May-June - Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Association

hilltopper
Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Association Newsletter
Volume 4 , Issue 5
May/June 2011
2011 Alumni Banquet – Look
Who‟s Coming! Here‟s a Partial List
Ten to be Inducted into the
TMHS Athletic Hall of Fame
The TMHSAA Athletic Hall of Fame
committee recently announced this year‟s Hall of
Fame inductees. The inductees are:
George St. Marie „29
Thomas “Tom” Fatsi „43
Theodore “Ted” Fatsi „45
Chris Carabina „50
Thomas Tanacea „50
Frank Ungerer „50
Billy Guillot „81
Maggie Stoll „86
Angela Girardin „95
1993 Girls State Championship Soccer Team
The HOF committee reports that there are
several firsts this year to include the first set of
brothers – Tom and Ted Fatsi, the first female team –
1993 soccer team, the first set of sisters – Chrissy and
Catherine Skeates, and the first mother/daughter
team – Deb and Marie Spinelli.
The 2011 class will be inducted during a
ceremony to be held on June 18, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at
the Thompson Public Schools auditorium. All alumni
members, friends and family are invited to attend.
Admission is free of charge.
Full details of their accomplishments will be
featured in the next issue of the Hilltopper. Come and
join the celebration!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Page 1 - Ten Inducted into the HOF
Page 2 - Wally Brodeur / Frank
Fitzgibbons
Page 3 - WWII Veterans Awarded TMHS
Diploma
Page 4 - Memories from the Jewell
Family
Page 5 - Matt Smith ‟08 Earns All-New
England Title
Marianne Seney
Jessica Grey
Jenn Peterson
Erin Raftery
Kathy Skeates
April Lemire
Melissa Wenc
Karina Zulli
Marie Spinelli
Kelly Graham
Jamie Parkin
Christel Thompson
Karen Lindley „80
Joe Lindley „74
Chris Carabina
„50
Tom Tanacea „50
Loretta Tanacea
Jim Naum „50
Jim Sali „51
Jean Sali
Eileen Witkowski
Eileen Deary „77
Paul Deary „77
Tasi Vriga „51
Ted Vriga „54
Angela Girardin „95
Billy Guillott „81
Deb Spinelli
Romeo “Mush” Blain „72
June (Zmitrukiewicz) Duclos „72
Class of 1961
Class of 1949
Kelly LaRochelle
Tim Fatsi
Jenn Peterson
Kelly Busby Graham
Barry Kitka „68
Paul Dery „70
Norma O‟Leary „51
Karen (Langevin) Carlson „65
Connie Putnam „66
Elizabeth (Willette) LeClair „47
Jean (Defilippo) Miles „71
Dawn Malone
Marlene Carosi „71
Amy Carosi „02
Jane Beno
Nicole Beno „08
Angela (Girardin) Cahill „95
Beth (Shooter) Koss „65
Ada Temple „46
Patricia (Colby) Hollifield „53
Thomas Morway „61
Darleen Morway
Judith (Tanacea) Kavulich „61
Charles Panu „61
Henrietta (Groh) Panu „61
Merton Harvey „61
Joan (Barry) Harvey „61
Edward ‟61 and Barbara Luther
Louis (Naum) Guillot „61
Laurent Guillot
Kenneth Bicki „61
Jane (Jewell) Ellison „61
Stephen ‟61 and Marge Dahl
Patricia (Currier) ‟61 and Raphael
Seney
Leslie ‟61 and Mary Harvey
Catherine (Mooth) Hair „61
Rose Ann (Cournoyer) Jarmolowicz
„61
Mary Jean (Willis) Donovan „61
Carol (Vaillant) Hade „61
Marilyn Smith „64
Gladys (Krigsman) Tucker „52
Rita (Groh) Rohr „54
Barbara Pickett „59
Frances (French) Gesualdi „49
Alice (Green) Smith „49
Joyce Mezzoni „68
Nick Angelo „51
Mildred Litke „51
Priscilla Perkinson „48
Marguerite Fatsi
Heather (Sali) O‟Rourke
Don Garvais „49
Madeline Welch „49
Marilyn Welch „49
Pauline Menoche „65
Dave Johnson „57
Katherine Peters „52
Connie Crameni „84
Gloria (Nizamoff) Giavara „53
Virginia (Tanacea) Giavara „57
Frank Greene „57
Nancy Bugbee „57
Josephine (Davis) LaFlamme „73
Kathy (Davis) Mayotte „86
Jeff Mayotte „89
Gary Girardin „94
Sally White „72
Judd White „65
Remember we are ticketless this year.
