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What Have You Been Doing For The Last 50 Years?

Last Updated: July 17, 2015

If you would like to share with your classmates what you have been doing for the last 50 years, I will post it here. Please feel free to share as much or as little as you like. However, several classmates have suggested that everyone reduce the last 50 years to 8 bullet points. (Did we have bullet points in 1965?)

Send anything you want posted to jmkuszaj@gmail.com.

Here is the list and link to classmates who have successfully reduced 50 years into 8 bullet points or less.

• Paul Costello

• Dan Bauer

• Herbert Bippen

• Tom Bookstaver

• Jim Buckley

• Tom Conley

• Don Emge

• John Eschen

• Tom Forster

• Joe DeGregorio

• Bob Kohmescher

• Jim Kuszaj

• Joe Long

• Ken Luecke

• Ken Mitchell

• Tom Reck

• Dave Steimel

• Tim Sweeney

• Mark Troy

• Greg Warnusz

• Bernie Winters

• Stan "Spud" Wolinski

• Dave Wyrsch, Sr.

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(Posted in the order received)

Bernie Winters (July 15, 2015)

• After leaving Kenrick after one year in 1970, I volunteered at a Benedictine Native American mission boarding school in central S Dakota-an eye-opening experience for me coming from SE Missouri.

• Returning to Missouri the following summer, I brought two Native American students with me to work at Camp Don Bosco, where I met and started dating the camp secretary.

• Nan and I married in 1972 and began our working life that involved moving 7 times in six years and earning masters degrees at Univ of Missouri-Columbia.

• We settled in south St Louis as I went to work for Special School District and Nan worked as a social worker for the ARC and later at St Louis Children’s Hosp.

• After my horticultural position at SSD was eliminated, I worked at other related jobs until going back to school at SLU (Go Billikens). I got my BS in Nursing and went to work as a pediatric RN.

• I had the good fortune of working with Nan and many other dedicated caregivers at STL Children's and later at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hosp.

• We have been blessed with two daughters, Laura (who we adopted as she was ten), Jeanne and a son, Ben (Bernard III).  Our 4 granddaughters include Danielle (child psychologist at St Jude's), Erica (analyst with Edward Jones in St Louis), Julia (7) and Sarah (5).

• Those last two lured Nan and I to Utah after 40+ years in St Louis.  We are enjoying our time out west, volunteering at school-our daughter's and granddaughters'; gardening at our home and at our new church.

• We like to travel especially to visit Nan's family and our son in the St Petersburg and Sarasota area, and we welcome anyone to come visit Salt Lake City-the Mormons are really friendly.

Ken Luecke

• After Prep and Glennon, I studied at the Gregorian University in Rome with Tom Reck from 1969 to 1972 where I earned an S.T.B. degree.   Having been ordained a subdeacon, I waived on the diaconate, and returned to Saint Louis to further discern my vocation.  At Kenrick I received a Masters of Divinity and eventually decided to discontinue studying for the priesthood.

• Armed with philosophy and theology degrees, I began teaching high school religion at Xavier High School for Girls which closed the year that I started.  I then taught at St. Francis Borgia in Washington, Mo for a year, at which time I was hired to teach at De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur where I have been for the last 40 years.

• At De Smet Jesuit I have been teacher, campus minister, activities Director, Athletic Director, racquetball coach and Assistant Principal for Student Services.  My passion has been the Community Service program.

• I married my wife Cindy in 1982.  We met while I was volunteering at Father Dempsey’s Charities Rummage Store on North Grand next door to Kemolls’ Restaurant.  She was looking for used furniture and eventually got a husband!  We have three children: an engineer son living in San Francisco; a visual art grad of Fordham University in New York currently working as an animator and graphic artist with Stephen Colbert on the Late Show and a daughter studying Arts Management in New York City in her senior year.

• Currently I am working on a project in the Ville neighborhood of St. Louis where we are transforming vacant land into a garden, recreation area and job site for youth and underemployed adults.  The hope is to eventually replicate a Homeboy’s Industry enterprise in the neighborhood.  When retirement comes in a couple of years, this endeavor will be my second career!

