Forxwoods

Here's the design for the Stags cap to be distributed at the Foxwoods get together

Florida Reunion --JANUARY 2009

Natey Freedman arranged for a reunion at the very appropriate Boston Restaurant, on the ocean at Delray Beach, on January 24, 2009. Natey and his wife Ellie were staying in Deerfield Beach for January and Gerry Kawadler was at a 4-day golf weekend in Boca Raton. Merv and his wife, Deborah, were at their condo in Hollywood. Bobby Winn was at his condo in Delray Beach. Gordy Morse, Herbie Wallace and Big Archie Kruskall all live in the area, so it was a grand 7 Stag luncheon rendezvous.
While earlier in the month, Merv, Natey and Gordy (with wives in tow) met at Gordy’s home in Coconut Creek for drinks, and then went out to dinner. And Natey and Ellie had dinner with Herbie Wallace and his wife, Linda, at the Polo Club. But for the most part, we hadn’t seen each other in over 55 years!
We all sat in the upper level of the restaurant overlooking the ocean on a clear, beautiful and sunny day. After the hugs and kisses, with bloody Mary’s and drinks in hand, we settled down to wonderful reminiscing. Right from the start, there was the same special, spirited camaraderie that we had when we were kids. From then on, there was a series of old-time tales with many laughs. Typical of our Boston days, with the exception of Big Arch and his burger, we chowed down on nice lobster rolls.
Here are some of the luncheon highlights:
Big Archie had an earring in his left ear (but no tattoos were in sight) and was still spouting off jokes and his wonderful asthma tales of despair. Same old, lovable Archie.
Herbie noted many tales of Mel Stern and his wild days at Dean Academy.
Herbie and Bobby bought their first car together for $50. It had a rumble seat in the back. Winn never paid up his share, leaving Herb with the whole payment and the car.
At Gordy’s Navy send off party at a hotel on Huntington Ave., Paul Spiegel was supposed to bring some dirty "stag" movies, but he didn’t. The party got out of hand and they were all tipsy from the rum punch. They were playing football in the room. Herb and Mark were puking on Eddie Kezar.
Brownie and Bosse were the noted "experienced" ladies men of the group, with all sorts of girls around in and out of the back seat of the cars! There were a few funny "coming of age" tales.
Gerry Kawadler told a tale of Herbie using his father’s Hudson (with reclining seats). He took Fifi out parking in the Blue Hills one night, left the car running and ran out of gas (maybe both literally and figuratively!).
Herbie remembered some of his wonderful, funny experiences in the Navy Reserves and later in the Navy when he was stationed on an aircraft carrier; and a meeting with Lt. J.G Mark Goldberg in Norfolk, Virginia.
There was some fun laughter about the joining of the Knights of Pythias Solomon Lodge and all the rituals; and Chico Krantz, a wild guy and a great athlete who later became a gangster!
Eddie Green, Herbie Wallace and Mel Stern took up golf. They went to Raymonds Dept. Store in Boston and bought their equipment. They were all playing golf at the Ponkapaug Golf Course and out of the clear blue, this guy comes out of the woods stark naked looking for his golf ball. They couldn’t believe it!
Those steamed hot dogs at the G & G deli on Blue Hill Ave. after Hecht House meetings and dates were great.
Paul Spiegel (6 foot 6) was nicknamed "Hondo".
There were some noted comments about playing basketball at the West End House and making sure we left there in a hurry to avoid being attacked. Merv noted that he was a member of the West End House and that’s where he learned to play basketball at age 11. In college he was a West End House camp counselor up in Kezar Falls, Maine. He was friends with Norm and Dick Levine from Lorna Rd., whose father grew up in the West End and they introduced him there. (It was Herbie Wallace who remembered their names). Merv used to go over to their house on Tuesday nights to watch the Milton Berle Show. Herbie said Norm was a track coach at Brandeis and died about 5 years ago. His brother, Dick, is a dentist. (Herbie said they played football for Boston Latin).
Note: Bobby’s last name is WINN, not WYNN. Bobby graduated in the Class of 1951 (not ’50) at Frank V. Thompson, and Class of 1954 at Boston English, with Herbie Goldberg. Bobby’s e-mail address is: Bobwinnr@excite.com.
We discussed the time and place for a Stag Reunion for the entire group. We reviewed the options and it was unanimous that the Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun Casino Resorts would be great places, and that all 7 of us would attend. It was proposed that we have it on a weekend in the summer after July 4th. The wives would attend and that we could have one meeting with only the guys and another including the wives. A preliminary date for the reunion is the weekend of July 18. Merv graciously agreed to organize the event.
After parting hugs and group photos, we all left feeling very good. It was just so great! As Natey and I got in my car, Gordy said "Gee, where did all those years go?!"
P.S. Loving thanks to my wonderful wife, Dashing Deborah, for typing and editorial assistance..........BEST WISHES, MERV

