Henry and Donna Eagar
2009 Benefactor Honorees

Henry Eagar is a Vice President Senior Commercial Banking Officer with Citizen Business Bank. He has been in the banking field since 1977. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles

Since high school, Mr. Eagar has been aware of the importance of education. He was able to go to college due to hard work and grants that were available to him because of his Hispanic heritage. Currently Mr. Eagar is treasurer of the Luévano Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Mexican American Alumni Association of Loyola Marymount University, which supports the educational needs of the Hispanic Community. He also serves on the local Board of the Brea Kiwanis. He served on the Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Orange County that grants wishes to children with a life threatening illness. He is a community volunteer for St. Hedwig Youth Ministry, where he advises and counsels teenagers.

Mr. Eagar lives in Orange County with his wife Donna and their two children Laura and Patrick.

Donna Eagar graduated from Loyola Marymount University where she met her husband Henry. She has worked in the health care community for over 30 years and is currently the Director of Claims at a large Managed Care service Organization in Lakewood.

Donna dedicated the first fifteen years of her marriage to raising her children, Laura and Patrick. Laura just received her Masters Degree in Child Development at her parents’Alma Mater and she teaches kindergarten at UCLA’s University Village Program. Patrick just graduated from Otis Art School and works as a Graphic Artist in Hollywood.

For the past fifteen years, Donna has been active at her parish, St. Hedwig. She is a confirmation facilitator, Eucharistic minister, bereavement board member, and part of the St. Hedwig’s woman’s council. The Youth at St. Hedwig are very important to Donna and she serves as the adult advisor of S.A.L.T., Student Action Leadership Team, an organization she founded to support newly confirmed youth at her church. She was also called by her Pastor to serve on the Disciples in Mission board, representing the youth at her parish. Her interest in the youth and her compassion for the Hispanic population in Southern California inspired her to serve the Luevano Foundation. She is proud of the board’s accomplishments and hopes the foundation can continue to make Catholic education available to more Hispanic children.

BRAD SNYDER
2009 EDUCATIONAL HONOREE

Brad Snyder was born in Euclid, Ohio and lived in Tennessee until his family moved to Anaheim, California in the late 1970’s. Brad’s family continued to move around and he found himself in three different high schools finally graduating from Santiago High School.

Brad’s family couldn’t afford college so he found himself working different jobs while taking courses at Santa Ana College. He eventually worked for Savon Drugs as a manager and honed his business and human relations skills, but knew God was calling him to a different path.

Part of that different direction was a new faith. Brad met Elena Alvarez and was exposed to the Catholic faith. Over time, he knew this was part of the plan God had for him. The inclusiveness of the Catholic faith and the clarity, beauty and mystery of the Sacraments grounded him and his path. Elena and Brad married and Brad converted to Catholicism. He went back to school and received his Bachelors in English with honors from Cal State Fullerton. He went on to earn his teaching credential from the same university and began teaching at St. Joseph School in Santa Ana.

Brad never considered teaching a job. Teaching was a blessing and he worked hard to share his love of literature, learning and God with his students. Brad found the faith-filled learning environment of the Catholic school to be a sacred and wonderful thing worthy of commitment and devotion. While teaching, he went on to attain his Masters Degree in Education Administration at Cal State Fullerton. He eventually went into administrative work at St. Joseph School and became the principal.

Brad’s goal is to continue the high standards that principals at St. Joseph School have set over the years, especially the availability of Catholic education to the community he serves. He appreciates the partnership St. Joseph School has had over the years with the Luévano Foundation, as together they strive to keep Catholic education affordable and accessible for all students.

THE MOST REVEREND TOD D. BROWN D.D.
2008 HONOREE

Tod David Brown was born in San Francisco on November 15, 1936, the first of two children born to George and Edna Anne Brown, both now deceased. His brother Daniel Brown lives in Orinda, California, with his wife and children.

Bishop Brown received his early education at various schools in Northern California. His seminary education and formation were at Ryan Seminary in Fresno, St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and North American College in Rome, Italy. He holds a BA from St. John’s Seminary, a STB from Gregorian University, Rome, and master degrees in biblical theology and education from the University of San Francisco.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1963 for the Diocese of Monterey in California. In the Diocese of Monterey he had various assignments, including parochial vicar, pastor, chairman of the Divine Worship Commission, chairman and member of the Presbyterial Council and Priests Pension Committee, and member of the Diocesan Board of Education. In addition, he served as Chancellor, Moderator of the curia and the Vicar General.

On December 27, 1988, Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Boise, Idaho. He was ordained and installed as Bishop of that See on April 3,1989. On September 3, 1998, Bishop Brown was installed as the third Bishop of Orange, succeeding Bishop Norman McFarland, who had served the Diocese of Orange until his retirement.

KURT AND BETTY SPANEL

2007 HONOREES

Kurt and Betty Spanel have served St. Joseph Parish in Santa Ana for the past thirteen years. Kurt has served as the Principal and Administrator of St. Joseph School and Betty has served as the Parish Manager at St. Joseph Church for the past nine years.

