1. Cecilia Vaicels of Bellerose,
Queens, recalls her courtship
with future husband Charlie and
a couple of memorable dates.
M
y husband, Charlie, and
I met in July 1974 at
Glenn’s Tavern on
Hillside Avenue in Richmond
Hill, Queens. My friends and I
were meeting some people at
the tavern, which we hadn’t
been to before.
A group of guys, including
Charlie, started talking to us.
Someone asked me where I
worked. When I said I was an
executive secretary at Con
Edison, Charlie said his father
worked for Con Edison, too. We
started a conversation. Charlie
was 19 and was a checking
account clerk at Manufacturer’s
Hanover Trust Bank in Manhat-
tan. He lived in Glendale. I was
21 and lived in Ridgewood. My
name was Cecilia Tierney then.
Our first date was on Aug. 7.
He gave me a bottle of Rev-
lon’s Charlie perfume, then
took me to Your Father’s
Mustache, a Greenwich Vil-
lage restaurant. We ordered
food and he asked me what I’d
like to drink. My mother ad-
vised me to get whatever he
was having so I wouldn’t order
something too pricey and
embarrass him. I said, “What-
ever you’re drinking.” He
ordered a pitcher of beer.
Charlie was such a gentle-
man. He even bought me a
T-shirt. We were having a
wonderful time! However, I
wasn’t used to drinking beer
and I drank three mugs. As we
walked outside, the hot air hit
me and I fell like a tree! Char-
lie picked me up, threw me
over his shoulder and carried
me to his car. I slept all the
way home.
We continued dating and six
weeks later we went fishing. On
board the boat I got a bite on the
line. There were six hooks with
a Mackerel on each one. As I
reeled in the line, Charlie told
me to whip it over the rail. I did
and some fish went flying across
the boat. Suddenly Charlie was
yelling, “Don’t pull!” I had
hooked him in the seat of his
pants and had literally caught
myself a man.
We were married on March
17, 1979 — St. Patrick’s Day —
at St. Matthias Church in
Ridgewood. In 1989 we moved
to Bellerose, Queens. We have
one daughter.
Charlie retired in 2006 as a
superintendent with the New
York City Sanitation Depart-
ment. I’ve worked at several
jobs over the years. Since 1991,
I’ve had acting parts with
many theater groups and now
perform in shows for Isle of
Shoals Productions.
We marked our 35th wed-
ding anniversary last year by
marching in the St. Patrick’s
Day parade, followed by din-
ner and a comedy show, plus a
two-night stay at the New
York Hilton where we spent
our honeymoon. For our 36th
anniversary, we went to Wood-
loch Pines Resort in Pennsylva-
nia with friends.
Our life together has never
been dull. My husband tells
everyone, if they want to have a
wild time at their wedding,
marry an Irish girl on St.
Patrick’s Day!
— WITH VIRGINIA DUNLEAVY
AMITYVILLE MEMORIAL HIGH
SCHOOL ’64-’65. A 50-year joint
reunion is Aug. 14-16. Email
Carol Nehring at amityvillehs
6465reunion@gmail.com.
BAYPORT BLUE POINT HIGH
SCHOOL ’95. A reunion is 6-10
p.m. June 27 at The Harbor
Crab in Patchogue. Email
bbp95reunion@gmail.com for
more information.
BAYPORT/BLUE POINT ALUMNI
COMMITTEE. A reunion luncheon
for all graduates, guests and
faculty members is 12:30-4:30
p.m. July 9 at The Mediterra-
nean Manor, 303 E. Main
Street, Patchogue. $37 per
person. Call Bob at
631-289-1532.
DEER PARK HIGH SCHOOL ’75. A
reunion is planned; Historical
perspective presentation is 3-5
p.m. May 30 in the high school
cafeteria, cost is $10 a couple;
dinner is 6 p.m. at Savino’s, 511
Commack Rd., Deer Park, in-
cludes buffet, cost is $12 a
person; reserve by May 16.
Email lisa.martin@
cruiseplanners.com.
GLEN COVE HIGH SCHOOL ’75. A
40-year reunion is Aug. 8 at
Sea Cliff Manor. Call Marty
Wertheim at 516-671-0427 or
email GCHSclassof75@yahoo
.com.
LONG BEACH CATHOLIC REGIONAL
SCHOOL. A 60th anniversary/re-
union for all years is planned for
June 13 at the school. Visit
lbcrsalumni.com or email
alumni@lbcrs.org.
LONG BEACH HIGH SCHOOL ’65. A
50-year reunion is May 16 at
the Lido Golf Club. Call Donna
Selnick at 916-764-2883.
MOST HOLY TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL
’65. A 50-year reunion is 3-7
p.m. June 6 from at Plattdeut-
sche Park Restaurant, 1132
Hempstead Turnpike, Franklin
Square. Email Greg Murphy at
gregory.murphy@sbcglobal.net.
OCEANSIDE HIGH SCHOOL ’60. A
55-year reunion is Sept. 26 at
the Long Beach Hotel. Visit
1960sailors.net or call Howie
Levy at 702-279-5389 or email
howie@1960sailors.net.
WANTAGH HIGH SCHOOL ’75. A
40-year reunion is 7-11 p.m.
Aug. 1 at the Plainview Holiday
Inn. Email whs75reunion@
yahoo.com.
— DARLENE GEIN
LICELEBRATIONS
SUBMIT DETAILS to Darlene Gein
at 631-843-2076 or email
Darlene.Gein@newsday.com.
LOVE STORY
Beer and bait led to memorable dates
Cecilia and Charlie married on March 17, 1979. They celebrated their 35th anniversary last year marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
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