Spring 2023

SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK HILL RACQUET CLUB

April 30th, 2023

Welcome Arrival of Spring

Spring has come, and everyone at Yonkers’ historic Racquet Club on Park Hill is enjoying the return of

post-pandemic “normalcy” after three years of masks, vaccinations and social distancing. The beautiful old

pool will re-open next month, Oval will get our beautiful “red clay” tennis courts ready for play, and we will

again welcome new members into the club, thanks to the diligent efforts of Claire Miko and Steve Ross, who

regularly receive their communications and give them tours.

There has been sadness at the club lately as three of its longest-serving and best-loved members have

passed away, all in their 90s, within the last few weeks: Lois and Bob Reape and Daphne Romeo. Bob and Lois

died within a day of each other in late March, and Daphne left us in mid-April. Bob and Lois were married at St.

Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church in January 1951, so they had a remarkable and beautiful marriage of over

72 years. (See the tributes to Bob, Lois and Daphne at the end of this newsletter.)

An Exuberant Governors’ Ball

Some 75 members and guests crowded merrily into the beautifully decorated ballroom on Saturday,

April 22md, for the first Governors’ Ball since spring 2019. Hosted by the Board of Governors, the party’s

gorgeous surroundings were the handiwork of our master decorator Kathryn Buckley and her team of helpers –

Patty Gamba, Claire Miko, Patty Cecere, Lyrica Leon, and Nancy Gallin -- who made the great hall sparkle from

every nook and cranny of the room. Catchy pop music played by DJ Lenny Santowasso pulsated from the

rafters, from the time guests began to arrive at 7 pm until the last revelers went home at 2 am.

Everyone again enjoyed the delicious dinner catered from Zuppa on the Yonkers riverfront, after

snacking on the hors d’oeuvres on the center table, which are traditionally supplied by the individual

Governors. Attendees listened to former president Jim Beirnes’s moving tribute to the seven late members

who left us during the pandemic: the late club president, Vincent D’Alessio, Jr.; Ralph Farina, whose son

Michael, was in the audience; Tom Harrington; Mary Liberatore; Bob and Lois Reape; and Daphne Romeo. And

after supper, the party really got going as people hit the dance floor. And thanks to the great work during the

party of super-helpers Vivian Savard, Rowan and Emmett Tucker and the Tuckers’ friend Brendan.The Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday, February 8th, the Board of Governors convened the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of

the club, as required under the by-laws. Decisions taken unanimously by the membership included: (1) keeping

the same Board of Governors for the next year and (2) keeping membership dues unchanged for the following

year, including the substantial reduction for first-year members. The Directors thanked all those dozens of

members who had worked unstintingly on a voluntary basis for the club, both on the Board and on its many

committees, over the previous twelve months.

The New Arts Committee

The new Arts Committee has been created at the suggestion of Directors Justine Henry, Patty Gamba

and Robert Moment; and of Jim Beirne, who resurrected the Park Hill Players a few years ago, and of the

committee head, Gabriella Cinquemani. They urge club members to work with the committee to promote “all

aspects of art, expression, creativity and entertainment, while bringing many new events and activities to our

membership for all ages to enjoy.”The Park Hill Players are one of the principal functions of the Arts Committee. The Players have performed six highly successful and well-attended plays since Jim helped bring the Players back following a

three-decade hiatus. As always, the Players hope that every member of the club will seriously consider joining

them, whether as a cast member or someone who can help the group in the myriad support roles necessary to

make the Players succeed: eg, in set design and construction, wardrobes, makeup, directing, stagehand duties,

line coaching, and other crew jobs.

The next production of the Players will be “Steel Magnolias”, which is scheduled to be performed for

four days next month: May 12th-13th and May 19th-20th

.

A Busy Winter Social Season

Aside from the Bowling League which meets each Tuesday night (see update on standings below), the

club was busy with many social activities throughout the winter. Many thanks to Tami Vu and Todd Geremia for

continuing so diligently to run the efficient Evite system that helps hosts prepare for the club parties.

Vinyl Nights.

One popular activity was the Vinyl Nights on Fridays in January, when Justine Henry, Paul

Cecere, Taylor Pierce and Joe Harbeson took turns hosting at the turntables, selecting LPs (long-playing 33 rpm

records) in the lounge, while members and their guests nibbled on snacks and listened to old favorites. [Our

hosts (and hostess) promise to continue with the Vinyl Nights on Fridays in late May and early June.] Around

40 people showed up for the Friday, January 27th, Vinyl Night, which doubled as the first birthday night of the

year (see below).

