After graduating from Santa Clara, Michael King ’56 was an active parishioner, including 30 years at St. Mary Parish in Long Beach, Washington. He read and sang in church, was on the Parish Council, and ran the religious education program. The beloved father, grandfather, high school teacher and coach, lover of languages, unrivaled Jeopardy genius, […]

Marcel Poché ’56 was a constitutional scholar, distinguished jurist, liberal Democrat, and loving father. He had a wry and clever sense of humor. His favorite pastime was photography, and he spent many hours in his own darkroom, where he mastered black & white and color development before there was digital photography. He enjoyed the symphony […]

Though drawn to journalism, William Chambers ’56 discovered a love of teaching. His teaching career began in 1958 at Oakland High School and continued for the next eight years in Sacramento at Highlands High and Foothill High. Bill later became a college professor at Sacramento City College, and in 1970 was hired at American River […]

Joseph Wallace ’56 died July 25, 2022. He grew up in the Bay Area and worked as a branch manager for Johnson Controls. He met his wife Irene at Burlingame High School. They raised five children on their small ranch in Loomis, Calif, where they raised most of their own food. 

Joe Wallace ’56 was born in New Brunswick, Canada, but grew up in the Bay Area. He graduated from Santa Clara University as a mechanical engineer. He spent two years in the Army in Germany. Most of his career was as branch manager for Johnson Controls. He met his wife, Inez, in high school and […]

Dean Norman Robinson ’56 thrived in high school in Lodi, California, where he was the school’s most outstanding athlete as a basketball and baseball player. It was also where he met his wife of 65 years. Dean continued his athletic career at Santa Clara University. In 1983, he was inducted into the Lodi Sports Hall […]

A Jesuit for 61 years,  Anthony P. Sauer, S.J. ’56, M. Div. ’71 served a total of 40 years at St. Ignatius Prep, including 27 years as president. His favorite role, however, was English teacher. When St. Ignatius instituted a full-scholarship middle school in 2017, the campus was named the Father Sauer Academy in his […]

Legend has it that Philip James Thompson ’56 was born with the brawny build that he maintained his entire life. At SCU, he played football. Phil was on a path to the priesthood when the charms of Colleen Powers captured him.  He served as a judge and later as a law professor and corporate counsel […]

After attending Santa Clara University, Arthur Lane McFadden ’56 served in the Korean War. As a member of the Army’s Honor Guard, Arthur was stationed in Arlington National, where he was an Honor Guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After his service, Arthur returned to Oregon and graduated from Lewis & Clark’s Northwestern School […]

For 44 years, Father Francis “Fran” R. Smith, S.J. ’56 M.Div. ’70 taught at Santa Clara University as a professor of theology and religious studies. He recently celebrated his 60th anniversary as a Jesuit. An influential teacher, who taught a variety of theology and religious studies courses, Fr. Smith continued teaching even after retiring to Sacred Heart […]

Longtime principal of Redwood High School Donald H. Grady ’56 was a lifelong learner beginning with his education at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. Don went on to graduate from Santa Clara University and earn his master’s degree from Fresno State University. He spent his entire professional career in education, as a teacher, counselor […]

Donald Vermilya Gray ’56 died on February 25 after a long battle with mesothelioma. Born in Woodland, Don graduated from Woodland High School and Santa Clara University. After proudly serving his country for two years in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War, Don worked in various hospitals in the area including UC Davis Medical […]

At SCU Charles ‘Dick’ Scanlan ’56 served both on the football team and in the ROTC before graduating with a degree in accounting. He went on to marry Carolan and raised six children together. He retired from Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., after 35 years, as vice president of finance and enjoyed time traveling. Dick […]

Wilbur J. Goolkasian ’56 graduated with a BSC degree as part of the Dynamic Class of 1956. Wilbur spent his career as a Special Agent with the IRS, raising 6 children including Todd Goolkasian ’85, Deborah McHenry ’86, Christine, Theresa, Bettina, and Elizabeth Radford ’97. Wilbur and his wife Inge were married for 60 years. […]

David Little ’56 thoroughly enjoyed the years he spent attending Santa Clara. He proposed to the love of his life, Paula Plank—who was attending Dominican University—on campus in 1956. David’s passion for golf was honed as a member of the SCU golf team and he actively played golf through his mid-80s. He was a 68-year […]

Active in ROTC in high school and college, San Francisco native Douglas Gregory Lynn ’56 attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and served as a First Lieutenant in the Navy and Navy Reserves. In his professional career, Doug was involved in the development and construction of regional shopping centers around the West for over 40 years, […]

The Rev. Patrick J. Cahalan, S.J. ’56, emeritus chancellor of Loyola Marymount University and former president of Loyola High School died Feb. 14 at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. He was 86. Father Cahalan’s 27-year tenure at Loyola High School and 23 years at LMU put him at the heart of […]

Robert Besozzi ’56 was born in San Francisco on Nov. 22, 1933, to parents Ambrose and Rosina Besozzi, who had immigrated to the United States from Italy. He grew up in the Russian Hill neighborhood and attended St. Brigid Grammar School, St. Ignatius College Preparatory (’51), and SCU After graduation, he served his country in […]

Michael A. Raschko ’56 was born on Aug. 5, 1934, and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Salem, Oregon, SCU, and the University of Oregon School of Dentistry. He took the state boards, graduated from dental school, and married Miriam I. Bloom in the same week in June 1960, before entering the Army in […]

After 57 years as a trial lawyer, Sal Liccardo ’56, J.D. ’61 is transitioning to work as an author, publishing his first book, Her Right to Know: One Trial Lawyer’s Search for the Truth About the “Pill”  through Amazon. Sal writes that the book “is a true story of a young mother blinded by the […]