There is no better place to remember campers and staff who have left us than sitting here at the Horseshoe, looking out on Lake Stratton. We can almost hear their voices, once young and alive. We can envision them on the waterfront, performing in a camp play, playing softball, shooting riflery, and being part of this sacred community. We remember our personal interactions with them and the camaraderie we experienced together for 4 or 8 weeks, whether for one summer or many. They enriched our lives, and we hope we enriched theirs.

For many people, their best friends are from school or work or religious gatherings. For many of us, our summer camp friends are our best friends, as witnessed by this amazing turnout today.

Here is a poem that captures the spirit of summer camp fellowship and the memories of those who have passed. It is called:

They Are Here

We came back here to remember
to a place where summers seemed endless,
where friendships came easily,
and laughter carried farther
than we ever knew it could.

We remember the voices,
the jokes told a hundred times,
the teasing and the stories,
the friends who knew us
when we were young.

Some were here for only a summer.
Some returned year after year.
Some became friends for a lifetime.
And some, whose names we remember today,
left us far too soon.

But somehow, here at camp,
the years between then and now
don't seem quite so long.

We can almost hear them again
laughing beside us,
calling across the camp,
joining in the stories
that somehow grow better
with every telling.

Perhaps that is the gift
of coming back.

For a little while,
we are not separated by years,
or distance,
or even by death.

We are simply together again.

The boys we once were.
The friends we became.
And the friends we carry with us still.

So today, we remember them
not only with sadness,
but with gratitude.

For the summers we shared.
For the laughter they gave us.
For the friendships that helped shape our lives.

And when this reunion is over
and once again we leave this place,
we will take them with us

as we always have.

Because those we loved here
never truly left camp.

They live in its stories.
They live in its laughter.
They live in the friendships
that somehow survived all these years.

And whenever we come back,
so do they.

In some cultures, it is said that mentioning the name of a departed loved one energizes their eternal soul. For our camp Waupaca family members who have passed, mentioning their names will get them an extra canteen tonight!

At this time, we will recite the names of those that we know of who have passed (updated 09/05/2026):

