I took a trip yesterday … literally and figuratively. I journeyed 234 miles to stroll down memory lane from 50-plus years ago.
Don Bosco Tech, Paterson, NJ. It was my high school home from 1961-65. It’s been closed since 2002 after a 53 year Salesian run that transformed thousands of boys into young men. It was sold to Paterson Public Schools, who now run it as Don Bosco Technology Academy — a nice touch keeping the history — housing middle school ESL students from Schools 5 and 27. It is slated for demolition, possibly as soon as the end of the school year.
That brings us to the journey. Thanks to the efforts of Jason Velante (Class of ’95), currently an English as a second language teacher for Paterson Public Schools, a tour for DBT alumni was arranged for Saturday. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
The school has certainly changed since the days I roamed the halls. Gone are the chapel, the third floor residences and Savio Hall — the technology building — is boarded up. But you could still feel the spirit of students as over 100 of us DBT alumni toured the halls, cafeteria and gym.
I was certainly the oldest, coming from the Class of ’65. The closest 
I could come up with was a couple of yearlings from the Class of ’69. The rest were from the 70s, 80s, 90s and up to 2002 when the school as we knew it closed.
I tried getting in the Linwood Avenue gate. The road was just a little more pothole — okay crater hole — pocked than the day. But the gate was closed and a portable building stood on the other side. Two additional portables buildings took up pretty much the rest of the senior parking lot where our days started and ended. It’s also where some students went to cram, blow off some steam and possibly sneak a smoke or two.
That’s my Dodge on the left
I started my parking experience with my mom’s 1962 Chevy Impala until I could afford my first car — a 1956 Dodge Coronet. Cars in the lot ran the gamut from clunkers to 
classics. One fellow senior, Tommy DiStefano — okay, his name was Frank, but I started calling him Tommy as a freshman and it sort of caught on from there — had the sweetest Lincoln and best buds Bernie Spirito tooled around in a mid-50s {56 I think} DeSoto and Carmen DeRosa an early 60s Ford Falcon (1960 I think). I can still all those cars in the lot. Oh, to have almost any one of them today.
As I walked toward the courtyard, I couldn’t help but remember the countless games of handball played against the gym wall. Of course, some of us pitched baseball cards or coins — until one of the brothers gently chided us about the evils of gambling.
We actually got to tour three floors of the main building at 202 Union Avenue. Most of it is pretty much the way I remembered it, with well-scuffed wood floors and classroom upon classroom. The memory may be a little fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure Room 4A– renumbered now to 214 — was site of my famous burger and shrimp snacks {an earlier post, https://wisdomfromafather.com/2013/01/07/heres-to-teachers/, Jan. 7, 2013 explains the escapade in a little more detail}. I vividly remember History Teacher James Boyle’s uncanny knack for hitting non-listening students with an eraser while his back was turned. Sure, there was always some collateral damage, but typically the target always had a badge of an eraser image on his shoulder.
I seem to recall brick walls, but today they were plaster. Unfortunately, the deterioration of the plaster along with missing ceiling tiles, leaks, windows that don’t close tight and exposed wiring were more of a testament the building has a date with the wrecking ball.
The first floor chapel is gone — more classrooms — as is the woodworking shop — also now classrooms. Ditto for the second floor library — although, remarkably, many of my fellow DBT alum, including myself, remembered very little of the library. It, too, is now class space, as was the priests and brothers residences on the third floor.
From the main building, we snaked our way through the kitchen and into the cafeteria, which, remarkably, has not changed all that much. One change was the wall separating the cafeteria from the gift shop is now gone, although you could tell where it was because of the different tile on the floor. I can still see in my mind’s eye the tables where we shot the bull, played finger games and, yes, even ate some lunch. I can still smell the hamburgers — my usual fare du jour. (Everyone knew me as Wimpy after the hamburger-devouring Popeye character).
Then it was into the gym, where a Paterson City League game was being played. It hasn’t changed much … the wooden bleachers, the balcony and most notably the DBT Ram emblazoned in the gym floor. It’s still there … 50 plus years later.