Your name will be at the door!!
Hilltopper 1
The Class of 1938 Loses Two of
Its Best Storytellers
Francis “Frank” Fitzgibbons „38
The Class of 1938 lost two of its finest over the
past month. Wally Brodeur and Francis Fitzgibbons
were frequent contributors to the TMHSAA and the
Hilltopper. They each possessed an extraordinary talent
for keeping the past alive. They will be greatly missed.
Many who knew Frank Fitzgibbons described
him as one of the most pleasant individual they had ever
met. He always seemed to have a story and a smile for
whoever desired or needed one or both.
Frank was raised in Quinebaug and was the son
of Nellie Canty and Frank Fitzgibbons Sr. After
completing high school at TMHS in 1938, Frank attended
the Cole Trade School in Southbridge, Massachusetts. In
1942, Frank joined the United States Navy and served
with distinction on the Clemson Class destroyers USS
Tattnall and the USS Barry. Frank saw action in the
North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea patrolling for
Nazi ships and submarines. His unit was awarded a
Presidential Unit Citation for meritorious service. Frank
was discharged in 1945 at the war‟s conclusion
Frank married Anne “Kaye” Kubik in 1947. He
worked at the American Optical Company in
Southbridge, Massachusetts for nearly two decades
before taking a job with the Connecticut Department of
Motor Vehicles where he worked for 28 years. He retired
in 1985.
Frank also served the town of Thompson with
distinction in many capacities to include the Thompson
Historical Society, St. Stephen‟s Church, and the
Quinebaug Fire Department. He was a major historical
contributor to the TMHSAA‟s Cantymen, a book being
written about Frank‟s cousin, Jim Canty and his
basketball days at TMHS.
He leaves sons Mark and wife Lonnie, of
Woodstock, Connecticut, and Neil of Kennesaw,
Georgia. He also leaves five grandchildren; Dr. Timothy
Fitzgibbons, John Fitzgibbons, Patrick Fitzgibbons,
Kathleen Salter, and Connor Fitzgibbons and one great
grandson Matthew Francis Fitzgibbons. He is
predeceased by his sister Bridie McSweeney and his
brother Joe, both of Quinebaug, Connecticut.
Wally Brodeur ‟38
March 12, 1920 - April 8, 2011
We received this from Wally Brodeur‟s family.
The Hilltopper staff agreed there is little we could
possibly add.
Sadly Wally passed away unexpectedly early
last Friday morning. As most of you know, we
recently celebrated his 91st birthday. We
believe Wally summarized his life best in his own
words:
For I have made my wooden boat,
beamed in pride at her afloat.
Felt the smooth tiller in my hand,
getting out of sight of land.
While on a slippery deck I stood,
wind blowing harder than it should.
Face bathed in salt sea spray,
I dread the end of this fine day.
I've mastered wings and kissed the cloud,
played my music both soft and loud,
been to a lot of faraway places,
learned when to play my aces.
Reached the goal of four score and ten (+1),
counted my blessings and then
looked back at the courses I've run
my earthly chores seem done.
He and I walked a mile,
looking back, it seems only a while.
That I've left my scratch upon the soil,
a reminder of my life of toil.
Earth's temporary things, let's face it,
passage of time will soon erase it.
To continue to live beyond your end,
leave part of you in the heart of a friend.
Wally Brodeur
Wally lived in Crest View, Florida and by all
accounts was extremely active throughout his entire life.
We also received this from Wally‟s life-long
friend Charlie Seney ‟38.
I was exceedingly saddened to learn of
the passing of my life-long friend Wally Brodeur.
We grew up in the same neighborhood, members
of the same Boy Scout troop, High School
buddies at TMHS, later roommates in Hartford
while working at Pratt & Whitney; he served in the
U. S. Air Force in WWII and I in the U.S. Coast
Guard in the South West Pacific and Japan. Our
closeness was enhanced via daily email
messages.
