1. It is a summary, so keep it brief. (See examples below.) Tell us in a nutshell what you've been doing for the last 40 years. Include a picture, links, etc. A fairly recent photo of you, in your environment or closeup, will help make you recognizable, if we ever meet in person.

2. SOME TECHNICAL STUFF; It's easiest if you send me a photo of yourself (with family?) as an e-mail attachment, but I can scan from a hardcopy. I will probably resize most photos to be about 3x4. Additional photos of St. Joseph's are welcome and needed.

3. Thanks for the photos of St. Joe's and St. Pat's. If you have something truly unique, email or mail them to me.

4. I will do my best to let you write your own summary, and these would be easiest if e-mailed as an attachment because text often has to be reformatted before pasted. If this doesn't make sense, just e-mail it to me any way, and I'll take out the extra return spaces.

5. Please inform me of any glaring errors in your bio.

6. Please e-mail guys in our class this site so they can view and e-mail me an entry. I'll try to get the word out by regular mail or phone, but I'm not sure of your addresses or phone numbers. I think this will be a worthwhile effort, and hope you can support it. Thank you. -Joe

JOE BARILE: After six years at St. Joe's and two at St. Pat's I picked up my elementary and secondary teaching credentials at the College of Notre Dame (now University) in Belmont, CA., where I grew up. (A few years later when I was en route to an MA I actually took a class there taught by Larry Percell.). In 1970 I married Patricia, and we started raising our family in Redwood City, CA. We still live in that same house, which we added on to several times. I taught mainly at Ralston Middle School in the Belmont School District for 34 years: math, social studies, but for the last 15, journalism, computer literacy, and web page design in my very own Mac lab. It was a dream come true. St. Joe's and St. Pat's prepared me well for my life both in and out of the classroom: representing the teachers as two-time union president, financial chairperson, grievance rep., newsletter editor, etc., all which benefited myself, students, teachers, and the district.

As great as teaching was, after 34 years I finally felt myself getting a little burned out, and since I was able to, I retired in June of 2004, thinking it was better to leave at the top of my game. Retirement is an adjustment, but it's nice and well deserved. Patricia and I have two grown children, David, who is 33 and teaches at a continuation school in LA, and Aimée, who's an actress in LA and is engaged to be married in June. My mother is still alive at 89, and lives in her own home in Belmont. My dad died 10 years ago. My brother and three sisters are all well, and live in California. I still play tennis (almost daily) and golf (less frequently), now more than ever since I am retired, but I am still looking to be marginally involved with teaching, which is still in my blood... just not full time. I've been (volunteer) tutoring 1.5 hours a week at Menlo Atherton High School, and have several private (paying) students (math, computers, and tennis) on the side. I also setup web pages for fun and for profit because I think they are a great way of communicating. Working on several other projects, a math workbook, and a journal of assorted poems, letters, and essays. I love the slower pace of life, and am relating well to one of the first philosophy books we ever read, Leisure: the Basis of Culture. Remember that? It's been a trip, now entering into phase three.

ED CHIOSSO: After four years in St. Joe's, I left and went onto USF for a degree in Psychology and then to University of Minnesota for a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology. In between, I worked at San Mateo Outdoor Education with Buz Meisel (some will recognize the name as a fellow classmate).

I married Kristina Nystrom, a teacher (who attended the Outdoor Ed). We've been married for 32 years and have one daughter, Megan. Megan is 25 and working at Explorit in Davis as a Science Educator.

Both Kris and I recently retired. I spent 31 years at the San Mateo County Office of Education doing a variety of jobs; most recently writing and publishing books for students and parents. We just moved to Lincoln -- a Del Webb Retirement Community near Roseville. This is the next new adventure. The trick about retirement so far is learning not to retire.

 

In Memoriam: JOHN JOSEPH LESLIE 1947 - 2005

A native of Palo Alto, CA entered into rest on October 8, 2005 at his home in Los Gatos at the age of 58 years. John will be deeply missed by his wife Sherry of 26 years, daughters: Jayme & Kaelie, sons; Damon, Christian & Sam, brothers: Brian and Kevin, and sister; Gaelyn Chambers. He was a devout and loving husband, father, brother and friend to many.

