Hall of Fame additions! August 2014

Hall of Fame——-Teams

Conshohocken High School

Junior Varsity Basketball Team

Suburban Six 1949 Champions

In 1949 Conshohocken was a very exciting place to be, the war years were behind us, Conshohocken High School and St. Matthew’s High School were both fielding football teams again, along with baseball and basketball teams.  Dell’s Beauty Salon, Baldwin Flowers, Irwin’s Jeweler’s, Kehoe’s Hardware, Wilder’s Shoes and Prosper War’s Wholesale Meats were just a few of the hundreds of businesses flourishing in the borough.

Like most small towns in America high school sporting events were the lifeline of the community, and in 1949, Conshohocken High School had the Suburban Six Champions by way of the schools Junior Varsity Basketball Team.  When you’ve won a school championship of any kind in small town America, the player’s names were etched in stone.  Believe it or not, 65 years after winning the championship, the names of Jim Heffernen, Dom Conicelli, Marine, Pettine, Bowman, Riddle, Miller, Cressman, Young, Ferrier, and Richardson are still remembered in this community, etched in stone.

Conshohocken High School sports teams were known as the “Bears” (A name given by Conshohocken Recorder writer Walt Hannum back in 1926) but most of the junior varsity teams were known as the “Cubs,” and the Cubs turned in a 13-2 season record making them the undisputed champions of the Suburban Six League.

Perhaps the closest game of the year, (although not by looking at the score) came in week 12 in an overtime game against Spring City.  Conshy was behind the entire game and with 35 seconds remaining in the game with the score at 26-24, Conicelli hit a bucket to tie the game and send it into overtime.  Conshy scored eight overtime points to win the game 34-26, Conicelli hit for a game high 13 points and got help from Cressman and Heffernen.

The only other close games of the season came in week 13 when Conshy beat Upper Merion 27-25 and week 14 with a 23-19 victory over Berwyn.  The Conshy Cubs lost their two games to Upper Merion by a score of 24-21, and Phoenixville 35-29.

The Conshy Junior Stars did take delight in beating St. Matthew’s twice during the season, in the first game Tony Cassinelli hit for 14 points to lead Conshy to a 28-19 victory, Weidner, Hannum, Altieri, and Leroy played well in the victory.  The second game was a 30-10 beating thanks to the team play of Pettine, Heffernen, Sivick, Marine and Conicelli.

(For anyone still holding onto that St. Matthew’s/Conshy High grudge, Conshy High  varsity also won both games that year, Hannum, Leroy, and Cassinelli banging for Conshy High and Surmiak and Leightham  for St. Matthew’s High.)

Any team recording a 13-2 season record is championship worthy.

Hall Of Fame——-Business

William A. Moore Funeral Home

It’s Not What You Do IN Business, It’s What You do For The Community!!

     The William A. Moore Funeral Home located at 708 Fayette Street has more than 80 years of service as a funeral home in Conshohocken, and more impressive is the fact that Moore’s Funeral Home has spent the same amount of time contributing to the borough of Conshohocken.

     William A. Moore was a co-founder of the Conshohocken Soap Box Derby and a contributing member of the Fourth of July Festivities as long as they have been going on in this community.

William’s son Robert, and Grandsons Adam and Robert continue to contribute to Conshohocken in many ways.  Robert Sr. has been a member of the Conshohocken Ambucs for more than 30 years contributing to Conshohocken’s CYO organizations, The Fellowship House, the borough’s youth leagues both baseball and football and Mr. Moore has been a contributing member to the National Ambucs over the years helping to create independence and opportunities for people with disabilities.

     The William A. Moore Funeral Home and members of the Moore family continue to contribute to residents of Conshohocken every year on the Fourth of July with free refreshments and friendly faces at the funeral home.  The Moore family also plays an important role during the arrival of Santa Claus event held for more than two decades at Borough Hall the evening after Thanksgiving.

      Private investigators have un-covered evidence that the Moore family has personnel ties with Santa Claus, and are responsible for Santa’s appearance in Conshohocken.

     Members of the Moore family are true Conshohocken treasurers and have taken their business tactics to a whole new level that involves concerns for the resident’s wellbeing, a level that few businesses would know anything about today, and most businesses would love to achieve.

Hall Of Fame——-Event

Conshohocken Invades Akron, Ohio

For A Bus Load Of Kids From Conshohocken, It was The Trip Of A Lifetime

    In 1953, Eddie Moore, of Moore’s Chevrolet, hustled and raised enough money to put every kid that raced in the Conshohocken Soap Box Derby that year, (1953) on a train to Akron, Ohio, to view the All American Soap Box Derby Race held at Derby Downs.  It was a very exciting time for those Conshohocken kids, for many of them it was their first time outside the borough of Conshohocken, their first train ride, and for most of them it was their first time ever meeting a celebrity like Dinah Shore and her husband George Montgomery, Andy Divine and Don Ameche.  Captain Video and the Video Ranger were a big hit with the young racers out in Akron.

