ClassNotes

Henry "Hank" Richard ’37, a resident of Santa Cruz, was born in San Jose, CA, December 12, 1916, and passed away December 19, 2012, at the age of 96. He was preceded in death less than a year ago by Margery, his beloved wife of 71 years. He is survived by his two sons, Stephen (Dee) of Los Gatos and Bruce (Elaine) of Ukiah, five grandchildren, Shannon (Santa Barbara), Carey (San Jose) and Nathaniel, Louisa, and Hallie all of Ukiah, and five great grandchildren. Hank was the son of prominent Alviso ranchers Henry Sr. and Grace Wade Richard and grew up working with his father in the family orchards. He learned duck-hunting from his father at the age of six and became an excellent marksman. He attended Bellarmine College Prep, Santa Clara University and U.C.Davis where he graduated with a degree in horticulture in 1937. Hank supervised the family orchards until 1940 when he married Margery, he then became an Inspector for the USDA in San Jose advancing to supervising inspector for the 11 western states. In 1958 he went to work as production manager and later plant manager of Pratt-Lowe in Santa Clara. Upon retiring in 1980, he and Margery moved to Pasatiempo golf community where they enjoyed 30+ Golden Years playing golf, bridge, gardening, traveling and a full social life with many wonderful and lifelong friends. 

James Bowen Wilcox ’41, March 13, 1920, to November 19, 2012.

Lorenzo "Larry" Abrusci ’43, a resident of Alameda, chose Nov. 24, 2012, a beautiful and sunny day to pass from this life to the next at 92 years old. Several generations of family and friends called him "Papa." Larry was born in Oakland, Calif. on July 20, 1920 to Frank and Rosa Abrusci. He attended Castlemont High School in Oakland. Larry briefly attended Santa Clara University then went to serve our country in WWII, in the early ’40s. He was a 1st Lieutenant Bombardier flying in B-17's. Larry completed over 65 missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he farmed on Bay Farm Island in Alameda, and then proceeded to become a successful business man in Oakland as an owner of City Tire and A-Tire. Larry is survived by his devoted wife Lily Abrusci, his daughters Penny Stevens and Vicki Silveira, his son-in-laws Alex Stevens and Rich Silveira, his step children Danny Beconcini and Carol Weston, his grandchildren Debbie Gunning and Tracy Silveira, and his great-grandchildren Cooper and Alexandra Gunning. Larry was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy Abrusci, his grandson Mark Stevens, and his sisters Isabel Reicks and Irene Sindicich. 

Marcel Emile Gres ’44, a long-time resident of Austin, age 90, died on January 5, 2013 in Austin. He was born to French parents Elie P. Gres and Germaine M. Gres on April 16, 1922 and was raised in San Francisco, California. After graduating from St. Ignatius College Preparatory School, he attended Santa Clara University on a football scholarship and studied Mechanical Engineering. The week after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Marcel and several of his friends enlisted in the navy, and was assigned to the V-7 Officer Candidate Program and returned to college. In 1943, the V-7 program was replaced by the V-12 program and he and a train full of other California students were sent to the University of Texas, where he continued his studies. He played on the Texas football team that won the Southwest Conference championship in 1943. Most significantly, Marcel met Charlotte Mayes, whom he married in 1946 after returning from the war. After graduating from Midshipman's school he served on minesweepers in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In 1946 he was discharged from active duty and returned to U.T. to complete his studies and married Charlotte. After graduating, he and Charlotte moved to Schenectady, New York where Marcel worked for General Electric, Inc. After a year, they returned to Austin, having accepted a position as instructor in Mechanical Engineering and studied for his Master's degree. He also worked part time at U.T. Defense Research Laboratory. After he obtained his degree he gave up his instructor's position and went to work full time at DRL where he headed up the Mechanical Engineering section. In 1956 he, together with physicist Obie Baltzer and mathematician Gene Smith, left DRL and started Textran Corporation. Textran was a small engineering firm conducting research in countermeasures and very low frequency technologies. In 1962, Marcel was the catalyst for the merger with Texas Research Associates, another offshoot from DRL which was started by Richard Lane, Frank Mc.Bee and Ray Hurd, to form Tracor Inc. Marcel's contributions to the development of many of Tracor's defense and commercial product lines was significant. At Tracor Marcel was on the Board of Directors and held several management positions before retiring in 1987 as senior Vice President. He was a member of Sigma Xi and Pi Tau Sigma, Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity. In 2007 Marcel was inducted in U.T.'s Mechanical Engineering's Hall of Fame. Marcel enjoyed snow skiing with his family during winter vacations and sailing on Lake Travis. He was one of the founders of the Austin Yacht Club and a member of the Headliners Club. He served on the board of directors of Tracor and the Austin Cerebral Palsy Center. After retiring he did some consulting work at Tracor and several small companies in Austin. He also played golf to occupy his time. He and Charlotte traveled extensively after he retired. In 2003 they moved to Westminster Manor retirement community, where they enjoyed the friendship of the residents and kindness of the staff. Marcel is predeceased by his son-in-law David DeBerry and is survived by Charlotte, his wife of 66 years, his daughter Judith DeBerry, his daughter and son-in-law Patricia and Mac Shuford, his son and daughter-in-law John and Lisa Gres. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Christina Leinart, Quink DeBerry, Brooke Luz, Robert Shuford, Megan Cowell, and Patrick Gres, and by six great grandsons.

