From the Sigma Chi International Fraternity website: “The mission of the Board of Grand Trustees is to assist house corporations in the acquisition, construction, renovation and maintenance of chapter houses that are appropriate residences for our brothers, and worthy of the reputation of Sigma Chi. Grand Trustees are senior elected volunteer officers who serve terms of four years. There are 18 Grand Trustees at any given time, nine of whom are elected at each Grand Chapter.”

On June 26, 2021 Signifiant Sig and Order of Constantine Tony Flores (56-S) was elected to his 4th 4-year term. Previously he had served 2 years as Vice Chairman and 4 years as Chairman. Tony is the first and only Epsilon Eta Sig to serve on the national board.

The Fresno Sigma Chi Alumni website, fresnosigsalumni.org, was busy between March 16 and 18. The website can be used to purchase donor bricks, pay alumni chapter dues and make donations to our endowments. During those three days, 10 donor bricks were purchased by Fresno Sigma Chi alumni. This easily sets the record for any three-day period.

Sean Gallaher

March 16 started off on the right foot when brother Dennis Ford went online and ordered a brick. Over the next three days ten more brothers made purchases for themselves. The catalyst for the purchase of 8 bricks was brother Sean Gallaher. Sean contacted several brothers in his era, and this created a landslide of orders. Brothers who purchased bricks over this period include Travis Bader (01-F), Peter Flores (01-S), Dennis Ford (91-F), Sean Gallaher (02-F), Jeff Hibbard (91-F), Matt Helon (00-F) who’s father is Marv Helon (71-F), Michael Luckey (02-F), Joe McCann (98-F), Brian O’Rourke (01-F), Frank Puccio (01-S) and Brian Stenklyft (00-S).

A brick is obtained by a $250 contribution to the Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment. Each brick is engraved with the purchasing brother’s name, or it can be designated in memory of a brother who has passed on to the the Chapter Eternal. The bricks are cemented on the patio south of the Chapter House.

The purpose of our endowment is to provide scholarships to brothers living in our Chapter House. Today many brothers must work full-time in order to meet their financial obligations while attending Fresno State. Donations for 289 bricks have been received to date, and we will end the donor brick program when we reach 400. When the goal is reached, $100,000 will have been raised providing $4,000 scholarships in perpetuity. We are within 111 bricks of our goal.

Significant Sig and Order of Constantine Tony Flores (56-S) started the Donor Brick program in 2017 to raise money for the Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment, and the goal was to sell 400. He got the idea from the patio area at the Smittcamp Alumni House at Fresno State, and by April 1, 2021 300 bricks were purchased. As the Covid vaccines became available during the spring of 2021, everyone became more optimistic about their future. After “laying low” for a year, on May 30, Tony sent emails to our alumni reminding them of the brick program and what it would accomplish. This triggered something no one expected. Brothers from various eras began to contact their closest brothers and encouraged them to buy bricks, and they created a landslide. It took four years for brothers to purchase 300 bricks, but only 37 days to sell the final 100. On July 7, 2021 the last brick was purchased. The weight of the fifteen month pandemic countered by the lift of the vaccine, appears to have brought out the best in our alumni.

Tony Flores

The purpose of the Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment is to provide scholarships to brothers living in our Chapter House and for the 2021/2022 school year, $38,000 in scholarships are available. Today many brothers must work full-time in order to meet their financial obligations while attending Fresno State. The Donor Brick goal has now been reached, and $100,000 has been raised providing $4,000 scholarships in perpetuity. The following brothers have bricks in their names:

Sigma Tau: Stan Alloway, Jim Chamberlain, Jim Mayer, Al Appling, Richard Beers, John Caire Jr, Ken Carter, Roy Davis Jr, Jose Elgorriaga, Bud Fisher, JimHarkness, Clarence Harris, Ray Harris, Max Hayden, John Holland, Allan Hunter, Bert Irola, Rodger Jensen, Oran McNeil(2), Pat Mon Pere, Allen Barr Olson, Harold Paul, Homer Potts, Phil Sanchez(2), Dick Schwartz, Glenn Sheets, Bob Sherrill, Lyle Smith, Traves Summers, Sy Tacchino, Sidney Wilson.

50s: Joe Bowerbank Sr., Tony Campbell, Bob Long, Jim Crookham, Frank Small, John Yankey, Joe Monachello, Jake Andresen, Marvin Meyers, Rich Bryant, Leo Wilson, Ron Wright, Denny Milligan, Roger Morey, Roland Beiden, Gene Andrade(2), Ev Brown, Bill Ceresa, Robert West, Bob Buckenberger, Bill Burrows, Victor Giraudo, Tony Flores(2), Charles Smith, Chuck Sant’Agata, Jay Tomlinson Jr, Gene Wilkinson, Elvin Bell, Harvey Casey, Don Giacomazzi, Charles Odle, Bill Sparks, Bryce Carey, Willy Kollmeyer, Bill McGuinness, Ron Ranagan, Norm Winslow, Robert Roginson, Bob Arnold, Ed Boswell, Ron Houston, Morris McKellips, Ted Pollard, Jack Shannon, Dante Simi, Chuck Smith, Ron Tukloff, Jerry Bode, Edwin Charlebois, Carl Peterson, Nigel Yandell, Jerry Evangelho, Jim Green DDS(2), Jimmie Johnson, Rich Rose.

