1987: WE WERE GUESTS AT THE 1ST ANNUAL VILLA PARK REUNION
What a wonderful, relatively clean Trenton community! I often venture into Villa Park as I go to pickup one of Ricky D's tomato pies. Back in 1987, I had written an article on the Quintin connection and other Villa Park historical bits and pieces. Judy and I were invited as guests to that wonderful community get together. Not being a VP native, I could only identify those very close friends who are in the photo.The late Bob McLaughlin was my across the street neighbor for over 45 years. Bernice Kelly Cunningham was a dear friend of ours. Indeed, due to their physical similes, folks often mistook Bernice for my dear wife Judy, and vice versa. Don Cunningham and I spent many July weekend retreats over at San Alfonso Retreat House in West Long Branch when I was a communicant at St. Anthony Parish, directly across Olden Avenue in Hamilton but has always been considered to be a "Villa Parker's" church. I know there are VP'ers who follow this blog, and believe that many of the others in the photo can be identified. I know "Chuddy" Whalen is in there somewhere, but I don't want to mis-identify him. The "Fran and Frank "C" entry is lacking a last name, and I may be an expert on ancient memory, I often draw blanks as I have on Fran and Frank's last name. Frank was our mail man for many years, and I wanted to write "Christiano," but I am not sure. Perhaps I will get some help on that also. As to my offer of now antiquated photo negatives referred to in the caption, who needs them now that we have Photoshop!