Visitation and Vigil were held at DARLING & FISCHER CHAPEL OF THE HILLS, 615 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 from 4 - 8 p.m. with the Vigil at 6:30 p.m. A Funeral Mass was held at 12 noon on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at St. Mary's of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 219 Bean Ave., Los Gatos. The Burial followed at Los Gatos Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in his memory to the Kidney Cancer Association, 1234 Sherman Ave., Suite 203, Evanston, Illinois 60202. Published in the San Jose Mercury News on 10/11/2005.

In Memoriam: GEORGE HOLLY AND FRANK CARROLL:

George Holly went through one year as a sixth-Latiner and came from Las Vegas.  In retrospect, it is now clear that he was dyslexic.  That explains his trouble with Latin and with spelling.  He was a master in chess and math and a great guy.  Everybody knew he was working but could not get a handle on Latin or written English. I remember, and I am sure some others will, the Friday spelling test in which  everyone in the class deliberately misspelled every word except the one who passed in a completed test with George's name on it and every word spelled correctly.  Rollie got a kick out of it too. George was drafted, sent to Viet Nam, and killed by rifle fire in January of 1968.  His sister, Patty, was maid of honor when Sandy and I got married in June of 1969. 

Frank Carroll was also with our class for one year.  In late adolescence, he began a struggle with schizophrenia.  He had passed away before I returned to Las Vegas. --(by) Mike Stuhff

Tracy & Buz, & their family: Em, Rayney, Ali, and (top) Shane & Drew.

BUZ MEISEL --After leaving St Joes in Jan of '66(end of 1st term college) I went to San Mateo JC then transferred to Oregon State Univ. in Corvallis Oregon. After graduating with a degree in Wildlife biology I came home to the Peninsula and worked for 3 yrs at San Mateo Co. Outdoor Education program. Left there and moved back to Corvallis. Got Married, worked a number of jobs, none of which had anything to do with the other, went to nursing school, had two wonderful kids(Shane,26; Rayney, 24), went to PA school (physician assistant) in Seattle, got divorced, worked for 6 yrs, fell in love, got married, inherited 3 more kids(Drew,23; Em,20; Ali,18), got my 1st marriage annulled (for all you hard nosed Catholics out there--are there any hard nosed Catholics from our class?), and have been living and working in the beautiful Willamette Valley, Oregon ever since, wondering how with all the screwup turns and twists my life has taken I ended up being loved by the most incredible women and kids any man could hope to have, as well as getting to practice medicine(which is, in a very real sense, a shepherding of a flock, hearing confessions, and ministering to the sick, of body and soul.) I am a very blessed guy. Tough for me to separate it all out. It's been an interesting ride. I'm glad Ed was there through it all. That has always been a gift. It was good to get back with John before he died, and I miss him. It's good to be back with you. --Buz

WALLY MCMAHON - Since I saw most of you last in 1969, I completed my education at St. Patrick's Seminary. In those days theology was only three full years with deaconate year off campus with occasional study weeks. Theology years were liberating. The years spent at Mountain View campus are a faint memory, thank God. I never thought it was real life.

After the deacon year, assigned to St. Elizabeth, San Francisco, I was ordained for the archdiocese along with four others on May 19, 1973. Henry Trainor is an active priest in SF; both Leo Rooney and Leonel Noia have passed away. Juan Meno from Guam left the ministry soon after returning home.

My travels along the ministry have taken me to some interesting assignments: 1978 at St. Joseph of Cupertino where I had the privilege of living as fellow associates with Jack Olivier (heard numerous stories of professors' side of seminary life). Worked many times with Bill O'Keefe (even took his place in first San Jose assignment). Earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from JSTB. Transferred in '78 to St. Andrew's, Daly City. In June 1981, I became part of the new diocese of San Jose and was assigned to Church of the Transfiguration. I did not really see eye to eye with the pastor and the balance of his team; hence, I left in November 1983 to begin a wonderful assignment with Tom Murray at Holy Spirit in Almaden area of San Jose. (I spent two years along with Leo Rooney at Holy Spirit for pastoral experience through the seminary courses.) In 1990 I finally became an omnipotent pastor at St. Thomas of Canterbury (west San Jose, Campbell area). Learned that no one really wants to get close to the pastor in the same way as with a parochial vicar (associate). More criticism befalls a pastor than praise. The salary is the same. My term ended after the maximum 12 years. So, in July 2002, I returned to the Church of the Transfiguration. It is a small parish. If you are in the neighborhood of Almaden and Blossom Hill, drop by.

