class notes
 

Fall 2016

1969 LINDA BARTH, author, educator, and historian, presented a slide lecture discussing her book, The Delaware and Raritan Canal, at the West Caldwell Public Library.

1971 SYLVIA PETILLO was one of the Republican candidates for freeholder who won contested primary elections throughout Sussex County.

1972 OSCAR BECK was awarded the first prize Sally Bush Memorial Award in a Bedminster art show and contest. He won the award for his ornate graphite interpretation of the Adam and Eve archetype…GENE MADDEN was presented with the 2015 Outstanding Wildlife Emergency Medical Distinguished Award from the National Wildlife Coordinating Group. Madden is currently a safety officer with the National Incident Management Organization under the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington Office of Fire and Aviation Management.

1974 ROBERT DEVINE has joined Grassi & Co. as a partner in their consulting practice, based out of their New York City office…REV. KENNETH HESS has been named pastor of the Flicksville United Church of Christ in Bangor, Pennsylvania.

1977 ELIZABETH ADOMO GRAY, MA ’82, was elected to the Garfield Board of Education.

1978 JAMES FIFE, mayor of Harrison, was chosen to lead the West Hudson St. Patrick’s Day Parade as its grand marshal…TOM HAMILTON, saxophone and woodwinds artist, was part of the Keystone College Jazz Institute in Pennsylvania. Hamilton teaches in Pocono-area schools…ARLEEN PERKINS retired from the Grover Cleveland Middle School where she served as a gifted and talented program teacher…MARY REINHOLD retired as Macopin Middle School principal in the West Milford School District.

1979 TOM ANDES was reelected as mayor of Denville to a term ending in 2019…PEGGY AULINO was promoted to managing editor for breaking news on the labor and employment law desk at Bloomberg BNA in Washington, DC…GEORGE FIORE retired after 30 years as the parking director at the Morristown Parking Authority.

1980 SAM PIROZZI was named executive director of Straight and Narrow in Paterson, an agency of Diocesan Catholic Charities which provides prevention, education, and treatment services to clients with addictive disorders.

1982 NANCY CASSELLA has joined an internal medicine practice as a nurse practitioner in Farmington, Maine.

1983 SHERYL MEYERS retired from the Franklin and Carteret elementary schools where she taught for 31 years.

1985 WILLIAM BURKE has joined the Northern Neck Insurance Company as vice president of claims. Burke has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry…FRANK SCERBO, who recently retired after 30-plus years teaching physical, health, and driver’s education in the Paterson Public School District, was appointed youth sports supervisor for the borough of Cliffside Park.

1986 EDWARD J. LYNSKEY received the 2016 Veterans Graduate Award from Berkeley College. It was presented at the college’s fourth annual Salute to Veterans Gala in Woodland Park.…DENISE MIHAL is now executive vice president and chief nursing and clinical operations officer for Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Novant Health…VALERIE PAWLOWSKI became the first woman in the United States over age 50 to achieve master of sport status, which she accomplished after lifting a 24-kilogram, or 64-pound, weight, for a required series of repetitions.

1988 CHRIS AMELAR, guitarist and co-founder of the band, 3D Rhythm of Life, performed at the Club Bonafide in New York…ALEXIS COLE, a jazz singer, competed in the 23rd American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia…KENNETH PIASCIK gave a master class for undergraduate music education majors and graduate students at Ithaca College.

1990 MICHAEL J. DANDORPH was appointed president and chief operating officer of Rush University Medical Center. He was previously Rush’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

1991 ROBERT J. RUOCCO has been appointed as vice president and chief technology officer for HealthNow in Buffalo, New York. Most recently he served as vice president and chief operating officer-information technology for Healthfirst.

1992 JEAN-MICHEL WESTRICH received honors as a top producer for February at Terrie O’Connor Realtors.

1993 TOMOKO OHNO, pianist, performed with bassist Jay Leonhart at the Nighttown Restaurant & Jazz Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohno was born in Tokyo and began piano studies at the age of four.

1994 MARIA EMMA ANDERSON was sworn in as a member of the Prospect Park Board of Education…VIN DOWNES performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as part of “The Gathering Concert – Presented by Will Ackerman“…JAMES WARREN has joined Homology Medicines, a genetic medicines company, as vice president of manufacturing.

1995 JENNIFER FANO was appointed superintendent of the Randolph Township school district. Fano previously served as interim superintendent…CHERYL HAYEK assumed the role of interim president of Grantham University in Lenexa, Kansas… JAMES MOHR was hired by Washington State University in Spokane as vice chancellor for student services.

