Current News 2012 to present
Current News Archive 2010 through 2011
Current News Archive 2007 through 2009
January 15, 2023
Word
filtered in a few days ago from Jim Walters that Dean Webb had passed away. I
decided to wait until his obituary had been published which happened late
yesterday. An In Memoriam page has been created and posted.
December 13, 2022
I
received word from Bill Crabtree, Linda Lee’s husband, that Linda passed away
this past November 16th.
An
In Memoriam page has been posted and the Class List has been updated.
November 5, 2022 AM
Just
wondering how everyone is doing. I got to thinking about how I viewed “old”
people as I was passing through life.
When I was preteen, my folks and other parents seemed old, but not as
old as my grandfather. He was in his 80’s and he looked REALLY OLD. You don’t
have to wonder what youngsters are thinking about you.
Hope
this little note cheers you all up. My mother used to tell me that you can get
rid of a cold by giving it to someone else. I’m assuming that she would tell me
a similar story about how to shake that feeling of being old. Tag, you’re it.
September 5, 2022 PM
While
talking with Dick Soby last night about the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony in
October, we got to talking about a few of the guys we hung around with in the
50’s. Dick mentioned that when he was talking to Danny Donovan at Jim Linton’s
Wake, Danny mention that his brother Richard would have made the trip, but was
severely ill. Naturally that got me to thinking. So today, I went looking for
Richard Donovan. He passed away in 2018, a little over 1 year after Jim Linton
passed on.
I
have posted an In Memoriam page for him, but no obituary as of yet
July 21, 2022 PM
I
received word from my older sister that Janice Wignot has passed away on July
13, 2022. Details are slim, but there is a very small obituary posted on her In
Memoriam Page.
June 29, 2022 PM
The
MetroWest News provided a double serving of sorrow today, we have lost two more
classmates. Bob Franciose and Aldo Pagliarulo. In Memoriam pages have been
posted. ClassList to follow.
May 7, 2022 PM
Jim
Walters has a new phone number and email address. The Class List has been
updated.
April 27, 2022 PM
Our
classmate, Fred Munro showed up in the MetroWest Daily News yesterday. He
passed away this past Sunday. An In Memoriam page has been posted in his honor.
December 29, 2021 PM
Today,
the MetroWest Daily News posted the obituary of Jackie Higgins. An In Memoriam
page has been created and posted. Details of her service are included.
November 8, 2021 PM
Joanna
Drowne has a new home address, The ClassList has been updated. Phone and email
are unchanged.
November 3, 2021 PM
Cynthia
Pierro has a new home address, phone number and email address.The ClassList has
been updated and posted.
October 22, 2021 AM
Judy
Buckler has moved. Her new contact information has been updated in the
ClassList
October 8, 2021 AM
Yesterday
I sent a Broadcast Email to the entire class email list concerning the
whereabouts of our 3 (unable to find) Classmates. It included a picture of Lee
Richard working as part of the kitchen staff at Framingham State sometime in
1961/62. It also mentioned Joe Vay and Bill Gour. To date, only Bill Gour’s
whereabouts has been confirmed by Robert Graham. Bill passed away in 2015 in
Sturbridge. An In Memoriam page has been
posted along with his obituary
August 30, 2021 PM
I
had an opportunity to visit dear old Natick Center on a nice bright sunny day.
I took a few pictures just to document the state of affairs in your hometown in
the summer of 2021.
Some
of you have probably been back from time to time to get reacquainted, some have
never left, some may look forward to seeing these pictures and of course, some
of you have pushed this town just to the other side of your memory bank, the
part you can’t remember. That’s ok, so the pictures I have posted on the Natick
Today page may not be for you.
June 5, 2021AM
The
Milford Daily News reported that Robert Healy of Plainville(formally Millis)
passed away on June 3. Many may remember that before Bob lived in Millis, he
was living in Natick and was our classmate. He can be seen in our Coolidge Grad
picture, #163. He moved to Millis shortly after the 8th grade.
June 2, 2021 PM
Beverly
Long Clapper has a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
April 11, 2021 PM
I
did some more searching for missing information and have found three previously
unknown Dates Of Birth. Boyd Edmonston, Barbara Ligon and Theresa Leccacorvi
have had their In Memoriam pages updated with this new information. There are now
only three known classmates who have no known DOB. If anyone out there who
might have that information, please drop me a line. Don’t ask why this is so
important, it just is.
March 28, 2921 PM
I
am always on the lookout for missing pieces of information concerning our
classmates. So, when I do find some missing details, I update the website.
Sometimes the information is relatively minor and sometimes a little more
significant. Today, I added some of each. In the minor category would be George
Westcott’s date of birth and also Sheila Sullivan’s date of birth. On the more
significant side of the ledger, I found a memorial note from Sheila Sullivan’s
sister, Rebecca, that gave new insight into Sheila’s life. That note has been
added to Sheila’s In Memoriam page.
I
have also added an additional column to the Chronological Death Listing that
identifies the age of the classmate at the time of their death.
March 18, 2021 PM
Marie
Raftery informed me yesterday that Barbara Ribotto passed away recently.
Barbara did not graduate with us, but she was a long time classmate. Her
obituary was posted to the John Everett Funeral home website and has now been
added to her In Memoriam page on this website.
March 15, 2021 PM
Tom
Balducci’s funeral was held today at St Patrick’s Cemetery. Met up with Larry
Paul for the ceremony. It was cold and windy. The funeral brochure has been
attached to Tom’s In Memoriam page.
March 10, 2021 AM
Our
classmate, Tom Balducci, passed away on March 5th. His obituary has
been posted on his In Memoriam page. Tom didn’t graduate in 59, but he was with
us for most of our school years. There is a graveside service planned for
Monday, March 15th at St Patrick’s cemetery at 12:30PM.
February 27, 2021 AM
I
received word from Dennis Zicko, Class of 61, that his sister Carole(our
classmate) had passed away on February 25, 2021. Her obituary has been posted
on her In Memoriam page.
January 23, 2021 AM
I
received word a few days ago from Anna Thompson that Jane Roberts had passed
away. Today, her obituary was published on the Everett Funeral Home page which
has been posted on her In Memoriam page.
January 19, 2021 PM
I
couldn’t scan in the senior pictures for 56 and 57 and leave the class of 58
unaccounted for. So, back to the Sassamon librarian and signed out the 58 book,
scanned away and now we have access to NHS senior pictures from 1956 thru 1961.
56 thru 59 are on our web page with 60 and 61 being available on their
respective web page all accessible from www.natickhigh.net
January 16, 2021 PM
Well,
once the 1957 Sassamon senior pictures hit the web, requests were received for
the 1956 senior pictures. I contacted our Sassamon librarian, San Buswell
Carlucci and signed out the 1956 edition.
January 4. 2021 PM
After
many moons, I have added something new to the website. From the Sassamon
Archives of San Carlucci(AKA Sandy Buswell), we have a new Sassamon entry for
your viewing pleasure if you are so inclined. I took the time to scan in the
entire senior picture pages of the 1957 Sassamon. Why I did this is immaterial.
It is done. Look at the main page, right hand side, under Sassamon Picture.
December 2, 2020 AM
December
2020 and I got to thinking about all we have been through in our lives. We are
about to enter year eighty since our birth. Yes, I know some are a little older
and some a little younger, but most of us were born in 1941. We graduated from
Elementary School after grade 6, then Junior High after grade 8, four glorious years in high
school and then out to the world in 1959. And now we are about to turn 80! Our Class Reunions were considered
milestones, but they pale by comparison to 80. Here’s hoping to see you all in
2022.
September 14, 2020 PM
Many
thanks to everyone who helped put names to the faces from our 1955 Coolidge
Graduation picture. We still have a way to go, but we have made great strides.
If you get a chance, look at all the names and make sure we have the correct
first and/or last names for the people listed. It’s hard to believe, but well
over 50 people in this 1955 picture did not go on to graduate with us in 1959
and in some cases, did not attend Natick High at all. So, some of their names
are wispy memories and we all know what wispy means. To me, it means a whisper
memory and I’m hard of hearing.
August 8, 2020 PM
Today
I just happened to have some downtime and I checked on a few classmates that I
knew had been having some problems lately. Sadly, I found that John Dowst had
just recently passed away. I don’t have complete obituary details yet, but what
I do have is on his In memoriam Page.
June 5, 2020 PM
Today
I heard from Ray Stackpole who informed me that Bill Egan had passed away on
May 29, 2020. An In Memoriam page has been created and posted.
March 1, 2020 PM
This
is an update to the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Secretary, Tara MacDonald,
was kind enough to send me the missing pamphlets for 2014, 2015 and 2017. I
have scanned all of them in to the computer and created new web pages on the
Hall of Fame link. I now have a complete set of pamphlets for each of the years
that the Hall has been operating, 2010 through 2018. After the 2018 induction,
they changed to a bi-annual event. If you find any errors anywhere on the
website, please let me know. I will add the 2020 induction pamphlet after it
takes place on May 16, 2020.
February 21, 2020 PM
Larry
Kray, husband of Marilyn Anderson, sent word that Marilyn had passed away on
February 18th. There was a brief obituary which has been posted to
the In Memoriam page I set up for her. If more details become available
concerning any memorial services, I will pass those along.
If
you are interested in which of our classmates have passed on, check the
Chronological Listing that shows up on the In Memoriam opening page.
February 21, 2020 AM
I
received an email yesterday from Robert Roth. He had visited the Vietnam Moving
Wall in Marco Island, Florida. He included some pictures. If you haven’t had a
chance to see this display, you should plan to make a visit should the Wall
come to your area of the world. I have created a page for the pictures that
Robert sent along with his email text. You can find it on the class website
under Vietnam Moving Wall. Click Here
February 8, 2020 PM
For
those of you who have been following the happenings with the Natick Athletic
Hall of Fame, I have an update.
Now
that the Hall of Fame has a new web address, www.natickahof.com,
I have gone back to our website and fixed up all the broken links that existed
on the Hall of Fame page. I think I have everything fixed. I scanned in all the
annual ceremony pamphlets that I have in my possession and provided a link in
each year’s ceremony page. I am missing pamphlets from 2014, 2015 and 2017
ceremonies which I did not attend. I am expecting to have access to those
pamphlets shortly and I will be attending the 2020 ceremony in May.
January 26, 2020 PM
Ron
Therieau posted a tribute to Christy on the Everett Funeral Home site. I have
added that tribute to Christy’s In Memoriam page. Well done Ron.
January 25, 2020 AM
I
attended Christy Adams’s wake last night. I missed seeing Scoop Jones and I
think Joanna Drowne, maybe others. I did see a wedding picture of Christy and
his wife Patricia. I have added that picture to his In Memoriam page. God, we
looked great back then.
January 20, 2020 PM
I
have recently sent out an email announcing the passing of Christy Adams who
passed away on January 18, 2020. While checking the Everett Funeral Home site,
I noticed a woman who just recently died who had a maiden name of Gately. Upon
reading her obituary I noticed that she was predeceased by her sister Theresa
Waldron. Bells went off. That would be Theresa Gately Waldron, our classmate.
She passed away nine years ago in 2010. So, there are two additions to the In
Memoriam page, Christy and Theresa. I’m still waiting for an obituary for
Christy which should be forthcoming in a day or so.
By
the way, on the In Memoriam page, if you haven’t noticed, there is a
chronological listing of all the passings. There are now 78 out of 268 in the
master list, almost 30%.
January 16, 2020 PM
I
did a little cleanup on the site today.
Two
items have been removed, an entry to see the Natick Historical Slides from the
1800’s and a link to the Class of 1985 website/
The
slides do not appear to be on the Internet anymore. Requests to the Natick
Historical Society have gone unanswered.
The
Class of 1985 website also appears to be in the wind. No additional data on
that.
I
also added a request on the page listing our reunion dates and places. I need
help to fill in the missing pieces and/or fix any bad info that I have there.
