West Orange High Hall of Fame to honor 15 finalists

WINTER GARDEN When West Orange High’s Hall of Fame was introduced in 2006 and for a decade after, only former student athletes and coaches were inducted.

This year, for the first time in the Hall of Fame’s 11-year history, faculty and alumni success in academia and the arts also will be recognized.

Current athletics hall-of-famers have their pictures and plaques displayed in the gym. But this year, two displays will be added — one near the theater department for the arts honorees and one in the front office for the academia honorees.

Peter Abatiello, who has been on staff as a coach and teacher for nearly 40 years, was one of the key players in starting the Hall of Fame 11 years ago and is ecstatic to be able to expand the program to include recognition in the areas of art and academics.

“It’s always the kids who run the touchdowns who get the headlines and the others may not get any recognition, so now everyone finally gets a chance at West Orange’s Hall of Fame,” Abatiello said. “Now it includes members of band, chorus, theater (and more) who have done something upon graduation. We have a lot of smart kids who are doing great things in life.”

The nominations opened to staff and school affiliates about six weeks ago. Abatiello is part of a board that includes current and former coaches, principals who went to West Orange, teachers, the band director and theater director. Based on nominations and votes collected, the board makes the final decisions.

The Finalists:

Harold Cooper 

Cooper is known as the father of the West Orange High band, having established it in 1975 and leading it to performances in 1992 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 1997 Cherry Blossom Parade, among others. Cooper died in 1998 from cancer.

Ken Rush 

The 19-year veteran of West Orange’s theater department played a key role through the years in establishing it into a “high-school Broadway.” Rush will retire at the end of this school year.

Yvette Garnier 

Garnier was a French teacher at West Orange and formerly a professional opera singer and international recitalist with accolades in the United States, Europe and Canada. She also sang as a guest with the Central Florida Lyric Opera. Garnier died in 2012.

Julianne Morris 

A former West Orange and collegiate thespian, Morris has performed in numerous Broadway productions and television soap operas, including “The Young and the Restless,” ”The Adventures of Sinbad” and “Days of Our Lives.”

Dr. Irene Earls 

Earls has taught at West Orange since 1978 and was its “Doctor of Academia.” She started the first AP Art History program in Florida and is an accomplished author of art history books. Earls was also an Orange County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Linda Tesauro 

Tesauro was another original West Orange AP World History teacher and was named OCPS Teacher of the Year in 1986. Tesauro died in 2013 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

Shelley Wells Collins 

A member of the Class of 1990, Collins was the valedictorian and captain of the West Orange cheerleading team. She is associate chief medical officer at UF Health Shands Hospital and serves on the UF Health Patient Safety and Quality Committee.

James Tilquist 

A member of the Class of 1986 and known in the ring as Big Tilly, Tilquist was an All-State wrestler and wrestled professionally for 25 years. He and his tag team, Phi Delta Slam, operate a professional wrestling school called Bodyslam University in Fort Lauderdale.

Mark Canty 

A member of the Class of 1990, Canty played college football at Northwestern University and is the Orlando Police Department’s SWAT commander. Canty also responded to the Pulse nightclub attack in June 2016.

Bryan Dailer 

A member of the Class of 1993, Dailer played college football at Furman University. He was a business instructor at OCPS for three years before joining Charles Rutenberg Realty as a Realtor sales associate.

Lollie Labarge 

A member of the Class of 1998, Labarge played 72 games of college soccer at Rollins College. She was also a four-time letter winner there.

Rudy Zubricky 

Zubricky is the “godfather” of West Orange’s bowling program. He is the first head coach of the boys and girls bowling teams, starting in 1989, with a current record of 352-62.

Michelle Schwartz 

A member of the Class of 1994, Schwartz was an All-State softball pitcher and member of the first state championship softball team at West Orange in 1994.

Homer Torrance 

A member of the Class of 1994, Torrance played his college football at South Carolina. He is now in upper management for Walmart. 

Chris Boston 

A member of the Class of 1995, Boston played on the All-Central Florida boys basketball team and played college basketball at Valdosta State College.

Contact Danielle Hendrix at [email protected].