Not a member?
JOIN HERE
Find and click on your name.
Teaneck High School
Class of 1962
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dear Classmates,

It is with a very heavy heart that I must advise that our dear friend and classmate Robert Friedman passed away last night....October 29th.  This was a real shocker as Robert was very active physically and socially, and not at all sick until just a few short weeks ago.  Robert and I became close friends over the years and spoke nearly every other week for years about something....from serious world, political, and personal things...to the inane.  A couple of months ago he told me that he was having shoulder problems which developed into significant pain.  The VA told him that he needed an operation on his shoulder and he was preparing for that which was originally suppose to happen in late September I believe.  Before that happened, he was given more tests, as his pain had become debilitating, and learned that he had bone cancer...again thought to be manageable. Very shortly after that and after more tests, the VA told him he had stage 4 lung cancer.....he was not a smoker...and it had metastasized.  That was only a couple of weeks ago. 

Robert was a unique, one of kind, character....with passionate views, and an amazing....albeit often not PC....sense of humor. Robert always spoke his mind and did not mince words on his personal or political views....I loved that about him. Robert was fiercely devoted to THS 62, and worked his ass off for all of us on this website and in the planning and execution of our reunions over the years....usually behind the scenes and not in the limelight.  For all of that and his wonderful friendship to me, I could not be more grateful, and will miss him greatly.  Robert was looking forward to having another reunion soon as our 60th was such a huge success.  I dont know what I am going to do without him as he was way ahead of me with the technical aspects of contacting everyone.  I take some solace in knowing that over the past three or four years Robert was the happiest I've known him to be in the prior 30 years.  He reconnected with his son and daughter in a very meaningful way, and welcomed in a granddaughter whom he was over the moon about.  So very importantly he met an amazing woman named Kim a couple of years ago with whom he developed perhaps the deepest friendship/love and joy of his life. Kim was by his side during the past several weeks, and even in her own grief, contacted me to inform me of his passing.  .   I ask for your prayer for Roberts peaceful passing and peace in the hearts of Kim, and his son and daughter.  I will let all know when I have information on the service plans.  In the meantime, please stay healthy.

In Roberts memory, I offer blessings to all.

Rich Pink

Wishing all a very blessed Christmas and Hanukkah, and an awesome and healthy New Year !!!...😍

 

 

Congrats to all who attended our Sixtieth Class Reunion.

Thanks to you all for.... by all accounts.... making this our BEST Reunion ever !!!   While perhaps our smallest Reunion, about 70 attendees, it lent itself to a speial kind of intimacy, sharing, reconnections and new connections among classmates from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.  The vibe reminded me of our Washington trip so very long ago.  

If you have pictures that you would like to share from the weekend, you can post them on this class website, or you can email them to Robert or me.  We will consolidate them and post for all to see.  To post pictures on the website yourself, go to Member Functions on the lefthand side of the home page and click on Edit Profile....you will be able to add your favorite pictures there.

Keep your connections alive !!!   We have provided contact information in the Reunion Program for your convenience.  Some groups of classmates have regular Zoom gatherings with eachother from across the country.    

If you havent already done so, please consider sending Barb Zeliff Hoffman, Marianne Silane, and Nancy Jesuele Hazelgrove a note  (email or text) to thank them for all the work they did to make this reunion such a success....an amazing team.

Till we meet again, stay well, and all the best.

Rich Pink and Robert Friendman, Reunion Co-Chairs

My dear classmates,

I will always be happy that I made the decision (although it did take me awhile - LOL) to attend the 60th reunion of our awesome class of 1962.  It was like returning home, especially since as a child I had spent many a time at Point Pleasant Beach -- great location!  That morning Edna Carter Southard and I had the exciting experience of seeing a whale in the Atlantic Ocean right along the shoreline.

You guys did an awesome job planning this event.  Every detail was met for a an incredibly enjoyable time -- not to mention the surprise bouquet of flowers - thanks so much for that.  Martells was a great restaurant.  The food was delicious, especially that ice cream and toppings.  

You are right about the intimacy of the event.  Staying at the Pelican Point Motel put me in close touch with Nora Pearl, Norisa Berardi, Judy Hakam, Tex Stimmel, and Joan Walworth Somers and of course Edna Carter Southard. Judy Patton Rosenstreich joined us as well  These women all turned out to be wonderfully special ladies, whose company I enjoyed immensely.

