Sad News: The Passing of our Classmate, Joseph Fretard

I have some sad news to pass along tonight. Bob Bessette messaged me tonight on the passing of our classmate Joseph Fretard on November 17, 2020. Our condolences to his family and all of his friends. Thank you to Bob Bessette for sharing. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theday/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-h-fretard&pid=197136165

SBHS Baseball, Spring 1965!

Ray Turner posted this on the SBHS Class of '65 page. But we may recognize a few of those faces. I think I see some future State Baseball Champions in the second and third rows, if I am not mistaken! ;)

OK, I just went through my files for the Reunion slide show and found this ..... with the caption!  From the 1966 Crosier.  

Bruce Gallemore's Family the Subject of NL Day Article

This tragic story: "Tossing Lines: 1925 sub tragedy didn’t sink this Navy family" appeared in The New London Day on September 23. It concerns the family of our classmate, Bruce Gallemore, who contributed to the story. Click the link for The Day article. Photo from August 2019 at Barbara's Beach, SBHS '67 Reunion Get Together: (L to R) Bruce Gallemore, Kathy Locarno, Cathy Schuch, Priscilla Lutz and Cass Young.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20200923/tossing-lines-1925-sub-tragedy-didnx2019t-sink-this-navy-family

Fr. Frank McKenna Has Passed Away

Thank you to Ann Corcoran today for passing along the sad news that Fr. Frank McKenna has passed away. I had heard a report of this recently, but I have been unable to confirm it until now. It was announced at Mass today in Norwich, I believe. There is to be a service on Thursday in Canterbury where I believe he was the Pastor for a time. I have been unable to find an obituary or any other info in the newspaper so far. I visited him back in 2017 in an effort to encourage him to attend out 50th reunion, but he declined for reasons of health. Requiescat in Pace, Fr. McKenna.  

UPDATE July 13, 2020: thank you to Ann Corcoran for sending Fr. McKenna's obituary today:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/norwichbulletin/obituary.aspx?n=frank-w-mckenna&pid=196486551&fhid=14875&fbclid=IwAR0i9qqoZ5OMDDG3UEK1p56P2NIWbHHS0LP-RDLOkCZpZfQ_4vaFNh-I5ZE

Debbie Benoit, Requiescat in Pace.

I have some sad news to pass along. I heard several days ago that Debbie passed away last Thursday. I have been waiting for definite confirmation, and it is online now.

http://www.neilanfuneralhome.com/obituary/Deborah-Ellen-Benoit/New-London-Connecticut/1872734

Godspeed, Debbie!

Speaking of Surprises!

And speaking of surprises, Marianne Konrad Bessette just sent me a note with a photo attached.

"Tom,

You inspired me to take a longer walk down memory lane, and I found this picture in one of my memory boxes. Thought I would share it with you..... Feel free to post it for me. And share it with "Sister" Lucille. Yes, I took the picture when I attended the wedding all those years ago! It's a great picture!"

OMG. I love my job. ;) Lucille Larrivee Naughton.

BTW, note the date at the top of the photo: "Sep 68'. 

And, little did we know..... a short time before THAT photo ...... this happened! This photo is from "Jack's Treasures', a scrapbook of pics that Jack Naughton kept from his days at SBHS. Lucille sent me the scrapbook when I was preparing the Reunion slide show back in 2017. ;)

Who Were the "Double Take" Culprits? ;)

I received a request from Kent Lacey for a 'high res' version of the DC Class Trip photo, with special attention to the extreme left and right sections.... to possibly help determine the 'double take' culprits. So these photos are the result. Feel free to go over them with a magnifying glass and let us know what you think! Whose faces do you see TWICE in the photo? ;)

In 1966, We Took A Little Trip..... ;)

I hope everyone is staying safe, staying healthy and STAYING HOME through this pandemic that we are experiencing at the moment. This, too, shall pass.

In the meantime, Noreen Bluemling has thoughtfully sent along a few photos to help us pass the time, so I thought that I would share them.