"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Aaahh...October. The leaves on the trees lining the streets have turned to crimson and gold; the afterschool football games on the Parish Center lawn are less frequent; Jack-o-lanterns and witches figure prominently in the artwork hung in the hallways; the 5^th grade students have headed to Outdoor Education Camp; and, as anyone familiar with St. Joe's can tell you...fall means FUNDRAISING!

With the Sally Foster gift wrap sale and Jog-a-thon completed, we officially kicked off the annual appeal (aka School Pledge Drive) with the Celebration Dinner held October 1^st. The annual appeal is the school's largest fundraiser, netting almost $505,000 last year alone.

George as auctioneer with help from Rick Boyle and Sheryl Sperry

And speaking of seasons and change...please remember to go online to update your contact information so that we can keep you informed. We realize that many of you will be interested in learning about the plans being made for next year to honor George when he retires as Principal in June 2012-including the gala event which will be by invitation. If you know of someone who would like to be invited or send a remembrance to George, please pass along this information and encourage them to complete the update online or get in touch with me at ahaskins@stjosephsea.org or (206)329-3260 ext 216.

Andy '80 and Keri Read with their sons, Max '18 and Logan '16 taken on Whidbey Island in 2009

Last month we introduced something new to "The Alumni Connection" section of Reconnections-"Legacy Families"--which highlights one current school family that has had multiple generations of students attend St. Joseph School. Like the Buono family that was featured in September's issue, the Read family has been a vital part of the St. Joseph community for three generations. One member of the Read family, Jamie Read, is also the subject of this month's "Spotlight on Alumni Staff."

Also new to Reconnections last month, "Class Notes," prompted a number of alumni to go online and complete the contact information update. We hope that you will enjoy "reconnecting" with these alumni and be motivated yourself to do the same! Thank you in advance for your support of our efforts.

Can you identify this witch? (Hint: She wrote a feature article in last month's issue)

School News and Events

2010 Celebration Dinner

As mentioned above, on October 1st, current and past St. Joseph School parents and honored guests gathered at the Isaac Orr Conference Center at the Chancery for the annual Celebration Dinner. The traditional kick-off to the St. Joseph School Annual Appeal (aka School Pledge Drive), donors to the 2009-10 annual appeal who pledged at or above the Founders Level, as well as parents with the highest recorded number of volunteer hours, and honored guests are invited to the catered cocktail reception and dinner.
As mentioned above, on October 1st, current and past St. Joseph School parents and honored guests gathered at the Isaac Orr Conference Center at the Chancery for the annual Celebration Dinner. The traditional kick-off to the St. Joseph School Annual Appeal (aka School Pledge Drive), donors to the 2009-10 annual appeal who pledged at or above the Founders Level, as well as parents with the highest recorded number of volunteer hours, and honored guests are invited to the catered cocktail reception and dinner.

Co-chairs of the 2010-11 St. Joseph School Annual Appeal, Mike and Barb Maher

In an engaging and humorous invitation to participate in this year's annual appeal, Mike and Barb Maher, parents of Kate '11 and Annie '13, spoke of the need to support the school's largest fundraiser to ensure that St. Joseph School can continue to provide a high-quality Catholic education to students, regardless of a family's ability to pay. The appeal also funds special programs, building improvements and maintenance, technology, and helps to keep our staff compensation competetive. To see Mike and Barb's message to parents and learn more about the 2010 -2011 St. Joseph School School Pledge Drive in the appeal brochure, click here.

Capt. Ian Dietz '96 with his parents Jim and Patt Dietz

George with 2010 Hall of Honor Award recipient, Ellen Flies

After presenting the Hall of Honor Award to Ellen for her years of dedicated service to the school as both a parent and teacher in the highly regarded Learning Resource Center, Rick Boyle and Sheryl Sperry stepped forward, and, in a surprise turn of events, presented the same award to its creator, George Hofbauer. Plaques inscribed with the image of the award recipients hang on the wall in the main entrance to the school. As George said in accepting the award, he couldn't be happier "hanging on the wall for eternity" next to anyone else!

Sheryl Sperry (recently retired Vice Principal of Students) and Rick Boyle (current Vice Principal of Academics) surprise George with a tag-team presentation, adding his name among to the Hall of Honor

1966 St. Joseph School Christmas Pageant (Read Family Archives)

The St. Joseph School Annual Alumni Christmas Appeal is the personal appeal made to alumni, their parents, grandparents, former staff, and other friends of St. Joe's by George Hofbauer to participate in the Development of the school through the School Pledge Drive. Last year alone, over $17,680 was contributed by alumni and their families through the Christmas Appeal.

Letters from George are mailed out during the first week of December...so watch the mail!

As mentioned in last month's newsletter, a new endowment fund-the George Hofbauer Endowment Fund-has been created in honor of George's 36 years of service to St. Joseph School when he retires in 2012.

