We regret to have to report that our 60-year reunion search for classmates revealed the previously unknown passings of these four members of our class (l. to r.)
 

We learned from a family member in October of the passing in June 2019, of Nancy Farnham, last known to be a resident of Baldwin, NY.

 

We learned in September of the passing March 2, 2019, of Patricia Bedell after a courageous battle with Alzeimer's. She was a resident of Lacey, NJ, and had a 30-year career teaching in both public and mostly private, Christian schools.



We also learned in September of the passing on December 9, 2012, of Paula Robinson of Merrick, NY.

We learned in September 2019 of the passing in October 2015 of Robert Petrilak, a resident of The Villages, FL, and a member of our class through jr. high until sometime probably before the start of our senior year, when he joined the US Air Force.

Sadly, we were informed in January 2019 by her brother, Frank Fazio (OHS '62) through his partner, Larry Schnur, that popular classmate, Karen Fazio, had passed in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 15th, 2018, at age 76 from complications of a stroke. Karen, who grew up in Island Park,  had retired to Daytona in 2012 after a career in NY City in cumputer technology and teaching. Her passion, however, was in interior design.

  
We were notified by her loving, husband, Marvin, that  our very popular classmate, Kathy Isom (Eckroth), succumbed to cancer and  passed away September 24, 2018, while living in western Canada . Like her mother did in Oceanside, Kathy had a dance school for 20 years and was otherwise very involved in the arts in Canada. Kathy also enjoyed genealogical and other internet research, and we are grateful for her help locating 65 out of 100 then missing classmates for our 55-year reunion in 2015 (which, unfortunately, Kathy was unable to attend).
 

We were informed by a classmate that Randy Perna passed away December 23, 2018, from colon cancer. A resident of Omaha, Nebraska, since 2012 and at the time of his passing,  Before going to New York University, Randy served in the U.S. Navy after OHS, where he played soccer and  wrestled. In Oceanside, he was an active member and past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a scout and Catholic Youth Group program leader and President of the St Anthony’s Church Parish Council.  

We first learned from a relative in August 2018 that Veronica Waite (Millea) passed away in December 2016. Ronnie spent most of her life in Oceanside but later moved to Brooklyn.

A classmate reported seeing a Newsday obtuary for Irene Tortorelli (Amuso), then a resident of Rockville Centre, who passed away on July 29, 2017.

Bruce Winkler was a popular member of the Class of 1960 but only during our junior high years. A resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, Bruce ​passed away on April 18, 2017, from a highly metastasized lung cancer only two months after his ​initial ​diagnosis. (Click here for Bruce's story,)

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We were notified by e-mail by his brother, Ray (OHS class of '63), that Dr. Tom Castoldi, a passionate osteopathic physician, of San Marcos, Texas, passed away at age 73.of cardiac arrest.on October 1, 2015, four days after our 55-year reunion. His brother, Ray, reported that Tom enjoyed our 50-  year Grand Gala  Reunion in 2010. Some may remember that Tom accompanied our 1960 production of Bells Are Ringing on the piano.

The passing, September 16, 2016, after a three-month struggle with multiple health issues, of Rosemary DeLucia, a lifelong resident of our little town, wife of Donald Forchelli, mother of two sons and grandmother of five, was reported to us by a classmate.

A classmate reported that Charles LoCascio recently passed on. The following information was taken from his online obituary (see www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/capitalgazette/name/charles-locascio-obituary?id=8951078 for the full text). Charlie passed away on July 29, 2016, at the age of 73 after a valiant battle with Alzheimer's Disease. After spending much of his life in Annapolis, MD, he was a life-long educator (an English teacher). He was a resident of Holly Hill (near Daytona Beach), FL when he passed.. He was a master of Italian cooking and loved boating, fishing and rock 'n' roll music, which he played on the piano.