• The future holds a lot of travel both in the States and the world.  Last year took us to England, Scotland and Ireland to visit our daughter who was studying abroad.  After all of our German-Irish days at Prep, it was difficult to finally embrace the Irish!  What a wonderful place and group of people!  Mea culpa for my past lack of respect for the land of St. Patrick!

• As I have shared with students at De Smet Jesuit, Xavier and St. Francis Borgia (as I type these three names, plus the Gregorian University, all named after or led by the Jesuits, I realize that there is little wonder that I should end up in a Jesuit educational institution for my career!), I tell them that I have had the good fortune of only being around “good people”.  Throughout my life I have been blessed to live and grow older surrounded by spectacular role models and good friends.  This weekend has helped to reinforce how blessed I am and that we all are!  Ad multos annos  vivas!  (Frs. Keely and Piacitelli would be proud that we can share a little Latin!)

Don Emge

• Last month Barb and marked 40 years of married life.  We have four children.  All are gainfully employed. Three are married, and we have four grandchildren.

• I left Cardinal Glennon at Christmas my senior year.  I finished up at SLU but actually graduated from CGC. 

• Between 73 and 91 I served as a parish religious education coordinator, in Minnesota, southeast Missouri, and Kansas.

• In 1991 I completed a doctorate in adult education from Kansas State U and moved into diocesan work.  I spent 12 years in the Diocese of Shreveport, and then 7 years in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

• In 2011 I was involved in a train wreck.  Bishop Leibrecht had previously asked me to complete a feasibility study on the development of a new Catholic Charities agency for the diocese.  His successor accepted the proposal and named me interim director.  The board, with encouragement from the bishop, then named me Executive Director.  But a year later the board decided they wanted a new director.  My old position had been filled, and my life of ministry ended.  I got a temporary job as Red Cross Disaster Case Manager following the Joplin tornado.  I then became the Data Manager for a FEMA grant that covered the Joplin tornado, southeast Missouri flooding, and St. Louis’ “Good Friday tornado.

• Today Barb and I live in Republic, Missouri, just outside of Springfield.  We have a “growing” business, Red Barn Herb Farm, which produces herb plants that we sell at festivals and farmers markets.  Barb is disabled (osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis) so the business allows her to keep busy, but also provides the flexibility she needs.  I am now the volunteer adult education coordinator for my home parish in Springfield, and in negotiations with another two parishes to offer adult programs in their parishes.  I am doing more manual labor than any time since some of those summer jobs during college.  And I most content being back in parish ministry which was my first love.

• Perhaps I am too naïve or too romantic, but I only have fond memories of Prep and CGC. 

Stan Wolinski

• Married Jean Kamprad 47 years ago and she is still around.

• Graduated from SLU 6 mos. later and moved around for 3 years with Firestone Co.

• Had a pharmaceutical career with GSK for 35 years and moved with them.

• Have 3 kids and 4 grandchildren.

• Living in Columbia, MO.

• Active in parish life and St. Vincent DePaul Society as well as the Knights of Columbus.

 Tom Bookstaver

• Married Sue April 4, 1970, with John Eschen and Bob Griffinas groomsmen.

• Have three children, John, Elizabeth, and Tim.

• We have nine grandchildren ranging in age from 17 to 7.

• I spent 27 years as an elementary school teacher and principal in the Fox School District, 12 years as a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones, 2 1/2 years teaching GED for Jefferson College, and a year as an adjunct at St. Charles Community College teaching Education.  I THINK I'm done.

• I have served on the Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Developmental Disabilities Resource Board and NextStep for Life for 13 years.

• We have lived in Festus for the past 15 years after living in Fenton for 30 years.

• I have shoveled snow off my driveway for the last time. (I hope!) We will be spending our winters in Ft. Myers, FL, in a gated, age-controlled, modular home community.

• I am constantly reminded of the irony that I gave Jim Basler so much grief about living way out in the country because, just about where we turn off Hwy 61 to get into our subdivision, there is a sign that says "BLOOMSDALE 17 miles!

John Eschen

• After Prep, I graduated from Cardinal Glennon College in 1969, prepared to meet the world with a B.A. in Philosophy. I had no clear idea at that time what my next step would be, but teaching seemed interesting. In mid-July, I heard about an opening at Our Lady of Sorrows Grade School for a 7th and 8th grade social studies position. To my surprise, I was offered the job during the initial interview. (The principal later told me she hired me out of desperation and was relieved I worked out.) I taught at OLS from 1969 to 1973, during which time I completed classes for teacher certification at SLU, and began a masters program in counseling at UMSl.

