The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 210
A Correction, a Reunion, a Fire, Two Fencers, One Article, and Numerous Graduates
Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 210.
Correction to Issue # 208
Eddie Kritzler’s (1958) friend “Charlie” was Charles Shapiro (1958), not Charles Zimmerman (1960), although the latter was and is a friendly guy (and coached my Little League baseball team 60+ years ago).
Class of 1985 40th-Year Reunion
Jared Goldstein (1985) Writes - The Wheatley School Class of 1985 40th-Year Reunion will be held one week from today, on June 21, 2025 at 6:00 pm at Phebe's Tavern, 361 Bowery, at East 4th Street, in the East Village of Manhattan. Anyone who likes someone from our class is welcome. It is a buy-your-own drinks-and-food gathering. To have our own room and bartender, we need to order, in advance, $500 worth of food. We have been using Facebook ‘Wheatley Class of 1985 Reunion’ to check in. If Facebook isn't for you, text Jared at 917-533-1057 or email JAREDG@PIPELINE.COM. Please attend and bring someone.
Thank you. Best regards, Jared
The North Side School Fire
Ike Evans (1965) Writes - I was taken by the article in Newsletter # 209 about the 3/2/1957 fire at the North Side School. I was in a 6th grade class that Mr. Robert Foerschner taught, and our classroom was in the front on the 2nd floor (shown in the photograph). It was a total loss, but I remember going to view the building, and you could see the pencil sharpener which was screwed to the window sill - the sole survivor. Mrs. Margaret Mingus, the mother of Carolyn (1966) and Richard Mingus (1968), had been my 4th grade teacher, and her classroom was also a total loss.
Still More Wheatley Fencing
Laurence Schiller (1968) Writes - “Dear Art – My wife and I returned from a dream vacation of 6 weeks in Europe last week, and I was catching up on my Wheatley Newsletters when two things happened. First, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were several pieces about fencing at Wheatley, and second, that task was interrupted by a call from the USA Fencing national office that brought me the news that I was just elected by the membership to the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame, Class of 2026, for my coaching career. After spending 60 years in the sport as a competitor, Head Coach at Northwestern University, tournament organizer, and just about every other job you can do except Athletic Trainer, it was fun to read about Wheatley fencing, where my fencing odyssey began. Since I didn’t overlap with any of your correspondents, I thought I’d add my two cents.
So, Wheatley fencing. Congrats to Peter Calderon (1961) on his wonderful veteran achievements and Carol Abby (1963) on all of her achievements both in fencing and everything else. I had not heard of those things, and that is the wonder of this Newsletter! I went out for the fencing team in the fall of 1965 as a 10thgrader. My brother, Lanny Schiller (1965), a good friend of Steve Amerikaner (1965), fenced for some time on the team, and I decided that if he could do it, well, so could I. So, when I saw a notice for the team, I went down to the cafeteria and listened to the spiel. We were not allowed to practice in the gym, so we were consigned to the slippery tile floor of the cafeteria. Sam Phillips was the faculty advisor/coach. Mr. Stein had died the year before, and Mr. Phillips, who had been my 8th grade social studies teacher, took it over. I seem to remember that he had some college experience, but I do not remember where.
As Robert Kolb (1974) mentioned, there was also a club, called the Long Island Swordsmen, that met in the gym of the Willets Road School, which was an easy walk for me, as I lived in the Roslyn Country Club. So, I learned in practice and at the club. For practice, we changed in the locker room and walked in our gear all the way across the school to the cafeteria. I don’t remember who ran the LI Swordsmen club, but I do remember that Luis Bankuti (I think that is the correct spelling), who was, I believe, Hungarian and the Assistant Coach to Head Coach Hugo Costello at Columbia University, came several times a week and gave lessons. I took lessons from him.
My very first lesson was from Carol Abby who, just three weeks into my first season, came to practice and worked with each of us. For some reason, there were no women on the team when I fenced, so when Carol came and stood in front of me and asked me to hit her in the chest, I was reluctant to do that. So she grabbed my blade and slammed it into her jacket – and then she showed me that she wore two steel plates in pockets in her jacket that protected her. I remember her telling me that I shouldn’t worry, because she was ‘armored’! I’m sure she has no recollection of that, but it definitely stuck in my 15-year-old adolescent mind.
There weren’t many teams in Nassau, although Chaminade and Oyster Bay are two I remember, and we fenced non-electric foil only in Nassau. We did go to Suffolk and fenced electrically (fencing is scored electronically), and we generally got whupped. But we did OK in Nassau. We also participated in a tournament called the “Bittles” (no idea why it was called that) at NYU. They hosted high school teams at their now demolished gym on Washington Square. It was a horror of an old building, with six or seven floors and only stairs. There may have been an elevator somewhere, but I don’t remember it. The tournament was held in different badly-lit gyms with big windows on several different levels, and you had to drag your stuff up and down the stairs. I specifically remember going in my senior year (1968), and we actually beat Coney Island’s Lincoln High School in the first round, only to be demolished by Stuyvesant, a perennial power, in the next. Somewhere, we also fenced Jamaica High School and lost. Mr. Phillips was enthusiastic, and we all had a good time.
