1968 Class 50th Reunion

Thanks to Diane Callahan Mastny for posting the great photos from STA's 1968 50th Reunion at Hackney's earlier this month.

Also, a Memorial Mass will be said for those 1968 STA graduates who are no longer with us.  A "Remembrance" Mass is planned on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at Old St. Pat's Church at Des Plaines and Adams at 11:00 a.m.  Plan to attend.

Thanks, again, Diane for sharing the information on your 50th reunion gathering.

Class of 1965 50th Reunion

On October 24th, 28 members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Class of 1965 met at Brian Boru's in Forest Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation.  Old friendships were rekindled, and it seems like a good time was had by all.  Pictures and memorabilia brought back memories of a different era.  Conversation flowed and a lot of "catching up" was done.  Hard to believe that 50 years had passed!

Photo and write up courtesy: Mary Ann Whalen, Class of 1965

Class of 1965 - 50th Reunion - October 24, 2015

Class of 1965 - 50th Reunion

The St. Thomas Aquinas School Class of 1965 is celebrating the 50th anniversary of our graduation. The reunion is at Brian Boru's, 7800 W. Madison, Forest Park, IL on October 24, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.  $20 for appetizers, coffee and desserts. Cash bar.

Our response for attendance has exceeded our expectations!  We would be so happy to connect with more of our classmates with whom we have lost touch.  If you can help us "find" any if these names, we would greatly appreciate it!  

For more information about how to attend the reunion and where to send your RSVP,  please contact Mary Ann (Whalen) Kadow at maryannkadow@gmail.com. 

We have extended the response date to October 5, but need to finalize with the venue soon after that date, so please let us know if you plan to attend. Open to friends, spouses, and significant others of the Class of 1965 also!

Can you help us connect to these classmates from 1965?

          Paul Alvarez

Maureen Berg

Janice Brady Coleman

Michael Burke

William Casey

Albert Colombini

Richard Commito

Mary Ann Conway

Susan Cox

Carol Cravatta

Ann Griffin

Michael Guseilla

Barbara Jones

John Jones

William Jones

Susan LaMarche

Jeanne Lee

Andrew Lentine

William Ludan

Robert Manor

John Marynczak

Patricia Mazzie

Thomas Monick

Thomas Nallen

Diane Nilson

Denise Powers

William Richards

Linda Serra

Janet Shepler

Sonia Tirado

Information provided by Mary Ann Whalen Kadow , September 20, 2015

Class of 1964, 50th Reunion

An excerpt from a May 29, 2014 note from Rita Thornton (STA Class of 1964):

Just wanted to thank you so very much for posting our information on the STA website.  We found almost everyone with the exception of 15 so all the help was much appreciated.  Of course, everyone couldn't attend, but we had about 36 meet at Doc Ryans and had such a wonderful time.  We are hoping to plan a yearly get together.  We're so very proud of our west side roots and all agree it was a great place to grow up. Thank you again.

It looks like a grand time was had by all.

Doc Ryan's Bar and Grill, Forest Park, Illinois,  May 3, 2014

Photo: Courtesy of Rita Thornton (Class of 1964)

Do You Know Where the Following 1964 STA Graduates Are?

The STA Class of 1964 will hold its 50th Reunion at Doc Ryan's in Elmhurst on May 3, 2014.  

Rita Thornton ritathornton05@yahoo.com is asking for assistance in locating the following "missing" graduates.  If you have information that might help locate these individuals, please contact her.

List of 1964 STA Classmates We Need Assistance Locating:

Michael	Amato
Richard	Belmonte
John	Brady
Thomas	Casey
Theresa	Cox
Kathleen	Creason
Shirley	D'Agostino
Charles	DiCiana
Denise	DiSantis
James	Donner
Brendan	Doyle
Michael	Fultz
Patricia	Gallagher
Mary	Guida
Allison	Hooker
Phil	Jacobs
Mary Ellen	Lafferty
Linda	LaPage
Joe	Lapp
Charles	Marquette
Sandra	Marquette
James	McGrath
Jan	Messina
Debra	Miraldi
Eileen	O'Shea
Catherine	Peterman
Debbie	Quinn
Carmelina	Rizzo
Judy	Shepler
Michael	Sweere
Franca	Tenuta
Robert	Trombino
James	Wallwin

Source: Email from Rita Thornton, February 17, 2014

Class of '64 Plans Reunion

Class of '64 is planning a 50th Reunion next Spring and is looking for all graduates.  Please contact Rita Kernaghan at ritathornton05@yahoo.com for more details.

STA 50th Reunion Photos from our Classmates

Dan, our resident photographer and videographer -- and, I might add, President of the 8th grade boys' class -- has posted his pictures from our 50th reunion on Flickr.  They are great.  Click on 50th Reunion to "relive" the evening.  He has also added additional videos to his Aquinasville site. This trip down memory lane with the additional videos from the Reunion is well worth the "click" too!

