Reunion Highlights – McBride Class of 1966
By Bill Bradford
On Friday and Saturday, September 8th and 9Th, Micks gathered to celebrate the 40th reunion of the Class of 1966. Time has passed oh so quickly since that day in June of 1966 when we received our diplomas from Cardinal Ritter in the Cathedral. Since graduation, much has changed in our lives ……… college, marriage, families, divorce, careers, Vietnam, the passing of loved ones, the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center, WorldCom and Enron, just to name a few.
The reunion events gave us a chance to renew old friendships. It was fun to see how some of us had changed over the years. Some grew taller while others grew stouter. Some grew facial hair, while others lost their hair. And some, like Bill McDermott and Rich Marcks, didn’t seem to change at all.
Reunion weekend kicked off with a blast with a gathering of alums at Growler’s Pub in Creve Coeur. The folks at Growler’s provided us with an excellent atmosphere in which to renew old friendships. Alums night was attended by 40 Micks. Most of who were from the St. Louis area. However, we were honored with the attendance of 10 Micks from out of town. In particular, Ed Wisneski flew in from Vail, Colorado to be with us for Friday Night only. It was like old times with the McBride School Banner hanging from the rafters. Micks gathered in small groups to rehash tales of those days at Ole McBride and share with each other what had happened in their lives since graduation. Wow – what a great night!
The reunion events culminated with a special dinner on Saturday evening at Norwood Hills Country Club. What a great setting for this special gathering of Micks and their spouses. The room was ornately set up with flowers and green and orange linen napkins. At the focal point of the room was the McBride School Banner with school jackets and letter sweaters hung at each end. A table of memorabilia was set-up at the far end of the room. Displayed in the foyer were the senior pictures of each Mick from the year-book. Upon arrival, each spouse and significant other was presented with a corsage of green-tinted carnations, babies-breath, decorated with an orange ribbon.
The dinner Saturday evening was attended by 33 Micks and their spouses or significant others. As with the alums night, 9 Micks had joined us from out-of-town. Also, in attendance were 4 special guests and their spouses or significant others, Don Bagot, Ed Perniciaro, Stan Piekarski, and Bill Rupp.
Prior to dinner, our very-own Deacon, John Bischof said a special prayer of thanks including a remembrance for all who had passed away. The dinner served was delicious and enjoyed by all. Following dinner, Jack Fischer thanked all who worked to organize the reunion events. He then outlined the accomplishments of the religious orders in St. Louis, in particular, the Marianists, to whom we owe so much for our education and training. Next he introduced the special guests and asked them to say a few words. To summarize the words of these guests, “each expressed their thanks for the time spent at McBride and how proud they were of the accomplishments of this group of Micks”. The success of our class flows from the foundation we received from the faculty of McBride and the ongoing support of our spouses, who received special recognition. Jack then introduced Tony Bandle who held court in a Johnny Carson-like manner and fried the rest of us. His comments were poignant, yet humorous. He had something to say about all Micks present, and a few who weren’t there. The room was rocking with laughter. Tony thanks for a great job!
In total, 46 Micks attended the reunion events. Wow – what a great turnout for a class that only had about 100 Micks available, not including those that are missing or have passed on. What a wonderful event! To quote John Bischof, “I felt like the weekend was one big love fest where men came together without personal agendas but to relive old times and new times with other men who were a significant part of their life at one time 40 years ago”.
On Sunday morning, my wife and I went to Cracker Barrel in O’Fallon for breakfast. What a surprise for us when we ran into Jim and Diane Huneke together with Jim’s mother. Both Jim and Diane were wearing their name badges from the night before and Diane had on her corsage. In speaking with them, they were still excited about the reunion and the chance to see many old friends. It seemed like they didn’t want it to end. Jim and Diane, we feel the same way. As I work on the closing details of the reunion, I secretly wish that it was all just beginning.
While the reunion events are over, I will always be proud to be a member of the class of 1966. I will continue to wear the orange and green proudly! I look forward to seeing everyone at our next reunion.
