Stratton Park Message Board

[b]"For whom The Bell tolls-for a friend(s)":[/b]
In the words of a famous poet, John Donne, his poem includes these words:”No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell toll; it tolls for thee…” These words are poignant especially if you lose a friend, a classmate etc
A few weeks ago the toll rang for two of our Archer Boys: Ed sparks and Ed Bonitz. Ed Sparks was a close friend in my youth. It reminds of us who are older that in the words of the famous "baseball philosopher", Satchel Paige said in reminding himself of getting older that “don’t look back because someone or something maybe gaining on you”.
We also lost another Archer Boy recently, Ed Mahoney.
At our semi-annual luncheon on October 15 we remembered and raised a toast to the three Archer Boys who passed away since the last luncheon in May.
And just last week we heard the sad news that Kay O’Neil O’Brien died, a classmate of our 1955 class at St Anthony
However I would like to make this a means to rejoice of having good friends over the years.

Ed sparks was a good friend in my youth. He lived in the next apartment building at 1535 Taylor
The Spark’s family had one of the first TV’s in the neighborhood in 1950. We had many great times in the old neighborhood.
As we got older we went our different ways. At 17 he went into the Navy and shortly after his returning he got married.
However, about 5 years we met again at an Archer Boy luncheon and it was like we were in contact all the years.
I am sure you had the same feeling about old friends. One remembers the good friends of our youth.
Ed called often to check how I was doing and I did the same. One regret was when I found that he was not feeling i said I was going to over to see him. However , I procrastinated and soon Iafter I found that Ed died. I did not realize how sick he was.
How many times did this happen to you. especially as we get older?
i did not know Ed Bonitz well( e was a friend of brother, Bobby)and Ed Mahoney was older than me. But I had fond rememberance of his family and I know he was a good person, a veteran of the Korean War and then a policeman for more than 20 years.
After Kay died, i had the opportunity to read the eulogy his brother, Jack wrote. She was a very good person and she enjoyed life.

I would like to make a suggestion: Cherish your friends, make new ones and nurish the friendships you have(had) by contacting and getting together with them while we can.
All the best.
Les Sherwood

I was so sorry to hear about Eddie B we had alot of fun over the years. He was a fine Gentlemen. He will be missed.

Les: Thanks for the kind words about my sister Kay. She was a wonderful person who never forgot her roots. She became a schoolteacher after leaving St. Anthonys, Aquinas HS and St. Johns University, and was married for 43 years to an Irishman named Pat O'Brien. She died just after the anniversary celebration of your grammar school class which she very much wanted to attend. She spoke a couple of times on line to Marty Gavin before she died and Pat (Kenny) Barry was also at her wake. Kay had renewed her friendship with classmates Pat Barry and also Ellen Hackett visited her this summer. Her health was not good in recent years, but she had a happy and peaceful death.....though at only 67 years of age, we wished she had lived longer.