60s: Eric Brandon, Tom Downing, Tom Gist, George Koolery, Jim Calandra, Les Sherry, Ron LaRocca, Clyde Luomala, Dan O’Brien, Tom Oliver, Bob Rich Jr, George Waltimire, John Waterhouse, Gary Renner, Jim Wright, Larry Dorsey, Brian Ehmke, Warren Williams, Colin Kelly, Dirk VanGelder, Jerry Waters, Skip Acker, Ron Alloway, Richard Ballow, Don Beauregard, Henry Brock, Bob Costa, John Lauck, Jim Underhill, Bill Matesso, Bud Olson, Jerry Traxler, Marv Broderson, Ken Farley, Jerry Fogle, Tom Gillespie, Paul Myers, Mike Patton, Larry Peasley, Les Schuler, Jerry Sparling, Brian Stout, Pat Stuckey, Ted Tukloff, Jerry Zulfa, Bob Dinkel, Terry Harper, Joe Pressutti, Clark Londquist, Tim Summers, Scotty Williams, Mike Hayes, Steve Grimm, Rob Crossland(2), Charlie Johnson, Bob Painter, Art Renney, Bill Crossland, Dan Hammack, Steve Heinrichs, Steve Crawford, Ed Musolff, Tommy Eichman, Jim Turner, Ted Harcksen, Art Wahlberg, Van Woolley, Gene Sousa, John Ballinger, Bill Colgate, Rick Nelson, Dave Dungy, Larry Harris, Jim Vaux, Tim Vaux, Mick Gilles, Dan Kelley, James Silveria, Rich Barsanti, Dave Jensen, Roger Peterson, Michael Alaga, Jeff Ehmke, John Garcia, Dick Harris, Mike Elliott, Rocky Taylor, John Crossland, John Marinovich, Jim Efird, Lindsay Brehm, Jim Norquist, Dave Reuland, Dennis Schmal, Mark Scott (2), Larry Calvino, Steve Pallios, Wes Viets.

70s: Jim Hutton, Don Vineyard, Bill Robinson, Bob Soligian, Dr. Michael Lynch, Kenny Duncan, Jon Gallinetti, Chris Visser, Russ Efird, Tom Licouris, Mark Sanchez, Richard Wright, Mike Chin, Marv Helon, Larry Johnson, Amos Bagdasarian, Dwayne Murray, Kirk Stewart, Kevin Crandell, Kyle Stephenson, Wade Hedrick, Gerald Chooljian, Glenn Scott, David Arakelian, Bruce Ekmanian, Dave Price III, Bruce Quan, Jim Sandrini, John Tubbesing, Bill Arnold, Bill Smittcamp, Steve Vucovich, Tony Guerriero, Richard Klopfstein, Serge Tomassian, Kirk Wethey, Kevin Wren, Jim Sandrini, Larry Spikes, Mark Worthington, Ron Radoicich, Norm Bishop, Bruce Berger, Brad Fischer(2), Steve Coleman, Bill Van Skike, George Neves, Dick Arakelian, Mike Crowley, Steve Bachand, Tom Kusaka, George Matoian.

80s: Dan Marinsik, Glenn Davis, Steve Smith, John Hughes, Kevin Andrade, Michael Alfheim, Dan Klopfstein, Eric Rehn, Marc Jason, Mike Price, Kevin Kamimoto, Bill Miller, Matt Rowan, Ted Uyesaka, Mike Bowlden, John Ansolabehere, Kip Haverman, Randy Roby, Mark Fimbres, Craig Maddux, Jeff Little, Randy Garabedian, Ty Carroll, Andrew Sattley, Walter Mueller, Michael Smith, Russell Davenport, Stuart Patteson, Kirk Jacinto, Jeffrey Gaines, T.A. Heckel(2), David Atkinson, Chris Morse, John Peters, Barry Foley, Joe Robertson, Bob Whalen, Devin Wilson, Rich Mechikoff, Grant Petersen, Marc Graham, Doug Sampson, Justin Kempton, Todd Wilson, Gary Mooshagian, Mike Green, Brady McGuinness, Matthew Simonian, Greg Anderson, Roger Dibble, Jim Tjerrild, Steve Hobbs, Lance McAuley, Ron Ewing, Sergio Ilic, Scott Morse, John Sordi, Brian Lockhart, Chris Kollmeyer, Graham Harrison, Matt Kollmeyer, T.J. Leonard.

