Suzanne Gesin, our mother, passed away at the age of 59 in 2004. She certainly would have been blown away at the fact that it was going to be her 50th reunion- she was very youthful and always said that she wanted be like Peter Pan.
After high school Suzanne married Joseph Auerbach of Nutley. They moved to a small town called Wenonah in South Jersey. Suzanne went to school and became a registered nurse, she was the first volunteer fire woman in Wenonah, and along with her husband they raised two daughters. She was full of energy, creative, and incredibly talented and funny. She was all about keeping things fun, festive and memorable. Her love for art, nature, and the world was unbound. In '97 they retired full time to their beach house and spent time fishing and traveling to see their granddaughter in S. Carolina.
They were very much in love throughout their lives, the glow was still there, the sparkle in their eyes when they looked at one another....it was awesome seeing that, knowing that love like that exists, knowing that our parents were so much in love. They were individuals, but they were one.
Our father died first in '02 at 59,. we knew Mom would not want to be here long without him and she wasn't. Her tiny self released a glow and a smile as she left us and went out fishing with Dad in June of '04
It is with deep sadness that we write to tell you of the passing of our dear classmate, Linda Cocucci. What immediately came to mind upon hearing this today, were Linda's bravery and positive outlook despite the ongoing battle she was fighting with cancer, and the steadfast, unselfish and enduring love of her husband, Gary.
Linda was a real 'Verona Girl', - strong, fun, and courageous. Even though she was in the midst of treatment for her disease, she came to our 70th Birthday Party in Spring Lake, and kept up with all of us, enjoying memories, laughs, friendship. Her classmates meant a lot to Linda, and her presence was a gift to us. Always at her side, her husband Gary, made it possible for her to attend the party, and did everything in his power to ensure her comfort.
it is always difficult to lose a friend, whether unexpectedly, or after a long illness. We are so lucky we had that weekend with Linda, that she smiled at us, hugged us, shared the joy she felt at being there with us, her VHS classmates. We'll all miss her. Our deepest condolences to Gary and the rest of her family and friends.
Linda was a wonderful classmate and friend; we enjoyed each other's company. She'll be missed from our group. So sorry to hear of her passing. I extend my sincere sympathy to her husband and family. Tony
Out of all our old friends, Dotti was the one I had been most hoping to see at the reunion. Heard about her passing from Marie (Miscia) Reitinger. Still can't believe we've lost her. She was a very special friend in high school. But like so many others, I didn't keep in touch, and now that's one of my deepest regrets.
From Lois Farina Reilly on June 16th, 2011
I miss Dorothy...she was a most beautiful woman, both inside and out. We continued our friendship throughout the years, even though we lived on opposite coasts of the U.S. We saw one another whenever possible, and between times Dorothy wrote to me, beautifully ~ real, hand-written letters and cards ~ which I still have and treasure to this day. Her love of all that truly mattered, her appreciation of the beauty of nature, was a gift that she shared with me through her inspriational words. I am truly blessed to have had Dorothy in my life and I will never forget her.
From louis purcaro on December 17th, 2010
I wish I had the courage at 17 to tell her how much I liked her then . I thought about her often and fantasized about her being with me. I think you all would agree she was not only beautifull but a great person. I hope to see her again some day.. Lou Purcaro
Buddy was a great friend growing up. A super person that never said no and would always help out. He was very involved in scouting and enjoyed anything that was a challenging.
This is a long time coming. Jerry was killed, as many of you probably know,
in a car accident at 19 years of age. We were pals and musicians in Jerry's
band, The Clefs, a jazz group, that played together when we were still in H.S.
Jerry played the electric accordian, and we played a couple of gigs together.
He was also a good friend, and helped me through a couple of courses a was
having trouble with. He was a sweet and kind kid, and in a sea of faces from the
class of '62, his shines most in my memoryI
I always wanted to connect with Diane again since we last worked at Grant's at the Essex Green shopping center in West Orange, NJ (many years ago). If anyone can tell me about her life, I would appreciate it. My email address is ....river.breeze@hotmail.com. Thanks.
As classmates we all remember Steve Picker as a wonderful person, full of life, humorous, sincere and a friend to everyone. Throughout his life he maintained these wonderful characteristics while developing many others which I had the pleasure of observing as a fellow teacher, coach, community member and family friend. Steve was an accomplished science teacher at Mt. Olive High School while coaching numerous sports and coordinating many of the athletic events. He was a respected Advanced Placement Biology teacher, who pursued advanced degrees and certifications in his academic area and administrative fields. He loved SCUBA diving, his Harley Davidson, guiitar playing and was a professional photographer for many private and civic events. His family remained a major focus of his life including his wife Joan, daughters Wendy and Tracy and his 5 grandchildren. He really developed into somewhat of a Renaissance man extending his interests and talents into volunteer work at hospitals, teaching sign language classes, advising numerous school and community groups. But, most of all Steve enjoyed sharing moments about Verona High School and all his classmates. No day went by without some mention of VHS being a part of his conversations and without the fondness of these years and his classmates central to his thoughts. He loved being at the last reunion and would have been among the first members of the class to sign up for the 50th. He will be missed, but most certainly remembered. .
From Karl Drzymala on May 2nd, 2012
Steve is the person that comes into your life and makes a difference. We started 2nd grade together. Had lots of good times and even caused some minor trouble in 3rd grade. We could never figure out how our mothers new what was going on, until we found out they went to school together and stayed friends .
From louis purcaro on March 7th, 2012
High School can be cruel for some kids. Steve was always nice to everyone, including me. He would join us on occasion for street pinky ball and did not cheat like Charlie Gould. Will miss him in October.
Have fond memories of Bill. Going to his birthday party at about age 9. Playing tackle football with him and his brother Rick on Laning Avenue School field. Bill's mother was a kind, considerate person.
Barbara was in my class since at least 4th grade at Laning Avenue School. She was a kind, friendly person. Barbara was born the same day as me, March 20, 1944.
