Memorial Service for David Buckley

Dear Classmates,

I received the following information from Frank Walker detailing the planned memorial for David Buckley. As promised I am forwarding this information to all of you.

“Earl & Dan:  Hope you had a great Xmas and wishing for a Happy and Healthy New Year. My sister Hallie heard from Michael Buckley. He said that David’s Memorial service will be at St Anthony’s on Jan 31st (Saturday) at 11:00. It would be great if we could spread the word. Stay well and Dan stay warm.”

My best to all of you,

earl

Earl C. Catron, STA Class ’63
Coordinator STA 50th Reunion

earl@earlcatron.net

(Please keep STA Reunion in the subject line to keep your email from going to my junk mail folder)

January 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment

A Poem for STA ’63 by T. Craig Smith

Lost River People
10-26-2013

They’re still among the missing,
Those familiar faces from so long ago;
People we used to know,
But now no one knows
Where their lives have led.
Have we surrendered ourselves
By thinking them all left for dead?

We don’t know exactly where they are
Or who they are these days.
For some strange reason
They remain in the dark.
It’s like searching for a missing person;
Perhaps drowned by life’s raging river,
That dark body of water
Which can overcome
Even the best of us.

Maybe they are lost forever,
Maybe it’s their own silent way.
It could be for the best
That they don’t come to the surface,
That we don’t know them
For the people they have become;
So different from those
We thought we knew.

They’re like lost river people,
Perhaps drowning in the depths
Of low esteem and self pity.
And they might never come back
To who they were.
Maybe it really is for the best
That dark water covers their faces,
And hides their secrets,
And our memory of them
Has become only a passing blur.

~  T. Craig Smith

October 29, 2013 By 1 Comment

Final Post from Earl

STA CLASS ’63 50TH REUNION

October 25-27, 2013

Ok you all. This is definitely the last of the website posts from me. If you haven’t registered for this reunion yet, read on and see what you are missing. There’s still time to get in on the fun so make up your mind and contact us. If you are hesitant about coming because you are old and wrinkled, and kind of fat and definitely unappealing … well .. don’t worry ..  you can just hang by me and you’ll look great by comparison. It’s not the body, it’s the soul. Please come!

Also remember that many of your classmates have donated money to make sure that ALL of us can make the reunion. There are “scholarships” available for those that find it a problem financially to attend. Just contact me and we will take care of it on a confidential basis.

So here’s the info on the weekend as of this moment. I’m sure not much will change. And by the way, if you come up to me or any of the committee members and ask a question that is answered in this email, there is a $50 donation fine and we still won’t answer your question. This info with any last minute changes will be posted in the hospitality suite at Lago Mar. If you don’t get the Suite number from us on Friday night just call the front desk.

 

HOTEL ~ LAGO MAR

Check-in is at 4PM or possibly earlier if rooms are available. Checkout is 11AM unless you get approval from Lago Mar for a later checkout. There is no parking charge for our group. Keep in mind that parking charge and tipping are not the same thing. Also there is no resort fee charge.

~ SCHEDULE ~ 

~ FRIDAY ~

We have reserved parking at the front entrance of the school where the teachers normally park. Just identify yourself as a Class ’63 Reunion guest.

The check-in for the party is in the entrance right in front of the main office and the cafeteria. (yah, they’re still in the same place). You will be directed to the party suite by somebody.

At check-in there will be a Booster Club booth nearby that will display and sell STA stuff. I specifically asked that they bring a good supply of T-shirts in blue and gold. That way if you wear them on Saturday I’ll be able to find you.

Also at check-in you will be given a ticket to the game should you want to wander into the stadium for a close up look at the game.

At exactly 5:30 PM some current students will take you on a tour of the campus. If you haven’t been back recently it is well worth the time. The tour will include the Bienes Performing Arts Center, the Gym, the stadium and much more. Spend a half hour and find out where all that money you donated to the school has been spent.

