Letter #

GUESTBOOK, Class of 1967

Oct 10, 2002

I have hesitated to be the first entry in the Guestbook from the class of 1967 since I didn't graduate from OLAS. My brother Dan (1960) and my sister Ronnie (1963) were more fortunate than I to have spent their entire grammar school time at OLAS. We lived on N 19th St. between 4th Ave. and Park Ave. (right next door to the Colucci's) and when I think about it, I can remember the whole neighborhood like it was yesterday. We moved to Irvington in the summer of 1963 and then to West Caldwell 2 years later. I was very fortunate to have attended Essex Catholic High School with a lot of my OLAS classmates. Unfortunately, 30 years have passed since HS and I have not kept in touch. I have moved around a lot in my adult life and now live in South Florida. I get back to NJ for weddings and funerals and have seen a few friends of my brothers from the neighborhood... none from my time, however. I love to read the messages here and each one sparks a memory. Thanks Ted for a great website!

Bill Brophy, Class of 1967
e-mail: <BBrophy99@aol.com>

Oct 11, 2002

Bill, I lived on Fourth between 19th and 20th,also on park Ave in the apt. building at 19th so I am sure we ran into each other. I live in Fl. on Gulf coast not too far from Ft. Myers.. Maybe we are neighbors again?

Kathy Washington Tompkins, Class of 1959
e-mail: ktomp@comcast.net

Oct 12, 2002

Kathy, We were neighbors until 1998! I lived in Sarasota for 5 years. I now live in Coral Springs just south of Boca. I remember the Schroeder's(?) lived on 4th close to 20th and I loved trick or treating in the apartments on Park. My friend's father owned the candy store on the corner of 17th and Park. You must have known my brother Dan from the 1960 graduating class..?

Bill Brophy, Class of 1967
e-mail: bbrophy99@aol.com

Oct 15, 2003

I just came upon this website yesterday, and sent the 1967 graduation photo to Ted today. Browsing through the site brings back many lovely memories.

Quite by coincidence, my mother, Anita Klein, mailed me the graduation photo only recently. The Klein family, formerly of 12 North 23rd Street - one house away from the corner of Springdale Avenue, left East Orange for Ohio in 1968, as did my grandparents, Frank and Leonie Vonthron, who owned the house and lived in the upper flat. We continued to move west over the years. My mother and sister currently live in Colorado. My father, Ed Klein, died there last year. My brother is here in the San Francisco Bay Area near me.

My brother, John, graduated OLAS in 1962 while my sister, Michele, graduated in 1965 or so. When I scanned the 1967 photo for Ted this morning, I had a good time putting names to the faces. Got almost all of them, but not quite.

I noticed a number of posts regarding Sister John Maureen. You might recall that my mother worked as a secretary in the OLAS principal's office for some time. (At least those of you who were sent to the principal's office for chewing gum, talking too much, thinking sinful thoughts, and so on might recall it). My mother and SJM talked by telephone more or less every Sunday for the last thirty-five years, and visited each other on a number of occasions.

I have returned to East Orange just once, in August 1995. The change was, of course, extraordinary. My wife, Emily, and I wandered the streets, and I said "This used to be..." a lot. OLAS was closed for the Summer, but I chatted awhile with a custodian who was pulling weeds, and then strolled the grounds a bit. A young boy entering the gate to Columbian playground that is across the street from OLAS waved a cheery good morning. It somehow caught me by surprise that a child would behave so warmly toward a stranger, and I was flooded in that moment with memories of an era that felt friendlier. Perhaps that little boy will feel the same someday about his own childhood long past.

The San Francisco Bay Area is my home now, and will remain so. I obtained my undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and later met my wife in law school there. I taught undergraduate classes in environmental law for three years at UCB, and came to the slow realization that I had no wish to be a lawyer. So, while Emily built the career that she continues to enjoy today, I decided not to grow up. I train dogs for a living, and couldn't be happier. I'm also a freelance writer on training, shelter work, and related topics, and have built a modest, national reputation for my work with deaf dogs. These days, sneaking up on fifty years old, I'm shopping for a kayak, and planning lazy days paddling around the bay.

