In September 2017, Ray was metal detecting with a friend around the Surf City Ocean Pier when his Minelab CTX 3030 signalled. “I was expecting that first alert to be a penny, as usual,” he shares. “But I dug down in the sand and saw it was a class ring.” That’s when the detective work began.
“At first, I had a very hard time trying to get the inside of the ring clean enough to see the name inscribed there,” says Ray. “Although I finally made out ‘Houlihan,’ my online search for the owner came up empty and I tabled the effort until this past summer.” Picking up the search again, Ray sent an email that reached Irene Watson and, through her, Jean Nolan at St. John’s University School of Law.
“I work in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at St. John’s Law, and Irene works in our Office of Admissions,” Nolan says. “She sent me Mr. Ray’s email outreach for help. It didn’t take long for me to find Kevin Houlihan in the St. John’s University alumni database.”
Houlihan, who retired as Assistant Director of the U.S. Secret Service and went on to do consulting work, says he was surprised when Nolan called him with the good news about his long-lost St. John’s class ring. He contacted Ray right away and, soon, the ring was back on Houlihan’s finger.
“I’m one of those people who believes in the goodness of others,” Houlihan says. “This entire experience only reinforces that belief for me. Total strangers took the time out of their busy lives to help someone reunite with a significant sentimental piece of his past.”
“I was delighted it all worked out so well,” Nolan says of the unique opportunity to assist a St. John’s alumnus. Ray echoes the sentiment. “I’d hope someone would be honest enough to try and return something I lost and that means a lot to me,” he says. “Most items I find have very little chance of reuniting with the rightful owner. This was a very happy exception.”
Mr. Houlihan sent me a picture stating that is the first time the ring has been on his finger since 1965.
Steve - North Carolina, USA
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