December 27, 2019 PM
Jan
Murphy Swaine has provided updated contact information. The Class List has been
updated
December 13, 2019 AM
Subject
is Natick Athletic Hall of Fame – You would think that trying to get
information about the Hall of Fame would be easy. You would be wrong. After
many months, maybe a year or more, I finally have been given the current,
correct web address for the current Natick Athletic Hall of Fame. It is https://www.natickahof.com/
Some
of you may remember that our class made a donation to the HOF and that donation
was listed on their sponsor page. And then it wasn’t. After many emails, the
web address of the current site was provided to me and the class donation
magically reappeared.
This
new site lists the 2020 inductees, one of which some of us personally know.
That would be Charlie Christie, our JV Basketball coach. I do plan on attending
in the Spring, date not yet published. The website address listed above is your
portal to this information.
December 4, 2019 AM
Yesterday’s
email resulted in a few welcomed responses. Tony Stromberg provided an obituary for his sister Marge which has
now been added to her In Memoriam page.
Joanna Drowne provided a new telephone number and a new email address.
The Class List has been updated.
December 3, 2019 PM
Today
I received a very nice email from Bob Graham concerning Simone LeRoux. Simone
passed away in February of 2017 which we all found out shortly after Christmas
in 2017. I did post an In Memoriam page for her, but there was not a very
detailed obituary available. Bob decided
that he had a story about Simone that needed to be told. He sent me that story
along with a communication he had with Judy Kinnear about Simone. All of that
text is now part of Simone’s In Memoriam page. Please take a look and marvel at
how strange things can happen in this very large world that makes you wonder.
November 27, 2019 AM
A
member of the Class of 1970, Gil Barone, has been producing pdf files of
selected Sassamons. He took all the pages that I had scanned in and posted on
our Main page and created a complete 1959 Sassamon in a single pdf file. That
file is now available on our website. Click on the 1959 Sassamon located on the
main page. That should take you to another page that contains access to the
complete pdf file. Once you have that opened as a pdf file, you can save it to
your computer. Many thanks to Gil.
November 21, 2019 PM
I
got word from Lynn Bartley that he and Rachel have moved. New address is in the
Class List.
With
this update from Lynn, it occurred to me that maybe more of you have changed
contact information from that which is in the class list. It would be
appreciated if all could check the list and send me any updates needed.
November 18, 2019 PM
It
occurred to me a few days ago that I mentioned the great Natick Fire in my
November 10th post and I had not mentioned that earlier during the summer.
The Great Natick Fire happened in July of this year. In August, I traveled to
downtown Natick to see the ruins. I took a few pictures, started a webpage to
show you all and then never finished it and forgot about it. So today, it being
a little chilly outside, I set about to right the wrong. You can view the
devastation on the main page under Natick Today or click HERE.
November 10, 2019 PM
I
took my irregularly unscheduled trip to Natick yesterday. As usual, my plan was
to drive through downtown to see what has changed, if anything, and then on to
the cemetery to check on Allen Loane as we get ready to honor all of those to
have helped keep us free.
Allen’s
grave had been tended to by the VFW and maybe others. The American Flag and the
Marine Corp flag were proudly standing at attention. The Vietnam Moving Wall
coin is still attached to the headstone.
The
great Natick Fire is still standing in ruins. I’m not sure what the plans are,
but nothing seems to have been done yet with burnt wall sections still visible
above the covered chain-link fence. I did take a picture as I was in traffic at
the lights, facing West. Picture is Here.
September 16, 2019 PM+
I
have updated all the pictures in the Class Photographer’s page to include a
link to a bigger picture. Just click on the pictures and you should get a
better picture that should be a little bigger.
September 16, 2019 PM
By
now, everyone should know that the reunion pictures have been processed and
posted on the website. I have received comments from some folks who did not
attend and the feeling among them all is that we were a pretty good-looking bunch
of old people. Hey, truth is truth.
Larry
Paul called to let me know that he had an emergency and was unable to attend.
He will be fine. And he enjoyed the class pen that I sent him.
Class
pens were sent to everyone who had paid for a ticket and could not attend. That
was the right thing to do, yes? I do not need your answer to that question.
I
will continue to keep you all informed through this web site and through email
when necessary and you have kept me updated with any and all contact changes.
September 14, 2019 PM
The
60th Reunion has come and gone. We had a great time. Turnout was
small, but not unexpected. Pictures will follow in a few days as soon as I get
them from Ken Poole’s brother. I will send out an email to notify everyone that
they have been posted.
Today
I have updated the Class List. Nancy Sullivan has moved as has George Williams.
One other update took place for Scoop Jones, I had his ZIP code wrong. The new
updated List has been posted.
September 8, 2019 AM
Well,
you folks don’t know how lucky you are.
We
met with the Dolphin and finalized all the details. We have even worked out how
to accommodate any sudden late attendees. We have you covered. Not for free,
but we will be able to easily adjust the bill should we have any walk-ins. The
price will remain at $40 per.
August 19, 2019 PM
Just
a couple of quick notes.
--The
final head count numbers for the Dolphin DO NOT have to be finalized until
September 3rd. You still have time.
--I
was thinking about all the past reunions and I realized that I couldn’t
remember where they were all held. I have started a list and could use some help
filling in the missing data. Check out this link. Reunion History
August 12, 2019 PM
A
small adjustment has been made to the Who’s Coming List. Georgene is unable to
attend and Pat Morgan is having eye surgery on September 10 and will be unable
to drive to Natick on the 12th. We press forward.
August 9, 2019 PM
As
we round the corner towards the 60th Reunion, the people count has
now gone to 43. Beverly Long’s younger sister will be attending with Beverly. Win,
win.
August 8, 2019 PM
We
are getting very close to finalizing the headcount for the Reunion. The
committee will be meeting with the Dolphin on August 15 or 16.
August 5, 2019 AM
Another
classmate will be joining us in September. Pete Ranney and his wife will
attend. Very nice to have them on board. Maybe a few more last minute fence
sitters will fall on the reunion side of the fence where the grass is very
green.
July 26, 2019 PM
Well,
I received a nice surprise in the mail today. DiAnn Uhlin will be attending the
reunion. That now brings the total to 40. The committee is resting easier now.
July 18, 2019 PM
I
received a nice response to my email of today. Russ Barber, who was unable to
make the trip earlier is now planning on attending with his wife Dorothy. And
he is also bringing his camera which was the final action item not yet closed.
Now it is closed. The summer is mine.
July 15, 2019 PM
How
quickly situations change. Two days ago I was moaning about the 60th
Reunion attendance. Today I’m just happy the reunion will go on as planned. We
will have fun. Maybe someone famous will drop in.
July 13, 2019 PM
A
few days ago, we had 41 people scheduled to attend the 60th reunion
with a few more expected to join the fun.
As
of yesterday, the number has been reduced to 37. This is not a good sign. 37
tickets and 25 classmates. Have we reached the end of reunion time? Hmmmm.
July 12, 2019 PM
You
should have already received an email from me telling you about Margaret
Stromberg who passed away on July 11, 2019. When I have more information, I’ll
create an In Memoriam page in her honor.
June 26, 2019 PM
It
has been just over two weeks since the last update. We have 32 tickets paid
with 9 still to go. It sure would be nice to have all 9 in hand by the 4th
of July so I can relax for the summer.
June 10, 2019 PM
As
of this date, we have 30 paid tickets. That gets us over a small hurdle as far
as having to pay any extra room fees due to lack of size. That doesn’t mean we
can rest. Eleven more tickets remain unpaid and hopefully more tickets are
about to be ordered. It would be nice to see this last full reunion really well
attended.
June 4, 2019 PM
More
and more classmates have been in touch. Some will make it, some will not.
The
Menu has been selected. Check out the yellow highlights on the Venue Page
June 2, 2019 PM
As
of this moment, we have 26 classmates and 41 total people attending the 60th
and LAST reunion. It would be nice if we could have more classmates attend this
final meeting, especially those who live nearby. Please take a look at the
current Who’s Coming list and see if you can find someone you know who has not
yet signed up to come. Give them a jingle and let them know how much they will
be missed. So, you are all hereby deputized as Reunion Marshals. Round them up.
May 27, 2019 PM
I
have a story. It is a touching story. It is a 2 year Memorial Day Story. Please
click on this link HERE
May 13, 2019 PM
Ticket
money continues to roll in. Check the Who’s Coming list to see if I have
received your check. Many thanks.
May 11, 2019 PM
Things
are starting to pick up. More people have made the decision to attend the 60th
Reunion.
If
you have sent in your check, check the Who’s Coming Page to see if I have
posted that info. If I get a check today, the web site will be updated by the
end of day at the latest.
May 6, 2019 AM
We
are rounding the corner and picking up steam. The committee will be meeting
with the Dolphin tomorrow to finalize the reservation for September 12th.
Once this is done, the call for ticket money will begin. Everyone should take a
look at Who’s Coming on the 60th Reunion Page and make sure your
name reflects your ticket commitment. Once the money starts arriving, I will
add that information to the Who’s Coming List so you will know that we have
your check.
If
you see that someone hasn’t signed up yet and you would like them to attend,
give them a jingle. I can’t impress enough upon everyone that this reunion is
aptly named “THIS IS IT”.
May 1, 2019 PM
Well,
I have heard from a few more people and hopefully many more this week and this
weekend.
Georgene
has a new email which you may or may not already know. I had it in my contacts,
but failed to update the Classlist which I am doing right now.
April 27, 2019 AM
Responses
are coming in pretty good and hopefully more will arrive this week. Time is
running short to get the Venue secured and it would be nice to have a better
idea of how many will attend.
Once
we secure the Venue, tickets requests will be honored at least through August.
But sooner is better than later.
April 25, 2019 AM
I
have just updated the page 60th Reunion Planning to include a Who’s
Coming Page
I
will update this page daily if it changes.
April 23, 2019 PM
The
email went out earlier today and it read:
Well
folks, some days are better than others.
Today
I was contacted by 2 classmates who have agreed to put together a 60th
Reunion.
They
have done some preliminary work and now need some input from you.
Here
are the particulars of their plan. Keep in mind that some details may change,
but the main plan seems to be in pretty good shape.
Date:
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Time:
Noon to 4-ish
Location:
Dolphin in Natick(same place as the 50th)
Food:
Buffet(items not yet selected)
Drinks:
Cash Bar
Cost:
$40 per person is the target
Your job: Let me know if you plan to go
so I can pass along the approximate number of attendees.
Time is of the essence, reply to this
email by May 6th so they can move forward with getting commitments
from the Dolphin.
As of tonight, 10PM, I have
received 13 responses with 10 classmates plus 7 guests for a total of 17. I’m
hoping for many more in the coming days.
February 19, 2019 PM
We
have an email change. Ruthann Meagher’s new email has been updated in the Class
List.
February 14, 2019 PM
I
just sent out an email alerting folks to the 60th Reunion possibly
not getting off the ground. Several people have responded saying they are willing
to help, but no one has yet put the Captain’s hat on. On the upside, Connie
Miller(remember her?) mentioned to me for the second time that she would be
willing to, and I quote from her email
“My Invitation to Come North to Boothbay
Harbor, Maine… Where we ‘Trade Strollers for Walkers’ in Early September…
The Tour Boats Float..the Botanical Gardens, Lobsters, and Motels, Restaurants,
and lots more //to explore! I would gladly raise my hand…to help organize the
Maine Scene and serve on an Exploratory Committee!”
So,
if anyone is willing to get on that boat, give her a jingle. Her contact info
is in the Class List.
On
another note, Jerry Hall has moved. His new address and phone number are in the
class list. Email is TBD.
February 1, 2019
1st
post of the year and I have no bad news.
November 24, 2018 AM
We
have a surprise today. In my duties to scan as many obituaries as I can, I
noticed back in October that an Ann Armata Wiles recently passed away. Reading
the obituary, I noticed an old familiar name, Thomas Armata. Some of you may
remember him from Coolidge. I don’t think he stayed with us in High School, at
least not to graduation. But there he was. All the pieces fell into place. His
address and phone number are in the class list. I have not yet contacted him.
