hudsoncatholic.org/stay-connected to update personal contact informati

hudsoncatholic.org/btl for past issues of this digital magazine

Our greatness is behind us, present, and ahead

As it turns out, Building The Legacy, now in its third year of publication, has proven to be a great forum for connecting the generations of Hawks spanning the school’s nearly 60-year history.

It reminds us of, and connects us to, our past -- all the memorable deeds, achievements, occasions, people, and stories that could fill volumes of encyclopedias. It illuminates what became our traditions and, yes, legacy, and where they came from. It allows us to remember those whose shoulders we stand on and those who have gone before us, keeping alive their memory and what they brought to the life of the Hudson Catholic community. And it helps us remember our roots, so that we never stray altogether too far from them, even as we are growing by leaps and bounds into the people we were destined to become.

‘BTL’ also serves as a bullhorn for the great things that are happening every day at the Hawks Nest, as another four-year student body follows in the dreams and achievements of those who walked the halls at 790 Bergen before them. Certainly, we all feel an extra ounce of pride and joy when, each year, we see another graduating class added to the ranks of alumni.

In many cases, our students carry on with Hawk traditions, and in other cases, we are witness to their charting new courses for today and tomorrow’s students. This is renewal at Hudson Catholic in its purest sense.

As we take stock in all that is our illustrious past and rewarding today, we can all feel confidant that the franchise remains in great hands and is bound for many great tomorrows, because it is the handoff from class to class, across the generations, and contiguous guiding hand of dedicated faculty, administration, and supportive alumni that assures us Hudson Catholic is bigger than each of us, important to all of us, and is bound for greatness in ways we cannot yet know.

We are very well-positioned, as the last remaining Catholic co-ed high school in Hudson County, and by our geographic location that is now participating in the civic renaissance of Jersey City, to serve as an integral institution in our urban landscape for decades to come.

Yes, great days are behind us. Those are the things that enable great institutions to propel forward. And with our great past, and outstanding present, we are ready and eager to do more great things into the future.

Hudson Catholic………..Forever!

Hudson Catholic by the Numbers

Hawk Trivia: The only Ivy League school not attended by a Hawk is Dartmouth

Event-ful Schedule for Hawks of All Feathers

March 9th

Tickets cannot be sold online

By phone, email, or in person at the Office of Advancement

March 30th

April 3rd

April 7th

April 15th

April 28th

Tickets, testimonial ads, sponsorships at our event page https://hudsoncatholic.org/campion

May 18th - 21st

Public Service Announcements

Nice Round Numbers Mean

It Could Be A Reunion Year

Hawk Chatter

For Hawks who like a good conversation and exchange on social media, although not an official school site, we recommend checking out the Facebook site named Hudson Catholic Regional High School Friends, a private group. With 1,300+ members, you are sure to find some people you know and may be looking to reconnect with.

For professional Hawks on Linkedin, find the Hudson Catholic Regional High School page and follow us!

Football Wall of Fame adds 5 Stars

In between members of the 1966, very first, football squad in Hawk History, Len Anglin '68, left, and Tom Bender, Jr. '69 second from right and flanked by President Terry Matthews, are FWOFs Steve Vilas '00, Mike Gordon '84, Azam Twal '05, James DeFilippis '90, and Jeremy Jermin '08.

L. to R. Football Head Coach Lou Zampella '93, 25th recipient Senior Jacob Rodriguez holding the Thomas F.X.Bender, Jr. football award , TFX Bender, Jr '69, Assistant Football Coach / Director of HC Technology, Chris Johnston

Tracking Our Field

Records for the history of Track & Field are hard to come by at Hudson Catholic because they have been kept by numerous sources, passed off between athletic personnel over the years, and never found their way into an automated central repository. 

Consequently, we have decided to undertake a project aimed at establishing record books and personal bests. We are aiming to be good but not perfect.

The project will focus on identifying the sources who may be holding records, whether in paper or electronic format, obtaining the records, identifying and obtaining a database product designed specifically for such record keeping, and reviewing, organizing and capturing the myriad records in that central repository for forward upkeep at the school. 

