Hope you are getting used to the new Class Notes. In time we will be able to post changes much more rapidly, but I still need your input to have the news for the notes. Soon the cards will be coming with some items, but the rest of the year I rely on your emails and notes.
CLASS MINI REUNION
In October thirty one of us had a nine day cruise up the East Coast, supposedly to see the Fall colors. Unfortunately this year the colors were all green, but we still had a grand trip. Bob & Peg Wilson, Clyde & Mary Spence, Walt & Shirley Adams, Al & Bobbie Paulger, and Len & Muriel Wegner came up from the Williamsburg area to spend a night here at The Fairfax before the bus took them plus Laurie & Dorothy Eek, his brother Nat Eek, Fred Hamlin with Peg Keniston, Roy & Harriet Lounsbury, Nicole Maxwell with her cousin from France Mica Feron, and Robin & me To Baltimore. We were met In Baltimore by Paul & Betsy Ache, Larry & Betty Wray Lodewick, Wendy & Joy Phillips, Lois Rutledge with her daughter Deborah Roesch, Joy Visckochil, and Dave Pettit.
The weather was delightful, except for one day of rain when we were in Boston. The seas were perfectly calm the whole time. No one had Mal de Mer.
GET TOGETHER IN PORTLAND ME
The highlight of the trip was a get together in Portland, ME. Nels Thompson arranged for a bus for the group of us. Sally Lombard, working with him, was a tour guide to show us the whole area. They arranged for a delightful lunch at the historic Black Point Inn, where we met Bill & Marilyn Gearan and Wally & Jane Nutting. It was a great day.
The stops along the way included Bar Harbor, St. Johns, and Halifax with the opportunity for more sight seeing at each. Add to that lots of good food, a couple of cocktail parties and much visiting and you see why we all enjoyed the trip. It probably will be the last of the minis, since no one seems to want to take on the task.
While preparing for the mini, we got a message from Ralph Detherow's widow Corinne. She is busy running a farm in ME. Their oldest son Doug died, but daughter Diane is in St. Louis, MO with two boys. Daughter Dori is in Longmont, CO, where she has quit being a lawyer in order to work for a vet.
VIET NAM WALL
Gail & Ardath Wilson's daughter Scottie sent me this picture taken at the Wall. The picture shows a picture of their family that is being held against Gail's name on the Wall. Their children are with their mother L- to-R Clay, Kelly, Ardath, Scottie, Tracy, and Borden.
Gail was one of the seven classmates who died in Viet Nam during the war there and whose names are on that Wall. The others were Jack Crittenberger, George Vlisides, Ken Hall, Chuck Butler, Cully Mitchell, and Bobby Vinson.
Family news: Tracy spent a lot of the summer with Ardath as did Clay's boys. Borden did the barge thing in Holland, Kelly is teaching autistic children, while Scottie runs an autism web site. Her husband Curt produced a musical – and found no money in that – so he is now working for the College of American Pathologists.
BUSY EDDIE
I recently received from Eddie Ramos copies of several articles on what he is doing for The Philippines, Asia, and the world. He certainly covers a lot of ground, from leading a delegation to a sport meet in China to running the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation to talking to students about world affairs to writing articles about the conflict with China in the South China Sea. He even matched 50 pushups and 100 crunches with some of the reporters covering one of his speeches. Way to go, Eddie!
FAMILY IN SAN DIEGO
Jack Hendry had a small family gathering and a chance to show off a great granddaughter. The picture shows Jack, Gen, great granddaughter two year old Brechin, granddaughter Katy, and son Dave.
CLASS DAUGHTER
Yes, that is right. The class of 2012 includes Cadet Catherine Ball, the daughter of George & Penne Ball. Unfortunately George died in April 2009, so he missed seeing Catherine graduate. She is going Military Intelligence. She also is a recipient of a Rotary Scholarship and will be going to Sydney, Australia in January of 2013 to receive a masters in Health Communications.
PRENTISS FAMILY NEWS
Lou Prentiss caught me up on his family. He and Shirley now have 6 great grandchildren. Their granddaughter Monica is a captain in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Div. while her husband Carl is a captain with the 82nd at Fort Benning. He has their one year old. In addition, another grandson is serving in Bahrain with the Coast Guard.
ROMANESKI FAMILY NEWS
Al & Marilyn's grandson Daniel is also in the 82nd this time as a lst lt. Black Hawk pilot in Afghanistan. His brother Jonathan is a captain there also as an Apache pilot and company commander.
Their grandson-in-law Deric Sneller is a chaplain with the 970th Engr. Combat Battalion. Grandson Andrew Nash is a major in USAF, flying A- 10s.
WARNER FAMILY NEWS
Volney & Janice's grandson Capt. Duncan Walker is now the owner of a Purple Heart, though he quickly recovered and returned to the 101st Airborne Div. in Afghanistan. When he returned from there, he wasted no time in getting his girlfriend Jenny on a trip to Paris, where he proposed under the Eiffel Tower.
