at the University of Pittsburgh where he manages the Pitt Men’s Study clinic. A former Thiel Choir member, Buchanan continues to sing and is in his 21st season with the Pittsburgh Opera as a chorister Class Notes and soloist. He also serves as chairperson for the local committee of the American Guild of Muscial Artists. 1980s DIANE CLARK ’80 has been appointed to the law firm of Edgar Snyder & Associates. She resides in Fox Chapel, Pa. JEFFRY MADURA ’80, chair of the department chemistry and biochemistry at Duquesne’s Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, was recognized with the University’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship at Duquesne’s annual convocation. LESLIE SHAFFER ’80 is director of new financial representative resources for the Miller Group of the Northwestern Financial Network. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M. RICHARD J. PARKS ’81 has joined the law firm of Pietragallo, Bosick & Gordon, LLP as a partner. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and Ohio and his office is in Sharon, Pa. He and his wife, Mary Ann, live in Greenville, Pa. DAN HILLS ’82 is a claims auditor II for Erie Insurance Company. He lives with his wife, Valerie, and their two children in Erie, Pa. DENISE M. (WATTON) LORENCE ’82 has been promoted to program supervisor for TRIPIL Services of Washington, Pa. She and her husband live in Carmichaels, Pa. CAROLE (LIS) MANCINI ’82 and her husband, Mario, live in Glenshaw, Pa. where she “continues to live vicariously through her children”—one is in graduate school at UCLA, one attends Washington & Lee University and the youngest is an active high school freshman. GREG RAMSEY ’82 works for Tri-Gen Tubes in Tonawanda, N.Y. He lives with his wife, Lynn, and their two children in Snyder, N.Y. STEVE FOLEY ’83 is vice president for technical services for Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. Steve and wife, Wendy, live in Antioch, Ill. and he encourages any alumni who reside in “Chicagoland” to get in touch with him. TRUDI L. JAMES ’85 retired from the Record-Argus newspaper in Greenville, Pa. in October 2005, after 20 years. She now owns and operates a convenience store in Sutton, W.Va., where she also lives. THE REV. KURT F. KUSSEROW ’85 was elected to a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in June. The synod assembly was held at Thiel College. He was installed on Oct. 20 in Pittsburgh. Kurt and his wife, PAMELA (ROYCE) KUSSEROW ’85, live in Allison Park, Pa. ROD WILT ’86 was welcomed back to Thiel’s Board of Trustees in January 2007, on which he previously served from 1998 to 2001. The former state representative for the 17th District is currently president and CEO of Winner Global LLC in Sharon, Pa. Wilt and his wife, Jill, live in Greenville, Pa. JEFFREY M. LANGFORD ’87 is a senior credit analyst for Allegheny Valley Bank of Pittsburgh. He and his family live in Allison Park, Pa. JAY ‘95 and KAREN (KOWALSKI) GOUL ’95 have moved to Monroe, Conn. where Jay is a partner in the national office of Deloitte and Touche. They have one son, Jacob. DANIEL M. ROTUNNO ’95 lives in Willowick, Ohio, where he is IT project leader for Parker Hannifin. MICHELLE (MYERS) CHRISTIE ’96 received her M.Ed. from Edinboro State University in spring 2007. She and her husband, Eric, live in Girard, Pa. GREG FOUTS ’96 is proud to celebrate 10 years in his career as a senior photogrammetric engineering technician for Kucera International, Inc. He lives in Kirtland, Ohio. AMY (COLIGAN) SAYLOR ’97 and SHANNON SAYLOR ’98 live with their two children in Chesterfield, Va. Amy is an account manager for LABCorp in Richmond, Va. and Shannon is a deputy U.S. Marshal. KELLY WELSH ’98 lives in Edgewood, Md. She is a teacher in the Baltimore City Public Schools. Welsh received her master’s degree in school counseling from George Mason University in May 2006. SHARON (SMILEK) KNOTT ’99 is a staff accountant for ESB Bank in Ellwood City, Pa. She and her husband, Jason, live in New Brighton, Pa. PHILLIP M. RODENBAUGH ’99 is the West Coast regional sales manager for Poweredaire Company. He lives with his wife, Maria, and two daughters in Sharon, Pa. 1990s LORI ANN SULLIVAN ’90 recently relocated to Lakeside, Mont., where she is director of human resources for Teletech, a customer management, business-process