Popp's - Rodney and JoAnn and Jealousy

I don’t remember exactly when my cousin Tom and his family moved into their two family house in Woodhaven (I believe it was 88th Rd? ). I do remember family dinners there and helping my Aunt Maureen set the table. First I would open up a very tiny table that sat against the wall and I was able to transform it into a rather large dining room table by twisting and turning it different ways, pulling down legs, and adding a bunch of leaves. I thought It was the coolest thing!

I am also diverging from my story a bit! This is a common trait of mine.

Eventually, as I reached puberty and boys became more interesting to me, Tom’s neighborhood was like a goldmine. Growing up on the service road of the Interboro Parkway, the teenage population was few and far between ( except for some older, wilder guys from the “bowels of Brooklyn “ who occasionally came up to visit Jamesy’s married sister who lived up the block from me ). Therefore, I found Woodhaven to be a wonderful place even though I always felt a bit like an outsider, an interloper of sorts.

I got to know certain Woodhavenites (my made-up term) better than others simply because of their physical or social proximity to Tom. The McSherry and Mc Kenna families lived across the street from the Marski Family and Bob Smith and Jack Sweeney were close personal friends of Tom (or at least that is what I thought).

Once again my memories are just the things I remember or thought or believed at the time and therefore you are perfectly free to disagree.

Rodney lived across the street from Tom and probably because of this proximity, he became my first “ love interest “ in Woodhaven. I was probably only 13 or 14 when I first “ fell” for Rodney. My attraction to him was magnetic and my crush on him was fierce although till this day I’m not sure why.  Maybe partly because he was a complete mystery to me. I didn’t consider him to be especially handsome, and at best, he basically ignored me. His affect was bland and I never really communicated with him about much of anything. Maybe an insult here or there passed between us. Nonetheless I was a bit obsessed. Which brings me to another Woodhavenite, JoAnn. I never really got to know JoAnn very well, precisely because my jealousy got in the way. The way I perceived it, JoAnn held Rodney’s heart ️ and I had a difficult time seeing her as anyone other than the person who had exactly what I wanted, i.e., Rodney McSherry! I have a vague memory of a downstairs anti-room to a teenage party at someone’s house. I remember coming upon a dramatic scene where Rodney and Joanne were screaming at each other. I believe there might have been an ankle bracelet involved and tears being shed. I remember being a bit embarrassed to have witnessed this and I don’t remember being the least bit gleeful that they were fighting or breaking up (or whatever negative thing was happening) since I knew that even if they split, I wasn’t next in line for my "beloved" Rodney. I remember thinking JoAnn was attractive, unapologetic, and in charge. I remember having the feeling that “as girlfriend material” I was not anywhere near her level.

Although I don’t remember the timeline, one day I received a phone call from Tom and I was told that Rodney wanted to take me to Coney Island. So I went to Coney Island’s Steeplechase with a group from Woodhaven and by the time we arrived at the entrance gate and were getting ready to pay, I ended up entering the Steeplechase Park with another friend of Tom’s named Joe Saparito (never understood or was told why there was a switch in who was suppose to be my "date"). Nevertheless, I rode the Parachute Jump with Rodney.  Having never ridden before, I remember being scared to death but Rodney sat stoically and didn’t even put his arm around my shoulders or try to comfort me in anyway.

Because of the switch of my date at the Steeplechase Entrance Gate that day, Joe Saparito’s entrance ticket was pulled for a raffle (instead of Rodney’s) and Joe won a brand new Schwinn bicycle. On the way home that day, I sat next to Joe on the subway train and Rodney sat elsewhere.

One other memory pertaining to Rodney occurred in Tom’s basement. He asked me to slow dance and I was thrilled. After the dance, he took me by the hand and led me to the couch against the wall. We sat down and he kissed me and I could smell the smoke on his breath but I didn’t mind it at all. I wanted to kiss him longer but I was so ingrained about "sins of the flesh" that I stopped after one or two kisses.

One time, when I was about 17 years old, I was completely taken by surprise when Rodney’s older brother, Bob, asked if he could drive me home from Woodhaven. I said yes and on the way home he asked me if I’d like to stop for a drink and again I said yes. He took me to a little romantic restaurant on a road alongside the Interboro Parkway and we sat at a table in the front corner. It was still daylight and the place was empty except for us. We both had a whiskey sour in those fancy tulip type glasses. I felt so grown up . We had a wonderful conversation and he brought me home and waited to make sure I got in the house safely.

Joann I am sorry I never got to know you on a deeper level. I was only seeing you through my Jealousy glasses.

Postscript:  After my teenage years I saw Rodney twice, both times at Popp's/Woodhaven Reunion Parties at the home of Tom and Maureen Marski in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY.  Rodney actually talked to me and he teased me and we laughed about the olden days.  We even danced a couple of times but if I remember correctly, my husband cut in.   Rest in Peace, Rodney McSherry!

Rodney W. McSherry (October 11, 1946 - May 19, 2015)
McSherry - Rodney William passed away on May 19, 2015 at the age of 68 years in Austin, Texas surrounded by family. Born in Woodhaven, Rod was a member of the Class of 1960 St. Thomas the Apostle. Proudly served in the United States Army 101st Airborne Division during the Viet Nam Conflict 1965-66. Graduate of Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO and Flight School in Oklahoma. Loving son of the late R. Donald and Marge. He joins in heaven his brother Bobby. Dear brother of Peggy and Dennis. He is also survived by two loving nieces and a nephew, and two great-nephews. N. F. Walker of Queens Funeral Home, 87-34 80TH St., Woodhaven, NY 11421.