Alumni Awards honorees announced

Ray Meyer ’82, Richard Morelli ’54, Gloria Dollinger and Chuck Bernard will be honored by the Joliet Catholic Academy Alumni Association with Alumni Awards at its annual banquet on April 11, 2013 at the Jacob Henry Mansion.

Meyer has been named Alumnus of the Year and Bernard was named Honorary Alumnus, while Morelli will receive the Rev. Paddy McGowan Award and Dollinger will accept the Sister Anna Marie Becker Service to JCA Award.

A short biography on the award winners follows.

Dr. Raymond Meyer: Meyer lives in Morris with his wife Julieta and three children. He graduated from Loyola University-Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago (1991); residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.  Meyer completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship in 1997 at the Minneapolis Sports Medicine Center in Minneapolis, MN.  He is the vice president of Rezin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and began practicing in Morris in 1997.  He has been the official JCA team doctor for 15 years.

Chuck Bernard: Bernard lives in Joliet with his wife Mary Kay and is the proud father of three. Employed by Comcast Cable as Regional Manager/Product Sales Support, his career history also includes marketing and sales in telecommunications.  Bernard has been actively involved in youth sports, including Varsity Soccer at JCA for five seasons.  His voice has long been a welcome sound as the PA announcer for football and basketball.

Gloria Dollinger: Dollinger is married to Ed (JCHS ’81) and the proud mother of three. Dollinger is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with certificates in Adult Weight Management – American Dietetic Association; National Academy of Sport Medicine-Personal Trainer; and Health Coach – Institute of Integrated Nutrition with degrees in Nutrition and Medical Dietetics from the University of Illinois – Chicago and Health and Safety Studies from the University of Illinois – Urbana.  She is employed at Provena St. Joseph Inwood Athletic Club as a personal trainer and Nutrition Supervisor.  Her involvement with JCA spans more than a decade and her service includes Parent Association President and Jubilate Gala Chair in 2010 and 2011.

Richard Morelli: Morelli is married to Sharon and is the father of five, Ricky ’76, Cheryl (deceased), Dean ’79, Annette Clinton, Randy ’82, and two step sons Glenn and Mike Kelley.  His brothers also attended Joliet Catholic: David ’61 and James ’65. Morelli retired from the Lockport Police Department after 28 years of dedicated service.  In addition, he was the Animal Control Warden for Lockport Township for 45 years.  As a high school three sport athlete (football, baseball and basketball) Richard’s name appeared in countless sport highlight news clips and earned the Rev. Kilian Lynch Scholar/Athlete Award in his senior year at the Hill.  In baseball he was a top pitcher, a foward on the court and an offensive end on the field.  Going undefeated in football in 1953, beating Joliet Township and Lockport in basketball and football and playing under assistant coach Gordie Gillespie, are among his greatest highlights and memories of high school. He continued to play baseball after graduating. He played on several hardball, sixteen and twelve inch softball teams as a right-handed pitcher and feared left-handed hitter. In 1996, he was inducted into the Unites States Slowpitch Softball Association Hall of Fame. At his induction ceremony, it was noted that he has pitched over 1400 games, winning 1078 of them; posted a .632 average with over 200 home runs.  At that time, he was a veteran of six World tourneys and 1982 State MVP.  Morelli is also an accomplished trap shooter who won Illinois State trap shooting championships in 65, 66 and 67.

Reservations to attend should be made through the Office of Alumni Relations before April 1, 2013.  The cost is $30.00 per person and a cash bar will be available.  Please email Mrs. Holly Scordo at hscordo@jca-online.org or call (815) 741-0500, ext. 269.


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