brother rice alumni dinner ad book 2015

8/18/2019 Brother Rice Alumni Dinner Ad Book 2015

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31st Annual All-Alumni Dinner

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- PROGRAM -

Brother Rice Alumni Association

31st Annual All-Alumni Reunion Dinner

Friday, November 13, 2015

Tom Carmody Center (BRHS Cafeteria)

Cocktails ...................................................................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Class of ’65 Procession into Carmody Center

Brother Rice Fight Song – Brother Rice Band

Welcome ............................................................................................ Dr. Kevin BurnsPresident of Brother Rice High School

Opening Prayer ....................................................................................Brother Collins

Master of Ceremonies ...................................................................... Tom Gorman ’85

Junior of the Year .............................................................................Andrew Dyke ’16Other Finalists: Frank Basile ’16

Manuel Bravo ’16Luke McGinnis ’16 James Ryan ’16

Alumni Hall of Fame ................................................................................... Jim Antos

Man of the Year & Alumni Hall of Fame ............................................ Ed Murphy ’65Brian Coughlin ’75

Joe Ferrick ’75

Live Heads & Tails Raffle ................................................................. Tom Gorman ’85

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:CLASSES OF 1960, ’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90, ’95, ’00, ’05, AND 2010


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Welcome Back Fellow Alumni:

We hope you enjoy being here as much as we enjoy having you! “We” has a doublemeaning for me, because so many of my colleagues, past and present, have also beenalumni. “We” have been able to extend the life of our Crusader spirit on a daily basis well beyond our graduation year, so much so, that it feels like we are still going toschool, not work.

However, I first learned as a student here, you do not have to be a graduate to fullyembrace and embody the Crusader spirit. No one has better exemplified this thanthis year’s Honorary Alumnus Jim Antos. When I think about what makes a BrotherEdmund Rice Crusader great, I think about men like Jim, along with Brother TomCollins, Joe Bergmann, George Sedlacek, and Tom Mitchell, who preceded Jim asHonorary Alumni into our Alumni Hall of Fame, and along with most of the men and women I have been proud to call colleagues.

Fellow honorees Ed Murphy ’65, Brian Coughlin ’75, and Joe Ferrick ’75 can beassertive when it comes to helping Brother Rice, and yet they have done so much soquietly, that most of their own classmates hardly know what they have done for theiralma mater. Please take the time to know them, because to do so will help you inspireothers to give as they have given, like so many unselfish Crusaders before them.

We know many of you are here tonight to be with old friends, but we also knowyou are here tonight to support today’s Crusaders. Many alumni come every year,

because they enjoy giving back to Brother Rice, with many giving something everyyear throughout the year. You continue to be an inspiration to everyone who works atbuilding and sustaining the future of Brother Rice.

Please enjoy singing the fight song together as the Class of 1965 parades into theCarmody Center, breaking bread with fellow classmates, former and current teachers,regular and continuous partakers and builders of the Crusader spirit, while honoringfellow Crusaders.

While doing so, please also remember those who cannot be with us because they are illor are no longer with us, and in a special way, please remember those who died while

in the line of duty to keep us safe.

We have a lot for which to be grateful, and you being here tonight on campus, thanksto the sacrifices of many, reminds us how fortunate we are to be together again.

Gratefully and sincerely,

Jim Casey ‘70VP Alumni Relations


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What is the distinction between Man and

Woman of the Year & Alumni Hall of Fame?

BROTHER RICE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

MAN OR WOMAN OF THE YEAR (Est. 1985) A Man or Woman of the Year can be nominated by anyone associated with Brother RiceHigh School in Chicago. The Brother Rice Alumni Association then discusses and decides who is selected for a particular year based on the following criteria. • Any man or woman who has provided outstanding service or support on behalf

of the students of Brother Rice High School over an extended period of time. • Any man or woman who has provided outstanding service or support on behalf

of the students of Brother Rice High School in a momentous (significantly

increasing) way for a shorter period of time.

BROTHER RICE ALUMNI HALL OF FAME (EST. 1998*)There are now four ways in which a man or woman or family can be inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame: 1. Any alumnus who has been selected as Man of the Year. In 1998 there were 13

alumni who were grandfathered into the Alumni Hall of Fame because they had been previously honored as Men of the Year. Also in 1998, three new alumni were honored as Men of the Year, so they also entered the newly established Alumni Hall of Fame. 2. Any alumnus who distinguishes himself in an outstanding way outside of Brother Rice High School. In 1998, there were three alumni who were deemed to have fit this criteria.

3. Any previous Man or Woman of the Year, whose impact on Brother Rice has been so extraordinary for an extended period of time, that he or she can be inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame as an Honorary Alumnus, since he or she did not graduate from Brother Rice. From 1998 until 2015, there are five men inducted in this manner. 4. Any family whose members have collectively contributed to the generational vitality of Brother Rice High School. Thus far, one family has received this award.

* In 1998, the year the Alumni Hall of Fame was established, there were 13 alumnigrandfathered into the Alumni Hall of Fame, while three alumni were inducted as newMen of the Year, and one (Tom Mitchell) was inducted as the first Honorary Alumnus.

