Name: Joe Vande Bosche
What year did you graduate from STA: Class of 1976. I missed one year (third grade) at STA when my parents and I moved to Grand Blanc, Michigan for a year. My father took a new job there, but thankfully it did not work out. I really did not like it there and the Catholic school I attended was NOTHING like STA. I was so glad we came back to Indianapolis a year later, although I had some concern because we weren’t going to be living within the official parish boundaries. Happily, my parents knew that I really wanted to return to STA and they were dead set on remaining parishioners there.
After STA, you graduated from:
I am a proud 1980 graduate of Cathedral High School and I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (with an Accounting Concentrate) from the University of Notre Dame in 1984.
Where do you live now?
I live on the northeast side of Indianapolis with my wife and two golden retrievers, Ulysses and Pluto. We are members of St. Pius X Parish.
What have you been up to since STA?
Upon graduation from Notre Dame, I took a job in public accounting with Geo. S. Olive & Co. in Indianapolis. Over time and through a major merger, this firm became known as BKD, LLP—a top ten accounting, tax and consulting firm. As a partner in the firm, I specialized in providing financial audit and consulting services to nonprofit and public sector clients. Additionally, later in my career, I developed and grew a specialized practice in providing services to airports.
I had a wonderful career, essentially working for the same firm for the entire time, and was blessed to be able to retire early in 2019 at the age of 57. My wife also retired early—from Anthem in 2006 at the age of 43. Retiring early was one of three goals my wife and I had upon marrying in 1982. So, goal number one has been satisfied.
The second of our three goals was to make sure we put our kids through good Catholic schools. We have two sons, Ryan and Jeremy. They both attended St. Pius X grade school and Cathedral High School. Ryan studied finance and earned his Bachelor’s Degree at Loyola University Chicago. Jeremy, studied accounting at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree, and then completed his Master’s Degree at Indiana University (Indianapolis). Goal number two satisfied.
Our final goal was to travel the world as much as possible. Together, Diane and I have visited Europe (extensively), Australia (and New Zealand), South America (including the Galapagos Islands), Central America and, of course, Canada. So far, we have spent time in 30 European countries and at least 35 states in the U.S. We would like to make it to all the continents, so we expect to soon turn our focus to Asia, Africa and Antarctica. We very much love to travel and continue to work on goal number three.
Please tell us about your family:
My parents, John and Margaret (affectionately known as Meche), were STA parishioners from day one upon moving to Indianapolis from Moline, Illinois in 1948. They were very active in parish activities and enjoyed entertaining the nuns and priests of the parish on a regular basis. My mom worked the rummage sales every year and my dad was a parish volunteer with St. Vincent De Paul. They both had a very strong faith. They loved the parish and the many friends they made at STA. Cancer claimed them both at a relatively early age.
I was a “late surprise” for my mom and dad. My sister Susie is 15 years older than me and my brother Mike, who passed away in 2022, was 11 years older than me. Interestingly, my brother and I were born on the same day, March 20. They both attended STA (all eight years). Susie went on to St. Agnes Academy for high school and St. Mary-of-the-Woods for college. Mike attended Cathedral High School and then Indiana University.
I married my wife Diane in 1982 and, as mentioned previously, raised two sons. We now have six grandchildren.
What is your favorite STA memory?
I think my favorite memory is the relationships that I developed with a very diverse group of classmates. We are to this day a very closeknit class who have regularly come together through the years for formal reunions and other occasions, like the celebration of life for our beloved former teacher, coach and mentor, Ira Jaffee. With regard to the latter, how many Catholic schools would have embraced a Jewish man teaching alongside nuns and others of our faith in the 1970s? This, of course, was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the unique culture of love and acceptance fostered by the STA community. And from what I can ascertain, this same environment remains at STA.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my wife, children, grandchildren and two dogs. My wife and I love music and the arts. We like to go to concerts and are regular patrons of the Indianapolis Symphony, the Jazz Kitchen, and most specially the Cabaret. We also enjoy museums, art fairs and the like. Traveling is perhaps our greatest love and so much of our time is spent pursuing our globetrotting dreams, especially with family and friends in tow. My favorite hobby is genealogy and I spend a lot of my spare time researching the family trees for me and my wife.
What words of advice would you offer a current STA student?
Embrace diversity of all types, both between people and among cultures. Your life will be enriched, forever interesting, and filled with contentment. You will enjoy strong friendships and a greater understanding of how God desires we should live.
Is there any other information you would like to share about yourself?
My wife and I will be hosting the 50th Reunion for my class (Class of ’76) and I am very much looking forward to spending time with my former classmates, many of whom I still engage with regularly. As with the gathering we had in connection with the Celebration of Life for Ira Jaffee, we are expecting that at least 20 of us will be in attendance. Two of our classmates have passed away and another three are currently unlocated, but the experiences we shared during our time at STA left an indelible mark on all of us such that the majority of us will forever stay connected.