• In 1973, I began teaching English at Bishop DuBourg H.S., with the plan to move into the Guidance Dept. and be a counselor. I met my wife, Linda, at DB where she was also an English teacher. We were married in 1979 .She moved to McCluer North H.S. in 1978 and left education in 1982 to be a business manager at Washington University School of Medicine, where she still works.  I finished my masters degree in 1974 and remained at DB as a guidance counselor until 1981 when, having completed an internship in Family and Marriage Therapy, I began a private practice in psychotherapy.

• My private practice has been eclectic: I’ve worked with families, couples, individuals and groups; worked with men’s issues, survivors of trauma and abuse, and people with chronic pain and medical concerns. Currently I work mostly with individuals and couples.

• In 1995, I began working at The Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis, ( formerly known as The Wellness Community), facilitating support groups for cancer patients and their families and caregivers.

• In 1984, our daughter, Jessica, was born. She is a wonderful, talented, caring person of whom I am tremendously proud, although Linda deserves most of the credit.  Jessica married a fine guy, Bill, in September of last year. I was honored when they asked me to officiate their wedding. <(I took an online course and became a credentialed wedding celebrant. In all, I’ve officiated at nine weddings.)

Joseph Long

• After four years at Prep South and three at Glennon, I entered the more lively environment of St. Louis U and graduated in 1970 with a BA in Psychology.

• It was a bitterly cold and windy day on West Pine when I got a letter from U. of Florida offering me a full ride in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. Whether this was luck or some smarts or both, I accepted this offer from the Gator Nation and completed the program in 1977. I got to do my internship year in Seattle area and also spent a winter in Maui before returning to the midwest.

• I met and married Theresa, my one true love, while in Florida, and we have been together for more than 35 years. My older son, Dan, lives in Seattle with his wife and their son. My younger son, Quinn, lives in Richmond Heights with his wife and works as a research botanist at MO Botanical Garden.

• For 28 years I was in private practice of psychology in Washington, MO, just outside the metro area. After years of challenging and rewarding work, I retired three years ago.

• Twenty years ago we bought a farm in the hills of the MO River valley near Hermann. We have restored the 1874 stone house and other outbuildings. Last year Theresa retired from her career as high school art teacher/staff development resource with Rockwood School District. Our 165 acres is a big sandbox to play (work) in. We focus on developing habitat for quail and wildlife with large expanses of native forbs and grasses. A twenty acre wetland restoration in now in the offing.

Tom Conley

• After Prep South, I graduated from Cardinal Glennon and spent a semester at Kenrick.  I went to UMSL to become an ecologist but ended up becoming a high school teacher for which I have loved.

• This year I will be married to Kathy for 45 years; our journey began on a camping trip to the Southwest with Greg Warnusz, Mike Donald and my sister Peg in the summer of 1969; even though I had known Kathy for several years as her brother, Vince Bolte, was in my brother Mike’s class at Glennon.

• We have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren, first a boy and then three girls; they are so much fun to be with, as other grandparents knows.

• My career has been for 44 years teaching high school students and hopefully they have learned some life skills and some biology.  I taught at Parkway West (30), Quincy, IL HS (9), Incarnate Word Academy (4) and Yashevat Kadimah HS (1-just to be ecumenical with our Jewish friends)

• I guess I am a triple dipper as I retired from both the state of Missouri and Illinois and now a little bit of social security as I now completely retire from teaching.

• If I come back in a next life, I would like to be in construction.  I have had two houses exterior shell constructed and I have done everything else inside except to lay carpet.  I have finished many basements, decks and even some remodeling of older homes.  I can do the work; my wife is the creative force.

• I am a workaholic but I greatly enjoy camping but now renting a cabin and visiting our natural scenery.

Tim Sweeney

• I met the love of my life, Marlene at Quincy College and we just celebrated 45 years of marriage.

• We both complete Master Degrees - MA in Clinical Psychology for me and a MS and MA in Education and Theology.

• Our education, passion and faith graced us with occupations in our related fields of study in mental health and pastoral ministry.