The following facing pages list Men and Women of the Year on the left page, with

additional Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees on the right page. All alumni listed on theleft page (with graduation years) are also inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame and arepictured on a plaque in the hall that leads from the Carmody Center toward the indoorathletic complex. Honorary Alumni are listed on both the left side, indicating the year they were Men of the Year, and the right side, indicating the year they were inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame.

We welcome nominations from all Brother Rice family members.


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Men and Women of the Year Honorees

(Men of the Year who are alumni are also

inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame)

1985 Joe Johnston1986 Brother Eugene Pilon, Tom Mitchell, Marty Berry ’641987 Brother JB Moore, Joe Bergmann, John Leahy ’611988 Brother EV Corrigan, George Sedlacek, Bob Andrews ’641989 Will Kellogg, Dan Schramm ’631990 Brother KF Chapman, Bob Baader, Marty Auz ’661991 Brother CJ Gattone ’66, Pat Cassidy, Steve Ruff ’64

1992 Tony Hanrahan ’61*1993 Brother JR McDonald, Tom Lyons ’63, Cliff Petrak ’601994 Brother TJ Collins, Don Pawelski ’781995 Shirley Cari, Brian Lynch ’801996 Brother ET Hennessy, Leo Henning 1997 Mike Fitzgerald ’761998 Jack Hackett ’61, Ed Kilcoyne ’62, Tom Broderick ’781999 Jim “Moose” Mulcrone, Ed Zabrocki, Jim Casey ’702000 Mike Barton ’60, Frank Daily ’60, Raleigh Kean ’60, Dr. John McInerney ’752001 Rich Marfise, John Wakerly ’66, Greg Papiernik ’762002 Helen Pitula, Kevin Ryan ’67, Gary Little ’692003 Jim Cannon ’63, Bob Twardy ’65, Paul Duggan ’68 Brian Bulkley ’782004 Tom Billish ’64, Dennis Duffy ’64, Ed Napleton ’692005 Nick Markulin, Tom Palmer ’702006 Jim Antos, Pat Condon ’662007 Tom Murrihy, Bob Jacob ’67, Phil Morris ’67, Jim Cranley ’82,2008 Dorothy Mendes, Larry Platt ’68, Tom Carmody ’69*, Bill Chromizky ’732009 Mark Donahue ’74, Brian Farrell ’742010 Joe Terrell ’70, Tom Gorman ’852011 Mark Sterk ’712012 Brother E. Owen Carty CFC2013 Jerry Aguiar ’73, Rick Cunningham ’73, Marty W. Grogan ’73,

Bob McDonough ’73, Leo J. Novosel ’73

2014 Mike Elwood ’74, Steve Rosenbaum ’74 and Tom Mikrut ’792015 Ed Murphy ’65, Brian Coughlin ’75, Joe Ferrick ’75

* Posthumous


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Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees

All Alumni Men of the Year

and the following:

1998 Dave Collins ’66, Larry Korpitz ’68*, Jim Capraro ’68, Tom Mitchell (Honorary)1999 John Harper ’60*2000 U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ray O’Hare ’84**2001 George Sedlacek (Honorary)2002 Michael Flatley ’77, Bob Martin ’772003 John C. Reilly ’83

2004 Dr. Thomas G. Moran ’742005 Bill Dunne ’65, and Ten Alumni Who Died in Service of our Country**

(see Memoriam Page)2006 Joe Bergmann (Honorary)2009 J.J. Konstant ’992010 John Knight ’78**, Alex Valadez ’00**, Jared Stanker ’06**, Brian Carey ’99**, Tom Wortham ’98**2011 Brother Tom Collins (Honorary), Bill Hite ’662012 Marine Corporal Conner Lowry ’06**, Harrigan Family 2013 John R. Powers ’63*2014 Michael Kamin ’642015 Jim Antos (Honorary)

* Posthumous ** Died in Service of our Country or In The Line of Duty


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- Alumni Hall of Fame Honoree -

Jim Antos, Brother Rice Principal, Alumni Hall of Fame,November 13, 2015

It is fortunate for Brother Rice High School that Jim Antos was an impressionableViking from St. Laurence High School from 1962 – 1966, because so much of hisvision for Rice portrays a vivid connection to Edmund Rice and a chain of linksthat began for him back then. Off the top of his head, Jim points to 10 ChristianBrothers who taught him at St. Laurence from 1962 – 1966 – Carty, Farleigh, Castle, JE Murphy, WR Murphy, O’Grady, McGovern, Smith, Turnbull and Phillips - asthe initial sparks that led him to an interview in August of 1979 to teach history atBrother Rice. He says they were all positive influences, “challenging, demanding,

tough, human,” common characteristics that many Brother Rice alumni attribute tothe “Bros” of yesteryear and today.

Others come first to Jim Antos. Whether he is reflecting upon his gratitude for histeachers and mentors back at St. Laurence High School 50 years ago, or he is thinkingabout his colleagues, mentors, and thousands of students at Brother Rice since 1980, Jim Antos is remembered as one of the most unselfish men many of us have ever known.

The “others” Jim is known to champion include the desperately poor from Appalachiato Africa, to those “difficult to love” from adjacent neighborhoods, or at PADS sheltersin Englewood. Others come first.