Diane Hallinan has also shared photos of our Reunion taken by Peggy Dernbach Kuzminski's husband Tony.  The photos give another view of a wonderful evening.  Click on STA 50th Reunion.

To return to this site, just click the back arrow from the other sites.

If you have photos from our Reunion, please send me the link and I will post it on this Blog.  Note, the photo/video links can also be found in the right hand column, near the top of the Blog page.

Thanks to all who have contributed.

The Reunion Committee

The 50th Reunion Committee worked very hard to make November 6th a memorable and fun evening.  They succeeded.

Mary Lynn McGuff Dietsche, Antoinette Malizia Sanders,
Peggy Dernbach Kuzminski, Lucy Amore and Diane Hallinan.
Our prayers are with Betty Giangrego for a full recovery

Our Presidents Talk to Us

We had two eighth grade presidents.  Dan Carr was the president of the boys' classroom and Antoinette Malizia Sanders was the president of the girls'.

Antoinette welcomed us, thanked the Reunion Committee for their work and encouraged us to enjoy the evening and the fine food.  Thanks to Dan Carr, we have a video of her remarks.



To be able to view this video full screen go to Aquinasville.

Dan explained why he wasn't at our 1960 graduation. It seems his family took a trip to Ireland. Quite a nice graduation gift.

They still have our vote as Co-Presidents.  A pretty good 50-year run - much better than any of the current political candidates!

50th Reunion Attendees

Here are some of the 50th Reunion attendees.  Notice all the smiles!

Walter Renaghan and Frank (Francis) Otto

Kathy Houlihan Redel and Dan Carr

Frank Otto, Tom O'Connor and Peggy Dernbach Kuzminski

 

Eileen and Charles Dutra

Ray and Karen Mangan with Roger Miraldi

Rita Flanagan Barrett and Lucy Amore

 

Arnie Carlstrom, Maureen Feeney (Donna's guest)
and Donna Falco Kajtsa

Diane Hallinan, Carol Broderick, Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin
and Mary Lynn McGuff Dietsche

Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, Dennis Czechanski
and Joan Laughlin LaBeck

Teresa and John Kivlehan with Carole Keough

Maria and Tom Donzelli with Corinna Czechanski

Joan Laughlin LaBeck and Tom McGrath

Antoinette Malizia Sanders and Lucy Amore

 

Maureen McGuire (our bartender!) and John Santoro

Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin and Roger Anderson

Carol Ruscik Whitesell and Donna Falco Kajtsa

 

Bill Stocker, Antoinette Malizia and Tom O'Halleran

For a more complete view of the 50th Reunion's activities check out the Links listed in the right hand column of this Blog.

Talking, Laughing and Reminiscing

We had the opportunity to talk, laugh and reminisce.  And we most certainly did.

Sharing stories

Catching up

Kathy Dobias with Mary Lynn McGuff Dietsche
and Teresa Kivlehan checking out the memorabilia

Ah, the Memories

Listening to Antoinette welcoming us

Enjoying the food

A Little Football Anyone?

Tom Donzelli brought a football which the MEN autographed!  He looks like he is ready for a scrimmage.

Eighth Grade Teachers Take the Cake!

We were treated to two delicious cakes for dessert.  They were decorated in honor of our eighth grade teachers.  If I remember correctly, Sr. Damien's cake was devils food (appropriate, don't you think!) and Sr. Stella's cake was yellow.

Our Hostess Reflects

Diane Hallinan graciously hosted the 50th Reunion at her condo on Lake Shore Drive.  I'm sure there were moments when she must have thought "Am I Crazy?"

What was left of the bar at the end of the evening - Clean up now needed

Diane thinking "It was ALL worth it!"

A Wonderful Evening

Seated: John Santoro, Antoinette Malizia, Lucy Amore, Peggy Dernbach, Mary Lynn McGuff, and Tom Donzelli.   Standing from left to right: Tom McGrath, Roger Anderson, Ray Mangan, Donna Falco, Carol Ruscik, Tom O'Halleran, Dennis Czechanski, Tom O'Connor, Carole Keough, Diane Hallinan, Walter Renaghan, Arnie Carlstrom, Carol Broderick, Elaine McIntyre, Dan Carr, Bill Stocker, Rita Flanagan, Frank Otto, Charles Dutra (hairline only!), Joan Laughlin, Kathy Houlihan, John Kivlehan, Roger Miraldi, and Kathy Dobias

The 50th STA Reunion was wonderful.  Four hours just wasn't enough time to visit and get caught up with what is going on in each of our lives.  We ate and drank well but most of all we enjoyed each others' company.  We thank the Reunion Committee for all their hard work, especially Diane Hallinan, our hostess.

To view a larger image, double click on the photo.
Photo courtesy: Dan Carr