November 11, 2018 PM
Today
is Veterans Day 2018. I traveled to Natick to visit Allen Loane. All is well. I
told him that we all miss him and thanked him for his service. He gave all. I
could not be more proud of him and all other classmates who served their
country. Today is for them.
November 6, 2018 AM
Jan
Murphy provided information on the passing of Lee Curtis. An In Memoriam page
has been posted.
Lee
lived in Hopkinton for many years. I never could get an email address or a
phone number. But, he was there.
October 26, 2018 PM
Time
to try and clarify what’s going on with the 60th Reunion.
Back
in May of this year, I was fully planning to become totally engaged in planning
the reunion. Without getting into any details, I changed my mind. I will not be
involved in the planning. That led me to ask the usual suspects if anyone was
going to get on board and run the committee. I did not hear from anyone until
yesterday and that was only a commitment to wait until the holidays are over
and we’ll see what happens. Now, maybe there will be a committee and maybe
there won’t. We’ll see what happenes.
August 8, 2018 PM
Word
arrives from Cynthia Pierro that Irwin Fischer passed away on August 2nd.
An In Memoriam page has been posted to the class web site.
June 29, 2018 AM
Ron
Therieau has provided an updated picture for the Then and Now section.
Mat 25, 2018 PM
While
I am still missing some information on Vito’s obituary, I have posted some
information and pictures to his In Memoriam page.
May 21, 2018 AM
Janice
Bitzer has provided an up to date picture for the Then and Now section. Where
is yours?
May 20, 2018 PM
A
few house cleaning details.
#1
Connie Miller, our long lost, but not forgotten sister who ditches us for
Walnut Hill, has a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
#2
The Hall of Fame induction of Lenny Megliola was a great time. I have posted
the program Pamphlet on the Hall of Fame page along with many pictures of some
folks that you might recognize. Take a look. It really was a great time and we
were honored to be seated at Lenny’s table. Very nice.
#3
The upcoming 60th(and last) Reunion may get back on track by the end
of the year. I think we have two competing venues. The Dolphin and Ken’s
Steakhouse. Ken’s would be nice as it was around when we were not so round.
But, Christy Adams and I will need to visit Ken’s in the near future and assess
the state of affairs there. Reports in the wind don’t sound very complimentary.
We shall see for ourselves and maybe even go talk with the current owner, Tim
Hanna, the son of Ken. He still owns it and I know him from my fabulous days as
a liquor store owner. Don’t ask.
#4
Still no obituary for Vito Capizzo, but when it’s available I’ll get it on the
site and in the mail.
April 4, 2018 PM
We
have a couple of items to mention today.
#1
Ken Barnes called to say that he saw an obituary for Patricia Kirby Ciccarelli.
Digging a little deeper, I realized that she passed away in 2015. If anyone has
better info on this, please drop me a line. Thanks to Ken for helping me keep
our class list as accurate as possible. That list will be updated shortly
#2
Ray Kent has sent me a current picture which has been added to the Then and Now
section. The SOB hasn’t aged one bit. Someone told me many years ago that the
best way to look your best was to stay in shape. That message is just starting
to sink in.
#3
I haven’t heard from many people about the Hall of Fame Ceremony coming up on
May 19th, inducting our very own Lenny Megliola. So far just Ken
Poole and me. It would be nice to get a table of 10.
March 17, 2018 PM
Jim
Walters has provided updated pictures for the Then and Now section. They have
been posted.
March 15, 2018 PM
Ken
Poole sent in a few pictures while his daughter was visiting from NZ. See then
in the Then and Now section.
As
new picture come in, I’ll post a notice here that they have arrive and are
ready for viewing.
March 15, 2018 AM
Starting
yesterday, March 14th, 2018, I started posting new Then and Now
pictures when classmates send me new ones.
Yesterday
was Dean Webb, today, so far, has been Lois Cohen. Both have been posted. If
you see a yellow asterisk next to their picture, click on their picture. There
may be a surprise on the other side.
January 16, 2018 AM
Today
brought snow and word that Jim Pickering had passed on January 9th,
2018. The In Memoriam page has been updated with his obituary.
Lois
Cohen alerted me to the obituary. Thanks to Lois and anyone else out there who
becomes aware of a classmate passing and passes that information along to me.
January 14, 2018 AM
News
arrived early this morning from Joanna Drowne and Anna Thompson on the passing
of Jeanne Tessier Stanton. The In Memoriam page has been updated. Visitation
and services are next week on the 19th at John Bryant Funeral Home
in Wayland. Other details are in the obituary
January 1, 2018 PM
I
may be a few days early, but I have chosen today as the first day of 2018.
Judy
Kinnear sent me an email to tell me of two events that happened this year.
The
first was the passing of Simone LeRoux and the second was the changing of
her(Judy’s) email address.
An
In Memoriam page has been added for Simone and the class list has been updated.
November 26,
2017AM
John Kenney has a
new email address. The class list has been updated.
Anyone with a
Verizon email address will be updating to a new email address soon. I understand
that Verizon is getting out of the email business, I just don’t know when the
cutoff date is. I would guess that the end of this year sounds good.
November 8,
2017 PM
I happened to be
in downtown Natick today and captured the current state of construction on
South Main Street where the old Stop & Shop and Town Paint used to be. The
pictures are posted in the Natick Today page shown on the main page.
November 4,
2017 PM
Gail Philips has a
new email address. The class list has been updated.
November 3,
2017 PM
Today I was
informed that our classmate, Richard Wright, passed away on October 22, 2017.
His obituary has been posted on his In Memoriam page. There will be a service
for him at the John Everett Funeral Home on Monday, November 13th at
11:30AM.
September 28,
2017 PM
Some days are
better than others. Today was not one of those days. Reported in the MetroWest
Daily News this morning was word that our classmate, Theresa Leccacorvi had
passed away. The newspaper obituary was incomplete, but the John Everett
Funeral Home had a completed version this afternoon. That has been posted on
her In Memoriam page. Please take some time to read the obituary. Theresa was
somewhat of a mystery to many of us. She did not complete high school and seemed
to disappear. Well, her obituary will give you some insight into her life. Her
DNA will live long and prosper.
September 15,
2017 AM
I received an
update from Phil Gilcrest. He has a new home address, email stays the same,
checking on his new phone, if any.
September 3,
2017 PM
I have updated the
Preliminary Results page with a new column heading. What used to be simply Classmate
is now Classmate Attending. So, the total at the bottom of the page shows how
many tickets would be purchased and how many of those tickets would be
Classmates. The number as of this moment is 50 tickets and 34 classmates. I
still expect this number will go up the closer we get to the 60th
Reunion.
August 26, 2017
PM
We have a new
email address for Doris Henry. The class list has been updated.
I just posted a
new 60th Reunion Planning page with a few additional updates from
classmates who are hoping to attend.
August 23, 2017
AM
The current
results of the email survey concerning your likelihood of attending the 60th
reunion has been posted on this website in the 60th Reunion Planning
page. As additional folks reply, I’ll update the posting. As of right now, it
looks like the 60th and perhaps final reunion will be moderately
attended. Current estimates are between 50 and 100 total people attending. That
would put this about half of what we had for the 50th.
June 29, 2017
PM
I just received
word from Tim Anderson that he has a new address and phone number. His email
remains unchanged. The Classlist has been updated.
June 9, 2017 AM
I was checking the
obituaries this morning and a name jumped out at me. Joseph McDermott. He was
94 and taught math at several high schools, one of which was Natick. Checking
our yearbook, there he was. I do remember him, tall and thin. His obituary is
in the MetroWest paper and also on the John Everett Funeral Home site.
June 5, 2017 AM
One of the bad
email addresses in my last email was for Susan Johnson Rieve. I phoned her and
got the latest email address. The classlist has been updated.
May 31, 2017 PM
My most recent emails
turned up a few bad addresses. While sorting out those issues, I became aware
of a classmate who died a few years ago. Barbara Ligon passed away in July of
2014. A small obituary is posted on her In Memoriam page.
May 30, 2017 AM
The Medal of Liberty
Ceremony was held yesterday in Framingham. I have assembled all the information
I have concerning this event and have posted it to the website. The link is on
the main page and is also here. I can tell you that events like
these are very emotional. And being held on Memorial Day added some extra
weight.
Ken Poole attended
and brought with him a surprise that was totally unexpected. He brought a
commemorative coin from the Vietnam Moving Wall Committee when the Moving Wall
was in Natick in 2011. Here is that Wall Coin.
May 14, 2017 AM
While I have sent
emails to everyone with an email address about the upcoming ceremony on Memorial
Day in Framingham. Allen Loane’s family, a Gold Star Family, is being awarded
the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty. Allen’s brother Jeff is unable to attend
and has asked that I accept this award on his family’s behalf. I couldn’t be
more proud. I will be in Framingham, Memorial Building, on Monday, May 29th,
at 11AM. Several classmates have already indicated that they will attend.
Perhaps others will be there as well. Thanks to all who do attend.
May 5, 2017 AM
I happened to be
in downtown Natick yesterday to have lunch with Dick Soby. I took the
opportunity to walk over to Jones Drug to see the carnage. The store was empty,
as in E-M-P-T-Y. I did manage to catch Richard Peristere(’62), the man who had
been the store’s shepherd for the better part of the last 40 years. Here are a
few photos. Jones drug Store Today
Dick Soby and I
are fine and yes, we went to Casey’s.
May 1, 2017 AM
The great and
grand and glorious Janes Drug Store has been closed for good. Well, at least
it’s closed. I have no knowledge of any future plans.
April 8, 2017
PM
The class list has
been updated for two reasons:
1.
Jackie Higgins has a new email address
2.
Diane Dixon has a new email and home address.
April 8, 2017
AM
Alice Ward gave me
a few names to the pictures in the Johnson School Days page. They were from my
older sister, Class of 1956. I contacted her and she filled in a few more.
If you get a change,
take a look. I’m sure that someone out there can remember more names.
And if you have
pictures from your Elementary days, send them along. I’ll bet that others would
enjoy
April 6, 2017
PM
Well, a few things
have transpired in the past few weeks. The first, and perhaps the least
interesting, is that I have a new laptop which means that I am having to deal
with Windows 10 and everything that that means. I think I’m on board, but
transferring all the files for this website has been daunting.
The second issue
stems from the recent obituary for Marion Kane. She was the mother of Marjorie
Kane, Class of 1960, and Carol Kane who died in that horrific car crash on
Route 9 near the Carlings plant in 1956. Three people died and one survived.
The survivor was our classmate, Cynthia Wentworth.
That raised some
questions about what happened to Cynthia after that accident?
I contacted her
sister, Beverly, Class of 1961, and she informed me that Cynthia is alive and
well. She does not have an email address and I do not have her phone at the
moment, but I do have an address.
The class list has
been updated to include her contact info. Beverly says that Cynthia would be
happy to hear from her classmates. So why not drop her a note.
March 1, 2017
AM
The pictures that
I posted from the Johnson School Days now has a link on the main page. Look for
Johnson School Pictures and let me know if you recognize anyone without a name.
January 30,
2017 AM
Yesterday was the
Wake for Jim Linton. Dick Soby and I attended along with Alice Ward, Scoop
Jones and Toni McKeen. The Wake was well attended with long lines for the
several hours I was there. I suspect they continued right up to 6PM. I’m sure
there were other classmates in attendance, I just didn’t see them.
January 23,
2017 PM
It is with great
sadness and a heavy heart that I must inform all of you of the passing of James
Linton. Jim died yesterday, Sunday, 1/22/2017/
An In Memoriam
page with his obituary has been posted to the web site. If you attend the Wake
and/or the funeral, I will see you there.
January 16,
2017 PM
I think I have all
the Johnson School pictures recently found. I now have 4th, 5th
and 6th grade, I think. Please take a look and let me know how far
off base I am. Click HERE
January 16,
2017 AM
I just added more
pictures to the old school days recently discovered in my older sister’s
closet. All the pictures were labeled Johnson School 5th grade.
