Part 2 - Photos of DAHS graduates when they were children

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This is the second in a series of posts featuring pictures of Division Avenue High School graduates when they were children.

Depicted are:

* Warren Zaretsky '60 (aka Kid Colt) at age 8. Warren lives in New York City and wherever the wind blows him.

* Franne Newman '60 now lives in Nashville. I see London, I see France, I see Franne's underpants.

* Childhood pals Roberta Landry 1961 (left) and Dotty Kuppler 1960. Roberta now lives in Vermont, Dotty in Monroe, NY.

* Perry '60 and his kid sister Jackie Berns in 1949. Perry lives in Dallas and Jackie in a marina in Rockland County, NY.

*Larry Bory '60 and his sister Lynn on Squirrel Lane in 1950. They were on their way to a birthday party. Larry, who now lives in Virginia, was seven and Lynn two.

Remembering departed friends and a hero on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a sobering but incredibly important holiday. Below we present a list of members of the classes 1960-63 who are deceased. From a statistical perspective, I cannot imagine that this is close to complete.

Barbara Wittenberg Taylor contributed most of the 1960 listings. She has been working her class mailing list for the reunions that she has run. Occasionally, a surviving spouse has told her of a death. Little work has been done on 1962 and 1963.

This year it came to my attention that Butch Murphy, class of 1962, should be on the list. Comments from two of his friends are at the bottom of today's blog post. As far as I know, Butch is the only person from the first four Division Avenue High School classes to have died in Viet Nam.

There is a plaque near the Levittown Public Library that lists those who died while serving our country. A total of 33 men are listed, including 29 who perished in Viet Nam, three in Korea and one in Iraq. I saw a comment in Facebook that Kellum Grant, who is listed on the plaque, attended Division Avenue but his class was not mentioned.

IN MEMORIAM......Division Avenue High School 1960-63

CLASS OF 1960
Carole Arnesen , Richard Bachman, RoseMarie Bellistri, Diane Brown, Mimi Brunette, Pete Cybriwsky, Eddie Fink, Carolynn Flohl, Bruce Garabrant, Janet Goldberg, Daniel Huntley, Kenneth Kemmer, Joan Kerrigan Koster, Jim Kinane, Ann LaMar, Stephen Lilienthal, Louis Lopez, Neal Manly, Eileen Maxwell, Sterling Morrison, Pat Miscovsky Noonan, Daphne Nylund, John Sweeney, Jeanne Tlockzowski, Ronald Turner, Ray Wenz, Christine Wilkens, Stephen Zwerling

CLASS OF 1961
Al Baldwin, Michael Bender, Alice Buhr, Bob Burner, Sheldon Dambrot, Al DiLorenzo, Frederick Ehrlein, Mike Fitzgibbon, Leo Grant, Regina Griffin Nalty, Evelyn Grote, Jeanne Hatcher, Ken Hefele, Patricia Jacobson, Gail Leistman, Linda Merritt , Glenn Molyneux, John Nalty, Peter O’Driscoll, Michael Shaughnessy, John Thomas, Tom Toscano

CLASS OF 1962

Charles Adams, Janice Becker, Gail Brown, John Connolly, Ralph Del Piano, Gerard Farge, Bob Golden, Edward Hyde, Jimmy Kessee, Carolyn Greves Lincer, Joe Hochen, Edward "Butch" Murphy, Joe Panarello, Bob Rolston

CLASS OF 1963
Fred Barash, Bob Benn, Gordon Bradberry, Jimmy Cain, Bill Dineen, Mary Anne Galizi, Mary LaMar, Carol Polonski
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ABOUT BUTCH MURPHY, CLASS OF 1962

From a friend who wishes to remain anonymous

About Edward Theodore Murphy. Everyone called him Butch including his family. He was the youngest and only boy of the Murphy family (Albatross Road a few doors down from the Koehlers). Butch died in Viet Nam (May 22, 1967), close to the DMZ but not sure.

He was a decorated hero for valor trying to save others, was awarded the Silver Star. On a personal note, Butch always stood up for me and anyone who was picked on when we were kids. I've always missed him.

I'm not sure how many Division Avenue students lost their lives in Vietnam. Butch would have been in the class of 1962 but left high school to work and then join the Marines. Just before I was drafted (September 1965) I saw Butch one more time. He was home on leave and was the most proud I had ever seen him. He loved the Marines.

