Most recent news articles appear at the top of this page.
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John Kyle 1952 – 2008
John Ryan Kyle died today, February 12, 2008, from Cirrhosis of the liver. He had a very peaceful passing surrounded with family and friends at Norwalk hospital hospice. Born May 4th,1952, John lived on Steep Hill Road in Weston and graduated Staples in 1970. John had requested that before he died, his friends and relatives have a party and party we did, this past Saturday. After being on a liquid diet for weeks, he enjoyed, with gusto, a catered Italian feast from Mario's of Westport that was capped off with Cheesecake and Chocolate. Friends flew in from California, drove up from the Carolinas and down from New England to give John his last wish. At the lounge in the Hospice wing, with a backdrop of 60s and 70s music and a web cam hookup with those who couldn't attend, the party went on for hours and the hospital staff joined in on the fun. We shared photos of John and memories of simpler times; of friendships, road trips, parties, long telephone and IM chats. Later that night he slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness. He's survived by his mom and his brother David who lives in Oregon. He is also survived by fellow classmate, Jill Rayburn Schnake Roeder, who John told me was as close to him as any sister could ever be. Not only was John an integral part of our reunion committee, helping to plan and contacting classmates far and wide, he was a great, friendly, fun-loving man. Until recent years John was a security operations manager for a major securities firm. A memorial celebration of life will be held at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Norwalk on February 23, 2008: 10:30 am.
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14 JULY 2007 – IMPROMPTU MICRO-MINI REUNION IN WESTPORT
Left around to right: Andy Gai, Mary Palmieri Gai, Polly Preyer Lynch, Laura Booty Miller, Marc Bailin, Chris Kelly (74), Bob Kelly and Bill Banks; having a good time at Marios, mostly because they're drinking.
JUNE 2007 – TOM WALL STOPS PLAYING FOR A LIVING
1 JANUARY 2007: REGISTERED ALUMNI
If you are registered Stapleite and expect to receive email notices from smollin.ocm, then please be sure that your email program or ISP filtering of email will allow communiques from staples@smollin.com. This may be of particular interest if you recently changed to a new Internet Service Provider, or a new email program. You should have recieved a happy holiday email from the runion committee aproximately two weeks before Christmas.
18 SEPTEMBER 2006: MEMORIAL FOR RONETTE EVERSHED - 18 SEPTEMBER 2006
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Ronette Evershed 1952 – 2006
14 September 2006, Ronette Evershed died of lung cancer (funny as she never smoked) at the age of 54 in Tijuana Mexico. Apparently she had been sick for several months, and had gone there for a last ditch treatment. Her daughter Mareike Every (by her former husband, David Every also in our class) was with her until the end. She leaves a husband Dan Stoddard, and three children...Mareike, Morgan and Robin all of Kennebunkport Maine.
The funeral will be in Kennebunkport on Sept. 18th. There will also be a memorial service in 4-5 weeks also in Kennebunkport. All those who knew and cared for her are invited to attend the memorial.
- - John Kyle
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1 AUGUST 2006: MEMORIAL FOR JONATHAN ALAN PRESSLER - 14 AUGUST 2006
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We want you to know that the immediate family of Jonathan Alan Pressler will be honoring his memory at an informal cemetery gathering on -
Monday, August 14, 2006: 11:00 A.M.
Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Avenue,
Boston, Massachusetts (Tel. 617-524-0128). |
Please join us for this non-sectarian gathering in Jonathan's honor.
Directions - may be obtained from the Cemetery management or from their website: www.foresthillscemetery.com.
Please park on the avenue near the cemetery entrance office. The cemetery will provide transportation to the site.
It is suggested to arrive at 10:30 A.M. to allow enough time to get to the site.
We hope that you are able join us. However, knowing that some of you live far from Boston, we understand that you may not be able to make it, but we wanted to let you know of these plans.
If you will be joining us for the memorial service, kindly let us know.
Ron Pressler
978-388-2210
prpres1@verizon.ne
5 APRIL 2006: FORMER PRINCIPLE JAMES CALKINS DIES (quoted from westportnow.com)
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"James Calkins, principal of Westport’s Staples High School from the mid-1960s to mid-’70s, died Wednesday in Martinsville, Va., of complications from congestive heart failure, author Dan Woog said today. He was in his early 80s.
“He was gratified in the final months of his life to hear from so many former Staples students and staff members, thanking him for all he did as principal during a tumultuous time,” said Woog, author of the recently published history of Staples, “Staples High School: 120 Years of A+ Education.”
“Jim was, in large part, responsible for giving students a voice when most high schools silenced them, and for enhancing Staples’ national reputation as a creative, innovative place.” |
In his book, Woog said of Calkins’ time at Staples: “His eight-year tenure has been called the most progressive, most important and most controversial in the school’s history.”
When WestportNow first reported in early December that Calkins was ill and would like to hear from past students, he was inundated with goodwill messages. (See WestportNow Dec. 27, 2005)
“I have heard from more than 200 former students, and more come in every day.” Calkins said in an e-mail message. “I want to respond to each one individually, but it may be too much of a chore for me physically. I am getting quite weak.”
Calkins asked that the following message be posted on WestportNow:
“To all the Staples students who have contacted me and wished me well: I want you to know how much it made me feel better that so many of you discovered and appreciated what I was trying to do as your principal.
“I am becoming weaker, so I may not get to e-mail each one of you individually, but I am going to give it a try.
“With the faculty, the students, the parents and the backing of the Central Office Administration and School Board, we together accomplished what I was told would not work.
“However we made it work, thanks to you—the students—primarily. We did have fun, didn’t we? God bless each and every one of you.”
There will be a memorial service in his hometown of Norwich, Conn., some time in June, Woog said."
1 MARCH 2006: WE CONGRATULATE AMY
14 February 2006: 18:00
May everyone have a valentine!
For those that do not, this rather cold and inspirational digi came from Mary Palmieri's excitement for life and records a scene which will remind you of many things you love.
Of course you can click this pic for the big version!
