RSS feed for all messages. Lissa Hockman York, Mother passed away this past weekend. Her address given as Hayward, CA. Funeral Home Sorge in Hollidaysburg. class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=147908&r=1 2011-01-18T18:21:44-04:00 Parent Passing Sue has yet to join the site, but Mary Jane (Walters) Knab has passed along some sad news to share with our classmates. Sue's 16 year old son, Eugene, passed away last week. You'll find a copy of the Altoona Mirror article and obituary below. I'm sure that I speak for the class when I wish Sue, her husband Anthony, and their daughters Anna & Josephine all the best in their time of loss. Nobody should have to outlive their child. From the 6/3/10 Altoona Mirror: [b]Eugene A. Ciccarella Dec. 3, 1993 - May 30, 2010[/b] Eugene A. Ciccarella, 16, of Altoona passed away Sunday. He was born in Altoona, son of Anthony and Susan (Helsel) Ciccarella. Surviving are his parents; his grandmother, Ann Helsel of Hollidaysburg; two sisters: Anna and Josephine; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Michael and Phyllis Ciccarella and Charles Helsel. Eugene was a ninth-grade student at Altoona Area Junior High School and was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. He enjoyed taking long walks with his mother, skateboarding and spending time with his many friends and family. He also enjoyed sharing his time with Faith Baptist Awana Club and Simpson-Temple United Parish. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 4, 2010, at Santella Funeral Home, where a vigil for the deceased will be held. A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 5, 2010, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. Committal will be held at Calvary Cemetery. In memory of Eugene, contributions may be given to his parents. From the 6/3/10 Altoona Mirror: [b]Teen's death brings out town's compassion By William Kibler, [/b] POSTED: June 3, 2010 When Anthony Ciccarella introduced his son Eugene to the world beyond the home 12 years ago by enrolling him in preschool, he learned from experts there to see the community as extended family. It inspired Anthony to begin doing things for strangers for the first time, including service for six years as a board member for Child Advocates of Blair County. He discovered you don't always get much in return - which was OK, because he wasn't "keeping score," he said. But it took Eugene's death by drowning at Raystown Lake Sunday to make him realize that what they said about community as family really does work both ways, after all, because people have embraced him in his grief so forcefully that - incomprehensible as it sounds - he asked rhetorically, "how lucky can a guy be?" Preliminary results of an autopsy Tuesday showed, as expected, that Eugene died of drowning, Huntingdon County Coroner Dave McGarvey said. A toxicology report will be forthcoming in several weeks, but there's no indication of other physical problems that could have caused the death and no indication of drugs or alcohol, McGarvey said. Everywhere he goes, people tell him they're sorry, try to find a connection with him or Eugene and want to help, Anthony said. After buying a shirt for Eugene, he needed it pressed, and went to a dry cleaner's, where an employee said she was too busy to do it right away. But when she learned what was behind his errand, she ordered him to "give me that thing," and ironed it immediately - at no charge. Officials at Altoona Area Junior High School, where Eugene, 16, was a ninth-grader, held a moment of silence, Anthony said. The staff of the guidance office where he went to collect his son's belongings were extraordinarily nice. All the kids in the wood shop at school were planning to come to Eugene's viewing, he said. The director of Calvary Cemetery "was so nice to me, I didn't have to cry," he said. Ditto for Santella's Funeral Home: "I didn't cry for three hours straight," he said. Pellegrine's Lounge, where he's worked as a doorman for 10 years, collected $700 and will hold a benefit Sunday. A former cook at the bar was too timid to call but plans to make pots of soup to sell at the benefit. He's been receiving the condolences amidst running errands and taking care of details. Anthony and his wife, Sue, needed a belt for Eugene, and when Sue went up to their son's bedroom, she found it still on the pants Eugene wore to his ninth-grade social. It's actually Anthony's belt. Eugene had borrowed it, and told his mom he thought he might keep it. "He'll get his wish," Anthony said. Anthony's comb, which Eugene habitually took out of the medicine cabinet, earning his father's wrath, also will go into the casket, as a memento and a gift. "A dumb thing," Anthony said. "[But] he can have his own comb to take with him." He plans to turn his son's death into something positive, as he did with his mother's in December, which led him to resume attendance at weekly Mass. He doesn't have a working car, but every Saturday, he takes the van of his boss, Harry Pellegrine, then uses it to pick up Harry so they can go to Our Lady of Mount Carmel together. It was a good thing that came out of misfortune, he said. He hasn't figured out what will come out of this yet. Sue has been crying also, telling him stories about Eugene and their bond, sustained by long walks together. They both worry about Anna, their 14-year-old daughter, who has withdrawn into grief. They finally "got through to her" on Tuesday, telling her, "You're our next best hope," even getting her to smile once, Anthony said. People have been telling him they don't know what to say. "I tell them just stand where you're at and let me do the talking," he said. He's looking forward to the viewing. He wonders about the end of the funeral, when the family will be "left standing alone." But then there's the benefit at Pelly's. "People will be there because they love me and they loved Eugene," he said. "I'm looking forward to that too. Maybe I'm doing something right." Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038. class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=122400&r=2 2010-06-07T10:19:28-04:00 Susan Helsel This year will be the last one for Mr. John Csonka. He is retiring. He can be reached at the school web site: john_csonka@tigerwires.com class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=109725&r=3 2010-03-22T16:30:02-04:00 Mr. John Csonka I received an update from Barry's family yesterday... [b]"After Barry's accident,he moved back home with his parents for awhile. He is doing VERY well, but is still in therapy for his wrist injuries. He will be making a few trips to UPMC for CAT scans and check-ups."[/b] Barry is now registered on the site. Anyone wishing to contact him directly can reach him through here. Thanks, class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=100180&r=4 2010-02-03T19:56:31-04:00 Barry Foor I understood from Bob that he had moved, & is living somewhere in Hollidaysburg near the Old Canal Inn. I had a phone number that I had reached him at shortly before his accident. I tried it the other day, & it's been disconnected. Phonebook.com has a listing in Claysburg, but I tried it,... no luck. When I had talked to him earlier this year, he didn't do the whole email thing,... said he didn't even have a computer. If anybody comes accross him, could you hook me up with his new address? We've already got too many "lost" classmates. No sense in losing more that we'd located. class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=80740&r=5 2009-10-30T12:51:15-04:00 Barry Foor Have you found out anymore on Barry Foor? Does anyone have an email address for him? He was a good friend in school, Karen class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=80726&r=6 2009-10-30T11:59:16-04:00 Barry Foor His family quit posting on the Hospital's site, but I understand that Barry is out & about. Bob Baird ran into Barry a week or two ago on the streets of Hollidaysburg. He's been released from the hospital. I'll try to give him a call & get an update. I'll post what I find. class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=77805&r=7 2009-10-20T07:39:14-04:00 Barry Foor Does anyone know how Barry has been since the last update on this page? How is his family doing? class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=77737&r=8 2009-10-19T22:48:34-04:00 Barry Foor [b]Saturday 6-27-09[/b] Things are slowly coming together. Barry got the staples and sutures out of his head this week. He had a (local) dr. appt. and some minor changes in his medications were made with the hopes of improving his sleep. He has slept alittle better the past few nights, although he still is up and down during the night. He was to see the orthopedic dr. on Monday, but the office called and rescheduled his appt for another week. Barry would like to get rid of the braces on his arms, but we'll have to wait for clearance from the doctor. He is eating much better and has put on a couple of pounds. He still has a ways to go to get back to his previous weight. He still gets headaches, but not as often or as severe as he had been getting. He'll be resuming his outpatient therapies in another week. Continue with the prayers! [b]Saturday 7-4-09[/b] There aren't any real major changes to report. Barry still is not sleeping well. The dr. has made some adjustments in his medication, and we are in the third phase of change without any real noticeable improvement. Barry says he would just like to get a good nights sleep. He has gone in the car for some rides and some short trips around town, and eaten at some fast food places where he can get in and out quickly without spending alot of time. There are days where he seems really good as far as his mood and also with his memory and speech, and then there are other days when he is grouchy and doesn't talk much and sleeps alot. He has an appt. on Monday for a followup with the orthopedic dr. Hopefully, he'll get the splints off the wrists and can begin to use them. We're in the process of trying to get some of the hospital photos off our cell phones, onto the computer, and hopefully onto the website for everyone to view. When we look at the photos, it is painful to think of what the outcome could have been. We are still in awe over the miraculous recovery he has experienced. The Lord has been merciful to Barry and the family. [b]Monday 7-6-09[/b] Today we travelled to Pittsburgh for an appt. with the orthopedic doctor. They xrayed both arms/wrists and the dr. said everything looks good! Barry doesn't have to wear the braces any more, and actually doesn't have return unless he has a problem. He'll be starting therapy to work on increasing his movement and strength in the wrists. He's limited to a 10 lb. lifting restriction for now, and then can gradually increase the amount. The dr. said he has an extra piece of bone in the one wrist. If Barry finds his wrist movement is too limited, the dr. said he would need to wait a year and could have surgery to have it removed. How many people think Barry is going to opt for this?!!! He is quite limited when he tries to rotate his right wrist side to side. This is the wrist that was pretty much shattered, and the bone had come out through the skin. Originally the dr. had told us he didn't know how much function Barry would have in that wrist and that we would just have to wait and see. The dr. seemed pretty pleased with the progress, and again commented on the improvement in Barry. We