Clearwater High Grads of '58 Gather for Fifty-Year ReunionBy Mike Moore
Recently there was a big weekend for some Clearwater people. The Clearwater High School Class of 1958 held its fifty-year reunion Friday, Saturday, and Sunday May 2, 3, and 4, and the memories came flooding back. About 150 classmates and guests spent the weekend at several events. Friday night, at the Belleview Biltmore, the group gathered for a buffet and get reacquainted time. Saturday, many of the group attended the Clearwater Historical Society fish fry, while others enjoyed a luncheon at Clearwater Country Club. Saturday night, a dinner was held at the Belleview, followed by "fun facts" a humorous look at past days. Sunday afternoon found the reunion group on Clearwater Beach at Jim's Fish House. Even with many great athletes coming from CHS over the years, the 1958 class has always been known as one that produced an unusually high number of stars in several sports. Tom Moore made All America in college baseball and took the same honors with the famed Clearwater Bombers in fastpitch softball. He is in the National Softball Hall of Fame. Ron Overcash played pro baseball then went on to become a veterinarian, caring for the Royal Lipizzan Stallions . Murray Cook played baseball and now works for the Detroit Tigers. The late Buster Narum played with the Baltimore Orioles. Alice Flandreau and Tom Borst became top tennis players. "We contacted as many graduates as we could find .There were about 45 we were unable to locate. Forty-three of our classmates are deceased," said Bob (Gator) Handley. In the "fun facts" activity, those present were given clues and they tried to guess which classmates were being described. The clues pointed to a group with many accomplishments. One grad is in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and once sang back-up for Elvis (Buddy Burton). Another served as vice-president of USF (Dan Walbolt). Another class member became an airline captain (Frank von Geyso). Barry Delphin graduated from the Naval Academy and flew missions in Viet Nam. Another became a surgeon (Jerry Iverson). Handley was part of a committee of about 25 who worked hard to put the event together. When asked if things went as well as planners had hoped for, Handley said, "It was much better than any of us hoped it would be. It was great." Clearwater High School has served the community for over 100 years, and many past graduating classes have reunions. Represented at Saturday's fish fry were other classes from other years. The groups from 1944, 1945, 1946, and 1947 were there.
|