2017 Lasallian Vincentian Alumni Award Winners

Congratulations to the four recipients of the 2017 Lasallian Vincentian Alumni Awards: Joseph Kennedy ’65, Rosemarie Lawlor Horan ’65, Hon. Troy Nunley ’82, and Alexandra Christ ’92.

Congratulations to the four recipients of the 2017 Lasallian Vincentian Alumni Awards: Joseph Kennedy ’65, Rosemarie Lawlor Horan ’65, Hon. Troy Nunley ’82, and Alexandra Christ ’92.

Every other year, the Lasallian Vincentian Alumni Award is given to graduates of St. Vincent, Sacred Heart, Cathedral or SHC, who embody the charisms of our Holy Founders St. John Baptist de La Salle and St. Vincent de Paul. Honorees demonstrate extraordinary dedication and loyalty to the Church and to the Lasallian Vincentian community. They are committed to living a life of faith, service and community, and serve their communities with compassion, mildness, cordiality, respect and devotion.

Joseph Kennedy ’65 Upon graduating from Sacred Heart in 1965, Joe began what would become a lifelong career in service of others. He joined the California Army National Guard in 1966, and after nearly three decades, he retired from the Army Reserve in 1993. Joe began his service in the San Francisco Police Department in 1969, fulfilling roles at Ingleside, Central and Mission stations. Throughout his time with the SFPD, Joe served as a field training officer, Police Academy instructor, hostage negotiator, full inspector, and sergeant in the Auto Theft Detail and Arson Task Force. He retired in 2001. Along the way, Joe received his BA and teaching credential from San Francisco State University, married his high school sweetheart, Clothilde Dulfer, raised three children: Christine, Joe ’92, and Patrick ’94, and welcomed five granddaughters into his loving family. Joe has remained a dedicated supporter of SHC, starting the Class of 1965 Endowed Scholarship Fund which provides aid to students in need each year.

Rosemarie Lawlor Horan ’65 For more than 15 years, Rosie served SHC, officially as the director of special events, but her countless contributions to the community reach far beyond her formal title. Throughout her time at SHC, Rosie was known for her generosity, care, attention to detail, and her ability to bring an extraordinary touch to every event. Whether she was organizing the Gold Diploma Ceremony, contributing to the Annual Spring Gala, or putting together a small birthday celebration for a fellow staff member, getting the Rosie treatment always made the event spectacular. She has served as a dedicated volunteer at both Saint Gabriel’s and Saint Cecilia’s, especially during the years her children were students. Her contributions to the Lasallian Vincentian community extend to the growth of SHC’s sister grammar school, De Marillac Academy. Rosie retired in 2015, but continues to volunteer her time at SHC in the areas of advancement and service learning. Rosie and her husband, Jim, have three children, Kevin ’99, James ’96 and Elizabeth, a Saint Ignatius alumna.

Hon. Troy Nunley ’82 Judge Nunley was appointed to the US District Court judge on a unanimous voice vote nine months after President Obama nominated him to a seat that had been declared a judicial emergency because of vacancies and long case backlogs.  Judge Nunley was born in Hunters Point to a single mother who insisted that her children get an education. He put himself through Saint Mary’s College and UC Hastings College of the Law, then worked as a prosecutor in Alameda and Sacramento counties and as a private lawyer and a deputy state attorney general. Gov. Gray Davis appointed him to the Sacramento County Superior Court in 2002. Judge Nunley continues his work with the Church and he currently serves on the board of trustees for Jesuit High School where his son attends. He also speaks on a number of relevant topics including juvenile justice, following a vocation to help the less fortunate, mentoring, and overcoming adversity.

Alexandra Christ ’92 Less than one year ago, Alexandra read about the Syrian refugee crisis and wondered if there was some way she could help. As a woman of both Greek and Lebanese descent, she learned that if her grandfather had not come to the US from Lebanon, she could have been a Syrian refugee herself. The idea of so many individuals and families displaced kept Alexandra up at night. She shared with the San Francisco Chronicle last December, “It was haunting me until I took action. So I got out of bed and started working.” Alexandra started Peace Joy Soccer, an organization that brings soccer balls to children in Syrian refugee camps. Last September, Alexandra donated soccer balls to eight refugee camps, three orphanages and 54 schools throughout Greece. Today she is expanding her organization’s work to include book donations. “If you have an idea in your heart, imagine what would happen if you followed through.”

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