The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 179-C - Special Edition - The Class of 1964 60th-Year Reunion

More Fun in Roslyn Heights

Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

On September 19, 2024, The Wheatley School Class of 1964 celebrated its 60th-Year Reunion at 388, an Italian (what else?) restaurant located at 388 (where else?) Willis Avenue, Roslyn Heights, NY. Nancy Gittleson Hodson put together a marvelous evening of delectable food and scintillating conversation. The 49 attendees even looked good! The encomiums are already pouring in (listed roughly chronologically, the earliest on top).

Meryl Moritz Writes - “Dear All: Seeing everyone last night, thanks to Nancy's tireless efforts yet again, was simply marvelous.  Thank you, Nancy!

I had been wondering, ‘What will we talk about after all these years?'  The Wheatley memories?’ Instead, the conversations I had with everyone were about what's happening in your world, what you think about, what matters to you.  So, today, I feel enriched, enlightened and embarrassed that I had ANY doubts that this would occur.  

May everyone continue to do well in life and love.  This was a dream team of a class and we proved it last night.  Thanks again for your VISION of what this could be, Nancy! Warm wishes, Meryl

Steve Simmons Writes - “Meryl - Beautifully said! Great seeing everyone from our extraordinary class and extraordinary school! And a big thank you to Nancy for arranging this reunion and others in the past!! With much affection, Steve”

John Sullivan Writes - “Thanks, Meryl, for your comments, and Nancy for setting up everything. The evening was excellent. Learning about the divergent life paths people have taken, as we all came together for one night, was wonderful. As my pastor says, ‘How cool is that?’ Many thanks for a wonderful evening.”

Gary Briefel Writes - “I feel likewise.  It is amazing that the friendships we made during our school years have remained so strong, lasting and important.”

Geri Parisi Kaplan Writes - “Thank you again, Nancy, for bringing us together.  It was a wonderful night.  I loved seeing and talking to everyone. I agree with Meryl that sharing our current lives was wonderful. Warmest wishes to all, Geri”

Rick Kaplan Writes - “I don’t keep in touch with my fellow Wheatleyites, so these 10-year reunions are very special to me. Last night was no exception. Speaking and talking with many of you was a delight. I’m sorry that I only had a few minutes for some of you. Be well, everyone. Thank you, again, Nancy for putting this together.”

Steven Morris Writes - “Hi everyone--When our 60^th -year reunion was being put together by the incomparable Nancy Hodson, Steve Simmons came up with a great idea—that perhaps each of us could make a few comments about where we were at this stage of our lives and how we got there.

Well, given the layout of the tables, the seating arrangements and the number of people who might have spoken, this didn't come to pass (and probably would have taken us into Friday morning anyway). 

Also, what follows from me would have been way too long!

However, below is what I would have said:

‘I don't want to talk about myself (maybe a little, obliquely) because tonight is about us and what we all have in common.

We came of age in a tumultuous era—just think, in the 1960s the following occurred:

The building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Kennedy assassination in 1963, the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the Johnson administration in 1964 and 1965 (plus other social legislation—but politics is irrelevant tonight, no matter what one's persuasion is), the explosion of violence in urban areas in the mid and late '60s, the Vietnam War, the landing of astronauts on the moon, Woodstock, the best Rock 'n' Roll ever—and probably a lot more that I'm leaving out.

But those were external events and occurrences, even though we couldn't help but be affected by them.  

More importantly, we were part of a class of amazing people with all sorts of talents, some of which were apparent to everyone at that time, and some of which developed later.  And our class was fortunate to be a class at The Wheatley School, where we all received an excellent education.

I particularly remember four teachers who not only influenced me at the time, but who laid a foundation for the rest of my life. Yes, of course, in the 60 years following 1964, we all have had other significant events, jobs, connections, families, friends and experiences that helped shape who we are today. But those formative years were highly significant. So, here goes:

I had a class with the wonderful guidance counselor, Mr. Maskin, who made such an impression on me with his kindness and sensitivity that I remember thinking, ‘I'd like to be a teacher like him one day.’ Well, I became a teacher (for about 13 years), and I'd like to think that I upheld his standards.

Dr. Scheinen was my German teacher . . . And lo and behold, when I did a 360 and changed careers (going into the financial world), little did I know that most of my business would take place in Germany—where Dr. Scheinen's influence was incalculable. I still have many close German friends today.

Mr. McCormack was another wonderful teacher and human being who brought out my innate love of numbers, or anything mathematical for that matter. I am indebted to him for providing a background/thinking process that I have incorporated into most aspects of my life.

And then there was Mr. Hansen, who instilled such a love of history in me that today I am rarely without a biography or chest crushing history book (yes, I like real books)--he opened up a world to me that I cherish to this day.

And I'm pretty sure all of us have similar stories that are in many ways universal in scope.

I end now because this could go on and on, but it was a great treat to be able to participate in yet another event with other members of the Class of '64.

As Forrest Gump might say, ‘And that's all I have to say about that.’ Steven Morris

Steve Simmons Writes - “Great memories, and so well said, Steve.” Steve S.

Karen Schaller Hampton Writes - “What an enjoyable evening catching up and hearing our stories from the last 60 years.  I echo the thank you messages sent to Nancy.  I am thankful that I was a member of this incredible, super class at Wheatley. Stay well and keep active, my friends.”

Jim Russek Writes - “Hi Classmates, I am adding thanks to Class Secretary Nancy Gittleson Hodson. So happy to have seen you all Thursday. To think, what if this was our entire class. I could have graduated in the top 52. I was most moved by my brother's (Victor Russek, 1964) friends, who shared their feelings about his passing. We all had close friends no longer with us. It hurt to hear when the reply to ‘How've ya been’ was "I'm a widow." Our time together, some of us since 1950, is fleeting. How did it go, triumphs, loves, loss, career? We all could write 650 words and assemble an appendix to the 1964 Yearbook: +60. Thanks Steve Morris for filling in some of the blanks. And rather than more to read, here's a little about me JIM   Also, Judy Garfinkel (1972) (Helen's [1964] little sister) and I have been married for 41 years. Cheers! Jim Russek”

Diane Nissenfeld Moore Writes - “Dear Nancy, Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for us.   I make a motion for you to become the official president of the class of 64!  Diane”

Photos!

L-R - Nancy Hodson Gittleson, Art Engoron, Geri Parisi Kaplan

L-R - Nancy Hodson Gittleson, Meryl Moritz, Art Engoron, Geri Parisi Kaplan

L-R - Ted Rothstein, Art Engoron (1967), John Sullivan

The same guys, in living color.

Top-to-Bottom - Ted Rothstein, Meryl Moritz, Ed Keenan (Meryl’s Husband)

L-R - Jim Jerome, Brian Stone, Ted Bloom, Jim Lerner

L-R - Steve Simmons, Jim Jerome

R-L - Vivian “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz and Tim Kunz (her husband)

Foreground L-R - Vivian “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz, Gail Knetzer Iannotti, Karen Schaller Hampton

Background - Barbara Harman talking to Ted Rothstein

L-R - Laurie Rubin English and Don English (her husband), Susan Skarka Miller and Ron Miller (her husband) (both 1964)

L-R - Susan Skarka Miller and Ron Miller (her husband) (both 1964)

L-R - Jim Jerome, me, Steve Morris