Class News and Notes

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July 1, 2026: Shared by Steve Cohen with thanks to Andrew Siegel MD:
Getting Older Is Inevitable: Getting Old Is Optional Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: Aging is UNDEFEATED. Father Time ALWAYS WINS.

Nobody gets out of this alive. Not your Peloton instructor, not your dermatologist, not even that annoyingly fit 78-year-old who just passed you on the tennis court while discussing his new startup.

A useful way to think about aging isn’t in years, but in phases: the “go-go,” “slow-go,” and “no-go” stages.

In the go-go years, you’re active, mobile, and still chasing experiences -- travel, hobbies, maybe even pickleball-induced overconfidence.

The slow-go phase sneaks in more subtly: you’re still independent, but you start choosing convenience over adventure, shorter walks over long hikes, early dinners over late nights (your body’s version of last call).

Then comes the no-go stage, where health and mobility limitations take center stage, and the focus shifts from optimization to comfort and support. The goal, of course, isn’t to fear these stages -- it’s to stretch the go-go years as long as possible and soften the landing into the others through strength, mobility, and a little strategic stubbornness.

Now here’s the twist -- one that turns conventional thinking on its head: Getting older does not have to mean “getting old.”

That’s the central premise of Super Aging: Getting Older Without Getting Oldby David Cravit and Larry Wolf, a book that argues we’ve been thinking about aging all wrong. And frankly, it’s about time. Because if living longer simply meant more years of decline, confusion, and complaining about restaurant noise levels, evolution might want a refund.

Instead, we’re entering an era where people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond are not just surviving -- they’re thriving, producing, learning, and occasionally outworking their children.

The Old Model: Default Aging (AKA The Slow Fade)

For decades, aging followed a predictable script:
Work hard
Retire
Decline
Collect pills like Pokémon cards
This “default aging” mindset assumes that after 65, the highlight reel is over.

Spoiler alert: that model is outdated.

Today, many people have 20 to 30+ years of life after traditional retirement age -- often with more freedom, resources, and accumulated wisdom than ever before.

So, the real question becomes: What exactly are we doing with that time?

Enter the “Super Ager”

According to Cravit and Wolf, “Super Agers” are people who reject the slow fade and instead treat later life as a second (or third) act -- arguably the best one.

Seven core ingredients -- “7 A’s” -- consistently show up in those who age well:

1. Attitude

Not toxic positivity. Not denial.
But a deeply held belief that the future is still worth investing in.

Turns out, optimism isn’t just pleasant -- it’s biologically relevant. Less stress, less inflammation, better outcomes. (Your mitochondria apparently prefer optimism.)

2. Awareness

Super Agers don’t passively age -- they stay informed and adaptive.

They read. They question. They Google their doctors (you’ve been warned).

In a world where medical knowledge evolves rapidly, curiosity is no longer optional -- it’s survival.

3. Activity

And no, this doesn’t mean becoming a triathlete at 82 (unless you’re into that sort of thing).

It means keep moving -- physically and mentally.

Walk.

Lift.

Stretch.

Learn Italian for no practical reason.

Because the body and brain respond to demand. Stop demanding, and they happily comply.

4. Accomplishment

Retirement is not an endpoint. It’s a platform.

Super Agers continue to:

Build.

Create.

Contribute.

Occasionally annoy their adult children with new ambitions.

Purpose, it turns out, is not optional. It’s protective.

5. Autonomy

Control matters.

Super Agers fight to maintain independence: financial, physical, and psychological.

Not because they’re stubborn (though, yes), but because agency is tightly linked to well-being.

6. Attachment

Here’s the part many high achievers miss: Loneliness is as dangerous as smoking.

Super Agers prioritize relationships -- family, friends, community, even that one guy at the gym who insists on talking between sets. Connection isn’t just emotional -- it’s medical.

7. Avoidance

This isn’t avoidance in the psychological sense -- it’s strategic.

Avoid:

Sedentary behavior.

Social isolation.

Scams (financial and medical).

The belief that decline is inevitable.

In other words be proactive, not passive.
The Takeaway?
Aging hasn’t changed. But what aging means has changed dramatically.

We now have:
Longer lifespans, health spans, and matter spans
Better health tools
More autonomy
And (let’s be honest) better sneakers (I love my Hokas from Ramsey Outdoor Store)
Which means the old narrative -- decline, disengagement, dependence, decrepitude -- is no longer inevitable.

A Prescription (You Knew This Was Coming)

If I had to write this as a prescription:
Take one dose of purpose daily
Move your body like you plan to keep it
Invest in relationships like they’re a retirement account
Stay curious enough to annoy younger people
Refuse to accept “that’s just aging” as an explanation
Side effects may include:
Living longer
Living better
Becoming that annoyingly vibrant older person everyone secretly wants to be
Final Thought

You can’t stop aging. But you can absolutely decide what kind of older person you’re going to be.

The difference between “getting older” and “getting old”? It’s not luck. It’s not genetics alone. It’s a mindset -- reinforced by daily choices. And the good news? It’s never too late to start acting your age…just not in the way people expect.

Wishing you the best of health,

Andrew Siegel, MD
December 13, 2025: From Steve Cohen:
This is a piece I wrote for piano and violin called "To a Fading Rose".

We played it at a concert I organized at my tennis club two weeks ago.

The violinist, Everhard Paredes and I barely had time to rehearse it.

As a musician friend of mine described it, "It really captures an aptly melancholy elegiac mood."

Hope you enjoy it.

Steve Cohen
Click here to watch the performance of Steve's composition: https://youtube.com/shorts/yXSZdZs_PtM?feature=share
April 16, 2025: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow '60

Location and time of he THS mixed class get together has changed. It is now:

Tuesday, May 27th 1 PM luncheon at Amarone, 63 Cedar Lane, Teaneck. Providing nice weather, we will be on the Cedar Lane terrace side. Questionable weather and overflow will be on the Broad Ave terrace side and indoors. Pay as you go format. RSVP when possible. Cancellations are unavoidable and understandable.
March 26, 2025: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow '60:
I am arranging another casual THS get together on Monday, May 26th. Ordinarily we would not schedule these gatherings on a holiday (Memorial Day) but we would like to include some out-of-towners who will be here for that weekend.

