What do you remember about BHS Class of 1963

by Ken Kyte on 04/03/13

Here is a place where alumni from the Boonton High School - Class of 1963 can relate memories and stories about that time in our life. Comments can include recollections of teachers, classmates, events and pranks that still haunt us to this day.

Comments (5)

1. Claire Kaempffe Reavey said on 4/4/13 - 02:07PM

At college, I majored in psychology, the focus being animal bahavior and learning theory. I always thought Miss Allen gave me the push to pursue this field. Fast forward about twenty years: I was teaching second grade and was chosen to attend a science education conference in Boston. Between lectures, I wandered around Hynes Convention Hall, looking at all the various wares of the vendors. At one table there was a book resting on an easel with positive critiques gathered around it. It was entitled,"Easy Science Experiments for Elementary Students" and it was authored by Dorothea Allen. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS! Her photo was on the back dust cover. Of course I bought the book. I used her book throughout the rest of my career. It provided experiments that the students could do easily with common materials and usually had a successful conclusion resulting in a good lesson. It was my favorite science resource book. It eventually lost its paper cover and became yellow with age. At our last reunion, I sat with Miss Allen to chat for a few minutes. I told her how much I enjoyed using her book all these years. She sat, with her pursed lips and stony face, listening patiently. Can't you picture her? She acknowledged my remarks and then quickly changed the subject. Ever the humble Miss Allen! I've passed the book on to Kate, my daughter, also an educator. She also keeps Miss Allen's book close at hand. Claire Kaempffe Reavey

2. Paul Caragine said on 4/4/13 - 02:47PM

I'd like to share a memory story with you. It begins during the week before Christmas of our senior year (12/62). You may recall that my Mom worked as the Guidance Dept Secretary beginning our senior year (and for 27 years after that). The day before Christmas vacation, I visited with her for a few minutes and then I headed down the hall toward the front office. As I was passing Mr. Booth's office, he called me. So I went into his office and he stood up and said "Well Paul, tomorrow is my last day here as Principle". I said "What...What do you mean? You have to give my classmates and me our BHS diplomas this June!!" and I said "...everybody knows that no BHS diploma is ever really official until you have signed it. He smiled and then he said "Well, would you believe that if I stay until June, my pention goes down! ...so I have to go now!" I told him that that was crazy and that this was terrible news. We went on to talk for a while longer and I wished him luck. We all know that he did retire that Christmas. Now please fast forward 30 years to December 1992 (suddenly 20 years ago). I was having office hours in my new Orthopedic office on Route 46 in Denville (would you believe just before Christmas). The door opens and in rolls L.A.E. Booth in a wheelchair pushed by his niece Gail Booth (who I think had been briefly be married to Brian DeLuca's brother Tom). Mr. Booth had come because his right shoulder was hurting him and he wanted me to have a look at it. I told him that I was honored that he chose to see me that day and we had a nice little social chit-chat before we got down to business. During that chit-chat I asked him if he recal led my vist with him the day before he retired; he asked me to remind him. I said that no Boonton HS Diploma was ever really official until he signed it. He smiled and said he recalled me saying that and that it was very kind of me to say that. Then I turned around and there accross that room on the far was was...you guessed it...my BHS Diploma. I asked him if he would do me the honor of signing me diploma now - and he said that he would be honored! So I took it down from the wall, took it out of the glass, and with a black ink pen he signed it with a big smile on his face! 3 months later he was dead at age 93. So, I believe I am the only BHS alum to have my diploma signed by Mr. William Potter AND by Mr. LAE Booth. How about that!

