More than 200 alumni who graduated fifty years ago—or more—gathered at the Wyndham Newport Hotel on July 28 for the Rogers High School Alumni Association’s Annual Luncheon.
Greer Lyon and Gay Lawton were members of the first class to graduate from the “new” Wickham Road building, which will soon be torn down. Serafina DeAscentis, Class of 1945, attended Rogers High School when it stood on Broadway. Mrs. DeAscentis recalled how students from Middletown, Portsmouth, Little Compton, and even Bristol were bused to the site 80 years ago. “None of the other towns had high schools,” remembered the venerable alumna.
Since 2005, Colleen Murray has led the Alumni Association with steady enthusiasm. She shared her excitement about the new building, where photographs donated by the association will eventually hang. The group also financed the restoration of engraved tablets honoring past school committee members, once displayed outside the old auditorium. Murray hopes these pieces of history will find a home in the new halls as well.
Shirley Ripa beamed with happiness as she escorted her former Spanish teacher, Jane Campbell, to her table. “She taught me everything I know,” enthused Ripa, who also went on to become a beloved Spanish teacher to many Rogers graduates.
Sue Goddard and Marie Thompson, friends since kindergarten, shared stories of their enduring bond. Thompson said her neighbors in Texas marvel at how often she bumps into former classmates when she returns home for visits.
Even those who are no longer with us were honored by friends. Peter Janaros sported his RHS baseball hat emblazoned with Ralph Gizzi’s initials. “It seems appropriate to wear this hat, wherever I go, to recognize Ralph, who graduated from Rogers with the Class of 1964,” noted Janaros.
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