From Jack Jacobsen 1962

The story of Butch Murphy is one of much sadness for those who were his friends. It started with the accident on a trampoline in East Meadow. A bunch of us were at a place that had trampolines in the ground and paid by the hour to use. Butch over flipped on his face smashed into edge onto a metal rod holding the springs. The impact not only broke his nose, but also eye socket, cheek bones, etc.

It took Butch years to heal both physically and mentally. Butch went into the Marines with pride and honor. We who knew Butch have always felt a sadness and a loss. I have been to the Vietnam Memorial many times and have always spent time with his name on the wall.

Part 1 - Photos of DAHS graduates when they were children

Click on pictures to enlarge

This is the first in a series of posts featuring pictures of Division Avenue High School graduates when they were children. Some of us are now in our second childhoods.

Depicted are:

*Michelle Fromm-Lewis '63 and brother Cliff Fromm '60 in 1951.

*Toni Crescenzo Gelfer '68 in what she calls her "tomboy" phase.

*Ira Shapiro '61 age three at the beach.

*Marilyn Monsrud '63 at age 7.

*Frank Barning '60 in his baby carriage in 1943, age one and small change

Do you remember Jimmie Amen and Jerry Jewell? They taught and coached at Division Avenue High School for decades.

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By FRANK BARNING

This is the fourth installment of "Do you remember . . .?" Approximately 18 Division Avenue High School faculty and staff members from the late 1950s and early 1960s were still working at the school in 1975.

Today we've included shots of Mr. Amen and Mr. Jewell sitting next to each other from the 1962 yearbook. No, they did not share a desk in the phy. ed. office. Larry Loewy '75 provided photos of the DAHS old timers that appeared in the 1975 yearbook.

Both were highly successful coaches, Amen in baseball and Jewell in football. Both won county titles and sent numerous players on to college ball. They were an institution at Division Avenue and an interesting combination.

Amen played "good cop" to Jewell's "bad cop". To most of us, Amen was the gentle, available father figure. Coach Jewell was a tyrant, pushed boys around and was not generally appreciated. The girls who got to know him, adored coach Amen.

A few of his former football players would argue that the life lessons that they absorbed from Jewell were highly influential as the years after high school drifted into the past. A couple have told me that what they learned from him got them through their Vietnam service.

Mr. Amen passed away in November 30, 2001 at age 87. There is a memorial in his honor near the baseball field behind the school. The plaque reads, "A most beloved teacher, coach and friend. His legacy of sportsmanship, integrity and caring helped shape our lives. We are grateful to have known him."

Still going strong is the old football coach who has attended recent reunions and is involved in fund raising for former players who have experienced health and financial problems. He has been honored by having the football stadium at the school named for him.

They may have been different types, but both men were incredibly memorable institutions at Division Avenue High School.

Part 2 - Photos from Tim Lavey's early Levittown collection

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By FRANK BARNING

Tim Lavey, a 1963 Division Avenue High School graduate, was an early Levittowner. His family, including parents Arlene and Ed, lived at 173 Orchid Road along with Tim's younger brothers Robin and Mitch.

Tim has preserved several dozen vintage photos of early Levittown, primarily from 1951-53. Some of the outdoor shots provide an idea of the immaturity of trees and scrubs and even show some of the automobiles of the day.

Today's photos include one of mom and her boys on Christmas in their Levittown kitchen; dad with the lads at Jones Beach; Robin on the lawn surrounded by a snake-like garden hose; the Laveys with friend Gary Lazeroff (left) in front of the house; and the brothers in winter coats behind their Levittown ranch with the big and often drafty windows behind them.

Tim, who lives in Upper Montclair, NJ, has generously shared his photos with us. "The Lavey Collection" is being presented here in four or more posts over the next week or so. Enjoy part 2.

Then and now: Gardiners Avenue looking south from Hempstead Turnpike, late 1920s and 2010

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It's difficult to imagine that this vintage photo of Gardiners Avenue is on land that came to be known as Levittown. The 1920s photo illustrates how rural our town was way back when.
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Photo by Marilyn Monsrud Frese, class of 1963. No, she did not take both pictures.

Then and now: Hempstead Turnpike near Loring Road in 1936 and 2010

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Most of us early Levittowners did a great deal of driving on Hempstead Turnpike. When you were learning how to drive, this may have been the first place you cruised in serious traffic.

Hempstead Turnpike led us to Mays, Caruso's, the Meadowbrook Theater, the America On Wheels roller rink, Jahn's, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, the Israel Community Center, Wetson's, Jolly Roger, Zorn's Poultry Farms, and numerous other key locations.