Kurt is currently splitting his time between St. Joseph School and Project SUCCESS where he serves as the executive director. Project SUCCESS is a group of parents, teachers and administrators from the four Catholic elementary schools in Santa Ana. Project SUCCESS is dedicated to ensuring that a Catholic elementary school education remains accessible, affordable, and available to the many Catholic families in Santa Ana.

Kurt received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vanguard University and more recently received a Masters Degree in Catholic School Administration from the University of San Francisco. Betty received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A.

Kurt and Betty have been married for 30 years and have two children, Brian a U.C.L.A. graduate is now teaching at Fremont High School in Los Angeles, and Kayla a senior at U.C.L.A. Recently, with the passing of Kurt’s sister Leslie their family has grown to include Austin, in the 6th grade at St. Joseph School, and Kristy, a Sophomore at Mater Dei High School.

Though both Betty and Kurt graduated form public high schools in the Imperial Valley they understand the great treasure that our Catholic schools are to the Diocese of Orange and to our nation. Along with their niece and nephew who are currently attending a Catholic school, their children Brian and Kayla attended Catholic schools K-12.

JOHN AND JEANETTE O’CONNOR

2007 HONOREES

John and Jeanette O’Connor are founding parishioners of St. Kilian Parish in Mission Viejo and sometime congregants of Holy Trinity Parish in Ladera Ranch where they celebrate with their children, Michael and Colleen, and their families.

John is the Founder and Managing Director of Shamrock Supply Company, Inc., a wholesale distributor of industrial supplies and supply chain management services, headquartered in Santa Ana, and is joined in the business by his five children. John has served as President of the First Friday Friars (a Catholic men’s organization) and President of the Mater Dei High School and Santa Margarita High School Parent’s Boards. Currently, he serves as Director on the Advisory Boards of the Luévano Foundation and the Achievement Institute for Scientific Studies, ensuring the continued viability and accessibility of Catholic education and fostering the education of underprivileged students throughout Orange County.

John completed his primary education at Elyria Catholic High School (Elyria, Ohio) where he lettered in football, earning all-conference and all-American honors, and was awarded a bachelor’s degree in the field of Business Administration from the University of Dayton, where he attended on a football scholarship. Having completed studies at St. Joseph Catholic High School (Cleveland, Ohio), Jeanette earned a registered nursing degree at Mercy School of Nursing (Toledo, Ohio).

Beginning their relationship as schoolchildren at St. Mary’s Catholic school in Elyria, Ohio, John and Jeanette have been married for 42 years and reside in Mission Viejo where they raised their children, Mary Kay, Kelly, Michael, Colleen, and Megan and where they now enjoy the clamor of their eleven grandchildren and anxiously await the births of their twelfth and thirteenth.

With gratitude, John and Jeanette are the beneficiaries of Catholic education, and have cultivated this legacy with their children who completed their primary education at Mission Parish School of San Juan Capistrano, Mater Dei High School and Santa Margarita High School and who have variously attended the University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, and the University of Dayton.

SISTER CECILIA DURAN, ODN

2006 LUÉVANO SCHOLARSHIP DINNER

EDUCATIONAL HONOREE

Sister Cecilia Durán, O.D.N. is an Orange County native, born in Fullerton and reared in Placentia. Sister attended Saint Mary School, in Fullerton, graduated from Mater Dei High School and entered the Sisters of the Company of Mary soon after graduation.

Sister Cecilia received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California State University, Los Angeles, an elementary teaching credential from Loyola Marymount, and a Master of Arts degree in Education, as well as a Credential in School Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Sister Cecilia’s educational career spans 35 years, from the barrios of East Los Angeles to the cities of Orange, Tustin, and now, Santa Ana. Sister has taught all elementary grades, except for 3rd and 4th, served as Director of Religious Education at La Purísima Parish for 7 years, and is currently “celebrating” her 20th year as principal.

Sister attributes her desire to serve others via education to her parents, Ted and Marian Durán, and to the Sisters of the Company of Mary, who have a rich legacy of education, having been founded 400 years ago by Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac for the very purpose of education.

Sister Cecilia appreciates the generous contribution that the Luevano Foundation is making to education in Orange County Catholic Schools and will continue to support its mission through prayer and promotion of its goals and ideals.

MS. MARY ROURKE

2006 LUÉVANO SCHOLARSHIP

DINNER BENEFACTOR HONOREE

Mary Rourke is a journalist and novelist who has written about the arts and religion for the Los Angeles Times. Earlier she wrote about Art and Architecture for Newsweek Magazine in New York City.

Her first novel, “Two Women of Galilee” is new this spring. It is a work of historical fiction about a friendship between two of the women in the Gospel, Mary the mother of Jesus and Joanna, one of his followers who was healed by Jesus and helped finance his public life.

Mary was born in Connecticut, raised in New York State and graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. She has a master’s degree in art history from Queens College and another in religion from Yale Divinity School.

Her Catholic education, from kindergarten through college, steeped her in the Catholic traditions of social justice and intellectual pursuit. She supports the Luévano Scholarship Foundation so that young people today can have the same rich experience.

Mary has four brothers and one sister, many nieces and nephews. So far, she has never been married.