To the Class of 1965:
Since we began planning for the upcoming "50th", every effort has been made to find every classmate possible. Inevitably, as this search went on, the In Memoriam list from the 40th became longer. What we have hoped to do is to "put faces" with the names, and I have gathered information from friends and loved ones wherever possible. In this way, we hope to have heartwarming memories of those we have lost included during this time of reminiscing, as we prepare for this milestone event.
In some instances, where no family or friend was available to help, we have included just the minimal detail found (year, place of death). Even just a blip about when they left gives us the opportunity to celebrate their lives instead of grieve for their loss.
– Jeri Livingstone, on behalf of the 1965 Reunion Committee
This information will be updated as new information comes in. If you'd like to add any information in regards to any of our deceased grads please contact Jeri Livingstone via email at: jandktoo@socal.rr.com or via phone 714 539-1429.
(Jeri Hemphill Livingstone is from Class of '63 and has graciously donated many, many hours compiling these In Memory of Highlights.... THANK YOU JERI!)
ABRAMS, Valerie Johnson – Thank you to Val’s husband, Charles Johnson, for this information:
Valerie was born in Long beach, California on June 4, 1947 and that continued to be her home until she finished university. After completing her BA at UC Santa Barbara, Val took a backpack and a few hundred dollars to Europe where she spent a year and a half hitch-hiking the length and breadth of that continent. In the winter her Wilson High French was enough to get a job in a small pension, where she met King Constantine of Greece! Actually she and the rest of the staff helped push his snowbound car out of the driveway, but...
Returning to the U.S., Val earned a California teaching credential, but after two years of toiling as a long-term sub she jumped at the opportunity, offered by a friend, to join the telecommunications industry. She continued in that field for the rest of her working life. She moved to Fairfield, Iowa in the mid 1980s; when asked why she would often reply “For the weather”, or “That was my first chance to get off the freeway”. Her real purpose was to be near the center of Transcendental Meditation activity. She had learned TM while at UCSB and continued to practice it her entire life.
In the mid 1990s Val returned to Long Beach to be her widowed mother’s caregiver. After her mother moved to a board and care home Val stayed in Long Beach, meeting the man who was to become her husband, Charles. He was retired and it took little effort on his part to convince Val to retire also. After her mother’s passing, Val and Charles built a home in Union, Washington on waterfront property that she inherited, part of an eight acre parcel her grandparents had purchased in 1917. They enjoyed living there until her passing.
Val is survived by her husband, Charles Johnson, her sister, Gwen Martinez, her brother, Bill Abrams, a niece and several nephews. After a six-year battle with cancer, Valerie died peacefully and with little pain in Union, Washington on November 16, 2013.
ADAMS, Richard –
Dick Adams (Richard Dennis Adams), January 17, 1947, Ventura, California –
June 19, 2015, Crystal River, Florida.
Dick was always the cute, quiet one among the boys at Wilson. He wasn’t shy-- more mysterious than anything. He was popular with the girls as well as with his comrades. He was a member of Scarabs fraternity and elected president in his senior year. After graduation, he immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, his preferred branch of the military. After returning home from Vietnam, Dick entered the Police Academy and went to work for the LAPD where he was stationed in Vernon, California. We don't have detailed information as to how his life progressed during the next several years but sometime between 1975-1980 Dick disappeared from his friends' lives.
A few of us have tried unsuccessfully throughout the years to locate Dick on our own. This summer three old friends, the authors of this brief bio, reunited in order to find him and hopefully reconnect, or at the very least, complete his story. Our investigation was successful, although a little too late for a reunion with our dear friend. Piecing together small pieces that fell our way, it seems that after leaving California, Dick moved to Illinois for a short while then on to Florida where he passed away this summer on June 19, 2015. We just missed him. Although we didn't find him in time, it was a wonderful journey for the three of us to have reminisced and remembered him together. Dick is survived by three daughters and his grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly. If anyone from our class has other memories of Dick, please seek us out during the Reunion festivities and share them!
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| Dick Adams 10th Grade |
ARRIAGA, Henry Jr. – Henry died at the age of 58 in May of 2005, in Cottage Grove OR. His family stated only that he was the father of one daughter and one son. He had undergone heart surgery, but it was not successful.
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| Henry Arriaga 1965 |
BARNETT, Debbie – Information shared by her brother, John Barnett, Wilson ’67:
Debbie was ahead of herself most of her life, having skipped a grade or two in school. She was very intelligent, a quick learner who had a good grasp on things. She lived all her life in Southern California, primarily in the Buena Park / Cypress areas. Her career was that of administrative / executive secretarial roles in several different industries. She always supported and worked closely with the top level of management.
She had one son – David, and two grandsons. For one period of about 5 years she raised the boys in her home. She loved the outdoors – camping, jet-skiing with her family, etc. She also enjoyed theater, and observed with appreciation the details of each stage production.
For the last few years of her life, she faced health problems that limited her mobility and activity. She died in January of 2014 from complications of COPD. Her survivors include her son, grandsons, brother John (Wilson ‘67) and sister Sandra (Wilson ’57).
Finally, John wanted to share four of her favorite sayings, which nicely summarize her view of life.
1) Having a sharp tongue can cut your throat; 2) The greatest of all faults is to imagine you have none; 3) Minds are like parachutes; they function much better when open; and 4) The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. John expressed gratitude to have the opportunity to speak for one so dear who can no longer speak for herself.
Ralph T. Barr was born on March 12, 1948 in Boston, MA and passed away on May 18, 2020 in Long Beach, CA. Ralph was a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Debbie was ahead of herself most of her life, having skipped a grade or two in school. She was very intelligent, a quick learner who had a good grasp on things. She lived all her life in Southern California, primarily in the Buena Park / Cypress areas. Her career was that of administrative / executive secretarial roles in several different industries. She always supported and worked closely with the top level of management.
She had one son – David, and two grandsons. For one period of about 5 years she raised the boys in her home. She loved the outdoors – camping, jet-skiing with her family, etc. She also enjoyed theater, and observed with appreciation the details of each stage production.
For the last few years of her life, she faced health problems that limited her mobility and activity. She died in January of 2014 from complications of COPD. Her survivors include her son, grandsons, brother John (Wilson ‘67) and sister Sandra (Wilson ’57).
Finally, John wanted to share four of her favorite sayings, which nicely summarize her view of life.
1) Having a sharp tongue can cut your throat; 2) The greatest of all faults is to imagine you have none; 3) Minds are like parachutes; they function much better when open; and 4) The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. John expressed gratitude to have the opportunity to speak for one so dear who can no longer speak for herself.
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| Debbie Barnett 1964 |
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| Debbie Barnett with John & Sandy 1997 |
BARR, Robert. –
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| Ralph Barr 1965 |
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| Ralph Barr |
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| Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
BASS, Dan Jr. – died at the age of 39 in 1987.
Dan Bass 1965
BERKEMER, Robert – Thank you to his brother, Greg, for sharing this story.
Rob married his ‘65 classmate, Marilyn Kelley, one year after graduation. He studied business courses at Long Beach City College and earned his AA degree, then went on to work for a while at Douglas Aircraft and then spent 10 years working in the construction of new housing before entering the family real estate business. He carved out a very successful career buying and selling residential properties.
Rob and Marilyn made their home in Naples and also on the Peninsula, where they raised their two sons – Robb and Brian. When his father died, Rob inherited his membership in the Long Beach Yacht Club, an association that he and his family enjoyed very much through the years. His passion was racing boats, and he had a high-powered “blown-fuel jet.” He did survive a couple of accidents where he flipped the boat -- and suffered some long-term health issues as a result.
In addition to racing, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. He also truly the loved real estate business. He retired in 2010, shortly after his mother passed; he and Greg jointly handled her estate.
In 2008, Rob and Marilyn’s older son Robb passed away at the age of 41. Greg recalled that Rob, just “being Rob”, went to the coroner and stated he was ready to pick up his son. Although he was not allowed to do so, he was fully prepared to put him in the car and bring him home. That may seem odd, but nothing in life prepares you for the loss of a child.
When Rob passed away from a long-standing heart condition in June of this year, he left his wife Marilyn, son Brian, granddaughter Emily (now 12 years old), and extended family. Greg describes his brother as someone that let life affect him; with such a big heart, he could “cry at the ribbon- cutting of a grocery store.” He is greatly missed.
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| Rob Berkemer 1965 |
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| Rob Berkemer & Marilyn 2013 |
BEVINS, Peter – Pete died at the age of 47 in February of 1994. Contacted two family members; they declined to participate.
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| Peter Bevins 1965 |
BEVIS, Alan – Public records show that he passed away at the age of 47 in February of 1994.
A letter sent to family in Tacoma, WA brought no response.
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| Alan Bevis 1965 |
BINES, Judy – Thank you to her daughter, Barbara McIntyre:
My mom, Judy Irene Bines Waddell, was 56 years old when she passed away from breast cancer... Way too young to die. She left behind 3 children and 7 grandchildren. She left my sister Dee Dee with the love of winter and so much wisdom. She left my brother, Bruce with the looks! LOL! And then there’s me. I am the baby and boy, did I know it! I was attached to her hip literally until the moment she passed. My mom loved her family, friends and people but she especially loved God.
She loved to cook and would cook things that my family would not eat like squash or beets and all of a sudden they would request that dish at the next family reunion! I remember listening to her and my aunt talk to each other, (you see her baby sister had breast cancer too, they passed 4 months from each other). My mom would say “ I don’t mind meeting our Father but I don’t want to leave my children or grandchildren.” She was more worried about if her family was going to be okay, than the fact that she was dying.
My mom was smart, kind, caring, and would do just about anything she could for anyone. She loved life and Barry Manilow. She took care of other people her entire life either in customer service or taking care of the elderly. She was an awesome lady, mom, grandmother, sister and daughter. She is missed and loved every day. She lives on in our hearts! Thank you for taking the time out and reading about my mom.
“The baby”, Barbara
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| Judy Bines 1965 |
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| Judy Bines 2002 |
BLOOM, Rose – Thank you to Linda Aitken McElrea for supplying this information:
Rosie and I met the first day of high school. In homeroom I almost giggled during roll when I heard her name. Who calls their child "Rose Bloom"? Got to our next class and during roll "Rose Bloom?" Yep, there she was! And she was in almost every class I had that year. By the end of the day we had introduced ourselves to each other and began a friendship that should have lasted a life time.
Like all teen age girls we loved going to the movies. Rosie loved live theater. We frequented not only Wilson's presentations but also "Long Beach State College's" presentations and Long Beach Civic Light Opera. I joined the Art Club and invited Rosie to go to one of the museums where she fell in love fine art. She lived in the Shore with her parents Edna and Art Bloom and a younger sister Maxine (about 2 years younger and a Wilson graduate, too). We spent our summers at the Bay and walking 2nd street (who didn't?). We never caught the eye of a cute guy, but we sure got good at paddle ball and could actually beat some of the guys.
We were not the "lookers" at the beach, but if you looked more closely Rosie (almost 4 inches shorter than me) had the legs of a model as long as mine! And remember the dish soap commercial comparing the hands of mother and daughter looking alike? Well, Rosie should have been a hand model. She had the smoothest skin, slender, long fingers and beautiful nails, she should have been modeling all those engagement rings in BRIDE magazine. Oh, what I wouldn't have given to have either her legs or hands.
By working at Pat Walker Figure Salon in downtown Long Beach, Rosie was putting herself through college at CSULB and was in her Senior year when she met a wonderful young man and they fell madly in love. I believe his name was Dennis Nesteby. A few months into this wonderful romance she became ill and underwent surgery. Dennis and Rosie were married in the judge's chambers a few weeks later. Looking back I realized that at parties as other couples were discussing their plans for their lives together, Rosie and Dennis sat quietly, not adding anything about their plans for travel, family, or buying a home. Dennis took her to professional concerts, musical theater, and plays in Los Angeles. He also bought her fine art. He tried to fill her life with all she had dreamed life would hold. I don't remember what traveling they did. In July of 1970 Rosie died of stomach cancer.
BOONE, Beverly – shared by her husband of 40 years, Harold Mace (and also found in an online obituary.)
Beverly Boone was born in Long Beach Community Hospital and stayed in Long Beach. She married Harold Mace in 1966, and they had two daughters and four grandchildren. She remained extremely close to her family. Her other passion was crafting (stamping, making cards). She was loved by all who knew her. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, she will be terribly missed. Beverly was best known for her selfless generosity. Always quick with a smile, she lit up a room every time she entered.