For me, in the early 1960s, it was the road to classes at Hofstra. In fact, I had my first traffic accident on an icy day in 1962. It wasn't my fault. It was the ice.

At the time of this vintage picture and until 1948, the land that came to be known as Levittown was referred to on maps as Island Trees. Now Hempstead Turnpike is one of the most heavily-traveled arteries in Nassau County, a far cry from the rural road of 1936.
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Photo by Marilyn Monsrud Frese, class of 1963.

To see previous blog posts, click on any of the topics on the right-hand side of this page.

Do you remember Thaddeus Kalinowski and Kathleen Lyons? They taught at Division Avenue High School for decades.

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By FRANK BARNING

This is the third installment of "Do you remember . . .? Approximately 18 Division Avenue High School faculty and staff members from the late 1950s and early 1960s were still working at the school in 1975.

Today we've included shots of Mr. Kalinowski from the 1960 yearbook and Mrs. Lyons from 1963. Larry Loewy, class of 1975 and a registered nurse, provided photos of the DAHS old timers that appeared in the 1975 yearbook.

I am really enjoying writing this series, searching my memory to recall teachers from so so long ago. The sad part is that just about all of the very early Division Avenue teachers and staff are deceased. If you dig around via Google, it is amazing what you can find. I know that, among others, Mr. Tarantelli, Mr. Cetnarowski, Mr. Pivnik, Mr. Jewell and Mr. Chenevey are still kicking.

Today the blog features Mrs. Lyons and Mr. Kalinowski, both now in the faculty room in the sky. I have no memory of Mrs. Lyons. The yearbooks show her in the math department. My Google search yielded a Newsday obituary, "Kathleen J., on January 24, 2009 age 95." Regretfully, there is no more that I can report except that a few of Mrs. Lyons' students replied to my Facebook request for information about her. All had fond memories of a professional teacher.

Kathy Stahlman Zinn' 63 wrote, "I had Mrs. Lyons for seventh grade math. She had a class of us who had been unidentified for advanced math studies. Even though I thought I hated math, and she was very strict, I loved her, and learned a lot. She was one of the first role models or me of a woman who could make a career in math and science and still have a personal life. She gave her all at DAHS, and almost always had a smile, just as in this picture."

Mr. Kalinowski, on the other hand, was a big part of my high school life. He was the chairman of the foreign language department and for three years my French teacher. Last September, for the blog, I asked readers to provide the names of their five favorite teachers. Several, including me, listed Mr. Kalinowski. We referred to him as Thad Kal, but never to his face.

I remember the first day of French I, September of 1956. He told us that this was the last day that "any" English would be spoken in this class. And that held true for the three years that he was my French teacher.

One day in French I, he called upon me to name five parts of the body. Quickly I rattled off four but hesitated at number five. And then it came to me, a word we had not yet learned. "Numero cinq, derriere" which means the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on. The class roared and Thad Kal approved.

I probably did not see him again until around 1980, which was the last time our paths would cross. That was 20 years after graduation and more than 30 years ago. Vivian and I were at a New York Mets' game at Shea Stadium and I spotted him as we headed to our seats.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to reunite with someone from my past, I went over and introduced myself. There was a glint of recognition and he asked, "Did you continue French in college?" My reply was that I had taken two semesters at Hofstra and felt that I was well prepared. To say the least, Mr. Kalinowski was thrilled.

After our all too brief meeting, an usher helped Vivian and me find our seats. We sat on our derrieres for nine innings.

Part 1 - Photos from Tim Lavey's early Levittown collection

Click on pix to enlarge

Tim Lavey has several dozen vintage photos of early Levittown, primarily from 1951-53. He and his younger brothers Robin and Mitch lived at 173 Orchid Road. In some of the photos you can see construction going on, and the outdoor shots give you an idea of the immaturity of trees and scrubs, while there also some of the automobiles of the day.

Today we include a grammar school picture of Tim, a shot of Mitch at the backyard picnic table, Tim celebrating a birthday in the family's kitchen and Robin riding his bike on Orchid Road.

A 1963 graduate of Division Avenue High School, Tim has generously shared his photos for the blog. "The Lavey Collection", as we like to call it, will be presented here in four or more posts over the next week or so.

As always, comments are welcome. And a big thank you to Tim Lavey for preserving some of Levittown's history and sharing it with us.

