Joe McGrath sent me a message with a link to a University of St. Thomas publication recognizing individuals who contributed to the success of their School of Engineering. Our classmate Steve Nachtsheim was one of those visionaries. Steve sent a note to me saying “The article was a nice tribute but really deserved to have lists of folk who supported me. Those were the days!” Nonetheless he was an innovator worthy of recognition. You can read the article by clicking on this link.

Here is the photo of the young Steve that accompanied the article.

Hello Guys

Beautiful 88 degree day with sunshine and a fast flowing Mississippi river greeted us as we had lunch at the Pool and Yacht club today.

14 classmates showed up today and even three class of 63 guys from STMA came down the hall to visit with us and talk about the up coming 60th reunion activities. John Lentsch from Cretin and George Carroll from St Thomas are working on the effort to pull together another all school gathering like we had for the 25^th and 50^th reunions. In case you do not recall the class of 63 from both Cretin and STMA both meet the second Thursday of each month at the Pool and Yacht club, so we always have some socializing together

The Cretin guys attending today were; Tom Mega, Joe Brooks, Dick Butler, Tom Troskey, Dave Tree, Jim Dimond, Ed Sund, Don Danneker, Larry Moser, John Lentsch, Ted Moudry, Tom Schleck, John Runyon,

Joe Schufman and the guys from the Academy who visited for awhile were Larry Poppler, Mike McMenemy, and George Carroll.

Joe Schufman spent a morning at CDH last week with his camera to take photos from the two big photo displays that CDH has of each graduating class, Joe will provide CDH with all 268 individual photos and hold out the photos of our deceased classmates for use at the Memorial Mass Joe has arranged at CDH on Sept 27^th to honor these men.

As you recall our classmate Tom Rubbelke lost his wife Carol (MCCourtney) two weeks ago. Carol’s wake at O’Halloran is Friday the 14^th from  5-8pm and her funeral mass is at 11AM at Nativity on Saturday the 15^th.

Our classmate Jim Beaudette passed away in February and will have services in Prior lake on May 15^th at 11AM at St Michael Catholic Church.

John Runyon is continuing to put together a piece about two of our classmates that led  extraordinary lives after suffering life changing injuries in their early 20’s.

CDH puts out publication about twice per year called . The most recent edition came to my house yesterday. It has several very interesting stories. Many about the history of ROTC at Cretin, notable ROTC alumni and the current very successful JROTC program. Also you will find a feature on Tammy Redpath (Jim Trenter’s Daughter).

It is always an interesting publication and I hope all of you get it in the mail but if not it can be viewed on the CDH website.

Next Cretin lunch is

Thursday May 11^th

Take care

Tom Troskey

Hello Guys,

Just a few notes from the lunch today.

Many of you know that CDH made the state High School AA hockey tournament again this year. Their opening game was against Maple Grove a team they had played in December and lost, but today CDH prevailed 3-1 and will play tomorrow night (6PM) against Edina. Locally you can watch the games on 45 TV or 45TV Streaming. Last year we watched closely as CDH was in the Tournament and one of our classmate’s Grandson was playing for CDH, Kevin Odlaug. Kevin has graduated and I do not think we have a classmate with a grandson on this years team. However today’s opposition has one  Maple Grove’s goal tender is the grandson of our classmate, Mike Roach.

Frank Miley is leaving CDH at the end of the school year and the CDH Board of Directors in consort with the Sisters of St Joseph and the Christian Brother will begin the search for a new President employing the help of two national search firms.

Vietnam Veterans day gathering at the Forest Lake Legion on Sunday March 28^th at 2PM—–a BIG THANK YOU to our veterans. (for more information click here).

The 60^th year anniversary of our graduation from Cretin is upon us and some things are starting to take shape

CDH has told me that the date of the ONE CDH alumni banquet is Thursday September 28^th. With that in mind Dave Britz is heading up organizing a class of 63 golf outing. Perhaps on Wednesday the 27^th—NOT SET IN STONE YET and Dave will keep us advised.

Joe Schufman is heading up the effort to schedule a memorial mass to recognize the members of our class who have passed away. Date not yet set but in the same few days around Sept 28^th Joe will keep us posted.

John Lentsch will head up the effort to see if there is interest on the part of grads from St Thomas, Visitation, Our Lady of Peace, St Josephus’s Academy and Derham Hall to schedule a 6 school social gathering such as we had on our 25^th and 50^th reunions.