Thank you in advance for your continued support!

7th grade teacher, Nick Reykdal, incorporates technology into the curriculum.

The purchase of laptops for the entire grade was made possible in part through funds donated to the annual appeal

The Alumni Connection

How do you know you have a large family? Well, if you grew up in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood a generation ago and are Catholic, chances are your family was above average in size by today's standards. But, if your family needs to use the steps of Holy Names Academy to get everyone in the family photo, the Archbishop baptizes one or more of the children in your family, AND you have to create a mnemonic device to remember the birth order and names of your siblings...you definitely qualify. This month's St. Joe's "Legacy Family," the Reads, is one such family.

Logan '16 and Max Read '18 on the first day of school August 2010

Current 1^st and 3^rd grade students Max '18 and Logan Read '16 represent the third generation of Readsto attend St. Joseph School. Max and Logan join their father, Andy Read '80, numerous aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandfather, Richard Read '38, as members of the community who grew up on Capitol Hill and attended St. Joseph School and Church-a tradition spanning over 80 years.

The Richard ("Dick") and Peggy Read family, June 28, 1969

Back row, left to right: Stephen, Joan, Anne, Kate, Peggy, Dick, Claire

Front row, left to right: Andy, Jamie, Carolyn ("Ki"), Bill, Kevin, Mike

Born to Peggy and Dick Read in 1966, Andy is the youngest of the twelve Read children. Like nine of his older siblings, Andy attended St. Joseph School for 1^st through 8^th grade (Kindergarten was not offered then, so he attended Stevens Elementary). His eldest sister, Anne, attended Holy Names Academy (then a Kindergarten through grade 12 school for girls) when the family moved back to Seattle after Dick completed his graduate studies at MIT. Another sibling, Mary, died as an infant.

As was the tradition, in August 1966, Archbishop Connolly baptized Andy, the twelfth child of the Reads

Graduating from St. Joe's in 1980, Andy went on to O'Dea High School and Seattle University where he earned his degree in Accounting. A CPA, Andy works at Deloitte. Six months after he married Keri, the company moved him to Tokyo, where he lived and worked for two years, between 1997 and 1999. In 2002, following the death of his father, Dick, the year before, Andy and Keri purchased the home belonging to his parents on 22^nd and Galer and moved from Ravenna and St. Benedicts Parish. Keri is an active parent, volunteering regularly and even working as a substitute teacher at St. Joe's.

Andy Read '80 at the 2009 St. Joseph School Auction dressed for the theme "Go for the Gold"

Like many St. Joe's families who raised their families on Capitol Hill, generations of members of the Read family lived in homes only a few blocks apart from one another. The home that Andy and Keri purchased from his mother in 2002, his childhood home, is just four blocks from the home that his grandparents Edwin Read and Helen McGee Read lived in until their passing in 1974 and 1977, respectively. Edwin, the son of an attorney, grew up in Seattle. He married Helen, the daughter of a logger from Skykomish, and together raised nine children. To remember their names and birth order, Dick's son Jamie Read '78 and his cousin Phillip Read '76 came up with a mnemonic device: "Don't be too dark, Bill. Try doing just comedy." That is, Dave, "Bud" (John Paul), "Ted" (Edward), "Dick" (Richard), "Bill" (William), Tom, Dan, Joe, and Carol.

Bud, Fr. Denis (Bill), Joe, Helen, Sr. Carol Read, SNJM, Edwin, Tom, Fr. Ignatius (Dan)

Although Andy did not have the chance to get to know his grandfather, he has heard stories about him and recently had the opportunity to have a conversation with his uncle Joe about Edwin. A quiet man who enjoyed fishing, Edwin once bought a rowboat in Ballard and rowed it to the Port Madison cabin that was loaned to the family each summer. Needless to say, he arrived sunburned and tired after a full day of rowing! Music was extremely important to Helen. Thanks to the Sisters of the Holy Names, Andy's father and his brothers were involved with choirs and learning to play instruments. Dick, Joe, and Bud sang in the St. Joseph's Choir year-round as well as a Junior Gregorian Choir. This love of music continued throughout their lives and was handed down through the generations. Andy recalls fondly the time spent at the convent taking piano lessons from Sr. Rose. He says it helped having his aunt Carol (then a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary) living there. Andy also has wonderful memories of his dad and his siblings singing together at all family gatherings, including the funeral masses of their own siblings. In 2001 Dick's life was celebrated with a rosary and funeral Mass at St. Joseph Church. The Christmas caroling party which was first held over 40 years ago and is held at the family home, remains one of the family's favorite traditions.

According to Joe, the Roycroft Theatre (on the other side of 19^th) was where you could often find kids from the neighborhood and school on a Saturday afternoon, taking in a matinee. A number of the boys in his family did also participate in intramural sports like soccer, moving on to football at Seattle Prep.

