Category: Hall of Fame

Sports have been a huge part of Jesse Burke’s life starting in his earliest years.  The 2001 graduate played basketball while attending LaMuth Middle School and was inducted into its Inaugural Hall of Fame for the Class of 1996. At Riverside, Jesse played basketball; however, it was football at which he really excelled. He was a quick, powerful linebacker and the anchor of the defense.   As a freshman he played both J V and Varsity Football.  He is only the second player in Riverside’s history to be named Lake County…

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During the winter of 2009, two Riverside High School buddies, also former marines, helped some homeless veterans in Painesville by supplying them with coats and sleeping bags.  Thus was the idea for Sub Zero Mission born. One of those men, Del Bethel, a 1988 graduate, is a co-founder and chairman of the board and faithful volunteer of Sub Zero Mission.  Its mission is to make sure the homeless survive the brutal winter weather by providing the gear to help them.  Important to the mission is getting whatever is needed—coat, sleeping…

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The induction ceremony and dinner for the 2022 Hall of Fame honorees was held on November 5, 2022, at the Holiday Inn Mentor. The complete biographies of the honorees are found in this edition of the Winter Online Log. Each honoree received a plaque and an honorary lifetime membership in the association. A similar plaque for each honoree will be placed on the Hall of Fame wall within Riverside High School among the past Hall of Fame honorees. Photographs were taken by Debbie Sorber Rosch (Hall of Fame member 2019).…

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Dianne Haynes Miley Dianne Haynes Miley, Class of 1980, has always made her faith the basis on which she has lived.  In addition to being a mother and working as an accountant for her husband’s business, she became a Christian author of fiction and non-fiction books.  Dianne has been writing for over 20 years.  Time To Enjoy Your Blessings is her non-fiction book about Christian life and time management based on simplicity and priorities.  She also writes a blog on her website. Dianne’s fiction books in The Crystal Falls Series…

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A 39- year outstanding career in Special Education explains Karen White-Honkala’s nomination to the Hall of Fame.  A member of the Class of 1979, Karen began her career with the Madison Local Schools before moving to Lodi, California. Karen is passionate about supporting individuals with special needs and has focused on those with autism.  She worked with students, their families and the staff that works with them in schools. Her most recent position was as Program Specialist for Lodi Unified School District, where she assisted in the inception and implementation…

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“Few people seize the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.  Chip always wanted to teach and coach and has done so with energy and impact that not all educators are able to achieve.”  So wrote Gerald “Chip” Sorber’s nominator. It is an apt description for the Class of 1984 graduate. Chip was an outstanding athlete in high school, earning letters in varsity football, basketball and track.  However, it is his post high school career as a coach that gained him recognition for the Hall of Fame. Following high school, Chip served…

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After graduating from Riverside in 1962 and earning her degree in English and French, Linda Marcel Lucas returned to Riverside briefly to teach.  She married Ed Lucas, also a Riverside grad, and together they began literally living all over the world.  Ed’s career took them to seven countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.  In each of those places, Linda had an impact on the local population through her heart for service. When Ed was on active duty in the military in Alabama and working in Akron, Linda was…

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“Just do something; even if it’s little, it’ll be vastly more helpful than doing nothing at all.”  This is Al Raddatz’s motto, which he embraces on a daily basis.  A member of the Class of 1989, Al is a co-founder and CEO of Sub Zero Mission, now in its 14th year of operation. After high school, Al enlisted in the USMC, rising in the ranks to sergeant, during his service in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and at duty stations in 29 Palms, California and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.  He served…

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Compassion and hard work were the ideals that Shellie Levin Graf, Class of 1980, embodied when she founded Elegant Essentials in 1993. Specifically, her purpose has been to help women diagnosed with breast cancer and their families. Her company now has locations in Medina and Mentor, where she and her nine employees have addressed the physical and emotional needs of tens of thousands of women. The financial success of Elegant Essentials has never been Shellie’s focus. She absorbed her late mother’s blue collar, Lake County lifestyle ethic and combined it with…

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