Thank you very much for all you thoughtful and kind friends did to make this, yes one of the most meaningful reunions we have had -- and for pursuing my attendance.

Love to you all and hopefully our paths will cross again in the near future.  Remember that I live in Florida and that you are all welcome to spend time with Pete and I in our home.

Have a blessed day

Joan Campagna

239-560-6257

Below is a link to Marianne's obituary.

https://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/ber103433

Marianne (DeVencentis) Francavilla passed away on or about 1/16 after a long battle with ovarian cancer.  Services will be held at Saint Elizabeth in Wyckoff, NY at 9:45am.  You can also attend virtually.  For those of us who knew Marianne, you'll remember her amazing spirit and humor.… May she rest in peace. Our prayers go out to her daughter Dana, and each of you who mourne her loss....🙏

Passing of Jeff Dobkin:  A Teaneck High School stand out by any measure, Jeff went on to accomplish a great deal and his life… which is no surprise to those of us who knew Jeff. On behalf of the our class, I offer sincere condolences to all of you who knew Jeff, and certainly to his family and his sister Marney THS Class Of 1960.

https://www.app.com/obituaries/asb271486

Sad passing of Jimmy Castronuevo....

Rest In Peace Jimmy.....so many great memories of days gone by that will live in our hearts forevermore. A stand up guy with an amazing sense of humor. On behalf of myself, and the THS Class of 1962, I offer our condolences to you Diane and the entire family. We share you grief, and offer our hearts our prayers for the Jimmy’s peaceful transition .
Xoxo,
Richie Pink

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?n=james-d-castronuovo&pid=198382308

Dear Fellow THS 62 Classmates,

With a heavy heart we pass on the very sad news that our friend Tommy Puglisi passed away.   His daughter Danielle posted this news on Facebook yesterday. We do not have any of the details surrounding his death or the plans for services yet, but will post them as soon as we know. The one thing that we all know is that Tommy was an amazing spirit, humorist extraordinary, and had a heart as big as Texas.  Rest In Peace dear friend...

Rich Pink

Robert Friedman 

Dear Fellow THS 62 Classmates,

Check out this link below.  It’s no  surprise that our old friend and classmate David Swersky is being honored with induction into the Aspen Hall of Fame.  The story speaks for itself, but anyone who knew David back in the day is familiar with his quiet and humble persona, but his very loud friendly manner, and his gigantic willingness to serve. David and I lived only a few houses away from eachother on Ramapo Road (across from Lowell School), and to this day still reminisce about our wild  sleigh riding times……when on a really great day one could make it all the way down to River Road (flying across Wilson Ave) to the entrance of what was then (I think) Bergen Community College (later Fairleigh Dickenson)……..a bit of an aside, but hats off to David ! 

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/humble-mountain-rescue-leaders-headed-to-aspen-hall-of-fame/

All the best to everyone and may 2020 be a “rockin good year”

Rich Pink

Dear THS62 Classmates,

It should come as no surprise to anyone that fellow classmate and friend Vinnie Oakes (aka Vin, Vance, VO, Doc.....rarely Vincent) is the first to offer a personal story posting for our new Teaneck62.com website.  Vinnie has been writing historical memoirs for several years for his kids and grandkids.  I have posted below the Introduction to his collection of “stories”.   I want to personally thank my Pal from K-12 and beyond for providing great fun, humor, and mischief for all of us....often at great personal expense...😘.  I don’t pretend to have been above much of the same, but he did it with much more “je ne sais quoi” (flare)..earning him the title of Class Clown in our yearbook along with Patti McKenna. 

Thanks Vance,

Rich

 

“Old Enough to Know Better”

 Alternate Title: I Don’t Mind a Reasonable Amount of Trouble

 By: Vinnie Oakes

Introduction:

 You really had to be there. You really had to be a kid, living in the United States during the time that followed World War II, to realize, years later, that you had grown up in the golden glory of America. Long before the events of September 11, 2001, you just had a sense that life would never be as good as it was during the period from late 1945 to the end of 1963. From November 22, 1963 to September 10, 2001 the golden glory was slipping away. You could feel it, watch it, and hear it. Not that there weren’t a whole bunch of wonderful things for the country and myself that occurred during this period, but things just didn’t feel the same. A sense of foreboding, about the country’s future, its power, prestige, credibility, and economy, crept into my consciousness, like watching a Super Bowl game in which my team is way ahead through three quarters, and then feeling the horrible inevitability of impending disaster, as fourth quarter mistakes cause the momentum to shift and play-out into an inexcusable loss.