Jim has worn more BR hats than most, including a baseball cap as the school’s firstfreshman coach from 1983 -1992. As a teacher, coach, dean, assistant principal, andnow as the longest serving principal in school history (17 years), Jim has been a tirelesschampion of those most in need at and beyond Brother Rice for 35 years. Technically, Jim is the school’s first principal who is not a Christian Brother, but those who know thisprayerful, Christian man know that his religious spirit is as infectious as most priests andbrothers. Jim would take no such bow, for he would praise the many Religious who haveinfluenced him throughout his life, including the nuns at St. Nick’s, without consideringhimself as in their company. Others always come first to Jim.

“Challenging, demanding, tough, human” are pursuits and traits that have driven Jim

through Chicago’s Southside, through Viet Nam during the height of the death tollthere, and through his determination to always improve his life and “others” througheducation and service, always humble but always clear about his convictions.

When people who don’t know him ask him why he is wearing BR apparel, he says he works there, and yet when he awakens very early in the morning, he feels like he isgoing to school, not work. Each and every day, each and every student and colleaguepresents a new learning experience for Jim Antos.


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“He may be 67, but his energy for his service to others is as high as anyone I know,”says Jim Casey ’70, VP of Alumni Relations.

That energy drives Jim in more directions than can be listed here, including but notlimited to annually updating his professional development at NCEA, the BishopGorman Institute, and NAASP conferences; gaining global perspective at internationalconferences, always searching for what is common and appreciating what is differentamong us, and always working toward continuous improvement. All of this is pouredinto the source of Jim’s greatest energy, that which is derived from and given back tostudents. The results speak for themselves, as evidenced by Brother Rice ACT scores,curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, including spiritual growth throughprayer, liturgy, retreats and service opportunities, all of which have grown during the

Antos era as Principal, which is why BRHS remains the number one Catholic schoolfor boys in Illinois.

Jim points to his wife and son, Mary and Justin, for encouraging him to “go for it” when he considered the principal position in 1998. Before that and since then as anadministrator, Jim credits all of his bosses, from Brother Tom Collins to Dr. KevinBurns, for teaching him how to be a leader in the best Catholic high school for boys inthe country.

It is when Jim is in front of students and faculty, all assembled together in the maingym, that his gifted leadership is most apparent. Without carrying or needing notes,

Jim grabbed the microphone, like he has hundreds of times, and spoke at the end ofthe opening Mass for the 2015-16 school year. Many of us who had seen him deliver16 previous addresses wondered if number 17 could top the rest, and it did, probablyas number 16 topped number 15, and so on. He again, better than ever before, leftthose assembled filled with an even better understanding of what it means to actmanfully in Christ Jesus, to live the life of Edmund Rice in 2015. He did so while alsoaddressing a behavior issue from two weeks earlier, convincing teenage boys that doingthe right thing always makes them feel better about themselves. He was so convincingbecause his ever-present respect for our young men, every single one of them, camethrough with complete conviction, even while challenging them to think twice thenext time an opportunity to be stupid presents itself.

The life and spirit of Edmund Rice is alive and well in today’s Brother Rice principal,a husband, father, teacher, and humble man of Christ. Anyone who knows him wouldbe proud to call him friend and brother. For this and much more, Jim Antos followsBrother Rice legends Tom Mitchell, George Sedlacek, Joe Bergmann, and Brother TomCollins to be named Honorary Alumnus and inducted into the Brother Rice AlumniHall of Fame.


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- Man of the Year Honoree -

Ed Murphy ’65, Man of the Year and Alumni Hall of Fame,

November 13, 2015

It is impossible to thank Ed Murphy ’65 without him thanking you back. You canthank Ed for hosting a meeting at the University Club for alumni lawyers 20 yearsago; for attending the alumni professionals reception at the Union League the last twoyears; for attending a few BRAIN for Business networking meetings; for attendingcapital campaign meetings or Career Days or Alumni Dinners, or for placing ads.

But Ed always comes back with his thanks for someone else hosting this or that,

specifically mentioning names like BRAIN for Business leaders Gary Stubits ’82 and Jim Walsh ’86 for their continuing efforts to bring Rice alums together so we canintroduce each other to our respective business – “a great way to promote the Ricebrand,” Ed said, specifically and gratefully.

You can thank Ed for becoming a leading annual donor, and while he is afraid offorgetting people, Ed in turn specifically thanks his teachers from more than 50 yearsago, like Messrs. Meis and Baader, who taught him how to think and write critically,and Brothers Crane, who taught him physics, and Rohan, who wrote a letter to helphim find a summer job. He even thanks a fellow Rice student, Tim Toomey ’66 forputting in a good word for him for a job with his father, so that Ed could earn enoughat a local factory in order to afford IIT upon graduation.

Ed gratefully thinks of these good people from his past teenage years for all of hisaccomplishments as an adult. He credits Brother Crane for teaching him about thephysical world, but he also credits Coach Bill Flynn, even though Ed never playedfootball, because he not only learned trigonometry in Flynn’s class, he also “learnedenough about him in that math class to know the importance of just being a goodman,” a lesson we at Brother Rice know he learned quite well.

This good man has been shaped by many life experiences meaningfully linkedtogether. Ed remembers how the technical program at Brother Rice not only preparedhim for college, but also introduced him to electricity, electronics, woodworking,

metal working, and technical drawing. “These classes and physics inspired me to seekan engineering degree, because I thought this would be a great way to really affect howpeople lived – the buildings in which they lived and worked, the roads and bridges on which they traveled, and the machines they used to make things,” Ed said.