There is one picture with no name and one picture with only a first name. Click
on the link HERE
January 15,
2017 PM
My older sister
just sent me some family artifacts that she has been hoarding. In the pile were
some photos of us back sometime in the mid 50’s. I think it must have been the
7th grade be cause I see some folks that I don’t remember from
elementary school. Take a look and see if you can identify the few pictures
that I couldn’t. Click HERE.
December 20,
2016 AM(updated on 12/29/16)
I recently sent
everyone with an email address the following text. If you are reading it here
for the first time, then I don’t have an email for you. Feel free to send me
updated contact information.
I was contacted yesterday by the Veterans
Agent in Framingham. He was looking for family members of Allen Loane.
In 2010, the State of Massachusetts signed
a bill into law allowing Gold Star families to request the Massachusetts Medal
of Liberty. This medal honors all Massachusetts veterans Killed In Action. I
provided the Veterans Office with contact information for Allen’s brother Jeff.
Jeff and I spoke today and he has asked and I volunteered to accept this Medal
for the Loane family. I will send this Medal to Jeff following the ceremony.
The ceremony – Scheduled for Memorial Day
weekend, May 2017. Exact details to follow.
And by the way, I told Jeff and the Veterans
agent that I would have some of Allen’s classmates in attendance.
I will send out the exact day, time and place once I have that information.
In the mean time, please pencil in the weekend of May 27, 28, 29.
Hope to see many of you there.
September 19,
2016 AM
Paul Callahan’s
wife had a Celebration Of His Life yesterday at the Trowbridge Tavern at the
Bourne Rotary on Cape Cod. Anna Thompson, Ken Poole and I attended. Check his
In Memoriam page for the Celebration Pamphlet. Very nicely done with many of
Paul’s friends in attendance, Somewhere close to 100 people attended.
By the way, if you
haven’t read the bio sent in by Paul for the 50th Reunion, you
should take some time and give it a read. He was a very busy guy after Natick
1959.
September 5,
2016 PM
Paul Callahan’s
family has planned two separate celebrations of Paul’s life. If anyone is
planning on attending, could you send me an email letting me know. I’m working
on getting Dick Soby to attend with me. He is currently undergoing some rehab
for a new hip.
Cape: Sunday September 18th
Trowbridge Tavern (
Canal Club Room )
100
Trowbridge Road
Buzzards
Bay, MA. 02532
2
- 4 PM
Leominster: Sunday September 25th
The Rye &
Thyme Restaurant
14 Monument Square
Leominster, MA. 01453
1 - 3 PM
September 5,
2016 PM
During the last
week in August, the old building on South Main Street that housed the Stop
& Shop and then later Town Paint and Supply was demolished. The space is
slated to get rebuilt with businesses on the ground floor and apartments up
above.
September 1,
2016 PM
Thanks to Joanna
Drowne, I have received the funeral booklet from Mary Purcell’s Service. I have
scanned the front cover and added that to her In Memoriam page. If anyone
wishes a copy of the entire booklet, 3 pages, drop me a note and I will send
that to you via email.
September 1,
2016 AM
It’s been a while
since I added any pictures to the Mini Reunion Page. Check it out, Donna Pryor
made a rare visit to Natick and got together with some old friends.
August 25, 2016
AM
Mary Purcell’s
obituary was published in the Boston Globe yesterday and today and has been
posted on the In Memoriam page. If the Rhode Island funeral home posts a
different obituary, I will post that on Mary’s In Memoriam page as well.
August 24, 2016
AM
Sad news arrived late
yesterday from Nancy Sullivan that Mary Purcell had passed away on Saturday,
August 20, 2016.
August 16, 2016
PM
Well, the response
I received from my recent broadcast email asking how everyone is doing garnered
quite a number of nice emails.
I can report that
a few changes have been made to the class list as a result. Marci Burke Douglas
has a new home address, Paul Rogers has a new email address.
July 20, 2016
AM
I just realized
that the next Hall of Fame nominating deadline is October 28th. That’s
not that far away.
After having Dean,
Dickie and Jerry get inducted, we should think about adding a fourth and maybe
a fifth.
Can’t get the
fifth with first getting the fourth.
How many of you
could get behind Allen Loane? Academic scholar, top of the line Basketball
player(was considered a basketball magician while at Bowdoin College), pretty
good baseball player(I don’t have his stats here).
Let me know what
you think. Give me another name?
I may need some
help here collecting all the stats. That means time spent at the Morse
Institute going through the Bulletin and Herald microfilm, day by day. It’s
really a lot of fun.
Look on page 87 in
the year book. Top left picture. There are the targets for the next
inductee(s).
July 5, 2016
I think I have gone
to my last 4th of July Parade in Natick. Not because it wasn’t as
good this year as in the past, but because my son is moving and I don’t have
any home base in Natick from which to work. And it is a rather grueling morning
of activity. Leaving the house at 8AM,
traveling for ½ an hour, standing for 2 to 2 ½ hours and then traveling
home again. The old bones get weary. I have posted some selected pictures from
this year’s parade that you might find interesting. The center piece is Ron
Graham in the classic Vette. 4th
of July Parade
June 18, 2016
PM
The web site annual
renewal is just around the corner. The second year’s fee will be split 3 ways
as it was last year.
While the Class of
61 has an active site managed by Tom Stewart, the Class of 60 has yet to find
anyone willing to update their site as needed. But, they are hopeful that
someone will step forward and have agreed to pay their share for year 2. Total
cost is $183.75 split 3 ways or $61.25 each. As a result of the donations last
year, we are in very good shape to keep the site running for many years.
May 22, 2016 PM
The Hall of Fame
Dinner was last night and all went well. Pete Smith accepted the award for
Dickie Wells and Jerry Hall accepting his as well.
We had quite a few
classmates attend and we all gathered during the cocktail hour and told each
other that we all felt great, no problems in our lives and that everything was
just absolutely the best. I suspect that some of us fibbed a little. But we did
have a good time. Jerry was the best speaker of the evening, no more than 4
minutes. Others started telling us about how they got involved with athletics
at an early age and walked us, slowly, through all their years. I may decide to
speak with the HOF President about the continuing lack of attention to the
acoustics. I have lost a little bit in the hearing arena, but somebody get some
wireless lapel mics, please.
Already thinking
about the next 59er to get nominated. Check out the Hall of Fame link on the
class website or go directly there with this link.
www.natickhigh.net/1959/Hall%20of%20Fame/Hall%20of%20Fame%202016/SeventhHallofFameDinner.htm
May 2, 2016 AM
I forgot to update
Charlie LePage’s email, same as Carol’s. Now done.
May 1, 2016 PM
It seems that I
have been remiss in keeping the class list updated with reported email address
changes. I updated my own email lists, but failed to update the class list on
the web. So, now I have done the updates for Carol Bellofatto, Judy Buckler,
Nancy Sullivan and Carol Coan.
If there are other
changes that I should be making, just drop me a line and I’ll eventually get
around to it.
April 24, 2016
PM
Ken took his much
needed breather and headed to Florida for a few weeks. He did manage to sit
back and reflect upon his Marathon experience this year. Check out the Marathon 2016
page and read his story.
April 23, 2016
AM
For many years I have
kept a list of our deceased classmates in chronological order. I recently added
that page to the In Memoriam Page.
April 19, 2016
PM
I finally did some
more house cleaning on the class list. I made sure that the recent changes
involving Paul Callahan, Barbara Montgomery Rogers and Mary Morrill Beaupre
were made and the updated list published to the web site.
Stay tuned for a
personal update on the Marathon from the man who ran it. He claims to have an
interesting story to tell about the race after he left Lincoln Square. I may
take some liberty with the editing of his story.
April 19, 2016
AM
The Boston
Marathon has come and gone. Joanna Drowne and I were in Lincoln Square to meet
and cheer on Ken Poole. Check out the Marathon 2016
page.
April 17, 2016
PM
A couple of
housecleaning chores:
We successfully
donated $1000 to the Athletic Hall of Fame. We have been posted on the HOF website
as a sponsor. http://www.natickathletichalloffame.com/sponsers.html
I sent an email to
as many “reunion organizers” from other classes that I knew of, challenging them to do the same or more. We
shall see if that bears any fruit.
If you have been
lucky enough to have missed some of my broadcast emails during the latter half
of February and March, your luck has run out. The problem has been fixed and
now my emails should flood your inbox mercilessly. Seriously, if my emails,
which usually don’t happen all that often, are annoying, let me know and I can
remove you from the distribution list. Please keep in mind that I have but ONE
distribution list so if you opt out, you opt out of everything.
April 5, 2016
AM
Richard Voner has
a new address and phone number, email stays the same. The Class List has been
updated.
April 4, 2016
PM
Fred Rogers provided
me with an update on his ex-wife Barbara Montgomery. She passed away on January
25, 2016. Anyone wishing to contribute some words for her In Memoriam page
should send me an email.
March 30, 2016
AM
If you have email,
you should already know that Paul Callahan passed away this past week. His wife
recently posted a very detailed letter about the days leading up to his death.
I have posted that letter in its entirety on his In Memoriam page.
In response to the
email telling you all about Paul, Fred Rogers sent me a text notifying me that
Barbara Montgomery passed away in January. I have not yet been able to confirm
any particulars on this event, so I haven’t created a memorial page for Barbara
yet. If anyone can help provide some backup to Fred’s text, please email me.
March 21, 2016
AM
I have been able
to get my hands on 1 picture from Natick Days 2016. Take a look.
March 20, 2016
AM
OK, I’m looking
for pictures from this year’s gathering at the Villages for Natick Days. If
anyone knows anyone who was there, ask them if they took pictures. Have them
send them along to me. Things are starting to look like Natick Days in Florida
is about to go extinct.
March 9, 2016
AM
The subject is the
Natick Athletic Hall of Fame. We are embarking upon making a donation to help
this organization continue its work honoring past athletes from Natick. The
team that does all this work are all volunteers. From the Executive Committee
to the Selection Committee to the folks that go to the library to dig through
the archives to verify all the statistics claimed. It’s not an easy job, but
they have done this work since 2009 with the first ceremony in May of 2010.
The response from
a few classmates has been encouraging. I hope that you all continue to give
this some thought and decide to contribute to a Class of 1959 donation. Our
goal is $1000. If all goes well, on May 21st, Anna Thompson and I will
present a check to Kirk Buschenfeldt, the President of the HOF, on behalf of
our entire class. Send checks made out to “NHS Class of 1959” to:
Allan Ross
67 Bowdoin Dr
Milford, MA 01757
March 6, 2016
AM
A couple if
things.
Today, my wife
informs me, is the 51st consecutive wedding anniversary that I have forgotten.
She must be a saint because we are still married.
Now for the
curious ones in the class who like to understand how the Internet works, here
is a little snapshot into one aspect of this crazy world.
Last week, my
emails were not getting to the target inboxes. All my mail was being dumped
into SPAM folders. After many tries talking with the support people at Comcast,
I found someone who knew what he was talking about. It seems that our class
website had been flagged as a SPAM site. Not by Comcast, but by a company
called CloudMark. This meant that anyone using the class website in email text
would have their email treated as SPAM. Fortunately the tech at Comcast was
able to clear the web address at CloudMark from their SPAM list.
Now, you may or may
not be interested in WHY the web address got flagged as SPAM. Part of the
reason is because of some of you and most of the reason is because of my
laziness. Every time I send out a broadcast email to the entire class, some of
the emails bounce because your address is no longer valid. I should have called
you to find out what your new address is or I should have deleted you from the
distribution list to avoid these bounces. CloudMark notices the email bounces
and eventually decided that I was sending out SPAM and because I had the web
address as part of my email signature, our class web site was flagged as a SPAM
site. Soooo, maybe you could let me know when you change email addresses. I
hope you all completely understand the issue as laid out here. I’m not sure I
do.
March 3, 2016
PM
Some of you may
have noticed that I have reformatted the Hall of Fame pages. There is now just
one link on the home page that takes you to a list of all past and current
ceremonies. I still have some missing information for the second and third
ceremonies in 2011 and 2012. I should have the links up for those two years
soon.
