Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Connecticut

PAGE 2 SPEACONN W hen SigEp new chapter development directors arrived in Storrs in September 2014, they found a campus hungry for Sigma Phi Epsilon's Balanced Man vision. Among the first 10 new members that semester was Bill Oldach '16, a junior management and engineering for manufacturing major from Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Quickly recognizing his leadership skills, the new colony elected Bill its first chapter president. "I had a pretty unique experience with starting CT Alpha back up. For me, it was personal and professional development and the opportunity to lead a chapter and executive board," Bill said. "e members of our executive board didn't necessarily always get along, so leading a group of people with different desires and expectations and learning how to work through all of that is a skill that I still use a lot today." Bill joined the CT Alpha Alumni and Volunteer Corporation as director aer graduating in 2016 and recently signed on to become Balanced Man Steward, where he mentors the vice president of member development and his committee to operate and improve the Balanced Man Program. "e thing that attracted me to SigEp was the fact that the fraternity concentrates on things that matter to me like the Sound Mind, Sound Body focus," Bill said. Staying True to SigEp's Sound Mind, Sound Body Initiative Bill Oldach '16 Helps CT Alpha Build Balanced Man Program Bill Oldach '16 with his fiancée, Sara. Zane Cooke '18, Bill Oldach '16, Rob Ciolino '16, Mike Rosenthal '16, Tim Fagan '16, and Tyler Cappello '16. It hasn't taken Bill long to find success in his career. He is the validation lead of military development programs at Pratt & Whitney. Bill found his love for science and math at a young age and is thankful to have a job he enjoys. Bill shares his favorite hobby of mountain biking with a few of his coworkers. ey were happy to take advantage of a mild winter. "We probably mountain bike eight months out of the year," Bill said. "We meet in the parking lot at 5:30 a.m. before it's light outside and get a ride in before work. We do it every couple of weeks." e past year has been particularly exciting for Bill, as he proposed to his girlfriend, Sara, in April 2019. e couple recently bought a house in West Hartford and live with their dog, Yukon. With Bill and Sara's wedding set for November, they're excited to see what their next chapter holds. Sara also has a Greek life background and served as the president of UCONN's Pi Beta Phi chapter. It's safe to say SigEp's Sound Mind, Sound Body initiative will be a pillar of Bill and Sara's family. You can connect with Bill at oldach.william@ gmail.com. Chapter Eternal We sadly report the following deaths, which have come to our notice since the previous newsletter. One of the Founding Fathers of Connecticut Alpha, James L. Burnes '59, entered Chapter Eternal on July 4, 2019, shortly aer his 87th birthday. James grew up in Waterbury, and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was recruited by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, becoming the first professional administrator of the agency. Over the coming decades, five consecutive commissioners appointed by governors of both parties relied on his wise counsel, extraordinary work ethic and apolitical leadership. James served as board member for the Albany YMCA and played basketball at the Y well into his middle years. Aer retiring in the early 1990s, James moved from the Albany area to Bonita Springs, Fla., where he enjoyed golf, swimming, and socializing with his many friends. He is survived by his two children, one grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews. John D. Burkholder '62 entered Chapter Eternal on February 6, 2020. Originally from West Simsbury, Conn., John was a dedicated undergraduate leader at UConn, serving CT Alpha as recruitment chairman, secretary, and chapter president. John entered U.S. Army helicopter flight training aer graduation and was assigned to duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Army medal for heroic actions during the rescue of wounded troops under heavy ground fire. He later returned to evacuate more injured troops. Aer completing his duty, he moved back to Simsbury and became employed at a Hartford stock brokerage firm. Eventually, John moved to New Orleans and was employed as a helicopter pilot flying personal back and forth to oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. During his time in New Orleans he met his partner, Maryann Luke, and opened a florist shop. John later returned to Simsbury where he became a caretaker for his father and joined a local family business. Richard C. Warner '67 entered Chapter Eternal at his home in Port Monmouth, N.J., on December 26, 2019, surrounded by his loving family. He served in the Army from 1968 to 1972, stationed in Turkey and Ethiopia. He received his Ph.D. in linguistics in 1979 with a dissertation of distinction and went on to teach at Colorado State University, later becoming a Fulbright scholar in Poland. He went on to pioneer work in object oriented analysis and design and ended his professional career as a data architect in New Jersey. Richard sang with the Shrewsbury Chorale for over 25 years. He is survived by his daughter, Elisabeth Warner, granddaughter, Emma Nell Warner-Mesnard, his long-term partner, and her children, all of whom he loved very much.

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