Sorted by Name				Sorted by Date Passed
Name	From	To	Year Deceased	Name	From	To	Year Deceased
Stan Abram	1952	1953	2021	Skipper Kuklin	1951	1966	1973
David Belden	1952	1957	2025	Dr. Sam Salan	1951	1976	1981
Joey Berman	1978	1981	UNK	Jon Reder	1972	1976	1985
Lou Berns	1968	1971	UNK	Erv Kasian	1970	1979	1987
Mike Berns	1969	1971	2019	Bill Wanty	1967	1988	1995
Tom Bronsky	1953	1955	2022	Leroy Clotiaux	1969	1977	1996
Lenny Burstyn	1980	1981	2019	Manny Desnet	1966	1988	1997
Steve Chavin	1969	1973	UNK	Georgia Euer	1969	1988	1997
Jessie Clingingsmith	1971	1979	2020	Wally Tomchek	1959	1968	1997
Chris Clotiaux	1969	1977	UNK	Howard Feinstein	1952	1952	2000
Craig Clotiaux	1969	1977	2012	Darold Kramer	1966	1988	2001
Leroy Clotiaux	1969	1977	1996	Terry Rifkin	1959	1986	2001
RoseMary Clotiaux	1969	1977	2012	David Goldstein	1972	1976	2002
Bernie Cohen	1966	1988	2014	Nate Greenberg	1961	1966	2003
David Cohen	1973	1982	2019	Ira Lurvey	1953	1954	2003
Chuck Cooper	1958	1968	UNK	Joe Rosen	1951	1959	2003
Don Danielson	1954	1954	2025	Darrell Pollack	1975	1976	2004
Sam Defiglio	1953	1954	2017	Emily Field	1966	1968	2005
Jeff Denenberg	1960	1966	2023	Ray Krysh	1972	1986	2008
Lillian Desnet	1966	1988	2014	Loretta Kuklin	1951	1966	2008
Manny Desnet	1966	1988	1997	David Gassel	1973	1976	2009
Jay Doniger	1952	1953	2018	Sanford Takiff	1951	1952	2009
Ira Dubrow	1953	1959	2017	Dan Lyon	1955	1963	2010
Steve Ehrlich	1953	1954	UNK	Bill Figatner	1967	1969	2011
Howard Ellegant	1951	1955	2023	Don Gerowitz	1962	1964	2011
Georgia Euer	1969	1988	1997	Murray Mattenson	1965	1965	2011
Mike Euer	1969	1988	2023	David Wax	1970	1977	2011
Howard Feinstein	1952	1952	2000	Stuart Weiner	1959	1961	2011
Emily Field	1966	1968	2005	Craig Clotiaux	1969	1977	2012
Bill Figatner	1967	1969	2011	RoseMary Clotiaux	1969	1977	2012
Arno Filerman	1954	1954	2025	Steve Kuklin	1951	1966	2012
Marty Garb	1958	1964	2021	Allen Schaeffer	1960	1968	2012
Ricky Garfinkle	1976	1980	2026	Scott Slutzky			2012
Arnie Gassel	1966	1988	UNK	Max Tyson	1952	1953	2012
David Gassel	1973	1976	2009	Bob Krohn	1958	1966	2013
Don Gerowitz	1962	1964	2011	Jeff Krum	1964	1964	2013
David Goldstein	1972	1976	2002	Bernie Cohen	1966	1988	2014
Peter Gootrad	1963	1965	2022	Lillian Desnet	1966	1988	2014
Jon Gordon	1981	1988	2022	Neil Nelson	1985	1988	2014
Nate Greenberg	1961	1966	2003	Jordan Rotheiser	1953	1954	2015
Maxine Greenstein	1979	1984	2024	Jim Veltman	1972	1973	2015
Rick Horwitz	1980	1983	2017	Sam Defiglio	1953	1954	2017
Chuck Humburg	1980	1980	2020	Ira Dubrow	1953	1959	2017
Sid Kaplan	1951	1951	2020	Rick Horwitz	1980	1983	2017
Erv Kasian	1970	1979	1987	Corey Kramer	1966	1988	2017
Corey Kramer	1966	1988	2017	Greg Prebish	1977	1982	2017
Darold Kramer	1966	1988	2001	Bryan Suppo	1982	1984	2017
Bob Krohn	1958	1966	2013	Craig Zucker	1973	1974	2017
Jeff Krum	1964	1964	2013	Jay Doniger	1952	1953	2018
Ray Krysh	1972	1986	2008	Gary Silbar	1973	1975	2018
Loretta Kuklin	1951	1966	2008	Marty Spagat	1953	1954	2018
Skipper Kuklin	1951	1966	1973	Mike Berns	1969	1971	2019
Steve Kuklin	1951	1966	2012	Lenny Burstyn	1980	1981	2019
Ira Lurvey	1953	1954	2003	David Cohen	1973	1982	2019
Dan Lyon	1955	1963	2010	Bob Marks	1975	1976	2019
Hal Malen	1963	1964	2022	Steve Sime	1981	1985	2019
Bob Marks	1975	1976	2019	Herbie Sobel	1961	1961	2019
Murray Mattenson	1965	1965	2011	Jessie Clingingsmith	1971	1979	2020
Bob Mowen	1965	1988	2026	Chuck Humburg	1980	1980	2020
Ross Much	1976	1978	UNK	Sid Kaplan	1951	1951	2020
Mark Nahin	1956	1958	2020	Mark Nahin	1956	1958	2020
Neil Nelson	1985	1988	2014	Stuart Wolkoff	1951	1956	2020
Ray Pietryla	1953	1953	2024	Stan Abram	1952	1953	2021
Darrell Pollack	1975	1976	2004	Marty Garb	1958	1964	2021
Rick Poole	1978	1986	2024	Jon Shulman	1975	1979	2021
Greg Prebish	1977	1982	2017	Tom Bronsky	1953	1955	2022
Chris Ray	1964	1965	UNK	Peter Gootrad	1963	1965	2022
Jon Reder	1972	1976	1985	Jon Gordon	1981	1988	2022
Terry Rifkin	1959	1986	2001	Hal Malen	1963	1964	2022
Harlan Rips	1962	1966	2024	Brad Waxman	1981	1984	2022
Loren Roseman	1979	1981	2025	Jeff Denenberg	1960	1966	2023
Joe Rosen	1951	1959	2003	Howard Ellegant	1951	1955	2023
May Rosen	1951	1959	UNK	Mike Euer	1969	1988	2023
Jordan Rotheiser	1953	1954	2015	Neal Tyson	1953	1955	2023
Dr. Sam Salan	1951	1976	1981	Maxine Greenstein	1979	1984	2024
Allen Schaeffer	1960	1968	2012	Ray Pietryla	1953	1953	2024
Harvey Schneider	1952	1953	UNK	Rick Poole	1978	1986	2024
Jon Shulman	1975	1979	2021	Harlan Rips	1962	1966	2024
Gary Silbar	1973	1975	2018	Dave Weiner	1951	1953	2024
Larry Silton	1953	1959	2026	David Belden	1952	1957	2025
Steve Sime	1981	1985	2019	Don Danielson	1954	1954	2025
Scott Slutzky			2012	Arno Filerman	1954	1954	2025
Herbie Sobel	1961	1961	2019	Loren Roseman	1979	1981	2025
Ricky Sobel	1961	1961	UNK	Harry Teinowitz	1972	1973	2025
Marty Spagat	1953	1954	2018	Wayne Towne	1957	1981	2025
Bryan Suppo	1982	1984	2017	Ricky Garfinkle	1976	1980	2026
Sanford Takiff	1951	1952	2009	Bob Mowen	1965	1988	2026
Harry Teinowitz	1972	1973	2025	Larry Silton	1953	1959	2026
Wally Tomchek	1959	1968	1997	Joey Berman	1978	1981	UNK
Wayne Towne	1957	1981	2025	Lou Berns	1968	1971	UNK
Max Tyson	1952	1953	2012	Steve Chavin	1969	1973	UNK
Neal Tyson	1953	1955	2023	Chris Clotiaux	1969	1977	UNK
Jim Veltman	1972	1973	2015	Chuck Cooper	1958	1968	UNK
Bill Wanty	1967	1988	1995	Steve Ehrlich	1953	1954	UNK
David Wax	1970	1977	2011	Arnie Gassel	1966	1988	UNK
Brad Waxman	1981	1984	2022	Ross Much	1976	1978	UNK
Dave Weiner	1951	1953	2024	Chris Ray	1964	1965	UNK
Stuart Weiner	1959	1961	2011	May Rosen	1951	1959	UNK
Stuart Wolkoff	1951	1956	2020	Harvey Schneider	1952	1953	UNK
Craig Zucker	1973	1974	2017	Ricky Sobel	1961	1961	UNK