Embedded Files
_________________
Vin Rocque
Vin Rocque 2013
After Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences and Columbia Law School, I have enjoyed living my life in the American University Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. I’ve been married for 44 years to Emily Adams Rocque (Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, Class of ‘68), who recently retired from academic counseling at Catholic University; have three children, all married and settled west of the Mississippi (St. Louis, Denver and Telluride, Colorado); and dote on three grandchildren.
I was blessed to get the variety and richness that I wanted out of a life in D.C. with a law degree. I enjoyed fascinating stints as a non-career “political appointee” during the Nixon, Ford and Carter Administrations at the then-new U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and at a new regulatory/enforcement unit within the U. S. Commerce Department. For years, I practiced law as a partner in a national law firm based in Boston, served two terms on its executive committee and was manager partner of its Washington office. I hung out my own shingle a while back and continue to have an international practice in Federal regulatory law and enforcement, whose corporate investigations have had me on the road quite a bit, including significant recent travel to Ireland, England, India, Singapore, China and Japan. A big bonus is that Emily has been able to accompany me on -- and we have extended for our pleasure -- almost every one of these foreign trips.
My health is good but hasn’t always been. I survived a cancer scare when I was 30, got my first cardiac stent when I was 51, and had one knee and both hips totally replaced between ages 59 and 63. That I had no cartilage left in these major joints was not a result of Crew but came from playing lunchtime basketball an average of four days a week at the downtown YMCA until I was 55 -- long after any sensible person would have.
Aside from my law practice (which I am very lucky both to have and to enjoy) my time is consumed by travel, two book clubs, and a deep interest in American history (especially that surrounding the Civil War). I actively volunteer with a non-profit “village” to help independent, Northwest D.C. seniors to live comfortably and safely in their own homes and neighborhoods by my driving one or another of them to and from a medical appointment almost every weekday. I get a great deal out of the retail, hands-on, directly personal aspects of this volunteer work.
Although I’ve had the usual, human ups and downs, no great tragedy has struck me yet. I am blessed with a loving family and dear friends. I have been very lucky and, for that, am extremely grateful.
And, Georgetown Crew has been a positive part of my life and outlook. “Never row” became for me “Never quit.”
_____________________
Ed Witman
Ed Witman, 2013
What’s happened to me since Georgetown?
The first thing is that I decided I’d rather pursue a career in philosophy than go to law school. Because I made this decision only after graduation, I had to get myself into a graduate program that summer of ’67. So on the advice of several of my professors at GU I applied and was accepted into Fordham’s Ph.D. program. Fordham was very generous to me, providing assistantships and teaching fellowships that afforded me the opportunity to gain valuable experience in research and teaching. In September of 1969 I began my career teaching two sections of introduction to philosophy. When my fellowship expired in ‘71, I got an adjunct instructor’s job at Cathedral College in Douglaston, NY, a collegiate diocesan seminary for young men preparing for the priesthood.
While teaching at Fordham, I also coached their lightweight crew, paying forward the debt I owed to Cadle and Remuzzi and the GU Crew in general
In June of 1969, I married my high school sweetheart, Arlene Rustmann. We had dated from high school and throughout college and grad school, and when she finished her BS in Nursing at Villanova we decided that a seven year courtship had been long enough. We found an apartment in New Rochelle, NY and Arlene began work in the New Rochelle Hospital ICU, while I was teaching at Fordham and preparing for my dissertation.
In 1972 I got my first full-time job teaching philosophy at Georgian Court College (now G.C. University) in Lakewood, NJ. This was a good fit for us both as Arlene got a job teaching nursing at Jersey Shore Medical Center, while I launched my career as a philosophy professor.
In November of 1977 I defended my dissertation and received my Ph.D. the following February.
Teaching in a four year “liberal arts” college allowed me to develop a variety of courses ranging from the history of philosophy to social and political theory, general and special ethics, philosophy of sports, and my particular specialty, medical ethics. Being married to a professor of nursing made medical ethics a natural coincidence of interests. I continue to serve as ethics consultant at our local hospital as a member of the bioethics committee and the institutional review board protecting the rights of subjects in medical research protocols. Arlene got her MSN from Seton Hall University in 1987 and took a teaching position at Ocean County College here in Toms River.
In 1975 we had our first son, Christopher, and then five years later, our second son, Michael arrived. Chris went to St. Joseph’s University for his BS, and then Johns Hopkins for his MS in psychology. He and his wife Sara live in Baltimore. Sara is a legal librarian and Chris is a psychotherapist. Mike graduated from Cook College of Rutgers University with a BS in environmental policy (with honors,) and works for an environmental remediation company in Clinton, NJ. Mike’s wife, Carolyn, is also a Cook College graduate whose specialty is horticulture. She works as a manager in a local garden center.