Coming full circle, Beverly Mace passed away in Long Beach Community Hospital in June of 2007, at the age of 59. She is survived by her loving husband Harold; daughters Teri and Christie; son-in-law Dennis. Called “Ammie”, her granddaughters Katherine, Elizabeth, Diana and Claire will remember the joy she brought to their lives. As a devoted sister, brothers Bob (Debi) and Tom (Cindy) Boone will remember her love.
BOST, Calvin – died at the age of 57 in Kenner, LA. A letter to family brought no response, no other information found.
Rosie and I met the first day of high school. In homeroom I almost giggled during roll when I heard her name. Who calls their child "Rose Bloom"? Got to our next class and during roll "Rose Bloom?" Yep, there she was! And she was in almost every class I had that year. By the end of the day we had introduced ourselves to each other and began a friendship that should have lasted a life time.
Like all teen age girls we loved going to the movies. Rosie loved live theater. We frequented not only Wilson's presentations but also "Long Beach State College's" presentations and Long Beach Civic Light Opera. I joined the Art Club and invited Rosie to go to one of the museums where she fell in love fine art. She lived in the Shore with her parents Edna and Art Bloom and a younger sister Maxine (about 2 years younger and a Wilson graduate, too). We spent our summers at the Bay and walking 2nd street (who didn't?). We never caught the eye of a cute guy, but we sure got good at paddle ball and could actually beat some of the guys.
We were not the "lookers" at the beach, but if you looked more closely Rosie (almost 4 inches shorter than me) had the legs of a model as long as mine! And remember the dish soap commercial comparing the hands of mother and daughter looking alike? Well, Rosie should have been a hand model. She had the smoothest skin, slender, long fingers and beautiful nails, she should have been modeling all those engagement rings in BRIDE magazine. Oh, what I wouldn't have given to have either her legs or hands.
By working at Pat Walker Figure Salon in downtown Long Beach, Rosie was putting herself through college at CSULB and was in her Senior year when she met a wonderful young man and they fell madly in love. I believe his name was Dennis Nesteby. A few months into this wonderful romance she became ill and underwent surgery. Dennis and Rosie were married in the judge's chambers a few weeks later. Looking back I realized that at parties as other couples were discussing their plans for their lives together, Rosie and Dennis sat quietly, not adding anything about their plans for travel, family, or buying a home. Dennis took her to professional concerts, musical theater, and plays in Los Angeles. He also bought her fine art. He tried to fill her life with all she had dreamed life would hold. I don't remember what traveling they did. In July of 1970 Rosie died of stomach cancer.
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| Rose Bloom 1965 |
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| Rose & Dennis Getting Married 1970 |
BOONE, Beverly – shared by her husband of 40 years, Harold Mace (and also found in an online obituary.)
Beverly Boone was born in Long Beach Community Hospital and stayed in Long Beach. She married Harold Mace in 1966, and they had two daughters and four grandchildren. She remained extremely close to her family. Her other passion was crafting (stamping, making cards). She was loved by all who knew her. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, she will be terribly missed. Beverly was best known for her selfless generosity. Always quick with a smile, she lit up a room every time she entered.
Coming full circle, Beverly Mace passed away in Long Beach Community Hospital in June of 2007, at the age of 59. She is survived by her loving husband Harold; daughters Teri and Christie; son-in-law Dennis. Called “Ammie”, her granddaughters Katherine, Elizabeth, Diana and Claire will remember the joy she brought to their lives. As a devoted sister, brothers Bob (Debi) and Tom (Cindy) Boone will remember her love.
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| Beverly Boone 1965 |
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| Beverly Boone 2004 |
BOST, Calvin – died at the age of 57 in Kenner, LA. A letter to family brought no response, no other information found.
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| Calvin Bost 1965 |
BOWMAN, Ron – Ron was in the class of 1965 but left prior to graduation. His friend Doug Krensle (class of '65) inquired about him and it was then that we located his family and learned that he had died in a jeep accident in 1979 near San Marcos, just a few weeks after the birth of his youngest son. Thank you to his wife, Karen Simpson for sharing this story and sending a newspaper clipping reporting the accident:
After high school Ron lived in Huntington Beach and worked in construction for a few years. He then got a job as a bus driver for Orange County Transit. He bought a house with an acre of land in Vista, and did a bit of farming there. Raised chickens, rabbits, homing pigeons, goats and had a few horses. He loved to ride dirt bikes and be out 4-wheeling in his friend’s jeep. He turned our pasture in Vista into a dirt bike track for the boys, and was planning on getting them into racing. He also loved surfing and just being at the ocean.
He has 3 sons and 8 grandchildren. His sons are: Roger Bowman-Lt. Colonel in the US Army; William “Billy” Bowman, Plumber; Christopher “Chris” Bowman - Employed in the Public Works Dept. for the city in the Seattle area. Ron also would be so very proud of his 8 grandchildren: Twins Joshua and Ryan, Kasey, Matthew, Courtney, Jeremy, Emma and Erik.
After Ron passed away, I sold the house in Vista and took my 3 boys to Seattle. I stayed there for 16 years, then moved back here. Seattle is home to most of them now even though they were born here in Southern California. We miss him everyday but life does go on and so does HE, through his grandchildren. His sister Dianne lives in Palm Desert and his nephews Steven in Huntington Beach and Ken in New York. Thank you for including us in your reunion memory book.
(NOTE: Dianne's son Bill, who was 15 at the time was also killed in the jeep accident on August 5th, 1979. As they rode up a steep hill, the vehicle slipped backward 260 feet, plunging into a ravine. Ron’s son Billy survived the accident, and walked out of the hills almost a mile to get help.)
BREWER, Donald – Although we have verification that his twin, Ron, passed away, we have been unable to confirm a date or place of death for Don but indications are that he is deceased. A request to all classmates for information brought this response from Carol Sterling Lent:
Don Brewer and his twin brother Ron attended Bixby Elementary school, and Stanford Jr. High. Don was liked by everyone. A really nice guy. I moved from Belmont Shore, Lowell Elementary and finished sixth grade at Bixby Elementary School where I met Donny and Ronny and they were my first close friends in California.
Years flew by and last I saw Donny was on Maui in 1975 at Baldwin Beach body surfing and laughing a lot. Donny was a very nice person!
BREWER, Ronald – Public records show that he passed away in Honolulu, age 62, on 10/30/09. No family located.
After high school Ron lived in Huntington Beach and worked in construction for a few years. He then got a job as a bus driver for Orange County Transit. He bought a house with an acre of land in Vista, and did a bit of farming there. Raised chickens, rabbits, homing pigeons, goats and had a few horses. He loved to ride dirt bikes and be out 4-wheeling in his friend’s jeep. He turned our pasture in Vista into a dirt bike track for the boys, and was planning on getting them into racing. He also loved surfing and just being at the ocean.
He has 3 sons and 8 grandchildren. His sons are: Roger Bowman-Lt. Colonel in the US Army; William “Billy” Bowman, Plumber; Christopher “Chris” Bowman - Employed in the Public Works Dept. for the city in the Seattle area. Ron also would be so very proud of his 8 grandchildren: Twins Joshua and Ryan, Kasey, Matthew, Courtney, Jeremy, Emma and Erik.
After Ron passed away, I sold the house in Vista and took my 3 boys to Seattle. I stayed there for 16 years, then moved back here. Seattle is home to most of them now even though they were born here in Southern California. We miss him everyday but life does go on and so does HE, through his grandchildren. His sister Dianne lives in Palm Desert and his nephews Steven in Huntington Beach and Ken in New York. Thank you for including us in your reunion memory book.
(NOTE: Dianne's son Bill, who was 15 at the time was also killed in the jeep accident on August 5th, 1979. As they rode up a steep hill, the vehicle slipped backward 260 feet, plunging into a ravine. Ron’s son Billy survived the accident, and walked out of the hills almost a mile to get help.)
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| Ron Bowman 1963 |
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| Ron Bowman 1978 |
BREWER, Donald – Although we have verification that his twin, Ron, passed away, we have been unable to confirm a date or place of death for Don but indications are that he is deceased. A request to all classmates for information brought this response from Carol Sterling Lent:
Don Brewer and his twin brother Ron attended Bixby Elementary school, and Stanford Jr. High. Don was liked by everyone. A really nice guy. I moved from Belmont Shore, Lowell Elementary and finished sixth grade at Bixby Elementary School where I met Donny and Ronny and they were my first close friends in California.
Years flew by and last I saw Donny was on Maui in 1975 at Baldwin Beach body surfing and laughing a lot. Donny was a very nice person!
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| Don Brewer 1965 |
BREWER, Ronald – Public records show that he passed away in Honolulu, age 62, on 10/30/09. No family located.
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| Ron Brewer 1965 |
BROTHERS, Barbara – Taken from Obiturary
Barbara Jane Brothers, 72, passed away January 5, 2020 following a sudden illness.
Barbara was born January 28, 1947 to Wilmer Steven “Bill” and Dorothy (Dowda) Brothers in Long Beach, California, where she was raised and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She later received her Associates Degree at Long Beach Community College.
Barbara remained in Southern California until her family moved to Idaho. It was here that her love of animals was able to blossom in the open areas to enjoy nature. She especially loved her dogs, and horseback riding. She also found something she could openly share her heart with, volunteer work. She could always be found volunteering with the numerous opportunities of service in this community. When she wasn’t volunteering, she was found at the jobs she loved, Edward Jones, and then on to ISU Campus Recreation. She was a good friend to many! She loved to travel, yoga and fitness exercises. She especially loved her grandchildren!
Barbara is survived by a daughter, Michelle (Jason) Hedstrom; five grandchildren, Jadon, Jenna, Ellie, Easton, and Marlee Hedstrom; and a brother, Steve (Karen) Brothers.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Dorothy Brothers; and her heart was never the same with the tragic passing of her daughter, Jennifer Mauger in 1990.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the Norton Cemetery in McCammon, Idaho; where she will be laid to rest to the side of her daughter, Jennifer Mauger.
Memories and condolences may be shared with her family under the "Tribute Wall" tab above. Memorial contributions are suggested to be made to the Pocatello Animal Services, P.O. Box 281, Pocatello, ID 83204.
Barbara was born January 28, 1947 to Wilmer Steven “Bill” and Dorothy (Dowda) Brothers in Long Beach, California, where she was raised and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She later received her Associates Degree at Long Beach Community College.
Barbara remained in Southern California until her family moved to Idaho. It was here that her love of animals was able to blossom in the open areas to enjoy nature. She especially loved her dogs, and horseback riding. She also found something she could openly share her heart with, volunteer work. She could always be found volunteering with the numerous opportunities of service in this community. When she wasn’t volunteering, she was found at the jobs she loved, Edward Jones, and then on to ISU Campus Recreation. She was a good friend to many! She loved to travel, yoga and fitness exercises. She especially loved her grandchildren!
Barbara is survived by a daughter, Michelle (Jason) Hedstrom; five grandchildren, Jadon, Jenna, Ellie, Easton, and Marlee Hedstrom; and a brother, Steve (Karen) Brothers.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Dorothy Brothers; and her heart was never the same with the tragic passing of her daughter, Jennifer Mauger in 1990.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the Norton Cemetery in McCammon, Idaho; where she will be laid to rest to the side of her daughter, Jennifer Mauger.
Memories and condolences may be shared with her family under the "Tribute Wall" tab above. Memorial contributions are suggested to be made to the Pocatello Animal Services, P.O. Box 281, Pocatello, ID 83204.
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| Barbara Brothers 1965 |
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| Barbara Brothers 2015 |
BROZ, William – Thank you to his sisters, Brenda Broz Eddy and Susan Broz Dykstra for the following:
Bill was the son of Dr. William and Larose Forquer Broz. He was born in Seattle and lived on Mercer Island until age 5 when his mom, a widow at that point, married Jim Nicholson -- then President of the Bank of Belmont Shore -- and the family moved to Long Beach. He attended Lowell and Rogers, the neighborhood schools before Wilson High. In high school he was a yell leader, a member of Key Club and an avid surfer, spending many early mornings and sunny afternoons on the sand and surf in Seal and Sunset Beaches.
