ALUMNI UPDATES
emergency-trained professionals and physicians in the Pacific Northwest that aims to eliminate barriers between physicians and patients. Dietz has 20 years of experience in medical technology, commercial finance, database management and web portal development. experts on Ewing sarcoma, a form of cancer that targets children. Ryan Loosvelt ’93 recently made partner at Duane Morris LLP, a Las Vegas-based international law firm with more than 700 lawyers and 20 offices worldwide. Ryan has degrees from U of M, San Diego School of Law and Barcelona Institute of International and Comparative Law. Robert R. Jones Homes, since 2002. Mel ’95, George ’98 and Spero Drosis ’01 have opened Spangas Coney Island in Bloomfield Hills. company, has released a graphic novel trilogy, The Arcane Awakening, about the war between God and Satan for humanity and earth. Look for more information on our Facebook page. Maralle and Mark Nyquist ’04 had a baby girl Dec. 4, Zoey Hayden Nyquist. Adam Decker ’05 will graduate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in May and, upon passing the July Bar exam, will begin working as an associate attorney in Plunkett Cooney’s Bloomfield Hills office in the Fall. After three years working at Fox Sports Detroit, Brian Henry Jr ’05 has taken a new position at Fox Sports Arizona, where he’s working as the primary pre- and postgame show producer of Phoenix Coyotes hockey and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball. Brian now lives in Scottsdale. David Ranney ’05, who just finished his coursework at U of M Medical School, will be doing his residency at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Briana McDevitt (Marian ’05) and Jim Wojciechowski ’05 were engaged in October. The wedding is planned for the Fall of 2014. Bardelon Jaddou ’06 was accepted into Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit as a Seminarian studying for the Chaldean Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Thomas the Apostle. A Michigan State graduate, Bardy began his new journey in August, leaving behind a job as an Auditor-CPA at Ernst & Young in Detroit.
Arcane Awakening is a new graphic novel trilogy from Mess Bucket Comics’ owner Dominic Riggio ’96. Jim Healy ’01 will marry Caylan Cook (center) in July, and the couple plans to settle in Beverly Hills. Jim Wojciechowski ’05 (right) and Briana McDevitt (Marian ’05) were engaged in October and plan to marry in 2014.
2000’s
Adam Lawrie ’00 and his wife, Lindsay (Mercy ’01), have relocated back to Birmingham from Chicago. Adam will be overseeing Flagstar Bank’s Home Lending division in the Midwest, and Lindsay took a position in ad sales for Turner Broadcasting. Jim Healy ’01 is engaged to Caylan Cook, and will be married July 13 at the Buell Estate at Addison Oaks. Both are graduates of Michigan State. Caylan is a teacher at Rochester High School and Jim is a producer at ePrize. They will live in Beverly Hills. M. Ryan Jarnagin ’01 is a litigation associate at The Miller Law Firm in Rochester, focusing on complex commercial litigation. As part of a team of lead plaintiff’s counsel, he is seeking compensation for AIG investors who lost tens of billions of dollars in the U.S. residential housing market crash in 2008.
Trip Finnegan ’95 welcomed a son, Adam Joseph (“AJ”) Finnegan, June 17. Pete Mitchell ’90, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., created an event called Muckfest MS, a 10K military style boot camp race (think: six-mile obstacle course in the mud), to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research in honor of his father, Scott, who has been battling the disease for over 40 years. Pete and his brothers, Scott ’83, Bobby ’87 and Kerry ’89, came together in March to complete the event, which raised over $20,000 for MS. This summer, look for an album of contemporary Catholic music from Paul Tiseo ’95. Entitled “The Door of Faith,” the album will include brand new settings of traditional prayers, as well as songs inspired by traditional Catholic devotions, such as the Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy. Oscar Bustos ’96, owner of Great Lakes Cycling in Ann Arbor, gave a brand new $500 bike to a 17-year-old autistic boy who was the victim of bicycle theft. Bustos’ good deeds were chronicled by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in Detroit (wxyz.com). In January, attorney Chris Mann ’96 was elected to Partner at Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler, PLC, in Bloomfield Hills. Dominic Riggio ’96, the owner of Mess Bucket Comics, an independent publishing
community, classroom, character and competition. Dolik, a business major, is a three-year letter-winner and a preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association pick. Last summer, Ricky Smith ’07 took a break from his marketing job and did a little acting. If you were at Kid Rock’s Comerica Park concerts in August, you may have seen a five-story tall Ricky on the large video screens during Kid Rock’s show-opening video. Joe Payne ’08 has graduated from the U.S. Army’s Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course at Ft. Benning, Ga. After graduation, 2nd Lt. Payne was pinned with his Infantry Blue Cord, signifying that he has been commissioned into the infantry. Nick Dolik ’09, a Senior at Penn State, is one of 20 nominees for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award, which honors Division 1 lacrosse players who demonstrate excellence in four key areas: Austin Fowler ’09 was named to the Division 3 Academic All-America Team. Fowler, a biology major with a 3.9 GPA who will attend dental school in the fall, amassed over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in three seasons at Case Western, where he is a two-time All-University Athletic Association pick. Geoff LaPorte ’09, a manager for the Brother Rice basketball team from 2007-09, received the Senior Manager Award at Michigan State’s 201213 banquet in March. On April 4, only about one week after he set the career records for his team and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Grand Valley State Senior Brad Zambron ’09 notched career save No. 33 to set the NCAA Division II baseball saves record.
