The class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion Saturday, August 19, 2023, at Jefferson Park Golf Course 2nd floor loft in Seattle. Begins at 4:30 pm.
Featuring: Indoor and outdoor event spaces, buffet dinner, casual atmosphere, no-host bar, free parking, and optional activities near our beloved alma mater. Don’t wait. The more, the merrier! Help our planning committee by contacting us as soon as possible if you are interested in attending, have updated contact info, or have questions. Email: chsseattle1973@gmail.com Join the Facebook group athttps://www.facebook.com/groups/CHSSeattle1973
Submitted by Helen Sing ’70, group photos by Blake Katagiri
On a warm summer August night (August 20, 2022), we finally celebrated our 50th reunion, two years delayed. Classmates and teachers excited to leave their self-imposed bubbles during the last two-and-a-half years gathered at the Feast in Renton to celebrate 52 years removed from our senior year in high school.
Seated L-R: Denise Johnson Brown, Donna Jones Turner, Ramona Bogue Balint, Bob MacDonald, Barb (Smith) Frazier, Rick Asher, Tom Champoux, Jesse Boyovich, MaryAnn DiJulio Boyovich, Bob Hasegawa, Bob Colella Standing L-R: Keith Hooks, Shirley Eng Zapata, Marcia Clegg Bean, Dianna Davis, Dean Haugen, Chris David, Bill Foote, Jim Klinkam, Barb Brown, Sam Gorman, Paul Becker, Vic Berg, Nancy Grenn Nicholson, Dan Hayami, Frank Albanese, Darlene Gonzales, Craig Jensen, Janet Akada Hata, Jerry Chihara
The Photos
We lined up to check in with our Welcome Team, have our “now” photos taken for the memory book, and signed up to win a game prize created by Chris Woo. Group photos were taken of 51 alumni and four teachers, and we went to fill our plates full of food at the “all-you-can-eat” Asian buffet. The experienced buffet diner carried two plates back to their tables instead of making several trips! Eighty-one classmates, guests, and invited teachers attended our 50th + 2 Class of ‘70 reunion.
The Program
Our reunion program, emceed by Randy and Darlene Kaczor, started with identifying the 15 hardworking committee members who spent the last three years planning this reunion. Then, following a time-honored tradition of trying to remember our youth, game show hosts Bill Foote, and Bob Virkelyst asked attending 70+ year-olds to try to remember the #1 hit and artist in the months during our senior year some 52 years ago!
Sounds like our annual Medicare memory test. Bill and Bob tested the audience to see if they were still awake with acoustic feedback from the sound system. Reassured that we were not falling into a food coma and due to time constraints, Bill and Bob asked us to “Name That Tune” for 5 out of our ten school months from 1969-1970.
Invited Teachers
Next, Randy and Darlene introduced our invited teachers, Barb (Smith) Frazier, Bob MacDonald, Tom Champoux, Rick Asher, and his wife, Jocelyn. Darlene explained that the money earned in the upcoming auction of 9 items would be donated to the Associated Student Body at Cleveland to help fund programs and requests not usually covered by the School District budgets allocated to each school.
The Auction
Auctioned items included a Chick-fil-A gift card, a PICO home-brewing beer-making kit, a Longaberger Anniversary basket, sports tickets for the Mariners, OL Reign & swag, Seattle Sounders tickets, Sounders tote bag & signed soccer ball by Raul Ruidiaz and finally, a Kaanapali Alii condo in Maui for one week for four adults (in memory of committee member Susie Mizuki Lochmiller). In addition, an anonymous donor offered a never-before-worn CHS ‘70 pin for auction with a starting bid of $5. Jim Klinkam and Missy Nelson Dunlap hilariously bid against each other, raising their bids $1 at a time until Jim finally won the bid at $40.
Finally, the Maui condo (value of $5600) had a starting bid of $1500. Randy Kaczor, Bill Foote, and Paul Lesh were the bidders in the fastest auction ever, with bids rapidly increasing by $200 until Randy won the bid at $3800 after bidding against himself. Keith Hooks suggested we pass a donation plate around to get more donated money for the students of CHS. Sam Gorman and Keith passed two gift bags around, and the final count was $1100.00 from generous alums. The auction with items procured by Viv Toyohara Katagiri brought in $4,505.00 for a total of $5605.00.
After expenses, the Class of ’70 donated $5,070.00 to the ASB of Cleveland.
Souring Eagles
Our Class will also get our name and donation amount engraved on the Soaring Eagles plaque for any Class or business that can donate a minimum of $2,000 directly to the ASB of Cleveland High. This plaque hangs in the CHS administrative office.
Our Class has donated over $10,000 directly to CHS from our 40th & 50th reunions.
The After Party
After the reunion ended, seventeen classmates and guests headed for the Hyatt Regency @Southport on the southern edge of Lake Washington near Coulon Park in Renton, a site scouted by Bob Hasegawa. We pulled tables and chairs together below at the Dock and Drink bar at the Hyatt and enjoyed the balmy summer night at sunset. It was a relaxing time to chat with friends, new and old.
