"There are places I remember
All my life...though some have changed.
Some for forever, not for better,
Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
in my life I loved them all."

Paul McCartney, John Lennon

Share Your Memories of Your High School Experience with Us!

Email your comments and/or photos to:

Bill Diebold at:
wdiebold@charter.net
or Andree Close Hall at:
anidiwi@aol.com
or Carol McNay Johnson at:
cmj8279@yahoo.com

(or if you prefer go to our Facebook Reunion page and post your comments there: https://www.facebook.com/SaintMonicaclassof1964

For a higher resolution image of the above 1964 graduation photo go here

 

A lot of us started here...8th Grade Graduation. Recognize anyone?

I know what you're thinking. The picture above is nice, but we didn't go back far enough.

How about this one?

Wait.  Wait!  Okay...so you're from St. Marks Elementary..

Thanks to Dave Gossman we gotcha covered.  Go here!

For those of you who thought that Carol McNay was a bit of a Lolita in high school we have found the proof. She can be seen here getting ready for her close up on the sequel of the same name (Part Deux) filmed right on our own campus asphalt over lunch one day.

But I know the question that is burning away in your inquisitive mind.  "Would Dottie Rose approve?"

Based on all of that knee showing, I think we can all agree she has finally gone too far.

BTW amongst the shocked girls in the rear of the photo is our own Andree Hall (far left.) 

 

 

Bruno Tonin finally cleaned out his garage and look what he found!!!

I would give anything to have my old school jacket and letterman's sweater.  I think I sold mine to a junior when I graduated and my mom, God love her, threw away my school jacket while I was still in Vietnam because she didn't think I would want it anymore. (I have a flight suit from my Vietnam days that is so small I would majorly hurt myself if I tried to get into it.)

Hmmm....I wonder what's in your garage.

Carol Johnson found this..."Lost in the fifties, Another place another time."  Like her I remember most of them...and I remember the Olympic Drive-in very well...but not the movies I saw there.  It is a short four minute presentation of things from that era...we were lucky to grow up then I think.

Follow this link   http://safeshare.tv/w/FEDEwZHZXu

 

 

And if you still haven't got enough of the nostalgia, try this link...an actual travel log on Santa Monica in the fifties.  It is 30 minutes long but it is also guaranteed to bring back lots of memories.  Those were the days!! I love the street scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_v4XUy-f4&feature=youtu.be
More BMOC 8th grade pix.  You gotta love it!

Found these two while walking around Santa Monica pier.  I don't know if you can recognize them, but one of them is a classmate of ours.  (I don't know who the gent on the left is but his caboose seems to be overtaking his train.)

Give up?

Well.....the young man on the right is Ron Hutchison and he has his arm around his beautiful wife, Judy.  They live in Santa Monica.  Judy is still working as a big wig nurse at St. John's and Ron is keeping busy in the Insurance business.  btw their 50th wedding anniversary is coming soon.

 

....and yeah, you guessed it, they have been added to the ever growing LONG list of those who have promised to send in their stories.  I find it ironic that now with summer and me with loads of free time, suddenly everyone has gone quiet.  Come on, gang.  Send me your story.....what have you been up to the last fifty years?  It can't be more boring than mine!

Paul Daspit sent me this photo of Shirley Armienti trying to fly.  It makes me smile just to look at it.  If you look closely you can see Ron Ward in the background trying to fly too. 

I think gravity caught up with me....especially now-a-days.

Joni Esser Gregg

This just in from Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The girls are at it again,

or to quote the great Harry Carey "Holy Cow!"

Go Cubs!

(From the left, Janet, Joni, MaryEllen, Debbie, Clare, and Patrice.

 

Sherry DeHetre

 

"Found these.....wanted to share with everyone."

Read all about it!

What are these good looking youngsters admiring?

Go here and find out!

"Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway.
Lookin' for adventure,
In whatever comes our way"

and that all rhymes with Ray!

 My High School Memories / Saint Monica’s Class of 1964
by Tom Mack

Quite a few of us in the class of 64’ actually started out together in Kindergarten in the old “Bungalow” located just south of where the “Boys” building now stands on campus. I just received a copy of our kindergarten class photo from Carol McNay-Johnson bringing back oh-so old memories. I think I see Carol, Sharon Pape, Margaret Sullivan, Karen O’Dell, Patti White, Mike McShane, Mike Mullin, Rene Torres Bill Simpson, Richard Havel, Anthony Albanese and myself, the others are lost to time I’m afraid unless others can put names to faces.

