Eleven individuals and a family will be inducted into the Marian Catholic High School Hall of Fame on Saturday in the John P. Malarkey ’51 Gymnasium at the high school in Hometown.

Denise Bonner Wall ’54

Denise’s fondest memories at Saint Ann’s High School were when she was involved in proudly representing her class as a class officer for several years. She also remembers being the first of several girls in her class to initiate and play girls basketball, even if for just a short period of time each school year. It was during 1944, which was also during wartime, that Denise and her friends would boldly face the challenges of skiing, ice skating, and ice sailing on Lake Harmony, making for many adventurous experiences.

Upon graduating from Saint Ann’s High School, Denise attended Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, graduating with a degree in social work. In 1959, she moved to San Francisco, and because of her love for the California weather, she remained there for more than 60 years with her husband Dick, a San Francisco attorney. During their marriage of 55 years, they raised four children. Dick passed away in 2018. Denise now lives in Reno, Nevada, and continues to support the mission of Marian Catholic High School, especially toward the new Aquinas Learning Support program under the leadership of Head of School Michael Brennan ’06 and Program Director Nicole Dunn ’08.

“One of my goals is to continue supporting the Aquinas Program as it supports the whole child in the areas of physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development,” Denise said. “Marian is here is help each student develop leadership while respecting the potential of each person.” Denise, along with her sister Margaret, who the school will also honor Saturday, made possible the renovations to the chapel at Marian, dedicated in the loving memory of their parents, Dr. and Mrs. William Bonner.

Margaret Bonner Dolan ’55

As an active student at Marian, Margaret thoroughly enjoyed the extracurricular activities available to her such as playing the piano for graduations. She was champion of several Spelling Bs and was extremely proud of having perfect attendance honors for all of her four years. Margaret’s senior year held one of the top honors available to a high school senior - Valedictorian. She was one of six students to hold this esteemed honor.

Margaret went Villanova University and continued her academic accolades by graduating at the head of her class in 1959 and becoming one of the first students to complete the Navy’s new nursing program. She was commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps and attended the New Navy Officer Training Program for nurses in Rhode Island. She was honored for her hard work and named “First in Class.” In 1968, Margaret earned her MSN from the University of California, San Francisco, all while encouraging and supporting her husband, an intern at St. Mary’s Hospital, as well as together raising two of their eventual three children.

In addition to being responsible in numerous leadership roles as a clinical nurse and later being named Director of Nursing for Tulane University Medical Center, community service remained close to Margaret’s heart. Serving her church as a teacher of catechism and being active in the parish council, Margaret was elected to serve as president for several terms and was the first woman in the Diocese of San Francisco to hold that role. In 1992, Marge was honored by the New Orleans Nurses Association as being a recipient of the distinguished award, “Top Nurses in New Orleans.” Margaret and her husband Mike live in New Orleans.

Lee Schilling ’57

Because of Lee’s love and appreciation for his years at Marian as both a fine student and excellent athlete, he is a lifetime supporter of the school. After graduating in 1957, Lee attended LaSalle College in Philadelphia and was a member of the Army National Guard. He eventually retired from the U.S. General Accounting Office. Lee has been a former board member of St. Jerome’s Regional School as well as a member of the Holy Name Society of St. Jerome’s. He is also involved in the Knights of Columbus 2711 and enjoys being an active member of the Men of Marian organization and the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. He continues to be a devoted supporter of LaSalle University and was honored in 2011 for his dedication to his alma mater by being inducted into the De LaSalle Society. Lee is a member of St. John XXIII Parish in Tamaqua, and a member of the Marian Board of Directors.

Rev. Msgr. John J. Martin ’64

While a student at Marian, Monsignor Martin met Father James Morgan, a teacher of religion at the time. Father Morgan became had a significant influence in Martin’s life at Marian and beyond. Martin prepared for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Philadelphia where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees. He was ordained in 1972. After completing his first assignment as an assistant pastor, he was then called to service in Diocesan administration, where he served the Diocese of Allentown for 25 years as assistant financial secretary and then eventually appointed Financial Secretary. Monsignor Martin has also served as pastor to the communities of St. Stephen of Hungary Parish, Assumption BVM Parish, and St. Peter Parish. He retired in 2021.

Monsignor Martin’s additional activities include having been a member of the Council of Priests, the Diocesan Consultors, a committee member of the Committee for Priestly Vocations, a member of the Board of Directors of the former Catholic Social Agency (now Catholic Charities), served as Vice President as well as President of the Board of Directors of Catholic Senior Housing and Health Care Services, Inc., and also is a Fourth-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

In recognition of Monsignor Martin’s devotion to the Church, he has twice received papal honors. He was named Chaplain of His Holiness in 1981 by Pope John Paul II and was named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness in 1987, also by Pope John Paul II.

