Bradley Reichard - uclasigmapi.com

Seaman in UCLA Sports Hall of Fame

Eight new members will be inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame this Friday on Oct. 3. Invitation-only induction ceremonies will be held in Covel Commons, and the new inductees will also be introduced during halftime of this Saturday’s Oct. 4 UCLA-Washington State football game at the Rose Bowl.

The UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame was dedicated in 1984 with 25 charter members. The Class of 2008 brings the total membership to 223. The 2008 inductees are Traci Arkenberg, women’s soccer; Peter T. Dalis, administration; Leah Homma, gymnastics; Kurt Krumpholz, men’s swimming/water polo; Upsilon brother Robert Seaman, men’s track & field; Jackie Tobian-Steinmann, women’s golf coach; Eric Turner, football; and Todd Zeile, baseball.

Robert Seaman (Men’s Track & Field)
Former UCLA record-holder and a distinguished distance runner, Robert Seaman competed for the Bruins from 1955-57. In 1955, Seaman was a member of UCLA’s victorious conference mile relay team and finished third in the mile at the NCAA Championship to help lead the Bruins to a second place national finish. During the 1956 season, Seaman set a UCLA record by running the mile in 4:01.4, the second fastest mile in U.S. history at the time. He helped lead the Bruins to the conference title, winning the 880-yard event. Later that year at the NCAA Championship, he finished fourth in the 1500 as the Bruins took home the NCAA team title. Seaman served as team captain in 1957. During his UCLA career, in addition to the mile record, Seaman set records in the 880 yard run and relays. Additionally, Seaman went on to break the four-minute barrier in the mile in 1962 (3:58:07).

Note that Bob’s brother, John Seaman, was an Upsilon brother, too. John sadly died several years ago.

Congratulations brother Bob Seaman!

October 1, 2008

Van Holt passes to Adytum

Jay Van Holt, a Golden Cross recipient and member of the Old Men’s Club, entered the Adytum on April 6, 2008, at age 84. He lived in Santa Rosa in Marin County (NorCal) with his wife Marilyn.

Van Holt was friends with Tom Straeter, Fred Thornley, Herb Martin and Mitch Toland while in the fraternity in the 1940s. “He was a wonderful guy,” Bob Baker said.

“He didn’t lack for a story. He was a good man. If you knew him, you’d love him.”

Van Holt served in the Navy during World War II and was stationed in Palermo, Sicily. He married Marilyn in 1952, after another tour of military service during the Korean Work, and worked as a sales manager for Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., Salt Lake City, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Van Holt retired in 1985 to Santa Rosa in the San Francisco Bay area, and stayed busy with bridge, golf, and traveling, with trips to Alaska, Russia, Italy and Sicily, and Greece.

Van Holt’s wife Marilyn can be contacted at (707) 579-5583. They have four children, Jack, Tom, Maxim and Brooks, and one grandchild.

August 5, 2008

Viva España! Viva Alvarez!

Mike “El Presidente” Balkie hosted brothers for Spain’s victory in Euro Cup 2008 at the new “South” bar in Santa Monica. Scott Good, Jeff Bara, Won Park, Jay Ross, Sean Topp, Monique Topp, April Phillips Topp, Eddie de la Torre and James Alvarez attended and drank victory shots after Spain’s first major victory in 44 years. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait until 2052 for another!

July 3, 2008

Tim O’Hara on the Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Good Life Crisis

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Healthcare Protests

Brother Tim O’Hara was interviewed by Larry Wilmore of the Daily Show as part of a parody segment on the economic “woes” of Beverly Hills.

Tim works at O’Gara Motor Coach in Beverly Hills and served as 1st Counselor in 1993.

June 23, 2008

Bruins beat Trojans in Sig Pi World Series with 2 homers by Romero

FULLERTON – Dan “Pudge” Romero hit two home runs to lead the mighty Upsilon Bruin Alumni to a 10-8 victory over USC Alumni to clinch a playoff berth in the 31st Sigma Pi World Series on April 26.

Andrew Fisher secured the win with an amazing long throw from the outfield
for an assist as Jay Ross tagged out a charging Trojan going for a home run on the last play of the game. Tony Lopez and Fisher both had key RBI singles in the top of the 4th, to give UCLA
a large enough lead to hold off the Trojans’ late rally.

In the playoffs, a 9-run rally in the 4th inning fell short, and UC Irvine Alumni eliminated the Bruins, 12-10. Tony Lopez had a 2-run RBI single and Drew Mercado had a key RBI single during the rally.

Tony Lopez pitched 2 games and notched 2 strikeouts, earning the “W” against USC.

In the first game, the Bruins were destroyed by Long Beach State, 14-1. Tony Lopez hit a triple to drive in Kevin Rodriguez for the only run.

Other players: Omar Vallejo, Rex Ray Roberts, Dustin Beckley, Dave Canty, Mark Goldsmith.

April 27, 2008

Kerrebrock world tour

Bob Kerrebrock and his wife Kathleen have been cruising the Caribbean in their own sailboat for the last 5 years, with stops in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Virgin Island, Grenada, etc. He can be contacted on the boat through the Alumni Association

March 10, 2008

Blakemore enters the Adytum

Claude Blakemore

Claude Blakemore entered the Adytum on Nov. 24, 2006. He lived in San Diego after retiring from a long and successful career in banking, and he was the oldest Upsilon alumni at age 97.