I'm not sure how my nine year old dog, Clancy,
will greet you (very good guard dog.)

I play golf weekly. My handicap is 7. I play with three retired "captains of industry" in Carmel Valley. Senior rate is $25 per round. What a deal. Made first hole in one on 9-1-04. Most of my vacation time is spent chasing golf balls throughout Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California. I did have the drive to travel to Europe a number of times before my 40th birthday.

 

And though I haven't seen or heard from most of you for, well, over 40 years, I still hold wonderful memories of the years we shared when we were young. In retrospect, I hope the appellation you accorded me so long ago has played itself out well in the lives of those I've met and taught over all these years more so than for my sure-to-one-day-be-dwindling physical stature. Peace.

PAUL PAGE - Well, this is strange: writing an autobiog and sending it to all of you after so many years. But I agree that there was a unique bond we all had during those years that has (and apparently continues to) shape our lives in many ways.

Here's my life so far in brief: I worked in the civil rights field in SF for a few years after college. Teddie (Theodora) and I married in 1971 and we moved to San Jose where we still live today. I have two grown daughters and three grandchildren with another one coming in April. You all no doubt remember my involvement in music and liturgy, and I spent 33 years as music director at St. Lucy church in Campbell. (Now I play an occasional wedding or funeral and help out the local Lutherans when they need a sub.) I've composed and published quite a bit of choral music and continue to write today, though my concentration these days is primarily on instrumental music. The digital age has me fiddling with lots of electronic gear that I don't really understand, and I am recording and making CDs of my things. One of these days soon I'll start Podcasting and I'll get you the link so you can listen in if you like.

My major life's work has been that of a high school teacher, the last 32 years having taught music, journalism, and now English at Saratoga High School in Saratoga. It has been a wonderful career where I've had the opportunity to work in theatre (always one of my great loves), direct choral and orchestral groups, organize singing tours to Europe (on 7 occasions), produce yearbooks and newspapers, and correct so many student essays that I now wear bifocals. (All those nights reading by flashlight in my closet flash before my eyes as I write this!) I also coached swimming for a few years and still get in a mile myself every morning in the school's pool at 5:30 a.m. (Yes. Those seminary hours have now made full circle in my life, I guess.) I've finally started thinking about retirement, perhaps in four years. But I still enjoy what I am doing and that is what's important. My grandchildren are beginning to fill up portions of my life I had left behind years ago: ballet lessons, T-ball, basketball, soccer, swimming, and I sometimes feel I have had a charmed life.

PAT MCQUILLAN - I never regretted the time spent in the seminary as it really helped shape and focus me  into a better person. I enjoyed the relationships we all developed and do regret I haven't nurtured them as I should, but am glad for this website contact and opportunity to re-connect.

While in the seminary, I toyed around with joining the Trappist (fueled by my passionate reading of Thomas Merton), but finally settled on following Phil Flowers into the Jesuits after Rhet year, as the Jesuits' were styled as "Contemplatives in Action". I left the Jesuit Novitiate before taking vows and returned to St. Joe's for 1 Quarter and then went on to UC Berkeley where I got my degree in Comparative Literature (English & Classical Languages - can you believe that??) I also spent a semester studying in Rome at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies as a UC student.

I did, however, interrupt my college career for a 2 year stint at Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma as a counselor and Asst. Athletic Director - this was my alternative service as a "Conscientious Objector" during the VietNam era - my lottery number was 20, so I had to serve. It was through this experience that I meant my future wife, Janie, as her cousin (a fellow counselor) introduced us.

Janie and I have been married for almost 32 years and have one son, Craig, from Janie's previously "annulled" marriage (for you hard core Catholics) and one son between us - Matthew. We have 3 grandchildren between them - 2 boys and one girl.

Since college I have been employed in retail management doing stints at places like Mervyn's, Office Depot, Best Buy, and currently at OfficeMax. We have moved around a bit, having lived in the Bay Area, LA, Salt Lake, Phoenix, Seattle, and now in Las Vegas - which is really not the "Sin City" it's portrayed to be - that's all the hype they use to lure tourists here to spend their money - "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" crap!

