From left, Jack Sylvester, Polly Harder Leary, Cathy Harvey Loux, Doris Benson Mitrano, Debby Lewis Malm and Elaine Lakis were the six members from the Class of 1970 at the Lima High Reunion. Photo by Donna MacKenzie
It was two years in the making, but the Class of 1970 finally celebrated their 50th anniversary + two at the annual Lima High School Alumni banquet on July 9.
With a two-year forced hiatus due to COVID, the alumni banquet returned this year. Although the Class of 1970 was actually the first to graduate from the newly-merged Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District, the class had three years at Lima High School (which was open from 1919 to 1969) and was invited to join the Lima Alumni reunion.
Six members of the 34-member Lima Class of 1970 attended the reunion at Lima Country Club. They were Elaine Lakis, Polly Harder Leary, Cathy Harvey Loux, Debby Lewis Malm, Doris Benson Mitrano and Jack Sylvester.
There were 55 alumni (the Class of 1945 being the earliest one represented) attending the reunion this year with 83 total guests. Welcoming remarks were given by Elaine Lakis. Tom Reynolds, Lima Class of 1959 recognized those alumni who are military veterans. Malm led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance and Mitrano gave the invocation. The six Class of 1970 members introduced themselves and stated their remembrances of their days at Lima High, starting with Loux. Leary related some background as to why the group chose to dedicate this year’s banquet to Lima High. Lakis led the group in remembering the 47 Lima alumni who have passed away since the last banquet in 2019. Mitrano handled the Roll Call of Classes, which recognized every alumni member in attendance this year. Sharon Neenan and John Recktenwald, both from the Class of 1965, talked about the HF-L Alumni Hall of Fame which inducts members from Honeoye Falls High School, Lima High School and HF-L High School. The attendees also sang the Lima High School Alma Mater and God Bless America.
A wonderful buffet dinner was enjoyed by all. After the formal program, there was more time for reminiscing and catching up on everyone’s news.
