Washington Boulevard, 1937

Does anyone remember when Washington Boulevard in front of STA looked like this?  Isn't it is a great photo!

Photo courtesy: Austin Neighborhood-Austin Facebook page.

Class of 1963 - Grade 7, Room 8

Thank you Diane Wixted for identifying ALL the members of this class.  Amazing memory!

From Left to Right:

Back Row: Jim Weitzema, Judy Urich, Patrick Reardon, Lana Contos, Sharon Kingsland, Jim O’Connor, Diane Donner and James Hoeder

4th Row: John Byrnes,  Phyllis Shephard, Tom Sullivan, Paula Shelton, Gerald Migliori, Donna Cozzi, Dan Heffernan

Third Row: Luigi Franci, Mary Cronin, Pat Foley, Rosemary Ippolito, Mary Ann Foy, Tom Hughes, Francine Musillo, Billy Houlihan,

Second Row: John Kinahan, Pat Prendergast, Frank Chachetti, Kathy Russell, Robert McCullough, Marilyn Trelevan, Robert Schneider, Jim Greenwald, John Ryan

Front Row: Diane Wixted, Donna Fasone, Sarah Fosco, Linda Cadigan, Jackie Watz, Mary Christine Lee, Mary Beth Gallagher, Penny Cotter


Photo courtesy: Patrick T. Reardon, via Austin Neighborhood-Austin Facebook page.

1966 STA Football Team

St. Thomas Aquinas football team – 1966 -- In front of Austin High School.  
The team held football practiced at Austin H. S.

Front row L-R: Joe Birkett, John Burge, Joe Ward, Dave Segerson, Dan Kelly, Mike Prendergast, Dan Calkins, Bill Stapleton, Pat Gamboney, Dan Starbeck. Middle row L-R: Larry Stapleton, Mike Doyle, Bill Buckley, Tony Migliore, Tom Calkins, Marty Maloney, Ed Sweezy, Sal Castillo, Tom Ryan. Back row L-R: Coach Mel Williams, Rich Noone, Bill Prendergast, Tim Foley, Joe Bureau, Bob Doyle, Bill Pappas, John McCormack, Coach Ray Redding

Thanks to John McCormack, Class of 1968, for the photo.

Sr. Corona's 1st Grade Class, January 1961

John McDonald writes: Sr. Immaculata wasn’t the only 1st grade teacher. This is the St. Thomas Aquinas 1st grade class of Sr. Corona 1960-61, ultimately part of the class of ’68. He originally posted this on Facebook and a number of individuals commented on the photo identifying additional students.

Names to the best of John's knowledge with a little help from his friends:

Front row L-R: Janice Furlong, Debbie Angelilli, Mary Russell, Mary Kay Nolan, ____, _____, Diane Zelek, Lynn DeVito, _____. 2nd row L-R: Tim Buchanan, Tom Ryan, Richard Kane, Walter Worth, ______, ______, Mary McGreevy, Patrick Sullivan, Bernard O’Connor, Salvatore Giangreco, Henry Milius, _____. 3rd row L-R: Mary Foley, Ignatius Colella, Cynthia Stamper, Bill Farrar, Jacqueline Miller, Richard Noone, Daniel Gerrish, Kathy Green, Mike Conway, Patricia Hayes, Joe Bureau. 4th row L-R: Patricia Maloney, William Waller, Steve Hamilton, _____ Costello?, Marilyn Segerson, Mark Kubecki, ______, John McCormack, Lynn Gilbert, Patricia Sweeney. Back L-R: Alice Salemi, Janet Kelly, Patricia Sweeney, Christine Johnstone, Jay Shepard, Craig Santolin, Gerald Reiter, Rocco Di Orio, _____.

If someone can help fill in the rest of the names, please leave a comment. 

Thanks to John McCormack for sharing the photo of the "other" first grade classroom. 

Thanks to William Lawlor, Class of 1968, for editing some of the above names. (November 26, 2013)

STA Reunion Update

On June 18, 2012, the following email was sent to all STA alums for whom we have an email address:

Please Spread the Word

Plans continue to develop for our Sunday, September 30 St. Thomas Aquinas all-school reunion.  After Mass at 10:30 a.m., we will gather in the school "canteen" for coffee, pastries and renewing friendships.  In addition, we are keeping our fingers crossed we will be able to take a walk through the school building which is currently occupied by a Charter School.

What can you do to make this a great reunion, you ask?

1. RSVP you will be attending -- if you haven't already!
2. Pass on the word to your classmates and members of your family who attended STA.  Ask them to RSVP to elaine.beaudoin@gmail.com so they can be added to the STA Reunion update list
3. Share your photos and stories on the STA Blog
4. Continue to watch the Blog at http://stthomasaquinasreunion.blogspot.com/ for updates.  Enjoy the photos we have received from various class years.

