Memorial Ceremony - 2013
Singing the PRHS alma mater
Good afternoon. My name is Al Dawson, Pearl River Class of 1959
Let me scratch your memories a bit. Remember when the Excelsior Fire House was on Pearl Street, Bonomoloe's Deli was on Central Avenue at the bottom of St. Margaret's hill, when our high school football team had to practice on a lower grass field, in back of Dexter Folder Co. and the team had to walk down through town with their pads on, and back after practice was over, the campus candy store was across from the high school, where we cut class, and smoked cigarettes, and drank root beer floats.
Going to the movies cost 13 cents, and gasoline cost 29 cents a gallon, Saturday afternoon football games were a big deal after Friday night pep rallies, in the school gym, going to the Pirates Cove after the games on Saturday nights, and dancing to "Earth Angel."
This was growing up in Pearl River, the real town of friendly people; hard working people, that worked at Dexter Folder Co., Rockland State Hospital, or Lederle Labs, the places that helped build our town and made it grow.
Ed Bouton started in business at a candy store on Franklin Ave., next to Martha Knight's store. Hadler's hardware store was there on Central Ave, forever. Timmerman's grocery store and Edsel's and Bargman's butcher shop was next to Charlie Umland's ice cream parlor, the Central Theater was at Central Ave and Williams Street, Ben Theise and Ed Brower had the only two clothing stores in Pearl River, and remember Chief Kennedy with his horseback riding pants and his over-the-calf, lace-up boots, driving his 1956 Plymouth police car through town.
He reminded us of General Patton coming home from war. I could go on and on about those great memories of m town, Pearl River. I'm sure you all have good memories also.
Growing up in Pearl River was a great experience in my life in the early 1950's. Art Hopper and others started the Pearl River Little League. There was the Pearl River Community Softball League, which played two nights a week right on the field in the middle of town, and drew some nice crowds.
In the late 50's the Pearl River Sunday Morning League played on the same field. Both of these leagues' players for the most part came from Pearl River and went to school here.
There were many fine athletes that went to school at Pearl River High. My older brother, Frank Dawson, Jr. was one of those people, and graduated in the Class of 1953.
He played three sports in school – football, baseball, and basketball, all for his idol, Coach Ira Shuttleworth.
My family grew up at 50 Ridge St., when the streets were just oil and gravel. Frank and I walked to school each day, out the back door, up Williams Street to Franklin Avenue and across the football field, which was lovingly called the rock pile, and into school.
Next door to our house were the Metress family – Jim, Patty, and Irene, and on the other side was the Coucheriea family – Tom and his grandfather, the Spooner Family. Further down on Ridge Street was the Ablondi family, all of us good friends. Our doors were never locked and we had the same mailman, Mr. Buckley, for 30 years.
Brother Frank was a windmill pitcher in the community softball league and played for the Campus, a candy store across from the high school, owned by Bill King and later on owned by Steve Lindsenbold, both fine men.
Later on in the 50's he played for Reiss Beer Sales in the Sunday morning league and in the 60's that team became Modern Auto Body, which our good friend, Lenny Schweizer, sponsored. I was proud to be his catcher when we played for Modern, along with many of our friends from school, Tommy O'Brien, Frank Mc'Garvey, Tom Dorehdey, Chuck Scarpulla and Luke Gueshman, and others.
Frank, or "Dixie," as many of his friends called him, played for many good teams in Rockland County: Siddels of Nyack, The Wild Geese of Piermont, Tappan Men's Club, and on another Pearl River Team, Andy's Menswear.
Along with many other good high school athletes from Pearl River and Rockland County, Frank was installed in the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Rockland County Softball Hall of Fame.
Dixie loved Pearl River High, his friends that he played ball with in school, and on the softball teams from Pearl River, Andy's and his favorite team, for over 35 years, Modern Auto Body.
After graduating from Cortland State Teachers College, he was offered a position with the Minnesota Vikings pro football team and the Baltimore Colts team, for punting and defense lineman. He turned these offers down, he wanted to be a coach, like Uncle Ira, his idol.
He went on to the University of Florida and NYU to get his Masters Degree in Phys. Ed.
His coaching career started at Park Ridge High. He was there two years. After that he went on to Garfield High in Garfield, NY. He coached the Boilermakers varsity football team, JV basketball team, and girls varsity softball team as well as being the athletic director.
Frank Dawson, while still working at Garfield High, died on March 20, 2011 at age 75. He was a Garfield High for an amazing 51 years.
