The Knights’
Pages
SPRING 2013
1
The knights’ pages
Spring 2013
BISHOP O’CONNELL
HIGH SCHOOL
Letter from the
Chairman
6600 Little Falls Road
Arlington, VA 22213
703-237-1400
www.bishopoconnell.org
ADmINISTRATION
Kathleen Ryan Prebble
President
Joseph E. Vorbach III, PhD ’83
Principal
Rev. Phillip M. Cozzi ’94
Chaplain
Sr. Catherine Hill, I.H.M. ’66
Dean of Academics
Erin O’Malley
Dean of Faculty and Counseling
Meghan Lonergan
Dean of Students
ADVANCEMENT
Kim Aubry
Major Gifts
703-237-1447
kaubry@bishopoconnell.org
Jennifer Brown ’02
Constituent Relations
703-237-1437
jbrown@bishopoconnell.org
Members of the O’Connell Community,
It has been a busy and rewarding second semester at O’Connell. Seniors and their
parents are beginning to hear from all of those colleges to which they applied, and
the class of 2013 has already collected scholarship offers totaling millions of dollars.
This is quite a tribute to our students and their academic achievements and to our
faculty for helping to make those successes possible.
Congratulations are also in order for members of our sports teams and performing
arts programs who have competed successfully, and who have brought great pride to
the O’Connell community. There are teams with tournament and league titles, teams
with national recognition, and instrumental and vocal ensembles with a whole list of
accolades and awards.
As we close out another school year, we are saying good-bye to our school’s president, Kathleen Ryan Prebble, who has tirelessly served this school and our students
for the past three academic years. She has accomplished a great deal in a very short
period of time, and we are truly grateful for her efforts across a very broad range of
areas.
Bishop O’Connell is fortunate that Dr. Joseph E. Vorbach will serve as our new Head
of School, beginning this summer. Never have I known anyone more dedicated to the
mission of this school than this distinguished graduate of the class of 1983. Please
join me in giving him your full and complete support.
Much has been done, but there is so much more to do.
Respectfully and enthusiastically yours,
Cindy Krech
Annual Fund
703-237-1446
ckrech@bishopoconnell.org
Kat Ogdoc ’06
Database Manager and
Advancement Support
703-237-1445
kogdoc@bishopoconnell.org
Kevin Di Gregory
Chair, Board of Governors
COMMUNICATIONS
Mary Jane Spurlock
Director of Communications
703-237-1425
mjspurlock@bishopoconnell.org
Cover Photo – The boys
basketball team celebrates their
WCAC title (photo by Brian Kapur,
KapurPhotography.smugmug.com)
2
Message from the
Table of Contents
President
The Time is Now 4
School News 6
Superdance 2013
10
Annual Giving 12
12th Annual Gala
and Auction
13
Why We Give 14
Reunion Wrap-Ups
16
Athletic Hall of Fame
17
77Nearly
Alumni Roll Call 18
77Several
Alumni Achievement
Awards22
Dear parents, alumni and friends of O’Connell,
In April of 2011, a group of Bishop O’Connell leaders and supporters gathered to launch a muchanticipated initiative to fund the revitalization of the school. Called The Time is Now, this initiative promised to be the most transformative undertaking of the school since its founding in 1956.
In fewer than two years from the launching of The Time is Now, much has been achieved:
77Over
$6.5 million in pledges and support have been directed to fund the initial priorities of
the initiative.
77More
than 200 alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of O’Connell have stepped up to
make a commitment to The Time is Now.
all of the projects identified as top priorities in 2011 have been funded—and many
have been completed.
Phase II projects have been funded and completed already—well ahead of our
projections.
The difference in our campus is almost breath-taking. Yesterday, I walked over to see our
nationally-ranked softball team playing at Tuckahoe Park. On the way I observed the track team
practicing on our brand new 6-lane track, lacrosse players on the new synthetic turf field and
a baseball game in progress on the reoriented and renovated baseball field. Earlier in the day,
as part of my regular routine, I walked by the banner announcing O’Connell as an Intel Finalist
School, which is displayed outside our new state-of-the-art chemistry lab. Over the weekend,
I enjoyed the wonderful spring musical production of Cinderella, in comfortable, newly reconstructed blue seats in the auditorium.
Upcoming Reunions
23
The initial success of The Time is Now speaks to the generosity of the O’Connell community,
the strength of the school’s mission and the boldness of its vision for the future. During every
conversation, with every donor and perspective family, I explain that while we are transforming
ourselves externally, we are using the same standard of excellence internally. Last March our
faculty committed to a “Standard of Professional Excellence” that impacts our classrooms on a
daily basis. Our partnership with Marymount University now includes dual enrollment/dual
credit classes with 65 students participating. Our Global Studies Program involves more than
100 students who will receive a special Global Studies endorsement on their transcripts. More
and more students are engaged in classroom activities using mobile technology. This summer
O’Connell will become a Project Lead the Way school as our science department implements
the Pathway to Engineering Program for high schools. Our focus on STEM is clear as we plan
to renovate an additional five science labs this summer. Our counseling program now includes
a dedicated College Counselor. I have been thrilled to be part of this adventure to move
O’Connell to a new level of “awesomeness.”
We are at an excellent time in the school’s history to grow and expand. As I pass the baton to
Dr. Joseph Vorbach, the next Head of School, I am confident that the spiritual and academic
“DNA” of Catholic education at Bishop O’Connell is solid. I am particularly grateful to the
strong Board of Governors that I have had the pleasure to work with over the past three
years, the supportive faculty and parents, the very spirited students and the generous
donors who are committed to ensuring that Bishop O’Connell becomes a beacon of
excellence in Catholic education.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to provide
students an education rooted
in the life of Christ and to
Sincerely,
foster the pursuit of excellence
in the whole person.
Kathleen Ryan Prebble
3
Strategic
initiative
The Time
is Now
Launched in April 2011, The Time is Now
is a bold strategic initiative designed to
revitalize and transform the school.
In the two years since the launch of The
Time is Now, over 200 supporters have
committed almost $6.5 million in support
of this initiative. Nearly all of the projects
identified as top priorities in 2011 have
been funded—and many have been completed ahead of schedule.
Recent Developments
STEM Programs - We are committed to
strengthening and building on our STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math) curriculum to prepare students for
success in college and beyond in STEMrelated fields. Recent STEM programmatic
improvements include two new state-ofthe-art chemistry labs and the addition of
engineering coursework into the curriculum.
Athletics - In partnership with Marymount University, the baseball diamond
at Harry “Jake” Jacobs Field has been
reoriented and renovated with new sod, an
irrigation system, new fencing, a warning
track and batting cages. Bleachers, dug
outs, a press box and other improvements
will be will be added as funds allow.
Auditorium - The largest gathering space
at O’Connell for assemblies, performances
and the celebration of Mass, received a
much-needed upgrade with beautiful new
seats in the lower section.
4
The Next Funding
Priorities—Phase II
These Phase II improvements will require
an additional $8.4 million investment in
facilities and programs:
77Continued
investment in our STEM curriculum and renovations to our science
labs
77Completion
of the outdoor athletic facilities renovations with upgrades to the
baseball field and a new outdoor concession stand
77Additional
improvements to the auditorium, including new balcony seats, lighting,
sound and technology systems, and storage space for props and scenery
77Relocation
and expansion of the Muller
Academic Support Center
77General
building renovations to improve
energy efficiency include replacement
of HVAC systems and new classroom
windows
We are thankful for the many individuals, families and businesses who have
partnered with us through The Time is
Now strategic initiative. If you would
like to know how you can help with these
important efforts, please contact Kim
Aubry at kaubry@bishopoconnell.org or call
703-237-1447.
Thank You to
Our Supporters
As of March 31, 2013, the
following individuals have
generously pledged their
leadership support, or made
an outright gift, to The Time
is Now strategic initiative.
Anonymous
Richard L. Abood ’74
Elizabeth Abood
AES Corporation
Sydney  and Gloria Albrittain
Michael Albrittain ’80 and
Kristine Albrittain
W. Sydney Albrittain ’83 and
Whitney Albrittain
Peter F. Allgeier
Kathleen M. Almy ’70
Brian B. Anderson ’85 and
Kelly Marsh
Mark and Valerie Andreotta
Sue and Gary Andres
William and Joanne Armor
William A. Bagot ’70
Farras and Zayn Bakir
Bruce and Joan Barrow
Terry M. Belt ’84 and
Sarina Termini Belt ’85
Thomas and Andrea Bender
Ted and Lisa Bennett
Peter Bergmann/
Bergmann’s Cleaning, Inc.
