We lost far too many Monongah High Lions in 2015, including my cousin, Robert Loss, Class of 1959, who grew up in Mill Falls with brother Jerry Loss, Class of 1956, who lives in North Olmsted, Ohio.

And my Class of 1950 classmate, Agnes Jean Larry DiLaura, who lives in Henderson, Nevada. As reported previously, I secretly gave Agnes, as we called her during her Monongah High days, a box of chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day. When the guys found out who did it, they teased me unmercifully. When I stumbled onto Jean, as she was called in Nevada, through her daughter, Linda Cassesse, whose Las Vegas suburb home they shared, I sent her another box of chocolates, this time with my name on it. Agnes Jean got a kick out of it.

And Clara “Tunney” Yuhas Kniceley, Class of 1944, who shared an uncle with me, Steve Kerekes. Tunney’s mother Clara Kerekes Yuhas was Steve’s sister. Steve married Helen Olesky Kerekes, sister of my dad, John W. Olesky, Sr.

Shirley Koval Dodd, Class of 1953, who was on my list of “hot chicks” during my teen years, also passed away. She lived at the top of Jackson Street with brother John Koval.

Dr. John Louis DePond, Class of 1948, a St. Louis area dentist known as Louie at Monongah High, where he suffered a broken leg trying to punt the football for Monongah High, also passed away.

My sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, lost one of her Class of 1955 classmates, Wilma McNece Dwyer.

Steven “Bucky” Satterfield, Class of 1949, part of my faceitiously named Gang That Terrorized Marion County during our teen years, lost his brother, Neil Satterfield, Class of 1952. Bucky is a retired West Virginia Police Officer living in St. Albans.

My best friend since we were in first grade at Sts. Peter and Paul School, Bob Kasper, who has homes in South Lyon and Presque Isle (Grand Lake), Michigan, Class of 1950, lost a friend from his Frogtown childhood just south of Monongah when Alice Tolwinski Graziani passed away.

And then there is the woman who thankfully ended my piano-playing career by telling my mother to “save your quarters” that she was paying to the Sts. Peter and Paul School nuns for my piano lessons – vivacious redhead Irene W. Shenasky, widow of dentist John Henry Shenasky, of the Shenasky Grocery family.

I suspect that, as you read this, you see the names of former classmates and friends, too.

The too-long, too-sad list:

Jan. 10 -- Elbert LeRoy “Tim” Shingleton, Class of 1979.

Jan. 21 -- Karen Lou Cowger of Four States, St. Barbara’s Nursing Home custodian.

Jan. 30 -- Saverio Pulice, brother of Anthony Pulice, Jr., Class of 1945.

Feb. 3 -- Paul Vernon Harbert, Jr., who attended Monongah High.

Feb. 8 -- Sandra Hearn Wimer, Class of 1961.

Feb. 8 -- Wilma McNece Dwyer, Class of 1955.

Feb. 8 -- Albert Pellillo, widower of Joyce Carlot Pellillo, Class of 1952.

Feb. 9 -- Gary Bissett, brother of Roger Bissett, Class of 1971.

Feb. 9 -- Neil Satterfield, Class of 1952.

Feb. 10 -- Robert E. Loss, Class of 1959, brother of Jerry Loss, Class of 1956.

Feb. 11 -- Joe Piteleski, Class of 1954.

Feb. 26 -- Bob Pasko, stepfather of Nick Saban, Class of 1969.

March 1 -- Joe Grebouski, father of Charlene Grebouski Collins, Class of 1974.

March 2 -- Patsy Colisino, Sr., father of Patsy Colisino, Jr., Class of 1975.

March 2 -- Clara “Tunney” Yuhas Kniceley, Class of 1944.

March 5 – George Prahl, son of Paul and Beulah Toothman Prahl and father of George Prahl, Class of 1965, and Dennis Prahl, Class of 1971.

March 6 – Paul James Griffey of Monongah.

March 12 -- Roger Lee “Butch” Nesselrotte, Class of 1962.

March 19 -- Bob Edwards of Monongah.

March 27 --  Rodney Clark “Hot Rod” Hundley, 1950s WVU basketball star from Charleston.

April 1 -- Shirley Koval Dodd, Class of 1953.

April 1 -- George “Henry” Lee, Class of 1941.

April 11 -- Noah Samuels, Class of 1968.

April 18 -- Jimmie Lemoin Herron, Class of 1946, widower of Dortha Jean Fleming, Class of 1948.

April 19 -- Ruth Elizabeth Hall Williamson, head cook for Monongah Elementary School.

April 27 -- Rosalie Hestick Wood, Class of maybe 1956.

April 29 -- Bueford “Boots” Kile Viney, Class of maybe 1940.

May 14 -- Jim Fullen, Class of 1962.

May 17 -- John W. Brzuzy, who grew up in Monongah.