and database-marketing solutions firm. PATRICK J. DiPAOLO ’92 and his family live in Erie, Pa., where he is principal of East High School. DAMON J. DOHAR ’92 has been named assistant superintendent for human resources in the Youngstown, Ohio city schools. LAURA L. LORD ’92 lives in Alpharetta, Ga., where she is products accounting manager for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners. TIM O’DONNELL, D.C. ’93 graduated from Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic in June 2006. He is engaged to Dr. Natalie Kurylo and lives in Spartanburg, S.C. TRAVIS ROLAND ’93 has been named account representative for Garmin International GPS for the New England and New York City region. He recently transferred from the Navy Reserves to the Air Force Reserves, where he serves as an intelligence officer. In his “down time,” Roland coaches Little League baseball and enjoys fishing on his boat. He lives in Manchesterby-the-Sea, Mass. KATE (LANDERS) FELDHOUSE ’95 works for North State Bank. She and her family live in Clayton, N.C. The Bell • Spring 2007 41 2000s AMBER M. ALLEN ’00 resides in Nashville, Tenn. Her recent acting engagements included a Revlon commercial with Sheryl Crow that made its debut during this year’s Super Bowl and she was a scene extra in an upcoming movie starring Mariah Carey. (For more about Allen, see page 48.) MELISSA LEWIS ’00 is a research analyst for Representative Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She resides in Harrisburg, Pa. ARTHUR J. RAY ’00 lives with his wife, Emilie, in Cranberry Twp., Pa. and he is a market manager with Kforce Professional Staffing of Pittsburgh. The Bell • Fall 2007 41 Class Notes SHANNON M. GITTERMANN ’01 earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Memphis in August 2007. She lives in Memphis, Tenn. SEAN GONGAWARE ’01 works for PPG in Allison Park, Pa. He lives in Verona, Pa. SHAWN ’01 and JENNIFER (ROBERTSON) McWILLIAMS ’02 live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Shawn is an environmental construction supervisor for Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. Jennifer is working towards her master’s degree in elementary education at Carlow University and is employed as a teaching assistant at Northgate School District. CHRISSY TOTH ’01 teaches math at Ravenna High School and she lives in Austintown, Ohio. She is also head coach of varsity volleyball (seven years) and head coach of varsity softball (three years). KELLY (RHODES) ASTOR ’02 lives in Meadville, Pa. She earned her M.Ed. from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in spring 2007. SHANNA (LEIPHEIMER) BOSSLER ’02 lives in Mount Penn, Pa. with her husband, Joshua. She is assistant director of admissions for Alvernia College. JESSICA GHERING ’02 lives in Miami, Fla., where she is a speech pathologist at Jackson Memorial Hospital. JEFF LINN ’02 lives with his wife, Kateri, in Greenville, Pa. He is assistant director of admissions and assistant wrestling coach at Thiel. KRISTIE SMITH ’02 is a senior speechlanguage pathologist and coordinator for Medstar North graduate student program at Franklin Square Hospital Center in Baltimore, Md. She lives in Perry Hall, Md. SARA SNYDER ’02 is an osteopathic intern at Fireland Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio. She was featured in an article in the spring 2007 edition of Today’s D.O. magazine, published by Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, about a missionary trip that she and 30 of her classmates took a to Kenya in 2005 while she was a fourthyear medical student. MEGHAN M. SPEER ’02 lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she is a communications director at Eden Christian Academy. SHANNON L. STRANG ’02 lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where she is a loan officer for Liberator Mortgage. 