1953-54 Northside School; Mr. James Donovan's 6th grade class

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First row: Eddie Fink, Dan Huntley

Second row: Bob Bond, Jerry Cohen, Sharon Kivowitz, Theresa Flyntz, x, Karen Judge, Sharon Dumas

Third row: Sherry Kruger, Emily Estow, Joan Allibone, Beth Cummings, Jeanne Hurley, Pat Lucio, Evie Fielding

Fourth row: Jerry Benima, Ken Porter, Margery Fisher, x, Bob Castro, Neal Manly, x

Back row: Mr. Donovan, Bruce Garabrant, Richie Ostrowski, Tom Paturzo, Jimmy Pappas, Louie Lopez

Fifteen of these students graduated from Division Avenue High School in 1960. Most of them were about 11-years old when this was taken. Now those still living are 68 years old. Eddie Fink, Bruce Garabrant, Dan Huntley, Louie Lopez and Neal Manly are deceased.

Photo courtesy of Beth Cummings '60

WHY NO ONE IS HIRING SENIORS

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SUBMITTED BY DON DAVIDSON, CLASS OF 1960

I love the photos of early Levittown houses, before there were so many improvements that you could not recognize what the Levitts built

Shown above are before and after shots of 3 Pinetree Lane, 1956 and recently. This was the home of Beth Cummings' classmate, Louise Nicolosi Hayn.

By BETH CUMMINGS '60

I love these old photos that appear in the blog. It’s always a special treat to look at photos from the earliest days of Levittown, especially the ones showing the houses sitting on a sea of mud, the teensie-weenie baby trees (and dreaded sticker bushes) and the wooden boards we walked on till they were replaced by sidewalks. I always enjoy the old photos of the houses "before they were pumped up on steroids," to quote Frank Barning. Pumped up was the sad fate of our family’s poor little Levitt house.

Beginning in 1949, our family lived on Sandpiper Lane. (Sandpiper was the short street that ran parallel to Redwing at the opposite end of Redwing Park.) During the time our family owned the house, there was never any money for external improvements like a driveway and carport/garage, or expansion upward or outward. Only absolutely necessary changes, driven by living space needs of our growing family, were made to the inside of the house: the kitchen was "squared off," and the attic was made into two bedrooms and the world’s tiniest powder room.

When my folks finally sold the house and moved to Florida, it looked pretty much the same as it always had. In fact, it had been so little improved over the years that the real estate people were stretched to the very limits of their creative writing skills as they tried desperately to craft a property description that would be attractive enough to pique potential buyers’ interest and yet sufficiently truthful to stop short of actual misrepresentation.

The notice they ended up publishing said – among other amusing things – that our house included "a lovely upstairs wrap-around bedroom" (because the chimney came up through it), and that the living room had "wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of a park" (that is, a panoramic view of weeds in Redwing Park). My father was delighted when he read the ad, and he joked, "Wow, this place sounds great – I’d like to live there."

Fast forward to the weekend of the 30th (or was it the 40th?)* Class of 1960 reunion, when my sister and I drove around Levittown to see our street and our old house. By that time, all the houses on our little street had been so "improved" that it was hard to identify them.

Worst of all, ours was completely unrecognizable. We had to check the house number on the curb before we’d believe it – there in front of us was this unbelievably tacky behemoth of a structure squatting all over the lawn we used to play on. The new owners had attached an enormous garage (with driveway to match), and the whole structure had been expanded in every possible direction, with its sides nearly reaching the next-door property lines, and a roof line whose height probably tests the outer limit of legality.

The construction looked really cheap, and we couldn’t believe this eyesore could possibly be in compliance with construction and zoning laws. Betcha Mr. Levitt would turn over in his grave if he could see it now.

Guess it’s true what they say, that you can’t go back. But we can still "visit," courtesy of our old photos, so thanks for keeping them coming.
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* You know you’re getting old when you can’t tell decades apart. LOL.

The class of 1961's Roya Sitkoff has lived in Israel since she graduated nearly 50 years ago

Roya Aviva Sitkoff Harel spent her youth in Levittown, but soon after graduating from Division Avenue High School in 1961, she moved to Israel and has been there nearly 50 years.

Although they are not indigenous to Israel, her pet is an iguana (see photo). According to Roya, "They live in the tropics and Mexico and the larger ones are eaten like chicken. They make great pets, don't make any noise and mine even got used to being cuddled."