Bill graduated from USC where he studied political science and was an active member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. After college he joined the commercial real estate firm of Coldwell Banker in Los Angeles, and spent many happy hours hanging out with buddies at the Jonathan Club, across the street from their offices. Later, Bill became a developer, buying / upgrading / selling residential real estate. He moved back to Long Beach in 1987 where he lived on the Peninsula with his beloved dog McKensie. That house on the bay became home base for his family, his many, many friends and much of the neighborhood.
In 2001, Bill married Mary Donna Preston, the love of his life and true soul mate. He spent the happiest years of his life with her before dying peacefully in his sleep in 2006.
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| Bill Broz 1965 |
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| Bill Broz 2006 |
BRUNNER, Ronald – information shared by his wife, Helen Hayek:
Ronald Brunner was born on April 24, 1947 in Scotts Bluff, NE. When he was just a few years old, his family moved to Long Beach. An ardent surfer all his life, he loved nothing more than to spend his time in the ocean, surfing with his friends. Ron started up a successful redwood furniture business with a couple of friends while he lived in Soquel, California.
After several years he decided that the tropics were where he really wanted to live. He and his future wife Helen pulled up stakes and moved to the Virgin Islands where they lived for fifteen happy years investing in real estate, working in the local restaurants, and diving and surfing – of course. Eventually, the Brunners returned to California where his wife pursued showing purebred dogs. Ron worked on the property they bought near San Diego, with the dogs as his constant companions, while continuing to go surfing with his friends that he reconnected with.
In 1998 Ron was diagnosed with advanced melanoma. He passed away at home in the company of his wife on February 12, 2002. Anyone who was fortunate to have met him will always remember his gentle, calm soul, a compassionate person who would give the shirt off his back to anyone. The world is an emptier place without him and he is still deeply missed by his family and friends everywhere.
Helen added that she thinks Ron would be highly amused to be recognized in connection with a high school reunion. He never was one to appreciate school at all, in that it took him away from the ocean!
Helen added that she thinks Ron would be highly amused to be recognized in connection with a high school reunion. He never was one to appreciate school at all, in that it took him away from the ocean!
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| Ron Brunner 1965 |
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| Ron Brunner 1997 |
BURDETT, Thomas – His sister Diane Burdett shared the following information:
After graduation from Wilson, Tom moved to the San Francisco Bay area where he worked in the construction industry for a number of years. He earned enough money in that career to be able to pursue his real interest in the arts, and was able to really enjoy owning a pottery store in Ghiradelli Square for about 8 years.
Tom died of AIDS at the age of 50 in February of 1998, in Guerneville, CA. He loved cooking, and more than anything, was a fun guy who loved a good party!
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| Tom Burdett 1965 |
CATTI, Gregory –
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| Greg Catti 1963 |
CHEN, Henry – Public records show that he died in March of 1973 in Long Beach. He was only 25. No family located and no other information is available.
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| Henry Chen 1965 |
CHRISTOPHERSON, Diane – Diane died in Crestline, CA at the age of 59 in October of 2006. A letter to family was returned as undeliverable.
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| Diane Christopherson 1965 |
CLAYPOOL, Keith – contributed by his daughter, Kelli.
Keith Claypool: a father, son, brother and friend. Loved and missed by many. Although he is gone, his memories and lasting impressions he made on the lives of others will last for eternity. Keith was a very talented and creative man. Some of his hobbies included fishing, camping, drawing and watching football. His very first stained glass project he decided to make an entire door to his house. “Go big or go home! “ His sister, Carol Claypool Carlson, also attended Wilson and graduated in 1962.
After high school Keith worked at Marineland, where he eventually trained killer whales. His favorite was named Corky (Orky’s mate). Corky is still alive, and had been transferred many years ago to Sea World, where she still performs at times under the name Shamu. He told so many stories about her. He was very proud of his work there. He then became a self-employed concrete cutter. He owned a very successful business, Keith Claypool Concrete Cutting, for over thirty years. He was a very outspoken individual. Everyone who knew him knew that he spoke his mind, no matter where he was or who he was talking to. If he was passionate about something, he NEVER let anyone hear the end of it. He always had to be right, even when he was wrong. He was determined as well; if he wanted something, he made sure to get it.
Keith truly cared for others, especially his two daughters, Julie and (me) Kelli. His family was very important to him, just as his animals were. He did not discriminate. Going to the aquarium, he would have me follow him and he would point to each and every fish and know exactly what type it was. Keith passed his passion and love for animals, and I have made a career in the veterinary field.
Our dad died in July of 2012, at the age of 65, in Fullerton. The day before his passing, he spent the night with both daughters, reminiscing about his life. He told us many stories of events that were most memorable to him. The memories we spoke of are engraved in us, and will be a part of us forever. A very special footnote: Instead of a formal memorial, there was a casual gathering of family and friends at our grandfather’s home. I was wanting a bit more closure. Dad had visited Corky, but that was something I personally had wanted to do, but never done. I called Sea World and explained the situation, and after going there and sitting through a scheduled performance of other whales, I was allowed to remain in the empty stadium. They brought Corky out, let me take pictures with her, and had her perform tricks just for me. This private audience was very important to me, and soothed my sorrow.
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| Keith Claypool 1965 |
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| Keith with daughters 2002 |
CLOYD, Michael – Public records show that he died January 7, 2006 in Los Angeles County at the age of 58. No family has been located and no other information is available.
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| Mike Cloyd, 1963 |
CONKLIN, JoAnne – This information was supplied by sister-in-law, Tara Sullivan:
JoAnne remained single throughout her life. After briefly attending a fashion institute in Los Angeles, she set her sights on learning domestic skills and pursued a career in managing people’s homes. She had two or three very long-term jobs as a full-service housekeeper (think Alice on the Brady Bunch!) She cooked, sewed, put on wonderful dinner parties, managed the home completely and the families she served adored her. She also had significant engineering skills and could “fix anything”.
When one of her families moved out of state and she was temporarily without work, she was sought out by the Nordstrom family and ran their home for about 15 years. She lived for a time with her brother Michael and sister-in-law, Tara. After fighting cancer for about two years, she died very peacefully in Portland, OR in July of 2002. She was 55 years old.
Tara remembers most about JoAnne: Her infectious laugh, and her kind and caring ways.
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| JoAnne Conklin 1965 |
CONLEY, Jack Jr. – Taken too soon, Jack died in 1964 at the age of 17, in a horrific car crash that also killed his 13 year old sister as well as another a 13 year old girl.
COOK, Aleta– Thanks to former brother-in-law, Brad Freesmeier for sharing the following:
Aleta was a loving mother to two sons, and had two granddaughters. She worked for many years in an administrative position -- and retired from -- the Long Beach Water Department. She also was very involved with the Pathway Church in Garden Grove, where she loved serving God and helping others.
Aleta died in November of 2013 from complications of an injury suffered in a fall in Big Bear. At her memorial service, family members and friends paid tribute to this giving, caring, woman.
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| Aleta Cook 1963 |
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| Aleta Cook 2011 |
COOK, John – Written by junior high school friend Bob Gladson:
John W.W. Cook Warrant Officer helicopter pilot born December 13, 1946 wounded February 19, 1968 died of wounds February 29, 1968 Panel 42E, Line 003.
Johnny's Dad had told me pretty much all that was known, and I've since talked with (then) Capt. Griffin. Johnny (his Mom and Dad always called him that) was a truly remarkable young man. He, David Fraser and I were best buddies since junior high school. The three of us were inseparable until my family moved to the San Diego area just before my senior year. I visited Johnny and Dave in Long Beach whenever I could and they came down to San Diego when they could. In fact, it was down here that I introduced him to a girl I was dating and the next thing I knew, they were dating each other! That didn't make me angry at all, since the girl and I were really just "good friends" and they were so happy together that I was naturally glad for them both. Johnny rode his motorcycle down from Long Beach every chance he got, sometimes for just a few hours' stay. I haven't mentioned the girl's name because she broke up with him after two years when the boys in her high school began to notice her, and... Not long after, Johnny decided to join the Army and head to flight school. Dave signed up with him on the buddy system then in effect. I was away at college at the time, and it was too late for me to catch up with them.
When I next saw Johnny it was just after he'd graduated from flight school and was on leave just before shipping over to Vietnam. I decided to enlist and follow the same path he and Dave had, but the recruiter told me I was likely to be drafted soon and my papers couldn't be processed in time for WOC school -- the draft would take precedence. So I enlisted for 67N20 school and that's how I ended up wearing enlisted crew wings while Johnny and Dave were wearing pilot wings. I was still at Ft. Rucker when word came that he had been shot down. Then a few days later a chaplain came to tell me the bad news. I had no idea why I was being called to the orderly room, but when they opened the door to an inner office and I saw a chaplain was waiting to see me, my heart turned to stone and sank to the pit of my stomach. No words were necessary, and I think the chaplain dreaded speaking them as much as I dreaded hearing them. The Army allowed me leave to go to Arlington for the funeral. Johnny's Dad met me at the airport. We had two days together there for the funeral and some time to talk before I had to return to Ft. Rucker. Johnny is buried just a little down the hill and to one side from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You can hear the sound of marching feet and the clack of the rifles being handled at the changing of the guard.
When I visited Arlington a few years ago with my family I learned that there are some twenty-two other John Cooks buried there. One of them won the Medal of Honor in the Civil War. We saw his headstone when we took a wrong turn going to Johnny's gravesite. The name "John Cook" has been shared by a lot of good men down through the years, including Johnny's Dad. John Cook, Sr. still holds the world's endurance flight record (fixed wing) jointly with Bob Timm. They set the record back in 1954 (I think). Their airplane is now on display at McCarran airport near Las Vegas where they set the record. Johnny was always so proud of his dad in every way and loved telling the story of how they did it.
I didn't mean to go on so long like this. I started out just wanting to say "Thank You" for your help, and all the rest of this just came gushing out. Instinct tells me you are one who will understand what I've never been able to explain to someone who wasn't there. Thanks for your patience in reading all this. If you'll indulge me just a little longer, I want to include a tribute I wrote for Johnny a few years ago inspired by an essay written about "Best Friends and Bookmarks." You've probably seen it in a book written about The Wall. The idea is to write a tribute to our best friend brief enough to go on a book mark suitable for books about Vietnam. What I wrote for my bookmark appears below.
John W.W. Cook Warrant Officer helicopter pilot born December 13, 1946 wounded February 19, 1968 died of wounds February 29, 1968 Panel 42E, Line 003. Born in Blythe, California, he grew up in Long Beach, California. He was much loved by his family and friends. He made new friends wherever he went. He never let his friends down in any way, he would never have forgotten us, nor will he be forgotten. Each of us lucky enough to be his friend considered him to be our best friend, and he was. He never spoke an unkind or disrespectful word about his parents or friends -- a truly remarkable young man.
Sincerely, Bob Gladson RLGladson@aol.com
COON, Joy –
As written by Cherie Pisani, her daughter and only child:
My mom passed suddenly on August 27, 2013 from a heart condition. At the time of her death she was living in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe with her husband.
After high school my mom went on to Long Beach City College, Chico State and Long Beach State – she held a Masters in Physical Education. This was not done consecutively; there were a few years in-between spent working, getting married, raising me. She was married to Robert Armstrong for 43 years – also from the class of 1965, and together they taught overseas until both of their retirements. She taught PE at Jakarta International School in Indonesia and the International School of Kenya.
Her love of being active transferred over to her retirement years teaching Yoga, Pilates and other exercise classes.The last 14 years she was retired in Lake Tahoe. She kept busy with the classes she taught, daily hikes and always having loads of fun with her friends. My mom also spent a lot of time with family nearby – especially enjoying her time with her grandchildren – Braden and Lauren. My mom loved to travel the world – going just about anywhere and everywhere. From a village in Papua New Guinea to a hike through the Himalayas, she was always ready to go. She also loved to sail, which she had learned from her dad as a little girl in Long Beach.
Mom is dearly missed by all who crossed her path; she gave the best hugs, had the warmest smile, laughed often, and lived life to its fullest.
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| Joy Coon 1963 |
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| Joy Coon 2012 |
CORMACK, John – passed away during his sleep on the evening of November 25th 2016. The information in the first paragraph was supplied to me (Bill Hutchins) by his wife, Debbie Cormack:
John Cormack attended Wilson HS and graduated in 1965. In November of that year, he began his 37 year career with General Telephone Company (now Verizon). Also that month, he met Debbie Johnson on a blind date arranged by their two best friends, who he married in June of 1967. That same year, their son John Jr. was born while John was serving in the Air Force during the Viet Nam conflict. John would lately say that 1967 brought him the two best gifts of his life………. getting married to Debbie and John Jr’s birth. They lived mostly in Long Beach after he got out of the service, moved to Fountain Valley in 1979, and then to Lucerne Ca. in 2004. John was a great person who everyone enjoyed knowing. He loved the outdoors, hunting, and fishing, and always had a story or a joke to tell.
