Suzanne Laborde (Perry)

CLASS OF 1964 SURVEY

Suzanne Laborde

1.  How many children do you have? 1 son

2.  How many grandchildren do you have? 2 granddaughters

3.  What are your 3 favorite songs from the highschool? I still like anything from the 60s

4.  What was your favorite highschool theatrical production? Carousel

5.  Who were two of your favorite teachers? Ray Janata and Aviva Futorian

6.  What is one of your favorite highschool memory? Working with Aviva Futorian with SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee)

7.  Words of Wisdom.  What words of wisdom would you share with the Class of 2015. Though it doesn't seem so now, life is SO short. Learn who you are. Participate in your own life and follow your passion. Don't give away your power to others.

Bob Nekas

Front Row: Larry Alsbrook, Toby Stangle, Jeanne Mussen, Sandra Schechter, Phil Ward, Nancy O’Neil, Phil Goldman, Rick Hopper, Jerry Sugar, Sheryl Carver, Sue Toelle

2^nd Row: Phiyllis Pridmore, Diana Moore, Janice Hoglund, Nancy Watson, Patricia Hearst, Beth Gruver, Mary Sullivan, Les Klinger, Nancy Singer, Cynthia Ratay, Kathy Driscoll, Arden Fasanella, Gail Clarke, Diane Jones, Barbara Sellers, Marilyn Lillienfeld, Patricia Mooney,

3^rd Row: Bob Perretz-Rosales, Jim Soderstrom, Rick Hawkins, Dan Bulla, Jeff Litman, Merle Rovel, Paul Shapin, Zoetha Brown, Cheryl Lystad, Pat Galle

4^th Row: Dennis Micheletti, Don Morris, Ron Brenner, Jean Carroll, Lynn Ward, Mary Lou Robinson, Jack Kravitz

5^th Row: Judy Christopher, Sharon Kieffer, Neil Donahue, Ron Adams, Craig Ballinger, James Bildilli, John Brubaker

Back Row: Russ Burghard, Tom Kaage, Tom McAlpine, Bob Nekas, Rick Grote, Michael Burke, Lynn Warner, Roger Parsons

Mary Lou Robinson (Kalmus)

Bob-you saved me a lot of time and effort identifying everyone. Thank you so much!

Neil Donahue

Thanks Bob  !!!!!!   Neil

Gail Clark (Staudacher)

Great Job Bob!!!  Thank you!!!

Lawrence Alsbrook

Bob - you've made our group photo much more meaningful. Thank you very much. -Larry

Patricia Hearst (Schwarzentraub)

Bob--Appreciate the time you took to ID us all!  Great memories of great people!  Thanks so much!

Dennis Micheletti

Thank you Bob...I hope you don't mind me reposting this on FB.

Jean Carroll (Swindell)

Bob, how wonderful that you can ID the group! Thanks so much for saving us all the stress of trying to figure it out. You get the prize for "best memory" and dancing man!  Cheers to all, Jean

Helen Ward (Page)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxYyGlnXMTpvVFY4OEhDZTJscWM/view?usp=sharing

Hi, Everyone--The link above is a video of the entire musical portion of the reunion program, taken by my husband, Joe Page. Since he panned the audience at times, we thought people who were there might enjoy seeing themselves, as well as the performing group. Also, we thought it would be especially nice to make the video available to those who couldn't join us at the reunion! --Lyn and Joe Page

Janice Hoglund (Brenner)

Bob,  Thank you sooooo much for identifying our 64" class.  It is much appreciated.   The whole reunion ws wonderful.  Janice Hoglund (Brenner)

Nancy Eubanks (Hildebrand)

Thank you for giving everyone a face with a name.    Gotta say, everyone is looking good (and healthy!)

Judith Jensen (Harrvey)

Hi All,

It is Judy Jensen Harvey here from across the pond in Cromarty, Scotland. That is in the Highlands. I so appreciate all that was done to bring everyone together. Loved the video. Our cheerleaders still have their "Stuff". Wish I could have attended. My husband just died about 6 weeks ago so it was too difficult time for me. 

Just want you to know I was in Nursing for 45 years and loved it. Hope some of you will keep in touch. 

My best to all of you, Judy

Neil Donahue

Sorry for your lose Judy.........

Sandra Schechter

Judy,

I missed you and I am so sorry for your loss. Take good care of yourself.

Sandi Schechter

Sandra Schechter

Bob, I tried to name everyone, but you were able to fill in a few I couldn't. Thank you so much!

To everyone,

Thank you so much for a wonderful week-end and celebration. Some of you I didn't know until last week-end, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity. This was a highlight of my life and I won't forget it.

Love, Sandi

Sandra Schechter

Survey Responses:

1. 2, one deceased

2. 2

3. Too many!

4. "Lilliom"

5. Gerald Thompson and Ms. Morner

6. Overnight party at the dunes and many slumber parties

7. "Life is what happens while we are making other plans."

Sandra Schechter

4. Also, "Carousel"!

Lynn Warner

   It has been a couple weeks since the reunion. I was lucky to move to Park Forest in the spring of 1962 .I was fortunate to already have friends there as I spent most of my teenage summers there. I have known Dick Kiser since I was six years old. Moving to a college oriented high school put me on track for a successful fulfilling life. I wish there would have been a little more time to talk to those I did not know very well in high school.That all said, I had a great time. Kudos to the cheerleaders that look like they never missed a beat. Patty H. I wanted to talk to. Though I did not know her in high school, I remember having a crush on her. If a reunion brings back fond memories, this was a good one. I wish my dear friends Dick k. Rod H. Dave K. could have shared the fun. There  also is still grief for my good friend Craig T. Still miss him.