When he graduated from IIT, Ed took a job in a can manufacturing companythat paid well, held his interest, and “seemed to have plenty of opportunity for


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advancement,” but the young and restless Murphy could not picture himself “climbing

the corporate ladder” in 1969, so he “did a 180 and joined the Chicago PoliceDepartment,” where for more than nine years he “learned about the REAL world.”

Ed believed he “met some of the best people anywhere” in “that profession,” but healso saw “the worst the world had to offer.” His “biggest take-away” was that “everynow and then it mattered very much to someone” that he was there. “What could bebetter?” Ed wonders.

When Ed realized that the most interesting and fun part of the police job “could onlybe done by a young man,” and that he needed to better support a growing family, hedecided to tap into his aptitude for “communicating effectively in the English language.”

“That led to law school and the legal profession—35 years and counting sincereceiving my law license on May 1, 1980,” Ed said. “Persuading judges and juries hasbeen a great way to make a living and to make a difference.”

As the years went by, Ed’s appreciation for his years at Brother Rice grew. “After yearsof observing the world as an adult, I finally realized how so many things – big andlittle – that I experienced as a teenager had such a positive effect on me and so manyothers at Rice and other good schools,” Ed said. “Rice prepared me intellectually,physically, and spiritually to make my way in a world that often was nasty and madelittle sense,” he added.

Ed said he “learned self discipline – not easily and certainly not perfectly,” while describinghimself as “a hard case.” He remembers viewing the wearing of a suit coat and tie as a“distasteful chore,” until later when he “realized the importance of making a first impression.”Ed now thinks that “business casual” means that he can remove his tie for awhile.

“Eventually I began to believe that the world would be a much better place if everyonehad the advantages I had and came to believe that I should do whatever I could tomake that possible for a few young men,” Ed said.

Ed dedicates himself to the Church beyond Brother Rice. Ed was a school boardmember and tuition-paying parent of four daughters at St. Agnes School in Chicago,

and was saddened when the school had to close due to decreasing enrollment. “Mygirls then transferred to St. Maurice, a wonderful school with very dedicated teachers,” where he also served on the board until that school was consolidated, a task he found“painful” as the chairman of the committee that worked through the consolidation.Three parishes eventually consolidated into one, Blessed Sacrament – with three worship sites – and no school, which Ed believes “is a tragedy,” while continuing to do what he can to financially support the ones that remain open.


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Ed gave his daughters a choice of any south side Catholic school, so one went toMother McAuley, one went to Lourdes, and two went to Maria, and he adds that twoalso earned degrees at Catholic colleges – St. Mary’s in South Bend, and St. Francisin Joliet. Ed is also glad to say that his eight grandchildren attend Catholic schools inLaGrange, Valparaiso, and St. John Fisher in Chicago, while adding how proud he isthat one of his daughters is a teacher and the chairperson of Religious Studies at MaristHigh School.

Ed also served on the finance committees at St. Agnes, St. Maurice, and currently atBlessed Sacrament, having also served as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist andas a lector.

When Ed looks at the other men who have been honored as Men of the Year andinducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame who have “served our country in the militaryor in other public service,” or who have excelled in sports or show business, or whohave otherwise “demonstrated to the world that Brother Rice produces great people,”he is embarrassed “to be counted among them,” specifically mentioning “the likes ofTom Gorman ’85 and Marty Berry ’64.” He thinks he is giving in a “small way.”

Ed said, “there are so many reasons for alums to contribute to Rice – but the one thatsticks out in my mind right now is this: Perhaps one young man who is able to attendBrother Rice in part because of a donation I have made – will come back to the schoolafter he has achieved some success in the business world and then help another young

man—just to know that is possible makes me very happy indeed.”

It is because everyone from Brother Rice, who knows this humble man from McKinleyPark, knows he is huge, not small, in the many ways he builds the Catholic Church. And it is because this grateful man deserves a “huge” thanks from today’s Crusaders,that we are proud to name Ed Murphy ’65 a 2015 Man of the Year and induct himinto the Brother Rice Alumni Hall of Fame, on the occasion of his 50th Graduation Anniversary.


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Brian Coughlin ’75, Man of the Year and Alumni Hall of Fame,

November 13, 2015

Brian Coughlin ’75 may have been among the busiest and most important volunteersto serve Brother Rice for the last nine years, but he remains most proud of what heaccomplished as an athlete in high school, for he held the 330-yard low hurdles recordat Brother Rice for 18 years, from 1974 to 1992.

Outside of that, Brian is probably best appreciated at Brother Rice for keeping hisnose to the grind and into the books, as in the financial books, as a Board of Directors

Member and Chairman of the Finance Committee since 2007, a volunteer positionperhaps as critical as any for an unpaid alumnus, involving decisions that can make orbreak a school, in ways that are not readily apparent to the general public. Withoutmen like Brian, it is difficult to imagine the success that Brother Rice now enjoys inattracting some of the most intelligent and talented young men in the area.

