Lynne Beiermeister is an alumna of the class of 1969 and a 2015 Hall of Fame inductee. Post-high school, Lynne attended the Goethe Institut in Germany and graduated with a BA from SUNY Albany in 1973. Post college education included courses at Hudson Valley Community College and the University of Connecticut in conjunction with Rutgers University. Lynne worked for the NYS Office of Mental Health in Quality Assurance and Standards Compliance for 33 years, retiring in 2006. Previous to becoming president of the RHS Alumni Association in 2011, she was co-president of the Friends of the Albany Berkshire Ballet and sat on the ballet’s board. Although she currently lives in Voorheesville, Lynne’s Rensselaer roots include her great-grandfather John Hall, Mayor 1919-20 and her grandfather Louis Dutcher, former VRHS principal and 2013 Hall of Fame inductee. Lynne has one daughter. She enjoys genealogy, gardening, travelling and has an antique business.
Barry Cavanaugh is an alumnus of the class of 1975. When St. John's closed, Barry came to Rensselaer HS. He played basketball for the Rams and became the school's all- time leading scorer and re-bounder. Barry's senior year, the team finished 22-1 and won the Class B-C Championship (There was no NYS tournament at that time). Towards the end of his senior year, Barry's HS basketball jersey #42 was officially retired. Barry's #42 remains the only male basketball jersey number retired for the Rams. After high school, Barry continued his education and playing career at UAlbany. Barry majored in sociology while continuing his love for basketball. He became a 4 year starter, 3rd all-time scorer and 4th all- time re-bounder. Barry was awarded the "Most Outstanding Player Award" for all athletics at UAlbany for both his junior and senior year. After college, he played professionally in Stockholm, Sweden for two years. Barry coached youth basketball, high school basketball, junior college and four year college throughout his coaching career. He became Athletic Director at Morrisville State College. He also works at the House of the Good Shepherd where he assists children who have suffered trauma in their lives. Most recently, he wrote and had published his children's book "Tree Trolls and Their Secret Gifts". Barry has been inducted into 3 "Hall of Fames" for his personal and team achievements. He was inducted into our Hall of Fame in 2013. Barry currently lives in Whitesboro, NY with his wife Denise, daughter Shaye and son Emmett.
Linda O'Toole Martino grew up in the city of Rensselaer having graduated in the class of 1973. While raising her family, she earned her Medical Assistant Certification in 1988, was a Cub Scout leader and parent during the summers to a down-state boy from the Fresh Air Fund. From 1997-2015 Linda began volunteering with the Ombudsman Program which led to the positions of Assistant Coordinator and Coordinator of the Rensselaer County Ombudsman Program where she worked as an advocate for the elderly and mentally ill. She is the founder and president of “Nopiates” a committee that assists people suffering from the disease of opiate addiction and fights for legislative change and to educate the community. Linda left “Nopiates” to become the chairperson for the legislative branch of the Rensselaer County Heroin coalition. She is currently working with others to establish a helpline in Rensselaer County to assist those suffering from addiction find services. She meets regularly with legislators, Senators and congressmen to fight for legislative change to combat the heroin epidemic that is a national health crisis. She also addresses the stigma that is associated with addiction and mental illness. She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 45 years and has six children, a “Fresh Air” son, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. She and her husband Jim live in West Sand Lake. Linda was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
John Mooney is an alumnus of the class of 1975 and the current President of the RCSD Board of Education. He is also a 2015 inductee of the Hall of Fame. John became a successful Real Estate Broker after graduating high school and has been a leading agent in his office for Howard Hanna (formerly Realty USA) for several years. He has been a respected member of the Rensselaer community for a long time, beginning with serving elected positions of 2nd Ward Alderperson from 1982-93, as a member of the Youth Bureau Board of Directors from 1991-99 and as a member of the Board of Assessment and Review from 1997 to present. He also has an active role with the Rensselaer Democratic Committee. He is a life member of the E.F. Hart Hose Fire Company and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He has also been President of the Benevolent Order of the Elks (BOE) since 2001 and has served as Treasurer for the Rensselaer Athletic Association. John has always supported the efforts and activities of the Alumni Association whole-heartedly. John has lived in Rensselaer all his life with his wife, the former Laurie Van Vorst ’76 where they raised their three children. They now have four grandchildren.
William M. (Bill) Stewart is an alumnus of the class of 1971 (the last class to graduate from the old Van Rensselaer High) and is a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee. A graduate of Siena College with a BA in Political Science, he went on to earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY-Albany in 1977. For nearly 40 years Bill held senior positions in corporate communications in both the finance and higher education fields including KeyCorp and, for 20 years before retirement in 2015, with Excelsior College. Involved with several community and non-profit organizations, he has been a firefighter/EMT for the past 23 years with the DeFreestville Fire Department. He and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters and two grandchildren. To relax, he spends as much time as he can at the family camp in the northern Adirondacks.
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