3. Al Beradino said on 4/7/13 - 11:20AM

Since 1963: Married my college sweetheart in 1967. Finished a Ph.D. in Mathematics and my Dad would say “you got a BA, MS, and Ph.D.? - well that’s only seven letters of the alphabet – come back when you get the rest of the letters”. Two married kids and one grandson. Retired Nuclear Weapons Scientist (a recluse here in New Mexico). At BHS, Bob Kane, Joe Molitoris, and Glenn Moore were my Trinity. I am convinced that without their influence I would never have gone to College. Glenn Moore, Marty Henry, and I have been donating to the annual Dave Levin Memorial award. I have explored options to make the award more “permanent” and concluded that it takes $25K to establish an ongoing scholarship at any NJ University, College, or Jr. College. I hope I can someday (estate planning) manage to establish such a fund. Dave died December 23, 1962 in an auto accident and I took over his starting position. I was given the first Dave Levin memorial at graduation. In 1995 I published an article in the WAMPUS: “There’s a flag in our gym”. It recounted Dave’s childhood with the late Pete Makosky’s as we grew up playing BB at the Y, then John Hill, then BHS and the flag in the gym is a memorial for Dave. Our greatest victory was an upset win over Mt. Lakes on their court on January 29. 1963 (this was Coach Moore’s son’s birthday). This broke a 34 game win streak that the powerful Lakers had started two years earlier. We were undefeated in the Month of January 1963! BB was not my best sport and Coach Kane was happy if I hit the rim from outside; I did make lay-ups on a regular basis. We lost the magic we had in January 1963; but I still have dreams of those games and wake up tired. Sweet memories.

4. Judy (Weinberg) Scheve said on 7/8/13 - 05:28AM

So excited to learn that Miss Allen had written experiment books for elementary students. I've just gone on Amazon and ordered two of them for my grandsons. Claire - thanks for letting us know.

5. Tony Fennelly said on 9/11/13 - 03:46PM

Mr. Robert Mercer was our speech teacher. He had a beautiful voice and could have been a classical actor. We were lucky he had a vocation to teach. The high light of my high school career was my appearance as "Lady Mary Lazenby" in "The Admirable Chrichton" The title role was played by Rodger Parsons who made his living traveling in Shakesperean companies for years and is now the voice of "Pokemon" in New York. Cousin Earnest was played by Walter Bobbie who acts and directs on Broadway. (He was on the cover of Newsweek when he played "Nicely-Nicely" in Guys and Dolls.) I got a B.A. In Drama and Communications from UNO, but I never had a better teacher or a better director than Mr Mercer. I have appeared on many stages here in New Orleans and got my SAG-Aftra card last year. Tony, the starlet