Mr. John Bernhardt
Suzanne Sniscak Blevins ’70
Arthur and Wendy Bonair
George Boras ’83 and Susan Boras
Julianne Rish Bourne ’83 and
James Bourne
Albert Bracht ’70
Marc A. Brammer ’70
Theodore A. Breiner ’72 and
Maureen Daunt Breiner ’71
John Brough ’82 and Karin Brough
Andrew and Denise Brown
Richard W. Brown/
Bethesda Blues, LLC
Kevin T. Callaghan
Brendan E. Callahan
Sylvia Totten Carlson ’70
William Carpenter ’76 and
Deborah Carpenter
Gregory F. Carroll ’73
Suzanne and Richard Carroll
James Cartwright
Larry and Barbara Caudle
W. Rance Cleaveland
Thomas and Pamela Cline
Thomas H. Conaty ’64
Timothy A. Cope ’68
Timothy M. Corbett ’70 and
Kathryn Giebel Corbett ’70
Luis Felipe and Ana Maria Cordoba
David M. Cotter ’92
David and Susan Courtney
Jeffrey Craigmile and
Cristina Pola Craigmile ’83
Peyton and Leslie Cross
Erick Crouse
Meghan Curtis
Joseph and Cheri  Cusumano
Rodney and Teresa Dade
Eva Herbst Davis ’83
Skip and Joanie Dawson
John Depenbrock ’61 and
Anne Depenbrock
John and Kathleen Dickman
Kevin and Gerry Di Gregory
Tina Marrocco Dodge ’84
David C. Dominy ’93
Steven J. Donovan ’86
Mike Doughty
Pat Driscoll
Bill Duryee ’61 and Patricia Duryee
Dennis E. Dwyer ’61
Jonathan D. Dwyer ’93
Thomas J. Fadoul ’70
Teresa Langen Fahlgren ’83
Fannie Mae
Michael A. Farrell ’70
Timothy P. Farrell and
Kathleen Barry Farrell ’80
Brian M. Fay ’72
Kevin J. Fay ’73 and Nancy Fay
Stephan E. Fay ’71 and
Ann Marie Morris Fay ’71
Robert and Karen Fornaro
Rosemary T. Fox
Eric Fracasso
Kirk and Maria Galiani
Joseph and Jerry Gargiulo Jr.
Renee Walsh Garnett ’83
Ronald J. Gilbert ’65 and
Sue Boyles Gilbert ’65
Dan and Michelle Gillick
Nicholas J. Giuliani ’77
Brendan D. Giuseppe ’84
Mark Goetzman ’77 and
Martha Holroyd Goetzman ’80
Lily Fernandez Griffin ’83 and
Thomas Griffin
Patricia Pettit Griffin ’70
Bruce Gudenberg
Timothy E. Guinan ’93
Constance Culosi Gulley ’83 and
Steven Gulley
Dalton and Nan Gustafson
Edward and Anne Hall
Albert Halprin and
Janice Obuchowski
Abdel-Rahman Hamed
Joseph M. Harrington ’67
Parker Harrington ’75 and
Rosemarie Harrington
Paul Hartmann ’70 and
Barbara Hartman
James and Judith Hathaway
James W. Hathaway ’93
Michael J. Hayden ’74 and
Julie Naylor Hayden ’74
Caitlin Healy
Kevin and Sally Healy
Kevin J. Healy
Mary Jane Healy ’83
Mark A. Henry
Jane Hayes Hohmann ’70
Karen O’Malley Holland ’70
Ralph E. Horvath and
Cathleen Campbell
John K. Hughes ’70
Alexander Inglese ’72 and
Karen Carter Inglese
Michael A. Ingrao ’72
William J. Jacaruso
William R. Jacobs ’82
Claudia S. Jadrijevic ’86 and
Bruce DeBlois
Robert D. Jentgens
Paul Johnson and Judy Dunn
Mark D. Jones ’83
Maggi Hanlon Keating ’85
William and Dawn Kerr
Mark T. Kimmitt ’72
Joseph H. Kimmitt ’68
Robert M. Kimmitt ’65
Richard Kingman ’70 and
Ann Reilly Kingman ’71
Donald and Marie Klawiter
Joseph R. Koons ’64 and
Nancy Hayhurst Koons ’65
George B. Korte ’67
Richard G. Kramer ’66
Gerald Kunde
Robert Kurtzke ’77 and
Leala Kurtzke
5
Tara Laposa ’93
Gretchen Laundon
Larry and Colleen Leber
Eric W. Leonard
Susan C. Leous
Mary Flaherty Lewis ’70
Donald P. Libera ’70
Jennifer Borntraeger Loucks ’74
Richard M. Loughery ’70 and
Phyllis Mayo Loughery ’70
Michael D. Lubeley ’65
Donald T. Lynch and
Kimberly Burnett
John and Peggy Maddox
Elizabeth Von Drehle Madeira ’83
Marymount University
Robert J. McCahill ’71 and
Robyn Boyle McCahill ’71
Douglas and Michele McCormick
James and Dawn McDonald
Terrance McGovern and
Margaret Hogan-McGovern
Michael J. McGuire ’00
Tom McKean ’73
Donald Mellen and
Anne Pida Mellen ’70
Christopher J. Melnick ’84
Brian K. Mercer ’72
James W. Mercer
Gus Meruvia ’77 and Staci Meruvia
Microsoft Corporation
Katherine P. Muth
Robert and Mary Ann Nirschl
O’Connell Alumni Class of 1989
O’Connell Alumni Knight Party
O’Connell PTO
Kathleen Boylan O’Keefe ’83
Kelly Olszewski-Hertel
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.
Reverend John P. Peterson ’81
Helen Wilkinson Petrakes ’80
Pharmasap, Inc.
Thomas R. Poos ’70
Kathleen R. Prebble
Todd J. Preti ’83
James A. Puglisi Sr. ’74 and
Mary Elizabeth Puglisi
Timothy C. Puglisi ’74
Marie Quinn
Daniel and Mary Kay Reilly
Kevin Reilly ’77 and Sharon Reilly
Robert B. Richards ’66
Robert N. Riviello ’62
Edward G. Rodrigues
Rui Rodrigues
Robert and Jeanne Rucks
Michelle Lalle Rush ’70
Eduardo and Megan Salas
Anne E. Schaffner
Scitor Corporation
Kevin S. Scully ’70
Ronald and Kathleen Scully
Jeannie Jreige Semaan ’86 and
Marcel Semaan
John and Andrea Shank
Reilly M. Shaughnessy ’76
Paul Sheridan ’89 and
Rachel Sheridan
SHW Group, Inc.
Siemens Corporation
Harold Smarr
Neil Soloman
Amber South
Christopher and Jodi St. George
Samuel and Marian Starr
Thomas Stevens ’68 and
Lindy Stevens
David and Karen Stuver
William and Jamie Tanis
Timothy and Marie Taylor
Dennis L. Telzrow ’63
Evan Thomas
Thomas E. Tiernan ’72
Melissa Tierney
Rev. Stephen J. Tisinger ’70
Karen M. Tracey
Michael Underwood and
Lisa Mercer Underwood ’74
JoEllen Urban ’82
Joshua Vance ’88 and
Amy Every Vance ’89
Michael P. Vandermark ’82
Stavros and Berit Veletsis
Joseph E. Vorbach III ’83 and
Colleen Vorbach
Patricia DeIuliius Walker ’70
Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley,
Emrich, P.C.
Martin Walsh ’62 and Nan Walsh
Patrick J. Walsh ’62 and
Margaret Walsh
Jean Winslow Whitesell ’73
Gregory and Donna Wilson
Jeffrey R. Winslow ’70 and
Janet Greenwald Winslow ’71
Douglas I. Wood
Don and Stacey Wood
Kevin P. Wuest
Raymond Zdancewicz ’74 and
Sandra Zdancewicz
Donald and Catherine Ziegler
School News
Coast Guard Commandant
Visits Global Studies Program
Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., Commandant of the U.S. Coast
Guard, visited Bishop O’Connell for an afternoon discussion with
students enrolled in the Global Studies program. He presented
the Coast Guard’s role in events that were familiar to those in the
room, including the recent rescue of crew members aboard the
Bounty during Hurricane Sandy. He also talked about the U.S.
Coast Guard as a role model for maritime services in countries
around the world. Admiral Papp shared photos and stories of a
recent trip that took him to Malta, Bahrain, Singapore, Guam and
finally Hawaii, before returning to headquarters in Washington,
D.C. The students asked questions about the future of the Coast
Guard and his career highlights. He encouraged the students to
“find a way to serve,” and to find something for which they have
a passion. He said he never considered the Coast Guard a job, but
rather a privilege to sail the seas and to serve his country. Find
out more about the Global Studies Certificate Program at www.
bishopoconnell.org/global.
