It's Been Awhile...

 Hazel Solomon wrote with sad news. 

I just got a call that my dear friend, Mary Anninos passed away on Fri. She had a really difficult year, having lost her husband Pete several months ago, & then dealing with Covid & pneumonia. She got through it all & was doing ok., but had a fall that took her from us.  She will be missed terribly. 

Can you please post this to your Delran blog?  Thanks

You may remember I posted a few months ago when her husband Pete passed away.

Pete and Mary 

 Mary was a Millbridge teacher and Delran parent. I know those of us who knew and worked with her have good memories and remember her fondly. 

May she rest in peace.  

_________________________________________________________________

FYI 

Frank Pilvalis is recovering from his triple bypass heart surgery.

I recently heard from Anne Louise Taylor, another former Delran teacher (and mother of John Taylor, who was in my first fifth grade class!)  

Have you seen/heard from any of our former colleagues lately? 

I am hoping our DEAR group will get together again once tax season is over.

Here are some photos from our last lunch at Dooney's....in January 2024.

 Hope everyone has been enjoying a happy and healthy holiday season.

I look forward to starting up our monthly lunches again in 2024. Meanwhile, some fifth grade retirees got together for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning. Recognize anyone?

Take care and be well! Happy New Year!

Guess who? (Gessmanns!)

 Look who's active with the Suncoast NEA Retired!

This photo and an article about their efforts is on the NJREA Members Facebook page

Delran History and Condolences to the Marino family

Thanks for sharing your early days in Delran stories. So interesting! Please keep them coming.

Doreen Lawrence also wrote to share the sad news of the passing of Roseann Marino's husband, Tony. May he rest in peace. From his obituary and Doreen's comments I can tell he was a very special person.

Before it was the Delran Intermediate School (DIS)

 Our November DEAR lunch was so enjoyable I forgot to take any pictures!

No date was set for the next but it won't be until 2024 (aka sometime in January,  hopefully)

Bruce Smith's free Moorestown Band concert is going to be December 1st. All are welcome.

In other news, I saw a Facebook post questioning  the middle school's history....when did it change from Chester Ave to Middle School? Was it ever Delran Junior High? 

I tried to do some research. I didn't see anything about the high school execpt it opened for the '75-'76 school year. Presumably when that 9-12 building was in place, the Middle School covered grades 6-8.  When I started in Delran at Millbridge in 71-72 it was K-6 (and the seond year it was open). I'm not sure when 6th grade moved to the Chester Avenue building and what it was called then. 

While the Intermediate School was being built our 5th grade was at the Middle School for two years (Aronson Bell was closed and so was Cambridge I think. Millbridge was K-4 those years I guess). It opened in 1996.

I found this bit of school history for the pre-Intermediate School site on the Delran Historical Society web page: Bridgeboro Grammar School

If anyone has further insight into our school system's history, I would love to hear it! (When did you start and which building? What do you remember?)

One fragment of historical memory I have is the resentment I felt when they budgeted $300 for the Delran bear costume for the HS mascot and we in Millbridge didn't have any yellow construction paper. (That seems pretty petty in retrospect, now that I'm writing it!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving next week?

 Wow. Time sure is going fast!

Summer ended, school started, we've had Halloween, elections, the NJEA/NJREA convention, and now Thanksgiving is staring us in the face.

That being said, we are looking forward to seeing our fellow retirees and friends Thursday, November 16th at Dooney's at 12:30.

 (These photos are from the June DEA Retirement luncheon)

More sad news

 DHS teacher and coach Vic Veston passed away on October 26, 2023.

May he rest in peace. Our condolences to his family and friends.

His obituary is here and also on a page called Delran High School Remembers which lists Delran High School obituaries and memoriams.

Relatives and friends are invited to Victor's viewing on Thursday, November 2, 2023 from 10AM-1PM at the Mount Laurel Home for Funerals, 212 Ark Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054. Funeral service to follow at 1PM. Interment private at the request of the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation at and American Heart Association at .
Victor's service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqHO67wpBsUSkgPDUxZiBw on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 1PM.