Annunciation School lost a beloved former friend and teacher on April 21, 2016 when Louis J. Capozi passed away. His death took the school by surprise, and the shock and sorrow was palpable. The Blessed Mother Council of the Knights of Columbus decided to name their Christian service scholarships in

his honor.

The school was closed on Monday, April 25, so that

faculty and stu-dents could attend the funeral held at S t . G ab r i e l ’ s Church in New Rochelle, which was filled with family, friends and his Annunciation school family—current and former

faculty members, former students and their parents and current Annunciation School parents.

A graduate of St. Gabriel’s, Iona Pre-paratory School, Iona College and St. John’s University, Mr. Capozi had worked at Annunciation as a faculty member and principal since September 1991. In June 2015, he took an incen-tive retirement package that the Archdi-ocese of New York had offered to the faculty in all of its Catholic schools. Prior to that, Mr. Capozi had taught in the third, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades and had been principal of the school from 1995 to 1997.

In a show of admiration and respect, the Knights of Columbus named its

Beloved Former Teacher Passes Away

Find us on the web at www.school.annunciationcrestwood.com

June 2016

The Annunciator

Inside this issue...

Commencement 3

Around the Church and School

5

Bits of Crestwood 7

Family Business 8

Youth Ministry 9

Grad Receives Award 10

Reunion 11

Crestwood Cares 14

Milestones and Class

Notes

17

Class Notes 17

The Annunciator Editorial Board:

Richard Burke ‘48

Patrick F.X. Brennan ‘53

Chris Grealy Brown Daly ‘62

Mary Theresa Gill McCombe ‘75

John Sullivan ‘82

Marie Villani-York ‘93

Annunciation Elementary School

465 Westchester Avenue

Crestwood, NY 10707

Christian service scholarships in his hon-or (see page 4) and his sister, Virginia, was asked to be the Honorary Leader of the school’s walk-a-thon, which was held in May.

Virginia sent a letter of thanks to the school that was shared on Wednesday, May 18. It read:

“Dear Faculty, Students and Families:

On behalf of Louis Capozi's family, I would like to extend my deepest heartfelt appreciation to all of the faculty, students and families of Annunciation School for the support, kindness and inspiration you have shown to my family on the loss of a profound individual, my brother Chip.

I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of gratitude which you have shown towards my brother. I was totally unaware of the tremendous admiration that the students and colleagues of Annunciation felt for Chip. I now know that he was a magical human being! He touched many lives and by doing so made this place we call earth a better place to inhabit. I know deep in my heart and soul that Chip is happy and in complete peace with the Lord.

A nnun c ia t i o n School was a major part of Chip's life. I believe when he re-tired he felt a sense of loss even though it was time to leave the workforce. His heart always remained with the students, faculty and parents of An-nunciation School.

It has been a struggle, but my faith in God has given me the much needed strength to persevere. I Continued on page 2

Louis J. Capozi was

an educator for over

forty years, with

twenty-four of them

spent at Annunciation

School as a teacher

and administrator.

Mr. Louis J. Capozi

Letters to the Editor

Page 2

To the Editor:

While reading the article on Scheaffer pens, I fondly remember being instructed how to write cursive while in the 4th-grade class of Sr. Frances Xavier. One in-struction I recall very clearly was that we should keep our wrists off the paper while writing because if this was not done, the fresh ink would smudge. I must have learned well because I won the penmanship award at graduation. Thanks for the memories!

Peter Ferentini, Jr. ‘67

To the Editor:

Regarding the article about the Scheaffer fountain pens, we lefties were at a particular disadvantage as your hand would follow the pen and smear the still wet ink. This was not acceptable to Sister and forced one to corkscrew the left hand above the writing and led to carpal tunnel surgery later in life. Prior to my arrival at Annunciation for 3rd grade in 1957, I had been at a Catholic grade school in Raritan, NJ. There, the nuns

would beat the back of your left hand if they caught you using it to write. This resulted in a most interesting paper and pen shuffle when Sister was in visual range. At least the nuns at Annunciation were more “enlightened.”

Bill Ludt ‘61

The Annunciator

Reunion 2017 News

Email Coming this Summer!

Classes of 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2007

This summer you will receive an email asking you to weigh in on Spring 2017 reunion plans. Stay tuned!

To the Editor:

While reading past newsletters online, I noticed the story about Fr. Cox and the Class of 1954. I work at Merrill Lynch for a group of financial advisors, one of whom is Fr. Cox’s niece, Katherine. I recognized his name right away and printed out the newsletter for her. She then emailed it to a list of their siblings and nieces and nephews, most of whom have been baptized and/or married by Fr. Cox. They were thrilled with the arti-

cle and subsequent photo of the plaque. His nieces and nephews remember the coins! His niece, Ann, emailed back this response, “Yes, I recall seeing those coins as well. Somehow, Uncle Jimmy just knew to hold onto them, knowing they would some day make it back to the school. Amazing.” I just wanted to pass along a thank you from Fr. Cox’s extended family!

Jan Massey

Mother of Thomas ‘97, Mary ‘00 and Michael ‘03

Capozi

Continued from page 1

will miss my brother's smile, boisterous laugh, quick wit and comical antics, but most of all I will miss his love and guidance. May God Bless you all and keep you safe.

Sincerely yours,

Virginia Capozi

Page 3

“We focus on the knots, or obstacles, rather than the beau-tiful outcome of these knots. God has incredible events planned for us, but we need to have patience so He can finish our embroidered tapestry,” she said.

Meghan’s speech thanked the parents. “We realize that today is just as much a celebration for our parents as it is for us; after all, where would we be without their continu-ous love and guidance and the many pick-ups and drop-offs that have brought us to our destination today?” she said. Continued on page 4

Joe Houlihan ‘68 is Commencement Speaker

On June 11, 2016, the Class of 2016 graduated from Annunciation School in a ceremony held in Annunciation Church. They join over 3,000 alumni who are proud gradu-ates of the school.

