Our 55-Year Class Reunion
Our MPHS Class of 1961 held it's "55-yr Reunion" in north New Jersey on September 9-10-11, 2016. About 40 of us (many with spouses and/or friends) attended one or more of the four separate events (photos below are separated accordingly):
..... ....Event 1 -- Friday evening "Meet and Greet" at Boomburgers in Mahwah
..... ..... Event 2 -- Saturday afternoon picnic at the Midland Park Rec Field
.... ...... Event 3 -- Saturday evening Dinner at Portabello's Restaurant in Oakland; and finally
...... .... Event 4 -- Sunday morning Brunch at the Allendale Bar & Grill Restaurant
It was great to see each other again, enjoying "the moment", and appreciating the chance to meet and hug, to talk and laugh, and to "catch up." A MILLION THANKS TO MARY ANNE VETRENO AND TO PAT RIZZUTO FOR HEADING UP THE REUNION COMMITTEE IN ORGANIZING THESE WONDERFUL REUNION EVENTS & VENUES.
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Below are a few of the many "photographic memories" of our time together -- photos sent in by our classmates..!!
SO FAR -- THANK YOU to LILLIAN (Hanas) Goldstein, ANN (Turnbull) Eichhorn, JOAN (Duby) Simpson, SHARON Kay, and Jo, for providing the photos shown below.
IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS, PLEASE SEND THEM TO DAVE KAY FOR POSTING HERE ON THIS PAGE.....!
Event 1. Friday Evening (Sep 9) at Boomburgers, Mahwah
(Thanks to Lillian Hanas Goldstein for the following photos from Friday evening...!!! )
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Barbara (Chilson) & Pat Rizzuto, and Mary Anne Vetreno.
Barbara Hazen (Dick Eldridge's wife), Dave Kay & Dick Eldridge -- with Lynne (Merboth) Chevres-Smith and Tammy (Murphy) Wilson in back center.
Lillian (Hanas) Goldstein and Jim Fells
Doris (Morel) Sless and Mary Anne (Wierdo) Vetreno
Dianne Maggi Bauer (Nancy's sister, Class of '59), Dave Kay, (Steve Eichhorn in back center), Dan Kay
Joan (Duby) Simpson, Doris (Morel) Sless, Ron Norick (Nancy Maggi's husband)
Nancy (Kihm) Sampson and Judy (Boyko) Imperial (with Dan Kay & Kathy Kay in center back)
Jim Fells and Betty Nagelhout
Pete Portley -- with Cricket Clifford (center) and wife Rhonda Portley just behind him
Linda (Knack) Goff, Joan (Duby) Simpson, Dave Kay
Ann (Turnbull) Eichhorn (at back left in blue), Nancy (Maggi) Norick, and Tony Laudato
Tammy (Murphy) Wilson & Chris Paolillo
Three of the guest wives: Cricket Clifford, Rhonda Portley, and Grace Laudato
Nancy Maggi (hair), Tony Laudato (no hair), Jim Fells (in back center), Betty Nagelhout, & Chris Paolillo
Event 2. Saturday Afternoon (Sep 10) "Picnic" at the Midland Park Rec Field
Saturday was Midland Park's Annual "Celebration Day" at the Rec Field. It turned out to be a clear, very HOT and HUMID afternoon ---- but the hot dogs, hamburgers (served by the MP Fire Department), cotton-candy (made in our tent by Lynne Merboth), and the cold drinks -- made the experience a bit more comfortable and relaxing............
Here we are in front of our huge "Welcome MPHS Class of 1961" reunion poster (which we all signed in black marker)....
-- as seen from the front....................
Front row, L to R: Dan Kay, Tammy Murphy, Lillian Hanas (in white hat), Pat Rizzuto, Dave Kay, Jeannine Gers (sunglasses), Nancy Maggi (flag shirt), Mary Anne Wierdo;
Back Row, L to R: Romy Biancardi, Doris Morel, Dick Milnamow, Charlie Clifford, Joan Duby, Ann Turnbull, Lynne Merboth, Betty Nagelhout, Jim Fells.
....and, from the back.....................
What a great afternoon it was -- but, WOW, was it hot & humid...!! More views of the afternoon activities:
Left photo: Lynne setting up her cotton candy machine Right photo: Nancy ready to take more pix
Jeannine watching Joan & Pat put up our Class Reunion sign, to identify OUR tent......
Proud grampa Jim with his grandson & friends -- who arrived early to help Jim set up all the tables & chairs....
