Perfect Day For 494 Norwood High Grads-This Day In Norwood History-June 7, 1981

Class Of 1981 Celebrates Commencement Ceremonies At Murray Field

A perfect June day greeted the 494 graduating seniors of Norwood High School and the crowd of more than 2,000 friends and relatives who gathered yesterday at Murray Field to honor them. Led by class President Paulette Alty, the class of 1981 cheered for each other and their families as they took their places for the outdoor commencement ceremonies. In his invocation, Rabbi Mosche Birnbaum reminded the graduates that while the day marked the end of their high school years, every ending simultaneously represents the beginning of something new.

Senior Scholar Linda Sheehan represented the graduating class as the principal student speaker. Addressing common cultural critiques, Linda Sheehan noted that her classmates have frequently been characterized as part of the “me” generation due to widespread apathy. She strongly urged her peers to examine their own lives and establish meaningful personal milestones. She emphasized that these goals should not be centered around material possessions alone, but should instead focus on things that are more permanent and personally satisfying. Suggesting that society can often act as a crushing force, she stated that each graduate would require self-awareness to set their goals and individual strength to reach them. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of having not only individual benchmarks, but objectives for society as a whole, asking her classmates to be prepared to voice discontent with the wrongs of the world.

Linda Sheehan called for a deep sense of commitment from every member of the graduating class, breaking commitment down into three distinct historical stages. The first stage, she explained, is “fun,” when a person actively enjoys their chosen cause and working for it. The second stage is “intolerance,” when an individual develops contempt for those who do not share their opinions. The final stage is the sobering realization that one can only change a small fraction of what is wrong with the world. She concluded by stating that those individuals who keep working past this third stage are the true “saints” of society.

Following the main address, class President Paulette Alty presented the traditional class gift to William Callahan, the president of the incoming class of 1982. The graduates chose to uphold long-standing school tradition by presenting six $100 scholarships to the underclassmen. William Callahan likened the financial gift to the passing of a baton from one class to another, noting the massive contributions made by the class of 1981 and expressing his hope that next year’s seniors would match their achievements.

The official presentations of medals, prizes, and academic scholarships were conducted by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Louis J. Tarsis. The physical diplomas were then presented to the graduates by School Committee Chairman Dr. William Pudsey.

Academic Awards and Scholarship Recipients

The graduation ceremony featured the presentation of numerous local organizational and memorial scholarships to outstanding seniors:

• The Robert E. Adelson Scholarship: Linda M. Sheehan
• The John William Murphy Memorial Scholarship: Evon S. Fox
• The Kiwanis Club Scholarship: Jennifer Aspell
• National Honor Society Scholarships: Melissa C. Josephson and Glen Cammarano
• The Charles A. Hayden Latin Scholarship: Deborah J. Ahern
• The Berwick English Prize: Linda M. Sheehan
• The McCormack and Nicholson Award in English: Carla A. Hines and Evan S. Fox
• The Norwood Mothers’ Club Home Economics Award: Dianne V. Rogodzinski
• The Norwood Women’s Community Committee Foreign Language Awards: Linda M. Sheehan, William E. Dailey, and Evan S. Fox
• The United States History Award: Joseph F. Ailinger
• The Norwood Teachers’ Association Scholarship: JoAnne Ratto
• American Legion Post 70 Scholarship: Melissa C. Josephson
• The Andrew B. Boch Scholarship: Denise M. Herlihy
• The Anthony B. Sansone Scholarship: Jeanette M. McCauley
• The Paul Sundgren Scholarship: Anthony P. Antonitis
• The Norwood Physicians Trust Scholarships: Deborah J. Ahern and Patricia Minkevitch
• Parents Music Association Scholarships: Jeffrey R. Grosser, Mark A. Cohen, Judith M. Chesebrough, Linda M. Sheehan, Joseph P. Perednia, Leesa M. McNamara, Joseph Ailinger, Evon S. Fox, Marjorie A. Zyrek, Kevin Sullivan, Catherine A. Savage, Carol M. McKinnon, and Maureen E. Crawford
• The Norwood Women’s Community Committee Scholarship: William P. Shillue
• The Morrill Insurance Scholarship: Marybeth Folan
• Joseph Wall Memorial Scholarships: Brian S. Mahan and Paulette Alty
• The Carl A. Johnson Scholarship: John J. McCusker and Susan A. Daniel
• The Francis X. Sheehan, Jr. Scholarship: Sean R Healy
• The Chamber of Commerce Scholarship: Richard T. Joseph
• The Kenneth Nolet Scholarship: Susan E. Burke
• The Norwood Women’s Club Scholarship: Josephine D. De Luca
• The Norwood Knight Student Council Scholarship: Daniel J. Mahoney
• The Elizabeth Hackman Memorial Scholarship: Thomas Mackie
• The Michael Kaplan Memorial Scholarship: Pauline A. Kelly
• The Norwood Mothers’ Club Olive Eliot Nursing Scholarship: Elizabeth J. Sullivan
• The Norwood Mothers’ Club Anniversary Scholarship: Sheila Flaherty
• The Junior High School North PTA Scholarship: Michelle Kennedy
• The Frank L Walsh Memorial Scholarship: Carol F. Barton
• The Lucille Riemer Memorial Scholarship: Donna T. Kotak
• The Women’s Community Committee Art Scholarship: Diane E. Kenny
• The Fraternal Order of Eagles, Ladies Auxiliary 1822 Scholarship: Eliot A. Cowan
• High School Scholarships: Kathleen A. Duffy, Elizabeth A. deWysocki, Susan B. Fanning, Karen M. Gately, Carla A. Hines, and Thomas V. Hoffman
• Norwood Elks Scholarship: Allyson M. Burt
• Italian Social Club Scholarship: Nancy J. Frongioso
• Junior High South PTA Scholarship: Paul M. Pazniokas and Betsy A. Woodard

