A Night of Luminaries
for Hall of Fame Celebration
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The Hall of Fame Induction Event represented the best of what Hudson Catholic has to offer -- a rich history, traditions, and a variety of accomplished and beloved personalities. A gathering of 150 were treated to recollections, both amusing and poignant, as the theme of LaSallian education and values echoed throughout the night, from one set or remarks to another. This is our identity, and we remain steadfast to the mission.
Following Cocktail Hour, sponsored by American Express, the Port Authority Police Pipes and Drums welcomed attendees into the main dining room, paying tribute to their colleague David Lemagne ’92, inducted posthumously. The pipes closed out their appearance with Minstrel Boy, the music of which also serves as the Hudson Catholic alma mater.
Dinner was sponsored in natural collaboration between FSC-DENA (District of Eastern North America) and the Alumni Association Hudson Catholic.
Our five new Hall of Famers were honored and inducted by existing Hall of Famers. PAPD LT. (ret.) Bill Keegan ’73 led off on behalf of David Lemagne ’92. Gary Ferrari ’73 inducted John Cruitt, Brian Neary ‘69 for Richard Garibell, Tom Clark ’76 for Curt Zegler ’89, and Tim Ahern, FSC for the Founding Christian Brothers of 1964-68. Brother Martin Zewe took the podium to thank the gathering for the honor. Brothers Pat King, Richard Kestler and former Brother Bernard (now Sean) Gresh, were on hand to receive their honors.
Other memorable faces in the room included Brothers Kevin Stanton, Tom Gerrow, and Charles Gresh, along with Frank Becht and Jack Campion.
Four members of the Class of ’68 came to honor the men that stewarded them on their truly unique journey into and through high school. (It’s not everyday that freshmen are the upperclassmen in a high school.) Matt Donohue, Bob Gironda, Bob D’Agostino, and George Gilcher were thrilled to be able to snap a photo with the four Brothers on hand.
The event was an unqualified success, but also a financial success, in large part due to our Event sponsor, Turner Construction. This was in thanks to Curt Zegler, who has spent his professional career with Turner, and the Zegler family, which is a legacy Turner family, going back to Curt’s father Chet, along with Curt's two brothers.
The night also included one unadvertised special moment. Just before the actual inductions got underway, President Terry Matthews came to the podium and announced the awarding of the school’s highest personal honor, the Signum Fidei Award to a long-time angel supporter of Hudson Catholic, Mr. Jack Weisberg. To sustained applause, Terry came off the podium and walked the medal to the table where Jack was seated, and placed the medal around his neck, in a rather intimate moment. We thank Jack Weisberg for his belief in our mission and confidence in our ability to deliver on it year after year.
We will soon be adding five new plaques to the Hall of Fame display in the school lobby and inviting the new Hall of Famers to come by for the ‘unveiling’. In two short years, the Hall of Fame Committee will go back to work to begin the process of identifying and electing the next group deemed worthy of inclusion in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame and The Athletic Wall of Honor have been placed on an alternating year cycle, so next year will be new additions to the Wall of Honor.
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Fred Miller ’71 issues
Class Gift Challenge
to reuniting classmates
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Despite being unable to travel from Virginia to attend his 50-Year Reunion of the Class of 1971 on June 27th, Fred Miller is making his presence felt, and our students will be the recipients of Fred’s generosity and ingenuity.
Fred, who starred on the track during his years as a Hawk, sends his fond greetings to all of his classmates and wishes them a wonderful reunion, adding that he wants to try and make an impact in some personal way.
As a result, Fred will be contributing 71 hundred dollars ($7,100) to Hudson Catholic, with one condition attached. That is, he would like to know that his classmates step up and collectively contribute that much or more, for a minimum gift of $14,200.
Fred says: “I will contribute $ 7,100 dollars to honor our Class of ’71 and am hopeful that my gift will encourage some classmates to match that amount, individually with $7,100, or with variations on the theme: $710, $71, or even $7.10. I just want as many people in our class to donate as much as they can. I know some of our classmates can certainly match or exceed my gift!”
Fred told us a few names in the class to lean on, in particular, but we will not name names here! Come on, ’71 Hawks, make your milestone date stand out with a milestone amount!
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Those Were The Days!
When Football Hawks Ruled the Roost
Routed Prep 41-0 in 1978
It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time, before the Prep got serious about football and grew to become a powerhouse program in New Jersey, that the Hawks had their way with the downtown boys.
The November 1978 Commentator said it best: “Hudson Runs Over Prep”. Led by Halfback Tolan Washington ’78 and QB Pat DelPiano ‘78, with the Hawks fresh off a 1977 American Conference County Championship, the Prep game “turned out to be a laugher.” The writer goes on to say “it could have been more if Hudson didn’t mercifully take out its varsity squad.”
