Love in Tiger Nation - Heights Schools Foundation

Love, Love, Love - All You Need is Love

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We love celebrating the range of love stories that connect Heights with alumni couples together for ten or more years. Whether you met at Heights or years later, we’d love to celebrate your relationship.

To be included, please share your story by emailing a photo, your names and grad years, and short note about how you met and how long you’ve been together. And, if you happen to have kids in CHUH schools, or kids who are Heights grads, we’d love to know that too. Send to [email protected]. Thank you!

Introducing the Boyds

Donovan ’03 and Dominique ’04 Boyd were athletes and friends during their tenure at Heights High. Shortly after Donovan graduated from college, they ran into each other at Richmond mall. Dominique assisted him in getting a job with her as a manager at Target and the rest is history… been together ever since. Donovan and Dominique have 3 children and have been together for 13 years, and married nearly 11 years.

Hanna Friess ’07

My fiancé Tim Huber ’03 and I have been dating on and off for 11 years but are finally engaged…We weren’t there at the same time, but mutual friends introduced us in 2006. I moved away to Arizona and we stayed in touch then got back together when I moved home. He proposed last month on a ski trip at Holiday Valley…We can’t wait to celebrate our first Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple!

The Weissmans

Frances “Fran” Cohen Weissman Jan ’55. Myron “Mike” Weissman June ’52″We were at Heights High for half a term but did not meet. Fixed up in summer of ’56 by a HHS graduate friend of Fran’s and also my cousin. Married summer of ’57 and had 4 HHS graduates in our wedding party. We’ve known each other for 65 years and married for 64 years.”

Meet the Fords

Ben ’03 and Caitlin (Morris) ’05 met on the drumline at Heights when he was head percussionist and she switched from flute to drums. Caithlin said,”We didn’t start dating until I was a Senior, but we have been together for 14 years total and married for 4. On our wedding day, we surprised all of our guests by playing them out of the ceremony venue with cadences we played while on the line – since all of our groomsmen were former Heights drumline members…It made for an unforgettable part of our wedding day!”

Sybilla Waltrip, ’00

My husband Jamie and I are both Heights High graduates. I am from the class of 2000 and he is from the class of 2001. We first met at Heights in 1997 when I was a sophomore and he was a freshman. We were together (or as together as a couple of teenagers can be!) for about two months that year but then we went our separate ways. We reunited about five years later and became good friends. In 2011, we began dating again. We have been together ever since and we got married at Nighttown in 2016. Today, we have a home in Cleveland Heights where we live with our two cats. My favorite part about our Cleveland Heights love story is that although we didn’t know it for many years, our true love was right there all along!

Meet The Stewarts

Gervon ’99 and Franchesca ’99 met in Mr. Factor’s 10th grade history class. They sang in the Heights Gospel Choir together, and dated only for a few months. But fate brought them back together during their college years and the rest is history – they’ve been married 14 years and counting.

Meet Brad & Sharon Herbst

They met at school when Brad ('90) came up to Sharon ('92) at her locker, when she was a Freshman, and told her that her locker was his locker, the previous year. Only to find out years later, that was a lie, he just needed a way to strike up a conversation with her! They married in October of 1998. They’ve resided in Jacksonville, FL for 21 years.

Nancy Tucker Brewster ’73

My husband, Robert Brewster, graduated in 1971 and I graduated in 1973. We didn’t know one another while in school. We actually met in a bar (Bobby was bartending) in January 1986 and got married in 1987. The rest is history! Love him to the moon and back!!

From the Smiths

Jacques ’90 & Justine ’88: Years after graduation, in 1994… “I could not believe I was finally on a date with this beautiful girl from Heights …(the nice girl from Ms. McQueens’ typing class, Room 105…) I used to always wait around just to make conversation and watch them walk down the hall or into the Social Room. I always thought Justine was amazingly gorgeous and made sure I always spoke to her, dreaming of having the courage one day to ask her out. Well, that day definitely happened and I married that “beautiful girl” on Christmas Eve in 1994 and have been together since. Our children are even Heights High grads – Taylor ’13 and Jacques Jr ’17.”

Meet the Senturias

Julianna Johnston ’87 & Harris ’87: Harris and I sat next to each other in Government class senior year and became friends talking about politics. We reconnected through a mutual friend years later. We met on Coventry for lunch, and kept talking through dinner — and got married the next year! We just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last Fall.

Meet the Schenkers

Barry Schenker class of June, 1961 and Beverly Guttman class of January, 1963 met in the Heights Choir in September, 1960. After experiencing the spring choir trip to Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville they became serious in 1962, graduating from Miami University April of 1966 and will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this coming June residing in Fairport, NY. Their 3 sons attended Belvoir, Wiley and Heights before moving to NY in 1987. Thanks to you George Strickling for all these wonderful memories. 🎼

