Santa Clara Magazine

Lois Pahl Mitchell J.D. ’63 died May 14, 2012, in Sacramento, where she had lived for six years. She was born September 12, 1920, in Vernon Center, Minn., the second of William and Ella Pahl's three daughters. She went west to San Jose State College, where she earned her private pilot's license and met her future husband, Logue Leon Mitchell, in a civilian flight-training program. They married in 1941 at Winnipeg, Canada, where Logue was a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force, prior to transferring to the US Army Air Corps. After the war, they returned to California to raise three sons, primarily in Santa Clara County. During this period, Lois attended Santa Clara University School of Law, where she was one of the first three women to graduate in 1963. She was executive director of the Santa Clara County Bar Association before starting her own practice. For the past 20 years, she and Logue have lived in either California or Tucson, AZ. Lois was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by her sisters, Shirley Maus and Lorraine Ramirez, and three sons: James, Bruce and Andrew Mitchell, their wives, eight grandchildren and one great grandson. A graveside service was held for Lois at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.

Joseph David Cusick MBA ’63 Oct. 18, 1929-Mar. 27, 2013. A resident of Los Gatos, he passed away at home in Los Gatos, of melanoma. He is survived by his loving and supportive wife of 61 years, Kathryn Vermilya Moore Cusick, their eight children Stephen, Anne, Eileen, Michael (Joyce) Joseph (Nanette), Mary, James (Michelle), and John (Eiko), 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Joe was born in Chicago on October 18, 1929, to Joseph M. and Rose Gerrity Cusick. He came to California to attend Stanford University, where he was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism organization, Navy ROTC, and the football and wrestling teams. After receiving his degree in 1951, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Princeton off Korea. He was trained as a pilot in Pensacola, FL and was assigned to fighter squadrons at Moffett NAS. While on night maneuvers in July 1954, his jet experienced a flameout; he guided the aircraft away from residential areas and made a crash landing in a cherry orchard in Sunnyvale. He continued to fly jets and antisubmarine aircraft at Alameda NAS as a reserve officer. Joe had a long career in military aerospace, first at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company for ten years and then as a civilian manager at the Air Force Satellite Test Center, both in Sunnyvale. He was Chief of Operations at the time he retired in 1991. He received an MBA at Santa Clara University in 1963, was a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Business School in 1972-73, and received an MS from San Jose State University in 1976. Joe met his wife Kathy at Stanford, and after graduation both were active volunteers for the university. He was a fundraiser for over 50 years and served as chair/co-chair for numerous alumni conferences and class reunions. He served as chairman of the Associates of the Stanford University Libraries and was a board member of Stanford Associates. He received the Gold Spike Award in 1973 for distinguished volunteer service and the Stanford Associates Award in 1995. He was also a member of the Block S Society, Buck-Cardinal Club, Alumni Association, and Founding Grant Society. Joe loved to travel, beginning with his teenage road trips throughout the western United States and Mexico. After retirement, he and Kathy traveled throughout Europe and to other destinations such as Japan, China, Australia, and South Africa, frequently as part of biennial reunions with his Stanford Sloan Program classmates and spouses. He was also active in the Saratoga Men's Club, Los Gatos Rotary, and the Los Gatos Museum Association. 

John Joseph Kiely '55, M.A. '63, a longtime teacher and counselor, and descendant of Santa Clara's prominent Kiely family, passed away Nov. 14 at his home in Los Gatos after a long battle with leukemia. He was 79.

One of nine children, he was born March 18, 1933, to grocer William P. and Elaine Kiely. The Kiely family originally left Ireland during the potato famine, then settled in Australia before immigrating to California.

He grew up in the family mansion on Homestead Road. Known today as the Kiely House, this circa-1889 Queen Anne Victorian is listed on historical tour guides of Santa Clara. In the 1950s, the home was used as a boardinghouse for students attending Bellarmine College Preparatory.

His father was a former mayor of Santa Clara, and Kiely Boulevard is named for him. His brother William P. Kiely Jr. '55 also served for years on the City Council.

After graduating from Bellarmine and Santa Clara University, Kiely embarked on a long teaching career. He taught English and drama at Santa Clara High School for 33 years. In 1992, he earned an MFCC (Marriage, Family and Child Counseling) license and launched a second career.

He was also involved with the Serra Club, a Catholic vocation group, St. Mary's Church and Holy Family's New Horizons program.

Kiely is survived by his wife of 17 years, Carole '71; his two children, Kate Kiely and Daniel Kiely '93: three stepdaughters, Melissa Burke, Julia Selfridge and Marya Ruiz; and three grandchildren, Henry, Freddy and Josie.