John and Debbie would have celebrated their 50th Anniversary next year.
I met John Cormack in my early years at Horace Mann Elementary School. He lived just around the corner from me and became one of my lifelong best friends. We spent many summer days fishing on Belmont Pier as kids, and then later in life fishing on most of the local sportfishing boats and on trips to Baja. Our most recent fishing ventures have toned down to fishing in the June Lake Loop area with a group of other friends several times a year. John was one of the most uplifting and loyal people I have ever known and will be missed dearly.
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| John Cormack 1963 |
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| John Cormack 1967 |
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| John Cormack 2015 |
COTTRELL, Steven – died approximately 2001 in the Long Beach area.
His family has declined to offer any information or participate.
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| Steve Cottrell 1963 |
COX, Daniel – Classmate Bob Holzclaw provided this information:
Daniel Cox grew up in Belmont Shore. He was an only child and followed his father into the Army. He died in 1967 in Vietnam and is buried at Forest Lawn, Cypress. No other information is available.
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| Dan Cox 1965 |
CRAIG, Stephen – Thank you to his son Donald for supplying this information:
After graduation, Stephen served in the Army in Vietnam. Upon returning from the war, he attended Golden West College and went on to get his Bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting at USC. He moved to San Francisco, where he met his wife, Elaine. They married and moved to Texas.
After a few years in Houston, they returned to Southern California, where they had homes in Brea and Cypress. They raised two sons – Donald and Frank. Stephen was an Accounting Manager at Whessoe, and later, Bumble Bee Tuna. His parents died in 2005, and he passed away in 2007. He is buried at Forest Lawn in Cypress.
Donald shared that his dad loved working with wood, and enjoyed baseball. He was a huge Angels fan! Donald remembered his dad as a man who always put his family first. He was loved and he is missed.
CRAIN, Terrence – Thank you to his daughter, Tami Zylla:
Terrence Crain was born in Alton, Illinois, the youngest of 8 children. After moving to California, he spent the rest of his life in Long Beach. After graduation, he was drafted for service in Vietnam, but blindness in one eye resulted in an honorable discharge. His 1965 marriage to Verda Mitchell produced two children, Tamara and Douglas (who also graduated from Wilson High, in 1987 and 1991).
Terry was an amazing father who gave selflessly to his children and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. He coached both children in soccer, baseball, and softball. He played slow-pitch softball. He never met a sport he didn’t like. He had a successful career in the auto parts industry, and as a result won several trips; he and Verda were able to travel to Sweden, Dominican Republic, England, and the Bahamas. He worked for both Jamestown and Boulevard British Saab.
Among the things Terry loved: Baseball (his favorite team was the Cardinals from his home state of Illinois.) He loved to travel, and spent many seasons with his family enjoying the beauty of Yosemite and traveling to see family in Oregon and Illinois. Also, there were family trips to Hawaii, and several other travels with Verda and friends, including a 25th anniversary cruise to Alaska.
In 1991,he was diagnosed with a completely encapsulated tumor in his neck. The prognosis was good; he only needed radiation. He always loved flying, so after the cancer diagnosis, Verda bought him a glider session. He was in 7th Heaven! The cancer was slow growing however, but fast spreading and returned with a vengeance in 1994; from then on it was a down-hill battle. He died in 1996 at the age of 49, just after his 30th wedding anniversary. He did live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle in April.
Tami added that her dad was loud, gregarious: the life of the party. He loved to sing even though he could not carry a tune. Terry's off-key salutes to Billy Joel and Neil Diamond will always be remembered by Tamara and her friends. Although he did not live to see his four grandchildren, his influence in their lives is evident.
His first assignment as a naval aviator was to HSL-33 Naval Air Station Imperial Beach, CA. While with HSL-33, Rick served on two deployments of LAMPS detachments aboard destroyers. In 1975 Rick was assigned to report to Patuxent River Naval Air Station to VX-1. While stationed there, Rick and I joyfully welcomed our son, Benjamin Vance Creighton, born in April 1977. In June of that same year, we lost Rick in a tragic helicopter accident at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
Ben and I moved back to Southern California in 1977, living in San Diego and then Long Beach. Ben, like his father, graduated from Wilson High School as both a scholar and athlete. Ben attended Yale University and graduated with both bachelors and master’s degrees in political science in 1999. In 2003, Ben married Eleanor Hsu, also a Wilson graduate and in April 2012, their son, Sebastian Creighton-Hsu was born and he is the joy of all of our lives.
Although Rick and Ben knew only two months of life together, there are expressions, nuances, determination, intelligence, generosity and a grace that they strongly share. I know that Rick would be as proud as I am of the man who is our son.
DACH, Daryl – Thanks to daughter, Carolyn Suliman, and son, Richard Dach for submitting the following on behalf of his family.
Daryl was a family man, quick to jump in and help others at any opportunity, and always full of laughter. After college and spending some time in Thailand while serving in the Air Force, he made a successful career for himself as a hospital engineer and biomedical technician. He worked at a few different hospitals in the Southern California area, and raised his family in Long Beach.
Daryl was one who worked hard for what he had and was no doubt proud of the life he earned. If he taught us anything, it was that you can make anything of yourself in this world if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Daryl was known for his ability to fix just about anything, from household repairs, to cars, to highly specialized hospital equipment. He enjoyed spending time with his wife, son, and daughter. They took many family camping and fishing trips together.
Although it is often easy to become slaves to our jobs, Daryl knew that at the end of the day, family and happiness at home was all that was really important. Though he lost his hard-fought battle with cancer in 2002, there is not a day that passes that is not touched in some way by his wonderful legacy.
DAVIS, Brenda – died in November of 2007. Tried unsuccessfully to reach family; no other information found.
DEATON, Pete – died at age 59 in 2006, no other information or family located.
DEDMON, James Jr. – The following information was provided by daughter, Colleen Shannon:
Jim moved to Washington State in 1968 where he raised his family. He first started working in the construction industry for his father and continued on in that field where he spent many years as a project manager for Quadrant (a subsidiary of Weyerhauser.)
He loved to fish, whether it was in a river, lake, or the ocean. He was happiest when he was teaching his grandchildren all about fishing.
James Dedmon passed away February 18, 2002 in Puyallup, WA -- at the young age of 54.
DEEDS, Robert – The following was provided by friend Tony Duarte:
With a heavy heart, I'm announcing the passing of my good friend Bob Deeds. Bob passed two nights (May 28, 2020) ago possible of Pneumonia. I have been in touch with his brother Tim Deeds and at this time no plans have been made for a memorial because of the coronavirus. Bob was a great athlete while attending Woodrow Wilson high school. The quarterback of the football team and still holds the record in track for the 220-yard curve. He graduated from San Diego State University. He also was in the Navy and served a tour in Vietnam. Rest in peace my friend.
DeLANEY, William – Although no family was located, public records show that he died in 2010 and is buried at Forest Lawn in Cypress. Gayle Thompson Taggart (wife of Ron Taggart class of '65), did offer a little bit of additional information. Bill worked for Buffum’s in downtown Long Beach until they closed. He then worked for Hertz Rent-a-Car at the Long Beach Airport. She will try to locate his sister, who lives in Long Beach, and will bring us more information if it becomes available.
DENNER, David – His wife of 26 years, Virginia (White) Denner, class of ‘65 stated that he died in 1991. They had met in their senior year at Wilson. They have one daughter.
DUERBECK, Heidi – The following story combines a very glowing online obituary submitted by her law firm with personal information from her daughter, Kaara:
DUNN, John – died in Santa Ana at the age of 63 on 4/22/10. No other information available.
DUNNIGAN, Kenneth MD – We appreciate the information given by his ex-wife,
Ann Dunnigan, MD:
Ken first attended Stanford for his BS, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He then graduated from UCSD Medical School in the mid-70’s. He served his residency in Pediatrics at Duke University, then went on to get his Master’s in Public Health at the University of North Carolina.
He and Ann were married in 1971; the marriage lasted 10 years. During that time they lived for awhile in Vermont, where he worked for the Department of Public Health while Ann completed her education in preparation for a career in Pediatric Cardiology.
Later in life he moved to Washington DC, and after an HIV diagnosis, he continued his work through the Department of Public Health, advocating for improved AIDS awareness. He died in the mid-1990s. His passions were gourmet cooking, dogs, and travel. Ann summarized him as “a very nice guy.”
DURAND, Eugene – died 3/15/92. No family reached, no other information available.
EICKMIER, Paul – passed away in Santa Ana, age 59, on 12/22/06. All efforts to reach family were unsuccessful.
ENSIGN, Charles – Thanks to brother Joe Ensign for the following:
After graduation, Chuck started work at a gas station on the corner of PCH and Junipero. He worked at that job for close to two years before he was drafted into the Army. Chuck’s M.O.S. (Military Occupational Specialty) was Waist Gunner on a CH47 Chinook helicopter. During basic training he broke both of his legs on the obstacle training course, and the Army made him a clerk. Chuck did his basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, then Fort Ustes, Virginia, then on to Fort Benning, Georgia. Chuck’s Army life was from 1967 to 1969.
In 1970, Chuck came home to Calif. with a wife and baby girl. The family moved to Big Bear where he started a plumbing business. Chuck went back to school at night on the GI Bill and earned his Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration. He then continued his education at Victor Valley College in Victorville; he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree. He sold his business in Big Bear and he and the family -- wife Barbara, daughter Michelle ”Missy”, and daughter Gloria -- moved to Lakewood, Calif. Chuck continued his education at Long Beach State where he earned his teaching degree.
Chuck and his family then moved to Griffin, Georgia. Chuck taught 8th grade history in Georgia for almost twenty years. He was also active in afterschool sports with the children, and coached roller blade hockey. On the night of February 18, 2004, Chuck was coaching a game of hockey and had a massive heart attack and passed. He had just turned 55 years old. I miss him very much for he was a fun- loving, goofy person who loved to play jokes on people, especially me. R.I.P. BROTHER.
GASPAR, James – Information proudly shared by his stepmother, Lia Gaspar:
Jim attended Cal State Long Beach, then UC Berkeley – where he earned a degree in Astrophysics. Among his many achievements was being one of about six people in this country responsible for the development of high definition TVs. While living in Pennsylvania, he worked for a long time at Panasonic. He coordinated the standardization of the equipment with international markets, working with Japan, Germany, and other countries. He interacted with NASA as well.
Jim was very versatile. Among his favorite things ... playing the guitar. Nature. Science. Filmmaking! (George Lucas was his fraternity brother at Long Beach State.) Through that friendship, he was able to visit the Skywalker Ranch.
Jim died at the age of 48 on June 14, 1996. He is survived by his stepmother, four siblings, and their families. Lia described Jim as very honest, very decent. She added that his immense curiosity resulted in a lifetime of learning as much as he possibly could – about everything.
GOERLICK, Henry – passed away a the age of 59 in Bonsall CA on 3/1/06. No family could be located.
Eventually he was able to buy his own drilling rig and that was the start of Bayland Drilling Co. Over time he had a fleet of drilling rigs and contracts with several gasoline companies to provide key soil samples to support state mandated "clean-up" of station (spill) sites. He remarried in 1986; he and Annerieke had 2 children; Emily and Elliott and step-daughter Annika and lived in Foster City and later in Tracy.
Ed loved to travel, played golf whenever possible but especially enjoyed spring and fall desert trips together with Airon ( and later Elliott as he got older), his beloved brother Bud ( and his son Brian), and long time friend John Morris ( and son John Jr.). They all met at various locations but a favorite was Panamint Valley, enjoying long days of exploring and appreciating nature’s beauty on ATV’s, target shooting and special evenings spent around a campfire swapping stories and delicious dinners that Ed cooked for them.
He was the most thoughtful and giving person always quick with a joke and smile. He could build or fix anything and loved to tinker with challenges including running his own business for many years. Sadly, he left all his friends and family too soon in 2007 and is fondly remembered by all of us.