March 3, 2016
PM
Both Alice Ward
and Pete Ranney have new email addresses. The class list has been updated.
As of noon on this
date, we have 16 people committed to attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony
for Dickie Wells and Jerry Hall.
If you do buy a
ticket and want to sit with the rest of the Class of 1959, drop me a line and
let me know how many tickets and who bought them.
Two tables have
been reserved and if necessary, we can add a third. Sooner is better than
later. The tickets do sell out.
March 1, 2016
AM
The HOF tickets
are now available on the Hall of Fame Web Site. http://www.natickathletichalloffame.com/
Once you buy your
ticket(s) AND you would like to sit with your classmates, send me an email with
your name and the number of tickets purchased I will try and get enough seats
reserved for us. Sooner is better than later.
February 1,
2016 PM
I just received an
email from Pete Smith concerning the Natick Days 2016 party.
Check the Natick
Days 2016 page for the invitation flyer. Time is awasting. Tickets have to be
paid for by the end of the month, this month, February. This is a leap year so
you get an extra day, BUT you need to be one of the first 80 people to get a
ticket.
January 9, 2016
AM
Joanna Drowne will
be moving by the end of January. Her current email address and phone number
will remain unchanged. Her new address has been updated in the class list.
Don’t forget about
the Hall of Fame Ceremony in May. I will send out an email once I find out the
ticket price and the order window. These tickets sell out fast so once we know
that we can order tickets, we need to order tickets. In the past, ticket prices
have been $40 per person. And the food is always good.
December 29,
2015 AM
The end of the
year is within sight and it has been a pretty good year for the Class of 1959.
Just a reminder
that we will have two inductees going into the Athletic Hall of Fame in May of
2016, Dickie Wells and Jerry Hall. Tickets are not yet available even though I
have badgered the HOF folks to let us know WHEN the tickets are expected to go
on sale. Their answer has been to check the web site for the latest news. They
could have said that they expect to have the ticket sales ready in ???, but
they believe we should all just keep checking the site for the announcement. I
don’t know how wide the ticket buying window will be so that means I check
their site every day. They’re just such great people to work with. And whenever
I let them know of a problem on the site, they jump right on it and get it
fixed, like never. Like I say, they’re just great people to work with. Hey
look, I know I’m a pain in the ass, but they don’t seem to realize that they
are as well. Teachers, didn’t like them then, don’t like them now.
November 18,
2015 PM
Sometimes these
days good news is hard to come by. Well, today is our lucky day. Ken Poole has
returned from New Zealand with pictures of his Auckland Marathon.
Take a look on the
Marathon page. If you need more direction than that you probably shouldn’t be
driving either. OK, I don’t want any ACLU
letters from people who can no longer drive. In case you haven’t been paying
attention, there are a ton of things we can’t do any more. Remember that
country song – What I once did all night long now takes me all night long to do
once.
November 16,
2015 AM
I was informed
late last night by Debra Pine(wife) that John Pine had passed away on November
5, 2015. An In Memoriam page has been posted.
November 15,
2015 PM
New contact
information for Karen Kugell. The Class List has been updated.
November 9,
2015 PM
Just got an update
from Dean Webb. There had been an unfounded rumor that he wasn’t doing well.
Bad rumor. He just sent me a new picture of himself with three of his grand
kids sitting around at his daughter’s recent wedding. Take a look at the Then
and Now section, find Dean on page 5 and click on his picture.
If anyone else
would like to provide me with an updated picture, send them along and I’ll post
them for all the world to see.
October 1, 2015
AM
The new Web
Domain, natickhigh.net is currently being supported financially by 3 classes.
The Class of 1960 has agreed to pay 1/3 of the first year’s cost through July
2016. They still haven’t found anyone to be responsible for the content, but I
did create the pages and posted them. Remember that you can get to all three
class sites by going to www.natickhigh.net
and clicking on the class of your choice.
September 16,
2015 AM
The 55th
Reunion of the class of 1960 was a nice event. The classes of 59 and 61 were
well represented. You can see some pictures and check out who attended by
clicking on the link I set up. The class of 61 class picture is in the photo
section under my name and the class of 59 class picture is shown under Tom
Crosby’s name.
http://www.natickhigh.net/1960/1960.html
This link is
located on the new domain name site we just started to pay for. I have given
the class of 1960 until October 8th to find someone in their class
to own the web site on this domain just like we have done for the class of 61.
That would further reduce our annual cost to 1/3 of the original cost. Should
they pass on this opportunity, I will take the 1960 site down. When I first
gave them web site visibility, it was understood that October 8th
was the termination date so this should not come as a surprise.
September 12,
2015 AM
It’s early in the
morning , Saturday, September 12th. The tri reunion is tonight.
Class of 1960 55th Reunion along with a few folks from 59 and 61.
I spoke with Bill
Egan yesterday and found out that he does have an email address. Not often
accessed, but he does have one. Check the Class List.
August 28, 2015
AM
It has been
another too quick summer. You can feel the changes coming when you get out in
the early morning and the air is a little crisper and dryer. But I think that’s
why a lot of us stay right here in New England. The changes are welcomed. Soon
the ground will be covered with beautiful white snow which quickly turns dirty
and icy. Would you really trade that for all sun, all day, every day? Oh, I
forgot about the rain most days at 4PM, not here, but there.
OK, I’m rambling.
The Class of 1960 55th Reunion is almost upon us and the attendance
looks good. About 120 total people. It should be a fun night.
August 3, 2015
AM
It isn’t often
that my postings carry good news. Today I can give you two pieces of good news.
#1 Donations to
cover the cost of the new web site host, BlueHost, have been arriving at Anna’s
door.
She tells me that
the total money collected is in the $500 range. She will be giving me a
detailed summary soon, but the rough number is very comforting.
#2 Most of you may
not have known that the Class of 1961 has a web site and has also been using
Comcast. Because the terms and conditions from BlueHost allow for an unlimited
number of websites, as I mentioned in any earlier email I contacted their
President, Tom Stewart and asked if he thought his class would like to use the
main Domain Name of www.natickhigh.net
and pay half the cost. Today their treasurer, Edie Hopf, sent a check to Anna
to cover half the cost of the first year. They have committed to also pay half
the cost in succeeding years as long as they maintain their site.
This all means
that the donated money should last for many years, as many as six years unless
there are more checks still in the mail system that haven’t reached Anna, in
which case the number of years goes up.
So to everyone,
thank you for your support in getting this issue behind us. You have come
though again as in the past and I’m sure you will in the future.
July 23, 2015
PM
Welcome to the new
home for the Class of 1959 Web Site. I will be sending out an email to all
classmates in the next day or so.
July 18, 2015
PM
Just to clarify
the back story here. Comcast has notified everyone using their Web Page
Server(that would be this site) that that service will be discontinued in early
October, 2015. So the question was put in an email to all classmates with email
addresses – what should we do? Kill the site and retire it or look for another
host?
The overwhelming
response was “don’t you dare kill the site” Now I really enjoy doing the work
and even more so when I get feedback that my efforts are of some value. No one
has told to kill the beast, it’s a waste of time, etc.
So, I have looked
into a few alternatives and have pretty much settled on BlueHost.com. I will be
discussing this matter with my financial manager, Anna Thompson, on Monday PM.
The costs are very reasonable and many folks have said they will donate to keep
things alive. My feeling is that we can keep everything afloat for less than
$150 a year. I will send out an email asking for contributions, how to make the
check out and where to send it. I’m expecting the individual contributions to
be very small. Hopefully the money will go right into the class account. Details
to follow on Monday assuming I can find Anna on the end of the phone.
June 3, 2015 PM
Don’t forget to
check the Who’s Coming Page. The link is right above.
May 25, 2015 PM
I took a little
trip today, being Memorial Day, to visit with Allen Loane. While I was there, a
couple of gentlemen came over wanting to know my relationship with Allen. They
were there to care for some veteran’s graves. Nice little chat. They thanked me
for paying respect. It wasn’t necessary. Just a nice day and I am thankful for
the opportunity.
Pictures are HERE
May 21, 2015 AM
The Class of 1960
55th Reunion is marching forward. Check the Who’s Coming list frequently
is see if any old friends will be attending. One thing that I have noticed is
that some of the 1959 classmates who don’t normally attend the 1959 reunions
are married to 1960 classmates. So guess whose reunion they opt to attend? You
might find some folks who you haven’t seen for many years should you decide to
go to this 3 class reunion. I know that Marsha Webb wanted to have a cutoff
date by the end of April and then the end of May. The reality is that there is
plenty of time to get your check to Marsha, but sooner is better than later.
Hope to see you there.
May 8, 2015 PM
It gives me a
great deal of pleasure to announce that Ken Poole has completed his 48th
Marathon. Check out the Marathon Page to which I have added Marathon 2015. An
unbelievable achievement.
May 8, 2015 AM
We have had a few
classmates sign up to attend the Class of 1960 55th Reunion at the
VFW on September 12th. Check the Who’s Coming in the link above. If
all goes as planned, this kind of reunion get together can be a lot of fun.
Casual dress, casual talk and a few drinks. Sounds like a perfect retirement
scenario.
April 11, 2015
PM
Everyone with an
email address should have already received an invitation to the 55th
reunion of the Class of 1960. Yes, you read that right. Marsha Webb, Dean’s
sister, from the Class of 1960 decided to invite both the Class of 1959 and
1961 to her 55th reunion. So far, response has been favorable. The
event is similar to what we did for the 50th Friday night “ice
breaker” at the VFW.
So, their 55th
is at the VFW, Saturday night, September 12th, 2015, from 4PM to 9PM
or later. Casey’s hotdogs will show up at 6PM. Music and chatting should be
good.
Hope to see many
of you there. If you’re interested, here
is Marsha’s contact information. Tickets are $25 per person. Make checks out to
Marsha Lavin
Marsha Lavin
15 Brierwood Road
Shallotte. NC
28470
910-712-0602 Cell
April 2, 2015
AM
The Class List has
been updated with Ray Morgan’s contact information.
April 1, 2015
PM
I know that I
haven’t been the bearer of good news the past couple of years or so, but today is
all good stuff. Even though it is April Fool’s Day, this is all real.
Today, Ron Graham
and I reconnected with a long lost classmate. He wasn’t really lost, but he has
been off our radar because he elected after the Sophomore year to join the
Navy. After his military obligations were done, he came back to Massachusetts
and settled down, mostly. So he has been in the area all these years. So who am I talking about?
Raymond Morgan.
Check out his Coolidge picture and one from today in the Then and Now section.
His address and phone number will be in the Class List shortly and he will get
an invite to the 60th reunion. Welcome home Ray.
March 13, 2015
AM
I think I finally
have all the pictures from Natick Days 2015. Final set came from Jim
McQuade(57). Pete Smith(57) provided many of the names. A very nice
collaborative effort by all. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures and maybe they
will inspire some to attend next year. Thanks to all.
March 10, 2015
PM
Today saw the
arrival of more pictures from Natick Days 2015. These were taken by Ken Poole.
After a little technical problem getting the high def pictures, they are now
posted on the Natick Days 2015 page.
March 9, 2015
AM
Yesterday was
Natick Days 2015 at the Villages in Florida. To date, I have received pictures
from Donna Campisi showing some of the attendees. Ken Poole and Paul Callahan
are among the folks captured by Donna. Hopefully, I will be getting more photos
from other folks who attended. Take a look at Natick Days 2015 page.
February 4,
2015 AM
Everyone should
have received an email from me concerning the annual Natick Days at the
Villages in Florida. For more information go to the main page and find the two
links to Natick Days. One shows pictures of who was there last year and the
other points to a Flyer from Pete Smith detailing this year’s event. The Flyer
is in PDF format so you should be able to read it and print it.
January 15,
2015 AM
Today brings sadness
once again. This time, Cynthia Wilberger. She was only with us in our senior
year. I haven’t been able to find out much of her earlier years, but in any
event, she passed away on Monday, January 13th. Her obituary has
been posted to the In Memoriam page.