The article went on ”in this game the story was Tolan Washington who for the second time this season rushed for over 200 yards in less than a half of playing time. Most of Tolan’s yards came on long gainers including one 70-yard run that left Prep defenders bewildered.”
The tides did turn over the ensuing decades, for sure, but we will always have this one to hang on the Prep, our dire but friendly rivals, in the days when County bragging rights meant a lot more than today due to the demise of many Catholic schools over the years.
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Tommy Shine Foundation
Awards
Hayley O’Connor
The foundation named and operated in memory of Tommy Shine ’79, that annually raises money and gifts it to Hudson Catholic in the form of scholarship to a deserving student, has done it again.
Recently, three foundation Board members came by the Hawks Nest and presented rising junior Hayley O’Connor with the award valued at $3,000. Pictured with Hayley are, left to right, Board Members Doug Gordon ’78, and Stanley Tyminski, President-Principal Terry Matthews, and Board Member Frankie Grom. Not pictured: Board Member Bob England ’83.
Hayley is an Honors student and member of the County Champion Varsity Softball Team! Keep up the great work, Hayley!
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Alumni Briefs
Mariam Fouad ’14 has made Hudson Catholic history by being elected the first female to sit on the Board of the HC Alumni Association. Mariam will serve a three-year term as Vice President - just a heartbeat away!
That heartbeat belongs to Brian Slattery ’94, elected as President of the Alumni Association, joining holdovers Dennis Danilewicz ’71 as Secretary and Laurence Basinski ’70 as Treasurer.
Michael Nazario, '11 and Amy Amzallag are the proud parents of daughter, Isla Rose Nazario.
You’ll find Steve Cuccinelli ’75 and Joe Costagna ’74 at Wonder Bagels, the primo bagel purveyors in Hudson County, on Central Avenue near Lincoln St. in the Jersey City Heights.
Rick Roscitt ’69, serving on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology, since 1998, currently in the role of Vice President.You'll be hearing more from and about Rick in the near future.
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‘…..The Shadow Knows’
We recently appealed to our alumni working in medical and health-related fields to volunteer as guest speakers to address our students enrolled in the Medical Arts Program.
In looking toward the fall classes, when we will have new Sophomores and rising Juniors in the program, Mr. Lou Tatti, Program Coordinator, is always looking to enrich our students’ experiences. Well, Mr. Tatti strikes again!
We are looking to initiate a ‘Student Shadowing’ opportunity for next year’s Juniors, at medical and health-related organizations that would preferably be within walking distance of, or a short commute from, the school. We anticipate this program beginning in February 2022.
Ideally, we would be able to form this experience utilizing health professional practices or organizations that could each host two students at a time to simply observe the activities of their business over the course of several weeks.
If you may have such an opportunity, or know of someone who could provide same, please contact Mr. Tatti directly at ltatti@hudsoncatholic.org, to give our kids some impressionable field experience!
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Meet the Grads
We've told you about the benefits to our Honors students who work through our Dual Enrollment Program with St. Peter's University.
Well, here are some of the glorious results.
At the recent commencement ceremony at St. Peter's College, 15 of our graduating seniors received their Associate's Degree from SPU!
Pictured here are, front row: Julia Escarez, Genesis Maravillas, Elizabeth Hernandez, Fiona Villa, and Shyria Patel. Top row: book-ended by President-Principal Terry Matthews and Director of Instruction, Bill Venezia '70, are Cheyenne Murray, Skye Sanders, Cheyenn Fulton, Alexa Villaver, and Nicholas Neme. Missing from these photos are: Zanai Jones (already starting courses and working out with Villanova basketball), Francisco Suazo, Farooq Syed, and Akshaye Tamasar.
They make us proud. Proud as a Peacock!
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Hawk Connections
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STAYING CONNECTED
Rising senior Len Gleason '72 and rising junior Gary Ferrari '73 recently met up for dinner at the Light Horse Saloon in downtown Jersey City. Notice the lapel pins, Gleason's 'the Beehive Bank' for Provident Bank, longtime supporter of Hudson Catholic, and Ferrari's 'Sign of Faith', the manifestation of loyalty to our school. Like soccer players after an international friendly, we kept our shirts on but removed and exchanged our pins in a sign of friendship. And how about those smiles!
Send us photos of your get-togethers!
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Past issues of
Building The Legacy
Are available at hudsoncatholic.org/hawknews
Editor's Note: in the last issue of BTL our fact checkers -- you! -- spotted a mistake that rendered a disservice to the County Championship Baseball Team of 1984, by identifying them as the 1985 team. We regret the error, along with any blow to the pride of '85 by stripping them of this mythical title! In fact, Rocky Pope's '84 team was the first County Baseball Championship in school history, and 'the '85 team fell short in the title game rematch with Memorial. Baseball Glory Days for sure!
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August 7th -- Belmar
go to hudsoncatholic.org/shore to let us know you are coming
Limited to 100
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Special thanks to our sponsor: |
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