During the last year of his life and a battle with prostate cancer, his family received much support from his many loving friends from Pearl River, and he and I talked about how glad we were that we had grown up in such a great town.
At his wake and funeral over 700 people attended. Friends from Pearl River, staff from the Garfield schools, sports officials from Rockland and New Jersey, professional football players he had coached, family and students all showed, out of love and respect, to say goodbye to their coach. He did follow in Uncle Ira's footsteps.
In closing I would like to tell you that I have authored a book titled "Return to Muddy Brook" about Frank and me growing up on Ridge St. in Pearl River, and I have cards telling how to get the book if you wish.
I also would like to thank the Reunion Committee for allowing me to speak about Pearl River, the town that my family so loved, and my hero in life, my brother Frank Dawson, Jr.
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Audio Transcript (47 min)
Dave Stolte's reflection:Good afternoon everyone. My name is Dave Stolte and I was in the class of 1958. I was not born in Pearl River nor did I attend elementary school here. My family moved here from the Bronx in NYC when I was in the 7th grade in December of 1952. Pearl River was different back then. There was no Tappan Zee Bridge, no Thruway and no Palisades parkway.
Our moving van crossed the Hudson River on the old Yonkers Ferry. After that, you drove up the winding road through Alpine to Route 9W north to Rockland County.
I remember the day my mom registered me for school. We sat in the high school office when a lady entered and walked up to the counter requesting the names of new students. After she left Coach Shuttleworth looked at my mom and I and asked, “Do you know who she is?”
“No.” We didn’t.
He said, “She is Jim Thorpe's daughter and she runs the welcome wagon in town.”
Sure enough, a few weeks later Jim Thorpe’s daughter paid us a visit. I looked outside to see what a welcome wagon looked like, but she was just driving a car like everyone else. She brought us a basket of goodies from some of the merchants in town. Jakes Tackle Shop, Brauers Department store, Hadlers Hardware and others.
Anyway, as we sat in the high school office, a few minutes later, the bell rang. This marked the end of a period and students were starting to change classes. I stepped out into the hall. I wanted to see some of the kids I’d be going to school with from now on. That was my first big surprise. The school I came from was K thru 8. Pearl River was 7 thru 12. I was watching a parade of well developed, high school girls walk by. Being a 7th grader they wouldn’t give me a second look, but that did not stop me from looking at them.
Many were with their boyfriends, arms around each other, even an occasional kiss. I’m thinking; I’m going to learn a lot in this school. Please realize, I have not yet reached puberty, but I am beginning to like my new school more and more. At this point, my mom is not too sure about the new school.
A couple of weeks later, Lenny Schweizer asked me to join the Boy Scouts, which I did, and this made my mom much happier.
I have spoken to others who came in later years, as I did. Some said they had trouble adjusting, they felt that they didn’t fit in. I never felt that way at all. After a week or two in Pearl River I felt as though I had lived here all my life. Pearl River was my hometown. I have always referred to Pearl River as my hometown. I don’t live here now, but I do live nearby, and I return to visit at every opportunity. If you look around the county, it is still a very nice place to be.
A year later in the 8th grade another classmate moved here from Brooklyn, NY. That was Sal DeTurris. He said the same thing. He had no trouble adapting and was very comfortable in Pearl River.
A year later, in the 9th grade, Pete Wozniak joined our class. Pete often said that attending Pearl River High School was one of the best decisions he ever made. Pete passed away not too long ago. At his funeral, I was talking to his younger sister. She told me that her brother often said, “Pearl River High School was the greatest. It was just like the TV show "Happy Days." A pretty accurate description of the way things were back then.
Another classmate, John Stecz, moved to Pearl River from Bergenfield, NJ in the 7th grade, a little before me. In later years at one of our reunions, John said to me, “David, you are so wealthy, and I don’t mean that in a monetary sense. You have two nice kids, a happy marriage and a business that is doing well.”
John was right. I was wealthy. I still am. I’ve had a very full and happy life. But it started right here in Pearl River, New York. This was the foundation. I don’t even want to think where my life might have gone if I had never set foot in Pearl River.
We have all gathered together this weekend for a happy reunion. The weather is beautiful. We will reminisce about our childhood and our school days back in the 50’s. It is sad that so many of our classmates and schoolmates have passed on, but always remember, if we are here, they are here.
Time passes………. but memories remain.
Thank you for listening.
Enjoy the weekend.
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Al Dawson's reflection:
