Alumni Association

Forever True

October, 2022

Teutonia Mannerchor Alumni Luncheon

The next alumni luncheon will be October 25, 2022. You can call Jim Eberz (412) 445-4446 or Don Gruber (412) 874-2906. The cost of the luncheon is $15 which is payable at the door; soft drinks and beer cost extra.

There were 55 people were in attendance at the September luncheon.

Here are some random pictures. Ray Gorski ('73 ) attended his first luncheon.

That's Tim Rooney in the center rear with other alums.

The class of '59 is always well represented.

Bill Rock ('68) attended his first luncheon.

An Evening with Bishop Walterscheid

North Catholic is pleased to welcome his Excellency Bishop William Walterscheid back to North Catholic on October 6^th.  The program will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 6:30pm followed by a talk at 7pm.  He will be speaking on the attractiveness of evil in today's culture. Today’s society endorses many things that are opposed to Catholic doctrine and the Bishop will provide information that will be useful to everyone. This is a free event for all members of the community, but you are requested to register online using the link below to attend.  Please feel free to pass the link along to any family and friends you believe would be interested.



https://www.northcatholic.org/apps/form/WaltersheidOctoberTalk

Congratulations to the newest inductees into the North Catholic Hall of Fame:

Joseph Nowak - class of 1949

John "Jack" Bushofsky - class of 1955

Dr. Mike McCarthy - class of 1957

Fred Galovich - class of 1958

Ken Sinagra - class of 1973

They will be inducted at the Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at North Catholic.

Full Biographies of the inductees will be included with pictures from the induction ceremony in the November newsletter.

This year's hall of fame induction will be live streamed at northcatholicathletics.org

Alumni Spotlight

Erin Riggle

Class of 1995

Bring us up to date on your life since graduation

I initially moved east through Penn State for undergrad then Philly for med school. Then I turned west, spending 6 years in Chicago for Internal Medicine Residency then Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship. I moved to Denver in 2009 & have been at the same hospital since; now adding leadership roles in addition to patient care. I have been married to Thomas since 2014 & we have 3 dogs.

Favorite Memories of NC

All the basketball memories → winning WPIAL & PIAA my sophomore, junior, & senior years. So much fun & great memories when we would go to Hershey for the PIAA. Long bus trips over the holidays to tournaments in Tennessee to battle the best in the country.

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As part of her profile, we asked Erin to talk about her experiences this past summer. Like the opening essay assignment in English Class, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" this is Erin's summer experience:

In the fall of 2021, I was introduced to a nonprofit group called GFEEM (Global Foundation for Education & Economic Mobility) whose mission is sustaining positive outcomes for women and children of color. I had previously done a medical mission in Cambodia & Vietnam, primarily focused on educating healthcare workers. As COVID was winding down in 2022, I was looking for a new outreach experience. This group worked with local contacts to establish a trip that was both fun as well as fact-finding as to how to sustainably help a rural clinic in Western Kenya. Our trip started with a few days in Nairobi. Our guide was Tony Kwalanda, a former sports journalist akin to Bryant Gumbel; a celebrity most places we went. Tony is also running for local government position so I learned so much about politics in Kenya. Similar to the US, gas prices & inflation are front & center in these elections. We toured different areas of Nairobi including the wholesale market for shoes & jewelry. A highlight was the Nairobi National Park where we saw lions, rhinos, & giraffes with the cityscape of Nairobi in the background. 

Our trip then took us to Manda Shivanga in Western Kenya. We took the “scenic route” which included Tony being mobbed by high school girls who recognized him while we were at Lake Victoria, the headwaters of the Nile River. 

We stopped for sugar cane & roasted corn along the way.  Over & over, the preconceived notions that I had as an American for Kenyans was proven false. It is an incredibly safe country (they don’t believe in guns); people are poor but happy; and everyone was just the kindest & friendliest to us. English is spoken with ease most places, though I did try to pick up a little Swahili (Asanta sana = thank you very much). 