Eugene "Gene" Marvin Donatelli '47 was born on Feb. 9, 1926. A resident of Santa Cruz, he passed away in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. His last days were spent at home with his family. Born in Seattle, he moved to San Jose with his parents Frank and Madelyn when he was two years old. He went to Bellarmine for high school and to Santa Clara University. He was an Army Coreman Gunnery Instructor in the US Army Air Force during WWII. Gene met Mary on a blind date, and they married in 1949. His work career included a family grocery store, sales and working in construction. He founded Donatelli Sons Construction in 1970 and retired in 1988. Gene enjoyed backpacking in the Sierras, fishing trips to Canada, and traveling the world with Mary. He was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and raised money for the Alzheimer's Association through the yearly fundraiser. He recently celebrated his 87th birthday with about 100 of his friends and family. He "loved" golf, walking his dog Fergie, building furniture and art structures with wood, baking his famous cookies and spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoyed watching detective shows with his loving and patient caregiver Fabiola Herrera. The family is grateful to Fabi for her care of both Mary and Gene. Gene was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Mary, his son Eugene (Pilar), and his daughter, Catherine. Gene is survived by six children: Chris (Theresa), Susan, Tim, Michael (Barbara), Margaret (Kelly) and Grace (Mark); his grandchildren Chris, Jenny, Paul, Natalie, Elena, Angela, Stephanie, Tony, Gina, Rachael, Vincent, Catherine, Miles and Monica; his great grandchildren Aiden, Timmy, Isabella, Cameron, Gabriella, Jacob, Bryce, Daniella, and Emma.  

Robert E. Jones ’48 died on March 12, 2013. A resident of Hollister,
Robert Eugene Jones was born in San Jose, CA to Ralph and Rose Jones on February 17, 1924. As a third generation native Californian he grew up in San Jose, amidst the splendor of the vast flowering orchards and beauty of Santa Clara Valley.
In 1942 he eagerly volunteered in the United States Army. Under the command of General George S. Patton he advanced to the ranks of Sergeant, and was taken to the fighting lines in Austria, Germany and France. He was awarded the Silver Star for carrying one of his wounded commanding officers to safety in the midst of battle.
After three years of military service he returned to his studies at Santa Clara University, where in 1948 he proudly earned a degree in Structural Engineering. Following his engineering passion along with his team partner/architect, Norton Curtis, many notable buildings on the campus of SCU were erected: Swig, Dunne and McGlaughlin Halls; Graham Complex; Sullivan Engineering; and Benson Center.
As a successful self-employed structural engineer he enjoyed living in the Almaden Valley. Upon his retirement he moved to Hollister.
His pride and joy was his cattle ranch, located in Paicines, CA. During the 1800s this historic property was once a part of the booming New Idria Quicksilver Mine.
In 2009 after a near fatal accident on his ranch his health declined. Prior to his accident he led a very active life attending many Santa Clara University Alumni functions, Elks Club activities, traveling, and working on his cattle ranch. He peacefully passed away on March 12, 2013.
He is survived by his second wife, Doris I. Jones; his sister, Frances Jones Weller; his first wife, Jane Walters and their four children, Mark Jones, Patrick (Oh) Jones '74, Gayle (Steve) Newgren, and Cindy (Gary) Frazier; grandchildren, Greta Newgren (Jeff) Fitzgerald '02, Tyler Newgren, Colter (Szilvia) Frazier, Carly Frazier, and Chelsea Frazier.

William F. Donnelly, S.J. ’49 February 28, 1928 - October 26, 2012 Reverend William F. Donnelly, S.J., Professor of Economics at Santa Clara University, died suddenly October 26, 2012. He was 84 years old and had been on the Santa Clara faculty since 1969. Father Donnelly was born in Galveston, TX on February 28, 1928. His family moved to San Mateo in 1939. He graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1945 and from Santa Clara University in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce. While at Santa Clara, he was involved in many student activities, including manager of the football team. After graduation, he worked for Tide Water Associated Oil Company before entering the Jesuit novitiate at Los Gatos in 1951. Father Donnelly did further studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, where he received an MA in Economics in 1957. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from New York University in 1969. Theological studies were made at Alma College, Los Gatos (a campus of Santa Clara) 1960-64, and he was ordained a priest in San Francisco on June 7, 1963. Before joining the Santa Clara faculty in 1969, Father Donnelly taught English and mathematics at Bellarmine College Preparatory and philosophy at Loyola University of Los Angeles (now known as Loyola Marymount University). In addition to his many decades in the classroom, Father Donnelly served generously in multiple capacities at Santa Clara University, including Academic Vice President, 1973-1978, Rector of the Jesuit Community at Santa Clara, 1982-1988, member of the Board of Trustees, 1973-1978 and 1982-1988, and Chaplain of the Catala Club from 1993 until his death. In addition to his University duties, he also served on various committees and boards of the Jesuit Order. He is survived by nieces Dianne Bonino ’76 (and her husband Mark Bonino ’76 and their daughter Julia M. Bonino ’09) of San Carlos, Cathy Donnelly McAvoy of San Jose, and nephews Tim Donnelly of South Korea and Terry (Niki) Donnelly of Meridian, Idaho, as well as many grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his brother Thomas E. (Ted) Donnelly and his nephew Thomas Donnelly. 

