Achievements
This is the total of all announcements submitted, by decade and alphabetized by last name.
1950s
Lola Reed Victor, Class of ‘55, and her husband Ralph celebrated their 67th anniversary at a party attended by most of their 57 descendants, starting with their six children, Kim, Jim, Bonnie, Reed, Lola and Todd, plus the grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren. Ralph, a Mentor native, met Lola at Walton’s Roller Rink, and they eloped in spring of ’54, marrying when she was 18 and Ralph was 19. David Shaner cast Lola in the lead in the ’54 spring musical Annie Get Your Gun. Family and friends assumed Lola’s vivacious personality appealed to Mr. Shaner, who also noticed that she quit school after completing her junior year. Ralph developed Ralph Victor Construction into a successful company with 65 years in business. He stresses that Lola was a huge part of their success, often working with him in their projects. Son Todd has taken over the company, and Ralph and Lola spend winters in Florida and the other months in their century home in Mentor.
1960s
Joe Kovacs, Class of 1960: My wife and I will be celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary August 4th, 2022, Lord willing. We credit God for our 60 years together and my wife putting up with me. I married Addie Congos class of 1961 Riverside High School.
1970s
Terry Hamilton: (Class of 1979) In November 2022, Terry Hamilton was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel in recognition of his humanitarian work and service to others by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. It is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Marcia Kasmarcik, Class of ’73, attended Edinboro College from 1973 until 1977 majoring in secondary education and social studies. She received an associate degree from Lakeland Community College in 2005, a Bachelor of Science in social sciences from Lake Erie College in 2006, and attended Walden University, obtaining a master’s degree in forensic psychology. Marcia was recently named to the Board of Directors of Extended Housing in Painesville, an organization dedicated to eliminating homelessness in Lake County for those with serious mental illness and is president of their Formal Tenant Organization and on their Homeless Advisory Council.
1980s
Charles (Chuck) Graniteo, Class of ’82, started saving money for a dirt bike when he was only 16. But getting his driver’s license led him instead to look for a car. His good friend and classmate, Darren Priester, took Chuck to Darren’s uncle’s body shop, and the two graduates decided to start their own shop. When Chardon Oil Company moved out of a building on Elevator Avenue, Chuck’s father bought that building to help his son start the business. Chuck and Darren launched the body shop and named it Gran Prix Auto Body, taking the first part of “Graniteo” and adjusting “Priester” slightly to add a personal touch. Darren went on to other employment, but the two friends of 30 years still live across the road from each other in Leroy. Chuck speaks fondly of unusual projects completed in his shop. A Volkswagen was painted in neon colors and installed with ’59 Cadillac fins for a man who dressed as a clown and drove it around town for events or just for fun. Chuck also enjoyed restoring his dad’s ’53 Cadillac convertible to a beautiful baby blue. Chuck’s son, Elliott, 23, recently joined the team.
Cheryl Reed, ’83, graduated from Cleveland State University in ‘90 with a degree in Physical Therapy. In ’97 she joined Globe Volunteers and traveled to Ecuador, where she became enthralled with the country. In ‘02 she purchased a 24-acre farm (5,000’ elevation) and is raising coffee plants and operating a bed and breakfast. Cheryl spends six months in the U.S. working as a traveling therapist and the other six months on her farm. Cheryl’s parents, Tom and Gerry (Fox) Reed of Thompson, are RHS alums, as are her five siblings. Her website is abovethecloudsecuador.com and her email is abovethecloudsbb@yahoo.com.
