Column: Gathering of Marmion Class of 1965 grads makes memories come alive

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

Three years ago, I took a walk down memory lane in this space, and invited about three generations of men to travel with me to remember the old Marmion Academy Lake Street Campus in Aurora.
The all-boys Catholic high school, then known as Marmion Military Academy, operated on the corner of North Lake Street and West Illinois Avenue from 1933 until 1971, when it merged with the residential campus on Butterfield Road.
Vivid memories of the old location live on for many grads of the campus that today is the home of the Prisco Community Center of the Fox Valley Park District.
Many of those memories came alive again recently when nine members of the Class of 1965 attended their 60th class reunion at the academy. I was fortunate to join my classmates Tony Johnson, Bill Loftus, Tom Huberty, Bob Weber, Bob Woodrick, Gael Brewbaker, Dan Fox and Marty Cavato for an evening of renewed friendships and storytelling.
Although there were many fun remembrances of the Lake Street Campus days and it was still very nice to see old friends, the 60th reunion seemed to be different from reunions of previous decades.
We lost three of our classmates soon after graduation as a result of the war in Vietnam, and have lost many others along the way. It was, after all, a gathering of 78-year-old men who could not quite believe that 60 years had gone by so quickly.
Our group of nine attendees represented a class of 168 young men. We remembered our living classmates who could not attend, but tried not to forget our friends who have passed away. They were an important part of our lives, and we had spent 12 years together in Catholic schools with some of them.
Conversations became more about careers, retirement, spouses, kids and grandkids, and less about the fun times of 60-plus years ago. Short discussions of various medical issues were of course included but, thankfully, none about politics. This reunion was different, but in a good way in my opinion.
The great Chicago columnist, Mike Royko, would frequently write about 'complaints and great thoughts from readers.' In that spirit, I asked several of my classmates for some of their 'great thoughts' about the six decades of our lives since we parted in 1965. These are samples of some of their reflections:
'The greatest change over the last 60 years has certainly been technological, but societal change has been most dramatic.'
'Sadly, we are seeing Catholic schools that were built to serve growing enrollments in the 1960s now sitting empty and shuttered.'
'I'm much less optimistic about the future of our society than I'm sure my parents were at a similar age.'
'When I drive past the playgrounds where we played endless summers of ball games, they are abandoned and lonely looking.'
'I see too much egoism and greed these days, and not sufficient concern for the common good.'
'My kids experienced more world travel before they reached age 30 than I have in my entire life. Not because they were wealthy, but because of their expertise and talents.'
One classmate listed 'things a suburban 1965 grad could never imagine he would see 60 years later':
'More women than men would be graduating from college.'
'Smoking would be banned inside buildings, airplanes and even outdoor venues.'
'The Catholic Church would elect Polish, German and American popes.'
'Middle-income American families would typically have a car that cost over $50,000, and often two such cars.'
'There would be five presidential elections in a row, and the winners would have no military service.'
'West Point would begin accepting female cadets in 1976, and Marmion Academy would do the same a brief 50 years later.'
A 'reality check' happened for me in the days following the recent class reunion when the concept of 60 years really began to hit home.
The guys who live in my memory as strong, young teenagers (many of whom were star athletes and seemingly indestructible) are now much older men. Many of them have grandchildren, and some have great- grandchildren. Many have had difficult lives, and almost one-fourth of them have passed away according to the published alumni guide.
Our elementary and high school friends, living and deceased, were and are important to our lives. Away from the classroom, we learned important life lessons from one another without actually realizing it. We learned to get along, and as much as some of us disliked it at the time, the military environment of Marmion Academy probably helped us with some of those life lessons.
Reminisce with some of your oldest friends and make an effort to reunite with others while you and they are still able. You were important to one another, and you may find that those relationships are still rewarding.