HAALAND, Carol Ann – Information from memorial handout from the services at Christ Lutheran Church in Long Beach:
Carol Haaland died of natural causes in Long Beach, CA on Nov 22, 2013 at age 66. Carol was born to Beatrice and Chris Haaland on April 12, 1947. She was proud to have been born in Long Beach and remained a life-long resident. Carol attended public elementary and high school. She received a BA from St Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 1969 and a Master’s degree in Education from California State University – Long Beach. She had a long career teaching English and reading at the high school level in the Huntington Beach School District.
Carol grew up in the congregation of Our Saviors Lutheran church and was very active in youth activities and later as adult leader. She transferred to Christ Lutheran Church where she sang in the choir and served as a lector. She was intelligent, independent, a loving daughter, and a generous friend. Carol enjoyed visiting friends and family in Minnesota, had a rich laugh and alto voice.
She is survived by cousins in California and Minnesota and her good friend Linda Larson and Linda’s husband, Bryan, of Litchfield MN.
HALL, Nicholas – Thank you to his former wife (‘and best friend’) Cheryl:
After graduation from Wilson, Nick went into the Navy, serving four years in Vietnam as a Medical Corpsman. When his military duty ended, he returned to live in the Long Beach area and went to work driving tanker trucks for Texaco throughout Southern California.
He was married twice, and blessed with a total of four children: Jennifer, Brandi, Josh and Cody. After 20 years with Texaco, he happily changed jobs and was employed by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department. This lasted more than 15 years. After retirement, he moved to Apple Valley; he remained there until his passing in January of 2013. He was 66 years old.
Nick’s passions were his family, and they particularly enjoyed camping. He lived long enough to meet his six grandchildren, and tremendously enjoyed spending a lot of time with them.
Cheryl shared that – although their marriage ended – he was “the best of the best” as an ex-husband. Their family remained close and it was the most amicable of divorces; the children never felt or experienced anything but mutual love and support.
Nick's daughter, Brandi Tomkins, added "He was an amazing, over-the-top grandfather. My kids remember him so vividly getting down on the ground with them to play with their toys, rolling around with them, tickling them, making googly faces at them, talking in a Donald Duck voice, anything to get a smile out of them. When he was around the grandkids, he was a big kid himself!"
HANSEN, John “Gary” – Taken from obituary in the Ouray County Plaindealer, Ouray, CO:
John Gary Hansen (Gary), 66, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 5, 2013, at his home in Ouray, CO after a heroic thirteen-month battle with cancer. Gary was born in Los Angeles, CA and grew up in the surrounding area, spending much of his time on the beach. He attended Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA, and took classes in Electronic Technology at Long Beach City College. After high school Gary was proud to work as a spacecraft electrical and instrumentation installer for North American Aviation/Rockwell, and as an electronic engineering technician for TRW Aerospace. From 1973 to 2002, he had a career working for the Astronomy Department of the University of Texas, starting at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas before moving to Austin, TX.
In Austin, Gary met his future wife, Christine, and the two were married in 1992. When he retired in 2002, the couple and their two young daughters moved to Ouray, CO (this beautiful town is nicknamed “The Switzerland of America” – Google it, and you’ll see why. The family had spent many summers camping in the Amphitheater, and finally made the move permanent. Gary loved the close-knit community and spectacular scenery of Ouray. The mountains were his back yard, and he spent many days exploring them with his friends and family. He was an active member of the Ouray Trail Group, and a more recent member of the Ouray Elks Lodge. He also lent his electronic expertise as a regular volunteer at the Second Chance Thrift Shop in Ridgway.
In 2009 Gary joined the Ouray City Council, and was an active member until his death. For almost four years he spent his time researching and discussing council matters so that he could best represent the community he loved.
Gary was a man of many talents and interests. In his life, he assembled command modules for the Apollo program and sent strands of his own hair into space. He participated in a Guinness World Record-breaking skydive formation and logged over 24 hours of freefall. He served as the President of Ring 60, the Austin chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Locally, he participated in the single-jack competition for the first time at the Highgraders’ Holidays in 2011, and again in 2012.
Gary could tell the longest and most interesting stories. He was a creative problem solver and a jack-of-all-trades. He was a collector of the strange and unusual. He was passionate about everything he did, and he knew what was important in life. He was a loving and beloved son, husband, father, friend, and neighbor. He is survived by his mother, Jeanne Burgess, his wife, Christine Hansen, and his two daughters, Carli and Bonnie Hansen.
HASZELBART, Ann Marie – The following information was given by her dear friend JoAnn Wright Wintenburg (class of ‘65):
HENDON, Sherilyn – Daughter Deborah stated that her mom led a very quiet, simple life. She loved to read, take walks and play with her cat. She died in May of 2013 at the age of 66 in the Reno, NV area, leaving two daughters, one son and three grandchildren. Deborah added that her mom had a big smile “that could light up a room.”
HILL, Alvin – Known as "Bubbie" by his friends, we were unable to locate family, but public records show that he died in Orange County in May of 1993, at the age of 45.
HILL, Glenn – Thank you to his wife, Ann:
Glenn passed away unexpectedly at home Jan. 8, 2009. He was born May 14, 1946 in Detroit, MI and had lived in Long Beach since 1958. He was a 1965 graduate of Wilson High School where he played football and baseball. He joined the Marine Corps in 1966 and served in the Marines until 1968. He was a Vietnam veteran.
He is survived by his loving wife Ann and three sons. He was a loving husband and an exceptional father. His love of sports was a part of his whole adult life. He even played softball with his sons later in life. He coached, Little League, Pony League and Colt League through the youngest son's years growing up.
He is missed every day by his wife, children and grandchildren.
HOOVER, Steven – Thanks to brother Gary Hoover, class of ‘63 for the following:
Lynda Howard was born in Boston in December of 1947, the second of seven children born over a period of 10 years. When Lynda was about a year old, the family relocated to Long Beach ….. all of her siblings (3 brothers, 3 sisters) were Bruins . Shortly after graduation, she married David Hughes. They lived in Rossmoor, and over a period of 10 years ( ! ) had four sons – David, Eddie, Joey and Sean. Lynda was always a working mom, and while raising her family she worked in retail merchandising. One of her first jobs was at White Cross Pharmacy in downtown Long Beach. She also worked at Sav-On, but the majority of her career was at Lucky’s on Palos Verdes and Spring in the Lakewood Plaza area. She worked crazy hours ‘behind the scenes’ in stocking and inventory. Her sister Sue followed her into that career as well.
Lynda loved people, and enjoyed most spending time with family. Other than her older sister Pam, who moved to Missouri, all her siblings remained in this general area. They all shared a passion for the beach and spent many happy hours together and with their children at the Bay and in Belmont Shore. They all loved beach volleyball, and followed the Cal State LB Teams to the World Series games. She also loved Oldies But Goodies, and was often found singing or humming the songs of her era.
In the mid-90’s she was diagnosed with cancer, which had begun as a melanoma and spread to her lungs prior to being discovered. She fought hard for a few years. Although her sons would have loved to take her traveling and experiencing new things, her idea of living the rest of her life to the fullest was to remain close to home and spend as much time as possible with her beloved family. She loved being a grandmother to the two grandchildren she got to meet. Her third grandchild, Kyle, was just three months old when Lynda died, and will be graduating this month (June 2015) from Millikan. Another grandchild, a girl, was born after Kyle.
Lynda Mary Howard Hughes passed away on January 3, 1998, at the way-too-young age of 50. Susan, herself a cancer survivor who is very active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, summarized Lynda as “our sweetheart girl.” She was and is loved very much, and missed tremendously.
IRVIN, Gene – Thank you to his former wife, Susan Hegel for sharing the following information:
JOHN, Richard – Information shared by his daughter, Maggie Riggins:
Bobby’s friends were shocked to learn of his death on July 15, 2015 from two blood clots in his lungs following knee replacement surgery two months before. In this past year, he had enjoyed reconnecting with several friends and was very much looking forward to the 50th reunion.
In March, a group of childhood buddies (from kindergarten at Bryant Elementary) got together for lunch... Bobby, JoAnn, Dick Garretson, Phillip French, Steve Ito, Fred Larimer and Linda Smith Chrisman.
Bob went to Cal State LB, got a degree in Criminal Justice, was drafted during the Vietnam war years and served in Okinawa. His Alumni Book Bio outlined the following: Bob served in the military from 1969 – 1971. He was married briefly and adopted a son, Patrick. He was a single dad, and had spoken very positively of the support and social activities he enjoyed through Parents Without Partners.
Bob worked for the three largest defense contractors: General Dynamics for 16 years, until 1994 when the Pomona facility closed down. He then transferred to Hughes in Fullerton until it closed in 1995, then went to Raytheon... which took over two of the buildings from Hughes (where Amerige Heights is now) in Fullerton. That lasted for 8 years. All of his jobs were in security area. He retired at age 57 in 2004.
Bob enjoyed entensive travel and summarized his favorite pastimes as working out at the gym, movies, bowling, and membership in the Elks Lodge. His friends are thankful for the time they were able to spend with him, however brief – and he will be remembered fondly at the reunion.
(We invite those friends to add comments to this tribute in the near future, for inclusion in the Alumni Book and/or on this website).
KENADY, Christopher – While awaiting information from family members, we received some important input from childhood friend Tom Kiddie:
KOONS, Marjorie – Information supplied by sister, Rosemary Romine:
Soon after high school, Marjorie met and married Willard LaTour. They continued to live in the Belmont Shore area, and had one daughter, Christina. Marjorie was always a homemaker. The family, including her mother, moved to Rosamond, a small desert community near the Kern / Los Angeles County border. They all loved living in the desert, and were very contented there. They raised dogs (small terriers) and enjoyed the outdoors. She particularly loved to fish for trout in local lakes and streams. Marjorie died of uterine cancer in Lancaster, CA in August of 2003. She was 56 years of age.
Terry and Doug were born in South Carolina, but she spent most of her life in Southern California. While at Wilson, she and her friends began a unique sorority called “Soci” specifically to include those girls who were not considered “socialites”. Her brother said “my twin was a ‘hoot’ – Her friends called her Toolie, short for (her dad’s nickname for her) “O’Toole.” Shortly after graduation, Terry went to work as a dispatcher with the Seal Beach Police Department. She married the love of her life, Raymond Kelso III (Wilson ’64) and they had two daughters – Tiffany and Tami. She was extremely gregarious and outgoing, and every employer found her to be a treasure. At one point she worked as a receptionist for a psychiatrist, who valued her so that when he spent a two-year sabbatical in Hawaii, he took her (and her daughters) along to continue her work. While there she met Don Ho and formed a warm friendship; at his shows, he would often come to her table to visit during his breaks.
Most of her working life was spent at Rockwell, in high-level technical support. She was proficient with computers – the “go-to gal” – and remained there until retirement. Her three siblings agreed that although she never had the formal education or degrees they did, she was the smartest of all. In the late 90’s, she suffered a devastating injury. She broke her back, and shattered her femur. In order to repair her spine, they had to collapse one lung to gain access, involving more than one surgery. In spite of the very gloomy initial prognosis (that she would likely never walk again), she managed to prove them wrong. Rockwell thought so highly of her that they kept her on the books throughout her extended hospital stay – they provided a laptop and she continued to carry out her job duties ... not as common an arrangement then as it might be now. Although she triumphed over these injuries, she did suffer residual pain from then on. Ironically, both of her daughters became physical therapists.
Terry was, like all of the Krensle family, an avid reader. She read everything she could get her hands on, in every genre. She also loved the ocean and surfing. Her husband Ray had been a competitive surfer for Hobi. Doug had entered the military, and at one time when he was stationed in Thailand, he received a letter from his twin where she mentioned that they might now be marching to different drummers. He quickly wrote back with a helpful suggestion of what she might do with her drumsticks.
In 2013, she had been dealing with a cough of unexplained origin. She continued to experience a flu-like syndrome, although repeated medical tests failed to find the problem or provide answers. By April, she had been diagnosed with a cancer that her oncologist characterized as the most aggressive cancer he had ever seen. It had spread so quickly that it escaped normal detection. She passed away less than a month later, in May of 2013. A very poignant detail: Doug went to his pastor, who blessed the host (enabling him to go to Terry and give her communion.) This was done with just the two of them present, in the garden of her daughter’s home. Doug wanted her friends to know that -- from diagnosis to death -- she never once complained, never whined, never lost her faith that she would be safe in the arms of her Lord Jesus. Doug added: “ Terry was so social she could talk to rocks and they might answer. No, she wasn't demented...that was just an example of her ability to charm others with her warmth and vitality. As a closing note, Terry, my brother Stan and I took a cruise to Alaska the year before. It was a perfect trip I will treasure for the remainder of my life."
