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We did it! After 48 years we finally got our classmates together in South Florida. Dear class of 61 and other hixmates, On March 7 a small group of classmates gathered
together in southern Florida for a reunion.
We had in common Hicksville High, the class of 61, a home in
Florida and eligibility for Medicaid this year. When you approach a get together like this you
are always curious how other people will look and what they will be like
after such a long time. Most
of us had not been together for 40 plus years. I am happy to report that we all had our hair
and our sense of humor. Bonnie Scharr Papes and Doris Fishman Roth were
the organizers. They
reached out through Hix News and Classmates.
I am sure that by the 50th reunion there will be many
other communication options. Bonnie was responsible for our name tags.
They were copies of our yearbook photos.
As we conversed that day I would look at that name tag and I was
hearing the person that I knew so many years ago.
There was in each of us a little bit of the boy or girl we once
were. Bonnie’s table centerpieces were planters surrounded by 45’s and topped off with a GO COMETS flag. She had fun searching for oldies and her list of hits was impressive. Here
is a list of the records she used: "Worst
that could Happen" - Brooklyn Bridge She
wrote, “The
Brooklyn Bridge and Billy Joel were after our time, but both came from
Hicksville so I used them. Billy Joel was in my sister Mary's
class of '67. Stay
in touch! Love,
Bonnie” Doris presented us with Mardi Gras beads in
black and orange and no, we did not bare our breasts.
At our ages you need to keep the mystery alive! It was a balmy day in the everglades and prior
to sharing a meal together we had a few drinks and enjoyed the
memorabilia of yearbooks, photos, graduation programs, old autograph
albums, class rings, and stories of shared experiences. The time flew by and soon we were saying our
goodbyes. I had copied our
class song from our yearbook. It
was written by Nancy Sherman and Alan Just to the tune of “Dearie, do
you remember when.” We
sang it together and I think Mr. Goleeki would have cried tears of joy,
unlike the tears he shed so often when we were inattentive chorus
members. We are all looking forward to getting together
again at our 50th reunion in 2011.
There was also talk about Florida, next year. May we all be in
good health for many years. One last note. I am sitting in my kitchen on my island in Maine looking out at the ocean on this foggy, rainy and cold Maine day. The snow has melted except for a few places. As I reflect on the reunion and my life, I realize how blessed I was to have the benefit of a better than average education and to have many fond memories of school and friends. I hope it is so for many of you reading this. Carol Makowski Kinney
Those attending from our class:
 Bonnie Scharr Papes and Clem Baldwin Moors
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