321 List Avenue • Rochester, New York 14617 • (585) 336-3067 • www.westirondequoit.org August2008 2010 Newsletter Newsletter A Message From Veterans Day 2009 the President “Today we dedicate our new flagpole to all of our former students who have studied here and have gone on to Thanks to all alumni who took the time to let us know why they serve and protect are living in West Irondequoit. The importance of our alumni in gen- our country in the erating the yearly newsletter is priceless. It is also our way of staying armed forces. We in touch. offer them our I am proud to say that I have always lived in West Irondequoit. I respect and our attended Briarwood School (back when it included grades K-4) then gratitude.’ Dake (grades 5-8) and then IHS. After college, I returned to West Irondequoit and was lucky enough to find employment in the area. The flagpole that Many of my friends were still living in town, and buying a home in West Irondequoit just seemed like the right thing for me to do. Along now sets off the came children and it was nice to live near family. main entrance to Now I could not imagine living anywhere else. I love the parks, the high school was the lake, the proximity to the city with its theaters and museums, installed by Free- and the people. I have great friends - many of whom are from high dom Flag Company, school. We have known each other for what seems like an eternity a local business and I cannot imagine life without them. owned by IHS We mailed over 1600 cards to alumni who are still living in the graduate (‘60) and area. This number attests to the fact that alumni feel this is a great Vietnam Veteran place to live and raise a family. Our town has recently been cited by Richard Burgey. Mr. Business Week magazine as one of the top three towns in New York Burgey generously State to raise a family. I would have to agree with this. donated the flag The Generations of Excellence scholarship offered by the West Dan Kunkel ’10 raises the flag at the dedica- Irondequoit Alumni Association recognizes families who have multi- that was flown at tion ceremony for the new flagpole at IHS. generations of IHS graduates. We encourage IHS seniors to apply for the inauguration this scholarship, and we look forward to honoring their families. ceremony. As our graduates go forward, let me remind them to always We invite all of our alumni who are serving or who have served remember their roots. Even if life takes you away from West Irond- equoit, this will always be considered your home. n in the military to contact the alumni office. We will let you know about future events honoring our veterans. n Leslie Ferriter ‘77 Generations of Excellence...........................2 Alumni News ..............................................10 Yearbooks Available ...................................19 Why We Live in Irondequoit ........................3 Alumni Reps ...............................................11 Sonia Tishkoff-Wicks: Class of 1947 ........19 Alumni Spotlight: Alumni Passings ........................................11 Patricia Straat: Class of 1954 ....................20 Class of 1936 Ada Rayton Neary .............5 Ed Kimball ..................................................13 Virginia Straat: Class of 1958 ...................20 America’s Best High School: Newsweek ....5 Memories on DVD......................................13 She Did It for the Love of Kids ..................21 Class of 1949 ................................................7 Bricks 2009-2010.................................. 14-15 Golf Tournament ........................................21 Class of 1969 ................................................7 Current Snapshot of David Whitehouse Class of 1970 ................................................7 West Irondequoit Schools .....................16 Presents Check to BOE .........................22 Class of 1980 Reunion Plans.......................9 Making a Splash! .......................................17 Reunion Details By Class ..........................23 Class of 1999 10th Reunion ........................9 WIRQ – Nation’s Oldest Alumni Information Update ......................24 Cito Chris Culver .........................................9 High School Radio Station....................18 INSIDE Generation of Excellence — Years of Tradition Each year, a new class of graduates joins our Alumni Alex Dunn also followed his Association. Many of those graduates are following in the parents Virginia Mikel Darden footsteps of parents and grandparents who are also alumni ’79 and Edward Dunn ’77 through of Irondequoit High School. In 2004, the West Irondequoit the halls of IHS. “Both my parents Alumni Association began to showcase this tradition of knew what it was like to be in this excellence by awarding the first Generations of Excellence