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Dianne Watson (Rankin)

Happy Birthday to Joe Onorato,

Hope you've had a spectacular day. We are all indebted to you and Claire for providing us this forum for keeping in touch over the years.

Cheers,

Dianne W

Peter Meisenzahl

Joe Happy Birthday and thank you for the work you do .Peter

Peter Meisenzahl

Hello WHS 1962 Classmates :
Dick Hargreaves was a gentleman from first grade in the Islington School to the last time I saw Dick  at our 50th reunion . Duck was also a diversely talented guy , from being an excellent student , to a good team mate on the WHS track and field team and as a member of the senior class play . Those attributes in addition to other attributes to numerous to mention . 
Dick gave so much back to Westwood as a long time math teacher at WHS and as the track and field coach . Jan and I send our condolences to Dick's wife Beth and their children and grandchildren .
Rest In Peace Dick :

Peter & Jan Meisenzahl

Louis Amoruso

Just a brief word about the passing of Dick Hargreaves:

Dick was probably one on my longest time friends.  He was quiet but if you looked closely, he often had a little twinkle in his eye.  The jokes that he and I shared often went right past our wives and others who might have been with us.  He and I would just smile and keep on talking.

He and his wife, Beth, were supposed to be getting together this coming Friday (9/10).  We had picked the day, but not the time and venue.  NOw it has been picked for us.  There will be a wake that night from 4-7 PM at the Shernan-Jackson Funeral home  (55 N. Main St.) in Mansfield.  No other public service will be held.   

It is fitting that Dick would not want to make a big thing of his passing.  

There was no other classmate who was more like me (or was like).  He will not be able to smile, or wink, ar say something humorous almost under his breath.  His sudden passing,  with only his wife nearby, seems to be poetic justice.  Their marriage was long andloving.

He told me when he called me on my birthday (thanks to this web site) that we should get together, and we will.  Maybe not the way we had intended, but still, one last time.  I think that I probably knew Doug Barbour and Phil Manley longer, but none was a closer friend.  When he died, he probably still had the big, peach bow tie that he had to wear as a member of my wedding party many years ago; I know he still had it when we celebrated our 25th anniversary.

I probably won't enjoy seeing him so much this time, but if it possible, we might just get a chance to see each other in the not-so-longer anymore future.

Lou Amoruso

Robert Chamberlin

I so appreciated Lou's reminiscence of Dick Hargreaves.  I lived just down the street from Lou in Westwood, and didn't meet Dick until our 6th grade went to the Pine Hill School in Islington.  His true, exemplary character always stood out to me even in those early days.  Later in high school our participation on the track team gave me greater insight into Dick and how special he was.....and Lou captured it very well with his "twinkle in the eye" comments. Also, similarly,  Dick and I would share side comments throughout practices and events.  Years later when I saw him at reunions, he had that same twinkle and genuineness to him!  Wish I had been fortunate enough to have him as a teacher....am sure he was great one.  You will be missed, Dick.

Bob Chamberlin 

William F. Magaletta

I'm sorry to hear of the death of Dick Hargreaves.  I met him in the first grade, and I envied him his cowboy outfit, which he wore to school one day.  At that time, I think, he lived on either Grafton Avenue or the street that ran between Grafton Avenue and East Street, near the corner of Grafton.

Re the twinkle in the eye, yes, that was a remarkable thing about him.  How does anyone have a twinkle in the eye, or at least a pronounced twinkle like the one that Dick had?  It's strange if you think about it.

Suzanne Perkins (Gunston)

Steve Vantine, I would love to see those old Pond Plain School photos. I was in your class. My email address is gunston@gwi.net. I would love to see them as I have almost no pictures of myself as a child. Thanks, Suzanne Perkins Gunston. Hope you are well.

Steven Vantine (Vantine)

Suzanne, I sent the class pictures earlier today (from vimsnv@gmail.com) Enjoy !

William F. Magaletta

Here's something that's been bothering me for years.  Thought I'd mention it here, see if anyone has any thoughts about it. 

Has anyone (not here, but in the country or the world) ever collected , or even recorded, the origins of street names?  Recording them would seem to be an obvious thing to do.  Why wouldn't city and town governments require a statement of origin for naming a street? I've always wondered why the street I grew up on is called Carroll Avenue.  Who or what was Carroll?  Why was a street named after him, her, or it?  For all we know, it was someone's cat. :-) Or maybe it was an important person. Or maybe it was someone's girlfriend Carol, and he didn't know how to spell it. :-)

John Spears

Maybe, Bill, your street was the first to be paved. 
Hence:  Car Roll. 

William F. Magaletta

Hi, John

Could be.  :-)

Bill

Douglas Barbour (Barbour)

Hi Bill, I think they do require it when the original plans for the area are submitted to the local zoning boards or whatever they had back in 1620 when this all started in this area. Finding that information would be a task.

William F. Magaletta

Hi Douglas - That's very interesting.  I'm surprised.  So at least it's conceivable that all this information could be collected into a database.  Do you know anything about whether the same is true in many states?

Louis Amoruso

Hello Bill,  It is good to see that you are inquisitive as ever.  Are you looking for some massive challenge to occupy your time?  I am not sure that street names (or possibly even town names) are neccessarily worth your effort!

I can tell you the the town of Mansfield, Mass.  does not appear to have any explanation of the origins of any street names.  They do check to make sure that the street name you are proposing does not conflict with any existing street name although sometimes they allow a name for a STREET be the same as a name for an AVENUE or the like.  Most of those, that I have ssen, have been very old names that go back to the first names used for public ways.