After 42 years teaching philosophy, and 45 years in nursing, Arlene and I decided it was time to retire and celebrated the ending of our careers in May, 2011. By a happy coincidence, Mike and Carolyn presented us with a beautiful grandson, Cole Edward Witman that July, and we have been babysitting regularly ever since.
During the ‘80s and ‘90s I rowed an Alden in the Head of the Schuylkill and in local ergometer competitions until bone spurs and blown rotator cuffs finally ended my rowing career. Retirement has afforded me the opportunity to take up a challenge laid down by my friend and crew mate, John Soisson, who suggested some years ago that I write something about our years rowing and why the crew has meant so much to us all. Thus began my second “career” as the unofficial historian of the “Founding and Flourishing” of the Georgetown Crew in its first decade. Thanks to the generosity and cooperation of the dozens of email correspondents whom I have pestered with endless questions taxing their memories and their patience, I am happy to report that the history – our history – is nearing completion. My goal is to have it printed and available at the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Dad Vail Victory. Let’s hope we can all get together again in Philadelphia next May.
_____________________
Ted Kuntz
Ted Kundtz, 2013
After graduating from Georgetown in 1967, I went to New York for graduate school at NYU. I finished an MBA and worked on a PhD in economics/finance but did not complete the dissertation - therefore an ABD (all but dissertation). I worked at Pfizer for several years, and moved to Wall Street where I worked for almost 35 years as a Research Analyst for Standard and Poor's, Bear Stearn's, Lehman Brothers, and Director of Research at Needham Brothers.
Retired two years ago and currently living in Short Hills NJ. My wife, Maureen, and I have been married 39 years and have two sons who have abandoned us for the West Coast
_____________________
(Jim) Olin Woods
A member of the Class of '67, I was born and raised in Fresno, CA and going to Georgetown represented a great opportunity to experience a larger, more sophisticated world. As the center of a large agricultural area, Fresno was an ideal place to grow up, but I was ready for a change. Part of my desire to attend school in Washington, D.C. was my admiration, deserved or not, for the Kennedy Administration. All of that was turned upside down, of course, when JFK was shot in November, 1963, my class's freshman year. Those years and the ones that followed seemed out of whack: from the Vietnam build-up, to experiments with drugs, counter culture life-style, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and RFK, race riots, sexual revolution, the Vietnam demonstrations, and, then, Nixon's impeachment/resignation in the early 70's. We lived through some challenging times as young adults, and looking back, it all seems incredible that such major events and changes occurred during such a short, ten-year period.
As a brand-new freshman, I owed a debt of gratitude to Jim Conley (C'66), who told me about the crew and encouraged me to get involved. I was not very serious high school student, whose focus was on athletics and extracurriculars, and I knew that things had to change if I was going to make anything of my life. Conley told me there was a strong emphasis on academics among the Georgetown oarsman and encouraged me to give rowing a try. I took his advice and it made all the difference: my grades were always better during the rowing season and the daily workouts were a great outlet. I can't help but think that the discipline, camaraderie, and lessons learned during those years had a big part in what followed for me and for many of us. Thanks for including the Class of '67 in the Cadle-era project. Over the last several months, as I have looked at the photos, read the stories, and seen the old names and faces, it has helped to re-emphasize just how important the crew was to me.
_____________________
Terry Manning
Terry Manning, right, shakes Tony Johnson's hand at Thompson Boat Center after the 2013 reunion rowby
After GU, I moved to New York City to pursue painting and sculpture. Soon after receiving a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts, I became more interested in filmmaking. For several years I worked as a cinematographer, editor and producer of documentary films. I’ve been with CBS News since 1985, and have been an editor on the television program 60 Minutes for the last ten years. I draw and paint in my free time.
I met my wife, Anna, in 1977. She works at the Bank of New York/Mellon. We live in Brooklyn, New York and have two children: Audrey, age 30, who studied Art Therapy but works with a company called etsy.com, and Russell, 28, a jazz and rock musician.
Over the years, I’ve done a bit of running, and cycling, but nothing has ever come close to the experience of rowing in the Georgetown crew. I’m afraid I took it all for granted at the time, but I have often thought back with the greatest admiration and gratitude to our coaches, particularly Goose and Frank, for the time they took, and the patience and wisdom they showed us all.