Dave Bosse*

Dave grew up on West Selden St with the group ( Morse, Green, Spiegel, Dennis, Weiner). He was in the class of 1949 at Frank V Thompson Jr High and then went to Hyde Park High School and graduated in 1952. He married Sandy Newman in 1954. He started out as a draftsman and later became an electrical engineering technician. Dave had many different jobs and they lived all over the country including: Charleston , SC; Bay City , MI; Philadelphia: and Haddonfield , NJ. They ended up in West Orange, NJ where they lived for 25 years. At the time Dave worked for Gibbs and Hill ( a Subsidiary of Dravo) in NY City. They then settled in Deerfield Beach , FL.
Sandy and Dave had 4 children; 3 boys and a princess" ( Sandy notes).
Dave died in 1995 of Emphesema.
After his death, Sandy remarried her Brother-in Law ( sister's husband Lenny Bloom) and now lives in Deerfield Beach, FL.
Sandy has 10 grandchildren from Dave's marriage and a total of 16 from both marriages. She has 3 great grandchildren. Her daughter lives in Boca Raton. One son, 55 has a PhD in Computer Sciences and his wife has a PhD in Biology. They live in North Potomac, MD. Another son lives in Monument , CO ( getting remarried next week…12 /14/08). The third son has a PhD in Biology and lives in Robbinsville , NJ with his wife ( PhD also).
Sandy Newman Bosse Bloom

Email:bossnana10@gmail.com

NOTES
Dave Bosse's brother, Danny became a priest (Gordy Morse).
Sandy noted that her mother did not accept Dave because he was not Jewish and when she was invited to a Prom by Dave, Natey Freedman picked her up wearing sneakers and jeans and her mother exclaimed . "He's going to a Prom in sneakers and jeans?" Then Natey took her over to Dave's.
Merv remembers that Dave was an Old Gold chain smoker. He would have a cigarette the moment he got up in the AM. Dave was a good, loyal friend.

Butch Dennis: Dave played football for Hyde Park High (QB or RB). The reason Dave didn't play many sports was he had a trick knee that would lock up on him. I would kid him about the Hyde Park High School colors (black and blue).
We went to see the South Boston High School (Shamrocks) play the East Boston High School(Chipawarriors). -- The Irish against the Italians---The city of Boston wouldn't let these two teams play in George White Staduim after they had a big fight and the stands from both sides emptied into the field and fought. So they let them play in an old football field that had no stands or dressing rooms. At kickoff, the ball went down the field and the two teams started to fight. Dave was on crutches and boy did we leave that field fast. The Boston cops did nothing but watch. Dave was a good person. Nate you should have worn a tie with your sneakers and jeans.

