Garden City High School Class of '64

Name: Ann Keefe Morgan

Address: 707 Highland Ave. Anniston, AL 36207

Telephone #: 256-236-7994

Email: Grandi@cableone.net

Spouse’s name: Pete

Children: Wendy (39) Laura (37)

Grandchildren: Mary Abigail (12), Tripp (11), Stokes (5½), Cole (3),

Eilie (1)

Education: Immaculata College (68)

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

I graduated Immaculata College (PA.) in 1968 along with four other GC High grads of the class of ’64 – Andrea Maley, Chris Stevens, Eileen Meyers, and Liz Brashears.

While in my senior year at college, I met my future husband, Pete, on a blind date in Philadelphia. Pete was working as a district sales manager for Chrysler Corp. at the time. Following graduation, I returned to Long Island and taught Middle School for a year. Pete & I married in the summer of ’69. We moved from Pennsylvania in January of ’71 to Pete’s home town of Anniston, AL. Pete went into business with his father at the family Chrysler/ Nissan dealership. Eventually Pete purchased his own dealership and added Buick and Oldsmobile to their line of cars. Being an automobile dealer provided us with many opportunities to travel to Europe and within the United States. We continue to enjoy traveling and are presently planning our next excursion to celebrate our 40^th anniversary.

Spending time with our children and grandchildren keeps us on the move between Nashville TN. and the Florida panhandle. Our youngest daughter, Laura, is married to an architect. She and her husband, Steve, live in Nashville with their 3 young children. Wendy and her husband, Tony, live in Sandestin, FL. with our two oldest grandchildren. Tony is a professional golf instructor. Pete and I also have a home in Sandestin, so the family has many opportunities to spend time together at the beach.

Life has been good to us. We are so thankful for our wonderful family and the great health and the active lifestyle that we continue to enjoy.

Most salient high school memory:

I will never forget that November afternoon in 1963 while sitting in Cynthia Kendall’s Social Studies class. Tommy Schenck came to the open door of our classroom and was mouthing something… as it turned out, he had just learned of the assassination of JFK. That was a dramatically life changing event for our country; the day we lost our innocence.

In parting:

I’d like to thank everyone who has put so much time and effort into the planning of this reunion. Unfortunately, we are unable to join you all, as we will be celebrating our youngest granddaughter’s 1^st birthday. Have a wonderful weekend; you’ll be in my thoughts!
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Name: Ed Oswald

Email: reveosw@juno.com

Since Graduation from high school:

I was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1973. I've served three congregations, the last being Grace Lutheran Church in Drexel Hill, PA - where I have served for the 27 years. As a part of my ministry I have done extensive work in the areas of addiction, the cancer patient and hospice.

In 1975 Jill and I were married. We were blessed with a daughter, Elizabeth. Liz was our only child, but she was a total joy - a very good student and an even better athlete in fast pitch softball and basketball. At the age of 14 she was diagnosed with osteo-sarcoma (a rare form of bone cancer). After a 3 year battle, at the age of 17, Liz died. But God surprised us. Jill found herself pregnant - a surprise since we had tried numerous times with no success. 9 months from the date of Liz's death, our son Joshua was born. Now, at the age of 63, I am the proud father of a 12 year old - who is 5ft 5 inches tall and who will be looking down at me by the time he is 14. Josh is an excellent student whom we are very proud of and very blessed.

I am sorry that we will miss the reunion. My best to the class. My parting comment is to: "Live long, laugh often, love much!"

Peace, Ed Oswald

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Name: Bill Groody

Address:

2755 Greenway Drive

Kelseyville, CA 95451

Telephone : 707-279-2457

Email: bgroody@mchsi.com

Spouse’s name: Gerri

Occupation: Journalist / Entrepreneur

Education: Graduated Ithaca College 1968 in Radio/Television Film

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

Like most of us, my first stop out of GCHS was college and like for many of the guys, the stop after that was the Army. My first posting was San Francisco, in the middle of the Love Summer of ’69, There is where I met my wife Gerri. It was a classic romantic tale of the time between the soldier and the hippie. Gerri and I have been together for 39 years except for 1970, when I was re-assigned to Vietnam.

