Childhood friends reunite on Compton
On Sept. 8 and 9, a Cleveland Heights neighborhood hosted a reunion of those who grew up on Compton Road, between Mayfield Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.
Compton-roaders think of Compton Road as being like no other—it seemed special. Kids grew up together, played together, walked to school together, took part in Girls’ Army and Boys’ Army. Parents socialized together and parented other people’s children—lunches, sleepovers, etc. The street had woods behind it and a creek running through it—lots of places for adventure and exploration.
Maybe Compton Road was not so unusual for its time. Most mothers didn’t work; there was only one car, and that car was absent during the day; kids walked to school and played outside. Perhaps there were other streets like Compton. But, 20 or so people who grew up on Compton during those years, along with their spouses, thought it special enough to hop on a plane or drive a day’s distance and come back to Cleveland Heights.
Some current and former residents kept in touch over the years; it didn’t take more than one person asking about another to generate the idea of a street reunion.
The reunion organizers conducted eight months of research (using city directories to match memories to houses and last names) and hours of social media sleuthing to reach out and find former residents.
On Friday evening, Sept. 8, reunion-goers gathered at the Edgehill home of a former Compton resident. Although nametags proved helpful, it was remarkable how easy and natural it was to reconnect. The next day, everyone met on Compton Road and walked the street. Current residents were primed for this—they’d been advised a month earlier that there would be a group walking the street and perhaps knocking on their doors. Indeed, some did connect with the current residents of their former homes, and had the opportunity to walk through their old homes and share their memories.
Later that day everyone met at the Costanzo home—still in the family after all these years—where Daryl Costanzo and another former Compton resident, Scott McDonald, hosted an afternoon repast.
In all, 47 people attended the reunion, some traveling from as far as the West Coast, and one—Bill Wang, whose father had a store on Coventry for many years—making the trip from Hong Kong.
Susan Lobe Wood
Susan Lobe Wood, 75, is a longtime CH resident who was born and raised—and raised a family—here. Along with Nissi Wang, Diane Baker, and Anne Lobe Whitney, Wood helped organize the reunion.