Seated L-R Marlene Susumi Smick, Melissa Nelson Dunlap, Cheryl Menzel Wilkinson, Bob MacDonald, Barb (Smith) Frazier, Rick Asher, Tom Champoux, Helen Sing, Martha Takizawa Tsuru, Chris Woo Schiavello, Mutsumi Takamaru Chihara Standing L-R: Robert Veleber, Paul Lesh, Charlene White Mitchell, Brad Omlid, Darlene O’Reilly Kaczor, Randy Kaczor, Janet Slade Countner, Dave Simpson, Twyla Wiechmann Lucas, John Severson, Andy Traverso, Dennis McCarthey, John Tsuru, Bob Virkelyst, George Tsukamaki, Viv Toyohara Katagiri, Rich Virkelyst, Kip Vroegindewey Offutt Not in photo: Robert Reichle and Nancy Sacco Chiodo
The Reunion Committee hopes you enjoyed our delayed reunion. Thank you for carrying on the generosity and unique spirit of Cleveland High over the many decades and for many more to come.
Committee members:
Chair: John (Erbstoesser) Tracy unable to attend
Decorations: Shirley Eng Zapata
Memory Book, Welcome Packet: Helen Sing
Welcome Team: Barb Brown, Denise Johnson Brown, Kathie Vroegindewey Offutt, Twyla Wiechmann Lucas
Emcee, Auctioneer: Randy Kaczor, Darlene O’Reilly Kacor
Game Show Hosts: Bill Foote, Bob Virkelyst
Treasurer, Donor & Gift Procurement: Viv Toyohara Katagiri
Prizes & Gift Game Coordinator: Chris Woo Schiavello
60th Reunion and 80th Birthday Party
Cleveland High School
Class of 1960
The Class of 1960 held its 60th Reunion on September 8, 2022, at the Rainier Golf and Country Club in South Seattle. The Covid Pandemic forced the cancellation of a Reunion event originally scheduled for September 2020. The 60th Reunion theme was combined with a group 80th Birthday Party to take advantage of the delay. Along with Classmates who live in Washington State, Classmates who now live in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah made the trip to Seattle for the event. All had a very good time.
The Cleveland High School Class of ’56 and ’57 will hold a joint reunion beginning at 11:30 a.m. on September 14, 2022 at Angelo’s Restaurant, 601 SW 153rd, in Burien.
Cleveland High School is the only high school in the universe that has a Memorial Forest honoring our World War II heroes. Every Friday preceding the Memorial Day weekend the CHS Alumni Association has a ceremony at the CHS Memorial Forest to honor alumni* who lost their lives while serving in the US military. Our ceremony typically includes guest speakers to tell stories about some of our alumni who have served in the armed forces of the USA. An Honor Guard fires a salute to our fallen heroes, and Bernie Moskowitz ‘57 plays Taps. CHS students participate in a flag-folding exercise before it is presented to a survivor of a fallen loved one.
Our new granite monument naming our fallen heroes was installed in 2017, thanks to a generous donation from two alumni who wish to remain anonymous. A protective coating was provided by Frank & Haru Nishimura. Frank served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, with good friend Yoshito Noritake who is listed on the monument.
Everyone is encouraged to make the trek to the Rock. The bronze plaques naming our fallen war heroes are no longer there, but it’s good to see this special place in the forest where our heroes were honored for so many years. Following the ceremony, refreshments are served to students, CHS staff, and guests. In some years, we have had four busloads of students but only one or two buses in most years. We are hopeful for a good turnout this year.
All expenses are paid by the CHS Alumni Association.
The maps below show our Memorial Forest is located between Issaquah and Fall City. After the ceremony, a number of us usually go to the Fall City Roadhouse & Inn for lunch. The Roadhouse provides a pleasant, old-fashioned setting that is perfect for renewing old acquaintances and making new friends. A wonderful way to end a memorable day.
For a day you will long remember, join us for the ceremony at the CHS Memorial Forest and lunch at the Roadhouse.
CHS Alumni Association Memorial Day Ceremony at the Forest
Friday, May 27, 2022, 11:00 AM 28322 SE Issaquah-Fall City Road, Fall City, WA
The class of 1952 will have a luncheon at Angelo’s of Burien on August 25, 2022. EVERYONE is invited. Please contact Robert Joiner via email or phone if you can attend.
Planning for our CHS Class of 1962 sixty-year reunion has begun! Our reunion will be held during the August 12th-14th, 2022 time period in the greater Seattle area. Additional details as our planning moves forward can be found on our website: https://aschuehle.webs.com.
Plans for our 60th Reunion on August 22, 2020, at the Seattle Yacht Club were coming along very well. You might remember the “Save The Date” announcement sent out in January 2020? To hold the Reunion on that date, the State would have to be well into Phase 4 of the timeline set by the Governor allowing gatherings larger than 50 people. Implementation of Phase 4 by August is now tentative, at best.
Based on the Reunion Committee’s concern for the well-being of all of our class members and to make a reasonable and conservative decision given the unpredictability of the COVIS-19 pandemic, the Committee, by email, has reached an agreement to put our 60th Reunion on hold. As things improve and as soon as the Reunion Committee can meet again in person, it has been suggested we consider planning a combination 60th Reunion\80th Birthday Party sometime in the first half of 2021.
Our Reunions and group Birthday parties have been great fun on their own. A combined get-together as the Wrigley’s gum ads of the 1950s and 1960s put it, we’ll have “DOUBLE THE FUN”.
