The East Suffolk High School Alumni Association is busy finalizing plans for events that will take place from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21. From 7-11 p.m. Saturday, July 20, the Second Annual Honorary Scholarship Banquet will take place in Temple Beth-El. At that time, 13 alumni will be recognized for being first in their fields from ESHS and successful achievers in their careers.

Those honorees and a brief profile of each are as

follows:

Class of 1961, Ross Boone, Paul D. Camp College administrator and first Chamber of Commerce president;

Class of 1955, Raymond H. Boone, founder, editor and publisher of the Richmond Free Press, also president and CEO of Paradigm Communications, Inc., and founder, president and manager of Imperial Building Property, LC;

Class of 1958, Lillian Brinkley, retired school principal of a model school;

Class of 1947, Col. Fred Cherry, retired, president and CEO of Cherry Engineering Support Services Inc., former (POW) of North Vietnam seven years;

Class of 1959, Judge Archie Elliott, Jr. Judge in Portsmouth General District Court;

Class of 1959, Lottie Fenwick, coordinator for

Early Childhood Development Commission, City of Suffolk, had first licensed daycare in Suffolk;

Class of 1953, Dr. Bernard Glover, local dentist in Suffolk;

Class of 1950, Councilman Curtis Milteer, former mayor of Suffolk;

Class of 1950, Dorothy Rawles, retired social worker supervisor;

Class of 1956, Lorraine Brinkley Skeeter, Director, STOP Vocational School/Center for Employment Training, Chairperson, Suffolk School Board;

Class of 1961, Dr. Pretlow Stevenson, dentist in City of Portsmouth;

Class of 1963, Dr. Margaret E. Mayo Tolbert, director of New Brunswick Nuclear Analytical Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne, Ill.;

Class of 1964, Ella P. Ward, a middle school assistant principal, Chesapeake School Board Member.

The proceeds from this banquet will go towards the ESHS Scholarship Fund.

In January 1999 the class of 1943 advertised its first scholarship in the schools and churches located in the area and was formerly known as the East Suffolk High School Class of 1943 Scholarship.

By April 1, two persons had applied. The scholarship was awarded to Melanie Lakair Craig, a senior at Lakeland High School and a member of Tabernacle Christian United Church of Christ. Craig is now a sophomore at Radford University.

Eventually the idea of becoming an alumni association was developed and after many inquiries and phone calls, a few other graduates of ESHS along with some 15 members of the Class of 1943 assembled on Saturday, Oct. 2, 1999 in the J.O. Lee Fellowship Hall at Tabernacle Christian UCC at which time a discussion was held as to the organization for an alumni association.

With a unanimous vote, the East Suffolk High School Alumni Association was established.

The Rev. Dr. Thelma T. Norfleet was asked to serve as chairman until an election could be held and a constitution could be written.

The Class of 1943 Scholarship Fund merged into the ESHS Scholarship Fund.

A second meeting was held on Nov. 6. It was discussed as to whom would be included in the associations since the new John F. Kennedy High School succeeded the old ESHS. It was concluded that since the old ESHS is also the mother school, (1935-65), we would keep the name ESHS Alumni and invite all persons who have graduated since 1965.

The association meets every first Saturday of the month at the J.O. Lee Fellowship Hall, Tabernacle Christian Church on Sixth and East Washington streets.

Those who are very supportive are welcome to become members of ESHS Alumni Association.

Present officers are as follows: Rev. Dr. Thelma T. Norfleet, president; Amanda R. Rodgers, vice-president; Carol B. Diggs, secretary; Barbara W. Doughty, financial secretary and Susie H. Bennett, treasurer. Marion B. Wright is the general chairperson of the reunion 2002

committee, and Dr. Norfleet is co-chairman.

Remaining schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 19 – from 4 p.m. until dusk – Theme: &uot;Welcome Home, Wolverines&uot; Get-acquainted picnic on grounds at East Suffolk Community Center.

Sunday, July 21 – Worship Service at 10 a.m. will include a memorial service tribute to the principal, faculty, staff and deceased alumni in the C&C Banquet Hall at the White Marsh Road Plaza.

For details about the reunion, contact Wright at 539-8392 or Amanda Rodgers at 539-8619.

Wright is asking all alumni to pick up their souvenir T-shirts at the East Suffolk Community Center at 2 p.m. today.