Class Notes

1950s

John Snyder ’57 and his wife, Margaret, celebrated 65 years of marriage on June 29, 2022. John served in the Army and was a medical sales representative.

Snyder

Charles Weidendorf ’55 and his wife, Celia, celebrated 65 years of marriage on November 17, 2021.

1970s

Rosemary Aukerman ’72 lives in Lakeland, Florida and is a retired art education teacher. She has three children (Chris, Kara and Ryan) and seven grandchildren.

Paul VanGessel ’78 is the Indigent Defense Administrator for the City of Wyoming, Michigan and oversees the appointed criminal defense attorneys in the 59th, 62-A and 62-B District Courts, which covers Wyoming, Grandville, Walker and Kentwood. Previously, he served as the Assistant Wyoming City Attorney. Paul and his wife, Susan, have four children and six grandchildren (with one more on the way). The couple resides in Grandville.

VanGessel

1980s

Dana Arbor ’86 entered the 101st Airborne after graduation. She served as a personnel records specialist inside the adjunct general clerk’s office. She attended the DeMarse Corrections Academy, became a correctional officer and was promoted to resident unit officer. Dana is now semi-retired.

1990s

Danny Smith ’97 accepted a position with Koch Industries as IT program manager for the Disruptive Technologies division. He and his wife, Mindy, celebrated 20 years of marriage in October. Danny enjoys watching his daughter, Summer, compete in softball for Olivet College.

Weidendorf

1960s

Oliver Tuthill ’68 has a new feature film, “The Right to Bear Arms,” a crime thriller starring John Savage, that was picked up by Red Lion Distribution out of Los Angeles and is on streaming platforms. His boxing novel, “When the Sunlight Goes Dark,” will be released in early 2023 by Austin Macauley Publishers. Oliver works as a film producer and script consultant.

Tuthill Smith

2000s

Dr. Robert Clay ’00 was named chief equity and inclusion officer and assistant to the president for community engagement at Luther College. He will oversee the Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support and will serve

as a strategic partner and advisor to students, faculty and staff on diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement.

Craig Bowen ’00 was named principal of Ionia High School. He earned his master’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas with a concentration in instructional technology and has been an educator for 22 years.

Katherine Reeves ’03 was named the middle school theatre director and arts director for the Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee, Florida. She is also the instructor of high school theatre and thespian/jr thespian director for Troupe #6640.

Ken Bradley ’03 was named head coach of the Leslie High School football team. Ken was a member of the baseball team and coached football at Olivet College. He is currently the health and physical education teacher at Leslie Middle School.

Stephen Kolomyjec ’05 was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of biology at Lake Superior State University.

Allison (Shakinis) Aldrich ’06

has been named principal of Ionia Middle School. She earned a Master of Science in Education from Purdue University. Allison has spent 14 years as an educator.

Reeves

Kolomyjec

Amanda (AJ) Johnston ’07 was named principal of Haas Elementary in Genesee.

Johnston

2010s

Jay Magro ’14 was named the principal at Genesee Jr/Sr High School.

Zachary Gropp ’16 was named head coach of the Kent City Eagles high Magro school football team. He previously coached one season at Portage Central after graduating from Olivet College where he played linebacker.

2020s

Huston Snyder ’20 is a commercial underwriter for Ally, Detroit. He earned his property and casualty (P&C) license and graduated from the Olivet MBA program in May 2022. Huston is now working toward his chartered property casualty underwriter designation (CPCU). Brooke Garver ’21 and Cameron Lemon ’21 were engaged on November 8, 2021.

Garver/Lemon

Births

Katie (Graebner) Ingraham ’05 and her husband, Kyle, welcomed a baby girl, Violet Kay, on August 10, 2022.

Ingraham

Brandon ’07 and Karine (Campbell) ’06 Walters welcomed Axel Conrad on September 2, 2022. Axel joins Madeline, Gunnar and Gwenivere. Tamyra Walters ’80 is the proud grandma.

Blake ’10 and Macy (Rose) Walters ’13 welcomed a daughter, Violet Jewell, on July 29, 2022. Tamyra Walters ’80 is the proud grandma. Adam ’13 and Kathleen (Bukoski) ’15 Gross welcomed their daughter, Amelia Kaye, on July 13, 2022.

Andrew ’14 and Allison (Stockmeyer) ’14 Green welcomed their son, Benjamin Ian, on August 12, 2022. Sean and Aubrey (Stockmeyer) Alexander ’14 are the proud aunt and uncle.

Walters

Patrick Leahy ’10 and his wife, Libbey, welcomed twin boys to the world on April 8, 2022.

Green

Jessica Duell ’15 and Ryan Armstrong ’15 welcomed their first child, Elijah Robert, on May 21, 2022.

Leahy

Jennifer (Baum) Yerkov ’12 and her husband, Charlie, welcomed a baby girl, Josie Annemarie, on Sep. 29, 2021.

Yerkov Duell/Armstrong

Marriages

Louis Vasilion ’00 and Katie Marie-Phillippe married on December 13, 2021.

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Kerns

William Kerns ’57 passed away on June 4, 2021.

Kenneth

and Carol

(Blumenthal)

Milner ’58 have both passed away. Carol passed on June 22, 2021. Kenneth passed away on July 23, 2022. He served on the Board of Trustees at Olivet College from 2012-2016.

Milner

Clark

Dozier

Rev. Edwin Clark ’63 passed away on June 6, 2022.

Elizabeth “Liz” Livedoti ’65 passed away on June 25, 2022. Liz was the wife of beloved football coach Dominic Livedoti ’65.

Coach Robert “Bobby” Dozier

’68 passed away in April 2022. As a freshman, he played on the Olivet College football team and then coached at Olivet for two years.

Dully

Whitfield

Hurst Laura (Underhill) Dully ’82

passed away April 21, 2022.

Barnett-Westfall

David Whitfield ’06 passed away on Dec. 15, 2021.

Levoid Lynn Vickers III ’11 passed away on Aug.18, 2022.

Seth Hanton ’15

passed away on May 27, 2022. While at Olivet, he met the love of his life, Alexis Nichols, ’16. They were married in May 2017.

Gregory Hurst ’17 passed away on May 17, 2022. He was a Phil Alpha Pi Fraternity member and highly passionate about Olivet's insurance and risk management program.

Hanton

Mackinac Island

ALUMNI EVENT June 9-11, 2023

• Island cocktail event on Friday.

• Carriage tours, biking, and island exploration on Saturday.

• Farewell brunch on Sunday.

• Registration information coming soon!

MISSION POINTE RESORT One Lake Shore Dr, Mackinac Island, MI, 49757

Office of Alumni Engagement 320 S. Main St. Olivet, MI 49076

RELATIONSHIPS the OLIVET WAY

Olivet intentionally fosters a relationship-based education, where students, faculty, staff and alums help one another reach their goals in the classroom and in their careers. These are relationships the Olivet way.