Eagle Valley High School will honor the legacy of Ralph and Janice Starr on Friday
Event is part of 50th reunion celebrations for classes of '73,'74, '75, and '76
Courtesy photo
Eagle Valley High School and the classes of 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976 will dedicate Legacy Hall in honor of Ralph and Janice Starr on Friday, June 28, at the school’s campus in Gypsum. The ceremony at 7 p.m. will be presided over by Derrick Wiemer of the Eagle Valley High School Foundation as the master of ceremonies.
A distinguished lineup of speakers, including Pete Nolan, Susan Kraemer, Deena Starr Eaton, Danelle Starr Fabianich, and Dale Starr, will share their insights and memories. The highlight of the event will be the presentation of the plaque, a symbol of the Starrs’ enduring legacy.
Following the ceremony, guests are cordially invited to a reception in the foyer outside the auditorium. This event is not just a dedication but a celebration of the Starrs’ contributions to our community and the lasting impact they have made. We look forward to welcoming faculty, students, alumni, and community members to this special occasion.
From being students themselves to teaching, counseling, coaching and sponsoring student clubs, Janice and Ralph Starr have been critical leaders within all facets of the Eagle County School District.
And as Eagle Valley High School graduates from 1973 to 1976 started planning 50th reunion celebrations this summer, the alumni brought forward the idea of dedicating the high school’s Legacy Hall to honor the Starrs.
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“Think of the impact that Ralph and Janice Starr must’ve made where people want to honor them 50 years later,” said Eagle Valley High School principal Tom Laframboise. “It’s a huge impact.”
Legacy Hall at Eagle Valley High School is a stretch of hallway lined with portraits of every Devil graduate back to the 1940s.
Renaming this stretch for the Starrs is a fitting tribute as Ralph and Janice both embody the word legacy within the district and school, Laframboise added.
Janice Starr attended Eagle Valley Elementary School, Eagle Junior Senior High and was a member of the first graduating class at Eagle Valley High School. This class decided the school’s current colors, mascot and fight song, the latter of which Janice and her friends composed themselves.
Similarly, Ralph Starr was educated from elementary to middle school in the local district, attending Minturn Elementary, Minturn Junior/Senior High and was a member of the first graduating class of Battle Mountain High School.
During her tenure at Eagle Valley High School, Janice taught business education (including typing and later word processing, accounting, business law, business English and shorthand), sponsored its pep club and cheerleading squad, and taught its journalism class (putting out the weekly newspaper and yearbook for 22 years).
During his tenure in the school district, Ralph taught junior high math at Eagle Valley High School, worked as a school counselor at Eagle Valley Elementary, Red Sandstone Elementary School and Gypsum Elementary School, and served for a short period as principal of Gypsum Elementary. He also coached numerous teams including football, basketball, wrestling, track, cross-country and volleyball for junior high and high school students.