not only had a safe trip but got a great report-praise God! class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=38958&r=9 2009-07-07T08:07:08-04:00 Barry Foor [b]Sunday 5-31-09[/b] Barry went for a ride in the car and also ate lunch at Wendy's. He ate well and enjoyed getting out. About an hr. after he got home, he didn't feel well-his legs hurt and he was very dizzy. He said he felt as if he had taken ten Excedrin. His blood pressure was a little low, and he went to bed. His blood sugar was normal. After sleeping, everything seemed to be good. We're not sure if he just overdid things. His appetite has been very good today. He still is worried about the dr. appts. tomorrow. We go to Pittsburgh to the ENT (ears,nose,throat) specialist- he gets the sutures removed at the neurosurgeons, and we see the orthopedic dr. Barry is supposed to get the pins/fixator off the right arm and get a brace. They said they would cut the cast off the left arm and x-ray and see how things were. Barry is worried about getting the pins out-it has been very painful the last two times. We are going to take along his pain medication and give it to him before the appt, but we never know how long we will be waiting, so it might not be real effective. Continue with your prayers for good reports and a safe trip. [b]Monday 6-1-09[/b] Well, we made it to Pittsburgh and back, and it went smoothly! We put in 11 hrs. today and had to go to 3 different buildings. The ENT dr. removed some sutures that were still in Barry's left ear. He gave us a good report and said Barry doesn't need to follow with him any more unless he has a problem. Next, we went to the neurosurgeon's office and got the sutures removed from Barry's scalp incisions. Everything looked good and is healing nicely. He has to go back in 5 wks. and have another CT scan done before the appt. The last stop was to see the orthopedic doctor, which Barry was dreading. They cut the cast off the left arm and xrayed both arms. The dr. said things were healing nicely, and he removed the pins/external fixator from the right arm. Barry had some discomfort, but it went better than the last time. The dr. put splints on both of Barry's arms. The splints have to be worn all the time except to shower. He goes back to the orthopedic dr. in 4 wks. It was a beautiful day to travel, and we are thankful for a safe trip and good reports all around! [b]Tuesday 6-2-09[/b] Barry had a pretty good day today. He just took it easy-trying to recover from the long day yesterday. He ate good and was up walking around the house. He really hasn't napped during the day but he does lie down in bed to rest. He and a family member took a short walk down the road. He is slowing getting his strength back. He has outpatient therapy 3 afternoons/week for 2 hrs. at a time. He's going to watch the Penguins play tonight, and hopefully they will win! We are going to post the updates a couple of times a week now, since things have calmed down and there isn't as much activity to report. The family has appreciated all of the messages that have been posted. Thanks for all of the encouraging remarks. Please continue with the prayers-they have been the glue that has held us all together! [b]Friday 6-5-09[/b] Tuesday, June 9th is Barry's birthday. If anyone is interested in sending a card, the address is: RR 1 Box 21, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. He continues to do his therapy throughout the week and has lost another 2 lbs. [b]Monday 6-8-09[/b] Today was not a good day for Barry. He is having some rather vague complaints, and it's difficult to tell if there is something going on or if it is just part of this whole process. He had some difficulty lifting his right arm this morning. He does have swelling of the right fingers and the hand, so maybe that has something to do with it. He is extremely tired, although he rode in the car and went to Subway yesterday so that could explain it. He seems to be having some trouble with saying the correct words, although this has been happening whenever he is tired. He said his headaches seem alittle better. He is complaining of his left eye bothering him, but other than some watering of the eye he can't really put it into words. He was much quieter today. He is still having some episodes of dizziness. Mom had made an appt for him to get a haircut today. He got a shampoo & haircut and it looks good now that his hair is pretty much one length. He had trouble getting his legs in the car, and he also had trouble getting up out of the car. He needed help for both. We will see how he is in the morning and maybe put some calls in to the medical dr. and/or the neurosurgeon. Pray that things work out for Barry. class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=28391&r=10 2009-06-09T08:37:02-04:00 Barry Foor For those of you who haven't signed up for the updates, here are the last few: [b]Sunday 5-24-09[/b] Today marks 2 months since the accident. As we look back, we never imagined that he would have had 3 brain surgeries, wrist surgery, 3 admissions to Presby, and 2 admissions to rehab in that time frame. Overall, what remarkable progress Barry has made! He continues to be very tired. The nurse noticed that he seems good early in the morning, but after he gets his meds he falls asleep and pretty much dozes throughout the day. In that sense he has declined some, because he would get up and walk around the house and only take short naps. Barry was more alert at home. The nurse feels 2 of his medications in particular are making him sleepy. Dad & Mom walked him to the lounge and they took a short walk down the hall while the nurse made his bed. He ate breakfast and supper but no lunch, saying he wasn't hungry. He wanted to get