May 19 -- Mary Scarcella Donofrio, Class of maybe 1945.

May 21 -- Opal Cool Shuttlesworth, widow of Howard Shuttlesworth, Class of 1973.

May 28 -- Jim “Jake” Harley, father of Debbie Harley Staley, Class of 1977, Jim Harley, Class of 1978, and John Harley, Class of 1978.

June 8 -- Victor C. Higgs, Jr., son of Victor Higgs, Sr., Class of 1919.

June 18 -- Chloe Anne Fullen, wife of Bernie Fullen, Class of 1963.

June 19 -- Sam Oliverio, born in Chiefton.

June 22 -- Charles “Tinker” Prahl, son of Monongah’s Paul and Beulah Toothman Prahl.

July 3 -- Ethel Loraine Brown, mother of Robert Brown, Class of 1966.

July 10 -- Clarence Bradley, Class of 1938.

July 14 -- T. Elwood Moon, Class of 1945.

July 26 -- Brooks Lambert, Sr. of Monongah.

July 26 -- Jack Sandy Anderson, former Monongah Junior High teacher.

July 29 -- Joe Diamond, born in Monongah.

July 30 -- Patricia Ann Tetrick Judy, Class of 1937.

Aug. 5 -- Terry Ann Moore-Puccio of Monongah.

Aug. 11 -- Dr. John Louis DePond, Class of 1948.

Aug. 12 -- William Hammond, brother of Linda Tomlinson Stevenski, Class of 1955.

Aug. 13 -- Mary Beth Barr Brown of Worthington.

Aug. 27 -- Bill Woods, Class of 1952.

Sept. 6 -- Henrietta Lipinski Hawkins, Class of 1959.

Sept. 8 -- Ida Mae Paknik, widow of John Paknik, Class of 1946.

Sept. 10 -- Glenn Henderson, born in Monongah.

Sept. 11 -- Joseph “Mickey” Cook, husband of Judy Lipinski Cook, Class of 1958.

Sept. 11 -- Stella Marie Sobolewski Hanus, widow of Joe Hanus.

Sept. 14 -- Mary Ann “Minnie” Davis, wife of Harry W. “Chick” Davis, Class of 1954.

Sept. 17 -- Claudia Pearl Voyle Melton, mother of three Monongah High graduates.

Sept. 20 -- Alice Tolwinski Graziani, who grew up in Monongah’s Frogtown.

Sept. 27 -- Agnes Jean Larry DiLaura, Class of 1950.

Sept. 30 -- Anna Burline Domico Sweeney, the late Nick “Junior” Domico’s sister.

Oct. 4 -- Homer “Sonny” Tichenor, Class of 1960.

Oct. 6 -- Stephen “Steve” Brzuzy, born in Monongah.

Oct. 20 -- Gary Wayne Blare, Class of 1962, husband of Patti Williams Blare, Class of 1965.

Oct. 25 -- The Rev. Robert Manning of Little Mill Fall, father of the late Jeffrey Blair Manning, Class of 1972.

Oct. 29 -- Bill Mayo, brother of Monongah’s Jim Mayo.

Nov. 11 -- Norma Daft Broadrick Johnson, mother of Patricia Broadrick Cienawski, Class of 1975.

Nov. 18 -- Lillie Pearl Bright Fox, widow of Bob Fox, Class of 1948, in Parkersburg area. Bob passed away in 2014.

Nov. 20 -- Lila “Penny” Gwendaline Cole McFann, born in Four States.

Nov. 23 -- Mary Jane Pulice Constable, born in Chiefton and grew up in Worthington and Monongah, daughter of Salvador and Maria Bitonte Pulice.

Nov. 23 -- Richard Craig, brother of Worthington’s Betty Craig Quinn.

Dec. 2 -- Virginia Vuckson Locke, born in Monongah and mother of Barbara “Penny” Locke Pratt of Monongah.

Dec. 2 -- Katherine Ely Burley, wife of Edgar Burley, Class of 1962.

Dec. 13 -- Ruby Shamrock, wife of Jim Shamrock.

Dec. 15 -- Mildred “Mickey” Maxwell, sister of WVU and New York Giants football great Robert Lee “Sam” Huff.

Dec. 17 -- James David Jones, brother of Patricia Ann Jones Baczuk.

Dec. 19 -- Charles “Chuck” Hawkins, husband of Sandra Lipinski Hawkins, Class of 1962.

Dec. 23 -- Irene W. Shenasky, widow of dentist John Henry Shenasky, of Shenasky Grocery family.

Dec. 25 -- Monongah native Amy Davis Pearl.

Dec. 26 -- Barbara Ann Tennant, related to Blocker & Joy families.

Dec. 27 -- Larry Salai, Sr., Class of 1973.

Dec. 29 -- Sarah Jean Mancuso Utzie, mother of Monongah’s Patty Cox.