Class Notes from St. Michael's HS, Loretto Academy & St. Michael's College/CSF
1940s
George Blue Spruce, Jr. (’49) lives in Surprise, AZ. He holds a DDS from Creighton University and Master’s in public health from the University of California at Berkeley. His impressive career as a dentist and health advocate includes 28 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service, 21 of which he spent in the Indian Health Service. He was the only dentist for 14 American Indian reservations and directed national American Indian programs to promote economic and social self sufficiency. He worked as the director of national health manpower programs at the National Institutes of Health, and as a consultant to the World Health Organization he lectured on dental issues in South America. He was the director of dental programs at the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, and later served as the regional director of Indian Health Services, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon General in 1980 and retired from the federal government in 1986. In 1990, Dr. Blue Spruce founded the Society of American Indian Dentists and served as president for 16 years; he is now president emeritus of that organization. Since 2002, he has served as assistant dean at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Phoenix. Dr. Blue Spruce and his wife, Patricia, have six grown children and 12 grandchildren.
1960s
Jim Bonney (’63) lives in Kennewick, WA. He recently retired after over 42 years in education as a science teacher and dean of students. Jim has two grown daughters, Kelly, 42, and Amy, 40. He holds degrees from New Mexico Highlands University and New Mexico State University.
Mary Ellen (Giles) Freyermuth (Loretto ’64) lives in Omaha, NE, with her husband, Charles. She is the director of MIS at Catholic Mutual Group. Mary Ellen attended the Regina School of Nursing and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
John Wright (’65) attended St. Mike’s for two years. After graduating from a different high school, he went on to attend Orange Coast College and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He lives in Tulsa, OK, with his wife, Marianne. Together they have four children, three of whom are adopted, as well as 25 foster children. John is retired from the Western Hotels Corporation.
1970s
Gary Schneider (’70) lives in Southlake, TX. He holds a BA and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma and is a CPA. Gary has worked as a consultant to such companies as Accenture, Deloitte, Earnst & Young, and neoIT. Currently, he is running a closely held oil and gas company. Gary is married and has three daughters, ages 25–30. Within the past decade, Gary has worked and lived in Brazil (two years) and India (three years); he has also spent time in China. Gary’s passions are travel, snow skiing, and college football.
Judith Kuhr (’79) lives in Pflugerville, TX, which is near Austin. She earned a nursing degree from the College of Santa Fe and has worked as a registered nurse for 29 years. Judith and her husband, George, divorced in 1998; they have one son, Scotty. Judith would love to hear from other class of ’79 grads. E-mail her at elder_princess2003@yahoo.com.
1980s
Steve Rivera (’82) lives in Tucson, AZ, and works in public relations and as a sports columnist. Steve has just published his third book, The University of Arizona Basketball Vault: The History of the Wildcats (Whitman Publishing) in fall 2010. Steve wrote for the Tucson Citizen for 22 years, until the paper ceased its print edition and became an on-line publication. The new book takes readers through over a century of Arizona basketball, from the first game in 1904 through the 2009 – 10 season. This detailed “scrapbook” contains never-before-published photographs, artwork and memorabilia from the University of Arizona athletic department and campus archives.
Teresa Gonsalves (’86) is an attorney in Alexandria, VA. She earned her undergraduate degree at Claremont McKenna College, worked with Teach for American corps from 1990–93, and then earned her J.D. at Harvard Law School. She and her husband, Mohamed, have a two-year-old son.
Manuel G. Griego (’86) is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. With his wife, Chimene, and his children, Steven, Christopher, Luke and Ysabella, Manuel has moved eight times in 18 years with the Air Force. He holds a BS from New Mexico State University, an MS in aero science from Embry-Riddle Aero University, and an MS in systems engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Manuel says “The values and education gained at St. Mike’s set the path for success with future education, career and family.”
Alumni In Focus: Maria Feliz Salazar and David Duran (’86) Have you ever imagined what could happen when former classmates find each other on Facebook? For some, old friendships are rekindled; for others, new friendships are born; and for one couple from the class of 1986, love is found. Maria Feliz Salazar and David Duran hadn’t seen each other since their days at the University of New Mexico, where they ran into each other campus now and then. (Though they knew each other in high school, they did not run in the same social circles.) A couple of years ago, David sent Maria a Facebook friend request. At first, their communication was light, but then David left Maria a message of condolence after she posted about the death of a family member. His comment evolved into a long conversation and a lot of reminiscing on Maria’s Facebook wall, which sparked other conversations, which led to a “poke” here and there, and then they were sending each other smiles and leaving notes for each other in Farmville. Eventually they were sending each other private messages and engaging in long instant-messaging sessions. A romance began to blossom, but there was one problem: they had yet to see each other face to face because Maria lives in Santa Fe and David lived in Jemez Springs. On Columbus Day, 2009, they met for the first time in over twenty years. They felt immediately comfortable, like old friends. They started dating and fell in love. David proposed on June 12, 2010; they will marry on February 12, 2011, at the Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community. They will make their home in Santa Fe. David works at LANL and Maria works in real estate and continues to write the stories her characters tell her to write. She’s still hoping to publish a novel someday. (This expanded class note was written and submitted by Maria Feliz Salazar.)