Join us at the Suburban Diner, 172 Route 17 (northbound) in Paramus for early-bird dinner at 4 PM in their "party room". As always, it is a pay-as-you-go format from an extensive, reasonably-priced menu.

The event is open to all who attended Teaneck High School and their partners. Please RSVP to me by May 12th for an accurate count.

I am looking forward to welcoming you and sharing special memories. BAM5666@aol.com 201 489 8881 201 926 7998
February 10, 2025: Memories of THS Shared by Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60 on the occasion of an informal alumni lunch April 2024:
Pip Squeaks and Idols: A Tribute to our Upperclassmen From the Class of 1960
Like many classes, our reunions started out being just for our classmates. As time went by and we were not as able to travel or plan in advance for large events, we did regional events and invited members from other classes. Most were lunches done in diners here in NJ but we had a few in Orlando courtesy of Art and Karen Brown. When Covid hit, all bets were off and finally, today, this is the first one we’ve done since. This time word seems to have gotten around and it’s the first time we have members from the class of 1956 at one of our gatherings. We are delighted you are here. In appreciation, I would like to acknowledge you by reading a tribute to you especially, and also to all who were upperclassmen to us, the class of 1960 and to those that followed. I’ll begin by taking all of us back to about 1954. Fresh out of Washington Irving elementary school with no middle schools on the horizon, I was still twelve years old when I began my first day at Teaneck High School as a 7th grader. I was to be in that building for six years, the first of which were shared with 17- and 18-year-olds, an enormous physical, psychological, intellectual and chronological gap. That gap provided a pedestal upon which stood some real or imagined idols who were the upper-classmen of THS. They were the cool kids, the trend setters, those we emulated because I guess we were in a big hurry to grow up. If they had pony tails, we wanted them too. The DA hairstyle was popular then and emulated by both boys and girls. If the guys wore their garrison belts with the buckle on the side rather than in front, our boys did that too. We turned up our collars and bought pink and black outfits, not realizing how ridiculous we looked because we were still pip squeaks with clothing that came from the kid’s section of the store. You had boy and girl-friends, we did not because we were barely at the threshold of adolescence and puberty. You held hands while the thought of touching hands was still pretty new and some thought yucky. You struggled with teenage skin; our skin was still clear and baby soft although the boys were probably impatient to begin shaving. You went to prom; we saw how beautiful you looked in your tuxedoes and gowns and could only imagine what it might be like to have someone buy you a corsage that matched your first formal. Our first attempt at high heels sent us careening into the nearest wall. In school, we watched you glide through the halls and were filled with envy that you knew where your next class was and were able to navigate from a locker to a remote room filled with specimens preserved in formaldehyde. We would not be in that room for another four years. We were able to see you up close if we joined the band, the orchestra or the choir or after school activities that were open to all students. Nevertheless, you had your own language: daddy-o, cool-cat, hep-cat, bee-bop which we were so eager to decipher and integrate into our vocabulary. You had your own style of dancing to wailing saxophones and you practiced at Teen Clan or Little Brown Jug. We were barely out of ballet school and piano lessons. That first day of school we were given a white card that was a schedule of our classes. One of them was called “Citizenship” and for the life of me, although I can remember Mrs. Netts the teacher, I cannot recall what we studied. We were also assigned a locker and a combination of three numbers, left, right, left. That is where we stashed our coats, our books and perhaps a trombone. The lockers were an indescribable shade of brown with lots of dents and black scuff marks made by impatient students who became exasperated when the locker wouldn’t open or close properly. Because they were metal, there was a constant clanging sound throughout the halls that accompanied the chatter as students raced from one class to another. More than two thousand students choked the halls making it difficult to navigate and get to class on time in the three minutes or so that was allotted. The school was enormous or so it seemed at the time. There was a junior high section which housed the cafeteria, the music room, home economics, shop and art classrooms. The senior high section had the chemistry and biology labs and the library. In the center was the auditorium where we were entertained by G. Donald Mairs’ band and orchestra, Valentine Glockner and later Lawrence K. Hayford’s choir, and the Playcrafters, Teaneck High School’s drama club. The gym was on the first floor but the ceiling was so high that it actually took up two floors. We had separate lockers which were used for changing our school clothes into gym clothes; blue rompers for the girls and grey shorts and shirts for the guys. We wore US Keds or PF Flyer sneakers. Other than hockey and softball, we had a course called “apparatus” which seemed to be taken from military training camps. Whether boy or girl, you had to climb ropes, hurdle the pommel horse, swing from giant rings that hung from the ceiling and drape yourself around uneven parallel bars. And then you had to scamper back into your clothes to get to your next class. Showers were out of the question and gratefully, not mandatory. Lunch time was staggered because there were so many of us. A cashier sat outside the cafeteria where you bought your lunch tickets in either five cent or one cent denominations. When I entered 7th grade, a hot lunch was 26 cents; when I graduated in 1960, the price had jumped to a whopping 32 cents. We had 28 or so minutes to buy lunch tickets, select our food that was doled out by ladies in hairnets and beige uniforms, eat lunch, return our trays to a conveyer belt and get to our next class. If you have indigestion now, you might want to blame it on the lunch schedule. Some of us had double sessions which meant that part of the year we were in our first class at 7:06 AM and finished for the day at 12:26 PM. The other part of the year began close to 1 PM and we walked home in the dark because classes ended close to 5:30. Academicians had no idea how much sleep teenagers needed and this schedule must have played havoc with our collective body clocks. As we eased into life at Teaneck High School, we enjoyed Saturday football games against our greatest rival, the Hackensack Comets. We went to wrestling matches, basketball games and memorized all the cheers as we watched the cheerleaders urging our beloved athletes up and down the football field or basketball court. Eventually we pip squeaks emerged from our larval state and went to the Soph Hop, the Heart Hop, the Sadie Hawkins dance, the junior and senior prom. We went on a class trip to Washington and eventually on to an impressive graduation ceremony during which we were filled with pride and in some cases relief. And so, what then seemed an insurmountable gap between members of the class of ’56 and the class of ’60, today is insignificant. Incredibly, we are no longer separated by maturation stages or rites of passage but are all now in our 9th decade, something that would have been unimaginable to predict back then. So, in case the pipsqueaks never thanked you, today we have the chance to tell you how you helped us through those awkward years and in many cases served as role models for us in hopes we could do the same for incoming classes. I’ve already introduced you to some of us who probably touched your lives in one way or another. That is no substitute for mingling. I can’t promise you won’t run into your baby sitter or the kid that delivered the Sunday Sun to your doorstep. But you’re very likely through a couple of degrees of separation to meet someone who I hope will bring back special memories for you. Bonnie A. Morrow
January 17, 2025: From Steve Cohen:
This is the link for my latest song entitled "Hymn For Peace". https://share.icloud.com/photos/006X1LUjTv2f4f2PsIqf0S0EQ (download to see and hear Steve play his composition).
June 22, 2024: From Camille Hannan Norton:
A few local NJ classmates gathered at the home of Linda Goodier Gerdes for some light refreshments and reminiscing. A good time was had by all! We even sang (badly) the Alma Mater !

