A mystery that rings true

CRARYVILLE — Although it might sound more like a fairy tale  than real life, Zandra Dee Boice has a story to share that even she has a hard time believing.

“I was recently contacted by a total stranger about my class ring,� Boice said. “I graduated from Webutuck Central School in 1978. I subsequently got married and was living in North Carolina when my husband was stationed at Camp LeJeune with the Marines.

“In the summer of 1986 I gave my class ring to a friend to hold onto when we went swimming at Onslow Beach. That friend lost it and I never expected to get it back,� she remembered. “Now, 24 years later, I have my class ring in hand, none the worse for wear.�

The recovery of her sapphire ring is due to the efforts of a good Samaritan who found the ring in either Ohio or New Jersey — she’s not sure which — and traced Boice through the Internet to return it. That do-gooder now lives in New York; her name is Barbara Allcroft.

“I don’t remember the exact circumstances surrounding its discovery,� she wrote in an e-mail to Boice. “I lived with my fiancé in Ohio from 1992 to 1994. In 1994 we moved to New Jersey and two of his sons moved in with us. I seem to recall one of them bringing the ring to me while I was in the kitchen one day. I believe they found it buried in the ground out in the yard somewhere at the New Jersey house, although it could have been at the Ohio house. I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t remember.�

That’s because it was well over a decade ago. Originally her fiancé suggested throwing the ring away, but Allcroft said she wanted to return it to its owner. She placed the ring in her jewelry box for safekeeping. There it stayed for many years.

Fast forward to last month. Allcroft was searching for some links to repair a necklace chain. She spotted the ring. She re-read the inscription, “Zandra Dee,� which she thought to be fairly unique. She went straight to her computer.

“I googled Webutuck Central High School, and learned it was not far from me in New York state,â€� Allcroft wrote to Boice. “Then I googled the name ‘Zandra D’ using that part of your name and the town where the high school was located. I came up with ... your 1979 wedding announcement. That’s how I  got your last name and the last name of your future husband.... It seemed like my search was coming together.â€�

That news couldn’t have made Boice any happier. She said after the ring was lost, she never expected to see it again.

“I wore it all the time, mostly because I was going steady with my now-husband, John, and I wore his class ring, which was bigger, first, and then my ring in front of it,� she said. “I was so disappointed once it was lost in the big, old ocean, but I was amazed that the other week I got this phone call. I was so surprised. I think it’s mostly because of my name that it was found. That’s how she tracked me down. It’s so totally cool.

“My daughter, Olivia, was just stunned,� the proud mom said, adding that one day she’ll pass it on to her. “She said, ‘Wow, mom, this is incredible.’ She’s a graduate of Webutuck, too, from 2005. She’s my only child and just got married, so a lot of positive things are going on. It sure beats the negative. This woman actually took the time to track me down. She could have ditched the ring, sent it in to be melted or gotten money for the silver. I just appreciate what she did.�

Both women still marvel at the story, and speculate on the journey the ring took from North Carolina, to possibly Ohio, New Jersey, and back again to New York.

“It’s a fascinating story,� Boice said. “And we’re still wondering about the mystery of it. I wish it had GPS. This ring has a lot of miles.