Gordy Morse

Gordy is going to be 74 in January, 2009. Gordy grew up on West Selden St ( with Bosse, Green, Dennis, Spiegel & Weiner). He graduated The Frank V Thompson Jr High, Class of 1949 ( with the group) and Boston English in 1952. After High School, he joined the Naval Air Reserve at Squantam Naval Air Station, Quincy, MA. . He went on active duty in 1953 for 2 years and with the G. I. Bill attended UMASS, Amherst . He was in the TEP fraternity with Max & Merv. After 2 years , however, he married his wife, Freddie. He then completed his education at A. I. C. in Springfield, MA and got a Bachelors Degree in Business in 1962.
Gordy & Freddie have been married 49 years. At their wedding were the following Stags: Herb and MarkGolberg, Charlie Itchkawitz, Eddie Green & Mel Stern.
After graduating A.I.C., Gordy taught business management at Husson College in Bangor, Maine for 2 yea rs. He really enjoyed it and decided to go for an M.B.A. at the University of Miami . He got his M.B. A. in 1966. He really had a strong desire to go for his doctorate degree and went to the University of Iowa for 2 years. At that time they had their 1st son, David. With a second child, Drew, on the way, he decided to leave and went back to U of Miami and taught business there for 2 years.
They moved again to Maryland in 1970 where he taught Business at the University of Maryland ( College Park) for 4 years.He took some additional courses at the time but then landed a job at teaching Practice Management to dentists in the School of Dentistry in Baltimore which he did for 4 years.They lived in Laurel, MD. He started doing a lot of Consulting work in such far off places as Trinidad, Barbados, Panama, World Health Organization in Venezuala.
He then landed another teaching position at The University of Gettysburg in PA. for a few years, but did not like it there. Finally, he taught at the George Mason College in Fairfax, VA for about 9 years and then retired.He moved to a condo in Coconut Creek, FL about 4 years ago.He is the Building Director.
Gordy and Freddie have 2 sons and 3 grandkids.His son, David lives in Faifax, Va and is in a computer operation there. His son, Drew, just moved to Tamarac, FL , has a grandchild 5 yrs old , and is with Ricoh as a Customer Trainer.
Gordy is in good health.
They enjoy traveling , cruises & tours and have been to many places( Australia, NZ, Europe, Barcelona, Holland, Belgium, Greece). Gordy enjoys salt water fishing. His next trip this winter is to South America.
NOTES
Eddie Kezar went to BU . During summers he was a waiter at the Berkshire Country Club, a resort in the Berkshires. He referred Gordy there for a Life Saving Job . That's where Gordy met his wife , Freddie in 1956. Norm Crosby, the Comedian, who grew up in Dorchester used to perform there.
Gordy talked to Dave Bosse's wife Sandy Newman recently, who informed him that he died of Emphesema due to heavy smoking.Gordy had a younger brother, Richard, who died in 1998. Eddie Green's aunt was married to Gordy's uncle.

Natey remembers: "Gordy was the first of the group to go into the service so we took him out on the town the night before and he had a significant amount to drink. I remember his mother saying 'Oh Gordy!' when we delivered him home and he fell into the house about four hours before he was due to report for enlistment.

Bradley Clayman

Brad will be 74 in January. Bradley lived on 12 Crowell St. Brad went to the FV Thompson Jr High and graduated in the class of 1950. He went to Dorchester High School and just 6 months before graduating in 1953 , he joined the Navy and they allowed him to get his high school diploma. He was very close friends with Francis McIntosh, Billy's brother. He was in the Navy 4 years till 1957. He got married in 1956.
After his discharge he moved to Chicago and worked as a bus driver for the Transit Authority there. At that time there were a lot of bus drivers being killed (shot) , and he quit his job and joined the Navy Reserves for 8 years and was stationed in Glenview , Illinois. After his discharge he worked for the Brown Shoe Company in Chicago for 16 years. He was a District Manager responsible for 4 States and 17 stores. They went out of business. He then worked for the First Security Division who had a contract with the Plymouth Rubber Company, which brought him back to the Boston area and he lived in Quincy, MA.
Around 1982 he worked for WW Granger and after 1 year they transferred him to Miami, Fl. He had a string of different homes from Dallas, Miami, Pompano Beach , Hialeah and finally Jacksonville, where he has lived for 13 years.
He cannot remember when he actually went through a messy divorce . His 3 kids remained with his ex wife and he has had no contact with them ever since.
He got remarried 3 years ago to his wife, Madeline, who is from Hollywood, CA. She is an ex model and worked for Universal Studios and as an LAPD dispatcher.
They live in a Sr Citizen subsidized complex in Jacksonville, FL. He is retired but works part-time , 3 nights a week, covering the security desk there.
His brother Barry is about 62 and lives on Cape Cod.His sister Sandy Kelly lives in Pembroke.
NOTES
His brother Barry just informed him that Fifi, an old girl friend of Herbie Wallace , and who also lived on Crowell Street died recently.
He remembers that Archie's brother, Subby, was a very strong personality guy that just did things his own way with an attitude of "let me do it my way and I will suffer later." Archie`s mother always knew when Brad was visiting because he ran up the stairs quickly. Archie had asthma and was always slower. He remembers that Archie always turned over jigsaw puzzles and applied glue and made them permanent pictures.
Brad notes he was always getting into mischief like breaking the glass at St Mathew's church.
He remembers that guys would gather at Herbie Wallace's house and practice dancing for the dance nights at the Hecht House.
He noted getting caught playing hand ball at the Thompson and being brought into
Police Station 19.

