Sylvia Rodites (Georgeadis)

Dear classmates,

Yvonne Pelino (Pelino)

Sylvia :  first of all you look wonderful! I'm so sorry you won't be attending the reunion. I was looking forward to seeing you. But your health is of paramount importance so just continue to heal and regain your strength. You will be inmy prayers!  God Bless!

Yvonne Pelino

Diane Laskey (Belitskus)

So very sad to hear about Sylvia Roditis.  I remember many happy times at her house on our way somewhere with her Mother and Dad worrying....always worrying.

Angela Redding (Reiter Hill)

Dear Sylvia..........I am sorry that you were not able to attend our wonderful 50th Reunion but please know that we all thought of you and were wishing you well.  I remember all of the fun times that we had at Ken High.  God Bless you on your journey.

Wayne Schuricht

For Alex and all Sylvia's wonderful family,  rest assured that the class of KenHi 63 will always remember Sylvia and keep her in our hearts.  And we know that when we are fortunate enough to gather again, her spirit will certainly be PRESENT with us.  Warmest regards and please accept our most heart felt condolences for you loss.  Wayne Schuricht

Robert Engle

I turn 70 in February, to be followed by many classmates throughout the year, I'm sure.  I was 11 days too young to start first grade in 1950 [Harmarville School], so I started a year later.  There were so many war babies that students old enough to start had to wait an extra year.  There was only one elementary school in Harmarville, and every class had 50 students [!].  I transfered to Greenwald School over Christmas break 1953, when my family moved to New Kensington.  The classes were much smaller.  At that time, Greenwald only went up to 4th grade, so I went to my third elementary -- Valley Heights -- for 5th and 6th grades.  Three of the schools I attended no longer exist: Harmarville, Valley Heights, snd Ridge Avenue Junior High, along with the church I grew up in:  Maranatha Bible Church.  The College-Conservatory of Music facility I attended for three years moved and was leveled, along with the fraternity house I lived in.  The house where I lived in Harmarville is an empty lot.  So much history lives on only in my mind.  It's difficult to return home, except for the wonderful friends and family that are still there.  I love this website.  Thanks to its originators.  

Wayne Schuricht

Well I just revisited all the responses on this page, and really enjoyed reading them and the memories they brought.  As Bob Engle stated in his response of Dec.26, 2014, many of us, infact probably all of us will be turning 70 this year.  I hope many don't feel it.  Fred Grau, Tom Orszulak, Harry (Buzzy) Woloson and I have been meeting for a golf outing two times a year and it is a pure pleasure to share good times, fellowship, and of course, memories.  It is time to share your memories and lives with all of us, we don't have too many rounds left.  So please visit this website often, update your profiles when special things  happen to you and your families.  I know I will enjoy reading them and I am sure many share that sentiment.  All the best to all of younz!  Wayne

Fred Grau

John Sopko, Sharon Heister-Presken and I are looking for information or anecdotes about Harry Hendricks.  Our classmate was killed in Vietnam in June of 1967.  John Sopko first noticed that there was no photo of Harry with the biographical information on the Wall web site.  John, with Jackie Anderson's help, has corrected that problem.  His yearbook picture is now on the site.  Sadly, there is no information in his biography that connects him with New Kensington or KenHi.  His hometown is listed as Akron, Ohio. Classmate Bill Baker has attached on memory on the site, that recalls Harry and he doctoring their report cards before they took them home.  Sharon Heister-Presken has been using her computer sleuthing skills to find a New Kensington connection, but has had little success.  Harry must have been in my homeroom, but regretfully I have no recollection of him.

Someone must have memories or anecdotes.  I hope one memory will prompt more memories and we can build a history of Harry's life at KenHi and in New Kensington.  John Sopko will see that the KenHi/New Kensington connection gets posted on the Vietnam Wall website.

