MPHS1961.com
The REUNION Place
SOME OF OUR TEACHERS

Several of our teachers from High School days planned to be with us at our Class of '61 50th-Year Reunion.  Their 1961 yearbook photos are below.  Thank you, teachers, for your dedication, and for all the challenges you gave to us!

                 
TOP LEFT  to  BOTTOM RIGHT:  John Clark;  Don Furnuto;  Ron Haas;  Dave Hoitsma;  Don Nolan;  Sonny Santorine;  Richard Turi;  Dave Van Duren;  Janet Williams;  Steve Wukovitz.


SEE MORE PHOTOS OF EACH OF THESE TEACHERS, BELOW

JOHN CLARK  (Shop):
    
      

1961, as our teacher in photo at left;            and................. at our 50-yr reunion high-school tour at far right


In 1961, Mr. Clark was our Industrial Arts (Shop) teacher.  He still loves wood-working, and has a large wood shop in his home.





DON FORNUTO (Music):
    
    
1961, as our teacher in photo at left;    and with his wife,Charlotte,in a more recent photo at right

In 1961, Mr. Fornuto was teaching Junior Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and was the Junior High School Assembly Director.





RON HAAS (Guidance; English)
        
1961, at left;  and, at right, at our 50-yr reunion in 2012 as Thunder Haas.

In 1961, Mr. Haas was one of our high school guidance counselors, a teacher of English, and a Faculty Advisor to the Theatre Club.





DAVE HOITSMA  (Science, Math)
         
1961, as our teacher in photo at left;    and in a more recent photo at right





DON NOLAN  (Language Arts)
       
1961, as our teacher in photo at left;  and in a more recent photo (right);

In 1961, Mr. Nolan taught us English, Social Studies, and was faculty Advisor to the Senior Radio Club.





COACH ADOLF "SONNY" SANTORINE  (Physical Education; Health; Driver's Ed)
      
1961, as our teacher in photo at left;  and in a more recent photo at right

In 1961, Coach Santorine was Chairman of the high school's Physical Education and Health Department,  was Head Coach of the Varsity football and basketball teams;  and also taught us Driver Education  (I  STILL remember his "glass of water" driving tip!)





COACH RICH TURI  (Physical Education; Health)

         
1961, as our teacher in photo at left;  and in a more recent photo at right

Mr.Turi coached various high school football teams for 52 years (most recently in Albany, NY).  He is now happily retired.

Coach Turi and his wife, Gail, live on a small farm in New York state near the Vermont border (Buskirk, NY).  They have three children and three grandchildren.





DAVID VAN DUREN  (Language Arts)

      
1961, at left;  and, at right, at our 50-year reunion in 2012

Mr. Van Duren was only 21 when he started teaching at Midland Park High School;  he later taught at Ramsey High School.  Now retired, he lives in Brackney, Pennsylvania.





JANET WILLIAMS  (Social Studies)

        
1961, as our teacher in photo at left; 2nd Photo: taken 15 years later in 1976;  3rd photo: taken with husband Bill in 1985 on the occasion of 35th wedding anniversary; 4th photo: taken in 2010.

Mrs. Williams sent us the following personal history:


I have two sons:  Will and Wayne.  Will graduated Midland Park High School in 1970, went on to Rider College, graduating in 1974, and then got his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1978.  Will married Vanessa (at Westside Presbyterian in Ridgewood, NJ) in August 1977.

My 2nd son, Wayne, graduated from Midland Park High in 1974, Syracuse and then SUNY in 1978, and then received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1987.  Wayne married Carol (at First Presbyterian in Ramsey) in June, 1989.

My granddaughter, Shanna, graduated Randolph High School in 2002, and Savannah College of Art and Design in 2007, receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  She married in August 2007.

Grandson, Derek, graduated Randolph High in 2008, and will graduate from Penn State in May, 2012.  My youngest grandson, Rowan (in Ohio), graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School this year, and is anticipating being a swimmer for the Ohio State University Buckeyes next year.

Treasured travels:

Sept 1976:  3 weeks in the Lands of our ancestors (British Isles) -- a gift from our sons on our 25th anniversary.
Sept 1985:  One week in Switzerland, which Bill could not visit during his years in Europe in WWII;  on to Spain, 2-1/2 weeks with our son, Wayne, where he was an executive for Firestone International, with offices and apartments in Madrid and Bilboa.  Marvelous vacation, with his bilingual expertise and monetary knowledge, not to mention his knowing all the best places to eat!
August 1995:  Alaska cruise and tour, by Holland America.

Delightful Days and Once-in-lifetime Events:
In varying degrees of regular appointments, I have provided infant and childcare for every consecutive year since I was age 11 (when I earned my first Quarter for a whole evening with 3 little ones) right through college years, plus some home-bound tutoring off campus.  In the Ridgewood area, provided care for approximately 200 families over a span of 54 years.  Most exciting:  caring for 2-1/2 month old grandson, Rowan, in Las Vegas !

Midland Park Memorial Library, on Godwin Avenue:
I wish to encourage all in attendance at the 50th Class Reunion to stop in at the Public Library which has recently undergone a delightful facelift.  You won't believe your eyes !!  Hours (following Labor Day) will be 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday.






STEVE WUKOVITZ  (Science;  Physics)

       
Left:  as our Physics teacher in 1961;        Right: at our 50-yr reunion with wife, Diane (Maltese).

Mr. Wukovitz was one of our Science teachers, teaching Physics as well as General Science. He also was Faculty advisor to the Physics Club, and was Football Faculty Manager.

Below is a brief summary that Mr. Wukovitz provided to us:





CONTACT INFORMATIONNEWS1943: Year We Were Born- 1961 - Year in ReviewVINTAGE PHOTOS -- thru the yearsSenior Year PhotosCLASSMATE Profiles & UpdatesIN MEMORIAMMISSING CLASSMATES20-YR CLASS REUNION - 198230-YR CLASS REUNION - Nov 199150-YR CLASS REUNION - 201155-YR CLASS REUNION - 2016ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PHOTOSSOME OF OUR TEACHERS