Hello Guys,
Nice gathering of classmates today for lunch at the Pool and Yacht Club. Lots of laughter and reminiscing as we watched the Mississippi freeze over.
This regular monthly class of 63 lunch gathering is finishing it’s ninth year. Thanks for Dave Britz in getting it started in Jan of 2014.
I mentioned in last months notes that some discussion has started to take place related to what we should do to commemorate our 60th anniversary of graduating from Cretin.
A number of guys sent me notes hoping a social get together of the 6 schools (like we did for 25 and 50 years) could be put together.
John Runyon who is heading up a project where we recognize two classmates who led remarkable lives after being confined to wheel chairs for the last 50 + years of their lives. Mike Ryan and George Bonfe are the two men and John has been talking
with these men’s families. John has spoken with George’s three children and his three brothers and just this AM along with classmate Bob O’Malley spoke with Mike’s wife in Arizona. More on this project will be forth coming.
I told the guys at lunch about a classmate who frequently attends the lunches but was not there today. Here is what I shared.
Earlier this week classmate Tom Mega responded to my request to see who would be attending the December class of 63 lunch. Tom responded that he was unable to attend because he had some “other commitment”. The “other commitment” reason reminded me of some things I know about how Tom has spent the last 40-50 years and I wanted to share that with the rest of the class of 63.
Many of you know Tom was a History professor at St Thomas University for 32 years and retired in 2014.
Being a professor left Tom some open time in the summers and Tom and a musical partner have a “second” career entertaining many on the river boats on the Mississippi River and clubs around the Twin Cities playing Ragtime/Dixieland music. Only Covid has interrupted this endeavor.
And now that “other commitment” that prevented Tom from attending the class lunch.
Tom’s “other Commitment” is a “third” career. For more than 40 years Tom still works as a ski instructor. Tom told me he doesn’t put on the boards much anymore but is the supervisor of the ski instructing staff at Highland Hills in Bloomington.
Calling music and skiing careers might be more accurately described as passions for Tom.
Very active and still doing stuff he has enjoyed for 40+ years—-—I thought this is a nice positive story to share with our Cretin classmates and maybe will motivate me to get off my rear a bit more often.
Next Class lunch is Thursday January 12th — mark your calendars
That is all for now.
Best to all
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy new year.
Tom Troskey