To the Editor:
Twenty-nine members of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 1965 attended their 60th reunion the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, the 19th. The reunion was held in the afternoon at the Wharf restaurant on Main Street of Edgartown. It was a festive affair. Animated conversation blended with laughter and the joy of reconnecting with old friends filled the room, which was decorated with Vineyard school colors (purple and white) and class memorabilia. An abundant assortment of hors d’oeuvres was served, and a truly enjoyable time was had by all.
Vineyard residents who attended the reunion included Sharon Alley Estrella with her husband Manny, Marie Barrett Mercer, Terry Boyd with his wife Joyce, Hal Child, Richard Combra with his wife Dawn, Cathy Convery Lewis, Lynne Gale Silva with her companion David Tilton, Wayne Iacono, Bruce Levett, Daniel (“Danny”) Luce, Margaret Mayhew Pénicaud, Robert (“Bob”) Pacheco, David Seward, Douglas Seward, Bonnie Sherwood Steere, Linda Veira Metell, Edward (“Pete”) Vincent with his wife Melissa, and Wayne West with his son, Warren (who became our group photographer!).
Some of the classmates had to travel to attend the reunion, including Brenda Berube Beckman with her husband Bill from Wilmington, Del.; Marjorie Coutinho Dolby and her husband Tom Dolby from Marston Mills; Kristy Entwistle Erickson and her husband Dave traveled from Carlisle; David Gordon with his wife Arlene from West Greenwich, R.I.; Russell (“Rusty”) Grant from Stedman, N.C.; Margaret Leonard Burke from Avon; Jessica Sawyer from Rockville, Md.; Linda Silvia Taylor from South Daytona, Fla.; and Jeanne Surprenant Popielarz from Bedford, N.H.
Four part-time classmates joined the fun: Vineyard residents Brian Flanders with his wife Noreen, and Pat Mitchell. Jackie Perlstein Neel with her companion Chuck Redmon came from Belmont, and Penny Winslow with her husband Fred from Silver Spring, Md.
Jessica Sawyer organized a Zoom meeting for those classmates who were unable to come in person. We were joined via Zoom by Yvonne DeBettencourt Benton in Rochester; Jon Macdonald in Floral City, Fla.; and Dennis Metell and his wife Ingrid in North Windham, Conn.
On Sunday morning, a memorial Mass was celebrated at St. Augustine’s Church in memory of Bruce Abbott, Diane Averill, William Bassett, Karen Belisle Child, Doreen Deitz Palmer, Polly Downs Mahan, Sandra Duarte McMullen, Larry Enos, Aurora Ferreira, Mary Fischer, Mary Francis Nickerson, Bernard Gonsalves, Charlotte Jernegan, Thomas Lawry, Claudia Metell, Robert Norton, David Perry, Elizabeth Richards Decosta, Barry Swartz, Robert White, Nannette West Linch, and Brenda Wordon Lynch.
Class president Doug Seward invited everyone to visit his garage museum Sunday afternoon. Doug’s museum is filled with an amazing collection of Island memorabilia. For those of you who were unable to stop by on Sunday, the museum welcomes visitors. Just give Doug a call!
Margaret Mayhew Pénicaud
Chilmark