Yvonne Pelino (Pelino)

Freddy, how sweet of you guys & gals to do this.  I have very fond memories of Harry Hendricks and get tears in my eyes anytime I see his picture or hear his name.  He was a very sweet gentle soul and always smiling. He and my brother Dennis were good friends at one time and he was often at my house. They were both in Viet Nam around the same time. Dennis is out of the country right now but I will ask him if he recalls anything specific about Harry. Funny how talking about it takes you right back there to 1962/63 and you see that person's handsome face, demeanor and smile!  Thanks again. Blessings!  Yvonne Pelino

Bill Baker

Harry Hendricks a good guy !

Harry lived with his mother and brother Ray in a small frame house on Craigdale Rd across

the street from Sandy Meanor.  We played hardcore tackle football in the lot.next door.

Some of the players were Harry, Ray, Dennis Keyes, Jim Parkhill, Rick Gerhart and myself.

Some mornings when we waited for the city bus (our school bus back then) we would play dodge ball

in the street. 

Bill Baker

.

Roger Loughran

Good to hear from you Bill and you are right with most of it.  I was going to write earlier today but was involved ironically with a Wounded Warrior golf outing.  Harry and Ray lived on the North side of Craigdale and I thought next door or two doors away from Sandy Maenor.  I remember Bill and Jim Parkhill running together with us when attending Ridge Avenue and then our high school early years.  Bill may have been with us on a Friday night when Harry drove my or our baptism to hard core liquor.  A pint of Four Roses to be specific.  We had been to a movie and when I got sick in my bed room, I told my mother it was due to bad popcorn from the Liberty Theater.  I am sure she never smelled the alcohol.  I remember my Uncle had died that night, Charles Hankey whose funeral home was on Freeport Road across from the Aluminum City Club.  Ray was dark haired and cool.  A Fonzie type cool as I recall.  Short in stature and a smooth talker.  Similarly his brother Ray was much the same and a year behind and was a Paul Newman Cool Hand Look cool.  I recall their mother being a nurse who was on shift work so their home was available at times for us to pursue some teen age unsupervised activities.   Overall Harry and Ray were both good people who I lost touch with late in high school and after going to school out of state.  I was shocked to hear we lost him and I believe from our class he was the only member of our class of 63 we lost in Vietnam.  Frank Oliver from 65 was the other.  I was there 1968 to July 1969 and visited the wall several times and they were the only two names from our school I recognized.  Our class was lucky.  Good memories and best to all.  Regards, Roger Loughran

Fred Grau

Great work Roger and Bill.  Keep them coming classmates.  

For those of you who are not in the New Ken area and did not notice.  John G. Stephens, KenHi band director, died late last week at the age of 93.  I suspect his name will stir some memories.

Fred Grau

Memorial Day 

Lieut Harry L Hendricks

Birth: Oct 6, 1944  Death: June 12, 1967

1Lt Hendricks was an Army Infantry Unit Commander (Special Forces Qualified).  He was assigned to DET A-104(Ha Thanh), C Co, 5th SF Group when his tour of duty began on Apr 9, 1967.  His length of service was three years.  On June 12, 1967 he lost his life when his unit was on a reconnaissance patrol when they engaged a hostile force in a firefight in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam.

His name can be found on Panel 21E Line 95 of the vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

This information was discovered by Sharon Heister Presken in her search of US Army Archives.

Jackie Anderson (Donley)

What a wonderful way to honor Harry.

Sharon I knew you would be the one to find this info.....thank you.

And thanks to you Fred for posting this.

Wayne Schuricht

OK fellow Red Raiders, most of us will hit the big 7-0 this year.  How about some profile updates and especially pictures of your families and your wonderous adventures.  Fred Grau, Tom Orszulak, Harry (Buzzy) Woloson and I have been getting together 2 times a year for some golf.  At our reunion we had a fun scramble at Bird's Foot that Tom and Fred coordinated.  This September around 18-19 we are hoping to get together in New Ken.  Maybe we could get a group together for another outing, either before or after those dates.  Let me or one of the guys know if you afre interested.  My email is wesdo77@aol.com and CP 817-689-8640.  Hope this interests some of you.  Thanks, Wayne Schuricht

Wayne Schuricht

Well our mini reunion is over  and a great time was had by all.  We hope to continue these informal gatherings about every 2 years.  So keep on reading these notices and perviewing this website for future updates.  Thanks and take care of yourselves and keep in touch.