We learned that Linda Solomon passed away in Florida on  June 22, 2016, from pulmonary complications. The following information was supplied by her loving husband of 51 years, Bob Kemp. They lived in Oceanside until 2006. After graduating from Becker College, Linda was an operating room nurse at South Nassau Communities Hospital until their first of three children was born in 1966. Soon, Linda dedicated herself to fundraising.for Oceanside's School #8 PTA. The Kemp family enjoyed camping and travel with other families all over the country, and Linda was president of the Good Sam Camping Club. According to Bob, "Linda had something in her that few people have, the loving ability to make friends and keep them from high school to present day. Everybody loved her and misses her, which was evident from the comments made on Facebook."

 
According to an obituary published June 7, 2016, in , Steven Mendelow, a resident of NY City and a graduate of Bucknell University, has passed at age 73. He served in the US Army from 1966-68, and for nearly 50 years was an accountant and financial adviser to countless individuals, families, and businesses. ew York Times
  

His sister, Maggie (a/k/a Peg or Margaret, OHS '65), informed us that Ed Chilton passed away in Michigan on April 2, 2016, at the end of his long battle with congestive heart failure. It is an understatement to say that Ed was a one-of-a-kind guy. Visit his special memorial tribute page.
 

Kathy Keegan's beloved sister, Nancy, also our classmate, informed us sadly that Kathy, a 15-year cancer survivor, passed away on December 10, 2015, from a rapidly progressing case of pulmonary fibrosis with complications. In the early stages of her recovery, Kathy attended our 40-year reunion. Near the end of her life, she was living in Maine and Florida.

A classmate informed us of the passing on December 6, 2015, from complications following replacement heart valve surgery of our dear friend, George Dirkes.  George is fondly remembered by many of us primarily for his delightful wit.  He was an esteemed partner in a prominent San Francisco law firm where he represented wealthy individual clients in estate planning trust administration matters. George was a highly accomplished lawyer who lectured and wrote extensively in his field of expertise. He was co­author of a practice book entitled California Trust Practice and a contributing author to California Will Drafting. George was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.and was a former mayor of Ross, California.
 
Upon his passing, his prestigious law firm placed the following words of remembrance on its website: "George’s brilliant professional work was uniquely matched by his kind, gentle, and genuinely caring demeanor. He was a wonderful friend, mentor, and counselor to everyone at the firm and to his clients, as well as a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. We are grateful that he was part of our firm for over forty-one years."

      
Marty Fuchs, whom you may remember played Sandor in our 1960 production of the Broadway musical, Bells Are Ringing, thus beginning a lifetime of passion for the theatre, passed away October 25, 2015, from a heart attack, according to a report from his wife, Carla. In addition to his amateur theater activities, Marty also sang in a barbershop quartet. He was retired from a career as an engineer for Boeing.

We were notified in late September 2015 by his loving wife of 44 years, Rosemary, that popular classmate, Bob Schwartz,  died suddenly and unexpectedly on September 12, 2015. According to Rosemary, Bob was born in Brooklyn, NY, but spent most of his life on Long Island. Bob and  Rosemary moved to Stuart, Florida, in 2004 and enjoyed golf, yachting, bridge and traveling throughout the U.S. in their motor home. They also had a summer home in Greentown, Pennsylvania. Bob, a graduate of Hofstra University, was a stockbroker before joining the U.S. Treasury Dept. as an International Tax Examiner. Bob will be remembered for his ever present smile and wonderful sense of humor.

We also learned in late September 2015 that Bette Tobolson passed away recently after losing a long and hard fight with cancer.

We learned in late August  2015 from her brother, Andrew, (OHS, '64) that Jane Nieman passed away on July 28, 2015, from pancreatic cancer. Jane last resided in both Southampton, NJ Jersey and Lake Worth, FL. Jane was an English teacher .

We learned in September 2015 that Kathryn Moloney passed away near Atlanta, Georgia ,on April 39, 2015. She was apparently quite ill for some time and unable to speak near the end of her life.

Doris Walker succumbed to brain cancer on May 3, 2015, following a long struggle after surgery in February last year, Doris was hoping to be able to attend our reunion in September.

Iris Kodish was part of our class only through our sophomore year after which her family moved to Teaneck, NJ. We recently learned that Iris passed away in September 2004 after a long battle with central nervous lymphoma. She had a career as a social worker.
 

