MARCH 21, 2025

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Hi Orchestrators of W-Melodies,  

CORRECTIONS:

Last week’s “WHS Note” incorrectly noted that Howard Megdal was in the Cherry Hill East HS Class of 1988; Howard’s grad class in 1998. The spelling of the “Clairmont Diner” was also incorrect; should have read, “Claremont Diner.”

Enid Hinkes (6/60) once again does “W-yeoman” service reporting on two additional Weequahic war heroes:

Donald Bearison (July 13, 1926 – February 16, 1945), a member of the Class of June 1944, left early WHS to enlist in the Navy. Donald lived at 56 Goodwin Avenue with his parents Alan and Belle Bearison. His sister Mildred’s married name was Mildred Goldberg. Donald’s “Legend” entry appears in the photo, below, and includes a fitting tribute to him together with another early enlistee, Arthur Schwartz. Don’s entry reads in parts, “A man of sovereign part; He is esteemed; Well-fitted in the arts; Glorious in arms.”

Donald was a Seaman 1st Class, US Naval Reserves and was assigned to the USS LCS-26, a littoral combat ship, a small surface vessel designed for near shore operations. He was missing in action or lost at sea and declared dead on February 16, 1945 during action in the battle for the recapture of Corregidor in the Philippines. Donald is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.  

John Joseph Brophy (1923-March 4, 1945), graduated WHS in June 1941. His “Legend” photo, below, appears together with the following entry, “A little mischief, a little fun, Really loved by everyone; Track, Cross-Country. Seton Hall.” John lived at 129 Hedden Terrace. His parents were John and Helen Brophy. He had two brothers, William and James, and two sisters, Mary, and Sister St. Philip Neri Helen. 

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was a Petty Officer 1st Class, serving as a Fire Controlman aboard the USS Luce. On May 4, 1945, the USS Luce was on radar picket duty off Kerama Retto, a small island near Okinawa. Her mission was to screen U.S. forces in the area to protect them from enemy air attacks. That morning, two Japanese kamikaze planes attacked the Luce. One was shot down, but its warhead detonated, causing a power failure on the Luce. The second plane then struck the aft of the ship, knocking out the port engine and causing extensive flooding. The order to abandon ship was given, but within moments, the Luce sank with 142 of her crew. John was declared dead while missing - MIA or lost at sea on March 4, 1945. He is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Enid

To Don Rosen’s (53) mention of cheerleaders in a recent “WHS Note:”

Sis Levine Gold (54/twirler)

Funny you wrote about the cheerleaders. I was with Ted Shpack yesterday looking through his yearbook. We spoke about the cheerleaders you just mentioned (Barbara ‘Cookie” Klein, Beberly Weissbard, Pala Katz, Sheila Grabelle). Small world! On my way down to see Pinky Gold. Sis

Janet Goldman Eber (53)

you got the cheerleaders and drum majorettes mixed up. The four you mentioned were truly beautiful but the cheerleaders in the Class of 1953 were Rita Pilger, Elayne Porozok, and me. We may not have been as beautiful, but we sure were louder! Janet

Weequahic surroundings on our minds:  

Joan Radin Gerard (1/62)

My mom shopped at S. Klein on the Square. I can still see the piles of clothing  

strewn haphazardly on large tables with piles of merchandise. Mom would join 

the shoppers pulling out items and holding them up for inspection. My friend and I got our first felt poodle skirts there, our scratchy crinolines and our pink leather jackets. Shoes were also strewn on tables attached by a string to keep them together.  

We would sort through the piles searching for the correct size and then try them on as we stood amongst the multitude of shoppers. Everyone was in search of a bargain and felt a sense of achievement when we found one. When my treasured Mom passed many years ago, in her linen closet I found a new yellowed tablecloth still encased in plastic with a sticker that said “S. Klein on the Square $1.99.” Joan

Jan Krusch (6/58)

To Allan Markus (66), thanks for jogging my old brain when you mentioned Andy's Sporting Goods Store on Osborne Terrace. My first tennis racquet was a blue and white made by Spaulding. It was made of wood and when not in use had to be placed in a wood frame so it wouldn't warp. The racquet was given to me by my family's wonderful friends and neighbors, the Gross Family when we lived next door to each other on Clinton Place. What nice memories! Jan

Leslie Goldman Pumphrey (6/62)

Just wanted to thank Naomi Lampf Gelfand (1/60) for her comment about Gil Lustig (1/60) who took the initiative to reach out to all of our classmates with a virtual yearbook he compiled. Also is appreciated is his including those who skipped out of our class to be able to graduate in June of 1959 for using the term “skipped.”  

When talking with friends as a (mostly) grownup about my past, someone invariably would ask me what I meant when I said that many of us were “skipped” to move to a June graduation date. Some of us even skipped twice. When I was in 4th Grade, Maple sent a letter home that asked our parent's permission to allow us to “skip” from 4B to 5B. We had gone through testing from Mildred V. Johnso; remember her as the Vice Principal?) My parents (and many others) flatly refused. 

I guess that by the next year, the administration got wiser. They didn’t even ask our parents. In the morning, we were in 5B; after we came back from lunch, we were put in 6B. We had been “skipped.” No request, just a “done deal.” We graduated from grammar school in January, 1959. 

After I got to Weequahic, I “skipped” once again. Like many others, this time I went to summer school to get sufficient credits to graduate in June 1962. So, I got myself “skipped.” Reading the word “skipped” brought back a flood of memories: the confusion of involuntary skipping; and the angst of classmates who, for some reason, were NOT skipped. Recalled feeling off-kilter and neither here-nor-there as a new member of the Class of 1962, yet with friends in the Class of 1963. Thanks, Naomi, for bringing back a term I hadn’t heard in many years. Leslie

The WHS NOTE is emailed to you by the WEEQUAHIC HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION for the CLASS OF 1963 ASSOCIATION and editor, Jacob Toporek.



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