We asked for your BNI love stories and these couples answered the call. Some met in class, others on stage or on the field, but attending Bishop Noll set them all on the course to true love.
1955, 1956
Deanna (Dee) Burns ’56 and Dr. Richard Reffkin ’55
Married: 1959 at St. Joseph’s Church
Family: Three children, two grandchildren
The couple met in the hallways at BNI in 1955. They dated throughout their college years before getting married in 1959. They lived in Dayton, Ohio, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where Dick served as a dental officer before moving to Munster for 42 years. They currently live in St. John.
“We both remember happy times and many friends who we still see now from our Bishop Noll days!”
1962
Marianne Bonner and Edward (Eddie) Polito
Married: Feb. 13, 1965
Family: Two children
The couple met summer before freshman year and were part of the freshman class Noll did not have room for.
“Our freshman year was spent at St. Joseph’s in Hammond. We had some classes together and being in the small class at St Joe’s, we began dating.”
The couple now lives in Cedar Lake.
1962, 1963
Diane Pernal ’63 and Bob ’62 Maleski
Married: Aug. 27, 1966
Family: Two children, four grandchildren
Diane met Bob met in 1961 during the Fall Operetta. After graduate school at Purdue (Diane, MS, speech pathology, Bob PhD, organic chemistry), they moved to Kingsport, Tenn., in 1972.
They celebrated their 50-year wedding anniversary in Paris in 2016 with their two children and their families.
1968, 1969
Leah Rosen ’69 and Dan Marias ’68
Married: October 6, 1973
Family: A son
The couple met on stage during the class musical “West Side Story.” Dan was the student director and Leah played a Jet girlfriend.
“We started dating during ‘West Side Story’ rehearsals - went together through college and married after Leah graduated in 1973.”
The couple, who live in St. John, continues to love theater - both musicals and drama. They recently saw "Beautiful" - the Carole King musical.
1968, 1969
Eileen Cosgrove ’69 and Rich Gajda ’68
Married: Aug. 12, 1972, by Father Matthew Brozovic from Bishop Noll
Family: Three children and a grandson
The couple met during the 1967 BNI production of “My Fair Lady.”
“We started out as friends and the friendship continues to this day!
“Father Matthew Brozovic taught us at Bishop Noll and married us. Brother Eamon Gavin, principal of boys at BNI back in 1968, attended our wedding. He also attended our oldest daughter’s wedding in 2002 and gave a beautiful Irish toast. Great memories started with attending Bishop Noll!”
The couple has lived in Calumet City, Ill.; Bellwood, Ill.; Bethel Park, Pa.; Hudson, Ohio; Hoboken, N.J. and Naperville, Ill., where they raised their children. When Rich retired, they returned to Naperville to be close to family and the many friends they made over the years.
“Moving back to Naperville has also been great for us to reconnect with our BNI classmates in the area. We love meeting up with classmates at Homecoming and the annual Big Event.”
1969
Anoinette (Toni) Kaczorowski and Dominick Oliverio
Married: May 1975
Family: Two sons
The couple met in 1969 in Mrs. Grace Kovach's senior year homeroom.
“We were both 17 years old at the time. After an on again/off again relationship, we married in 1975. We traveled the country, living in Indiana, Virginia, Colorado (x 2), Illinois, Texas, and Michigan while raising two sons. We are now both retired and will be celebrating our 43rd anniversary this year. I met the love of my life at BNI and am a very lucky fellow for meeting that young beauty 48 years ago.”
1971
Dorothea (Dori) Santare and Kevin Doolin
Married: June 6, 1975
Family: Three children, four grandchildren
During their sophomore year, Dori asked Kevin to the Turnabout dance and the rest is history. They dated throughout high school and were named Class Couple of 1971. They continued dating throughout college and were married in 1975. Father Patrick J. Connolly, who had taught both of them in religion class at Noll, presided over their wedding. They have been happily married for 42 years and currently live in Crown Point.
“We would never have met without BNI!”
1975
Diana Molle Cirilo and (Cy) Rangel
Married: 1983
Children: Three daughters who are now 33, 32 and 26
The couple met at Noll in 1975 as freshmen in the Noll marching band.
“Being in band we were able to share many of the same experiences and friends not to mention football and basketball games, halftime shows, musicals, concerts, band tours, and numerous solo and ensemble contests.”
They went on their first date in January of their junior year.
“Diana and I were voted Class Couple for our class. I don't think the two of us ever had a class together all four years. It was the music program that kept us together. We stay in contact with many of our band colleagues and classmates. Because we came from the same class and share so many friendships, we have happily managed all three of our class reunions as a team. The 10th, 20th, and 30th were all good experiences and well attended. We are beginning to plan our 40th reunion now.”
The couple, who both attended Purdue University, recently moved back to West Lafayette where Cy is on the faculty at Purdue's Construction Management program. Diana has started working at the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette.