• We have been blessed with 5 children with 4 of them married at this time.

• We have 6 granddaughters who draw us into life experiences never imagined.

• We live in the northwest burbs of Chicago land and enjoy hanging out at our Lake House up North.

• I like to travel with my wife and friends on cruises and sometimes just to a baseball game in another city - last year Seattle.

• I enjoy reading, singing, gardening and having fun with family and friends.

Jim Buckley

• I left Kenrick in 1971, after two delightful years of learning that my vocation was studying philosophy and theology.

• I did alternate service at St. Vincent School for Boys from 1971 – 1973 in San Rafael, California – where I also studied at the Graduate Theological Union (a consortium of Catholic and Protestant theological schools) across the Bay in Berkeley.

• Chris and I married in 1973 (42 years ago), right after I started in the doctoral program in religious studies in Yale’s graduate school in New Haven, Connecticut. 

• When I finally finished school in 1977, we moved for a teaching position at the University of Detroit.  Great people, but economically treacherous for a young couple.

• In 1980 we moved to Loyola University [Baltimore] Maryland, where we have lived ever since.  Very much like St. Louis, burdens and benefits and all.

• Our son David was born in 1982.  In 2007 he married Jessica Belue (a college friend from their University of Virginia days), and they have two children.   They now live and teach in Louisville, Kentucky – where we visit to enjoy the grandkids and the bourbon. 

• Chris has been working for the Baltimore city schools for the last 28 years, retiring effective 30 June 2015.  Among many other things, Chris will continue to plan our annual vacation on the Outer Banks (where most of my brothers’ and sisters’ families regularly join us).

• I’ve tried to continue teaching and writing, even while moving through various administrative posts (in the most recent past, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola).  Now I particularly enjoy being one of the seven Catholic members of the North American Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue. 

Tom Reck

• How do we let old friends go?   7 others from my Catholic gradeschool (St. Mary Magdalen)  went into St. Louis Prep Seminary South.   I have kept up with none.   My loss.  I remember vividly time spent with many of them.

• I went on to Cardinal Glennon College, and then to the North American College in Rome.  In many ways, a desolate time for me.  I was not following my path, but I did not know it at the time.

• On leaving the seminary (got my Master's degree from La Pontificia Gregoriana, obsessive-compulsive that I am), returned to St. Louis, and then moved to Kansas City for a job with the Federal Government.  One needs to eat.

• I did well with the Feds - Health & Human Services, and Civil Rights, and retired after 35 years, and am financially secure (Love playing the stock market).   I got early into computerization, and worked with our federal programs to advance their usage of it.

• I've been married twice.   "Blessed" - for those that use that terminology, with 2 good marriages.   I have 3 children (natural and step), plus 3 grandchildren (step).   They are all doing well,  and we all remain in contact.   Life is good.

• In terms of family, my dad has passed, but mom is still kicking at 95 at Laclede Groves (sorry ... it's Lutheran).    My wife and I visit her and family in St. Louis several times a year.

• I remain very much an intellectual, studying especially history, science, and oriental religions since my retirement.  I realize very much that knowing is not the same as being.

• In retirement I have volunteered in various ways.   With a local State Nature Center, in the public schools, as a neighborhood coordinator, and as a Credit Union Volunteer (Chairman of both Board and Audit Committee).    Right now, just trying to live with myself - without a volunteer role (except for working the election poles).

• Ken, Jim, Bob, Tom, Jim, and so many others, we won't recognize each other, but I look forward to meeting some of you again.  Long live Lansdowne and St. Mary Magdalen!

Ken Mitchell

• Hi Everyone.  This is the Prodigal Son in California returning to St. Louis for the reunion. Except for Bob Reiker and Tom Forster, I've not had any contact with anyone since about 1970, when I transferred from Washington Univ. to University of San Francisco to finish law school.  So I'll try to squeeze 45 years into a few paragraphs.

• I moved to SF because I was engaged to my first wife Rita (she's the sister of John Allhoff, who was a year ahead of us at Prep), and she was a dietitian at Letterman Army Hospital in the Presidio.  After graduating from USF and passing the California bar exam, I went on active duty as a JAG officer (having done my ROTC stint to avoid Vietnam) and was assigned to Ft. Leonard Wood, where I served as Chief Defense Counsel until early 1976. 