I am still a practicing Catholic, though not as active in the Church as maybe some of you, and still do play guitar on occasion and write songs - even religious ones. Would love to hear from all of you!

TUCKER SHEEHAN - I stayed in the seminary till after first theology in June of 1970. Because of the war I went on to be a CO and pushed bedpans at St. Mary's hospital in the City and eventually was able to transfer in McAuley Clinic-the psych.inpatient-as a psych tech. From the seminary to working and living in the Haight for 3 years--what a change especially in retrospect. After doing my time, I applied to graduate schools in psychology. I eventually ended up at the Calif. School of psychology in San Diego from 73-77 getting a Ph.D. in Clinical Psych. I wanted to get back to The City so I took a dual job @ Veterans Administration Medical Center in Reno, Nv. and teaching at the University of Nv. Medical school. Over the next few years I met a wonderful lady, Evie, who had a two year old son, Josh, and we were married in 1983. He is now 28 and a math teacher at Bishop Manogue High School in Reno and co-running their teen ministry program. Evie and I were eventually blessed with two daughters, Katie, who is 19 and a freshman @ Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, and Cara,17, who is 17 and a senior @ Incline Village High School. I have lived@ lake Tahoe since 1977. In 1997 I took an early retirement from the Reno jobs and went into full time private practice in Incline Village and Carson City, Nv. which continues today. My son is getting married this summer but with two daughters in college next year I know with great certainty that I will be working for quite awhile to come. I love what I do so that is more than OK. In early 2001 I had a bout with significant prostate cancer and the odds were not good . As of today I remain Ca free. The entire experience helped me sort out what is important in my life what isn't. One of the regrets that I discovered was losing touch with almost everyone from those wonder years in the seminary.I saw a few of you at Larry Percell's ordination a few years ago but would love to reestablish contact. Special days and very special people are my memories of 1961-1970   --Cheers and Blessings to all, Tucker(Tom Sheehan)

CHUCK LATHROP - Greetings to you all. It's been a long time! Not too long after graduation in May, 1969, I headed East or Southeast, to be exact to NE Georgia, where I'd spent the summer of '68 as a volunteer. With the exception of just about a year in New York City, the Appalachian Mountains were home to me until July, 1976. Referred to as America's domestic colony or its paleface reservation, those hills were full of lessons and teachers. In some ways I'm still a displaced adopted hillbilly. Between August, '69 and July. '76, I lived in Georgia, Western N Carolina and E Kentucky, working with the Glenmary Home Missioners as a volunteer, trainer, regional worker.

The Catholic Worker was a diversion that got right to the point. And I ended up there due to a philosophy professor we had in Mountain View (whose name I can't remember!), who used to have the Catholic Worker newspaper, which he handed out. Taking absolutely nothing away from those years, '61 - '69, the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality, 36 E 1st St., New York, was the best school I ever attended. Living in the same house with the likes of Dorothy Day one indeed was a student. An amazing place, amazing people, amazing dent in one's life.

Given my work with volunteers with Glenmary, the Maryknoll Missioners asked me to help get the Maryknoll Lay Missioners established, and so from '76 to '79, I was based in Ossining, New York. While there, I represented the Maryknoll Lay Missioners at a meeting in Rome in late, '78. What I didn't know was that things were going to take a big change while there. This was where the Italian American from Concord, California, met Mary Durcan the lady from Ireland, there for the same meeting. And to make a long story short, I moved east again, this time to Ireland, in October,'79, we married the following May and this island has been home since. We've three kids. Cathal, the eldest, is now a Californian: he emigrated that way 25 yrs and 1 day after his father emigrated this way! Our second, Orla, is presently finishing up university at Trinity here in Dublin and Michael, the youngest, is in his second year at the Nat'l College of Art and Design.

After two short term contracts, I began working with the Irish Government's overseas development assistance programme 21 years ago and I'm still with the same programme, now with the Technical Section in Ireland Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs. There is a lot of travel, mainly Africa, Central America and SE Asia. Ireland's aid programme is small but has grown fast in the past three years. I've done recent stints in the Irish Embassy in S Africa and in Zambia with the aid programme, and this year will bring a longer (3 yrs +) overseas posting. The lessons and teachers continue. I took out Irish citizenship 22 years ago and now this Italian American from Concord, California, carries an Irish Diplomatic Passport! And me without an Irish root; all my Irish roots are in the opposite direction!

