Joe Roy Humphreys. Though born in San
Francisco, I spent most of my grammar school years in the LA area, returning
for 7th and 8th Grades at St. Paul's on Church St. Walt McCall and I made up
the St. Paul's contingent to St. Joe's in September of 51. Six mostly wonderful
years at St. Joe's and a little more than 2 at St. Pat's. I left St. Pat's in
1960. Didn't really have a plan but thought about teaching and picked up a
degree in History at USF. Then I met Joan and decided I needed to get a job.
Fortunately for me, the Social Security Administration was undergoing a major
expansion with the advent of Medicare so I became a claims representative for
them and was sent off to Santa Rosa. Joan and I were married (in New Jersey)
during the first week on my job. We moved to Baltimore in 1968 for what I
assured her would be no more than 2 years in an agency internship program.
Twenty-three years, 3 homes, 3 jobs, and 3 children later we finally got back
to San Francisco in 1991 but in 2002 we somehow found ourselves back in
Washington where I am now planning to retire this July from the staff of the
Social Security Advisory Board. We thought our kids would eventually return to
California with us, but they, of course, had other plans. My oldest, Josephine,
is living with her husband in Manhattan. Middle child, Wendy, lives in Dublin.
(The REAL Dublin). She is a great fan of the Scottish "football" club Celtic
(note the jersery in my photo). And the youngest, Josh and his wife live on an
island in the mouth of Tampa Bay.
John Hunt. Left SPS
Halloween of ’61. Worked for a year in San Francisco (SF).Went to Peru for
about 8 months to teach English and help operate a USO for Peruvian sailors.
Returned to SF; then served 3-plus years as a Supply Officer in the Navy.
Married Sally and we had four children. Moved to Oakland and worked for Alameda
County as a probation officer and later with an MA in counseling as a mediator
in the Family Court. Sally died of cancer in 2000. A couple of years later
married Ruthanne. Retired from the Court in 2005 and live in Oakland. Volunteer
tutor at a G.E.D. preparation program a couple of days a week. One does not
know what the future holds, but God has given many blessings and the strength
to get through the difficult times.
Rich Monahan.Came to St.
Joe’s from St. Leo’s Parish in San Jose with “Truck”
Dariano, Rich Pereira, and Gerald Smith. Toed the line all the way through,
even past “Red” Cronin, to ordination in 1963. My first assignment
was St. Victor’s “parish” in San Jose. We had Mass in an old
farm house in the middle of a orchard. We drove the tabernacle back and forth
to and from the home which served as a rectory. (I was told to keep the
headlights on in the car when transporting the tabernacle.) One year later it
was off to Serra High School; the next year to Catholic U. for a M.A. ; then
back to Serra as Dean until 1970. (Coached Lynn Swann one year) I received my
dispensation from Rome in 1971, married my wife, Judith, that same year, and
had two boys, Ian and Sean. Dabbled in a lot of things in life - insurance
sales, managed commodity trading accounts, ran afoul of the IRS. Got convicted
and 2000 hours of Community Service with Jim McEntee at the Santa Clara County
Human Relations Commission. Tried my hand at property development, got burned,
got divorced for financial reasons, then declared bankruptcy. Still, I was able
to get one son through College and am still caring for the other who is
disabled. I have not retired and have no grand kids to play with. I do not
participate in the Church of today much. I sort of miss that old farm house in
the orchard.