The other photo is Roya with her grandson Ely, now 13, taken six years ago. Her fascinating story follows:

By ROYA SITKOFF HAREL '61

During high school I was very active in the Young Judea Zionist youth movement and always knew that when I finished school I was going to live in Israel. I attended the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem but when I married my husband who was serving in the Israel Air Force we had to relocate to an Air Force base far from Jerusalem.

I have two children - my daughter Mickey and her husband have three boys who are 23, 19 and 17 years old and live in a town in the center of the country not far from me.

My son Noam and his family live in Minneapolis where he holds a faculty position in neurosurgery and radiology at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research affiliated with the Medical School of the University of Minnesota. If you Google “Noam Harel” you can get an idea of the scope of his research.

I worked for many years as the office manager of a law office and then for an international hedge fund but had to stop working when my husband’s illness was diagnosed. My husband Nissim passed away five years ago after 44 wonderful years together.

I have never regretted coming to live in Israel even though life here is very different than in the United States. Here our security matters are paramount and the country has gone through three wars in the past 50 years. The prospect of living peacefully with the neighboring countries seems impossible as the Arab countries surrounding Israel are becoming more belligerent and continue to deny the legitimacy of our country. Only time will tell if we will ever achieve normalcy.
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Roya Aviva Sitkoff Harel can be found on Facebook, along with more than 100 other early Division Avenue High School graduates.

WHY BIN LADEN HAD NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE

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Photo emailed by Laurence Bory, class of 1960

1955 Northside School, Mr. H. Kazenoff's fourth grade class

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First row: Jay Barabash, Irene Kuhn, Leon Gussow, Alfred Reggrio

Second row: x, Bill Dineen, Lee Cummings, Ted Robertson, Ron Porter

Third row: Raymond Yaw, Paul Shiffman, Patricia Gomez, Fred Parisi

Fourth row: x, x, Jerry Gippetti, Ron Area, George Walling, x

Fifth row: Diane Dehne, Joseph Batewell, Michael Sullivan, Tom Filiberto

Standing: Elaine Castro, x, Mr. Kazenoff, Fern Klotz, John Petrontoni
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Photo courtesy of Tom Filiberto. Several of these kids graduated from Division Avenue High School along with Tom in 1963. Some of the other 1963 grads attended Summit Lane School for fourth grade. Bill Dineen is deceased.

Early Levittown girl with windblown hair; classic photo captures the essence of the streets we roamed

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By FRANK BARNING

There are several hundred photos of early Levittown in my collection. The one posted here today is one of my absolute favorites.

The girl perched on the hood of the 1959 Plymouth is Toni Crescenzo Gelfer, Division Avenue High School class of 1968. She figures the picture was taken in 1967 on Kingfisher Road, across the street from her house.

You don't need much more information because the picture speaks for itself. It should hang in a prominent place in the Levittown Historical Society's museum. To me, early Levittown is not just about houses and schools being constructed, it's about the people who made it a community. And kids like Toni who are now in their 60s cling fondly to memories of simpler times and experiences that shaped their lives.

The picture could be called, "Early Levittown Girl with Windblown Hair." Look at the snow on the ground, the barren late winter or early spring trees, cars that are now considered vintage and well cared for and loved homes. The houses are basic Levitt and Sons ranch models, not the giant construction jobs that dot 2011 Levittown.

This is typical of the streets upon which we early Levittowners roamed, perhaps first on bicycles and later our first automobiles. Can't you feel the crisp chill in the air? For many of us, the first cars we drove were in about the same condition as this '59 Plymouth. All that mattered was that we had "wheels".

TONY CRESCENZO GELFER'S MEMORIES

My now husband, Howard Gelfer, bought that '59 Plymouth Belvedere from DAHS graduate Herbie Blades for what he remembers was the sum of $15. Howard and some friends pushed it home because, I think, it had push buttons and was stuck in reverse. It had been rumored to have rolled over at one time.

Eventually, the car had a complete makeover, new door from a junkyard, Earl Scheib paint job and his dad did the entire inside in black tuck and roll upholstery with the finishing touch of a new reverberator for the AM radio.

It seems Herbie had lent that car to other underclassmen because I was in it six months before riding around with a bunch of kids. We stopped at Lum's and I went in with someone. When I finally started dating Howard, he told me the first time he ever saw me was walking into Lum's with that other person and something clicked and he knew we'd be together. Very corny, but true and it came to pass he got the car and the girl.
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Photo courtesy of Toni Crescenzo Gelfer. She has an extensive collection of Levittown and 1950s memorabilia in her home in San Antonio, Texas. You can find Toni on Facebook.

