Seven inducted into MHSAA Hall of Fame for 2016

By David D. Haskell, '54

When seven new members were inducted April 29 into the Malden High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame for 2016, it became obvious they had a shared characteristic, that hard work and determination is the path to success.

These seven make up the third group of MHS graduates to be nominated and selected for the Hall of Fame. Their stories tell of hardships overcome and challenges met as they strove through life to achieve dreams rooted and nourished in Malden High.

“Never give up hope,” said honoree Diane Katz Portnoy, Class of ’63, who as a 3-year-old was smuggled out of a war torn Poland with her parents. While they survived and settled in Malden, all other members of their family died in the Holocaust.

Portnoy’s life experience led her in time to establish the Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, teaching English to thousands of immigrants.

Mindful of anti-immigrant sentiments being expressed in some places during this presidential election year, Portnoy emphasized the “positive impact” these immigrants have on the community and country.

The honorees spoke to graduating seniors in Jenkins Auditorium on Friday afternoon before the induction ceremonies and banquet in the evening at Anthony’s function facility.

“Find your passion,” Gen. Theresa Ciccolo Prince, Class of ’78, advised the students. “Even if you don’t know it, it will come to you.”

Terri, who grew up in the Newland Street Projects and learned the value of hard work, channeled her passions into nursing and achieved, rare for a female, the rank of general as one of the Air Force’s leading nurses.

“I never forget my roots,” she said.

Principal Dana Brown, serving as master of ceremonies for the third and perhaps final time, praised the seniors for being so attentive as the inductees told of their lives and related how they appreciated their own days at MHS as they headed out to uncertain futures.

Brown, facing his own unknown but assuredly exciting future, looked out upon the seniors and suggested that perhaps in 30 years or so some of them might be selected for the Hall of Fame.

“It was very inspiring,” said senior Marie Sylvain.

At the banquet, where the honorees received engraved plaques, Virginia “Ginny” Shabas Yardumian, Class of ’46, emphasized the importance of working together, something she practiced serving three terms on the Malden School Committee.

In politics and dealing with complex education issues, she said, you have to learn “patience and determination.”

Musician Marc Phaneuf, Class of ’82, who has played with most of the top acts in show business and orchestras such as the Boston Symphony, said it is important to “respect everyone” and to “get up and dust yourself off” when something goes wrong.

He said his music, nurtured at Malden High, “has brought me to some great places” with many great performers.

John McCarthy, Class of ’64, an international banker, came all the way from his home in Istanbul, Turkey, for the induction, which he said was a “wonderful experience.” McCarthy, who studied German through high school and college, said it was important to learn other languages because through them you learn “other people’s souls” and “you learn to understand and respect” them.

McCarthy was particularly impressed with MHS students he met, calling them “absolutely brilliant.”

One of the inductees was posthumous, Gov. John A. Volpe, Class of ‘26B, who served three terms and later was appointed as ambassador to Italy. Accepting for Volpe was his niece, Janet Volpe Livesey.

She said her uncle, the son of immigrants, not only lived the American dream through hard work and determination, but “met and exceeded his dreams.”

Due to a family tragedy, honoree John A. Boris, Class of ’56 and ’64, was unable to attend. Malden School Committee member John Froio, Class of ’58, accepted for him.

Boris, Froio said, was a high school dropout who served in the Army before returning eight years later to get his degree and went on to use his eventual success in business and civic affairs for humanitarian purposes.

The MHSAA established the Hall of Fame three years ago in order to give recognition to graduates for exceptional achievements in their chosen careers and/or for their outstanding contributions to the Malden community and beyond.

More information on the inductees can be found on www.maldenhighalumni.com. Questions may be directed to Diane Lind, ’54, at dlind420@verizon.net or Joanne Iovino, ’64, at jli4671@yahoo.com.

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Contact:

David D. Haskell, ‘54

781-324-2725

Dhaskell2@verizon.net.