1985
Teresa Scanlon and Bill Massoels
Married: Sept. 1, 1990 at Our Lady of Grace in Highland
Children: Patrick, Samantha, Megan
The couple met in homeroom in fall 1981 but didn’t begin dating until February 1985 - their senior year.
“We both were athletes and played basketball. I not only played on the girl’s team but I kept stats for the boy’s team. We used to joke around a great deal during basketball season as to what counts as an assist and what does not. We finally went out to Aurelio’s Pizza with others after a basketball game. One day after school as I was walking with Bill to detention (he got a detention from Mr. Golden for not wearing socks that day), he asked me to prom. After that we pretty much hung out with one another when our friends were not available (haha).”
After 27 years of marriage in Indiana, the couple recently moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1988
Kelly Barnes and Jim Bradtke
Married: Sept. 20, 1997
Family: Son, Ryan, currently a junior at BNI; daughter, Riley, a sixth-grader at Our Lady of Grace
The couple met freshman year (84) in Mr. Joyce's algebra class.
“I originally was in Mr. Nowak's algebra class but asked to be transferred to Mr. Joyce's class where I first met Jim. We never had another class together at Noll.
We did end up going to the same college, College of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. We dated on and off throughout college but decided it was time to go our separate ways when we graduated. Not sure why but three years later I decided to call him to see how things were. We began dating again and two years later we were married.” The couple lives in Highland and remains devoted Warriors.
1993
Candace Hass and Joel Wadas
Married: June 20, 1998 at St. John Bosco Church
Family: Three children: Abigail, Joel Jr. (JJ) and Caitlin; two dogs: Lily and Apollo
The couple met Jan. 11, 1991, at a home basketball game and started dating
shortly after when Joel asked for Candace’s phone number.
“We discovered that we were First Communion partners in second grade at St. John Bosco as we were going through an old box of pictures at my parents’ house.”
The family lives in Crown Point.
1994
Lena Gonzales and Marcus Smith
Married: Sept. 23, 2006
Family: Three children
The couple met freshman year in Spanish class.
“He made me laugh then and still does. We were really good friends throughout high school... with our most common interest being sports (he played three sports including baseball. I played softball and was on the Pom squad). We finally started dating shortly after graduation.”
Following high school, Marcus headed to Florida on a baseball scholarship and the couple decided it was best to remain friends.
Ten years later, Lena was on the reunion committee and asked Marcus if he would attend the reunion.
“He did ... low and behold for me in hopes to have another chance of being together. We kept in touch and I visited him in Florida in December 2004. It was an instant reconnection and became the beginning of our ‘forever’ story.”
1999, 2000
Lauren Lascola ’99 and Timothy Lesczynski ’00
Married: Sept. 24, 2009
The couple met in math class and started dating after hanging out a few weeks.
“It came about because I gave him a ride to a football game. We started dating when I was a junior, dated until I graduated and we were on and off throughout college.” The couple got engaged in 2006, bought a house and had a big Vegas wedding in 2009. They enjoy traveling, attending Hawks and Sox games and hanging out with their high school classmates. The couple currently lives in St. John.
1999, 2000
Toni Moren’00 and Gary Ranos ’99
Married: Nov. 12, 2005
Family: Four children
The couple met February of their sophomore and junior years.
“We didn't really run in the same circles until that spring when my BFF Matt Zipko ('00) convinced me to try out for the spring musical.”
The couple briefly dated and then broke up. They later reconnected at a party, eventually becoming best friends.
“We continued that way until the following spring when Gary returned from spring break college visits and realized he couldn't just be my friend anymore (I had just been waiting patiently while feeling the same way) and we became each other's last boyfriend and girlfriend. Today our oldest carries on dad's tradition of playing ice hockey and perhaps we'll have a dancer in the mix as well. Drama definitely has carried on in our house, so they'd all rock at theater!” Their family currently lives in Houston, Texas.
2001, 2002
Carrie Durham Slusarczyk ’02 and Eugene Slusarczyk ’01
Married: Nov. 7, 2009
Three children - Leah, 6; EJ, 4; and Tommy, 2
The couple began dating her sophomore year and his junior year.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. Eugene and I actually knew each other since grammar school because we hung around with some of the same people but never really hung out ourselves. Starting in October of my sophomore year at Bishop Noll, we started writing notes (just as friends) back and forth to each other. We also had a mutual friend, Ryan Young (also at Noll), so we would all hang out with each other from time to time. In one of the notes close to the end of October, I wrote Eugene that I liked someone but I didn’t know if the person liked me back. He guessed in the next note he wrote me that it was himself and that he definitely liked me too. His exact words were, ‘I hope I have the keys to your heart.’ I remember reading the note in Ms. Quinn’s geometry class. After that class he asked me on our first date and then in the halls of Bishop Noll on Nov 2, 1999, he asked me to be his girlfriend and the rest is history.