and also has worked as a promotions assistant position with 98.7 Amp Radio (CBS Radio Network). Though only a freshman, Brennan Fielder ’12 was one of the leading scorers on the University of Kentucky hockey team this season. Brennan is majoring in mechanical engineering at UK. In January, Alex Oles ’12 earned the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. Lucas Cherocci ’13 will be the fourth member of his household to play in the Michigan High School All-Star Football Game when he takes the field for the East squad in June at Grand Valley State University. Playing in the game before Lucas, who recently committed to play at Western Michigan, were his dad, Jim ’82 (who played at Michigan State from 1982-86), and his brothers Zach ’09 (Hillsdale) and Justin ’10 (Central Michigan).
‘Town Crier’ Denyer ’71 Distinguished Alumnus
Bob Denyer ’71 was honored by the Alumni Association as its 2013 Distinguished Alumnus at the Senior-Alumni Luncheon in April. Denyer is a former President of the Association and was the first Brother Rice alumnus to serve as co-chairman of the annual Irish Nite Auction, in 1986. He is fondly known as the “Town Crier” for the class of 1971, as well as the go-to-guy for Rice news and updates, especially among his many friends from the ‘60s and ’70s. “I can say that the sum total of my knowing him has blessed my life,” commented Bruce Burger ’71. “It is a piece of my cherished memories and the innumerable meaningful experiences and friendships of my Brother Rice life. That’s rich.” Denyer has spent 39 years in sales and marketing, most recently with MSC Industrial Supply. He has been married to Jenny Mescall Denyer for 37 years and has three brothers, including Dennis ’64 and Donald ’74.
Meg and Matt Stenger ’93 had another baby boy on Christmas Eve. Evan Matthew Stenger measured in at 8 lbs, 21 inches and joins his sisters Mollie (9), Grace (8), Madeline (7) and future Warrior Jack (5). Kelly and Jeff Taunt ’93, along with big sister, Reagan, have welcomed Brooklyn Jeanne. Jeff is the son of Jeanne and Bruce Taunt ’68 and the brother of Greg ’97. Along with his wife and two sons, Robby (5) and Mason (3), Rob Chrysler ’94 lives in Geneva, Switzerland, where Rob works for Procter & Gamble. In February, Gov. Rick Snyder presented Steve Jones ’94 with an award for membership retention in the Southeast Michigan Builders Association. An MSU graduate, Steve has worked in his father’s business,
Chase Rihtarchik ’10, a Junior at Michigan State, threw a complete-game no-hitter to lead Michigan State to a 3-2 win over Oakland March 23 (both of the Grizzlies’ runs were unearned), earning his first career Big 10 Pitcher of the Week award. Emmanuel College (Mass.) lacrosse team named sophomore Jake Jaskolski ’11 as a Captain for 2013, based on voting from the players and coaches, as well as athletic administrators and training staff. Keep an eye on Joey Namou ’11. In addition to being featured iin an Oakland University ad campaign last year (RT, Spring 2012), Joey is now an intern for the Mojo in the Morning radio show
Patrick Grohar ’91, M.D., Ph.D., is a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University. He is one of their foremost
/ SPRING 2013
Zoey Hayden Nyquist, daughter of Maralle and Mark Nyquist ’04
/ 25