The Class of 1938 photographed on the steps of St. Joseph School with Fr. Francis Blaes, SJ. Richard Read is seated in the front row, second from the left

For many of the boys, including the Reads, who all graduated from St. Joseph School, the next step in their education was Prep. Andy's father, Richard, was "a gifted and lifelong student." At the age of twelve he graduated from St. Joseph School-having skipped two grades along the way-and was awarded a one-year scholarship to attend Seattle Prep (see newspaper clipping below), where he graduated from in 1942 (class Valedictorian) and then went on to earn an engineering degree from Seattle University. Later he picked up his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at MIT. Returning back to Seattle after completing his studies, Dick began a career in electrical engineering at Boeing. According to Andy, his father "always expressed a deep appreciation for his Jesuit education."

Richard Read (front row, next to Fr. John McAstocker, SJ, Altar Boy Director) 1937

Edwin and Helen Read's sons served in various branches of the military and, according to Andy, a few saw active duty. "One of Uncle Joe's fondest memories was the family celebration that ensued when brothers Dave and Bud (a Marine) returned from Europe and the South Pacific shortly after the Second World War ended. The family was back together and he can't remember ever being happier." Tom, who is also deceased, served in the military as well as did Joe himself, who was in the Army.

Instilled with the sense of duty to God and country, three of Joe's siblings entered the religious life. As mentioned earlier, Carol became Sr. Carol, SNJM and lived in the convent near St. Joe's, working at Holy Names Academy teaching music. Brothers Dan and Bill became Carmelite priests. Dan, now Fr. Ignatius, OCD, lives in the Philippines, and Bill (now deceased) took the name of Fr. Denis, OCD.

Edwin and Helen Read with their children, spouses, and grandchildren taken June 28, 1969 on the steps of Holy Names Academy on the occasion of their 50^th wedding anniversary

Following in the footsteps of his father and uncles, all of Dick Read's children (with the exception of Anne who, was mentioned earlier, attended HNA) graduated from St. Joseph School. The girls all attended HNA for high school; Steve, Mike, and Kevin attended Prep; Bill, Jamie, and Andy attended O'Dea High School. And while they have remained in contact with their high school classmates (Mike and a group of his Prep friends gather annually in Winthrop; Kevin's classmates meet each year at Ocean Shores), their fondest memories and greatest connection is the one they have with the people they grew up with and attended school with at St. Joe's. As Andy wrote when recalling his childhood-just having gathered with his St. Joe's classmates for their 30^th reunion the week before,

"It was a magical time to grow up on the north end of Capitol Hill. The families all knew each other and kids roamed the hill in search of fun. Plenty of fun was available, and the kids also got into (and usually out of) trouble together.

I have such fondness for the relationships we forged in the neighborhood and school back then, and I enjoyed a gathering last week organized by Ed Roos involving 20 of our 8^th grade classmates last weekend at the Garage. We reminisced about now-legendary games of Capture the Flag, snowball fights involving 30-40 kids, regular visits to the rope swing in the ravine (Interlaken Park), summer trips to the 'swimming hole' (Arboretum) and the post-dinner Turkey Bowl football games in Volunteer Park. We visited at length about a myriad of topics bridging the last 30 years, with the conversation always gravitating towards our childhood and the different landscape our kids face.

Joan Geraghty '80 and Andy Read '80 in September 1974. Mr. Gantert from the Woodland Park Zoo came to the school to do a presentation and brought a few "friends" with him

Max Read '18 (#16) lines up with the other "fish" at the 2010 Jog-a-thon

Logan Read '16 (#20) at the 2010 Jog-a-thon

It was wonderful to see my classmates. I left that gathering with a renewed sense of where I am from and reminder of why the parish and school environment we raise our kids in is so important. It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since our graduation."

Eliza Nenke '16 and Logan Read '16 at their First Communion 2010

Andy Read's First Communion 1974 (below)

Among Andy's favorite memories of St. Joseph (for he says there are too many to mention) is when in 1978 his 6^th grade class was interrupted by the PA announcement that Jim Wickwire (parent of alumni and grandparent of current St. Joseph School students Emma '11, Ana '11, and Adela Delucchi '18) had reached the summit of K2, the first American to do so. As celebratory as that occasion and others like his CYO soccer team finally defeating Assumption in the Championships and then the Portland CYO champions in a rare "road trip" to the Rose City, Andy also remembers somber and devastating events like the failed attempt to rescue the US hostages in Tehran in 1980 and the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. In the case of the latter two, Andy recalled how George's lectures during his 8^th grade history class in the days following the events had stayed with him for a lifetime. Andy went on to say,

"In George's class, I remember a testing exercise (masked as a game called "Up") that we'd suffer through every few days. George would walk the aisles and point to us for answers to trivia questions on topics ranging from Washington State history to current events. If you could not answer them (verbatim) within five seconds, you had to stand up. The last one sitting won the sought-after prize of not writing prize of not writing a two-stage essay on the offending topic. I remember "Up" as an effective means of learning trivia recall and grace under pressure. To this day, when overhearing an obscure question about the Yesler or Denny families I find myself muttering the answer within a few seconds. I understand that a derivative of this game has resurfaced in George's current class under the name "Rapid Recall.

