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Sporting t-shirts that were replicas of what the boys wore in school, members of the 1960 eighth grade graduating class at Christ the King School recreate their graduation picture in front of the church. They are, from left in front row, Robert Trevino, Toby Garcia, Laura Anne Veselka, Janice Kassner, Lanelle Weigelt, Mike Carlucci, Buddy Lane and Msgr. Rory Deane. In second row are Richard Black, Linda Pfeiffer, Homer Ahr, Dolores Valcik, June Loosemore, Anita Garcia, Robert "Bobby" Knox and Al Escalante. In third row are Don Mayne, Ernie Gamez, Betty Bezdek, Nora Garcia, Joyce Gootee, Mary Helen Adams, John Adams and Conrad Cazalas. In the back is Henry Serna.

Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic
 

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More than half of the 1960 eighth grade graduates of Christ the King School attended their 54th class reunion on Saturday, Oct. 4. They all praised the importance of Catholic education in their lives and pledged financial support to their alma mater.

"Personally, I think our class is one of the most successful and the best of Catholic grade school education in Corpus Christi's history," said Homer Ahr, an IT architect with NASA during the Apollo era of the space agency. "The real legacy is the people, the way they have lived, and what they have done with their lives for God, themselves, their families, friends, churches and communities. They have made the world a better place, they have made mankind better."

Indeed, the class boasts of a number of very successful people. In addition to Ahr who has had a distinguished career with the space program, class president Henry Serna has been city and county manager for a number of Arizona communities, including South Tucson where he served as city manager for more than 30 years. Toby Garcia is a pediatrician in his native Corpus Christi; Bobby Trevino has a PhD and has taught at the university level, Ernesto Gamez is a computer programmer, Gilbert Lane, retired as a sales manager with Yamaha, Nora Garcia is a math professor, and the list goes on.

While today, Christ the King School has an enrollment of 70; in the golden age of Catholic education in the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1960 the school boasted 590 students up to the eighth grade, including 313 boys and 277 girls. The graduating class numbered 40.

Twenty-four attended the reunion, including John Adams, Mary Helen Adams, Ahr, Betty Bezdek, Richard Black, Michael Carlucci, Conrad Cazalas, Alfred Escalante, Gamez, Anita Garcia, Nora Garcia, Toby Garcia, Joyce Goatee, Janice Kassner, Robert Knox, Lane, June Loosemore, Donald Mayne, Linda Pfeifer, Serna, Trevino, Dolores Valcik, Laura Vaselka and Lenelle Weigel.

Graduates not making the reunion included Linda Alaniz, Alice Barrera, Claudette Colvin, Mary A. Escalante, Jeraldine Fox, Edward Garana, Veronica Garnett, Raymond Luckie and Catharine Martinez. Seven-Christine Catron, Mary Hajek, Phillip "Nick" Huth, Robert "Bobby" Opfel, Julia Tipton, Kathleen Walsh and Dickie Zipprian-are now deceased.

The class remembered many of the people who served as an inspiration for them, including Msgr. Albert Cannon, then pastor of Christ the King. At that time three recently arrived Irish priests were also serving the parish, including Father Gregory Dean, W. Celestine Murray and Father Patrick G. Higgins. Msgr. Dean attended the reunion. Toby Garcia recalled that all of the boys served as Knights of the Altar with Msgr. Dean.

The school had 13 teachers, including eight Sisters of Notre Dame and five lay teachers. Sister M. Verona served as principal. One lay teacher that had a profound influence on the class was Art Loosemore who served the school in a number of capacities.

"He was janitor, band and choir director, teacher and oversaw BBQs and bingos," his daughter June Loosemore Cotton said. She remembered her parents and a family of 10 siblings lived in a small white house on the parish grounds. Her father, she said, taught Father Deane how to drive.

The Crusader band, organized in 1956 by Art Loosemore, performed at the annual Spring Concert, at football games, participated in the Buccaneer Days Parade and in a number of other events. The choir, drill team and twirlers often joined the band at these events.

The Class of 1960 also excelled at sports. Both the boys and girls Crusaders baseball teams won the City Parochial City championships. The year before, the boys football team also won the city championship. In keeping with a strong school spirit the returning alumni wore t-shirts that were replicas of the shirts the boys wore in 1960. The girls wore jumpers with red beanies back then.

This class was the first to graduate at the new parish church. Bezdek recalled how they wore caps and gowns and said her eight years of Catholic education at Christ the King was the best thing her parents gave her. Bezdek, who served as a Sister of the Incarnate Word for seven years, said the school provided her a strong "formation in deep faith and Catholic life."

"One main reason for the reunion is fellowship, to bring our past together. Mainly we wanted to call attention to the school. We want to foster Catholic education and contribute financially," Valcik said.

Toby Garcia echoed his classmate. "We want to support the school. These graduates are a testament to the school. Many have medical degrees, PhDs, they are successful alumni," he said.

Most of the graduates of Christ the King went on to graduate high school from Corpus Christi Academy in 1964, and participated-along with Incarnate Word Academy graduates-in their 50th reunion on Oct. 5.