     Had a great time and will always be thankful that my family moved to Park Forest where we all were rockets. Thanks to all those who did suck a fine job putting it all together.            Lynn

Patricia Wald (Ray)

Better Late Than Never Reflection!

For the past month I have been meaning to share these reflections of our wonderful Rich East 50th Reunion, and I am finally at the computer to do this.

Even though this is a month late - thank-you's are always timely.  I know that all of us who had the privilege to be together at the Reunion are deeply grateful to those of you who worked so hard to make the Reunion happen.  I love looking at my Rich East glass mug and my lavalier!  Everything I experienced at the Reunion was just perfect!  I have played and replayed that incredible video shot by Lynn Ward Page's husband of our Rich East choir and our amazing cheerleaders!  They were awesome!  I told my friends, students, family - anyone I could - about that performance, and how 68 is easily the new 50!!  And it was very moving to hear the message from Coach Egofkse that Larry Alsbrook read.  And because of Bob Nekas, we can all look at the group picture and recognize everyone!!  I also think the idea Phil Goldman spoke about - of being the first Rich East class to create a scholarship for the school, is such a meaningful initiative from our class.

I had a "surreal" experience when I arrived at the hotel Saturday night.  Because I am a Jewish Sabbath observer, I could not get to the Reunion until the Saturday night party.  What I did Saturday afternoon at home was "study" our senior yearbook.  I never spent that much time looking over the yearbook, even when it was new!  And the last time I really looked closely at our yearbook was probably 30 years ago....  So there I was looking at the pictures, words, aspirations and wishes of our classmates from 50 years ago.  Once the Sabbath ended, I went straight from the pages of our yearbook to the party at the hotel.  The first person I saw as I came into the room was Cheri Lystad.  It was as if she had walked right out of the yearbook!  I had just "seen her" wearing that sailor style blouse with Bill Dietch in one of my favorite high school plays, "Our Town."

Going from table to table greeting people, most of whom I had not seen for 50 years, though with whom I had just become "reacquainted" earlier that Saturday afternoon as I was reading our yearbook, affected me much more than I had anticipated.  And from talking with many of you, I think we all had this feeling that being together in Oakbrook was something we would all remember.  I was sorry I could not be there Friday night to see Ms. Futorian and Mr. and Mrs. Moore.  I did go back to see Rich East a number of years ago on the Friday of the 50th anniversary celebration of Park Forest, and I loved walking through the halls of our high school.

I thought it was remarkable that my dear friend, Jack Kravitz, came all the way from Brazil to be with us - and that certainly says something very special about Jack.  But it also says something special about what our time together so many years ago meant to all of us, because that is why Jack came.  Who knew back then that we would be reflecting on that now?  I told some of you that when my father-in-law, of blessed memory, went to his 50th high school reunion, I thought - how could anyone get that old??  And there we were in Oakbrook a month ago.

I also want to thank Merle Rovel Erlich and Toby Stangle Weber for coming up with the idea of the Sunday morning brunch.  It was the "icing on the cake!"  For those of us able to be there - in a really informal, casual, warm setting, with great food!! - it allowed us to continue that special feeling a little longer that those of you who worked so hard on this Reunion created for all of us.  The memorabilia in that room was unbelievable, and I was especially drawn to the album that Phyllis Pridmore McKenna's father had made for her, which included spectacular pictures as well as Cookie Ritz's drawings of our class members.

I hope we can all stay healthy enough to do this again.  I told Nancy O'Neil Martin, Phil Goldman and Phil Ward that I would be so glad to be part of a group to make that possible.  For me, our Reunion experience ended as I left the hotel helping Phil Goldman, Bob Perretz, Merle and Toby take the leftovers and supplies from the brunch to their cars.  As we exited the hotel, there were two "twenty-something" guys with their hotel luggage cart getting ready to leave.  Whether they wanted to know it or not....I said to them, "You know where we just came from?  Our 50th High School Reunion!!"  And they looked at the 5 of us standing there and said, "Noooo way!"  That was the perfect ending.

Michael Meiselman (Meiselman)

Patty Wald!!! One of my favorite people ever. I hope we can keep in touch.

Love ya, Michael Meiselman

Jeanne Mussen (Karson)

Patty Wald you are a treasure!  Thank you for covering all the bases.  I had a blast and have so many good memories from this wonderful reunion.  Looking forward to our next event and hopefully it will be soon.

Jeanne Karson

Patricia Hearst (Schwarzentraub)

Patty,

You encapsulated the feelings, memories and experiences of those of us who were privileged to be a part of that great 50th reunion experience.  Thank you for your great words.  That was an amazing weekend--and I, too, look forward to future gatherings with this great Golden Class!  Thanks to all who planned, and thanks to all who came.

Phil Goldman

Yes that was such a wonderful sentiment from Patty and everyone was such a great part of a really great memorable weekend....family and friends...and such wonderful friends forever!!!!!

Suzanne Laborde (Perry)

Hi All,

Patty, I most certainly agree with the others about your delightful prose regarding the reunion. Because of not being able to attend myself, it's enjoyable experiencing it through the others who did. My only wishes are that more of our classmates would post yearbook and present pictures of themselves, in addition to there being more life profiles!

It certainly looks and sounds as if the reunion committee did a fantastic job of not only planning a memorable event, but executing it as well for all the participants. It hardly seems possible that 50 years have passed since those Park Forest days, though the clock seems to be spinning faster and faster daily!

Even from afar, it has been enjoyable hearing about the events you were able to share.

Keep well!!