Our day in Manda Shivanga was definitely the most rewarding of the trip. In the morning, we went to the outpatient clinic. Ken is in charge but is quick to point out that he is a “health care worker” not a doctor. He & his staff of 5 see 100-200 patients per day, usually children & the elderly. Supplies are limited and there is no electronic medical record or internet access (a must in my daily life as a physician). The clinic usually has 10-12 births per month with no maternal deaths in the past year. Mom is usually headed back home with the baby one hour after birth (either walking or riding a motorbike, which is worse??).  Tony came armed with some basic medications donated from a pharmacy in Nairobi (ibuprofen, acetaminophen); the village elders came out to show support & we were blown away by their gratitude just for our presence. I got to see a few of the more challenging patients of Ken’s day. We spent time with the staff discussing a “wish list” to help the clinic that I am working on now. 

Our next stop was St. Monica’s high school for girls. These girls rarely have female professional role models. I was joined on the trip by 2 women who are CEOs of nonprofits that are education focused. We spent time talking to the teachers & the struggles they have including teenage pregnancy and the lack of student’s ability to make it to school consistently. The girls must pay about $85 US dollars per year to attend school; if they cannot afford it, they cannot go to school. Girls access to sanitary pads & tampons is so limited that most just don’t come to school each month when they have their periods; a lot of school days missed. We got to speak to the girls in small groups…most wanted to know what America was like; but I also fielded questions like “how do you avoid human trafficking”, “have you ever been in a fight” (shock when I admitted that I had not), “why don’t you want to have kids” (they could not wrap their heads around that one). I was excited for the girls who wanted to be civil engineers & the one who wanted to be a doctor. Our group is looking at long-term ways to help these girls succeed & have professional careers. 

We spent the last part of our trip back to being tourists. We made it to the Indian Ocean, saw an artisans market where a native tribe lives & crafts out of local wood then went on to another safari. But the time spent planning how to help those in Manda Shivanga dominated most of our conversations. I hope to go back to Kenya in early 2023 to continue my work; ideally finding a model to help this small outpatient clinic as the country is filled with hundreds just like it. 

If you would like to help further the medical camp or help the school girls out, please consider a donation: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTU1MDU5

You can specify where you would like your donation to go in your comments.  Asante sana!!

Flashback Photo

Last Month's Flashback

This is a picture from the 1963 yearbook of the student council officers (top): Barry Thomas-Treasurer, Kurt Guter-President, Michael Hayden-Vice President, and Jim Steinmetz-Secretary. In 1963, North was still an all boys school. It would be ten years later that North became a coed school. Also in 1963 the dress code was simple: dress shirt, tie, and sports coat.

We got quite a few responses on this photo; many coming from the class of 63. Kurt Guter was able to easily identify himself and fellow officers. Bob Horvat and Paul Franz also identified their classmates. Dale Heidenreich said, "I believe a number of alums will recognize our 1963 Student Council. Starting at the top, William Barry Thomas, next is the President Kurt Guter, followed by soon to be USAF General Michael Hayden and finally from Most Holy Name School, Troy Hill, James "Jimmy" Steinmetz. They certainly made our Senior year very memorable." Alan Smith ('63) knew Jimmy Steinmetz. Dave Thomas ('73) recognized his brother Barry as did Jeff Witherel ('66), and Robert Marasti ('73) identified Michael Hayden.

This Month's Flashback

So here's a crazy yearbook picture. Is some class in danger  for misbehaving or is it something else? Since it's a color photo, anyone who graduated before 1975 probably won't have any idea. Can you tell us what this is all about. It would also be great if you could help us to identify the person in the picture.

Send your guesses to us here.

Class Notes

The display case just inside the entrance to the school houses memorabilia from the school's history. There is also North Catholic apparel available.

You can check out the NC gear in the spirit shop by clicking here.

Class of 1953

Vince Brogan and wife Estelle celebrate 65 years of marriage. Vince shares they met while he was a student at North and Estelle was a student at St. Benedict's Academy. Vince shares there are several other '53 NC alums who married '54 alums of SBA including Charley and Dot Goetz, Stan and Mary Ann Lozowski, and Dick and Pat Scherer.