I smile when I hear stories of how tough George was during his early years at our school. Many are true. Most of us feared George and as a result were generally well-behaved.

George with students ca 1970s

I've always been struck by how many hats George wore. People are shocked to hear that he took over Principal responsibilities at such an early age, but he did much more than that. He taught. He organizes talent shows. He was our auctioneer. He was our auction entertainment (I recall him singing "Send in the Clowns" on more than one occasion). He organized and drove ski bus trips to Mt. Hood and many other locations. He was responsible for organizing and orchestrating the Passion play. He wrote our 8^th grade play (a musical). I have no proof, but suspect he was highly involved in fundraising."

Anne Read Goronea (photographed above outside of Seattle Center Arena, far right) graduated from Holy Names Academy in 1967. The mother of two daughters, Anne is married to Jerry Goronea, and works as an Occupational Therapist. She and her husband live in Ellensburg and run an organic farm called "River Farm."

Claire Read Weiss '64 (photographed at her St. Joseph School graduation, third in line from the left; and at her Holy Names Academy graduation in 1968, far left), is married to Steve Weiss and works in retail as the buyer for Costume and Display. They live in Ballard with their two daughters.

Joan Read Reynolds '65 (above, fourth in line from the right, photographed at her graduation from St. Joseph School) is an elementary school teacher in Everett. She and her husband, Don Reynolds, make their home in Everett.

Steve Read '67 (above, third in line from the right, photographed at his graduation from St. Joseph School) passed away in an automobile accident in his 20s.

Kathleen "Kate" Read Smith '69 (center, with her mother Peggy and aunt Margaret) lives on Whidbey Island. Her husband, the father of their five daughters and one son, is deceased.

Mike Read '72 (photographed above, second from left, with Kevin, Kate, Carolyn "Ki" and their mother, Peggy in 1965) is married to Barb Huber and lives in Bothell, Washington. He and Barb have two sons and a daughter. Mike makes his living as a musician.

Carolyn "Ki" Read Morgan '74 (center, behind girl with coat, at her First Communion in April 1968) works in retail and is married to Steve Morgan. They make their home in Edmonds.

Kevin Read '75 and his wife Debbie live in Edmonds. They have two daughters and three sons. Kevin is an engineer and works at Boeing.

William "Bill" Read '77 (above, with his godparents, sister Claire Read and uncle Joe Read, at his baptism at St. Joseph Church in July 1963)

Jamie Read '78 (photographed above at his baptism in October 1964) is the Computer and Exploratory Technology teacher at St. Joseph School. He lives just a few blocks from the school. See "Spotlight on Alumni Staff" to read more about Jamie.

The Read Family 2001. Photographed after the reception for Dick Read's funeral.

Spotlight on Alumni Staff: Jamie Read '78

Jamie Read working with 8^th grade students from George Hofbauer's History class on their presentations

Like his siblings, Jamie grew up on Capitol Hill in the family home at 22^nd and Galer Street, attended Stevens School for kindergarten and then St. Joseph School for 1^st through 8^th grade. One of twelve children born to Peggy and Dick Read '38, with cousins living close by on Interlaken Place and 11^th Avenue, Jamie is the current Computer teacher for 1^st through 6^th grades and the Exploratory Program "Technology" class for 7^th and 8^th grades.

Jamie Read '78 3^rd grade St. Joseph School, September 1972

Jamie went through, as he calls it, the "Catholic Triangle"-St. Joe's, O'Dea, and Seattle University. After earning his Bachelor's degree in 1986, worked in engineering for a short time, and then gravitated toward working with children. He started on staff part-time at Assumption-St. Bridget School before becoming a classroom aide in 4^th and 5^th grade classrooms over the next few years. Jamie moved to the 3^rd grade as an aide, working with the same mentor teacher for several years. After taking on the lead teacher position in a 3^rd grade classroom, he began working towards his Master's degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction), which he was awarded in 2006. Before returning to the classroom Jamie coached girls' soccer for three seasons at Seattle Prep.

When asked what he remembered most about his St. Joseph School experience, Jamie said,

"One of the things that stood out was the time and effort parents put into their roles in the school community. Librarians, lunchroom workers, coaches-all these roles were filled by parents. My mom volunteered regularly in the school library, which was where the kindergarten classrooms are now. Many of the coaches I had back then I still see around the neighborhood, at Mass, or at parish gatherings.

I played CYO sports starting with soccer in 3^rd or 4^th grade. Starting in 5^th grade, we had several undefeated seasons, and won the CYO championship several times (maybe every year). We traveled to Portland one year to play the Portland city champs-quite a big deal for us back then.