42 The Bell • Fall 2007 JACQUALYN (HOUK) TEDESKI ’02 lives in Butler, Pa., with her husband, David. She is a marketing manager/office manager. BOB TUMPAK ’02 has accepted a position at New York University working in the admissions/IT department. AMBER (EISEL) CAROTHERS ’03 obtained a master’s degree in parks & recreation management, with a specialization in environmental education, from Slippery Rock University in December 2006. She lives with her husband, Jonathan, in York, Pa., where she is a park naturalist with the York County Department of Parks and Recreation. MELANIE A. FRIEND, ESQ. ’03 lives in Richmond, Va., where she is practicing family law with Cowan Gates, PC. She graduated from William & Mary School of Law in May 2006. JORDAN E. HART ’03 is a Spanish teacher with Union Area School District in New Castle, Pa. She plans to marry William Harris in June 2008. EMILY HARTMAN ’03 lives in Norfolk, Va., where she is the student activities coordinator at Tidewater Community College. JUSTIN KUHAR ’03 recently moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., from Illinois. He now is teaching in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. KATIE ELIZABETH STAMBAUGH ’03 earned her M.Ed. from Point Park University in May 2006. Stambaugh is a marketing representative for ITT Technical Institute in Youngstown, Ohio. She is engaged to be married in August 2008. JODIE A. BURR ’04 is a staff accountant at Butler Auto Auction and lives in Evans City, Pa. RYAN ’04 and MICHELLE (BLASKO) GLOYER ’04 were married in August 2005. Michelle is a teacher and Ryan is a sergeant in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan. He was selected as one of the recipients of the Young Alumni Award at Homecoming 2007. SHAUNA L. GONZALES ’04 lives in Tampa, Fla. and works in the electronic claims department for Bank of America. NICHOLAS B. LIAS ’04 is a senior data processing programmer for National Analysts Worldwide. He is engaged to MARY ELIZABETH CARPENTER ’06 who is an enrollment services specialist for the College of General Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. They both live and work in Philadelphia, Pa. SPC.ROBERT W. MITCHELL II ’04 graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. in the spring. MARGARET POULOS-GROSS ’04 recently returned from a trip to Israel with a group sponsored by Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. SAAD SAIT ’04 met up with fellow Thiel alumnus JOE NAIRN ’79 at an international student recruitment event at Pathways International School in Delhi, India. Nairn is the senior associate director of the Office of Parttime and Graduate Enrollment at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and Sait is assistant director of international admissions for Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. EMILIE THEOBALD ’04 is finishing her final year of studies for the Master of Divinity degree program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Recently, she completed a Horizon Internship program at Atonement Lutheran Church in Syracuse, N.Y. and she is currently serving as youth ministry director for Faith Lutheran Church. Theobald plans to marry MATTHEW ROWLANDS ’05 in July 2008. BETH A. DISANTIS ’05 lives in Freeport, Pa. She earned her M.S. in speech-language pathology from Clarion University in May 2007. ZACHERY GOODWIN ’05 is a management trainee in sales for Consolidated Electrical Distributors in White Hall, W.Va. ANYA LOUKIANOVA ’05 accepted a research associate position with the James Martin Center at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif., after completing her master’s degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. SCOTT ’05 and MARIAH (MATSON) LYKINS ’06 live in Erie, Pa. Scott plans to complete his master’s in science education in May 2008. Class Notes STEPHEN J. McHENRY ’05 works for Shaw Environmental, Inc. in Las Vegas, Nev. as a chemist and on-site auditor. EMILY J. WIERCINSKI ’05 is a valuations specialist with Single Source Property Solutions, an asset management company. She resides in Pittsburgh, Pa. ASHLEY D. HICKMAN ’06 recently finished a one-year internship at Ewing Brothers Funeral Home, Inc. in Carlisle, Pa. Hickman lives in Leechburg, Pa. and has accepted a funeral directorship at Fox Funeral Home in Saxonburg, Pa. AMY HOLZSHU ’06 is an admissions counselor for Thiel College and lives in Greenville, Pa. MEREDITH HURSH ’06 lives in Jamestown, Pa. and is a first grade teacher at Commodore Perry School. She is very “excited to get started and apply all that I learned at Thiel and through my experiences. Hard work and dedication can take you where you want to go.” EMILY MATEER ’06 is teaching kindergarten at a private school in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she also lives. ADAM ’06 and CASEY (RICHARD) MOELLER ’06 live in Lindenwold, N.J. Adam is an applications developer for Cardio Net in Conshohocken, Pa. Casey works for the Housing Authority of Gloucester County. LAURA NICKLIN ’06 is employed as a quality control chemist at Ciba Specialty Chemicals in Suffolk, Va. She recently had a research paper published in the journal Northeastern Naturalist, featuring the results and analysis of her independent study that she performed during her senior year at Thiel, under the direction of Dr. Michael Balas, professor of biology. ERIC REITER ’06 lives in Transfer, Pa. He is a credit analyst for First National Bank of Pennsylvania. GARRETT REYNOLDS ’06 lives in Burgettstown, Pa. and he does inside sales/ marketing for American Bridge. He notes that his boss “saw that I went to Thiel College and instantly wanted to get me in for an interview because his cousin was an English professor there for a while. Kind of weird the way things make a full circle.” KRISTARA ABRAMS ’07 was recognized for excellence in chemistry by the Society for Analytical Chemistry of Pittsburgh. HEATHER ANDRAKE ’07 of Cochranton, Pa. works for Comprehensive Children & Family Services in Meadville, Pa. as a therapeutic support services staff member. ERIN L. BETZ ’07 is pursuing her M.A. in religious studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa. KYLE BROWN ’07, a four-time Academic All-American, earned All-American honors at the 2007 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in Iowa. He graduated with degrees in physics and mathematics, and is teaching high school math in Maryland. ANTHONY CANCRO ’07 is a graduate student and teaching assistant in the biology department at Duquesne University. He lives in Greensburg, Pa. WHITNEY CRAIG ’07 will attend the University of St. Augustine’s in the dual degree option program in January 2008. She will be studying for a master of occupational therapy and doctor of physical therapy. Craig is from Pittsburgh, Pa. She is pictured with CAROL (DETAR) JONES ’75, academic advisor and supplemental instruction coordinator in Thiel’s Academic Success Center. MOLLY BETH DARR ’07 is a fifth grade teacher for Clarion School District. She also lives in Clarion, Pa. GIL DOLINAR ’07 lives in Finleyville, Pa. and works as a fiscal technician with United Cerebral Palsy of Southwest Pennsylvania. He recently joined Thiel’s Alumni Board. BOBBY FLUKAS ’07 played baseball with the Allegheny Valley franchise in the Greater Pittsburgh Federation League. Manager Kevin Giza called him “a great, pure hitter and team leader.” KATIE HARROLD ’07 is a kindergarten teacher at Monocacy Elementary School in Frederick County, Md. STACEY HARVEY ’07 is a staff accountant for Meadville Forging Co. in Meadville, Pa., where she also lives. ADAM HODGE ’07 is in graduate school at Kent State University. AMY HOHMAN ’07 is in graduate school at Gannon University. MEGAN HUFFMAN ’07 lives in Rome, Ohio where she does bookkeeping for the BP Company. BRIDGET K. HURT ’07 is a communication and fundraising specialist for Erie Homes for Children and Adults. She lives in Fairview, Pa. JESSICA D. KING ’07 is attending the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University. JAMIE R. LONG ’07 is attending Case School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. KRISTY MARAPESE ’07 lives in Struthers, Ohio. She is a caseworker for Mahoning County Children’s Services of Youngstown, Ohio. ALEXANDER R. MILLER ’07 is a financial analyst for MEDRAD, Inc. of Indianola, Pa. He lives in Pittsburgh. ANTHONY PENNINGTON ’07 is pursuing his Pennsylvania teachers’ certification in chemistry and a master’s degree in secondary math and science at Slippery Rock University. He proposed to BRIDGET HURT ’07 during the 2007 Homecoming football game on Sept. 29. LEAH PERECKO ’07 is attending California University of Pennsylvania, pursuing a degree in communication disorders. AMANDA ROONEY ’07 is a graduate student at Florida State University. KELLY SHUEY ’07 is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, Bradford campus. MORGAN ASHLEY TAMBURRO ’07 is in the counselor education master’s program at Duquesne University. JEFF WAGNER ’07 is a fifth grade teacher at Whittier Elementary School in Frederick County, Md. Marriages JUDITH M. EUGINO ’87 to David W. Shipps on March 16, 2007 at The Old Mill