Jim Kinsella

It's about freakin' time you joined the site Dr. Tuttle!

Yes the eclipse, I remember it to this day. We had some old exposed photographic film we were supposed to peek through, but that wasn't cutting it so we just kind of looked up. Looking forward to to seeing you (somehwere betweens the residual Sunspots) and the rest of the crew in a few days.

Be well!

Jim

Lisa Matino (Keys)

 Dear Friends

Best wishes to all in celebration of our 35th reunion.Sorry I cannot be there, but hope you are all well and happy. Jim-good job on the web site; I love the play list!

BTW-I am a competitive cook and if you'd like to catch a glimpse of me tune into the Beringer Wine Great Steak Challenge Cook-off on the food channel on Dec. 16th.

Lisa 

Kevin Kelly

Lobster - how is Ceto?!! Hope all is well with you in CT. Living with my little clan in Essex.

Best Kevin

Jennifer Anderson

Re: In Memory of Phil Rahilly

I just saw Phil Rahilly's obit was added recently; that he died just three days before my Dad this past January. It just reminds me of seeing the birthdays that Jim has so thoughtfully added to the site, and how cruel life can be sometimes. We have lost so many wonderful classmates, friends both pre and post graduation. And also teachers who spent all those years preparing us for life. For the future. I wish we had been taught about losing loved ones, and about grieving as well...

Phil was awaiting the birth of his first grandaughter due in March, and my Dad was waiting for his first great-grandaughter due in March. They both came so close to seeing these little miracles, then were called home too soon.

I hadn't been in touch with Phil, and don't know the circumstances of his death......I just so hope he was as lucky as Dad... to go peacefully, with all his family surrounding him with their love. Again, I've been reminded how important it is to acknowledge your love and thoughts to family and friends very, very often...every day if possible, because, you never know.

As I am re-connecting with everyone (slowly) I realize that though my high school years were very, very troubled ones, I wasn't without friends, as I so often felt. And I want to let you all know before it's too late, that I am so thankful.

And thank you Mary-Lou for  letting me use  my letter to you as a draft for this!

XXX to all!!

Susan Pace (Grau)

Can someone tell me if you were actual friends with John List (the son) who was murdered by his father, also named John List?  I knew him a little (he was in some of my classes and we'd talk), but I didn't know him really well.  There's a reporter who'd like to interview friends of the three kids and is having trouble finding people who knew John.  Thanks.  

Carl Forsberg

Hi Susan,

Nice to see you agian after a million years, yikes! Class of 1975 is almost ready for Medicare, haha.

I was John List's neighbor and new John pretty well. John Sr was a very strange guy and never ever really changed. 

If you want to give my name & email address to the reporter, that would be fine. Carl Forsberg - carl@forsbergmgmt.com

It's great to hear from you and your profile made me laugh "He got out when the gettin' was good!" You're too funny!

Have a great Summer and stay safe.

My best,

Carl

Michael Boyle

Hi Susan

John List and I were friends ~ to the degree he had any. The family was strange even before the murders. You are welcome to give the reporter my contact info. Although I deny knowing Foresburg. :))

Howard Pecker

I was a friend of John's for about 6 months after we met on the soccer team. We were the bench warmers ;).  Not best buds. I remember that big old house from hanging our with other kids in his neighborhood. Was he also in boy scouts, or was that his younger brother? Freddy?

What peeked the sudden interest?

Mark Travis Fuller

Strange - I'm working on a coming of age script and the "List" story is a hard one NOT to include.  I still believe I was the last to see John alive.  We were buddies in Mr. Speakers Metal class - the class Dominick Rizzo made me faint!  When Speaker left the class for a minute Dominick bet me he could make me faint.  Essentially he had me hyperventilate and then wrapped his arms around my chest, squeezed, and knocked the wind outta me.  Speaker found me past out on the floor so I spent the rest of class in the Nurses office.  It was great!   I hated Metal Class.  The next day I asked Dominick to do it again!  R.I.P. Dominick!!!

The day John was killed I was working that god awful 'greeters' desk in Roosevelts foyer right inside the front door.  John came out of the office several periods before the end of the school day and wished me a "Happy Turkey, turkey!"  I asked him what was up, how come he got to leave early?  He told me his family was headed out of town, driving, (Michigan?), for the holiday.  If I'm to believe what we've all read he had quite the physical battle with his father before being killed and dragged to the Ballroom.  I still remember Westfield making the 6:00 news - nationally - the day the bodies were found.   It was such the oddity at the time.  People you knew didn't get murdered - or died, got divorced or were abused by the adults who supposedly loved them.   Nowaday there's not a day goes by without hearing the horrors of such atrocities minute by minute.  R.I.P. John!!!  Yours was the death of innocense.