LAUERMAN, James – No family was located, but did receive this information from classmate and friend, Jack Hayden:
After graduation Jim went to Vietnam for two years. He returned from Vietnam and ended up working on the oil islands in Long Beach. He also worked in the oilfields in Kenai, Alaska for several years and returned then to Long Beach where he met and married Brenna, a girl from Fargo, North Dakota in 1977. They moved there and he opened up a bar on Main Street in Fargo, and eventually opened a second bar next to North Dakota State.
Jim was an avid hunter fisherman and all-around comedian, well-liked by everyone. He also was a father of three children. Jim passed away in Fargo, ND of melanoma in 2004, at the age of 56.
Marilyn, always an artist, inherited talent from her mother and other family members. Her father’s military career took the family to Panama, where she lived most of her junior high years. Thus began her lifelong interest in both travel and the beauty of nature. After graduation, she went to work for a company in Belmont Shore designing custom clothing labels due to her beautiful, flowing hand-writing and later received a degree/certificate in Photography from Long Beach City College.
The family had roots in the SF Bay/ Mendocino area, and Marilyn was always drawn to Northern California. She moved from Long Beach to Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, and for a long time drove a rural mail route... a familiar sight in her powder blue VW bus with the cloud curtains & her iconic crescent moon & star on the front, delivering the mail in sleet & snow.
Professionally, she was a photographer over a period of 30 years. She was very instrumental in the development of Fromex, a Belmont Shore photo developer. Her artistic pursuits included the old Victorian technique of woodburning. She would go on “photo journeys” anywhere to capture the best of nature – would think nothing of driving all day to be able to take pictures of poppies in bloom.
After returning to Southern California, she was a devoted daughter who lived with and cared for her mom and dad in their Los Altos home. Her mother had MS, and her father had service-related disabilities. In November of 2000, she was diagnosed with a fast-moving brain tumor -- a glioblastoma -- which tragically ended her life at the age of 53, in March of 2001. Her mother had died less than two months before. In Renee’s own research of genealogy, she learned that they were Daughters of the American Revolution who could trace their family back to the early 1700’s and the Jamestowne settlement.
Marilyn was passionate about animal rights and saved many stray cats throughout her life. She loved Mexico, traveled there many times and her ashes were scattered at the place she was most happy, the Palapa she & Jeanni built in paradise where the jungle meets the sea, south of Puerto Vallarta. Marilyn was an extraordinarily talented artist, and endlessly devoted to those she loved. We miss her so!
Anyone who knew Marilyn, has memories to share and/or wanted to contact the family are welcome to do so. renee_matt@live.com (562) 900-9416
MAGNALL, James – Thank you to his wife, Sue, for sharing this information:
After graduation from Wilson, Jim attended Cal State Long Beach where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He then went on to get his Master’s in Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona, and later became a licensed architect. His working career included architectural firms, Hughes and Cal State Long Beach. He passed away in Long Beach October of 2001.
MAHLE, Bart – Information given by his brother Rob, Wilson ‘70:
MATCHESKI, Nanci – From fellow grad Flora Dalglish:
MATTOX, James – died at the age of 60, in April 2007 in Corvallis, OR.
My father was a man of many talents and passions. He was very passionate about muscle cars and restored a few, the 1969 Camaro being his dream car that he also raced. My father and my brother, Derek worked on restoring this Camaro together. He had a passion for the arts including photography and loved to garden. He was a marathon runner that ran 12 half and full marathons total. He studied about birds and butterflies. He worked at Ham Radio Outlet for 30 years and was a very excelled Ham Radio operator that was able to connect with almost every country. KM6K was his call sign that forever remains as an icon.
Thomas and Susan McDuffie were happily married for 35 years with three children, Derek, Dana and Shannon; three grandsons, Andrew, Thomas and Daylen. He was a family man.The best husband and father and friend to all that were lucky enough to know him. He taught me about food and wine and I became a Chef. He was incredibly knowledgeable about a wide range of different things...mostly he loved life and enjoyed every minute of it. My father passed on July 13th 2009. Forever missed.
MEACHAM, Robert – Thanks to fellow grad Russ Martin for the following:
After leaving Cal State Long Beach for a career in law enforcement, I sadly lost contact with most of my high school friends. However, I did maintain my friendship with Bob Meacham who had been one of my best friends since attending Will Rogers Jr. High School together. Shortly after graduating from Wilson, Bob enlisted in the Army and was sent to Viet Nam. We all jokingly warned him to keep his head down because he was tall (at least 6 foot 4 or so...) and would make a pretty big target. Fortunately, he came home in one piece. We resumed our friendship and we could frequently be found shooting pool down at Big Johns Pool Hall near the Belmont Pier ....he was very good and frequently beat me in a game of eight ball or straight pool. Bob liked to hang out at the beach, usually along the bay, and Hoff's Hut near PCH . He had learned to cut meat in the military and became a butcher in one of the markets in Belmont Shore. In his late 30's, he married a school teacher (regretfully, I don't remember her name). Sadly, he was diagnosed with cancer in his early 40's and after a brave fight, succumbed to the disease. He always smiled and never had a harsh word to say about anyone. I think of him often and cherished his friendship.
Peggy was born in Long Beach and remained in the local area, residing in Yorba Linda (after all, she was a member of the Yorba Family). She married Allen Nichelini Jr. in 1974, and later had two children. She was loved by all who knew her with her compassionate, generous, bright spirit and love for entertaining. Peggy’s infectious smile lit up every room she entered. She was an extraordinarily talented person who loved crafts, laughter and was always involved in her children’s lives.
In 1985, Peggy was diagnosed with breast cancer, but in strong courageous form, she mustered the strength to prepare for a long battle with the mindset that no one, but she, was going to raise her children. She endured two mastectomies, nine reoccurrences, a bone marrow transplant, lymphedema, and diabetes, all before succumbing to a heart attack. Throughout all of these health problems, she thrived to preserve her family. This was her testimony of the power of love that she was able to continuously overcome all odds and endure unthinkable agony simply to ensure her children were properly raised, while remaining as a pillar of strength for them to lean on.
After a long courageous health struggle, Peggy passed away October 10, 2003, at the age of 56. She is survived by her husband Allen, daughter Kristin and son Jeff. Most importantly, through the course of Peggy’s life, she taught her children – strength through adversity. Now that she is gone, we hope to live up to the example she has set before us.
PEDERSON, Steve – Respectfully submitted by his loving brother, Bill (WWHS Class of ‘61):
Steve died 10-21-68 at Ascot Raceway, a 1/2 mile dirt track located in Gardena, CA. He was 21 years, 10 days old. Never much of an athlete (basketball, football, track, etc.), he found himself to be a natural in a sport where light weight, quick reflexes, and the instinct of knowing whether the rider in front of him (if in fact there was one) would drift to the outside or hold his position on the rail. Steve had a sixth sense for this and would either pass low and inside, his rear wheel throwing up a rooster tail of dirt on the rider he had just passed or go around on the outside, both feet on the pegs in a perfectly controlled pas de deux. It was in fact a ballet at very hi-speed. His good friend and fellow classmate, Charley Legeman, was always there as his pit man, the first to pat him on the back and congratulate him.
Bill summarized this in a way that speaks volumes: "My brother Steve died doing what he loved. How many of us will be able to say that when our time comes? R.I.P. Steve” – Brother Bill
Classmate Jeff Billings added:
Steve Pederson was my good friend growing up. My sister, Donna (Wilson Class '61), and I would walk to the Pederson house on our way to Horrace Mann Elementary School and continue on to school with Steve and his brother Bill( Wilson Class of '61). We had great fun working as paperboys throughout elementary and junior high schools. We also spent many happy hours riding dirt bikes on the north side of Marine Stadium before there were houses in that area. Steve became a great motorcycle rider for Kawasaki. We miss you Steve.
Classmate Cheryl Bachman Adams, Steve’s high school sweetheart, added:
I met Steve at Jefferson in 1961 and we became best friends. When we got to Wilson in 1963, we kicked it up a notch and became boyfriend and girlfriend. He and Jeff Billings would come by every day and we’d walk to school together. We were marching partners at all the graduation activities. After high school, we lost track of each other.... but I will never forget his blond “surfer hair”, his twinkling blue eyes, and that sprinkle of freckles across his nose. He will always be missed.
Classmate Charlie Legeman added:
Steve and I met at Wilson our sophmore year where we really hit it off because of our mutual interest in motorsports. We were a goofy pair hanging out together. Steve was around 5'10 and 130 lbs and I was 6' 200lbs. I remember in PE we had to run against each other for a 100 yd dash. We were laughing the whole way because we were bumping each other as if we were racing cars. Steve had a successful career in the AMA series where he excelled in both flat track, TT and road racing. I believe he was the number 2 amateur in the country before he went pro. Unfortunately, Steve lost his life at Ascot Park where he crashed in turn two and was hit by another rider. A few years earlier, in an English class, Steve had written a poem about him crashing at Ascot in turn two and not surviving. That was really spooky. Steve was also good friends with Jeff Billings and Cheryl Bachman/Adams. I can't remember if I met Steve through Jeff or through Cheryl, however I do know that we have all been good friends through the years. Jeff and I have had a great time surfing, fishing and traveling through the years. Cheryl and her husband Rick have also been good friends as well. I like to think these mutual friendships were because of the relationship we all had with Steve.
PEEL, Eugene – Thank you to his brother Leonard for sharing this story:
Eugene was born into a family of professional musicians. His father played French horn in symphony orchestras, and worked with major movie studios. All three brothers became professional musicians, and have made beautiful music throughout their lives. Gene, inspired by Elvis Presley, was a self-taught lead guitar player. Directly after graduation he joined his older brother, Leonard (the drummer) and they played together for 17 years, ending in Honolulu. Gene returned to the Huntington Beach area and joined his younger brother, Robert (on the keyboard!) and they played together for a long time.
In 1973, he was married briefly to a lovely girl named Shaari. They met thru the entertainment business (she was a good friend of Ricky Nelson’s wife.) Another close friend was Pat Upton, whose “Spiral Staircase” band recorded the one-hit wonder, “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday.” Along with his brothers and at various times, Gene opened for Sonny & Cher and other stars. At one time, he and his band shared the bill with Wilson Pickett at a Hollywood concert.
Through the years, Gene worked steadily as a career musician – for example - Disneyland, and the Whiskey-a-Go-Go clubs in Hollywood, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Denver. His proud parents would often be in the audience when the brothers were performing. In September of 1994, he entered the hospital for what was to have been a fairly simple and routine procedure. An unexpected complication arose, and he died suddenly in the ICU. He was just 47 years old.
In addition to his music, he loved to sail, draw and paint. Although he had no children of his own, he loved kids and was a wonderful uncle to his nieces and nephews. Leonard wants Gene’s classmates to know that he was always cheerful, the sweetest and most loving man. He never lost his temper. Quite simply, “Everyone loved Gene.”
PETERSON, Susan – Thank you to Jerry Kilgore and John Jasinki for contributing the following
information:
Susan was still in high school when she met Jerry Kilgore (Millikan ‘61) while both were employed at Zody’s, the ‘superstore’ on Los Coyotes Diagonal. He was her date for the “All Night Dance.” They married in 1966. She then went to work for LA County, but resigned to accompany Jerry to Germany where he was stationed in the military. While abroad, she worked as a PBX operator at Transit Billet (a hotel) in Frankfurt. They worked opposite shifts, and had to work around that to spend time together. When they returned to Southern California, she went back to work at the LA County Probation Department headquarters, in the capacity of a Statistical Clerk. Their marriage ended – particularly amicably! – in 1974. Jerry had high praise for Susan – a wonderful, kind
person.
In 1975, she married John A. Jasinski, a co-worker at the Probation Department. They had been good friends for several years before it turned to romance. They eventually moved from Long Beach to Stanton.
Susan suffered from Crohn’s Disease for several years and her health slowly deteriorated. While she was still able, she and John loved to camp, and visited most of the National Parks in the western part of the country. She also loved to needlepoint; many of her creations still decorate their home today. She also indulged John’s love of baseball, and sat with him through countless Angels games. She drew the line, however, at football.
Susan died in August of 1988 in Orange County. She was only 41 years old.