Ronna Maislis, of Boynton Beach, FL, tragically passed when she succumbed to pneumonia after a long period of health issues on  April 12, 2015, just following the passing of her husband, Jeff Brill, (OHS, '59) on March 31, 2015. For years, Jeff owned and operated Ocean Chemists in our little town.

Our pre-55-year reunion search for missing classmates (almost totally the result of the skills and diligent efforts of Kathy Isom) sadly identified the next 13 losses (listed in alphabetical order) of which we were previously unaware. They have now been added to our memorial page:

Eleanor Di Pasqua died September 10, 2010, then a resident of Buford, GA.

Robert Falk died February 1, 2004, then a resident of Pompano Beach, FL

Arlene Forman passed away from throat cancer in April 2012. She was a resident of Delray Beach, FL. (Interestly, we learned that the beautiful, black-haired Arlene lived substantially all of her adult life as a blonde.)

Barbara Hock, of West Warwick, RI, died April 1, 2009.

Joan Geffen died February 2, 2004, then a resident of Westbury NY.

Jesse Lasky died May 1, 2006, then a resident of Modesto, CA.

Heino Lepik died  January 17, 2007, then a resident of Saratoga Springs, NY.

Gail Lollar  died June 2, 1985, a U.S. Army veteran, last resided in Sayville, NY

Audrey Maloy (misspelled "Malloy" in our yearbook) died August 11, 1995, then a resident of Miami, FL

Joseph Picucci died on November 3, 2008, then a resident of Olympia, WA. See what Joe wrote us some years ago about this website. (No yearbook picture is available as Joe joined the Army and went to Viet Nam before our graduation.)

Jay Sachs, a lifelong resident of Oceanside and Rockville Centre, died October 30, 2003.

Ed Wilmer died on July 15, 2013, then a resident of Hardy, VA.

Hector ("Clyde") Wood, died on October 4, 2004, then a resident of Denver, CO.

We learned in September 2014 from wife, Nancy, that Richard Woltman, of Hauppauge, NY, proud Viet Nam veteran and Past VFW Suffolk County Commander, died March 23, 2014.

In June 2014, we were informed by a classmate that Gerald Cestare (known in school as "J.C.") passed away; we later learned that his death occurred on September 4, 2012, in New York. Jerry attended our 50-year reunion in 2010  

In March 2014, we learned from a family member that Kathleen Wackernah, long on our missing classmates list, has been deceased since probably 2005. You might have known her as "Kit."

An early return from our class survey revealed the passing on January 30, 2013, of Steven Firstenberg, a resident of Beachwood, Ohio (near Cleveland).

Sadly, we learned that Barbara Rubeck, a resident of Woodmere, NY, passed away September 29, 2012, from pancreatic cancer. Barbara enjoyed our last reunion in 2010 and loved our website. In 2010, she wrote, "What an incredible trip! I have never seen nor felt anything like it."

At her home in California (since 1972), Geraldine ('Geri") Maracich succumbed on  October 25, 2012, to her long struggle with heart disease that sadly  prevented her from attending our last two reunions.

We were notified on August 3, 2012, by his wife, Karen, that Chris Knorr, a resident of New Jersey and one of our most likeable classmates, passed away on July 26^th, 2012, from complications of his treatment following a long bout with leukemia. Chris attended our reunions in 1990, 2005 and 2010. Visit Chris' special memorial tribute page.

On June 24, 2011, after his long and courageous battle with brain cancer, we lost universally liked Sailor, Hal  Wilensky, a resident of Plymouth, Massachussetts. Hal attended our reunions in  2000, 2005 and 2010. Visit Hal's special memorial tribute page.

Popular classmate, Lois Rindner, a resident of  San Antonio, Texas, passed away on February 13, 2011, after a long period of illness. Visit her special memorial tribute page.

We regret that our 50-year reunion search for missing classmates revealed the previously unknown passings of these three classmates, {l. to r.):

Fred
Brunicke

Frances
Hulse

 Christine
   Yarnall    

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