St. Thomas High School

Parochka, Francis “Frank” L.

Lisa

73 of Albion, died June 5, 2009 after a long illness. Born April 4, 1936 in Saum, Minnesota. Son of Frank and Amelia E. (Kazunas) Parochka, 1955 graduate of St. Thomas High School. U.S. Army 1959 – 1964, married Jacqueline N. Pipitone of Beloit April 25, 1964. Memorial service at Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum

Source: Rockford Register Star 6/21/2009

Robert “Bob” L. Stegall – 2016 Obituary

Jan

Source:  Rockford Register Star 12-8-2016

St. Thomas Catholic High School, 1922-1923 football team

Jan

St. Thomas Football

Source: St. Thomas Catholic High School, 1923 Thomist Yearbook

  • St. Thomas was both a boys and a girls school in 1923, while Muldoon was in planning stages and not yet built.
  • Only seniors had individual pictures in the yearbook. Juniors, Sophomores and Freshman had a few candid pictures, but no class or individual pictures.
  • There was no index of students by name.
  • We took our best guesses on identifying the football players: we think Harry Jacobi is in the first row at the left end, Orie Smith in the center, holding the football, Raymond Walczak third from right, and Vincent Burns 2nd from right.  Second row: Maybe Leroy Monosmith on the left end,  Joseph Healey on left end, William Green third from the left. Father O’Rourke is in the middle of the second row. Third row: Charles McAllister first on left,  Francis Hickey second from left, Vincent Paul Colloton third from left, Joeseph Kadzevich fourth from left,  Edward McCarthy second from right end, William Sullivan on the right end.
  • The team was called the “Tommies.”
  • Father O’Rourke was aided by George Kitteringham who was not identified by picture in the yearbook.
  • Additional names mentioned in the text review of the season: Charles Flannery, Kehoe and Connors, Tom Fay, Bobel, and Healey (no pictures for comparison).

The team beat Belvidere, Byron, Marengo, Harvard, Marengo (second game) and lost to Rockford High School and to Woodstock.

Muller’s Milk – 1952 ad

Jan

Muller's 1952

Source:  St. Thomas Catholic High School 1952 Tolle Lege Yearbook

Muller’s Dairy, John M. Powell, Mgr., Homogenized “Vitamin D” Milk “Delivered to Your Door” 216-218 S. Church St.  Source:  Polk’s 1955 Rockford and Loves Park City Directory

 

 

St. Thomas High School – 1962 Senior Class Officers

Jan

St Thomas Sr ClassSource: St. Thomas High School 1962 Tolle Lege Yearbook

In 1968, the Rockford Morning Star printed a Vietnam Mail address list that included Spec 5 Michael Finn, RA169-01029 US Army Engineer Dist. F.E. APO San Francisco.

In 1962 Gary Suoja won a merit scholarship to Rockhurst College, Kansas City, Mo.  He was first in his class of 50 academically. Later he attended Villanova University, Rosemont, PA, and married Jo Ann Platter of Wood River.  In 1993 he was residing in Mercer Island, Washington.

Moderator Mr. Edward J. (Speed) McCoy, died in 1969. He graduated from St. Thomas in 1935 and Notre Dame University, He had a coaching position at Notre Dame High School  in Niles, IL. From 1947 – 1952 he was in charge of physical education for Rockford Catholic grade schools. He coached at St. Thomas High School, from 1957 – 1962. He coached at Boylan Central Catholic High School 1962 – 1968.

Joseph Gaziano was an Honor Roll Student at St. Thomas.

Maurice Buffo married Sharon Sassali in 1965, entered the U.S. Army and was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany in 1966. They had a daughter in 1970 and another daughter in 1975 and another in 1978. He was a Loves Park alderman in 1986 – 1990.