NEWS
X-CHANGE
1950s
Emilie Chiasson ’02 says she popped by Green Meadows Nursing Home to see Sheldon ’57 and Dawn Currie ’57.
Sheldon was an English professor at StFX, editor of The Antigonish Review, and is both an author and playwright. Dawn was the editor of The Casket for years and still edits books from her nursing home bed. He's 92 and she's 89. Ms. Chiasson says she walked in to see them reading the xaverian magazine. “He said, ‘Oh, I just read the story about Bruce MacKinnon and really enjoyed it.’ They both said they've missed the print copy and wanted to send along praise to those who contributed to this edition.”
1960s
Fraser House 1969
Pictou County graduates recently got together.
Pictured are, l-r, Richard Breen ’69 (front), David MacIntosh ’69, Brian Munroe ’69, Jeff Rose ’69 and Richie Keay.
1970s
Kathy Brennan ’70
recently retired and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Art Materials Association.
Howard Phee ‘70
was honored for 50 years of service to the Kin Clubs of Canada this past January.
William J. Kilfoil ’72, ’75
has, at age 76, written a novel called The Boneyard League. The book, available at Amazon.ca, may be of particular interest to alumni of his vintage and disposition.
A golden moment: Community honours Burton MacIntyre ’71
In Whycocomagh, NS, a community recently came together to honour one of its own. A group of individuals came together with an idea—they wanted to honour Burton MacIntyre ’71 and his contributions to his community by raising funds to replace his beloved X-Ring that he lost a few years ago. Lots of effort, planning and thought went into pulling off this secret so community members give huge props to the group who made it happen and massive thanks to those who contributed. His brand new 1971 X-Ring was presented in February 2026 at the Whycocomagh Waterfront Centre with a full crowd to celebrate, some lovely songs from his brother Warren, delicious food, lots of laughs and stories. On a day that didn’t result in a gold medal for Canada in the Olympics, organizers say this felt like a golden moment.
1980s
Recent hiking trips this past year have taken Don Rogers ’80 from Newfoundland and Iceland to France and Spain and Gibraltar.
After walking across the border from Spain to Gibraltar, he hiked up the Rock of Gibraltar. Pausing in a tunnel to escape the 33 C temperature! Next up is New Zealand.
Tom Sullivan ’83 attended a special event hosted by the Gloria Baylis Foundation in November 2025 celebrating the renaming of the Engineering 7 (E7) building as the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Building at the University of Waterloo, in honour of his wife, Pearl Sullivan, whose career was marked by a strong commitment to students and engineering education.
The renaming stands as tribute to Pearl Sullivan’s legacy as an educator, mentor, and advocate for students. As Dean of Engineering, she was widely respected as a mentor who believed in students and their potential. She also led the Educating the Engineer of the Future Campaign, which resulted in the opening of E7 in 2018. Kathleen Robertsson ’79 ’80 attended the event alongside Patrick Sullivan ’71, joining members of the Sullivan family, including Pearl and Tom’s children. Pictured are Tom Sullivan ’83, Christina Sullivan, Kathleen Robertsson ’79 ’80, Pat Sullivan ’71, Veronica Donaldson, and Andrew Donaldson.
Nancy (Alexander) Pearson ’83
started a hiking group in Newfoundland and Labrador almost four years ago. They hike all around the west coast of the island, but they mainly hike close to home in the Bay St. George area. They’re pictured here around Joey's Lookout, Stephenville, NL.
Tony Fabijančić ’87
professor of English at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, has published a new scholarly book titled Anamorphic Distortion in Literature, Visual Art and Film (Routledge 2026) and a novella titled Old Bridge, Black House (Athabasca University Press 2026).
1990s
Jennifer MacLellan, KC ’91 has been appointed a judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia. Called to the bar in 1995, she most recently served as Chief Crown Attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service in Halifax.
An International Fellow of the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute and co-author of Qualifying and Challenging Expert Evidence, she was awarded the King’s Counsel designation in 2016 and brings decades of prosecutorial leadership to the bench.
David MacGillivray ’91 recently returned from his fifth trip to Ukraine since the war started there.
