Gert Anderson Tutundjian, Class of 1943, joins us from Neponsit, New York and writes the following:

My name is Gert Anderson Tutundjian. I graduated from Far Rockaway High School in 1943. I am new to cyber-space communication (about three weeks) and love it--especially after I discovered your Web Page.

I lived on 68th Street in Arverne and attended P.S. 42 and entered FRHS in 1939. I have "sand in my shoes" as I was born in the Rockaways and now live in Neponsit --still part of Rockaway. I would really love to hear from any alumni of the Class of 43 or anyone who knows me from school. This is wonderful!!!!!!

I'm looking forward to hearing from you out there.......Gert

P.S.- I graduated with the Class of January, 1943.

I'm sorry to report that Gert passed away in April, 2007

Edith Fox Newman, Class of 1943, joins us from Petaluma, California and writes the following:

I'm Edith Fox Newman class of '43. Have you heard from other 40's graduates? I have lost touch and would like to meet them again. I live at 386 Park Place Drive, in Petaluma, CA. 94954. What have you heard about the 100th birthday reunion of FRHS for all alumni to be held in September? I enjoyed reading your page immensely.

Edith can be reached at the above mailing address.

Thanks to Edith for writing. You are the first 40's graduate I have heard from. If you can, send me a few memories you have of Rockaway and maybe even a photo. Check the Reunion page on this web site for information about the 100th year celebration. I have included the names and e-mail addresses of those individuals who are actively planning the event.

Here I am again - Edith Fox Newman. I was born and raised in Far Rockaway. My father Morris Fox owned and operated a kosher butcher shop on Mott Avenue for 40 years. He also had a summer store on Beach 14th Street for many summers. It was a wonderful small town to grow up in in those days. My sister, Marilyn and brother Martin and I all went to P.S. 39 in Queens. Before the high school was built, P.S. 39 was a combination high school and elementary school with Miss Brain as principal. I also remember living in an apartment house next door to the police station until we moved to 1229 Caffrey Avenue. We were living in that house when I graduated from FRHS in 1943. I will hunt up the picture I took in front of the house and send it on to you soon.

After I was married I lived in that house for a number of years before my husband and I bought a house in Woodmere and lived there until our move to California. I lost my yearbook and would like to locate some of my classmates, if possible. Betty Glantz Dickoff, Beverly Greenberg, Elaine Greenberg, Audrey Rifkin. Then there were friends who graduated before me - Herbert (Bibbs) Bellings, Carl Rosenthal, etc. I wish I could remember all the people I graduated with.

I do remember that when I entered FRHS as a freshman in 1939, Monica D. Ryan was principal. The football team won its first game in 4 years and the town (Central Avenue) was torn up by the students. Then Monica D. Ryan said "no more football!" What a catastrophe!

I remember a few hurricanes and of course the blizzard of 1946. If there is a 1943 yearbook around, could you send me pictures from it? After visiting Far Rockaway in 1995, are you sure that the celebration will be in Far Rockaway? I know you've been there recently. I can't imagine a parade there. The place looks like a bombed out city.

This is great getting to know others from good old Far Rockaway High School. Keep up the good work and keep in touch.

Thanks so much Edith for your memories of Far Rockaway. I can't believe that Ms. Ryan was principal for so many years. She was principal when I graduated in 1963. I only saw her once; at graduation. I wonder when she retired????? I suggest you contact Barbara Tashoff Saber, Class of 1963 at Click Here to Email . Barbara is on the reunion committee and also presently works at Far Rockaway High School. She may be able to find a 1943 yearbook in the school library.

After only an hour of the above posting, Bob Natt, Class of 1965 writes to say the following:

"I saw Edith Fox Newman's question (Class of 43) regarding Monica Ryan. My 1965 yearbook is dedicated to Monica Ryan and notes that she has retired after 23 years as principal. I assume she retired during the 1964/65 school year. There are also some great photos of her, Mr. Seiden, Mrs. Nevins, guidance coordinator and Miss Craft, College Advisor. Are you interested in these? Bob."

You've got to love this technology!!! Where else could you get such a quick reply???? Hey Bob, how about the next week's Lotto numbers................

I would love any and all photos you can send along of the above individuals. Was Mr. Tietze (not sure I spelled it correctly) still there in 65. Jerry Shapiro, Class of 1963, has challenged all of you to be brave enough to send your graduation photos from the yearbook. It's not fair that only 2 of us have done so. By the way, Jerry said that his photo will be in the mail this week. Just photo copy them and mail them to me.............

Abrams, Larry  - Monroe Township, NJ - Deceased, 2009
I am looking for graduates who lived in Belle Harbor or friends that knew me, especially Ray Perlson and Francis Mailman, and Jack Mayer.

