Yearbook Project: Greg Morra, RHS Class of 1974

MyRye.com is starting a new series called the Yearbook Project. We are highlighting members of the Rye High School Class of 1999 (celebrating their 25th reunion in 2024) and the Rye High School Class of 1974 (celebrating their 50th reunion in 2024).

If you graduated RHS ’99 or ’74, or if you know someone who did, please get in touch with us.

Today, meet Greg Morra of the Rye High School Class of 1974.

Your name: Greg Morra

Rye High School Class of: 1974

MyRye.com: Who were your favorite teachers at Rye High School? 

Morra:

1. Ron Harris, Geometry, 10th grade. My family was going through rough times and I intentionally flunked a test. He handed it back to me with an “A” saying, “Mr. Morra, you’re an A student in my class.”
2. Mrs. Miller, English, 11th grade. She just had a unique way of parsing words and had heavy duty dentures. Every sentence began with her tongue making a clicking noise after sticking to the denture adhesive.

What were your favorite sports or extracurricular activities at Rye High School? 

Morra:

1. Soccer
2. Ice skating either at Playland Arena or Apawamis Country Club.

Tell us about the street in Rye you grew-up on. 

Morra: 429 Boston Post Rd. Jim Frank lived directly behind us and we’ve been friends ever since. As he would say, “We did all our firsts together” (smoking weed, getting drunk, etc.) The Hartwigsens lived next door and the Fragolas next door on the other side. Frank Fragola owned several rides at Playland, so we four brothers all worked for him for years.

Where would you and your friends hang out in Rye? 

Morra: Ran the Kiddie Cars, Kiddie Tractors, Flying Bobs and Tip Top at Playland for five years. Didn’t do much hanging out other than school dances and a party here and there. Mostly hung out at Rye Golf Club when not working.

Where do you live now? 

Morra: New Hartford, NY (Utica NY suburb) since fall of ’74.

What have you done since the day you graduated high school? 

Morra: I lived in a tenement for 3 years eating tuna noodle bake for 90 days straight. Then a repo man for four years. Financial Advisor for 42 years now. Was chair of several non-profit boards. Now on the Executive Board for Boy Scouts.

What in your view are the two or three greatest Rye traditions you remember from your high school years? 

1 of 7

Morra:

• Rye-Harrison “The Game” football game archrivalry
• Mrs. Matthews would open her grounds once annually for touring her estate and gardens. (Dated a gal whose father was the master gardener from England and lived on the grounds. Bought my first VW Bug from him.)
• We had wonderful foreign exchange students.

Thanks Greg!