Wayne Schuricht

Howdy from Texas,(again).  I hope all are well, happy, and at peace with your lives.  We are planning another informal mini-reunion on Fri. Aug26, 2016 at the VFW on Wildlife Lodge Road in Lower Burrell.  Food and drinks on your own, but friendship, memories, and renewing old frienships ( and maybe even making some new ones) are FREE.  Hope to see younz"all there!!  All the best, Wayne Schuricht

Wayne Schuricht

To all my fellow Ken Hi 63 classmate.  I feel obligated to relay my recent personal journey.  Three weeks ago I had triple coronary bypass surgery, and today Sept 11, 2016, am on the road to recovery.  My purpose is to implore all of you not to dismiss, forgo, ignore, etc your need for routine evaluations - colonoscopy, cardia stress tests, eye exams. etc.  We are all now over 70 and we  ALL will get an unwanted diagnosis sooner or later, and yes we will all meet our maker.  However maybe we can prolong that meeting.  I am very fortunate because my cardiac ischemic problems were discovered during a nuclear stress test.  I had no prior symptoms, no chest pain, a little more SOB which I assumed was just "old age".  I am active, play tennis and golf regulary, have no hypertension or diabetes, am overweight, but considered myself pretty damn healthy.  Boy was I wrong.  I am lucky because I did not have any heart muscle damage prior to my surgery, but I was a walking time bomb.  So my plan now is to hopefully change my lifestyle to one more healthy, but not to stop living and enjoying the few years, hopefully, that I have left.  I know not too many classmates read these messages, but hopefully this one will find and help a few of you. All the best and I hope to see many of you at our next reunion in 2018.  Wayne Schuricht   

Roger Loughran

I hate to say great news Wayne given you had to go through this but great you discovered the condition and that you and they were able to do something about it.  As I read this I thought you were describing me.  You pretty much summed up.  I do all the tests, know I have stenosis and I am annually told it isnt time yet.  Follow your Doctors advice and enjoy each day.  Best to you, Roger Loughran Oh, and have fun and laugh a lot.  

Joyce Reed (Myers)

I hope many read this message Wayne!  My prayers are with you and I wish you well!  

Darlene Farkas (Sprowls)

Saying thankful prayers for your recovery, Wayne.  You are sooo right.  And I want to add that LADIES, THIS MEANS YOU, TOO!   Get your regular medical checkups and GO TO THE DOCTOR if you have anything that doesn't seem quite right.  You will not waste their time.  A wonderful gift we can give our children is not having to worry about their parent's health.  And this just doesn't mean heart.  Have your blood tested for diabetes, thyroid levels, etc.  Your doctor knows best.  So, live healthy, listen to your bodies and go to the doctor if things just don't seem right.

Darlene Sprowls

Wayne Schuricht

Darlene, Joyce, and Roger,  Thanks for your kind words and prayers.  I know too many people don't use the message forum and am pleased that you did.  Darlene, maybe you could post a note on the front page  reminding classmates to look at the message forum occasionly. Maybe a few more people would realize it is available.  Thanks again to all of you.  By the way itlooks like I can now go off my supplemental home oxygen as my red blood cell/ homoglobin levels have recovered.  The heart lung bypass machine evidently destroys many blood cells and most patients, including me, are anemic after the surgery.  So one more tiny step on the road to recovery

Fred Grau

Great Public Service Announcement Wayne.  You are still not getting any strokes.  We will be thinking about you.  Mostly nice thoughts.  My prayers continue.

Roger Loughran

I think anyone on a home oxygen system and a heart lung bypass machine should be given strokes.  Keep us posted Tom and best to you in the recovery weeks.  Roger

Roger Loughran

I meant Wayne.  Still early yet.