I went on to have a decidedly mediocre career at Rutgers, where I discovered that there were two other weapons aside from foil, which is all that we fenced in HS, and looking back on it, I really should have been a sabre fencer. I was fast and liked to hit, perfect for sabre. But, I had HS experience, and they had me fence foil. I had two Hungarian coaches in college, both of whom were on the Hungarian Olympic team in Melbourne in 1956 when the Hungarian revolution broke out. They defected with most of the team and came to the U.S. One of them, Czaba Eltesh, coached the U.S. National sabre team when I knew him. The other’s son, Paul Pesthy, was a multiple U.S. national champion in epee and coached two of our long time recent U.S. Olympians. BTW, like Tim Clarke (1973), I also went to Santelli’s in NYC and got lessons in the summer.
I went to Northwestern for my Ph.D. in African History, and while there, in the fall of 1978, I coached their little fencing club. I decided I wanted to try and turn the club into a higher level program, and well, from 1978-2016, I did just that, retiring as the winningest coach in any sport at Northwestern, and the 2nd winningest in the NCAA in fencing. So, it was nice to be recognized by USA Fencing for what I had accomplished in 38 years at NU…..but, you know, it all started in the Wheatley cafeteria with Sam Phillips! Fortunately, coaching skills and performance skills are different skill sets! Thanks for letting me go down memory lane with you all.”
Robert Gordon Kalb (1974) Writes - “Good Morning, Art, In Newsletter # 208, Ruthie Rotholz (1974) provides more intel about Wheatley Fencing. I am happy to learn that the women’s team was successful in tourney play. With regard to my statements about winning/losing – I stand corrected! I guess what I meant was that I, myself, never won a match – of that I am quite confident! So to Ruthie, touché!”
2001 New York Times Article About East Williston
NY Times Article About East Williston
Graduates
1958 - Eddie Kritzler - Remembered
Elizabeth Stone Matho (1963) Writes - “Growing up, Eddie Kritzler was my back-door neighbor, and quite a heartthrob! His parents, Gert and Sidney, were two of the warmest and most interesting people in our neighborhood. They traveled all over, but mostly to places that others hadn't yet thought of visiting, such as South or Latin America. They were politically active, especially Sid. At one of the neighborly dinner get-togethers at my house, with such “S Section” neighbors as the Friedmans, Roeders, Oppenheims, Stevens’s, and perhaps a few others, suddenly Sid stood on a chair and announced, ‘Let the debate begin!’ What he meant was the political debate! He was (according to my parents) an avowed communist (or socialist?), and there was at least one Republican in the group, although all the others were probably Democrats. It became a rather heated conversation, but leave it to Sidney to bring out the brutal honesty in everyone by encouraging such an exchange!
When civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Cheney were planning their ill-fated 1964 trip to Mississippi, Sid counseled them as to how to behave if they got arrested, how to disarm their jailers by talking to them, and how, he hoped, to talk their way out of jail. But we know that this wasn't enough to counter the cruel forces arrayed against them.”
Jesse Samberg (1964) - Writes - "I remember Eddie Kritzler in a different way. Eddie was a school bus driver during some of his time after college, and he drove my bus. We were the last stop, on Barnyard Lane. Our next door neighbor had an au pair from France who was blonde and beautiful. One day, Eddie says to me, ‘Kid, who's that girl.?’ I told him who and what, and he asked me to introduce him.
Seemed nuts, but so what. He parked in front of our house and I introduced him. The next day I get on the bus, and he says, "Jesse, how are you doing." "Good." Everyone on the bus says, "You know Eddie Kritzler! How do you know Eddie Kritzler?" He was a God in every way. Thereafter, for the next few weeks, Eddie would park the bus in front of our house and disappear for a while."
David Greenapple (1979) Writes - Eddie Kritzler was my next-door neighbor growing up in Roslyn Heights. There were 20 years between us, but he felt like a close friend. He was the friendliest, most energetic, happy person I knew -- he always brightened the day, and he took great interest in us, the young kids next door. He loved to tell stories about his Wheatley football heroics.
When his Jamaican wife came into our lives, she brought her beautiful smile and warmth, and I remember how much love they felt for each other. I remember when he moved to Jamaica to live there. Life is short and full of difficulty, and Eddie brightened up my day every time I got to see him.”
