Fort Hamilton welcomes its new Hall of Famers

On Saturday afternoon, April 24, alumni members of Fort Hamilton High School, plus family and friends, gathered together to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the Shore Road school’s new Hall of Fame structure. It was relocated from the second floor, remodeled into an ultra-modern facility, and placed on one of the walls along the interior bridge pathway on the first floor. The enlarged double-deck configuration easily allows for the placement of future alumni honorees.

Prior to the unveiling, there was a reception in the gymnasium that was catered by Greenhouse Cafe co-owner Bobby Daquara, Class of 1982, an earlier Hall of Famer. The new inductees along with former years’ Hall of Fame members plus their guests returned to the new wall where Alumni President Joseph Estreller gave opening remarks. Then came the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, which took place with Estreller holding one end of the ribbon and FHHS Principal Kaye Houlihan holding the other. Hall of Fame founder Dave Whitebook, also a past assistant principal, was in the center to cut it. Others holding the red ribbon were the new inductees and former City Councilman and State Senator Vincent Gentile, the first president of the FHHS Alumni Association. Principal Houlihan later took many of the attendees on a tour of the school.

On Sunday, April 25, the FHHS Alumni Association held the formal 2026 Hall of Fame admission ceremonies at the El Caribe Country Club, 5945 Strickland Ave. From the podium Estreller introduced each inductee with brief background narratives. Each honoree then expressed their appreciation for the recognition and spoke about their remembrances as a student. Estreller presented them with a plaque and a congressional certificate signed by Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis.

The 2026 Inductees included Mary Choy, Class of 1999 (director of pharmacy and author); Stephen Chan, Class of 1984 (New York state senator); Marianne Curran-Fezza, Class of 1978 (community leader and advocate); Joseph Keeler, Class of 1952 (chemist and inventor); Julio Lugo, Class of 1993 (Major League Baseball player); Joshua Pace, Class of 1985 (philanthropist); Kevin Pemberton, Class of 1988 (managing director, banking and capital markets, Microsoft); Susanne Lombardo-Perez, Class of 1996 (educator and coach), Daniel Perez, Class of 1997 (coach and educator) and Sandra Suweidan, Class of 1986 (attorney and executive agency counsel).

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Marine Park Alliance Executive Director Scott Middleton was the guest speaker at the Society of Old Brooklynites’ meeting on Tuesday, May 5, at Brooklyn Borough Hall. His presentation on the park’s Salt Marsh Nature Trails included slides portraying the scenic beauty of this picturesque Brooklyn landscape.