July 21, 1920 – April 29, 2011
Above: The USS Barry during its service in WWII. The Barry
was named after Commodore John Barry and was
commissioned in 1920. She served in the North Atlantic and was
refitted as a high-speed transport in 1944. She was damaged by
a Kamikaze attack in 1945 losing 28 crewmen and was
eventually sunk by another attack while being towed into place
as a decoy. Information found at Wikipedia.
Hilltopper 2
Two TMHSAA Members to be
Awarded Diplomas
Visit the TMHS Website at:
http://www.thompson.ctschool.net/TMHS/index.html
Chester Zmitrukiewicz „43, Michael
Demetri Thomas ‟44 to be Honored
5 things you may NOT know
about TMHS
1. John Ruoppo ‟11 set a personal and school record
on April 26, 2011 throwing a shotput 47.3 feet.
2. According to Luva (Mead) Hoar, the 1938
undefeated girls‟ basketball team once beat
Bartlett High School of Webster, MA 42-2.
3. Also according to Luva, 60 years ago basketball
courts were not as available to the girls‟ teams as
they are now – the 1938 team once played
Killingly on a stage!
4. More than 83% of all 1936-1943 male TMHS
graduates served during WWII.
5. Tourtellotte has had at least two retired generals,
Brigadier General Gary Thorstenson (CTNG) and
Brigadier General John “Jack” Hoar (CTANG).
JOIN THE TEAM! WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Webmaster
Art and history researchers
Part time Memorial Room curators
History and art enthusiasts
Newsletter writers and editors
A Baseball Legend Still Hard at
Work
86 YEAR OLD UMPIRE TOM BOHARA, RECENTLY
FOUND WORKING AT TMHS
Left: Ryan
Gendreau (Class of
2011), catcher for
the TMHS baseball
team with local
legend Tom
Bohara. Tom has
been umpiring
Eastern
Connecticut
baseball for more
than 63 years and
has seen more than
his share of Tiger
ball players. Photo
compliments of
Justine Gendreau
(Bodreau) „81.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Initial membership due at time of application, yearly renewals due
January 1st of each year
Regular Membership………. $15.00
Senior Citizens (65 and older)………. $5.00
Graduating Class………. Free
Chester Zmitrukiewicz „43 accompanied his
older brother Joe to the recruiters to enlist in the
United States Navy when he was just 16 years old.
The war was in full swing and he, like his brother,
wanted to do his share. Chester lied about his age and
his brother Joe, trying to keep his little brother safe,
informed the recruiter that he was underage. He was
th
sent packing by the Navy recruiter. On his 17
birthday, Chester was back at the recruiters and
enlisted.
Chester was sent to Jacksonville, Florida for
basic training and advanced training for the U.S.
Navy‟s Submarine Fleet. He returned home after basic
training for a short stay and returned to duty and
was assigned to serve in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign.
Motor
Machinist's Mate
First
Class
Zmitrukiewicz served in the Pacific for the entire war
and finished his tour of duty in Honolulu, Hawaii.
On October 10, 1945, just a few short months
before he was scheduled to return home, while on
liberty in Honolulu, Chester was involved in an auto
accident and died due to his injuries. He was awarded
the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal and the Good Conduct Medal
posthumously. Chester is buried in the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Eighteen year old Michael Demetri Thomas
„44 enlisted in the United States Navy on November 9,
1942 while a junior at Tourtellotte Memorial High
School.
Michael, wanting to follow his older brother Bill
into the war, convinced his father to sign the enlistment
papers allowing him to join.
After basic and advanced training in Sampson,
New York and Newport, Rhode Island, Michael was
assigned to the Cleveland Class light cruiser USS
Providence.
The Providence served during WWII in the
Mediterranean Theater of Operation specifically
Greece, Egypt, and Turkey. The ship returned safely to
the United States
Seaman Second Class Michael Thomas was
awarded the WWII Victory Medal, American Area
Medal, European African Middle Eastern Area Ribbon.
He was honorably discharged on July 26, 1946.
A major goal of the TMHSAA is to award all
WWII veterans who volunteered or were drafted. If you
know of a veteran who was unable to finish their high
school years due to their military service contact the
TMHSAA at [email protected].
Both Chester and Michael will be awarded
their diplomas posthumously during the TMHS
graduation ceremony being held at the Tourtellotte
softball field on June 22, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. All Alumni
are invited to attend.
Hilltopper 3
More from the Jewell Family
While helping the TMHSAA research
potential TMHS honorary graduates, the Jewell
family – Jane (Jewell) Ellison ‟61, Joyce (Jewell)
Cormier ‟63 and Sandra (Jewell) Labonte ‟67,
uncovered several items from before World War II.
Here they are! Enjoy
Left and above-right: A newspaper article from the Windham
County Observer dated Wednesday, June 29, 1938. Lowerright: Herbert Jewell‟s TMHS diploma. Today‟s TMHS
diplomas look very similar to the one seen above.
Hilltopper 4
More from the Jewell‟s continued
Above- left: A Grosvenordale Athletic basketball picture circa 1939. Herbert
Jewell is third from the left, middle row. Bottom-left: TMHS Class of 1938.
Photo‟s compliments of the Jewell family
Correction
Jane Jewell recently received the above
pictures from a neighbor. Alice Ramsdell
‟27, was a big part of our school and
community. Top-right: Alice as a Justice
of the Peace circa 1970 (?). Bottom-right:
the happy couple possibly in one of
Alice‟s barns. If anyone has any further
information or pictures of Alice please
forward them to [email protected]
or PO Box 437, N. Grosvenordale, CT
06255
Last month we ran a story on Stuart Nelson TMHS Class of ‟37
and used the photo below and mistakenly said the photo was from 1939.
Charlie Seney noticed the error and sent the following. Thanks Charlie!
Joe,
I could not identify each member of the team. However, I am somewhat
positive that the year was not 1939 since Stuart Nelson graduated in 1937
as well the player (Capt. Frank Olson) holding the basketball. To the right
of Frank Olson are George Bates and Henry Surprenant. The coach was
George A. Selig. Perhaps I could identify the rest of the team from the
original. I'll be glad to help further.
Charlie
Hilltopper 5
Tourtellotte‟s Matt Smith „08 Earns
First Team All-New England Division
One Honors
Matt Smith „08 recently became the first TMHS
alum to earn First Team All-New England DI College
golf honors. This honor places Matt among the best
golfers in New England and one of the very best ever to
come from Thompson.
Matt, a communications major junior at the
University of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, played golf
four years while at Tourtellotte and was named ECC
Player of the Year as a high school junior and senior.
Matt also won the New England High School
Championship his senior year shooting a four-under-par
round of 68. Matt also won the ECC Championship as a
sophomore and junior, the U.S. Challenge Cup Spring
Match Play Championship in 2008, advanced to the
round of 16 at the 2007 Connecticut Amateur
Championship, and was the top-ranked junior golfer in
New England when he signed at UHART.
Matt has participated in five tournaments while
at UHART earning one top-10 finish shooting 76-73-74
for a tournament total of 223.
During the summer he is a member at
Quinnatisset Country Club, Thompson, Connecticut,
where he is tied for that course‟s 66 stroke record.
Matt‟s father Dale is also known as one of the
area‟s best golfers holding many amateur awards. Dale
served as Tourtellotte golf coach for a number of years
bringing his TMHS teams to several ECC and State
tournaments. Matt‟s mother Peg is a long-time fist-grade
teacher at the Thompson Public Schools.
Matt lives in Thompson with parents Dale and
Peg, and sister Meghan. Meghan graduated from
Tourtellotte in 2005 and graduated from Wheaton
College, Norton, MA in 2009. She is currently living and
working in Washington, D.C. for a non-profit agency that
advocates for women's healthcare rights.