 I write this memoir over a period of years, for the most part in “continuous present” tense, beginning in my late 50’s. I can’t tell you why I let so much time go on between writing parts of it. I write, skip a half a year, a whole year, write some more, skip a few weeks or months, etc. I guess I’d have to blame my A.D.D. A.D.D. gets blamed for all sorts of things, by all sorts of people - so why not this?

 When I am a kid, there is no such thing as parents being told that their child has A.D.D. The term/diagnosis becomes stylish many years after “the damage has been done” to my life, and the retrospective diagnosis comes from my sister the psychologist, during a casual phone conversation in about 2005. She is telling me about some other kid in the family, and says, “Well you know, you were A.D.D.”

 I was?

 The truth is, prior to that pronouncement by Merilee, I never give it a minute’s thought. But then I begin to realize that my life is filled with patterns and symptoms of the condition, and in varying degrees it’s still with me. With some O.C.D. thrown in for no apparent reason. 

This is not just my story, it’s also about the people around me - those who have impact on my life. So there are a lot of words devoted to their stories as well, because without those people in my life, I wouldn’t be me. Maybe too much detail for you, but not for me. I just want you to have the option of knowing these people, the ones who had such big personalities that were such a big part of my life.

 I write this because I don’t want you - my kids and my grandkids; some extended family members and special friends to have questions: the kind of haunting relentless questions that so many people, including me, have about their parents or grandparents, or great grandparents. What kind of life do they have as young children, or teens, what makes them choose to go this way or that in life, or what are their dreams, their values, their beliefs, et cetera? I wonder those things about people who brought me into this world, who surrounded me as I grew up, or who die before I even “get here.” And I don’t want you to wonder. And because I really can’t leave any “gift of wealth” for you, I hope that you view this story as a special gift of love from me to you.

 Hopefully, it’s also a gift of entertainment, albeit a “G” - rated one. There’s no way I can tell you everything! This will not be a tell-all story of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Well, maybe a little rock & roll.

 I want you to know about how great it is for my friends and me to grow up Teaneck, New Jersey (and partly in Upper Saddle River) during the post war years of the late 1940’s, the 50’s, and very early 60’s. I can’t remember any adults getting too worked-up over politics. “Our Boys” just finish kicking ass in Europe and the Pacific - preceded by the Great Depression - and I think most parents and grandparents are just happy to be alive, and have jobs; and to begin to build a war-free life for themselves. Just FYI – the value of $100 in 1950 converts to the equivalent of approximately $1,000 in 2017.

 The Saturday Afternoon Kiddie Show at the Teaneck Theater costs a quarter, and we get to see about 4 cartoons, a newsreel, and usually either a double feature (2 movies) or a weekly serial, and a full length movie.

 We play stickball on neighborhood streets; and stoopball, against the steps of Grace Lutheran Church across the street from our house.  In the winter we skate on frozen ponds, or on inlets of the “Hacky” (the Hackensack River). Most kids join the Cub Scouts and Brownies; later many go on to Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

 Outside, we play hopscotch, hide and seek, Simon says, redlight/green light, and ringolevio. We have snowball fights against the kids down the street, and we walk to elementary school (unaccompanied by parents); walk home for lunch, and walk back for the afternoon classes. We don’t have air conditioning, or laundry driers, or dishwashing machines, but if we are sick, the doctor comes to the house. Most of us have parents who grow up in one of NYC’s 5 boroughs, and wanting a better life for their young families, move out to Jersey after the war.

 We build “soapbox” cars out of scrap wood and carpet remnants; get the wheels from old baby carriages we find sitting out on people’s curbs during semi-annual “rummage days.” We steer with a rope tied to the axel. Then we race each other down the big hill (Martense Ave.) alongside our houses. In the late 40’s and early 50’s the junk man still comes by about once a quarter in a horse-drawn wagon, bells clanging, signaling his presence, so housewives can run out to their curbs and give him their unwanted items. Until I am about 8, the iceman still delivers big slabs of ice by horse-drawn wagon to Al Saunders’ Meats a few blocks from our house. And there is sawdust all over the floor of Saunders’ shop.