And come retirement in a few years time, I think we'll spend part time here and part time in Spain; the Costa Blanca is very California-like, weather-wise and beats the hell out of the Irish winters! Blessings to you all , daily ones, big and small.

BILL STOKES - I did a variety of jobs after getting the BA and leaving St Pat's and my management of Marie's Pizza parlor, Menlo Park in 1969. (I remember Joe Barile coming by to visit at Marie's.) In '69 many seminarians got jobs at The B of A main office in SF; so did I. I lasted 7 months. After that I worked in the trucking/railroad industry for a few years in the East Bay, Western Pacific and then the Atchison Pica & Santa Fe. In 1975 I started remodeling and building houses with Joel Lipski -- a guy who used to correct our philosophy papers. Joel and I used to have great chess matches.

In 1983 I moved to Sacramento as a Sergeant-at-Arms at the CA State Assembly where life long friend Pat Johnston was an Assemblyman. I worked for the Assembly and then the Senate. While there I went to graduate school at CA State University Sacramento at nights and kept a 3.94 GPA. When I graduated with a Masters of Science Management Information Systems I was 50. I the went to work for Raleys/Bel Aire/Nob Hill Foods, a grocery chain, as a Database dude.

I had a heart attack in 2001 and a transient ischemic attack in 2002, and now I am a database dude at the Legislative Counsel's Data Center. I work a lot on the Oracle financials systems. I took up ballroom dancing in 1998 and now do International style. I have actually been in competitions!! I continue to study jazz piano with a local pro, Aaron Garner. I'll play a four hour gig for the women's awareness of heart disease at CHW's Mercy Hospital here in Sacratomato. I see Rich (the bishop) Garcia every once in a while. I am still looking for a rich nympho.

DAVE DONOVAN: After eight years with the Sulpicians (six at SJC, one at St. Pat's, and the last back at SJC), I left the seminary in 1969. Four days later I was sworn in as a patrol officer at the Oakland Police Department. Of course, at that time I knew much more about Caesar and the Gallic Wars than about police work. But a fifteen week police academy remedied that deficiency.

SJC had prepared me well for the academy: efficient study habits, sans study hall; good physical conditioning (thanks to the Bears, Indians, Trojans, and Ramblers); and writing skills that exceeded those used in most police reports: "perp," I am sure Pop Rock would have required using the entire word, not just the first syllable.) To this day I still find myself pulling out the Oxford Greek-English Dictionary to satisfy etymological curiosity. The police job had its advantages and disadvantages; the best part was going to work each day without knowing what types of assignments I would have to handle that day. Variety is indeed the spice of police work. After twenty-two years in Oakland, I moved over to the Piedmont P.D. for nine years, and retired at the end of 2000. I taught traffic violator school (a.k.a., captive-audience-by-law school) for awhile; but no longer. I do still have my part-time job at the Oakland Coliseum: imagine being paid to watch baseball and football games as you work. Photography and amateur geology also occupy a chunk of my time these days. Classes in photography and geology were just what I needed to jump-start this phase of my life. Some of my pictures have been sold, and others have been published --what great fun.

My 1971 marriage ended in divorce thirteen years later, but I have three adult children to brag about: Amy, age 33; Brian, an engineer in San Jose; and Beth, 26 and a missile builder at Lockeed in Sunnyvale. Brian and Beth are closer to the old SJC campus than I am in San Leandro. The best day of my life, so far, was my toast/speech at Beth's wedding in 2004. Brian and Beth are closer to the old SJC campus than I am in San Leandro. The best day of my life, so far, was my toast/speech at Beth's wedding in 2004. All those classes in public speaking paid off big time, and I owe Fr. O'Neill for teaching me how to organize my presentation.

PS. Sorry for overusing "I," but...well, you know.