In a ceremony where the graduates and parents celebrat-ed $1.2 million in scholarships being awarded to the Class of 2016 over the next four years, honors and awards—special recognitions, named scholarships and medals—were announced in addition to the awarding of diplomas.

The commencement speaker was Joseph Houlihan, ‘68, an owner and Managing Partner of Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate Services in Bronxville, NY. In his speech, Joe encouraged the students to “get involved” in high school. He noted that there will be so many opportunities to be involved—sports teams, plays, newspaper, debate, model U.N. He said every student should be able to find one new thing to be part of. He also urged them to find volunteer opportunities. Joe said, “Volunteering is empowering. You are valuable, and when you offer yourself to others, you realize your own value.”

Joe noted that high school was a time of exploration. He assured them that everyone who enters a new school feels a sense of uncertainty. “No one is sure of what they are doing, even it if looks like they do,” he said.

Most importantly, he challenged them to be kind. “Be kind, even when you don’t have to. I challenge you to look around you and notice someone else who might be strug-gling and reach out to them.”

The valedictorian was Victoria Capellupo and the saluta-torian was Meghan Drew. Victoria spoke of the “tapestry” of their lives, using the reflections of St. Padre Pio and a metaphor about the two sides of a piece of embroidery.

The forty-six students in this year’s graduating class will be moving on to twelve different high schools. They are:

Archbishop Stepinac High School—3

Dominican Academy—4

Fordham Preparatory School—12

Iona Preparatory School—7

Kennedy Catholic High School—2

Loyola School—1

Maria Regina High School—2

Regis High School—1

School of the Holy Child—1

St. Vincent Ferrer High School—1

The Hackley School—1

The Ursuline School—11

Congratulations to this year’s graduates!

The Class of 2016 attends a white-themed graduation party prior to the end of their school year.

Photo Courtesy of Karen McCrory

June 2016

Page 4 The Annunciator

Graduation

Continued from page 3

A number of named memorial awards were given out, including those in memory of John Dougherty, Jr., Msgr. John M McNamara, Rev. George McAnaney, S.J., Billy Deighan, Rose Basso, Margaret and Bill Finneran and Pa-tricia and John Egan, Sr.

Scholarships were awarded as well: The Duffy, DeSola Wik Athletic Award; The Home School Association Award; The Evelyn Cosgrove Ladies’ Guild Award; and the Joann and Gaetana Capozzo award, donated by the CYO cheerleading teams.

Medals were awarded for general excellence (The Lou-is Capozi Memorial), religion (Men’s Club), mathematics (Ladies’ Guild), science (Richard Patrilli Boy Scout Memo-rial), reading (School Faculty); English (Neal and Johanna Madonna Memorial), social studies (Mr. & Mrs. Fred H. McGrath Memorial), honors (Home School Association), school spirit (Annunciation CYO), school service (Cub Scout Pack 6) and effort (Ernest Pasqua Post #1506).

Knights Scholarship Winners Announced

The Blessed Mother Council of the Knights of Colum-

bus recently announced its first annual Christian service

awards. Annunciation 7th-graders Cristiana Santos and

Faith Mallon are the $1,000 scholarship winners. Eamon

Tracey and Regina Potenza are the recipi-

ents of the $100 scholarships. All Annun-

ciation School 7th-graders were eligible to

apply for the scholarships, which will be

payable in their 8th-grade year for tuition

and fees at the Annunciation School.

The scholarships were awarded based

on an application that outlined a student’s

academic achievement, their performance

of Christian and/or community service,

the submission of a personal essay and an

interview. The essay had to identify the

mission of the Knights of Columbus and describe how at

least two of the student’s Christian/community service

activities embodied the Knights’ mission in today’s socie-

ty.

Applications were presented anonymously to the coun-

cil’s selection committee who selected four semi-finalists

for the scholarships. In April, the semi-finalists were in-

vited to the council’s meeting and were asked to respond to

questions about their respective applications and essays. The

scholarships were determined following this interview. They

were also named in memory of Louis J. Capozi, a former

Annunciation School teacher who passed

away this year.

The Blessed Mother Council #1484 of

the Knights of Columbus, established in

June 2009, has approximately 60 members.

Annunciation School tuition for 2015-2016

for parishioners with one student is $5,856

per year. Tuition is discounted for each

additional child in families with more than

one enrolled student.

Tom Fitzmaurice, who is the Grand

Knight of the Council, said, “The Knights

of Columbus has long been a strong supporter of Catholic

schools with the understanding that parents who choose

Catholic schools for their children do so at significant cost

and personal sacrifice. The Blessed Mother Council wishes

to lend its support to our local school and to encourage An-

nunciation students to continue to embody the ideals of

Christian service as well as academic excellence.”

Congratulations to the following graduates

who follow in the footsteps of

their parents!

Erin Camas and her father Walter Camas ‘83

Russell Conner and his father Casey Conner ‘79

Laura Finneran and her father Tim Finneran ‘81

Julie Geremia and her mother Teresa DiVita-Geremia ‘79

Thomas Petti and his mother Jeannette Loveless Petti ‘78

Elizabeth Madden and her mother Dina Cavallo Madden ‘82

Robert Maghak and his father Joe Maghak ’79

Christina Mangiafreno and her mother Lisa Marsalisi

Mangiafreno ‘79

Page 5

Around the Church and School

Annunciation School’s 7th-grade ITV team was nominated

for Eddy awards for their story, titled “Do Manners Mat-

ter,” which was taped and broadcast by ITV. (ITV is the

Archdiocesan instructional television service which is

broadcast from studios located at St. Joseph’s Seminary at

Dunwoodie in Yonkers.) Pictured below, Jack Breen, far

right, and Kayla Klein, second from left, each won an Eddy

for “elementary school survey” and “feature,” respectively.

