Kirk Douglas Among Those

Recognizing Oneonta’s Best

By JIM KEVLIN • allotsego.com

ONEONTA – There were many poignant moments at this morning 2014 Induction Ceremony for the OHS Wall of Distinction and the Athletic Hall of Fame.

But retired principal Bud Pirone delivered one of them in his assessment of John Goodrich’35, whose plaque reads “was lost in action while flying a mission in the English Channel.”

Pirone had researched the records at OHS, related that Goodrich had played four years of football and baseball, and two of basketball — he missed only one day of school and was tardy twice — then went on to St. Lawrence University.

Right out of SLU and the clouds of World War II looming, he joined the Navy in 1940 working his way up to pilot — he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross — until the flight from which he, at age 26 or 27, never returned.

But, Pirone admitted, he had been unable to find anything personal, until he ran across material from Goodrich’s induction into the SLU Hall of Fame in the early’90s.  And he read a warm assessment from Goodrich’s classmate, SLU’s most famous graduate, Kirk Douglas.

The crowd in Belden Auditorium gasped.

Notable among the Hall of Fame honorees was Stacy Knapp ’98, who led the OHS girls basketball team to two state championships in junior and senior year and continued her prowess at Merrimack College.

While her brother Jason delivered a speech on her behalf, she sat in the second row with 4-day-old baby Alexis on her lap.

The Wall of Distinction honorees were:

• Brian Smith,’76, an internationally recognized expert on wind energy and the U.S. representatives to the International Energy Agency’s Wind Energy Executive Committee. His brother, Geoff Smith, was among those cheering him.
• Nick Stam ’73, whose high-tech career, from director of testing, National Software Testing Labs, to senior director of technical marketing, NVIDIA Corp., “influenced the design of hundreds of computer product.”

In addition to Goodrich and Knapp, Hall of Fame honorees were:

• Dean Foti ’79, stand-out soccer player who went on to play four years for Syracuse University, later serving as SU varsity soccer coach for 19 years. He was introduced by his dad, Vince Foti, the retired SUNY Oneonta dean.
• Dave Forbes, 40-year track and field coach, whose son, Dan, succeeds him today.
• Jim Fruscella ’74, OHS Athlete of the Year as a senior, team captain in three varsity sports, and winner of 11 gold medals at the Empire State Games for discus throw.
• John Sparaco ’68, a three-team captain who was also Athlete of the Year and class president while a senior and went on to earn three varsity letters playing football at Annapolis.