Speech and Essay Winners
and VFW Teacher of the Year
O’Connell students swept several local speech and essay competitions this year. In February, three freshmen claimed the top three
prizes at the Alexandria Sunrise Optimist Club essay contest. Clare
Adams took 1st place, Maureen Duesterhaus took 2nd place and
Katherine Katz took 3rd place.
Just up the road at the Arlington Optimist Club essay contest, three
other freshman students took top honors: Claire Stemberger was
awarded 1st place, Stephanie Salinas, 2nd place, and Isabel Fernandez, 3rd place.
At the John Lyon VFW Post 3150 Voice of Democracy oral essay
contest earlier this year, freshman Virginia Schilder won first place,
junior Rhett Nugent won second place and freshman Isabel Fernandez won third place. The O’Connell community was also honored
when Post 3150 named English department chair, Diane Cerniglia, as
the Teacher of the Year. Read about all of this year’s essay and speech
competitions at www.bishopoconnell.org/essays.
Robotics Program Gets a Boost
Thanks to a $1,000 sponsorship from Lockheed Martin’s
STEM Education Outreach program, O’Connell’s robotics club
has registered as a “FIRST Tech Challenge Team.” The FIRST
program allows high school students to design, build and program robots to compete against other teams at the local, state
and regional level. The club meets regularly after school, mapping out goals for this year, and making plans for competing in
the 2013-2014 school year. The students are guided by science
teacher, Anthony Rennekamp, engineering teacher, Paul
Gerton, and O’Connell alumnus and MIT graduate, Samantha
Palazzolo ’06. Don Brobst, senior mentor for the Washingtonarea FIRST program, recently visited the O’Connell robotics
program to demonstrate a typical robot and familiarize the students with the program elements. “This program encourages
high-quality work,” he told the student. “Equally important to
the actual level of competition is teamwork and cooperation
within and among teams.”
Dr. Michael E. Mann
John Lyon VFW Post 3150 awards
6
Dantzler is Intel Finalist
Senior Alexa Dantzler is one of 40 high school students around
the country to be named a 2013 Intel Science Talent Search
(STS) finalist.
Students Take a Stand
Against Bullying
“This is such a special honor, and we are thrilled that Alexa’s
hard work has been recognized at this level,” said science
department chair Doreen Curtin.
Courtesy of student correspondent
Mary Barna
This year at Bishop O’Connell a bullyingprevention team, called “DJO Upstanders,” has been put in place
not only to create awareness of the problem of bullying, but also
to encourage students to “stand up” against it.
Dantzler’s project, entitled “Quantification of Perchloroethylene Residues in Dry Cleaned Fabrics,” began as a freshman
science fair project at O’Connell, and has continued to grow in
scope and detail. Early in her research she recognized the need
for more accurate measuring devices to improve her project,
and was able to team with Dr. Paul Roepe and two graduate
students in the Chemistry Department at Georgetown University. The results of some of this work were published last year
in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
DJO Upstanders is made up of 30 members of the O’Connell
community — students, parents and staff — who helped frame
the program. In October, the team hosted a Stand Up to Bullying
assembly with a message for students not to just stand by but
to stand up for what is right. The term “upstander” was used to
describe people who report acts of bullying they witness.
Special guest speaker for the assembly was Paul Hewitt, basketball coach at George Mason University in Fairfax, who gave an inspiring speech to the students about the importance of respecting
each other. There also was a contest for students to make “Stand
Up to Bullying” videos, which were shown to the O’Connell community at the assembly.
As an Intel STS finalist, Dantzler spent seven days in March in
Washington, D.C. at the national STS competition. The week’s
activities included two days of intense judging, some media
training, and a public exhibition at the National Geographic
Society. Participants met with Intel Innovators, Einstein Fellows and past STS winners, and visited Capitol Hill and the
White House, where they met President Barack Obama.
Erin O’Malley, dean of faculty and counseling, serves as the
moderator for DJO Upstanders. “It is exciting to see how many
individuals are participating in the efforts this year,” she said.
“The students have quickly embraced this program with enthusiasm and support. We have many new plans and programs in
the works for the upcoming months and even for next year.”
Dantzler was honored by her peers to be selected as the Glenn
T. Seaborg Award winner. As the Seaborg awardee, she was
asked to speak on behalf of the finalists at the black-tie awards
dinner held at the National Building Museum on the last day of
the competition. She began by thanking Intel and the Society
for Science & the Public for making the week possible.
“During this week, we have taught and inspired each other,
and are consequently now more enthusiastic about science and
our roles in the scientific community,” she said in her remarks.
Thanksgiving with the
Missionaries of Charity
“We will continue to question our world because questions fuel
initiative and initiative leads to answers…We have diseases to
prevent and cure, new energy to harness and save, efficient technology systems to build, and diagnostic tests to improve, among
other things. We have no time to lose. While the world awaits us,
it also needs us. Let the research never stop and let the curiosity
and inspiration continue to be planted and flourish.”
For most students at Bishop O’Connell, the Thanksgiving holiday
weekend began on Wednesday, a planned day off for the school. But one
group of seniors joined Christian Service Coordinator Mannikka Heard
for a special day of service. The group traveled to Northeast Washington
to lend a hand at the Gift of Peace home which is run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries. Some students helped with yard work, while others
worked in the kitchen, preparing for the afternoon meal service.
As a finalist, Dantzler was awarded $16,000 from the Intel
Foundation. Earlier, when she was named a semi-finalist, the
school was also awarded $1,000 from the foundation in order
to continue the development of STEM programs.
In the meantime, O’Connell’s Art Department Chair Joe Crivella was
busy shopping for Thanksgiving staples for the Missionaries of Charity’s work. For more than 15 years, he has coordinated the “Turkey
Blitz,” a two-week fundraising drive at school which helps the sisters
at the Gift of Peace home feed a growing number of families in need.
This year, armed with over $3,000, he was able to deliver four overflowing pallets of provisions that would feed 150 families in total, 30
more than last year.
Alexa Dantzler is joined at the awards dinner by two of her mentors—
Dr. Paul Roepe and Doreen Curtin.
7
A Busy Winter Season for
the Performing Arts
Bishop O’Connell theatre
program staged the musical “Meet Me in St. Louis,”
for three performances in
November. This rare treasure
is based on the heartwarming movie by the same name.
Memorable musical numbers
included The Boy Next Door,
A Raving Beauty, The Trolley
Song, Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas, Whenever
I’m with You and A Day in
New York.
Young Men’s Executive Club
A group of young men from Bishop O’Connell recently took an afterschool field trip to Tysons Corner to visit a retailer called “The Art of
Shaving.” The students were greeted by the store’s manager, Christopher White, who discussed some of the finer points of shaving, and
showed them around the upscale barbershop and spa. This was the
first of many field trips and seminars sponsored by the newly formed
Young Men’s Executive Club at O’Connell. According to the club’s
moderator, David Owens, “the purpose of the club is to help young
men learn simple courtesies that may seem trivial and old-fashioned,
but they are foundational in a civil society.”
In December, musical ensembles joined forces with
student readers to present
a special Christmas program—an Evening of Carols
O’Connell and Marymount
Finalize Baseball Field Agreement
On January 30, Bishop O’Connell President Kathleen Prebble
and Marymount University President Matthew D. Shank met
to finalize the agreement for joint use and maintenance of
O’Connell’s new baseball field. The meeting took place in President Shank’s office, which is filled with baseball memorabilia.
His love of the sport stems from his days as a college player.
President Prebble said, “It’s exciting for us to add another level to our
partnership with Marymount. We have an academic partnership for dual
enrollment, and now we are partners in athletics. It will be great for our
families and neighbors to be able to come watch a collegiate game.”
and Readings. Members of the
community enjoyed beautiful
Christmas music combined
with readings and prayers, as
our students guided the audience through the story of the
promise of the Messiah and
the birth of Jesus.
President Shank noted, “We are delighted that Marymount and Bishop O’Connell have such close ties. Bishop O’Connell is an excellent
school that produces outstanding graduates—many of whom choose
to continue their educations at Marymount University. By working
together, we benefit the students at both of our institutions, as well as
the wider community.”
The theatre program staged a
special black box presentation
of “The Billion Dollar Saint”
in February. In this farce,
St. Francis of Assisi found
himself visiting a Jesuit University instead of a Franciscan
Monastery, and managed to
convert the football team to
the simple way of life, setting
off a comedy of misunderstandings.
For more information on Marymount University, visit
www.marymount.edu.
Later in the month, the
music program presented Broadway Desserts, an elegant evening
of Broadway musical selections and delicious desserts. As a special
feature this year, students voted for their favorite I.H.M. Sister to be
serenaded by the men of the concert choir. Sister Tracey Uphoff and
Sister Maureen Christopher Dusterhoff tied for this honor!