Besides his father, Brian credits Coaches Tom Mitchell and (Brother at the time) Ray Schul,as well as many other teachers for teaching him “the value of showing up and working hardevery day for your goals,” Brian said. “Both were very disciplined, yet knew how to laughand have fun. We lost Coach Mitchell too early, but it was great to catch up with Ray Schul when he was inducted into the Circle of Champions last year,” he added.

Growing up in St. Catherine’s at a time when half went to Rice and half went toMarist, Brian believes it was the Chicago Catholic League tradition that impressed himthe most. He remembers receiving the 48th set of pads given to freshman who triedout for football, playing 3 plays all season that year, when he weighed 110 pounds, butthen sticking with the program and becoming a starter on the varsity.

His interest in and support for Brother Rice never faded, attending scores of footballand basketball games and regularly participating in Alumni and Foundation GolfOutings, while annually attending the Alumni Dinner. Brian has also been an annualdonor for 26 years, gradually increasing his support from year to year, and stretchinghis gifts for campaigns that provided needed improvements.

Over the years he just enjoyed the games and enjoyed catching up with friends at theoutings, just having fun. As a Board Member & Chair of the Finance Committee, “Irealize what a life-changing four years Brother Rice can be for young men, yet becauseof economic reasons many families are not able to afford tuition,” Brian said. “Thisis why the Lifeguard Fund and other forms of financial aid are so important for thecontinued success of the school.”


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“Having two sons graduate from Brother Rice (Brian Jr. ’06 and Patrick ’07) really

opened my eyes to how well the school prepares young men academically, spiritually,and emotionally for college and beyond,” Brian said.

Like so many alumni whose sons also attended Brother Rice, Brian is amazed andimpressed that a faculty, now predominantly lay teachers with families, can still besuch dedicated professionals who take such a personal interest in every student. Brian’sservice on the Board has taken his “appreciation of the school and administration to anew level,” as he has witnessed firsthand the economic challenges that have been faced while continuing to improve the school’s reputation and offerings.

With the Finance Committee, Brian works hand in hand with Mike Hurley, the ChiefFinancial Officer at Brother Rice, who he says “does a terrific job.”

“We only have a certain dollar amount with which to work, so every year projectsmust be prioritized,” Brian said. “A new roof or boiler isn’t exciting or even visible, likenew athletic fields or science labs, but building maintenance must be kept current or itcosts more in the long run.”

Brian’s viewpoint reminds us of why we appreciate donors who tell us to spend theirgifts where the need is greatest, to keep tuition affordable for all students, or toLifeguard for students who need the most help with tuition.

Brian was shocked when he learned about the award, but he is truly honored. When

you spend as much time as he does gathering with Board Members, school officials,fellow alumni CPA’s, along with alumni financial advisors, lawyers, and bankers,engaged in sometimes heated debates over what and how to fund things like a field,a parking lot, and science labs, you don’t think about awards, for you are too busythinking about sustaining the future of Brother Rice.

“My brother Chuck ’80, and my two sons all received at least one gold medal upongraduation, and now I have something they don’t have!” Brian said with a smile, andperhaps with a challenge to others, that giving back has its own rewards, even whenyou least expect an actual award.

Brian ’06 said, “Growing up I always knew that I wanted to be a Brother RiceCrusader, mostly because of the passion and love my dad displayed towards Rice. He isthe biggest Brother Rice supporter I know and has contributed so much to the schoolover the years. Having him enter the Alumni Hall of Fame is something he trulydeserves; it makes me proud to be an alumnus, but more than anything, proud to behis son.”


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Patrick ’07 said, “My dad getting inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame means a

lot - he’s been a Rice man to the core his whole life, and he instilled that Rice Pride inmy brother and me basically from the time we could walk (and more specifically, playsports). From his time as a student athlete at Rice, to his contributions to the Father’sClub and now the Board and Finance Committee, he’s been able to give back andreciprocate for the opportunities that Brother Rice gave him. Getting inducted intothe Alumni Hall of Fame is an honor I know he appreciates, and I cannot think ofanyone more deserving or grateful than my dad.”

Obvious bias toward one’s dad and for Brother Rice is not just acceptable, it iscommendable. Also commendable are the accomplishments of both alumni sons, bothgainfully employed after graduating from Notre Dame, after both also became walk-onplayers for the Irish football team.

It is because he is so thoughtful in so many ways for Brother Rice High School, thatthe Brother Rice Alumni Association is proud to name Brian Coughlin ’75 a 2015Man of the Year and induct him into the Brother Rice Alumni Hall of Fame, in thecompany of his classmates celebrating their 40th anniversary.


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Joe Ferrick ’75, Man of the Year and Alumni Hall of Fame,

November 13, 2015

Joe Ferrick ’75 has been in the habit of supporting Brother Rice for so long, he does notremember when this started. He remembers receiving a Rice Review Alumni Newslettersometime in the 80’s, so he started attending home football games again, a habit hecontinues today, along with home basketball games and other events. Later, he attended an All-Alumni Reunion Dinner and Alumni Association monthly meeting, two more habitshe continues today, same with the Alumni Golf Outing, the Post Game Pizza Party, theBRAIN for Business meetings, the Christmas Cheer for Brother Rice, etc. There are simply

not enough etcetera’s that can capture Joe’s habitual support for Brother Rice.

