REUNIONS 2007

 

Twenty years after graduating from John F. Kennedy High School, the Class of 1987 was back together on Sept. 8 for a class reunion at the Doral Arrowwood in Rye Brook, N.Y.

 

Amidst the plush accommodations of the unique conference and resort center, alumni wined in the days’ waning light before dining in one of the Doral Arrowwood’s many banquet rooms. The evening even came with an emcee—none other than the Class of 1987’s Mike Faughnan, who poked fun at several of his classmates before laying into Sister Christopher, reading “excerpts” from her personal diary (Note: KCHS would love nothing more than to entertain you with a few choice selections, but being that this is a Catholic Web site, the editor felt it necessary to leave well enough along since Mike didn’t).

 

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of class representatives Maureen Brady Atinsky, Jackie Lahm Gambardella (who, along with husband James, recently celebrated the birth of their new child), Pamela Gilchrist and Carolyn Sheerin, the reunion was a smashing success, drawing more than 100 people and some 70 alumni.

 

Between old friends reuniting, some for the first time in a score; the warm reception given to Sisters Mary Christopher, Barbara Heil and Janet Meehan; and seeing former math teacher turned principal Mr. Stephen Schmidt without his wicked 80s moustache, it was without a doubt a wonderful evening for all involved.  Most made a weekend out of it by booking rooms to take advantage of the Doral Arrowwood’s golf and other recreational facilities (KCHS did receive several unconfirmed reports of a 4 a.m. pool party).

 

A very special thank you goes out to the entire Class of 1987, which, at the conclusion of its reunion weekend, donated $2,000 back to its alma mater. Kennedy Catholic extends its most heartfelt gratitude to you. See you in 2012!

 

 

It wasn’t their school, it was their legacy.

 

Because to say that 22 members of the Class of 1957 returned to their alma mater on Sept. 22 to celebrate their 50th high school reunion would be a misnomer. The school they graduated from was St. Mary’s; the town they would come to know well was Katonah.

 

Much had changed since they were last called together by their school. St. Mary’s would move to more spacious facilities in Somers in 1966, the school would become known as John F. Kennedy and later Kennedy Catholic, and then-principal Sister Mary Imelda would become Sister Alice Shannon. Even the Sisters of the Divine Compassion who ran St. Mary’s would eventually trade in their habits for more contemporary attire.

 

Yet what it meant to be a Gael had not been affected by the passage of time.

 

Uniforms are still the acceptable fashion, courage and compassion are still the hallmarks of a Catholic education, and yes, math is still being taught by Sister Mary Christopher. And perhaps most importantly, a class that has gone on to experience much personal and professional success could still be brought together by the bond of a collective experience they shared 50 years ago.

 

Though the class had met on its own over the years, Sept. 22 marked the first time KCHS formally welcomed the Class of ’57 back as graduates. And what a wonderful sight it was: old friends recognizing and reconnecting, class couple Rocco and Ann Mancini pulling up in their classic car, and the soon-to-be Archbishop of Baltimore, the Rev. Edwin O’Brien ’57, celebrating Mass in St. Mary’s Chapel in honor of the seven deceased members from the Class of 1957.

 

Following Mass, the golden anniversary class was given an hour-long tour of the school it helped build but never knew. Many were impressed with the recent influx of new technology (SMART Boards, wireless Internet, renovated science facilities, etc.). None more so than Archbishop O’Brien ’57, who in giving the benediction, made a spontaneous $2,000 donation to Kennedy Catholic and challenged his classmates to do the same.

 

The reception was held in the White House, home to the Rev. Stephen Norton, president of Kennedy Catholic, and the Rev. James Teague, the school chaplain. Father Norton was all too happy to open us his home to such esteemed guests; and with Pili Productions (owned by Anthony Pili ’00) spinning the tunes and fine fare provided by Ledley Food Service (owned by alumni and current parent Brian Ledley), all in attendance enjoyed a memorable evening.

 

The alumni were even treated to a homemade film put together by John Hewes ’57 that incorporated footage provided by his fellow classmates.  Among the black-and-white images were the class trip to Washington, D.C. (during which the Sisters inexplicably let Rocco join Ann on the female side of the class picture), wedding memories from several classmates, and even some incriminating evidence of new Archbishop of Baltimore heaving snowballs at the girls.

 

The Alumni Office is grateful to all those who came from so far, and would like to extend a special thank you to Susan Kean Giangrande ’57, who was instrumental in bringing so many of her classmates together. To top off the affair, she and her husband, Mike, hosted a brunch the following morning at their lovely Somers home.  To Susan and Mike, thank you again. We hope to have you and all of your classmates back soon!

 

 

More than 60 members of the Class of 1982 returned to their alma mater on Sept. 29 in celebration of their silver high school reunion.

 

Some of the names had changed (well, for the ladies, anyway) and the faces were a little different than remembered, but the characters were the same…and on that Saturday they came to party. Whether they were touring the school to see how much things had changed (or in some cases not), dancing up a storm, conversing with old friends over dinner or keeping a constant vigil at the bar, a good time was had by all.

 

Sheila Gould Chason ’82 put together a slide show of images from her class’ high school days that entertained many a passer-by. She would later lead the charge to The Blazer, where the reunion would continue well past the bewitching hour.

 

Special thanks are in order for MaryEllen Devey McLaughlin ’82, who from the onset was instrumental in bringing the Class of ’82 together. She also had some extra special help from FBI Special Agent Russ Hansen ’82 in tracking down some of their “lost” classmates.  Not to be left out are Fran Bueti Albanese ’82, Dawn DeMasi Oddo ’82, Maureen Sullivan Kenney ’82 and Kevin Trainor ’82, who joined McLaughlin ’82 for a phone-a-thon at the school in early September.  It was great having you all together again, and we hope to see you real soon!

 

Another class that never knew present-day Kennedy Catholic was that of St. Mary’s from 1962. Not as if that could stop those Gaels from living it up in the Lakeview Room on October 13.

 

Some 35 members of the Class of 1962—more than 50 guests in all—enjoyed a fabulous time in Somers for their 45th high school reunion. Feasting on a sumptuous sit-down dinner and dancing welling into the night (who knew Tom Duggan ’62, Harry McCue ’62 and Danny Cunningham ’62 could cut such a mean rug—OK, well maybe Janet Duggan and Lorraine McCue, for starters), the St. Mary’s alums enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

 

Kudos to Judy Buck Beale ’62, Duggan ’62 and Bonnie Jenkins Gould ’62 in bringing their classmates together for a full weekend of fun. Bonnie and John Gould, also from the Class of ’62, played host to the class the evening prior at their Scarsdale home, while Tom and Janet Duggan offered up their Chappaqua abode for brunch the morning after.

 

It was truly a weekend to remember. But, of course, don’t take the school’s word for it. In the profound reflections of Harry McCue:

 

“I felt a great warmth among us that had a life of its own, and I think it was because we are at a point in our lives where we've all got a kind of ‘we've made it through’ feeling, a mellowing that, at least for me, made me just want to say to everyone of us, ‘Hey, look at us, we turned out OK’.  We've all had some accomplishments, adventures and misadventures, accolades and adversities and there we were…62-plus-or-minus and 17 at the same time. We shared an experience 45 years ago, but I guess what goes unspoken, to me anyway, is all those 45 years of life we know we've also shared...apart, but maybe, spiritually not so far apart. I am a person to whom history is important, and as time takes away parents, siblings, old friends and familiar places, and the patina of our era wears away with the passing years, Saturday night [Oct. 13] was a way to touch the familiar as a group and say ‘remember when we all passed this way together long ago?’

 

It was very special.”