_________________
Ned Moran
Ned Moran, 2013
After graduating in 1967, spending a year in Graduate School, Judy (N68) and I married. Shortly thereafter the service 'called' and I joined the Navy Reserve. I then went to work for the family tug boat company, had three great kids (now have four spectacular grandchildren), moved 10 times (from Port to Port along the US East and Gulf Coasts) and for the last 13 years live in Manhattan.
Although the family business was sold to others in 1994, I have retained my position in the company’s management and continue to enjoy the work.
Judy graduated law school in 1995 AND now teaches a Law and Literature course at both Columbia and the University of Baltimore Law Schools.
I've done some interesting things throughout my career. I was appointed to the Board of Pilot Commissioner's for the State of Florida, served as Finland's Honorary Counsel for Maryland and Delaware, and was elected Chairman of the Board of the American Waterways Operators, the industry lobby group, in DC. I currently serve on the Marine Board of the National Academy of Science.
It's really nice to be with all of you again. My memories of crew, while sometimes foggy, are important and I know formative to many parts of me. I 'm very appreciative to everyone who had a role in arranging this reunion.
_________________
Tom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson heralds the baptism
of the "Spirit of '62" shell, 2013
I moved from New York to Massachusetts about 21 years ago to raise my three children. They have all left the nest but I am still here. Using my PhD in Oceanography and my experience, I started an environmental consulting business, Ambient Engineering, 19 years ago. We thrived until the Great Recession hit. Now we survive – as a leaner entity.
My wife and I separated 10 years ago, so I have had the unexpected challenge of being a divorced father. But it has turned out ok. My youngest is a college freshman at Occidental College in LA; my daughter is in Grad School at Loyola in Chicago; my eldest son works for the UN in Cambodia. So the sun never sets on my empire!
Years ago I purchased an oceanfront cottage on an island off of Nova Scotia. I spend as much time as I can there each summer and fall. The distance makes it difficult for friends and family to “drop by”. I’d be happy to share it with any crew or classmates who want to see the Maritime Provinces.
After running a number of marathons, I find that I am now grown lazy and just go for a jog once or twice a week when we are not under snow. I belong to the New Hampshire Pipes and Drums and play the bagpipes competitively as a pastime. I am also an amateur horticulturist and work with apples and plums, and vegetable gardens. My sailboat has not left my driveway for several years now. Damn!
I finally made my longed for trip to Italy last September with my friend Laurie. I have Spain, Costa Rica, Columbia, Argentina and Chile on my list now. I expect I will move away from Massachusetts within a couple of years, and in preparation for my next career, I am taking a course in oyster farming. Watching oysters slowly grow sounds like a peaceful existence, doesn’t it?
I want to mention that my father, Thomas J. Stevenson, Jr., was a member of the Georgetown Crew in about 1941 – 43 and wrote about its origins in his memoir. He passed away almost three years ago, but he was a supporter and follower of GU Crew until his dying days.
_________________
John Dolan
John Dolan, 2013
I graduated from GU in 1967 and then served four years as an Army Infantry Officer. After returning from Vietnam in 1969, I married Lawrice “Recie” Checchio – GUNS 1968 and we immediately moved to Germany for the remaining two years of my military service.
Not long after returning to the US, we opened an antique shop and furniture restoration business in rural Western PA. It sure was a different life than either of us NY/NJ suburbanites could ever have imagined. We spent most of the 1970’s there; loved country living and the wonderful, lifelong friends we met along the way. We still have a cabin there and spend as much time there as we can. Lawrice found time to work as a Public Health Nurse and a School Nurse, and become certified as a Nurse Practitioner.
While living in PA, being engaged in the life and workings of a small town, and having the opportunity to run a small business, I became very interested in things financial - especially as they affected the day to day lives of individuals and families. In the early 1980’s, we sold our business and moved back to the DC area so I could continue the pursuit of my new professional interest. We’ve been here ever since – living in Takoma Park, MD, inside the beltway, just north of DC. I can walk to work, thoroughly enjoy running my fee-only personal financial planning practice, exercise regularly, like to read and write, and enjoy being in contact with friends and Army buddies.
Lawrice continued her career in Nursing and ran her own practice with a specialty in women’s health until she “retired” about seven years ago. She then began to nurture in earnest her love of art and painting, and now describes herself as a “full time artist and mother of a soldier”.
We stay as involved in our son’s life as he lets us. JD, age 28, is an Army Ranger. He’s had multiple Iraq/Afghanistan deployments, and is now on the faculty of the Army ROTC Department at St. John’s University in NY.
