Lockport High School announces new alumni honorees [Lockport Union-Sun and Journal, N.Y.]

Aug. 09--LOCKPORT -- Lockport High School has 12 new faces to add to the Distinguished Alumni wall.

The school's fourth class of Distinguished Alumni includes: Michael Alexander, Patricia Barry, Rebecca Florio, George Fritz, Kimberly Glas, Gen. Dale Nelson, Frank Ockenfels III, Russell Pate, Louis Rosati, Rosalie Rosati, Ronald Truax and Linda Van Buskirk.

The induction ceremony will take place on Aug. 26 at the Palace Theatre on East Avenue.

The event will begin with a reception starting at 6:15 p.m. and the ceremony at 7 p.m.

The community is encouraged to attend the reception and ceremony to meet the distinguished alumni.

Ronald B. Truax, Class of '52

Truax graduated from the University at Buffalo with a bachelor's degree in business. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1957-59.

Truax has been in the insurance business for more than 50 years and is the past owner of Federspeil & Truax. He is also the past president of the Lockport Independent Agents Association and has served on the boards of several insurance companies.

In 1969, Truax won the Lockport Jaycees Distinguished Service Award. He has also been awarded the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service award for his commitment to the Lockport Lions, as well as the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. Truax has also served on a number of boards of local organizations.

Rosalie Rosati, Class of '58

Rosati joins the Distinguished Alumni with her husband, Louis, said Principal Frank Movalli.

"They've had outstanding careers," he said.

Rosalie graduated with a business degree from the state University at Alfred. In 1973, the Rosatis were stationed at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where Rosalie volunteered with the medical wives group, welcoming back wounded and prisoners of war returning to the country.

She was an invited member of the Desert Club of Mesa and the Association for Retarded Citizens School. Rosati also helped form the Contemporary Artists Guild that enabled artists to showcase and sell their paintings. She has also had her artwork shown at the Scottsdale Art Gallery.

Louis Rosati, Class of '58

Rosati received a bachelor's degree from UB in 1962 and a medical degree from the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse in 1966.

At the Naval Medical Center, Rosati served as acting head of anatomic pathology. In 1973, he entered private practice at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. Rosati was also a founding member of the Clin-Path Associates and the Sonora Laboratory Sciences medical lab. He was then selected as Best Doctor in America, Pacific Region and Top Doc in Phoenix.

In 2008 the Rosatis were honored by the opening of the Louis and Rosalie Rosati Education Center.

Patricia Barry, Class of '60

Barry worked for Mohawk Airlines and three banks before returning to Lockport in 1971. She began working at Lockport Savings Bank, now First Niagara, in 1971. Her duties have included customer service, marketing and public relations, purchasing, employee communications and senior vice president, the position from which she has retired.

Barry also established the First Niagara Bank Foundation and served as executive director until retirement. She also was named Outstanding Graduate of the Women in Business program from Bryant & Stratton in 1984. Five years later, she was the first female to serve as campaign chairperson of the Eastern Niagara United Way.

Barry has also served on a number of boards of local organizations.

W.P. Michael Alexander, Class of '60

Alexander graduated from UB with a degree in business administration, then worked for Aluminum and Brass, Bell Aerospace, Noury Chemical and Sherwood Selpac. In 1988, he started his own business, Alexander Financial Services.

Alexander has served the United Way for 26 years, the Rotary Club for 20 years and Opportunities Unlimited for 15 years. He has also served the YMCA, the Mental Health Board and the Dale Association.

During his time with the Rotary, Alexander received the Presidential Citation, Rotarian of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow and Club Champion Award.

Russell Pate, Class of '64

Pate received a bachelor's degree from Springfield College, and a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Oregon. In 1974, Pate joined the faculty of the University of South Carolina as a professor in the department of exercise science.

Pate was president of the American College of Sports Medicine, as well as president of the National Coalition on Promoting Physical Activity and an elected fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

A lifelong runner, Pate competed in three U.S. Olympic trials and twice placed among the top 10 finishers in the Boston Marathon.

Dale Nelson, Class of '64

Nelson retired as the assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at Fort McPherson in Georgia. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and has a master/s degree in military science from Army Command and General Staff College.

In 31 years of service, Nelson served two tours of combat as a platoon leader in Vietnam. In 1998, he was deployed to the task force in Kuwait.

Among his many decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star with "'V" and two Oak Leaf Clusters, a Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

Linda Van Buskirk,

Class of '65

Van Buskirk attend Buffalo State College, Siena University in Siena, Italy, before graduating from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She has worked at the Dale Association for 36 years and is currently the president and CEO.</p>

Her community involvement includes serving as a trustee of the Lockport Public Library and as a board member with Complete Senior Care and New York Connects. Van Buskirk is a member of the Lockport Rotary Club.

George Fritz, Class of '74

Fritz bought Mills Jewelers from the family of the original owners in 1989. He was also a founding member of the Lockport Business Association and in 2003, chaired a successful drive to save the Palace Theatre, where he serves on the board of directors.

Named the 2004 Person of the Year by the Niagara USA Chamber, Fritz was also named Citizen of the Year in 2007 by the Union-Sun & Journal. He also won the 2005 Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow award.

Rebecca Florio,

Class of '79

Florio and her husband Jack own Micro Graphics, a business that has been in the Lockport community for more than 20 years.

Florio has served as the chairwoman of the Mother's Day Breast Cancer Canal Walk for 11 years. The walk has raised more than $365,000 for the American Cancer Society in memory of her late sister, Mary Marvin.

Florio also serves on the board of directors at the Palace Theatre, where she is chairwoman of the marketing committee and Spotlight on Talent. She has also served as the executive vice president for the Niagara Area Business Exchange.

Frank Ockenfels, III, '79

A well-known photographer, Ockenfels' work has included pictures for album covers, Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, gallery shows and Saturday Night Live.

He has shot portraits of David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, George Clooney and President Barack Obama. Ockenfels has directed music videos for Alice in Chains, Blues Traveler, the Deftones and Everclear. He has also shot commercials for Nike, Canon, Converse and Comcast.

Kimberly Glas, '94

Glas is currently U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for fiber, textiles apparel and leather goods. She is also the chairwoman of the committee for the implementation of textile agreements. Glas is responsible for the promoting the Obama Administration's loans for policies on sustainable manufacturing, export promotion and financing options for the textile industry.

Before that, Glas served as legislative director for U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud and was senior legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. John LaFalce.

Begun in 2007, the foundation each year selects and recognizes 12 graduates as people who stand out in their field or community. The High School Foundation is a private organization that raises money for scholarships and special programs for Lockport students. The idea for the Distinguished Alumni award started when the foundation was putting together a directory for the approximately 30,000 Lockport alumni.

The first class of distinguished alumni was honored in 2007. They included: Col. LaVerne Donner, Joseph Whalen, Tom Jolls, Brock Yates, Jane Haenle, Tom Hicks, David Ulrich, Lt. Col. William Gregory, Joel Darling, Capt. David Morgan, Patricia Parete and Joanna Pasceri.

2008's distinguished alumni included Paul Taylor, Ronald Knight, Kevin Clark, Robert Brown, Flora McKenzie, Sheila DiTullio, James Moran, Mary Brennan Taylor, Kim Alexis, Louis Surace, Richard Clement and Paul Haenle.

Last year's alumni included Wayne Secord, James Sacca, John Hall, Wright Ellis, Norman Sinclair, Haldane Mayer, Bruce Williams, Dianne Cross, Augustine DiMillo, James Newton and Ray Betsch.

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