Chances are anyone who reads this has seen Joe, but you have no idea who he is, becausehe is not a real “networker,” rather he will simply ask for your name and find your table ortee time reservation in such a friendly and efficient manner, you might think he is part ofthe paid staff.

At Alumni Association meetings for 20 years, 18 as Treasurer, Joe would say almostnothing, unless someone called on him. Joe is most engaging at being a low-key humbleservant, but he is bold in extraordinary ways.

Joe lives on a boat in Chicago all year round and has done so since 1994. Who does that?

Most of us would have bailed the first year when it was so brutally cold at the River CityMarina that he and his fellow “year-rounders” had to go outside every couple of hours tobreak up the ice, which he says “worked pretty well until the electricity went out.” Then,he had to “jump ship for a few hours” as his water lines and toilet froze, but that “onlyhappened a few times in 21 years,” Joe says with a straight face.

Perhaps just as extraordinary was when he changed vessels from a smaller cabin cruiser toan older but bigger trawler in 2002, and he chose to navigate it from Clearwater, Floridato Chicago, in order to learn all about it. Did he recruit an experienced crew? Sure he did,beginning with a WWII Navy veteran, the late Gerald Ferrick, Joe’s dad; Veronica Ferrick, Joe’s mom; and Marjy, Joe’s longtime friend.

“It was an adventure every day,” Joe said, “coming up the east coast, Chesapeake Bay, Jerseyshore, Hudson River, Erie Canal, Lake Ontario, Canada’s Trent-Severn Waterway, LakeHuron and Lake Michigan, observing manatees and dolphins, running aground (twice), all while learning a new boat!”

Joe sees himself as “one of the little guys who can do little things that help make biggerthings happen at Brother Rice.” He does not want us to tell you everything he is doing


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and has done for Brother Rice, so you will not learn that whole story. Instead, we will ask

a question about another thing he does for others, outside of Brother Rice. What kind ofguy seeks thrills from skiing down a slope in order to guide blind and visually impairedpeople to experience the thrill of downhill skiing? Joe derives such thrills from witnessingthe bravery in these skiers, and in knowing the trust they place into his hands and in feelingtheir appreciation for the confidence and independence they gain from the experience. Heuses voice commands to guide them on and off ski lifts, and from a trailing position, helpsthem navigate slopes, around trees and chair lift poles. Joe’s specialty is training new skiers,adults and kids, from age 6 to a 77-year-old retired Army Colonel. With novices, Joe oftenskis backwards downhill in front of them to help them maneuver and control their speed.Not one to just hang around the boat, in the winter time, Joe serves as the President andGuide Trainer for the American Blind Skiing Foundation.

While we cannot share everything Joe and his Mom and sisters and brothers-in-law giveto Brother Rice, Joe is ok with sharing the roots of his love for his alma mater. When Joe was born in 1957, his family lived in an open prairie to what is now 98th and Komenskyat a distance equal to a few blocks south of what was Kiddieland on 95th Street. (Whoremembers Kiddieland?). Veronica Ferrick remembers hearing the Brother Rice Band, andbelieves it subliminally affected Joe. In 1960, they moved to just south and west of Queenof Martyrs, where Joe took piano lessons, so he and his parents were invited to a meeting with Leo Henning, the legendary band director, who from that day on left a lastingimpression on the Ferrick family as a man with a command of every band instrument, anda great teacher, who directed Joe to the alto saxophone as the best fit for the young gradeschool kid. Joe would continue his lessons with Mr. Henning every Saturday, hiking over

the prairie that has since become Tally’s Corner, just west of St. Xavier (then College). Ineighth grade, Joe’s already innate sense of adventure led him to choose Leo H.S., anotherHenning school, but his more practical parents chose Brother Rice for their son, anoverruling he never regretted.

Joe would be overruled a few more times later in life as a trial attorney for the IRS, after working his way through law school as a revenue agent for the agency. He would move upthe ladder at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel to the Managing Counsel of the Chicagooffice and then to his current position at Area Counsel in a Senior Executive Servicecapacity, overseeing approximately 60 attorneys and paralegals in five states. Joe’s pride inhis position at the IRS is rooted in his appreciation for what he learned at Brother Rice,

as he cites a diverse list of favorite teachers including: Arumagam, Ross, Vranka, Murray,Treacy, Moore, Marfise, Coleman, and band with both Leo and Patrick Henning. He alsopoints to the fortuitous location of his locker near Brother McGraw’s Dean of Disciplineoffice, where his proximity to “disciplinary meetings inspired me to stay out of trouble.”His twenty-minute-walk proximity to school also allowed for participation in cross-country,diving, track, student council, dance committee, and intramural sports, while initiating hislife-time support for varsity basketball and football and band, often as part of the marchingband at Gately Stadium. Adding concerts and musicals to his busy schedule left Joe no timefor jug. Joe describes all this as “great fun that led to great friendships.”


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Joe loves volunteering at Brother Rice, meeting other alumni and families, while including

his own in the mix, always feeling satisfied he is doing his “little part,” while alwaysadmiring the many things he sees being done by faculty, staff, and Dads’ and Mothers’Clubs.

“The financial generosity of alumni is astounding,” Joe said. “The untold number of hoursspent by alumni families, former and present teachers, staff, moms, and dads is the otherpart of the ongoing story of generosity and commitment,” Joe adds. “All of these unpaidhours add further impetus to my desire to support Brother Rice.”

