Sunday, August 31, 2008

Alan Bennett, 1948-1996

Alan Bennett's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page.

Then click Alan's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. I'm hoping to get more snapshots of Alan and more biographical information to fill the page out more.

Please send along your comments and stories about Alan by adding them as comments on this blog item or by sending them to me. Instructions are at the bottom of his tribute page.

Thanks, Gators!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Rosemary Ciufo Brown, 1949-2006

Rosemary Ciufo's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page.

Then click Rose's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

I wasn't able to identify her in any Portavian photos, other than class pictures. Please tell me if you know of any yearbook pictures in which Rose appears.

I'm waiting for her son to send some family photos to add to the page.

Please send along your comments and stories about Rose by adding them as comments on this blog item or by sending them to me. Instructions are at the bottom of her tribute page.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Our Gators are #3 in the country!

Yes, fellow classmates, it's true. Go to the USA Today web site and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and check it out....

Go Gators !

Friday, August 22, 2008

Gary Zummo, 1949-1968

Get your hankies ready. Gary Zummo's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Gary's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

Doubly tragic, Gary's brother Vince (Gateway Class of '66) died in a helicopter crash in 1981. Details about his death are included on Gary's page.

Chuck Crosby, if you happen to read this, please stop and see Mrs. Zummo the next time you visit your sister. She regrets her reaction to you when she saw you shortly after Gary's death. It would mean a lot to her if you'd stop and say, "Hi."

Gators, please send along your comments and stories about Gary and Vince by adding them as comments on this blog item or by sending them to me. Instructions are at the bottom of Gary's tribute page. Other pictures would be nice too.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Patricia Frohn Balash, 1949-2004

Patty Frohn's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Pat's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

This time we lacked photos of Pat from the Portavian with the exception of her senior portrait (and underclass portraits that I didn't use). So I filled out the page with a couple of family photos provided by her daughter.

I was surprised to learn about Pat's taste in music. On her page, you'll find a link to a YouTube video of her favorite song. Be sure to check it out.

Please send along your comments and stories about Pat by adding them as comments on this blog item or by sending them to me. Instructions are at the bottom of her tribute page.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Janet Stamm Dal Lago, 1949-1996

Janet Stamm's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Janet's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

Please send along your comments and stories about Janet by adding them as comments on this blog item or by sending them to me. Instructions are at the bottom of her tribute page.

Notice the picture of Janet dancing with her date at the Coronation Ball. Who is that guy?

Monday, August 11, 2008

Jim Butler, 1949-2008

Jim Butler's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Jim's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

At this time, the page includes the obituary that ran in Jim's local newspaper, several yearbook pictues and a comment from Jay Lehman.

Please share your memories of Jim with us by adding a comment to this blog item or by sending it to me. We'll keep adding comments, information and photos - from classmates, family and friends - as we get them.

Thanks for your help.
Be good.
-Alana.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Keeping in touch

OK I'm new at this, though I can email and do facebook with my grandchildren just fine! :) I don't have any info on anyone deceased, but I do want to keep up with news of our class. Had to miss the picnic due to a family event. I had the same conflict last year with the reunion. Anyway, I love technology that keeps us informed. God bless all,

Donna Kuhn Anderson in Virginia

Monday, August 4, 2008

I CAN EVEN DO THIS BLOGGING!!!

HEY EVERYONE!!!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAN DO THIS BLOGGING OR BLOBBING!! BOY CAN YOU TELL I AM GETTING UP THERE...I THINK IT IS BLOG...OH WELL..I HAVE ARRIVED AND NOW I HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT!!
THANKS SO MUCH TO ALANA FOR ALL THE HARD WORK IN GETTING THIS WORKED OUT! I MUST ADMIT I HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN IN A CHAT ROOM!!
IT LOOKS LIKE THE NYC TRIP MAY BE GETTING READY TO GO BUT WE DO HAVE SOME THINGS TO WORK OUT! WE WILL SEE IF IT WORKS OUT THIS YEAR!