Seated l to r: Rich Norton, Charlotte Meurer Himmelman, Steve Cohen, Peter Ignall.
Standing l to r: Camille Hannan Norton, Beverly Britt Katz, Myrna Mahler Cooper, Barbara Ley Toffler, Sheila Zeppenick Wides, Linda Goodier Gerdes, Tom Siwulec. (Missing: Fran Dickstein Einiger).
February 18, 2024: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60:
I am happy to announce the re-scheduling of last October's Teaneck High School mixed-class get together. The date is Saturday, April 13th from 11:30 AM until 3:00 PM at the Dynasty Buffet 383 Market St.Saddle Brook, NJ. just west of Hackensack. The date is approximately two weeks after Easter and ten days before Passover.

There are very few well-ventilated eateries with private rooms, good food and reasonable prices. Our classmate, Howard Koval was kind enough to recommend Dynasty Buffet and we had lunch there to ensure this trifecta.

Although the name sounds as if it the cuisine would be Asian, it is actually quite varied and includes Italian, "American comfort food" and Asian choices. There are numerous appetizers, salads, soups, entrees that include fish, chicken, pastas and beef, and desserts all of which make up hundreds of options from which to choose, all beautifully and immaculately displayed. Gloves are available for use in handling serving implements.

Lunch price is $19.99 plus tax per person with unlimited trips to the many buffet stations. No liquor is served nor permitted; beverages are coffee, tea, and sodas and are served by a wait staff. With a gratuity, we estimate a final cost to be about $26 per person. The lunch price and tax are payable at the cashier's station prior to seating.

The restaurant is large with a footprint that spans most of an entire block with plenty of parking. Everything is on one level affording easy access.

The restaurant has been given a deposit in order to reserve their private dining room. Therefore, I will need a count by the latest, Wednesday, March 20th. While I understand that some last minute cancellations are unavoidable, please consider that the deposit was made in good faith and it is not refundable if either the event is cancelled or we do not have a minimum of 35 people; we do expect to go well beyond the minimum, however. Last minute attendees are welcome.

Please RSVP directly to me at BAM5666@aol.com. I cannot always tell your name by your e mail address so please provide your name at graduation, your class year and the number of people you will be bringing.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at this special gathering even though many of us do not live nearby. In any case, we will be thinking of you and wishing you well.

Bonnie Firmunn Morrow, THS '60
August 30, 2023: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60:
Dear THS Alum:

We are disappointed to tell you that due to rapidly rising cases of the new Covid strain, we have decided to postpone the September 24th THS mixed class get-together until another time, perhaps in the spring. Our age cohort coupled with more than 50 alumnae in an indoor venue put us at risk and has led to this difficult decision.

We apologize for whatever disappointment and inconvenience this might have brought about. When originally planned, we had no idea how quickly the number of Covid cases and hospitalizations would increase. In fact, many of the media are now calling for a return to mask-wearing.

Best regards and good health -- we look forward to seeing you at another more appropriate time.

Bonnie Morrow '60

bam5666@aol.com and

Bill Hardy '58

whardyjr@aol.com
July 11, 2023: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60:
Our mixed THS class get-together will be held in a private room at the Suburban Diner, 172 Route 17 (northbound), Paramus, NJ. The room is reserved from 2:30 until 5:30 PM on Sunday, September 24th.

As a courtesy to the wait staff and in an effort to minimize separate checks, please plan to pay for your food and beverage in cash. Select one person from each group of five or more at your table to collect money; that designated person will be permitted to use his or her credit card. There is no charge for the private room.

Karen Lowry Brown and husband Art will be coming up from Florida and I am hoping Jean Chambers Lammers and Larry will drive up from Virginia. Others are scheduled to make the trip to join the NJ locals. If you require overnight accommodations, please let me know. I will publish an attendee list as we get closer to the date.

Please RSVP to Bonnie at bam5666@aol.com by September 1st although last minute reservations and cancellations are understandable. It will be delightful to see you all again; I only wish everyone could attend.
December 10, 2022: The Record:
After nearly 90 years of serving homemade ice cream in Teaneck, the Cedar Lane institution Bischoff’s will close its doors for the final time at the end of 2022.

Co-owners Steve Mather and his mother, Anita, said closing the business had been under discussion for over a decade. Ultimately they made the decision to close because the financials just weren’t going to work. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

“Costs are too much,” Anita Mather said.

The shop implemented changes with the intention of helping the business improve. Among those changes, Bischoff’s finally began accepting credit cards in 2019, after it turned 85.

“Things actually did look like they were going to improve,” Mather said. “And then COVID came along and just stuck a knife in our back.”