• I returned to the Bay Area and got a job with the Alameda County Public Defender's office, where I worked until 1982. Rita and I lived in Oakland and raised 3 wonderful children. Since 1982 I have been a partner in a small law firm that has gone through several iterations and has evolved into the current 2-person firm of Mitchell & Batchelder LLP in Alameda, CA, specializing in estate planning, probate, trust and tax work.

• Unfortunately, my first marriage ended in divorce, and in 1996 I married my current wife Christine, who is originally from Guangzhou (aka Canton), China.  She has a son from a previous marriage, but we have no children together.  All of our children live nearby, which in California means within 100 miles!  Christine is a bank manager for Citibank, and we just celebrated our 19th anniversary.  Her cultural background has opened up East Asia to me, but I cannot begin to learn or understand mandarin or cantonese - if it doesn't have 26 letters in the alphabet, I am thoroughly confused.  I blame Fr. Piachitelli's Latin class for this - God rest his soul!  Anyway, we're planning another 2-week trip to China in September this year.

• We now live in San Leandro, a small city just south of Oakland.  We have 4 grandchildren - the oldest just graduated from high school in Sacramento and will join the Marine Corp. in a couple months; the youngest is our only granddaughter, age 22 months, 50% Japanese and 100% precious and beautiful.  My wife and I enjoy cruising, and last Christmas & New Year’s we sailed around Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America, seeing a world very different from ours.

• I will probably retire from practicing law in another 4 years (age 72 sounds like a good time!), and serve solely as a private professional fiduciary, which I currently do for a few clients.  We enjoy golf, cycling and kayaking, and sometime soon I want to learn to play the cello - some of you may remember my horrible clarinet playing!

• My sister Kathy lives in Shrewsbury, so I always have a place to land.  We’re still enjoying the euphoria of the Golden State Warriors’ NBA championship, but I’m looking forward to catching up with all of you!

Dan Bauer

• After Prep and 4 years at CGC, I started teaching in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and received my MEd in 1971.  After teaching English at St. Casimir School in North County and St. Francis of Assisi in South County, I temporarily switched professions and briefly wrote for The Journal Newspapers before ending up for many years, as production director and Vice President.

• In 1989, I lost my wife Kathleen (Diekemper) to cancer after 18 years of marriage and two children, Mike and Maggie.

• As a single parent, I needed to get on some kind of work schedule similar to my kids' schedule, so back to education.  From 1991 to 2010, I served as a school principal at St. Luke School in Richmond Heights (9 years) and St. Peter School in Kirkwood (11 years).  In 2003-04, St.Peter’s was named a National Blue Ribbon School.

• On New Year's Eve, 1994, I met the Most Wonderful Woman in the World.  Carol and I were married in 1996.  I'm not sure what she saw in an old, bald, fat guy, and I know Lou Gehrig thought he was, but I'm the luckiest guy on the face of the earth - even almost 19 years later.  Carol, also a teacher, has been at Cor Jesu Academy for the last 15 years as a Music Teacher and Director of Campus Ministry and has been music director at several churches in the Archdiocese.

• I retired as building principal in 2010 and have since then worked part-time as The Executive Director of The Missouri Nonpublic School Accrediting Association.  MNSAA accredits 268 Nonpublic School in the state of Missouri.

• One grandson, Jimmy!  The light of our lives!  He's 4 and usually spends Mondays with his grandpa.  I may have to give that up when he goes to preschool 5 days/week in the fall.

• Along with Carol (she's the real musician), I still sing and do Sunday liturgical music at St. Peter and other places.

• I play a little golf when the knees allow, and still collect O gauge, Lionel size, electric trains - big display in the basement!

Tom Forster

• I have been fortunately married to a wonderful woman, Bonnie, for 44 years.  We have three grown daughters, including a set of twins we found out we were having three hours before delivery.  We now enjoy the wonder of a six year old grandson.

• Having been a product of Shrewsbury, MO, (God’s country), when married, we homesteaded a whole 5 miles away in Affton and haven’t gone anywhere else since.

• Graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a degree in Industrial Psychology.

• I am retired from a career in the Department of Defense in three different agencies as a Human Resource Manager and Labor Management-Relations Manager.