8
KapurPhotography.smugmug.com
Basketball
Program
Gives Back
Boys Basketball Claims WCAC and
Alhambra Tournament Titles
The boys basketball team, coached by Joe Wootten, came into this year’s Washington Catholic Athletic
Conference (WCAC) tournament as the number two seed. In early tournament play, the Knights defeated
Good Counsel of Maryland in the quarterfinals, before needing two overtime periods to prevail over Paul
VI of Fairfax in the semifinals. O’Connell faced St. John’s College High School of Washington, D.C. in the
WCAC championship game, where the Knights rallied to an emotional 58-53 win before a near capacity
crowd at American University.
Several weeks later, O’Connell was invited to participate in the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational
Tournament (ACIT), which brings some of the best Catholic high school basketball teams to Cumberland,
Md. each year in March. This year’s field included WCAC rivals, as well as teams from the Baltimore area,
Richmond and Indiana.
In hard-fought tournament play, Bishop O’Connell defeated Mt. Saint Joseph and La Lumiere before
prevailing over Benedictine College Prep in the championship game.
“This championship capped off an unbelievable year—30 wins, two major championships, and a great
group of guys,” said Coach Wootten. “I am so proud of them. They were determined, coachable, and simply got better every single day.”
Royalettes Earn National Ranking
The 21-member Royalette Dance Team traveled to Orlando, Fla. early in
February for the National Dance Team Championship, sponsored by the
Universal Dance Association (UDA). Teams qualify to compete at this
event based on their performances over the summer at dance camps all
around the country. For the Royalettes, this year’s championship was one
for the record books. From a field of nearly 50 large varsity teams from
around the country, the O’Connell team’s Pom routine performance in the
opening rounds earned them a spot in the finals for the first time in the
team’s history.
Under the leadership of Chrissy Salvador ’95 and Kelsey Timmerberg ’04,
the team has been performing throughout the school year at pep rallies,
football and basketball games, and other special events. For Nationals this
year, the Royalettes performed in both the Jazz and Pom categories. The
Jazz performance earned them a Superior rating and semi-finalist status.
But, it was the Pom routine in the end that earned them a spot in the
finals, where they ultimately placed 21st in the nation.
9
Before the Christmas holiday all three boys basketball
teams—freshmen, JV and
varsity—worked together to
provide necessities and gifts for
three families in need. The teams
supported the work of House of
Hope in Glen Burnie, Md., and
together they donated winter
clothing, toiletries, diapers, toys
and gift certificates for local
department stores and restaurants. When all was said and
done, their donation baskets
were overflowing, and they were
able to pull together extra boxes
of items to give to Baltimore City
Department of Family Services.
“God has certainly touched these
fine young men,” said a note
from Pastor Judy Kelly from the
Community United Methodist
Church of Crofton, Md., which
benefitted from some of the extra
baby-related items. “What a
wonderful example of giving!”
38th Annual
Superdance
For the 38th year in a row, students from
Bishop O’Connell High School came
together for a 12-hour dance marathon
to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
(CFF). Driven by the desire to help find
a cure for this disease that has affected
O’Connell families and tens of thousands
others around the country, students collected donations and pledges from neighbors, friends and family, and then danced
2013 Superdance committee members
10
the night away to a the music of live local
bands and talented DJs.
A few first-time acts brought new energy
to the crowd at Superdance. O’Connell
alumnus, Dylan Vorbach ’11, performed
with “Gentlemen of the College,” the oldest a cappella group at William and Mary.
The group was headed north for spring
break gigs in Pennsylvania, New York and
New England, but stopped by to sing a few
songs. “You could hear a pin drop when the
’Gentlemen’ took the stage,” said one of the
chaperones.
Faculty members also pitched in to boost
the entertainment line-up. Science teacher,
Nolan Britt, performed with The Blue
Jays, and music teacher, Laura Van Duzer,
rocked the gym with The Understudies.
Before the midnight hour, 99.5 DJ Chris
Styles took over the entertainment and
brought new excitement to the gym. “Chris
Styles engaged everyone in the room and
helped cap off a great event,” said senior
Michael Bonini.
The final song at Superdance is always
Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” This year the
entire student body made a large circle
around the gym floor and swayed shoulder
to shoulder as the dance came to a close.
“In the end, it was one giant group hug,”
said senior Shanna Ferrari.
Wrapping Up
The final numbers for Superdance
are still being calculated as donations
continue to stream in. At the end of the
night, the students reported a preliminary total of $112,000 which they hope
will continue to grow.
To read more about Superdance, visit
www.superdance.org.
Danny Bessette ’02 (far right) with his wife, Jackie Heppes Bessette ’03,
and his parents (far left), John and Pat Bessette.
Alumni Pitch In
O’Connell alumni come back to the school to support Superdance every year, and to
take a trip down memory lane. The Superdance committee sets up a special alumni
room decorated with t-shirts from past events. There alumni and their families met up
with old friends, enjoyed a snack and browsed through old yearbooks.
Just a few miles down the road, a group of 2002-2003 graduates organized an off-site
alumni gathering as another way for alumni to show their support for those suffering
with Cystic Fibrosis. At Arlington Rooftop in Clarendon, more than 250 alumni, family
members and friends joined forces to support Danny Bessette ’02 and his personal
fight against this disease. Danny recently spoke to O’Connell students letting them
know that he was facing a double lung transplant in the near future.
“I am amazed by the generosity and support that was shown on Saturday to Danny
and his family,” said organizer Libby Muldoon ’03. “It is incredible to be part of the
O’Connell community and to see this event continue to grow.”
The alumni event raised more than $5,500 to be donated to the Children’s Organ
Transplant Association (COTA) in honor of Danny Bessette. Follow his progress at
www.cotafordanielb.com.
11
Annual Giving
Every gift, whether large or small makes
a difference in the lives of our students.
Please make your gift before the end of our
fiscal year, June 30, 2013. Contact
Cindy Krech at 703-237-1446 or
ckrech@bishopoconnnell.org for more
information.
Planned Giving
Annual Fund—Spring Match
Anonymous alumni have stepped forward
with a challenge to our community. This
spring, they will match—dollar for dollar –
all unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund up
to $25,000. We need your help to maximize
these generous matching funds.
By giving to O’Connell you are not only
making a significant difference in the quality of our everyday programs and services
to students, but you are also making a
powerful statement about the importance
of O’Connell in your family’s life. By saying
“Yes!” to O’Connell you are saying “Yes!”
to the excellent quality of the teaching,
coaching, programs and opportunities the
school provides.
There’s no better time than NOW to give to
the Annual Fund!
77Donate
online at
www.bishopoconnell.org/give
77Return
the enclosed envelope with a
check payable to Bishop O’Connell High
School or with credit card information
77Find out if your company matches your do-
nation at www.bishopoconnell.org/matching
Donate through your employer with
United Way #8273 or DFC #65190
77
Planned giving is a way for you to make
a gift to help Bishop O’Connell while
securing the financial needs of your family
and loved ones. Donors are encouraged to
consult their tax planners or attorneys as
well as the Advancement office so that the
proper vesting language is used to ensure
the funds to the school.
Often a planned gift may provide for loved
ones and the school as well as create tax
benefits for you. You can make a current
planned gift such as giving stock to the
Annual Fund or a deferred planned gift.
Deferred planned gifts include establishing
a trust or annuity, giving stock, real estate or
life insurance; naming the school as a beneficiary of your pension plan or remembering Bishop O’Connell in your will.
Join The President’s Club
Anyone who makes a gift of $1,000 or more to Bishop O’Connell in a fiscal year
becomes a member of the President’s Club. Commitments may be spread out over
multiple payments through the year. These investments demonstrate the highest level
of commitment and lay the foundation for O’Connell’s success.
President’s Club members enjoy:
77
An invitation to the President’s Club reception in recognition of their leadership.
77
Recognition in the annual President’s Report.
77
An exclusive tie or tote embellished with the O’Connell logo.
77
Invitations to special events throughout the year.
Peter St. George ’12
We are grateful to the
alumni, parents and friends
who over the years
have stretched in their
support of our mission and
become members of the
President’s Club.
Join the Young Alumni President’s Club
Support from young alumni at any level is
important to Bishop O’Connell. Eligibility in the Young Alumni President’s Club
is determined each year, based on year of
graduation and gift amount:
77
lass of 2003–2005, 8–10 years since
C
graduation, $500 or more
77
lass of 2006–2008, 5–7 years since
C
graduation, $100 or more
Stephanie Gulley ’12
12
77
lass of 2009–2012, 1–4 years since
C
graduation, $25 or more
Young Alumni President’s Club members
enjoy:
77
ecognition on the list of leadership–
R
level donors in the annual report.
