JEFFERSON HILLS, Pa.; January 18, 2023 – The West Jefferson Hills School District is proud to announce the members of the district's inaugural Hall of Fame classes. A total of 29 Thomas Jefferson High School graduates and two athletic teams are set to be inducted in March.
The district re-launched its Halls of Fame program last fall, re-opening the nomination process. West Jefferson Hills had announced it was starting the Halls of Fame program during the 2019-20 school year, but the first class of inductees were never announced or recognized due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomas Jefferson High School graduates who have distinguished themselves in the areas of academics, arts or athletics, as well as staff and community members, are eligible for induction, if they meet the established Hall of Fame criteria. Nominees included former students, teachers, staff and community members who have made unique and lasting contributions to the district and the West Elizabeth, Jefferson Hills and Pleasant Hills communities.
"As a District, we are excited to honor those that graduated from the West Jefferson Hills School District," said WJHSD Superintendent Dr. Janet Sardon. "The nominees are people who have forged a path of success while making a difference in the world around them. They are role models and mentors for our current students and a strong representative of who we are and who we want to be as a school district. I am excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame program, bringing recognition and positivity to our schools and community."
Committees in each of the three areas - academics, arts and athletics - considered the nominees and recommended selections for induction to the entire Hall of Fame Committee.
The inaugural HOF classes will be inducted at the WJHSD Hall of Fame banquet on March 4, 2023 at the Georgetown Centre in Pleasant Hills.
The members of the inaugural classes of the WJHSD Hall of Fame are listed below (brief biographical information follows; additional bio information will be posted on www.wjhsd.net in mid-February):
Class of 2019-20
Academics
Dr. David Dausey '93
Dr. William Edmonds '81
Robert Horn '64
Edward Miller, P.E. '85
Dr. Mark Onaitis '89
Matt Onaitis '89
Nancy Stokey '68
Arts
Eric DeFade '83
Ray DeFade
Karen Suszynski '68
Athletics
1980 TJHS Football team
Richard Costanzo '04
Kelli (Miller) Dimidjian '89
Mike Kopnski
Karri (Miller) Lockhart '89
Baptiste (Bap) Manzini (posthumous)
Marla Puryear '89 (posthumous)
Class of 2022-23
Academics
Dr. Edward DiCarlo '73
Gregory Earnest '66 (posthumous)
Dr. Douglas Natelson '89
William (Joe) Schlitt '60
Dr. Peter Wu '83
Arts
Sandra Barker
Robert Beckjord '67 (posthumous)
Athletics
2001 TJHS Girls Volleyball team
Bill Arre '05
Jimbo Cramer '72
Dom DeCicco '07
Leo Giel '94
John Harchar '73
John Zeiler '01
WJHSD Hall of Fame Inductees
Class of 2019-20
Academics
Dr. David Dausey '93 – Executive Vice President and Provost of Duquesne University and professor of medicine and health sciences. Also served as Provost and Executive VP of Mercyhurst University.
Dr. William Edmonds '81 – Vice President for Enrollment Management at Edinboro University. A defensive line starter on TJ's first WPIAL Championship football team in 1980.
Robert Horn '64 - Three-year TJ class president. Executive Vice President & COO at Jefferson Regional Medical Center (retired).
Edward Miller, P.E. '85 - Valedictorian, earned a 5.0 GPA as senior; Senior Civil Engineer supervisor for PennDOT.
Dr. Mark Onaitis '89 - Valedictorian; Chief of Thoracic Surgery, UC San Diego College of Medicine.
Matt Onaitis '89 - Chief Financial Officer, Mainstay Medical Holdings PLC.
Dr. Nancy Stokey '68 - Valedictorian; Frederick Henry Prince Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, with focus on mathematical economics.
Arts
Eric DeFade '83 – Director of jazz ensembles at Carnegie Mellon University and a two-time Grammy Award winner for performances on Nancy Wilson's jazz albums.
