Class Notes
In Memoriam (continued)
Patricia A. Kosiba ’83
December 11, 2016
Fred M. Sutton ’83
May 18, 2004
Willis L. Waddell ’83
November 16, 2016
Willie M. McDaniel ’86
November 8, 2013
Margaret R. King ’87
September 14, 2017
Daniel J. Sebastian ’87
April 4, 2012
Betty M. Fillbach ’88
September 1, 2016
Steven D. Holland ’88
November 13, 2017
Larry E. Hough ’89
February 20, 2013
Juan R. Moreno ’89
October 14, 2009
Patricia D. Burress ’91
April 17, 2014
Cheryl (Andrews)
Philpott ’91
January 13, 2018
Florence C. Amato ’92
December 29, 2012
Nancy M. Gruber ’92
January 8, 2018
Thomas W. McShea ’92
May 14, 2016
Linda D. Harper ’94
May 28, 2014
Brigitte E. Dobbins ’95
February 26, 2016
Lois G. Klei ’95
December 4, 2015
Ella W. Perine ’95
March 11, 2018
Armando Hernandez ’98
August 17, 2016
Marianne J. Parker ’98
May 31, 2018
Agnes G. Clute ’99
March 11, 2012
Richard “Rick” Devlin ’00
January 3, 2018
The View outside My Window
36 FALL 18 Spirit Magazine
By Denny Moller
It was springtime in 1979. The Shah of Iran had just fallen. Jane Byrne was elected the first female mayor of
Chicago, and Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver won his 1,000th game. The 204th and final episode of
All in the Family broadcast, and President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a swamp rabbit which swam up to his
fishing boat in Plains, GA. The wonders of Wikipedia—we always are wondering if it’s true!
One fact I know is that a new hit song was recorded and released in April of 1979, “We Are Family,” a song
recorded by the American vocal group Sister Sledge. I know this because I sang it all summer long at family
gatherings, weddings, and when my college friends and I would meet up on the weekend after being in the real
world for five whole days in a row. For those of a certain age, I know you will admit there’s nothing quite like a longneck bottle
doubling as a microphone!
The point for me is that I have always known we are part of many families. The one we are born into is the family we love,
we fight with, we support, we criticize, and absolutely the one we defend if an outsider dare express the same criticism we
offer from the inside! The “school family” we begin gathering in kindergarten, and with any luck, we find a few new members
throughout high school and college. These family members have cheered us during success and supported us through failure. I
can still remember the support my college friends provided when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. While my “real family”
was supportive, my “college family” was with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And they cheered when she made it to our
graduation, just days out of the hospital.
It is that experience of community I wished for my children as they headed off to college. It is that experience I believe
everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy. It is why I choose to give annually and substantially to Saint Leo University.
Although my youngest son turns 30 this year, I still believe in my obligation to make possible for others what someone made
possible for me.
Please choose to join me and support your Saint Leo family. I can assure you the gift you give will be felt as that loving hand
on a student’s shoulder and the quiet whisper in their ear that says, “You can do this. I believe in you.”
God bless,
Denny Moller
University Vice President of Advancement and Communications
William E. Paden ’02
April 5, 2017
Greg B. Fusco ’03
December 17, 2017
Elaine Williams ’04
January 26, 2018
Theodore J. Patton ’09
May 2, 2018
Heather (Buck) Kowal ’10
May 1, 2018
Colin C. Roopchand ’12
April 3, 2018
Evin B. Hartsell ’15
April 28, 2018
Denese M. Neide ’15
December 3, 2016