Monsignor lives in Bethlehem at the Holy Family Villa for Priests, and continues to be one of Marian’s biggest advocates.

Jim Sauka ’66

After four years of perfect attendance at Marian, Jim enlisted in the Army and served his country from 1968-1970. He then began working for Prudential and has earned numerous esteemed awards, both locally and nationally, for his dedication to the company in sales and customer service.

Jim is on the Marian Board of Directors. He has also served on the Diocesan Board of Education, the Marian Advisory Board, Marian Athletic Hall of Fame Committee and the St. Jerome’s Regional School Board. He has been extremely involved in Men of Marian, serving as secretary, treasurer, and president over a 20-year period. Jim drives a school bus for the school and opened the operation of the school’s French fry stand at the Men of Marian Stadium. Jim has recently spent the last two years volunteering in the Advancement Office, assisting in updating the office’s database of alumni and benefactors. Jim and his wife Mary have raised beautiful children who graduated from Marian - Mark ’93, Marie ’94, James, Jr. ’96, and Maureen ’00.

Sr. Anne Crampsie, RSM ’69

A Sister of Mercy for over 50 years, Sr. Anne has been devoted to Catholic education ever since her graduation from Marian. Sister Anne earned her BS in Elementary Education from Gwynedd-Mercy University and then attended Boston College to receive her master’s in education. Her first teaching assignment was in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, followed by teaching in the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina. She was appointed as Principal of St. Michael the Archangel in Levittown. After this assignment was completed, she was selected as principal of Gwynedd-Mercy Academy in Spring House. Under her guidance and leadership, the school community earned the honor and recognition of being named a National Blue Ribbon School. Sher has also given her talents to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by serving as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Sister Anne devotes her time now to her Mercy community as a Sister Life Minister.

Sr. Lisa Marie Valentini, MSC ’74

Sister Lisa’s life changed from the moment she walked through the doors of Marian. She immediately immersed herself in school activities - band, Chess Club, Dance Committee, Prom Committee, “Maria News” school newspaper, and most importantly, Youth Corps. It is her participation in the Youth Corps she realized God was telling her to give of herself to serve the marginalized and the poor, both in the United States and beyond. Only three months after graduation from Marian, she entered the formation program of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. After being professed in 1977, she taught in the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She spent the next five years as a missionary in Peru. From that point on, she has devoted her life to missionary work and to sharing those experiences with others by becoming the Coordinator of Mission Immersion Experience. She organizes and leads college and high school student groups, as well as parishes, by taking them to Mexico and the Dominican Republic to expose them to what it means to serve others who are less fortunate. She is currently forming and planning her 70th group trip.

She continues to speak at parishes across the country, giving presentations as well as retreats. She was the Keynote speaker at youth rallies in the Dioceses of Austin, Texas, and Portland, Maine. During the last three summers, she has had the privilege of working at “Casa Alitas,” an outreach of Catholic Charities USA in Tucson, Arizona, and at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McCallen, Texas, in support of those who are legally crossing the border in the United States.

Her siblings Russell ’73, Marybeth ’78, Jane ’80, Sharon ’83 and Christine ’85 are all Marian graduates.

Bill O’Gurek ’73

As a Marian student, Bill made it a point to be involved. From displaying his athletic talents in cross country and track to participating in the basketball program, Bill wanted his Marian experience to be one of commitment and loyalty to his beloved Colts. Not only was Bill an athlete, but he was an excellent writer. Therefore, it was obvious he would become the Sports Editor of the student newspaper. His cleverness and astuteness also earned him a position on the Chess Club Team.

Bill’s experiences with the “Marian News,” helped direct him to a position with the “Times News” in Lehighton, for over 49 years, which included, among other things, coverage of his beloved alma mater’s athletic events. In 2020, Bill retired as Carbon County commissioner, serving for 16 years in that position. He has also served as Carbon County Prothonotary for 10 years, and he proudly served the people of Summit Hill as their mayor for 10 dedicated years.

Bill’s loyalty to Marian led him to serve as financial secretary of the Men of Marian for approximately 15 years, and he directed the reorganization of the Marian Alumni Association in 2019-2022. Bill writes the alumni newsletter on a regular basis.