The late 70’s and 80’s were a whirlwind of wonderful assignments for the NBC Radio Network, which included coverage of three Presidents. It was a dream job, but when in 1989, NBC all but dissolved the radio network it turned into a rude awakening. So, Westward Ho!

In 1990, we bought a couple of radio stations in Northern California. Before long, two stations became three, became five, became nine, all hooked to a San Francisco based radio and television production company. In 2004, we sold it all and retired to Kelseyville, a northern outpost of the California wine country.

For the past five years, Gerri and I have been offering our media expertise to non-profit organizations and producing projects for public television. Much of our work has involved chronicling immigration issues in association with the Center for Latino Spirituality and Culture at The University of Notre Dame.

Parting Thought:

I did use the word “retired” in the above section, but I don’t like it. I prefer, “The Third Age,” which is what our friends in Central America call this time of life. It is a time for some personal development, giving to others and sharing whatever wisdom you have gained with anyone who might find it useful. _________________________________________

Name: Susan Scheulen Clark

Address: 210 Manor Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620

Telephone: 410-708-8412

Email: sclark2@washcoll.edu

Spouse’s name: W. Whaland Clark III

Children: Elizabeth Clark Gannon and Gavin Whaland Clark

Occupation: Retired Teacher

Education: BA and MA - Washington College

Hobbies/pastimes: Many years of horse ownership and now a lifestyle of RVing

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

After visiting several colleges, I chose Washington College in Chestertown, MD and along with Pat Hervey who also graduated in 1964, I made my way south. After graduation I stayed in Chestertown and began a career in teaching. I met my husband when he got home from Viet Nam, after 4 years in the Marine Corps. We married in 1968.

In 1972, after 4 years of teaching in Kent County, MD we moved to Cumberland, MD while he pursued a degree in forestry. I taught in Mineral County, West Virginia during that time. Then when he secured a job in Salisbury, MD I worked for the State of MD in the employment office. Later I was able to return to teaching when we moved back to Chestertown. During those years I worked toward and received my MA in English Literature. After 11 years of marriage we were blessed with two wonderful children. My daughter also graduated from Washington College and my son graduated from the Nashville Diesel College.

In June of 2007 we retired and took up a life of RV’ing. We presently live in our RV and travel the country, sometimes working for some months in a campground and sometimes just sitting back and enjoying life.

Parting Thought: The education I received at GCHS was a solid basis for my future. I look back with great fondness to Mr. Alan’s English classes!
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Name: Linda Carey Williams

Address: 124 Meadow Street

Garden City, N.Y. 11530

Email: linrod@optonline.net

Spouse’s name: Rod

Children: Cheryl (age 43-married, no children) Kenneth (age 38-married-three children-Kevin age 8, and twin 4 year old girls, Emily and Jessica)

Occupation: retired Customer Service Manager for American Airlines and currently employed by AAA New York as a Corporate and Group travel agent

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

After graduation I continued to date Rod, my high school sweetheart from Hempstead High Class of 1963. We became engaged the following Christmas and were married May 29, 1965. Rod worked for Long Island Trust Company and I worked for Home Insurance both in Garden City. Rod and I planned to continue working and going to school at night, however, our beautiful daughter was born in February 1966. School and work went by the wayside, as I became a stay-at-home mom. In 1970 we were able to move from our apartment in Hempstead to our own home in Stewart Manor. Our son Kenny was born shortly thereafter. Once the kids were in school, I went back to work on a part-time basis. Rod continued to work for the bank until the mid- 1980’s when The Bank of New York purchased Long Island Trust. The bank was busy laying off most of the former management. At the same time, both my parents passed away within six months of each other. Rod had an opportunity to become a partner in a New York City deli, using his management skills cultivated from the many years at Long Island Trust in this new endeavor. I went to work for Eastern Airlines until the last Eastern plane left LaGuardia in 1991. I was then hired by American Airlines and managed the ticket counter at JFK until I early retired two years ago with my flight and health benefits intact. I now am employed as a corporate and group travel agent in Garden City and Rod works on 7^th Street in a deli. After the many years of crazy working hours we both have a “normal 9-5” life, giving us plenty of free time. While we both love to travel and have been all over the world and continue to do so (we just got back from an Alaskan cruise), our real joy is spending time with our 3 precious grandchildren. Most evenings will find us watching “our” Kevin play sports. He’s quite the little athlete, playing, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, basketball and ice hockey. Our beautiful little girls just light up our lives. As most of you can attest, being a grandparent is the best!!