Freshmen year was quite a change from grammar school, as it was called then. New faces from down south, the “Venice boys / girls” as well as the newcomers from the “Palisades” arrived.

Dances, we bought tickets that were sold “Stag” or “Drag”, girls and boys on opposite sides of the room. Dates mostly after driver’s licenses were obtained. CYO Club, I think that was active Freshman-Sophomore years, it’s foggy now but there were dances with a record player in Cantwell Auditorium on occasion and once there was a “Snow Trip” to Big Bear, Crestline or Arrow Head. I remember something about some “Slow Gin” being on the bus but not sure anymore.

Freshman Football, then JV’s as sophomores. I think Havel and maybe Elliott and Flanagan made it up to Varsity for a game or two sophomore year.

So many things flashing back: dances in the gym, football games, hanging out in the school yard before and after school as well as lunch time. The guys trying to look cool, the girls rolling up their plaid skirts to and from school or when the nuns were not around.

I believe the class of 64’ had a big part in having “Green + Gold” day permanently canceled. That was junior year I think, a little beer before the carnival began did not sit well with the Brothers of St. Patrick, no sir! The poop hit the fan, most made it through ok but it was not a happy time.

Going to CIF playoffs in Football Junior year was great, coach Vukelich, “coach” was great to play for and several of us who played for him still stay in touch, he and his wife Rose live up in northern California in the town of Winters.

Basketball games were always looked forward to. It takes great coordination to play, therefore I did not. However, watching the games and the dances afterward was memorable. Jack Dirman our student body president was very good, Stan too, Hector not so much. Couldn’t help myself Ken…

Student Council was fun and sure made HS interesting. The elections and our young attempts at campaigning seemed mature at the time. Came across an Evening Outlook newspaper article with photo on our “Senior Project”. Maybe it will make a memory booklet. Good picture of Mike Horton...miss Mike, great guy.

Buzz Wisda, (greatest name ever) forever tormented by RH in class, never in a bad way unless you were Buzz of course.

Tom Lennon, always so serious in class, it would have been way better if he had just loosened up a bit. Malloy, loved his Tee shirts much to the brothers chagrin.

The Venice Boys were a special group and way ahead of us from SM. in some things.

Latin class, Brother Ignatius, always wanting to know if we “gotta book” or told us to “look in da book”.

Volleyball in the yard outside the gym. Can still see Albanese, Elliott and others at it. All could jump then.

Junior Prom with Karen Goldie, how fun was that at the Beverly Wilshire! She emailed me a few days ago (reunion list) and may have a picture. Ran into her in the Palisades at her folks place some years ago. She was married and lived in Texas, she had a strong Texas accent which blew me away. Thought she was putting me on, but no that was real. Looking forward to seeing if she still speaks Texan at the reunion.

Graduation night, OMG, for those that attended the party in Topanga at Perry’s folks beach house all that can be said is that it was not “prudent”… it’s a miracle attendees survived. Breakfast was at Toni Lenwell’s house. We lost Toni to soon.

p.s. It was the best of times.

Went on to College in Portland, Hector and I roomed together first semester…that was special…stories not appropriate here.

This is the program for the 1963 CIF playoff game against Simi Valley.  Spoiler Alert!  We won! Can anyone name all of the offenses that Coach Vukelich installed at St. Mo's (and caused a lot of fans to show up at our games)?  I can name a few: Penn State spread, Lebanon Valley Spread, the Notre Dame box, and that really cool one where everyone lined up the left or right of Richard Havel (who was the center and was eligible for a pass because of this.)  I think that one was called 'the Oakie'. 
This is the cover for the CIF program above. 
Seniors Playing Football with Coach Woody Bray

Biker Babes
Carol, Toni, Karen

I know...I know...you can't help asking. Which came first?