The “tailgate party” room will be open at 6PM and will close up at the end of the game or about 9PM. There will be plenty of tailgate style food and an open bar with beer, wine, water and soft drinks. Want hard liquor? …. BYO. Keep in mind, if you decide to use your game ticket to go inside the stadium for awhile you will have to do what you did back in the 60’s and hide the booze. … (OK, …  I’ve been told to tell you that you can’t bring any alcoholic beverages into the stadium.)

If you need a ride from Lago Mar to STA or just want to carpool so that you can have a sober person driving, check at the hospitality room and ask for Pat Wilder Novy. She will be trying to organize the car pooling as best as she can.

After the party ends we plan to meet at Lago Mar either at the hospitality room and/or by the pool. Please make as much noise a possible because I would consider this reunion a failure if I didn’t get at least one complaint call from the front desk.

~ SATURDAY ~

Have fun all day at the resort. The hospitality room will have beer and wine, sodas and water and all kinds of snacks, both healthy and not. We’ll also have coffee and muffins, etc in the AM. We will not have any “hard liquor” but we’ll have plenty of mixers. With one exception … my lovely wife Barbara wants Margaritas on Saturday and Bloody Marys on Sunday morning or she will not help me. So, thanks to Barb, those 2 cocktails will be available.

At 6PM there will be a cash bar reception at the Hibiscus Court area (outside) subject to moving it inside in case of inclement weather.

At 7PM we’ll move into the Lakeview Room for the banquet. The best oldies band in South Florida will be playing those great 60s songs as we come in and throughout the night. The dinner will be buffet style. We expect to go until about 10-10:30 and for the hardy souls we can congregate around the pool or hospitality room afterwards.

If you have special food needs or requests please let me know at least a week in advance and you will be accommodated.

I’ve had many questions about the dress recommendation.  The final decision is to just dress up a little. Cocktail dresses are OK but not necessary. Some ladies are wearing pants with a nice blouse. Jackets are OK but not necessary. Please just be comfortable. It’s not a fashion show, dress as you like.

 

~ SUNDAY ~

Father Barry Bercier will celebrate Mass on Sunday morning at 9AM in the Oceanview South room. Attendance is mandatory.

The Lago Mar Resort has a Sunday Brunch and I expect that many of us will finish off the weekend in the Palm Garden dining room. Bring your credit cards.

Earl C. Catron, STA Class ’63,  Coordinator STA 50th Reunion

10100 NW 1 Manor, Coral Springs, FL 33071

754-234-5671

earl@earlcatron.net

(Please include STA Reunion in the subject line to keep your email from going to my junk mail folder)

Registration for October Reunion

Registration for the October Reunion
  • Price: $180.00 Quantity:
  • Price: $50.00 Quantity:
    Party in room overlooking the football game. Appetizers, cash bar & tickets to the game (if desired) included.
  • Price: $140.00 Quantity:
    A delicious meal at 7PM at Lago Mar. We have engaged a fantastic 60's band, Orange Sunshine, so bring your dancing shoes!
  • Price: $50.00 Quantity:
    Add a number to the quantity to raise the amount. (For example, entering "1" in the box will donate $50, entering "2" in the quantity box donates $100, entering 4 equals $200, entering "20" is a $1,000 donation.)
  • $0.00
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
October 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Register Now for the Reunion

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 50TH REUNION OF THE STA CLASS ’63

October 25-27, 2013

The date is set and most of the plans are in place. All we need now is for you to come to the party. Here’s all the information you need to make your decision. Make sure that you read down through the information below and fill out the registration form at the bottom.

HOTEL INFO

We have arranged to have the reunion at the LAGO MAR RESORT AND CLUB. It is located on the beach at 1700 South Ocean Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. All of the rooms are 1 bedroom suites. This is a first class resort with spa, fitness room, restaurants, bars, an ice cream shop and, of course, THE BEACH. If you wish to stay longer than 2 days, the special rate will be available 2 days before and 2 days after the reunion dates. (subject to availability).

