Memorials

This page is dedicated to honoring the memories of our classmates who have passed away.

If you know of a classmate who has passed who is not listed here, you can add a new memorial with a photo by clicking the Add Memorial button.

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James Ager

Birth Date: 1954-09-29
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2022-01-19
Obituary:
James Russell Ager, age 67, formally of Richfield, Ohio passed away on January 19, 2022 in Beckley, West Virginia. He was born on September 29, 1954 to the late Anna (Plues) and Russell Ager.

James worked for River Terminal Railway in Cleveland, Ohio for over 30 years. He enjoyed golfing, watching sports and was an avid Steelers fan.

He is survived by his sister Ruth (Chad LaGanke) Ager of Chesterland, Ohio and many cousins and friends.

Words of comfort and condolences may be offered to his family by visiting www.meltonmortuary.com
There are currently no tributes.

Joseph Balazic

Birth Date: 1955-03-12
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2016-12-19
Obituary:
Joseph P. Balazic, 61 of Geneva, passed away Monday December 19, 2016 in Geneva. Born March 12, 1955 in Cleveland, he has been a resident of Geneva for the past 15 years.
Joseph was a vocalist for the band Lyra. He was a computer analyst for Stouffer's.
Survivors are his father, Joseph; siblings, Anthony, Marie Seeley, Millie (Mike) Petrillo and Matthew (Julie); longtime girlfriend, Cindy Tilson.
He is preceded in death by his mother ,Hermina (nee Octar) and sister-in-law, Gloria.
Memorial mass will be held Wednesday December 28, 2016 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalene Church where friends and family will meet at 10:15 a.am.
Visitation will be held Tuesday December 27th from 6 till 9 p.m. at Jack Monreal – Coyne Funeral Home, 31925 Vine St. in Willowick. Joseph will be buried at All Souls Cemetery.
www.jackmonreal.com
Published in The News-Herald from Dec. 25 to Dec. 26, 2016
There are currently no tributes.

Gary Brown

Birth Date: 1955-01-06
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 1985-05-15
Obituary:
Rev Gary W. Brown, 30, of Mentor, OH, died Wednesday, May 15, 1985 at his home after a lengthy illness.

Born January 6,1955 in Cleveland. Gary and Judie married on March 17, 1984.

Gary was a 1973 graduate of St. Joseph High School in Cleveland. He graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1977 and from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL in December, 1984.

Gary was the director of Christian education at Evangelical Presbyterian Fellowship. He had formerly been a Lake County probation officer and counselor at Teen Challenge in Perry, OH.

Survivors are his wife Judie and daughter Jenna; parents William and Mary Ann Brown of Madison; brothers Michael of Painesville, Douglas of Madison, Dennis of Columbus, and David of Akron; and grandmother Margaret LaDove of Mentor.

Services will be at 7:00 PM Friday at Mentor Baptist Church at 7500 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor. There will be no calling hours. The Rev. Hugh Gowman will officiate at services. Arrangements are being handled by Brunner Funeral home, Mentor. The family suggests memorial donations to the Evangelical Presbyterian Building Fund
Bob Zyck - October 27th, 2023
I knew Gary quite well, from grade school and on to St Joe's, spending much time with him running track and cross country. Senior year, Gary was co-captain of the cross-country team. He spent a lot of time senior year as a key staff member, helping produce our Viking yearbook, which has been a joy to look through, as we recall our years at that wonderful Catholic high school on the lake. I didn’t stay in contact with Gary in the years after graduation, but I understand he was very happy upon meeting his wife, and getting married, not much more than a year before his passing in 1985. When I was in town for the 50th reunion weekend (which was just great!) I visited with Danny Nealon and we laughed as we recounted numerous memories of our friend, Gary Brown. One of the funnier memories was when about ten guys from cross country/track, among them Dan (Neals) Nealon, Frank (Zabeeg) Zbiegien, Mark (Rye) Ryan, and others, did a 24-hour relay around the St Joe track, .... just for the challenge, … just for the "fun of it". I didn't run but stopped by to visit during the evening when a dance or some event was going on in the gym. By then the relay team was totally exhausted, from both running and lack of sleep, and serious doubts were creeping in about whether the team would stick with it, and complete the whole difficult 24 hour endeavor. Gary, exhibiting his leadership and sense of humor, decided it was time to liven things up; ..... while people were coming and going out in the parking lot, Gary decided to take his next turn with the baton, going 2 miles (8 laps), wearing nothing but his running shoes. It was dark, but the parking lot lights made part of the track visible. I'm not sure how many people may have gotten a glimpse of Gary, ..... but it was NOT a pretty sight, ... Gary, maintaining a steady 2 mile pace, in nature's full glory, flopping around the track. All laughed, ..... the relay team was reenergized, ..... and completed an exhausting memorable 24-hour relay. A tip of the hat and a heartfelt salute to Rev Gary Brown: A good guy. A fun guy. Our friend.

John Burchard

Birth Date: 1954-02-03
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2001-11-18
Obituary:
JOHN BURCHARD JR., age 47. Loving son of John Sr. and Antonia (nee Kalister) (deceased); dear brother of Georganne and Donna Foecking; uncle of Scott, Jimmy and Kevin. Friends received ZELE FUNERAL HOME, 452 E. 152 ST., TUESDAY 2-4 AND 7-9 P.M., and where services will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. and at St. Vitus Church at 10 a.m. Interment St. Martin Cemetery.
Published in The Plain Dealer, pg. 6, sec. B, Nov. 19, 2001
There are currently no tributes.

Robert Carmosino

Birth Date: 1955-03-08
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2023-01-13
Obituary:
Robert A. Carmosino, age 67, beloved husband for 38 years of Betty Ann Carmosino (nee Richkoski), loving father of Robert A. J. Carmosino and Hannah E. Carmosino, cherished grandfather of Donovan, son of Carmen and Louise Carmosino (both deceased).

Interment Lake View Cemetery. Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 am Tuesday at St. Paschal Baylon Church, 5384 Wilson Mills Road, Highland Heights, OH 44143

FRIENDS MAY CALL AT THE FIORITTO FUNERAL HOME, 5236 MAYFIELD ROAD, LYNDHURST (EAST OF RICHMOND ROAD) ON MONDAY FROM 4 TO 8 PM.
There are currently no tributes.

Michael Cihon

Birth Date: 1955-04-10
Deceased Date: 2019-08-01
Obituary:
"C" was a friend since grade school. After high school we continued to play basketball together on the Gibbs basketball team. The pictures are from our yearbook and from his obituary.

His obituary in the Cleveland Plain Dealer was written by fellow classmate Joe Mirenda.
On Thursday, August 1, 2019, Mike Cihon, at the age of 64, played his last football game on earth and joined his Dad (John) and Mom (Isabel) in the Immortal League, called Heaven. He lost the biggest game of his career, the game of life, to a relentless opponent of two years, named Cancer. Mike took on every challenge that his opponent gave him, and though his Hail Mary pass wasn’t completed, he never gave up. Mike was raised in Collinwood by adoptive parents. The Cihon’s drafted Mike on April 10, 1955 as their first and only choice. He once said that he was the luckiest man in the world to have been selected as their son. He was also blessed to have grown up surrounded by a bunch of friends who loved to play all sports. They spent most of their days and nights at a training camp called Hanna-Gibbons. Mike graduated from St. Joe’s High School and briefly attended Cleveland State University and was picked up as a free agent in 1974 by Lincoln Electric. He spent the next 20 years as a small motor machinist while honing his skills which would drive him into his future endeavor. His love of football started early when the neighborhood guys organized a Touch Football Team, called Gibbs. The first championship was won in their first year in the Teen Division. Gibbs soon progressed into the Adult Touch League and proceeded to win their first national title in 1984 with many titles to follow with Mike as a player/coach. Mike centered his attention and juked into a position which he pursued passionately, Touch and Flag Football. He left Lincoln Electric and with the support of his wife, Joan, and his mom and dad, kicked off what would be his career path, taking a childhood idea into a national organization. He founded the United States Flag and Touch League where he resided as president and CEO. As Executive Director of the USFTL, Mike would organize tournaments with 500 teams and more than 15,000 players. He formed the USFTL Hall of Fame. He has been married to his cheerleader, Joan, for 38 years. Mike’s love of the game touched thousands; sporting youth and adult leagues. Mike’s legacy is his dedication to statistics, details, games, tournaments, and taking a risk to pursue his passion. You made it to the Super Bowl, Mike, play on for all eternity. Mike will be inducted into Heaven at a memorial Mass at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Mentor Ohio.
Mark Pestak - May 14th, 2023
"C" was a friend since grade school. After high school we continued to play basketball together on the Gibbs basketball team. The pictures are from our yearbook and from his obituary. His obituary in the Cleveland Plain Dealer was written by fellow classmate Joe Mirenda.

Joseph DiBartolomeo

Birth Date: 1955-06-28
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2023-06-28
Obituary:
JOSEPH P. DiBARTOLOMEO age 68. Born June 28, 1955, passed away June 28, 2023. Beloved husband of the late Frances; dearest father of Joe Jr.; son of the late Andrew and Mary DiBartolomeo; dear brother of Dr. Andrew DiBartolomeo (deceased) (Diane) and Betty Minning (Lou, deceased); uncle, cousin and friend to many. Relatives and friends are invited to gather for the Mass of Christian Burial 10:00 am Friday July 7th at Holy Redeemer Church, 15712 Kipling Ave. Cleveland, OH 44110. Interment All Souls Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the DiCICCO & SONS FUNERAL HOME, 5975 MAYFIELD RD. MAYFIELD HTS. OH 44124, THURSDAY from 3:00-7:00 pm and Friday morning at Church from 9:30 am until time of Mass. Online condolences www.diciccoandsonsfh.com
There are currently no tributes.

Michael Dieterich

Birth Date: 1954-11-23
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2022-04-19
Obituary:
Michael Albert Dieterich, age 67, died unexpectedly the morning of April 19, 2022. He was born in Painesville, Ohio, November 23, 1954, the first child of Robert Francis (1922-2007) and Zora Mae Herroon Dieterich (1933-1988). Raised in Cleveland, Mike took great pride in his city roots and his many experiences of the Grovewood neighborhood and the local St. Jerome’s Parish community; including most notably, youth baseball, bowling ball pranks, and the Pink Panther theme at St. Joseph High School (℅ 1973), as well as his parents’ legendary Christmas’ parties. Inspired by family vacations, his clandestine attempt to get to Woodstock at age fourteen, and his time as an exchange student in Peru, Michael developed a life-long passion for travel, geography, and history, which was nourished as he served the nation in the United States Air Force for twenty years; visiting numerous states and countries serving primarily as a fireman and earning numerous medals and citations before retiring as a technical sergeant. Following his service, he remained attached to his passions by working for many years in communications, dispatch, and security at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport while always planning his next trip, confident that it would be paid for by his winning lottery tickets from that week. His greatest adventure was always his family. Michael proudly married Yvonne Crino August 7, 1976 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Euclid, Ohio, and together they raised two sons, Joshua (b. 1980) and Adam (b. 1982), instilling in them the great virtues of working for peace and love that was fostered in their own lives as members of the “hippie generation” along with the great virtues of hard work and discipline of their midwestern roots, and strengthened by the military life. Modeling these realities, Michael always made every effort to be at every game or concert despite the hectic schedule of a fireman. Those virtues and efforts bore great fruit in their sons’ choosing their wonderful wives, Missy (Joshua) and Sarah (Adam), and in their 10 grandchildren, Luke, Amanda, JohnPaul, Nathanael, Abigail, Christina, Anthony, Nickolas, Regina-Lynne, and Richard, all of whom Mike promised to teach how to properly hold a sign to protest the injustices of the world. In addition to family and travel, Michael had a deep love for golf, Cleveland sports teams, cultural history, and his three moderately-spoiled cavalier king spaniels; Lenny, Mac, and George.

Along with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Michael is survived by his siblings, Cynthia, Mark, and Lori, their spouses, children, and grandchildren; his siblings-in-law, Suzanne, Richard, and John; their spouses, children, and grandchildren; and numerous cousins from his large extended family.

A time of visitation will be held at Davis-Watkins Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547, Sunday, April 24, 2022 from 3:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. The Mass of Christian burial, with military honors, will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 110 St. Mary Avenue Southwest, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32548 at 10:30 A.M., Monday, April 25, 2022. A burial will occur in Ohio at a later date.

Per Michael’s wishes, dress should be as casual as possible. Though perhaps not in church, tie-dye instead of coat & tie is much preferred at the other events celebrating his life. It was also always his wish that in lieu of flowers, any memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
There are currently no tributes.

William Dziak

Birth Date: 1955-07-25
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 2020-11-10
Obituary:
WILLIAM A. “BILL” DZIAK, age 65, Beloved husband of Debbie (nee Basha); Loving father of Matthew (Andrea) and Andrew (Alyssa); Dearest grandfather of Kaisley; Dear brother of Tim (Barb), Terry (Adrienne), Kathy Perry (Tom), Ted (Nancy) and Michael (Eileen); Dear uncle of many. Family suggests memorial contributions in his name to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105. Friends may call at the FERFOLIA FUNERAL HOME 356 W. AURORA RD (ST RT 82) SAGAMORE HILLS FOR VISITATION FRIDAY 2-4 and 6-8PM. OUT OF RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER MASKS WILL BE WORN AND SOCIAL DISTANCING OBSERVED. Family and Friends are asked to gather Saturday at St. Monica Catholic Church 13623 Rockside Road Garfield Heights OH for a Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate Bill’s life at 10:00AM. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.
There are currently no tributes.

Kurt Eger

Birth Date: 1954-05-02
Graduation year: 1973
Deceased Date: 1998-04-25
Obituary:
Kurt V. Eger, husband of Hortencia Hernandez, son of Edward C. and Eleanor A. (nee Bielobocky) Eger. Died in Chicago, Il. April 25, 1998. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
There are currently no tributes.
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