“He loved UCLA and he loved his fraternity so much, he always talked about them,” His daughter Susan Robinson of San Diego said.

Blakemore was born in Los Angeles and studied economics at UCLA. He transferred to Univ. of Iowa, hoping to earn a football scholarship. He returned within a year, due to financial hardship during the Depression, joining his family in Santa Ana.

In 1937, Blakemore married Violet Alt, who worked as a legal secretary. They moved to San Diego in 1945, and Blakemore began his career with First National Bank as a trust officer.

By 1951, Blakemore was vice president and trust officer of First National. As the bank grew, he was promoted to president and CEO. He expanded the bank into Los Angeles and Orange County before retiring in 1972.

“The term I have used to describe Nibs is ‘straight arrow,’” said Bill Turnquist, a friend and colleague. “He was almost a throwback to days when your banker was your friend and absolutely trustworthy.”

In 1974, he joined colleagues to found one of San Diego’s first independent financial management firms, Rice, Hall, James & Associates, and served as a director until 1987. “A more delightful gentleman you couldn’t find,” Said Gray Rice, a partner with the firm.

Blakemore was active in the community. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts, receiving the Silver Beaver award for distinguished service. He served on boards of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Hall of Science. He was a former president of the California Bankers Association and on the executive council of the American Bankers Association.

Blakemore is survived by twin children, Bruce Blakemore of Monticello, Ark., and Susan Robinson of San Diego; brother Robert Blakemore of Palm Desert, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife, Violet, died in 1995.

February 11, 2008

Upsilon Alumni Travel to San Francisco

The Emerald Bowl proved to be a bastion of Upsilon Alumni cheer this past Wednesday. It turned out to be a worthwhile game for the first three quarters as UCLA held a 27-23 lead going into the fourth. Twenty-one unanswered points by Florida State spoiled what had been an outstanding day in San Fran. Nonetheless, good times were had by all. Confirmed Upsilon attendees: Nick North, Brad Layous, Erik Stern, Ti Le, Matt Sambol, Cory Sambol, Mark Schroekenstein, Tony Leadholm, Phil Farias, Bruce MacDonald, Mike McKenzie, Jaime Parady, and myself among others. Despite the attendees, attempts to formulate a group tailgate failed. The Leadholm crew situated in lot A, while the Sambol contingency worked over to Gordon Beirsch. No stories of debauchery at this time.. Got pics? Know who else attended? Please share the information to the Alumni Association

December 29, 2007

Farewell to the King – Joe Marsalek enters the Adytum

Joe Marsalek

Joseph F. Marsalek, former chapter advisor to the UCLA Sigma Pi fraternity, died of lung cancer on Nov. 21, at age 76. “He was a good father and a good man,” said Julie Wage, Marsalek’s daughter, adding that Marsalek had been a model father and husband, building a strong and healthy family. A native of Southern California, Marsalek joined the UCLA family in 1949 after graduating from Long Beach Poly High School and remained involved in the university up until his death. While attending UCLA, from which he received a degree in Bacteriology, Marsalek became involved in the Sigma Pi fraternity, a commitment that would last throughout his life and become an especially important affiliation during the last 25 years of his life that he spent as a chapter advisor to Sigma Pi. “I think what impressed people most about Joe was his selfless nature,” said Dave Lusby, former president of Sigma Pi. “He was our chapter director for 24 years. Even when he was diagnosed (with cancer), he would still come down every week and talk to guys in the house and attend the meetings.” While a UCLA student, Marsalek enlisted in the military and served in Japan during the Korean War before returning to Westwood to finish his degree, Wage said. Shortly after graduating, Marsalek married girlfriend Barbara, another UCLA undergraduate and a Delta Zeta sorority girl, and began a career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative and manager for Eaton Laboratories, where he worked for 16 years. Marsalek later left the industry entirely, and spent the majority of the rest of his life managing family finances and the Bradley Land Company, Wage said. Marsalek’s time as a member of Sigma Pi and the guidance he received during that time helped him develop some of his strongest values and personal characteristics, said Jay Ross, Marsalek’s replacement as chapter advisor and president of the Upsilon Alumni Association. “He did everything from teaching us how to speak English correctly to the best way to get a date with a girl on campus,” Ross said. Marsalek also made a point of instilling such values and characteristics in fraternity members by developing personal relationships with them. “He was a very traditional guy. He told me to get a haircut every time I saw him,” Lusby said. “He joked as much as anyone in the house but he commanded a level of respect that was unrivaled in anyone else I’ve ever met.” Among these values were a sense of civic duty and a personal initiative to give back to the house and organization that helped mold him into a good citizen and long-standing contributor to the UCLA campus and Sigma Pi. Marsalek’s contributions to the fraternity were commended by the national organization, which awarded him the Lyle Smith Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award. An award has also been created in his name, given to individuals of outstanding service to the national convocation. Marsalek is survived by his daughter Julie Wage, her husband Thomas, and their two children Joseph and Alexander.
Additional family contact information is available through the Alumni Association.

December 3, 2007

Mike Martin Wedding

Mike Martin married the former Miss Brenda Cortez in August at the Waterfront Hilton in Huntington Beach.

Sean Topp was the best man, and Steve Yu and Ed Rhee were in the wedding party. Abel Somilleda, Princeton Kim, Scott Good, Won Park, Robin Matuk, Art Ramos and Shane Tseng attended.

October 22, 2007

Author: Bradley Reichard