If you have knowledge of any records or the means for record keeping, we want to hear from you. And if tracking records of track records is something you do, have done, or can take up, we want to hear from you also. 

Please contact the Chief Advancement Officer, Gary Ferrari, at gferrari@hudsoncatholic.org. 

Keep in mind, this will not be a sprint, but more like a long distance event. Not a field event, more like a decathlon. Dedication, perseverance, and stamina required for a noble project.

Bringing the Hall of Fame to You

Inductees 0f 2021

David Lemagne '92, Curt Zegler '89

Richard Garibell, John Cruitt

The Founding Christian Brothers 1964-68

In the lead-up to the induction of new Hall of Famers on March 30^th, we have now brought you the profiles of all those who are installed in the Hall of Fame on display in the main lobby of the school.

For those of you not able to visit in person, this will give you an opportunity to dwell on the many significant contributions of our Hall of Famers to Hudson Catholic, their communities, and professions.

While the Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame is a visual centerpiece in the school lobby, we realize that not everyone can visit the school to see it. Consequently, we have digitized the Hall at hudsoncatholic.org/hof for all to see ‘the best of Hudson Catholic’ on display.

Immediately following the inductions of the new members, they will be added to the Digital Hall of Fame as well.

David Lemagne '92

A special human being * A young man who not only dedicated his life, but ultimately made the Highest Sacrifice, in service to others * Performed continuous acts of selfless service * Joined the Union City Ambulance Corp. at 11 years old * Earned an EMT Certification as a high school sophomore * Upon graduation, worked as an EMT for the Jersey City Medical Center and for the University Hospital EMS * Returned to alma mater as an Assistant Football Coach and athletic trainer 1997-1998 * Became a Port Authority Police Officer in August 2000, serving the people of NY & NJ * Responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks from Journal Square * Rescued victims from the Towers * Perished in the collapse of the South Tower * Posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush * Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame Inductee 2021

Curt Zegler '89

Synonymous with ‘Turner’ and Hudson Catholic * Personifies “If you want something done, give it to a busy man” * As a member of the Save Our School Committee in 2008, his talents gave life to the Co-Educational era at Hudson Catholic as Lead Architect to retrofit campus facilities for the accommodation of girls * 12 years service on Board of Consultors * Recipient of the Signum Fidei Award 2010 * Distinctive generosity manifested in combination of personal giving and corporate sponsorship by Turner Construction * Two-term President, Hudson Catholic Alumni Association, 1997 -2001 * 12-year sponsor Alumni Leadership Program awards * Simultaneously served with distinction on the Board of Trustees of another LaSallian institution, Manhattan College * Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame Inductee 2021

Richard Garibell

Distinguished 50-year Educator, Administrator, and Institutional Leader in both Public and Catholic schools * Provided the needed professional command and steady hand as President-Principal 2012-2020 * Longest serving head of school at Hudson Catholic * Stewarded the first class of graduating females through commencement * Presided over 50% growth in enrollment, from 357 to 537 * Strengthened and advanced the quality of the academic curriculum by developing the Dual Enrollment Program with St. Peter’s University, and the Medical Arts Program * Saved his crowning achievement for last, leading Administration & Faculty to its greatest achievement in school history - the successful planning and execution of hybrid virtual/in-class instruction and revamped scheduling to deliver the required curriculum and maintain health & safety during the 2020 pandemic year * Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame Inductee 2021

John Cruitt

Hudson Catholic Teacher, Administrator, Coach 1980 - 2002 * Taught English 1980 - 1987 & 1999 - 2002; Theology 1980 - 1987 * Assistant Athletic Director 1984 - 1987 * Director of Admissions, Public Relations, Alumni Relations 1987 - 1997 * Director of Development 1987-1996 * Assistant Principal 1997 - 1999 * Assistant Track Coach 1980 - 1987 * Hawk Varsity Soccer Asst. Coach 1980-1983 / Head Coach 1984 - 2001 * 11 Soccer Championships: 6 Conference Championships / Hudson County Championships, 1984, 2000, 2001 / State Sectional Championship 1983 * Jersey City Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 5X * Hudson County Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 3X * NJ State Interscholastic Athletic Association Coaches Hall of Fame 2001 * Hudson Catholic Wall of Honor Inductee 2017 * Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame Inductee 2021