• Bonnie has retired from Cor Jesu Academy as a Math Teacher (irony of ironies, married a Geometry teacher…Father Weber would have been proud of me).  Bonnie continues to tutor those who need assistance with math.

• I was ordained a permanent deacon in February 1985 and have served in three different parishes, Seven Holy Founders in Affton, Annunciation in Webster Groves and currently at Sacred Heart in Valley Park.

• Enjoying life in retirement, the family and working with people in parish life. 

Dave Wyrsch, Sr.

• Married to Janet for 22 years (2nd marriage for both of us).

• Have 7 children and 20 grandkids. They all live local so we see them almost daily.

• Have lived and worked in New Jersey at The Jersey Shore since 1973. Long Beach Island is a very nice resort area    about an hour or so from both Philadelphia and New York City.

• Own The Van Dyk Group which is an Insurance, Real Estate, and Mortgage Agency. It is family run as all of our kids work in the agency in different departments. Have about 130 employees and agents.

• Spend a lot of time in Punta Gorda, Florida where we own a second home. It is on the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Ft Myers.  Great spot for boating and fishing.

• Also own a house in St Louis with my Brother Tom who is still a priest. It is located in the neighborhood we grew up in South St Louis near Tower Grove Park. This is where we stay when we visit St Louis which is usually 2-3 times a year.

• Spend leisure time with all of our grandchildren whether  baby sitting, watching sports activities, attending school functions, birthdays etc. This certainly keeps us very busy.

• When not with the grandkids or working (which we are doing a lot less of), spend time golfing, fishing, and boating. Also very active in our Community whether it's Church, School, Civic Clubs, Trade organizations, or whatever, we always seem to get involved. Still an avid Cardinal fan and enjoy collecting baseball memorabilia and trains.

• In short, life has been very good for us and we have a lot to be thankful for. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 26th.

Bob Kohmescher

• 1971 - Graduate from St. Louis University with a Masters in Experimental Psychology with not a clue as to my future since I decided not to pursue my goal of becoming a priest.

• 1972 – Hired by the City of St. Louis to work in VD Control – how did I go from the priesthood to fighting venereal diseases?  Hired by the Centers for Disease Control in 1974, thus beginning a 38 year career. My first transfer – St. Louis to Biloxi.

• 1976 – married the love of my life, Carolyn who joined my nomadic career from Biloxi, to Los Angeles, to San Diego, to New Orleans, to Raleigh, and finally to Atlanta.

• Throughout my career, managed to keep physically active with my main interests – competitive swimming and tennis, picking up 2 additional interests, pickleball and cycling. Also, from my days as manager of Prep’s paperback bookstore, I’ve amassed a library of over 3,000 books and have maintained my interest in photography.

• 2011 - Carolyn and I both retired and after two years, moved to a retirement community for active seniors, Sun City Peachtree, where we are now living happily ever after.

Joe DeGregorio

• Dubourg '65, Quincy College 65-57, MU Columbia 1970 Broadcast Journalism, MPA Long Beach CA State U 1978

• U.S. Army, 1970-72  Chaplain's Assistant (yes, God did shine his light on me, good duty) Korea and Colorado

• Two ex-wives, multiple ex-girlfriends, Son Charles age 35, Daughter in law Courtney, grandson Henry age 3.  Partner Eileen Ortmann Toy.  Met while at Prep South working at Zoo. Don't tell Fr.Weber (we reconnected after 50 years. 10 month old Labradoodle, Pepino.

• Federal Agent with Defense Security Service.  Became Regional Director. Protection of classified programs.  Assignments and domiciled at many locations in U.S., plus a three year stint in Europe.

• Currently living in St. Charles MO with Eileen.  Ten years off lake in St. Francois County prior

• After Federal retirement in 2005 took over from my father Roland doing tours of the Hill and since expanded to Dogtown and the Bosnian neighborhood.  Average 90-110 tours a year

• Tennis nut since I was 17.  Many leagues, decent number of trophies and injuries.

• Play Texas Hold'em at least once a week at various veteran organization locations.

Joe Leading Bus & Church Tours on The Hill (click on image for full size)

 

Paul Costello

• After my year at Cardinal Glennon, I went on to SLU and earned a degree in chemistry.  While there, I met this very nice young lady who actually decided that I might make good husband material.  We were married one week after graduation, and we celebrated our 46th anniversary last weekend.

