St. Mark Class of 1947 shares memories of the past at reunion in Bristol
Advance correspondent
BRfpTOi BOROrde - ptK jark pchool Class of 194T’s reunion on cridayI gune T was a breakfast gatheringI elegant in its simplicity and indicative of the priorities of the eight who attendedW friendsKLS, IDLWK DnG fiHUFH ORyDOWy. ,nJUDLnHG graciousness and great humor seasoned the back room at the town’s well-known Radcliffe CaféI as the eight classmates who attended shared memories and laughterK
Times have changed since that 194T when denK deorge jarshall announced a plan to aid and help rebuild a war-ravaged EuURSH, HRwGy DRRGy PDGH KLs fiUsW 79 GHEuW, DnG WKH fiUsW 7Rny AwDUGs IRU theatrical achievement were presentedK Through the post-war years to man on the PRRn; WR SunN URFN; WR SRSHs HOHFWHG fiUsW IURP PRODnG, WKHn IURP AUJHnWLnD; WR WKH canonization of Bensalem nunI jother hatharine Drexel; to the devastation of the planned closing of ptK jark pchool to the exhilarating announcement that the 12R-year school would remain openI this hardy group remained closeK
“f think our continued friendship shows WKRsH WKLnJs fiUsW DPRnJ RuU SULRULWLHs: wH value friendsI we value loyaltyK f thank dod for these friends because we’ve been there for each other through good times and bad timesI” said eelen voungloveI her fellow classmatesI including jary jcflvianI gohn eoffmanI frene jarkel EspositoI goan dirard RitterI goe DixonI jildred eirschI and iillian densbauerK
AORnJ wLWK PHPRULHs, SLFWuUHs wHUH handed around of teachersI all pister pervants of the fmmaculate eeart of jary; and the old school building that once stood on the S00 block of Radcliffe ptreetK There was much discussion over which of the nuns was strictI which one’s sense of humor made classroom life pleasantK The eighth grade teacher in 194T was pister jarie DavidI “small but mightyI” they agreedI but a very good teacherK
“7KH nuns KDG D JUHDW SRsLWLYH LnfluenceK They prepared us for lifeI although we didn’t realize all that when we were in schoolI” said goe DixonI an accountant who still goes to work every day as head of the Rohm and eaas Credit rnionK
Rohm and eaas was another element WKDW fiW LnWR WKH UHunLRn EHFDusH PRsW RI the group spent their working lives thereI either in administration or researchK But the lasting friendships are all the more impressive becauseI after ptK jark pchoolI many dispersed to different high schoolsI including Bristol eighI North CatholicI DnG 1DzDUHWK AFDGHPy.
jcflvain said it was more than sharing a classroom that kept this group togetherK ft was the belief in dod and shared faith that was instilled in them by the sistersK
“The nuns gave us a tremendous sense of spirituality as well as an excellent educationK vesI they could be toughI but we learnedI” jcflvain saidK
The moving force behind the party was gohn eoffman’s wifeI iorraineI who decided that it was time to bring everybody possible togetherK phe sent out invitations and received no regretsI she saidK
“They all went to school togetherI many of them worked together and this yearI they’re all U0 and f thought we should have this celebration breakfastI” iorraine eoffman saidK
eer husband agreedI saying that a celebration of shared experiences at ptK jark pchool and growing up in a small town was in orderK
“A ORW RI SHRSOH Ln RuU FODss GULIWHG away but most stayed around hereI in town and in our church communityK f’ve been a member of ptK jark marish for U0 yearsK We all came from different parts of town but put togetherI we were all equalK Nobody was treated differentlyK There was no place better to grow up than BristolI” he saidK