school, seeing all the different scholarships. choices and wondering where to go. Having gone through it To be eligible for this award, graduating seniors must have themselves, they were accepting of a parent or grandparent who is a graduate of Irondequoit my path, my choices, knowing that High School. They must be a good student who worked Alex Dunn they trusted the school enough to hard in school and they must be planning to attend a two know that my choices would allow me to succeed.” Alex will or four year college or a vocational school. Applicants must attend Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall and will write an essay telling of their experience belonging to a major in Video Game Design and Development. family that has had two or more generations of students in West Irondequoit Schools and must provide two letters of Kelsey’s mom Christine recommendation. Dandurand Romal ’81 and her uncles Douglas Dandurand ’90 On June 1, Steve Arter Englert ’57 presented the eighth and Jeffrey Dandurand ’83 paved set of scholarships to our newest graduates. Julia Burns, the way for her. Kelsey wrote, Alex Dunn and Kelsey Romal each received a check for “As a freshman I joined the JV $100 and an engraved clock. volleyball team and found a family for four years. Both Coach Graves Julia followed the footsteps of and Coach Callari have taught her mom Ann Schippers Burns me not only volleyball skills but ’76 and her dad Tom Burns ’76 as life skills, such as teamwork Kelsey Romal well as her uncle Dave Burns ’72 and being the best you can be.” and her grandfather Robert Burns Kelsey is headed to SUNY Brockport. ’44. In her essay Julia wrote, “My parents…are currently planning Do you have a child or grandchild soon to graduate from their 35th high school reunion. IHS? Encourage him to apply for the Generations of They have many friends from Excellence Scholarship. Applications are available from the IHS that they still keep in contact Alumni Office at 585-336-3067 or online at Julia Burns with. I hope to have the same www.westirondequoit.org/alumni.htm. n experience once I leave high school and continue with my future.” Julia will attend SUNY Fredonia in September and plans to major in Childhood Inclusive Education. ¡ Clip and File Don’t forget to update personal information on the IHS Alumni database so you receive the alumni newsletter and other WICSD alumni mailings! Call 585-336-3067. 2 Why We Live in Irondequoit This past winter, your alumni association sent postcards to our graduates who have settled in Irondequoit. We asked them to tell us why they made the decision to live in their hometown. Here are their responses: Joan Weckelman Bleier ‘51 I love this town. I do not think I could find any place better My husband and I both grew up in Irondequoit – he on the to live. I grew up on Winona Blvd. In our neighborhood we west side and I on the east. We did not have a high school had plenty of friends to play with, Seneca Park to play in, on the east side so I went to Irondequoit High. After I and a lot of great scenery. In the summer we would swim married in 1951 we lived in Webster and the city for a few in Lake Ontario and the Seneca Park pool. There is always years. In 1972 we bought a house in Irondequoit so our Seabreeze Park. In the winter we had plenty of places to go girls could go to Irondequoit High. We spent 37 happy years sledding. There always seems like there was and is plenty there. to do. This town is just a great place to live. When my husband died in 2006 I sold our house. My kids Edith Segelin Bonferraro ‘61 wanted me to move closer to one of them. They are settled I n have lived i West Irondequoit for most of my life. I was all over. I wanted to stay where everything is familiar. I am born and raised near Seneca Park and now live near Durand very happy in my apartment and still in Irondequoit. Eastman Park. For the brief periods that I was away on vaca- tionsr o living out of Irondequoit for a few years early in my George Kurzrock ‘59 marriage, whenever I returned, I always felt there was no Not only do I live in West Irondequoit now, but I have spent place like Irondequoit. When my husband and I were house- my whole life here. My childhood was spent on Catalpa hunting, the home in the scenic valley where I’ve lived for Rd., the Placid Place (during my Cornell college years) and almost0 4 years, I considered my dream home--the perfect lastly on List Ave. in 1964. secluded area for raising children. Additionally, I knew an outstanding school system would be provided, that it was not The thing that keeps me here is my backyard, over 600 a harried, high-traffic town, and the surrounding bodies of feet long, which gives me room for my Labrador retrievers, water t made i feel like a vacation area. which I have bred for over 40 years.