“We are all in different stages of life with a broad range of family and work matters tomanage, and yet there are so many opportunities for alumni to contribute during some of

these stages. For example, giving a 15 minute presentation about your career to upper-classmen can change a young man’s path through life!”

When Joe and Marjy attend games and events they have noticed many great things over theyears. Marjy has been particularly impressed with the “kind and mature behavior” she hasobserved of our young men at games and “even on the Metra” that she rides daily.

Although Joe’s Dad’s name was Gerald, he was known as Joe by family and friends, andmany of them were in the Dad’s Club when he was President. It is because his Dad andMom, Veronica, always taught their children to give back that Joe Ferrick ’75 and hissisters Deborah, Sue, and Monica, and their Mom have established through their collectivedonations, The Gerald and Veronica Ferrick Scholarship. Not only have they established

the scholarship through annual donations, Joe also made Brother Rice the beneficiary ofa life insurance policy in order to sustain it for years to come. Thanks to a couple of guysknown as Joe Ferrick, going back 44 years, and their family members, including theirsons/brothers-in-law who did not attend Rice, the Ferrick name will continue to represent“giving back” to Brother Rice.

Reflecting back on the roots of his appreciation, motivating himself to give every year inmany different ways, and committing himself to the future of Brother Rice are only someof the reasons why the Alumni Association is past due in naming Joe Ferrick ’75 a 2015Man of the Year, while inducting him into the Alumni Hall of Fame.


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Junior of the Year

Officially named the Brother Rice Alumni Association John P. Leahy Award forOutstanding Junior, the award was created in 1972 and named after the Rice graduate who was the driving force behind its creation. The purpose of the award is to makethe student body aware of the Alumni Association, while also serving as a means foralumni to give something back to the school.

The goal of the award is to reward overall excellence. The selection process begins with juniors selecting 10 representatives. These 10 candidates are submitted to the faculty, who select the finalists. A committee of the Alumni Association interviews the finalistsand selects the Junior of the Year.

The Junior of the Year is awarded a scholarship for $2,500.00 for his senior yeartuition. The other finalists also receive tuition assistance.

Listed below are the past winners of the award and their graduation years. You willnotice that no scholarships were awarded for three years during the early 1980s. Thismarked a time when the Alumni Association faltered and scholarship funds were non-existent. With your continued help and participation in the Alumni Association, that will not happen again.

Junior of the Year Award Winners

Brendan Lynch ’74Gregory Oberland ’75Michael Barrett ’76 John York ’77Richard Klein ’78Michael Casey ’79Brian Lynch ’80 John Mundo ’84 John Quigley ’85Michael Harlin ’86Matthew Himelman ’87 Joseph Valenti ’88Michael Murphy ’89Kevin Camden ’90

Robert Fanelli ’91 Joe Carney ’92 James Wills ’93Sean Giblin ’94Mike Minervini ’95 Adam Wojcik ’96Dan Lazarz ’97 Jeremiah Adeszko ’98Frank Cheers ’99Steve Scott ’00Timothy Carroll ’01Devin Kruski ’02Timothy O’Connell ’03Timothy Harrigan ’04

Luke Rohan ’05Brian Coughlin ’06Patrick Vail ’07Thomas Hickey ’08Thomas Rynne ’09Michael Rohan ’10 William McGivern ’11Marty Kyler ’12Cal Kennedy ’13Mitchell Strahlman ’14Patrick Hosty ’15 Andrew Dyke ’16


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Luke McGinnis ’16 is a four-year member of all things musical at Brother Rice, and

is the current Student Leader for the Lyrical Fight Club. In addition to playing eightinstruments, he has qualified for the Illinois Music Educators Association District 1Honors Chorus and currently stars as the Beast in Mother McAuley’s “Beauty andthe Beast”. He also has worked the Edmund Rice Camp for the last three years, a freecamp offered to children who could not normally afford summer camp. In addition,Luke has been a member of the National Honor Society for the last three years, whilealso participating in the Politics Club and Math Team. As a junior, Luke won the JohnHosty Crusader Award. Recently, Luke led Kairos 134 as Assistant Rector and now works as a Peer Minister. Outside of school, Luke can be found directing the choirand playing piano at Queen of Martyrs 4 o’clock Sunday evening Mass and playingguitar and singing at Saint Terrence in Alsip on Sunday mornings. He spends muchof his time volunteering with the Queen of Martyrs Youth Ministry Group and ledtheir Christ Renews His Parish retreat in October. Luke also contributes to the OakLawn Police Department’s Peer Jury Program, an innovative alternative used to divertnonviolent first time juvenile offenders from formal court action, while still makingthem accountable for their actions. Luke also performs in a band with his youngerbrother, Liam, at local venues, all while maintaining a GPA of 4.2. Luke currentlyintends to pursue a college degree in music education or music production.