in North Little Rock, Ark. The mill was shown in the opening scenes of “Gone with the Wind.” The Bell • Fall 2007 43 Class Notes Weddings The couple has been together for 11 years and they live in North Little Rock. MELISSA K. SCHWARZ ’98 to Marc Fuentes on April 29, 2006 in an outdoor ceremony. Thiel graduates in attendance were REBECCA (BURTON) PIETRUSINSKI ’97, SHANNON (BAUER) CROUCH ’96 and KEIRA SCHAFF ’97. The couple lives in West Virginia where Schwarz is a legal assistant for Pullin Fowler & Flanagan, PLLC. STEVE TARBOX ’98 to MARIE BRAUND ’99 on September 23, 2006. Tarbox co-owns Hartle-Tarbox Funeral Homes, Inc. in Smethport and Port Allegany, Pa. Marie is purusing her certification in elementary education at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. They live in Smethport. MELANIE GEISER ’99 to Jay Acker on August 15, 2006 in Las Vegas. The couple resides in Smethport, Pa. Melanie is the assistant director of the Science in Motion program and a biology/chemistry teacher at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Dr. and Mrs. Michael and Heather (Achenbach ’01) Balas. Pictured with many Thiel alumni, including Rev. Martin Roth ’66, William Patterson ’91, Margie Hull ’70, John Hauser ’71, Donald Achenbach ’77, Lydia Spiece ’01, Steve Lunsford, Tom Balas ’67, Blake Betteridge ’09, J. Paul Balas ’62, Peggy Deveny ’05, Professor David Miller ’61, Sarah Scales ’01, Wes Armstrong ’49, James Carpenter ’58, Dr. Robert Olson ’60, Rae Johnson ’59, Donald Carpenter ’51, Nancy Armstrong ’47, Pam Achenbach ’03, Andrews Novak ’02, Shelby Spence ’06, Kristin Skelley ’09, Meghan Speer ’02 and Sarah (Fox) Roth ’65 VINCENT T. MANZELLA ’00 to Kelly Crockett in April 2006. The couple had a son, Vincent Robert, on October 18, 2006. The family lives in Pittsburgh, where Manzella is a firefighter. HEATHER ACHENBACH ’01 to Dr. Michael T. Balas at Thiel’s David Johnson Memorial Chapel. Achenbach is interim director of Thiel’s Career Center and Balas is a professor of biology at the College. The couple lives in Jamestown, Pa. KRISTY L. BOWSER ’03 to Christopher R. Zarecky on December 22, 2006. Bowser earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Gannon University in May 2007 and she teaches junior high school English. The couple resides in Stoneboro, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. and Katharine (Miller ’07) Parke Mr. and Mrs. David W. and Judith (Eugino ’87) Shipps Mr. and Dr. Jay ’03 and Amy (Toth) Dahl ’03, pictured with fellow alumni Chrissy Toth ’01, Jim Chester ’03, Kevin DeFrancesco ’05 and Matt Burkett ’04. JAY DAHL ’03 to DR. AMY TOTH ’03 on August 4, 2007 in Youngstown, Ohio. The bridal party included several Thiel alumni—CHRISSY TOTH ’01, JIM CHESTER ’03, KEVIN DeFRANCESCO ’05 and MATT BURKETT ’04. Dahl received his M.S. in environmental health and engineering from Gannon University in December 2005 and he is a project manager at BJAAM Environmental, Inc. Toth received her doctor of chiropractic degree in April 2007 from National University of Health Sciences and she plans to establish her practice in Austintown, Ohio. The couple lives in Akron, Ohio. MICHELLE M. PROCTOR ’03 to Seth Landesman on September 9, 2006. They live in 44 The Bell • Fall 2007 Class Notes Wilmington, N.C. where she works in sales and design for BAU National Mailings. CHRISTOPHER DEVELLI JR. ’04 to Dianna Alexander on June 16, 2007. Develli works at Healthcare Services Group Inc., Boardman, Ohio. They live in Hermitage, Pa. KATIE E. NORTH ’04 to John Caldwell on June 22, 2007. MELLISSA JARVIE ’04 and AMANDA (CHILL) ORELLI ’04 were bridesmaids. North is a sixth grade teacher at Bellevue Elementary School and the couple lives in Wexford, Pa. MARLISSA M. MAINS ’05 to Benjamin Dwyer on September 8, 2007. They live in Canonsburg, Pa. MIHO KUBOTA ’05 to AKIHIRO HOSHI ’07 on June 19, 2007 in Japan. Hoshi is an accountant for Hotta Liesenberg Saito and Company. MATTHEW C. WADROSE ’05 to Jennifer Miller on July 28, 2007. They live in Greenville, Pa., where Wadrose is operations manager for Powered Aire Inc. NICOLE NOLAN ’05 to RICHARD McNEAL ’06 on July 22, 2006 in Olean, N.Y. McNeal is pursuing his master’s at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and Nolan is a middle school English teacher. The couple resides in Atlanta, Ga. KATIE McLAUGHLIN ’06 to