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Victor Balasi joined 6/2/1979 |
from December 2005 |
| Hometown: Mattoon, IL
Year Initiated: 1975
Chapter: Beta Eta (University of Illinois)
Current location: King George, VA
Profession: Lt. Col., U.S. Marine Corps
Vic Balasi was one of the men responsible for refounding Beta Beta chapter, an expansion consultant from Pi Kappa Alpha who came to Seattle in 1979 to start a new colony at the UW. I asked Vic to recall any memories he had of Seattle and his past with Beta Beta. The first thing he remembers is “Five months of rain and gloom followed by a month of the most beautiful skies, mountain vistas, greenery and blossoms that I have ever seen”. Then Vic went into more personal memories that give us a sense of why he is returning to Seattle for the first time this March, to join us for our 25th anniversary celebration at Founders Day:
“Meeting a group of bright, talented, diverse guys with tremendous potential that we were able to convince to take a chance on starting something apart from the status quo, something that would be a source of pride, something that they could shape and mold into their ideal concept of what a Fraternity should be and stand for. Amazingly successful parties with top sororities with a small group of guys that had no fraternity house but knew how to have a great time with a lot of class. Hugh Levenson's eternal optimism, Kenny Jones slurring his words after a half beer, Jerry Gabrio's arm as he shredded the defense of teams from big, established fraternities in the Pike Football Tournament, Charlie Manger rivaling Robin Williams' style of manic comedy and his amazing level of energy and enthusiasm; alumni like Al Ross, Oscar Sandberg, Bob Keene and Gary Ausman who believed in the dream of Beta Beta returning to UW and provided the support and foundation to make it happen.
Seeing the Alpha class take a little guidance from Brian Myers and me and then taking off with the ideals of PiKA and the commitment to make Beta Beta a true and enduring success. Tremendous personal pride in accomplishing far beyond what Brian and I thought we could achieve. Watching a true spirit of brotherhood evolve in the Alpha class as they created a Fraternity experience of their design and choosing.”
This snapshot of his brief but important time here with our chapter gives us a glimpse of one of the men who brought PiKA back to the University of Washington. Vic also told me what PiKA has meant to him throughout his life. He gives credit to the fraternity for his professional and personal success in life. Vic spent three years working for PiKA Memorial Headquarters, a year in Washington, DC working on Capitol Hill, and 23 years in the Marine Corps, stationed in California, Japan and all along the eastern seaboard. He has been married 25 years, has no kids, 4 horses, 1 dog, a rabbit and a big green John Deere tractor to mow all 20 acres of his horse farm. He has moved 11 times during his Marine Corps career – and vows to never move again. He is currently the Assistant Program Manager for Logistics of the Presidential Helicopters Program. He describes the bonds that this house creates as a parallel to the bond he shares with his fellow Marines. He states, “It's imbued with intense feeling and commitment, and it's a tremendous source of pride.” And those of us at Beta Beta are proud of our bond with Vic |
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Dennis Isham joined 3/1/1959 |
from March 2003 |
| Dennis Isham has embodied the slogan “Once a Pike, Always a Pike” for the past 40 years and shows no signs of stopping. Brother Isham was initiated in 1959 when the membership of BB was around 25 men and the house was on the corner of 45th and 20th Ave NE. Dennis served two terms as the ThC and ended his time at Pikes with the honor and responsibility of being the SMC. When asked to speak on the memories of these positions, Alumnus Isham said that he looks back on those times fondly. However it was a challenging time, since the chapter was struggling with membership. It was also during this time that he met another BB alum by the name of Al Ross, who would become one of Dennis’ lifelong friends.
After graduation with a degree in finance, Brother Isham took a position with Boeing in its finance department. He worked for Boeing until 1995 when he retired after 33 years of service. For the past 7 years, Dennis has been enjoying his hobbies which include traveling and biking. When I asked him what he enjoys most about being retired, he replied, “Being able to do what I want, when I want.” Today, he serves as the treasurer for the Housing Corporation, a role that takes about 1 hour a week. That one hour is spent paying bills, updating books, and talking to other executive members of the Housing Corporation. Perhaps the most tangible contribution Alumnus Isham has made to BB is his personal sponsorship of the chapter's property improvements this spring. With the donation he made,
the Beta Beta Chapter house got a complete landscape face lift which included a retaining wall, new soil and grass, and new plants. |
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John Oetjen joined 1/12/1980 |
from March 2002 |
| When Brother John Oetjen (‘79) isn’t busy winning a Grammy or having tea with Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito, he can be found having breakfast at C.J.’s, a Belltown café just a few blocks from his home. Oetjen graduated from UW with a degree in communications, but his major was definitely not the only focus on his life. While studying at the U, John served as ASUW Arts & Entertainment Advertising Director and Lecture Director. Part of his duties included producing concerts. Brother Oetjen was also a member of Mortar Board and Phi Beta Kappa. Somehow John also found time to be a part of the Fraternity’s Alpha Class and have a steady girlfriend most of the time.
After graduation, John decided to continue his education. He applied to Oxford and was accepted in 1983. While there, John’s involvement in campus life didn’t stop. He was a member of the crew, rugby and water polo
teams and served as Class President. While at Oxford, John met Prince Naruhito who was also a graduate student
at the time. The two quickly became friends and still maintain that friendship today.
