The Bay Shore High School Alumni Association hosted their 2024 Hall of Fame Dinner, inducting 13 honorees into the 2024 Class on Tuesday, April 16. The elite Bay Shore High School Hall of Fame features accomplished alumni, teachers, and administrators that have or have had successful and impactful careers, whose journeys serve as an inspiration and guidance to our current and future high school students. Hosted at Captain Bill’s Bayview House, attendees were inspired by the inductees and entertained by dinner chairman Frank Boulton (‘69), master of ceremonies Rev. John Morrison III (‘59), and a delicious meal.

Coach Steve Borbet

Coach Borbet came to Bay Shore High School in 1975 where he taught 36 years and coached for 49 years for 147 straight seasons, in which he had a no cut policy. Under Coach Borbet, Bay Shore was victorious in competitions around the nation, and won 41 Suffolk County Championships—the most by any coach in Suffolk County history.

Coach Borbet was selected as Coach-of-the-Year over 140 times. His legacy as cross-country and track and field coach was cemented in 2011 when the track was renamed the “Steve Borbet Track.” With 80 of his former athletes becoming track coaches themselves, Borbet’s influence lives on in every athlete he trained.

Susan Petrie Boudreau ‘60

In addition to being a Bay Shore educator for almost 30 years at Gardiner Manor School, Boudreau served as President of the Bay Shore Beautification Society for 24 years—a volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the beauty of the community. Under her leadership, the Beautification Society created town gardens, raised funds for town improvement projects, and enhanced the natural beauty of Bay Shore. She has received numerous citations and accolades at the state and town levels for her community contributions that helped to bring the resurgence of Bay Shore.

Harry Brown Jr., ‘66

Rev. Morrison explained that members of the Alumni Association had been trying to get their President Harry inducted into the Hall of Fame for years, which Brown continuously declined, as he preferred to honor others. A guarded secret, Brown did not know he would be honored until the dinner began, and his family members from around the country walked in in a surprise entrance.

Brown was elected to the Bay Shore Board of Education in 1991, and along with his fellow board members, he dedicated himself to strengthening the school system and improving the community at large. Harry aided in the creation of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Summit Council, uniting positive community entities together as a driving force for Bay Shore’s improvement.

As president of the Bay Shore High School Alumni Association, the not-for-profit organization has raised over $200,000 in scholarship funds for graduating seniors. Brown’s vision in 2002 to create a Bay Shore High School Hall of Fame has led to accomplished alumni and revered school district icons getting the recognition they deserve.

James Corrigans ‘65

While teaching at Bay Shore Middle School for 34 years, Corrigans has coached boys track and girls basketball teams, and served as the yearbook advisor. Corrigans teaches Sunday School, serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church, and works with the History Committee to research and write the 106-year history of his church. While traveling to Ghana, India, Chile, Thailand, and Guatemala, Corrigans has handed out millions of testaments.

Alyce Finell ‘57

As an Emmy and Ace Award-winning TV producer and writer, Alyce Finell was frequently on loan-out contracts to major corporations. Finell was responsible for the development and production of more than 40 television series. Alyce Finell currently serves as co-director of The Mabel Mercer Foundation and is administrator for New York City’s popular annual Cabaret Conventions. Recently, Finell decided to pursue songwriting, and has now created a musical fantasy titled “Mabel’s Place,” which she says is her own love song to the cabaret community. Finell has since been honored with a Cabaret Cares Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Joseph La Puma ‘01

After graduating from college, he began working at the pop culture publication Complex Magazine. La Puma’s byline has been featured in more cover stories (21) than any other writer in Complex history, including profiles on Justin Beiber, Katy Perry, and Kid Cudi.

Since debuting his YouTube show “Sneaker Shopping” in 2014, “Sneaker Shopping” has become the No. 1 sneakers and style show on YouTube, and La Puma has interviewed icons like Eminem, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Billie Eilish, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Joseph Leggio ‘60 and Louis V. Leggio ‘62

Bay Shore’s ambassadors for hospitality are the two youngest brothers in the Leggio family. Joe and Louis’ iconic Leggio’s Deli and Grocery on 4th Avenue was known for their famous heroes, and at Leggio’s, everyone was treated like family. The deli was so beloved, Bay Shore High School students even made their yearbook Leggio hero themed. The brothers collected money for the Bay Shore High School Senior Scholarship Fund, with scholarships being awarded every year since 2014. Sadly, Louie passed away in November 2022, and Joey is residing in a nursing facility due to mobility issues. Marianne Leggio and Gale Moss accept the awards on the brothers’ behalf.

Victoria Mahoney ‘84

Mahoney is considered one of the top action and drama female directors in Hollywood today. Among high profile shows directed by Mahoney are John Ridley’s “American Crime,” Netflix’s breakout hit “You,” and Apple’s “The Morning Show.” In 2018, JJ Abrams tapped Mahoney to direct the second unit on “Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker,” in which Mahoney oversaw a crew of hundreds. Mahoney has long declared that BSHS art teacher Mr. Harbart played a vital role in helping her get her footing as an artist, nurturing her creativity and offering guidance.

Dr. Mark Mendeszoon ‘83

As a partner in Precision Orthopedic Specialties in Chardon, Ohio, for the past 28 years, Mendeszoon has performed nearly 20,000 surgical procedures and seen over 250,000 office and hospital patients needing extremity medical and surgical treatment.

A lover of track and field, in 2001, he established the Maple Leaf Track program for children of all ages, and established the Chardon High school indoor track and field program. In 2008, he played an instrumental role in creating Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, into an Olympic Training Committee, attending the 2012 and 2016 olympic games as a personal doctor to several international athletes.

Mendeszoon has been engaged in performing research on a flat foot surgical technique that he developed named “Cuboid Zoom Osteotomy,” and teaches the procedure around the world.

Jessica Meyer ‘92

Award-winning composer and violist, the Juilliard graduate’s compositions have been performed by the most talented musicians; her first Symphonic Band piece was commissioned and toured by the president’s own Marine Band, with a sold-out New York premiere in Carnegie Hall. Her first composer/performer portrait album in 2019 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard traditional classical chart. Meyers has given workshops around the country for over 20 years to help students activate their own creativity. She shared that her accomplishments were only possible with the guidance of Carole Lutz Bischof, Ted Scalzo, and Reynard Burns.

Derek Peterson ‘84

Founder and CEO of Soter Technologies, a rapidly growing environmental sensor and technology innovator headquartered in Ronkonkoma, Peterson uses technology to address complex social, business, and community safety challenges.

Peterson has over 82 patents in his name, and among his potentially world-changing products is SymptomSense Medical Evaluation Gateway, which rapidly scans vital signs, including blood oxygen levels, body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. The product has been featured on NBC/s Today Show, MSNBC, Inside Edition, and more.

Thomas F Roberts, III ‘57 (1939-2013)

While wildly successful in banking and real estate, Roberts’ greatest legacy was saving and preserving the Fire Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse, which was built in 1858, was decommissioned in 1973 by the U.S Coast Guard. After learning that the lighthouse was slated for demolition in 1978, Roberts started the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society and helped raise over $5 million in total for the society, ultimately leading to the lighthouse being restored and relit, and earning him a long list of accolades for his dedication.

Christopher Seeger ‘78

Seeger founded his own law firm Seeger Weiss in 1999 to represent plaintiffs in personal injury cases. Today, Seeger is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and accomplished plaintiff’s attorneys in the country. He has achieved landmark settlements worth billions of dollars in numerous cases, including more than $50 billion for communities grappling with the prescription opioid crisis. n