Finally, to get a general feel for interest I would like to ask for a show of hands, so to speak, on who plans to attend the 60^th reunion gatherings.

Please let me know for each segment

Golf

One CDH alumni Banquet

Memorial mass

6 school social gathering

A big thank you to Dave Joe and John for stepping forward to work on the various aspects of our 60 reunion week end.

Next Class of 63 lunch Thursday April 13^th

Check out class of 63 web site and if you have any stories and photos with classmates that you would like to share on the web site let me know.

Thanks

Tom Troskey

Boz at Home

Hello Class of ’63

Many of you will recall a story we did on one of our classmates (Boz Metzdorf) last year detailing a kind of magical twist in the music career of Boz.

Click on this LINK to see the original story we put on the class of 63 web site.

And here is a note I got from Boz last week with an update on what has taken place over the past year—–Remarkable!

Hi Tom,

Just wanted to update you on my music and the unbelievable news that my songs are now over 2 million sales on all the streaming platforms : Spotify, ITunes, Amazon. Apple, Cd baby and more.

Hope you are well, 

Boz

We have included a link you can click on that will take you to Spotify where you can listen to some of his music without charge.  The link is  https://open.spotify.com/artist/25LGlYhLZgmNEnhqr3G3wq. 

Also here is a google link that will tell you much more about Boz’s music.

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=Boz+Metzdorf&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Thanks and great work Boz!

Tom Troskey

Joe Schufman

Hello everyone,

A dozen from the class of 63 gathered yesterday for lunch at the Pool and Yacht club and to look out over the frozen Mississippi………………

A bit of a switch was planned, instead of just writing a few notes of what went on and emailing them out Joe Schufman recorded the event and planned to put it on our class web site. With some difficulties occurring this will not happen this month but we hope to get it accomplished for the next class lunch.

We opened the gathering with a remembrance of our classmates who passed away in 2022 along with Classmate Len Mitsch’s wife Barb who just recently passed away.

Our classmates who passed in 2022 were Ken Rogers, Charlie Evans, Dave Rossini, Trent Niemeyer, Richard Blaeser and Dennis Wilkes

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.

CDH has notified me that September 28^th will be the date for the ONE CDH alumni gathering. So our efforts to put together some 60^th reunion events now has a date to work from.

Dave Britz has volunteered to coordinate a golf outing. Thank you Dave!

Joe Schufman has volunteered to organize a memorial mass honoring the deceased members of our class. Thank you Joe!

*******We are looking for several volunteers to coordinate another possible 6 school social event like we did for our 25^th and 50^th reunions. *******

John Runyon gave us an update on his work to put together a piece honoring two of our classmates (George Bonfe and Mike Ryan)John has been speaking with members of the Bonfe family and with the help of classmate Bob O’Malley with the Ryan family. We are anxious to see John’s work and have it posted on the class web site.

I spoke with Pat McDonnell three days ago and things are moving in the right direction with some severe medical issues Pat has been dealing with—Great news Pat! We look forward to having you with us at the lunches  again soon.

Here is some stuff about CDH

Boys hockey rated number 5 in state and just played the #1 team Wayzata—lost in OT 5-4.  The team has split with  St Thomas this year and St Thomas is again rated in the top 10 of the state.

CDH hired it’s 1^st JROTC female instructor. SFC Brittany Thingvold

Boy’s golf team—something I watch closely since I know two of the dads of current players. Last season these guys went to state and finished in the top 20 players and this year a new boy enrolled at CDH. His golf credentials include; in 2021 as a 14 year old winning the National DRIVE, PITCH and PUTT championship at August National during Masters week.

Finally, we always want to have classmates submit interesting stories and photos. So I get a photo of two classmates standing beside a lake on a golf course. These two classmates now play golf together regularly since moving into the same small Texas town of Granbury. After I get the photos from Texas last week it just so happens it has been snowing in Minnesota and Wisconsin for about 3 days straight. Tree over Joe Schufman’s driveway in River falls Wisconsin and that is me finishing up shoveling around my house in St Paul. Nice contrast to the two guys golfing.

The two golfers are Terry Bacigalupo and Tom Schwartz who both shot 86 that day. Joe and I both agree Tom and Terry had a better day getting exercise that he and I did moving snow.