Upon graduation from Oxford John went into the production business where he worked with M.C. Hammer
on the music video for the hit song “U Can’t Touch This.” One day, John received a phone call saying that he had
been nominated for a Grammy Award. Recalling this moment, Brother Oetjen said he was, “Shocked, it can’t
be me! You must have the wrong guy.” As it turned out, the Grammy Association did have the right guy, and John
won a Grammy for his production work on Hammer’s video. He also won an MTV Music Award and Billboard
Award for the same video. Currently Brother Oetjen is single and living in Seattle.
He works for Believe Media, producing commercial spots for Diet Pepsi, Oreo Cookies and HBO, just to
name a few. John also is a voting member with the recording Academy that votes on the Grammy Awards.
If you would like to get in touch with Brother Oetjen you can contact him at (206) 448-2278 or email him at
oetjen@aol.com |
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Al Ross joined 3/1/1959 |
from March 2002 |
| For more than 40 years, Alumnus Al Ross has served our fraternity with honor and distinction. He is the epitome of what it means to be a Brother. Al was brought into the bonds of Pi Kappa Alpha on the day of our founding (March 1) in 1959. When asked what he remembers most about his years as an undergraduate, Ross simply replied, “The Brotherhood.” True Brotherhood is one of the few things in life that transcend the passage of time, which is evident in the fact that Al still keeps in contact with friends from his college years, including Dennis Isham and Gary Ausman. When Al heard whispers of re-colonization in the late 1970s, he was quick to contact other alumni in the Seattle area to help with the resurrection of our beloved fraternity. There is no doubt that he was a key player in our eventual re-charter in 1981. Al did even more than just get the motor of Beta Beta running; he also helped keep it revved up by becoming one of our first chapter advisors.
When asked what made him want to be such an active alumnus member, he said, “I wanted to propel the chapter even further.” He also wanted to iron out the wrinkles that had plagued the chapter in the past. Al didn’t stop there, however. Today he is a member of the Beta Beta Housing Association, and occasionally can be spotted at the chapter house conversing with undergraduates. Pi Kappa Alpha is not the only love of Al’s life. He has been married to his lovely wife for 37 years and together they have raised two wonderful sons. Al, owner of Redmond’s Lakeside Pharmacy, resides in Woodinville. |
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Andrew Kertesz joined 1/5/1990 |
from July 2001 |
| This fall Microsoft will unveil its entry into the world of video gaming. Expected to make a huge impact on the industry, Microsoft has spared no expense to guarantee that it's Xbox is the top of the line in gaming. For the last two years or so Pike Alumnus Andrew Kertesz ('90) has had a key role in the development of this exciting high profile project. Andrew began with Microsoft in 1991 when he worked as a part time summer intern with the company. Graduating from the UW with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Andrew joined Microsoft full time as a tester in the Visual Basic group where he worked from '93 until '96. From there he moved to the DirectX group working with gaming technologies until 2000 when he began with the Xbox team. Andrew's role with the Xbox has been to evaluate vendors pitching games for the new platform and working with those vendors to help develop those games. Essentially a "Tech Evangelist" in his own words, Andrews spends much of his time flying out to meet with these vendors to track the development of games. Andrew's particular focus is on all games related to racing. While he is currently working on several different projects (most of which he can't talk about) he has played a large role on one of Microsoft's most highly anticipated games, Project Gotham. This futuristic racing game promises to be one of the most exciting entries into the genre. While Microsoft's new Xbox still awaits its reception by consumers, it looks clear that Andrew Kertesz will play a large role in the success of this exciting new product. |
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Robert Imrie joined 4/7/1940 |
from March 2001 |
| Bob Imrie is one of Beta Beta's oldest living alums, and probably had one of the most unusual experiences as an undergraduate. Bob came to the UW from Goldendale, Washington as a freshman in the fall of 1938. He did not become involved with Pi Kappa Alpha until 1939 when he moved into the old chapter house at 1804 50th Avenue NE. Bob was initiated in 1940 and his involvement in the chapter was part of a very active undergraduate career. While majoring in Aeronautical Engineering and going to work for Boeing, Bob took an active role in the chapter. This culminated with his election to President of the chapter in September of 1940. However, December of 1941 was a tumultuous time and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Bob and fellow brother Dean Bigby ('40) quickly signed up for the military. Bob joined the Air Corps and spent about a year doing flight training throughout the US. Bob then headed overseas and flew 50 bombing missions for the 99th Bomb Group out of North Africa in mid-1943. He returned to the US in September of 1943, and left the military as a Captain in the Fall of 1945. Bob considered going back to school at the UW but instead returned to Goldendale to run the family farm, which has now expanded to 10,000 acres. He along with his wife Dorothy, grow wheat, breed cattle, and raise champion show horses. Although Bob's stint at Beta Beta was cut short, his service in the war represents the lofty ideals of Pi Kappa Alpha in a unique and courageous way. Bob is also an excellent example of an alum whom we had not been in contact with for years, and we are honored to know him now. |
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