January 8, 2015
PM
Some of you know
that I have always lived in Massachusetts and have embraced the New England
life style. Except for 3 years in the Army, my home has always been within a
few miles of Natick. Maybe it’s just age, but the temperature this morning (-2)
almost made we want to pack my bags and become the “let’s move twice a year
because it is so much fun” gang. Then we thawed out to +15 and my brain started
functioning again. Ahh, cold crisp air. No bugs, no old people(well, not as many)
and only the humidity I can get from that contraption attached to the furnace.
January 6, 2015
PM
Two things to
point out:
·
I sent out an email to everyone a few days ago announcing
the passing of Dianne Montgomery Hayes. There has still been no notice about
any kind of funeral or wake. If that information becomes available, I’ll let
everyone know.
·
I just sent out a “Save The Date” email for the annual
Natick Days at The Villages in Florida. Pete Smith, class of 57, hosts this
event. If you want to see who attends, check out the Natick Days page on our
web site. Pictures were provided by Dean Webb’s better half, Joanne North. I
don’t know who might be taking pictures this year, but should they arrive, I
will post them. Many folks from various classes do attend these activities. If
you think you might be in the general area in March, you should plan on
attending.
January 2, 2015
AM
Another year. More
taxes, more bad world news, more bad everything. Don’t you miss the ignorance
of youth? I remember the only thing I worried about when I was a kid was
whether or not the sun would be shining when I woke up. And if it was, I’d get
dressed and head for the door. Returning only for food and sleep. No cell
phones, no cars, no TV. Man, I didn’t know how great I had it.
Actually, things
are going well. But I do dwell on the past some times and my mind drifts off to
that glorious time called childhood.
November 22,
2014 AM
Dick Soby and I
attended Kevin Keane’s Wake last night. Other classmates seen were Anna Thompson,
Carol Coan, Judy Buckler and Joanna Drowne. Also, Russ Barber flew in from
Florida to attend the Wake and the Funeral today. If other classmates were
there, I just didn’t see them.
I have updated the
In Memoriam section with Kevin’s birthday. He is one of the few classmates born
in 1940.
November 19,
2014 AM
Kevin Keane’s
obituary has been updated on the In Memoriam page. Visiting hours are this
Friday, November 21st from 4 to 8PM at the John Everett Funeral Home
in Natick, right next to the town Common.
Russ Barber has
put together an Internet Tribute to Kevin. Click on the link below and take the
time to reflect on our classmate.
November 18,
2014 AM
Word arrived this
past Sunday that Kevin Keane passed away. Funeral arrangements are in the
process of being completed. As of this moment, there will be visiting hours
this Friday, November 21, 2014 at the John Everett Funeral Home in Natick. More
details should be available later today.
October 16,
2014 AM
Russ Barber was
the official photographer for the 55th reunion. While I have posted
all his pictures on the website in the 55th reunion summary page,
here is a link that gives you some music to those same pictures.
September 25,
2014 PM
I took a trip to
lovely downtown Natick today and thought I would take a look at the 9/11
Memorials recently constructed by the town(NFD) and the VFW. Both memorials
contained a piece of the towers. Very moving. I normally consider myself to be
relatively hardened by the realities of life. These memorials tug deep into the
soul.
Now, more than
ever, we need to remember what John F Kennedy spoke during his inaugural
address on January 20, 1961.
“Let
every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any
price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe
to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
September 16,
2014 AM
All the pictures
have been posted to the 55th Reunion Summary Page.
The evening went
off with only a few hitches. I didn’t bring all the badges, the badges didn’t
peel right off the forms and it rained a little bit.
36 classmates
managed to get there. Four who had paid couldn’t make it for a variety of last
minute issues.
Many thanks to
Anna Thompson and Russ Barber for getting this reunion kick started. It should
be noted that this committee of three managed to organize everything from
Florida, Natick and Milford. We never met face to face, didn’t even have a
conference call. All was done with email and a few one on one phone calls.
Granted, we didn’t put on the fanciest get together ever, but we met the
criteria for a social gathering of old friends who wanted to chat.
September 15,
2014 PM
The 55th
reunion has come and gone. Attendance was light, but not unexpected. Feedback
indicates that folks had a good time.
I should have
pictures posted shortly. Russ Barber, the committee chair, assigned himself the
job of taking pictures. He has done a fine job.
Al Byrnes, a first
time reunion attendee, asked Russ to take a Now picture for the Then and Now
section. That picture has already been posted.
August 29, 2014
PM
It looks like we
have hit the wall and we didn’t do to badly.
40 Classmates and
64 total folks attending.
I have no idea if
this is a good number or a so-so number. I like it.
See you all on the
13th.
August 26, 2014
AM
There are just a few
days left before we have to close the gate on ticket sales for the 55th
reunion on September 13th.
While we aren’t
going to have the turnout that we had for the 50th, the numbers are
pretty good. As time wanes on , more and more folks are unable to make the trip
for a wide variety of reasons. I think we can expect a continuing erosion of
attendance in the coming years.
So, if anyone
still wishes to attend, but can’t get that check in the mail in time, send me
an email(natick@comcast.net) and I’ll get your name on the list, have a
badge for you and take your money at the door.
August 16, 2014
AM
This has been a
pretty good week for reunion ticket sales. We are now at 63 with 39 classmates
on board.
August 12, 2014
PM
We have a new
address and phone number for Fred Rogers. The Classlist has been updated.
The Who’s Coming
has been updated. 37 classmates, 60 total people. Could be more later this
week.
August 8, 2014
AM
The Who’s Coming
has been updated with the latest info. I’m not really surprised that the
numbers are so low.
The 50th
was a major milestone and the turnout was pretty good. For this 55th,
the turnout isn’t all that bad.
July 28, 2014
AM
The latest
information on the reunion attendance is 56 tickets, 35 classmates.
We still have many
classmates who live locally who normally attend who haven’t yet made the
commitment.
Expectations are
high that they will make their move shortly.
July 17, 2014
AM
The ticket count has
been updated. Now at 53. Check the Who’s Coming to find out if your name is
there.
July 9, 2014 PM
I have updated the
class list to show new contact information for Marge and Tony Stromberg.
June 30, 2014
AM
The new ticket
count has hit 50 with 31 classmates attending. And we still have 2+ months to
go for more sales.
June 29, 2014
AM
Jim Pickering has
provided a new address. Phone and email remain the same. The Classlist has been
updated.
No new ticket
count information this week, as of yet. I will probably send out a reminder
after the 4th.
June 20, 2014
PM
The ticket count
is climbing. Still a few weeks away from reminding everyone again.
47 tickets, 29
classmates coming.
June 12, 2014
PM
The ticket count is
up to 44. Plenty of time left, but it would be nice to have more classmates
signed up. Hopefully everyone planning to attend can get a check to Anna by the
end of this month, June, 2014.
May 22, 2014 AM
The latest ticket
count has been posted. We are up to 41. Financially we are good to go. It will
be much better if we get more classmates to attend which I fully expect.
September is a long way off, Isn’t it?
May 12, 2014 PM
Call me stupid,
but I am starting to get the feeling that this 55th reunion is going
to turn out just great. There has been some feedback from several folks who
have not yet sent in their money, but will be doing that very shortly. I am
cautiously optimistic.
So, if you are one
of those folks who just can’t seem to find a pen to write a check, get going.
Time’s awasting.
I know you’re out
there. I have the results of that simple survey we took and many who said they
planned on going are still holding.
April 23, 2014
PM
Well, the Boston
Marathon has come and gone. This marathon was the most watched Boston Marathon
ever. Our classmate, Ken Poole and his
grandson Eric completed the course, the 45th for Ken and the 1st
for Eric. Take a look at the Marathon page/Marathon 2014 to see Ken and Eric
and read Ken’s summary of the event. Ya shoulda been here.
April 16, 2014
PM
The ticket count
is now at 29. Things are looking up. I would expect more checks arriving every
day to Anna.
April 4, 2014
AM
I just sent everyone
an email reminding them to send Anna some money for the 55th
reunion.
The cutoff date is
July 1st, but we really would like to know much sooner if we will
have enough people and dollars to pull this off. So, sooner is better than
later. You know you will forget about this reminder by the middle of next week.
So write Anna a check today AND mail it. Thanks, it has been our pleasure to
serve you.
March 26, 2014
PM
Maureen Bliss
Disney had been unreachable for a short time. I recently had a chance to talk
with her and have posted her new phone number to the Class List. She is still
working on getting an email address.
March 24, 2014
AM
Our Marathon Man
has finally returned to the glorious northeast. He brought with him his latest
tune-up for the Boston Marathon, the Jacksonville Beach run. Check out the page
Florida Marathons.
March 21, 2014
AM
The Natick Day
2014 pictures are getting updated as new people’s names are identified. If you
see a face without a name AND you know who it is, give me a holler.
Not very many
folks have signed up for the 55th reunion yet. I’ll rattle
everyone’s cage in April.
March 20, 2014
PM
Bill Hawkes email
address has changed. The Class List has been updated.
The Natick Day
2014 pictures are slowly getting updated as more people are being identified.
Several have already been done and more should be available tomorrow.
March 15, 2014
PM
I don’t how many of
you are aware that Natick High classmates in and around the Florida area(that
includes the entire country) have been organizing an annual event called Natick
Day. I don’t know who started it, but recently Pete Smith has been hosting this
event at The Villages located in central Florida, north west of Orlando. So
what does this have to do with you? Well, Dean Webb attended the event this
year, held on March 9th, and he had his companion, Joanne North take
tons of pictures.
While Dean was the
reason they went, Joanne is the reason you are able to see some great pictures.
She spent untold amounts of time taking the pictures and even more time
processing them, identifying people and getting the files to me. She made my
job very easy to get everything on the web for all to enjoy. Take a look at the
new page appropriately named Natick Day 2014. If you see someone you know and I
don’t have their name in the picture, drop me a note and I’ll fix it up.
March 11, 2014
AM
I received word
last night that Dean Webb attended Natick Days on Sunday, March 9th
and took lots of pictures. They should be on their way to me shortly. I will
get them their own page and hopefully you will find some folks you recognize.
This annual event has been taking place in various Florida locations for
several years now. Most recently the event has been hosted by Pete Smith ’57
and located at The Villages.
March 10, 2014
AM
We are off and
flying. Today, we have sold 9 tickets for the 55th reunion. I know
it’s kind of early, but folks our age tend to forget things quickly.
So send Anna a
check this week before it falls of your short term memory bank.
March 4, 2014
PM
John Dowst has a
new mailing address. Email and phone remain unchanged. The Class List has been
updated.
March 3, 2014
PM
Jerry Hall has a
new email address. The Class List has been updated.
Lois Cohen,
Cynthia Paul Peters and Ann Hassard Larison have gone email dark. If anyone is
in contact with them either contact me or have them send me an email to natick@comcast.net
February 22,
2014 PM
Check the 55th
Reunion page for the current status on the 55th reunion. We are off and
running. Many thanks to Russ Barber for taking the baton that I had dropped on
the floor.
January 31,
2014 AM
Two new updates to
the site.
Frank Hess has a
new email address. The Class List has been updated.
Russ Barber shared
some photos from the Military Funeral of his Captain in Vietnam. Those photos
have been added to his picture in the Then and Now section.
January 30,
2014 PM
Well, the Natick
High Athletic Hall of Fame has just announced the Class of 2014. Very
disappointing. Only 1 person from the 50’s. George Putt Morgan. They seem to
focus on the 70’s 80’s and 90’s. It would be nice to focus on the 40’s and 50’s
while those folks are still around to accept their induction in person. I’m not
sure what my next action will be, probably nothing. I’m not in very good favor
with the Hall of Fame Committee as I was very vocal about the poor website they
first had, very vocal. Burned several bridges at the same time. Some things
never change, I would be one of them. Here is the link to the current
inductees.
http://www.natickathletichalloffame.com/wordpress/nhs-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-of-2014-announced/
January 30,
2014 AM
I have two new
addresses updated in the Class List. The first is John Dowst and the second is
Carol Hawkins. John’s has been verified, Carol’s has not been. I did send her a
letter asking for her to contact me. If anyone is in contact with her, I would
appreciate any updates you can provide. If she prefers to remain unlisted I
will do that. Just trying to provide contact info for old friends to get
together.