SPECIAL WORDS TO RORY (MY SON) HE IS 1 DAY YOUNGER THAN ME!!
DEAR SON.....NINE MONTHS FROM THIS THURS AUG 7....I WILL BE THE BIG NUMBER AND YOU WILL BE NINE MONTHS FROM THIS FRIDAY AUG 8!! MISERY LOVES COMPANY!!! HA HA HA

I HOPE YOU ARE ALL SMILING!!! MAY YOU ALL HAVE YOUR HEARTS DESIRES!
HUGS TO ALL!
PEGGY (lOUGHNER) FISHER

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Ron Stephenson, 1948-1971

Ron Stephenson's tribute page has been posted on our "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" Web site.

It's the same deal as with Earl Bittner's page. Click the link in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Ron's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

Again, credit goes to Bonnie Gardner Hillier for providing the newspaper clippings about Ron's death and the Portavians of 1967 and 1966 for the additional pictures.

Thanks to several of Ron's friends, including Artie Trunzo, Dottie Dinzeo, Bob Beck and Judy Gibson Brumfield, for verifying that the picture of Ron working on an art project is indeed Ron. And thanks to Kathie Mason Bolton and Phil Harris for echoing my belief that is Ron in the picture.

The information about Ron's name on the Vietnam Veterans Wall was found on a military Web site.

Please share your recollections and other thoughts and information by posting a comment at the end of this blog item or sending me an e-mail or letter. Ditto for photos, newspaper clips, etc. My contact info is at the bottom of Ron's page.

We can add your comments, stories and pictures to Ron's page. That's the wondrous thing about Internet publications. We're not stuck with what we print. We can revise things.

I more or less lived next door to Ron on Beechwood in high school. I couldn't see his house from mine because of all the woods between our lots.

Repeating what I wrote in the previous blog item about Earl Bittner, I'd love to add pictures and stories from all aspects of Ron's life, including school, military, church and family.

Are any of you in touch with Ron's family? We should let them know we're doing this.

Thanks for all your help.-Alana.

Earl Bittner, 1949-1972

To see Earl Bittner's tribute page, click the link under "Gators: Gone but not forgotten" in the sidebar on the righthand side of this blog page. Then click Earl's name on the list of Deceased Classmates.

Bonnie Gardner Hillier provided a newspaper clipping about Earl's death. We also found two pictures of Earl from the 1967 Portavian.

But we've got lots of questions.

First of all, I don't know Earl's date of birth.

And I'm not sure about his date of death.

Tom Gallo recalled that Earl died on Mother's Day 1972, but I'm guessing at the date. There were no dates in the newspaper clip.

Also, Earl's middle name was listed as "Paul" in our yearbook. But it's "Patrick" in the newspaper story. Which is correct?

If Earl had died yesterday, his obit would probably have appeared on a local newspaper's Web site. We'd be able to leave our condolences, fond recollections and other thoughts and information in an online guestbook.

This blog item and Earl's tribute page allow us to do that now.

We can revise Earl's page as we collect more information and photographs.

Maybe you've got a picture of Earl playing with his brother, Al, and the kids from his Pitcairn neighborhood. I'd love to add pictures and stories from all aspects of his life, including school, military, church and family.

Are any of you in touch with Al or other members of Earl's family? Whatever happened to Marsha Dorfman?

You can post a comment on this blog or send comments, stories and photos to me via e-mail at Alana.Miltak.Baranick@gmail.com or by snail-mail at Alana Miltak Baranick, 6603 Northcliff Ave., Brooklyn, OH 44144.

Thanks for your help.
-Alana.

Deceased classmates

Look at the sidebar to your right. Find "Gators: Gone but not forgotten." Under it is the link to our new Web pages dedicated to the memory of our classmates who are no longer with us.

This is a work in progress. I hope to add tribute pages for at least one of our departed classmates every week or two until we're caught up.

I'm depending on you and anyone who sees this site to help us fill in the blanks on departed Gators.

As you can see, I've started a page for Earl Bittner. Ron Stephenson is next on my list. I'll post a new blog item for each of our late classmates as their Web pages are unveiled. Earl's will appear in the next blog post.

Please don't wait for me to start a page. Go ahead and send us obits that you've saved or something special you want to share about our late classmates that will help us put their tribute page together.

Thanks for your help.

-Alana.