77
etworking opportunities with current
N
President’s Club members at special
events.
12th Annual Gala and Auction
Bob & Mary Beth St. John get in the spirit of Mardi Gras.
More than 250 parents, alumni, faculty and
friends of O’Connell donned evening attire
and gathered at the McLean Hilton on Saturday, Feb. 9 for the school’s 12th Annual
Gala & Auction. This year’s theme—Mardi
Gras, A Knight of Celebration—helped
transport people to Bourbon Street, where
beautifully wrapped baskets and special
gift items were arranged amidst masks,
feathers, glowing votives and beads galore.
The evening began with a VIP champagne
reception, where attendees perused the
silent auction items and enjoyed some
refreshments before the main event. From
there, the crowd moved to the ornately
decorated ballroom for a three-course
dinner and a fast-paced live auction, which
included enticing packages such as Taylor
Swift tickets, an Annapolis boat trip with
Dr. Vorbach, and a trip to Kinsdale, Ireland.
Pam Benson models the beautiful pearl
ring available in the live auction.
Save the Date
13th Annual Gala
and Auction
February 8, 2014
In addition to the auction, raffles, and
other fundraising events of the night, there
was a special appeal to help purchase more
classroom tablets and mobile devices.
Through the generosity the attendees, the
school received an additional $19,000 for
this important technology improvement.
At the end of the night, the event brought
in $200,000. This money will be used to
help advance the mission of O’Connell
by supporting important programs at the
school, including faculty development,
facility renovations and, of course, technology improvements.
The Bishop O’Connell community is very
grateful to the sponsors of this year’s Gala,
13
the generous donors who contributed
unique and wonderful auction items, and
to the individuals who attended and made
this such a successful evening. The event
would not even be possible without the
tireless efforts of countless volunteers;
we thank all of you for your time and
energy! Special thanks to our wonderful
and talented Gala co-chairs, Julie Gazala
and Staci Meruvia, who guided us through
months of planning to arrive at this very
special and successful evening!
2013
Gala Sponsors
Battlefield Ford
Sheehy Auto Store
Alcalde and Fay
Flik Independent School Dining
SHW Group
Advancement Partners
Cardinal Bank
Daniel and Monica Stabile
DTZ, A UGL Company
RAD Sports
Walsh Colucci Lubeley Emrich and
Walsh PC
Why We Give
Martha Holroyd Goetzman ’80 and Mark Goetzman ’77
Parents of Jack ’08, Margaret ’10 and Emma ’12
have a desire to participate in making these
goals a reality.
We think we all need a reminder as alums
and parents that Bishop O’Connell not only
wants but NEEDS our help in many ways
and in particular and immediately, in a
financial way. There is a misperception by
many that tuition alone is enough to keep
the school running, updating and improving and that the Diocese and individual
parishes provide some financial funding.
The only way to upgrade the facility, keep
teachers and classrooms technologically
current, maintain high standards for hiring
and retaining teachers and staff, attract
more families and remain educationally
competitive and spiritually supportive is
with the financial help, no matter how
large or small.
As alums, we happily support the Annual
Fund as a way to give back to a school
that gave us so much both as students and
parents. Undoubtedly, the education we received was great preparation for our years
of college and graduate studies and we give
a nod of appreciation to our parents for
choosing Bishop O’Connell for us. We look
back warmly and are so grateful for the
relationships and friendships we made and
have maintained since. We share our fond
memories with all of our siblings and our
three children who also attended Bishop
O’Connell. O’Connell is and always has
been full of great people…teachers, staff,
clergy, students, families, and more! Once
you join this community, you are always a
member of the O’Connell family, and for
that alone, we feel we have an obligation
and hope we all have some desire to give
something back.
We returned to O’Connell in 2004, when
we started looking at various schools for
each of our children, and determined with
them that Bishop O’Connell was the best
choice. We were happy to find that the
community was the same warm, nurturing, spiritual, inviting place we left in 1980,
however there were many improvements
to the facility, updates to the curriculum,
support for the teachers and necessary fundraising efforts needed. We were happy to
be a part of some of the changes that have
occurred and some of the long-term visions
that are still being formulated and realized.
These many goals cannot be reached for
our children, our school and our community without the financial contributions
of each family in some way, in particular
through the Annual Fund. We all want
our school to be the best it can possibly be
now and in the future, and once again, we
feel we each have an obligation and should
14
her brother, and sister attended Our Lady
of Good Counsel, with Robyn going on to
O’Connell. It was at O’Connell that Bob
and Robyn met, and graduated together.
After college, marriage, and starting
careers, we settled in Vienna to start our
family. Years later, we had the pleasure
to return as active members of the DJO
community for another nine years as our
sons Corey ’03, Casey ’06, and Colin ’08
attended. It was with tremendous pride
that we were able to present our sons their
diplomas at graduation.
Robyn (Boyle) McCahill ’71 & Bob McCahill ’71
Parents of Corey ’03, Casey ’06, and Colin ’08
Catholic education goes back generations
in our family. Bob’s grandfather, father, and
uncles were Jesuit products of Canisius
and Marquette, and the Boyles of Washington, D.C. saw Robyn’s father, aunt,
and uncles attend Trinity grade school
in Georgetown, and St. Patrick’s and St.
John’s. In keeping with this tradition,
Bob, his sister and his brother attended
St. Agnes School and O’Connell. Robyn,
Our whole family benefitted from the
academic programs, spiritual guidance,
strong traditions, sports programs, lifelong friendships, and so many wonderful
memories. We were so blessed to have this
opportunity and to be able to provide for
our sons. (Now the pressure is on them to
keep the tradition going!)
We give to continue keeping the tradition
of Catholic education and service going.
We give in gratitude for all that Bishop
O’Connell High School has provided for
our family. We give so others may share in
the experience, and form their own lifelong memories.
Terry (Turner) Iannaconi ’61
So many stories of O’Connell alumni giving
include a long list of family members and
multiple generations of O’Connell alumni. In
my family the list is short. I have a niece who
is the only other O’Connell graduate in the
family and a brother who attended O’Connell
for a short time. Notwithstanding the absence of multiple generations of O’Connell
tradition, my solo experience filled me with
enough pride to go around.
As I think back over my early years, I recollect the thousands of families in multiple parishes and the bishops, priests, nuns, brothers
and others who had the vision and sense
of sacrifice to pull together the resources
to produce a regional Catholic high school
that a half century later is still growing and
continuing to produce outstanding graduates. An Internet search for the term Bishop
O’Connell High School results in a burst of
data that leaves me filled with pride.
I recall the talks in church many years ago
about fundraising to build a regional Catholic
high school. My parents, who had little to
give financially, made the sacrifice to support
that building fund. As a person in the business world today I appreciate more than I
ever could have as a young person the financial and personal resources required to build
and operate a major educational institution.
A few years ago there was a movie and
book, “Pay It Forward.” The story line
involved a young boy who promoted a
pyramid scheme of kind acts. In the story
the boy would do a kind act for each of
three people and then encourage each of
those recipients of kindness to do a kind
act for three others and so on. In these
post-Madoff days when the term “pyramid
scheme” is synonymous with greed and corruption, the concept of a pyramid scheme of
kindness is enticing. The concept of paying
kindness forward is compelling. The reason
why I give is because I am compelled to
return and, if possible, multiply the kindness of all those who paid such kindness to
us in enabling us to receive an outstanding
Catholic high school education.
The journey of writing this article took a
delightful turn recently. As I thought of those
15
whose kindness helped me along the way I
recalled two of the sisters in particular—Sister Joanne and Sister Michelle Marie. From
my very earliest days at O’Connell the nuns
had been more than teachers in a classroom.
Today we would call them mentors. They
were women of great intellect and personal
strength who shared with all of us an aspiration of intellectual and spiritual growth. I
had the opportunity to visit with them at
Camilla Hall, the retirement home for I.H.M.
Sisters in Immaculata, Pa., not long before
Sister Joanne’s passing. I feel blessed to have
known these sisters and to know that they
continue to pray for all of us.
Ultimately the reason I give to O’Connell
and other organizations that serve to make
the world a better place is because I can, and
because there is no way to adequately pay
it forward for all that I received from those
who have helped me along the way. As I pay
it forward I know there will be many more
years and generations of O’Connell graduates who themselves will, hopefully, pay it
forward for the generations to follow them.
The Class of 1977 met up on Friday,
Nov. 30 at the Ireland’s Four Provinces for
a pre-reunion bar event. Then on Saturday,
Dec. 1, members of the class made a great
showing at the All-Alumni Knight Party
held in the school gym. Classmate Peter
Warren and his band, The Fabulous Dialtones, provided the entertainment for the
evening. Class of 77 members agreed that
this was a great way to celebrate their 35year reunion, having a special table section
at the Knight Party, but being able to share
the experience with other classes, too.