January 11,
2014 PM
I was checking
Google Earth for new data images and found them dated August 2013. Google Earth
now shows the new high school completely finished. I added a page showing the
new and the old side by side. Take a look. New and Old
January 3, 2014
PM
The new year has
made it to day 3 and still only good news.
Ken Poole
continues to excel in the Marathon game. Check out his Florida Marathon page.
Barbara Simons has
a new address. Phone and email remain the same. Class List has been updated.
January 2, 2014
PM
The new year has
begun. I just sent out an email asking if anyone wanted to chair a reunion committee. Time is growing short to prepare
for an evening chatting with friends.
November 16,
2013 AM
Karen Kugell has
provided information concerning a Memorial Service planned for Boyd Edmonston.
Check the In Memoriam page for details.
November 15,
2013 AM
Due to the efforts
of Kevin Keane, we have a video of the Allen Robert Loane Square dedication
ceremony that took place on July 12, 2012. This video was produced by the local
cable company in Natick, Natick Pegasus. It has been uploaded to YouTube at the
following link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMmH5E3a_x8&feature=youtu.be
For those of you
who do not remember this event, here is the text I sent out on July 3rd
of last year.
The Allen Loane Memorial Dedication is all
set for this Saturday, July 7, 2012 at noon at the corner of Cottage and
Webster Streets. Webster is very close to where Allen lived on Cross Street and
runs right by the old Coolidge Junior High Gym.
November 10,
2013
Ron Zicko has
moved. New contact information has been updated in the class list.
October 30,
2013 PM
Word arrived
tonight from Linda Torti Joyce that Edwina Mallek passed away this past
September. Her obituary has been posted on her Memorial page.
Too many leaves are
falling from our tree in this late summer of our life.
October 26,
2013 PM
I received word
this past Wednesday from Karen Kugell that Boyd Edmonston had passed away. I do
not have any details, but once I do, I will create a memorial page and let you all
know the particulars.
October 17,
2013 PM
It seems that the
web address for the Wall of Achievement has been changed even though the old
address still displays last year’s inductees.
Anyway, the new
address has been updated on the main page and does show the 2013 inductees. No
one from our class, but there is one from 1956, John Metcalfe. Take a look,
maybe you know some of the other folks.
September 25,
2013 AM
A few updates
today. The Class List has been updated to add Richard Brown’s date of birth.
Hal Roey’s and Richard Brown’s memorial pages have been updated to add some
words of remembrance from Irwin Fischer and Peter Ranney.
September 24,
2013 PM
Just as soon as I
emailed everyone about Hal Roey, I heard from Richard Brown’s wife. Richard
died this past September 12. His memorial page as been posted to the web site.
September 24,
2013 AM
I received word
today that Hal Roey passed away on September 18th in California. An
In Memoriam page has been developed and posted.
Services will be
in Sunnyvale, CA this Saturday, September 28th. His obituary has all
the details.
September 11,
2013 PM
We have another
Mini Reunion added to the page. Dean and Bob Shaffer.
September 11,
2013 AM
I have updated the
Class List to correct a ZIP Code error for Dean Webb.
September 10,
2013 PM
Russ Barber
visited the National Museum of the Marine Corp and found a memorial plaque
dedicated to all those Marines who attended Basic Training with Allen Loane and
then lost their lives defending our freedoms and this great nation. I have
added this picture to the main In Memoriam page for Allen.
September 6,
2013 AM
While a 55th
Reunion is not currently in the planning stages, we won’t give up on it
completely.
However, in
preparation of there being no more formal reunions, we do have a number of mini
reunions taking place in many different parts of the world.
I have set up a new
section in the Reunions area of the main web page called, Mini Reunion
Pictures.
To date, there are
two entries, one from my visit with Dick Soby at his home on the cape and
another one when John Dowst and Joanna Drowne King met with my wife and me for
dinner in Milford, Ma.
If any of you have
regular or irregular get togethers, take a few pictures and send them my way.
August 12, 2013
AM
Richard Brown has
a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
August 1, 2013
AM
Larry McCarthy has
a new home address and land line number. Email remains the same. The Classlist
has been updated.
Newly missing are
the following:
Toni McKeen – she
has moved, but I don’t yet know where
Carol Hawkins –
she has moved and we have lost contact.
If any of you have
contact with either of these two classmates, please ask them to contact me, if
they wish. If they wish to remain underground, that is fine.
July 16, 2013
AM
Lois Cohen has a
new home address. The Class List has been updated.
July 15, 2013
AM
Gloria Brown
Dewitt has a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
Karen Kugell has
provided an updated picture which I will post to the Then and Now section
before you have a chance to read this.
Karen also
provided a link to a book she has written under the name, Kevin Korner. Here is
that link
http://www.amazon.com/Rockys-Rough-catventure-Kevin-Korner/dp/1614930511/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
And we all thought that the Kardashians were the first
family to corner the market on KK names.
July 14, 2013
AM
Dean Webb provided
a nice update to his biography. It has
been posted to the Classlist/Biography section.
Barbara Simmons
has a new email address. Home address and phone remain the same. The Class List
has been updated.
Carol Hackett had
given me an updated home address which I promptly forgot to update the Class
List. That has now been done.
Still no word on
any plans for a 55th reunion. If I hear anything, I’ll pass it
along. If anyone knows anything, let me know.
June 20, 2013
Dean Webb provided
this link to the YouTube video of the 2013 HOF Ceremony.
Fast forward to
the 1 hour mark to watch and listen to Dean give the best Inductee speech of
the night.
Natick Athletic Hall of Fame
2013 Ceremony
May 23, 2013 PM
Check the 55th
Reunion Plans page for the latest update.
May 11, 2013 PM
More pictures have
been added to the Dean Webb HOF Page thanks to Joanne North, Dean’s best half.
May 9, 2013 AM
I have added an
additional 5 pictures from the HOF Induction Ceremony of Dean Webb. Pictures
come from Ron Therieau.
May 4, 2013 PM
Yesterday evening
truly marked a significant event in the history of our class. Dean Webb was
inducted into the relatively new Athletic Hall of Fame. This is only the fourth
year and some really notable folks have been inducted. Dean is no exception.
His credentials are genuine and well earned.
Let it be known
that of all the speeches given during these four events to date, Dean’s was by
far the best, the smoothest, the clearest, the most earnest. He did a fabulous
job. Not too short, not too long, not too soft, just right.
We have a new page
from this event. Click Here
April 23, 2013
AM
Some additional
information about a memorial service for Russ Whittemore has been received from
Russ’s daughter. All the details are in his memorial page.
April 22, 2013
AM
I received an
update on Russ Whittemore this morning. There will be no obituary in the
papers. They are planning a memorial service for Russ the weekend of May 4th. Russ’s wife, Bonnie, sent me an email written
by Russ’s daughter Wendy. The contents of that email are posted on Russ’s
Memorial page. I am expecting at least one more update from the family which I
will also post.
April 19, 2013
AM
Bonnie Whittemore,
Russ’s wife, informed me this morning that Russ passed away yesterday. No
details are yet available, but I will start a memorial page immediately.
April 18, 2013
PM
The Class List has
been updated for three classmates, Irene Hillis, Andy Parker and Richard
Donovan.
April 18, 2013
AM
Ken Poole sent me
a link from NBC News that contained a picture of him and his grandson while
they were trying to locate their family in and around Boston. I have extracted
the picture and the text and added that to the Marathon 2013 page. So as you
read Ken’s Report of the events following the bombing, look at this picture and
you can feel his pain.
April 16, 2013
AM
As you may know,
we had a little tragedy here is Boston Yesterday. Ken Poole and his grandson
were running the marathon and were about 500 yards away when the bombs went
off.
I have added a new
page called Marathon 2013 that captures some earlier
happier times.
March 18, 2013
PM
Marilyn Anderson
Kray has a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
March 18, 2013
AM
The Class List has
been updated to reflect a new home address and email address for Ann Bryan
Haletky and also to correct a miss-spelled email address for Mary Daly
Spaulding.
February 20,
2013 PM
Bruce Peterson has
a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
For all those who
visit this site and are not on my class mailing list, we have some news.
Dean Webb will be
inducted into the NHS Athletic Hall of Fame this year on May 3rd,
2013.
The exact time and
details will be forthcoming very soon. You can always check the HOF web site http://www.natickathletichalloffame.com/
for any updates.
January 21,
2013 PM
The ground is bare
once again this winter so I managed to get some pictures of the new practice
fields on the site where the old high school was. The new layout is similar to
what was planned, but the Tennis Courts moved from the pond side to the other
side of the area.
January 12,
2013 PM
I was informed
today by Marilyn Mitchell Aspesi that our Jane Hammond passed away earlier in
the week. I have posted her obituary on the In Memoriam page, but I am late
with the information. A memorial Mass was conducted this morning in Littleton,
MA.
January 6, 2013
PM
I have posted a
panoramic view of the new practice fields which are located on the site of the
old High School. Look on the New High School Pics page.
January 4, 2013
AM
Sad news to
report. Paul Alcock passed away on New Year’s Day. While Paul did not graduate
with us from High School, he was a member of our class in earlier years.
If anyone out there
can fill me in on when he attended school with us and which schools, I will
pass that info along.
December 31,
2012 PM
I happened to be
in Natick yesterday and drove by the new high school to see how they had done
on building out the practice fields where the old high school used to be. It’s
a shame that I got there after the snow storm. It still has a construction
fence around it, but it is pretty much leveled and ready for the Spring.
It’s also a shame
that no one has taken an aerial photo of the new complete site. Maybe someone
has and I just don’t know where to get it. If anyone knows the whereabouts of
such a photo, please let me know so I can share.
December 5,
2012 AM
I have added a new
page to the class website to provide links to other websites provided to me by
classmates.
Anyone wishing to
have a website added to this page, simply provide me with the link and it will
be done.
Check out the very
first link provided by Diane Campisi Dias.
Don Bergonzoni has
a new address, phone number and email. The Classlist has been updated.
December 1,
2012 PM
Joanna Drowne King
has a new email address. The Classlist has been updated.
November 18,
2012 AM
There is a new
address and phone number for Jean Tessier. The Classlist has been updated.
October 29, 2012 AM
Charlie Jones has
provided a new email address. The Classlist has been updated.
September 14,
2012 AM
Just got word that
Cynthia Pierro has moved. Her new address and phone number have been updated in
the Class List. Email remains the same.
August 26, 2012
AM
Well, I think I
have posted the final pictures from the construction/demolition of the High
School. The demolition is pretty far along and at this point the only pictures
left to see would be an aerial shot of the completed work. You may have to wait
a year or so for Goggle Earth to update their database.
August 23, 2012
PM
It gives me a
great deal of pleasure to welcome Dick Soby into the computer age. After
badgering him for about 5 years now, which didn’t do any good mind you, he has
a computer, an email address and a granddaughter with enough intestinal
fortitude to teach him how to use it. The class list has been updated with his
new email address. Why not give him a shout and fill up his inbox.
August 17, 2012
AM
Russ Barber has
relocated. His new address and phone number have been updated in the class
list. Email remains the same.
July 30, 2012
PM
I’m
not sure if anything like this happened at our 50th, but it could
have happened. This little anecdote comes from Don Bergonzoni. I have a few
people in mind that were capable of doing this.
He was a widower and she a
widow.
They had known each other for
a number of years being high school classmates and having attended class
reunions in the last 20 years without fail.
This 50th anniversary of
their class, the widower and the widow made a foursome with two other singles.
They had a wonderful evening,
their spirits high.
The widower throwing admiring
glances across the table. The widow smiling coyly back at him.
Finally, he picked up courage
to ask her, "Will you marry me?"
After about six seconds of
careful consideration, she answered, "Yes,..... yes I will!"