The Class of 1960's most likely to succeed reflects on "What is success?"

By DEWAIN LANFEAR

For some unknown reason our blogger- in-chief likes the picture of me studying papers on a bulletin board . That picture is captioned “Most Likely to Succeed”. That honor has meant a great deal to me and has led me and others to wonder if I did in fact succeed. Introspection on my part, curiosity on theirs. I was a teacher in our school and our district for more than 31 years. Did I ever move on? Could such a career be called a success? Just what is success anyway?

One of the Greek philosophers warned that no man should be judged a success until his days were over. The quote is also ascribed to Samuel Johnson and Rabbi Zusha, but I know it's older. Trust me on that, after all you voted me Most Likely to Succeed.

Erik Erikson is a psychologist who listed eight stages of development, the final being old age (that's us) which involves looking back and deciding if we are satisfied with our lives and finally declaring ourselves to have succeeded (or not). I like both of these ideas, because they require a perspective on our accomplishments that is lacking when we only judge by some early, meteoric rise that might be followed by a crash and burn catastrophe. Think of sensational rookies in sports or a Bernie Madoff – early success is no guarantee of a happy ending.

In addition to withholding judgment until the end, there is also the issue of what standard determines success. There are many ways to succeed. Ask yourself these questions – did I contribute to raising a child or grandchild who is a positive influence in the world – did I support an aging parent, or a friend who was ill or suffering emotionally – was I there when my neighbors or community needed help - did I somehow leave my corner of the world better than when I found it – did I make others happy, not just myself – have I used my abilities to make a life for myself and my family – are there people in my life who would testify that I had succeeded?

If you can respond positively to one or more of these questions, you have indeed succeeded. I believe it's that simple. There are innumerable ways to succeed. Hearing life stories at reunions and reading them on Frank's blog makes me believe that not my picture but the picture of the entire class of '60 belongs over the caption “Most Likely to Succeed”.

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Early DAHS Most Likely to Succeeds
1960 Dewain Lanfear
1961 Tom Toscano
1962 Stephen Ashwal
1963 Jeff Harriton
1964 Edward Glucksman, Louise Gallo
1965 Renie Herman, Joe MacDonald
1966 No information
1967 Dyanne Speer, David Schnapf
1968 Debbie Heinecke, Charlene Wiener, Mike Swartz, Brian Kennan

Do you remember David Peyton and Helen Sileo? They taught at Division Avenue High School for decades.

Click on pix to enlarge

By FRANK BARNING

Approximately 18 Division Avenue High School faculty and staff members from the late 1950s and early 1960s were still working at the school in 1975. Larry Loewy, class of 1975, provided photos of the DAHS old timers that appeared in the 1975 yearbook. We've included shots from the 1960 yearbook. This is the second installment of "Do you remember . . .?

Featured today are photos of David Peyton and Helen Sileo. I know nothing about Mrs. Sileo except that the 1960 and 1975 yearbooks list her as chairman, business department in 1960 but not explained 15 years later. An internet search found that she is deceased, as are Reta Drumm and Assistant Principal Eugene Aiello who were featured in part one of this blog series a few days ago.

Mr. Peyton, long-time industrial arts department chairman passed away on January 2 of this year. If you took driver ed. when it was first offered at DAHS, your teacher was probably Mr. Peyton.

Our blog had a story about Mr. Peyton soon after his death and several of his students offered fond memories.

COMMENTS FROM MR. PEYTON'S STUDENTS

Tim Lavey '63: I was saddened on multiple levels to hear from Jeff Peyton '61 that his father, David Peyton, had passed away . He was a wonderful role model and teacher at Division Avenue High School and he was a close family friend.

Jim Anton '61: I was lucky enough to have Mr. Peyton for shop. He was a dedicated teacher.

Marilyn Monsrud Frese '63: I'm so sorry to hear about Mr. Peyton. He will be remembered fondly by so many people whose life he touched. I had the privilege of getting to know him better when I worked at Division Avenue.

Mark Rotker '67: He was a good guy. Had him for print shop in jr. high and then in driver ed. Played sports all year so I had to take it in the summer. Mr. Peyton asks who wants to drive first, so of course I volunteer. Pull out of the parking lot behind the school onto Division Avenue. There are just three of us guys plus him. Figure he's gonna take us behind Mays on the first day. Nope. Left on Division, right onto Hempstead Turnpike, right onto Merrick Avenue (past Salisbury Park) and right onto Old Country Road. Pretty gutsy on his part, but lotsa fun. Amazing he lasted so long after all those years teaching kids to drive in those situations.