Class of 1960

That's Art Costa and his wife Sandy as they celebrated their 50th anniversary back in 2014. Art wants his classmates to know that he and Sandy  are still enjoying life in Florida.

Class of 1961

Dennis Mihm and his wife Sandy celebrate their 53rd anniversary.

Class of 1964

Chuck Struhar enjoys the company of his newest grandchild.

Class of 1965

Jim Bushofsky and his wife Cathy with their children and grandchildren for their 47th annual summer vacation in Cape May NJ.

Class of 1972

Jack McGuire is with his daughter Katie ('12) for dinner celebrating his birthday.

Class of 1973

Jan Rittle is all smiles with his grandson.

Class of 1974

Doug Swierczynski is with his first granddaughter, "CiCi" in his pool as she learns to swim.

Doug Swierczynski is with his second granddaughter, "Violet" at a recent Pirate game.

Class of 1978

Tony DiCio is with his favorite teacher, Mr. Carmen Militello.

Class of 1979

Proud Pappy Bill Gerst and wife Terry, daughter Nicole (Gerst) Sole ('97) Son Bill Jr. ('00) and their families enjoy another beach vacation.

Class of 1983

 Amy Larkin Palmer and her husband pose for a picture during a family wedding.

Class of 1984

Jack Adlesic and family vacationed in Massanutten, VA. That's Jack and his wife in the green shirts. Nine of their ten grandchildren were present. They recently found out that number 11 is on the way.

Class of 1987

Megan Parks is with her mom for a day out.

Class of 1991

Ralph Fischer and his family, including Emma ('17), Jacob ('20), and Reed ('25) enjoy a vacation.

Class of 1994

Mary Jo (Schultz) Dietrich poses for another lovely photo.

Jacque Morrow and his fiance enjoy the sun, sand, and warm weather.

Class of 1997

Gerald Stevens and his wife are ready for some jazz.

Class of 1998

Matt Himber and his special lady enjoy the warm weather.

Class of 2000

That's Lynne Funk and her husband.

Shannon Obrycki and her fiance' enjoyed their summer together.

Maggie Stotler Atkins is holding her sister, Mary Frances' baby.

Dave Naberezny is all smiles as he celebrates his 40th birthday with his family.

Nate Beatty shows off his neatly trimmed beard.

Class of 2001

Bob Jessop celebrates his 40th birthday with his good friend Heather Zahurak ('97).

Class of 2002

Fran Lamb Urmann and her husband enjoy an adult beverage while attending the taco festival.

Tony Beatty and his son are ready for some Steeler football.

Class of 2004

Mary Dutzik relaxes after a hard day's work.

Courtney Keeton looks lovely in this photo.

Class of 2005

Haley O'Hare Zigler are enjoying the shade.

Class of 2007

Aaron Smetanka and his wife Courtney (Simon) Smetanka and kids celebrate a homecoming victory.

Class of 2010

It's the Mueller sisters: Jodi Mueller Nocleg and sister Lynzi Mueller Tunstall ('12).

Aaron Krueger celebrates his birthday with a pie.

Reed McLaughlin and Miranda Jirsa McLaughlin ('13) pose for a selfie in Grand Central Station during a visit to NYC.

Emily Murtha and her fiance share this engagement photo.

Nicole Szulborski Cosimano stops for a bridge picture before heading off to see the Buccos.

Missy Hunkele Davis and her husband are enjoying an Hawaiian sunset.

John Klocko and his fiance have a cold beverage on a warm day.

Class of 2012

Courtney Wolosik is behind her desk and ready for a new school year.

Shannon Quigley and Nicole (Matschner) Gefert are having a great time at their ten year class reunion.

Cassie Hollihan and her husband are enjoying a quiet dinner on date night.

Class of 2015

Mae Haggerty celebrates her third year with her  company, Brooksource. Mae lives in Milwaukee.