While COVID-19 wasn’t the only reason, it didn’t help that the number of customers never quite returned to prepandemic levels. Bischoff’s also sells assorted candy and chocolates. But Steve Mather said it has become increasingly difficult to buy inventory from the candy suppliers, who tailor their products to supermarkets and large chain convenience stores. And consumers aren’t as interested in specialty candies, instead seeking out discounts.

It’s a universal plight that many mom-and-pop shops have faced. Times have changed, and eventually that caught up to Bischoff’s.

The family fought for years to stay open, even despite advice to the contrary from accountants. The emotional bond was just too strong. But finally they made the difficult decision.

“We’re at the point where we just need to close and say it’s been a great life,” Steve Mather said. “And it has.”

The ice cream parlor will close for good on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m., meaning people will have a few more weeks to say goodbye to the storefront with the huge clock next to its sign.

A family business

Although it was established in Teaneck in 1934, the confectionery’s origins date back to the 1890s, when Albert Biswho choff first opened a place in New York City. Then came a move to New Jersey, with a first stop in Leonia before it opened in the building at the heart of Cedar Lane where it would remain.

Bischoff’s is a family business through and through. Mather, the greatgrandson of Bischoff, now runs the iconic shop with his mother, Anita, who inherited it from her father, Ralph Brunkhorst, son-in-law of Bischoff.

Anita, a Teaneck native, ran it for years with her late husband, Gary.

“It’s been my whole life,” she said. Steve Mather is the only person from his fifth grade class who is doing what he set out to do. In his yearbook, he was quoted as saying he wanted to be working in his grandfather’s ice cream store. He started working there at age 12. Now with three kids of his own, Mather still lives in Teaneck, running the family business 41 years later.

Bischoff’s kept Mather’s family close-knit. Steve worked alongside his grandfather for six years before the latter died, and with his mother for 40 hours a week for decades. Now they’ll have to start planning weekly lunch dates.

Steve started running things about eight years ago, when his father got sick. Gary Mather died in 2020.

A Teaneck institution

Bischoff’s is an irreplaceable Teaneck icon. Mather likened it to “Cheers,” and the description fits. He has developed friendships with customers and former employees that have lasted years.

When the news of its closing leaked Monday night on Facebook, Bischoff’s was packed with people and received a deluge of phone calls — on a Monday night in December. Some asked if the news was true, and others shared their memories.

One of Mather’s former employees came in saw the skeleton crew, grabbed an apron and helped clear off tables and wipe them down.

It was Monday night when it started to hit the Mathers. The response from the community was huge. Steve said it began to feel like a wake.

When the shop opened Tuesday morning, a handful of customers came in. One couple thanked Steve for the memories that they’d shared over the years.

Online, floods of social media posts from current and past Teaneck residents have asked how they can help.

For many, Bischoff’s is inextricably linked with Teaneck. Part of Cedar Lane’s fabric, it was the place to go after a slice of pizza or after a movie at Teaneck Cinemas. Its iconic green stools and booths have been the sites of many first dates, anniversaries, birthday parties and Little League postgame gatherings.

“The name ‘Bischoff’s’ is synonymous with Teaneck and has been for almost a century.,” former Mayor Paul Ostrow said.

The first ice cream cone Ostrow bought with his own money was from Bischoff’s. He paid 12 cents for it.

Jackie Kates, another former mayor, went to Teaneck High School with Anita, then Brunkhorst. Kates would bring her daughter, now in her 50s, to Bischoff’s for lunch frequently.

“We’d walk in the stroller because you could get either a free ice cream or soup if you had a sandwich,” Kates said. “I would have a sandwich and the baby would have ice cream for dessert. And that was our regular routine.”

The news of Bischoff’s closing even made its way to Dave Davies, iconic guitarist for The Kinks. He tweeted his sadness that one of his “favorite places in Teaneck” is closing.

Former Major League Baseball player Doug Glanville, a Teaneck High School alumnus, told The Record his phone blew up when the news came out. He said it was like his childhood “just died.”

“It served our community,” Glanville said. “To me it’s so much bigger than an ice cream shop closing. Because they were part of that fabric.”

Moving forward

Bischoff’s 89th birthday would have been in February. Steve isn’t sure what he will do next, but will likely take some time off before looking for a new job. Anita is off into retirement.

“I’ve been here to support [Steve] and try to keep us going,” she said. “But now I guess I’ll stay home for a while.”

Anita said one thing she’ll miss in particular is putting together the famous Bischoff’s novelty displays and gift baskets, something she learned from her mother.

She recently assembled a package for a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary who had their first date at Bischoff’s.

“It will leave a big hole,” Anita said.

For Steve, he will miss the people. During the pandemic, when indoor dining wasn’t yet allowed, people would line up outside, ready to go in one at a time. Steve would spend his workday standing outside ushering the line and striking up conversations.

“The people in Teaneck are amazing,” he said.

Given the craziness of Monday night, Steve expects the demand to be “insane” over the next few weeks. He’s not even sure if there will be enough ice cream to serve everyone who comes in.

Bischoff’s likely never would have lasted forever. Steve said he didn’t intend for his kids to follow him in multigenerational business ownership. They are all pursuing different interests.

“I knew I wanted it to end with me,” he said. “I just hoped it would be maybe 10 or 15 years from now. We didn’t make it.”
September 13, 2022: From Irwin Gordon: Been doing a lot of woodcarving and doing pretty good. Won first place for my eagle and gorilla and second place for my cowboy. Won them at the Sevier county fair. If anyone is ever in the Pigeon Forge area please give me a call. You can stay at one of my log cabins free and I'll even buy you dinner. Stay well everyone.
August 30, 2022: From Karen Berg Cheney: Hello from afar..
it's amazing what you all have done..Here is my email.

kcheneyiw@gmail.com

If you are ever in the Coachella Valley look me up..It is a beautiful place to live. Regards, Karen
July 29, 2022: From Kevin Reilly: Just retired after 53 years college teaching.
July 17, 2022: From Rick Hayden:
Interesting Facts For You . . .

You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900’s.

You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.

You are the last to remember ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves.

You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.

You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the "milk box" on the porch.