PRESTON, John "Jack"– His little sister, Susie Maxson, generously shared the story of his life:
Jack was born in Cleveland, and came to Long Beach at about age 5. He grew up in Belmont Shore, was an altar boy at St. Bartholomew’s, and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Like so many kids in the Shore, he loved the ocean – body surfing, fishing –also, he was a master at handball. Sunshine, parties .…the whole package. He was a happy guy. He attended St. Anthony’s before transferring to Wilson.
The trajectory of his life changed dramatically when he enlisted in the Marines (following his dad’s footsteps) at the age of 19. He attained the rank of Lance Corporal and served in Vietnam. At one point, he was MIA for several months. Susie recalled that during that time, a very graphic black & white photo of a body being carried out of the jungle appeared in Life Magazine, and her mom collapsed from the shock. His service brought him not only a Purple Heart, but PTSD so severe that it profoundly damaged him and affected the rest of his life. When he returned, only his mother recognized him as he got off the plane. During that difficult and very controversial era of “Hanoi Jane”, he was literally spit on and taunted. Even his little sister was given a hard time by the kids her age.
In spite of these problems, he moved for a time to Hawaii, and when he returned to California, he did very well managing about 25 Earl Schieb Auto Paint locations. His soul was permanently scarred, but he did the best he could and relied on his faith to get him through. He loved sports – he was a walking encyclopedia, and his favorite team was the Cleveland Indians. Although he never married or had a child, he found joy in being an uncle to Susie’s daughter, adopted in 1991. He taught her to play cards, to throw a ball. He helped her with her math … they loved each other very much.
He stayed close to his mother (both physically and emotionally) and they took care of each other until she passed away in 2002. About a year and a half later, he died of natural causes in his home in late August, 2003. He was just 55 years old. Susie expressed her gratitude to be given the opportunity to honor this hero by telling this story.
PYLE, Larry – Information given by his mother, Jackie Page:
Larry was a preemie and weighed only 3 lbs 11oz when born. He grew strong and healthy even though he would never eat anything green. His athletic achievements (he was captain of the track team at Wilson) drew the attention of Golden West College; they recruited him and he continued to excel in track. While at Long Beach State, he went to Europe with friends. He worked as a forest ranger in one country, and once was a disc jockey in Sweden. He loved to travel and had many trips planned in the future. His greatest gifts were the kindness and open acceptance of everyone, and his sense of humor. He loved his family and friends so much. I don’t know how we can live without him....
My brother David died on his 49th birthday June 1995 in Newport Beach, California. He lived his life exactly as he wanted. David was a wonderful protective brother. He was loyal to all those he called a friend. Always charming and generous. He never married nor had children of his own. He found love with a wonderful woman in Maui, Hawaii where he lived several years. His ashes along with his niece Elyce were spread on the coast of Maui.
Her love of children became the guiding force of her life which led to a career in teaching that spanned more than 40 years. Becky's early career included teaching elementary school in Ethiopia and preschool in Costa Mesa, CA. She later became the director of early childhood programs at Wesley Children's Center in North Las Vegas, Trinity United Methodist Preschool (TUMPS) and most recently UMOM New Day Center Child Development Center (CDC) in Phoenix. Becky also served as the Christian Education Director at First United Methodist Church of Phoenix where she was lovingly known as "The Fairy Godmother of Holy Fun".
Becky is survived by her daughter Betsy Lyddon, son Ricky Lyddon and his fiancée Katie Redman, sister Vicki Skelton, mother-in-law Jean Lyddon, and countless friends and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents Gordon and Florence Skelton, and the love of her life Rick Lyddon.
After seeing the above story, high school friend Andrea Loughran Koenker asked if she might add some memories of her own:
I remember Becky Skelton Lyddon for her genuine friendliness, kindness and sense of humor. Becky entered Wilson following a move from Ohio to Long Beach in her Sophomore year. We became good friends and participated in a variety of activities. I especially recall the FTA (Future Teachers of America Club) and sitting on a bench in the Quad talking about anything and everything students talked about in those days.
We lost touch post graduation but reconnected about the time her daughter was born. I remember her husband was at the DOD Language School in Monterey, California. Her letters, like Becky, were bubbly and enthusiastic. Subsequently, with Becky in Turkey and me in the Azores, we again lost touch, permanently this time.
A favorite memory, resulting in an epiphany for me, occurred when I was having dinner with Becky and her family at their home. Mrs. Skelton prepared a delicious home cooked meal. As I enjoyed my second helping of mashed potatoes I raved about how wonderful they tasted. Mrs. Skelton smiled and calmly stated “ it’s only potatoes, butter and milk. “ WOW!!! I had never eaten real mashed potatoes—my Mother was a great Mom but cooking was not her thing—thus my idea of mashed potatoes was reconstituted potato flakes courtesy of Betty Crocker. I haven’t eaten instant potatoes since—it’s always real potatoes for cooking. And it is not an exaggeration to say I rarely make mashed potatoes that I don’t remember that happy evening and the warmth and welcome extended to me by all the Skelton family.
I’m sad Becky is gone and regretful that we lost contact during the intervening years. Still, these many journeys later, I remember her with affection and am grateful she was my friend.
SMITH, Barbara – information given by her daughter, Maggie Riggins:
Barbara was married to Richard John (Wilson ‘65), whose story appears above. Although they grew up in the same neighborhood, they did not marry until sometime later. After Wilson, Barbara went to work for the California Highway Patrol, where she held the position of dispatcher. After marrying Richard in May of 1973 and the birth of daughter Katey, they moved to Monroe WA where their second child, Maggie was born. They returned to Arroyo Grande on the Central Coast, to be closer to her family, and eventually moved to Bakersfield.
For a number of years she was a busy wife and mom, involved in church, Girl Scouts, and worked as a playground supervisor at the girls’ school. In 1989, when her children were a little older, she took a job with the Kern High School District which lasted until she had to retire in 2005. She had been diagnosed with ‘bulbar’ ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), a form of the disease that first affects speech, and progresses quickly. She passed away in October of 2006.
When asked to describe her mom’s favorite things, Maggie laughed and said “she loved everything.” She was an expert seamstress, a wonderful cook -- jellies, jams, relishes, you name it -- various church groups, etc. She had 6 grandchildren: Katey’s two daughters are now 18 and 16, and Maggie has 3 boys and one girl ages 23, 20, 16 and 12. Barbara also got great joy from joining the zany “Red Hat Society” (wearing purple and red and celebrating life). Even when she had to walk with a walker, at Christmas time she decorated it with garlands and colored lights. She was simply wonderful. Barbara was full of life, always loving, caring and supportive. She always lent a helping hand and had a hug to give with a smile.
SPORE, Timothy – Attempts to reach any family have been unsuccessful at this time. We know only that Tim Spore died at the age of 62, on October 25, 2010 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and is buried in Pensacola.
Rob was a born entrepreneur, possessing not only the lively imagination but also the technical savvy to put wings on his ideas. After Wilson he attended LBCC, where he was drawn to the theater and drama. The walls of the auditorium at City College could be “tuned” appropriately for the events there – an acoustical setting which accommodated various presentations such as musical performances, plays, or speeches. He learned how to do this, which effectively makes the room itself the speaker system. (While at Wilson, he may be remembered for having hacked into the PA System and announcing that school was dismissed mid-day, much to the delight of his classmates.) He then traveled to New York City where he continued to be involved with performing and helped design one of the first dinner theaters. His friends called him “Broadway Rob.” Ironically, later in life he did not particular enjoy being in the audience; he was a critic, distracted by the behind-the-scenes mishaps he noticed such as missed lighting cues, etc.
Rob was born in Bakersfield, a second generation oil man. Over the years he joined his father on and off in the petroleum industry. He returned to California from New York and continued a lifelong career of invention, interspersed with developing and managing numerous companies. He had an uncanny sense of design. As a young man, his father had threatened to have the Army Surplus store put out of business because Rob would go there to stock up on the supplies he needed to create some of his inventions – including a small submarine he built and launched in the pool of the Petroleum Club. (It sank.) He personally invented over twenty pieces of oil field equipment – without an engineering degree. A significant invention was the sub-surface safety equipment installed in Saudi Arabia and other middle Eastern countries; this was what allowed an oil well to be blown up in an attack, and have it up and running again within 24 hours. He worked for Page Oil Tools and traveled internationally. He later started Blue Jay Oil Tools and Stansbury Oil Tools. The family also dealt in gold and silver.
In 1972, he met Leslie, and they married a year later. One child was born of that union in 1980 – (Milissa, an unusual spelling because he completed the paperwork and wasn’t a good speller.) They decided to leave it be. The marriage lasted 10 years, and they traveled quite a bit …. From Seal Beach to Colorado, back to Seal Beach, Ojai, Bakersfield. While in Seal Beach, he designed and Leslie managed the first plant store on Main Street, across from Walt’s Wharf. The name was “Tantalus”, for the Greek God of tantalizing. They shared the building with Ben Bradlee, Jr. They gave a free plant to every customer. Due to a now-non-existent loophole in ABC regulations, which allows serving beer and wine without a license if poured behind a partition, customers could have a drink while browsing through the plants and waiting for their dinner reservations at Walt’s. Rob and Leslie also shared a passion for classic cars, and owned 73 of them during the course of their marriage. He also was an avid reader whose favorite author was Ayn Rand.
Rob died in August of 1985, when a Delta flight from Florida crashed on landing in Dallas. At the time of his death he was living in Marina Pacifica, and in the planning stages of starting two more businesses. Milissa was just 5 when he died; he now has a granddaughter, Camden, who will be 2 in December. He was a brilliant and interesting man. Leslie added that she very much enjoyed our conversation, and all of the fun memories that came back to her while helping to create this tribute.
INTERESTING FOOTNOTE: While reminiscing on the ‘65 Facebook page, several classmates had fondly remembered the day some student had hacked into the PA system and dismissed school mid-morning. Several alumni had wondered who the genius behind that prank might have been, because it worked (in spite of the teachers trying to halt the departures.) Once the In Memoriam tribute to Rob Stansbury was published, the mystery was solved – and he was cheered posthumously for his random act of kindness.
STATLAND, Steven – Before I had a chance to find family, I received the following information from classmate Donald McCurdy:
STEIGER, William - Thank you to Bill's wife, Ellen, for the following:
After graduation, Stephen served in the Army in Vietnam. Upon returning from the war, he attended Golden West College and went on to get his Bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting at USC. He moved to San Francisco, where he met his wife, Elaine. They married and moved to Texas.
After a few years in Houston, they returned to Southern California, where they had homes in Brea and Cypress. They raised two sons – Donald and Frank. Stephen was an Accounting Manager at Whessoe, and later, Bumble Bee Tuna. His parents died in 2005, and he passed away in 2007. He is buried at Forest Lawn in Cypress.
Donald shared that his dad loved working with wood, and enjoyed baseball. He was a huge Angels fan! Donald remembered his dad as a man who always put his family first. He was loved and he is missed.
CRAIN, Terrence – Thank you to his daughter, Tami Zylla:
Terrence Crain was born in Alton, Illinois, the youngest of 8 children. After moving to California, he spent the rest of his life in Long Beach. After graduation, he was drafted for service in Vietnam, but blindness in one eye resulted in an honorable discharge. His 1965 marriage to Verda Mitchell produced two children, Tamara and Douglas (who also graduated from Wilson High, in 1987 and 1991).
Terry was an amazing father who gave selflessly to his children and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. He coached both children in soccer, baseball, and softball. He played slow-pitch softball. He never met a sport he didn’t like. He had a successful career in the auto parts industry, and as a result won several trips; he and Verda were able to travel to Sweden, Dominican Republic, England, and the Bahamas. He worked for both Jamestown and Boulevard British Saab.
Among the things Terry loved: Baseball (his favorite team was the Cardinals from his home state of Illinois.) He loved to travel, and spent many seasons with his family enjoying the beauty of Yosemite and traveling to see family in Oregon and Illinois. Also, there were family trips to Hawaii, and several other travels with Verda and friends, including a 25th anniversary cruise to Alaska.
In 1991,he was diagnosed with a completely encapsulated tumor in his neck. The prognosis was good; he only needed radiation. He always loved flying, so after the cancer diagnosis, Verda bought him a glider session. He was in 7th Heaven! The cancer was slow growing however, but fast spreading and returned with a vengeance in 1994; from then on it was a down-hill battle. He died in 1996 at the age of 49, just after his 30th wedding anniversary. He did live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle in April.