90s: Marc Forth, Will Richardson, Matt Machado, Sam Mann, Lee Cendaña, Casey Knowles, Jimmy Parsley, Derek Mahoney, David Folly, Chris Norton, Joel Levy, Chris Heinrich, Nathan Labiak(2), Jeff Hibbard, Sherif Awad, Mitchell Youree, Dennis Ford, Dave Marinovich, Nick Salvetti, Jason Karr, Andrew Clark, Joe Bowerbank Jr, John Bowerbank, Rob Bell, Ken Eynaud, Billy Purewal, Preet Purewal, David Esposito, Brandon Cohrs, Joe McCann, Michael Burke, Dustin Marzolf, Dick Arakelian.

00s: Anthony DeLuca, Ty Maroudas, Chris Rusca, Justin Johnson, Zack Moro, Rodney Rusca, Peter Flores, Matt Helon, Brian Stenklyft, Travis Bader, Frank Puccio, Brian O’Rourke, Kevin Wethey, Michael Luckey,  Sean Gallaher, Chad Calhoun, Nick Hooper, Sean Akin.

10s: Dusty Lacefield, Evan Selander, Bryce Martinho , Trent Braswell, Scott Moore, Tyler Davies, Austin Radke, Christian DeFendis, Blake McGuinness, Nathanial A. Wilson, Jack Wilson, Giordano Primavera, Jordan Ayerza.

20s: Logan Mann, David Mistretta.

Other: Mama Lou, Iggy, Victor Bulldog, Anonymous, Chapter Eternal Brothers, Sigma Taus, In hoc signo vinces, Carol McNeil, Marci Radoicich Miller, Bud Richter Stanford (47-S), Harry Saint John Dixon (2), Gavin Gladding UCSB (94-S), Marci Radoicich Miller, Pledge Class-1980.

“Dr. Elmer “Bud” Richter, a community giant who served a number of organizations in the Valley and established the Jan & Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at Fresno State, passed Thursday January 28^th.” 

The Fresno Bee https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article248876944.html

Brother Richter, S’47, Alpha Omega, Stanford University was 94. He is survived by his wife Jan of 72 years; son Brad and granddaughter Renee Vandermeer and her husband Nick; and two great-grandchildren Matthew and Maci. 

Brother Richter was a longtime supporter of Fresno State athletics and was on the steering committee for the construction of Bulldog Stadium. He was the recipient of the community’s highest honor, The Leon S. Peters Award in 2006. He served on the Fresno State Foundation Board of Governors from 1979 to 2006, when he was awarded emeritus status.

He joined the family business, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, following graduation from Stanford in 1949 and rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer. The company was founded in Fresno in 1895 as the Richter Bottling Company and was sold in 1977.

Brother Richter was dedicated to the Sigma Chi Fraternity and both Alpha Omega and Epsilon Eta Chapters. He was a longtime loyal Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter of Fresno member and supporter of our scholarship program. The following are memories of local Alumni Chapter Brothers.

“Bud Richter was a true gentleman and helped our Chapter in its early development.  I was honored to work with Bud when I was Public Relations and Fund Development Director for Community Medical Centers and he was a Board Member.  Bud not only contributed to the Chapter in our various campaigns but also raised funds.  He was always there when we needed him, even though he was a Stanford Sig.  He also gave Summer jobs to our Brothers at Pepsi, which he managed and his family owned.” Order of Constantine, Chuck Sant’Agata, S’56    

“Outstanding brother!  And we all are proud and glad that we can call Bud our Brother.” Order of Constantine, Tom Downing, F’62

“In April 1965 when I was elected to the city council, Bud took me to lunch. “Remember this,” he told me, “there is no expiration date on honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness”. I called on him often during those hectic years and he was always available and helpful, mainly because he lived by those words. Significant Sig, Elvin C. Bell, F’57

“He was a Stellar Individual, God Fearing, God Preaching… Even taught my dad a few things…  he was a good friend! And he will be missed” Bill Smittcamp, S’73

“A true gentleman has joined our Chapter Eternal and we are better men because of Brother Bud Richter. God bless you Brother Richter and we send our condolences to Jan and family.” Brad S. Fischer, S’78

“Bud gave me job at Pepsi when he broke the Union yoke and gave many FSU students a job when he was the active CEO at Fresno Pepsi. He was a wonderful man and Brother for Sigma Chi. When I was honored as a FSU Top Dog, he was the first to congratulate me as I came down from the stage. We all shall miss him.  All Honor To His Name.” Significant Sig, Dante Simi, F’58

Services are pending for Brother Richter. Dr. Saúl Jimenéz-Sandoval, Interim President, California State University, Fresno has ordered flags to half-staff at Fresno State on the date of his service.

White Rose Scholarship Fund: https://fresnosigsalumni.org/product/donation/