The Roster of the Graduating Class of 1981

The 494 members of the graduating class who received their diplomas during the Murray Field ceremony were:

Jerome J. Abely, Antonette Accolla, Beverly M. Adams, Deborah J. Ahern, Joseph F. Ailinger, Nancy R. Alexander, Carole S. Allen, Troy M. Allen, Paulette Alty, Jeanne M. Andrews, Anthony P. Antonitis, Carol A. Antosca, Katharine R. Arnold, Jennifer Aspell, Barbara A. Aspinwall, Robert A. Baglio, Jeanette M. Ball, Susan M. Barnett, Kathleen A. Barrett, Nancy A. Barrett, Patricia M. Barry, Paul A. Barry, Carol F. Barton, Barbara J. Basile, Deanna L. Bayley, Jill E. Bebar, William E. Bell, Stephen Benson, Paul Berkowitz, Doreen M. Bilotta, Marie E. Bilotta, Karen L. Bisceglia, Clare S. Bishop, Janice E. Bishop, Susan B. Bonaceto, Susan C. Bond, Nancy Bopp, Jason Bovarnick, Sharon L. Boylan, Raymond E. Brady, Edward J. Breen, William R. Brennan, Anne G. Briody, Barbara A. Brown, Clifford H. Brown Jr., Margaret P. Brown, Rosemarie C. Buckley, Peter D. Burdon, Catherine M. Burke, Patricia A. Burke, Susan E. Burke, John M. Burkett, Allyson M. Burt, Christopher T. Burton, Maureen Butler, Leslie D. Cain, Glen Cammarano, James W. Campbell Jr., Diane M. Campilio, Joanne Cannon, Annette M. Capasso, Cheryl A. Cappuccio, Gerald A. Carchedi, Theresa M. Carello, Lori M. Carlevale, Linda M. Carroll, Patricia A. Carten, Robert Carver, Charles F. Cassidy, Mark Cavanaugh, Stephen Cawley, Maria J. Cerqueira, Paul W. Chamberlain, David S. Chenard, Judith M. Chesebrough, Patricia K. Chin, Cheryl A. Ciavattone, Maria Cisek, Kristin A. Cofsky, James Cohen, Mark R. Cohen, Richard M. Cohen, Craig M. Collins, Steven M. Collins, Tina M. Conlan, Kathleen A. Conley, Michael J. Conley, Paula M. Conley, Maura Connolly, Michael A. Connolly, Patricia A. Connolly, Paula Connolly, Terrence J. Connolly, Michael D. Connors, Moira E. Corrigan, Jean M. Costo, Lynne M. Costello, Stephen M. Costello, Kathleen M. Cotter, Lisa A. Cotton, Karen A. Coughlin, Eliot A. Cowan, Thomas M. Coyne, Brian D. Cox, Maureen E. Crawford, Randy Creighton, Brenda L. Crimmins, Stephen Cronan, J. Christopher Cuff, Paul J. Cunningham, Jo-Ann C. Curley, Michael T. Curley, Gregory P. Curran, John A. Curran, William E. Dailey, Joan M. Danaher, Arlene K. Danforth, Susan A. Daniel, Gail A. Darrach, Peter J. D’Attilio, Cathy S. Davis, Fernando DeCosta, Susan E. DeCosta, Scott DeFlaminis, Cheryl A. Dellolocono, Marguerite R. DelSelva, Josephine D. DeLuca, John Denietolis, Paul D. DeStefano, Elizabeth A. deWysocki, Rozalyn Dima, Ann M. DiMattia, Nancy J. DiModica, Kathy A. DiSangro, Suzanne E. Dobija, John J. Doherty Jr., Nancy E. Donoghue, Brian J. Donovan, Elizabeth A. Donovan, Michael J. Doran, John F. Downing, Patricia A. Drake, Thomas H. Drummey, Kathleen A. Duffy, Thomas J. Duffy, Paul J. Dyer, Rita Dziuba, Kevin T. Eckhardt, Marilyn A. Egan, Robert F. Ego, Karen Ellertson, Jean Ellard, Joyce Ellard, Patricia A. Ellis, Roderick M. Emanuel, Bruce A. Eppich, Deborah B. Epstein, John M. Eysie, Kevin