CHS Class of 1975 will gather in June for a special reunion
By Cary Shuman
The Chelsea High School Class of 1975 will celebrate its 50th reunion on Saturday, June 7 at Spinelli’s, Lynnfield.
Robyn Glazer Milbury, Barbara Gross, Jerry Bornstein, Joan Agri, Janica Altavilla, Joyce Korzeniowski, and Richard Szarythe are planning a special night for their classmates at the milestone event. The committee has been meeting regularly on Zoom to organize and promote the reunion.
The reunion will be the first gathering in a decade for the class. The 45th reunion was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had our 40th reunion at the Chelsea Yacht Club,” recalled Glazer Milbury. “It was fun.”
The Class of 1975 has the distinction of being the first in Chelsea history to attend CHS for their freshman through senior years. Before that, for many years, Chelsea public school students attended Williams, Carter, and Shurtleff Schools for ninth grade. There were 225 graduates of the Class of 1975.
Vincent McGee was the superintendent of schools at that time. Vincent Franco was the CHS principal while John Moran and Francis X. Mahoney were the master and submaster respectively.
Kathy Burke was the senior class president while the other officers were Susan Reczkowski (vice president) Mamie Robinson (secretary), and Margie O’Malley (treasurer).
Members of the Class of 1975 distinguished themselves academically and athletically. Of course, Coach Joe Bevere’s CHS ’75 baseball team, featuring seniors such as Bobby Spinney, Kevin Veator, Bobby Ham, Tommy Duval, and Kenny Savoy, captured the Division 2 Eastern Mass. championship.
Another athlete of distinction, Richard “Turk” Szarythe, was a star running back on the football team, winning the coveted Thom McAn Scholar-Athlete Award. The CHS cross country team was beginning its successful run of titles under head coach J. Barry Dwyer. Paul Finklestein became the first freshman to play varsity basketball.
Glazer Milbury said the committee will assemble memorabilia boards at the reunion to rekindle memories of the city in the 1960s and 1970s.
“We want to talk about how important it was to be part of Chelsea at that time and what it really still means to us,” said Glazer Milbury. “For many people, just talking about Chelsea brings a smile to your face. People have wonderful memories of growing up there. We want to make sure we retain that in the planning of the reunion We want to celebrate what we’ve done in the last 50 years, but I think remembering our roots is important to all of us.”
One of those golden memories was Chelsea Student Government Day when students took the positions of city officials before enjoying a luncheon at the Lodge of Elks. Glazer Milbury, who became an attorney, served as mayor of Chelsea for the day.
Glazer Milbury said the committee hopes to invite some of the CHS teachers from that era to the reunion.
George Athas, a popular member of the CHS Class of 1976, will be the DJ at the reunion.
“We had George at the 40th and our other reunions and he’s done a great job,” said Milbury. “We like the Chelsea flavor.”
Some classmates will be traveling long distances to attend the reunion, including Dino Delyani and his wife, Joyce Millman Delyani, and Robert Hart, who will make the trip from the West Coast.
“We’re getting a very good response,” said Glazer Milbury, whose husband, honorary class member, Tom Milbury, is looking forward to the reunion. “We want as many classmates as possible to be there celebrating with us.”
The stories will be legendary, to be sure.