Super Bowl Sunday Pot-Luck Party.

On Sunday, February 12th, around 40 members and guests gathered for the annual Super Bowl pot-luck party, hosted by Patty Gamba, for the NFL championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Adrienne D’Alessio and Robert Moment treated guests to two outstanding chilis, on a table that groaned with many other tasty dishes as well, and salads, side dishes and, later, desserts. Bartender Vinny D’Alessio again ran the $5, $10 and $20 box pools, and all boxes were sold out.

Since the party was held on a Sunday afternoon and evening, many members also did practice-bowling

downstairs, where they could watch the game while bowling. As usual, there were numerous pool winners.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs beat the Eagles, 38-35, in one of the best Super Bowl games in years, as both teams

scored in every quarter, and the Chiefs won a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

The “Gourd” Party.

On Friday, February 16th, Christopher Gamba, son of Patty and Joe, and bassist for the new three-man jam band “Gourd,” entertained around 40 club members and guests in the big hall, in a free event. It was the first party there since the beautiful new “pickleball floor” was put in this winter.St. Patrick’s Day Party. Special thanks to Matt and Chrissy Gervais for their terrific last-minute efforts to organize the St. Patrick’s Day party on Friday night, March 17th, especially for the preparation and delivery of the delicious foods for the 25 adults and kids who attended. A very good time was had by all!

End-of-Winter Tennis Party at Yonkers Tennis Center.

Some 32 PHRC members and guests took over all six

courts at the Yonkers Tennis Center on Saturday, March 18th, from 8 pm till midnight, in a resumption of a

tennis party tradition that has long been enjoyed, until it was temporarily halted by the Covid pandemic over

the last three years. Patty Gamba did a great job organizing and running the party, which this year was a

tennis-and-pickleball affair, now that the YTC has added pickleball to its program. Thanks, Patty, for organizing

and running the party, doing the heavy lifting to get all the food and beverages to the YTC, and then for

organizing the clean-up crew at the end.

End-of-Month Pot-Luck Birthday Parties.

Special thanks go to Gabriella Cinquemani for introducing the idea

-- and hosting – the new end-of-month club birthday parties on the last Friday of each month. Everyone in

attendance who has a birthday in that month will be recognized and will receive a modest gift. Snacks are

provided and the only charges are for beverages from the bar.

So far, we have had four such birthday evenings: on January 27th, February 24th, March 31st and April 28th.

Norma Hunter observed her birthday at the January party. Kerri Schmid and Vic Mason blew out the

candles in February. The celebrants in March were Gaby Cinquemani, Kathryn Buckley and Vinny D’Alessio and

the birthday girls in April were Loren McConnell and Nova Gervais. Attendance has ranged between 25 and 40

people per occasion. At the March party, members enjoyed playing several different Bingo games, from simple

to full-card, and many players were winners of the well-chosen prizes.

The April 8th Easter Egg Hunt.

Our first spring party was the Easter Egg Hunt organized by Chrissy Gervais and

Gabriella Cinquemani on Saturday, April 8th, for 35 adults and children. Chrissy’s brother Pat was again the

Easter Bunny, and Gaby again supplied all the food for the occasion. Thanks for their help with food

preparation go to Heather Ganek and Katharine Benson and to Katharine for hiding the eggs. A very good time

was had by all the little ones.

Update on the Winter Bowling League

Team Standings. The six-month, 25-week winter bowling league has ended, with Green Acres, captained

by Robert Klein, the run-away winner with 91 points. Bowl-a-Rama, captained by Deane Prouty, narrowly took

second place with 74 points over Bill Dennison’s Strikers, who ended with 72 points. They were followed by

Brown in fourth place and the Rolling Stones in fifth.

High Individual Averages. Highest individual averages belong to Bill Dennison, captain of the Strikers, at

168; Paul Meissner, captain of the Rolling Stones, at 163; Jon Wallen, captain of Brown, at 157; Robert Klein, at

156; Ed Schmid, at 150; Jennifer Ringstad, at 148; Pat O’Hanlon, at 143; and Bill Coffey, at 141.