You are the last generation who spent childhood without television; instead, you “imagined” what you heard on the radio.

With no TV until the 1950s, you spent your childhood "playing outside." There was no Little League.

There was no city playground for kids.

The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like.

Telephones were one to a house, often shared (party lines), and hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy).

Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked.

Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon.

'INTERNET' and 'GOOGLE' were words that did not exist.

Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening.

New highways would bring jobs and mobility.

The radio network expanded from 3 stations to thousands.

Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families.

You weren't neglected, but you weren't today's all-consuming family focus.

They were glad you played by yourselves.

They were busy discovering the postwar world.

You entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed and felt secure in your future although the depression poverty was deeply remembered.

Polio was still a crippler.

You came of age in the '50s and ’60.

You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland.

The second world war was over and the cold war, terrorism, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with unease.

Only your generation can remember both a time of great war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty.

You grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better…

You are "The Last Ones.”

More than 99% of you are retired, and you feel privileged to have "lived in the best of times!”

Amen!

It’s great being part of the 1% Special Group!
July 11, 2022: From Irv Singer: I moved to Teaneck in my senior year- as an athlete I came to a school that excelled in every sport so I had to accept being a spectator. I think the school came in first place in every sport that year! My memories of high school were mainly from Weehawken HS and so were my long term HS friendships but….had I not moved to Teaneck there would be no Iris Rosenthal (Class of 1961) in my life . Wife of 57 years, mother of three terrific children and Grandmother of our four Grandchildren - so I am grateful that I wound up in Teaneck, even for one difficult year as a 16/17 teen. Thank you TEANECK!
July 7, 2022: From Steve Cohen:
I wrote this piece called Elergy for two pianos and it was performed May 1st by the host of the Two Piano Festival and her musical partner in Ridgewood ,NJ.. It is dedicated to the people who suffer such terrible death and destruction in Ukraine. This is a video recording made on my son's apple phone of my composition. (To see and hear the performance of Steve's Elergy click here: https://youtu.be/mCYvWq_5D7g You may comment by using the Contact Us feature)
- From Micki Wolfberg Grunstein: Magnificent!!! What a talent you are. I got chills listening to it. Keep writing wonderful music... you make us all so proud.
July 7, 2022: From Len Garille:

Re: Richard Birdsall -He was our Junior High School baseball coach. We only played on Sat. because we were on double sessions. I believe that we were undefeated. We only needed one pitcher ARNE. Birdsall should have been named head basketball coach instead of John Misko, who then was the Garfield basketball coach. Mr Birdsall was a terrific coach and person.

Richard J. Birdsall, 99 of Palm Coast, passed away June 20, 2022 at The Azure of Palm Coast.

Mr. Birdsall was born February 10, 1923 in New York City, the son of Anson and Cornelia Werner Birdsall.

After graduating from high school, he was drafted into the United States Army, and was stationed in Europe during World War II. He received an honorable discharge and started teaching after obtaining his degree from Iona College. He taught American history for 32 years in Teaneck, N.J. He always considered teaching to be his calling in life. He often said, “God gave me the talent to be able to talk to kids. I teach kids to find their talents.”

After his retirement, he and his wife Evelyn moved from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey to Palm Coast in 1980. Mr. Birdsall was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. He enjoyed golfing, carving, and creating stained glass art. He continued to use his talent as a teacher by volunteering in various Palm Coast schools. He mentored many students and taught them to play chess. Over the years he carved hundreds of Santa Clauses and handed them out to the students at Christmas.

His wife of 74 years, the former Evelyn Bilek, passed away January 27, 2022.

He is survived by two daughters, Jane Murphy and her husband Paul of Oxford, PA., and Ellen Freedley of Jacksonville FL., six grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and loving caregivers, Tiffany and Jon Santiago.

Besides his wife and parents, he is preceded in death by two sons, David, and Peter Birdsall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the St. Gerard Campus, 1405 US-1 St. Augustine FL 32084

Family and friends will be invited to a memorial service planned for September 10, 2022 at 1:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church Columbarium.
June 15, 2022: From Mike Malin. I published a book last October: Chemistry and Mechanism of Art Materials. Unsuspected Properties and Outcomes. Routledge/ CRC Press. It's a chemistry book which takes the last 20 years of art conservation work and explains how various art pigments discolor. Also deals with the toxic properties of art materials. Advertised on the Internet.
December 17, 2021: From Dick Spinelli Not sure the last time I posted a message here, but wanted everyone to know that I am well and enjoying life in Southern California. I live in the Coachella Valley about 15 miles east of Palm Springs. I still work a few hours a week as a consultant, but spend most of my time playing golf, 3-5 times a week. Looking forward to returning to the norm we were used to before 2020 or whatever the new norm is hoping it means getting together more frequently with family and friends. I do stay in touch regularly with Max Hasse. Fortunately my two sons live with their families in the Los Angeles area which allows me to see them somewhat regularly. Hope all of you are safe and staying well.
September 5, 2021: From Barbara Ley Toffler
Hi to All, living back here in Teaneck and joining with some wonderful friends to fight ( and beginning to beat) a truly unresponsive and possibly corrupt town government. Sue Sowers Freitag- sooo many thanks for 1) the Rosenfelt books - about to start my 7th!! 2) the recommendation to get meds etc. transported to Haiti, and 3) best of all, the phone call - so wonderful to hear a voice from a friend since second grade!!
September 4, 2021: From Phyllis Griffin Oltmann
Thank you so much, Camille, for your time and devotion to keeping us all able to continue our conversations with high school friends! I am still finding it difficult to believe that Covid has turned our world into such turmoil, but I have found one special light within this pandemic – that is, the time to reach out to old friends and acquaintances. Having relocated to Florida shortly prior to the onset of the pandemic I really had to find innovative ways to meet new people and stay in close contact with old friends and family members who are living in many different areas of the world. We are truly blessed to be living in an era when communication is always just a few strokes of a keyboard or phone call away. May we all stay safe and continue with a healthy outlook!
July 5, 2021: From Irwin Gordon (sorry for the late post. I missed this one! CHN) Had a hip replacement five weeks ago and after two days in ICU I wound up in a rehab facility. Doing lots of PT and OT. I want to get out of this place as soon as possible. Surgeon said it was the roughest surgery he's done in 17 years because of all the arthritis I have. Still in much pain. We're booked to go to Africa in early February. I need to fully recuperate quickly. Hope all is well with everyone.