“Mary had a little lamb” chants John Hayes, Charles Scimeca, Harold Brucker, Charles Parr and Leroy Havekost
It was also where we were initiated as freshmen …
Man, all this for six seniors’ names!
… and initiated as seniors.
The pats, smacks and whacks were all in good fun and ultimately brought us together as a community.
We didn’t get a chance to visit Savio Hall — the Technical part of Don Bosco. I was on the third floor in electronics for four years, but the building also housed drafting, graphic arts, machine shop, print shop (where they actually taught students how to use a linotype) and auto shop. Ah, the memories from there. I could write a book.
As for me, my life was pretty ordinary at DBT. I don’t remember a lot, just fragments {hey, 50 plus years ago is a loooong time}. I was involved in cross country, baseball (as a freshman and manager), bowling (team captain), basketball (manager), altar boy, Savio Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, yearbook staff and debating team.
Notice the commitment … my running shoes
I wonder how many of our plans back in 1965 actually panned out? Mine certainly changed, with different twists and turns. I started in electrical engineering and ended up at newspapers … which is probably a good thing because electronically, if I engineered something the toilets would probably flush. My stint as a correspondent for basketball and baseball at DBT opened the door to the Sports Department at the Paterson News, then sports editor at the New Jersey Herald, then production manager/vice president at the Belvidere (IL) Daily Republican/BelRock Printing, then as associate publisher of the Toledo (OH) Catholic Chronicle, then as editor of the Washington (DC) Catholic Standard and now as publisher of the Reveille/Between the Lakes in Seneca County, NY
As I scanned my yearbooks, I remembered the characters of the Class of 65 that made us unique. Over the years, we lost touch. I don’t know how many of us are still around. I know we lost a couple of faculty members in the last year. It would be nice to connect again.
We chose the World’s Fair of 1964-65 as our graduating theme … “The fair adventure of tomorrow.” Our yearbook epilogue was: “Countless millions of hands have gone into building yesterday, and many millions more are required just to hold today together. Yesterday and today have been accomplished. We have seen their works, and learned their wisdom and their folly. But what of us? We will put our hand to tomorrow. Not alone as one hand holding back the wind, but joined to those of our fellow men in the enterprise of making tomorrow a day of hope.”
So, here’s our gigantic Class of 65: Joe Barrise, Danny Barteluce, Robert Beck, Andrew Bello, Dennis Besida, Rich Bottino, Harold Bruckner, Richard Connor, Rich Daken, Joe Dapassano, Carm DeRosa, Mike Dillard, David Dillon, Frank (Tommy) DiStefano, Larry Dolan, John Dowling, William Endres, Leo Fitzsimmons, Joseph Fusco, Jack Galoyan, Mario Gillio, Bob Glinka, Frank Goss, George Hamlin, Frank Hanna, Den Haraka, John Hayes, Bart Iurato, Dennis Kaczka, James Kelly; William Klein, Ray Konopinski, Ed Korczynski, Ken Korndorfer, John Leibrecht, Ray Leszczynski, Mike Maggi, Robbie Maimone, Bruce Matthew, Ed McBride, Stephen Menconi, Tom Murphy, Tim O’Brien, Tom Palinski, Charlie Parr, John Paul, George Raineri, Dan Rankin, Doug Ruland, Joe Sapinski, Matt Scheer, Ken Schroeder, John Scillieri, Charles Scimeca, Vincent Seminara, Dan Sheridan, Randy Shope, Al Simmons, Robert Simons, Leo Sopuch, Louis Spinelli, Bernie Spirito, Ray Tahan, Stephen Varcadipone, William Vogel, Michael Watson, Joe Wos, Jim Yamroz, Fred Zahn and, of course, yours truly. Hopefully we did our part in making our tomorrow a day of hope.
Yes, Don Bosco Tech as we knew it may be crumbling, but the spirit and camaraderie across decades proved Saturday the DBT spirit is alive and well … no matter what year you graduated. We all had “Remember …” moments.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.
The Light 