Other members of the team (L to R) are Eoin Breen, Cristi-

ana Santos, Regina Potenza, Diego Nuñez and Daniel

Breen.

One of the school’s two 7th-grade prosecution teams (the school entered 2 prosecution and 2 defense teams in the

competition) won the 19th annual Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock Trial Competition, at the Bronx County Courthouse, on June 9. The team consists of (L to R) Caroline Conlon (daughter of John Conlon, Esq. ‘77), Alanna Kelly, Grace

Sullivan, Fiona O’Brien, Emma Kate Sullivan, Lauren Martyn (daughter of Tom Martyn, Esq. ‘83) and Jack Kelly. The team was coached by Eileen Brennan, Esq., who is Car-oline’s mother and John Conlon’s wife, and Oleida Sullivan, Esq. (wife of John Sullivan, Esq. ‘82). Lauren Martyn won best advocate and Emma Kate Sullivan won best witness

among all 7th-grade teams in the competition. Each won a tablet and $2,000 scholarship.

Congratulations to the Annunciation Parish

CYO softball team who defeated St. Eugene’s 5

to 4 in a very close and exciting game on June 8

at Schultze Field.

The team members are 5th-grader Grace Kelly,

6th-graders Santina Madden and Michaela Simo-

ne, 7th-graders Caroline Conlon, Regina Potenza,

Cristiana Santos and Grace Sullivan and 8th-

graders Giulia Auricchio, Laura Finneran and

Elizabeth Madden.

Thanks to coaches Gerry Blake and Mike Poten-

za.

Congratulations to the following students who won

1st place at the June 12 Archdiocese Championship

Track and Field meet in Staten Island:

Ana Sohr (200 m) 3rd Grade

Kate Sohr (400m) 3rd Grade

Charlotte Flynn (javelin) 3rd Grade

Sean Kennedy (1600m, 800m) 3rd Grade

Davey Davitt (400m) 4th Grade

Tommy Fitzmaurice (1600m, 800m) 5th Grade

Anthony Baez (4x100 relay) 8th Grade

Thanks to Coaches Teri Fitzmaurice, George Baez

and Justin Mitchell

Winners on the Field!

Winners on the Screen! Winners at the Bench!

June 2016

Page 6

Around the Church and School….and Beyond

The Annunciator

Field Day

Happy faces are everywhere on

kindergarten field day.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Catholic Schools Night at Yankee Stadi-

um. Cardinal Dolan threw out the first

ball and met the McMahon sisters.

Walk-a-Thon Time!

The students participated in a May walk-a-thon, rais-

ing over $30,000 for the school. Virginia Capozi, sis-

ter of former teacher Louis Capozi, served as grand

marshall. The special intentions of donors were car-

ried in baskets during the march.

Concentration Required!

This is what it looks like when testing out a

new activity on the 8th-grade class trip in May.

Dress Rehearsal

It’s dress rehearsal for the school’s production

of The King and I.

Page 7

Bits of Crestwood: Simple Pleasures I Learned by Growing Up in that Wonderful Neighborhood

June 2016

Editor’s Note: The book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum, outlined some basic rules to live by that were taught to us in our earliest years.

Growing up in Crestwood taught us some valuable lessons and truisms as well. Here are just a few of them. You can probably add many of your own, based on your experienc-es.

That you don’t own your backyard—nature does, as attested to by the chipmunks, raccoons, possums, mice, multitudinous insects, birds, squirrels, and stray cats that live or pass through there.

That a rainy day spent playing indoors at a friend’s house could be as much, or more fun, than any day in the sunshine.

That the solitary sound of a neighbor’s bouncing bas-

ketball is not noise—it’s an invitation to join in the fun.

That the cheers at a little league game can be as big (in

your heart) as the thousands screaming at a major league game.

That feeding the birds meant feeding the squirrels too.

That the deep shade of Hollywood Avenue (or many a Crestwood street) on a summer day is a bit of paradise.

That your dog really wants to get off the leash in the woodlands surrounding the Bronx River.

That washing your car on a Saturday afternoon isn’t

work—it’s therapy.

That you only need two people to play stick ball

with—and honestly have a great time.

That watch-ing a thunder-storm from your backyard patio (with a roof) can be really cool.

That door bells don’t mat-ter with friends

who know exactly when you can come out to play—they just meet you in the yard.

That in October and November, you absolutely must rake your leaves into a giant pile for the sole purpose of jumping into it.

That the pleasure, joy and relief you feel when you re-turn home from work or school at Crestwood Station is something to cherish.

That the honking of geese in the fall means you have to turn off your outside water, bring in or cover the patio furniture, pre-p a r e t h e lawnmower for a winter break, and resupply your driveway salt.

That Christmas in Crestwood r i v a l s a n y Christmas in s m a l l - t o w n America: Midnight Mass, the smell of fireplaces, clear star-light skies and the biting cold (and maybe a coating of snow), make for a scene Norman Rockwell would have gladly painted (see note below).

That The Herald Statesman newspaper was a must read if you wanted to be reminded that Crestwood was a part of Yonkers.

That Annunciation Parish and School are a part of your

life no matter how deep or shallow your faith is—even if you left Crestwood years ago.

Note: Norman Rockwell did paint Crestwood—actually Crestwood Station—for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post November 16, 1946 edition. Fortunately, he viewed it from the Eastchester side, showing Crestwood (somewhat inaccurately) in the background. The painting, titled, “Commuter,” hangs in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.

