October 12, 2012
It is said that memories are what keep the joys of the past
alive, and never is that more apparent than when Lewis Avenue
alumni get together.
Photo gallery
For the past 55 years, these loyal sons and daughters of St.
John’s have gathered for their Annual Reunion, reconnecting with
friends and sharing memories of days gone by.
“I
remember Lewis Avenue as a very warm and friendly place,” noted
Patricia Moane Dwyer ’51Ed, ’68GEd, a double alumna who spent a
quarter-century teaching at the high school and college level after
graduation. “During the day the student population was all male,
and the women went to class between 4 and 6 p.m. and between 9 a.m.
and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Since the male classes ended at 3 p.m., in
that hour in-between the cafeteria became the hub of activity and
social life for us. Lewis Avenue is where I met my future
husband.”
Although he graduated more than six decades ago, Joseph Longo ’51C
has never lost his appreciation for the Vincentian community. Longo
grew up within walking distance of Lewis Avenue, and after
attending St. John the Baptist Elementary School and St. John’s
Preparatory High School, he desperately wanted to continue his
education at the University.
“My father was a barber in the neighborhood,” he said, “and a
number of the Vincentian priests would come there to get their hair
cut. Father Joe Dunne, who I had as a Latin teacher in St. John’s
Prep, asked me how I was planning to pay for college, and he told
me that he’d see what he could do to get me a scholarship to the
University. He came through, and I’ve never forgotten his
generosity. I’ve been on the Lewis Avenue Reunion Committee for
more than 20 years and I’ll always have a special place in my heart
for St. John’s.”
Like
many of her classmates, Constance Stoll ’56Ed needed to work to
help pay for her St. John’s tuition. In addition to her job and her
classes, she somehow found the time to serve as President of her
sorority and sportswriter for The Quill, the Lewis Avenue student
newspaper. And as if that weren’t enough, she was also training to
participate in the U.S. Olympics, which earned her induction into
the St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“It was a full life for me during my four years on Lewis Avenue,”
she recalled. “I made the Olympic teams in 1952 and 1956, so I was
a student when I was training for the 1956 games. It was an
absolutely fantastic experience to represent the United States
against athletes from all over the world. It’s something I’ll never
forget. I knew that some of my classmates would be here today, and
I thought it would be nice to see them again after all these
years.”
A highlight of the Reunion was the presentation of the St. John’s
Lewis Avenue Alumni Legacy Award. This year’s recipients were
Theresa Maloney Reddy ’51Ed and Anthony Perrotti ’49C. Reddy
devoted her life to education as a teacher and college professor
and Perrotti served, and continues to serve, as a gifted and
compassionate professional within the Social Security
Administration. Both were honored to have been recognized by their
peers and effusive in their praise for the University that still
means so much to them.
“I
was one of the first female cheerleaders at St. John’s,” noted
Reddy. “We wore red dresses, white gloves and saddle shoes, which
is a lot different from what cheerleaders wear today. St. John’s
gave me my whole life. I made so many friends, including one who
became my future husband, and I have nothing but wonderful memories
of my time on Lewis Avenue. I’m very proud to be a St. John’s
alumna.”
As with many young men of his generation, Perrotti began his time
at St. John’s after serving in the military during World War II. He
originally planned to become a teacher of Spanish, but decided to
take a temporary position with the Social Security Administration
until a teaching job became available. That temporary job has
lasted for the past 63 years, and he is now District Manager of the
South Brooklyn office of the Social Security Administration.
“I can’t think of any other job that touches the lives of so many
people,” he said. “Serving others has always been important at St.
John’s, and I’m happy to have carried those values with me for so
many years. Receiving this award is one of the nicest things that
was ever done for me, and even though I probably don’t deserve it,
I’ll cherish it always.”