James Ryan ’16 is a four-year member of the football program and a four-yearmember of the swim program and team captain for two years. James received aVicariate V leadership award from the Archdiocese for his works for three years with the Edmund Rice Society. James also attended a mission trip this summer to

Tennessee after committing himself to be a counselor at the Edmund Rice Camp, afree camp for marginalized children of the Chicago area. Musically, James is a four-year member of the Brother Rice Pep Band, which plays at all the home basketballgames, and he is a beginner at learning the tin-whistle and highland pipes. James isa three-time state qualifier and two-time top twelve finisher and has been awarded All-American as well as MVP of the varsity swim team. He is currently talking withDivision 1 schools and will swim in this year’s 18U USA Swimming Junior NationalsChampionships in Texas. James has also participated in baseball and water polo fortwo years each and was named Second Team All-Sectional for water polo his junioryear and Most Improved his sophomore year. James was also asked to play with theChicago Park District’s Junior National team at the Junior Olympics in Orange

County, CA. James has also been a member of the Drama Club and the Floor HockeyClub, while also serving on the Student Council as a Homeroom-Rep and is now theService Coordinator. James is a Peer Minister and a certified Eucharistic Minister at St.Catherine of Alexandria. James hopes to attend the Naval Academy where he plans onstudying Nautical Archeology, and eventually move on to Naval Special Forces.


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CONGRATULATIONS

HONOREES

JIM ANTOS

ED MURPHY ’65

BRIAN COUGHLIN ’75

JOE FERRICK ’75

GREG ’76 & SUE PAPIERNIK

TIM ’15

BRIAN ’17

MATT ’18


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We Honor

Ed Murphy ’65Brian Coughlin ’75

Joe Ferrick ’75Men of the Year &

Alumni Hall of Fame

Jim AntosAlumni Hall of Fame

CENTURY EAR, NOSE AND THROATHEAD AND NECK SURGERY

BRIAN P. FARRELL ’74, M.D.

PHILIP D. KOOIKER, M.D.

SILVIO MARRA, M.D.

CURTIS G. WALSH, M.D.

NIRAV N. THAKKAR, M.D.

16001 South 108th Avenue * Orland Park, Illinois 60467Phone: (708) 460-0007 Fax: (708) 460-0005


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In Loving Memory Of George Steven Gianakas

Class Of 1983


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Best Wishes

to Our Fellow

Alums & Students

From

The Brews Brothers

Class of 1970

Scott Hanley

Rick Stacy

Jim Wilcox


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Fellow Alumni:

Peace & Love

Towards All

Paul A. Serritella

Class of 1964


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Brother Rice High School 2015-2016

ADMINISTRATIONDr. Kevin G. Burns, President James Antos, PrincipalMichael Hurley, Chief Financial OfficerRobert Alberts ’85, Assistant PrincipalM. Jacob Mathius, Assistant PrincipalBecky Pacetti, Director of Student ActivitiesPhil Cahill, Athletic DirectorDarlene Diehl, Administrative AssistantDeborah Cook, Administrative Assistant

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT (IA) James Casey ’70, VP Alumni RelationsMichael McShane ’87, Vice President (IA)Brian Barkowski ’95, VP Marketing Tim O’Connell ’03, Director of AdmissionsBobby Frasor ’05, AdmissionsBrian Badke ’92, Annual Fund DirectorNancy Condreva, Assistant DirectorDonna Eastman, Alumni Services

Dr. Kevin Burns, PresidentMr. Burt Odelson, ChairmanMr. Mark Donahue ’74, Vice-ChairmanMr. John Birney Mr. Delano Brazil ’87Brother Dan Casey ’69

Dr. Augie Cavero ’77Mr. Brian Coughlin ’75Dr. Brian Farrell ’74Mr. Larry Heavey ’71Mr. Shaun Jacob ’93Mr. Jim Kramer ’64Mr. Donald Liebentritt ’68

Br. Dominic Murray ’63Mr. Dennis O’Malley ’82Mr. Steve Rosenbaum ’74Mr. Steve Ruff ’64Dr. Laura Shallow Mrs. Joyce Sterk

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Al AlbaneseSamantha AntosMary Antos

Joe Augustyn Amy AxelroodDenis BergstedtKirk BosiBeverly Buciak Marta CarbolBr. E.O. Carty Cynthia Charters Jo Anne CollinsBr. Thomas CollinsPatrick Creed ’06Timothy Daniher ’74

Frank Dinovella ’89Mike DolanEve Donnelly Max DunneDan Dwyer ’88Eric ElgetMichelle EnglandChris ForbesEric Gamboa

Bill GleesonMarty Grogan ’73 Jon Lee Hall

Br. Patrick HayesMary Lynn HollendonerMary Beth JantzLynda JarosRandy JohnsonSandra JonesMark Klutcharch ’82Richard Lane John LettiereTherese ListonSue LucheonDr. Leslie Luxem

Debbie LynchTim Lyons ’92Nick MarkulinLisa Marley Peg MasonTom McAuliffe John McCarthy Dr. Michael McGrailDon Molenda

Daniel MostynBob PetersCathy Plumb

Saul Ramirez ’84 Allan Rendak Pat Richardson John Rolence Janet RzeszutkoSue SalmonKay Scaletta Judy SchrammLaura SextonEd Sochacki ’91Sue Stanley Mary Strahlman

Gale SuweKyle Swynenburg Dawn TobarBr. J. TooleElizabeth VanFr. Mark WalterTom Wazio ’97Ken Williams

FACULTY AND STAFF


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brother rice alumni dinner ad book 2015

Documents