By Mark L. Maiello ‘71

Page 8

Mike Aquilino, Sr. graduated from Annunciation in 1961. He owned Catania Pizza in the Tanglewood Shopping Center. Mike recently shared memories of his time as a student:

“Believe it or not, I can still name every person in my class. We had all the nuns back in the day, and of course, Mrs. Brennan. Mrs. O’Leary was our art teacher – before she married, she was Miss Devine. Mr. Eddy was the music teacher, and I remember Mr. Odell, the janitor.

Sr. Rose Patricia was the principal. She was very strict, as was Sr. Francis Xavier. My favor-ite was Sr. Marie Pauline!

I remember that we ate lunch at school and had 8th graders who were ‘monitors’ and watched us. We weren’t allowed to talk when we ate lunch. If you did, your name was put on the blackboard. When we went out to play after lunch, we played punch ball or Johnny on the Pony. They stopped Johnny on the Pony because we would rip our uniforms playing it. Uniforms back then were brown pants, green jackets and brown shoes. I hated that uniform!

Some of us were real characters—me, Robert Kluz and Brian Burkhart. I’ll bet they couldn’t wait until we graduated!”

The Annunciator

A Family Business—Catania’s Pizza

Jeff Aquilino ‘91 is the fourth generation to run his family’s business. Those who are familiar with the Tanglewood Shopping Cen-ter on the corner of Crisfield Street and Cen-tral Avenue have probably frequented Cata-nia’s Pizza more than once for its delicious pizza and calzones or even the gelato in the summer.

Originally a bread store on Arthur Ave-nue in the Bronx, Catania was the maiden name of Jeff’s grandmother, who was from a small village in Sicily near Mt. Etna. The business was started in 1920 by his great-grandparents, who passed the restaurant down to his grandparents and then to his father, who ran the business with his partner Peter Cetani, and finally to Jeff.

“The original store in the Bronx sold bread and olive oil and such. My grandmother, Antoinette, would make food for the workers at the bread store who told her, “Antoinette, this is so good, you should sell it!” And that is how Cata-nia’s came to become a pizzeria on Arthur Avenue. A photo from that shop in 1955, when Phil Rizzuto came to eat at the pizzeria, hangs in the Tanglewood Catania’s today.

In 1976, the business expanded to two pizzerias, when they opened a second location in the former Stern’s bakery in Tanglewood, putting their son, Mike, Sr. (see below) and Peter Cetani in charge of that location as partners. “Peter was like a second father to me. He was very important in my life,” says Jeff.

As a youngster, Jeff worked at the pizzeria. “My brother,

Michael, worked there too, probably more than I did. I was the youngest of three boys—Mike ‘85, Chris ‘88 and me. Chris died in a car accident on the Bronx River Parkway on June 27, 1991. We are coming up on the sad 25th anniversary of this death,” Jeff noted.

After graduating from Annunciation, Jeff went to Iona Prep for two years, before his brother’s death led to the family moving further north. He finished high school at John Jay in Cross River before attending SUNY Plattsburgh, where he studied hotel restaurant management.

After that, he moved to California to work in Sonoma County, famous for its

wineries and vineyards. “Wine is another passion of mine, but I left the vineyard in 2007 when my father called to ask me to take over the family business. I’ve always loved to cook, and the family business is in my blood. So it was an easy decision. There is a lot of family history here, and we will be celebrating 100 years in business in just 4 more years—2020! How could I not come back?”

Acknowledging that he works about 70 hours a week, and hasn’t had a day off in three years, Jeff says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “My mother passed away in 1996, after battling leukemia for two years. Her illness, occurring so quickly after my brother’s death, was very depressing, but that the same time, motivating. I’ve learned to never give up, and I’m happy that I’m making my parents proud and contributing to our family history.”

Mike, Sr.

Mike, Sr., Peter and Jeff

Page 9 June 2016

Parish Improves Efforts for Youth Ministry

The parish has embarked on an effort to more fully involve the youth of the par-ish in the celebration of the Mass and enhance the spiritu-al activities of our young pa-rishioners. Under the guid-ance of Jeannie Sweeney (mother of Jack ‘05 and Luke ‘09 and wife of Billy ‘74), and with the help of new parish-ioner, Chris Loud, the Youth Ministry has just completed the end of its first year.

With as many as twenty participants, but generally a core group of a dozen, the ministry has raised money for St. Peter’s Food Pantry in southwest Yonkers, enjoyed an intergenerational pot-luck dinner with parish seniors to dis-cuss wisdom, with specific focus on the Proverbs, organized and enjoyed a Valentine’s Day party with parish youth with special needs and performed the Living stations of the Cross during the Lenten season. Participants this year were in high school, although the plan is to expand the Youth Min-istry to those in the 7th and 8th grades. Meetings take place on most Sunday evenings after the 5 p.m. Mass at Annunci-ation Church.

Over the course of this year, a Youth Mass was intro-duced. The Mass, which was held in the fall and then again on Pentecost Sunday, is designed to fully engage the young people in all aspects of the Mass—as youth lectors, youth ushers, a youth choir, and youth Eucharistic Ministers. The Mass provides a platform for the teens to express their faith within the larger parish community. They are to be recog-nized as young disciples in Christ.

Jeannie Sweeney says that developing the Youth Ministry was important for the parish because, “The youth are not only the future of the Catholic Church, they are the present Church with many gifts and tal-ents to offer the parish commu-nity. The millennial generation are seeking authentic experienc-es in their faith formation and development.” Jeannie, who is a certified child life specialist at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center is also a leader of song in the par-ish for Sunday Mass.

At meetings, upcoming events are planned, and there is time to reconnect with former Annunciation School classmates. It doesn’t hurt that dinner and dessert is offered at each meeting!

The Pentecost Youth Mass, held on Sunday, May 15, was the highlight of the Youth Ministry’s year. In addition to han-dling many aspects of Mass, there was also a youth art exhibit that was on display near the baptis-mal font at Annunciation

Church. The theme of the art exhibit and the Mass was “Expressing God Through the Arts.” That expression not only included visual art, but was also expressed through the songs that were chosen for the Mass.

