Alumni Association Honors

It is a tradition during the Father-Son Communion Breakfast for the Gonzaga Alumni Association to bestow its two biggest honors. This year, the GAA looks forward to inducting Joe Reyda '85 into its Alumni Hall of Fame and naming Ash Hawken '53 its Father Novotny Service Award winner.

 

A beloved and instrumental member of the Gonzaga community, Joe Reyda '85 began coaching football at Gonzaga while still a college student at Catholic University. He returned full time to his Alma Mater as a member of the Dean of Students Office and assistant football coach in 1989. In 2001, he became Gonzaga’s Athletic Director, leading the athletic department through a period of enormous growth and success. Eventually Joe oversaw the coaching staffs of 41 teams in 17 sports, thus shaping the Gonzaga experience of thousands of young men. 

 

A consummate man for others and role model for students, Joe's sudden passing in June 2023 was a devastating loss. “The Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni for outstanding achievement and the exemplification of a Gonzaga education in their lives,” says Gonzaga President Father Joe Lingan ‘75. “I can’t think of a more deserving alumnus than Joe Reyda – a humble, faithful, and faith-filled man whose deep commitment to Gonzaga and Gonzaga students was an inspiration to so many.” Joe’s wife, Tricia, and daughters Molly and Caroline will accept the award on April 28.

 

Created in memory of former Gonzaga President Father Allen Novotny, SJ, the Father Novotny Service Award recognizes an alumnus who shows an extraordinary commitment to community service and Jesuit ideals. This year's honoree is Ash Hawken '53, a devoted Gonzaga alumnus and deeply involved volunteer in the Social Justice Ministry at his parish, Holy Trinity. Working with Holy Trinity's sister parish in El Salvador, Ash has made several international trips to volunteer; mentored multiple children from the parish; and founded the Holy Trinity Migrant Team, a five-year ministry that accompanies newly arrived refugees to the Washington DC area. In addition to his work at Holy Trinity, Ash has been a dedicated alumnus here at Gonzaga, organizing reunions and gatherings for his classmates and working closely with the school to create videos for Gonzaga's Admissions Office.

 

In addition, Gonzaga alumnus Carroll Warfield '70 will serve as the event's guest speaker. A veteran of the hotel and hospitality industry, Carroll for many years served on Gonzaga's Board of Trustees, including as Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee. He was heavily involved in the envisioning, planning and execution of recent campus improvements that are used daily by current Gonzaga students -- including the locker room and team meeting space adjacent to Buchanan Field, the Sheridan Strength and Conditioning Center in the basement of Dooley, and the Innovation Commons in Ruesch Cantwell. Carroll is also the proud father of Lucas Warfield, Gonzaga Class of 2019 and a recent graduate of Princeton.

 

To purchase tickets to attend the 76th Annual Father Son Communion Breakfast, please click here.