Arnie Galeota '61: Mr. Peyton was a great man who left a tremendous legacy.

MR. PEYTON'S OBITUARY IN NEWSDAY

David Peyton of New York on January 2, 2011. Born July 13, 1923, in New York City, Mr. Peyton lived in Levittown, Oak Beach, and Manhattan. He taught industrial arts at Division Avenue High School in Levittown and jewelry-making at the Bulova School in Queens.

David was a WWII Air Force veteran who flew missions as a tail gunner with the 9th Air Force based in England. Loving father of Ellen Volpe of Huntington Station, NY and Jeffrey Peyton of Richmond, Virginia. Cherished father-in-law of Eugene Brown and Rita Peyton, grandfather of Jared Volpe, his wife Carolyn Conner, and Zachary, David, and Joseph Peyton, and great-granddaughter Genevieve. David was preceded in death by his loving wife, Sybil, and devoted companion in later life, Blanche Hess.

The story behind the Class of 1960's first reunion in 1980, the first of five conducted by Barbara and Ken Taylor

Barbara and Ken at the class of 1960's 50th reunion last summer

By BARBARA WITTENBERG TAYLOR

In January of 1979, my husband Ken Taylor received an invitation for his 20 year class reunion for Memorial High School Class of 1959.

Ken’s first thought was “No Thanks”. His memories of Levittown Memorial were not pleasant. The class was broken basically into 2 sections.

There were the “jocks, cheerleaders and snobby “I’m better than you” students. They drove their cars to school, and wore the best clothes. You know what I mean.

Ken said, “Then there was our side. Kids that walked to school in “hand me down” clothes, brought their own lunches, and stayed away from the other side, or risked being beaten and bloodied at the whim of some bully for no reason at all. It was called High School survival, and there were many of us that went through High School that way.”

A month later, there was a phone call to Ken asking if he was planning on attending, and he asked if Jimmy Guetteruiz or Vic Lawson were coming? Jimmy, Vic and Ken were close friends through the four years at Memorial. The answer was yes, so we decided that we would attend his 20 year reunion.

Ken said, “There were a very large number of graduating members at Memorial in 1959, over 400, and when we walked into the reunion hall at the Hilton Hotel on Route 110, we were part of about 50 former classmates to attend. About 40 of the group were the “Jocks”. It wasn’t what we expected.

And only Jimmy showed up but the “Magic” of our youth and growing up together was not there. After less than 15 minutes of conversation, we said our goodbyes and Barbara and I were walking out the door. It was disappointing and sad.”

As we were driving home to Pinetree Lane, Ken explained to me how school life was at Memorial, and I said “Well that was not how it was at Division. We were all one big family.” Ken then said the magic words that started a 50 year adventure that sometimes took over our lives.

Ken said to me, “Well, if someone in your class decides to put a 20 year class reunion together, I hope they do a better job than the one we just went to.”

The next morning Ken found me sitting at our kitchen table, with my yearbook, the white and yellow pages, note pads, and the phone in my hand, talking to Linda Kenley (Gurr) who also graduated DAHS in 1960. Linda had married Mike Gurr from DAHS, 1961. They lived on Elmtreee lane.

Barbara and Linda formed the original committee that consisted of Barbara Almquist, Midge Bollinger (Finck), Arlene Holmes and Sue Eisenberg (Zwerling)

The next day, the first meeting was held at our dining room table. We formed the foundation of finding as many graduates as possible, after 19 years of almost no correspondence among the classmates and less than one year to do it all.

Each member was given a few names to gather any information she could find, and bring it back to the next weekly meeting. As one member added a tidbit on a classmate, another would pull out a paper with more information on them, and the circle tightened around the missing classmate.

The committee became obsessed with finding everyone.

There were 202 members of the first graduating class of 1960.

The main goal was to simply find them, let them know about the planned reunion in 1980 and let them decide to attend or not. The committee never expected the end result of their search and dedication. More on this later.

It was actually easier in 1980 to hunt the classmates down. The parents of many classmates stilled lived in the same house as in 1960. But the first break to the original reunion search was found on almost every street in Levittown. Somewhere on the block, was the “little old lady” who was the historian of the block. She knew how, what and where about every family. This wealth of information led us to a good part of the class.