Reunion
Wrap-Ups
The Class of 2002 held their 10-year
reunion Nov. 23 at the Clarendon Ballroom.
There they reconnected over mini appetizers and drinks. The main event began
at 7 p.m., but when the official party was
winding down, a core group continued to
socialize at other venues in the area.
Boys Lacrosse Alumni Event
The boys lacrosse alumni held a corn-hole tournament on Feb 16, 2013 to raise funds and
reconnect with the program. More than 50 people showed up to eat, drink and throw
bags to benefit the O’Connell lacrosse program. It was a great mix of current players’
parents, alumni and friends of the program. Colin Malone ’03 and John Hathaway ’03
won the tournament. In the end, thy raised almost $1,000, setting the bar high for future
events. Special thanks go to Fireworks Pizza and John Murphy for sponsoring the food
and beverages.
16
Athletic Hall of Fame
On April 13, six alumni and one team were inducted into the Bishop O’Connell Athletic Hall of
Fame. More than 50 family members, former coaches, teachers and friends gathered in the gym for
a lively evening of awards and great stories.
Congratulations to the 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame honorees:
Fred Benevento ’69
Lauren Aste Polek ’91
Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track, also
Coach of Girls Track and Football
Tennis, Softball
Lauren earned 14 varsity letters in four sports
at O’Connell. She played at #1 singles in tennis
and was the team MVP her senior year. In
softball, Lauren started every game for four
years and was a team captain and a first Team
All-Met her senior year. She also lettered in
swimming and winter track three years each.
Fred was Athlete of the Year his junior year
after earning MVP honors in three sports,
and five varsity letters, which he repeated
his senior year. He returned to O’Connell as a
football and girls track coach from 1975-1985.
Mike Garcia ’72
Delaunta Cameron ’94
Wrestling
Football, Basketball
Mike, a fierce competitor, was one of
O’Connell’s best wrestlers in its storied wrestling history. In his senior year, Mike won first
place in the Virginia Independent Schools
Tournament and also captured the championship in the prestigious St. Albans Invitational
Tournament.
From his football linebacker position, Tay led
the team with over 100 tackles and on offense
rushed for over 800 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He became an All-ACC linebacker at Georgia
Tech and played with two NFL teams. Tay was
also a four-year letterman in basketball, where
he was selected as MVP of the Virginia Independent Schools State Tournament his senior year.
Jason Palumbo ’88
Football, Wrestling, Track
Bob Kluba
Jason truly gave it his all on the football field,
wrestling mat, and track for O’Connell. In
football, he was leading the area in rushing and touchdowns his senior year before a
season-ending leg injury. Jason earned a scholarship at the University of Wyoming, where he
became a top wrestler in the WAC conference.
Boys & Girls Tennis Coach
Bob was a part of O’Connell for many years,
coaching the boys’ team for 25 years (19872010) and the girls’ team for 22 (1989-2011).
During his tenure, the girl’s team won conference championships seven times including four
consecutive years from 1997-2000 in which
they amassed an undefeated 62-0 record.
1991 Softball Team
With a 21-1 record, this
team set the standard of
excellence for future softball teams at O’Connell.
Coach Tommy Orndorff’s
team boasted three first
team All-Mets, plus a
second team All-Met
pitcher that lead the team
to the top of the Washington area. The senior class
four-year record was
68-10 with three CGAA
championships.
17
John Maguire ’63 received Electrical
Engineering degrees from Cornell in 1967
and Ohio State in 1968. He just retired this
past year from Georgia Tech in Atlanta
after 22 years.
Lenny Iddings Lianee ’66 is delighted
to announce the publication of her fourth
book of poetry, The ABC’s of Memory.
Published by Script Works Press, the book
probes the American psyche by examining such icons as Mr. Potato Head, Mary
Worth, and Wonder Bread. The book
also shows little life moments of ordinary
people. Lenny’s book can be found on
Amazon.com.
Jim Sonnhalter ’66 is proud to announce
the birth of his fifth grandchild. His youngest daughter gave birth to her first child in
August. It was a bouncing baby boy named
Austin David Flannigan.
Cynthia
Donavin ’74
moved to New
York City after
graduating
from DJO,
and became a
professional
ballerina with
the Joffrey
Ballet. She
Cynthia Donavin
danced professionally for ten years throughout the
United States and in Europe. She returned
home to finished up a bachelor’s degree in
Kinesiology at the University of Maryland,
and a master’s degree in Arts Management
at George Mason University. She is the
founder and executive director of the Classical Ballet Theatre in Herndon, Va. She is
married and has two great children.
Brian C. Murphy ’66 recently completed
six months of service as a Legal Education
and Justice Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Back in the U.S.A. for three days, he departed for Bulgaria, where he was invited
to serve as a judge in the Philip C. Jessup
International Law Moot Court Competition. Years ago, he served as a Fulbright
lecturer in law in Bulgaria. He has now
been recommended for a second Fulbright
law lectureship, this time in Macedonia for
the 2013-2014 academic year.
Alumni
Roll Call
Jacqueline Sweeney ’68 has published
38 books and has a new one coming out
this fall with Scholastic. The title is Poetry
Playlets, aimed at students in grades 3-6. She also has a new novel for children
aged 8-12. Find out more on her web page
at jacqueline-sweeney.com.
Rick Deutsch, ’67 has written One Best
Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome—currently the
only guidebook to this extremely strenuous
hike. It has already sold 10,000 copies. Rick
lives in San Jose, Calif. and has done the
hike 35 times.
Rudolph Garcia ’69 retired in 2005 after
working 30 years as a Foreign Service as a
telecommunitions/IT specialist, living in
a dozen countries. In total, he has visited
or lived in almost 85 countries! He is now
putting his daughters through local college
in Colorado Springs. Jim Kenney ’72 recently marked 35 years
in Civil Service. He also is a columnist for
www.DCSki.com. Read about his son, Vince
Kenny ’09, on page 21.
Rick Deutsch
18
Jimmy Felter
Jimmy Felter ’76 is the producer, editor,
and writer for “The Incredible Dr. Pol,”
which currently airs on Nat Geo Wild, and
is breaking all time ratings for the channel.
2012 also marked the release of the feature
documentary “Harvest of Empire” based
on the ground breaking book by Juan
Gonzales that chronicles the last 100 years
of American immigration. Felter served
as the producer, editor, and director of
photography for the film, which won the
International Documentary Associations
“2012 ABC News Video Source for Editing”
award. In 2006, Felter founded Voice of
Haiti, an organization working with the
Haitian government to help provide clean
water to an expanding number of residents
of southern Haiti.
Eileen McCarthy Grant ’76 is the director of group exercise at Skyline Sport
and Health in Falls Church. She is also
planning a trip to China with her two
sons (aged 20 and 16) to visit her daughter
(Rosie, age 23). Rosie has been in China
since June 2012 and is teaching English at
a foreign language school in Qingdao.
Carlos Cervantes Sr.’79 received the
esteemed Conrad Egan Excellence Award
for Service from the Fairfax County Housing and Community Development in 2012.
This is the highest award given from Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing
Authority recognizing outstanding service
to FCRHA residents, partners and clients.
Emmett Duffy ’78 was recently selected
as one of the Commonwealth’s outstanding faculty members by the State Council
of Higher Education for Virginia. Duffy
has been a Professor of Marine Science at
William & Mary since 1994 and has
established in international reputation in
marine ecology, with his current research
focusing on the importance of biodiversity
in the Chesapeake Bay and other areas of
the world.
Simonne Valenti Zarbin ’81 is proud to
announce the birth of her daughter Ava.
She entered the world on October 10, 2012.
Ava Zarbin
Fr. Edward Horkan ’86 was ordained a
priest for the Diocese of Arlington in 2003,
and is now at St. James parish in Falls
Church.
Tina Santoro Ward ’87,
became a grandmother
October 2011. Kennedie
Reese Ward is now 16
months old.
Todd Maxey ’87 married Joanne (Jo) Fazzio
in 2001. He is now the
proud father of two
stepdaughters, Stacy and
Kim, and grandfather
to two granddaughters,
Kaylee and Anastasia.
Todd is currently the
Kennedie Reese Ward
owner of TJ Maxey
Enterprises, where he and his wife own a
mixed use office building.
Catherine Svercl ’92 designed a home
remodel project that won a silver award
in the energy-efficiency retrofit category
of Qualified Remodeler’s Master Design
Awards for 2012. She also received several
green certificates for this project.