I can also tell you that the streets in my area (and the development next to us) have names of the contractor's family members and children.  I know some of them personally, so there is little more story that that.

Towns can be more interesting.  Mansfield Massachusetts is named after Lord Mansfield who was an English jurist and judge.  His family still exists living in and about Mansfield U.K.   The "oroginal" lord sits in a painting on the walls of town hall here in the US.  His (I hope I get this right) great, great, great, great grandfather was the one after whom the town was intentionally named.  I am told that he was deeply touched when he found that Mansfiel MA was directly named for his relative and that the picture hangs in the room where the select board meets.

There are 300 plus cities and towns (including some that now rest at the bottome of a reservoir) that could probably be investigated and thier origins identified.  It might be interesting for the first few anyway.  However, I admit, a glass of port and an early bed time seem more appealing to me lately.

                         Happy Holidays,  Lou Amoruso

William F. Magaletta

Hi Louis -

Aw, I always thought it was named after Jayne Mansfield. :-)  Anyway, no, I'm not looking to undertake a project like that.  I'd just screw it up somehow. 

There's a street around here called Lark Ellen Avenue. It's named after a famous singer of the 19th century of that name (although I had never heard of her), so called because she sounded like a bird.  When she toured the US and Europe, she would tell her audiences how homesick she was for "the birds and bees and dear little animals of West Covina."

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Not sure how happy it can be at 77-78... :-)

Bill

Dianne Watson (Rankin)

Greetings,

I have been wanting to reach out and ask what you think about two things for months, but life kept interfering.With the clock ticking away, I am determined to do that today.

First, I was delighted to get a note belatedly through Vicky DeVoy from Amy Davenport, Princpal of Westwood High, thanking our class for the $2000 scholarship we provided in Memory of Danny Morrisson. What made my heart sing even more was Vicky passing along a handwritten note from the recipient of the scholarship, Parsa Masomi, thanking us for our generosity "which will help me in my next steps to  join the frontiers of biotechnology for the preservation of the natural world."   I haven't been able to find Parsa online but have an address where I can reach out and find out where he/she (can't tell) is going to school and wish him/her good luck from all of us.

According to Vicky, we have been the only class that has continued supporting the Alumni Association's scholarship fund. They gave up their post office box because it cost more than $200.00 a year.I would love to see us continue this tradition of conributing. Initially, I was going to ask if you would like to donate this year in Memory of Carol Martin Baldwin and Richard "Dick" Hargreaves, whom we lost last year. I checked our In Memory page and was reminded we also lost Sheila Savage Starrat earlier in the year.  Would you support a contribution honoring all three?

If so, the easiest way to contribute would be to write a check to the Westwood High School Alumni Association,Inc, and write WHS Class of 1962 Memorial Schlarship in the "For" line. Mail it to Victoria DeVoy, 40 Church Street, Westwood, MA 02090. She will provide you a receipt. If you prefer to donate t through paypal,

Peter Meisenzahl

Hi Dianne :

A reunion in September would be a convenient time , I think . And an in person reunion is preferable as any other model , zoom etc would be sterile . I would be happy to join any committee that is formed to organize an in person reunion.

Jan and I will be in Naples Fl for the month of March and we hope everyone is safe and healthy .

Peter & Jan ( Kellie ) Meisenzahl

Douglas Barbour (Barbour)

Dianne, 

I would love anything live and hoping we are back to the new normal this fall. I have a number of trips planned for the fall (Covid permitting) but would attend if able. Yes to the scholarship. I am still working but would try and help if needed. Hope this finds you and yours happy and healthy. I just finished my (Ihope) cancer treatment so I am feeling pretty positive.

Doug

John Spears

Hi Diane  

I agree with Peter and Doug, in aiming for a September in-person reunion.  Omicron's surge seems over.  New infections are dramatically dropping, but not so much daily American covid deaths. Yet.  On the hopeful side, Omicron being so infectious seems to have prevented new variant waves.  We'll see how the spring and summer go. 
 

Dianne Mafera (Packer)

How can it be 60 years already!  A reunion is  a wonderful idea.  Perhaps a hybrid reunion would be an option.  Those who could travel would meet in person and those of us who cannot could enjoy “seeing” and chatting with you all.  This way no one would be excluded.
Dianne Mafera Packer

Richard Youlden

Dianne...I am also agreeing with Peter, Doug, & John concerning our possible 60th Reunion. It would be really great to see everyone again. Hopefully we don't wind up in WW III +have to hold our Reunion in a big bunker.

Hope everyone is doing well in our "Class of '62".

Robert Chamberlin

Bobthanks again for all you do?

Dianne, thanks once again for being the glue that holds us together.  We have some travel plans but if available (and able!) Sep has seemed to work in past and good target. Happy to do contacting if needed.

Dorothy Silver (Perkins)

As some of you know we are talking about having an up coming reunion.In checking with some friends I have learned that Jerry Seavey has recently suffered a serious fall which has put him in the ICU unit @ WakeMed hospital in Raliegh. He has had massive brain damage and his cognitive function is impaired. With everything else that is going on in the world can we all take a moment and say some prayers for him and his wife.                   Dot Perkins

Peter Meisenzahl

Dot : What horrible news , but thank you for sharing it . I will say a prayer for Jerry and hope for some recovery .  

Peter

Ronald Paine

prayers for jerry and his wife and family   i hope that the cognitive  damage is workable but i know it takes time and and a lot of difficult times for his wife to understand what is he is going thru sincerely ron paine