Steve Tyson on July 1, 2006. The couple resides in Jamestown, Pa. McLaughlin is an English teacher with Reynolds School District. KATHARINE J. MILLER ’07 to Daniel J. Parke on July 7, 2007. They live in Uniontown, Ohio. Births To MONTY McADOO ’85 and his wife, Michelle: a son, Caron Ross, on October 3, 2006. They live in McKean, Pa. McAdoo is a librarian at Edinboro University and he is working on his doctorate. To FRANCETTA (RICHMOND) BROWN ’89 and her husband, Damon: a daughter, Peyton CyAnne, on June 27, 2007. She joins siblings, Taylor Marie and Damon. The family resides in Merrillville, Ind. To CAROLE (FOERSTER) TREBICH ’92 and her husband, David: a daughter, Sarah, on December 31, 2006. She joins their son, Harrison, who is four years old. The family lives in Havertown, Pa. Trebich is a service delivery manager for Ceridian Corp. To DAVID M. WILSON ’92 and CAROLYN C. FORBES ’92: a son, James Leroy, on November 8, 2006. James has a long legacy to follow at Thiel: JOHN W. FORBES ’56 (grandfather), MARGARET (McGINNIS) FORBES ’56 (grandmother), JANET (McGINNIS) STURDEVANT ’46 (great aunt), CAROL (FASNACHT) FORBES ’55 (great aunt), IAN SCOTT FORBES ’56 (great uncle), ROBERT C. McGINNIS ’50 (great uncle) and MARY CAROL (HITCHELL) FORBES ’79 (cousin). To ANITA (JOHNSON) MURPHY ’93 and her husband, Brian: a daughter, Karen JoAnn, on October 27, 2006. She joins 11-yearold brother, Sean Phillip. The family lives in New Castle, Pa., where Murphy is an aquatics instructor with the YMCA. To KENNETH V. NEWMAN ’96 and his wife, Trisha: a daughter, Kierstin Marie, on February 16, 2007. Newman is a math specialist for Pleasant Valley School District. They live in White Haven, Pa. Owen Matthew Lalley Warren Alexander Love Caron Ross McAdoo Tiny Tomcats Isabella Grace Peterson James Leroy Wilson The Bell • Fall 2007 45 Class Notes To NINA (LOWDER) COWART ’97 and her husband, Devlon: a son, Wesley Lloyd, on June 17, 2007. He joins sister, Talia Nicole. The family lives in Pleasant Gap, Pa. Cowart works from home for Cache Pension Services, Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska. To TODD HOLLMAN ’98 and his wife, Michele: a son, Alexander James, on March 29, 2006. The family lives in Erie, Pa., where Todd is a housing counselor for St. Martin Center. To BILLIE JO (BAUGHMAN) DAVID ’99 and her husband, William: a daughter, Claire Elizabeth, on May 12, 2007. She joins her brother, Liam Thomas. The family lives in Avon Lake, Ohio, where David is a quality officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation. To BOBBI (ERKENS) LALLEY ’01 and her husband, Jay: a son, Owen Matthew, on May 7, 2007. Lalley is a senior auditor for the Department of Defense in Ft. Meade, Md. The family resides in Hanover, Pa. To WARREN ’01 and LYNDSEY (HATHAWAY) LOVE ’03: a son, Warren Alexander (also known as Xander), on May 11, 2007. Xander’s grandparents are Thiel alumni, BERT and ADELE (CUPP) HATHAWAY, both of the class of 1969. Warren is field manager for ADS Environmental and Lyndsey is an English teacher for Woodland Hills High School. The family lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. To ANGELINA (LONGO) ERICKSON ’02 and her husband, Joseph: their first child, Indigo Larin, on January 13, 2007. The couple was married June 25, 2005 and lives in Atlantic, Pa. Erickson is currently working as a therapeutic support staff member for Comprehensive Children and Family Services of Meadville, Pa. To JUSTIN L. HEWITT ’03 and his wife, Charlotte: a son, Marshall Von, on July 3, 2007. The family lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., where Hewitt is a police officer. To JASON PETERSON ’03 and his wife, Shanna: a daughter, Isabella Grace, on December 25, 2006. The family resides in Franklin, Pa., where Peterson is a salesman for Overhead Door Company. In Memoriam MARY W. RENOLL ’31 of Columbus, Ohio, on June 26, 2007, at age 101. DOROTHY (KISER) WORTHMAN ’32 of York, Pa., on May 27, 2007, at age 96. RUTH (McELHANEY) IRVIN ’35 of Phoenix, Ariz., on March 12, 2007, at age 92. JOHN A. MENSCH ’38 of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on July 18, 2007, at age 92. HELEN (HAHN) UNGER ’39 of Greenville, Pa., on May 10, 2007, at age 90. JANET (AULL) BRENNAN ’40 of Santa Rosa, Calif., on June 11, 2007, at age 88. GEORGE A. BEAVER ’42 of Kent, Wash., on July 