Man of St. Michael’s: Don Bannan ’66

It was down to the wire for Don Bannan and his brother Doug ’66 – going on sixty years ago now. e twins, with their hearts set on going to De La Salle, wrote entrance exams both there and at St. Mike’s. Don was awarded a scholarship to De La Salle, and Doug to St. Mike’s. However, when the canny Basilians realized what was happening, they quickly also extended a scholarship oer to Don. e rest, as they say, is history.

"I have absolutely no regrets, it was a good move all around for me and for St. Mike's," says Don. “e more I think about it, the more I realize what a profound inuence St. Mike’s had on who I am. is is especially true when it comes to my love of teaching and giving to others.”

Reecting on his life since high school, Don sees the continuing inuence of St. Mike’s not just in himself, but also in the personalities and achievements of his children. e same is true for the larger St. Mike’s family.

“I see it through the many students I have recommended to St. Mike’s. And I see it through the many teachers I still run into,” Don states. “And now, 60 years later, I will get to see it in my son, Luke, who starts Grade 9 in September.”

Luke will be the Bannan’s h to walk the hallowed yellow halls. Don and Doug blazed the trail in the 1960s, seing a high standard along the way. irty years later, in 1991, Doug’s son Brian ’96 pulled on the blue blazer for the rst time. He was joined in 1995, his OCA year, by Don’s son Ma ’00. Don Bannan in Grade 13 A lile more than 20 years later, Don’s son Jack ’20 renewed the family tradition, starting Grade 9 in 2016. Just as Jack waves goodbye, Luke ’24 waves hello.

“Crazy, eh?” says Don. “e Blue Banner actually did a story about Brian, who was diagnosed with cancer, and my son Ma. ey ran the New York Marathon together, raising around $60,000 for the cancer centre at the Sloane Keeri Hospital in New York. Beer still, they nished in a time of 3:17 – remarkable for two guys who hadn’t run a marathon in their lives except one preliminary in Toronto! My feeling is St. Mike’s had a lile to do with their discipline and determination.”

Discipline and determination also played a role in Don being able to enjoy not just one, but two successful careers - in vastly dierent elds. “St. Mike’s taught me goodness and knowledge yes, but most of all self-discipline,” he reects.

Don rst made his mark in education - serving as a teacher, principal, and Superintendent of Education. His rst job as a principal, at age 27 no less, was just down the road at Holy Rosary.

“When they asked me to go I Doug and Don at Doug's 50th still had to ask where it was,” wedding anniversary. Don laughs. “I had my all-time favourite student Francesco ‘Frenchie’ Bazzocchi ’83 there. He was as special then as he was as a coach and teacher at St. Mike’s.”

Aer a few more principal gigs, Don went on to “do the superintendent stu ”, which he loved because he “had a team of principals upon whom I could impart my values.”

Simultaneously, Don found the time to remain involved with the school in a number of ways. He was on the rst Building Fund commiee with Jack Daley ’66 and served on the alumni commiee with Paul omson ’65. He is also a frequent volunteer at Turkey Roll and Homecoming. Don not only meets oen with alumni, but also with prospective St. Mike’s students, acting as a sort of unocial gatekeeper.

“On a yearly basis many parents come to me and ask if I can refer their child to St. Mike’s,” he explains. “I interview the candidate and refer the ones I feel will be successful.”

It seems that Don is Don with Michael Klubal and Karen Leonard at the Blue Blue Benet & Loery destined to always be the educator, even though he is no longer actually an educator, having retired in 2000. When his window closed on a career in education, another window opened – literally. Don spent the next 17 years as an executive with Ridley Windows and Doors.

Team values and the value of a team are also things Don learned at St. Mike’s – things that were essential to his success as an educator and an executive. He remembers not just the championships won – in football and hockey – but the “muddy cold football practices until the sun went down.”

ere’s that self-discipline making its mark.

“I sweated my bu o doing football drills under the likes of Fr. Volpe ’48, CSB, OSM, Wayne O’Reilly, and Mike Lavelle ’54 ,” he recalls.

L to R: Stan MacLellan '55, Ron Clarkin '75, Dominic Montemurro '78, John P. O'Neill '86, Vilis Miklasevics '66, Carlo De Pellegrin '66, OSM, Don Bannan, Paul Booni '66, Alex Lauber '16, and Fr. John Malo '66, CSB at the 2019 Grade 12 Blessing & Commissioning Mass Don also remembers many of his classmates almost 60 years later. en again the reunions probably help with that. “At our 50th reunion we had more than 30 students and six teachers present,” he exclaims. “What does that say?”

Ah the teachers. Most of all, Don remembers the teachers - Fr. Carruthers, CSB (“humble and unassuming, but so kind. I couldn't roll my R's in French but he sure tried”) Fr. Hibberd ’58, CSB, OSM (“Such an example of goodness. And he didn't know Latin until he started teaching.”) Dan Prendergast, OSM (“He would come to my schools to recruit students and he would say 'Donnie only the good ones, ok?’”) Hugh McDougall, OSM (“Doug and I would try to drive him crazy.”).

“Teachers were such a big part of the school, you knew they cared and they still do today,” Don says before reciting a list seeming to contain every teacher he had at St. Mike’s. “Paul ‘Digger’ Dignan ’59, Jack Fenn ’54, OSM, Fr. Munnelly, CSB, Rev. Paul Sheehan ’49, Fr. ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick, CSB, OSM, Fr. Volpe ’48, CSB, OSM, Fr. Ted Sullivan, CSB, Neil Smith ’46 , Fr. Ted Flanagan, CSB, Pat Fremeau ’56, Wayne O’Reilly, and Michael Lavelle ’54.”

