Described as “a giant of the art department,” Sam Hernández taught for 37 years at Santa Clara and was instrumental in developing the program from its small beginnings into its robust presence in the life of the University today. Sam was an inspiring teacher and was the first studio arts faculty member to receive tenure. […]

Daniel Saracino was an accomplished collegiate athlete and found work in the service of others. He was the dean of undergraduate admissions at Santa Clara University, where he and his wife raised their three children. After 20 years, Dan returned home to his alma mater of University of Notre Dame, serving for 13 years as […]

J. “Phil” Smith ’57 had a successful career in engineering. As part of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, he was stationed in France with the 82nd Engineer Battalion. Phil completed active duty with the rank of 1st Lieutenant, then found work with Texaco and remained active in industrial and professional committees. He was also […]

Henry Soldati ’55 provided compassionate care and delivered many babies over more than 50 years as an OB/GYN. He took on several leadership positions at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco. After retiring from private practice in 1992, Henry continued his passion for delivering babies for another 16 years throughout the country in mostly underserved […]

Lawrence Tomlinson MBA ’74 served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronics technician and later found success working in global finance and administration with Hewlett Packard. He took on various leadership roles there and his professional hallmark was bringing people together. His employees and peers loved and respected him, commenting that he was sharp, […]

After serving in the Army as a physician, Gerald DeNardo ’54 became a professor of radiology, internal medicine, and pathology at the then-new UC Davis School of Medicine and was the founding chair of nuclear medicine. He also led an internationally recognized research team developing targeted therapies for oncology patients for which he and his […]

Seasoned broker and realtor Melissa Lynch M.A. ’04, M.A. ’08 was recognized by BestAgents.us as a top agent for her contributions to the real estate industry. Lynch is the broker and owner of Galway Real Estate & Management in San Jose. She has two master degrees from Santa Clara, in spirituality and interdisciplinary education.

Bob Williams ’78 is enjoying the beautiful outdoors and living close to his family in Bend, Oregon. He’s still building custom homes and playing golf. He shot his age for the first time this year: 68.

Melinda Hillebrand ’15 attended Santa Clara University and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in communication. While in college, she made many life-long friends and went on to work as an administrative professional in the real estate industry. Melinda died April 11, 2024, at the age of 30 following a two-year battle with Hodgkins […]

Lisa Bodensteiner J.D. ’89 was recently appointed senior vice president, chief legal officer, and secretary of Synaptics, a developer of human interface hardware and software. Bodensteiner has previously held several high-profile positions relating to the energy and technology field.

Peter Kirwan J.D. ’86 recently joined Signature Resolution’s panel of neutrals. With over three decades of private practice and at the Santa Clara County Superior Court, Kirwan brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and dedication to a wide range of civil matters.

Stephanie Sorg ’15 recently became a partner and shareholder for Meketa Investment Group. Sorg is a managing principal/investment consultant at the firm, working with a variety of defined benefit, defined contribution, endowment, and foundation investment portfolios.

Robert Rogers MBA ’74 was guided by the principle of joie de vivre. Robert, affectionately called Bump, grew up surrounded by friends and family in Long Beach, Calif., where he fished off the pier, water skied out of the mouth of the Los Angeles River, served as an altar boy and attended the Boy Scouts. He […]

Monica Davis J.D. ’08, MBA ’14 was recently appointed deputy city administrator for the City of Oakland. Davis serves as the planning and building department’s assistant director. Most recently, she worked for the City of Hayward as its community services manager, overseeing homelessness policy and special projects including a large land use development project. Davis […]

Attorney, artist, and proud SCU Bronco Thomas Castelazo ’62, J.D. ’64 died Feb. 12, 2024. Tom first found work at the Fresno County District Attorney’s office and spent several years as a prosecutor and public defender before moving to private practice. He forged deep and lasting friendships in the legal community and kept his license […]

Paul Hamilton ’63 studied economics from Santa Clara University and later earned his law degree from UC Berkeley in 1966. He went on to practice law in both Nevada and California. Paul died Dec. 4, 2023, and is survived by family, including daughter Elizabeth Hamilton ’92, nephew Tom Hamilton MBA ’94, older sister Katherine Hamilton M.A. […]

James Dekker ’72 was b0rn into the coaching life. Jim’s father, John, was a youth basketball coach in San Francisco and ran the family business, Dekker & Sons Sporting Goods—a neighborhood institution in the Sunset District. At St. Ignatius High School, Jim played varsity baseball and basketball. While at Santa Clara, Jim would commute to […]

William Rielly ’51 died April 8, 2024, at the age of 97. Bill was a proud graduate of Santa Clara University and found success with a long career in mechanical engineering. Bill loved watching the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco 49ers. He was one of seven children and his greatest treasure was his […]

Timothy McBride ’67 spent a lot of time up in the air. Tim served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force with logistics and the Tactical Air Command organization and later flew his own Beechcraft Bonanza as a licensed commercial pilot. He also volunteered his time training pilots as well as shepherding rescue dogs […]

The youngest of 12 children, Henri Boisvert M.A. ’74 stood out with his talent for music. He played saxophone and trumpet in his City Band and college band. After getting his M.A. in counseling psychology from Santa Clara University, he moved to Ventura, Calif., and married Therese Grenier. Together they enjoyed gardening and traveled around […]