__________________
Dennis Michael O'Hara
Dennis O'Hara, 2013
After graduating Georgetown as an economics major I entered the Army and did a tour in Vietnam. Upon returning I attended Columbia University Graduate School of Business studying banking and finance preparing for a career in investments. My first job was with First Pennsylvania Bank, then a darling of the financial industry. In 1973, I moved to Dallas, Texas with my family to further my career at the Republic National Bank of Dallas. Other stops included Southland Financial Corporation, American Airlines and Bank of America. What can be said of my experiences with these companies is that they all went bankrupt after I left (or in Bank of America’s case would have except for the bailout). Joseph Schumpeter’s idea of creative destruction worked overtime in my case.
My wife Kathy and I have three children, all of them girls. The oldest is an Air Force helicopter pilot who is currently assigned to Ft. Belvoir and doesn’t talk about her work. I don’t know if it’s all that secret. Her mom believes she can’t talk about it. I’ll go with that. She lives in Alexandria with her Air Force husband and my only granddaughter. Daughter number two is a lawyer in Dallas and has two sons who I get to play tickle monster, take to movies, participate in grandparent days and attend every athletic event in which they are involved. The third daughter like the oldest graduated from University of Texas, Austin and has a son. She married a high school classmate who is currently serving in the US Army Special Forces at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Needless to say we have been biting our nails through deployments to the Middle East since 9/11.
Other activities have been a thirty year involvement with the Boy Scouts. This was a natural step as I was in Scouts as a youth and earned the Eagle Rank. It got started at our church’s community Sunday where various groups conduct an annual recruiting drive. We were looking to do something after having moved into the parish but I was the only one who signed up. My daughters called it, “Dad’s night out with the boys”. Yeah, it only took an hour a week. I’ve attended two Jamborees, one in 2005 as an assistant scoutmaster and the other in 2010 on the national staff. Also, I’ve been active with the Dallas Diocese Committee on Catholic Scouting. Two biggest recognitions have been the Silver Beaver and St George awards although I’m still proudest of my Eagle Award earned in 1959.
I’m looking forward to meeting with everyone swapping stories about crew, watching the races and forgiving Bert Mason from swamping the scrub boat by coming up river too quickly in a chase boat after the race had started. We had a half boat lead on Navy’s JV crew. We finished with water up to the gunnels. I need to get over it.
_________________
Jim Haller
Jim Haller, 2013
Thinking back on my years at GU brings two specific highlights into focus. First and foremost, I married my high school sweetheart, Nancy, during my senior year. Holding down three part time jobs and a full slate of courses kept me very busy with little time for extracurricular activities. I would not change this wonderful period of my life for anything. The second highlight was my years on the GU lightweight crew. As you all know, there develops a special bond of brotherhood among a rowing team that forms a strong commitment to give one's all when best efforts are needed. Broken ribs during my junior year temporarily ended my rowing just before the racing season started. Marriage during my senior year caused me to redirect my life's commitment away from this sport for many years.
I graduated from GU with a degree in physics although my interest and ambition was always to become an engineer. Two years at Clarkson University provided my with an MS in mechanical engineering and a ticket into my desired profession. I joined Alcoa after graduation and spent 32 years with them at various locations around the world, including four wonderful years living in Australia. I took early retirement in 2000 after working for ten years as Alcoa's Engineering Manager of their Foil Products Division. After several stints doing engineering consulting for PA companies, Alcoa asked me in 2006 to do consulting work in Qinhuangdao, China, managing the rebuilding of aluminum foil mills. This was followed by supervising the conversion of the same facility to natural gas in 2007 and the completion and startup of a new rolling facility in 2008. In 2010, I worked as an engineering consultant for Novelis, managing facility design for a greenfield site outside Abu Dhabi. In 2012, Novelis asked me to coordinate the installation of a new rolling facility in South Korea. My efforts on this project were cut short after the discovery of cancer. I completed seven months of chemo in February of 2013 and have decided to permanently withdraw from the working world.
In spite of our ying/yang personalities, Nancy and I have lived a blessed life, learning from each other and supporting each other along the way. We are a prime example of "opposites attract". We have one son and three daughters. Our son works as a business consultant in Minneapolis. We have twin daughters. One is a very successful fashion designer in NYC. Another daughter works for the Discovery Channel in DC as a Production Manager. Our youngest daughter lives in New Hope, PA. She and her husband design, make and sell jewelry. From these offspring have come seven wonderful grandkids. Unfortunately, all of our children and grandchildren live far away from our home in Austin, TX . We spend most of our free time visiting or hosting them.
I currently volunteer for Habitat for Humanity on Fridays and Saturdays and continue to restore old British roadsters. Between periods of working overseas and undergoing chemo, I have been rowing for the past 18 years, mostly sculling a single, double or quad. I have raced in some local rowing regattas but usually just enjoy the early morning bliss of gliding on the river that runs thru downtown Austin.