20, 2007, at age 86. DONNA (SCHNABEL) BAIRD ’47 of Erie, Pa., on March 27, 2007. CHAROLETTE (MAGARGEE) O’DONNELL ’48 of Hermitage, Pa., on October 3, 2007, at age 81. DR. HERBERT G. GEBERT Jr. ’49 of Greenville, Pa., on August 21, 2007, at age 80. RICHARD DONALD FLEET ’50 of Athens, Ga., on September 5, 2007, at age 83. JAMES R. MARTIN ’50 of Crossville, Tenn., on September 5, 2007, at age 80. MARTHA (ZIEGLER) VESPER ’50 of Boalsburg, Pa., on August 12, 2007, at age 80. JAMES C. BRACKIN ’51 of Lower Burrell, Pa., on April 26, 2007, at age 79. Send us your photos! We’re happy to publish photos of our alumni and future Tomcats. Please follow these guidelines when submitting photos for publication:* 1. Photographic prints: The Bell accepts all sizes of photographs, but prefers them to be at least 2x3 inches (wallet size) for headshots and 4x6 for photos featuring several people. Both color and black and white prints are acceptable. Mail your photos to Alumni Services, Thiel College, 75 College Ave., Greenville PA 16125. 2. Tips for sending photo prints: The photos you send for publication in the Bell should be sharp and clear. Photos that are out of focus, or have harsh shadows, over-exposed areas, or red-eyed subjects may not be usable. 3. Digital photos: To submit a digital photo, attach it to an e-mail message addressed to alumni@thiel.edu. Please note that for print reproduction of digital photographs, we require high resolution files (a minimum of 300 pixels per inch or 300 dpi) in as large a format as possible. Photos that have a lower resolution are usually not acceptable unless the native file is large format. Digital photos should be saved in a JPEG or TIFF format. 4. For all photos: Please supply a brief description of the photo and all the names and class years of alumni who appear. * These guidelines apply to all photos — class notes, marriages, births, deaths — submitted for publication. 46 The Bell • Fall 2007 Class Notes THE REV. GENE JOHN ABEL ’54 of Somerset, Pa., on September 7, 2004, at age 73 VIOLET (NETZLER) MOOER ’55 of Colchester, Vt., on January 18, 2007, at age 74. JOHN KEIL ’57 of San Mateo, Calif., on February 23, 2007, at age 71. BARBARA (MULLEN) WEINEL ’57 of Fountain Inn, S.C., on February 28, 2007, at age 71. DONALD R. HOPKINS ’58 of Hagerstown, Md., on August 15, 2007, at age 74. THOMAS CAPRON BULLOCK ’59 of Tallmadge, Ohio. (MICHAEL) LEE HORCH ’60 of Elkland, Pa., on October 26, 2006, at age 68. ANTHONY DAVELLI ’61 of McKeesport, Pa., on October 7, 2007, at age 73. RICHARD “TIM” LOCKERMAN ’61 of Fort Myers, Fla., on April 13, 2007. BARRY L. RALPH ’63 of Pittsburgh, Pa., on August 1, 2007, at age 65. FRED G. LATHEROW ’64 of Freedom, Pa., on November 29, 2006. LESLIE TOY ’64 on October 2, 2007. GERALD MAUK ’67 of Ambridge, Pa., on July 5, 2005, at age 65. DONNA (BARONE) SODINI ’68 of Pittsburgh, Pa., on June 5, 2006, at age 59. HARVEY SIMMS ’70 of Bristol, R.I., on July 8, 2007, at age 59. DR. JOHN T. NAMEY JR. ’72 of Farrell, Pa., on September 13, 2007, at age 57. DENISE J. COSBY ’73 of Hyattsville, Md., on March 20, 2006, at age 55. MICHAEL P. KOMAR ’73 of Masury, Ohio, on May 24, 2007, at age 55. Many Thanks! Thiel College thanks the following class agents for loyalty to their alma mater and generous work on behalf of their fellow alumni! Vivian Loncoske Lowther ’35 Edith Van Dyke ’36 M. Evaline Lackey Packard ’46 Margaret Easton Battisti ’47 Rev. Ralph & Lois R. Fogal ’50 Barbara Taylor Davis ’51 Dr. Roger Trask ’52 Myrtie Lewis Manes ’57 The Rev. Dr. Richard Dowhower ’58 Robert Weinzetl ’59 Letha Morton Adelman ’61 Ken ’62 & Dianne B. Weigel ’63 Carol Stewart Mitchell ’65 Susan Ward Merk ’66 Tom Balas ’67 Rev. Donald & Dr. Judith C. Thomas ’68 Richard & Carol B. Patterson ’69 John Hauser ’71 Evelyn Duffett Todd ’72 Rev. Stewart Bair ’74 Tom Wickerham ’75 Peggy A. Pollitt ’76 Jane McCrea Hand ’77 Joe Nairn ’79 W. Gregory Ramsey ’82 Mary D. Baden & Amy M. Noble ’83 Monty McAdoo ’85 Dr. Monica Anderson ’88 Brian Governor ’89 Michelle Uschock & Kim Balas ’90 Jane Kozak Burgh ’92 Audra Schell Ganiear ’93 Sam & Charlene C. Leeper and Ken Fredericks ’94 Damen Taylor & Dawn Salter ’95 Amy Hackman ’98 Stephen Isler ’02 Heather Atkinson ’03 Christina Urie & Jeri Reed ’05 Melanie Cragg Horvath ’06 Bridget Hurt & Kelly Parsell ’07 Please remember to send in