Reported by Stephen Rute
On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, seventeen proud members of the Class of 1975—out of the twenty-nine living from the original thirty-six graduates—gathered in Pittsburgh to celebrate their 50th class reunion. They came from six different states: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Oregon. Most of them also came from Pennsylvania.
A dedicated committee had spent a year planning a special two-day event. That evening, classmates, some accompanied by their spouses, went out for dinner before reuniting at 7:00 PM in the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott at The Waterfront. The atmosphere was filled with joy and nostalgia as they greeted old friends and shared cherished memories.
A special highlight of the evening was the arrival of their class advisor, Chris Noschese, who came with his spouse to join the celebration. The committee shared details of the next day’s events, served delicious cake, and displayed posters featuring all the senior portraits from the Class of 1975.The evening was filled with laughter and conversation—tales of mischief, funny memories, reflections on beloved WPSD staff, and stories about life on campus, the old and new buildings.
The following morning, Thursday, June 5th, marked exactly 50 years since their graduation. The group traveled to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood, where they were warmly welcomed by Superintendent Kevin McDonough. He introduced Dr. Jennifer Craig, Director of Student Life (not related to Sam and Bill Craig), who led the school tour.
Teachers and staff were prepared to welcome the alumni. The group asked questions and reminisced as Chris Noschese gave historical insights into each room. They toured the first floor, where the Boys’ Side once served as the High School and the Girls’ Side as the Elementary. On the second floor, the Boys’ Side was the High School and the Girls’ Side the Middle School, with the auditorium bridging both sides. They had the joy of watching adorable kindergarten students rehearsing for an afternoon performance, learning to memorize lines and sit politely—hands folded, knees together, backs straight.
The third floor wasn’t in active use, so the group continued to the basement on the Boys’ Side to visit the old print shop and the museum. In the library—once the main dining room—librarian Carolyn shared a bit of history before taking them to the former reading room, now transformed into a state-of-the-art drone and robotics lab. Everyone was fascinated by the drone demonstrations.
Although they were unable to tour the Math, Science, and Technology Center (MSTC), formerly the Primary Building and Center on Deafness, they did walk through a hallway lined with timeline posters of WPSD history on their way to the Old Girls’ Dorm. At the Student Residence, they saw the current bedrooms and were amazed at the private, home-like rooms, no bunk beds, and no more cramming six or eight students into one room!
The final part of the tour concluded with a lunch gathering in the conference room. The Class of 1975 met with the graduating seniors. Superintendent Kevin McDonough introduced Executive Director Carrie Rain and Middle and High School Principal Gregory Mendenhall. Principal Mendenhall invited the seniors to introduce themselves, sharing their names, sign names, hometowns, schools they plan to attend, and their intended majors. Then it was the Class of 1975’s turn to introduce themselves.
The interaction was a beautiful exchange across generations. The seniors—mostly from Pennsylvania—were impressive, and the alumni found great joy in sharing their life experiences with the future graduates of WPSD.
Their class advisor, Chris Noschese, also introduced himself. Principal Mendenhall then invited the Class of 1975 to offer their best advice to the seniors. Many gave thoughtful responses, and Chris—known affectionately as “The Old Wisdom” shared a few words of encouragement as well.
Stephen had casual conversations with several students. To one, he said with a smile, “Congratulations—fifty years from now, you’ll be like me.” She laughed and replied that she didn’t want to be old!
Stephen was especially impressed by a student, who shared that he hopes to become a bus driver because of his love for traveling. He said he looks up to be a deaf bus driver at WPSD and has learned a lot by watching him closely and seriously.
It was also inspiring to see how today’s students are fully immersed in technology, something that didn’t exist back in 1975. Stephen chatted with a few seniors about their use of laptops and high-tech tools, marveling at the opportunities available to them that the Class of ’75 could never have imagined.
At the final moment of their celebration, the Class of 1975 gathered for a banquet at the Grand View Golf Club in North Braddock. Held in the Fairway Room at Asti’s Italian Steakhouse, the venue offered a beautiful view of the 18th hole. A buffet dinner was served, and the desserts—cheesecake and New York cannoli—were especially delicious.
During the evening, Joe Kolash shared a touching moment with the group. He had visited Mrs. Trudy Hanes at her assisted living apartment the day before and recorded a video of her offering her blessings and warm wishes to the Class of 1975. She encouraged classmates to visit her and said they would be warmly welcomed.
He then led the group in a series of fun guessing games: questions on classmates’ milestones, trivia about WPSD history, memory challenges from their time at the school, and a game to guess classmates from old photos. The room was filled with laughter, surprises, and joy as memories flooded back. The evening closed with more conversation and connection—stories of mischief, favorite teachers, and unforgettable moments on campus. The next day, everyone traveled back home, carrying with them renewed friendships and cherished memories of a truly special 50th reunion. Safe travels through memory lane!