Tickets Now on Sale for Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1979 30-Year Reunion, Saturday, October 17, at the Stamford Hilton

Tickets are now on sale for the Andrew Warde High School Class of 1979 30-year reunion, which is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at the Stamford Hilton. Tickets for the event, which runs from 7 to 11 p.m., are priced at $85 until July 30.

Classmates can expect a buffet dinner, wine, beer, soda, music, and the senior slideshow. Reunion committee chairman Russ Campbell asks classmates to take a moment to create an entry on the class Web site. "Once you do, you'll be able to reconnect with other people already registered," he points out.

"Even if you don't plan on attending the reunion, create an entry for yourself, re-connect with your classmates, and visit often," Campbell added. "Use this site as a way to stay in touch!" Access the site by simply clicking on the image below.

Classmates may purchase tickets for the reunion via the Web site. The site also includes reunion details, a list of who is attending, photos, message board, guest book, travel information, links, and a list of classmates.

Good luck to the Andrew Warde High School Class of 1979!

Paul

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Video Highlights Following Warde Girls' CIAC Class L Basketball Championship Game Loss to Hillhouse

Warde Girls Basketball Team Drops Heartbreaker to Hillhouse, 65-59, in CIAC Class L State Championship Game at Mohegan Sun Arena

The following article was written by Connecticut Post sportswriter Mike Cardillo. The top-ranked Warde girls basketball team's record-setting and undefeated season ended in heartbreaking fashion against Hillhouse at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. Click here to watch highlights of the game.

UNCASVILLE -- In the end, after a record-setting season, the Fairfield Warde girls basketball team ran out of gas at the worst possible time -- the Class L final. The top-seeded Mustangs led most of the way until a late flurry from No. 7 Hillhouse, which ground out a 65-59 victory in front of 3,554 Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

"We left the door open," Mustangs coach Dave Danko said. "Hillhouse is a good team and they got us." Previously unbeaten Warde (26-1) carried a 44-39 lead into the fourth quarter, but it quickly evaporated, thanks to a 7-0 Academics' run, triggered by a three-point play from Daniesha Pierce.

The lead changed hands seven times throughout the quarter with Hillhouse (25-2) finally wresting it away for good on a layup by freshman Bria Holmes with 2:16 left, which made it 57-55. Holmes paced Hillhouse with 21 points. Pierce added 18 and sophomore guard Adreana Thomas ended with 19 -- 17 coming in the second half.

The Mustangs still had a shot when senior Daphne Elliott sunk a layup with less than 30 seconds left to make it 60-59. On the next trip down Thomas was fouled and sank the first foul shot, but missed the second. Holmes came away with the offensive rebound and made both attempts after being fouled to give the Academics a two-possession advantage at 63-59.

Holmes' converted pair was dually tough for the Mustangs to stomach since they out-rebounded the Academics 55-45, who finished just 16-for-32 from the line. "They didn't need a coach to make or miss those free throws, they had each other," Hillhouse coach Katrina Hawley-Stewart said.

The SCC champion Academics won their seventh state championship in impression fashion, knocking off three straight undefeated teams, Kolbe Cathedral, Avon and Warde.

The FCIAC champion Mustangs hung close thanks to a strong second-half showing from Sabrina Siciliano, who scored 16 of her game-high 22 points after the break. Siciliano, who also had 12 rebounds, erupted to keep Warde afloat after spending the first four minutes of the third quarter stuck on the bench with three fouls.

"We fought all the way until the end," Siciliano (pictured to the left) said, choking back tears. "I wasn't expecting to be crying -- and I'm not one to cry. ... I wasn't expecting this at all." Warde led by as many as 10 in the first half, as Hillhouse struggled to find its range, shooting just 25.9 percent in the half. The Academics limited the damage with an 11-0 run at the start of the second quarter.

After the half Thomas and the rest of the Academics heated up, scoring numerous easy baskets after breaking the Mustangs' pressure at halfcourt. "I chalked up the first half to nerves," Hawley-Stewart said.

Though Elliott finished with 18 points it came on 5-for-24 shooting. She also played most of the fourth quarter with four fouls, cutting down her defensive effectiveness. "Four years came down to this one moment," Elliott said. "We did everything we could, we had the game for three and a half quarters."

Danko regretted his team's missed chances down the stretch, which included coming away empty handed on a pair of open-court layups. "The team battled," he said. "The whole year, we always finished. We came up short."