Alfred S. Maida ’49 was born May 24, 1927. He was a resident of San Jose. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his adoring family on Jan. 24, 2013, at the age of 85. 
Dr. Maida is survived by his wife Cecile, to whom he has been married 60 years, his children: Kathy, Beth, Paul (Tammy), and Margo; his grandchildren Mario (Laura), Michael (Marci), Eric and Kristin; and his great grandsons Mario II, Giancarlo, and Nicolas. He was sadly preceded in death by his precious daughter, Karen and loving son-in-law, Mark Reynolds.
Dr. Maida was born and raised in San Jose, California. Through scholarships, he proudly attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, Santa Clara University, and Stanford Medical School; achieving the highest academic honors at all three institutions. Upon completing his medical training and residency, he opened a private practice where he devotedly provided the highest quality care to all of his patients for many years. Later in his career, he served as Medical Director for Pacific Bell, General Electric, and Gilroy Foods. He volunteered on numerous medical advisory boards in constant service to his community. 
He was a voracious reader and a lifelong student of the English language. He could often be found perusing the dictionary for new and interesting words in order to expand his vocabulary. He loved to read Steinbeck and Hemingway. He held extraordinary knowledge on a wide variety of subjects and yet was always eager and willing to learn more from those with whom he was conversing. He was an avid gardener, devout Christian, and a collector of stamps. 
Dr. Maida was humble, gentle, and perhaps the kindest of men. He is adored by his family and was loved and cherished by all who knew him. He will be long remembered and his spirit will live in our hearts for all the days to come.
The family extends their deepest gratitude to Hospice of the Valley and all his caregivers for their tender care these many months. Your professionalism and loving hearts brought him joy and comfort. 

Michael Anthony Sweeney, of Santa Cruz, died in his home on March 26, 2013 of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Sweeney joined the chemistry faculty at Santa Clara University in 1966, and he taught until the fall of 2012. In 2001 he was named professor emeritus. Prior to teaching he worked as a research chemist for Standard Oil, and also rose to the rank of captain while serving in the US Air Force.

Sweeney was born on Dec. 5, 1931 in Los Angeles, to James Robert Sweeney and Ruth (Bauter) Sweeney.

He attended Loyola High School, and in 1953 graduated cum laude from Loyola Marymount University, (then, Loyola University).  He earned his master's, then doctorate in radiation chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962. The research for his Ph.D. dissertation, Radiation Chemistry of Isopropyl Compounds, was directed by Nobel laureates Amos Newton and Glenn Seaborg at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, where Sweeney operated a cyclotron. During that period he is credited along with two other scientists with discovery of the isotope Rhenium (181).

He performed research and published scientific articles throughout his career. In conjunction with NASA-AMES, he studied the area of abiotic biosynthesis—the origin of organic molecules on the early earth and solar system, the formation of organic molecules resulting from radiation fluxes, and carbonaeous chondrite chemistry. His investigation into the radiation levels of the primitive Earth atmosphere added to our understanding of the origin of life.

In 1966 Sweeney began teaching chemistry at Santa Clara University. It was a position he called "the best job I've ever had." Students from his first graduating class presented him with a pamphlet titled "Sweeney's Similes," in which they had recorded many of the analogies from his lectures for which he was well-known. Ten of his first 11 chemistry majors went on to earn their doctorates in chemistry; the eleventh earned a J.D. Several of these students reached out to Sweeney during his final weeks, offering gratitude for his inspiration.

Sweeney is survived by three children, Matthew ’93, Anna ’86, and Daniel ’87, their spouses, and two grandchildren.  

A memorial service will be held at Mission Santa Clara on April 11 at 6:00 p.m. A reception will follow at the Arts and Sciences Building on the Santa Clara University Campus, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053. His ashes will be laid to rest in Ireland by his children.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a charitable donation be made to Santa Clara University, The Chemistry Dept., in Memory of Michael A. Sweeney, University Relations, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA  95053; or via the web at www.scu.edu/give/

Donations will be awarded to a chemistry major who demonstrates interest in a teaching career.


Notes of sympathy may be sent to:

The Sweeney Family

c/o Chemistry & Biochemistry Department

Daly Science Center

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053

Mary Asuncion served Santa Clara University twenty-three years as senior administrative assistant in the Human Resources Office and the Mathematics & Computer Science Department.