Almost a third of the entire Class of 1969 gathered for their fifty-fifth reunion during Homecoming weekend, including Gaye and John Deal, George Mirmelstein, Mary Edwards Wertsch, Sue (Maida) Kirk, Karen Kneupfer, Joe Johnson (with wife Linda), Dr. Don Twyman (with wife Sheila), and Ed Walters (with wife Barb). The celebration began the evening of October 18, 2024, with a feast at Azzurri Italian Restaurant, located in Newport News’ Hidenwood Shopping Center, a childhood hangout for several members of the class. Both during the meal and the following day, when they walked through familiar sections of the original HRA hallways, the old friends were struck by how little had changed in more than half a century. “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” said class ambassador Gaye Mitchell Deal, employing the French for “The more things change, the more they stay the same”—a tribute to the love of the language that HRA teachers Hilda Hatcher and Col. Edward E. Farnsworth cultivated when the Class of 1969 was in high school. But during their Saturday night dinner in the private dining room of Second Street American Bistro, the classmates were astounded to find how many of their friends’ stories from those years were somehow new to them. Those eye-opening tales are part of the glue that draws them together each time they meet. “We have been, and always will be, the best of friends, even if we do not see one another often, even if we do not talk often, or text or email often,” Gaye Deal said. “We share the unbreakable bond of the Class of 1969. Our sense of this bond is reinforced every time we attend a reunion. And we never forget those who cannot be with us for whatever reason.”

The Class of 1974 celebrated its landmark fiftieth reunion on Saturday, October 19, 2024, with an upscale cocktail party at Fin Seafood in Port Warwick, Newport News. Reconnecting over seafood hors d’oeuvres, tasty desserts, and a champagne toast to all in attendance, more than fifty classmates, friends, and HRA faculty and staff came together for the occasion. John Stout ’82 and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 supplied name tags, old photographs, and a slideshow highlighting the times the Class of 1974 shared while at HRA. Reflecting on an evening of “many happy memories and much laughter,” class ambassador Leigh Morris Henze ’74 excitedly declared that she and her classmates all look forward to their fifty-fifth reunion in 2029.

More than 20 members of the Class of 1984 gathered for their fortieth reunion on October 19, 2024, at the home of Rebecca and Tommy Fass ’84. “Everyone enjoyed the delicious hors d’oeuvres while catching up and reminiscing about their experiences in high school,” said class ambassador Birgit Reese Kingsbury ’84. The picturesque backdrop of the James River and a stunning sunset helped to make it an unforgettable evening for all.

Kicking off their thirty-fifth reunion on campus at the All-Alumni Tailgate on October 18, 2024, the Class of 1989 had a blast reconnecting with each other and with old friends in other classes. “The Navigator school spirit is alive and well,” said class ambassadors Laura Freed ’89 and Dr. Paul Shin ’89. The following evening, the classmates met for dinner at Newport News eatery Circa 1918 Kitchen and Bar. In attendance were Stephen Elliott (with wife Patty), Kevin Molloy (with wife Liz), Susan Ailsworth Jones, Beth (James) Longest, and Michelle White Orphanidys (with husband George), along with Freed and Shin. As the class agents fondly recalled, “Class of ’89 ‘man-about-town’ Jim Reid arrived fashionably late with celebrity guest alums Mark ‘Mo’ Overman ’87 and wife Kristen, Trey Phillips ’87, and Scott Reid ’84.” Even classmates who could not be present played an active role by participating in a Zoom planning call, including Dr. Meredith Temple-O’Connor, Amy (Horgan) Fiveash, Marcus Dame, George Cornwell, Lindsay Gaskins Higgins, Sydney Smith, and Karen Ullman Pai. “No matter how long it’s been,” Freed and Shin said, “the bond we share from HRA will never fade. Thirty-five years later and it feels like no time has passed.” The Class of 1989 is sincerely grateful to HRA for hosting the tailgate and to Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 for always encouraging the classmates to connect.

The Class of 2004 held its twentieth reunion during Homecoming weekend 2024 at the James River Country Club in Newport News. Greeted by Head of School Jay Lasley, 23 classmates and several significant others gathered for dinner and a display of alumni memorabilia, the 2004 HRA yearbook, and photographs from their time at the school. Some members of the class also attended the Friday evening All-Alumni Tailgate and soccer game, as well as a Saturday breakfast at Newport News diner Papou George’s Hot Dogs, owned by Frannie Shivar ’04. Class ambassador Adam Garrett ’04 expressed his deep gratitude for the efforts of Shivar and fellow 2004 graduates Danielle Mooza Annechiarico, Jamie Sample, Kyle Webb, and Sarah Kish Morgan in planning the celebration, along with Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83. “All in all,” Garrett said, “it was a wonderful twentieth reunion, where classmates were genuinely happy to see each other again and to reengage, reunite, and pledge to keep in touch!”

Nearly half of the Class of 2019, along with spouses and significant others, came together for their fifth reunion at Tradition Brewing Company in Newport News on December 27, 2024. “Perfectly timed during the holiday season, the event served as an ideal homecoming for classmates returning from out of town,” said class ambassador Lt. Carey Hutchens II ’19. “The heartwarming evening was filled with nostalgia as friends reminisced about their days at HRA, shared college experiences, and swapped updates on careers, adventures, and new beginnings.” The recent classmates had much to celebrate, having built meaningful careers in such fields as finance, national defense, and marketing, with future doctors, dentists, and lawyers in the group as well. A highlight of the evening, Hutchens recalled, was a surprise guest appearance by Harrison Rae-FitzHarris, the young son of Mark FitzHarris ’19, “who stole the show and added an extra dose of joy to the gathering.” “Although it had been five years since graduation—and for some, five years since last seeing one another—the group quickly slipped back into easy, familiar conversations and friendships, as if no time had passed at all,” Hutchens said. The Class of 2019 left the celebration “with full hearts and a shared excitement for the future,” especially their next reunion in 2029. “Until then, the Class of 2019 will carry the spirit of their shared memories, lessons learned, and lifelong friendships from HRA into the next chapter of their lives.”