Norm Aladjem '74 & Laura Givner '74

Thanks to another Heights Grad acting as matchmaker… Norm Aladjem (74) and Laura Givner (74) met 25 years after high school. Laura didn’t remember Norm from high school but Norm had a crush on her in high school. Norm lived in CA and Laura was visiting there for a couple months when Heidi Rotbart (1973) , living in Ca., let Norm know that Laura was in Los Angeles. They never met while she was in LA but started communicating online and then on the phone once she had returned home to Philly and ultimately met 6 months later for dinner in NYC. They started a cross country romance. Laura and her 2 daughters (Heather and Jamie) moved to California 8 months later. Laura and Norm married and their daughter Mackenzie was born on 09/11/2001. In September 2020, they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

Say Congrats to the Leutenbergs

Ester ’54 and Jay ’53: Ester (Estelle Atkin), a member of the Heights High Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, describes first meeting Jay when “he would walk by and pull my red-haired ponytail.” She was only 12! A couple of years later, after on-again-off-again courting, he rescued her in a swimming pool. “In my infinite 14 year-old wisdom, knowing he would always take care of me, I went back to going steady with Jay! This August 14th Jay and I will celebrate 68th going steady anniversary! And on Sept. 12, our 65th wedding anniversary.”

Meet the Sims

Class of ’96 – Bradley Sims and Shlana Sims (Mattox): They began dating in Sept.1995, after meeting in the Heights High School library. “We made it through attending different colleges in different states,” according to Shlana, to be married in 2001. That’s 18 years this year!

Meet Moses Jhirad & Susan Baikerman

Both class of 1980 alumni who met each other at their 10 year reunion. They were married in 1992 and still reside in Cleveland Heights.

Meet Generations of Hangers

From Meghan Hanger – “My grandparents, Donald Ward Hanger and Jean Tippett Hanger, class of 1935. Both in the choir, and as young children were in a production of Hansel and Gretel together. They married on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 26, 1942. They were married 55 years and had three children, and two grandchildren, both Heights grads themselves, Jody Hanger (class of 1987) and me, Megan Hanger (class of 1992), who also married a Heights grad, Matt Albers, class of 1992. Photos are an engagement and wedding photo as well as the brick that adorns the Heights walkway in celebration.”

Introducing the Waltrips

Jeri (Hughes) class of ’73 and James Waltrip IV class of ’78: They were married 4/29/1979. They will be celebrating their 40th anniversary this Spring! Jeri said, “We weren’t classmates, but his family moved two doors away from our family in 1975 and we’ve been together ever since. Married April 29, 1979. Our three children are also Tigers, Jamie (class of 2001), Anna (class of 2007), and Jonathan (class of 2009).”

Meet the Binkleys

Judy (Domholdt) ’82 asked Dave Binkley ’82 out in 11th grade. (She had noticed him in Miss Russo’s class….) After Judy’s band concert on April 9, 1981 they went to Norton’s on Cedar Road and shared a Cookie Monster for their first date. The picture is from Senior Prom. They have been married since July 20, 1985 and really enjoy their Class of ’82 reunions!

Meet The Bolingers

Trish said, “We started dating his senior year (1985) and my sophomore year. We attended both of our proms together and also both went on to graduate from BGSU. We got married in 1993 and recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. 34 years total together! We have two sons as well as identical twin granddaughters who just turned one!” ❤

Meet the Frieds

As told by son Adam fried, ’87: Adam said “My mom and dad (Ken ’61 and Elaine ’63 (nee Agin) Fried) both went to Heights. My dad was 2 years older than my mom they got married after he graduated college. I have my mom’s diary where she speaks of falling in love with my dad and also when they had their first kiss. I have a newspaper article framed on my office wall from the Dayton Daily News, September 29, 1963. It was Yom Kippur and my mom feigned ill so she could sneak away to visit my dad at OSU. They were photographed at an Ohio State Football game wearing casual clothing. The title of the article was “Smart Style Takes Holiday as Coeds Cheer for OSU”. In the background, just about everyone else was wearing suits and ties. That article made its way from Dayton to my mom’s uncle and probably a grounding. They got married and, even though they fought every once in a while, there was not a day that I recall where my dad did not rub my mom’s feet. They were soulmates and rest together at mount olive cemetery for eternity.”

Donna Wingfield & Brett Kaleal, June '77

Donna says,”I met my husband Brett in November 1974, when he walked me to Mrs Levy’s 5th period English class. We both Graduated in June 1977, and we were married in October 1977! We will be celebrating our 43rd wedding anniversary this year. We have a son , daughter and two grandchildren. I love him with all my ❤️. So blessed.”

Meet the Israels

Jerry, ’60 and Carol, ’58 Israel: Carol said,”My husband and I are both grads and are married 56 years. Jerry graduated in 1958 and me in 1960.”

Meet the Sirkins

Marshall Sirkin and Linda Copley Sirkin, from the Class of 1960. Linda said in 2020, “Marshall and I are Heights High Graduates…..Class of 1960. Married 46 years this October.”

Meet the Chesters

Jerry Chester Class of ’78, and Megan (Mann) Chester Class of ’79: “We did not know each other at Heights, but met at University Hospitals of Cleveland, after we both returned from college, and ended up working on the same Nursing Unit. We met in May of 1983, decided that we wanted to get married by August, got engaged in October, and got married the following May. This May 20th, will mark 37 years of marriage, 38 overall. We have two grown children, and are happily retired in Osprey, FL.”