Isabelle Dohanics and her best buddy relax on the water.

Class of 2018

Marissa Beck is with her fiance, Noah Fenton in this engagement photo. They will be married at Heinz Chapel in July, 2024.

Class of 2021

It's Ed Nicotra with his dad, John ('93) and mom after his game at W&J.

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If you know an alum who doesn't get the newsletter and would like to receive it, send us their email address and we will add them to the distribution list. Just send it here.

Thanks to Dave Thomas ('72), William McDonough ('47), Carmen DiGiacomo ('59), Medio Monti ('75), George Bauer ('49), Larry Mull ('57), Jim Bushofsky ('65), Bob Gaertner ('57), Bill Gerst ('79), Myles Rooney ('93), Dennis Mihm ('61), John Adlesic ('84), Doug Swierczynski ('74), Tom Cook ('59), and Jim Eberz ('64) for sending information and pictures to us.

If you have news/photos you want to share with classmates, send them to alumni news.

ALL reunion updates will ALSO be available on the school's website, northcatholic.org or by clicking here!

NC Class of 1949

The 73rd Annual Reunion, will be held this year on Saturday, October,15, 2022, at Rico's restaurant, located at 1 Rico Lane, Pittsburgh, Pa, Ross Township. It will be a repeat of last year's with casual dress and includes spouses, companions, care givers, relatives and friends. We will gather at 11:30 AM and lunch will follow at noon.  Everyone will order from the luncheon menu of the day and be responsible for their check. The average price will be between $25-$28 including non-alcoholic beverages. Selection includes the main course, salad and vegetable with dinner rolls. Alcoholic beverages will be available for individual purchase. We are not asking for contributions and there will no be gift giving.

NC Class of 1967

Saturday, October 8th is the date for the 55th class reunion. Silvioni's is the place.

If you have any questions, contact George "Mick" Marcinko (gmmarcinko1@gmail.com) or Al Young (ayoung1231@verizon.net).

NC Class of 1972

Here's the latest information on the class reunion:

North Catholic Class of ‘72 Reunion:

• December 10, 6:30-9:30 (or so)
• Bravo Italian Kitchen, Cranberry location, banquet rooms
• Graduates only--a time for us to gather
• Cost: around $50--a buck for each year!
• Cash bar--choose your own beverage (unlimited coffee, tea, and soft drinks provided with the meal)

If you have questions, contact Paul Laquatra: 412-480-3763 (palaqutra@gmail.com) or Don Feitl: 412-742-6689 (dlmajdf@verizon.net).

NC Class of 1973

Chuck Bauer writes, "We are still in the general gathering phase. We have close to 40 now in our group.  The contact email info and to get updates is Northcatholic1973@gmail.com."

NC Class of 1978

The 45th class reunion will be held on September 2, 2023 at The Cabin in North Park. More details to follow. Any questions, please call Joyce Velardita Rouda at 412-322-8337 or Linda Maloney Schindler at 412-526-5763.

NC Class of 1990

Martin Miller and Leah Vaughan Quigley are still hoping to organize a class reunion in late summer. Keep an eye out for some news

NC Class of 1992

The Class of '92 Summer Event was held at The Rochester Inn on September 3rd here are some photos.

The brains behind the event, (l-r): Colleen Lyons Hughes, Katie Gauntner, and Myles Rooney.

On the left are Tina Rossmont, Chris Carmody, and Beth Doerfler.

On the right are Stephany Namisnak Lang, Lisa Wehner Foltyn, and Juliane Antoszewski.

NC Class of 1996

Lori Munsch Klein and Chrissy Shraeder are trying to get a 25th reunion together. Unfortunately the response has been slow. They have set up a form you can link to here. Also you can can email them information and questions here.

NC Class of 2012

On Saturday, September 10, the class of 2012 gathered to celebrate their 10 year reunion at the Rochester Pavilion in North Park. The informal gathering was organized by Jordan Mitrik and Brandt Gribbin.