NEWS FROM CO
As you have been told before Dave Hughes' son Ed married a Chinese woman whose parents had been in the Korean War as doctors on the other side. That daughter-in-law Ha Ning now has her PhD and runs the Chinese program at USAFA. Each year she takes 50 cadets to China for the summer at a university there. Ed & Ha Ning's 15 year old recently passed the Mensa exam and is now a member.
Dave, at his children's behest, has been writing his story on the web. He has a lot more to do, he says, but I have enjoyed his stories of the Korean War. Go to http://davehugheslegacy.net to see what he is doing.
NEWS FROM FL
Pete Todsen with Dick & Doy Slay managed to get tickets to hear the Marine Band (The President's Own) in Melbourne. He said "it was a thrill to say the least."
DUTY, HONOR AMERICA TOUR
Ben & Malvene Lewis's daughter Debra '80 and her husband Doug Adams '80 have completed their year long bicycle tour of all fifty states. The goal was to educate and inspire Americans to help veterans, the military and their families. They cycled some 18,067 miles; visited 200+ communities, 200+ military installations, and 20+ veteran groups. You can see more on their web site: http://dutyhonoramerica.com.
AND NOW TO CHRISTMAS CARDS
Blackie & Mary Bolduc – Son Doug has a new job with an Asian firm, Genie returned from India and Patsy from Singapore (only to head to London). Nancy has a third vet in her practice so they all can have more time off.
Jake & Ann Jacobson – Still on the farm. Went to New York to watch Dana dance with the NYC Ballet. Then on to granddaughter Elizabeth's graduation from Vanderbilt Law School and grandson T.J.'s graduation from Trinity(Hartford). Big trip for Ann & Jake was to Minnesota to visit family and then on to Anchorage for a cruise down to Vancouver.
Frank & Dede King – Frank is active at The Devonshire retirement community. Dede is with their daughter Carol, but Carol and Frank had time to drive to Boone, NC. Their youngest grandson Giles is at Appalachian State Univ. Grandson Ben finished his Army tour and is now a student at UNC. Granddaughter Emily is a warrant officer in the HI National Guard and at Fort Rucker for helicopter pilot training.
Phil & Bette Jane Pennington – Oldest daughter Janie is a successful artist and is continuing her schooling at Glassell School of Art, while youngest daughter Patricia is out West, where she ran in the Big Sur Marathon recently. Two of their grandchildren, Meredith and Katie, are becoming nurses. Connor just entered U/Houston, while ten year old Alex attends St. Vincent de Paul School.
Jim & Ann Tormey – Big news is the marriage of granddaughter Tara to Stuart Angel in Nov. Little news is the adoption of a Brittany Spaniel puppy named "Freckles."
Carm & Barb Milia – Carm is still playing golf, tennis, and racquetball, but is complaining that he has been the oldest grad at the last few Founders Day dinners. He should be proud of both.
Phil Bolte – Finally sold his house on the lake and, to be close to
Chris & Betty, moved to Redstone Village in Huntsville, AL (John & Eileen Jones and Grayson & Anne Tate also live there.) In the middle of moving Phil still managed to take Andy & Afifa, along with six year old Laila, on a train trip through the Canadian Rockies for a week on Vancouver Island. Then he flew with Chris & Betty to Greece and a seven day cruise. Just to keep in touch he has enrolled in an on-line MA program in Military History at Norwich University.
FINAL ROLL CALL
On 21 August June Stephenson, Ralph's wife, died suddenly in Baton Rouge, LA. She was buried at West Point. In addition to Ralph, she is survived by two daughters: Nancy and Lynn. Ralph lives at 333 Lee Dr. Apt. 381, Baton Rouge LA 70808.
On 4 September Joan Fye, Stan's widow, died quietly in Colorado Springs, CO. She is survived by three sons – Richard, Stephen, and David – and two daughters – Ellen and Ann.
On 26 October Lois Slavins, Bill's wife, died in Belleair. FL. In addition to Bill, she is survived by two daughters – Patsy and Jessica – and two sons – Bill, Jr. and John. Bill lives at 50 Coe Rd. #121, Belleair FL 33756- 1951.
On 9 November Phil Barger died suddenly in Charlottesville, VA. His wife Helene died in 2010. He is survived by two daughters – Katherine and Jennifer – and two sons – Cyrus and Ted.
On 15 November Karl Weber died in La Porte IN. He is survived by his wife Greta, two daughters – Valerie and Vanessa – and a son Kam. Greta lives at 1201 Indiana Ave., La Porte IN 46350.
On 26 November Frank Zagorski died peacefully at home in Monument CO. He is survived by his wife Kim, two daughters – Rebecca and Lisa – and a son James. Kim lives at 2540 Bricker Rd., Monument CO 80132.
Our sympathies go out to all these families.
TO ALL: HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2012