Tim Toman, Class of ’87, and his wife Graz (Picciano), Class of ’89, are owners of Capp’s Restaurant and Pizza Parlor in Leroy. They, along with partner Matt Krupka, salvaged the rundown, 114-year-old building, first owned by the Modern Woodmen Hunting Club. Several owners had operated taverns in the building located at Five-Points in Leroy, and Tim was working at the gas station across the street in ‘94 when buying and renovating the structure appealed to him. He and Graz lived in the building’s upstairs apartment for six years while performing major systems overhauls. They also installed windows and expanded the kitchen three times in 30 years. Capp’s is still the only pizza delivery business in Leroy. Under previous owners, the longest of which were the Celizics from 1939-’64, the site was named the Leroy Tavern, but Tomans now concentrate more on tasty food than on alcohol sales. Tim and Graz began dating while at RHS, married in ’93 and had a son and daughter, but hadn’t guessed that they would someday own an iconic business, much loved by their community.
In Memory
This is the accumulation of In Memory submissions, by decade, in alphabetical order of the last name, year of graduation and year of death, with a link to the obituary if available.
1940s & 1950s
Bilick Bidlack, Patricia “Pat”: 1954, 2023 Obituary
Dominish, Gary John: 1956, 2023 Obituary
Fox Reed, Geraldine: 1956, 2022. Obituary
Frazier Hoover, Ila Joan: 1951, 2022. Obituary
Gano Kalman, Jean L: 1956, 2023 Obituary
Hammel Smith, Sally: 1949, 2022. Obituary
LeRoy, David Roger: 1958, 2022. Obituary
Luhta Chop Whitis, Marjorie Rose: 1957, 2022. Obituary
Owens Roberti, Colleen Jacqueline: 1955, 2021. Obituary
Pomfrey, Donald: 1954, RHSAA Hall of Fame, 2021. Obituary
Reigh Morris, Michelle “Mitch” L.: 1954, 2023 Obituary
Sarbach, Ronald Allen: 1959, 2021. Obituary
Wimer Underwood, Cloretta Belle: 1953, 2023 Obituary
Woodruff Stanton, Joan Louise: 1958, 2022. Obituary
1960s
Abernethy, Tom: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Aronholt-McBride, Patsy: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Barnes, Donald J.: 1962, 2021. Obituary
Blankenship Bosworth, Rebecca: 1964, 2021. Obituary
Blystone, David R.: 1960, 2021. Obituary
Brainard Ryan, Toni Marie: 1965, 2022. Obituary
Burnett Rogers, Peggy Joan: 1969, 2023 Obituary
Campbell, Sr., Ron: 1963, 2021 Obituary
Clark McCullough, Donna Rae: 1961, 2022 Obituary
Conley, Suzanne: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Filson, Ronald Coulton: 1964, 2022 Obituary
Gridley, Robert: 1962, 2022. Obituary
Harlan Phillips, Genny: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Hawkins Hunter, Valerie J.: 1964, 2021. Obituary
Herder, Dennis H.: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Heth, James Dale: 1966, 2018 Obituary
Hido Downing Carpenter, Jeanne: 1965, 2022. Obituary
Hoerz Brolund, Karen Eileen: 1966, 2022. Obituary
Ingwer, Jr., Walter: 1966, 2022 Obituary
Kangas Tommer Thornton, Carolyn: 1960, 2021 Obituary
Kujala, Andrew Emil: 1961, 2022. Obituary
Kyle Freed, Phyllis June: 1966, 2021 Obituary
Leslie, Carlton George: 1964, 2021. Obituary
Martin, John: 1965, 2022. Obituary
Mason, Robert Victor: 1961, 2022 Obituary
McCroskey Osewalt, Theresa (Tracy): 1962, 2020. Obituary
McKenna, Patrick: 1968, 2021.
Myers, Robert J.: 1967, 2022 Obituary
Nau, Thomas A.: 1966, 2022. Obituary
O’Leary, Timothy John: 1965, 2022. Obituary
Olsen, Robert L.: 1969, 2021. Obituary
Palmer, Bruce Gordon: 1965, 2022. Obituary
Pomeroy, Robert Arthur: 1967, 2018 Obituary
Prielser, Ronald: 1968, 2022
Priem Stone, Sharon: 1968, 2023 Obituary
Resetar, Frank: 1962, 2021.
Reynolds Dodgson Trexler, Nancy: 1967, 2022. Obituary
Rose, Dan: 1965, 2021.