JACK QUATMAN: After leaving SJC in 1967 (after Rhet year) I attended UC Berkeley.  Quite a shock going from the small confines of St Joe's to the wide open and very active campus of Cal.  However, it was a wonderful experience.  Upon graduation in June of 1969, I attended Hastings Law School in San Francisco (part of the UC system and basically free at the time) studying law and fighting induction at the same time. The year 1972 saw both a successful completion of law school and a triumphant fight with the draft board.  After passing the California Bar later that year I began to practice with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in January of 1973.  The DA's office was exciting, fun and it paid!  I spent 25 years at the office doing every thing from family support work to death penalty litigation.  In 1980 I married a lady with red hair named Phyllis.  She was finishing Cal at the time and planned to become a teacher.  After receiving her Masters at Cal we had our first child, Lyndsey, who is now 22.  That finished the teacher plans since Phyllis stayed home with Lyndsey.  Eventually Phyllis decided that she wanted to be come a lawyer and graduated from Hastings (still relatively free) in 1990.  The law school years were a bit stressful in that Jack was born in the middle of her second year and I was trying death penalty cases.  Upon passing the bar she went to work for the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office doing the same stuff that I was doing.  In 1997 we decided to take the kids north to finish raising them.  We sold the house, quite our jobs and moved to Whitefish, Montana--a town of 6,000, approximately 40 miles south of the Canadian bourder.  For you snow ski persons, Whitefish is the home of a ski resort know as "The Big Mountain".  Hunting, fishing, water skiing, snow skiing, hiking all are done in abundance.  I personally do not do the hunting or fishing thing.  Since moving here Phyllis and I have opened our own firm and practice "mountain" law.  Great fun in a beautiful corner of the world.  As of the writing of this bio Phyllis and I are thinking of changing our lives again.  Since Lyndsey is a senior at Seattle University and will stay in the Seattle area after graduation and since Jack (now 17) is out the door in a year to attend the University of Montana in Missoula, we are thinking of selling the practice and slowing down the pace of life. I am not sure that full retirement is in the cards yet.

RICH GARCIA: I continued on through St. Joseph/St. Patrick College. Then on to St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. My dad died in December of 1972. I was ordained a priest in June 1973 by Archbishop McGucken, in San Jose. I served in various parishes/capacities in the former Archdiocese of San Francisco, then in the new diocese of San Jose.

I studied in Rome for four years. My area of concentration was Spiritual Theology. Upon my return to the United States, I spent seven years teaching at both St. Patrick's Seminary and St. Joseph's College (even during the 1989 earthquake).

Then I served as pastor at St. Leo's Parish in San Jose. My mother died in 2001, after suffering a stroke five years before.

And now, for the past eight years, I have served as Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Sacramento. I love the people here. I also travel a lot because our diocese covers twenty counties. It is interesting to know that the Diocese of Sacramento is larger in geographical area than the country of Ireland.

These past few years have been challenging but I feel that I have grown through the varied experiences. My family still lives in the Bay Area, so I do get to see them as often as I can.

I hope you and yours are doing well. God bless you.

STEVE ESSIG: From Sept. 1961 our class shrank from 121 members to the remaining 40 who became the first St. Patrick's College graduation at Mt. View's Chapel in May 1969. That group split in half; I was one of the twenty who left in the summer of 1969. continued on right ---->

Wanting to do something entirely different, I have started my own handyman business, MELIO, (you figure out the latin root), and this keeps me busy. Five of my six children and my foster child are college graduates and are doing well. I have one probation officer, one Cal Trans engineer, one city housing manager, one graphic artist and web developer becoming a teacher, and one architect, one classroom aide and home mom, and one home mom. It is more exciting to talk about my 8 grandchildren ages 2 to 14 (plus two from the foster, ages 4 and 6). Grandchildren are God's great blessing: Spoil them and get revenge on your children. Fortunately, all 10 are in California.

I attended Hayward State and San Jose State that fall, tying to obtain a secondary teaching credential. After student teaching, I decided that teenage hormones weren't for me, so I dropped San Jose State and attended only Hayward to obtain an Early Childhood credential. My CO status was approved in early 1969 and in early 1970 my directive to start alternate service arrived in the mail. I spent my two years at St. Frances de Sales school at the Cathedral in Oakland working time as custodial and the sharing teaching the first grade class with the principal. I also taught adults at night for Oakland Public School. My credential work and alternative service were completed in early 1972. I married Barbara and became instant step father to LaMar. I began to seek that first teaching job.