1990s
Tony Martinez (’90) earned his BA and MA from New Mexico State University and now lives in Washington DC and serves as the associate director in the Executive Office of the President-White House Office of National Drug Control. Tony and his wife, Nancy, have one daughter, Juliana Rose.
Kim Mathie (’91) lives in Sonora, CA. She is the marketing and education director at Sierra Repertory Theatre and she writes a weekly column for a local newspaper. Kim holds degrees from Pacific University and the University of Oregon.
Rachel Alarid de Gowen (’92) lives in Silver Spring, MD, with her husband, Sean, and their children, Claudia Moore Gowen, 14, and Leigh Mariana Alarid Gowen, 6 months. Rachel earned a BA from the University of New Mexico and an MA from Virginia Tech and now works as an international trade specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Jaime Lester (’96) is an assistant professor at George Mason University. She lives in Fairfax, VA, with her husband, Craig Hayden, who is an assistant professor at American University. They have one child, two-year-old Mackenzie. Jaime earned a bachelor’s in English and women’s studies from the University of Michigan, a master’s and a Ph.D. in education from the University of Southern California.
Carlos Olivas (’96) lives in Albuquerque but travels for his work as a minor league athletic trainer with the Texas Rangers. In 2011, he will be in Frisco, TX, with the AA team. He and his wife, Toni, have one daughter, Mia. In his class-note form, Caros noted that it is incredible that in addition to himself, there are four other athletic trainers in pro-baseball who are St. Mike’s alumni: Ron Porterfield, Matt Lucero, Travis Tims, and Brian Baca.
Jessica Romero (’98) earned her bachelor of business administration from the University of New Mexico and now lives in San Francisco, CA, with her partner, Fidel Archuleta, and works in regulatory operations in the biotech field. She and Fidel have one child, 19-month-old Cortez. Jessica says: “I am proud of my family that still attends SMHS and I’m proud of my uncle, the girls b-ball head coach. Go Horsemen.”
Valerie Almanzar (’99) lives in Rio Rancho, NM, with her husband, Aaron Orosco. She sells real estate with Find Your Casa, under Keller Williams, and recently received national recognition from Realtor Magazine as one of “30 under 30 Nation’s Rising Stars.” Valerie has a BA in psychology and an MBA in operations management and marketing.
Max Murray (’99) lives in Baltimore, MD, and is an active duty Coast Guard officer. He holds two master’s degrees and is currently working on his doctorate. He is married to Sheryl Southard.
2000s
Carrie Frey (’00) lives in Vermont. She attended Eastern Wyoming College and works as a Licensed Nursing Assistant. She has one daughter.
Kira Malatchi (’02) currently lives in Kuwait, where she teaches second grade. She plans to work internationally for the next few years; she wants to learn about different cultures while teaching children around the world. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and when she is in the United States, her hometown is Carolina Beach, NC.
Felice R. Ulibarri ('07) earned a BS in manufacturing engineering from Boston University. For her outstanding efforts advising and assisting fellow students, she received an Engineering Alumni Association Award and a Student Advisor Award; she also made the Dean's List for academic honors. At BU, Felice volunteered with such organizations as Science Club for Girls; she was also the executive board treasurer of the College of Engineering and vice regional student representative for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. She interned with M&E Engineering, Hallmark Cards, and Pratt & Whitney. She will remain in Boston to work for Accenture Global Services, a management consulting company. Felice is the daughter of Charley Ulibarri and Della Vigil of Santa Fe.
In Memory
Jose O. Ortiz (’33)
Jose passed away on September 18, 2010, surrounded by his loving family. Jose was born on August 24, 1915, in Santa Fe, to Frank Ortiz Jr. and Refugito Ortega Ortiz. He graduated from St. Michael’s High School in 1933 and later attended St. Michael’s College. He was very active in sports while at SMHS and held the half-mile record which remained unbroken until the 1950s. He played semi-pro baseball for about 20 years and basketball for 15 years after his graduation. He served the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during WWII. He later worked for the U.S. Postal Service and then as a cement finisher with Allen Stamm and Stanke/Brown. He was on the crew that built the Paolo Soleri amphitheater on the grounds of the Santa Fe Indian School. He was an active parishioner of St. Anne’s Catholic Church where he was an usher for about 20 years and a member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society. He loved to sing and was a member of parish choir in the late 1940s. In his younger years, he enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing. After his retirement, he enjoyed going to horse races and casinos. He married the love of his life, Maria Isabel Lacassagne, on October 11, 1937. They had eight children.
Jose is survived by his wife, Isabel (Belle); daughters Marcella Gonzales (Rudy), Ann Rita Rosacker (Buddy), Linda Serna (Don); sons David Ortiz (Cecilia), Carlos Ortiz, Tomas Ortiz (Nancy); and daughter-in-law Jovanna Ortiz; as well as 29 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; sisters Melinda Saiz, Lucy Trujillo, Bernadette Sena; brother Alfonso Ortiz; and sisters-in-law Frances Ortiz, Connie Lacassagne and Viola Manzanares (Horace). He was preceded in death by an infant son, Carlos, and son Richard (Chick) Ortiz.