Liam Sullivan, a member of the ministry, gave a faith wit-ness testimony during the Mass. Liam, a member of the Class of 2014, has just finished his sophomore year at Archbishop Stepinac High School. His testimony touched on what faith means to him and how he can see the absence of faith in the world. He focused on how important a relationship with God can be.

“When you ask God to give you gifts, he sometimes gives you challenges, that when you overcome those challenges, you have found out you have been using those gifts all along. I really like how the God I pray to in the Stepinac Chapel is the one I pray to at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the one I pray to at St. Paul’s in the Adirondacks and the one I pray to at An-nunciation here in Crestwood. It is never too early or never too late to deepen your faith relationship with God,” he said.

“I am really having a wonderful experience with the youth group,” he continued. “When I was first told of it, I thought

it was just an affair that people were holding hands and praying at. It really isn’t. I really get the Advent virtues out of the group: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. I keep coming back for the wonderful food and the wonderful people who are there. My faith jour-ney is one that is not over, but has just begun. I am on the road to the Glory of God.”

Youth Ministry Art Exhibit

The Youth Ministry participated in a very powerful

Living Stations of the Cross during Lent.

Charles Menzie ‘63 Receives WCEE Champion Award

Women’s Council on Energy and the

Environment (WCEE) honored Dr.

Charles Menzie ‘63 as the 2016 Champi-

on at its annual gala, at the Capital Hil-

ton Hotel, in Washington, DC, on

March 9. The Champion Award recog-

nized the importance of mentors for

women professionals, and honors those

who have championed the advancement

of women in the energy and environ-

mental industries. Charlie is Principal

Scientist at Exponent.

In her opening remarks, WCEE’s

President, Robin Cantor, said, “Charlie leads by creating a

culture of equality and gender balance, ensuring that individ-

uals can have a diverse and enjoyable professional home and

a nurturing work-life balance.” She also said, “Charlie has

also been a trailblazer in the leadership of professional soci-

eties important for women in the energy and environmental

fields...He is a champion for student programming that en-

courages young professionals to develop the skills and ex-

pertise relevant to meet the world's environmental challeng-

es.”

In his acceptance speech, Charlie recognized that this

award is about something more fundamental than a career–

or project-related accomplishment. It was about “how we

do our work and how we empower and guide others,” he

said. Charlie continued, “Mentoring is something that has

always been important to me, and I have been rewarded

greatly at a personal level even though that was not the in-

tent.”

“Receiving this award has caused me to reflect on why

mentoring comes naturally for me. Those reflections took

me back to four women who played a fundamental role in

my early learning and in the development of my life-long

relationship with the natural world as a source of inspira-

tion, solace, and recreation and for my career as an environ-

mental scientist. These women are my grandmother, Emilie

Winson, and her three daughters, including my mother,

Frances Menzie, my Aunt Marie McCormack, and my Aunt

Emile Judge.

I was the eldest of 20 grandchildren. Our extended fami-

ly spent the summers together on a high plateau nestled in

the Catskill Mountains. During the week, my grandfather,

dad, and uncles would leave the mountains and drive to

work in the city, leaving the women and children in the

mountains. We did not have cars or TVs

and certainly no electronic games. We had

the mountains, the fields, the woods and

the streams. When I was very young,

these four women, either collectively or

individually, would take me on walks and

adventures. I learned who all the animals

were, where they lived, and their habits.

They showed me the frog pond, the hid-

ing places for crayfish and sculpins be-

neath the rocks at the base of the falls,

and the meadows where the deer would

come in the evening mist.

If berry picking was involved, my grandmother would

take the lead. I came to learn where different berries could

be found and at what times of year. I was learning about

the seasonal changes and the nature of things through ab-

sorbed experience. Blackberries were found along the old

roads, and when they were ripening, you had to get there

quick to get ahead of the bears. Huckleberries grew low to

the ground in sunny, open fields bordering Schoharie

Creek. My grandmother would give each of us a small metal

pot or bucket into which we were to place the berries.

As a result of the guidance and encouragement of these

four women, I learned lessons of patience and the meaning

of work, as well as the fact that those efforts could be re-

warded if you put in the effort. Berry picking was a family

effort. We worked together and the berries were pooled

and made amazing pies and jams. That was an early lesson

on the value of collaboration.”

Charlie closed his speech by acknowledging how his

company continues, through very deliberate initiatives, to

mentor its employees. “The environment has been a cen-

tral focus of my personal, as well as professional, life and is

very much a part of my family. I am especially proud that

our company has a mentoring program. In addition to the

company-wide program at Exponent, we have initiated an

intensive acceleration program of one-on-one mentoring

where a number of individuals serve as champions and

mentors for younger staff, basically helping them quickly

learn the ropes of being environmental consultants and

how to be most successful. For us, WCEE is a part of that

effort.”

Charlie closed by thanking WCEE not only for the

recognition but also, and most importantly, for recognizing

the valuable role of mentoring.

Page 10 The Annunciator

Dr. Charles Menzie

Page 11 Page 11

Reunions Spring 2016 In what has now become a familiar routine, the Classes of 1966, 1976, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2006 were invited to Leewood Golf Club for a reunion dinner in April. Lee-wood provides a beautiful space and an unrushed atmos-phere where classmates can mingle at their leisure, find a quiet space to catch up or mingle at the bar and raise a toast to their class. Reunions have recently moved from being held every 5 years to being held every 10 years. In addition, the 25-year anniversary class is also always included in the reunion. Miss Pizzuti continues to be the most popular invited faculty member in history and was a guest of the Class of 1976. As has been her custom the last couple of years, she returned 1st-grade student artwork to the original artists. Photos continued on page 12

Annunciation-Our Lady of Fatima Parish

and Annunciation School are on Facebook!