Life is always full of unexpected twists. My shock was discovering that I had cancer last year. I believe I'm over this and on my way back to health. Nancy has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This is proving to be a very tough opponent. Our shared hope is to try all reasonable means to slow its progression and minimize its effects.
The Cadle Years Reunion was very special to me, renewing long-lost friendships and bring back many great memories. Thanks to all involved in making this happen.
_________________
Bert Mason
Bert Mason, 2013
I came to Georgetown in the fall of 1963, just as Don Cadle was leaving and Bob Remuzzi, Frank Barrett, and others were resolving to fill the void. Cadle left such a strong mark on the crew and its traditions that it was keenly felt for years, expanding the membership of his era to include us. In our final year the members of the Class of ’67 had the additional good fortune to welcome Tony Johnson to Georgetown.
After graduation, I taught school, took graduate courses, and coached rowing for a few years. In 1970, following a camping trip across the country together, I persuaded Marylyn Van Dyke (Nursing, ‘70) to marry. We have been happy ever since. Marylyn worked as a community health nurse while I went to law school. We moved to California for my first job as a lawyer, working for a professor who had been appointed director of the new California department of housing. This started a career in affordable housing and real estate development that continues to the present. Along the way, I have worked at HUD, been a partner in a DC law firm, run my own real estate business, and participated in various civic activities. I continue to develop affordable housing.
Marylyn and I returned east in 1978 and settled in the Annapolis area. She continued to work as a community health and psych nurse until our first child, Ani, was born later that year. Christopher came along in 1983, and Emily in 1986. We were outnumbered, but enjoyed every minute of it – well, almost every minute. The years were filled with youth sports, school, and other activities. Our children work in NYC now, and Marylyn has been back working as a public health nurse for some years. There are no grandchildren yet, but Ani is engaged.
Over the years, Marylyn and I have hiked, camped, skied, gardened, renovated a house, played tennis, traveled, biked, and enjoyed family and friends. We are fortunate in our good health and look forward in a few years to retirement and the occasional epic adventure that is not too taxing.
In looking back, it’s clear that the personal associations at Georgetown were wonderfully beneficial. They provided growth and enjoyment, and the crew was a big part of it. I continue to be grateful for the good fortune to have rowed.
_________________
Jim Mockler
Jim Mockler
I've been retired now these past ten years. Kathy and I live in Saratoga, California near our three adult children: Patrick, Tricia and Katie. We moved here to Silicon Valley just after I (finally) got my degree, where I spent 25 years in accounting, finance, data processing and computer systems positions for a number of companies here in the Valley, the last and longest of which was 3Com Corporation. And, no, I never caught the brass ring with a start-up IPO, although I tried a couple of times.
After I was drafted into the Army back in the 60s, I wrangled my way into OCS and was offered choice of branch and assignment at graduation if I would extend my service commitment, which I gladly did to avoid a deadly trip to Vietnam. I wish I could remember the guy's name because he probably saved my life. I remember walking into his office at Ft. Sill, OK, dazzled by all the paraphernalia on his uniform. He was a Chief Warrant Officer (CW4), a rank I was unfamiliar with at the time, with service stripes down to his cuff and an eight-row rack of ribbons. There I stood with a single good conduct ribbon and a sharpshooter medal. He deftly guided me through my options once he guessed my disinterest in a career path and Vietnam: Signal Corps; SOBC schooling at Ft. Gordon, GA; Microwave Officer schooling at Ft. Monmouth, NJ; duty assignment STRATCOM Europe.
It cost me extra years of service commitment on top of my earlier extension, but worth it. I ultimately accepted an assignment with a small NATO unit in Greece and spent many years there defending every island and beach from all those young blonde Scandinavian tourists. I met Kathy in Athens. Her Dad, a US Army Colonel, was on assignment there as NATO Liaison Officer and Kathy had just taken her first teaching job in Athens at the Ursuline Academy. I like to say I married the boss's daughter, but I didn't actually report to her Dad. We had a great time over there, but when I got orders to Ft. Riley, Kansas, I knew it was time to get out and join the real world.
I haven't been good at staying in touch with my Georgetown cohorts, either on or off the crew, but my memories are fond ones: jogging to McDonough on those cold, dark winter mornings, the isometric rope exercises that Goose insisted on, working the "M" street steps, working those new big German shovel oars, tincture of benzoin to toughen my painfully raw hands, winning shirts, the pain of losing one - many fond memories.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse