Tag: In Memoriam

In Memoriam

UPDATED January 2026

Since the days of the Roman empire, the words “in memoriam” (in memory) have been found on monuments and gravestones. None of us want to think about losing people we know, but the reality is that over the course of the years since our graduation, we have lost a number of our classmates. At the 50+ Reunion, we thought it was important to acknowledge those who have passed.

Laura Krampetz Cuevas is a lifelong artist and teacher who is on the reunion committee. She volunteered to create an in-memoriam display for the 51st Reunion. Using yearbook photos and electric votive lights, she made luminaries and set up a multi-level display that was set up in the corner of our event room.

We saw attendees walking around the display and sometimes thinking of a friend now gone, and sometimes discovering that someone they did not know had died was there.

If you open your yearbook, take a look at those who have passed or just remember someone noted here that you knew in high school, and send out a good thought or prayer.

The alphabetical list of classmates below is from the current class database and includes a date when one was found in an obituary or a “?” when the date is unknown. Women are listed by the last name used in our yearbook. Some class members’ obituaries have been posted on our private Facebook group.

  1. Frederick Adamcsik – January 2021
  2. Carmen Algarin – 2017
  3. Lu-Ann Alliegro – 2019
  4. Julie Alliston – 2008
  5. William Alves – 1976
  6. Charles Ambielli – 2017
  7. Michael Balkun – 2014
  8. Jacqulyn Bellas – 2006
  9. Frank Bellis – November 2024
  10. Anthony Blasi – 2008
  11. Thomas Blasi – 2007
  12. Frederick Bol – 2015
  13. Linda May Boyce 2025
  14. Howard Brennan – 2019
  15. Peter Brunarski – 2004?
  16. Joanne Carbone – December 2010
  17. Reynold Catelli – while in high school
  18. William Charniga – 1974
  19. Glenn Conrad – ?
  20. Andrea Corrao – ?
  21. Karen Crawford – 2016
  22. John Crispin – ?
  23. Diane Demers Massino – 2015
  24. Joanne DiCecco – ?
  25. Frank Dobrowolski – 1993
  26. Philip Dombrowski – 2001
  27. Harry Donovan – Many years ago
  28. Michael Droppa – 1999
  29. Kim England – January 2022
  30. Richard Flynn – ?
  31. Phyllis Foti – late 1970’s
  32. Frank Fox – February 2023
  33. Beverly Friedman Bruno – 2023
  34. Kathleen Gallagher – before 1991
  35. Connie Gargiulo Kusher – June 2023
  36. Mike Geller – January 2022
  37. Alice Colleen Gensinger Yednak – January 2024
  38. Kenneth Gerisch – 2007
  39. Kenneth Gladd – 2012
  40. Elizabeth Grasmueck – April 2022
  41. Jeffrey Greenspan – 2019
  42. Marc Greenspan – April 2020
  43. Linda Gresham – 2022
  44. Michelle Grohol Andolino – July 2021
  45. Roy Gross – ?
  46. Warren Gross – 1971
  47. Thomas Gruppuso – ?
  48. John Haderthauer – 1996
  49. Jerry Heda – ?
  50. Hazel Hohweiler – ?
  51. Peter Jensen – 2009
  52. Joanna Junger Ciccone – January 2026
  53. Richard Kahl – April 2022
  54. Richard Kiefer – 2016
  55. Arlene Kokosinski Fetta) – August 2023
  56. Paula Kolodich – ?
  57. Joseph Kormylo – April 2016
  58. Eugene Lalevee-?
  59. Barbara Laue – 2014
  60. Karen Long Rohe – February 2024
  61. Joe Longionotti – January 2026
  62. Bruce Lovenberg – August 2002
  63. Frederick Lucking – ?
  64. James MacConchie – 2007
  65. Linda Maciolek – 2017
  66. Grace Murn Fairchild – 2019
  67. Rich Murray – 2018
  68. Gloria Neanderthal Cignarella – 2018
  69. Esther Niwinski – ?
  70. Charles Nystrom – 2008
  71. Janis Olsson – September 2020
  72. Joseph Patriarca – 2018
  73. Sally Peralta-Wain – 2018
  74. Frank Pospisil – 2011
  75. Joann Raddi – October 2014
  76. Joyce Reingold Ciaburri – October 2021
  77. Clare Riggio – 2022
  78. Mario Russo – 2011
  79. Sandra Sanko – 2009
  80. Carol Schaffer – 2010
  81. Edward Joseph Sienkiewicz – 2023
  82. Keith Spaeth – 2007
  83. Dennis Testa – ?
  84. Steven Thatcher – 2017
  85. Gerald Turi – ?
  86. Joanne Urso – ?
  87. Manny Vazquez – July 2001
  88. Wayne Vogler – 2001
  89. Barbara Weekley – 2015
  90. Cinda Weldon – 1990
  91. Alexander Wieczorek – March 2007
  92. Ray W. Wills  – 2011
  93. Jane Woody – before 1996
  94. John Zabriski – 2014
  95. James Zangari Jr. – 2009
  96. Michael Zielinski – ?

Any updates to this list can be emailed to our class email. If you have a link to an obituary, please include that.

Teachers: Mr. Shannon

In April 2025, Thomas Edward Shannon died peacefully in his favorite chair at home watching a Final Four game with his wife Joan of 66 years.

Tom was raised in Irvington, New Jersey, and graduated from Seton Hall Prep and Seton Hall University. After graduating, Tom married Joan Meyer, also of Irvington, and entered as an officer into the United States Army. He served in Fort Lewis, Washington, and Bamberg, Germany.

Back home, he pursued a career in education, teaching Math at Irvington High School and Myrtle Ave. JHS for over thirty years.

I had Mr. Shannon for Albebra I at Myrtle. I was not a very good math student (hence becoming an English teacher) and I received a “D” in the class. I decided to go to summer school to try to raise the grade so it would look decent for college admissions. Guess who my teacher was that summer at IHS? yes, Mr. Shannon. I felt doomed. But he was very patient with me and all of us struggling with “finding X” and the second time around it made sense. I got an “A” and he averaged my final grade to a “B.”

After retirement, Tom and Joan enjoyed many trips throughout the United States and Europe. Tom especially loved vacationing in Manasquan with his family, his brothers, and their wives.

Obituary

Rest in Peace