John Habib
Arsala ’95
spent five years
at the United
Nations and has
recently taken
a position with
an alternative
asset management firm in
New York. He
and his wife,
John Sebastian Arsala
Catherine, are
celebrating their 7th anniversary this year,
and his son, Sebastian, has just turned four.
Patrick Opitz ’97 received a certification
in Sustainability Management and is now
working at WDC Solar to help make solar
power affordable to low income communities in the Washington, D.C. area.
Lewis Carney ’02 and
his wife Amanda welcomed a baby girl on
December 28, 2012.
Kyle and Kaitlin
Ahrens Kersey ’02
have relocated to
Manuel Antonio,
Lewis Carney
Costa Rica with their
three sons, Camden
(3), Kieren (5), and Braeden (6). They operate a vacation hospitality business on the
Central Pacific coast, where the rain forest
meets the sea. Find out more at
www.greencoastrentals.com, where they
offer nice discounts to DJO alumni.
James McCrery ’83 – What’s Old Is New
There was a time in recent past when plans for a new or renovated Catholic church
would often include a strikingly modern building design. But the trend is changing and
in parishes across the country there are capital campaigns and building projects center
on a return to a more traditional design.
James McCrery ’83, founder of McCrery Architects in
Washington, D.C. is one of only a handful of architects in
this country whose area of expertise is at the forefront of
this trend. McCrery received both is Bachelor of Science
in Architecture and his Master of Architecture from Ohio
State University. He has been a registered architect since
1998, developing a profound interest in classical and traditional architecture early in his career.
His firm has been commissioned to design a variety of
traditional projects around the country for both secular
and Church clients. Projects around Washington include
the U.S. Supreme Court Book Store and the statue pedestal
for President Reagan now displayed in the Rotunda of the
United States Capitol. There is also a very long and growing list of projects for Catholic
churches all around the country, including a new 150,000 square foot Carmelite Monastery in Wyoming and a chapel on Boston Harbor for the Archdiocese of Boston.
In 2011, after a national search and intense interview process, McCrery was commissioned by Rev. Michael Burbridge, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, N.C. to
design a new cathedral campus for the diocese, with the 2,000-seat Holy Name of Jesus
Cathedral at its center.
With a growth rate in the Catholic population four and a half times that of the general population, the current cathedral church—the smallest in the continental United
States—is busting at the seams. This will be the first American cathedral in over 100
years to be built with a traditional Roman Catholic architectural design. Plans and progress for Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral can be seen at www.holynamecathedralnc.org.
“I continue to have a great deal of admiration for the I.H.M. Sisters at St. Michael’s and
Bishop O’Connell,” McCrery says of his early inspirations. “My background in Theology—thanks especially to Sister Charles Borromeo, Mr. Welsford and Mrs. Connolly—
drew my interests to Catholic architecture.”
McCrery lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Faye Phillips, and his two children,
James and Grace. They are members of St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill.
19
ated. Following the reception at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor the couple
honeymooned in Myrtle Beach. They live
in Reston, Va.
Brandon Moore ’04 married his wife,
Kristina, and they purchased their first
home only a few months later in Fair Haven, N.J. It’s been a big year! Christopher Franco and Lauren Roubik
Lauren Roubik ’02 and Christopher
Franco were married October 13, 2012 at
the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Baltimore. Deacon Robert Shepherd offici-
Kristina and Brandon Moore
Terry Belt and Tom Reilly Join Forces in
Real Estate
It was the winter of 1980. Terry Belt ’84 and Tom Reilly ’84 were freshmen at O’Connell
and they were on the basketball team. At 6' tall, Terry played guard and at 6'2" tall, Tom
played forward. When spring rolled around, they were teammates again, this time on the
baseball field. Belt was one of the leading hitters on the team.
Reilly recalled recently, “I’ll never forget this
one time Terry smashed the ball directly at
me. I was playing first base and I’ve never
seen a ball hit so hard.”
Belt laughed, “You made the play of your life
on that ball too.”
Reilly responded, “That’s called self-defense!”
Terry Belt
Tom Reilly
Their friendship continued throughout high
school and in 1984, they both graduated. Belt went on to play baseball at Georgetown University. And Reilly moved on to Brown University, where he played football. Their paths
diverged at that point, but they carried with them a bond that was created both by their
partnership in sports and by the foundation they were given in their years at O’Connell.
Belt graduated from Georgetown University in 1988 with a degree in finance and embarked on a successful career in real estate. He resides in Vienna, Va. with his wife and
two sons.
Catching Up
with Jason &
David Fulbrook
In January 2006, Jason Fulbrook
’09, a freshman at the time, was
diagnosed with a leukemia called
Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia. It is
one of the rarest and deadliest forms
of leukemia because its origin as a
cancer is in the bone marrow stem
cells that produce all blood cell types. By a miracle, he was diagnosed early
because of the blood test he took to
participate in sports at O’Connell. For
the next five months, Jason was in
the hospital and had to undergo two
rounds of chemotherapy, the maximum radiation treatment, another
chemotherapy treatment at Walter
Reed, and then he transferred to
Children’s Hospital in Washington for
a bone marrow transplant. By another
miracle, his brother, David Fulbrook
’07 was a perfect bone marrow donor
match and helped save Jason’s life. Fast forward seven years, and the family is happy to report that both young
men are doing great. David is now
a second year medical student and
Jason is a healthy junior at the College
of William and Mary, studying chemistry and playing rugby in his spare
time. Because Jason now only has his
brother’s blood in his system, he could
never get the same leukemia again. According to their father, Jim
Fulbrook, the family is extremely
grateful for all the support and
prayers that came from the O’Connell
community during Jason’s ordeal. “The Fulbrooks have a family motto,”
he said. “We are more of who we are
because of each other.” Reilly graduated from Brown University that same year with a double major: political
science and organizational behavioral and management. His career path led him into the
legal industry, where he focused on employing technology to assist in the practice of law
and to promote business development. Reilly is married, has four children and is a lifelong
resident of McLean. After two decades, Reilly decided to get his real estate license and
quickly rose to success as Rookie-of-the-Year for his company.
In 2008, both Belt and Reilly became part of the founding agents at a new McLean office
of Keller Williams Realty. Terry Belt was a part of The Belt Team (a family business that
includes his parents, Jerry and Gail Belt, and sister Christy Belt Grossman ’79), and Tom
Reilly continued to operate as a solo realtor in the office.
Last year, Reilly officially joined The Belt Team, as Senior Buyer Specialist. According to
Belt, this was “a natural fit.” Both continue to be active in the community. Belt is involved
in a number of community organizations and especially enjoys coaching youth sports.
Reilly has served on the Board of Directors of the Hamlet Swim Club, as an usher at St.
Luke Catholic Church.
20
David ’07, Emily ’13, and Jason ’09 Fulbrook
Joe & Alexa Schaffner
Alexa McGonigal Schaffner ’04 and Joe
Schaffner ’05 were married on the Rotunda
steps at the University of Virginia on December 29, 2012. Those celebrating with the
Schaffners didn’t let the 40-degree weather
deter them on this happy day! Wedding attendees included Dan Turissini ’04, Kevin
Zdancewicz ’04, Robert Glorioso ’04, and
Rachael Schaffner ’00.
Patricia Adkins Jasion ’06 married Brian
Jasion on March 24, 2012 at historic St.
Mary’s Church in Alexandria. This was the
same church where her parents (Activities
Office Assistant, Julie Adkins and Delaney
Adkins) were married. Also in attendance
were family members, Brian Adkins ’16,
In Memoriam
Thomas Coipuram Sr.
December 13, 2012
Father of Thomas ’85 and grandfather
of Grace ’15
John R. Davis
November 30, 2012
Father of Rachel ’02, Colin ’04, and
Stephanie ’05
Victor D. Di Gregory
January 1, 2013
Father of Chairman of the Board of
Governors, Kevin Di Gregory,
grandfather of Jessie ’03, Patrick ’05,
Margaret ’08, and Anne ’15
Jason Emma ’03
December 24, 2012
Brother of Max ’07
Richard E. Hardy
January 13, 2013
Father of Mary Tillman ’84, Robert ’86,
Kevin ’90, Michael ’91, David ’95, Timothy
’98, Anne Marie ’00, and Richard ’02
Rev. John F. Kurtzke Jr. CSC
February 28, 2013
Brother of Catherine ’71, Joan ’76,
Robert ’77, Elizabeth ’72, James ’79, and
Christine ’85
John Mould
December 3, 2012
Father of John ’74, Rick ’75, Andy ’76,
Christopher ’78, Dan ’82, and Patty ’83
Brian & Trish Jasion
Betsy Adkins ’12, Mike Adkins ’09. Both
Brian and Trish are Virginia Tech alumni
and have recently settled in outside of
Richmond in New Kent, Va.