George "Butch" Dennis

BORN IN SOUTH BOSTON 1934 . WE MOVED TO NEW HAMPSHIRE IN 1941 FATHER WORKED FOR ARMY AIR FORCE.
IN 1947 WE MOVED TO WEST SELDEN ST AND I WENT TO THE FRANK V THOMPSON SCHOOL AND MET YOU GUYS. THAT STARTED MY CAREER IN SPORTS ON HOT TOP STREETS, CEMENT BRICK SCHOOL YARDS AND SIDEWALKS. TO ME THE PLACE WAS CALLED CEMENT CITY.
WENT TO BOSTON ENGLISH TO MY JUNIOR YEAR. TRANSFERED TO BOSTON TRADE. GRADUATED 1954 (STUDIED GRAPHIC DESIGN). WORKED FOR FACTORY MUTUAL ENGINEER DIV FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THE DRAFT WAS BREATHING DOWN MY NECK SO I JOINED THE AIR FORCE FOR FOUR YEARS IN (1955). ENDED IN TOPEKA KANSAS IN S.A.C. THEN WAS SHIPPED OVERSEAS TO FRENCH MOROCCO. ENDED MY TOUR IN UPPER STATE N.Y. ALL THE TIME I DID GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR FOUR YEARS. I ALWAYS WANTED A TWO SEATER ENGLISH SPORTS CAR. SO I BOUGHT A RED TRIUMPH TR2. ALSO OWNED A GAS STATION AND SOLD USED CARS FOR A YEAR OR SO. I MISSED ENGINEERING SO I GOT A JOB IN A SMALL COMPANY.
I MEET MY WIFE SEDA AND WE GOT MARRIED IN 1966. WE HAD A SON KEITH WHO WENT TO MERRIMAC COLLEGE AND MAJORED IN ACCOUNTING. HE HAS TWO CHILDREN HANNAH AND HAILEIGH. I ATTENDED NORTHEASTERN NIGHT SCHOOL FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. I LIVE ON THE UPPER CAPE IN PLYMOUTH FOR 9 MONTHS AND THE OTHER 3 MONTHS IN ACTON, MA. I WORKED FOR RAYTHEON FOR APPROX. 35 YEARS AND RETIRED AT THE AGE OF 681/2. WELL THATS MY STORY AND I AM STICKING TO IT. OH I ALMOST FORGOT MY WIFE OWNS A GIFT SHOP ON THE WATERFRONT IN PLYMOUTH.

Phil Schaffer

PHIL SCHAFFER

Phil (“Flippo”) went to William Bradford (K-3), Roger Wolcott (4-6), and graduated from Frank V. Thompson Jr. High (7-9) in 1949. He played baseball, basketball and ran track at Thompson. He then went to Boston English and graduated in 1952. Phil lived on Winston Road for 19 years, moving there from Roxbury, at the age of five. He earned his B.S. from MIT in 1956 and later earned an M.S., both in Metallurgy/Materials Science at MIT. He played both intercollegiate baseball and football at MIT.

He joined the Army National Guard in 1957: was on active duty for six months, under the Reserve Forces Act; was stationed at Fort Dix (NJ) and Fort Bliss (TX).

He married his wife Fern in 1963: they have been married for 45 years, living in Lexington for nearly 43 years. They have a daughter, Jennifer (42), living in Colorado, and a son, Daniel (38), living in Cambridge, MA: each with two children (ranging in ages from 1-9).

Phil primarily worked in defense electronics, at M/A-COM (Microwave Associates), Burlington, MA, for 23 years. He retired at age 55, then worked as a consultant for four years. He worked previously at both Watertown Arsenal and Lexington Laboratories (Cambridge) for eight years.

One of the most exciting things he has done was go to Red Sox Fantasy Camp six times, from 1993 to 2003, all in Winter Haven and Fort Myers (Florida). He pitched and played first base on teams managed by Bill Lee (1), Lee Stange (2) and Bob Stanley (3). He also pitched in a game at Fenway Park in 2003. He was a coach for the Lexington Blue Sox, of the Intercity (Park) League for seven years.

He still runs road races, has competed in many Masters’ track meets, does aerobics and yoga classes daily, downhill skiing and cycling. He remains involved in many town/community activities, Temple activities, and has been taking classes at local colleges for eleven years. He feels that growing up in Dorchester was a very positive, meaningful experience which greatly influenced his life.