The evening ended on a happy
note for the widower. But the next morning he was troubled.
Did she say “Yes” or did she
say “No?” He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He
went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank.
He remembered asking the
question but for the life of him could not recall her response. With fear and
trepidation he picked up the phone and called her.
First, he explained that he
couldn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the past evening. As
he gained a little more courage he then inquired of her. "When I asked if
you would marry me, did you say “Yes” or did you say “No?”
"Why you silly man I
said, ‘Yes. Yes I will.’ And I meant it with all my heart."
The widower was delighted. He
felt his heart skip a beat.
Then she
continued. "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who
asked me
July 27, 2012
AM
The demolition is starting
to pick up speed. I have posted some new pictures showing the Café, Gym, Smoke
Stack, Admin Wing, and the additions made to the school after our graduation,
all gone.
July 9, 2012 PM
A new page has
been added to the web site. It is called the Allen Loane Memorial Square page.
July 9, 2012 AM
Bruce Schernig has
a new email address. The Class List has been updated.
July 5, 2012 AM
After watching the
Natick July 4th Parade for maybe the last time, I stopped at the
high school to see if there was any progress on the demolition. Very little had
been done since the ceremonial destruction, but they have started. Those
pictures have been posted.
I have changed the
picture page a little bit, deleting many of the older pictures and adding the
demolition pictures to the top of the page.
July 3, 2012 AM
The Allen Loane
Memorial Dedication is all set for this Saturday, July 7, 2012 at noon at the
corner of Cottage and Webster Streets. Webster is very close to where Allen
lived on Cross Street and runs right by the old Coolidge Junior High Gym.
I attended the
Natick Selectmen’s meeting last night to ensure that I was fully aware of
everything that had been prepared and approved. There are several very
dedicated individuals working tirelessly to make sure that all our fallen
brothers from Vietnam and all other conflicts are properly recognized. Paul
Carew is the Director of Veterans Services in Natick, Ed Jolley, President of
the Veterans Council and Pat Young, all
very active in Veterans Activities.
June 25, 2012
PM
This has been a
kind of rush, rush day. I was having my breakfast and watching WBZ-TV and I
heard about the activities taking place today at the old high school. It was a
ceremonial demolition of some kind. Details weren’t provided. So I headed to
the computer and did a little searching. Ah-ha, 10AM, a Ceremonial Demolition
was to take place. Someone from the class of 1991(Trevor Rhone) paid $1800 for
the honor of taking the first bite at knocking down the old school. So I hopped
into the car and headed to Natick. Once there I bumped into Carl Stevens from
WBZ Radio fame and we chatted a bit. He was the one who told me where the
demolition was to take place. Just so you get your proper bearings here, the
part of school that was picked for this activity was the library. This was not
the same library that we knew and “loved”. This was an add-on. It was over
facing the tennis courts and now was facing the new Cafeteria. Anyway, click on
the New High School Pics page and find the Ceremonial
Demolition link. Not terribly exciting, but I try to document
everything that is going on.
June 17, 2012
PM
I hadn’t expected
to go to the Say Goodbye To Old Natick High School Days, but I ended up there
as part of Father’s Day in Natick with my son. I wasn’t there long, but did
manage to see our Anna Thompson as well as Bob Goodwin and Roberta Hesek from
the Class of 55. I listened to Vangi Sticka sing the Natick Fight song for the
one millionth time and also noticed that Doug Flutie was in attendance. Then I
took lots of new pictures of the new school which is almost complete on the
outside. The inside must be in pretty good shape if they plan to open in
September. I did manage to see the new Cafeteria because someone left the door
open.
June 11, 2012
AM
The Allen Loane
memorial dedication is just about set in stone. There will be a plaque erected
at the corner of Cross and Cottage Streets on Saturday, July 7th,
2012 at Noon. Here is the notice from Paul Carew,
Director of Veterans Services for Natick.
May 30, 2012 AM
The new school is
nearing completion, at least on the outside. New pictures have been added to
the picture page along with a couple of video clips accessible through YouTube.
Just click on the Movie links and you will go to YouTube.
May 17, 2012 PM
A few folks may
have received a strange email from Jim Walters and maybe from Barbara
Newcomb(Simons). Jim has changed his email address and the Class List has been
updated. I haven’t heard from Barbara yet.
I have an update
on the Allen Loane Memorial Square. The last I heard, the square at the corner
of Bacon and North Main already has two memorial plaques and they do not plan
to add a third. The new site MAY be at the corner of Cross Street and Cottage
which is where Allen lived while at Coolidge. All of this has yet to be
confirmed by me, but when it is, I will send out a broadcast email with all the
details.
April 26, 2012
PM
Yesterday, Ken
Poole and I journeyed to Natick to meet with Dick Wells’ daughter Suzanne. Ken
presented her with a plaque of the Marathon shirt and shirts for Dick’s
daughters and wife Patty. Ken brought with him an old news article about his
grandfather running in the BAA way back when the road was just dirt. I can’t do
the story justice by trying to repeat it here, but suffice it to say that Ken
yelled out Dickie’s name in the same spot of the race that his grandfather made
a similar declaration and to which Ken has repeated in each of his previous 15
BAA Marathons. A touching tribute to a
great guy and a great classmate. Suzanne said that her father would never have
run a marathon, but he did this year and he finished first in his division in
Massachusetts.
April 18, 2012
PM
I just received
this notice concerning Allen Loane. It would
be great to see a few classmates attend this dedication on July 7th,
2012. I will be there.
April 18, 2012
AM
After I sent out
my last email and updated you on the results of the Marathon and Ken Poole’s
efforts, I received the following email from Ken. This email says it all, why
we are proud of our school, our extraordinary classmates and its heritage of
producing champions. I asked Ken for permission to share this with all of you.
Al,
Well, it was all good in spite of the weather. Great support from the Natick
folks for the 'Redmen' shirt. Coming up East Central Street to University Ave.,
Suzanne was there with all the Dick Wells supporters with signs and cheers. By
the time we got to the hills in Newton and the top at Boston College, we were
out of gas, it was hot and burning brain cells for fuel. Some 4000 runners
dropped out overall. At Cleveland Circle, aka the 'MeatGrinder', felt like
joining them. But Dickie Wells said loud and clear: 'Redmen don't give up'. So
we kept going. Out of 72 runners in our age group, both national and
international, Dick Wells managed to cross the finish line in 12th Place
and First in Massachusetts.
And that's the way it was... KP
April 18, 2012
AM
Marci Burke
Douglas has moved. The Class List has been updated with a new address, phone
number and email address.
April 17, 2012
AM
The Marathon
Results are in. Ken Poole and Chief Dickie Wells finished 12th in
their age bracket. Given Ken’s selfless act of stopping to let me take some
pictures and then he went looking for Dickie’s daughter down at the old
Wellesley at Natick development(University Drive), he may have been able to
shave enough time off his run to have made the top 10. He missed that
achievement by about 6 minutes. What a guy. 71 years old, running in that heat,
he made it for the 16th time. I get heart palpitations just thinking
about DRIVING to Boston. Congratulations to Ken and Dickie.
April 16, 2012
PM
Today was a great
day.
I have added new
pictures of the high school under construction. The gates were open so I
strolled in and started taking pictures, up close. I got most of the way
through the area before the foreman found me and informed me that it was a
closed site and I needed to leave. I told him I was just about to exit the premises
and then took a few more pictures on the way out. He really wasn’t trying to
bust me, but I’m sure their insurance carrier wouldn’t have been happy to have
me on site. Anyway, the pictures are posted. Use the link on the home page to
New High School Pics 04/16/12.
And the second
thing that happened today was the Marathon. Ken Poole stopped in Natick at
Lincoln Square, which is where I was, and we have a few pictures.
April 14, 2012
PM
Hear Ye, Hear Ye,
in honor of one of the most vociferous REDMEN to ever attend Natick High
School, the NHS morning breakfast club which meets occasionally in Milford,
partitioned the Great Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to declare
Monday, April 16, 2012, an official Chief Dickie Wells holiday. To commemorate
this day, Ken Poole, one of Dickie’s classmates from the Class of 1959, will
run his 16th BAA Marathon(38th overall) wearing a tee
shirt with this picture on the front.
Ken is running in
the third wave of runners and is expected to pass through Natick around
12:10PM. His number is 21185. It would be nice if some of you could come and
cheer him on and give a shout out for Chief Dickie Wells.
April 13, 2012
AM
We have a new
email address for Jackie Higgins Hale. The class list has been update.
April 10. 2012
AM
Two new additions
to the web site this morning:
Russ Barber
provided a current picture of himself standing on the beach on the island of
Iwo Jima. Check out his pictures by clicking on his Then and Now picture. It
would be so very interesting if more classmates provided some pictures through
their adult years and let us share a little part of their life.
Virginia Brown’s
birth date has been added to the In Memoriam section. Born on the 4th
of July.
April 8, 2012
PM
I have been in
contact with John Wall’s fiancé this past week and she sent me a video of still
pictures that was produced for his funeral. I extracted many pictures and
created a picture file accessible from his In memoriam page. I don’t know the
names of many of the people shown, but some are obvious. Enjoy a visual trip
through John’s life.
April 1, 2012
PM
It never fails. I
take my sweet time updating the class list, finally get around to doing it and
then I get an update from Russ Whittemore. He and his wife have moved so we
have new address, new phone number and new email address. The class list has
been updated.
April 1, 2012
PM
Well, the class list
has been updated with a few new email addresses that had been given to me over
the past several months and I was neglectful in getting them properly posted. I
didn’t even update the mass distribution list even though I updated their
person contact info. Anyway, everything should be as up to date as I can make
it given the data provided.
I am still looking
for updated contact info on Anne Hassard Larison.
March 27, 2012
More sad news.
Virginia Brown passed away this past Saturday, March 24th. There will
be no funeral home visiting hours. Her graveside service will take place this
coming Friday in Framingham. Please see her obituary for time and details.
We have now lost
47 classmates or about 18%. I know that this may be disturbing news to some
folks, but it is what it is.
March 16, 2012
AM
The MetroWest
Daily News reported today that John Wall passed away on March 11, 2012 in Long
Beach California. His obituary has been posted.
March 11, 2012
PM
I happened to be
in the Natick area and decided to check on the new high school construction
project. Progress has been made. I have added several pictures to the New High
School Pics page.
March 3, 2012
AM
I received word this
morning from Ray Stackpole that Dick Stanley just passed away. For any
classmates in the Ellsworth, Maine area this weekend, his Wake is Sunday and
the funeral on Monday. His obituary has been posted on the In Memoriam page
with all the information concerning the funeral arrangements.
February 27,
2012 PM
Today’s light
brought sadness. Dickie Wells passed away early this morning at a home in Natick
with Patty and their children at his bedside. How brave they have all been
throughout this torturous ordeal. I do not have any information concerning any
funeral details, but I will post them as soon as they become available
February 17,
2012 AM
I know that I
reported in January that I might have some significant information to divulge.
Well, not everything happens as we hope. So I do not have any significant info
for you.
Believe it or not,
it is almost time for a group of dedicated classmates to begin thinking about
getting together to discuss the 55th reunion. My personal take on
this next reunion is that it should be a very simple informal affair requiring
only a few months of planning and that wouldn’t have to start until next year,
2013. I’m not thinking about a sit down dinner at all, but more of a Pub Style
get together. Of course, I don’t think that I will be part of the committee, so
my thinking may fall on deaf ears.
January 6, 2012
AM
Well, thought I’d
give you all a quick update on the new high school.
Most of the
exterior work has been finished, but the grounds are still littered with
construction debris. I didn’t think that any new pictures would add anything of
any value and I didn’t have my camera with me at the time anyway. It looks like
most of the work is now centered on the interior which is what you’d expect for
this time of year.
I will check the
site from time to time and get you some pictures once they clean things up a
bit.
For all of you who
check in to this blog from time to time, pay attention during the next month or
so. I may have some significant information to divulge.
Current News Archive 2010 through 2011
Current News Archive 2007 through 2009
