From Big John Stigmon

9/30/2006

Life continues to be a grand adventure!!

I am really enjoying all the communication about our classmates from Alemany.

Attached is a picture of my family. Its ok for Dan and Bob the Scan Man to post on the web. The two little ones are my boys 7 & 10. I had children late in life and it has been a fantastic experience. After my children were born I gave up the corporate life and traveling all over the world all the time. In 2000 I sold the company I co-founded and moved to the mountains of Northern Arizona. I wanted my kids to experience living in a small community and having their dad around. My wife Kathleen works at Northern Arizona University. We met when I was with Ben & Jerry’s.

Today I keep busy doing a little real estate, some business brokerage, as well as, executive coaching and consulting in the franchise industry. Over the past 10 years I have become involved in Indian Economic Development. I have advised many tribes on the value of supporting their tribal members through entrepreneurial ventures. Since I am in Flagstaff I have had the opportunity to work with the Navajo Nation, two Apache tribes and some others teaching about business ownership. I also do some work with the Center for American Indian Economic Development.

I love being in my fifty’s and having little kids. My 10 year old has really taken to music. He plays about six instruments and is always asking me about the old rockers like Led Zeppelin, Jimmie Hendrix, the Beatles, Elton John, Etc. They both like to invite me to their school on grandparent’s day because they kid me about being older than some of their classmates actual grandparents!! We love to travel as a family and usually spend some time every year at the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

The only person I see from Alemany is Kathy Dunlay. Her brother Jerry owns a home here in Flagstaff. She comes through town about once a year. All she ever talks about is Bob Orlando or was that Bob Johnson (just kidding!!). It will be fun to see everyone at the end of October.

All the best,
John
Flagstaff, AZ

2006 Alemany Homecoming !!

From Alemany's Alumni Office to the Class of 1966 ...

Join us for Bishop Alemany's 2006 Homecoming Celebration!!

BAHS HOMECOMING IS FRIDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 29TH.

ALL ALUMNI ARE INVITED TO COME AND JOIN IN THE FUN.

FLOATS, CROWNING OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN, FIREWORKS AND MUCH, MUCH, MORE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EVENING.

THE FUN BEGINS AT 4:00 P.M. WITH THE JV GAME AND THE HOMECOMING PRE-GAME SHOW STARTS AT 6:30 P.M.

THE ALEMANY WARRIORS (must be a typo) TAKE THE FIELD AT 7:30 PM WITH A 3-0 RECORD AS WE GO FOR WIN #4 AND THE BEST SEASON START ALEMANY HAS SEEN IN MANY YEARS.

THE ALUMNI OFFICE WILL COMP YOUR TICKET. JUST CHECK IN WITH MRS. SCHNELLDORFER AT THE MAIN GATE TO PICK UP YOUR PASSPORT TO A FUN EVENING.

SEE YOU THERE!

JoAnn Schnelldorfer
Alumni Director

Ned Ryan Remembered

9/28/2006

Leonard DiTrapani writes:

Thanks for posting that pic of Ned Ryan. He was also a friend back at Alemany. I read of his passing on the list you had first sent out. He was also one of the guys that made me take a deep breath.

Every time he comes to mind, it's always of a Science class with Mr. Diaz. In Mr. D's pop quizzes, he often included the name of one of our classmates in the question. This time it was Neddleton "Broomface" Ryan..... I can't remember sharing a laugh that hard with the rest of the class as Mr. D read it out loud.

I still laugh when I think about it and that's always a great way to remember someone.

Leonard

David Surges

When I graduated from Alemany, I went to Loyola for four years. After graduation I was drafted (lottery #143 – the highest number was 146) and spent time in Hawaii and Vietnam. I never saw any action except for trying to get a seat at the NCO club on Saturday nights.

I married Linda Nye while overseas, and we had one son. After 9 years I made the biggest mistake of my life by leaving her. At the time I was in banking and spending a good part of my life in drinking and partying. I also used your tax dollars to go back to school and receive an MBA!!

Three years later I married my current wife Vicki. Together we have 6 children, and 3 of our own still living with us. I haven’t been back to the Valley since 1973, but I know it has changed. Vicki and I followed one of dreams to escape SoCal so we went to Flagstaff AZ. Banking was not my passion, so I tried teaching at Northern AZ University. I found out I was having more fun teaching one night a week, than working over 40 hours.

Vicki is not only the smartest person I have ever met, but she is the most resourceful. She found an opportunity to teach business and accounting in Carson City Nevada in 1986. I taught a variety of management and finance courses for 13 years. Then we opened a new chapter in our lives. Both sets of parents had passed away, so we really had no reason stick around the West. At this time is when we both discovered a personal relationship with Jesus.

In 1999, I found a job teaching finance and strategy courses for a small Benedictine college in Northern Minnesota. It is the most beautiful country I had ever seen. We are nestled right on Lake Superior (which is my substitute for the oceans). We all extremely happy here. We are joined by our daughter Veronica; age 22, Vinnie; age 19 and little Madeleine (11), AKA God’s surprise 7 years after a vasectomy!!!

People sometimes ask why Duluth??? The health care is superb, we have no fires, earthquakes, or poisonous snakes (or other critters.) Also, our oldest 3 children were busy playing hockey. In fact two years ago the local HS was the only one to have home schooled goalies starting for the men’s & women’s teams.