He is a volunteer with the Order of Malta Relief Organization in Romania. He became involved when he became a Knight of the Order of Malta. They deliver humanitarian aid to the “Internally Displaced People” of Ukraine. You are not a refugee if you are in your own country, he notes. It was, however, different this time, he says. The power grid was out 90 per cent of the time. The sound of war in rural Ukraine is Air Raid sirens and generators. For the first time there was an air raid mid-morning when they were at the school, and the teachers had to take the kids into a bomb shelter. Mr. MacGillivray says the people they help now are either the elderly or the young and they have less than they had before. Some of the kids, he notes, have known nothing but war in their lifetime.
Sisters Shari Grimes ‘99 and April Sampson ‘09 at the French Open
2000s
Allard Tobin Travel Award unites two Cape Bretoners in Vietnam
John Zahara ’02 had a remarkable reunion in Vietnam on StFX Day 2025 when, after 24 years, he met Steven Tobin, nephew of the late Allard Tobin.
John says receiving the Allard Tobin Travel Award upon his StFX graduation changed his life. Currently the Director of Activities and Athletics at the United Nations International School in Hanoi, Vietnam, John spent his career overseas in the Bahamas, Sultanate of Oman, China, Arctic, Gabon Central Africa, Uganda and now in Vietnam. Allard Tobin, he says, was a man of the arts who traveled and worked around the world. Upon his untimely passing, he generously left money so a StFX student could benefit annually with an opportunity to travel and expand their horizons. Before leaving for Europe in 2002, John visited Allard’s mom to discuss the trip, reminisce about her son and honour his legacy. At that meeting, she advised him to stay with her grandson Steven in Paris, which he did. “She also asked me for one favour—to send her a postcard from every city I would visit and that would become my main priority in each country as her son Allard used to do the same.
“I will always be grateful for what his family did for me all those years ago.”
After a few months of traveling, I returned to visit this sweet 85-year-old grandmother and we spent the day looking at the dozens of postcards and sharing stories. Fast forward 24 years later and thanks to Allard’s generosity and being inspired, Steven would ultimately live in Switzerland and France and I've spent my adult life abroad.” John recalls receiving an unexpected email asking if he was still in Hanoi. Steven was in town for work. They met up, shared stories, talked fondly about his uncle and grandmother and vowed to meet again. Says John: “I will always be grateful for what his family did for me all those years ago.”
Phil Glennie ’06 runs a podcast for a large company called Dayforce.
He was recently working with an agency to find a guest for an episode on navigating career uncertainty. The person the agency ended up recommending was Megan Rafuse ’07, a StFX grad who was part of his friend group back at X, but whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to for nearly 20 years. “She has since founded an incredible virtual therapy company called SHIFT Collab. The odds of us meeting again in this way are incredibly low, and I thought it was a really interesting story about two X alumni reconnecting so many years after graduating,” he says.
2010s
Philippe Gaudet ’11 attended The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, a four day, world-class barbecue competition held in Memphis, TN, where he came away with a fourth place chicken wing finish.
He actually had tied for first place but lost in the tie breakers. Next, he was crowned world champion in poultry with a perfect score!
2020s
Charlie Pallett ’19
(pictured at right), who works in business intelligence for the New England Patriots, joined Coach Vrabel as flag bearer as the Pats took the field for Superbowl LX.
Madison Gorman ’24 completed her MSAT at the University of Michigan in Dec, 2025.
She is currently employed as an intern with the UofM football team. Go Blue! (& White!)
Timothy McMullen ’25
is the Technical Project Lead for HFI Inc. who are a pyrotechnics manufacturer in Prescott, ON.
They are the sole manufacturer of marine flares and military explosives (not bombs, rather technical pyrotechnics) for the Canadian Armed Forces as well a manufacturer for other military forces worldwide.
And they manufactured the flare that was used to indicate the splash down of the Artemis II's return to Earth.
WEDDINGS
Ryan Conor Murray ’06 and Janice Margaret Beaton ’12
married on Oct. 4, 2025 at the Seawind Landing in Charlos Cove, NS. They now reside in St. Andrews.
IN MEMORIAM
We remember members of the Xaverian community who have passed away and extend our sympathies to their families and loved ones.