Photos of "The Gang" courtesy of Marilyn McGowan Dixon
The "Great White Steamship" to Catalina. St Mo's used to sponsor a trip on Ascension Thurs. We didn't have any school that day because it was a Holy Day. (From left: Kathy Gray, Carol McNay, Marilyn McGowan, Liz Talbot, Jean Dorsett, Susie McNay, and Linda Jones) Brunch - at Carol's house. (Pam Kellogg, Jean, Marilyn, Liz, and right foreground Donna Rivera and Esther Galvan)
Pam's 18th - B'day gifts of hats for the " closet Protestant" in our class. One of our reunion Lunches in LA before Liz passed away. (Jean, Marylou Harley, Carol, Marilyn, Kathy Talbot and Liz.)
Carol McNay Johnson: "Here are some other things I remember."

Carol McNay Johnson

Joni Esser Gregg

"Shirley and I remained good friends, seeing each other every few years throughout her life. We reconnected the last year of her life and shared some special moments up until the end. Got to say goodbye the last day and say "I love you" for the last time. Sweet. Always so sweet!"

Joni and Shirley in Tijuana

20Year
Reunion Committee

 

10 Year

Reunion Committee

 

The Venice Boys: Denis, Bob, Bob, Tom, Dave, Mike and Stan (would be a TV show today.)


Paul Daspit photos.

Paul was our primary photographer during our senior year. He covered every football game and got some great photos. The photo on the right of Bob Klein catching a touchdown pass against Alemany was widely praised at the time as being 'the best ever."  It was indeed.  The one on the left is of Terry Flanagan.


Bill Diebold

 

 

 

Carol Johnson sent me a video that her husband/airline pilot sent her.  He thought I would like it and I did.  But it reminded me of a video that played every night as one of the late channels signed off while we were in high school.  It featured a poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr. that inspired me greatly.  When I flew in Vietnam I always carried a copy of the poem with me and I got it out and read it as I was flying.  I will never forget that.  I have put a link to actual footage of that late night sign off.  If you aren't moved by it, you aren't human (or just really really old!)

Go here to see the video (turn your sound on to hear the poem): High Flight



Toni Manocheo Flynn

 

 

"Go Mariners!!
Patty, Patrice (top row), Joni, Toni, Debbie (bottom row) in our respective boyfriends' Varsity football uniforms.
Tommy, Bobby, Terry, Dave, Stan must have been wearing towels in the locker room! Who dared to take this fun photo?" Toni 
(Paul dared.  Photo by Paul Daspit)

 



Bill Diebold
 

Second semester, I broke my heel, just about the time my wrist healed that i broke in first semester.  I was up on top of the gym taking a photograph of the student body down below before school started.  Afterward I jumped from the top of the gym down to the girl's school roof.  It was about an eight foot jump and harder than I imagined and when I got up my heel hurt.  I waited until second period and finally went to tell the dean I thought I broke my heal.  He didn't believe me but gave me a pass to WALK (really) down to see Dr. Mack who was about four blocks away.  When I returned I marched right back into the dean's office so he could see I was in a walking cast with crutches.  I thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head.  I went through five walking casts in six weeks. Needless to say, the staff at Dr. Mack's were not happy with me either.  Here is the photo that caused THAT broken bone in my senior year.  To see a larger version of this photo Click Here.
I still went out for track season.  I have the world's record for the 120 yard low hurdles in a cast.



Joni Esser Gregg

"I am still enjoying friendships made long ago." Joni Gregg

Clare, Patrice, Janet, Joni, Debbie.

For a full size view
go here or click on
the photo.


Prom Photo Section 
(If you still have your Prom photo....send it to us. We will post it here.}

Bill Diebold / "We're having some fun now!"

This photo is only for real awkward-photo buffs. (i.e. you like awkward photos, not that you're awkward.) It looks like only Carol, Ray and Ron are having a good time.  Patti Gillespie looks like she is ready to get down to business (watch out, Ron.)  MaryJo looks like she is thrilled to be with me (or is about to faint.)  And me....well you can make up your own caption.  I like the one above.  To see a larger resolution of this photo go here.

 

Debbie Sulllivan Levin

This picture was taken at my house before our Senior Prom From left to right: Joni and Terry Flanagen, my sister Tricia Sulllivan Biagini and Joe Urrutia, Patsy Kidney and Allan Opstedall, Patrice Henry and Bobby Elliot, Patty Healy and Tommy Lennon, Arlene and Richard, and Stan Logsdon and I.

Karen Goldie Fuhr

Me, Mike Horton, Connie Skiman and Kip Keel

Karen Goldie Fuhr

Mike Horton, Me, Tommy Mack and Patty Healy