The Founding Christian Brothers

In tribute to the 22 DeLaSalle Christian Brothers of the Hudson Catholic Community, 1964 - 1968 * Our Founders * They guided our Hall of Fame first class of 1968 through all the firsts of a ‘start-up’ high school, including no upperclassmen * First year at St. Patrick’s Grammar School in Lafayette-Bergen section, as ‘Hudson Catholic Regional High School For Boys’ was being built. * ‘The Original Six’: Br. Francis McCormick - Principal 1964 & 1965 / Br. Albert Lautenslager / Br. Robert Annas / Br. Norbert Dunn / Br. Lloyd Hepburn / Br. Bernard Gresh (Mr. Sean Gresh) * Post 1964-65: Br. Thomas Caldwell - Principal 1966-1968 / Br. Luke Maher - Vice Principal 1965-1968 / Br. Benedict Brown / Br. John Condon / Br. Francis J. Diamond / Br. Brendon Donnelly / Br. Bernard Glenn / Br. Matthew Hogan / Br. Richard Kestler / Br. Patrick King / Br. D. Leonard Lubbeheusen / Br. James McGowen / Br. Matthew Hogan / Br. Joseph T. Meyers / Br. Eadbert Moran / Br. Martin Zewe * Words cannot thank them sufficiently for the gifts they gave thousands of young men I preparation to live their lives as Catholic citizens of the world in service to others * Hudson Catholic Hall of Fame Inductees 2021

Alumni Spotlight

To the oft-asked question, "How do I get in Alumni Spotlight?", the direct, Jersey City response is: 'you send me your stuff'. To: gferrari@hudsoncatholic.org



A Hawk Returns Home. Ashlee Rivera ’16 had been assisting in the Guidance Office through the Fall Semester. Now she has stepped up to take a full time role in Guidance and take on the caseload that Arianna Arthurs had been overseeing. Ms. Arthurs recently left for a position at Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. In addition to being a Hawk alumna, Ashlee has a sister who is a current Hawk senior. Probably her toughest assignment!

And Another. Jillian Ward ’18 is a teacher at St. Nicholas School in the Jersey City Heights, and is also the Assistant Softball Coach at Hudson Catholic High School.

One Tenacious Hawk’s Journey. Rob Schumann ’04. With his Seton Hall degree in Business Administration, but in the throes of the Financial Crisis of 2008, Rob spent a year, without success, looking for work. He returned to Seton Hall to pursue his MBA in order to freeze his student loan payments while continuing his job search. That is when his career path availed itself to him. He nailed an internship in the Corporate Finance & Treasury Dept. at the US HQ of Mercedes-Benz in Englewood and, upon graduation, was offered a job by the people for whom he had interned.

Benz ultimately left New Jersey for Atlanta and Detroit, and Rob had the good fortune to be offered the much-sought-after and highly-valued ex-patriot assignment for two years at M-B global HQ in Stuttgart, Germany. In April 2016 he moved to Germany, and received an offer of a full-time role upon completion of his assignment. When M-B went into downsizing mode in 2020, Rob had a decision to make: stay on in Germany and look for work, or return to the U.S.

In October 2020, he interviewed at Porsche and remembers speaking with his mother after the interview saying that it went really well and, although she would have wanted him back in NJ, she always supported the moves he made for his career. Sadly, just a few days later, his mom passed away unexpectedly. Rob returned home for three months to be with his family. During that time, an employment offer and contract from Porsche arrived in the mail, which he ultimately accepted for an April 2021 start.