Elma (Fraser) Perry ’47 Elizabeth (McManus) McCarty ’47 Glenn Doyle ’48 William Robertson ’50 Donald Arseneau ’50 Joseph MacDonald ’52 Margaret (Brehaut) Secco’52 Hon. Peter Richard ’52 George Breau ’53 Mary (Gildersleeve) MacLellan ’53 ’71 Roland Lebel ’53 Anna O'Brien ’55 Peter MacEwen ’56 Bernard McGrath ’56 John Tourneur ’56 Gerald Gaydamack ’56 Hugh MacKenzie ’57 Glenneth (Munroe) Anderson ’57 Marie (MacKenzie) Belland ’57 John Rooney ’58 William (Bill) Wiseman ’58 Anne (Cuddihy) Dube ’58 Stephen Cuddihy ’58 Dr. Gabriel Leger ’58 Marie (Beaton) MacMaster’58 Jeannine (Picot) Cochrane ’58 Leone (O'Connell) Campbell ’58 Fred Beaton ’58 Dr. Ronald MacKinnon ’59, Retired Faculty Harry Hodge ’59 Marilyn (Ward) MacIsaac ’59 Paul McGrattan ’60 Robert (Bob) Walsh ’60 Patrick Grannan ’60 Fernand Pitre ’60 Louis Boudreau ’61 T. Elmer King ’61 Connie (Hogan) Rankin ’61 Vincent House ’61 Anne (Doyle) Isaac ’61 David Mulholland ’61 James A. McCarron ’62 Ann (MacDonald) Dolan ’62 Allan MacIsaac ’62 Elizabeth "Liz" Chisholm ’63 ’81 ’82 Warren Hingley ’64 John French ’64 Marion (Bernasconi) McCaig ’64 Remi D'Entremont ’64 Donald Waechter ’64 Jim Lerikos ’64 James Boyle ’64, ’65 Sheldon Canova ’65 ’66 Jimmie Dineen ’66 Clifford Coveyduc ’66 Roderick Farrell ’66 James (Jim) MacKinnon ’66 ’67 Thomas Jamieson ’67 Ronald MacGillivray ’67 Michael Kennedy ’67 Judith (Comerford) Newton ’68 Patricia Anne (Steele) Johnston ’68
James (Jim) Horton ’68 Dr. Eric Reardon ’69 Franklin Crowdis ’69 Frank MacInnis ’69 ’80 Gerry Yorke ’69 ’73 Penny Ross ’70 Myra Roussy ’70 David Landry ’70 Louise (Driscoll) Reid ’70 Angus (Gus) MacLellan ’70 Elsa (Kyle) Bond ’70 ’71 ’83 Dr. Mary (MacInnis) Hurst ’71 Ronald "Pud" MacGillivray ’71 Eileen Hartigan-Drohan ’72 Leo B. Gillis ’72 Andrew Sarka ’72 ’78 Hector MacSween ’73 Mary (Walker) d'Entremont ’73 ’74 Mary Louise (Nelson) Howe ’74 Michael MacIsaac ’74 William "Liam" Petrie ’74 Dr. John R. Doucet ’74 Doris Boutilier-Brown ’74 Bob Buckle ’74 ’96 Hugh Landry ’75, Former Coady Staff Allan MacDougall ’75 ’77 Patricia Swain ’76 Albert MacDougall ’76 Kenneth Prosper ’76 Gary Rankin ’76 Robert O'Reilly ’77 James (Jim) MacDonald ’78 ’80 Bill Enright ’79 Dr. Michael Gurney ’80 Kathleen (Patterson) Sorensen ’80 Rev Brian Stevens ’82 Mary Arseneau ’85 Patrick Quirk ’85 Donald Parsons ’86 David McNeil ’86 Claire (MacAulay) Morse ’87 ’88 Christopher Lawrence ’89 Bonnie Cotter ’91 ’ 92 Brenda MacGillivray ’92 Patsy Paul-Martin ’98 Phil DeBruyne ’99 ’11 Dr. Stephen Lewis ’03 Hon Doc Michelle Johnston ’00 Jacqueline DiRocco ’03 Andrew Gaskin ’08 Jonas Tkacz, Current Student Raleigh MacDonald, Current Student Bob Howes, Former Football Coach Sr. Joanne MacFarlane CND, Former Staff Ian Austen, Former Staff Robb Parker, Former Staff Dr. Willie Quinn, Retired Faculty Dr. Naeem Jan, Retired Faculty Marilyn Tellum, Retired Staff Peggy Cameron, Retired Staff Dr. Roger Wehrell, Retired Staff David Chapman
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