Westerly High School Class of 1935, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.
High School Graduation Photo
Fresh faced and squeaky clean, this is the photo of my
father that appeared in the Westerly
High School yearbook,
class of 1935. My friend Barbara Fallon, who volunteers in the genealogy
section of the Westerly Library, had to confirm this photo in the Westerly
Library collection of yearbooks because while cleaning out my parent's house
(with a short deadline), I threw out all the yearbooks I found. Years before, I
collected my own and since I moved, they are in their own tote as well as
memorabilia from my high school years.
My parents both graduated in 1935 from high school,
attended each other's 50th class reunions and other than being shocked at the
number of dead classmates, had a blast. I went to my 25th high school reunion
and enjoyed it but I don't know if I will go to mine in 2015. Am I really as
old as I remember my mom and dad looking, getting ready for those reunions? I
guess the answer is in the affirmative.
Dad was a natural athlete. He ran track and placed baseball.
I know he could ice skate and knew the sports of ice hockey and curling. My father loved
writing funny poetry and reciting. He thought my schooling was useless because
I couldn't recite, sing and memorized dates of wars. He finished high school
which many of the people in his neighborhood didn't do. He could put together
the wooden puzzle of the United
States faster than anyone. On the other
hand, he was shocked at amount of money in my first paycheck. Times change.
After high school, Tom went to work in the Bradford Dye Works
and played in an adult baseball team. In 1940, he enlisted to serve in World
War II.
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