Frank Scandale

Curious who the reporter is, or which publication? I moved into Westfield not far from the List house the following year and was immediately brought up to speed about the murders from my new friends on North Chestnut Street. Later, I wrote some stories on the case for the now-defunct Daily Journal in Elizabeth as a reporter covering Westfield and the region. Years later, as the paper's city editor, we got the tip how List was captured in an accounting office in Richmond, VA, and then close the loop by sitting in on List's trial. Surreal from beginning to end. 

Bradley West

Joan Cunnick

I was contacted by a reporter from The Star Ledger.  The reporter told me the paper was doing a piece recognizing the 50^th anniversary of the murders.  Since I did not want to be interviewed, I did not keep her name or contact information.  A producer from Glass Entertainment Group in Philadelphia also reached out via email.   At that time, they anticipated producing a podcast with 8 to 10 episodes.  The contact is Carrie Hartman (chartman-ic@glassentertaimentgroup.com).  Again, I did not grant an interview.  Like Brad, this brings back nothing but horrible and very sad memories.  May Alma, Helen, Patty, John and Fred rest in peace.

MaryLou Anderson (Relle)

👍 Thanks for passing the information along Jimbo!

Richard Fromm

This is Richard Fromm some of you called me by a different name because sometimes I was that name hope all is well with everyone still here would like to here from someone that would be great.

Kevin Kelly

Jim Kinsella

Hey Kevin, I hope this note finds you well!

Thanks for the heads up on Coach Horne's passing. While I didn't play for him, I did work for him atMindowaskin Swim Club for several summers. He was a good guy but he was hell to ply against in Volleball at the club

I posted his Obit on the In Memory page

John Howell

Coach Horne's 1971-72 team is iconic: Tim Goski, Scott Novacek, Larry Simmons, Tom Pfeiffer and Steve Reddy. I especially remember Goski and Novacek playing down the street from me at Gumbert. Some of the best players in North Jersey (hence, the state) came to Gumbert for high-intensity pickup games during those summers under the lights, including John Shumate (Elizabeth) and Gary Brokaw (New Brunswick). The weekend games were so popular that Westfield Public Works foreman Bob Kling (remember our old summer job boss, Glen, Tommy?) eventually brought in bleachers for the spectators and kept the lights burning until like around midnight. (I hear it's an ice rink now?)

Daniel Dillon

Good memories of WHS Basketball.  another Goski item, was an all star game we saw where it was NY V NJ and Tim Goski was the star for NY and Ernie Grunfeld was the star for the NY team.  I think he was from Long Island.  Tim lit them up for like 37 points to something over 30 for Grunfeld.  He was one of the most amazing players and ahead of his time.  I agree John, he reminded me of Pistol Pete as well.

Good Times

Dan

Claude von Roesgen

Ernie Parizeau

Claude -- So cool to see familiar faces...How the heck was that almost 50 years ago!  Thanks for posting from one of your friends who was in the remedial french class.  Ernie Parizeau

Thomas Willard

The WHS Class of 1975 will have its 50th high school reunion in October.  The main event is at Ferraro's at 7 pm on Saturday, Oct. 11.  I'm organizing other things to do that weekend to make the trip worthwhile.

I've made arrangements to tour the high school on Friday at 3:30 pm.  A group is capped at 25 people but they can have more than one group if enough people are interested.

On Saturday morning, there's a football game scheduled at Gary Kehler Football Stadium.  I sure hope they still sell big pretzels.

On Saturday afternoon, I'm working on:

-- A visit to the newly rehabbed Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad.  (The person who answered my email knew my dad, who passed in 1994.)

-- A peek inside the old Rialto Theatre and a presentation about its capital campaign to become a world-class arts center.

-- A visit to the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center sponsored by the Westfield Historical Society

-- "Meet Sy Montgomery's Cutout" at the Town Book Store.  Sy can't be with us but a selection of her books will be on display.

-- The Westfield Public Library is already having a Sustainable Home Fair on Saturday that we can visit, and they will set up a table of 1975 artifacts to welcome us back.

Any other ideas for things we could do?

I arranged for the Westfield Inn to hold a block of 15 rooms for us at $200 a night (Oct. 10-12).   Call them directly and mention our reunion - (908) 654-5600.

I want to experience Westfield again and relive my youth and spend some time in the places where it all began.

Does Baron's Drug Store still have that weird smell it always used to have?

Here's a FB group where I'm keeping track of these events:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/694492280414175

Susan Carroll (Carroll)

Hello all! When and where is the 50th reunion (if anywhere)? .I'm willing to help with my time.

Thomas Willard

Here is a flyer I made, though the Saturday afternoon details still need to be worked out.  For information about the dinner at Ferraro's, please find Diane Dinielli Deegan on Facebook and ask her to send you an invitation.  

Leslie Silver (Osher)

WELL DONE!

Steven Solon

Thanks for arranging the 50th for us.  I expect to attend.  Thanks again!