1968 grad is among 20 honored for sports, service
By Vicky Wedig
Editor
A Wisconsin School for the Deaf graduate who was a victim of and helped expose sexual abuse by an Archdiocese of Milwaukee priest was among 20 people inducted into WSD’s Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Arthur Douglas Budzinski, a 1968 WSD graduate, attended the Wisconsin School for the Deaf after leaving St. John’s School for the Deaf in St. Francis in 1964 where he was a victim of sexual abuse by the late Father Lawrence Murphy. Budzinski has been a courageous and stanch advocate for victims abused by priests since the 1970s and is an active member of the Survivors Network Abused by Priests that addressed the issue of children being abuse by priests, according to a biography of Budzinski written by WSD.
Budzinski attempted to report abuse by Murphy but the late priest and other pastors did not follow through with the complaints, according to the write-up. In 2006, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published Budzinski’s story, but things still didn’t change.
According to the Journal Sentinel, Budzinski was among dozens of boys Murphy molested as children at St. John’s between 1950 and 1974. One church psychologist estimated Murphy might have molested as many as 200 deaf children before he died in 1998, according to the newspaper.
In 2010, the New York Times picked up the story of children being abused at St. John’s, and the HBS documentary “Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God” was created.
Budzinski received a Bravery Award from the Deaf Unity and a Survivors of Network of Abused by Priests award in 2011.
At WSD Saturday, he was among 10 WSD graduates inducted into its 7-year-old service Hall of Fame and 10 inducted into the 10-year-old sports Hall of Fame.
Excerpts from biographies of each of the inductees provided in the program for the event are reprinted below.
Service Hall of Fame
Lyle Allen Hinks – Class of 1964
Hinks is an avid golf player and a savvy leader. He has been a dedicated member of the Far West Golf Association of the Deaf for more than 20 years and has served as an officer and a tournament chairman for a number of years. His efforts led him into the Far West Golf Association of the Deaf Hall of Fame in 1991. He was selected Northern California Golf Association of the Deaf Player of the Year in 1995.
Vaughn William Hallada – Class of 1967
Hallada is well known for his passion in sports and is a sports whiz. He is considered the father of the WSD Sports Hall of Fame. He was a charter member of the WSD Sports Hall of Fame committee that organized and featured the first induction ceremony in 1996. He is now the only remaining member of the committee and has chaired the committee since 1968. Hallada has sent hundreds of hours researching, interviewing, writing summaries and doing presentations for 53 individual inductees and 31 team inductees.
Judy Alice Pleskatcheck Mohan – Class of 1969
Mohan has been involved with a variety of organizations starting at WSD with her involvement in leadership roles, which she carried out over the years in Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona. While studying at Gallaudet College, Mohan was involved with the Collegiate National Association of the Deaf, student body government, the Clock Tower Yearbook and the Phi Kappa Zeta Sorority. As a teacher for 28 years, Mohan volunteered her time teaching American Sign Language to parents and individuals.
Charles Galloway Harbison – Class of 1971
Harbison was a teacher for 33 years starting at the Louisiana School for the Deaf, the Maryland School for the Deaf and then the Illinois School for the Deaf until his retirement in 2009. He served on the Illinois School for the Deaf Parent-Teacher organization board, was an advisor for the Junior National Association for the Deaf for several years, advisor for several classes and coach for junior high and varsity sports. He was devoted to his Illinois community through volunteer work and membership for many years.
Edward Lee Kelly – Class of 1974
Kelly was an actor in the beginning of his career life. He is mostly remember for his roles in “Children of a Lesser God” and “Beauty and the Beast: Sticks and Stones.” He received training from the National Theatre of the Deaf and was involved in numerous theatrical performances, television shows and nine plays at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf. While he performed in “Children of a Lesser God” in Milwaukee, a producer from New York saw him and invited him to join a London company that was being formed.