June 27, 2021: From Sharon Goldman Mayer Hi Sue (Sowers), I have been reading thriller and detective stories all my life so I decided to try your recommendation. Checked him out on Amazon and there are 20+ books in the series. I’ll let you know what I think. Sharonmayer4@gmail.com.
June 27, 2021: From Dick Spinelli Not sure the last time I posted a message here, but wanted everyone to know that I am well and enjoying life in Southern California. I live in the Coachella Valley about 15 miles east of Palm Springs. I still work a few hours a week as a consultant, but spend most of my time playing golf, 3-5 times a week. Looking forward to returning to the norm we were used to before 2020 or whatever the new norm is hoping it means getting together more frequently with family and friends. I do stay in touch regularly with Max Hasse. Fortunately my two sons live with their families in the Los Angeles area which allows me to see them somewhat regularly. Hope all of you are safe and staying well.
June 16, 2021: From Mike Denino I am fairly new to this site. Just wanted to say hello. I have lived all over the country over the years and am presently living in Virginia (just outside of D.C.).
June 15, 2021: From Mimi Vibert Miller I realized I had not heard from the website for quite awhile...hope all is OK! Enjoying getting back to "normal" or whatever "normal" is, but my calendar is filling up!!! Love to everyone.
May 9, 2021: From Sue Sowers Freitag A recent May 2021 random choice of authors and book titles resulted in astonishment!. Has anyone read Rosenfelt's thriller books? The first chapter of "Open and Shut" mentioned the Lincoln Tunnel GW Bridge and "a bar in Teaneck NJ". I was hooked on this defense attorney who has mentioned Englewood, Garfield, Hackensack Hospital, Bergen Record, Fairleigh Dickensen, in the two books I have read. On my third! I'd love to hear from you.
March 8, 2021: From Fred Gruber
I WOULD LIKE FRIENDS AND ALL TO KNOW THAT AFTER 21 YEARS ON THE 330 ACRE LAKE LOUISA, I MOVED IN AUGUST 2020 TO CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – SAME PHONE NUMBER 540/967-3616.

I LIVE NOW IN A SMALL HOUSE (PERFECT FOR SINGLE ME) ON 2.5 ACRES NEXT TO THE 4 ACRE LOT OF MY SON. IT IS A DELIGHT TO BE NEXT TO MATT, 43, HIS WIFE SUMMER AND TWO TERRIFIC GRANDSONS, JOHN 10 AND ANDY 8 – THEY VISIT OFTEN.

I AM 79 AND FULLY RETIRED, AND VERY HAPPY – AND ALWAYS GLAD TO GET A CALL FROM THE PAST (OR FUTURE).!
March 4, 2021: From Al Cohen Living full time in Beaufort, SC, near the Parris Island Marine training base. My wife and I live in a converted 100 year old grocery store that served this neighborhood of mostly descendants of freed slaves... Union captured and freed all slaves in 1861.
February 9, 2020: Len Garille shared this article about our late classmate David Stern:
The Washington Post

David Stern built the NBA into a colossus, but he was an even better man

By John Feinstein

Columnist

January 2, 2020 at 7:00 AM EST

David Stern died Wednesday at age 77, and the tributes will pour in for days, weeks, months and years. They will all be deserved. They will focus — correctly — on how he turned the NBA around at a time when the league was struggling, best described in the early 1980s by great writer David Halberstam as “too black and too drugged in the eyes of the ticket-buying public.”

Halberstam made that comment in 1980, shortly after writing his brilliant book “The Breaks of the Game” and a few months after Magic Johnson’s remarkable 42-point performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals had been televised on tape delay by CBS.

Yes, tape delay.

That’s where the NBA was at that moment. Stern was then the league’s executive vice president, the No. 2 man to Commissioner Larry O’Brien. In that role, Stern negotiated two changes that began the NBA’s turnaround: the advent of a salary cap and of drug testing. He became commissioner in 1984, guiding the league with a firm and unrelenting hand for the next 30 years, and the league began a renaissance that has seen few setbacks since.

People will point out that Stern and the league were aided immeasurably by the arrival in 1979 of Johnson and Larry Bird and then by Michael Jordan’s explosion as a player and as a corporate salesman after he turned pro five years later.

Stern would be the first to agree with the notion that Johnson, Bird and Jordan made his job a lot easier. But it’s my belief that Stern would have found a way to rebuild the league regardless — he was that smart and that good. His public persona was tough and uncompromising. And when it came to important matters — especially union negotiations — he was exactly that.

But the Stern I was fortunate enough to get to know wasn’t like that at all. He was someone who always tried to do the right thing, and he didn’t ask for any credit.

In 2006, after George Mason made a miraculous run to the Final Four, the board of directors of the Children’s Charities Foundation wanted to take advantage of Mason’s newfound popularity and make the school a part of the BB&T Classic that December. There already were two games scheduled in what was then Verizon Center involving Maryland and George Washington, who had been the tournament’s hosts since 1994. I was on the board, and we all knew if we could add a game involving Mason we would undoubtedly ensure a sellout, which would mean a couple hundred thousand extra dollars for the charity.

But we had a problem. Our games were on a Sunday, with the first game scheduled to tip off at noon. When the NBA released its schedule that summer, the Wizards were slated to play at 6 that night. I was the board’s contact with the basketball world, so I reached out to one of the NBA’s schedulers to see whether the Wizards’ game could be moved either to later that night — 8:30 or 9 — or the next night. I was told that if Susan O’Malley, who was running the business end of the team at the time, would agree, the game could be moved.

O’Malley said no.

Having failed to get anything done through normal channels, I called a friend in the NBA office and said I had to speak to Stern. I was told he was in Russia and maybe I could talk to him when he came back the following week. Early the next morning, my phone rang.