Over the last 22 months, working in the daily operations of cash/FX management, he has supported the successful IPO of the company, led the implementation of a global cash pool and in-house banking operation, and supported the roll-out and implementation of a new treasury management system.

After nearly seven years in Germany, Rob continues to experience new things, both in life and career. He now has permanent residence, will be eligible for citizenship next year, and has completed the immigration and language exams, in preparation. Komm schon Habichte!!

Life of Crime. John Mulkeen ‘89 is the Chief Assistant Prosecutor for the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office. A career trial attorney, he has been with the HCPO for 23 years. No word on whether he has ventured upon any Hawks on the wrong side of the law. When not in a court, he spends time on the diamond, as a 12-year volunteer coach for the Washington Park Little League. The Lasallian in us comes out in different ways.

Taking the Plunge again. John Klapouchy '80, our resident Hibernian Polar Plunge veteran, is now Technical Accounting Manager at BOOST, LLC, and should be plunging just about any day now in Sea Bright.

What’s in a Name? We recently reached out to Dominick Pandolfo ’87 to inquire if there was any relation for him with Arsenio Pandolfo ’80. The response was unexpected and illuminating. ”Technically no, but I suspect we are, down the line. Our houses in Italy are right behind each other in a town of only 3,000 residents - Sant’Arsenio, Salerno. Our parents were friends in Italy as well as in the U.S. I haven’t spoken to him in years, as he is a doctor in Italy, but his sister Rita and I speak. My sister Antoinette graduated St. Dom’s one year before Rita. After St. Peter’s College in 1985, my sister moved to Italy, got married, and has been living there ever since.” Molto bene!!

The Work Behind How Things Work. Ron Taglieri '84 is Chief Engineer at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City' Liberty State Park. Ron holds degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology and Vassar College.



Edilberto Umana '08 is a Service Specialist (Building Automation) at Siemens in Florham Park, NJ. He has served our nation fro six years in the New York Air National Guard out of Newburgh, NY, as an aircraft maintenance technician, and formerly with four years in the U.S. Air Force with experience as an In-Flight Refueler. 'Bert' prepared for these roles by attending Teterboro School of Aeronautics and the online American Military University.

Major Colonel. Kevin Boyle '83. After 12 years at Caldwell University as the Veep for Development & Alumni Relations, Kevin is heading north by northwest to become the new Vice President of Advancement for Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. A man after our own heart!

A Life Well Lived. We learned of the recent passing of Walter Mueller '71. A career medical technician, he moved from volunteer EMS, to paramedic, to cardiac technician, while living most of his life in Valparaiso, IN.

Sadly, it took Walter's passing to learn that he, too, was a 'Hawk Author'. During his train commutes into the Chicago hospital where he worked, he penned a memoir titled 7,000 And Counting, about his career in emergency medicine in the decade spanning the 1970s and 1980s. To soon be added to the Library of Hawks at hudsoncatholic.org/library-of-hawks.

Fun fact: he studied herpetology briefly at Arizona State University upon graduating Hudson Catholic. Coincidentally, in Hudson's early years, we did have a Herpetology Club moderated (and instigated) by Brother Lloyd Hepburn, who had a knack for walking around school with a snake on his shoulders!. Coincidentally.

Rest in peace, brother Hawk. You done good.

Basketball Note: Seton Hall University's men's team finished up its regular season on March 4th, with rookie head coach Shaheen Holloway setting a record for Wins by a first-year head coach, 17. That eclipsed, by one, the prior record held by George Blaney, who just happens to hold the distinction in Hawk lore as our first Hawk Varsity Basketball Coach.

Focus on '94

Memories

Russel Francisco was Valedictorian, Brother Thomas Gerrow, FSC Principal, and Thomas Strano, the Brother Henry Laffey Award winner. Jeremiah Healy was among our most prominent athlete, Hockey our best team, and Hall of Famer Ray Murphy and former CB Jay Kirsch among the most popular CBs.