Most interesting/funny fact about my life thus far:

I would never have thought way back in high school, that I would never live more than 5 miles from my childhood home. Rod and I both now live and work in Garden City. Moreover, our son, Kenny works for Starbucks and manages the store on 7^th Street and our daughter teaches in the Elmont school district, the school district where our children attended.

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Name: Christine Castellano Levchuk

Address: 6030 Bridgewater Circle, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Telephone #’s: 904 686 1095 (h), 803 261 4582 (c)

Email: xnynex@aol.com

Spouse’s name: John Levchuk

Children: Matthew (31) and Katharine (23)

Occupation: Volunteer, Substitute Teacher

Education: MS Management, Polytechnic Institute of New York

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

The answer to the perennial question about whether there is life after high school is most definitely yes!

Of my parent’s four children, I was the only one not to go away to college after high school. That summer of 1964, while contemplating my future, my father arranged an interview with New York Telephone and, as they say, the rest was history.

Looking back on my 30 year career, I had a little bit of luck, a lot of can do attitude and many people who helped me along the way. My first management job was as an editor in 1965, for an in house publication at Willoughby Street in Brooklyn and my last was as a staff director for the VP of Marketing in White Plains. In between were moves to Albany, Garden City, and Manhattan. The best part of working for those 30 years was meeting my husband John and having a family. While I was working in White Plains and Manhattan, we lived in Irvington on Hudson which is near the Tappan Zee Bridge, and made it simple for John to get to work in Morristown, NJ. He was an engineer/project manager for AT&T and we moved often for his job after I retired.

In 1994, when I retired from my first career, we moved to Columbia, SC. Katharine was 7 years old and needed me at home so I became a Realtor in Columbia SC, with Coldwell Banker, which gave me flexible hours.

By the time I became a flight attendant in 2001, to live with my nephews in Manhattan after their mom died from breast cancer, I had left Coldwell Banker and opened my own Realty company, Castle Hall Properties, in Forest Acres.

Becoming a flight attendant at the age of 54 was something I never thought would happen but it did and upon completion of training, I requested to be based at LGA and lived with my nephews, age 6 and 9, on the upper east side for a year. When the boys’ dad moved them to Denver, I was loving the life of a flight attendant and moved to CVG, (Cincinnati) eventually becoming an Inflight Training Supervisor for new hires and taught recurrent training at IAD, (Dulles, VA).

In 2005, John’s company in Columbia was sold to a company in Poway, CA and we decided to leave our beautiful retirement home which we designed and built, and moved to San Diego. Once again, I became a Realtor, this time for Prudential California Realty and worked out of the Mira Mesa office. It was a very long way from home, especially from my elderly Mom and my in laws who all lived in Florida and our children, who were in North Carolina and Philadelphia, respectively. So, after two years on the west coast, we returned to the east coast and bought a house very near to my Mom’s home in Ponte Vedra Beach and an hour or so away from my in laws in Palm Coast. Ponte Vedra Beach is on the ocean and about 40 minutes north of St. Augustine.

John and I always remark to each other that since moving here, we have never been so busy. John partnered with my brother in law in his Emergency Management business and is either working in our home office, meeting with local clients or traveling. I am a substitute teacher for the St. John’s County school district and a Master Gardener for St. John’s County, volunteering at Plant Clinics and leading tours at the Hurricane/Wind Mitigation building in St. Augustine. I also volunteer as a Surgical Liaison at Mayo Hospital in Jacksonville, which is a great reminder of my days as a flight attendant: making the patient’s families comfortable with a smile, a word or a beverage, all the while reassuring them that their family member is doing well back in the recovery room.