• We together gave birth and raised four children (2 boys and 2 girls) and they have provided us with 4 grandchildren.  Our eldest granddaughter (Madison) graduated from high school this year (with honors of course) and our youngest (Corrine) will start first grade next year.  Actually, the one that I have to mention is Joel (now 12) who is the perfect clone of his father in every way.  I thoroughly expect him in his teen years to visit on his father all of the challenges that his father gave to his parents.  I plan on smiling a lot.

• After graduation, I was offered and accepted an assistantship at Notre Dame to earn my MBA, but before the first day of class, my uncle (you all know Sam) decided that he needed me.  I was drafted three months before the first lottery (where my number would have been 362).  To the absolute astonishment of any of those brave instructors that tried to teach me Latin, the Army decided that I had a great language aptitude.  I was sent to a high intensity training course in Vietnamese.  Now, I think that you can guess that I was not assigned to Germany.  I was trained as an interrogator and sent to Vietnam.  (I need to say here that we performed our duties in compliance with regulations and did not use any of the enhanced interrogation techniques (see torture) that were used in the younger Bush years).

• When I came back, I found that the assistantship was no longer available, but I went to the University of Missouri in St. Louis, and I was their 19th MBA.

• I went to work for Mallinckrodt Chemical in St. Louis in marketing.  After 6 years of heavy travel, I decided to transfer to chemical purchasing and materials management.  I went on to work for divisions of Merck and Bristol Meyers.  Finally, the division for which I was working, was purchased by STERIS Corporation.  I retired a the Director of Sourcing for STERIS two years ago.  At the same time my wife (Judy) retired from her job as a nurse at BJC.  Our daughter is now a nurse and working at the same hospital coordinating care for all of the stroke patients.  I hope none of us will meet her professionally.

• Judy and I like to travel.  Some years ago, we thought that it would be fun to see how many of the National Parks we could visit.  So far we have been to 37 and have plans to visit another this summer.  We have made several trips to Europe, but our most adventurous is scheduled for next year, when we will take a cruise around the Baltic Sea and visit eight countries.  Actually, it is the most adventurous only because it takes us far from home.  It is a luxury cruise, and I do not expect to work very hard at it.  In our earlier days (read youth), trips included some serious backpacking and hiking in the Rockies and elsewhere.  I spent 21 years as a volunteer leader for the Boy Scouts and Judy was an active Girl Scout Leader.

• Since retirement, I have been active at the community garden at our local YMCA.  In the last two years, we have added a substantial amount of space to the garden in which we are growing produce for two local food pantries.  Last year we obtained a grant to build a children's garden on our site, and I have helped in the first classes that we have held for some young people this year.  We want to teach them about where their food comes from and how much fun it is to grow your own.

• I am thinking that I might like to take some adult education courses in coming years.  I think that it is about time I became educated.  We will see where that leads us.

Herbert Bippen

• I dropped out of college after three years, figured I had learned all they had to teach me and married Shannon Gore, we were married for 41 years.
  

•  I left St Louis in '71 to go to a Control Data Corp programming school in Atlanta since I thought that computers were the 'wave of the future'. While in school, I met a guy who wanted to start a construction company; so after finishing school, my wife and I moved to Florida and became home builders. 
  

• When the housing market crashed around '77, I went to work with my brother-in-law in the elevator trade where I stayed for over 30 years.  I found that I loved teaching and became involved in the apprenticeship program in which I became an administrator and educator for 25 years. 

• After retirement from the elevator trade in 2007, I searched for something else to do and somehow wound up contracting to the Dept of State as an elevator tech in the American Embassy, Beijing China, for the next 4 years. 

• During my time in China, my wife and I divorced, very amicably, and she returned to the States while I continued on, working as an electrician in all the American Embassies around the world for an international maintenance company.

• In my travels, I met a wonderful Chinese girl, Nie JieChang, whom I have been with for over 4 years and just recently married. <

• We just returned to the States in March of this year and I have managed to find a part-time teaching position with an elevator inspection accrediting agency, so I am back doing what I love to do - teaching.

• I am partially retired and enjoy spending time with my daughter, Dea Savage, and my two grandsons, Jack-9yrs, and Luke-4yrs.

