April 4, 2011

Q & A with Brian Fisher, class of 1961, plus odds and ends


Where did you live in Levittown, where had you lived before?:

41 Pond Lane in Levittown, from Brooklyn.

What were some of your earliest memories of Levittown?:

Riding my two wheeler all over town and learning my way around the new town.

Who were some of your friends?:

Bob Sternberg, Fred Ehrlein, among others.

What is something your old schoolmates would be surprised to learn about you?:

When I got out of the Navy I went to Grumman Aerospace and worked on the F111 project as a computer programmer. Eventually the entire project was scrapped by the late Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. I then took the civil service exam for correction officer for the County of Suffolk and became a correction officer at the facility in Riverhead, New York. That was the best decision I ever made because it has been a great career, with its benefits. I could have retired years ago but I am still doing what I love doing, working as a correction officer.

Tell us about any teachers you really enjoyed?:

Mr.Lasker and Miss Eisenhauer.

A highlight of your high school years?:

Metal shop turning on the gas to heat up a soldering iron, but I was looking for a match with the gas on and when I lit it, I singed my arm hairs.

Did high school prepare you for the real world?:

No. It took six years of the Navy to get my head together.

What did you do immediately after high school?:

Joined the Navy.

What were some jobs you had?:

Worked in supply in the Navy, worked Grumman Aerospace on the F111 program.

Where do you live now and are you still working?:

Still working, with Suffolk County, live in Moriches.

Anything you care to add?:

Time flies and I can't believe I am in my late 60s. It's just mind boggling. When I was living in Levittown we had party lines for telephones and now I have a cell phone that fits in my shirt pocket. We have come so far in communications that it is unbelievable. The only thing that I regret is that our nation is always in wars of one type or another. When I went into the Navy it was Viet Nam. now we are in the Middle East. It never ends. Many good people I knew ended up in V.A. hospitals, or are buried in Calverton.
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YEARBOOKS
A week or so ago we ran a story about yearbooks. The people listed below saw the story and responded to the question: If you still have your class yearbook, how often do you look at it and what do you find most interesting? If you no longer have your yearbook, what happened to it?

Barbara Wittenberg Taylor, class of 1960
Well, mine has been copied, re-copied, photographed and scanned, lent out, dog eared, lost at the 50th reunion and then found, and looked at least once a year, and almost daily during the various reunion planning over the years. We can still look at a photo in the yearbook, and can state the married name of the girls and where they are living, and an update on the lives. The book is the center of all of the information gathered over the past 50 years, and I would be devastated if it were lost.

Barbara Reh Kemnitz, class of 1965
I still have my 1965 yearbook and all four of my high yearbooks. I have been looking at it more since I started getting messages on Alumni Junction and on Facebook. I just got to see my high school best friend, Sue Brigante Ingeman and her husband Andy. That was great, and so I show my old pictures to my husband Neal so he can see the people I talk about.

Sandy Hertz Cramer, class of 1961
Yes, I still have the yearbook. It made numerous moves with me and my family. The book recently made it from the barn in to the house so I could reacquaint myself with old classmates and put faces to the names. Memories.
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BEST TEACHER

Here are some late replies concerning the question, "Who was the best teacher you ever had?"

Artie Kornfeld 1960
Mr. Keating was great and my favorite teacher. His help set me off on a lifetime of writing and creativity. In effect as I made history, I thank Mr. Keating.

Joan Bartels Signorelli, class of 1962
My absolute favorite teachers were Mr. Reggio and Mr. Graham. I think that Mr. Graham was my best. I loved English and reading.

Carol Binninger. class of 1964
My favorite teacher was Mr. Lasker. He was everything that a teacher should be...he was my Cit. Ed. teacher in 12th grade. Prior to Mr. Lasker I had Mr. Calderone for Cit. Ed. I didn't learn very much.

Mr. Lasker made most of his students look forward to going to his class. He was warm, dedicated and caring, funny, smart. He went out of his way for me and so many other students. He was a very positive influence on my life.

My second favorite teach was Mr. (Huck) East. Mr. East was my music teacher...band leader from 7th - 10th grade...Senior Band was wonderful when he was at DAHS..He was transferred to Levittown Memorial HS...their band was nothing like the DAHS band... it was a terrible loss to all of us in the band...Bart Thibideau on trombone, my brother Linc also on trombone...Paul Thibideau on trumpet...I played the alto sax....we had a jazz band as well...a wonderful learning experience...with his encouragement I took the Music Theory Regents...(the hardest regents that I ever took).

Philip M. Cheifetz, class of 1962, Ph. D.
The best teacher I ever had (high school, college, or grad. school) was Mr. Chapman.

2 comments:

Kathy Armstrong Urban '62 said...

I totally agree with Phil. Mr. Chapman was the best teacher I've ever come across. He brought so much passion to his English classes.

Jack Barnett said...

Kathy, interesting - I thought I was the only actuary that ever graduated from Division. I remember Mr. Landers. I'm still embarrassed about things I wrote in my class journal.