1960 - Renee Gershen Nadel and Elaine Kent Abrams - Lunch in Boca Raton
L-R - Renee Gershen Nadel and Elaine Kent Abrams (both 1960)
Elaine Writes - “This photo of Renee and me was taken at D’vosh in Boca Raton, FL We had a terrific catchup over lunch and talked about our wonderful Wheatley memories. Thank you for keeping us connected.”
1964 - Ellen Genat Hoffman - “I was in 5th grade at North Side when the fire happened on March 2, 1957, and I could see the burned-out school from the corner of my front lawn on Titus Way. Grades four, five, and six finished the year in the Junior High section of Wheatley. Miraculously, we were back at North Side for 6th grade in September.
1968 - Laurence Schiller - “Recently, my wife and I finished a European trip that was five years in the making. It combined our 50th anniversary, my wife’s 80th birthday, and my 75th birthday, all rolled into one. I retired from teaching history and coaching fencing from Northwestern in 2016. We don’t have lots of money, but we saved up to go to Europe in 2018, as my wife had never been to the continent, and I literally had not been there since I was an undergraduate at Rutgers singing in the glee club. The glee club toured western Europe in 1970 and Czechoslovakia in 1971. So the two of us had a bucket list of churches, battlefields, museums, and the like, that we did over the course of a lovely month. We immediately determined to go again in April 2020, and I set out to referee fencing, which I do in retirement, as much as I could. Well, COVID wiped out that baby, and it wasn’t until 2023 that all the restrictions were removed and we could travel freely in the European Union. Yea! We flew to Amsterdam in April, and my wife promptly fell down on Day One and had to have a hip replacement. So, surgery and return home, and we tried again in April 2024. This time we got 3 weeks in, and she fell and broke the other hip in Vienna. Yikes. You’d think she’d quit, but as she was wheeled into surgery in Vienna, she first mentioned the movie Groundhog Day, and then that we had to finish the trip. Well, we finally did it this spring, nine countries from France to Sweden. It was great.
1970 - Rich Michel - “Art, thank you for sharing the article in the Wildcat's Roar about the 1957 Northside School fire. The fire chief of the East Williston Fire Department was my father, Fred Michel (correctly spelled in the article but misspelled in the Newsletter comment as “Michael”). He and two other firemen climbed up on the roof of the enclosed passageway between the old building and the new kindergarten wing and chopped through the roof with fire axes to keep the fire from spreading. My mother told me that he saved the kindergarten so that I could start school that fall. I remember not being very happy about that at the time. My brother Bob (F. Robert Michel, 1960) remembers my father getting the call in the middle of the night and not making it back until late the next day. Thank you for bringing back an old but great family memory.”
Fan Mail
1960 (John Haas) - “Wonderful trip down memory lane! Thanks for compiling the photos and info. (Issue # 209).”
1960 (Paul Hennessy) - “Great job editing the impressive volume of Ed Kritzler (1958) copy and links into a very interesting tale👍🧙♂️ about an unforgettable character.”
1961 (Rhoda Kalkin Schneider) - “This was fun to see (Issue # 209)!”
1961 (Deborah Kerstein Brosowsky) - “So much fun…..thanks for reminding us of fun times and great memories!!”
1962 (Karen Strumpfler Tucker) - “Thanks for the wonderful trip down good ol’ Memory Lane.”
1963 (Donna Kenton) - “Art, Issue # 209 is delightful! Thank you!”
1964 (Andrea Alpert Robbins) - “What a fun Newsletter # 209!…..Thanks, Art and Keith.”
1964 (Ellen Genat Hoffman) - “Thank you so much for Issue # 209. My sister was in the Class of 1958, so I recognized a lot of the names, as well as friends from the neighborhood in other classes.”
1964 (Susan Obrant) - “I love Issue # 208.”
1965 (Ike Evans) - “Number 209 is a great issue, Art! The article on the North Side School fire is wonderful and gives a history of the school. Many thanks — Ike”
1965 (Louise Kampa Triano) - “This was great! Wonderful that all these memories are preserved (Issue # 209).”
1966 (Laurence Schiller) - “I always enjoy the newsletter. Thanks for doing it.”
1966 (Suzanne Stone) - “Great job, Art & Keith - so very interesting and nostalgic!!”
1970 (Andrea Chock Carlin) - “Love, love, love Issue # 209. Needed at this time to boot! Nice job, thanks, Art & Keith.”
1970 (Rich Michel) - “Thanks for what you do to keep us together.”
1972 (Susan French Congero) - “Always great to hear about classmates. Everyone involved in the Newsletters is wonderful.”
1975 (Patrice Maller) - “I enjoy reading every edition of the Newsletter. Thank you again; your time spent keeping us all up to date is appreciated.”
The Official Notices
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The Usual Words of Wisdom
Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 206 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at
The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website
Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.
I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot and do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a fact-checking department.
We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967
Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 210. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.
Art
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967
646-872-4833