Miami high school graduate receives missing class ring 25 years after losing it

MIAMI – To former class clown Jose Pazos, his class ring is a symbol of the high school graduation some thought might never come.

“I got a standing ovation when I graduated La Salle because I wasn’t a great student,” he said.

The ring had Immaculata La Salle’s school crest, their team, the Royals, his sport, track and field, and his full name.

“Everything has meaning,” he said.

After graduating from Immaculata La Salle High School in 1995, he took a trip to California with his buddies and made an unplanned stop at Angela’s Crest.

“We took the floor mats from the Mustang and went up the mountain and slid down the snow,” he said. “My hands went numb and somehow I lost the ring, it slipped off my finger.”

The ring was gone on the mountain, buried in snow, and seemingly gone forever, or so he thought.

But after more than 25 years, a package arrived at La Salle with a letter and the ring.

The sender, Jim Jordan, said, “I hope you can get it back to him.”

On Monday, Pazos returned to campus to do just that, and show the ring to his family for the first time.

“It was God and the blessed mother that wanted me to have my ring back,” he said.

Local 10 News reached out to Jordan in California.

“I’m just happy that he’s so ecstatic to have the ring back,” Jordan said. “I didn’t find it in Angela’s crest. I found it on the sidewalk by my house. Picked it up and threw it in a drawer.”


About the Author:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.