You can find more fun and interesting stories, plus a whole new conversation on our Facebook pages. Don’t miss out on all the

news!

The Class of 1976 enjoys each other’s company at the

reunion.

Members of the Class of 1966 celebrate 50 years since their graduation!

Though it has only been 10 years

since graduation, the Class of

2006 had some catching up to

do!

June 2016

Page 12

Reunions Spring 2016

Class of 1964 Mini-Reunion

Kevin Koop hosted a mini-reunion for members of the

Class of ‘64 in his home in Sunset Beach, NC. Enjoying

the beautiful weather and spending a few days together

were: (Clockwise from top right: Bernadette Dillon, Vala-

rie Papantonio Burke, Robin Kirchoff Gillies, Connie

Calderone Vallone and Barbara Begnal Scovotti.

On Saturday, April 23rd, several Annunciation Class of ‘61 members and their spouses gathered at Antonio’s Trattoria to

mark their 55th-year reunion! From left to right: Pat Caldwell, Mary Campbell Caldwell, Con-

rad Youngren, Linda Oppermann Youngren, Ana Perez Camayd, Sharon Drake, Louis Quintano (who orga-

nized the reunion), Mike Drake and Patti Quintano.

Class of 1961 Mini-Reunion

Miss Pizzuti returned a piece of art to John Dealy to give

to his brother, Cliff. She has held onto various student

art over her years of teaching and has brought some to

the reunions to return to the artists.

Women from Classes of 1986 and 1991. Four of these

women are 2nd generation “Crestwoodians,” choosing

to raise their families in Crestwood.

The Annunciator

Page 13

Help Support Annunciation School

If you appreciate the Annunciation School

education that you received, please consider

making a donation to the school today.

Donations by Credit Card

Via the School’s Website

http://school.annunciationcrestwood.com/giving

Donations by check

Payable to Annunciation School

465 Westchester Avenue

Crestwood, NY 10707

Annual Fund is On Track for Record Year

The Annunciation School 2015-2016 Annual Fund stands at just under $65,000 as of today. What will our final tally be? The sky is the limit in what is our second year of the annual fund. Last year’s annual fund total was $41,875, so it is clear that our alumni, friends and parishioners have really responded to our appeal this year.

How high will we go?

We are hoping to reach $70,000 by the end of the campaign on August 31, 2016.

To get there will take a strong, final effort by all of our An-nunciation School family. If you haven’t yet contributed, will you make a donation today?

Please consider donating a meaningful amount—whatever that might mean. It could mean repeating the gift you gave last year. Or it could mean donating $68 if you are from the Class of $68 or $37 if you graduated from the school 37 years ago. Are you a graduate of the Class of 1996? Why not consider making a donation of $19.96?

As of today, seven of those classes have contributed an ag-gregate that exceeds $1,000 (1951, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1974, 1975 and 1976). Ten additional classes have given an aggregate of over $500 (1948, 1950, 1952, 1957, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1977 and 1990).

We are so grateful for your contributions so far and hope, if you have not yet contributed, that you take a moment to click on the link below to make a donation today (or mail a check to the address shown below). Our annual fund ends on August 31 and we are just $5,254 away from $70,000.

Please consider helping us reach that goal!

June 2016

June 2016 June 2016 Page 14

Crestwood Cares: Fundraiser Held for Graduate

A fundraiser was held in the Annunciation School gym on Saturday, April 16, 2016, to support Annun-ciation graduate, Annie McMahon ‘11, who needs a lung transplant. Annie, who is 19 years old, and suf-fers from cystic fibrosis, is the daughter of Theresa and John McMahon ‘77, the sister of Kate ’13 and Claire and Meagan, both Class of 2017. She is the niece of Brenda ‘75 and Maura ‘76.

More than 380 people attended the event, repre-senting three generations of Crestwood residents and Annunciation parishioners. Every aspect of the evening had been underwritten prior to the start of the event. As a result, every single dollar raised was able to go directly to the McMahon family for un-funded needs associated with Annie’s illness and the wait for a new set of lungs.

Annie and her family have been raising funds for sixteen years for research that might lead to a cure for cystic fibrosis. An annual Polar Plunge in Rocka-way, where hundreds dive into the frigid water to support Annie, takes place every February.

The “Crestwood Cares for Annie” night was billed as a karaoke and casino event with three differ-ent types of casino games. Patrons paid for casino chips with all proceeds going to the “house.” Casino winnings could be turned in for raffle tickets on many different prizes ranging from a Crestwood-themed basket to a flat-screen TV.

Guests also paid for the opportunity to sing their favorite songs. It was obvious fairly quickly that Crestwood has more than its share of vocally talented individuals. There were solos and duets, families singing together and even a flash-mob song and dance. The event was scheduled to run four hours but had to be extended due to its success.

Unfortunately, Annie and her parents were unable to attend as she had been admitted to the ICU the previous day. But her friends and neighbors kept her up-to-date with photos and videos being sent be-tween Crestwood and Boston, where Annie was hos-pitalized.

In preparation for the event, Annie had written a speech, which was read by her Annunciation class- Continued on page 15

You can find us on the Web at

http://School.AnnunciationCrestwood.com

The Annunciator

The crowd goes wild in a video for Annie.

Patrick O’Toole ‘01, Cathryn Melnyk-Duffy ‘92, Donald O’Toole

and Kevin Duffy ‘95

The Quinn family gets everyone singing.

Crestwood Cares for Annie

Page 15

Continued from page 14

mate, Maggie Sullivan ‘11. The speech brought tears and cheers as Annie spelled out her feelings for her friends and her neighborhood.

Here is the text of Annie’s letter to the attendees:

Crestwood is a tiny neighborhood in the suburbs of Westchester that, from the outside, looks like any other neighborhood, but when you take a closer look, it’s a family.