G. Faherty, Mary A. Faherty, Paul V. Falcione, Joseph L. Falcone, David K. Falor, Susan B. Fanning, Michael E. Feeney, Scott J. Fisher, Scott A. Fishman, David D. Fitzgerald, Linda J. Flaherty, Noreen Flaherty, Sheila Flaherty, Shawn P. Flanagan, Cynthia J. Fleck, Marybeth Folan, James F. Foley, Julie A. Foley, Kelly A. Foley, Mary T. Foley, Michael P. Foley, Michael R. Foley, Joanne Ford, William P. Fori, Evan S. Fox, Nancy J. Frangioso, Andrew P. Fraser, Donna J. Fruci, Michael J. Fruci, David Gaetani, Denise Gagliardi, John B. Gallant, Shirley A. Gannon, Christine F. Gantert, Debra J. Garvey, Karen M. Gately, Heidi Marie Genovesi, Thomas J. Geraghty, Christine G. Germano, Karen G. Ghostlaw, Joseph V. Gilio Jr., William J. Glynn, David B. Goershel, Jeanne M. Goggin, Kevin J. Grasso, Pamela A. Green, Christine J. Greenwood, Jane M. Greenwood, John E. Greenwood, Robyn B. Grocer, Jeffrey R. Grosser, Jeffrey S. Hall, Kathryn A. Hansbury, Diane M. Hargedon, Michael R. Harrington, Carol A. Harwood, Daniel A. Hayes, Marjorie M. Hayes, James J. Healy, Sean R. Healy, Andrew J. Heller, Francis Henry, Denise M. Herlihy, Donna M. Herlihy, John Hermann, Kathy Hess, Arlene J. Hickey, Margaret A. Hickey, Robert Higgins, Robert Hill, Carol J. Hilton, Carla A. Hines, Thomas V. Hoffman, Shirley Anne Hohman, Donna M. Hohmann, Milan A. Horbaczewski, Nancy M. Horne, Robert J. Howard, Catherine R. Hucksam, Timothy J. Hughes, Tracey M. Hurley, Carol M. Jackson, Walter J. Jakobowski, Sheila A. Jobbogy, Lynne E. Johnson, Diane L. Johnston, Laura M. Jones, Patricia A. Jones, Richard T. Joseph, Melissa C. Josephson, Paul Joyce, Nancy Jurgelewicz, Teresa Kane, John E. Karhu, Lauren J. Kaseta, Lynne A. Kavolius, Kelly A. Keady, Maureen A. Keady, Maureen E. Keefe, Nancy J. Kelleher, Edward H. Kelley, Thomas J. Kelley, Pauline A. Kelly, Michelle Kennedy, Barbara L. Kenney, Diane E. Kenney, Patricia A. Kenney, John M. Kilroe, Jonathan King, Karen M. King, Kerry A. Knowles, Roslyn T. Kon, Donna T. Kotak, David M. Kougias, Douglas C. Koval, Deborah Kral, Jodie F. Laffey, Susan M. Lane, Tinamarie Lanier, Karen A. LaRosa, Paul LaSalvia, Eileen F. Lawn, Denise M. LeBlanc, William L. LeBlanc, Jacqueline Lee, Peter S. Levesque Jr., Jodie A. Limon, Rebecca A. Lorusso, Nora J. Lydon, Douglas J. Lyons, Karen T. Lyons, Judith M. MacDonald, Thomas Mackie, Lynn Maggio, Brian S. Mahan, Christine M. Maher, Daniel J. Mahoney, Donald Maida, Mary J. Malacaria, Kenneth T. Malley Jr., Robert B. Mansfield, Joanne Marinucci, Elizabeth A. Martin, William M. Marvin, Marianne E. May, Jill E. Mayzer, Joseph Corporate Mazzotta, Zina A. McAdams, John F. McCarthy, Jeannette M. McCauley, Janet A. McColgan, Paul McCracken, Karen McCready, James McCue, John J. McCusker, Mary F. McDonagh, Barry P. McDonough, John McDonough, Susan McGill, Joanne McGowan, Amy S. McGrath, Janet A. McGrath, William S. McKenna, Elizabeth M. McKeon, Carol M. McKinnon, Susan McMullin, Jeff McNamara, Lisa M. McNamara, Matthew D. McNamara, Kenneth S. McNeely, Margaret