We would like to thank Matt‟s UHART golf coach
- Pete Stankevich for granting us permission to reprint
the following UHART article. We would also like to thank
Deb Spinelli, TMHS Athletic Director, for alerting us to
Matt‟s recent accomplishments. The following article
was printed in the Hartford Hawks newsletter on May 19,
2011
and
can
be
found
at:
http://www.hartfordhawks.com/news/2011/5/16/MGOLF
_0516112352.aspx?path=mgolf
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Matt Smith capped off
his junior season with the Hartford men's golf team
by being named a First Team All-New England
Division I selection on Monday, as released by the
New England Division I Golf Association. Smith, a
Thompson, Conn. native, led the Hawks in 2010-11
with a 75.39 stroke average in 31 rounds.
In the team's 12 tournaments during the
2010-11 year, Smith put together three top-10
finishes, two top-five finishes, and a tournament
championship in October at the Classic at Shelter
Harbor. There, Smith followed up a first-round 72
with a second-round card of 71, eventually winning
in a playoff to take the individual crown.
Smith was one of three Hawks to play all 31
competitive rounds the team had over the course of
the year, joining senior D.J. Lantz and freshman
Patrick Ross.
Smith's low round of the year was a 68, fired
at the Old Dominion/OBX College Invitational one
week after his championship at Shelter Harbor. His
next-best round was a 70, carded at the Connecticut
Cup in October. That score came in the second
round of the three-round event, which saw Smith
total a 75-70-77--222 to finish in a tie for fifth place
overall.
Smith's third top-10 finish came at the New
England Division I Championships in April, where he
shot a 76-73--149 to finish in a tie for seventh place.
The most consistent player on the team,
Smith fired just three rounds in the 80s all season,
never shooting above an 81, which he took at the
season's first event, the Adams Cup of Newport.
Recent Visitors to the
Tourtellotte Memorial Room
Several out-of-state Tourtellotte Memorial High
School alumni members recently visited the
Tourtellotte Memorial Room. They include Luva (Mead)
Hoar ‟38 of Brimfield, Massachusetts, and John
DeBerardinis „58 and his wife Carol of Salisbury,
Maryland.
Luva and John had not been in the Memorial
Room in many, many years and were pleased with the
work that has been accomplished over the past few
years by the TMHSAA and Thompson Public Schools
to preserve the 1909 TMHS building, Memorial Room,
its contents, and Dr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte‟s legacy.
Both provided many great stories about their
years at Tourtellotte Memorial and their years as
youngsters growing up in Thompson, Connecticut.
The Hilltopper is planning an artcle on Luva
and her husband Brigadier General John “Jack” Hoar
USAF, for our next issue. General Hoar TMHS ‟36, is a
WWII Silver Star winner. Both have had remarkable
lives.
If you or a group you represent would like to
visit the Tourtellotte Memorial Room contact Joe
Lindley at 860-928-5527, or contact the TMHSAA at
[email protected].
Hilltopper 6
Tourtellotte Trust at Work – Before and After
The TMHSAA, with funds provided by the
Tourtellotte Board of Trustees, recently restored three of
Mrs. Tourtellotte‟s music books. These books are filled
with work that Mrs. Tourtellotte collected during her time
at the Salem Normal School. Most of the pieces are
copies of songs from the 1700 and 1800‟s.
The book‟s leather bindings began to deteriorate
many years ago, something common to these types of
books. They were repaired by one of the few remaining
professional book binders in the area - W.E. Jackson
Company of Centerdale, Rhode Island.
Two of the books were on display for the
month of May at the Thompson Public Library.
Before
After
Above: Mrs. Tourtellotte‟s music books before restoration.
Particles from the disintegrating leather bindings can be seen in
front of the books. Below: The music books after restoration.
The books now have new bindings and the condition of the
books has been restored to their former glory. The restoration
work does not affect the books‟ value or historical significance.
The books are now safely stored in the TMHSAA archive office.
Top-right: One of the many prints found in Mrs. Tourtellotte‟s
music book. This particular piece called Smith‟s March
(Composed and dedicated to Gen. Persifore Smith) was written
by J. T. Martin in 1848.
Hilltopper 7
Left: The old
lockers once
found on the
first floor of
the 1909
TMHS
building.
These were
stored by the
Thompson
Public
School‟s
maintenance
department
and recently
moved back to
the first floor.
It is our hope
to eventually
restore them
to their original
condition.
Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Office
PO Box 437
North Grosvenordale, CT 06255
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO:
[email protected]
Hilltopper 8