 We collect Baseball Cards, aka Bubblegum Cards, or “Flip Cards.” We don’t collect them with the thought of their value, so that we can sell them. There is no such market for that sort of thing. We collect them because that’s what boys in this era do. And we gamble with baseball and football bubblegum cards. There are three basic games that we play with each other, and they all result in either winning cards from, or losing cards to, your buddies. And when we’re big enough to ride full-sized bikes, we learn how to use a pair of clothes pins to attach a couple of the bubblegum cards to the rear frame of our rigs, so that they are agitated by the spokes, making a very badass sound like some sort of kid motorcycle. The epitome of being cool 8 year-olds.

 We go to Lowell School for K-6th grade, where we have recess out in the schoolyard, which is also where we congregate in the morning before the bell rings, during recess, and after lunch, until once again, the dreaded bell rings.

 When we get a bit older, we play touch football out in front of the house, on Helen Street, and of course, play catch with baseballs.

 We live in a community of houses with one-car garages, nearby churches and temples, neighborhood schools, and walking distance shopping. Our main drag is called Cedar Lane, and we can walk down there and buy just about anything a household might need, but it’s available in separate stores (there’s no such thing as “one stop shopping, as in today’s Walmart Superstores). There are about three grocery stores, three banks, J&J Pharmacy and the Miller’s drug store, Mr. Stalder’s hardware (with its creaky wooden floorboards, and screechy screen door), Nick Napoli’s jewelry store, the Teaneck Theater, The Teaneck Camera Store, Veltri’s Travel Agency, Al Saunders’ Meats, the Royal Delicatessen, Lindy’s Delicatessen, two diners, Mike’s Bike Shop, three men’s barber shops, Panettari’s Shoe Repair, Woolworth’s Five and Ten, the famous Bischoff’s Ice Cream Parlor, Sylvia’s dress shop, Hy and Harry’s (a candy store” with a counter for fountain drinks, a selection of magazines, books and toys), Kahn’s Corner (another candy store; later, Morty & Selma’s, then Rocklin’s), Cowan’s Stationary and Greeting Card Store (where we can buy our fountain pens and ink), Davis Toy Store, Carl’s Market (produce), The Elms (a gin mill), Cedar Lane Flower Shop, a dry cleaners, and two of New Jersey’s best bakeries (Gratzel’s and Butterflake), and on and on. And if you are growing up in that town, you know every one of the proprietors, and they know you (except for the Elms: that wasn’t for kids).

 AND . . . when we 1944 babies turn 10 or 11, we witness the birth of a thing they are calling Rock and Roll (the adults, for the most part don’t like it/don’t trust it). Then, almost at the same time, but slightly later than R&R’s rocket-like rise in popularity, there is a boom in folk music. And soon afterward,  my generation begins to discover the black blues singers of the thirties, forties and fifties. Early R&R seems to be divided up into solo act singers (usually backed up by anonymous bands or back-up vocalists), and singing groups (retrospectively referred to as “DooWop”).    

 Not too many years later, we are also “there” for the most phenomenal thing to hit the music world in the century of our birth: a group called The Beatles, who opened the door for “the British Invasion.” After The Beatles make their appearance, we begin to see a shift: entire bands become “a thing,” with more than just the lead singer being the celebrity. In fact many of the band members are multi talented.

 And then come the big social and cultural changes of the 60’s and 70’s, brought on by - or reacted to by (What comes first? The chicken or the egg?) – music/musicians, assassinations, wars, civil rights, entertainment, women’s lib, drugs, kidnappings, sports, casino gambling, etc.

 I don’t think there could possibly be another group (we are “the war babies”) of kids in U.S. history that gets seated in the front car for such a wild roller coaster ride in its lifetime.

For the most part I am finally “old enough to know better,” know better than to do many of the things I do in my life. But I am and always have been a whore for laughs, and also an outspoken person. In my later years I detest “Political Correctness,” which begins to permeate western society, and which only causes more problems (especially for Americans) than it solves.

 The following Seinfeld story explains why I am always getting into trouble (along with some DNA supplied by my favorite uncle, Mitt), why I am drawn to saying things that create many of my not-so-smart “adventures:”

 Seinfeld episode called, “The Voice,” and in it Jerry has to decide between continuing to date an attractive blonde, or no longer being permitted in her life because she is quite annoyed with the ridiculous manner in which he has taken up saying the word, “Hello.” HELLLLLLLOOH!