Betty & Jim show the boys our elementary schoolroom photos; the boys thought the "old pictures" were fun.
Left Photo below: Doris being assisted by an Event Staff driver (and also by Pat & Romy) to bring us her salad and delicious baked goodies
Right photo (above): Nancy (Maggi) Norick and Lillian (Hanas) Goldstein -- enjoying the warm day at the park...
Grownup kids at play..........
(Front left to far right)-- Nancy, Joan, Pat, Doris, Lillian (back center), Jeannine (front center), Lynne, Dianne Maggi Bauer (Nancy's sister), Romy
Left photo: Nancy (Maggi) and husband Ron Norick Right photo: Tammy & Pat
Left photo: Lynne making fluffy cotton-candy cones Right photo: Dave getting a mouth-full of "pina colada"....
Dave, Pat, Mary Anne, Charlie, Tammy, Betty, Lillian trying to remember names of classmates in old elementary schoolroom photos
Left photo: Charlie and Betty Right photo: Cricket Clifford
Left photo: Jim, Betty, Lillian, Gary Sless (Doris' husband), Doris, Romy Right Photo: Romy and Dave
Left photo: Dick, Nancy, and Joan Right photo: Charlie and "his baseball hero".....
Event 3. Saturday Evening (Sep 10) Dinner at Portabello's Restaurant, Oakland
Left photo: Setting up the display table of memorabilia. L to R: Romy, Mary Anne, Pat (in front), Dianne (Maggi) Bauer, Tammy, and Lynne.
Right photo: Pat looking over the final set-up. LOTS to see and remember........!!! Hard to believe that MANY of these itmes are more than one-half a century old.....!!!
L to R: Pat & Barb, Judy (Boyko) and Lou Imperial, Tammy, Mary Anne, Steve Eichhorn & Ann (Turnbull)
Front row (L to R): Cricket Clifford, Thunder Haas, Charlie, Pete & Rhonda Portley, Grace Laudato;
Back row (L to R): Mary Anne, Jeannine, Lynne, Tony, Dick, and Pat (in back right)
L to R: Bev (Junta) Hamilton, Bev (Campbell) & Anthony Calabrese, Ron Norick & Nancy (Maggi), ....Bauer and Dianne (Maggi)
L to R: Dan Kay, Doris (Morel) Sless, Dave & Sharon Kay
L to R: Paul Miccinelli & Carol (Smith), June (Russell) & Tom Langford
L to R: Romy, John Haak & Jeannine (Gers), Chris, Lynne
L to R: Orrie, and Tom Smith
AFTER DINNER (and before dessert):
Dave Kay gave a Slide show entitled "Our Class Through The Years" -- a lot of fun snap-shots submitted by classmates,
but also a couple of elementary school classroom photos, where we then played: "Guess Who THIS is??"
A beautiful sheet cake was to be served for dessert; classmates took lots of photos to remember it......
The dessert cake -- was INCREDIBLY delicious.....!
Romy said that -- after 55 years -- he STILL remembered, word for word, his "Introductory Monologue," given as the wily, philosophical "Japanese" interpreter Sakini from our senior class play "Teahouse of the August Moon" . So, we asked Romy to entertain us by once again acting out that delightful monologue -- AND HE DID....!!! Beautifully...!! ( Terrific applause followed, as deserved ). Well done, Romy.
Before we left for the evening, we all moved to one end of the dining area for a group photo -- which ain't as easy at our age as it used to be..!! Here's one as we were getting ready................. but Lynne saw that something needed to be moved .....maybe to the right..? ...left..? ........ maybe?
Most of us are ready -- but Tony Laudato sees a loose quarter under Dick Milnamow's shoe........
Almost ready --- Tom Smith has now joined us in the front row......
Event 4. Sunday Morning (Sep 11) Brunch at Allendale Bar & Grill
Our buffet brunch was served on the 2nd level eating area of the restaurant; lots of tables, lots of eating, talking, laughing, photo-talking, mingling..........
Left front to right front, clockwise: Joan, Charlie, Cricket Clifford, Mary Anne, Tammy, Dick Milnamow, Lynne.
From front left, clockwise: Sharon Kay (Dave's wife); Sandy Wolf (with Dan Kay); Kathy Kay (Dan's wife); Bob Wolf; Dan Kay, and Dave Kay.
And, for the last fun thing, here's a copy of the OFFICIAL INVITATION sent to each one of you in May....
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