90-year-old class ring reunited with family of original owner

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A nearly 90-year-old class ring has been reunited with the family of its original owner in Wilmington.

The 1938 Virginia Tech ring was spotted in the parking lot of a Starbucks.

Lori Rhew made it her mission to track down the owner and thanks to a magnifying glass and research online, she identified the owner as Wallace Garst, a man who had passed away years ago.

An obituary picture revealed Garst's son, Larry, used to wear his father's ring.

Larry died about a year ago, so Rhew returned the ring to his daughter.

"I really feel like it was serendipitous that my dad was reaching out, he knew I had been thinking about him and he was popping in to say 'I'm here,' she said.

Rhew and Laura Stoy have become friends and can bond over an experience they'll always remember.