Date: Fri 25-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Class-of-58-reunion

Full Text:

The Class Of '58 Celebrates Its First And Fortieth Reunion

(with photos)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

The Newtown High School Class of 1958 might never have held a class reunion if

it hadn't been for the 1850s farmhouse that Fred Rees grew up in on Hanover

Road.

Back in the 70s, Jack Qubick had asked former class president Roberta Duncan

Doucet about the possibility of a class reunion, but she was too busy with

young children at the time. Then the years just sort of slipped by.

Until last November, that is. Then Mr Rees, who now lives in Cave Creek,

Arizona, was interviewed for an article in The Bee about the farmhouse at 135

Hanover Road that was once owned by his family. He decided that 1998, the 40th

anniversary of the Class of 1958, should be the year for its first reunion.

Through The Bee, Mr Rees put out a call for his classmates to get in touch

with him. "If I didn't get a response, at least I'll know that I tried," he

said. "The first person who called was Graham Lord, who lives in Schenectady,

N.Y., and he said `Let's do it!'"

The graduating class of 1958 was small -- only 36 members. It was one of the

first to go all the way through the "new" high school that was built on Queen

Street in 1953 but later would become a middle school.

"At that time many students left Newtown after elementary school to attend

private high schools," Mrs Doucet said. "So we decided to invite everyone who

had been in the class at any time."

When the responses came in, Mrs Doucet, who now lives in Scotland, Conn., was

surprised by the results.

"Thirty-six classmates said they'd come," she said. "That's the same number

that was in the class at graduation, but a different mix. And most members of

the 1958 class are 58 years old now -- I thought it was a great coincidence."

Among those who showed up for the dinner-dance reunion at the Fireside Inn

last Saturday were Sandy Burdett (Dr Arthur Burdett) and his wife, Emmy

Johnson Burdett, the only two members of the class to marry each other.

"Emmy's dad, Cliff Johnson, was a dentist who brought his family up from

Bridgeport in 1950 to open a practice at 26 Main Street, across from the

library," Dr Burdett said. "They stayed at first at the Hawley Manor Inn. This

weekend we are staying there, too, except now it is the Mary Hawley Inn."

Dr Burdett's father had moved his family to Newtown from New Milford when he

became an officer, and later president, of Newtown Savings Bank. Sandy Burdett

left Newtown after elementary school to go to Phillips Andover Academy, then

to college and medical school. After becoming a surgeon, he and Emmy moved to

Palm Beach, Fla. 25 years ago.

"To me, walking down Main Street is the road not taken," he said. "I look at

(Dr) Bob Grossman and think, that might have been me."

Besides Mrs Doucet, the other class officers -- Vice President Sarah Jackson

of New York City, Secretary Barbara Mable of Southbury, and Treasurer Carol

Pekar of Seattle -- also showed up for the reunion. Mrs Doucet's sister, Amy

Duncan, a professional jazz pianist and member of the class of 1959, came with

the group to provide music for the dinner-dance.

The other classmates who attended, many of whom brought spouses, included

Jackie Benton, Danbury; Pam Daniels, Falmouth, Maine; Pauline Feli, Hudson,

N.Y.; Sherm Gaffney, Palatine Bridge, N.Y.; John Hallock, Bethlehem; Jean

Jandreau, Princeton, N.J.; Holly Kamas, Freeport, Maine; Al Killing,

Southbury; Heather King, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Pat Kingman, Rock Hill,

S.C.; Dan Knopf, Addison, N.Y.; Steve Kovacs, Newport News, Va.; Russ Manz,

Fonda, N.Y.; Tina Muller, South Salem, N.Y.; Pat Peterson, Bethlehem; Shirl

Rumble, Trumbull; Joanne Samperi, Murrysville, Pa.; Bert Shankman, Olney,

Maryland; Barbara Sult, Danbury; Al Temple, Huntsville, Ala.; Judy Tenney,

Roxbury; Don Trudeau, Trumbull; Ed Weber, Southbury; Ed Conger, Sandy Hook,

and Newtown residents John Wrabel, Dick Johnston, and Mike Zilinek.

Two teachers also came, Eileen Brenner Willing, who taught typing and other

commercial courses, and biology teacher Irene Mack Goodsell,

On Sunday, many of the class came to Jack and Terry Qubick's house on Apple

Blossom Lane for a picnic. They were relaxed and happy, recalling the

excitement of the previous night.

"Last night was like Christmas morning," Mr Rees said. "We were opening these

wonderful `people' packages to find out what was inside."