Just some of the Class of ’79, great guys one and all!
“With a friend at hand, you will see the light, if your friends are there then everything’s alright.” (Bernie Taupin- sung by Elton John)
York High Schools class of 1979’s 45th Reunion is in the books and what a great time it was! Plenty of old friends, longtime friends and former classmates had the best time anyone could ask for.
First and fore most big thanks to the reunion’s organizers: Holly Maxson Kost, Linda Magneson Proudfoot, Sue Carlson Baader, Craig Nelson, Todd Beja, Frank Catalano, Tom Klatt, Lisa Fanelli and anyone else who I may be omitting. To put on a two-day event like this is no small feat. Loads of planning, phone calls, emails, check-ins and countless ‘to do lists’ are just part of what goes on. All I can say is there was not a disappointed alum at either Friday’s get together at Doc’s Victory Pub or Saturday night’s party across the street at Roberto’s.
Good times and cocktails at Doc’s Victory Pub with Scott Thiems, wife Sharon Allison Thiems, Dan White & Linda Proudfoot.
Sorry to say the Dukes football team lost Friday night’s game against Downers North but it was fun watching the game at Doc’s via the York Sports Network. Saturday night’s get together began with Rich Mc Laughlin reading the names of our former classmates who have passed away. There were names to add in just the five years since we were together for the 40th reunion. Pastor Rich then followed that solemn moment with inspiring words and a heartfelt prayer for all of us. If there’s one thing we all have learned in our post high school years is that tomorrow is promised to no one. Appreciation for life and living it to the maximum is understood.
Both nights were filled with laughs, hugs, kisses, high fives and hundreds of stories of past days at York and lots more. We’ve all done a lot of living in the 45 years since we graduated from the home of the Dukes and there was plenty of sharing of photos of kids, grandkids, talks of retirement or pending retirement and other life changes like divorces, remarriages, changes in home residences and hopes for the future.
During our reunion, I personally heard of health tales from several folks. Everything from new knees and hip replacement operations, to bypass heart surgery, vision issues and the overcoming of cancer diagnoses. It’s a relief to learn of the positive outcomes from these situations and humbling that I haven’t faced any of those maladies yet. Though, getting a new left leg hinge is coming for me in the next year or so.
Are some of us alumni sporting gray hair, less hair, more pounds and wrinkles than last time we met? Sure. But I can say that everyone at the reunion still had the glow of high school youth in their faces. We’ll never lose that. I don’t see these changes as signs of aging, we’re just evolving, moving forward in life’s progression.
Left to right- Dianne Turner, Joyce Bojko and yours truly at Doc’s.
One point to make is that many of us have bonds with classmates that began before our days at York started. Middle school, grade school, Elmhurst youth baseball, softball, hockey at the YMCA, junior basketball leagues, church and other local goings on being just some of the ways lots of us met. Regarding grade schools, we all posed Saturday night with our K-6th grade mates. I’m proud to say my fellow Lincoln school classmates had the biggest turn-out at the reunion. Lincoln’s old building was razed a couple years back and the new school looks like a headquarters for Google. Lincoln and almost all of the newly built schools and additions to older schools in Elmhurst have been constructed by the International Contractors Company which is co-owned by York Class of ‘77 alum Bruce Bronge.
The Lincoln school alums. We packed the place!
In my twenty years in Chicago radio andnow my time as a special education teacher I’ve done plenty of yakking, babbling and talking. So, I took pleasure in sitting back and listening to my former classmates share the highlights and happenings in their lives. Family, career, travel and other big experiences were the kinds of things I heard and everyone sure was happy to let others know how things were going all these years later. Some even talked about driving by their old childhood homes in Elmhurst, some still standing and some leveled in favor of Mc Mansions. Progress, I guess.
Doing all that watching and listening, a few classmates said some kind words to me. Things like “I liked hearing you on the radio”, “Your Facebook posts are fun”, “I remember when you put together the White Castle slider party in Mr. Aggen’s math class,” and “I bet teaching is rewarding.” I even was told a randy story of how a classmate was canoodling with someone years ago in Pioneer Park. The romancer told their partner, “I know the guy who named that park! It was Mick Kahler!”
Full disclosure- I left the Saturday night party at 9:30 (I ran out of steam, old age I guess) and learned later that the wingding got so loud that the neighbors called the Elmhurst Police and they came in to ask for some toning down of the noise. So, at age 63, the York crowd still had enough party power to have Five-O cruise in. Way to go you guys!
Tom Klatt, a prime suspect in cranking the party to a level loud enough to bring in the Elmhurst Police!
I used to think reunions like ours were fun because we recalled the days when we were young, much younger. But that’s not it. These reunions are special because we all had shared events for four years at York. Classes, tests, ACT, SAT, Driver’s Ed, sports, plays, concerts, parties, dances, proms, dates, break-ups, meet—ups, part time jobs and of course the forward movement to graduation and beyond. We were there together, it was a mutually shared experience and a damn memorable one.
Left to right- Sue Carlson Baader, Mark Carlson, Phil Williams and Brian Kinsella.
FOR MORE GREAT PHOTOS– CLICK TO THIS LINK ON FACEBOOK.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/591718297998995
So now we’re five years away from our 50 year reunion. I know some initial plans for that get together are already in the works. I hope and we’re all around to attend it and maybe others who missed last weekend’s blasts will make it too. So, here’s to the York Class of 1979, wishing you continued health, happiness and as the BoDeans once sang, “Only good things.”
NEXT BLOG- Remembering a challenging week from 30 years ago.