Attention graduates of Siena High School -- On Saturday, September 29 at 11:00 a.m. there is a reunion luncheon planned at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace.  If you haven't received a Siena "Save the Date" postcard contact Kay Cahill at kaycahill@comcast.net  Ladies, why not consider making it a weekend of reunions?

Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, Class of 1960
elaine.beaudoin@gmail.com

Boys' Graduating Class of 1932

Maura Leus, daughter of 1932 STA graduate Edward John Cagney, shared these wonderful photos from her Dad's graduation year.

STA, Class of 1932

Edward Cagney is in the second row, fifth from the left.  On the original photo, someone in the family had drawn a "heart" on his chest!  And the rest of the graduate boys are.........

She writes her Dad lived at 48 N. Lotus when he attended St. Thomas Aquinas.  Sadly, his mother died in 1926 when he was only 7 years old so his Mom never had the opportunity to see her son as a handsome STA Grad.  Maura has fond memories of her Dad and shares he was a very loving husband and father.

Edward John Cagney, 1932, Graduation Photo

One of the keepsakes Maura has from her Father's graduation day is a copy of the Graduation Exercises of St. Thomas Aquinas School, June 19, 1932.  Perhaps she will share some images from this too? 

Note the stained glass windows above the doors on the school as well as the marvelously patterned stockings on all the boys.  It seems, even in 1932, the boys' and girls' classes were separated!

Maura, these two photos are treasures.  Thank you for sharing them with us.

Photos courtesy: Maura Leus, Missouri

September 30, 2012 Planning Committee

Elaine McIntyre, Carole Keough, Joan Laughlin and Kathy Houlihan - 1960 Graduation Luncheon

A while back, I posted this photo on the Austin Neighborhood-Chicago Facebook page and thought I'd also share it on the STA Blog too! The four of us have remained close friends for more than 50 years.  So close, that they have all been roped into the September 30, 2012 Reunion Committee.

In addition, Peggy Dernbach and Dan Carr (photographer extraordinaire), both class of 1960, are also helping with the planning.

If anyone out there would like to join us, please send a note to Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin at elaine.beaudoin@gmail.com  Our work will all be done virtually, i.e., via the Internet.

Photo courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

Class of 1967 - Grade 3, Room 11, January 1962

The Austin Neighborhood-Chicago Facebook page has many photos related to St. Thomas Aquinas.  The FB manager has kindly allowed the posting of some of the photos on this Blog.

This third grade class photo of the Class of 1967 includes Margaret Coleman.  Do you know who the others are?

An update from Rosa Mangiardi:

I'm the first one in the third row - Rosa Mangiardi. Bobby Houlihan is next to me. I remember a lot of the faces but not all the names. Front row includes Margaret Hamilton, Mary Greenwald, Sharon Doherty, Andrea Belmonte, and Pamela Commito. Next row Michael Doyle, Michael Fahey, Steven (?), Elizabeth Ojeda, and Richard Allen (?), Next, me, Bobby, Julie k, Patty Schaefer, Ronald Basile, Debra Lentine, Maureen Gail McGrath, Fourth row Roger Graham, Lizzy Dobias, Jody McNeill, Katherine Arens, Joseph Conway. Last row Peggy Sullivan, Billy Buckley, Patrick Gamboney, Margaret Mulkerin, Steven Cyrus, Maryann Penzel, John Cravatta. We had Sister Mary Mark that year.

Rosa, thanks for filling in some of the gaps!

 

Photo originally courtesy of Betty Conway Tillotson via Austin Neighborhood-Chicago

STA Football - 1967 Team

The members of this 1967 STA football team were CYO Section Champs.

Members of the team were from the classes of 1967 and 1968.  Were any other classes represented?  Of note are # 32, Bill Pappas (Class of 1968) standing in front of #65 Roderick Gill (Class of 1968).

Thanks to Bill Pappas for sharing the photo.

Class of 1955 - First Holy Communion,1949

This First Holy Communion photo was taken in 1949 and believed to be of the class of 1955. 

It is a little hard to see all the faces in this photo, but if you are there, I'm sure you can pick yourself out.

The photo is thanks to Patrick T. Reardon.  Courtesy of Vicki TheGeek Sauter

If the photo is of another class, please leave a comment below or contact the blog master so the information can be corrected.

Photo via Austin Neighborhood-Chicago Facebook page

Class of 1959 Graduation Photo

Rita Moore Lofersky, class of 1959, writes:

Have been enjoying the website for St. Thomas and thought I should participate. Looking forward to attending in September.  My sister (Maryann Moore Mueller) will be coming in from Arizona to attend our St. Catherine of Siena all class reunion and will be staying for St. Thomas'.  My brother Don Moore said he will be attending also.  Thanks for putting together all the wonderful memories of our childhood.  There was no place like St. Thomas.

How wonderful to hear from you Rita.  Thanks for the photo and note. We are looking forward to seeing you and your siblings on September 30.  And, I think we all agree, "There was no place like St. Thomas."

Photo courtesy: Rita Moore Lofersky