As for that nattily-garbed work crew on the right, that was Hall of Famer John Cruitt leading a group of Hawks (and a couple of alumni stragglers) on a project to repair and restore the inside of the home of an elderly citizen in downtown Jersey City as part of 'Christmas in April' in April 1994.

How many of these future Hawk alumni can you name? Responses to advancement@hudsoncatholic.org

Some fearless faculty: Rose Perry, the late Hall of Famer Tim Eigo, the late Joe Pace, a young Terry Matthews, former CB, the late Antonio Fernandez, Jim O'Donnell '69, and Jess Terado.

Where are they now? Yesid Bautista, Chris DeAnni, Eric Dee, Onyekachi Enyinna, Charles Fuentes, Allen Hudson, Eugene Ma, Frank Marlowe, Todd Petrich, Armando Radalet, Joe Rolon.

The 'HAWK'

Yearbook Dedications Have a History All Their Own

1970

1986

Hawk Yearbooks certainly chronicle our history, from year to year. But those yearbooks also tell a story within the story. The Dedications provide a microcosm of who we were, along with the faces and names who helped shape us in our early years, and whom we took with us along our life’s journeys.

Thirteen times we dedicated our Years to Christian Brothers individually, and once to them collectively in 2013, their mission having proven quite successful! Nine times, members of the Faculty were bestowed the students’ highest honor, and once collectively in 1972.

Among all honorees, two received the designation thrice: Hall of Fame Brother Patrick King in 1976, 1986, and 2015, and Mr. James O’Donnell ’69 in 1982, 1985, and 1986. Two-time designees are Mr. James Gannon, in 1973 and 1978, and the late Mr. Joseph Bonner in 1974 and 1986.

O’Donnell is one of three alumni to receive the designation individually, the others being John Nagel ’77, whose claim to fame is that he received that designation from his classmates in 1977, and Davine Settles '17 in 2018, who passed away shortly after graduating. The Alumni received the honor collectively in 2009.

Posthumous dedications were also made to Edward Hogan in '69 and David Wagner in '14, students who each passed away during their school days.

Among the most interesting dedications, in 1970, we honored our Custodian, Mr. Frank Stone, who passed away during the school year; in 1984, our Librarian, Hall of Famer Mrs. Catherine Greene; in 2011, the Administrative Staff of the Main Office; and, in 2017, the Past & Present Presidents of the Mothers Guild.

For anyone who would want to understand what made Hudson Catholic go over the years, this would be a fine place to start.

1996

2015

Nice Shirts!

On his way through Newark Airport, Eduardo Pena '90 noticed a familiar face along with a familiar shirt that is important to him! Behind that shirt was classmate Danny Tiangco '90! For you Math wizards out there, what were the chances that on the same day, two out 166 classmates from 1990 would each go to Newark Airport, each having decided to wear Hudson Catholic shirts, AND then run into each other amid the throngs of travelers!? Note to our Math faculty: is there even an equation for that one?

Turn Your Brother In!

(We Need Their Email Addresses)

We lose touch with some of our graduates who move around, go off to college, start careers, get married, etc. Help us find them again and make it harder for us to lose touch. Many on this list have brothers who are Hawk alumni, so turn your brother in at advancement@hudsoncatholic.org or send them to hudsoncatholic.org/stay-connected to update their contact info.

FYI

advancement@hudsoncatholic.org to:

Advertise your business card here for $25 per issue

Plan a visit back to the Hawks Nest

Obtain or donate a yearbook through The Yearbook Exchange

Purchase Hawk gear online at:

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/newjersey/jerseycity/hudson-catholic-high-school

“Trust the Wait. Embrace the Uncertainty.

Enjoy the Beauty of Becoming.

When Nothing is Certain, Anything is Possible.”

-- Mandy Hale

Requiescant in Pace

Vita Mutatur Non Tollitur

(Life is changed, not ended)



Walter Mueller '71

Catherine Rucci, mother of Louis ‘74

Philip Clites, father of Philip, 80

We are grateful for our Mikes!

Michael Skea '74

Your Trusted Real Estate Advisor at the Jersey Shore