Dean Guy Kelly – Class of 1975
Kelly is the father of the Four-Deaf-Club Picnic. He has been in charge of annual picnics that each draw more than 1,500 people from all over the United States since 2006 and has raised more than $100,000. Some of the funds have provided scholarships for WSD graduates. Kelly was instrumental in keeping the Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf clubhouse open and functioning after the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf-Delavan Division turned it over.
Susan Elaine Sinnen Kelly – Class of 1975
Kelly is a member of the Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf and does practically everything in the clubhouse – bartending, cleaning, preparing, decorating, mowing, shoveling and cooking. She has served more than 26 years in offices ranging from trustee to treasurer to secretary. She directed the annual Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf Christmas party for 20 years, WSD homecoming events at the association and the association bazaar. She continues to help with the annual Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf pancake breakfast.
Deborah Sue Kuglitsch – Class of 1975
Kuglitsch was devoted to deaf women in sports. She was a softball player and a leader for more than 25 years in positions such as softball manager, coach, tournament chairman, athletic director, business manager and coordinator in Maryland, South Dakota and Texas. Kuglitsch won five regional softball championships when she was a player and coach for the Metro Washington Association of the Deaf. Her team won the national softball championship in 1988 and was named manager of the tournament.
Alice Marie Sykora – Class of 1975
Sykora has played an integral role in the deaf community through various capacities especially in the foundation of a non-profit organization, Deaf Unity, which serves deaf victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking. She volunteers on the Dane County Commission on Sensitive Crimes, the National Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advisory Council and the Justice for Deaf Victims National Coalition. She also serves on the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf Community Wellness Committee.
Sports Hall of Fame
Charles Klusman
Klusman, of Milwaukee, was a versatile defensive player on the WSD football team from 1959 to 1962. The 6-foot, 185-pound player was named to Frat Magazine’s All-American team in 1962 and was a key member of the 1961 Dairyland Conference championship team.
Joe Serio
Serio, of Brookfield, wrestled 119 and 126 pounds for WSD from 1971 to 1974. His career record of 20-2 included 16 pins and two team Indian Trails Conference championships.
Mike Maxwell
Maxwell played football, basketball and track at WSD from 1974 to 1977. As a halfback, the 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound player was named to the Frat’s 1976 All-American First Team and had 430 career carries for 2,380 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Doug Vaade
Vaade, of Janesville, was a halfback, linebacker and punter on the WSD football team. He led the Indian Trails Conference in scoring his junior year and averaged 40 yards per punt and 11 tackles per game.
Tim Morgan
Morgan, of Cuba City, was a halfback and forward on the WSD football and basketball teams from 1974 to 1978. He was named co-player of the year by the Deaf American and earned Indian Trails Conference honors for three years in football.
Jeff Perry
Perry, of Racine, played quarterback and left safety that helped WSD to win an undefeated season 9-0 his junior year. As a senior, he was named to the Indian Trails Conference first team and The Frat All-American first team.
Randy Plate
Plate, of Germantown, was a tackle and defensive end on the Firebirds’ football team and wrestled 155 and 167 pounds from 1975 to 1977. In football, he was named to the All-Indian Trails Conference team twice and registered eight quarterback sacks.
Jerry Weigand
Weigand, of Oshkosh, was a guard and middle linebacker on the WSD football team from 1974 to 1976. He was named All-Indian Trails Conference first team for two years and produced 92 tackles and six quarterback sacks.
Pam Walker Wilding
Wilding, of Kenosha, was introduced to sports when Wisconsin School for the Deaf introduced girls into its athletics program in 1975 for the first time. She played volleyball, basketball and softball from 1975 to 1978.
Thomas Schlotthauer
Schlotthauer, of Belgium, was a fullback, linebacker and punter on the football team and a wrestler at 185 pounds and heavier from 1978 to 1981. He rushed for 1,017 yards, got 12 touchdowns and averaged 11 tackles per game during his football career.
