Guest Tributes

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Overhead View of the Jubilance

Pachelbel’s Canon Performed by Merrell Magelli

A Gift from the Steve Grobl Orchestra

More Fireworks

Fireworks

When the Saints Go Marching In

“Old Time Rock & Roll”

A Few Songs Before the Fireworks

Children and the Orchestra

Trombone Play

Some Sweet Moves

Happy Birthday Karolyn!

Dancing to Steve Grobl Orchestra

Dancing to “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”

The Chicken Dance

Leopoldo Magelli

Leopoldo Magelli is another cousin, a physician with a practice in Bologna.  Leopoldo is _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (thanks to Harry and Terry who maintain the family tree).  Leopoldo brought a special gift that will hang in Casa Magelli—the official document „designating in 19??,  _____________________________ as a member of the ______________________

Jeannie Smekofski

Jeannie Smekofksi: is an American Airlines attendant who was working the flight from Shanghai to Chicago last August when I was returning to the States after having spent the last seven weeks teaching in Shanghai.  We had a serious discussion about economics, political idealogies, and „the future“.   When she was otherwise occupied (like serving […]

Merrell, Kevin, Emily

Merrell, Kevin, Emily: Kevin is our NPSIL—by now you know what the acronym stands for;  graduate and licensed architect from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln)—this will test our25-year love affair (for those who don’t know, Cornhuskers in the Big Ten)—and a graduate of the UNL Law School.  He is a legal entrepreneur and has his […]

Paul Jr., Dalia, and Paul III

Paul Jr., Dalia, and Paul III:  It’s hard to believe that Paul Jr. will have been a project for 50 years in a few months.   His first enterprise was founded in our basement at 633 N. Doreen, Wichita, Kansas.  His B.S. and M.S. in mathematics and computer science (respectively) and later an MBA from […]

Jason Park

Jason Park is Captain Jason Park of the U.S. _______________; he just completed his MBA in the Executive MBA Progam.  Jason’s EMBA team’s project in my EMBA course was to summarize the reports of seven other EMBA teams—their work was superb—ask Rob Gillio as it was his enterprise, Innerlink that was the subject of their […]

Sean and O’Kelly

Sean and ______________O’Kelly:  Sean is another of the Executive MBA students (from THAT exceptional class); in fact, Sean and ______ , in fact, were on their honeymoon in Castel“—we never did get around to telling them that one of those great cakes had their name on it.  Tina told me she froze a piece for […]

Paula Davenport

Paula Davenport is the eldest child of my late twin brother Peter and my Godchild.  Paula currently manages publications at the University of Idaho.  Together with her daughter, Kelly, they created the Magelli Family website, Humble Beginnings (go to ________________________).  Paula was the person constantly on the move to take over 1,000 pictures of the […]

Gian Castarelli

Gian Castarelli and I met when he made “a cold call” to Illinois Business Consulting (IBC) several years ago.  Gian’s spouse was recently granted tenure in the English Department at Illinois so he will be spending more time on campus; our most recent collaboration was to serve as a “sounding” board for a major project […]

Carolyn Hopp

Carolyn Hopp is the other Carolyn (with a “C”) who is the wonderful Mother of Kevin and by now all of you know who this treasure is.   Carolyn comes from a family of teachers—her Father was Superintendent of Schools in Beatrice, Nebraska and one of his employees was the late Dr. Wm. Starkel, the […]

Micki Luttman and Kayla Luttman

Micki Luttman and  Kayla Luttman are our nearly perfect-son-in-law Kevin’s maternal aunt and niece. Kayla is the ____________________ look-alike and was stopped in Bologna, Venice, Florence, and Rome by movie-mongers.   Micki is a retired teacher/counselor who like me is continually “unretired”; she is an avid water skier and Ms. Statue of Liberty every year […]

Michelle and Michael Bilardello

Michelle and Michael Bilardello are the daughter and son-in-law of Al and Jane Anderson, two of our dearest friends in Champaign.  Al is the nephew, by marriage of my second oldest living sister, Jeanette who Karolyn and I brought to Castel as our guests two years ago.  We were repaying an old debt:  Jeanette and […]

William Lu

William Lu made the decision to proceed with this plans to come to Castel Di Casio from New York City for “a few hours” when his flights were cancelled and/or delayed.  After I assumed responsibility for managing the Illinois MBA program, William was the first “BRILLIANT” student that I convinced to enroll despite offers he […]

Fraser Kinnear

Fraser Kinnear completed his baccalaureate degrees in __________________ and ___________________________ in 2010.  Fraser with his student colleague Mark Paik who currently is doing a post-degree internship in India provided exemplary leadership to catalyze the Entrepreneurs-Without-Borders and extended its reach.   ___________.  Fraser is a global adventurer; he has back-packed in some of the world’s most […]

Mike and Carol Hatfield

Mike and Carol Hatfield from Champaign, Illinois; we belong to the same parish, St. Matthews and Mike for a few decades headed various departments in the Athletic Department at the University.   Currently, Mike is Director of Development at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center on the campus of the University—the world’s largest Catholic Student Center.  […]

Paul and Anka Tucker

Paul and Anka Tucker and I met just one time before seeing them again in Castel—it was in the private boxes at Memorial Stadium.  Mike Hatfield introduced us to them when we learned them have an olive orchard and other business interests in Pistoia, just 20 miles south of Castel.  When we were having difficulty […]

Mike, Nancy and Andrew Tokarz

Mike, Nancy and Andrew Tokarz without showing bias and as I told them in Castel are the “REAL” reason there is a Casa Magelli in Castel.  I made a “cold call” two decades ago to Mike when he served as Partner and Administrative Manager of KKR (Kohler, Kravis, and Roberts), New York City—the world’s most […]