your news—both professional or personal—to the Office of Alumni Services so it can be included in the class agent letters and in upcoming editions of The Bell. Friends ROY D. ADKINS JR., professor emeritus, of East Moline, Ill., on June 18, 2007, at age 87. DR. DON ALSTADT H’80, former member of the Thiel Board of Trustees, of Erie, Pa., on February 19, 2007. MARY LOUISE (REEL) HARTER of Indianapolis, Ind., on August 26, 2007, at age 82. (Harter Hall is named for her family.) JAMES LEONARD McCULLOUGH of Birmingham, Ala., on March 20, 2007, at age 75. He was the former director of athletics and a coach at Thiel. ANNA SCHEIFELE, friend of the College, in November 2006. REV. DR. RICHARD SOLBERG, former vice president for academic affairs, in November 2006. The Bell • Fall 2007 47 The Final Word There’s No Business Like Show Business Transformation. Every good actor learns it as they me as an extra in the “Welcome Home” music video for embody a character. Life imitating art—well, I never Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. Six months later, I shot a thought that would become my life. If someone would’ve Revlon commercial with Sheryl Crow, which debuted told me that after graduating from Thiel I would be in during this year’s Super Bowl. In December 2006, I was movies, commercials, TV shows and music videos, interviewed on a Nashville talk show called “Bridges,” I would’ve said “Impossible!” We certainly can’t pre- which is seen by 3 million people, about what it was like dict our futures, but we can use previous education to grow up as a child prodigy and start college at 14. I also did seat filling for to embrace what life CMT shows, such as throws at us and flourthe “CMT Awards” and ish beyond our wildest “Crossroads with Little imaginations. Big Town and LindWhen I moved to sey Buckingham,” and Nashville after my hiscompleted my first toric graduation from photo shoot. Thiel in May 2000—I As exciting as 2006 was the youngest gradwas, 2007 has shaped uate in Thiel’s history up to be an even bigger at the age of 19—I had whirlwind. I kicked off no idea what to expect. the year with a photo My first job was an edishoot with Silver Hill torial assistant for three Images and an audiChristian music magation for the Fox reality zines. I interviewed soap opera “Nashville.” artists for features and I did seat filling for two discovered new talAmber Allen ’00 (left) is pictured on the set of Nashville talk show “Bridges” with host more CMT specials, ent, including the band Monica Schmelter, where she discussed starting college at age 14. “Cross Country with Evanescence, for the John Anderson and Big magazines’ “Somebody Sign Us” columns. An unsteady market led to the maga- & Rich” and “Crossroads with Reba McEntire and Kelly zines’ bankruptcy and my job loss. With bills to pay and Clarkson.” March 2007, I shot my first movie, playing a sluggish job market, I went into retail, the only real an extra in the upcoming Mariah Carey movie “Tennessee.” In one August weekend, I shot a movie (“Love at job prospect at the time. As fate would have it, my job loss and a friend’s for- First Sight,” produced by Christian music star Michael tune would lead me to the film world. My friend RJ W. Smith), a national TV commercial for Honda GenHelton introduced me to the show “American Idol;” RJ erators and a Garth Brooks music video for his single was a top 5 finalist in the first season in 2002. Seeing his “Midnight Sun.” September has brought photo shoots success encouraged me to try out for the show the next with Evan Baines Photography and iStockPhoto.com. season. After three rounds of auditions, I, along with 25 I’ve also maintained a full-time job as a music publicist million other viewers, saw “American Idol” choose one for the last two years in addition to my film and print of my auditions to air on the show. The show also put work. One thing that I’ve learned through my entertainment me in a week’s worth of commercials promoting that career is that dreams are possible if you reach for them episode. However, “American Idol” was not the great cata- and believe they are for you. If you work, you reap. If lyst for my film career. After a three-year long wait, I you believe, you succeed. % finally saw things take off in May 2006. A friend cast —AMBER M. ALLEN ’00 48 The Bell • Fall 2007