1997 KEVIN BURKHARDT will continue to carry out his play-by-play duties for NFL games this fall on FOX…RAY GIVONE has joined Cruise Planners, a full service travel agency, as a franchise owner/operator and can be reached at www.givonecruiseplanners.com…THOMAS TUFARO was hired by the Kinnelon Board of Education as director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment…MARY HELEN CALABRESE KELLAM was named the Morris County Counselor of the Year by the Morris County Professional Counselor’s Association.

1999 LISSETTE ACOSTA CORNIEL received the Thomas H. Kean Outstanding Educational Opportunity Fund Alumni Award presented by the Educational Opportunity Fund Professional Association of New Jersey. She was honored for her outstanding contributions to her community and for her success as a professional. Acosta Corniel, who holds a PhD from State University of New York at Albany, is a scholar-in-residence at Hamilton College… MARK DEMENNA is the new baseball coach for Marist High School in Bayonne…KATHY FIEBEL was named Teacher of the Year at Chester M. Stephens School in Mount Olive… ADAM LINZ performed at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant at the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education.

2000 MAURO MAGARELLI was appointed director of the Mount Olive public library. He was previously the adult services director at the Bay Second Library in Hawthorne.

2001 JEREMIAS BATISTA was nominated by the mayor of Paterson to be one of the city’s municipal judges. The unexpired term he is filling lasts until 2017…Drummer JAIMEO BROWN released a new album called Work Songs with his group, Jaimeo Brown Transcendence…JUDY PADULA was named chief nursing officer for St. Joseph’s Healthcare System. She will serve as both vice president and chief nursing officer.

2002 Douglas Hamilton Jr. has been promoted to district director of jewelry and watches for Macy’s Department Stores…MARY KANE was appointed director of the Village Library in Katonah, New York. She brings 10 years of public library experience to her new position…TIA SARGENT has been appointed associate executive director for the Gateway Family YMCA in Elizabeth.

2003 JESSICA M. BROPHY just published a book of poems entitled, The Paper Girl. It chronicles the story of the coming of age of a girl working as a paper girl.

2004 JASON SCHERETH assumed the role of principal at Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township. He was previously vice principal of the school.

2005 BRYAN RUDDEROW, conductor of New Jersey Youth Symphony’s Junior Wind Ensemble and Clarinet Ensemble, performed at the NJYS summer concert series in Providence…BRIAN SPATZ has joined Keller Williams Village Square Realty as a member of the sales team.

2006 NICOLE ARIAS has been selected as head coach of Team USA’s women’s softball team for the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Arias, a three-time Maccabi USA alumna, is an assistant coach for the women’s softball team at Princeton University…JASON BAUM has been promoted to director of membership for the Craft & Hobby Association, an international nonprofit trade association.

2007 ERICK FINLEY has been hired as a new officer for the Sparta police department after graduating from the Morris County Police Academy.

2008 ROB FUSARI resurrected an outtake from Lady Gaga’s 2008 album The Fame and recorded it on his own. The song, “Don’t Let Love Down,” was released earlier this year…AHMET FERIT ODMAN has released his third album, Dameronia with Strings, which was awarded four stars by Downbeat MagazineMARIANA RENNA has joined Terrie O’Connor Realtors’ Wyckoff office as a sales associate…ANGELO VERSACE is assistant professor of music and director of jazz studies at the University of Arizona, where he recently led the University of Arizona Jazz Ensemble in a performance featuring the works of Stan Kenton, Frank Foster, Sammy Nestico, and Duke Ellington.

2012 ANGELA GNECCO was named the Byram Township school district’s recipient of the Governor’s Educator of the Year Award. She is a kindergarten teacher in the district…ANTHONY MCGILCHRIST was named head girls basketball coach by Paramus Catholic High School. He was most recently the athletic director at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood.

2013 VALERIE AMARAL graduated with a master’s degree in public administration from Northeastern University…CHRIS MONGILIA has joined the Princeton men’s basketball staff as the team’s director of basketball operations…JUANA ORTIZ was a featured speaker for Women’s History Month at Passaic County Community College. She recently published a memoir about her struggle with cerebral palsy titled I Made ItPETER ROMERO graduated from the police academy and joined the Saddle Brook police department.

2014 RAYNA CARUSO is the new head softball coach at Wayne Hills High School…LAUREN MARSH, singer and songwriter, had her original song, "Dear Love," featured on an episode of NCIS: New OrleansKIMBERLY MORENO received a Milken Educator Award and $25,000 from the Milken Family Foundation.

2015 ILMI BOJKOVIC joined the Dover police department as a police officer…ASHEN BRAEN was selected as a teaching fellow by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation…VUYO SOTASHE won the audience prize award and placed second overall at the Shure Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

2016 CHRISTOPHER ICOCHEA was selected as a teaching fellow by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

Wedding bells for...

