Kenny "Tash" Tashian (1964)

Joe, Mr. Stefaniak always, was a close friend of my father Pops. Whenever I was in town, he would invite us to his house to have grilled Polish sausage. He was proud of those sausages!

He always displayed a picture of Pops with Vince Lombardi next to the front door of his mansion in Mahwah on Seminary Drive.  Unbeknownst to me in high school, Joe was a member of the Immaculate Conception Seminary where he studied to be a priest.  After dropping out, he got into the home construction business after the seminary all but gifted him a small parcel of land on which he built a spec home.  He sold that home for enough to fund the construction of several more home until he had either built or owned many of the homes on Seminary Drive.  He lived in the home he built.

Also displayed in his den was a newspaper article and picture of him when he won the national push up contest.  Sorry, but I don't recall how many he did or when it was but given his size and strength it could have been it the hundreds.  He was after all the gymnastics coach for many years who looked the part and was the real deal.

One notable tidbit that anyone who attended PHS in the 60's and 70's might appreciate.  Now that he and Miss Behr are gone, it's to reveal a secret that he confided in me years ago that the rumors were true, he did have a long relationship with Anne Behr.

I'll miss you Mr. Stefaniak.

Henry Randolph Hensel (1963)

Marcia Pelka (1968)

I had such a heavy heart when I learned of Mr. Stefaniak's passing.  He was my Latin teacher.  Who speaks the Latin language?  Well, if you were in his class we all did.  I can still sing Jingle Bells in Latin and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  Another great memory was the Saturnalia.  Younger grades had to serve the upperclassmen.  What fun!  My name in his class was Juno. We had to pick one of the Roman gods.  

I saw him once on the parallel bars; amazing the strength he had. I know he had busted several of them.

WHAT? He and Miss Behr?  Two of my favorite teachers.  

God grant you a place of rest:where there is no pain, or sorrow or suffering.

Eternal be his memory.