CJ Hooker, like it was yesterday
By Frances Ruth Harris
GOSHEN — All over the CJ Hooker Middle School gymnasium, voices could be heard saying, "He was a great man, like a father."
Or, "She was a great woman, like a mother."
Any teacher who ever wonders if the work he does makes a difference needs only to see the indelible impression long-ago teachers at CJ Hooker made on the hearts and minds of their students. Visitors this week to the CJ Hooker Museum, created to celebrate the school's 75th birthday, poured over artifacts and paged through yearbooks.
Irene Decker, 85, went to a one-room schoolhouse for three years. Teacher Margory Sinsabal followed her to CJ Hooker, where Irene began the fifth grade. She went on to be a cheerleader from 1944 to 1948, when she graduated. She married at 18 and shared the next 66 years with Floyd "Buddy" Decker, who won the baseball championship for CJ Hooker in 1944 after he returned from World War II. He pitched a no-hitter for the win. Buddy coached the local Little League for 41 years.
Ruth Diety Hulbert graduated from CJ Hooker in 1956, and Robert Hulbert graduated from Port Jervis in 1951. They married on June 12, 1960. All of their children attended Goshen schools. Their twin grandsons, David and Joseph Ciliberto, also attended Goshen High School.
Ruth said she loved the school's music department and her great classmates. She went on to work at CJ Hooker for 32 years, first as a teacher's aide and then as the principal's secretary. She just completed her 39th year helping with the high school's spring musical.
Dolores Price graduated from CJ Hooker in 1959, and her four children also attended Goshen Schools. She was a teacher's aide for 32 years and also a secretary in the main office, retiring in 2004.
John Davis and Steve Camposeo rented a limousine to give Price a special ride on her final day of work. The limo took her for a ride around town as they picked up bagels and other treats before returning to school.
"I just couldn't believe it," Price said.
"I used to try to play basketball in this gym," he said.
He remembers sneaking into the building while it was being built and walking the rafters.
"I got caught a few times," he said, smiling. "I spent a lot of time in Charlie Hooker's office and eventually became a school principal myself. People always said I got my experience from being in Charlie's office."
Purcell said his biology teacher, Glenn Sprague, died early in life. "Mr. Sprague was a great man," he said, as was Fred Bowan, who inspired him to become a teacher.
First Ronald became an elementary teacher, then a principal at Monroe-Woodbury Central School.
Bill Standish graduated in 1966 and will celebrate his 50th class reunion on Oct. 15 at Delancey's Restaurant. Anyone who wants more information about the reunion should email him at wks@frontiernet.net or call at 845-325-4555.
Standish said his favorite memory is of the senior play, "She Loves Me," when Mr. Wright was his music teacher. He went on to the College of Emporia in Emporia, Kansas, where he majored in English education. Later he studied accounting and still works part-time for the Town of Goshen.
Reynell Andrews, who graduated from CJ Hooker in 1952, knows his school history. He said the picture that says "varsity basketball" is actually a picture of the junior varsity basketball team. He and his cousin, Phil Coates, are in the picture.
At 1 p.m., in the "new" library, art teacher Chrissy Pahucki gave a lecture titled, "Education in Goshen until 1940." Current students created brochures and articles that told the story of CJ Hooker through the years. Superintendent Dan Connor and school board members presented a plaque in the old gymnasium.
Among the tours that ran continuously throughout the day, a social studies teacher focusing on the historic New Deal architectural elements of the building.
Linda Mabie, owner of Linda's Office Supplies and a CJ Hooker graduate, said, "I'm part of this community forever."
Her favorite teacher was Marion Williamson, who taught Latin. And she especially liked Mrs. Littlefield, who taught English, and Mr. Littlefield, who taught math.
"We had so many wonderful teachers," Mabie said.