Gerald "Jerry" A. Ritthaler ’63, MBA ’70: December 5th, 1941 - February 22nd, 2013. Jerry, to his three sons, family, and countless friends, lived life with boundless enthusiasm. He was known to start conversations with a family member, close friend, or perfect stranger (soon to be a friend) by telling them about the best food he's ever had in this life, the greatest game or play he's ever seen, the nicest person he's ever met, or something very simple to the rest of us that simply amazed him. Pops would end the story with the declaration, How cool is that? It sounded like a question, but it was more of a statement about his zest for life and optimism. His enthusiasm was contagious and brought a smile or a laugh to everyone who came into his life, each and every day. Born on December 5, 1941 to Jaconda and Philip Ritthaler in Sacramento, CA, Jerry was destined to make friends and make a strong 1st impression from the day he was born. He grew up in the Sacramento area and attended college at Santa Clara University where he earned a Bachelor's and Master's Degree. After college, he had a successful business career in sales at General Foods, Sunshine Biscuits, and Kroger. Jerry's Bay area roots were an early indicator of one of his great loves in life  sports. From the time he could yell and listen to a game on the radio, he developed a great passion for sports, and this passion never wavered for a second. He cheered early and often for the Raiders and Athletics because of his strong California ties, and he never stopped cheering for his beloved Oakland teams, but he added many teams in Georgia to his shirt and hat collection when he moved to Georgia in 1979. Once his three boys Mike, Mark, and Matt attended and graduated from the University of Georgia, he was destined to be a life-long Dawgs fan. Pops also had enough spirit in his heart to add the Falcons to his list of football teams he pulled for. Sundays in the fall were never dull with Jerry around, and he always had the game on and a rooting interest in the outcome no matter who was playing. One of Jerry's other great sports loves was baseball. He started out an Oakland A's fan while in the Bay Area, but after moving to Georgia, he quickly adopted the Atlanta Braves as his favorite team. Pops was always ready to head to the ballpark and watch his beloved Braves with anyone who would go with him. No matter how many times they broke his heart in October, he was ready again the following spring, enthusiastic and full of optimism. When he was not in Atlanta, he was always looking for a good deal on some tickets so he could catch the local team and enjoy a few cold ones at the ball park. Pops also brought this love for baseball to his family. He coached his sons in little league baseball in Scotts Valley, CA, teaching them the fundamentals and never missing a game, but more than anything he taught them a love for baseball, sports, and competition. Pops kept the family baseball tradition and love of sports alive with his grandchildren, attending Matthew's baseball and hockey games, Katie's softball and gymnastics, Daniel's baseball and basketball, and Evan's baseball games. He was a fan of his sports teams and an even bigger fan of his boys and grandchildren. Later in his life, Jerry had the good fortune to meet Marilou, who became his wife in 2011. They enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage for 2 + all too short years, but they filled that time up with passion, laughter, and a great appreciation for the opportunity to find true love late in life. Jerry and Marilou shared their devotation to their Catholic Faith and attended church and bible study regularly together. The marriage of Jerry and Marilou also allowed two families to meet each other and become one as Mike and Daniel, Mark and Mary Beth along with Katie and Matthew, and Matt and Kim were able to meet Michelle and Scott Whitehead and their children Erin and Evan to create a new and loving family. Jerry's gift of bringing people together will never be forgotten. Pops was a father figure to many of his sons' close friends in the Dunwoody, GA area. Now and forever, all of those who were fortunate enough to meet Pops will remember him for his stories. He never bragged about himself, but he never stopped telling proud stories about his sister Phyllis and her husband Scott, the good people he met through his charitable work, the love he had for the choir at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Historic Sweet Auburn, and whomever he was going to meet tomorrow. Jerry had an opinion on everything and it was almost always a positive, kind, and hopeful one. Pops will be greatly missed but never forgotten. If the question is, How cool was that man? The answer is The Coolest of them All.ö We will hear his joyful voice in our heads for the rest of our lives. When Pops passes thru the gates of heaven, a crowd will welcome him. Some will have known him well, others simply heard he was coming, and then he will get back to work checking on his earth bound family and friends. Jerry is survived by his wife, Marilou Ritthaler, of Alpharetta; sons, Mike Ritthaler, of San Rafael, CA, Mark (wife, Mary Beth) Ritthaler, of Atlanta, Matt (wife, Kim) Ritthaler, of San Francisco, CA, step-daughter, Michelle (husband, Scott) Whitehead, of Cumming; grandchildren, Katie Ritthaler, Matthew Ritthaler, Daniel Ritthaler, Erin Whitehead, and Evan Whitehead; sister, Phyllis (husband, Scott) Keilholtz, Sacramento, CA and Nephew Erik Keilholtz (wife, Melanie and daughter, Amalia) of Vallejo, CA. 

Fr. Gilbert Michael Chacon, S.J., ’63, age 73, passed away to receive his heavenly reward on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno.

Fr. Gilbert was born in Fresno,  Calif., one of 12 children born to Antonio and Evangeline Chacon, immigrants from Mexico. Fr. Gilbert was raised in Dos Palos, graduating from Dos Palos High School where he was Valedictorian of the Class of 1957. He later attended Ryan Preparatory College in Fresno, before entering Santa Clara University where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in 1963. While at the University he felt the call to priestly life and entered the Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) with first vows in 1965. He later earned his Philosophy and Theology degrees from Collegium Maximum Christi Regis, in Mexico City. He was ordained a priest on June 15, 1973 in Los Angeles by Bishop Juan Arzube. He made his final vows as Jesuit in 1991.

During his priestly ministry Fr. Chacon was a teacher and served in parishes throughout California, Texas, Arizona and Mexico. In recent years he served in the Diocese of Fresno at various parishes. He was currently residing at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Fresno.

Fr. Gilbert is survived by his siblings; Raymond Ambriz of Quincy, Washington, Fr. Frank Chacon of Winslow Az, Tony Chacon of Los Angeles, Joe Chacon of Los Angeles, Olivia Marquez of Los Banos, Gertrude Thomas of Los Angeles, Thereza Sotelo of Hanford, Josephine Davison of Los Angeles, Ramona Chacon and Juanita Chacon both of Hayward, Calif. Also surviving Fr. Gilbert are numerous nieces and nephews including Fr. Angel Sotelo of Chowchilla and his brother Jesuit Priests.