Then the committee hit a stumbling block, as the little old lady list dried up. Along came Principal Robert Graham. He opened the school to us. He gave us access to printers, a mimeograph machine (Remember the smell of the purple ink?), phones and old records. Barbara, Linda and I combed through old records that were stored in the basement. We found 3 X 5 index cards that every student had filled out over the years at Division, listing their information, but more importantly with the girls, they also listed their date of birth and the names and birth dates of their brothers who followed them in later years at DAHS. This was the final key into completing the reunion “Have to find” list.

There were no cell phones, smart phones or other gadgets that are so common today. We had a house phone and an old used Commodore 64 computer that we set up for storing classmate information, and we found a new website called “Peoplefind” and with those little 3 X 5 index cards we slowly but surely tracked the classmates down across the country.

We would find a brother who would fill in the blanks. (most of the girl’s now had unknown married names). The committee found most of the girls through an older or younger brother from DAHS. Thank God their parents had a bunch of kids, which seemed to be a Levittown tradition.

The committee worked almost daily and had charts, tons of paperwork, a bulletin board in our living room and hundreds of scraps of paper with bits of information with a “lead” on someone. Our living room looked like the set of “Criminal Minds” on the TV. In fact, the last classmate to be found was Ronald Schubert in Queens, New York, the day before the reunion, who wanted so badly to attend, but was flying to California on business that couldn’t be re-scheduled.

The committee had also contracted a catering hall in Syosset and a motel right behind the hall for the classmates to “stumble” to after the dinner/dance. The motel was almost filled exclusively by DAHS members that night. There was also a nice barbecue picnic at Eisenhower Park (Salisbury Park) the next day.

So after it all was said and done, and all of the preparations were put in place, the 20 year class reunion results were:

There were 202 graduating classmates in 1960

194 classmates were found and notified

182 out of 202 classmates attended

28 teachers from 1960 attended

83 classmates attended the barbecue on Saturday

And it was a complete success.

Over the years we have had about five reunions, and a reunion cruise.

But it all was topped by our 50th year reunion held in 2010. That reunion ran beautifully from start to the finish at the barbecue in Seaford.

But the most fun and satisfaction was the very first reunion, 20th.

1954 Northside School, Mrs. Fox' third grade class

Click on photo to enlarge
First row: David Amster

Second row: Linda Bishop, Carol Cataldo, Dick Marcella, x

Third row: Joe Imparato, Dan Estow, Steve McNally, Chris Jacobsen, Alice Weissman

Fourth row: Barbara Bordini, Beatrice Durante, Danny Wueblo, Michelle Fromm, x

Fifth row: x, Fred Parisi, Charles Elliot, x, x

Sixth row: Dorothy Dargan, Ron Area, Dennis Ditto, x

Standing: x, x, x, Paul Compart, Marvin Prosono, Charles Drakos, Barry Levine, x, Tom Filiberto, Alberta Losi

Many of these children graduated from Division Avenue High School in 1963. The photo is courtesy of Tom Filiberto who is now retired but had been a city letter carrier from October 1968 to June 2006.

Do you remember Reta Drumm and Eugene Aiello? They were at Division Avenue for decades.

Click on pix to enlarge

By FRANK BARNING

Approximately 18 Division Avenue High School faculty and staff members from the late 1950s and early 1960s were still working at the school in 1975. Our teachers from early Levittown were mostly still young. By 1975, there were a lot of miles on them, but they brought a certain maturity to their professions. Happily for them, they surely earned the generous pensions that were eventually received.

Thanks to Larry Loewy, class of 1975, your blogger has been emailed photos of the DAHS old timers. This is the first installment of "Do you remember . . .?

Featured in this post are photos of assistant principal Eugene Aiello and homemaking department chairperson Reta Drumm. I know that Mr. Aiello is deceased but have no idea about Mrs. Drumm.

The son of our old assistant principal, Greg Aiello, is the long-time Senior VP of Public Relations for the National Football League. Greg is often quoted in the sports pages. His dad was a huge sports fan and started at Division Avenue when it was still a junior high school in the early 1950s. In 1954, Mr. Aiello was my seventh grade physical education teacher. He was one of the reasons that DAHS was a special place.

Concerning Mrs. Drumm, I never took homemaking, which eventually became known as home economics. Boys were not encouraged to take classes aimed for the girls, although a few of us college-bound guys took typing. At the same time, girls did not take shop (industrial arts) classes, so that made us even, way back when.