Friends Forever: Class of 1947 Celebrates 70th Anniversary
By Robin Vinci | Editor at April 6, 2024 | 5:00 pm | Print
About four times a year members of the New Britain High School Class of 1947 get together to plan a reunion and reminisce. This year the group of eight are planning a momentous anniversary as it will be its 70th.
“This is a special time in the lives of our classmates,” said Rose Wollman. “We had very successful people that graduated from our class including doctors, lawyers, priests, ministers and many teachers.”
The class graduated 749 students which was the biggest class ever from New Britain High School at that time.
“Many students went to the Teacher’s College (now CCSU). I ended up being one of those teachers in Industrial Arts,” said Andy Vincens, who has chaired the last 7 reunions. “We had wonderful instruction at New Britain High School. We were well-prepared when we went to college. The quality of education was superior to many other schools.”
Classmate Stan Walczewski said that the high school was so good that there was a trade school, general courses, business courses as well as college classic and college technical school.
“It all helped us when we went on to college,” said Walczewski.
About 54 percent of the Class of 1947 have passed on. It is about 60 percent of men and 49 percent of the women.
The committee members have become friends and have lunch and discuss life.
“Many of us have become lifelong friends,” said Wollman. “We’ve maintained these friendships for over 70 years.”
“I think it great that we meet even when we are not having a reunion,” said Peter Denuzze, who is the former Town Clerk of New Britain. “We’ve become friendly and some of us have breakfast together.”
Ann Zesk recalled that in those days when you graduated and had good marks, you could go to the Teacher’s College for free.
“In our days there were no school buses. We walked every day from Oak Street to the high school and back,” said Vincens. “We also walked to Willow Brook Park on Saturday mornings to watch football.”
Some students could purchase discounted tokens to get to school on City buses.
The memories brought smiles to committee members faces.
“We had the best high school band in the country. Doc Mirliani was musical director and took us everywhere,” recalled Doris (Dooman) Hoffenberg. “Everything about the music department was the best in the State as well as the football team. We won everything.”
Tony Santucci said that Mirliani had students play many songs from Fred Waring, a leader of a chorale group nationally.
“I just remember going to the auditorium and listening to it and it was phenomenal,” said Santucci. “We had a lot of school spirit.”
Members said, Principal Vincent Sala would start out assembly and read a passage from the bible and continue on with the rest of assembly.
“We had such a good education at New Britain High School that we contributed a lot to the community and it shows to this day,” added Wolceski.
Virginia (Kazlan) Moretti said she loved her high school years and cried the night she graduated.
The reunion has been held on various years since a 5 year reunion. The group did them recently for the 63rd, 65th, 67th and now 70. The 65th had 90 in attendance and the 67th had about half that many.
“We always think it will be the last one. But here we are still going,” Zesk added.
“We’ve had a lot of fun,” Wollman said. “We have fun together and we cry together.”
The reunion will be held on Sept. 10 at Nuchie’s in Forestville from noon to 4 p.m. All Class of 1947 graduates are invited to come and share their memories.