I suppose that's it for now. Again, finding this website has been a pleasure. I've been browsing through the posts, remembering long Summer days in Columbian playground, the welcome jingle of the Good Humor truck, doubling up white and colored laces in my Cons for dramatic effect if not improvement in my jumpshot, penny candy, comic books and popsicles at Izzy's (I think the Bonomo taffy people still owe me money for lingering dental work), matinees at the Ampere, lightning bugs in the evening, nights illuminated by gaslight, teenagers singing acappela on the streetcorner, saving bottlecaps come Fall to get free footballs at the Coca Cola factory, arguing the relative merits of Broadway Joe versus Johnny U, counting the days until the basketball court froze over for skating, etc etc etc. To this day, I still have dreams that feature the ammonia laced halls of OLAS, Sister Rita's "The GALL of you!," and the benevolent smile of Mrs. McGrath. There were other things, too, m! ore difficult to write about. Pov erty just around the corner. Racism. So on. But I have the luxury of feeling that I wouldn't trade those days for anything, and maybe that kid who waved good morning in 1995 will be lucky enough to feel the same someday.

Best,

Paul Klein

PS: Please mail Tastykake Kandy Kakes asap.

Paul Klein, Class of 1967
e-mail: runningpups@yahoo.com

Jan 7, 2004

hard to believe 37 yrs. passed by. yet, I remember so many things and people too. my friends michael lyons and john leslie. carnevals at columbian park, 4th. ave, jackie the crossing guard on grove and park ave. boy scout troop 28,the nuns and priests. going downtown on a saturday. I could go on and on. times were a lot simpler then. I guess we all move on with our lives. I just turned 50 and have a grandson and another on the way (thankyou). just stumbled onto this site by luck.

chris DeNotaris, Class of 1967
e-mail: <chris062@webtv.net>

Jan 12, 2004

Bill,
It is a small world,we lived in West Palm before moving here, although that was back in 84. Didn't like it over there too busy, now it's the same here. Unless we hit the lottery we will be staying here. I am between Sarasota and Ft Myers close enough to go to Englewood beach or we really like Nakomis beach. I may have known your brother but can't recall right now. I lived in one of the apartments on 4th across from the Norton's. I think everyone knew them. Saw the area a couple of years ago and was very upset. It's a shame all those beautiful old homes going to ruin. It's been a few years so I guess change should be expected.

Kathy (Washington)Tompkins, Class of 1959
e-mail: ktomp@comcast.net

Feb 16, 2004

Hey, this is great, what memories reading through the different years. Thanks Ted... Thank you also Ann (Camisa, class of 1972) for the site.

Hello Bill, Chris and Paul...it's been a long time.

As Bill Brophy wrote, we lived on 19th Street, next door the Brophy's and thinking back you can really place all the families that made up the neighborhood.

Well, I never left Jersey, but did move west, out to the hinterlands of Morris County in 1985, followed shortly by my brother Bob (class of 1971). My wife (Gale, OLV '71), two kids and I settled in a town which is out of the Mayberry mold. Great place to raise kids and get involved. We weren't here one year and we became two small pillers of the community. Almost twenty years later this some time politico is serving a second year on the town council. No great shakes, being a Democrat I have more L's than W's out here in the bastion of GOP politics, but I make it a contest.

My sister Carol (class of 1962)is still the hold out living in what can be said, an extended part of the old neigborhood, in Bloomfield.

Unfortunately lost touch will all of you except Gerard Luke Schroeder, who I speak with on a bit of a regular basis. I told him about the site and hopefully he'll visit and add a few words. Just in mentioning this site we reminisced about "the Ampere section" for over an hour.

So anyway, as is said, "you can't go home again", but with each other's memories we can at least visit for a while in our minds and for that we can all be thankful.

Take care all...

Gary Colucci, Class of 1967
e-mail: G3MCOL@AOL.COM

August 13, 2006

I was watching "Dirty Jobs" on Discovery the other night. They had a segment regarding Upsala. Afterwards started some searching on the computer and stumbled on your site.

