If you see 90 or so white-haired, spunky septuagenarians around town this weekend, there’s a reason: The Staples High School Class of 1964 is celebrating their 60th reunion.
(Note: That sentence is not mine. It came directly from one of the organizers, Deb Holliday Kintigh.)
The weekend includes the usual reunion activities: a cocktail party, dinner and Compo Beach gathering.
But there’s a lot more — including ideas other reunion classes might steal (er, borrow).
In a “Deep Dive” this afternoon (Friday), 6 reunion-goers — selected from many proposals — will offer insights into their careers, volunteer work and passions that impacted their lives, and others.
The diverse span of experiences features Tom Dublin, who co-created a women and social movements document history website subscribed to by libraries and universities; former Staples lacrosse coach Paul McNulty, who coached and built an integrated football team in Mississippi; Nancy Wilson, who founded a Quaker school, and now teaches in a prison; Tim Honey, who spent a foreign exchange year in South Africa, and has revisited the much-changed country since apartheid ended; Sandi Crosby Goldie, who works on climate change, and Melody James, talking about bridging silence and sound, pioneering medical technology and navigating the opposition to the cochlear implant.
The session will be videotaped, to be shared with a wider audience.
In 1962, the Staples Class of ’64 presented the director of the World Health Organization with a check the class raised to support the WHO. Among the attendees: Tim Honey (striped jacket, center). He will be part of today’s “Deep Dive.”
The other new event is “Roundtable Short Stories,” following the Saturday morning breakfast. There will be talks from current students, and principal Stafford Thomas.
Then, after a tour of the “new” school (as of 20 years ago), led by alum (and longtime track and cross country coach) Laddie Lawrence, the class will gather in a circle.
A mic will be passed, for anyone to share 3 to 5 minutes of whatever they wish.
The Staples High School that the Class of 1964 remembers.
The Saturday banquet at the Norwalk Inn includes song parodies by Eric Multhaup, Sylvia Robinson Corrigan, Nancy Wilson and Melody James, a solo Linda Clifford, and a compilation/adapted scene from Staples Players’ 1962 production of “Our Town,” with John Parriott, Claudia Daub Crawford and Melody James.
“Then we have a playlist of ’60s and ’70s music,” says co-organizer Melody James.
“We plan to boogie — well, move and sway.”
The reunion ends Sunday. The Compo Beach picnic features a hootenanny (remember those?), games and food, plus a tribute to departed classmates with a reading of names, and music by Mike Haydn.
Welcome back, Class of 1964! Have a great reunion — and many more.
NOTE: The Class of ’64 also has one of the best reunion websites anywhere. Click here to see.
(Whether you were in Staples’ Class of 1964, 2024 — or never went there — you’re part of our community. And part of our “06880” online community too. Please click here to support our work.)
THANKS for the fabulous overview, Dan…our excitement is palpable!
Hope to see you at Compo on Sunday! 🤗
Deb and Melody: kudos on your work in putting together such an interesting group of activities. One suggestion (in case you haven’t already done this): I hope there is a song by The Remains on your playlist to honor the memory of your classmate, Bill Briggs, who died earlier this year. If you do not have a Remains song on the playlist but would like to add one, I suggest either “Diddy Wah Diddy” or “Me Right Now” as both are good songs to dance to. (And a good slower song is “Thank You.”) Thanks.
Wonderful article. Thanks Dan Woog!
Carole Seligman
Staples class of ‘64
Thanks for the suggestion, Fred…you can be assured The Remains will be present and accounted for! BTW, there were twenty ambitious, creative and passionate volunteers who have made this weekend a smashing success, many of whom have been working hard for over a year!
And, Carole Seligman, we miss you!
‘64 was a great class. I took sailing lessons from Tim Honey in his Lightning. I remember when he AFS’d to South Africa. Laddie Lawrence in addition to being a track star and coach was a standout counselor at Mahackeno. Glad to see that they are alive and well.