More than 40 years ago, Bernard “Bernie” L. Pucka ’76 was coaching football in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On his finger was the College of Steubenville class ring his parents had bought him. The band was engraved with his initials, and the stone featured an insignia of his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
But the ring was in the way. Bernie put it in his pants’ pocket for safekeeping. When practice was over, he reached for his ring.
His pocket was empty.
Bernie enlisted his two young sons in the hunt. They combed the football field. They broke out flashlights to search in the dark. No luck. Bernie connected with the manufacturer to purchase a replacement, but they had lost the exact casting.
His ring was gone.
A Yard Sale Find
In October 2023, Silvana Tropea purchased a box at Rose Pantaleo’s garage sale in Toronto, Canada. When Silvana got home, she discovered a college class ring inside. She called her friend Rose. Rose didn’t know anything about it.
“We decided to play detective and attempt to find the owner,” Silvana says.
After an online search for the college, Silvana sent an email to Franciscan University of Steubenville, which was forwarded to Alumni Relations Office Manager Nancy Ross.
Nancy asked Silvana for identifying marks. The ring had the initials “BLP” but featured the year 1975. That was when Bernie had finished his coursework, although officially graduating in 1976. He also wasn’t listed in the alumni database as a Lambda Chi Alpha brother. So, when Nancy searched, no match came up.
Nancy contacted local Lambda Chi Alpha members including Charlie Boehm ’75 and Denny Maher ’75. Finally, the group came up with a name. They just needed someone who knew how to get in touch with Bernie.
The Call
In November 2023, Bernie’s phone rang. On the other end was Frank Monaco ’72. Frank asked Bernie if he remembered Charlie Boehm and, if so, he should give Charlie a call since he had some good news.
“Did you lose your college ring?” Charlie asked.
“If I’m honest, I cried,” Bernie says. “I’m surprised they took that effort to find me. It’s something I’ll remember until the day I die.”
How the ring made its way from Pittsburgh to Canada remains a mystery. However, when Rose mentioned the ring to her brother, he recalled their late father finding it years ago on subway tracks while working for the Toronto Transit Commission.
“We decided to try to find the ring’s owner because we felt he must have worked very hard for it and, no doubt, it would mean a great deal to him,” Silvana says. “Also, it’s a piece of his legacy he may want to pass down to his children or grandchildren.”
The ring is a priceless memento for Bernie, who remembers his college experience as “one of the best times of my life.” Bernie is grateful for everyone who helped in the hunt that began more than four decades ago.
“They went so far above and beyond what they could have done and what they had to do.”