Marge Smelstor

Marge Smelstor and I were together and the Ewing M. Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City.  As some of you know, the Foundation the Global Mecca of Entrepreneurship.  Marge holds a PhD in English, has been a Professor, Dean, Provost and Chancellor—at the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC).  Later she served as Vice President […]

Wendy Evans

Wendy Evans is a colleague who currently is _______________________________ in the College of Engineering.  Previously, Wend and I worked together in the MBA program until she moved to the University Housing Division where she was responsible for placing every new student in University dormitories.   Wendy is an elite golfer so ask for a handicap […]

Gary Brankin

Gary Brankin is a Dentist from Rockford, Illinois who we met through Dr. Daryl Detwiler, the two having been classmates at Loyola Dental School in Chicago.  Along with Daryl despite our schedules manage to see each nearly every year.  Gary is a superb pilot, in fact, built a home at the Rockford airport.   Gary […]

Art Mertes

Art Mertes brought his wife ___________ and their daughter, together with their friends, ____________________________ and their ________________ to Castel.  Art is a joint degree Illinois MBA and JD and is a principal in Synergy Law, a firm that has legally supported an innumerable number of new enterprises including Apertio, Paul Jr. initiative.   I can […]

Steve Magelli

Steve Magelli is the son of my late brother Steve Magelli.  In reality, I owe my career to him and his late wife Betty who during their first year of marriage took me into their home almost 200 miles from my parents.   As a result I went to a first-class high school, stayed in […]

Chris and Greco

Chris and _____ Greco:  Chris completed his EMBA several years ago; currently he wears two hats—with his Father-in-Law, he is with the Lamborghini automobile agency in Chicago in case any of you have a Lamborghini inclination.   A year ago, Chris was able to get Karolyn, me and 25 of our LEAD students into the […]

Ellen Jacobson, Noah Isserman and Molly

Ellen Jacobsen, Noah Isserman and Molly _____________came to Castel from a family reunion in Norway.  Ellen (Dr. Jacobsen) is THE dermatologist in Champaign; Noah, her son, is completing his PhD at Cambridge University in ______________________.  He lectured in my Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development course this fall—a stellar presentation.  Molly, his significant other, is ______________________________________.

Noreen Sugrue

Noreen Sugrue is a Professor of __________________in the College of ___________________.  We worked together last year when the University hosted Dr. Muhammed Yunus, Noble Peace Prize Laureate.  Noreen is leading an initiative ___________________________________________________________________________.  ______________________joined her as did Pam Voitik, ____________________________________,

Roseanne Seroka

Roseanne Seroka was a bridesmaid in our wedding almost 53 years ago; her late husband Joe was a great friends who like me decided to pursue a college degree some years after he graduated from high school; he made Bronze Tablet—one of the top 1% of students in his class.  Actually, Roseanne is the sister […]

Marybelle Hu and Joe

Marybelle Hu and Joe are from Shanghai, China and __________, Ireland.  Marybelle, is a seasoned entrepreneur—visit Hu and Hu Antiques in Shanghai, is a graduate of Smith College, plays a mean hand of bridge (I actually met her through my sister Terry who when she lived in Shanghai befriended Marybelle), and can show you the […]

Takashi Yamanaka

Takashi Yamanaka and I met at Drake University nearly 30 years ago.   From Kofu, Japan in the prefecture of Yamanashi (which at one time had the largest per capita GDP in the world), Takashi involved me in Japanese higher education when I served on the Board of Trustees of Teikyo University in Hachochi.  This […]

Anne and Earl Grinols

Anne and Earl Grinols:  Anne and Earl were with me when I received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree at Bristol University (U.K.), attended our 50th wedding anniversary when Anne observed that I take people on “JOURNEYS”.  They are trusted, treasured friends who left positions at Illinois to be Assistant Dean and Distinguished Professor, respectively, […]

Ethan Xin

Ethan Xin also is from Shanghai and is pursuing a dual degree at Illinois in Business and in Engineering.  Tong introduced me to Ethan whose Father has a series of factories in China and his Mother is a physician.  They too entertained us last year in China.  Ethan is my TA in the Engineering Technology […]

Tong Geng and His Family

Tong Geng and His Family are from Shanghai, China.  Three years ago in Shanghai, one of our PhD graduates asked me to have lunch with his friend who turned out to be Tong’s Dad Tutu Geng, the President of _________________________ Bank in Shanghai.   I did not know any of this at the time; during […]

Simon Zhang

Simon Zhang graduated from the Illinois MBA Program; he has four Master degrees and just adopted two boys—they are so blessed to have Simon for a Father.   A Professor who shall remain nameless called me one day and asked “if I had any students who could meet his expectations”—that’s not exactly what he said […]

Pat and Alan Lubin

Pat and Alan Lubin of St. Louis, Missouri.  Bless Alan, at 88 years young, he made the trek to where he and Pat spent their honeymoon.  Pat and her “older” sister Betty were bookends, that is, I was in first grade, Betty second, and Pat kindergarten.  We “WALKED” to school; I said five miles a […]

Dan O’Brien

Dan O’Brien came into our lives on Christmas Eve Day about 35 years ago.   His late Father was shopping in Karolyn’s Father’s Business, John and Joe Florist, Streator, Illinois; I was waiting on customers (taking a Christmas break from being Dean) and we thought we knew each other from my previous life in Ottawa, […]

Frank Prendergast and Family

Frank Prendergast and Family.  Frank is an M.D./PhD. and one, if not, THE most intelligent person I know.  I met Frank a few years ago when he invited me to a private dinner with the now President of Mayo Clinic, Dr. John Noseworthy, a neurologist, to discuss, “Customized Medicine”.  Ironically, the U of I also […]