Whether it’s sitting next to your neighbor on the train, watching all the children trick-or-treat around, or celebrating Christmas Eve Mass and then driving down the streets to see them all lit up by the illumo-nari, Crestwood has an indescribable sense of home that makes it so great.

When people say they are from Crestwood there is a sense of joy and pride that is exactly what should be there. I have always felt this but never before have I felt it to this extent. As most of you know, I didn’t get to go to college. I am slowly becoming resistant to medicine. I am listed for a double lung transplant. These things as a 19-year-old are tough and very hard to get through. But I don’t have to do that alone. I have my family, my huge Crestwood family!

I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for what you are doing. During a time that is extremely stressful and hectic, you are taking away some of the burden and helping us get through. I cherish every-thing you are doing for my family and me. I will cherish my new lungs and use them to the fullest. Soon enough you will see me taking walks on the streets of Crestwood with brand new lungs. Thank you!

Now back home in Crestwood, she is anxiously awaiting the phone call that could give her the opportunity to breath freely.

As a result of the fundraiser, Annie has already found the freedom to enjoy activities with her friends again. Funds raised helped to pay for an electric scooter that Annie has been able to use, when her health has permitted it, to see the Broadway production Jersey Boys and to attend a Yankee game. Annie’s father, John, said, “This has been an amazing outlet to her to keep up with her friends and break away from the confines of a bed. She doesn’t get out much, but when she does, this purchase has been vital to her being mobile. After she gets her lungs, she wants to donate the scooter to someone in need going through a similar situa-tion.”

Prayers for Annie’s health and a new set of lungs are deeply appreci-ated!

June 2016

Annie, front, and her friend,

Niamh, on their way to some fun.

,

Photos courtesy of Christopher Pope Photography

Egan ‘72 and Gilchrist ‘77 Inducted into Iona Prep Hall of Fame

Deaths

Please pray for the souls of the following deceased alumni:

Elizabeth Crookston Bentsen ‘70, sister of Robert ‘69, Kevin ‘72, Brian and Carol

Christine Maiorano McCabe ‘65, brother of Eugene ‘60

We also pray for the souls of the following family of alumni:

Mary Hallinan, mother of Elizabeth ‘62 and John ‘66

Neil Murphy, father of Marilyn ‘63, Denise ‘65, Terese,

Neil Jr., Martin, Melissa and Shannon

Elizabeth McAnaney, mother of Edward ‘71 and Eliza-

beth ‘74

Katherine Flynn, mother of Raymond ‘60, Robert ‘64, Kathleen ‘68 and the late Thomas ‘57

Jane Murray, mother of John ‘86, James ‘93 and Eliza-beth

Dorothy Fulton, mother of Eugene ‘61, Dennis ‘63, Maureen ‘65 and Kevin ‘69

We pray for the souls of the following members of our faculty family:

Former faculty member Louis Capozi

Nicholas Monopoli, brother of 3rd-grade teacher Mrs. Brazier

Albert Tino, father of 6th-grade teacher Mrs. Carol Monaghan

Page 16 The Annunciator

Going Home!

If you want to make

a statement that

tells everyone where

you’re from,

here’s the

Exit 8 car magnet.

Exit 8 is Vermont

Terrace Crestwood

Station.

The $5 per magnet

fee supports the

alumni program.

Contact

mtmc525@aol.com

to place your order.

Births

Lucy Grace Stipi-cevic was born November 28, 2016 in Bethesda, MD. She is the daughter of Kris-tin and John Stipi-cevic ‘98. Lucy was baptized at A n n u n c i a t i o n Church on April

30. Her godfather was her uncle James Stipicevic ‘99.

Marriages

Mary McGarry ‘90 married Keith Bonney on January 16, 2016 at Annunciation Church. Mary is a finance SVP at Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations, and Keith is a corporate VP at New York Life. The couple honeymooned in Aru-ba. They live in Tuckahoe, NY.

Milestones

Page 17 June 2016

New Baby, New Job, Wedding, Engagement!

Let The Annunciator help share your good news!

Send your story today to MTMC525@aol.com.

Class Notes

1948

Richard Burke continues to teach railroad safety and encourage his engineering students to get their license to practice professional engineering and keep it registered. His wife, Linda, is partially retiring from music teaching. She will retain her most gifted flute students for private tutoring. For vacation, he and Linda will return to Mar-tha’s Vineyard and, from there, for a fortnight in merry old England, where they have journeyed together many times. “We both enjoyed the six Downton Abbey sea-sons although Linda was disappointed that Mary didn’t marry Tom. Her consolation gift is to visit Highclere Castle with me in August,” says Richard.

1951

Jo Budenz Palermo’s 8th grandchild made his appear-ance on April 8, 2016. West Adrian Nguyen Palermo was born in Cambridge, MA, Jo says, “His dad and mom, Tomas Adrian Paler-mo and Lahn Nguyen, are thrilled as am I.”

Meanwhile, Jo and her sister, Justine ‘56, plan to

meet in Berlin, Germany for a city tour in August. Jo is also in the process of pre-paring to dance a foxtrot with her teacher in a ball-room dance showcase scheduled for October.

Jo adds, “I'd love to know what is new in the lives of my classmates.”

1953

Peggy Shalloe Mitchell is sporting a new knee as of January 20th. “Thank heavens everything went very well and I am well on the road to recovery!” she says. “I had a call from Al Krug. He always remembers my birthday, since his is right behind mine. Al and Bridget go to Florida every winter and connect with Jack Kirkwood and Rita Brady.”

1958

Sheila Waters of Bronxville, NY, is a retired pre-school teacher. She reconnected with Frank Doherty ‘75 of Knox- Continued on page 16

Class Notes continued from page 17

and are titled Happy Thoughts and Sweet Truth. Theresa says that productions get bigger and better with each season. She is currently working on fundraising to film her next project.

