[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 144 (Tuesday, November 13, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1740-E1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE HOLY ANGELS CLASS OF 1969

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 13, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a rare and special occasion 
for 45 individuals who went to grammar school together 43 years ago. It 
is nothing short of remarkable that two thirds of the Holy Angels Class 
of 1969 will gather on this day of November 10, 2012 to reminisce and 
exaggerate old stories.
  The Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus taught at Holy Angels, a 
Catholic school founded in 1952.
  The Class of 1969 consisted of 45 students: Donna Abrahamsohn, 
Charlene Behnke, Robert Bernie, Kevin Chapot (deceased 2010), Raymond 
Ciardella, Shirley Conti, Richard Delgado, Mary Dillon, John Gallagher, 
Robert Gerughty, Randy Golobic, Susan Gomez, Joseph Gordon, Kathleen 
Griffin, Dennis Harvey, Stephen Haught, Loretta Kelly, Patricia Kerns, 
Catherine Lapachet, Carole Lindsey, Patrick McLoughlin, James McCarthy, 
Maura Moran, Paul Nannini, Bruce Olmanson, Thomas O'Shea, Mary Pinelli, 
George Putkey, Elizabeth Randall, Timothy Rea, Marie Antoinette 
Rodriguez, Mary Rushka, Kimberly Seitz, Debra Sola, Terrie Sottile, 
Marialena Spadaro, George Tinetti, Barbara Trapp, Robert Trapp, Linda 
Tricerri, Peter Woolery, Nina Varni, Thomas York, David Zanini, and 
Loretta Zolezzi.
  By today's standards, a class of 45 is unheard of, but the Holy 
Angels students assert that it didn't harm any of them in their later 
lives. They moved on to careers in teaching, public safety, law 
enforcement, the military, the medical field, and more. Many of them 
stayed right here in the Colma and Daly City area, home to Holy Angels.
  The class of 1969 was the first second grade class to celebrate their 
First Holy Communion in 1963, a year after Holy Angels church was 
built. All of the teachers at the school were nuns, except for Miss 
Sandy Sheffield--unanimously voted everyone's favorite teacher in the 
4th grade for her innovative and fun teaching style. Until Miss 
Sheffield brought in a pinata, most students had never seen one.
  Another teacher bringing fond memories to the students is Miss 
Whitney who taught all the dance routines for the annual May Day 
festivities. Each class performed a variety of folk dances on this 
popular day of games and raffles.
  Back in the day, the TV show ``The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'' brought out 
the best in a group of Holy Angel girls portraying themselves as secret 
agents. They would pass around secret messages in an empty Chapstick 
container and they would reveal the locations of dangerous enemy agents 
via walkie talkies. The Class of 1969 refuses to disclose whether one 
of the class members later joined the CIA.
  Life at Holy Angels wasn't all fun and games. In 1963, televisions 
were not part of the regular classroom, but when President Kennedy was 
assassinated, the nuns brought in TVs so that the students could 
witness the funeral.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
honor the Holy Angels Class of 1969 which reminds all of us of

[[Page E1741]]

the ties that hold us together as members of our community and country.

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