Red and White Weekend Features 'Honored Alumni'

The Ocean City Alumni Association will celebrate its fifth annual Red & White Weekend this year and will honor alumni from past decades.

The “Honored Alumni” will be featured at a luncheon at Ocean City High School on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The weekend festivities will run Thursday through Saturday (Oct. 17 to 19). All activities are open to alumni, family, friends, the community and future alumni — anyone who bleeds Red and White.

For prices and complete details go to www.ochsalumni.com or call Marcia Miller Shallcross at 609.425.2911.

Weekend activities include:

• Thursday, Oct. 17: Kickoff Party at DiOrio’s Circle Café, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $10 at door
• Friday, Oct. 18: BBQ Rally before the 7 p.m. home football game vs. Middle Township followed by Wing Night at the Deauville Inn in Strathmere.
• Saturday, Oct. 19:  Luncheon at OCHS Cafeteria — Ocean City favorite foods, music, and the “Honored Alumni,”  11:30 to 2:30 p.m.
• Now thru Oct 20:  Alumni Art Work on display at Accent Gallery, 956 Asbury Avenue.

2013 Honored Alumni

1940s:

Mildred “Millie” Sapp Wheaton, Class of 1942.  Millie had her 70th reunion last year and was happy to share she went to school with Gam Broadley, a previous Alumni Grand Marshal, and was a flag twirler in the band.  She went to Drexel and majored in retail merchandising.  Millie and her late husband were very involved and supporters of Shore Medical Center – where her name is above the door in the Cardiac Care Center.  She is a big supporter of Red & White Weekend and is always so cheerful and fun to be around.

Elizabeth “Betty” Higbee Chandler, Class of 1944. She was born and raised in OC and has always lived in the immediate area.  She is part of the Lake Family, one of the founding families of OC.  She has been very supportive of the Alumni efforts and has said that being from OC and living here has given her a “wonderful life.”  

1950s:

George Loder and Don Pileggi — “The Youth Center” guys. The Youth Center was such a big part of the lives of so many growing up in Ocean City and these men had such a positive impact on the youth of OC while they supervised the Youth Center!

Don Pileggi, Class of 1950.  He was President of his Class, President of Student Council, Glee Club, Honor Society, Pres. of Youth Center, Mr. OCHS.  Served 3 years in the Air Force during Korean War.  He supervised the Youth Center for 8 years and worked for the City Recreation Dept. for 28 years.

George Loder, Class of 1955.   He was on the Football team, Track team, Swimming team - held many individual records and Basketball - member of first OCHS State Championship team.  George assisted Don Pileggi supervising the Youth Center and served as Animal Control Officer for Ocean City.  He is a great artist, painting wildlife on pieces of slate which grace many homes in the area. 

Andy Jernee, Class of 1951.  Andy was a SJ Champ in football and part of the Honor Society.  He went to the Naval Academy and served his country in the Navy for 4 years.  He worked for IBM and GTE and served on City Council.

1960s:

Bobby Gannon, Class of 1966.  Bobby truly is a “Mr. Fix It” of everything.  While in high school he started doing jobs around the high school during his lunch period. He was drafted in the Army and was hired by the OC School District in 1969.  He worked at the Intermediate School for 35 years and was instrumental in the opening of the than new high school in ’76 and the newest high school in ’04. He works very close with all the organizations and will be missed when he retires in December of this year.

Jane Hogan Miller Glenn, Class of 1962.  Jane served her community on the Housing Authority (14 years), Historic Commission (14), School Board (12) and City Council (4), started the Field Hockey Booster Club at OCHS, was active in the Archie Harris Football Booster Club and started Spirit Week at OCHS which included Super Jock and the class spirit link competition.

1970s:

Tony Galante, Class of 1975.  Tony taught at OCHS from 1979 to 2013 and coached football, wrestling and softball and was a favorite of the students.  He was involved in any committee the school offered and served as President of the Union for 2 years.  He employed many of the students he taught at Galante’s Bike Shop, which he still runs today.  He is also involved with the Boardwalk Merchants Association and Shore Medical Center.

Hobie Young, Class of 1971.  Hobie is a self-employed painting contractor and has worked for a number of municipalities including Ocean City.  He has coached many Upper Township youth in the Indians football program and is owner and coach of South Jersey Storm, a local semi-pro football team.

1980s:

Herb Godfrey, Class of 1984.  Herb is the owner of Godfrey Funeral Home.  He gives of his time to the community and has been a big supporter of the Alumni Association and many other Ocean City groups.  He is a member of and has served in leadership roles with the Masonic Lodge and Exchange Club and proudly serves, in his words, as “Den Mother” of the OCHS Surf Team.

Kristie Miller Fenton, Class of 1987.  Kristie was a standout athlete at OCHS and went on to play field hockey at Rutgers.  Upon her return to the area, she served as the Assistant Field Hockey coach at OCHS for over 15 years.  She runs the Ocean City Rec Department and can be found officiating games, hosting clinics, and volunteer coaching many sports including the newly formed Girls Lacrosse Program.  She serves on a number of Boards and is Executive Director of the Little Miss and Jr. Miss Ocean City Pageants.   

1990s:

Antwan McClellan, Class of 1993.  Antwan is an Ocean City native and played football, basketball and track at OCHS.  He served his community on the School Board and currently is a member of City Council and a Trustee on the OC Historical Museum.  He is very active in the community and works as a paralegal at a local law firm.  His big smile lightens up any room he enters.

Michael Hartman, Class of 1998.  Michael is a founder and current Artistic Director of the Ocean City Theatre Company. In essence, the company was beginning to build when he was doing shows at OCHS.  His vision has led him on a wonderful journey teaching youth of Ocean City and on a national scale with live TV performances including Miss America and The Thanksgiving Day Parade.  He has made a name for himself both locally and nationally and has brought recognition to the City of Ocean City.

2000s:

Aaron “Bogy” Bogushefsky, Class of 2001.  Bogy studied art at OCHS under Alumni Association member Ginny Mulford and after graduating from college has returned to teach art to the students of the OC Primary School.  He is a unique artist and a local favorite, known simply as Bogy.  His style is hard to define but his colorful, whimsical, illustration art has made him popular in the surf community well beyond the borders of Ocean City. He paints in a variety of mediums and forms, including surfboards, t-shirts, murals, and paper.  A unique piece named “Sports: Illustrated” can be seen on the wall of Shoemaker Lumber.  He’s a new dad, coach of the high school soccer team and loves to surf! 

Mike Frankel, Class of 2001.  Mike played soccer and basketball at OCHS.  He graduated from the College of NJ and received his Masters from Syracuse University.  In 2007 he was hired by NBC 40 as the weekend sports guy and covers local sports in our area. He also worked a year for ESPN Radio.

Meredith Long, Class of 2001.  While at OCHS Meredith played on 3 state championship field hockey teams, was a high school All-American and was a member of the US Field Hockey Mid-Atlantic team.  A highly decorated collegiate athlete at the University of Maryland, Meredith continues to play field hockey competitively on the international stage.  She is in her second year as head coach of the Rutgers University field hockey team and is the head coach for the U-16 National Indoor Field Hockey Team.  Prior to taking over head coaching duties at Rutgers she also coached at Towson and the University of Vermont.