He loved them all, but none as much as Joe Younder ’56.

“Don’t tell him he was my fave, but Joe always showed sincere interest. He followed my teaching career and always asked about Ma’s hockey career,” Don says. “About four years ago I received a package in the mail which was an essay I had wrien for Joe in his English class. I told him ‘no way this was too good for me’. at essay was wrien more than 50 years ago.”

Jack and Luke at Shadow Day.

“I well remember the Bannan twins, Don and Doug. ey were engaged students are longtime contributors to St. Mike's,” says Joe Younder (who was not informed of his favoured status). “Don was in my English class and if memory serves me right was a good student. Both were polite young men, cooperative, and played an active roll in the social and academic life of the school. It's dicult to talk of one Bannan without mentioning both. ey are great people who are still involved with the school. I have a few more essays yet to be sent!”

Don’s essay lives on, like the lessons and values learned in high school. But Don hasn’t just been implanting the values of St. Mike’s in teams of principals, he has been living them his whole life. Like another recent Man of St. Michael’s, Lou Odee ’69, Don has long been dedicated to easing the problems of homelessness. He also volunteers at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre. And then there is of course the coaching, but Don gets as much enjoyment out of that as anyone.

Don welcoming golfers to 2018 Annual Golf Tournament

His baby though, is the St. Michael’s College School Annual Golf Tournament. Don has served as chair of the Golf Commiee for 15 years. Although he shuns the praise, saying the success of the tournament is down to the eorts of the Advancement Oce, Don has made his mark in a number of ways, including allowing students to compete and participate in the happenings around the course.

“ey usually win,” he complains in jest. “e St. Michael's College School Annual Golf Tournament is a special event, raising thousands of dollars over the years for those in need. Equally importantly, it is an opportunity to interact with sta, students, friends, and alumni – including in the past NHL greats such as Red Kelly ’46, OSM, Dick Du ’55, OSM, and Frank Mahovlich ’57, OSM. It also allows us to present our students – on the golf team, in the drumline, and those hosting at the doors and on the course - to an audience!”

“For many years, Don has been a dedicated volunteer at the annual golf tournament. He was also very helpful in organizing the 50th anniversary for our Class of ’66,” says classmate

Carlo De Pellegrin ’66,

OSM. “Don is a fun-loving Don and Frank Mahovlich ’57, OSM guy, an extremely loyal at the 2019 Golf Tournament friend to many, and a long-term supporter of the school. He cares deeply about St. Mike’s and is undoubtedly one of its strongest ambassadors.” As with most things St. Mike’s, the golf tournament is a team eort. And Don’s eorts are certainly appreciated by Kimm Bailey, Gina Cramarossa, and Stephanie Nicholls, of the St. Michael’s College School Oce of Advancement.

Don with brothers Frank Rosar '66 (le) and Ed Rosar '65 at e 2017 Turkey Roll & Reunion

“Don has always been a very proud alumnus and supporter of events,” the ladies wrote in an email to the Blue Banner. “He lends a helping hand volunteering for Turkey Roll and Homecoming, and assists with locating lost alumni. As the chairperson of the golf tournament, he and his commiee have raised more than $250,000 over the last decade for the school’s endowment. We truly value his kind and positive spirit and especially enjoy when he stops by the oce when dropping o his son, Jack. He oen sends pictures to the Advancement Department of the alumni he meets.”

Chairing the golf tournament, meeting with alumni, interviewing prospective students, helping with a wide and electric variety of events and fundraising initiatives, there is really nothing Donald Bannan will not do to help his beloved St. Michael’s.

“St. Mike’s is a special place where everyone has the opportunity to nd their role and be respected. We are all honoured and privileged to have aended. Parents, teachers, administrators, and students work together to make St. Mike’s a happy and secure place,” says Bannan, before adding a call to alumni. “Alumni should also get involved by aending special events like Homecoming, Christmas in the Courtyard, e Big Blue Benet & Loery, and Turkey Roll, or by joining a commiee. ere is lots of room on our golf commiee.”

“My high school years have certainly helped me in my life and my career, even if sometimes you don't realize it until you're gone! Most of all, I learned the value of compassion, which is intertwined in all my actions,” Don says in bringing the interview to a close. “To the graduates, I say take your own personal Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge to the world. Use it to inuence your career, your family, church, and community! ese are tough times right now and you are being called upon probably more so than ever! Be a giver!!!!”

Spoken like a true Man of St. Michael’s. Take a bow, Don, you’ve earned it.

Top: Doug / Boom: Don Christmas 2019, L to R: Jack, Luke, and Don, and Brian, Doug with Doug's grandchildren Vivian and eodore

DONALD BANNAN’S FAVOURITE ST. MIKE’S MEMORIES

• Fr. Sheedy, CSB calling my brother and I to his office to tell us one more ght and we were done!

• Sharing stories at Jacks (the shop across the street) aer school.

• Seeing guys starting Grade 9 never to return. Fr. Whelan, CSB?

• The amazing gravy with the 15-cent burgers and fries.

• We wrote a religion exam on the day Kennedy was assassinated and I remember everyone so upset.

• My friend who stuttered badly releasing a litany of f-bombs without a single stutter.

Don's son, Ma '00, daughter Meredith, and granddaughter Sloan