Camille Richards ’08 graduated from
VCU School of Nursing in 2012 where she
worked as a part-time research assistant
for the school as well as a part time care
partner at the hospital. She is employed as
a nurse in the Evans-Haynes Burn Center,
the oldest burn institution in the U.S. and
the only burn certified center in Virginia.
Vince Kenney ’09, son of Kathleen and
Jim Kenney ’72, recently attained Level
II certification from the Professional Ski
Marie Naylor
December 28, 2012
Mother of Julie Naylor Hayden ’74,
grandmother of Melissa ’96, Jeremy ’02,
and Benjamin ’05
Robert E. O’Donnell ’73
February 24, 2013
Spouse of Deborah ’73 Brother of Margaret
’74, William ’78, Joanne ’80, and Terrence ’81
Douglas Richardson
January 10, 2013
Father of Katherine Jane ’14 and Nicole ’16
Brother James (Leo) Rieck, FSC
November 17, 2012
Former Faculty and Coach (1962-1971)
Carol A. (Poos) Robinson ’61 February 26, 2013
Marguerite Louise Kimnach Ryan
December 7, 2012
Mother of Kathleen Prebble, President
Erma Steib
March 10, 2013
Mother of Bart ’63 ( former faculty)
Henry E. Strickland Jr.
December 20, 2012
Father of Mary ’72, Stephen ’73, Elizabeth
’74, Michael ’76, and Kathleen ’87
(deceased)
Teresa Strickler
December 1, 2012
Mother of Joan ’61, David ’65 (deceased)
Jeremy Tabones
January 22, 2013
Brother of Jen ’07
21
Vince Kenney
Instructors of America Association and will
graduate in May with a degree in Computer Science from Saint Vincent College in
Latrobe, Pa. Vince has accepted a software
engineering position with a unit of the Boeing Company beginning after graduation.
Melanie Delaney ’10, daughter of Josephine Bertran Delaney ’76, is studying
abroad this year (2012-2013). Melanie, who
attends Babson University, is a junior and is
enrolled in the University of Seville in Spain. She loves it there and her Mom is hoping that
she is learning to speak fluent Spanish! She
has traveled to many places in Spain but has
also made it to Morocco, Portugal, Amsterdam, Paris, London and Brussels. Dr. Boyd Hagy
December 12, 2012
Drama Director
(1963-1966)
Boyd Hagy taught English
at O’Connell and served as
the drama director in the
early years of the school. He
produced several memorable
plays, including Brigadoon,
Carnival, Call Me Madam
and Harvey. He is remembered fondly by his students, who said he was always able to work with
each of them as “diamonds in the rough.”
Bob Tabor
February 4, 2013
Assistant Principal, Teacher,
Coach (1984-2010)
Bob Tabor was a retired
Fairfax County Public
Schools principal who came
to O’Connell as an administrator and coach in 1984.
Bob received his master’s
degree in administration from the College of
William and Mary and was certified in biology,
government, and social studies. He previously
served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps from
1951-1953. Before leaving O’Connell for health
reasons, Bob served as the Dean of Faculty,
where he was a valued mentor to many faculty
members. He was a wise, kind and humble man.
He was loved and appreciated in the Bishop
O’Connell community and will be missed.
Join us for a special evening reception and
dinner at Bishop O’Connell High School to
honor three exceptional alumni.
Tickets are $20 per person. Please RSVP by May 31 to Jennifer Brown’02 at 703-237-1437 or
jbrown@bishopoconnell.org.
Scott Wilson ’87
Distinguished Alumni Award
Friday, June 7
at 6 p.m.
Photo by Kenny Kim
Wilson’s work has been recognized with more than sixty international design awards and
has been exhibited at Cooper-Hewitt, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Institute of
Chicago. He has been featured in publications such as ID Magazine’s Top 40, TIME Magazine’s
Style+Design100, WIRED Magazine and Fast Company’s Masters of Design, where he was
named one of their 50 Most Influential Designers in America.
James Zumwalt ’00
Young Alumni Achievement Award
James Zumwalt, was awarded the Bronze Star at a ceremony
in Washington last summer. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.)
presented former Navy Lt. Zumwalt with the medal, noting
his “exceptionally meritorious service” in Iraq in 2010 with
a Navy explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team. Zumwalt
served two tours in Iraq with EOD teams, who were often
vulnerable to explosives and sniper fire. He now works for a
government contractor in the Washington area.
Photo courtesy of Rep. Frank Wolf
Alumni
Achievement
Awards
Scott Wilson is the founder and principal designer of Chicagobased MINIMAL. His creative work in industrial design was
recognized last year through the prestigious National Design
Award by Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design
Museum, which honors excellence, innovation and lasting
achievement in American design. Wilson is a former design
leader at Nike, Thomson Consumer Electronics, IDEO, Fortune
Brands, and Motorola, and has created some of the world’s
most recognized consumer design icons. With creative projects that span industries from technology, consumer products, fashion, furniture and much more, he has been described as “equal
parts visionary designer and serial entrepreneur.”
Julia Wentzel Wharton ’85
Knights Service Award
In 2003, when the only Catholic elementary school in
Blacksburg, Va. closed its doors due to financial issues. Julia
Wentzel Wharton—a mother of four young girls—rallied the
community and established a new Catholic school for the
New River Valley area. Renting a space in a vacant public
school building, Wharton used her ties with schools in the
Diocese of Arlington to solicit contributions of furniture,
materials, supplies, donations and prayers. She took no salary
as director for the first five years to help the school get on its feet. Today, St. John Neumann
Academy has 107 students in kindergarten through eighth grade and 10 teachers. It has outgrown its rental space, and Wharton dreams of building a larger facility on their own piece of
land and someday adding a high school.
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Class Reunions
Class of 1963 is planning their 50-year
reunion for Oct. 11-13, 2013. Check out the
website for updates, class notes, and
special information at
classreport.org/usa/va/arlington/bohs/1963.
Steve Habeger (shabeger@vt.edu) or Dave
Krauss (dkrause24@comcast.net) are the
points of contact.
Also, the class of 1963 is invited to be
special guests at the commencement
ceremony for the Bishop O’Connell class
of 2013 on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
A reception will follow the event. Please
email alumni@bishopoconnell.org to let us
know you are coming.
Class of 1968 is beginning to
make plans for their 45-year reunion.
Please contact Nancy Kenney at
KenneyN@sec.gov with any ideas.
reunion. Please contact Scott Gaboury at
ssigaboury@aol.com for more details.
Class of 1983 is starting to make plans
for their 30-year reunion. Please email
George Boras at gboras@yahoo.com to stay
connected with your class.
Class of 1988 is ready to plan their
25-year reunion. Contact Joe Bullis at
joebullis@yahoo.com.
Class of 1993 is celebrating 20 years
this year. Please Contact Molly O’Hara
Dowley at modowley@me.com to help plan
the reunion.
Class of 2003 – Has it already been
ten years? Please stay connected with the
reunion planners to get the latest information on party plans. Please email Libby
Muldoon (libbymuldoon@gmail.com),
Pat Boland (ptboland@gmail.com),
Sean Whitfield (spnw85@gmail.com), or
Atheni Asihel (aasihel@gmail.com). Class of 1973 is planning their 40-year
reunion on the weekend of October 11–14,
2013 (Columbus Day weekend). Please
contact the committee chair Judy Kimmitt Rainey at jjk22101@gmail.com or the
planning committee’s main mailbox at
DJOClassof1973@gmail.com for details.
Class of 1978 is making plans around
Columbus weekend for their 35-year
Your Reunion
Starts Here
It’s never too early to start planning your
class reunion! The alumni office can help
you get organized and publicize your next
event. Contact alumni@bishopoconnell.org
for more information.
Homecoming 2013
Join Us Under the Tent!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Come back to O’Connell and enjoy
an afternoon of friends and football!
All alumni and their families are invited
to join us for lunch under
our Alumni Homecoming Tent
before the O’Connell homecoming
football game. Find out more at
www.bishopoconnell.org/homecoming.
Questions?
Contact alumni@bishopoconnell.org.
23
Upcoming
Alumni
Events
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #6479
MERRIFIELD, VA
6600 Little Falls Road, Arlington, Virginia 22213
www.bishopoconnell.org • 703-237-1400
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Upcoming Events
Connolly Golf Classic
Friday, May 10, 2013
www.bishopoconnell.org/connollyclassic
Class of 2013 Graduation
Reception for the Class of 1963
Wednesday, May 30, 2013
Alumni Achievement Awards
Friday, June 7, 2013 at 6 p.m.
www.bishopoconnell.org/achievementawards
Homecoming Football Game
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013
www.bishopoconnell.org/alumni
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