     One of the kids in the crowd back in 1953 was Robert Wood, Woody as he was called was fascinated with the trip.   Thirty six years later in 1989, and again in 1990, Woody organized a return trip with the help of the Conshohocken Ambucs, who arranged for every Conshohocken Soap Box Derby racer to take part in a three day bus trip to Akron, Ohio and witness the All American Race. The Ambucs raised enough money to make the trip a free venture for the kids.  More than 30 soap box derby drivers and a number of brave chaperones made the eight hour drive to Akron to enjoy the weekend festivities.

     Many of the kids met with and were photographed with Jeremy Miller, one of the stars on the television sitcom “Growing Pains,” Will Gotay of “Stand and Deliver,” Nina Blackwood of “MTV,” and Gloria Loring star of “Days of Our Lives.” 

     There were many adventures back at the dorm rooms at the University of Akron where the Conshohocken racers were guests, there were broken elevators, and noise throughout the night, a Conshohocken chaperone ALLEGEDLY poured a jar of blue water coloring into the university’s main fountain, there were police involved, and all that is another story for another time. 

     While attending the Hall of Champions Banquet and Award Ceremonies Conshohocken racers witnessed the trophy presentation to the 1989 World Champions including Faith Chauarria from Tri County, California, and David Schiller for Dayton, Ohio.

     The all-expense paid trip to Akron Ohio lasted two years, 1989 and 1990, it was a 35 year dream of Woody’s, the Conshohocken Ambucs provided the financials, but it was the determination of one young soap box racer who rode that train to Akron, Ohio back in 1953.  What an event, maybe someday the whole Akron trip scene will return, if only we had more residents like Eddie Moore and Bobby Wood, what a Hall of Fame event.

Hall of Fame—–Resident

Samuel J. Januzelli

Firefighter, Community Activist

     Sam Januzelli served his high school well, while at Conshohocken High School he was a standout pitcher for the baseball team, helped the basketball team to a 13-5 season and was the starting quarterback for the Bears football team.

     Sam served his country in the United States Army as a sergeant in the Philippines during World War Two with a long list of medals pinned to his chest.

     Sam served his community as a member of Conshohocken Historical Society, Chairman of the Mayor’s Special Events Committee back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, and a host of other Conshohocken organizations.

     Sam’s love was serving this community as a Washington Fire Company firefighter.  Sam served this community as a firefighter for more than three decades, he was the recipient of enough trophies and awards to line Fayette Street from Elm Street to Twelfth Avenue, on both sides of the street.

     Sam was more than involved with Conshohocken’s redevelopment, he helped shape the movement that so many residents enjoy today.  Sam’s vision of redevelopment was all about saving and protecting a number of landmarks in the lower end, and incorporating them into the more modern redeveloped areas.  It was only after demolishing more than 25 acres along lower Fayette Street that any developer started to consider the value of saving and utilizing the borough’s history and landmarks.

     Sam was a people person, he enjoyed the company of residents both young and old, and he had the gift of gab, in a good way.  Sam would take young men under his wing and turn them into firefighters, although rough at times, the safety of the young firefighters was Sam’s number one concern. 

     Sam would join in support of any event for the good of the town, Sam would often create events in support of the town, and was always outspoken about anything or anyone who might look down or talk down about Conshohocken or its residents.

     Conshohocken could use a few more Hall of Famer’s like the late Sam Januzelli.

(Sam passed away in November 2002, at the age of 81)

Hall of Fame——— Athlete

 Marine Colonel, Harry E. Fox

Legendary Athlete, Coach, Manager and Athletic Director

     Harry E. Fox had a long and distinguished sports career in Conshohocken and surrounding communities. From the time he played three sports at Roxborough High School, graduating in 1932, until he retired from Upper Merion High School as Athletic Director in 1975, Harry Fox was more involved in sports than any other individual that ever became part of  the Conshohocken sports scene.

     While at Drexel University Fox played varsity Baseball, Football, and Basketball, was an All-Conference Running Back for two years and named to the All-East Football Team in 1936.  He captained the Drexel Baseball Team in his junior year and won the Batting Championship of the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference in 1935.  Fox played professional baseball in Allentown, played with Narberth of the Main Line League and was acquired by the Philadelphia Athletics.

     Fox came to Conshohocken in 1937 and served as an assistance coach for two years at Conshohocken High School until 1939.  He was a head coach for several teams for two years 1940 and 1941 before going off to war.  Following World War Two, Fox was the Head Coach for several teams at Conshohocken High School from 1946 until 1958, Conshy High’s 1947 football team was given National recognition being selected as one of the finest “T” formation teams in the state of Pennsylvania.  Following the Korean War, Fox was appointed Advisory Coach for all the football programs at Conshohocken High school.

     Mr. Fox also coached Conshohocken Professional Football Teams from 1939 -1942.  Fox’s professional teams won two championships in the Eastern State Conference. While coaching basketball at Conshy High, Fox’s teams won division titles for several years winning a championship in 1953, and participating in state playoffs 1947-1950.  As coach, Fox also posted championship seasons in baseball for Conshy High. 

     In 1959 Fox took his coaching abilities to Upper Merion High School where he won a football championship in 1962. Fox retired from Upper Merion High School where he served for a number of years as the Athletic Director.

     Harry Fox was inducted into the Roxborough High School Alumni of the year in 1969, the Drexel University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972, Roxborough Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, and the Conshohocken Sports Hall of Fame also in 1982.      

     Harry Fox passed away in January 2003, he was 89 years old.