Rosy Glow – 50 Years Later

By

Andrew DeMarco

Last weekend, I took part in my 50^th reunion of the Class of 1972 from Cardinal Hayes High School. The festivities began on Friday when a group of us recreated part of our daily commute and met at 125^th Street and took the #4 Train uptown to 149^th St. and the Grand Concourse. From there we made the walk up to Hayes or as some of us called it “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” affectionately named after Fr. Thomas McCormack who was the Dean of Discipline. During that brief walk, we all were amazed how that section of the Grand Concourse had changed that is everything except the Post Office. Once at Hayes, we attended a Mass then had Brunch and a tour of the school. The school had changed quite a bit, yet to us it really hadn’t changed at all.  We all did a lot of reminiscing and told many war stories but what I found truly amazing is that it was like we all had seen one another just the other day.  

The following day we met at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2022. After the Class was seated, the Alumni from ’52, ’62,’72 and ’97 were introduced. The warm reception and thunderous ovation we received as we walked down that center aisle from the students, parents and friends filled us all with great pride and brought a smile to all our faces. After the commencement, we gathered at Rosy O’Grady’s where the stories stared flying all over again. The tales told made all the years just melt away and it was like those 50 years had never happened. But just like that, in an instant, our time together was over, and we all agreed to get together again for the golf outing in September.

It was on the train ride home with my wife and after talking about the great time I had all weekend, I had a flash back. I flashed back to about 10 years after graduation. I along with many of my classmates received word that one our own, Marty O’Hanlon, had passed away while on a business trip. This hit us all very hard since he was probably the first in our class to leave us. What I do remember was that at his wake, Hayes was fully represented. I also remember while offering my condolences to Marty’s mom, Mrs. O’Hanlon, who was a very strong woman just having lost her son and her husband just a few years earlier, put her arm around me and began pointing around the room at all the Hayesmen that were there. She said, “Andy look around do you see all these guys from school here, these are your friends and always will be. You may not see them every day, some you might see once in awhile, some you will see years from now and some you may never see again, but remember they are your friends.”  She went on to say, “Those friendships you made at Hayes will be some of the strongest and best friendships you will ever have.” Well Mrs. O’Hanlon all I can say is that you were prophetic.

I don’t know what it is but I guess it is a testament to the discipline, education and sense of family that was instilled in us at Cardinal Hayes, that those friendships have endured and time cannot ever take them away. So to all my fellow classmates it was great seeing you all again and know that our time together as brief as it was has only steeled my resolve to stay in better touch with all of you and that has filled me with that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that….Rosy Glow!

Up Hayes!

P.S. I would like to thank the administration and faculty of Hayes along with the alumni who worked on this event for making our Golden Jubilee a memorable one.