2012

Congratulations to Liam Butler and Michael Calicchia who have both been named Salutatorians of their respective classes. Liam has graduated from Arch-bishop Stepinac High School and will be attending College of the Holy Cross, and Michael has graduated from Iona Pre-paratory School and will be attending Manhattan College.

Paige Clarke, who recently graduated from Clarkstown S o u t h H i g h School, is a track and field standout. She recently won her school’s Ath-lete of the Year and received the Hall of Fame Award and Schol-arship. She is a Continued on page 19

Page 18 The Annunciator

Congratulations to Fordham Prep Varsity Lacrosse on winning the CHSAA State Championship. There are 8 Annunciation alumni on the team (pictured above L to R): Ryan Gilchrist ‘14, Eddie Madden ‘14, Danny McCabe ‘12, Jack Casella ‘12, Michael Whelan ‘13, Kevin Berrios ‘13, Connor Heslin ‘13, and Nick Febbo ‘13.

ville, TN through The Annuncia-tor. Frank is a radio host in Knox-ville. It’s fun to hear Frank “Murphy” broadcast classic hits from the '60s, '70s, and '80s on 93.1 WNOX. You can listen live weekdays from 3-8 p.m. by streaming live on your computer at www.931wnox.com/listen. Sheila says, “Frank has the perfect radio voice and a great sense of humor. We met during my student years, when I worked in the children’s room of the Crestwood Library. By age four, Frank had the Irish gift of gab, and he still has it. He’s a pro-life, Catholic, family man, community volunteer and friend.”

1961

William Ludt says, “After 39 years of medical practice, I have decided to hang up my stethoscope and retire. I am looking forward to being a full-time grandpa – my first time! I plan to spend a lot of time in Alberquer-que, NM with my granddaughter, Lucy Anderson (as well as with her mom and dad). My wife, Cydnee, is off for the summer from her position teach-ing anatomy and physiology at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ, so w e p la n to t r ave l a ro und the Southwest as well.” Bill will also visit his daughter, Cami, who is starting a stroke fellowship in neurology at the University of Colorado. Their son, Bill, is in the final year of his marine sci-ence Ph.D at LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. Bill says, “We have all been blessed.”

1964

Lorraine Samuels Amada recently celebrated her first wedding anniversary with her husband, Jerry. Lori and Jerry and their rescued dog and cats live in the Bay Area. They’ll continue to cele-brate the start of their second year of marriage in Aruba this July.

Lori also recently published another poem, Praise the Rain, in an online liter-ary journal called Pilcrow & Dagger. This fall, she will be moderating a poetry class at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA.

1965

Denise Murphy Shepherd and her husband, John, retired this year from their work in the financial services in-dustry. They will be celebrating with a 3-month trip in their RV, heading from their new home in Florida to the Pacific Northwest with plenty of stops to see friends and family along the way.

2000

Theresa Labreglio’s award-winning Web Series, Or So the Story Goes, is going back into production for a new sea-son. Or So the Story Goes is horror an-thology web series retelling classic chil-dren's literature with a dark, modern

twist. This season is titled, Golden Rule, a teen slasher based on the tale of "Rumpelstiltskin". Prior seasons are available at www.orsothestorygoes.com

Class Notes Continued from page 18

Page 19

Section 1 county champion and was named top athlete of the season. She will be on the Division 1 track and field team at Stony Brook University in the fall.

Macklin Moyna, on right in photo, was named an All County defenseman in lacrosse and a CHSAA all-league player. Macklin was a senior de-fenseman at Stepinac High School. He will be attending the University of New Haven School of Music in the fall. He is picture here with his former Annunci-ation classmate and lacrosse ad-versary, Jack Ca-sella.

2013

Katie McLoughlin, who is now a jun-ior at the Ursuline School, received All Section and All State Recognition for basketball at the Ursuline School.

2016

The three Finnerty siblings are finally finished at Annunciation School! Katie ‘04 first entered the school 21 years ago in September 1995. Billy graduated this year in June 2016. Their brother Jack is a member of the Class of 2008. The Finnerty family bids Annunciation School a fond farewell!

Do You Know a Graduate of

Our Lady of Fatima School?

Our parish has nearly completed its merger with Our Lady of Fatima

Parish. Canonically merged in November 2014, the civil incorporation will

be completed by September 1, 2016. As a result, the parish alumni program

has been expanded to include alumni from Our Lady of Fatima School.

The first newsletter for OLF alumni is being released this month. It can be

found by clicking HERE.

We are looking for your help in encouraging your friends who might be

Our Lady of Fatima School alumni to get in touch with us.

As with Annunciation alumni, anyone who graduated from or attended

Our Lady of Fatima School is welcome to join the new OLF alumni pro-

gram. If you know someone who qualifies, please help by asking them to

email mtmccombe@annunciationcrestwood.com and include in the email

their class year and current mailing address. They can also join the OLF

alumni Facebook page, which can be found HERE.

June 2016

Annunciation School Joins Twitter

Annunciation School has joined the Twitter-

verse. To get official Annunciation School

posts, follow @AnnunciationCW on Twitter.

The school’s twitter is focused on current school

activities, rather than alumni activities.

Spring Sacraments

The sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation were received by 2nd and 7th grade students, respectively, this Spring.

On May 7, ninety-seven children received their First Communion, and on May 22, one-hundred-one children received the sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Walsh. The first Communicants were split across three Masses, while all the Confirmation took place during a single Mass. Thinking outside the box, Director of Religious Education, Mary Rose, arranged for simulcasting in the lower Annunciation Church for the overflow crowd. First Communion was also held at Annunciation Church, although the students received their first penance at Our Lady of Fatima Church.