Malden High School Class of 1988 to Rededicate City Seal

The MHS Class of 1988 is pleased to announce a rededication ceremony of the Malden City Seal at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the corner of Ferry and Salem Street.

The objective of the rededication is to unveil a bronze plaque honoring the legacy of Assistant Principal John R. Benotti. The Class of ‘88 was the first graduating class under the guidance of John Benotti as Assistant Principal, who served alongside Marguerite Gonsalves as Class Advisor. The administrative duo served to shape the future of the 414 class members in a way the students continue to pay forward, 34 years after passing through the doors as graduates of the high school.

After his untimely passing in 1994, Benotti’s students vowed to keep his memory alive by adding his name to their class gift, joining the names of fallen classmates, John Ciavarro, John Rooney, and Cliff Sauvageau.

Says Senior Class President Victor Mejias, “I took my responsibility as President of the Class of 1988 very seriously. I can remember being told by [then teacher] Mrs. Magner I had to be mindful that if I got elected, I would be taking on a lifetime responsibility, to assure and oversee every class reunion. I gave her my word I would.

Another commitment I made to my class and to MHS after our revered Mr. Benotti passed away was to add Mr. B’s name to our class gift. The restoration of the Malden City Seal is our class’ legacy and a memorial to our beloved classmates. It has taken many years and is well overdue but we are now excited to report that with multiple fundraisers through our reunions and donations from local businesses, we are now prepared to fulfill that promise.”

The rededication will also serve as a celebration of life for the additional nineteen class members lost since graduation. Malden is proud to host a multitude of friends and family members who will be in attendance for this event, including Benotti’s sister, Joan.

The ceremony will be streamed live and recorded via Zoom (see connection information below). The video will be preserved with the Class of 1988’s historical records. Any comments and chat dialogs will be preserved as well as a part of this history.

There is no scheduled rain date for this observance.  In the event of inclement weather, this ceremony will be moved indoors to the Jenkins Auditorium located in the Brunelli Building of Malden High School. Further event details may be found at https://fb.me/e/1pJCEb7uZ

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