June 1, 2014

Holyoke Catholic honors Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

 

REGIONAL

Story and photo by Carolee McGrath

CHICOPEE – Approximately 200 gathered at the Castle of Knights Meeting and Banquet Hall here to honor Holyoke Catholic High School alumni athletes who were standouts on and off the field.

At the fifth annual Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, 10 alumni student-athletes and the 1987 Holyoke Catholic girls’ soccer team were recognized.

“There are many great athletes that came from Holyoke Catholic and we figured it was time to recognize them,” said Michael Bligh, co-chair of the Hall of Fame committee. Bligh graduated from the school in 1975. “Throughout the years, they’ve had great success and we wanted people to realize that.”

David Glidden, Class of ’79, was honored with an award. He played football, basketball and ran track in high school. He’s now the regional president for TD Bank. He and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters.

“It’s a big honor. It’s a big honor mainly because Holyoke Catholic was and is a special place,” Glidden said. “I’m a true blue Holyoker. My family has always gone there, my parents before me, my brother and sisters,” he said.

“It’s a small school but very close knit … it’s a Catholic high school. We’re devout Catholics. The friendships we’ve made, they’ve lasted me a lifetime.”

Another honoree, Kara Shanahan, Class of ’89, was a four-year starter on the soccer team. The team won the Western Massachusetts championship in 1987. She was also on the basketball and track teams. She went on to play soccer for Springfield College. In 1994, she was crowned the Grand Colleen of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade.

“It was an honor and a privilege to be a student-athlete at Holyoke Catholic,” Shanahan told iobserve. “We forged many friendships and we have a lot of great memories from Chestnut Street.”

John Whitcomb, class of ’57, was honored posthumously. His wife, Noreen Whitcomb received the honor for her late husband, who passed away when he was only 41 years old. Whitcomb was co-captain of the football team and was named an All-Western Mass football player in 1957. The Whitcomb’s four children, along with their grandchildren, were in attendance.

“I didn’t know John when he went to Holyoke Catholic,” said Noreen Whitcomb. “I knew him after. But I know it meant a lot to him, and I have a lot of friends from Holyoke Catholic,” said Noreen Whitcomb. “It’s very special because he died so young. He didn’t know any of his grandchildren. So it is very special,” she said of the recognition.

Other inductees included: John Ferriter, ’77; Edward Gibbons, ’80; Patrick Palmer, ’63; Francis Pisiewski, ’58; Robert Snider, ’76; Jeffrey Stanek ’92; Coach Jill Gagne, ‘75. Father Eugene D. Honan, ’58 received the Monsignor Timothy J. Leary Award.

For more on this story, tune into an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel,” the Diocese of Springfield’s television newsmagazine that airs Saturday evenings at 7 on WWLP-22NEWS.