In 1971 and 1972 I worked the summer months as camp director for the Oakland Boys Clubs resident camp on Shasta Lake. I found that minority and bi-lingual were job interview requirements in the Bay Area at that time. So I decided to stay in Shasta County after camp in 1972 and look for that first teaching job. It came on October 8, an overflow kindergarten class of 29, 26 boys and 3 girls, 7 total on retalin, hand picked by kindergarten teachers at three other sites. After this year of fire, I remained teaching in the Enterprise School District for another 27 years. My daughter Stephanie was born in 1974. In 1979, that marriage ended. I had the two kids most of the next 4 years. I took on Jennifer as a foster child.

Then in 1982, I met Charlene and we were married between the mash potatoes and the turkey on Thanksgiving dinner in 1983. This brought another three step children: Annette, Steven, and Tim. Steve, Steven, and Stephanie. We had a household of 6 kids, and in 1984, John was on the way. Jennifer moved back to her dad's.

In 1988, I became the principal of the elementary school where I had done most of my primary grade teaching. In 1992 through 1996, I became the principal investigator and staff developer of a rural initiative National Science Foundation teacher enhancement project that involved 100 teachers per year in 25 school teams from the 9 northeast counties. This was connected with the Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley and their great science curricula. In fact, on one trip there, my youngest, John, at age 10, looked down on the bay from the Lawrence Hall Courtyard and stated: "Dad, I am going to school here." Sure enough, John graduated from Cal and the Cal Band in May 2004.

In 1996, I started my first charter school which was a 50% home study-50% classroom program with lots of outdoor education, and in 2000, I started my second charter school which was 100% site based and outdoor oriented. On May 1, 2005, after 32.33 years, I retired under STRS. Haven't looked back at school. 

Dear Classmates,
     Where have the years gone? It's been almost 45 year since I left my family home in San Francisco and joined many of you as 6th Latiners at St. Joseph's College. We began in the old system and shared those years of change in curriculum, freedom, and personal responsibility. We were the last class to graduate as Rhets in 1967 because the following year would see the reorganization of the seminary system into separate high school, college, and theologate programs.
      1968 would also see other changes in my life. I began to have serious doubts that I could live a happy celibate life. To explore this, I transferred to Cal Berkeley where I completed by bachelorâ's degree in psychology. During this time Tom Hanson asked me to be his best man. His bride-to-be asked a grammar school classmate of hers (Joan Herrmann of San Mateo) to be her maid of honor. Four months after their wedding Joan and I were engaged. I had found my answer.
     In August of 1970 Joan and I were married and moved immediately to Tucson, Arizona where I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology. Because we were both Bay Area snobs, we returned here as quickly as we could. I landed an internship at the Veterans Hospital in Menlo Park in the shadow of St. Pat's and later a job with San Mateo County Mental Health where I worked for twenty-seven years. I also taught for a brief time at the College (now university) of Notre Dame in Belmont. One of the students in my first class was Joe Barile. 
    In 1975 with a four-month-old daughter (Lisa) and a second child, a son (Jeff), on the way, I was hired as a part-time faculty member at St. Joseph's College. I taught mostly upper division psychology classes there for twelve years. In the mid 1980's with a dwindling enrollment at St. Joe's I was kicked upstairs (so to speak) to St. Pat's where I taught pastoral counseling for 13 years.
     Throughout all these years, Joan and I were active in our parish in Sunnyvale. Joan had been a member of the Immaculate Heart Sisters in Los Angeles for a few years before we met. With our backgrounds we had a lot to offer our parish. When our son was about nine years old, a parishioner asked him about his hobbies. He told the person that he played soccer and collected stamps; but then he added, "My dad's hobby is Church."
     If you have the picture that our life was just sailing along, you are right. Joan and I and our children were very happy. Then in the summer of 1999 tragedy struck. With only minimal symptoms, Joan was diagnosed with cancer of unknown origin, which had metastasized to her liver. She lived for almost eight months. In God's providence, however, she died well, supported throughout her illness by family and friends who showered us with love and reminded her of what a remarkable person she was. She faced death as she had lived life with faith, courage, humor, and love.