Jamie is kneeling in the front row, right. Chuck McChesney (brother of alumni staff member Cathy McChesney Hamblet '82), is two to the left of Jamie. Two more to the left is Joe Sauvage (brother of alumni staff member Bill Sauvage '82)

As I have with each of the previous alumni staff member, I asked Jamie what it was that drew him back to St. Joe's as a teacher.

"At the time I finished my Master's Degree, I was looking forward to applying what I had learned in a real classroom. I taught as a substitute in several schools in the Archdiocese, and at Seattle Prep, all the while looking for an opportunity to return to elementary education. When the computer position became available at St. Joe's, it struck me as almost too good to be true - returning to my alma mater, within walking distance of home, in two areas I enjoyed immensely - education and computers.

After being immersed in Catholic education for almost twenty years as a student, and more than ten as a teacher, it never fails to amaze me how enduring are the connections that we form as members of the school, parish, and Church communities. On my first day at St. Joe's, I looked at my class rosters and saw familiar name after familiar name. So many of the students I now teach are either children of former classmates of mine, cousins or siblings of students/players I have taught/coached in the past, or the next generation from families of classmates of my older siblings."

In his spare time, Jamie enjoys sailing on the lake in the boat that he is part owner of. Running has been his main athletic endeavor, having run in a marathon and many half-marathons. He also plays soccer when he is able to, and enjoys coaching and watching soccer and track...Go Jaguars! Jamie is an avid photographer, and has a variety of classic camera equipment that he enjoys using and sharing. Frequently called upon to put his photography and computer skills to use for a variety of school, and even parish, projects, Jamie has provided a number of the photographs that appear in Reconnections. His technical expertise and willingness to go above and beyond to help fellow staff members and students with media projects has been greatly appreciated.

Knowledgeable, helpful, and faithful supporter of CYO athletic teams and St. Joseph School, Jamie Read, has certainly given back to the community that he and his family have been such a vital part of for over eight decades.

2010 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award: Capt. Ian Dietz '96

Editor's Note: I'd like to thank Patt Dietz and Paige Hofbauer for the photos that appear in this article, and Ian, of course, for taking so much of his time to give this interview

As mentioned earlier, this year's recipient of the Distinguished Alumni of the Year award is Capt. Ian Dietz. His parents Jim and Patt Dietz and close family friends were in on-hand at the Celebration Dinner at Isaac Orr Conference Center at the Archdiocese of Seattle Chancery on October 1^st to see him accept the award. Ian was also accompanied by his girlfriend, 1^st Lt. Derin Kozlowski, a 2008 Westpoint graduate whom he met in February.

A couple of weeks after the event, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ian. I appreciated Ian's candor and his thoughtful responses, and at the end of our lengthy phone conversation it was clear to me that not only had the award been given to someone who embodied the ideals we, as parents and educators hope to instill in our children and students, but someone who also represents our country well.

Jim and Patt Dietz, Derin Kozlowski, and Capt. Ian Dietz '96 at the Celebration Dinner where Ian received the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award

A 1996 graduate of St. Joseph School, Ian also attended the Montessori School of Seattle that is housed on the same floor as the kindergarten classes in the primary building. After graduating from St. Joe's, Ian went on to Seattle Prep, graduating in 2000. He graduated from Georgetown University through the ROTC program where he was enrolled in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Ian earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Foreign Service (BSFS), majoring in International Politics with a concentration in International Security.

2010 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Capt. Ian Dietz '96 with George Hofbauer

A Jesuit institution, Georgetown is generally liberal, but given its location in our nation's capitol, it is fairly military-friendly. As part of the US Army ROTC program at Georgetown, his college costs were taken care of leaving him with a four-year commitment in active service upon commission, followed by a four-year commitment of inactive ready reserve. Ian opted to stay in active duty past his initial term of service, leaving him with one year of inactive ready reserve.

Ian has completed two tours in Afghanistan (2005-06 and 2007-08) and one tour in Iraq (2009-10). He currently serves as the Commander of B Company in the 2^nd Battalion of the 23^rd Infantry Regiment (2-23 for short), which is part of the 4^th Stryker Brigade. Ian also completed additional training at the Army Airborne School (where they train soldiers to jump out of airplanes) and the Army Ranger School. He returned from his last tour in Iraq in August and will be based at Lewis McCord for 3-6 months. He may get his second command at Fort Lewis at the end of that period. When his term of service in the military has ended, Ian would like to go on to graduate school and continue his studies in International Politics. At this time he does not know if he will remain in the Army (in which case the cost of his post-graduate studies would be taken care of by the military). He may also be eligible for the new GI bill to fund his graduate studies.