Click on image to enlarge

Best to all

Tom Troskey

Many of you recall 2013 and the 50^th anniversary of our graduation from CRETIN. Several gatherings (alumni banquet, memorial mass, golf outing, and 6 school get together) were held to celebrate this milestone. Shortly after those gatherings took place in September 2013 our classmate Dave Britz floated the idea of regular, frequent get togethers for the class of 63. Dave got a couple of classmates to discuss and beginning in January of 2014 the class of 63 began the regular monthly lunches on the second Thursday of each month at O’Gara’s restaurant until they closed down in 2018 and since that time at the Pool and Yacht Club in Lilydale.

With that background we begin our 10^th year of uninterrupted (except the Covid pandemic) second Thursday of each month class of 63 lunches.

Since we are now in 2023, do the math—–60 year anniversary of CRETIN graduation coming up soon. There has already been some interest shown by both our classmates and CDH to get some things scheduled to celebrate the 60^th. Just like for the 50^th we will need some class of 63 guys to step forward to do some organizing of activities.—-THINK ABOUT IT!

Tom Troskey

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 60^th 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 12^th — mark your calendars

That is all for now.

Best to all

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy new year.

Tom Troskey

Hello All,

Walked into the P&Y at 11:30AM and it was 68 degrees and exited at 1:30 it was 49 degrees on its way down to 30. I guess winter is arriving tonight.—JUST SAYING THIS FOR THE CLASSMATE SNOWBIRDS WHO HAVE ALREADY LEFT TOWN.

Had a dozen guys today and very happy to see first time attendee Mike Gaida join the crew, hope you make it regularly Mike! Also happy to see Frank Villaume today, Frank has been recovering from some medical issues for a few months but was able to be with us today, that was great and  hope his recovery continues to progress.

Dave Tyree a regular class of 63 lunch attendee was not with us today. Sadly Dave was attending the funeral for our classmate Trent Niemeyer. I have no further info on the passing of Trent but when it becomes available I will forward. In the meantime please keep Trent in your prayers, may he rest in peace!

Joe Schufman had an idea he wanted to share with the class—-if we do something for our 60^th reunion next year, Joe suggested we include a Mass of Remembrance for those in our class who have passed away. Very good idea Joe!

I spoke with CDH’s Rob Bollinger  last week about a few things and he shared with me that the recent CDH Give to the Max day in October resulted in the most money and most donors in the 15 year history of this annual giving program. Great success.

Many of you know our classmate Jack Dale has a son who is an actor. His name is Ian Anthony Dale and a 1996 CDH grad, my daughter is a classmate of Ian’s and called me the other night to inform me that Ian is now a regular on the weekly series THE RESIDENT. In the TC THE RESIDENT is on Fox 9 on Tuesday nights. Take a look!

You know our regular class of 63 lunches are the second Thursday of every month and November is always special because it coincides with Veteran’s day. We have many Veterans in our class. Thank you to all veterans with a special thank you and appreciation to the Vets of the class of 63. The photo attach show the Vets at lunch today. Represented  in the photo are Army, Air Force and Marines and left to right are Joe Schufman, Joe Brooks, Larry Moser, Dick Butler, John Runyon, Tom Schleck.

Best to all and next class of 63 lunch is Thursday DECEMBER 8^TH

Tom Troskey

Hello all,

80 degrees Tuesday and 38 degrees today.  Several of our class who are snow birds are heading south next week. Smart guys!

We had 16 classmates gathered today and I might say a rather jovial and spirited group. Enjoying one another’s company!

Those at lunch today;  Dave Britz, Jim Dimond, Tim Valento, Dave Tyree, Don Danneker, Joe Brooks, Larry Moser, Ed Sund, Ed Kurhajets, Joe Schufman, Tom Schleck, John Runyon, Gary Stoffel, Tom Mega, Tom Troskey, John Lentsch.

Ed K. has lived in the Milw area for many years and has now moved back to the TC and is living in Edina—welcome back ED.

A few of our frequent lunch  attendees (Rick O’Connor, Pat McDonnell, and Frank Villaume) have not been with us for a while and we are hoping they will be back soon.

We spoke for a bit about CDH and the difficult season the football team is having…… here is an interesting item CDH 905 students and about 430 are boys and St Thomas Academy has 470 boys in 9^th -12^th

John Runyon had a book written in 2020 by a local author Bill Strusinski, a Vietnam vet. Care Under Fire   John recommended it highly. I believe Joe Brooks took it to read.

Next lunch is Thursday November 10^th—MARK YOUR CALENDERS

Best to all

Tom Troskey

Click on image to enlarge