Reading all the entries, the East Orange we all knew and still remember, came flooding back to me. We grew up on North Maple Avenue, first on the far end by Fredericks, then moved between 4th & Park Ave. After graduating in '67, I went to the Valley. In '71, I started working for Ted's father at Mooney Bros. Plumbing and Heating.

Much has happened since then. Got married, moved to Sussex County and had three kids. My son, the oldest, is a school teacher in Livingston. My oldest daughter is a RN at Morristown Memorial. My youngest daughter will be staring college in a couple of weeks and plans to be a nurse also.

Ten years ago, got divorced and moved "back east" to Kearny. It reminds me somewhat of EO, but its slowly starting to change.

My Dad retired from the East Orange Fire Department 30 years ago, and has lived in Toms River since then. My Mom passed two years ago. My brother Mike lives in Whippany, and my sister Peg is living in Nutley.

Would love to hear from anyone, just send an e-mail.

Tim Purdue Class of '67

Tim Purdue, Class of 1967
email: Irish4016@verizon.net

Just found the OLAS website. Hello back to Ross Turner and anyone else from that time. Only person I have talked to since graduating in 1977 is Gregory Riley. I moved from East Orange in 1977 and have only been back a few times since then. I've been in the Air Force since 1985 and have been all over, currently stationed in California now. My brother Thomas and three sisters Kathleen, Elizabeth (Bette) and Barbara (Bunny) also went to OLAS in the 1955-1968 time frame. Hope all my classmates are doing well. Drop me an e-mail if you have time.

Rick Wright

Rick Wright, Class of 1977
e-mail: richard.wright@vandenberg.af.mil

September 5, 2008

Hi!..I remember your family!..Didn't you live at the corner of Maple and Rutledge?..Patty

Patty-Walsh Robinson, Class of 1977
e-mail: federicolady@hotmail.com

January 10, 2009

I saw the movie Doubt tonight and thoughts of OLAS flooded my memory (especially those convent scenes...maureen hart and I faithfully cleaned that house for years!)...my parents died in 2000 (in their 90s) and lived at Warrington Place until then...two years later, we sold the house...end of an era...I hear from Gail Diaz class of 68 whose family rented from the Groketts....so much fun discovering this site....

donna de capua byrnes, Class of 1967
e-mail: dbyrnes@greenwichacademy.org

April 21, 2009

I just found this website and I can't get enough. What is it about that time in our lives? I guess I've just gotten older and can appreciate now, what was taken for granted when I was very young. I didn't graduate OLAS in '67, but attended from grade K-4 only. I was one of 7 Maidment kids who attended OLAS: Oldest to youngest: Mark, Sharon, me, Donna, James (Jamie), Linda (passed away suddenly 3 years ago in Arizona). There is an 8th Maidment girl, Margaret, but she was born the year we moved to Matawan in 1963 and never attended OLAS.

I would LOVE to see a earlier picture from the years I was there.

I'll check back!

Joanne Maidment

joanne maidment, Class of 1967 (would have been)
e-mail: priss1@optonline.net

May 18, 2009

Hi Donna,

I saw "Doubt" the other night too and like you, it brought back so many memories of being a child in Catholic school in the late fifties. It really hit home when the kids would stand up when the Pastor would come to the class to visit. I moved to Matawan in 1963 and went into the public school system. The first time I stood up in class to answer a question everyone looked at me like I had 2 heads. It took a while to get out of the "habit". I don't remember a lot of people from my class, except for Denise D'Adamo, my very best Barbie doll friend. Denise moved away before I did. We wrote a lot and visited a few times, but then lost contact unfortunately.

joanne maidment, Class of 1967
e-mail: priss1@optonline.net

August 24, 2011

Hi All,

Reading over all the e-mails brings back a lot of memories.I still remember where some of my classmates lived.

My brother, Jim Class of 1967 from OLAS still lives in Bloomfield with his wife Cathy, and 2 kids (Age 19 & 17). The nun from his parish celebrated 50 years as a nun and he saw Sister Joseph Marion (1st grade nun). He said she still looks the same.

Eileen Mulligan Balut
e-mail: Ehbalut@aol.com

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