dressed today, but wasn't able to get his Tshirt on because of the drain in his head. He did put his sweatpants on, and that's the first time since he went in last Tuesday. The nurse seemed to think he would probably go home on Tuesday instead of tomorrow, but we'll just have to wait and see. It would be nice not to have to travel home on the holiday. Trusting God to handle all of the details! [b]Monday 5-25-09[/b] Today was homecoming! The neurosurgeon made rounds, pulled the drain, and said Barry was able to be discharged. Mom told him we appreciated all he had done, and thanked him for helping Barry so much. The neurosurgeon told mom not to thank him, but to thank God because it was a miracle. We certainly believe that, but how humbling to hear a physician give God the credit. Barry was thrilled to be home. He was tired after the trip, and took a long deserved rest. He got up a few times and walked around the house, searching for snacks. Needless to say, he didn't eat supper, but today no one was bothered by that. He looks really tired and doesn't seem as strong as he was whenever he was discharged the last time. This surgery seems to have taken a physical toll on him. We're supposed to call and schedule outpatient therapy for him. He has to return to Pittsburgh next Monday for 3 doctor appointments and a CT scan. That's going to be a long day, but we'll face it whenever the time comes. Today we are rejoicing! class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=23075&r=11 2009-05-26T07:07:56-04:00 Barry Foor Ed Saltsgiver, dated 1/24/09: What a great idea. It will be nice to see everyone at the reunion. I joined as soon as I received a letter in the mail. It will be nice to keep up with old friends. Thanks class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=6186&r=12 2009-04-09T13:12:59-04:00 Moved from old forum Bob Leighty, dated 1/24/09: This is a great website. Glad to see what folks are doing these days. Thanks, Kevin, for your efforts here. I posted some basic stuff on my profile, nothing too exciting, I'll try to make up something later. Take care, all. Bob ps If anyone wants to see a tour of my neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, here is a podcast that we created and put on Youtube class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=6184&r=13 2009-04-09T13:11:34-04:00 Moved from old forum Moved from old forum, dated 10/14/08: Does anyone subscribe to the "pay sites", such as Reunion.com or Classmates.com? I've tried emailing a few people over there to guide them to this free site. You can't contact others through those sites unless you pay for an upgraded membership. I don't have one. Would anyone be willing to wander over, & let 78'ers know that we're here? class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=6178&r=14 2009-04-09T13:07:14-04:00 Classmates.com members Moved from old forum dated 4/7/09: Barry Foor Update - Posted here for those of you who don't have valid email addresses in your profiles. For those of you who are interested, Bob Baird hooked me up with a link to Barry's CarePages website. It allows family & friends to stay up to date on a patient's progress. Here is a cut/paste of the most recent "BarryNews". I'll put the web address & instructions at the bottom in case you'd like to check-up and check-in with him on your own: Monday 4-6-09 Posted 13 hours ago Barry was restless off and on for most of the day. He was more frustrated today-trying to get out of bed and said he wanted to leave. They got him up in a reclining chair, and he walked a few steps from the bed to the chair. That was a first. He previously had been lifted from the bed to a special chair. His sodium level was better today-they have him on salt tablets and a high concentration of salt in his IV. He got another PICC line inserted last night. The trauma doctor said Barry will probably be moved to rehab this week. They are planning on sending him to a head trauma rehab in Pittsburgh that is affiliated with UPMC. I think the name of it is The Institute for Research and Rehabilitation. The same doctors would continue to follow him, so that will be nice. To visit Barry Foor's CarePages website, follow these steps: Copy and paste the following link in your web browser: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/178724/invitations/468758/a5e09608940057bd70d84a606965278a00dd4ce5?client_code=upmc&ipc=miv Become a CarePages member (it's free) or sign in Visit Barry Foor's CarePages website to read the blog, view photos and share messages of support class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=6172&r=15 2009-04-09T13:02:45-04:00 Barry Foor Moved from old forum, dated 3/31/09: I had sent out a mass-email to the class regarding Classmate Barry Foor. I'll post it here as well, because I received a couple email failure notices: On March 24, 2009, Barry Foor, a fellow classmate suffered a 27' fall from a roof. Barry was lifeflighted to Pittsburgh with multiple injuries including broken wrists, facial trauma and head trauma. He has undergone several surgeries and faces a long recuperation. He also faces another dilema, he has no insurance. We, as a graduating class of Hollidaysburg, would like to start a donation fund to help cover costs for Barry and his son. If you would like to make a donation, any amount would be greatly appreciated, you can send it to: HAHS Class of '78, C.O. Michelle Hazenstab, 180 Hazy HIll Lane, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648-9103. Thank you. Could everyone please check the email address that they have entered in their member profile, to make sure that we have current contact info for you. Thanks, class_forums_messages.cfm?mid=6169&r=16 2009-04-09T13:00:15-04:00 Barry Foor