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1.	Claire Kaempffe Reavey said on 4/4/13 - 02:07PM
	At college, I majored in psychology, the focus being animal bahavior and learning theory. I always thought Miss Allen gave me the push to pursue this field. Fast forward about twenty years: I was teaching second grade and was chosen to attend a science education conference in Boston. Between lectures, I wandered around Hynes Convention Hall, looking at all the various wares of the vendors. At one table there was a book resting on an easel with positive critiques gathered around it. It was entitled,"Easy Science Experiments for Elementary Students" and it was authored by Dorothea Allen. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS! Her photo was on the back dust cover. Of course I bought the book. I used her book throughout the rest of my career. It provided experiments that the students could do easily with common materials and usually had a successful conclusion resulting in a good lesson. It was my favorite science resource book. It eventually lost its paper cover and became yellow with age. At our last reunion, I sat with Miss Allen to chat for a few minutes. I told her how much I enjoyed using her book all these years. She sat, with her pursed lips and stony face, listening patiently. Can't you picture her? She acknowledged my remarks and then quickly changed the subject. Ever the humble Miss Allen! I've passed the book on to Kate, my daughter, also an educator. She also keeps Miss Allen's book close at hand. Claire Kaempffe Reavey
2.	Paul Caragine said on 4/4/13 - 02:47PM
	I'd like to share a memory story with you. It begins during the week before Christmas of our senior year (12/62). You may recall that my Mom worked as the Guidance Dept Secretary beginning our senior year (and for 27 years after that). The day before Christmas vacation, I visited with her for a few minutes and then I headed down the hall toward the front office. As I was passing Mr. Booth's office, he called me. So I went into his office and he stood up and said "Well Paul, tomorrow is my last day here as Principle". I said "What...What do you mean? You have to give my classmates and me our BHS diplomas this June!!" and I said "...everybody knows that no BHS diploma is ever really official until you have signed it. He smiled and then he said "Well, would you believe that if I stay until June, my pention goes down! ...so I have to go now!" I told him that that was crazy and that this was terrible news. We went on to talk for a while longer and I wished him luck. We all know that he did retire that Christmas. Now please fast forward 30 years to December 1992 (suddenly 20 years ago). I was having office hours in my new Orthopedic office on Route 46 in Denville (would you believe just before Christmas). The door opens and in rolls L.A.E. Booth in a wheelchair pushed by his niece Gail Booth (who I think had been briefly be married to Brian DeLuca's brother Tom). Mr. Booth had come because his right shoulder was hurting him and he wanted me to have a look at it. I told him that I was honored that he chose to see me that day and we had a nice little social chit-chat before we got down to business. During that chit-chat I asked him if he recal led my vist with him the day before he retired; he asked me to remind him. I said that no Boonton HS Diploma was ever really official until he signed it. He smiled and said he recalled me saying that and that it was very kind of me to say that. Then I turned around and there accross that room on the far was was...you guessed it...my BHS Diploma. I asked him if he would do me the honor of signing me diploma now - and he said that he would be honored! So I took it down from the wall, took it out of the glass, and with a black ink pen he signed it with a big smile on his face! 3 months later he was dead at age 93. So, I believe I am the only BHS alum to have my diploma signed by Mr. William Potter AND by Mr. LAE Booth. How about that!
3.	Al Beradino said on 4/7/13 - 11:20AM
	Since 1963: Married my college sweetheart in 1967. Finished a Ph.D. in Mathematics and my Dad would say “you got a BA, MS, and Ph.D.? - well that’s only seven letters of the alphabet – come back when you get the rest of the letters”. Two married kids and one grandson. Retired Nuclear Weapons Scientist (a recluse here in New Mexico). At BHS, Bob Kane, Joe Molitoris, and Glenn Moore were my Trinity. I am convinced that without their influence I would never have gone to College. Glenn Moore, Marty Henry, and I have been donating to the annual Dave Levin Memorial award. I have explored options to make the award more “permanent” and concluded that it takes $25K to establish an ongoing scholarship at any NJ University, College, or Jr. College. I hope I can someday (estate planning) manage to establish such a fund. Dave died December 23, 1962 in an auto accident and I took over his starting position. I was given the first Dave Levin memorial at graduation. In 1995 I published an article in the WAMPUS: “There’s a flag in our gym”. It recounted Dave’s childhood with the late Pete Makosky’s as we grew up playing BB at the Y, then John Hill, then BHS and the flag in the gym is a memorial for Dave. Our greatest victory was an upset win over Mt. Lakes on their court on January 29. 1963 (this was Coach Moore’s son’s birthday). This broke a 34 game win streak that the powerful Lakers had started two years earlier. We were undefeated in the Month of January 1963! BB was not my best sport and Coach Kane was happy if I hit the rim from outside; I did make lay-ups on a regular basis. We lost the magic we had in January 1963; but I still have dreams of those games and wake up tired. Sweet memories.
4.	Judy (Weinberg) Scheve said on 7/8/13 - 05:28AM
	So excited to learn that Miss Allen had written experiment books for elementary students. I've just gone on Amazon and ordered two of them for my grandsons. Claire - thanks for letting us know.
5.	Tony Fennelly said on 9/11/13 - 03:46PM
	Mr. Robert Mercer was our speech teacher. He had a beautiful voice and could have been a classical actor. We were lucky he had a vocation to teach. The high light of my high school career was my appearance as "Lady Mary Lazenby" in "The Admirable Chrichton" The title role was played by Rodger Parsons who made his living traveling in Shakesperean companies for years and is now the voice of "Pokemon" in New York. Cousin Earnest was played by Walter Bobbie who acts and directs on Broadway. (He was on the cover of Newsweek when he played "Nicely-Nicely" in Guys and Dolls.) I got a B.A. In Drama and Communications from UNO, but I never had a better teacher or a better director than Mr Mercer. I have appeared on many stages here in New Orleans and got my SAG-Aftra card last year. Tony, the starlet