It was Stern.

“I can’t go to Russia for a few days without you creating a crisis?” was his opening comment.

“Are you in Russia?” I said groggily.

“Yes, and I have a meeting in about five minutes.”

“You know it’s about 5 a.m. here,” I said, glancing at the clock.

“Would you have preferred I call you back in a week? What’s the problem?”

I woke myself up and explained it to him.

“Let me see what I can do,” he said.

Two days later, the same person who had told me nothing could be done once O’Malley said no called back. The Wizards had moved their game to Monday night.

“What happened?” I asked.

“The commissioner happened,” he said. “He was furious that we didn’t get this done. He told me to call Susan and tell her we’d get her an extra national TV appearance if she moved the game. Amazingly, she was suddenly able to move the game.”

To say Stern saved the day for a charity that gave all its money to kids in need is an understatement. The third game was a huge financial boon. But there was a postscript. Several weeks later, a check arrived made out to the charity for $10,000. The check wasn’t from the NBA. It was from Stern. He asked that the charity not publicize his contribution.

Stern and I often emailed one another. He loved giving me a hard time about things I wrote. During the NHL lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, I wrote a column that was critical of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman — who once had been Stern’s deputy.

“You’re way off base criticizing Gary,” Stern wrote. “He’s doing the right thing. Typically liberal of you to side with the players.”

I pointed out in my response that few people on earth were more liberal than Stern. “Guilty,” he answered. “And I do mean guilty.”

Stern also lectured me at length for not showing more interest in the WNBA, calling me — I have it in writing, — “a sexist, old white man.” I told him he was an older white man and pointed out that I rarely showed much interest in the NBA, either.

“And we’re grateful for that,” he wrote back.

Years ago, when I was working on an NBA-related project, Larry Brown, then the Indiana Pacers coach, agreed to give me complete access to his team, much the way Bob Knight had at Indiana University in the 1980s. When I checked with then-PR honcho Brian McIntyre to make sure the Pacers wouldn’t get in trouble with the league, he said he would check with Stern. The answer came back quickly: “David says if the Pacers are willing to put up with you, he’s fine with it.”

And finally this: I spent years, to no avail, trying to help former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell get into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. I could have written and talked about how unfair it was for the next 100 years, and it would have done no good. Two years ago, I sent an email to Stern with the subject line: “Not kidding, this is important.”

I explained that I thought it was a terrible injustice that Lefty wasn’t in the Hall and that the rumors that he had somehow acted improperly in the wake of Len Bias’s death were urban legend, completely false, and that NBA people on the selection committee had no clue about that. He wrote back and asked me to send him everything I knew about Lefty. I did.

“I’ll talk to Jerry,” he said, referring to Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Hall’s board of governors. “But do not mention to anyone that I’m doing this. I agree with you that Lefty should be in the Hall. I’ll see what I can do.”

Four months later, Lefty was finally voted into the Hall. I have no doubt it was Stern who was responsible. I feel no guilt telling the story now.

When Red Auerbach was still alive, he often told me that he liked Stern — even though he believed he was still a Knicks fan — “because he always takes my calls.”

Stern said he did always take Auerbach’s calls, “even though he seemed to think my full name was, “Let me tell you why you’re stupid, David.”

Then Stern would add: “He was Red Auerbach. Of course I took his calls.”

Indeed. But he also always took my calls — and never failed to respond to an email. That was impressive because I’m absolutely not Red Auerbach.

The NBA — thanks to Stern — is a colossus and will continue to be one under Adam Silver, Stern’s handpicked successor.

But David Stern will be missed for reasons that go well beyond his genius. He was a great commissioner. He was a better man.
January 17, 2020: Barbara Ley Toffler received the followingand will be attending with a few of our classmates. What a wonderful tribute to one of our own!
December 13, 2019: Our thoughts and prayers go out to our classmate David Stern and his family.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage Thursday and had emergency surgery.
The league made the announcement about Stern’s condition in a statement, saying its thoughts and prayers were with the 77-year-old Stern’s family.

Stern served exactly 30 years as the NBA’s longest-tenured commissioner before Adam Silver replaced him on Feb. 1, 2014. Stern has remained affiliated with the league with the title of commissioner emeritus and has remained active in his other interests, such as sports technology.

Stern oversaw the growth of the NBA into a league whose games were televised in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages. The league was staging a regular-season game in Mexico City between Dallas and Detroit on Thursday night when it revealed the news about Stern.

People in and around the league offered prayers of support for Stern, with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson tweeting that he and wife Cookie were praying “for my good friend who helped save my life.”

Stern stayed busy after stepping down as commissioner, taking trips overseas on the league’s behalf, doing public speaking and consulting. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Stern oversaw the addition of seven franchises and the creation of the WNBA and NBA Development League, now called the G League — which will have a franchise in Mexico starting with the 2020-21 season. Stern had a hand in numerous initiatives that changed the league, including drug testing, the salary cap and implementation of a dress code.

He wouldn’t even let staffers use the word “retire” when he left his office, because he never intended to stop working. He has kept an office in New York and regularly travels into the city for work on the projects he pursued once he turned the league over to Silver.
October 8, 2019: From Steve Cohen:
On Thursday my daughter in law had a baby girl named Lillie,our first grand child. Mother and daughter are doing fine.
August 28, 2019: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow '60: We will be having another THS informal get-together on Sunday, October 6th, 4 PM at the River Edge (NJ) Diner. The address is 516 Kinderkamack Road, just about 1/2 mile north of Route 4. As always, we welcome all THS alumsto this casual, pay-as-you-go event. If you plan to attend, please respond directly to Bonnie by October 3rd . BAM660@aol.com 201 489 8881 201 926 7998 (m)
August 2019: From Carlys Becker Stroupe: Have not updated in a long time. I have 7 great grand children. 3 girls 7,6,&2 and 4 boys 6,4,1 and 6 months. Keeps me busy. They call me GG.
August 2019: From Steve Cohen: In about 7 weeks, Carol and I will become grandparents for the first time. I know some of you might even have great grand children by now, so better late then never. Hope everyone is well. Congratulations, Steve and Carol!
August 2019: Class of 59 Summer of 2019! Camille and Rich Norton hosted a visit from their daughter Melissa and grandsons William 7 and Thomas 5, who live in England and have the most adorable British accents.
March 6, 2019:Joe Mocco's wife Luz has told us that Joe is in critical condition due to his COPD and has been moved to hospice. Luz Mocco asks that as many people as possible pray for Joe to ease his passing.
February 22, 2019: Camille Hannan Norton I found this article from 2018. Congratulations Bob!