We have been together for 18 years and married for eight and are still just as much in love as we were in the halls of Bishop Noll so long ago.”
2004
Marlyne Gonzalez and Joaquin Herrera
Married: June 7, 2017
Family: A son, 7
The couple met at Bishop Noll when she was a junior and he was a senior.
“He was my brother’s friend and he would come over to my house to hang out with my brother. I would make small talk because I thought he was cute and then we would just start talking more at school.”
After attending Joaquin’s senior prom together, the couple kept in touch. While attending a different school her senior year, Marylyne missed a day of school and randomly ran into Joaquin downtown. “The rest was history.”
Their family currently lives in Hammond.
2005
Amanda Diaz and Efrain Paniagua
Married: Oct. 14, 2016
Family: Welcomed their first baby in August - Efrain Paniagua Jr
“We met in spring of junior year at my track meet. I was waiting to do the high jump and Efrain came up to me and we started talking. We started dating the summer before our senior year. He asked me out one night after hanging out with our friends.
“Every morning Efrain would cut out the ‘Love Is’ comic from the school library newspaper and leave it in my locker.”
The family lives in Whiting.
2007
Marrisa Mitchell and Maurice Culver
Married: July 6, 2013
Family: Daughter Madlyn Frances was born Dec. 21, 2017
The couple met first day of freshman year in first period freshman English - B113 Mrs. Putz.
“We starting dating in 2011 after arguing about splitting a check at a BNI friend’s gathering. I was trying to pay for our entire party of friends and she was not let me. But they were always ‘sparks’ because we went everywhere together even Senior Homecoming and Senior Prom.” The family currently lives in Fort Wayne, Ind.
2009
Angelica Camacho and Israel Hernandez
Married: June 7, 2014
Family: Daughter, Leena, born May 2017; two dogs Scout and Maggie
The couple celebrated their 10-year anniversary this April.
“Our love story began our sophomore year when we met in geometry class. We became really good friends. We officially started to date our junior year, on my birthday. He gave me a birthday card and on the inside was a heart necklace. Written in the card was the question ‘Will you go out with me?’ and that is when our journey began.” The family lives in Hobart.
2010
Jacqueline Del Real and Teddy Wleklinski
Married: Oct. 27, 2017 at Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary
The couple “officially” met sophomore year and became great friends throughout the year. As juniors, Teddy asked Jacqueline to prom.
“He asked me to be his girlfriend after prom and, of course, I said yes. After prom, I knew we would be together forever. We dated for eight years. Throughout those years our friendship and love grew stronger. We were inseparable.”
Teddy proposed at the couple’s favorite vacation spot, Walt Disney World.
“We love to travel. We made a commitment to travel to at least one new place a year. Of course, we always make room to travel to Walt Disney World every year. One time we traveled to Disney five times within one year. People may say we are insane but we just love being there. We hope to move down to Florida in the future.”
The couple currently lives in Hammond.
2010
Olivia Perez and Aaron Amick
Married: June 23, 2017 in Colorado
The couple met during freshman orientation.
“We had freshman seminar together and always had assigned seats near each other in Algebra I. I used to draw him pictures. His mom still has some of them!
We became good friends and were both on the bowling team as sophomores. I asked him to Turnabout that year. During the dance he asked me to be his girlfriend. We've been together ever since, 10 years on Feb. 23, 2018! The couple was voted Cutest Couple senior year.
“Both of our parents were high school sweethearts, so I think our love story has felt very familiar to what we grew up seeing in our own families!”
1987, 1988
Lisa Kozlowski '88 and Dave Kusiak '87
Married: May 13, 1995
It was love at first sight for the couple.
“The first time I saw Lisa was the fall of 1985 near the entrance to the Field House. At that point, I knew I would marry her. Lisa and I ran into each other at Carmello's in March 1992 and started to date seriously that summer.
“We hung out with different crowds during our Noll days but seven years later fate brought us together and we would eventually marry.” The couple lives in Munster and remains involved in Bishop Noll alumni events.
2012
Jordan Kusiak and Josh Galgan
Engaged: Dec. 19, 2017. Wedding planned for Nov. 2, 2019.
The couple met in freshman seminar on the first day of freshman year with Coach Jara (now Principal Pastrick) as their teacher.
“Josh asked me to be his girlfriend on Oct. 31, 2008. We started out as friends immediately as we had a few classes together. We talked every day and realized we really liked each other. We've been dating ever since!
We made it through 4 years of long distance in college. Josh went to play football at Benedictine in Lisle, Illinois and I went to Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
The couple recently moved to Chicago where they both work.
Jordan and Josh are a second generation Noll love story.
“My mother, Lisa Kusiak ’88, and my father, David Kusiak ’86, met at Bishop Noll and have been married for over 23 years. Josh's mother, Susan Galgan ’84 and Josh's father, Bill Galgan’85, met at Bishop Noll as well and have been married for over 26 years.