 Jerry goes out to the beach boardwalk to contemplate her ultimatum: “It’s either a life with me, or you can continue using your ridiculous ‘HELLLLLLLOOH!’, but you’ll be alone.” It’s all done quickly and wordlessly, with Jerry imagining scenes of the future, with and without the girl. Suddenly he jumps up from the boardwalk bench, and begins running, presumably toward his transportation back to the city from the beach. His mad dash ends with him knocking on her apartment door, and the viewer is led to believe that Jerry has made the sensible choice, and is there to commit to adult behavior.

 Jerry rings the door bell. She opens the door, sees with some surprise that Jerry has come back to her.

 “Jerry!” she exclaims with a big, welcoming smile.  And Jerry lifts his right arm in an expansive gesture, and loudly says, “HELLLLLLLOOH!”  With a look of disgust, she slams the door on him.

 And that is the way I behave much of my life . . . with family members, teachers, classmates, and girlfriends, bosses, and yes, wives, because as is the case with Jerry, I always have to be true to the Smartass Code: the cost of a laugh – even if the only laughter is my own – is never too much.

 I’m not sure at 67 years of age, when I write this forward, if I’ve totally outgrown the Smartass Code, and believe me, I’ve paid the price. And no, it isn’t worth the problems I create for myself. And if I could do life all over, I’d try to control myself. But I don’t think I could. Oh, it was fun all right, so much fun (for me). But much of it is not very smart.

 VO

 

 

WELCOME THS62 CLASSMATES !!!

CHECK OUT OUT FIRST CLASSMATE VIDEO POSTING BELOW TITLED:

                           “Remember Teddy”.

We have created this new personalized website JUST for THS 62 graduates, We will be migrating over from SPOKT, and Classmates.com to improve classmate communication opportunities, and provide more robust content......SO JOIN, and begin filling in your profile info and begin adding content (new and old).  To insure privacy (ie: access to THS62 classmates only) you will need to be verified by site administrators.   We will do that promptly and you will then show up as a member......then, you will just need to sign in.  

Robert and I will be populating initial content, and  will endeavor to post weekly classmate and/or teacher info, but, it’s  long term value and success will be up to us all by regularly visiting and using the tools provided to keep it interesting and current.   If you have any current or nostalgic classmate news for this homepage , please contact Robert or me. 

If you need any help accessing or navigating the new website you can contact either of us.

Email: richardpink@verizon.net /  rlfried1@gmail.com

Text and Cell:  RAP....917-251-7465 / RLF....203-479-2230

We hope that you all enjoy our first www.teaneck62 website video posting below, and that you will come back regularly for some more interesting classmate news and video postings.  While you are here join the website, and fill in your profile information, and post some photos and videos.

Thanks, and Blessings to All !

Richard Pink and Robert Friedman

Final Notes:  Please note that our new website is intended to promote personal interaction and provide a venue for all classmates to keep up to date on THS62 friends.  It will not be used to promote controversial political or social commentary.  You can use your Facebook or Twitter accounts for that....😘.

Ps......If you have an interest in being part of the THS62 Website Content Committee please let us know as going forward we will need additional resources (not $) besides Robert and me.

 

 

REMEMBER TEDDY...?

 

There was never any doubt that our friend and classmate Teddy Levine would do something significant in this world.  The videos below speak in part to that as earlier this year Teddy received a Lifetime Achievement Award from SIFMA for the very important work, oversight, and legislation he has been a part of from the late 60’s, when Wall Street was going through tremendously tumultuous times, up until recently.  

The first video gives some great history, and nostalgia, of those early days (when we were all just starting our careers), and includes some comments from Ted.  The second video is about the 50th Anniversary Award itself which was bestowed on Ted this past March, and provides insight into his impact on finance industry legislation. While obviously quite accomplished in the great wide world, Ted holds very dear his earliest days in Teaneck which bond us all together as a family.  

I hope that you all enjoy our first 

www.teaneck62 website video posting, and that you will come back regularly for more interesting classmate news and video postings.  While you are here please join the website, and fill in your profile information, and post some photos and videos.

Thanks, and Blessings to All !

RIchard Pink

https://youtu.be/q9BZy4-ZhlM

https://youtu.be/zm0XL9kXYhg

Below is Ted’s acceptance speech.  

 

 

 



THS tracking ID. http://www.teaneck62.com
agape