Photos courtesy Connecticut Post. First photo: Warde's Rachel Friedman, left, and Allison Schneider are disappointed as the final seconds tick away; Second photo: Warde's Emily Bengermino, the daughter of longtime Warde legendary coach Ed Bengermino, defends a Hillhouse player during the CIAC Class L state championship basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.

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Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Family, Friends, Former Students Mourn the Passing of Beloved Former Andrew Warde High School Teacher & Wood Craftsman Elmer Kish

Former Andrew Warde High School shop teacher Elmer S. Kish, age 83, beloved husband of Rose Szabo Kish of Seymour and previously of Fairfield, passed away peacefully Sunday, March 15, 2009 at Griffin Hospital while surrounded by his loving family.

A resident of Fairfield for most of his life, Mr. Kish moved to Seymour in 1998. He proudly served in the United States Army Rangers during World War II. After the war, Mr. Kish attended and graduated from Teachers College in New Britain. In 1952, he began a personally fulfilling 32 year career as a teacher and administrator for the Town of Fairfield's Board of Education, retiring in 1984. Over the years, his passion for education positively touched the lives of countless students.

"I remember Mr Kish," wrote David Rosenberg, a 1976 graduate of Andrew Warde High School. "He was a good teacher with wit and wisdom to share. (He was) a fine craftsman with a gentle good nature. The world has lost a special soul."

Mr. Kish was a former president of the Fairfield Teachers Association, an active member of Silliman Memorial Baptist Church, a Mason with the Fidelity St.John's Lodge #1 in Fairfield, served as a chairman for the Bethesda Baptist Retirement Home, in Palm Bay, Fla., and was a talented wood craftsman. Above all, Mr. Kish loved his wife, Rose, his family, and dear friends.

In addition to his devoted wife of 62 years, Mr. Kish's memory will be cherished by his family, including his two children, Bruce Kish and his wife Eleonore of Los Alamitos, Calif., and Ilona Saladino of Beacon Falls; three grandchildren, Scott Saladino and Stephen Saladino, both of Beacon Falls, and Alexandra Dortch and her husband DJ of Garden Grove, Calif.; one brother, Julius Kish, and his wife, Kathy of Fairfield; two sisters, Marguerite Stumpf of Trumbull and Helen Kautz of Cape Cod, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Silliman Memorial Baptist Church, 1728 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605. To sign an online register, please visit http://www.leskopolkefuneralhome.com/.

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Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

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"Extra, Extra! Read All About It!" The 10 Andrew Warde High School Crimson Crier Issues From 1974, 1975, and 1976 Are Now Online!

Here they are! Now you can read the original Andrew Warde High School Crimson Crier newspapers from 1974 through 1976, courtesy of Vintage Images in Fairfield! Take a stroll back in time and enjoy 50 pages of our high school newspaper from a special time in our lives. All ten issues are available for your reading pleasure.

Just click on a selected date below from October of 1974 through March of 1976 and scroll down to see the entire newspaper publication. You can also enlarge the print by increasing the percentage in the top bar.

October 1974 - 4 pages

November 1974 - 6 pages

December 1974 - 8 pages

February 1975 - 6 pages

June 1975 - 4 pages

October 1975 - 6 pages

January 1976 - 4 pages

February 1976 - 4 pages

March 5, 1976 - 4 pages

March 16, 1976 - 4 pages

Special thanks to Todd Gukelberger of Vintage Images for taking the time to convert each of the pages and upload the files to my Web page. He will be adding many more Criers from the early 1970s over the next couple of weeks. If you have any old video or Crimson Crier newspapers, please contact me.

Also, please consider purchasing a gift or two from the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop to help defray the cost of converting the newspapers, embedding the video, and designing the Web site banner.

Thank you.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Andrew Warde High School Graduates & Band Together Present "Deep Earth" to Benefit the Connecticut Farmland Trust April 2 in Fairfield

Andrew Warde High School graduates Rob Fried (1977) and Jerry Vigorito (1976), local businessmen and musicians who founded Band Together in 2005, are hosting another benefit concert. The group presents Deep Earth, Thursday, April 2, at the Fairfield Theatre Company at 70 Sanford Street, featuring original music and favorites to benefit the Connecticut Farmland Trust and to preserve and support local farms.

Band Together creates great musical events which unite a community of talented musicians with concerned citizens to raise money for Connecticut families in need or local charities. The show, scheduled for 7:30, features Toph-E and the Pussycats, including members Will Lee of the David Letterman Band, Chris Parker of Steely Dan, Andy Snitzer of the Rolling Stones, Ralph MacDonald of Jimmy Buffet, and Cliff Carter of James Taylor.

Band Together events have raised over $250,000 for Connecticut charities and families. Eight concerts have benefited Habitat for Humanity, the Concert for Gianna, Connecticut Burn Foundation, Pilot House, and the Susan Fund, among others. The group has also worked with Meryl Streep and the late Paul Newman, raising over one million dollars to protect Connecticut’s farmland.

The Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) was incorporated as a statewide organization and has four full time staff members. The organization was formed to preserve and protect Connecticut’s working lands through the acquisition of farm property and easements. The Connecticut Farmland Trust is committed to protecting a total of 50 farms by the end of 2011. It expects to protect seven farms totaling approximately 1,100 acres in 2009 alone!

Established in 2002, the Connecticut Farmland Trust holds agricultural conservation easements that protect 1,239 acres of farmland on 16 family farms around the state, has assisted partners in the preservation of 157 additional acres, and serves as a leading resource on conserving Connecticut’s working farmland.

The mission of the Connecticut Farmland Trust is to permanently protect Connecticut’s working farmland. CFT works with Connecticut farmers to protect their land for agricultural use by acquiring agricultural conservation easements and farmland; shares expertise and technical knowledge to assist landowners, land trusts, town officials, and state agencies in protecting agricultural land; and promotes farmland preservation education through presentations and outreach.

Doors open at 6 o'clock with a Farmer's Market featuring locally grown produce. Meet local farmers and have dinner before the show. Tickets are available by calling 203-259-1036 or visiting the Fairfield Theatre Web site. Make plans now to attend Deep Earth.

Paul

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Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

"Unscramble" Study Hall Puzzle Lamenting the Cost of Groceries Just as Timely Today as in 1973

The cost of groceries has skyrocketed in the last few years. A quick trip to the convenience store or deli for milk, bread, and a few necessities may cost $20 or more. However, there was just as much concern about the grocery bill over a generation ago. In fact, here's a Study Hall Time Killer from the June, 1973 edition of the Andrew Warde High School Crimson Crier. Can you answer the puzzle?

The first person to correctly answer the puzzle will win a gift from the Andrew Warde High School gift shop. Please send your answer to me at pppiorek@news12.com.

Paul

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Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Recalling the Exciting Finish and Huge Success to Andrew Warde High School's First Annual Student Council Paper Drive in 1973

The students and staff at Andrew Warde High School recognized the need to recycle and save our resources well over a generation ago. The first annual student council paper drive, which took place in the Spring of 1973, was a tremendous success!

For most homerooms it started only with a spare newspaper here or there thrown in a small pile. However, the seniors in Miss MacKenzie's homeroom, F-16, decided to try their utmost to win the paper drive and the free breakfast that went to the winning homeroom.

The very first day the contest began, the students of F-16 began bringing newspapers to school and were soon far ahead of the rest of the homerooms throughout the school. Midway through the contest, Miss MacKenzie's homeroom was in first place and Mrs. Daley's homeroom (B-17) was in second. Although B-17 had only one stack of newspapers to seven for F-16, the announcement spurred the juniors of B-17 and a few others, and the contest began to pick up speed.

Much time and energy went into collecting the newspapers. By the time the final deadline arrived, Mrs. Daley's juniors had, seemingly out of nowhere, stacked up piles and piles of newspapers claimed by many to be higher than what the seniors collected in F-16. It was too tight of a race for the judges to call, however, and a decision was ultimately made to eliminate homerooms which didn't collect enough newspapers.

After the student council judges tabulated the final results, it was found that Miss MacKenzie and her senior homeroom, pictured below, had won. It was a tremendous victory for the class which had never won a contest of any type in four years. The losing streak was over! The students stacked a total of 1,484 inches of paper, a height which was taller than twice that of the Andrew Warde High School flagpole and 500 inches more than the stacks collected by the juniors in B-17.

Several days later the papers were recycled by some hard-working student council members. All in all, the first annual school council newspaper drive was fun, exciting, helpful to ecology, and even made some money for a needy organization.

Paul

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Andrew Warde High School Class of 1983 Web Site at the Top of the Class for Design & Content

The Andrew Warde High School Class of 1983 Web site earns high marks for its design, content, and use of modern technology. The site features classmate profiles, message forum, reunion slide show, yearbook photos, upcoming birthdays, history videos, and a music playlist featuring the top songs during the four years the classmates attended Warde. Click on the image below to visit the site.