Bill and his wife Siobhan are members of St. Joseph Catholic Church of the Panther Valley, Summit Hill, where he is a Eucharistic Minister. They are the parents of Marian graduates, Bill ’01 and daughter Erin ’03. Bill’s siblings Grace ’64, Joe ’71, Robert ‘72, David ’75, Louise ‘77 and John ’79 are all Marian graduates.

Terri Svetz Shickora ’77

Terri represented Marian Catholic High School in gymnastics and track for all four years of her high school career. Her leadership qualities continued to surface as she led the school band as its majorette for the four years she was at Marian, earning her co-captain status. After graduating from Marian, Terri enrolled at Penn State University, studying in the Physical Therapy Assistant Program. Terri was honored with the “Nittany Lion Award” in 1997 for her high academic grade point average.

When one looks at the facilities at Marian, the impact Terri has had on the mission of the school is apparent. As chair of the Facilities Committee of the Board of Directors, Terri managed over $2,000,000 in capital improvements for her alma mater. With her husband Bruce ’76, Terri has been involved with Marian for more than 30 years. They are the parents of three Marian graduates: Ashley ’03, Bruce ’04, and Kristen ’08. All of her siblings are Marian graduates – Wayne ’79, Cindy ‘80, Bruce ’83, Greg ’84, Cheryl ‘89, and Joe ‘93. Terri serves her parish of St. John XXII in Tamaqua as a Eucharistic Minister.

Jerome and Joan Palko, GP ’08, ‘08

Jerome has served as a member of Marian’s Board of Directors for many years and has played an instrumental role in modernizing many of the facilities, including the state-of-the-art Stabler Foundation Science Center and Sonny & Helen Kovatch Chemistry Lab, as well as the very modern Anna H. Morgan Technology and Business Center, to name a few. With over 55 years of experience in the industrial commercial construction industry, Jerome was more than happy to put his skills to work at Marian when he saw the need. Jerome and Joan’s proudest moments came when they witnessed the graduation of their two twin grandchildren from Marian, Justin and Ashley in June 2008. Marian celebrates Jerome and Joan Palko for not only their enormous contributions to Marian, but more importantly, for their love of Marian.

The Baddick Family

Andrew and Nora (Urban) Baddick, the parents of the family honorees, tirelessly supported Catholic education, starting when their pastor launched a campaign to “buy bricks” to build St. Jerome’s parish school in Tamaqua.

Andy and Nora nurtured this devotion to Catholic education among their sons and daughters, who not only sent their children to St Jerome’s and Marian but also shared their time and talents with Marian.

Their son Eddie, a founding member of the Men of Marian, supported the school in so many ways, from managing fundraisers to cutting grass at Marian.

His brothers, Josey and Frank, also contributed time to Marian.

Josey was likely one of the best monthly 50/50 ticket sellers. Many might compare him with their dads but Josey sold them everywhere, even at wakes.

Frankie also sold Men of Marian chances and Membership cards anywhere he was. Using his no fail technique for pizza sales, he would ask people if they liked pizza. When they said yes, he sold them tickets to exchange for pizza at a local eatery. Frank also worked Marian’s ticket booths and bingos.

Beginning with the first Men of Marian picnic at Tippets and continuing for many more, Genevieve ran a stand, offering chances to win various prizes. She and her sisters Josephine, Helen, Kay, Eleanor, and Jean worked tirelessly beforehand buying and hand making prizes, folding and stapling tickets, and thanking people for donated prizes. Gen also donated many handmade quilts and sold chances on them at the picnics and in her beauty shop in Tamaqua to help Marian.

Helen’s husband, Pete Campbell, played the trumpet professionally and served as Marian’s Band Director during the 1950s and Director of St. Jerome’s Men’s Choir until he became ill.

Kay’s treasures included a vial of dirt from the groundbreaking for the school where we are today, almost 60 years later. She stored it in her jewelry box, where it was found when she died.

All continued working at Marian functions long after their sons and daughters had graduated. The success of their children after graduation only strengthened their commitments to the school. Each held St. Jerome’s and Marian closely in their hearts.

Whatever the school needed, the family was “all in” to support, defend and uphold the qualities, academics, and programs of Marian Catholic High School. Congratulation to the Baddick Family on your induction into the Marian Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

The evening starts at 5:30 p.m. with the cocktail reception and the dinner and program are at 7 p.m. The inaugural recipients of the “Distinguished Alumnus Award” are John P. Malarkey, Class of 1951 from Saint Jerome’s High School and William “Bill” Bonenberger, Class of 1976 from Marian Catholic High School.