October 2, 2018

Robert Alfano wins Inventor of the Year and SPIE Gold Medal

Robert R. Alfano’s decades-long contribution to the field of ultrafast laser science and photonics is legendary with more than 120 patents and 700 publications. In further recognition of his pioneering research, the Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering at The City College of New York is the recipient of two more major honors: ENYIPLA’s 2018 Inventor of Year award and SPIE’s 2019 Gold Medal.

The Inventor of the Year accolade from the Eastern New York Intellectual Property Law Association is for his patent that defines the application of supercontinuum light for medical and biological applications.   His discovery of supercontinuum is one of Alfano’s crowning achievements.

ENYIPLA cites that Alfano has been a prolific inventor “over many years as evidenced by his many patents which document his collaboration with others and his advances in the state of the art.”

He will receive the Inventor of the Year award, which includes a plaque and   New York State Senate Proclamation, this fall.

Alfano will receive the 2019 SPIE Gold Medal next August. SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics.

The Gold Medal is the highest honor presented annually by SPIE in recognition of outstanding engineering or scientific accomplishments in optics, electro-optics, or photographic technologies or applications.

“The SPIE Awards Committee has made this recommendation in recognition of your outstanding seminal achievements and contributions to advancement of knowledge on fundamental properties of materials and their interaction with light in areas of biology, condensed matter, semiconductors, tunable lasers, and biomedical optics,” SPIE writes to Alfano.

About Robert Alfano
His career has been defined by his pioneering work in the application of light and photonics technologies to the study of biological, biomedical and condensed matter systems. In addition to his discovery of the supercontinuum, Alfano’s other research achievements include development of new Chromium doped tunable NIR lasers, the advance of laser spectroscopic and optical imaging techniques for condensed matter and biomedical optics and photonics, and the study of ultrafast optical pulse propagation and imaging in scattering media.

His other accolades include the Optical Society of America’s Charles Hard Townes Award (2008) and Michael S. Feld Biophotonics honor (2016); the SPIE Britton Chance award for Biomedical Optics (2012); and the American Physical Society’s Arthur L Schawlow Prize in Laser Science (2013).

November 14, 2018: From Ray Geary re: Karen Koster King   I heard from Karen this morning after inquiring last weekend if she, family and their properties were safe from the CA fires around Calabasas. She said all was well after evacuating and returning to find their house unscathed. But she also gave sad news. Her husband Jack died last Monday a week ago... During the funeral and reception fires broke out near the church and cemetery. Winds swept it down towards Calabasas and Malibu. Fortunate for them, but not for those in its path.

We can count our blessings here in the East.
Take care and Happy Thanksgiving,
Ray

November 6, 2018: From Ray Geary

Going through a box of memorabilia today from decades ago, I came across this 1971 NYT article that I thought you’d be interested in reading. Betsy’s mom and the scholarship fund she co-established is featured. Unfortunately Jane Utz’s mother is not mentioned, as she also was in instrumental in establishing the fund with Mrs. Churchman—the first recipient being Georgene Botyos. Both ladies would be highly pleased with the THS Class of ‘59 Scholarships!

—Ray
September 4, 2018: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60
Kit Saunders, THS '58, will be honored and her photo/bio will be displayed in the THS Distinguished Alumnae exhibit on Thursday, October 11 at 4:30 PM. Kit was instrumental in forwarding the careers of women in college athletics and was the first female AD at the college/university level. She also taught phys ed at THS from 1962-64.

We are honoring her accomplishments and hope other alumnae and women will join us for the celebration. Unfortunately she is in the last stages of Alzheimer's disease and cannot join us. However, a biography of her life is being written as we speak by Doug Moe, an author who lives near her in Wisconsin. Please RSVP to me for a count for the Principal. Email BAM5666@aol.com or call at 201 926 7998 (cell).
May 8, 2018: Reminder! From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of '60: Sunday, May 20th at 4 PM is the THS alumnae get together at the River Edge Diner. If you haven't already RSVP'd to me, please let me know so I can give the diner an accurate count. 201-489-8881 or 201-926-7998
March 18, 2018: From Bonnie Firmunn Morrow Class of ’60:
We are planning another get together at the River Edge diner. For those who have not attended before, it is open to allTHS alumnae, with a pay-as-you-go format.

We are confirmed for Sunday, May 20th, 4 PM at the River Edge Diner, 516 Kinderkamack Rd., River Edge, NJ.

Please RSVP to Bonnie ONLY IF YOU PLAN TO ATTENDby Wednesday, May 16.

Bonnie Firmunn Morrow

201 489 8881 201 926 7998
February 11, 2018: From Ray Geary a tribute to our Coach Jack Armstrong:
He was just a few years out of Columbia U. when he was our Phys. Ed. and Geography teacher — and excellent football coach to many THS guys. After over nearly 60 years I can still hear his distinctive, loud voice saying “It’s not ‘Gym Class,’ it’s Physical Education!”

He was also a very good Geography teacher who respected and was pleased with my enthusiasm, and high grades in his class. I found this 2007 obit today.

Class News and Notes

The Old Model: Default Aging (AKA The Slow Fade)

Enter the “Super Ager”

A Prescription (You Knew This Was Coming)

Final Thought

Richard J. Birdsall, 99 of Palm Coast, passed away June 20, 2022 at The Azure of Palm Coast.

The Washington Post

David Stern built the NBA into a colossus, but he was an even better man