Military Legacy Scholarship

North Catholic has a Military Legacy Scholarship in honor of all alumni who have served in our nation’s military forces. The goal is to provide a $1,000.00 scholarship annually. To date we have raised over $30,000 to fund this annual scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to the student provided certain benchmarks are met. Every 4 years (or sooner) it is awarded to an incoming 9^th grade student. Molly Burke ('24) is the recipient of the scholarship.

If you wish, you may make a contribution in someone's honor/memory. Donations can be made by sending checks payable to North Catholic, write "North Catholic Military Scholarship" in the memo, and mail to: 

North Catholic High School

1617 Route 228

Cranberry Township, PA 16066

ATTN: Development Office

The John Latulippe Memorial Scholarship

The John Latuilippe Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Gabriel Grindstaff - NC class of 2024. Thank you to all who have donated. 

Class of 1959 Scholarship

The NCHS Class of 1959 Scholarship Fund has awarded $5,200 Scholarships for the 2022-23 School Year to Brianna Venturella and Shamus Straub.

The Fund has awarded scholarships totaling $93,200 to ten recipients since the inception of the Fund. Contributions to the Fund can be made at any time and should be sent to the North Catholic Foundation, North Catholic High School, ATTN: Class of 1959 Scholarship Fund, 1617 Route 228, Cranberry Township, PA 16066.

If you would like more information about the Fund, please contact Joe Blitzko(joeyblitz@aol.com), Dick Halleran (rhalleran@verizon.net), or Mike Conroy (conroy1603@gmail.com).

Class of 1965 Legacy Scholarship

The Class of 1965 Legacy Scholarship award for the 2022-2023 school year was made to senior Kaitlyn Kenaan. She is the daughter of NC alum Dan Kenaan ('91). Kaitlyn received $1,000 to help with tuition. She is an the honor roll student. Thomas Zizan, the son of Julie (Rogalla) Zizan ('87) graduated this past June. We will award two scholarships for the 2023-2024 school year next summer.

While the Legacy Scholarship continues to grow, we do need the help of our classmates to increase the scholarship fund. When we were at North, almost all of the tuition was paid by our parishes, now the burden has fallen on the parents. Catholic education is not cheap and in order to help parents provide the great education we received all those years ago, we need more of our classmates to step up and help keep our legacy scholarship fund growing. No contribution is too small. Thanks to a donor who contributed to the fund in honor of BILL GUBANIC. If you have questions, feel free to contact Bob Colbert (bobcolbert@comcast.net) or Walt Quinn (quinn.walter@comcast.net)

Some of our classmates are committing to making a small (read $10, $15) monthly donation via their credit card. It's a painless way to contribute and Bob Colbert and others have been doing so for a while. As Bob said, "it's less that the cost of a bottle of wine." If you would like to contribute a small monthly amount via your credit card, contact Amber Nicotra Morrison to set it up.

John Mikulan is also donating 20% of the royalties from his book, The Bark of the Day to the fund.

Class of 1966 Scholarship

The Class of ’66, is proud to announce the selection of their first scholarship recipient, Andrew Scears ('26). The committee, under the leadership of Tom Balestreire, is well on its way to funding its goal of $100,000 for the Class of ’66 Scholarship Fund. The Fund will be administered by the Class in conjunction with the school. We, Tom Maier, Jim Beran, Hank Marziale, Paul Ladish, and Bob Gierl have contacted many but if you or someone you know is wishing to be included, contact Tommy, 404.358.4864, text or call.

Help support North Catholic’s Marianist LIFE and Campus Ministry programs. From October 1-31, 2022, all shoppers at www.tinysaints.com will have the option to select “North Catholic High School- Campus Ministry” from a dropdown menu during checkout to support our fundraiser. With more than 200 saint charms and keychains at just $5.00 each, Tiny Saints offers simple, affordable gifts and collectibles that are guaranteed to bring a smile. They make perfect gifts for All Saints Day and stocking stuffers for Christmas. Supporters can enjoy shopping for their favorite saints, patron saints, and even learn about others for the first time while browsing! Reach out to Maria Campbell at mcampbell@northcatholic.org for more information.