  • We arranged the special rate of $165/night which is about $100 less than their normal rate.  The cutoff date for the special rate is September 27th but because the Fort Lauderdale boat show is the following week I suggest that you make your reservations early.
  • To get the special rate the reservations must be made by phone at 800-LAGOMAR (800-524-6627). Be sure to tell them that you are part of the STA Class’63 reunion. Any further questions about the lodging should be directed to the hotel and not to us. Let us know if you want to share a room and we’ll try to get you in touch with someone who also wants to share.

FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT

  • Friday night we will have a tailgate party with plenty of food at the school. We have a room that overlooks the stadium and we will be able to see the Raiders game that night. We will provide tickets to those that want to watch part of the game inside the stadium. The bar will supply soft drinks and water but the bar is a cash bar for alcoholic beverages. We plan to open the room at 6PM.
  • The school is providing students to take you on a tour of the school several hours before the cocktail party. For those that have not been back to the school recently it is well worth your time to visit the many improvements that have been completed over the years. Upon your return to Lago Mar we will keep the hospitality room open as a gathering place.
  • The timing of the Friday night event creates a little bit of a logistical problem for those who are staying at Lago Mar. The normal check in time is 4PM. The resort people tell me that if your room is available you can check in earlier than 4PM. If rooms are not available they will take your luggage and store them securely. Again, please deal with the Lago Mar directly on this.

SATURDAY NIGHT BANQUET

  • On Saturday we plan to have some fun and games planned and then on Saturday night is the banquet to be held at Lago Mar. There will be a cash bar reception at 6PM in the Hibiscus Court and the banquet starts at 7PM in the Lakeview room. We have engaged a really good 60s band, Orange Sunshine, so bring your dancing shoes because they are the best in the area.

SUNDAY OPTIONS

  • On Sunday morning we hope to have our classmate Father Barry Bercier to celebrate Mass. Following mass the resort has a really fine Sunday brunch (on your own). We will keep the hospitality room open as long as it is not reserved for someone else on Sunday.

GIVE

In past years some of our generous classmates have helped us financially with gifts to sponsor part of the reunion. These gifts included sponsoring the band, supplies for the hospitality room, wine at each table for the banquet, and simply donating money. We would like to have some “scholarship money” to make sure that no classmates would have to miss the reunion. A good example is Father Barry Bercier. A classmate is already arranging for his flight down here but we need to cover his room and other expenses. There are others who have been hit hard by the recession and simply can’t afford the cost. Also, unfortunately we cannot locate our financial guy from the 40th reunion so we do not have the seed money that we counted on to get started.  As always, the balance of money left over will be donated to St. Thomas Aquinas High School. So ….. please continue your generosity this year … contact me.

COST & REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS

The Friday night event is $50 per person. The Saturday night banquet is $140 per person. Purchase both events together for $180 and save $10.

The registration form below will allow for payment by credit card thru PayPal’s secure site.

If you prefer to pay by check click here for my address and a printable form.

Thanks to you all. We’ll see you in October.

Registration for October Reunion

Registration for the October Reunion
  • Price: $180.00 Quantity:
  • Price: $50.00 Quantity:
    Party in room overlooking the football game. Appetizers, cash bar & tickets to the game (if desired) included.
  • Price: $140.00 Quantity:
    A delicious meal at 7PM at Lago Mar. We have engaged a fantastic 60's band, Orange Sunshine, so bring your dancing shoes!
  • Price: $50.00 Quantity:
    Add a number to the quantity to raise the amount. (For example, entering "1" in the box will donate $50, entering "2" in the quantity box donates $100, entering 4 equals $200, entering "20" is a $1,000 donation.)
  • $0.00
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

If you prefer to pay by check click here for my address and a printable form.

August 14, 2013 By 1 Comment