The Irish American Alliance will miss one of our founding members. Edward (Bob) Murphy passed away in June. Bob was one of our friendliest, most consistent and hard working Members. He attended every event and was always performing some function in addition to being a positive presence on behalf of the Club. In recent years with Bob’s health fading many members of Bob’s family took up some of the tasks Bob used to perform for us and more, including cooking all of the food at our annual picnic,(Pat Murphy) a job which requires a large amount of work every year. As we noted Bob was with the club from the beginning. Bobs smile was genuine. He will be greatly missed. Our sincerest condolences to the Murphy and Dolan Families.
Bud Gavin is recovering nicely after surgery on both knees. Tom Lynch is celebrating over a year of good health after significant surgery last spring. Tom was also named to the Leo High School Hall of Fame, for his continuing dedication to the Leo High School Alumni Association and development of its website, at their annual dinner on April 29th .Well done, Tom.
Congratulations to the Gill/DeSanto families on welcoming a new bundle of joy to the fold. Tracy DeSanto, daughter of Alice Gill welcomed a son on May 19th. Ain weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 ozs. The family is doing well. Connor Gill, another one of Alice’s grandchildren, recently celebrated his 18th birthday, and graduated from Lincoln Way High School this past spring. Many congratulations to Connor and all of our other High School and College graduates in the class of 2011.
Jim and Bonnie O’Reilly have done a fair bit of traveling this year, so far they have been in Florida, and Savannah, with a trip to Canada set for September. Have a great time, Jim and Bonnie.
Another one of our travelers is John F (St. Patrick) Brogan, who has brought his skill of manufacturing equipment to Guatemala, Bermuda, and Alberta, Canada in the past three months.
Ginger Ripple has been busy with her newest venture, Valentine Entertainment and Sound. Ginger and her partner, Michael, provide sound and lighting services, as well as DJ and Karaoke Services for weddings, graduations, dinner enhancements, or any place where music may be needed. Valentine Entertainment has been the amplification provider of the last three Leo Alumni Association Dinners, as well as providing Karaoke for the membership and election party.
Congratulations to Kate Lynch on her new job at Loyola Hospital. Good luck Kate.
Plans are underway to re-vamp our website. The Irish American Alliance website is in need of updating and further development. Tom Lynch has volunteered to help spearhead these changes. The goal is to make the website more visible on the internet with easier navigation. Please feel free to check the website often to see what our new website holds for the future.
The club offers its condolences to the Dan Gallagher Family on the loss of Dan’s mother, Barbara in February of this year.