Classmates are able to update their profiles and instantly find a fellow former student in a Where Are They Now option. In addition, there is a feature indicating where classmates live throughout the country and the world. The following message greets visitors to the site:

Dear Class of 1983,

Welcome to the Andrew Warde Class of 1983 Web site. Here you can reconnect with old friends and find out the latest news in regards to our 25th reunion. New to the site? Start by setting up your classmate profile by simply clicking the heading labeled classmate profiles, click on your name and follow the prompt. This will enable you and other classmates viewing capabilities of your profile and others in our class. Not to mention the latest and greatest news.

Thanks,

Kim Orosz Grosso & Cheri Wrabel Dunn, Reunion Committee

This is an outstanding Web site. Congratulations on a job well done!

Paul

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Andrew Warde High School's Operation Turn On Earned Regional Recognition for Former Teacher & Taught Valuable Lessons to Former Student

Former Andrew Warde High School teacher Robert Gillette, whose experimental Operation Turn On program won him a three-year, $300,000 Teacher Challenge grant as the best teacher in New England, became somewhat of a national celebrity after the New England Program in Teacher Education picked him for the award in 1972.

According to an article which appeared in The Bridgeport Telegram 36 years ago this month, Gillette, best remembered for initiating the OTO program at Warde, said that most schools in America are not training students to cope with the future.

"Man will perish or survive in the future on the basis of the flexibility and inner courages he acquires today," the former English teacher told an audience at the Bridgeport Chapter of the American Association of University Women at the First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield in March of 1973.

"In most of our schools, we are not training kids for the future," he added. "We are still talking about the past, or at best the present." Gillette said he borrowed many of the techniques from primary educators in developing his experimental high school program. Juniors and seniors of varied backgrounds and abilities were enrolled in the award-winning program.

"I loved OTO," former Andrew Warde High School student Randi Cohen Coblenz told me via email yesterday. "We had the combination of Bob Gillette and Patty Clark and then Nancy Contilini. The way that things were taught --- by doing, and by integrating the lessons with practical experience --- stays with me to this day. It completely affected how I approach learning and how I taught my classes when I taught at the Museum of Science in Boston."

Operation Turn On integrated academic, vocational, and other activities to teach students that they can succeed, contribute to society, and be in charge of their lives, according to Gillette. By the 1975-76 school year, the program included an Autumn backpacking and canoeing trip in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, a trip to Washington, D.C., and students working as teachers of younger students at the Bicentennial Process Museum of the Fairfield University Teacher's Center.

Cohen Coblenz, who attended Warde from 1976-1979 and was involved in OTO in 1977-78, now lives in Arlington, Virginia, and is a filmmaker and former archaeologist. "By the time I came into it, the program grew, as the need of the students changed. I knew instinctively that it was for me, and I was right, but I really had to do a hard-sell on my parents," she continued.

"From what I recall, OTO was originally geared toward kids about to drop out of high school. For my group --- I don't know how many people that applied to --- it seemed to have morphed into a diverse group of people, some on the academic cusp, some stellar academic performers, and the rest of us!"

Cohen Coblenz, who attended Stratfield School and Fairfield Woods Junior High School, has fond memories of the program and Mr. Gillette. "I remember Bob used 'chicken foot' as a way of having us structure writing our papers," she remembered. 'Chickenfoot' meant that the limb was the opening sentence and the 'toes' supported the opening sentence. And then you would expand on the 'toes' in your subsequent paragraphs. During one test, Bob actually came around with an actual chickenfoot and 'knighted' us for good luck!

"Another memory was our first field trip down the Connecticut River, studying the Yankee Atomic Power Plant and learning about the river effects that a nuclear plant has on marine life," she added. "This was integrated with learning about the trappers in the area of hundreds of years ago. A three day camping trip was exciting and scary for me!

"Socially, OTO was difficult for me, as for so many people in high school," she admitted. "I wasn't in a defined clique, and struggled to have my OTO classmates see me through my eyes, and not their preconceived ideas."

English, Social Studies, Biology, Algebra, Geometry, and Study Skills were all integrated into a demanding program that was action-oriented. OTO students explored and experienced much together. The community of students and teachers taught each other and learned from each other, not just academic skills and concepts, but also what it means to share a bit of turf together.

"You cannot hear the enthusiasm in my voice, through my words, but OTO, through its relevant coursework, Bob's sense of wacky humor, and unconventionalness, allowed this suburban girl to begin to find her voice," admitted Randi, whose sister, Melanie, graduated from Warde in 1975.