Gregory Warnusz     

• My wife Peg and I will be married 24 years this August.

• We live in northeast Saint Louis County, where we're active in Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church.

• We're retired, she from public education, I from IT for a brokerage. I suppose you could say I retired from the priesthood in 1991 when we married.

• I have metastatic prostate cancer. For now, it's under control. It's not spreading and the level of PSA in my blood is immeasurably low. Chemotherapy seriously weakened me, but I'm recovering. (Get tested, men.)

• Peg does a lot of volunteer work, primarily tutoring neighborhood kids.

• My volunteer work includes our parish pastoral council, where we're trying to make the parish of service in a vast spread of old suburbs facing demographic challenges (we're neighbors of Ferguson).

• I do a little web development for non-profits.

• My other volunteer gig is http://lectorprep.org, the website I created for lectors.

Mark Troy

• I've been married to the same woman, Mary Fran, for 45 years. Some of you were at our wedding, though nobody who was there remembers it. But I have photos.

• We joined the Peace Corps together and lived in Thailand for five years where our oldest son was born.

• I got my doctorate from the University of Hawaii, started a career in educational research and had a second son.

• We have been in Texas, since 1987, at Texas A&M University, from which Mary Fran recently retired and where I'm still crunching numbers.

• We have two grandchildren: Morgan, who is the most beautiful, talented dancer you will ever see and as intelligent as Lincoln and Darwin with whom she shares a birthday, and Matthew whom we hope will make it to his next birthday.

• Mary Fran volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system and is president of the Friends of the Library in College Station.

• I see retirement on the horizon and have been working to establish myself as a mystery writer for when that day comes. I don't ever expect to be a best seller, but I am selling through my advance, which keeps my publisher happy.

• Should the writing not work out, I'm learning to play gunfighter ballads on the ukulele, because a wise man has more than one arrow in his quiver.

Dave Steimel

• Married to the same wonderful girl (Sharon) for 45 years.  We had 2 daughters and now 2 great families with 5 grand children, The oldest little David 8 yrs old, the youngest just turned a year ( 2 boys and 3 girls).

• I'm retired from Ameren (the local electric utility) as a Mechanical Engineer and Key Account Executive.  Sharon retired from a local hospital as Med Tech and IT Manager.

• We still live in St. Louis County and have been here for most of our lives. We also have a condo and boat at Table Rock Lake near Branson, MO.

• Retired Life is great! Playing with the grandchildren, playing golf, fishing and boating at the lake, traveling and just doing whatever.  You would think my golf game would be getting better?

• I'm still proud to say I graduated from Prep and will always remember my friends.

Jim Kuszaj

• I have been married to my wonderful wife Joánne for 43 years. We have 2 grown children who still live close enough that we can spend lots of quality family time together.

• We have lived in Michigan, Virginia and now in Raleigh, North Carolina for the last 30 years. We plan to move full time to our new house we are building in the cool North Carolina mountain air in a year or two. “Y’all come visit a spell”, as they say around here.

• After 1 year at Cardinal Glennon, I got my BA in Chemistry from St. Louis University, PhD in Chemistry from Wayne State University in Detroit, and J.D. in law from Wayne State.

• I have worked as a patent attorney, environmental attorney and lobbyist for Dow Chemical; in private practice as an environmental attorney, and finally as Director of Communication and Legal Affairs for a North Carolina trade Association.

• I am not retired yet, but plan to in 2017. My wife Joánne is still working as a nursing director at a local hospital.

• These days my wife and I enjoy ballroom dancing and working around out mountain property (10 acres of woods and fields to cut) and of course watching Cardinal Baseball.  

• Both of my parents (95 and 96) are alive and living very independently at Our Lady of Life Apartment on the former seminary grounds. My dad thinks it is funny that he ended up living on the same property where I had expected to be living for 12 years.

• We get to St. Louis twice a year usually to visit my parents, sister and extended family. The only classmates that I have seen regularly over the last 50 years are Mike Orlando and Ken Luecke. They are part of the group seven guys from the 8th grade class at St. Mary Magdalen that attended Prep (others were Jim Johnson, Tom Conley, Rich Jennings, and Tom Reck). Looking forward to seeing the rest of you guys.