DEDE LALA SALLESALLE INSTITUTE Chicago December 2005 JOHN C. PARMER 1928 - 2005 De La Salle Institute Class of 1946 message from the president DE LA SALLE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2005 De La Salle Magazine is published quarterly by De La here was once a small boy who was from a very poor family. They bare- Salle Institute’s Office for Advancement. The purpose of ly had enough for food and he only had tattered clothes to wear to school. the publication is to unite the T Despite the hardships, the family always had a strong faith in God. Christian Brothers, alumni, T students, parents, faculty, staff One day, a group of his classmates were making fun of him and asked him if God and friends together in De La Salle’s mission of excellence in really loved him, why did God not alleviate the family's dire poverty. In their education. harassment of him and his faith they implied God had failed his family miserably. In response, the little boy said that God had indeed answered their prayers, but the person God assigned to help them had been the one to fail, not God. Send us your thoughts Br. Michael Quirk, FSC Letters to the editor are This past September, John C. Parmer '46 passed away after a yearlong battle with encouraged and appreciated. cancer. John was one of those people who God had sent to help others, but in Letters must be signed and have John's case, he did not fail God. Together with his wife, Carolyn, John Parmer made sure that those who an address and/or telephone number. Letters to the editor were less fortunate got a chance for a better life. may be published and edited for length and clarity. Please send Many in the De La Salle community are aware of the generosity of the Parmers through their decades-long correspondence to: support of De La Salle Institute. Not only did they share of their treasure, but John also gave of his time and talent. John Parmer served on the De La Salle Board of Directors from its inception in 1990 until his ! De La Salle Institute death. In that role, he helped guide the school in a recommitment to our Lasallian roots and the ultimate Attn: De La Salle Magazine decision to stay at 35th and Wabash and to expand our mission of education. De La Salle Institute would 3455 S. Wabash Ave. not be the vibrant school it is today without the leadership of John Parmer. Chicago, IL 60616 " PHONE 312.842.7355 # FAX 312.842.4142 Many are aware that the Parmers are also the founders of LINK Unlimited, a non-profit educational schol- $ E-MAIL [email protected] arship organization that provides funding and support for students to attend a Catholic high school. The % WEBSITE http://www.dls.org first LINK student, the first of thousands, was a young man who enrolled at De La Salle in 1970. John Parmer was also a supporter of many other good causes, among them Dominican University and Mission Statement Resurrection Hospital. De La Salle Institute is an John was a rare individual who was an instrument of the Lord, who assisted, empowered and guided oth- independent Catholic secondary school rooted in the tradition of ers to a better life. For so many people and for many institutions, he was an example of God's concern and Christian education begun by St. love. For we who remain, the question can be asked of us, "Who am I to help? When and where am I to John Baptist de La Salle. be a shining example of God's concern?" Founded in 1889, its mission has been, and is, to foster a desire for excellence in education. Young people from a variety of ethnic and economic Sincerely, backgrounds are given the opportunity to fully develop their abilities so they may be active, contributing members of our complex, changing society. Brother Michael Quirk, FSC DE LA SALLE MAGAZINE President, De La Salle Institute Photos by Michael K. Walsh Stories written by Brian Sieve Michael K. Walsh Layout and design by Giovanna Imbarrato Editor-in-chief Michael K. Walsh On Cover - A memorial tribute to John C. Parmer ‘46 faculty/staff news In Their Own Words Tom White has been teaching and coaching at De La Salle since 1995. In his 21 years in the field of education, White spent 18 years as a reading and English teacher. During his tenure in the class- room, White was nominated for the Golden Apple Award, chosen as the Teacher of the Year at Weber High School, selected as the Heart of the School Award winner at both Weber and De La Salle, as well as earning a Lasallian Educator Award at De La Salle. Outside the classroom, White also has been successful at De La Salle. The head coach for the Meteors' varsity boys basketball team, White has posted a 161-111 record (.592 winning percentage) since taking over the program prior to the start of the 1995-96 season. White, who also serves the Institute as its athletic director, also was chosen as the Daily Southtown's Coach of the Year (1997- 98), as well as holding membership on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's All-State Board and the Illinois High School Association's Basketball Advisory Committee. In addition, White also is the ICOP's Chicago Catholic League representative. White and his wife, Nancy, are the proud parents of Erin, a junior at De La Salle's Lourdes Hall Campus, Tommy, a sophomore at De La Salle's Institute Campus, Zach, an eighth-grader who will be a member of De La Salle's Class of 2010 and Josh, a sixth-grader who will be a member of De La Salle's Class of 2012. Erin holds a 3.40 grade- point average and is a member of the volleyball and softball programs, while Tommy maintains a 3.30 grade-point average and is a member of the soccer and band programs. Here in Tom White's words is what coaching and teaching at De La Salle means to him: consider myself a Catholic Salle provide a complete academic school product. I attended St. environment. I consider myself II Turibius Grade School, St. blessed and fortunate that I was Rita High School and Lewis able to work for the Resurrectionist University. After graduating from clergy at Weber and now for the college, I taught at Weber High Christian Brothers here at De La School from 1985-95 and have Salle. been at De La Salle since then. By being here at De La Salle every De La Salle is a South Side school day, I have the opportunity to see and I consider myself a Catholic our teachers and I know we have a Leaguer for life. I want the same for great teaching staff. I watch our stu- my kids, because an education at dents interact with one another and De La Salle is strong in faith, it has I know this is the way it's supposed deep community roots and is just an to be. & overall great education. I truly believe a De La Salle education prepares all our students for the world. I was raised in a South Side Irish family and I truly believe in my heart that De La Salle is the Chicago school. Because I've spent 20 years working, coaching and teaching in Catholic education in Chicago, I feel that we at De La tomwhite DE LA SALLE MAGAZINE December 2005 3 campus news DLS band featured on television - twice! ithin a two-week span in October 2005, the De La Salle band was featured in a pair of television WW appearances. On October 5, the Meteors, under the direction of De La Salle band director Larry Pawlowski, per- formed on CBS 2 Chicago's Morning News outside of U.S. Cellular Field, home of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. The highlight of the Meteors' performance was a stirring rendi- tion of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." In addition, De La Salle's president, Br. Michael Quirk, FSC, was interviewed by CBS 2 Chicago reporter Vince Gerasole. On October 21, De La Salle's band performed live on WGN-TV's Morning Show as a pep rally honoring the Sox was held at St. Jerome Parish in Bridgeport. Congratulations to Larry Pawlowski and the members of the Meteor band for their outstanding performances. & Senior chosen as a Bob Fiorentino ‘00 National Achievement named school’s new Scholarship semi-finalist Associate Director for e La Salle senior Matthew Special Events Ivy '06 was chosen as a semifinalist in the 2006 n August 2005, Bob DD Fiorentino '00 was named De National Achievement Scholarship Program, which is conducted by the II La Salle's Associate Director National Merit Scholarship for Special Events. His primary role Corporation for African-American is to coordinate special events for the students. The semifinalists, who were school’s Office for Advancement, named this past fall, earned their specifically for the school’s alumni standing after taking the Preliminary and friends. Some of these functions SAT National Merit Scholarship include the annual summer golf out- Qualifying Test as high school juniors. ing, the Alumni Banquet and D-Final Event. He also helps coordinate the Semifinalists who fulfill additional requirements will be eligi- school’s student fundraiser. ble to compete for 800 awards as 2006 Achievement Scholars. The awards to be made this spring are supported by corpora- Fiorentino, who graduated from Saint Mary's University tions, professional associations and the NMSC's own funds.