Hall of Fame
1992
Bellmay, Edward Francis
Edward Francis Bellmay
Class of 1929
Student #3114 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Edward Francis Bellmay was another household name in the Waterbury area. He excelled in any sport and game in which he participated. He was a role model who inspired others to do their best.
From 1925 to 1929, ASD was noted for its excellence in basketball in the greater Hartford area. Ed was one of the first members of the ASD basketball team to win the Eastern Deaf Schools basketball tournament. Upon his graduation from ASD, Ed played sports for many silent and
hearing clubs.
Chenevert, Andrew
Andrew Chenevert
Class of 1938
Student #3339 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Andrew captained the great 1937 football team. He was the backbone of the team, along with Simons, DiCapua, and Reynolds. He had the uncanny skill to predict the opponent’s offense to call others into defense, and the 1937 football team allowed only 6 points the whole season.
After graduation, he played semi-pro football with the Hartford Blue Ridgers in his specialized position as a guard. Despite his deafness, he became an outstanding player and a valued and respected teammate.
DiCapua, Victor
Victor DiCapua
Class of 1941
Student #3554 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Victor was named as an All-American guard by “The Cavalier,” a newspaper for the deaf, in 1938. As a guard, he was the other half of the wall with Andrew Chenevert on the excellent 1937 football team. A sportsman par excellence, he never lost his temper in a game and gave encouragement and spirit to the team in every game played.
Flamio, Filomena (m. Stone)
Filomena Flamio (m. Stone)
Class of 1935
Student #3258 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Wetherbee’s greatest basketball players. She was especially good at rebounding and playmaking, making the ASD Basketball Teams the powerhouse in the Greater Hartford Area.
Filomena could have been a prolific scorer, but Coach Wetherbee felt that putting her on defense would enable Filomena to rebound and play defense to get the ball back to the team’s offense. Sportsmanship and teamwork were also her forte.
Harris, Priscilla (m. Wood)
Priscilla Harris (m. Wood)
Class of 1930
Student #3135 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Along with the first woman inductee into ASD Hall of Fame, Mary Maulucci (m. Zack), in 1989, Priscilla was a scoring leader for a few years as a basketball forward. She was the 1930 team captain whose team had outstanding players.
Priscilla was a leader, and she demonstrated good sportsmanship and hard work for the 1927 to 1930 basketball teams. In addition to the 1930 team record, it won 17 out of 19 games she played. Priscilla was a truly exceptional player.
Kaczynski, Sophie (m. Kolenda)
Sophie Kaczynski (m. Kolenda)
Class of 1939
Student #3383 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Sophie Kaczynski was one of Beth Wetherbee’s all-time great players in women’s basketball rules. She was a sharpshooter that rarely missed the basket. Sophie was a gifted playmaker that assisted her teammates to follow plays that led to winning games. Sophie was credited for making points before the whistle blew in otherwise tied games.
Kosinski, Laura B. (m. Guiffre)
Laura B. Kosinski (m. Guiffre)
Class of 1924
Student #2988 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
A natural athlete, a come-on playmaker, Laura led her ASD team to many triumphs.
Laura was a great basketball player as a forward in ‘men’s basketball games. It was not until several years later the girls changed to woman’s basketball rules.
Laura was a born leader, and from her schoolmates who knew her best for what she did as an athlete, she has earned a place in ASD’s Hall of Fame.
Marino, Joseph P. "Jack"
Joseph P. “Jack” Marino
Class of 1936
Student #3284 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Joseph P. Marino, better known as Jack to the Deaf community, was a hard-nosed football while an ASD student. He lent his leadership and intelligence to his teammates on the gridiron.
Jack was the 1935 football captain, and the opposing teams knew the ASD football team was not to be reckoned with. Jack and his teammates played many, many great games.
The Greater Hartford area always knew that when playing against an ASD team, the opponent needed to put forth all the effort and preparation possible, and the hard-fought games were a tribute to Jack’s love for the games.
Phelon, Melva Merella (m. Marino)
Melva Merella Phelon (m. Marino)
Class of 1932
Student #3197 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Girls Basketball team for several years. During her senior year, Melva reached her potential as an excellent basketball player even though she had been a good player for several years before her last year at ASD. Melva was both an outstanding defensive and offensive player depending on ASD’s opponent.
Reynolds, Charles
Charles Reynolds
Class of 1938
Student #3288 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Charles Reynolds was an all-around athlete during 1934-1938 at ASD. Coach Walter Rockwell, an ASD Hall of Famer, labeled Charles as his greatest quarterback ever to play for him. He was a talented ball-handler and passer and was able to use the right players. Charles’s team was undefeated in 1937, 7-0. His last year at ASD.
Likewise, he was a good basketball player, a guard in his own right. He was a playmaker and a good defensive player on the court. Charles’ team was the first team to beat the Kingswood football team, and from that time on, Kingswood dropped ASD from its playing schedule.
Rzewsnski, Steve aka Steve Renick
Steve Rzewsnski aka Steve Renick
Class of 1943
Student #3455 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Steve was an all-around athlete and a basketball star. He was the highest scorer of all schools in Hartford County in 1942, a great end on ASD’s football team, and a great baseball player. After graduation, he played basketball for the New Jersey Club of the deaf, and for a while, he was an outstanding player for the Washington D.C. Club of the deaf.
Savastano, Mary (m. Johnson)
Mary Savastano (m. Johnson)
Class of 1939
Student #3426 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Mary Savastano (m. Johnson) was very active in ASD sports. She was short in stature, but her ability and speed compensated for her height and contributed to her excellence as a member of the Girls Basketball Team. She was the captain of the 1938-1939 Basketball squad. Excellence in playing various sports was her trademark, and Coach Beth Wetherbee labeled Mary as one of the greatest players ever to play on the basketball court. Mary’s team had several years of excellent records, suffice it to say that in her four years as a varsity player, the team won at least 70 games and lost no more than ten games, which was quite a feat.
Simons, Joseph "Joe"
Joseph “Joe” Simons
Class of 1938
Student #3327 – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Joe was a great athlete in each sport in which he participated. He is best remembered as a great halfback on the 1937 football team. Small in stature but pound for pound, Joe was dynamic. He was a great runner that was hard to tackle, and he was able to make many touchdowns for ASD’s football team.
Joe was one of the backbones of the 1937 football team, along with Chenevert, Reynolds, and DiCapua.
Wetherbee, Beth
Beth Wetherbee
ASD Coach – 1992 Athletic Hall of Fame
Beth was a woman who involved herself in many male sports. After graduating from Arnold College, she majored in Physical Education. Beth coached track and basketball teams at the University of South Carolina. She followed her executive husband to Hartford, became the girl’s coach in 1922, and stayed until her retirement in 1950. All those years, Beth coached winning teams. Beth was a great golfer, and she has won many amateur golf tournaments.
Committees
David Halberg ’48, Steve Borsotti ’77, David Pires ’77, Albert Darby ’55, Ray McDevitt ’63