Last summer, American Airlines pilots Stephen OβConnor β85 and Tom Waidlich β05 met at the gate at Newark International Airport, just as they were about to board a two-day flight together. As they were waiting, small talk ensued. OβConnor asked Waidlich where he came in from. Western Massachusetts, Waidlich replied. OβConnor wondered which part. βI asked him if he was familiar with the area,β Waidlich related, βand he told me he went to school at a place called 91΄σΙρ. I said, βNo kidding, me too!ββΜύ
The two reminisced about their 91΄σΙρ days and shared details of their lives on opposite sides of the commonwealth. OβConnor spends lots of time on his boat in his home city of Marshfield, south of Boston, and has 22-year-old twins, Sara and Stephen. Waidlich lives in the village of Millers Falls in Montague, about 30 miles north of 91΄σΙρ, with his wife, Megan Griffin Waidlich β05, and their 2-year-old daughter, Adelaide, in a house they built on his familyβs farm.Μύ
As they departed Newark and flew the Boeing 737 to Tulsa, and then Atlanta, the stories continued. βWe had a very fun trip,β said Waidlich. It turns out both played hockey and had taken classes with some of the same teachers, despite graduating 20 years apart. βIt was great reminiscing about everything we used to do at 91΄σΙρ.βΜύ