July 2025 Newsletter

As we enter the second half of 2025…July brings us Independence Day on the glorious 4^th.  How many of us will be watching the Capitol 4^th on PBS, and the movie 1776 if we’re lucky enough to find it?  Our small residential town of 13k has a parade replete with kids on bicycles, cub and girl scouts, little leaguers, and dignitaries in convertibles.  A good way to say “thanks” to our City Council and School Board members (who serve without pay).

For those of you that have either lost your high school yearbook, Memories ’56, or have it safely stored and can’t recall where, here is the (free) link of our online yearbook: https://archive.org/details/1956BHSYearbook  You would have to flip pages to find what you are specifically looking for…but free it is!

And, we did finally locate the whereabouts of Rena Jorgensen…our Radio City Music Hall Rockette.  If this isn’t a small world, Ann Dassing (the Executive Manger of the Bloomfield Educational Foundation, living in Caldwell) receives our Newsletters.  She mentioned that a neighbor was a Rockette and as luck has it, Carole Roth Sullivan and Rena were best buddies, commuting each day from Montclair/Bloomfield on the Decamp bus to Manhattan.  Carole was a year older, and showed Rena ‘the works’.  We interviewed Rena’s husband John, and developed an obituary of sorts.  Carole provided this page of photos.

Kay McCormick credits Rena with helping her with the Flag Waiver routines (likely Barbara Skoie too).

Found were obituaries on Douglas Bausback, Richard Murtland and Sal Accardo (the latter, pointed out as an omission by Barbara Skoie)  And, since June 1, we’ve heard (only) from Armond D’Agostino,  Bob Delezenski, Kay McCormick, Pete Mieser, Luci Hanson, Pat Howlett, and Rocky Imperatrice.

You might mark your calendars for our next Zoom reunion, which is Friday, October 3, at 3 pm east coast time, when we have asked current shop teacher, Mike McCoppen to tell us what those options are today. Wally Riker makes this part very easy for us!

SALVATORE ACCARDO Obituary

ACCARDO–Salvatore, (Sal, S.F.), died on July 19, 2021 in Salisbury, CT at the age of 83. He graduated from Cornell University with an A.B.E.E. in Engineering and NYU Stern School of Business with an MBA. Sal had a long career as an electronics industry analyst, an investment manager and venture capitalist. He retired in 2016 as a V.P. of Source Capital Group. He was a former member of the Metropolitan Opera Club and a current member of the University Club of New York. In Connecticut he served on the Board of Music Mountain in Falls Village and was a member of the Sharon Country Club. He is survived by his wife of 34 years Janet How Accardo and extended family.

DOUGLAS E. BAUSBACK Obituary

DOUGLAS E. BAUSBACK died Sunday, June 28, 2009, at the age of 70, at his home in Millsboro, Delaware. Born in East Orange, he lived in Belford before moving to Delaware 2 1/2 years ago. He was a retired Warehouse Manager for Pressman Toy Company, Piscataway. Mr. Bausback was an active member of the Salaam Shrine, Livingston and the F. & A.M. Boiling Spring Lodge # 152, Rutherford. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary (nee Kotowski); his loving children, Brian Bausback and his wife, Robin, Sandra Bausback-Aballo, Susan McKenna and her husband, John; and 6 grandchildren. Visitation will be Wednesday, 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital, American Cancer Society or Delaware Hospice.

IRENA (RENA) JORGENSEN SWILP

The Radio City Music Hall historian recommended I contact the New York Public Library Performance Arts Department archivist.  From Ancestors.com, he gave me her married name, and that in 1960 they lived in Glen Ridge.  She died at 82 years old.

I found her husband John on the internet, now 91 years old, living in Ashland, PA.  He wanted to talk about his life…and of course, I wanted to learn more about hers (no obituary).

So, Rena was a Rockette for at least 5 years, and toured the US and Canada with two other dancers with a Copa Cabana troupe…with Steve Martin.  She met her husband in San Francisco, and they married 6 weeks later.  They were married for 60 years and had three sons, one of whom died in childbirth.

One son is an ocean diver, off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida looking for fossils, many of which are displayed in museums on the East Coast.

John grew up in the coal mines working with his father when John was 14 to 18 years old.  His meal ticket out of this rather bleak existence, was a football scholarship to Mississippi State, where he played linebacker and guard (made Honorary All American).  He was drafted by the Bears and Steelers, but chose to play (for more money) in Canada.  An automobile accident ended his football career.

John became an actor with the alias of John Steel. He honed his craft working at the Actor’s Studio in NYC with the likes of Marlin Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Shirley McClain. He says he left the business when it became too queer.

Next for John, with an engineering degree, were stints in the missile business with Lockheed in Charleston, South Carolina, initially land-based, and then in submarines.

They eventually transitioned to building single-family homes together.

John was very friendly, picked up my telephone right away, and would probably like a call from any of you that knew Rena well. If interestedin contacting Rena’s husband, John, contact Ann Dassing at anndassing@gmail.com.

RICHARD MURTLAND Obituary

Richard Murtland 81, Nampa, passed away on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at a Boise care facility.
Richard was born in Newark, N.J. March 14, 1938 to Robert and Pearl Feinberg Murtland. He developed a love for cars and their restoration as a young teenager and continued this throughout his life with the completion of his 1945 Chevy pickup that he and his good friend Terry Anderson rebuilt ground-up together. Rich married Elizabeth Kopp on Sept 11, 1965 and they had two children: a daughter Stacy and a son Brian. Shortly after the children were born Rich moved his family to California where their lives were forever changed as they gave their hearts to Jesus at the Garden Grove Church of the Nazarene in California. Bible College followed and pastoral ministry before moving to Nampa to pursue further education. Rich and Liz were instrumental in the formation of Hands of Hope NW and gave many years of leadership to the organization as well as service at College Church and Karcher Church of the Nazarene. Rich’s heart was missions and he served on several work and witness trips around the world. He also led the “Karcher Krew” on work projects around the church and grounds. Son, Brian preceded Rich in death by only 10 days. They had found a love of birding and bird photography which they shared together these last years. Rich spent many years doing finish carpentry and restoring antique furniture.
Rich is survived by his wife Elizabeth (Liz) of 53 years, daughter Stacy and 5 grandchildren; Dr. Mark Ostyn, Richmond, VA; Caleb and Hannah Clark, Boise, ID; Esther and Elijah Thomas, Folsom, Ca. and a sister, Connie Bassett of New Jersey.
A Celebration of Life Service for Rich was held on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at the Karcher Church of the Nazarene, 2515 W Karcher Road, Nampa with military honors by personnel from the Mt. Home Air Force Base.
Memorials may be made to Hands of Hope NW 1201 S Powerline Rd, Nampa, ID 83686.