The only difference is that we are on terra firma and not at 36,000 feet. J

Aside from these activities, my very favorite thing to do is volunteering at the local elementary school as the Garden Lady, teaching children all about plants, flowers, and the whole natural world around us. My young gardeners are in Kindergarten and 2^nd Grade and being with them usually makes my week.

Since our children haven’t given us grandchildren as yet, we dote on our “grandpuppies”, Killian and Blue, former pound puppies, ages 13 and 6. Hopefully when the real thing arrives, we will have the doting part down pat.

First of all, I would like to thank the reunion committee for doing such a great job on the reunion and Tommy Schenck for all his email blasts. I am going to miss those, Tom, but am looking forward to seeing them again in 5 years. J
I am very happy to still be in touch with Gail Peterson Sillik and I enjoy keeping up with my fellow classmates on Facebook. It’s a great way to learn how everyone is doing and what they’re doing! I still can’t believe it’s been 45 years, (seems like 10). I wish I could be with all of you for the reunion. If I could be there I would and I am looking forward to our 50^th! Please take lots of pictures (post on Facebook) and have fun!

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Name: Jane Chinnici

Address: 560 Sequoia Drive, Hiawassee, Georgia 30546

Telephone: 706-896-8450 (home); 706-897-0891 (cell)

Email: jcjcrus@aol.com

Marital Status: Single

Children: Daughter – Jennifer 14

Occupation: Retired Teacher/Accountant

Education:

1966 Virginia Intermont College A.A. Biology

1968 Ohio State University B.S. Home Economics - Nutrition

1971 Brooklyn College, City University of NY M.S. Urban Education

1982 Adelphi University MBA Accounting

Hobbies/pastimes: Travel, Gardening, Photography, Computer

Since graduating from Garden City High School in 1964:

Upon leaving GC High School I headed to the sunny south attending a small liberal arts college in Bristol, Va. It was here that I became involved with a group of volunteers that worked with Vista on weekends to help the truly poor. This really impressed me after growing up in Garden City. This would later influence some career decisions. It was here, also, that I learned to play guitar from some of the best musicians who never had a formal lesson. I still am a forever beginner enjoying it.

I transferred to Ohio State continuing to majoring in Nutrition. No one ever told me I would spend many hours in chemistry and biology labs per week while all my friends were playing. I guess some of my lab friends were quite fun, also. One day one of them nearly blew up the chemistry lab we were working in. I think he is a successful cardiologist today. Upon graduation I interviewed with some of the major food companies who I found were looking for people with more advanced graduate degrees. At this point I had been toying with the idea of taking a break from school and going into The Peace Corp instead of going on to graduate school. My family was not comfortable with me leaving the country for such an extended amount of time especially after recently having lost a cousin in Viet Nam so I gave that idea up for awhile. About the same time I met someone who said NYC had a shortage of teachers. I decided this would be a good break until I decided to continue with a further degree in Nutrition. I became one of NYC’s instant teachers. We had an intensive summer of preparation, paid for by NYC, to get the education credits necessary to teach. NYC paid for us to get our MS in Education. Upon completion of the summer program NYC Bd of Ed was going to place me in a High School to teach Biology in East New York, a section of Brooklyn with recent riots. I was a bit intimidated to go into a ghetto high school in Brooklyn so I asked if I could be placed in an elementary school first. I became a teacher in P.S. 213 Elementary School in Brooklyn. I felt as though I had found my VISTA EXPERIENCE again. I stayed here for 14 yrs. I loved it. I loved working with the young children. It was here that I began to get more involved with computers and math. I would eventually have a position where children came to my math lab.

I found that teaching allowed me the opportunity to travel during my vacations. I was even able to take travel courses in Hawaii and Arizona to study the Indian culture, getting graduate credit for these courses. One summer I spent a month at the University of Mexico studying Spanish.

I loved skiing. I went skiing in Switzerland, Colorado and upstate NY with my nephews. I am a forever beginner skier.

One year my two nephews and I drove across the country for 6 weeks camping all along the way. What a beautiful country we live in!