J. McNulty, Susan M. McNulty, Robert M. McQuaid, Stephen T. McSweeney, Frank J. Melling, Cathy M. Metta, Patti J. Meyer, Linda M. Michienzi, David J. Miethe, Judith A. Miller, Paul J. Miller, Patricia Minkevitch, Joanne Mira, Joanne Mistler, Paula Mitchell, Katherine M. Mitiguy, David R. Mlawsky, Paula J. Moan, Francis X. Monahan, Nicholas P. Montisano, William H. Moore, Judith A. Morgan, Kathleen A. Morrison, Michael M. Morrissey, Edward R. Moseley, Catherine Mulkern, Douglas R. Mungle, Joseph F. Munro, Karen A. Munzenrider, Lori A. Murphy, Paul C. Murphy, John J. Murray, Eric B. Myerson, Kathleen P. Nally, David J. Nardelli, Denise M. Nash, Patricia A. Naughton, Eric Nightingale, Mark C. Nightingale, Gail M. Nolan, Paul F. Noonan, Leo M. O’Brien, Christine C. O’Day, Kenneth R. O’Handley, Julie M. Oliverio, Ellen F. O’Loughlin, Pamela O’Neil, Vincent H. O’Neil, John R. O’Neill, Patricia M. O’Rourke, Diane M. O’Sullivan, Eileen P. O’Toole, Richard M. Ottino, Amy L. Oulton, Pauline M. Padduck, Ellen J. Paine, Susan A. Palmer, Linda M. Palmucci, Paul G. Panciocco, Cynthia C. M. Parker, Kathleen M. Parsons, Paul M. Pazniokas, Lynne M. Pedersen, Roger C. Pelletier, David J. Pepicelli, Joseph P. Perednia, Sean M. Peters, Stephen L. Petrucci, Thomas J. Phelan, Carolyn C. Pink, Susan T. Piraino, Mario Pitoro, Susan L. Plumer, Carol J. Poce, Susan S. Poskus, Linda J. Preskenis, Allan M. Prindle, Diane M. Quinlan, JoAnn Ratto, Judith E. Redmond, Thomas P. Reilly, Nancy E. Rennie, Carolyn A. Renwick, Judith Riley, William G. Ringler, Andrea M. Rivers, Marie V. Rizzi, Paul M. Roach, James M. Rogers, Dianne V. Rogodzinski, John H. Ross, Alan J. Ruthozer, Barbara Ryan, John W. Ryan, Stephen J. Sampson, Paula A. Sansone, Lynn M. Santosusso, Suzanne Sarnie, Catherine A. M. Savage, Helen A. Sawkiewicz, Robert E. Sawyer, Kathleen A. Schick, Kathleen M. Shannon, Judith A. Sharkey, Brian J. Shea, Janice M. Shea, John C. Sheehan, Linda M. Sheehan, Jill V. Shellmer, William P. Shillue, Domenic Siletti Jr., Margaret M. Sinacola, Peter M. Sinibaldi, George W. Slavin, Denise M. Slifer, Sandra A. Soderlund, Amy L. Solomon, Stanton C. Sooklal, Scott A. Spiro, James M. Stapleton, Jill T. Squitlante, Elizabeth J. Sullivan, Karen Sullivan, Kevin Sullivan, Martha A. Sullivan, Christine A. Swanson, Peter P. Sykes, Doris L. Syme, Steven E. Tawa, John K. Tebeau, David G. Thaxter, Andrea L. P. Thibault, Douglas E. Thompson, Roxanne Titus, John G. Tolman, Pamela A. Toomey, Patricia A. Trainor, John J. Trask, Joseph G. Travers, Vincent Tuccero, Donna M. Tummillo, Andrew P. Udden, Darla A. Vito, Mary E. Walsh, Pauline Walsh, Judy Wasil, Janet Lee Watson, Ian Ronald Watt, Steven F. Way, Joseph R. Webber, Kate Webber, Philip J. Weber, Kenneth A. Webster, Sara Lynne Weiner, Linda Wenstrom, Joseph M. White, David A. Whitehouse, Donald Whitney, Baroness Denyse Williams, David A. Wong Jr., Betsy A. Woodard, Heather Marie Woodworth, Donald Zappala, and Marjorie A. Zyrek.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger