To all the girls I've loved before
Who traveled in and out my door
I'm glad they came alongI dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved before
Significant Others and the Sweet Sixteen
Soupy McGorray was my fourth grade girlfriend. St.
Luke (grade school – grades 1-8), Johnny McDonnell convinced me that the way to
go was to give her an ID bracelet. My sister helped me acquire such a piece of
jewelry with block letters that read clearly WES. I even saw her once when
challenged at the frozen ice skating rink at Lakewood Park, I kid about our age
(probably a classmate) asked her point blank “Do you like him?” She sort of
sheepishly nodded and said “Yeah”. I’m not sure exactly what caused her to
reconsider that commitment but I remember when she returned the ID bracelet. It
was, I think at the corner of Lake Avenue and Mannor Park. Debbie Strauss was
Soupy’s friend and wrote a note assuring me that “Soup still likes you but…” (I
wish I still had that note. I don’t remember the rest of the diplomatic
language in it.) Hang on Sloopy was her official song before Ohio State
University adopted it as a sort of fight song.
Carol Weist was a St. Luke classmate was sort of my
sixth grade girlfriend. I only remember that she was part of a blended family
with something like 17 siblings. I remember her sort of smiling as we heard Bob
Dylan on the car radio “Lay Lady Lay”
Sheila Hart’s family moved into St. Luke parish and as
a result Danny Caine said that “She was a game changer.” My mom even noticed
her in church as a pretty little girl whose long hair made it difficult for her
to see her face. I was smitten and promised her my high school ring. (We were
in 8th grade and I had no idea when I would have a high school ring
from Lakewood High). Sheila went to St, Augustine High School and I kind of
lost track of her.
Denise de Ville lived just a few blocks from the house
I grew up in. We became friends. Her
parents liked me and Denise was was always willing (even on short notice) to be
my date for a play (my mom was involved in community theater and as such she
would periodically make a show available to me an a date), Denise was a year
behind me at Lakewood High School. She asked me to her High School Prom in
1975. I was able to fit into a break from my Freshman Year at the University of
Miami.
Janie Likavec was my choice for my Senior Prom in 1974.
SWEET SIXTEEN (in no particular order)
Linda Manzi 74-75 – Visiting her brother at UM. Moved
to Miami and worked at Lums
Linda Decker (Pontiac, MI) 80 – Went to the movie The Deer
Hunter *
Linda (1968 complex) 75* Maybe after a Rathkeller
happy hour
Lynn 79 (80-2022) Babaco hats and showing up at Bagel
Emporium.
Denise de Ville 75*
Janie Likavec 74 Found her way to U Miami (as did Rise
Moser)
Janie Sn 79 – dog, Wes (ex), Cerebral Palsy
Arlyn Young 77 – weaver, recruiter of accountants,
motorcycle bf, Ship Bottom, NJ, David Clayton Thomas, Association, Chubby
Checker
Jill Nussinow 76
Jill Nista 76 – moved to NNJ
Amy Friedman 76 – said gorgeous
Amy Wain 77-78 Key Biscayne
Sharon Silver 78 - dad was UM factulty or something
Jolie (Key West – offered me acid) 78 *
Teri Sullivan 77-78 tuna fish cans for my bday (22 or
23)
Andrea Mattoon 79-80 – Plough and the Stars
