Comments:
Fair Lawn has always been my home. I guess because I lived directly on the Saddle Brook border, there were rivalries on "whose town was better"! Our neighborhood consisted in part of Paula Hardy, Jean and Franklin Sogorka (their father was the mayor), George Dougherty, Betty Nehaz, Ruth Prelick, Barbara Profiko and a handful more who weren't in our class. Memorial School: We will always look with pride to Memorial School which is our guide: Her gleaming colors white and green show the glory we have seen! So Memorial School, we will strive ahead and follow on where you have led. Thank you Ruth Gerstein and Assoc. Not that I am stuck in another era, but I do cherish the memories in a special place in my heart when I recall "Our strong band can nere be broken formed in Fair Lawn High far surpassing wealth unspoken, sealed by friendship's tie". It is so true that the warmth and pride that we have from founding years in our school experience are lasting all our lives!
S. Alan Cohen was one of the greatest and most influential teachers I ever knew and as a totally different person, Mrs. Heffler also had a tremendous positive influence. Not to overlook the first strongest woman I had ever met in my early times at Warren Point: Mrs Maria Ferris who was my third and fifth grade teacher.She played piano and sang with gusto! She was a wonderful, compassionate teacher. We knew of her three children John, Brian and Paula (with the long braids!) It was a great mystery to us why she didn't have her own kids in her class!
I made great friends in FLHS: sports, service, Honor Society, yearbook art staff (which I might add included Rita Curtis!). Some I went on to college with; stayed in touch with over the years or not. Let's hope as many as possible of us will take advantage of getting together this fall.
Fifty years have gone by; what have I done? I married my heartthrob (thought I couldn't live without him); have four wonderful children, am blessed with an ever growing number of grandchildren. I learned I could live without him. I am employed by my best friend (with flexible hours so I have freedom). I was a trainer/instructor with Elaine Powers Figure Salon, I taught fitness classes at River Dell Regional Schools after my fourth child was born. I began teaching when she was four. Members of my family have been in every school level at the same time in the same school years. Ours was a very busy, productive homelife. Lisa, my youngest, was overheard telling the school nurse at back to school night that it wasn't late for her to be out, "the action just starts at 8:30 at my house"! We have a sixteen year age range, start to finish, with our children
Homesites have been Fair Lawn, Oakland NJ, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Lewes, DE, and now Bogota NJ.
My family, friends, lots of good and loving people in my life have helped me to make a healthy transition back into my single life. I travel a lot visiting family and friends; I still paint, draw, teach children's art classes. I do enjoy writing and have accumulated a number of stories and poems. I think each new day is a gift which we should treasure, yet not be afraid to share and enjoy.
My best to all of you........Louise P.S. It is April 1, 2022 and we are rapidly approaching our class reunion. How great it will be to see one another. "Look at all we have derived out of being alive," , , Just stay "
young at heart!"
