Class Notes Spring 2023

SHARE your GOOD news!

St. Benedict’s welcomes any and all news about your career, education, family life and reconnecting with other alumni. Submit news via email to graybee@sbp.org.

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 ’49 

John Conway turned 91 in October 2022 and lives in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. He has four children, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. John is in good health and spirits and still enjoys an occasional round of golf. But his greatest joy comes from spending time with his family.

 ’62 

Thomas Quinn received the Member of the Year award as the Quarter Century Club President at the New York Athletic Club’s 100th Quarter Century Club Dinner.

 ’65 

Gregory Waters has been elected Chairman of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, an independent nonprofit and state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 ’68 

Pete Landers reports he is officially retired after 30 years as Vice President Sales for Turtle & Hughes in Linden, N.J. Pete will be a consultant for the company for three years with an office in Jupiter, Fla. All good (and always available for lunch), Pete advises.

Jim Moynihan reports from California that he is a newly elected Trustee of the Oak Park Unified School District, having won a board election in November 2022. “School districts are like small cities with many issues that are challenging,” he said. “As I learn about difficulties facing our students, I try to imagine what would Fr. Ed and the leadership at St. Benedict’s do. I have shared the 60 Minutes story about The Hive with my fellow board members and the district superintendent and all found it to be inspiring.”

 Bill O’Neill reports he and his wife, Kathy, have become “reverse snowbirds,” having acquired an apartment in Alexandria, Va., where they can be close to kids and grandkids, while still spending most of the year in Naples, Fla. A lot of areas in Naples (and especially a little further north in Fort Myers and near there) were devastated by Hurricane Ian, but the O’Neills are far enough inland that they had no structural damage and relatively little inconvenience. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on February 17 and look forward to their daughter’s wedding in Washington, D.C., in April.

 ’72 

William Brown met Brien Graham ’97, an architect from Dallas, Texas, at the Nashville Unplugged Conference, a gathering sponsored by the National Organization of Minority architects. “Brien recognized the ‘B’ on my shirt–a Gray Bee connection!” wrote William.

 ’73 

Ramon (Ray) Venero shared that he is living the ex-pat life in Playa San Juan, Alicante, Spain. “I pull up stakes in the summer and go to my place in Laredo, Cantabria, from whence I hail. In between, I travel a bit and return to the states to visit with friends and family, especially my daughter, Samantha, in Florida.”

 ’93 

Frank Robinson was promoted to Vice President of Econsult Solutions, Inc.

 ’95 

A longtime police captain in East Orange, Maurice Boyd has been selected to lead the Public Safety Department as its Director. He will oversee the East Orange Police Department, Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and is the first African-American man to hold the position.

 ’01 

Michael Hobbs is pleased to announce a partnership with the New York Giants as an official Team DJ for all practices and select home games. 

 ’02 

Adam Crompton was inducted into The Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

 ’06 

Minga Batsukh was inducted into the St. John's University Hall of Fame for Wrestling. 

 ’09 

Jared Pletz was promoted to Captain of the Rochelle Park Fire Department Lorraine Hose Company #1. 

 ’12 

Frantz D. Soiro successfully completed his summer internship with the biotech company, Myovant Sciences, and joined the Publix Pharmacy family at Princeton Lakes as a a Registered Licensed Pharmacy Technician. 

 ’13 

Raheem Veal joined BET+ platform as a Manager of Brand & Marketing Strategy. 

 ’14 

Nolan Edmonson began law school at the University of Virginia School of Law. 

 ’19 

Damon Wright received the NWCA Scholar Academic All-American wrestling award for the NCAA Division III school, New England College. 

 ’20 

Robbie Rollins stopped by to tell us that he graduated from the Essex County Police Academy and joined the Newark Police Division. He is assigned to the Sixth Precinct in the West Ward. After graduating from The Hive, Robbie worked for Fankoski Construction Company Inc. for a few years while taking college classes at Felician University. He plans to complete his degree in criminal justice while working on the police force. "I always wanted to help people," Robbie said. "I especially want to have an impact on young people. I want to be a symbol to young people that change is possible." 

 ’21 

Downtown Cranford, N.J. is abuzz about a new and very chic café, Craft. The proprietor? Nineteen-year-old Kamily Flores, who started the business selling handcrafted protein shakes, iced coffee and other beverages two years after graduating The Hive. A full-time marketing student at Union County College, Kamily's entrepreneurship was profiled in the Star-Ledger and on nj.com. Follow Kamily's venture on Instagram at craft.nj. 

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 Engagements 

Robert Innis '03 was recently engaged to Ruth Georges.  

 Marriages 

 

Denise and Shawn Norwood ’83 were recently married. 

Ofunne and Chidi Asoluka ’01 were recently married and Mike Hobbs '01 was the DJ. 

Amelia Jeffcoat and Allan Bartow ’04 were married in August 2022. 

 Births 

Kimberly and Mark Brescia ’00 welcomed their first child, Luca Joseph Brescia, on July 25, 2022. 

Christopher Lavy '01 and Dimitris Kostopoulos welcomed a baby boy, Apollo Kostopoulos Lavy, born in January.