High Personal Games. Highest personal games this season were by Robert, at 259; Deane, at 237; Ed Mullin,

at 222; Bill Dennison, at 210; Ed Schmid, at 206; Paul, at 202; Steve Savard, at 199; Karen Lorence, at 198;

Jon, at 191; Bill Coffey, at 189; Casey Quinn, at 187; and Patty Gamba, at 184. With his 259 game, Robert

ended a 15-year drought at the club, during which no club bowler achieved a score of 250 or higher. Names of

past winners of the prize (by this year, the pot organized by Paul Meissner had reached $960, Robert’s

winnings) can be seen on the plaques on the bowling room wall.Most improved averages. These belong to: Jason McConnell, who has raised his average by 14 points since the start of the season; Ed Mullin, up by 13 points; Joe Garcia, up by 11 points; Casey Quinn and Laura Chilton, up by 9; Jennifer, up by six; and Cathy Mulhern, up by 5 points.

High Individual Scratch Series. High personal scratch series belong to: Bill Dennison, at 581; Paul, at 566;

Robert, at 564; Deane, at 523; Jon, at 515; Ed Mullen, at 511; Ed Schmid, at 509; Steve, at 498; Jennifer, at

496; Vic Mason, at 494; Bill Coffey, at 488; and Pat, at 481.

As always, thanks to Jon for running the league; to Jon, Robert, Pat and others who help oil the lanes

ahead of play each Tuesday; and to Steve Savard for calculating team and individual averages each week.

A Busy Pickleball Winter

It was another busy winter pickleball season at the club, as a lot of members turned up either to sharpen their

skills at America’s fastest-growing sport or to play the game for the first time on our beautifully renovated floor

in the big hall. Thanks to Jim Beirne, Steve Ross and Lyrica Leon for taking the lead in running the pickleball

play this winter and for handling reservations on the club web site.

Upcoming Events

Start of the Westchester County Tennis League (WCTL). Men’s tennis team captain Tom (Westy)

Westmoreland already has the team rolling in the new WCTL play. Last week end got rained out, but the men’s

team will – with good weather – face two opposing clubs this coming week end on both Saturday and Sunday.

May 5th Cinco de Mayo Party. Patty Gamba is planning a party to celebrate this holiday.

Early-May Opening of the Park Hill Tennis Courts. As soon as Oval can prepare our beautiful “red-clay”

courts, they will be open for play early next month.

Memorial Day Pool Opening, BBQ and Karaoke Party. On Sunday, May 28th, the club will open the pool, hold

a barbecue and stage the first karaoke party of the year at no extra charge.

Member News

New Members.

The Club is pleased to welcome the following new members:

▪ Alicia Cintron (Welcome Back!)

▪ Pat Coomaraswamy (Welcome Back!)

▪ Mariella DeGennaro and Christian Murillo and their children Alessandra, Massimo and Daniel

▪ Robin and Danny Muskin and their children Liam and Isabella

Grammy Prize for Kevin Puts.

Congratulations to Kevin Puts on his latest professional triumph: a Grammy

Award in Los Angeles in early February for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition.” This follows the New

York Metropolitan Opera premiere last fall of Kevin’s new (second) opera, “The Hours,” featuring Renee

Fleming, Kelli O’Hara and Joyce Di Donato in the lead roles. A decade ago, Kevin won a Pulitzer Prize for his firstopera, “Silent Night,” based on the famous temporary truce in World War I among French, German and Scottish

soldiers on Christmas Eve 1914.

The Passing of Bob and Lois Reape and of Daphne Romeo.

TRIBUTE TO LOIS AND BOB REAPE

Reminiscences of Robert Klein

A lot of superlatives applied to Lois and Bob Reape. They were most probably the longest-serving

member-couple, ever, at Yonkers’ historic Racquet Club on Park Hill. When they passed away in late March,

Bob at 95 and Lois at nearly 93, they had been married for over 72 years. They were one of the longest-

married couples in New York State, and probably in the country, and were so recognized last year by the

Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Their nephew, Robert Klein, says Lois’s membership in the club went back to her early childhood. Lois

and Robert’s mother, Anne Nancy Taylor, were sisters. Their parents, Ralph and Mable Taylor, were members.

Robert says his mother would later become Mrs. Anne Klein.