Saari, Steven Albert: 1965, 2021. Obituary
Salmonson Farrell, Sandra L.: 1963, 2023 Obituary
Shuffle, Charles H.: 1968, 2021.
Smead Savarda, Marianne: 1966, 2023 Obituary
Spellman, James Patrick: 1962, 2022. Obituary
Ticel Lough, Michael Dwane: 1968, 2022 Obituary
Walker, Daniel “Bean”: 1968, 2021. Obituary
Warren, Katherine: 1964, 2023 Obituary
Youdath, Carole: 1968, 2022
1970s
Bjornholm Lesteshen, Ruth-Marie: 1973, 2022. Obituary
Dolan, Connie Jo: 1979, 2021. Obituary
Geyer Schroder, Sue: 1979, 2021.
Gurbach, Drew A.: 1975, 2022. Obituary
Harvey, Dean Francis: 1975, 2022. Obituary
Jacobson Auvil, Mary Leah: 1974, 2020 Obituary
Kellhofer, Michael Edward: 1974, 2021. Obituary
Miltner, Richard L.: 1977, 2022. Obituary
Molnar, Allan: 1971, 2022. Obituary
Patton, Sr., James Charles: 1982, 2017 Obituary
Rand Martin, Elaine: 1972, 2021. Obituary
Reynolds, Charles T.: 1979, 2022. Obituary
Rusnak, Daniel: 1979, 2023 Obituary
Safick, David Miles: 1978, 2022. Obituary
Sillanpa, Richard William: 1975, 2022.
Wilfong, Mark: 1979, 2023
Zinn, William Mark” Zak”: 1971; 2022. Obituary
1980s
Derrick, Kelly: 1980, 2022. Obituary
Dorrell, Ross: 1980, 2023 Obituary
Eckert, Mike: 1980, 1979, 2022 Obituary
Geiger, John: 1982, 2023 Obituary
Grisdale, Gary Robert: 1980, 2022 Obituary
Haffa, Judith: 1980, 2023 Obituary
Lombardo Diven, Angela: 1981, 2023 Obituary
March Boling, Stacy Lee: 1983, 2022. Obituary
Moore Brumbaugh, Donna: 1983, 2021. Obituary
Roush, Dawn Lela: 1982, 2023 Obituary
1990s
Jones, Jr., Danny: 1991, 2022 Obituary
Lynch, Rebecca: 1999, 2022 Obituary
Miller Garney, Crystal Dawn: 1993, 2021. Obituary
Musacchio, Louis: 1990, 2022. Obituary
Trisket Jr., Robert L: 1998, 2021. Obituary
Walsh, Jaimie Rae: 1996, 2022 Obituary
2000s
Araps, Hugh: 2003, 2020. Obituary
Bayles, Hank: 2006, 2022. Obituary
Fanti, Joshua Aaron: 2008, 2023 Obituary
Isabel, Thomas S. “Sammy”: 2004, 2022. Obituary
Landgraf, Lauren 2003, 2021. Obituary
Lomeli Montes, David: 2008, 2022. Obituary
Markey, Dana Lynn: 2003, 2016 Obituary
McKee, Kyle: 2003, 2020. Obituary
Shinabery, Adam: 2001, 2022. Obituary
2010s
Williamson, Melissa: 2013, 2020. Obituary
2020s
Bailey, Aiden Charles RHS 10th grade, 2022. Obituary
Schroeder, Peyton Jeffrey: RHS sophomore, 2021 Obituary
Faculty and Staff
Battista, Timothy: RHS Science Teacher, 2010 Obituary
Berry, Karen: faculty, RHSAA Hall of Fame 2021, 2022. Obituary
Bittner, Mary “Betty” Elizabeth (Hostrander): RHS Nurse, 2023 Obituary
Dick, Richard, long time RHS math teacher, 2020.
Gierth Warner, Herta: faculty, 2022. Obituary
Muster, Naomi: Madison Ave. School teacher, 2023 Obituary