Cognizant of the fact that Ian has seen and experienced things that only those who have been involved in combat situations can truly appreciate, and as one whose exposure to the complex situation that exists in the Middle East has been second-hand conversations with loved ones of soldiers and what I have seen on TV or in print, I was curious what the "take away" was from all of his time in the Army, particularly that spent in Afghanistan and Iraq. While Ian said that it is "difficult to distill this, given the complexity and intensity of what he has seen and done," two things did come to mind: One, "don't underestimate the capacity of people of different cultures to have a different value system." He believes that what our military involvement and policies in the Middle East post 9/11 sought to achieve is basically a cultural revolution, and "cultural revolutions don't happen overnight." Two, "how impressive the ability of individuals to get used to a very different way of life under stressful circumstances and in a hostile environment is, and, conversely, the difficulty those same individuals have adjusting to life back home." For example, Ian said that the Iraqis have a very different way of travelling on a highway. They will stop regularly on the side of the road. As someone there in a military capacity, you learn to treat these occurrences suspiciously. Back home it is difficult to adjust to seeing cars pulled off on the interstate and turn off that heightened state of alertness. One can't react in the same way one does when in combat situation, and that can be a challenge.

Capt. Ian Dietz giving his acceptance speech for the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award

Ian dedicated the award to a number of fellow soldiers who had lost their lives fighting in the Middle East. Several were members of a unit from Italy, including the platoon leader, Josh Highland, who, along with four others were killed by an IED. It was Josh's death that opened the way for Ian's first platoon leadership position in September 2006. Also mentioned in Ian's acceptance speech was a friend whom he met in Italy and skied with in the Alps during the winter of 2006-07, Matt Ferrara, who was killed during his second tour in Afghanistan in an ambush in November 2007. Matt was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. Another soldier, Matt Blaskowski who was in the platoon of a friend of Ian's was killed by the Taliban-a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

With regards to the Afghans, Ian went on to say that most are war weary, basically having been fighting non-stop since the 1970s. Corruption is rampant and contributes to the disparity one sees among the classes. Furthermore, war has severely impacted the population; there are very few young men-what remains are the elderly, women, and children. Stability and security is now the focus of our military efforts-less focus has been on combat since the surge. For most of the Afghans their world view stops in the valley in which they live. For generations they have been living in the same place, often in the same home, and in a manner that is very primitive by our standards-little technology, (including electricity), no power, homes lit by candles and cooking done over fires. Our focus, he says is to prevent this territory from becoming a haven for terrorists.

Capt. Ian Dietz in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2006

The 2010 Sundance Festival award winning documentary, "Restrepo," follows a year in the lives of the 2^nd Platoon (Ian's old company) in the outpost of the Korengal Valley. Abandoned in April 2010, "Restrepo" (named after a much beloved soldier who died there) was the name given to the outpost built by the soldiers. A movie with "no agenda," it does not contain the graphic combat scenes one might expect. Nevertheless, it is intense in its raw and very personal telling of the story by the soldiers who pass the months, turned into a year, in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.

I first heard of Ian several years ago when the students of St. Joseph School took part in an effort to gather and distribute holiday care packages to soldiers. Ian shared that he had been in the Korengal Valley himself. Many of the soldiers there felt as though they had been put in this outpost and forgotten. Ian described the valley as "the worst place on Earth-every day was like an action movie." The plight of these soldiers was made worse by the fact that, at the time (in 2007-08) Iraq was getting all of the press. The soldiers in the Korengal Valley were fighting hard and getting no support or recognition. He wrote a letter back home to his mom describing the situation. Patt forwarded Ian's letter to a number of people, one of them was George Hofbauer. Collection efforts began back in the States, including the one here at St. Joseph School. So many items were shipped to Ian (which he stashed until Christmas), that in the end he had over 300 care packages for soldiers. Ian worked with an Army commander to have the packages delivered in time for the holidays, to soldiers who, of course, were very appreciative.

As someone whose grade school, high school, and college education was received at Jesuit schools, I asked him what, if any, impact his Catholic education, and specifically the Jesuit traditions of each of these institutions had on his life. Ian credits his parents with instilling in him a sense of service. He was taught that sacrifice isn't always noble, but respectable. He learned the value of doing for others, not just for oneself. These values were reinforced by his Catholic education, and in particular, the Jesuit traditions at St. Joseph School, Seattle Prep, and Georgetown. Ian remembers being influenced by what he learned about the life of St. Ignatius and Archbishop Oscar Romero. He learned the importance of "making a stand for something." He believes that life needs to have meaning-a purpose-and more often than not you have to make it for yourself. For Ian, the military has provided that opportunity.