"The lessons I learned, whether freezing my tush off in the winter during a three-day winter camping and backpacking trip, to canoeing out against the tide in the Long Island Sound in March, told me that I had an inner strength I'd only just begun to tap into and would continue to draw from for many years to come. Everything was an opportunity to learn."

Paul

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Fairfield Selectwoman & Andrew Warde High School Graduate Sherri Steeneck to Participate in St. Baldrick's Fundraiser at Osborn Hill School

Fairfield Selectwoman Sherri Steeneck, a 1977 graduate of Andrew Warde High School, will have her head shaved Friday evening at 5 o'clock for a very good cause. Steeneck is taking part in one of many St. Baldrick's annual head-shaving marathon fundraisers at Osborn Hill School to help raise money to fight childhood cancer. She's taking pledges, donations of any amount with no minimum, and her community goal is $10,000.

"I decided to do this because I know a number of young people who passed away over the years from a variety of childhood cancers, and the funds raised go to research for cures," Steeneck told me via email earlier today. "I hate seeing sick kids. Last year, Brendan Casey, a student at Osborn Hill, and his dad, Marty, a co-worker of mine, did this and I contributed to it.

"This time, I decided to make a commitment to it. It's a great cause," added Steeneck, who also attended Osborn Hill School as a child. "It's only hair. It'll grow back," she admitted. "It also shows solidarity with everyone who loses their hair in treating their cancer. I have some adult friends who have gone through that, too."

The mission of the St. Baldrick's Foundation is to raise awareness and funds to cure childhood cancer. While battling cancer, children lose not only their hair, but years of their childhood, and sometimes their lives. Participants in a St. Baldrick's event shave their heads in exchange for donations towards research.

"Last year, like every year, was a tough year for families dealing with cancer in Fairfield," Steeneck continued. "This year is no different. At the Relay for Life we held in honor of (the late former Fairfield Selectwoman) Denise Dougiello, I met several young recovering cancer victims. They were inspiring, to say the least. It is hard enough to see an adult suffering, but to me, even harder to see a child in that situation. Sadly, one close to us, Robbie, lost his battle after having been in remission at the relay.

"When Marty Casey talked about this, I thought I might actually be able to do something useful to help find cures to childhood cancers. I didn't want to shave my head and not for $1,000, but neither do they want to lose their hair, go through chemo, etc. Maybe this will help one more child, perhaps someone you know and love."

This event at Osborn Hill School is child-friendly and will be attended by Cub Scouts from Pack 199. No reservations are required. Head shaving is being provided by Michelle Varrone and Salon V stylists, 1877 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield. Pizza will also be provided, compliments of Pazzo Pizza, 2505 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield. There will also be raffle prizes.

According to the St. Baldrick's Web site, "At a St. Baldrick's event, something amazing happens. People who normally shy away from the very thought of childhood cancer find themselves compelled to support this cause after looking into the face of these brave children who are smiling broadly as their friends and family members proudly display their newly shorn heads. Volunteers and donors see it can be fun to support a serious cause. Young cancer patients and survivors see how many people care."

It's a simple concept, a fun time and a very effective fundraiser - since its founding in 2000, the St. Baldrick's Foundation has raised over $34 million with headshavings in 18 countries. Checks can be made out to St. Baldrick's, or go online to www.stbaldricks.org and find Sherri Steeneck. Checks may also be sent to The Higgins Group, attention Sherri, 1530 Post Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824.

Good luck, Sherri. The alumni of Andrew Warde High School are rooting for you and for a cure to childhood cancer. Please, help support Sherri and fight childhood cancer. Thank you.

Paul

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Former Andrew Warde High School Gridder Tom Davis Returns to Coach His Daughter & the Lady Mustangs' Lacrosse Team This Spring

"Old Crimson Eagles never die. They become Mustangs."

That's the motto of Tom Davis, a member of Andrew Warde High School's illustrious Class of 1973. Davis, the brother of the late Crimson Eagles' football coach Bill Davis, is the new girls' lacrosse coach at Warde this Spring. Although he starred on the gridiron while playing for his brother over a generation ago, Tom Davis is no stranger to the game of lacrosse.

"I have coached the girls in a lacrosse league the last three winters, so I have become knowledgable of the game," Davis told me via email Monday, one day after attending a lacrosse coaches' clinic in Boston. In addition, many of his players bring valuable experience after starring in other sports at Warde. "Girls that play soccer and basketball get the flow of the game very quickly as the principles of the game are similar."

