The Penn Hills all-class reunion picnic saw a “massive jump” in attendance this year, said Lee Adams, one of the event’s organizers.
He said the fourth annual event welcomed around 176 walk-ins and had more than 100 presale tickets — resulting in more than 100 more attendees than previous years.
Graduates traveled from Florida, California, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, New York and Ohio to attend the gathering Sept. 14 at Penn Hills Park.
Adams said John Stark, 95, and Bob Ireland, 96, class of 1947 graduates, set a new record for the picnic’s oldest attendees. It previously was held by two 1949 graduates: Dorothy Vita, 93, and Nancy Peterman Long, 93.
According to organizer Melissa Shontz, Stark has lived his entire 95 years in the North Bessemer neighborhood of Penn Hills. He used to walk to Davidson Elementary School.
Stark served in the Korean War and worked for Bell of Pa Telephone Co. Stark. He and his wife, Betty, raised six children together. Betty passed in 2022.
Stark attended the reunion along with three of his daughters and one of his sons, all Penn Hills graduates. He brought his 1947 yearbook. Shontz said Stark still cuts his own grass and remains very active.
Ireland also served in the Korean War after graduating from Seneca (Penn Hills High School), Shontz said. He was married and had six children, all Penn Hill graduates, with his wife, Jean. Ireland worked 34 years at Ingalls Steel in Verona and 10 years with Nadine Corp. He and Jean were married for 71 years before her passing last year.
Adams called it a “beautiful day for a picnic.”
That sentiment was echoed by many attendees.
“This was one of the nicest picnics I have ever been to,” said 1973 graduate, Linda DeMario Fabrizi. “Looking forward to any other events coming up.”
Besides Adams and Shontz, reunion organizers included Lauren Dolby, Cindy Fazio-Merola, Rain Trombino Lehman and Dawn Putteman.
The organizers encouraged alumni to mark their calendars for next year because they already reserved the park for Sept. 13, 2025.
For details about the alumni group and to keep up with class news, visit Penn Hills High School 50’s/60’s/70’s/80’s/90’s/2000’s Party @ PH Park on Facebook.
Shontz said they’ll have to add the 1940s to the list after Stark and Ireland’s attendance.
Haley Daugherty is a TribLive reporter covering local politics, feature stories and Allegheny County news. A native of Pittsburgh, she lived in Alabama for six years. She joined the Trib in 2022 after graduating from Chatham University. She can be reached at hdaugherty@triblive.com.