Congratulations to all our graduates and to all our teachers for another year of hard work making learning interesting to our kids. Alyssa Neff completed her first year of teaching at Garfield School. What makes Alyssa special (among many other qualities) is the fact that her mother Cheryl Loyd Neff, aunts Sandy Loyd Besik and Patty Loyd Bryan and grandmother Ruth Loyd, all graduated from Garfield School. Alyssa loved her first year, her teacher friends, her principal, the ancillary staff, and just about everything.
Sympathy to the family of a dear friend to many Forest Parkers, Midge Fielden Clark. Midge and the late Jack Clark were a great couple. They met years ago at the kidney dialysis center when it was located at the Eagles building. His late wife and her late husband were undergoing dialysis at the time. So Midge and Jack became friends and eventually married. Jack was as much a father to the kids as any father could have been.
Did you graduate from Forest Park Junior High in 1964? Mary Ann Barger wants you to know she’s hosting a 50th reunion party at R Place in Forest Park on Oct. 18. Reach her at rbarger49@att.net for more info.
Kyler Pacyga got the experience of a lifetime when she accompanied her Nazareth High School Environmental Science teacher, Mrs. DePasquale to a marine lab in Key Largo, Florida. Father Greg says she now wants to be a marine biologist.
Tuesday, June 3 marks the third anniversary of the death of one of the nicest guys to ever walk down Madison Street, Wayne Schauer. A bit of his spirit still lingers in the store. Wayne began the practice of giving treats to visiting dogs. We will always love and remember Wayne.
The Common Roots Initiative group has given another cash award to a Proviso East High School student. Liliana Uriostegui, a senior, from Maywood, won $1,000 from the group led by former Forest Parker Soumya Rao. Liliana plans to pursue a career in pediatric oncology.
Speaking of much loved people around town, Zeno Jacquat is now in a nursing home in Hinsdale, Health manor, 600 W. Ogden. He is making slow progress. Relatives from Switzerland are here for a few days to cheer him along.
Nancy Brod had a birthday that I’m afraid I missed, also Steve Huebner and Nicole Rice. This week’s birthdays include Christy Cesario, Marilyn Lentini, Lucian Duhem, Janeen Dunst, Carter Leonard, Patricia Gotier, Stella Kovarek, Nancy Love, Angelina Seveda, John O’Donnell, Joan Jordan, Ken Trainor, Gloria Hansberry. Cindy Wood, Janine Boy, Pat Cassiani, Dawn Jasper, Hailey Watson, Rev.Mark Jargstorf, Nicholas Faber Ross, Robert Gerger, Jacob Koehne, Alice Zimmerman, Anne Scafidi. Happy Anniversary to Diane and Colin Chin, Pat Williams and Howard Hansen and Al and Jenny Juozaitis.
Jackie is a former Chicago and Elmwood Park schoolteacher with an undying love for music, friendly pets and a host of life’s other treasures too numerous to list. She was born on the far southwest side of Chicago in a great neighborhood when it was a great time to be young.
