Join us for “Rock Reflections,” a series celebrating Trinity alumni. From 48 states to countries worldwide, our graduates are making an impact, and we'll share their stories on Trinity's website and social media.
This week, we’re reflecting with John Ribar '70
John Ribar ’70 has given his time, talent and treasure to Trinity, the Boy Scouts of America and numerous other community organizations. His passion for service started prior to enrolling at Trinity.
John attended the former Mother of Good Counsel Catholic School. In 1959, he decided he wanted to be a Cub Scout. John’s father started a pack at MGC and became a distinguished Scout leader. John followed in his father’s footsteps, serving on the board for Catholic Scouting of America, which promotes faith development.
Trinity was not John’s first choice for high school.
“I wanted to escape from the group I had spent the last seven years with in grade school,” he said. “My father told me that he would pay tuition anywhere I wanted to attend, but he would only drive me to 4011 Shelbyville Road. The thought of standing at the bus stop for Trinity in green and gold attire was less than appealing. So, I enrolled in the Honors program at Trinity.”
John went out for freshman football, but allergies to crabgrass and juniper grass prevented him from playing. He participated in the Drama Society, Pep Club and Varsity Follies, which was an amateur entertainment show that included parodies of faculty members.
John spent most of his after-school time working to help pay tuition, which was $250.
He remembers some memorable moments from his Trinity days.
“Steinhauser Gym was built during my time at Trinity,” he said. “I remember the first pep rally we had there. I also remember our first football state championship in 1968. One year, we beat St. X at the old Fairgrounds stadium, and a bunch of students walked back to Trinity with teacher Father Paul Davin. We had a great cross country team, too.”
“We looked forward to what Ms. Fuchs [Catherine Fuchs H’93] had cooked up for lunch,” John continued. “We always had a great spread during Pride Week, including Tiger Stew.”
Some of John’s favorite teachers were Tom Sheeran, Tom Wathen, Father Tom Allen, Father Paul Davin, Bob Pfaadt ’59, Gene Eckert ’62 and Dennis H’01 and John H’05 Esterle.
5 points off for spelling
“They were incredible teachers,” John said. “I was completely prepared for college. I remember Father Ted Sans [H’05] taking five points off for each misspelling. I was good at vocabulary, and that saved me. Joyce Sherman was an excellent teacher and inspired me to go into chemistry in college.”
“I also remember a lot happening in the world. The Vietnam War was going on. The Civil Rights movement. Women’s liberation. Some of our teachers were very involved with social activism and fighting against injustice.”
After graduating from Trinity in 1970, John attended Indiana University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry with a literature minor in 1974.
“Father C.J. Wagner back at Trinity did me a huge favor for which I am forever indebted,” John said. “I met with him one summer during college. I was struggling with school, and he showed me where the deficits were and guided me into a position to bring up my GPA. Trinity was still there for me even after graduating.”
In addition to his studies, John was a member of Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Like his Trinity brothers, John remains close with his fraternity brothers.
“Their philosophy is similar to Trinity’s and the Boy Scouts, which is the value of service, loyalty and honor,” he said. “Being in the fraternity helped me deepen my sense of service and giving back.”
Service to Trinity
After John graduated from IU, his father started Bluegrass Business Forms, a local print manufactory that donated custom printed goods to Trinity in the days before the internet. John helped build the business over 42 years, serving as president for 10 years. It closed about 10 years ago.
John has remained as one of Trinity’s most ardent supporters. He served on the Alumni Board of Directors from 1993-99, including as the Board’s first two-year chair. He’s also a Class Agent, Open House volunteer, Alumni Phonathon caller and class reunion committee member.
Additionally, John promoted the effort to create the Ribar Family Scholarship to provide financial aid to qualifying Trinity students and worked with his classmates to honor their deceased members with the Class of 1970 Memorial Scholarship. Other fundraising endeavors to which he’s given his time, talent and treasure are the “Buy a Piece of the Rock” capital campaign in the 1980s, a Trinity Theatre project, and the David Albright, Tompkins Family and Paul Barr scholarships. He did the same for the Sacred Heart Academy Class of 1976 Scholarship.
John’s parents worked with Trinity past parent and artist Bob Lockhart to provide the relief sculptures of Trinity’s House System patrons in the Hollenbach Family Alumni Courtyard. Despite not fishing or drinking coffee, he would deliver greatly appreciated urns of coffee to the Shamrock Bass Classic fishing tournament at Taylorsville Lake at 3 a.m.
“I have always supported Trinity and valued it because it reinforced what my parents and the Boy
Scouts taught me: a commitment to loyalty, generosity and trustworthiness,” he said. “It creates a moral compass for you.”
“I provide financial support because of the kids on the margins,” he continued. “Young men need that opportunity. I’m a firm believer in Catholic education. My parents struggled, scrimped and saved to send my siblings and me to Catholic school for 12 years each. My parents created the Ribar Scholarship because dad lost his job before starting his business. He talked with then-principal Father Tom Duerr [H’92] and told him he had a senior and sophomore at Trinity and that it was challenging to afford. He was active in any way he could be after that, attending more than 30 benefit dinners over the years. My parents inspired an attitude of giving.”
John knows the spirit of Trinity alumni. He said that if you were to break up the rock that sits in front of Steinhauser Gym, there would be rocks of all sizes and shapes.
“Those rocks and the gravel that holds them together make one great organization,” he said. “We are Trinity and held in place by our alumni.”
Service to our community
John also is active with the Louisville community. He was a regular volunteer for Louisville’s Channel 15 (now KET) auction from 1977-95, plugging items on television, working in the back or carrying auction items to people’s cars. He had the most on-air time of any volunteer and was selected to be the talent for the WGBH Boston auction. For several years, he hosted a cooking show on Channel 15 with a local featured chef.
John has volunteered for Leadership Louisville, Catholic Charities’ Sister Visitor Center and the Kentucky Colonels. He currently serves as a Catholic Charities foodbank volunteer and Roulez auction-item procurer.
Scouting remains one of John’s passions. He has a lengthy resume of awards and accolades, including Eagle Scout (1966), the Silver Beaver for Service to the Lincoln Heritage Scout Council and the Silver St. George for national Service to Catholic Scouting America. John has served as business manager for the Boy Scouts’ Camp Crooked Creek for the past 11 seasons and is a member of the Lincoln Heritage Council Executive Board.
He also has more than 400 cookbooks and has cooked a dish from most of them. He was featured in “The Courier Journal” and “The Voice-Tribune” newspapers for his culinary skills. He loves smoking meat and barbecue. He also branches out to food from Palestine and Slavic countries.
“Everyone who’s been to my house knows my desserts,” John said.
John and his wife, Judy, have been married for 38 years. A Nashville native, Judy taught at Assumption High School for 35 years and was a retreat director. She currently works at Mount St. Francis for Spirituality, where Trinity has held senior retreats for decades. John’s brothers – Dave ’72, Richard ’75 and Don ’81 – followed him at Trinity.
John and Judy are members of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church where they were Eucharistic ministers and parish picnic volunteers. They have a son, Thomas, Class of 2010.
Share an alumni story!
Do you know a Trinity alumnus with a compelling story? Please reach out to Travis Wagoner '90, Alumni Relations, Communications & Archives at 502-736-2122 or wagoner@trinityrocks.com.
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