     In January 2001 I returned to St. Pat's as a student to prepare for ordination in the Diocese of San Jose. I believe strongly that this was the new path God had laid out for me. Ministry was very much a part of my married life. When I spoke to my children about my plan, I did not surprise them; but they surprise me. They told me that Joan had spoken to both of them privately before she died and said to them, "Don't be surprised if your father decides to go back into the seminary." I feel this was Joan's way of giving me her blessing. It is not something she and I had talked about directly during her illness although the thought was percolating within me. But I never wanted her to feel for a moment that I was looking beyond our life together. We had promised each other and God that we would love one another in good times and in bad. We were totally committed to one another regardless of the circumstances.
     In September 2002 I was ordained a transitional deacon and assigned part-time to St. Nicholas Parish in Los Altos. Three weeks after becoming a deacon, I walked our daughter down the aisle and presided at her wedding. The following May I was ordained a priest and assigned to be the associate pastor of St. Nicholas. Two weeks later my first granddaughter, Peyton, was born to our son and his wife. Since then, my son and his wife have had another daughter (Devin Joan) and my daughter and her husband have had their first (Virginia Joan). Last July I was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas when my predecessor's term limit was up. 
     In his poem, The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost writes: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." For reasons I do not fully understand, God brought me back to the fork in the road. I stood at this juncture with a mixture of sadness and hope. I miss Joan tremendously although I feel she remains my partner in life and in ministry. But because of my life with Joan, I feel that I have the charism of celibacy now. My parishioners love the idea of having a priest, now pastor, who has been married and has children and grandchildren. A lady told me recently that they feel it makes me one with them.
     Questions persist in my mind about how and why all this has happened. Many faith-filled friends shared their reflections with me, which helped me to partially understand. I also found comfort in the words of Cardinal John Henry Newman: "God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another."I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. Therefore, I will trust Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about."
     I hope to see you on Alumni Day at St. Pat's on April 29. 

      Larry Percell

A younger, newly ordained(?) Paul Warren

PAUL WARREN It was a circuitous and sometimes bumpy route that took me to where I am today. Some may remember that I left St. Joe's after high school to join the Franciscan community (Stan Mazur and Vince Mesi did the same: Stan left, Vince is still with the friars as Pastor in Phoenix). The '70's saw me in graduate school in Berkeley, novitiate in Sacramento, ordination in San Francisco and a parish in Seattle. I took a few "leaves of absence" along the way: one to work in the VISTA program (public housing in Seattle) and another to teach at Stuart Hall in SF. The 80's saw me pursuing a doctorate at the University of Toronto and retreat work both in Scottsdale, AZ and Danville, CA. Just when I was preparing to teach at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley I took "another leave" and ended up working for the County of San Mateo. I left the friars. In 1998 I came full circle and returned to the Archdiocese and am now Pastor of a small but feisty parish on Potrero Hill in San Francisco called St. Teresa's. Not sure I'm a great Pastor; but apparently I like change. Change is good. It's been a great ride.

PHIL FLOWERS: You may remember that I left St. Joe's for the Jesuit Novitiate in 1966. That was a very valuable experience: it taught me Ignatian spirituality and convinced me I had a different vocation. I left shortly before vows in 1968. After graduating from USF (Latin major-- what else?) in 1970, I went to Berkeley graduate school in ancient history. After five years there, I left with an MA and most importantly the love of my life, my wife Sarah. I worked at USF for seven years, first in the Registrar's office and then the Computer Center, before getting a job as a software engineer with IBM in New York. We left San Francisco with two sons, Stephen and Mark, and returned with a third, Thomas. We have been living in Morgan Hill since 1986. I retired from IBM after 21 years in 2003. I deliberately left IBM at a relatively early age so that I could start a new career with ministry in the church. (Yes, it didn't get out of my bloodstream.) I am currently Liturgy Coordinator (probably no surprise to any of you) at my parish,St. Catherine. It is a part-time job, except during Christmas and Easter, that allows me time to care for the house and my executive wife(Deputy County Librarian for Santa Clara County). We are soon to be grandparents for our oldest boy. Our middle boy is getting married this summer. And our youngest is graduating from UCSB in June. I am in my third year of the ministry training program (ILM) for the Diocese of San Jose.