John O'Brien. Saint Joseph's
Seminary was my home and other family for four years of high school and a year
and a half of college. I left the seminary in December of 1956 and continued my
education at the University of San Francisco. I graduated from USF in June of
1959 and a week later married Marianne Tonna. I did graduate studies at USF and
the University of Michigan. My business career took me into the insurance
industry where I worked for two companies in various management roles over the
course of forty-four years, retiring in 2000 when my company was sold. Marianne
and I raised five children, and they have gifted us with six grandchildren. We
are both active in parish and diocesan ministry. We serve as Pastoral Care
Ministers, Eucharistic Ministers, lectors and are active in scripture study
workshops in our parish. Currently, I serve as President of the Diocesan School
Board for the Diocese of Sacramento and also serve on the Diocesan Pastoral
Council. We both enjoy golf, travel, gardening and reading. John O'Brien
Denny Reidy. After Fr. Canfield closed
down, with extreme prejudice, the liquor distribution scheme set up by Jack
Norton and myself in Feb. of 1954, I informed Fr. Rock I was leaving and
enrolled at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, class of "55. Met my future
wife, Pat Challoner, there, although I didn't know that at the time. But
luckily for me, even though our paths went in different directions for a few
years after high school, we were married on Sept. 17, 1960. In the interim, I
went to St. Mary's College, class of '59. We set up house in Oakland, thence to
Pleasanton, to Westlake Village in LA county near Thousand Oaks, back to
Pleasanton, then to Laguna Niguel in southern Orange County and finally to
Lincoln, Ca. in a Del Webb community. On the way we managed to have four kids.
Matt lives with wife Joann and their boys, Connor and Brennan, in Burlingame.
Kevin who with his partner, Mike, spend time working in Thousand Oaks and
enjoying their flat in SF every other week end. Maureen lives in Roseville with
her husband Jason, a Lincoln policeman, and shares home decorating business
duties with a good friend. Tim is in his fifth year as a counselor at Hoover
Middle School in SF. Working life was spent primarily in the car business as a
parts rep. and warehouse mgmt. for 9 years with Volkswagen and as a regional
parts mgr. and a facility specialist for almost 25 years with Volvo Cars of
North America. Retired at the end of 1996. Did some consulting for Volvo after
retirement until they were purchased by Ford Motor Co. in late 1998. We have
been involved with parish life; Pat in CCD and me in parish councils and the
building of three churches over the years only to find ourselves involved in
one more project here at St. Joseph Church in Lincoln. For the past four years
have been the go to guy in coordinating much of the new church project with the
architects, diocese, Army Corp of Engineers and the city. Dedication is
scheduled for Mar. 18th. We are going from an 80 year old church with 176 seats
to one having 960 seats. Of course the town has grown from 8100 folks in 2001
to 38,000 today. Build it and, hopefully, they will come.
Denis Ryken. I left St. Patrick's on
All Saints' Day 1959. Almost immediately, Jack Elliott, Richard's brother,
asked me to teach Chant to a Men's Choir he had formed in his parish (St.
Bede's in south Hayward area) Those men, young fathers in their first GI homes,
were eager to learn and responded so enthusiastically that I was hooked. That
experience began a 47 year association with the parish that continues today. In
addition to music direction (about 30 years), my wife Rose Anne (married in
1969) and I have been involved in almost every ministry and function in the
parish. Oddly, we have lived close to, but outside, the parish lines all those
years. I also served on the Diocesan School Board for 6 years and the Family
Emergency Shelter Coalition Board for 6 years. Rose Anne is president of the
St. Rose Hospital Auxiliary. We have raised 5 sons who have degrees in Theater
Arts (Directing), Liberal Arts, Physical Therapy (Masters), and Business
(Auditing- CPA). One son is an apprentice Electrician. We have 2 beautiful
grandchildren and are expecting another. I received a Masters Degree in Public
Administration from California State University, Hayward. . For 32 years I held
administrative and HR positions in county government ( Assessor's Office -13
years and Public Defender's Office - 17 years). I retired in July 1999. In 1990
I applied for candidacy in the Oakland Diocese's Deacon Formation Program
(group #4) and was ordained a "permanent" Deacon on February 25, 1995. My
service ministries have been with the Family Shelter, St. Vincent de Paul
Society, and small church communities. Based upon experience with a close
friend, Rose Anne noticed some symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in my actions
and insisted that I see a neurologist. The doctor made a positive diagnosis of
that illness in December 1996. With the help of standard medication for the
disease, with the support of my wife and family, and with adaptive skills
developed in a weekly exercise class designed for Parkinson patients, I have
been able to function normally about 50% to 60% of each day. Sometimes I think
of my Parkinson "down times" as advanced training for old(er) age. Ad multos
annos.
This page was last modified Saturday, 14-Apr-2007 01:11:58 PDT.