Bob served two years in the United States Army at the end of World War II. He achieved the rank of

sergeant and was stationed in Japan. A few years later, Bob met Lois, and they were married at St. Margaret’s

Roman Catholic Church on January 6th, 1951.

Bob and Lois had six children: Robert, married to Pat; Eileen; Paul, married to Diana; Richard,

married to Amanda; Thomas, married to Sonia; and Michael. They are also survived by six grandchildren:

Kathleen (Matt) Capone; Patricia (Aaron) Brady; Colleen (Kyle) Linbrunner; Maryanne (Adam) Bown; Kristeen

Reape and Alysia Reape; and eight great-grandchildren: Claire, Evan and Brendan Capone; Iris, Patrick and

Evelyn Brady; Nora Linbrunner; and Ryan Bown; and also by many loving nieces and nephews.

Bob and Lois were lifelong residents of Yonkers. They raised their family in a house at the south end of

Tibbetts Brook Park. Robert says Lois went to school with Tom Harrington at Sacred Heart High School, and they

graduated one year apart.

Robert says that Lois had the highest bowling score of any woman in the history of the club: 213. So

when Susie Moscou threw a 211 game a few years ago, that was second only to Lois’s high game, among all

club women members.

Robert shared a charming story from family lore about when Bob was courting Lois before their

marriage. Sometimes when they were out together, Bob would put Lois on the street trolley and pay the nickel

fare. Then, instead of riding with her on the streetcar, he would jog alongside the trolley until they reached

their destination. He had the money to pay his fare, but their families and friends must have been duly

impressed with how Bob demonstrated his ardor and his plans for a long and devoted journey with the girl of

his dreams.

Reminiscences of Jim Beirne

Jim Beirne says that Bob was one of the most revered members of the Park Hill Racquet Club in its long

and storied history. Bob was literally the grand old man of the club for the past half century. Not just a good

tennis player or good bowler, Bob was famous for being unfailingly kind and patient in always being ready to

answer questions about technique with tips to help improve someone’s bowling or tennis game and to

demonstrate the points he was making.

Bob -- from the time the clubhouse was rebuilt in 1965 (following the devastating 1962 fire), the same

year he and Lois joined the club – did more than anyone else over the years to oversee club maintenance onnearly everything in the building, and he gave unstintingly of his time to do so. He was a fount of wisdom who

loved the club and occupied just about every position of authority at one time or another, from president on

down.

Bob was a lifelong Yonkers native, born on New Year’s Day, 1928, and died late last month in hospice

care at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, the day after learning that Lois had passed away.

On Bob’s 90th birthday on January 1st, 2018, the club threw a surprise birthday party for Bob and Lois

and for many of their children and grandchildren. (See the write-up and photo of the party in the January 2nd,

2018, newsletter.) Robert Klein picked them up for the party (to make sure they came!) and drove them to the

club, keeping the surprise until, as Bob would subsequently recount: “I saw all the cars in the parking lot” with

his familiar avuncular chuckle and the trademark twinkle in his eyes.

Reminiscences by Rosemary Beirne about Daphne Romeo

The Racquet Club is saddened to report that Daphne Romeo, one of the club’s longest-time members,

passed away on Wednesday, April 12. For anyone who did not have the pleasure of knowing Daphne, she was

one of the best tennis partners and all-around tennis cheerleaders who ever graced the ballroom, tennis

courts, or front porch at the club. Daphne competed on the MITL teams at the club for decades. She always

said she didn’t mind whether she won or lost, but just wanted to enjoy the game for as long as possible. Those

of us who played against her knew better. Daphne always wanted to win, and continued private and group

lessons well into her 80s to keep her game sharp.

Daphne brought elegance and class to everything she did. We all remember her impeccable fashion

sense both on and off the court. Her tennis outfits, hair and makeup were always perfect. For many years, she

and Mary Liberatore chaired the annual fashion show and even modeled in it. She was right in her element.

Daphne also was the most loyal contributor to the club’s annual Christmas collection for children at My

Sister’s Place, the organization that provides emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence. Every year,

she donated bags of beautiful toys, stuffed animals, and even the wrapping paper to prepare the gifts so that

the children would be surprised.

We at the Racquet Club will always remember Daphne for her elegance, her humor, and her loyalty to

the club. She was truly one of a kind.