Ian's 8^th grade class photo, September 1995

I asked Ian what it felt like to see so many of the faces who were part of his St. Joe's experience. He said that he has fond memories of many of the teachers he had who are still on the staff-Mrs. Andrews as his kindergarten teacher, Mr. Boyle (though Ian said his voice was not suited to singing in the choir, he did enjoy the times when his class did the music liturgy at school masses which Mr. Boyle directed), Miss Marion and the Breakfast Club. Ian remembers the seemingly insignificant and kind of silly things like standing in the dark stairwell getting ready to go on stage for the Evening of Entertainment. He also remembers enjoying the skating parties (which he was sad to hear no longer take place), and Outdoor Education Camp-which happened right around the time when the boys and girls first started taking notice of one another, and how that made them, especially the boys, behave so awkwardly. Ian laughed recalling how at the auction when he was in 5^th grade he had so fallen in love with a bar mirror that was part of the silent auction that he talked his parents into buying it-and yes, he still has it!

Also during Ian's acceptance speech, in sharing how his years at St. Joe's had reinforced the value of outreach and service to others, he mentioned that his battalion's motto is "We Serve." When asked to expound on this, Ian explained to me that when a soldier of lesser rank passes someone with a higher rank, the junior ranking soldier salutes and says, "Tomahawk, sir!" to which the other salutes back and in response affirms, "We serve!" (Tomahawk was the name given to this battalion during the Korean War). Clearly, Ian has taken that motto to heart.

Looking for a way to recognize and honor the achievements of St. Joseph School Alumni, in 1996 an award was created to be presented at the fall Celebration Dinner (formerly known as the President's Dinner). A plaque, which hangs in the main hallway of the school, displays the names of the award recipients.

Previous Distinguished Alumni Award recipients:

1996: Molly (Derrig) Bolanos '79; Mostly Muffins

1996: Anne Marie (Ott) Flaherty '79; Mostly Muffins

1998: John D. Spellman '41; Governor, State of Washington

1998: Thomas "Tucker" C. McHugh '63; Caffe Appassionato

1999: Fr. Robert Bruce Grimm, SJ '61; Jesuit Provincial

2000: Greg Nickels '69; King County Council Member (Elected Mayor of Seattle in 2001)

2001: Tim Firnstahl '57; Restaurateur

2001: Mick McHugh '57; Restaurateur

2002: Eileen (Goins) Gray '64; Catholic School Principal

2003: Fr. Richard J. Ward '39; Archdiocesan Priest

2004: Elizabeth (Eldredge) Swift '67; Principal, Holy Names Academy

2005: Mary (Breskovich) Lee '77; Fulcrum Foundation Campaign Chair

2006: Regina (Hickman) Melonson '70; Educator, Seattle Preparatory School

2007: Molly (McKillop) Crocker '78'; Educator, St. Joseph School

2008: Very Rev. Kenneth Haydock '60; Priest and Pastor

2009: Stephen Hueffed '81; Head of CYO Seattle Archdiocese

2010: Ian Dietz '96; Captain, US Army

Look for the online form for nominating the 2011 Distinguished Alumni of the Year next month.

Alumni Reunions

Class of 1966

A group of classmates from the St. Joseph School Class of 1966 has been gathering several times each year for dim sum lunch together at the House of Hong Restaurant in Seattle and are looking to expand the guest list...So, here's a "shout out" to all of the members of the Class of 1966 to come together and do some dim sum!!

To find out when the next gathering will be, please contact Ross Case'66 at rossc@white-star.net or Jim Peterson '66 at jpeterson@tamaracinc.com

Classof 1966 classmates (l to r) Tom Boehmer, Charlie Heffernan, Jim Peterson, Brian Sweeney, and Rich Cannon at House of Hong, September 2007

Class of 1978

While they have organized more formal reunion events over the years, in between the larger gatherings members of the Class of 1978 have tried to stay in touch by holding annual informal picnics at a local park or classmate's home.

If you would like to reconnect with classmates, contact Tina (Blanding) Laughlin '78 at (206) 361-8403information about next year's class picnic.

Photographed above are the members of the Class of 1978 who attended the annual picnic (Standing: Anna (Prendergast) Welsch, Anne (Wickwire) Delucchi, Leif Totusek, Tina( Laughlin) Blanding; Sitting: Karen McCray and Molly (McKillop) Crocker)

Class of 1980

The Class of 1980 has held their 30th reunion on Saturday, October 16^th at the Garage. To see photos and reconnect with classmates, you may visit the Class of 1980 page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Joseph-Seattle-Class-of-1980/109959725695101?created#!/pages/St-Joseph-Seattle-Class-of-1980/109959725695101?v=wall. Ed Roos organized the reunion and is the class contact person. You may get it touch with Ed by email at rooster6601@yahoo.com or on his cell phone at (206)786-7667

Class of 1985

On Saturday, August 29th about 17 members of the St. Joseph School Class of 1985 gathered at Olympia Pizza on 15th (co-owned by alumna Harry and Deirdre (Noonan) Nicoloudakis '82). Organized by classmates Lori (Buono) Anderson and Tom Newman, the reunion was such a success that they've decided to plan multiple year reunions to include members of the graduating classes in the years ahead and behind them. Anxious to stay in touch, some of the mothers have also made plans for play dates so their children can get to know each other while the moms visit.