Ray DeFade – District music educator for 28 years, helping many former students become professional musicians. Organized and directed the first Duquesne University Jazz Ensemble.
Karen Suszynski '68 - District English, theater and communications educator for 36 years. Began theater program (with Virginia Shew and Ruth Weingart), sponsored International Thespian Society for 21 years and inspired creation of nonprofit TJ Arts.
Athletics
1980 Thomas Jefferson HS Football team - Won TJ's first WPIAL football Championship.
Richard Costanzo '04 – Selected Pittsburgh Post-Gazette high school Male Athlete of the Year in 2003-04 and was two-time All-American in boys soccer, scoring a school record 124 goals in three years. Helped TJ win the 2002 PIAA 2A boys soccer state championship.
Kelli (Miller) Dimidjian '89 - Ranks No. 3 in TJ girls basketball career with 1,290 points; helped basketball and softball teams win two Section titles. Selected to the first Girls Roundball All-Star Classic.
Mike Kopnski - District teacher and coach. Taught for 35 years, head track and field/cross country coach for 25 years, coached 8 PIAA individual state champions. Team won 68 consecutive dual meets.
Karri (Miller) Lockhart '89 - TJ basketball record holder with 1,357 points; helped girls basketball and softball teams win two Section crowns. Selected to the first Girls Roundball All-Star Classic in 1989.
Baptiste (Bap) Manzini - Taught and was head coach of TJ football for 16 years and never had a losing season. Was head coach of TJ's first WPIAL championship football team in 1980 in his final game as HC.
Marla Puryear '89 - Won the PIAA girls track and field 100 and 200 meters in 1986, '88, '89; a six-time WPIAL champion.
Class of 2022-23
Academics
Dr. Edward DiCarlo '73 - Chief Surgical Pathologist and Director of the Histopathology Laboratory at the Hospital for Special Surgery; professor of Clinical Pathology with the Weill Cornell Medical College.
Gregory Earnest '66 - Was owner and CEO of K&H Construction and started two other companies; earned three bronze stars (two with V for valor) as a paratrooper and medic in U.S. Army in Vietnam War.
Dr. Douglas Natelson '89 – Physicist and professor; recent Chair of Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University.
William (Joe) Schlitt '60 - Co-Valedictorian; Former president, Hydrometal, Inc. and current consultant.
Dr. Peter Wu '83 - Surgical Oncologist with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and Associate Professor at the University of Washington; Washington State Chair for the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
Arts
Sandra Barker - English teacher, dept. coordinator for 10 years and musical director; Assisted with TJ Theater program from 1996-2010 and supervised and directed spring musicals from 2011-20.
Robert Beckjord '67 - Was Senior Vice President of Design with Astorino Architects, led design of several noteworthy Pittsburgh landmarks, including the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Athletics
2001 Thomas Jefferson HS Girls Volleyball - Captured TJ's first WPIAL girls volleyball 2A championship
Bill Arre '05 - TJ boys basketball (1,230 points) and Lock Haven University men's basketball (2,112 pts) all-time leading scorer. Is a TJ boys basketball assistant coach.
Jimbo Cramer '72 - Voted the best football player in TJ history in 2008. Earned All-State honors and was the conference Most Valuable Player on offense and defense as a senior in 1971.
Dom DeCicco '07 - Only TJ football player to pass and run for 1,000 yards in a season; scored 1,028 career points with TJ boys basketball. Accounted for 2,196 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior.
Leo Giel '94 - Played football, hockey and was a wrestler; placed fourth at PIAA Wrestling Championships twice. Rider University Male Athlete of the Year and Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
John Harchar '73 - 1973 PIAA state champion in discus and shot put; three-year football starter, two-time All-State and a Big 33 Classic selection. Football and wrestling team captain; boys basketball letterman.
John Zeiler '01 - Helped TJ hockey to three Pennsylvania and Penguin Cup championships as a player; in 2022 led the Jaguars to their first Penguin Cup title since 2000 in his first year as head coach.
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