Page Six - CROSSROADS - June, 1977
AUMNI NEHS AUMNI
AUJHNI hifWS
1908 - Thank you, Philip Morgan, for sending the
clipping from the Charleston Catholic Banner, and
congratulations on receiving an “Honorary Past State
Deputy” plaque from the Knights of Columbus. He has
been a knight for 59 years and has held every possible
office of that council, as well as holding State Council
positions of advocate, treasurer, and secretary. He is
now State Historian. In 1976 the Bishop England Council
named their banquet and meeting hall “The Phil
Morgan Hall” in his honor. He and his wife celebrated
their Httrd anniversary this year; they had two boys and
a girl and adopted two more boys. Congratulations and
best wishes!
’34 - It was good to hear from Kd Mansfield, who lives
in San Mateo, California, who sent us a copy of his letter
to Al McGuire telling him that he, too, appreciated all
the publicity Belmont Abbey had gotten through Al.
Come to see us, Ed. It’s been too long!
’40 - Ur. Gilbert Earley received a certificate of
recognition by District 767 of Rotary International for
his sponsorship of the Belmont Abbey College Rotaract
Club, which is the only one in a senior college in District
767. It was founded in 1973 and Dr. Farley has served as
moderator since them.
’47 - Henry White stopped by the Abbey while he was
attending a seminar in Charlotte. He is with the Federal
Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Control Division.
He and Kathryn have five children, two still at home,
and they live in Florence, S. C.
’57 - Frances and Joe Coyle’s son, Lee, won first place
in the Tar Heel Junior Historical Association com
petition with his replica of the Abbey Cathedral. It will
remain on display in the Museum of History in Raleigh
for a year, and then they will present it to the Abbey.
’61 - Congratulations to Fran and i Joe Falletta on the
arrival of their son, .loseph T. Falletta, II on April 20.
They live at Virginia Beach.
’62 - (!ongratulations to Kathleen Black, who has
completed the Ed. S. at Appalachian. Kathleen is head
of the .school for retarded children in Dallas.
’KI - It was g»K)d to see Mike Watson when he visited
the Abbey on May 3. Mike is territory representative for
SCM Corporation in Charlotte. S. Joseph O’Connor has
been named Regional Supervisor at Underwriters Ad
justing Company’s southeastern regional office in
Atlanta. UAC, a subsidiary of The Continental Cor
poration, is one of the largest independent adjusting
firms in the nation, with offices in all fifty states.
’64 “ It was good to talk to Whitney Norton when he
called as he was passing through the area. Whitney is
with Buckner-Howard Co. and he and his wife and three
children, Catherine, twelve. Whitney, eight, and Cherie,
five, live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
’66 - Alan Willis is editorial page editor for the Twin-
City Sentinel, the evening newspaper in Winston-Salem,
where he and Juanita and seven-year-old Stephanie live.
’68 - Bob Pogachnik is pursuing a Master of Arts
degree in Insurance -at the University of Florida and
plans to enter law school next year. He, Sharon and
daughter Jennifer live in Gainesville.
’69 - Linda and John Spacek visited the Abbey. John is
senior claims representative for Great American In
surance Co., and they, with their two children, live in
West Columbia, S. C.
’70 - Thanks for your letter. Bill Seffers. Bill is a Navy
Lieutenant and Helicopter pilot assigned to Helicopter
Combat Support Squadron Three Det. 116deployed to the
Western Pacific on board USS White Plains. He par
ticipated in “Kangaroo II” a joint Australian, New
Zealand, U. S. forces exercises off the coast ot Australia,
and returned to San Diego on February 20.
’71 - Joe Mertes has been accepted in the MBA
program at Wake Forest University beginning in Sep
tember.
’73“Mark Schulte entered the Navy as a Lieutenant on
June 1 for two years as a Navy dentist at the Naval Air
Station in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the
University of Louisville Dental School on May 10.
Congratulations, Mark, and best of luck to you and
Virginia. Congratulations to Melissa and Paul Miano on
the arrival of Karen Lee on April 29. Douglas Murray
has been promoted to accounting officer by North
Carolina National Bank in Charlotte, where he and
Jeanette live. Congratulations to Tom Nolan, who
received the Doctor of Medicine degree from the
Medical College of Virginia on May 14. Thank you, Tom,
for the note to Father Bradley: “At this time I am
finally approaching my goal of a Doctor of Medicine.