I wish I had some more exciting things to offer to the best class ever from Alemany. Guess you will have read between the lines. Life is an exciting adventure when you have the Lord as your guide, and you trust his leadership.

God Bless you all.

David
Duluth, MN
09/26/06

Bob Orlando

This picture of me and my daughters Anna and Christi was taken on a Mexican Riviera cruise in 2005 to celebrate my dad's 92nd birthday.

After Alemany, I went two years to Antelope Valley College, then a year and a half to old San Fernando Valley State College (CSUN), when in my senior year the draft ended (1970) and the lottery began. I was #77, was called up in March, but joined the Coast Guard for four years+ so that I would not have to go to Viet Nam.

Ended up in Southeast Asia anyway; was stationed in Thailand for a year during the WWIII; made it back, was discharged in San Francisco where I finished my degree in Geology at San Francisco State Univ. Went to work for the US Geological Survey as a marine geologist conducting environmental studies offshore Alaska for five years; actually working out of Menlo Park but lived in SF and Fremont.

I complete my masters in Geology at San Jose State Univ and went to work for ARCO Oil & Gas Company in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, New Mexico, London, and Texas; then I was transferred back to CA, to Bakersfield, in 1987. When I got back to CA, tested for and received my state license as a registered-professional geologist, and left ARCO in 1989 after nine years to move into the environmental industry that made better use of my registration..

I live in work in Santa Paula (2 mile commute). The company is PW Environmental, been around for 27 years, I'm a VP, probably because I'm one of the elders, and by state law, a registered professional must be an officer of the company to do what we do. I was married for 20 years and have two wonderful daughters by my first wife. My oldest, Anna, 28, is married, lives in San Diego, a UCSB grad, working for the Irvine Company. My youngest, Christi, 24, is a realtor in Bakersfield, and almost engaged (I'm not a grandpa!).

Becci and I have been married for 10 years and we live in a 1882 Italianate-Victorian that we have been slowly restoring since 1998. Becci has three kids; we still support the youngest, Clint, 23, who graduates this December from Cal Poly SLO with a masters in mechanical engineering. I'll probably work for five more years mainly because of Clint and because I like it. For fun, we sail to the Channel Islands; we have CJ5 Jeep that we use to abuse off road.

We try to visit Puerto Vallarta at least once a year; we like camping and cruising. In 2003, my brothers, sisters, and our spouses, when with my dad (nine of us) for a 16-day trip of Europe for my dad's 90th birthday. Part of this trip was a 10-day Med cruise that ported in, among other cities, Palermo, Sicily - my dad's home country, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, my mom's home country (my mom died in 1995); we visited family that we had never met at both stops. Fabulous time.

Dad now wants to take an eastern Caribbean cruise for this 94th bd; 11 of us depart next March for 8 days. As long as my dad wants to travel, we travel.

I really look forward to seeing all of you again and thank you for your emails and pictures.

Bob Orlando
Santa Paula, CA
9/24/2006

Fr. Paul Nourie writes from Chula Vista, CA

John Christenson, Alemany's "Fr. Chris," has died

9/25/2006

I just wanted to pass on to you the message that (Fr.) John Christenson died this past week.

His services will be held on Saturday September 30th, at 11 a.m. at the Cemetery Mortuary of Mission Hills cemetery, located at the corner of Rinaldi and Sepulveda. He is cremated for the services, and I believe he will be interred after the services.

The family has asked me to officiate at the services and I have been able to find myself able to go up to do so.

I am sure that all know that John had left the priesthood many years ago. I had kept some contact with him over the years, of course, at a moment like this, I would say, not as much as I would have wanted, but I guess we all do what we can.

I am sure that his family would appreciate having friends or appreciative fellow journeyers present.

Caringly,

Fr. Paul Nourie, O.M.I.

paulyvonnourie,omi

~~~~~~~

9/26/2006

Bob Orlando, AHS-66, writes:

So very sorry to hear about Fr Christenson.

I'll never forget the day, November 22, 1963; I was in his history class when the news about Kennedy was announced. We all went to the gym for prayers and Mass, remember?

I've thought about him often, because of how that day impacted our lives and how he solemnly handled the situation and how he reassured us that we would be okay.

Thanks,

Bob O.

~~~~~~~

9/27/2006

Tina (Cross) Huchting writes:

I am sad to hear about the passing of (Fr.) John Christenson. I knew that he had been sick for years and that he suffered greatly.

I had the opportunity to see him again after graduation and to meet his wife. We were at the Valyermo Celebration many years ago. It was a pleasure for me and he was so gentle and responsive. He was one of my favorite priests at Alemany and was so supportive when my mom died.

I also remember the daily noon Mass in the chapel at Alemany. He actually let me be an altar server. Way ahead of his time as far as allowing women to be present on the altar.

Steve and I plan to go to the service on Saturday. It will be good to see Fr. Paul also.

Thanks for passing this on.

Love, Tina

~~~~~~~

10/2/2006 Rex Olliff writes:

Fr. Nourie read Bob's remembrance of Father Chris during the funeral and he also mentioned John Christenson's work making ILAP a reality. From the various remembrances given on Saturday, John Christenson touched many lives in a profound way. I was glad that his connection to the class of '66 was noted. Although we were not all in Fr. Christenson's class the day Fr. Weber made the announcement, Bob's remembrance about Fr. Christenson's assurance that we would be OK captures exactly who he was. I am glad John Christenson was part of my life.

Thanks, Bob.

Rex Olliff