2008 JOHN DECAPUA to Kristen Murcko (12/27/15)

2009 MELISSA DEGEORGE to Kevin Spencer (5/21/16)
         SARAH VEENEMA to WESLEY LIVESEY ’13 (4/2/16)

2014 JILLIAN COTTIERS to Jeffrey Schwind (9/12/15)

In addition, Mark-Antonio Grant ‘77 and Eileen Tennant-Grant renewed their wedding vows in Scotland on May 7, 2016, at City Chambers of
Glasgow City Hall.

Mourning the loss of…

’41

MARY BOYLE SOGORKA
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
April 19, 2016

’52

RIVA S. (ISAACS) BERKENBLIT
Hackensack, NJ
March17, 2016

VIRGINIA TANTILLO
Little Falls, NJ
July 3, 2016

’54

MARCIA W. (WHIPPLE) DICKSON
Naperville, IL
January 30, 2016

’55

JOAN E. (STEUTEL) OSKAMP
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
February 26, 2016

’59

FRANCIS J. MCCOY JR., MA ’63
Mahwah, NJ
April 15, 2016

’60

MARTIN D. BRENNAN, MA ’62
Wayne, NJ
January 15, 2016

’61

EDITH BRABAND
Seminole, FL
June 27, 2016

HELEN M. KENNY
North Bergen, NJ
January 7, 2016

’62

MICHAEL BONOMO
Bloomfield, NJ
March 2, 2016

MARY JANE PARK
Montclair, NJ
March 1, 2016

’63

EDWARD IBSEN
Sandyston, NJ
February 7, 2016

OLGA (BEREZNI) MARKOVICH, MA ’66
Gainesville, GA
February 29, 2016

PATRICIA (RYAN) NONIE
Upper Saddle River, NJ
April 4, 2016

’64

ANGIE ZETTEL
Newton, NJ
May 30, 2016

’68

GRACE (MERRILL) WILKINSON, MEd ’73
Brewster, MA
April 3, 2016

’69

MARIE J. (MARRA) MCGUIRE, MA
Secaucus, NJ
April 25, 2016

’70

BETTE (ELIZABETH) ANN (HAMBOR) LYDON
Goshen, NY
February 11, 2016

’71

ROGER HETEL, MEd ’83
Garfield, NJ
April 27, 2016

BRENDA (KOPEC) PETERS
Rockaway, NJ
March 30, 2016

’72

ELAINE (PELAIA) IDENDEN, MA ’75
Somerset, NJ
April 11, 2016

’73

DENNIS JOSEPH SR.
Fairfield, NJ
January 30, 2016

JACOB MEETER
Harleysville, PA
January 29, 2016

DORIS J. (ACKER) MELIA
Wharton, NJ
May 25, 2016

LINDA (TIMER) SIMKO
Wyalusing, PA
February 23, 2016

’74

CLIFFORD S. ZOPPO
Lincoln Park, NJ
June 9, 2016

’76

PATRICIA JEAN SZCZYPIEN
Garfield, NJ
February 1, 2016

’78

EDWARD J. HANCOCK
Paterson, NJ
May 16, 2016

’79

RICHARD J. LESS
Highland Lakes, NJ
May 23, 2016

’82

SANDRA (BORGESE) BALDANZA
Clifton, NJ
March 6, 2016

HENRIETTA (WHITMIRE) GAMBLE, MEd
Simpsonville, SC
March 3, 2016

CAMILLE (CICCHELLI) MORREALE
Hackensack, NJ
February 12, 2016

’86

EILEEN (MULLEN) LICCIARDIELLO, MEd
Stanhope, NJ
April 11, 2016

’87

MATTHEW SPISAK
Cliffside Park, NJ
March 1, 2016

’89

PATRICIA A. MCGOWAN, MEd
Ridgewood, NJ
March 10, 2016

PAUL TILLOTSON
Sun Valley, ID
June 17, 2016

’90

DIANA G. (NIEBUHR) RAMOTH
Pompton Plains, NJ
May 25, 2016

’91

BARABARA ANN (TEMPLE) DEVINE
Pompton Plains, NJ
March 2, 2016

’92

CATHERINE (HALL) WHEELER, MEd ’97
Wayne, NJ
April 29, 2016

’97

LISA D. (BAILEY) BARAHONA
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
May 7, 2016

SUSAN GALLAGHER-COLURCIELLO
Newburgh, NY
May 2, 2016

’99

CHRISTIAN D. WOLLNER
Bloomfield, NJ
June 26, 2016

’01

ANDREW F. LATINCSICS
Hampton Township, NJ
June 20, 2016

’08

KRISTEN SCHUMANN
Wilmington, DE
March 25, 2016

LAURA GENEVIEVE (NADEAU) WIEBEL
Sparta, NJ
May 30, 2016