Anderson, Gert (Tutundjian) - Click Here to Email - Neponsit, NY - Deceased - April, 2007

Bilinsky, Leonore (Weiss) -  Click Here to Email - Cedarhurst, NY

Bishop, Mort - Click Here to Email - Delray Beach, FL
Today I bunped into a graduate of Far Rockaway High and he told me about your web site. I graduated in 1943. Whoever I have met the first thing out of their mouths was " do you remember Mr. Teitze?" What a memorable figure. The one teacher who's name I wish I could remember  was my French teacher. She was the only one who flunked me. My fault, I didn't work, I didn't like the language. Now comes WW2. As we fought through France, I was the only one in my outfit that could speak French. So most times when we took a town they needed me to talk to the people. I was probably one of the few people who really got use of the language.  Another great teacher was Mr. Bader in Physics. He was a very influential figure in Richie Feinman's future. Richie Feinman won the Nobel Prize in Physics and had his part in developing the Atom Bomb. Another notable figure was the gal who sat in front of me in Spanish. She looked familiar when she won " The 64 Thousand Dollar Question" on boxing. Her name was Joyce Bauer. Now known as Dr. Joyce Brothers.

Caplan, Nanette (Knebel) -  Click Here to Email - Belle Harbor, NY

Davis, Robert - Click Here to Email - E. Falmouth, MA
I recently visited FRHS for the first time in decades and was shocked to enter a "prison" instead of the wonderful high school I attended from 1939 until January, 1943.  I do have wonderful memories though!

Donner, Dan - Send Your Current Email Address - Plantation, FL

Felsenthal, Donald - Click Here to Email - Memphis TN - Posted June, 2008

Forer, Norman - Click Here to Email - Lawrence, KS - Deceased, 2010

Fox, Edith (Newman) - Send Your Current Email Address - Petaluma, CA

Garbowitz, Enid (Lyles) - New York, NY - Deceased, 2009

Gavender, Helen (Bachman) - Click Here to Email - Boca Raton, FL

Gruber, Glady (Kaye) - Click Here to Email - Belle Harbor, NY

Jaffe, Irma (Meldorf) - Send Your Current Email Address - West Palm Beach, FL
I am looking for any of my classmates that are still around. I specifically would like to contact JOYCE GELLER.  I was in the chorus for most of my high school years, and perhaps some may remember me from there.  Does anyone remember the name of the choral director at that time?  If I close my eyes, I can almost see his face, but I can't remember his name.  I am very interested in communicating with other members of my graduating class, and hearing about where they are and what they're doing now. I'm now corresponding with one of the them, but I'd like to hear from more classmates. I have been corresponding with one of my classmates, and I would like to hear from any others who would like to "talk" to me. I live in Florida now, so attending any of the reunions might not be possible, but I want to be kept apprised of everything going on with my old school. I was also an alumni of P.S 39, as were many of us. I hope I will hear from some of my former classmates. I have heard from one, but I'd like to hear from others. Are any of you living in Florida?  If you're in the vicinity, (Palm Beach, Delray, Boca, Boynton) perhaps we can meet.   Please keep me in the loop.

Kalmowitz, Helene (Greenberger) - Click Here to Email - Far Rockaway, NY

Kandel, Florence (Lang) - Click Here to Email - Thousand Oaks, CA

Katzel, Joe - Click Here to Email - Norwood, NJ

Kraus, Eli - Click Here to Email - Canada

Magida, Alfred B. - Boca Raton, FL - Deceased, 2009

Mailman, Frances (Werner) - frantchr@aol.com - Plainview, NY

Mittleman, Phil - Click Here to Email - Los Angeles, CA

Neckles, Arthur - Click Here to Email - West Palm Beach, FL
Glad to find out about this website.

Pearlson, Raymond - rpearlson@hotmail.com - Miami, FL

Reich, Melba (Gordon) - Click Here to Email - Plainview, NY

Rublin, Louis - Click Here to Email - Huntingdon Valley, PA - Deceased - October, 2006

Sanger, Edward -  Click Here to Email -  Belle Harbor, NY - Updated February, 2011
Please write to me c/o my daughter, Robin Sanger Baumgarten at the above email address.

Sondak, Rhoda (Mehr) - Click Here to Email - Norwalk, CT

Walcher, Janet (Cutler) - Click Here to Email - Valley Glen, CA
I would enjoy hearing from anyone who was graduated from FRHS in 1943.

Yanover, Estelle (Katzel) - Click Here to Email - Mahwah, NJ

Zakin, Jaques Louis - Click Here to Email - Worthington, OH
I may have registered previously soon after my wife, Laura Pienkny Zakin '47, and I attended the 100th Reunion in 1997. We are in touch with a few former classmates: Janet Walcher (Cutler) '43 now living in the Valley outside of Los Angeles; Murray Greenfield, about '44 now living in Tel Aviv, Israel; Naomi Lazar (Elson), '43, now living in Miami; Richard Lubbock, '44 now living in Toronto, Canada plus a few FRHS graduates living in the Columbus, Ohio area We would be delighted to hear from any others from the 40's or any other FRHS graduates in Central Ohio.

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