Also at this time I am reflecting upon the people who
have been important in helping me reach this goal.
Forefront in my mind has been Belmont Abbey College,
who gave a C-t- student from Norfolk another op
portunity to prove himself, even though he was still
fighting raging adolescence. Because of you and the
Monastery I have been able to reach this goal (also a lot
of patience on your part). On my graduation day, I feel
that, outside of my parents, Belmont Abbey deserves a
great deal of the credit. Thank you Belmont Abbey;
thank you Father Bradley.” It’s notes like this that
make it all worthwhile for all of us who work in the
College. Patrick Orr stopped by for a visit when he was
passing through the area. He is marketing salesman for
SEO Enterprises out of Lakeland, Florida, and lives in
Columbia. He graduated from the University of South
Carolina and attended graduate school there. Tom
Ripley, field representative of Richardson-Claytor
Agency of Roanoke, Virginia, which represents National
Life of Vermont, participated in a five-day career ad
vancement seminar at the home office in Vermont. He
and his wife Lynn live in Roanoke.
’74 - Jack Sailstad has completed his Administrative
Residency at Charlotte Memorial Hosiptal and Medical
Center and has been named Assistant for Administration
in the Management Services Division of Carolina
Hospital and Health Services, Inc. He and Rosalie will
continue to live in Charlotte.
’76 “ Thomas S. Gillespie has been elected by the
Gaston County Democratic Executive Committee and
precinct officials. He will presumably be appointed to
this high post in June and will take office July 1.
Congratulations!
’78 - Congratulations and best wishes to Nancy Kee
and Mike Chavarria, who were married June 18 in
Grantville (Georgia) Baptist Church. Mike is the son of
Theresa and Ed Chavarria (’57) - how the years go by!
IN MEMORIAM
Let us hear from you, alumni!
Monsignor Charles J. Gable
James Edward Behrmann
Class of 1918
Class of 1977
Class of ’67 has
ten-year reunion
They came lo renew friend
ships, relive their experiences
and enjoy each other’s com
pany.
Many members of the classes
of ’67 and ’68 hadn’t seen each
other in about 10 years, and
some traveled great distances
to do just that. Some traveled
from California, others from
New England.
The reunion of the classes,
held April 22-24 at Belmont
Abbey College and Charlotte,
proved lo be a wonderful
reunion for the 50 returnees.
I 'The reunion coincided with
the college’s Spring Weekend.
The weekend’s activities began
April 22 with a cocktail hour and
dinner at the John Yancey
Motor Hotel in C’harlotte. A
dance with a band and a slide'
show of candid shots of class
members 10 years ago followed.
Al 11:30 a.m. Saturday,
alumni gathered in the library
auditorium and heard talks on
the stale of the college by Fr.
John Bradley, president, and
Warren Clark, vice president
for development.
Following a buffet lunch in
the college cafeteria, an alumni
basketball game was held in the
Wheeler Center. The alumni
participated in beer and food on
the athletic field until about 9
p.m.
Fr. Oscar Burnett, O.S.B.,
college chaplain, said Mass for
the alumni Sunday, which was
followed by a brunch from 10
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“The reunion was tremen
dous, and everyone enjoyed
themselves,” said Dr. Kevin
Soden, ’67, one of the organizers
of the weekend.
“We’ll definitely do this again
in five years for our 15th
reunion,” said Robert A. Healy,
’68, an organizer.
Ted Hawley, ’68, also helped
organize the weekend, with the
assistance of Bro. Gregory
Corcoran, O.S.B., ’64.
M>'
\
Alumnus’ son makes prize replica
A miniature version of the Belmont Abbey
Church, constructed by Lee Coyle, son of Abbey
alumnus Joe Coyle (’57) and his wife Frances, won
first place in a competition sponsored by the
Tarheel Junior Historian Association of North
Carolina. It took Coyle, a ninth grader at Belmont
Junior High School, two and one-half months of
spare time to build the miniature church. The
replica will be displayed for one year at the state
Museum of History in Raleigh. (Photo courtesy of
The Gastonia Gazette.)