There was, also, my good friend Pat Hervey Thomson. Thanks to her I was able to follow her moves to Florida, Utah, and Chicago seeing the sites while she moved around the country. I remember calling her one night to find that she and her husband, Larry, were leaving shortly on a trip throughout Utah. They invited me to travel with them and they gave me a wonderful tour of the major state parks in Utah. Her husband has wonderful driving skills on and off the roads! One day we even took off on a road or nonroad with no gas stations OR BATHROOMS. Is a GC Girl supposed to go to the bathroom behind a rock??? What beautiful sites we did see during that vacation. If any of you have not seen Utah and surrounding area yet you must go. Don’t miss it! This was a time before digital photography. I was using film. The developing cost me more than my airplane ticket. Photography is one of my passions so I paid the price.

While teaching I went back to school for an MBA with a concentration in Accounting. This allowed me a NYC License to teach Accounting in High School. NYC needing math teachers and offered positions to all the teachers with accounting licenses to teach Math. So they sent me to two different High Schools in NYC and all the students were bigger than me and multiple security guards in each HS. I found this intimidating and asked if I could be placed in a Middle School to teach math. I found myself placed about 3 miles from Garden City in a section of Floral Park that is part of NYC. I stayed there for the remainder of my career. I loved it because I was able to teach Math and later became involved with computers.

I developed the computer department in my school and was eventually responsible for all the computers in my building. It was especially rewarding seeing the computer curriculum grow over the years tying it into the various subjects.

Along the way I had become the school accountant responsible for the tracking of all its financial records. I computerized the records for the school making use of my accounting background.

I worked part time for a Construction Company to help get their accounting records set up and running on computers making it easier to cost their jobs.

In the beginning of the 90’s I began to think about building a family for myself. I loved working with children so why not have one of my own. I made a decision to adopt a girl from China.

I thought all the above was my love until I met my new daughter from China in May of 1996.

What a JOY!! She was 8 months old by the time all the records and red tape was completed and the Chinese government allowed me to travel to China to get her. One of my nephews traveled with me and we had a blast while there for three weeks with six other families.

I was able to take a sabbatical from teaching the first year Jennifer arrived home. I studied computers the entire year with Empire College and all of my instruction was from my home in Garden City. My instructor even brought a computer to my house for me to dismantle and put together again for my final.

Two years ago Jennifer and I were able to return to China. It was a special trip for those children adopted. We were able to return to her province of Anhui where she was born and see her orphanage. We traveled to Chengdu where she was able to hold a baby Panda Bear. One of my photos made a spot in the NEWSDAY Travel section. We traveled for three weeks with about 8 families.

I thought that when I adopted Jennifer my traveling days were over. They weren’t. She shares my passion for travel. We have traveled to 22 states and also to China and Israel.

Jennifer loves horses and rides frequently helping a local camp owner lead trails through the mountains. She is also pursuing her other passion for swimming. She is on a local swim team and has taken dance for 10 years. I have spent much of my retirement enjoying watching her grow into an intelligent, beautiful young woman inside and out.

In the Mid 80’s my parents moved to Asheville, NC, where they still live. My sister Kathleen (1962 graduate) moved to Asheville in the early 1990’s. My oldest sister, Marie(1958), moved to Hiawassee when she retired to be near her sons living in Atlanta. In 1999, while visiting Marie, I saw and purchased a house on Lake Chatuge. When I retired in 2002, Jennifer and I came down to this beautiful area of our country. I love living on a Lake yet I still miss the beautiful beaches of Long Island and think fondly of the wonderful memories there with friends and family. It is not unusual to see deer, fox, coyote, or bears. We never know what animals will be walking across our property. Last year our resident bear strolled through my yard at 10 AM and 7 PM to my sister’s house continuing this schedule for several days until he was encouraged to return to higher ground by the local authorities.

During the past few years it has been wonderful to reconnect with old friends such as Nancy Richter , Sue Scheulen and Sue Palmer through email.

I am very glad to have reconnected to friends such as Michelle Murphy on Facebook. I hope to be able to connect with more in the future.

The wonders of the computer world we live in!

Garden City School system gave me the educational skills and abilities necessary to change directions to aim toward my passions in life. We never know where life will take us. What a trip! Enjoy it!

I will not be able to attend the reunion. I hope you all have a wonderful time. I hope to make the 50^th!

Take time to see our beautiful country.
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