John Grippi ’62, devoted husband and father, commercial developer and businessman, and retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain, died July 26, 2020. He was 80 years old. Born in Napa, John grew up exploring the vast outdoors around Mt. George and the Napa River alongside his younger sister, Janice. The Grippis owned a service station on Silverado […]

The international law firm Withers is pleased to announce Santa Clara University School of Law alumnus Matthew Owens J.D. ’11 has been elevated to partner in the San Diego office as part of 12 total partner promotions across the firm’s global offices, effective January 1, 2021. Matthew earned his J.D. from Santa Clara and his […]

Aside from being on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick Johnson ’05, an emergency physician at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, was a key member of the team that saved a hiker who’d been declared dead for 45-minutes after getting lost in below-freezing conditions on Mt. Rainier in November 2020.

Nine years after meeting on the first day of law school, Michael Bedolla ’06, J.D. ’14, and Christina (Ginger) Bedolla ’11, J.D. ’14, welcomed their baby girl, Charlotte Marie, on November 21, 2020. As a future member of the Class of 2043, Baby Charlotte would become a fifth (Bedolla side) and third (Ginger side) generation […]

Taro Kimura M.S. ’03 and Danit Naomi Aronson were legally married July 7, 2020, in their New York City loft by the bride’s father via Zoom. A small, in-person Jewish ceremony incorporating Japanese elements paying tribute to the groom’s family preceded it, with about 300 guests in formal attire watching over Zoom. Kimura is the […]

One of the last hop growers in California was born Bernard Joseph Rooney ’52, but very few people actually knew his birth name. “Babe,” as he was known to friends and foes alike, was a fourth generation Sacramentan—his great grandfather came from Ireland at the beginning of the Gold Rush and the family flourished there […]

For years, McDonald’s French fries came in a scoop made by the company Raymond Michael Gleason Jr. ’48 founded with his father. Gleason Industries manufactured paper products in Hawthorne, Calif. Raymond also cherished family, held his faith dear, and served his country in WW II. He died on Oct. 25, 2020.

Professor Emerita Judy Dunbar of the English Department died on Oct. 19, 2020. Judy joined the English Department in 1978, at a time when theatre and English were one department. As a Shakespeare specialist, she often worked closely with her theater compatriots. Her teaching was transformative for generations of students, deepening their appreciation for literature, […]

Carole Ann Chaikin-Chase  MBA’80 came to Santa Clara after her two children were in school. MBA in hand, she went to work at Lockheed Martin, where she had worked before becoming a mom, as well. When not studying or working, Carole cooked and built community—exposing her boys to new experiences, establishing dinner clubs, and founding […]

Patrick Joseph Logan ’74 spent 20 years working at Farmer Insurance. His love for sports and family defined him most—he coached his kids’ teams, ran the concession stand at their sporting, and mc’d an annual golf tournament. His boosterism and fandom knew few bounds. He is survived by his family, including his son Patrick J. […]

After seven weeks of knowing Adele Regensburger, Jeffrey Kellman  MBA ’77 proposed. They married six months later. Together they raised three children. Jeff worked in tech sales and founded Fourfront Sales, a semiconductor firm. He played and taught guitar and join numerous bands. On Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, Jeff died at the age of 67. […]

After serving in the U.S. Army, John Anthony Roffoni ’59 began work as a financial advisor. He, his wife, and their three children made their home in California, where enjoyed the outdoors—from gardening to hunting to sailing. John died Oct. 1, 2020.

Sean Timothy Higgins JD ’90 spent his legal career in the gaming industry. He was general counsel for Herbst Gaming and an executive at Golden Entertainment. Sean with his two brothers owned the Irish pub Three Angry Wives. Sean died on Sept. 23, 2020, at the age of 56. His wife and two children survive […]

After retiring from the corporate world, Winston Wood MBA ’78 was a founding member of Slow Food Marin County along with his wife Gail Ohlendorf. He also played golf, tennis, and pickleball, and volunteers throughout the Novato community. He is survived by Gail, his sons from his first marriage, and his grandchildren.

William J. Sullivan ’68, MA ’72 was a member of the original faculty of James Lick High School, where he taught many subjects and coached sports. Bill established the first team-teaching program in the Valley. Later, he joined the administration of the East Side Union High School district, retiring in 1988. He died in September […]

AKS Engineering & Forestry named Joey Shearer ’03 an associate member from the firm’s Bend, Ore., office. He has spent the past nine years as a city, county, and private-sector planner, and developed a strong understanding of Oregon land-use laws.

Scott Spencer MS ’73 spent 30 years with Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. But travel and music were his passions. In 1966, went to Germany to pick up a little brown Porsche he’d ordered. Over the next six months, Scott toured Europe in the car. With his wife, Gayle, he attended concerts, went camping, and […]

After many winters spent boarding with the Sisters at St. Francis de Sales for school in Ossian, Iowa, Sister Marian Einck, OSF, MS ’69 decided to join the order herself after high school graduation. She worked in education throughout Iowa, as well as on the West Coast. Later, she counseled the grieving. She died in […]

John A. Grippi ’62 was a devoted husband and father, commercial developer, and retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain. While at SCU, John was elected student government vice president. He campaigned by handing out gum packages printed with the slogan “Stick with Grippi.” John died on July 26, 2020, at 80 years old. His wife and […]

Michael Bennett ’87 took a break from his career in finance to publish his first novel, Young Donald, with Inkshares in October, 2020. The book is an imagined biography of Donald Trump in military school in the 1960s.