Davis, pictured above leaping over a defender on the football field in a 1972 game at Warde, applied for the job and was offered the position after the previous two coaches left to devote more time to their families. Davis won't have to worry about that, since his daughter, Allie, is an integral part of the team.

"This will be the last time I will probably coach her in any sport," he lamented. "I have coached her since she was 10 years old, so this will be a good way to finish off our careers together. It is very tough coaching your daughter or having her play for her father. I do think it is tougher playing for your brother and (having) your brother coaching you."

The team is quite talented this year. "I have a pretty solid group of players," Davis admitted. Rachel Friedman, a member of the FCIAC championship girls' basketball team and all-FCIAC lacrosse player last year, scored 68 goals and had 23 assists last year. She will be attending Boston University (ranked ninth) to play lacrosse next year. Co-captain Allie Davis, named to the all-FCIAC East squad, scored 23 goals and had 22 assists last year. She will be attending Springfield College in the Fall and will be playing soccer and lacrosse.

Co-captain Courtney Walklet will be an attacker after playing goalie the last three years. She is a very good field player. Senior Emily Guenther is another attacker, while senior Christine Jacob, who played field hockey, will be a defender. "(It's) a real good group of kids," Davis said. "(It) should be a fun season."

Davis, seen wearing a Warde sweatshirt and standing alongside this typist and announcer during Warde girls' soccer senior night festivities last October 20, acknowledges that he'll have mixed emotions after the season ends and his daughter graduates in June. In fact, he and his daughter will be playing their home games on the field named after his late brother, Bill, who succeeded Fern Tetreau as the second football coach at Andrew Warde High School.

Naturally, he is quite proud of his daughter, who won a state championship on the Warde girls' soccer team as a junior. "She has devoted a lot of time to athletics and has been very successful," he admitted. "It shows by the success (of) the teams she has played on, and also by the individual awards she has received and the attention she has gotten from numerous colleges."

Tom Davis has played an active part in his daughter's athletic success, and he still remains just as loyal to his high school. "I too have devoted a lot of time into her athletics, and my joy was seeing her succeed," he said. "Her graduating will be a very special day as again my career at Warde ends too."

If you think that father and daughter will leave Warde together, think again. Tom Davis will still be involved in Mustangs' athletics, even after his daughter graduates. "I still plan on coaching the girls lacrosse team even after she graduates," he admitted.

Yes, old Crimson Eagles never die. They just become Mustangs.

Paul

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Memorial Service March 3 to Remember and Honor Longtime Andrew Warde High School Science and Biology Teacher Salvatore Fama

Longtime Andrew Warde High School science and biology teacher Salvatore Louis Fama, age 78, beloved husband, father, friend and teacher, died February 27, 2009, following a progressively debilitating illness.

"He brought anatomy and psysiology to life," said former Andrew Warde High School student Diane Kiraly after hearing of Fama's passing. Fellow Class of 1976 product Tony Procaccini added, "Back in our day, I knew Mr. Fama marginally, but my older brother Joey (AWHS 1972) knew him quite well, and in later years taught guitar to one of his kids. Mr. Fama (was the) father of our classmate Vinny."

Mr. Fama was born in Ansonia, on May 26, 1930, the son of Sicilian immigrant parents Carmelo Fama and Lucy Lastrina. After attending a technical high school, he served in the Korean War as a medic. After the war, he was the first in his family to attend college graduating from Fairfield University with a Biology degree in 1957. He went on to earn his Master's degree in Biology and then teach there.

His love of teaching led him to Andrew Warde High School where he had a very successful 30-year career teaching science and biology. Mr. Fama was not a conventional teacher as he courageously brought his students outside the classroom. His passion for science was contagious, as many of his students later have said that he was the one to inspire them to study to be doctors, nurses and scientists.

After retiring, he did not slow down, and his unconventional approach to life did not wane. He was a business owner, phlebotomist, pilot, singer and actor. He was a spiritual man in his own way continuing to learn and teach whenever the opportunity arose.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; four sons, Vincent, Matthew, Paul, and Salvatore II; two step sons, Lee and Scott; seven grandchildren, Jamie, Tony, Philip, Liam, Annamarie, Gregory and Viviana; as well as many friends and former students who will miss his adventurous spirit and love of learning.

A Memorial service will be held Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Rd., Fairfield. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Vitas Hospice, 777 Commerce Dr., Fairfield, CT 06825. For on line condolences visit www. SpearMillerFuneralHome.com.

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".