The 60th Reunion

On Friday, November 7th, 2025, I was the first person from the St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1965 to walk into Jack Duffy’s Irish ☘️ Pub. My husband Bob and I had left our home in Latham NY early enough so as to make certain that we would get there in time for the 12 noon meetup time. After all, our 60 year reunion is a once in a lifetime event that I absolutely didn’t want to miss. We figured if we made excellent time and arrived early we could sit and chat in the car for a while before I went into the Pub. We made fabulous time until we were about a mile away from my destination. We hadn’t driven into Manhattan in many years so we were not prepared for the massive traffic we had to deal with once we reached midtown. We crept around the last couple of blocks and figured we could sit and chat in the car if we arrived early. Turns out the streets were so crowded, there wasn’t a spot available to pull the car over to the curb, so when we got close to Jack Duffy’s I had to grab my pocketbook and Nursing Cape and jump out of the car. I opened the front door and stepped into a winter wonderland of Christmas greenery, sparkling white lights and shiny ornaments. Wow, how very magical I thought as I walked over to a young woman who was unstacking chairs in the relatively empty Pub. There was a handful of people sitting at the bar when I arrived but not one single sign of a reunion. I asked the young lady the whereabouts of the St.Vincent’s Reunion and she looked at me rather confused before answering. For a moment, I thought maybe something had changed and I missed the email. Or maybe my 80 year old brain messed up and I was at the wrong Pub or worse yet, I travelled to New York City on the wrong day. In case you’re not there yet, when one turns 80, remembering details is no longer a strong point. But almost as soon as these fears entered my mind, I dismissed them. After all, I had reviewed the details over and over a million times as this was something I didn’t want to miss. Finally the young lady responded in her sweet Irish brogue “ Oh yeah, but we’re not quite ready yet” Thank God, I thought as I asked the location of the Ladies Room. Another consequence of turning 80, is the relief at knowing a bathroom is nearby. As I was exiting the stall and was washing my hands, I overheard a familiar Brooklyn accent and it made me happy. When the Ladies Room door opened, I fell into the embrace of a very dear classmate, Gail Dougherty Checkett. It was at that moment that I realized the depth and true emotional implications of this reunion. …….to be continued