Homecoming

The homecoming celebration began with the crowning of Amanda Esser as homecoming queen and ended with the homecoming dance on Saturday night. Amanda was escorted on the field by her father.

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The volleyball team prepared and served pulled pork, cheesy potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, salad, and bread for guests at the Saint Kilian Cupboard Dinner.

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North Catholic students attended the Pennsylvania March for Life in Harrisburg They listened to the speakers at the rally, participated in the march around the State Capitol building, and attended Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral.

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North Catholic's Robotics Team recently took a trip to Kettering University in Flint, Michigan where they competed and then also toured the campus. Students participated in the Kettering Kickoff (Ranking 15/41 and making the 3rd overall pick for playoffs).

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Friday afternoon Mass is offered to our football team, cheerleaders, marching band, dance team and the rest of our students and parents who would like to reflect before heading into the weekend's events.

Classroom News

The physics students engaged in a domino project in Ms. Goodwin's class. They are investigating how distance, time and average speed are interrelated by maximizing the speed of falling dominos.

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Robert Schad, NC '16, came to speak to the Introduction to Business students. Robert discussed his career in the business world, in addition to his extensive travel experiences. Robert currently resides in Mexico City, Mexico.

Trojan Sports

Golf

Trojan golfers Ethan Ellis and Eric Schneider qualified for the WPIAL Individual Championship with a round of 83.

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Football

The Trojans moved up to 4A this year and have found it tough going in the Greater Allegheny Conference. The team suffered their second conference loss with a 35-19 defeat at the hands of Armstrong dropping their overall record to 3-3 and 1-2 in the conference.Their next home game is October 7th versus Hampton at JC Stone Field.

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Girls Soccer

The Trojannettes defeated section rival Avonworth in Class 2A showdown by a score of 3-0. Simone Sharpless, celebrating her birthday, scored 2 goals and Lauren MacDonald added the third. The team is undefeated in section play and are ranked #1 in Class 2A.

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Boys Soccer

The Trojans moved up to Class 3A this year and have a record of 4-4-2. Their most recent win was an overtime 3-2 victory over Mars. Marcus Kurtz scored the game winner.

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Girls Volleyball

The 2A champions for the past two seasons have moved to Class 3A but still are ranked #1.

Girls Tennis

The team of Riley Pylant and Katie Hardy finished in fourth place in the WPIAL doubles championships.

Cross Country

The team had  senior night recently where the seniors are recognized for their contributions to the team. two seasons Along with the team photos is one of Julia Zalenski Senior, receiving her gift from fellow teammate, Grace Lazzara, Junior. Pictured is Grace reading a heartfelt tribute to Julia. Congratulations to Seniors: Joe Harmanos, Owen Schessler, Anthony Spalvieri, Alex Urling and Rigel Weakland. Girls Varsity Seniors recognized included Adriana Crano and Julia Zalenski.

The team will compete in the WPIAL championships.

SEND YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO NORTH CATHOLIC INSTEAD OF HARRISBURG!

Taxpayers can opt to have 90% of their tax liability given to North Catholic High School or the private school of their choice through the EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) Program. Funds directed to North Catholic from this program directly support scholarships for students. 

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) are two programs that can make it possible for many students to receive a Catholic education.

Interested in more information? Contact Amber in the Development/Alumni Office at 412-321-4823, x 529 or amorrison@northcatholic.org

Watch this short video to learn more how easy it really is!

Click here to watch the short video!

Many thanks to our generous EITC contributors:

CADENCE CLUBHOUSE

FLYNN'S TIRE GROUP

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PA

GILMICHER GROUP

GRANT STREET GROUP

HAND & SHOULDER CENTER

HUNTINGTON BANK

THE LYNCH LAW GROUP, LLC

MAHER DUESSEL

MONARK STUDENT TRANSPORTATION COMPANY

THERMOFLO EQUIPMENT CO., INC.