Back row: Rebecca Polet-Uylman, Inger Kirsten Frauenheim, Conne (McGlynn) Bruce, Ron Foster, Peter William Quinn, Sean Stewart, Carolyn Jeni Craig, Kevin McGlynn, Tom Newman

Front row: Sheila (Eagan) Winemiller, Jennifer Cushman, Lori (Buono) Anderson, Whitman McLeod, Kate Batra, Susie Carver Stevens, Megan (McAuliffe) Bartot

If you'd like to see more photos and/or get back in touch with your classmates from the Class of 1985, please visit their page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Joseph-Class-of-85/210251752533#!/group.php?gid=120895883605&ref=search . You can also contact Lori (Buono) Anderson '85 at (lori352@hotmail.com) or Tom Newman '85 at (tommynewman@comcast.net

See the full write-up in the September issue of Reconnections

Tom Newman '85 is looking for classmates who would like to attend the "Gala" of the St. Joseph School Auction on Saturday, November 6th. He was thinking about getting a table of 10 (5 alumni and their spouses) for the Class of 1985. There would be no charge. If you are interested, please contact Tom asap at tommynewman@comcast.net. He also has a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/capitolhilltommy)

Class of 1990

Stefani Bechard Enriquez '90 is looking for classmates interested in planning a 20th class reunion and has set up a site on Facebook for the Class of 1990 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106927879336721&ref=ts

If you are the contact for your class and would like to post information about your class reunion in Reconnections or on the school's website, please contact Anne Haskins at ahaskins@stjosephsea.org

Class Notes

1960s

John Acheson '60 currently resides in Kirkland, Washington with his wife, Lorraine Robertson, MD. A 1964 graduate of O'Dea High School, John and Lorraine together have seven children, all grown adults. He works as a trial litigator for the injured out of his office, Acheson Law Offices, located in Bellevue, Washington. According to John, he works hard and plays equally hard! He loves to scuba, sail, trek and/or retreat to Cabo San Lucas whenever possible. John was a classmate of the Very Reverand Fr. Kenneth Haydock, the 2008 recipient of the St. Joseph School Distinguished Alumni Award (thanks, John, for providing me Fr. Haydock's class year). He recalled that his father, Mr. Haydock, owned and ran the Red Mill that was the hangout of choice in those days. Why? He asked... "We were an all-boys class and the girls from Holy Names could smoke there which was very popular for all."

1970s

Maurine Stich '75 "Mo" is married to Mike Chamness and lives on Bainbridge Island where she is currently employed by the Bainbridge Island Police Department. She is a 1978 graduate of Seattle Preparatory School, and earned her degree in Social Sciences from Seattle University in 1982.

John Williamson '76 lives in Bend, Oregon, where he works for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. After graduating from Seattle Preparatory School in 1979, "Jack" went on to study General Science and Philosophy at Seattle University and the University of Oregon, earning his degree in 1985

1980s

Alan Artis II '87 graduated from Garfield High School in 1991 before attending the University of Washington. Currently employed by Costco Wholesale, Alan and his wife, Dawn, live in Seattle.

2000s

Rosanna "Tori" Mueller '01 is a 2005 graduate of Holy Names Academy and a YEAR graduate of the University of Washington, where she majored in DEGREE. Tori currently works at Providence Hospitality House, a homeless shelter, where she is a case manager. PHH was featured on the King 5 show, "New Day Northwest" last spring. She and the director of PHH appeared on the show to promote their annual Mother's Day Tea event which raises money and awareness about the organization. You can also find some more information on their website: http://www.providencehospitality.org/

Tori Mueller '01, Sara Antonelli, director of Providence Hospitality House, and former "Almost Live" star Steve Wilson (who is now the producer for "New Day Northwest" which films on the same set)

Curran Lyons '06,having graduated in 2010 from O'Dea High School, is currently studying at the University of Montana. Curran hopes to earn his degree in Environmental Studies in 2014

We'd love to hear from you...If you'd like to share information to be included in "Class Notes" in a future issue, please complete the online "Update Your Contact Information" form on the school's website or send Anne Haskins an email (ahaskins@stjosephsea.org). Photos are also welcome!

Shawn M. Stich '66 passed away at home on September 24, 2010 at the age of 58. He is survived by four siblings; Kevin '63, Brian '65, Darrin '67, and Maurine '75

During the month of November, students and staff at St. Joseph School remember loved ones who have passed in both the school Masses of All Saints/Souls Day and by bringing in photos to be included in a display in the main hallway. The display also includes articles that the students have created with their art teacher, Molly McGillop Crocker '78 (whose own mother passes away in September) that are representative of the ones used in Hispanic cultureswhich celebrate "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead)

A Word About "Reconnections"