Tami added that her dad was loud, gregarious: the life of the party. He loved to sing even though he could not carry a tune. Terry's off-key salutes to Billy Joel and Neil Diamond will always be remembered by Tamara and her friends. Although he did not live to see his four grandchildren, his influence in their lives is evident.
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| Terry Crain 1965 |
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| Terry Crain 1990 |
CREIGHTON, Richard – Thank you to his wife, Carol:
Rick grew up in La Jolla and then during high school moved to Long Beach and Wilson High. He attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in June 1970. Following graduation, Rick reported to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA to enter the master’s degree program in electrical engineering. He and two other USNA classmates shared a home on 17 Mile Drive along the beautiful Monterey coast. In February 1971, Rick and I were married and moved to Pacific Grove while he completed his degree. In the summer of 1971, Rick reported to Pensacola, Florida for flight school, receiving his wings in 1972.His first assignment as a naval aviator was to HSL-33 Naval Air Station Imperial Beach, CA. While with HSL-33, Rick served on two deployments of LAMPS detachments aboard destroyers. In 1975 Rick was assigned to report to Patuxent River Naval Air Station to VX-1. While stationed there, Rick and I joyfully welcomed our son, Benjamin Vance Creighton, born in April 1977. In June of that same year, we lost Rick in a tragic helicopter accident at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
Ben and I moved back to Southern California in 1977, living in San Diego and then Long Beach. Ben, like his father, graduated from Wilson High School as both a scholar and athlete. Ben attended Yale University and graduated with both bachelors and master’s degrees in political science in 1999. In 2003, Ben married Eleanor Hsu, also a Wilson graduate and in April 2012, their son, Sebastian Creighton-Hsu was born and he is the joy of all of our lives.
Although Rick and Ben knew only two months of life together, there are expressions, nuances, determination, intelligence, generosity and a grace that they strongly share. I know that Rick would be as proud as I am of the man who is our son.
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| Rick Creighton 1965 |
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| Rick Creighton 1975 |
DACH, Daryl – Thanks to daughter, Carolyn Suliman, and son, Richard Dach for submitting the following on behalf of his family.
Daryl was a family man, quick to jump in and help others at any opportunity, and always full of laughter. After college and spending some time in Thailand while serving in the Air Force, he made a successful career for himself as a hospital engineer and biomedical technician. He worked at a few different hospitals in the Southern California area, and raised his family in Long Beach.
Daryl was one who worked hard for what he had and was no doubt proud of the life he earned. If he taught us anything, it was that you can make anything of yourself in this world if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Daryl was known for his ability to fix just about anything, from household repairs, to cars, to highly specialized hospital equipment. He enjoyed spending time with his wife, son, and daughter. They took many family camping and fishing trips together.
Although it is often easy to become slaves to our jobs, Daryl knew that at the end of the day, family and happiness at home was all that was really important. Though he lost his hard-fought battle with cancer in 2002, there is not a day that passes that is not touched in some way by his wonderful legacy.
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| Daryl Dach 1965 |
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| Daryl Dach 1983 |
DAVIS, Brenda – died in November of 2007. Tried unsuccessfully to reach family; no other information found.
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| Brenda Davis 1965 |
DEATON, Pete – died at age 59 in 2006, no other information or family located.
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| Pete Deaton 1965 |
DEDMON, James Jr. – The following information was provided by daughter, Colleen Shannon:
Jim moved to Washington State in 1968 where he raised his family. He first started working in the construction industry for his father and continued on in that field where he spent many years as a project manager for Quadrant (a subsidiary of Weyerhauser.)
He loved to fish, whether it was in a river, lake, or the ocean. He was happiest when he was teaching his grandchildren all about fishing.
James Dedmon passed away February 18, 2002 in Puyallup, WA -- at the young age of 54.
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| Jim Dedmon 1965 |
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| Jim Dedmon 1995 |
DEEDS, Robert – The following was provided by friend Tony Duarte:
With a heavy heart, I'm announcing the passing of my good friend Bob Deeds. Bob passed two nights (May 28, 2020) ago possible of Pneumonia. I have been in touch with his brother Tim Deeds and at this time no plans have been made for a memorial because of the coronavirus. Bob was a great athlete while attending Woodrow Wilson high school. The quarterback of the football team and still holds the record in track for the 220-yard curve. He graduated from San Diego State University. He also was in the Navy and served a tour in Vietnam. Rest in peace my friend.
DeLANEY, William – Although no family was located, public records show that he died in 2010 and is buried at Forest Lawn in Cypress. Gayle Thompson Taggart (wife of Ron Taggart class of '65), did offer a little bit of additional information. Bill worked for Buffum’s in downtown Long Beach until they closed. He then worked for Hertz Rent-a-Car at the Long Beach Airport. She will try to locate his sister, who lives in Long Beach, and will bring us more information if it becomes available.
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| Bill DeLaney 1965 |
DENNER, David – His wife of 26 years, Virginia (White) Denner, class of ‘65 stated that he died in 1991. They had met in their senior year at Wilson. They have one daughter.
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| David Denner 1965 |
DOOLEY, James – Thank you to his sister, Lonnie Dooley Smith (class of ’63):
Jim grew up in Long Beach with his parents and sister in the house his dad built in Naples. His cousin, Barry Murray, was like a brother to him, also growing up nearby. After high school, he attended Long Beach City College. Living near the water all his life, Jim acquired a keen appreciation for the ocean and the exciting activities it offered. In his pre-teen years he developed a passion for surfing which evolved into a lifelong zeal for spending time at the beach. He married his high school girlfriend, Mickey Timmermans (class of ‘68) soon after graduation and had two sons, Jeff and Erik.
Jim was a sports enthusiast who fought against the ravages of a lifetime of coronary artery disease by ardently participating in a wide variety of athletic activities including surfing, tennis, soccer, softball, cycling and snow skiing. As a member of the Board of Directors at the Newport Beach Tennis Club, he spent some time on the courts. One sun-shiny afternoon he met his match in Nancy Bettcher, who became his second wife in November of 1978. They married in the Fern Grotto on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. He soon became the father of two more sons, Ryan and Logan, for a grand total of four. He was -- above all else -- the ultimate supportive dad.
To his delight, all four sons shared his enthusiasm for athletic endeavors, and he made sure that his boys had the opportunity to excel in whatever they chose to do. Even during the most challenging of times, Jim would arrange his schedule to insure that he could “be there” to actively participate in their activities. Whether he served as a team coach or cheered from the sidelines, Jim was always the preeminent mentor. Jimmy’s youngest son was in the Olympics twice and even at the end when Jimmy had almost passed, he made sure he was at the try outs, etc. He passed later that year after the Summer Olympics. Not everyone gets to go to the Olympics and Jimmy was really proud.
His professional career, which was always centered in the real estate development and home-building industry, was launched at Holstein Industries in Costa Mesa. A licensed contractor for more than 25 years, he headed his own home inspection services business, Dooley & Associates.
Jim passed away at the age of 65 on October 14, 2012. His survivors include his wife Nancy, his sons and their families -- including grandchildren McKenna, Mason and Jacob. He was well loved; he is greatly missed.
Jim was a sports enthusiast who fought against the ravages of a lifetime of coronary artery disease by ardently participating in a wide variety of athletic activities including surfing, tennis, soccer, softball, cycling and snow skiing. As a member of the Board of Directors at the Newport Beach Tennis Club, he spent some time on the courts. One sun-shiny afternoon he met his match in Nancy Bettcher, who became his second wife in November of 1978. They married in the Fern Grotto on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. He soon became the father of two more sons, Ryan and Logan, for a grand total of four. He was -- above all else -- the ultimate supportive dad.
To his delight, all four sons shared his enthusiasm for athletic endeavors, and he made sure that his boys had the opportunity to excel in whatever they chose to do. Even during the most challenging of times, Jim would arrange his schedule to insure that he could “be there” to actively participate in their activities. Whether he served as a team coach or cheered from the sidelines, Jim was always the preeminent mentor. Jimmy’s youngest son was in the Olympics twice and even at the end when Jimmy had almost passed, he made sure he was at the try outs, etc. He passed later that year after the Summer Olympics. Not everyone gets to go to the Olympics and Jimmy was really proud.
His professional career, which was always centered in the real estate development and home-building industry, was launched at Holstein Industries in Costa Mesa. A licensed contractor for more than 25 years, he headed his own home inspection services business, Dooley & Associates.
Jim passed away at the age of 65 on October 14, 2012. His survivors include his wife Nancy, his sons and their families -- including grandchildren McKenna, Mason and Jacob. He was well loved; he is greatly missed.
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| Jim Dooley 1965 |
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| Jim Dooley 2012 |
DUERBECK, Heidi – The following story combines a very glowing online obituary submitted by her law firm with personal information from her daughter, Kaara:
The members, counsel, associates and staff of Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green, P.C. note with profound sadness the death of our long-time member and friend, Heidi B. Duerbeck, who passed away on September 15, 1999. Heidi was born in Duisburg, Germany. She attended the University of Gottingen in Germany in 1967-68 and graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1968 with a BA degree, Cum Laude, and in 1969 with a Master of Arts degree before earning her Juris Doctor degree in 1972 from Stanford University. At Stanford Law School she was the Articles Editor of the Stanford Journal of International Studies and the 1972 recipient of the Carl Mason Franklin Prize in International Law.
In the late 1980s Heidi served on the Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School and was President of the Stanford Law Alumni Association. After practicing law with the firm of Sullivan & Cromwell for several years, Heidi joined our firm in 1977 and became a member in 1979, the first woman partner of the firm. Heidi will be remembered as a skilled and sophisticated corporate lawyer specializing in German American legal transactions. She represented a large number of prominent German industrial companies in their acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing and product distribution matters. Heidi's clients included many well-known names in the computer software, chemical, fashion and hotel industries.
In addition to her law practice, Heidi was President of the German American Law Association since 1982 and the first head of the International Section of Commercial Law Affiliates, one of the largest worldwide affiliations of independent law firms in the United States and around the world. Heidi also was a legal adviser to the New York State Department of Economic Development and to the New York City Chamber of Commerce with respect to the promotion of economic development through foreign investment in the State and City of New York and a lecturer on the legal aspects of foreign investment for the National Association of State Development Agencies. Heidi graced our firm with her intelligence, warmth, compassion and judgment. Her enthusiasm, unbounded optimism, strength and loyalty will be greatly missed by us all.
Daughter Kaara Radon chose with care the picture she wanted to represent her mom, that better summarizes her personality than a formal portrait could. "Some people measure their lives in pulse rates and sit-ups. Far better to measure yours in licks of ice cream, well-told jokes, mad dashes to be first in the water, belly laughs. And, when you die, it won't be an erratic shift in your heart rate, it will be an overdose of mirth, fun poisoning, death by laughter." – Taken from an advertisement for Keds.
This was a quote that Heidi loved and summed her up very well. It applied throughout her life. During her Cailifornia years, including attending UCLA and then Stanford Law school, she made time to enjoy the beach and the ski slopes and meet her husband Jenik. After graduation from law school, she and her husband moved to New York City and raised their daughter Kaara, until Heidi passed in 1999.
Beyond a successful career as a lawyer and making her mark as the first female partner in her law firm, Heidi filled her years with vacations and adventures, traveling the globe with her family, attending her daughter’s sporting events, opening her home to friends and students needing a welcoming place during the holidays. The memories of Heidi that people shared at her funeral always included stories of laughter and warmth.
In the late 1980s Heidi served on the Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School and was President of the Stanford Law Alumni Association. After practicing law with the firm of Sullivan & Cromwell for several years, Heidi joined our firm in 1977 and became a member in 1979, the first woman partner of the firm. Heidi will be remembered as a skilled and sophisticated corporate lawyer specializing in German American legal transactions. She represented a large number of prominent German industrial companies in their acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing and product distribution matters. Heidi's clients included many well-known names in the computer software, chemical, fashion and hotel industries.
In addition to her law practice, Heidi was President of the German American Law Association since 1982 and the first head of the International Section of Commercial Law Affiliates, one of the largest worldwide affiliations of independent law firms in the United States and around the world. Heidi also was a legal adviser to the New York State Department of Economic Development and to the New York City Chamber of Commerce with respect to the promotion of economic development through foreign investment in the State and City of New York and a lecturer on the legal aspects of foreign investment for the National Association of State Development Agencies. Heidi graced our firm with her intelligence, warmth, compassion and judgment. Her enthusiasm, unbounded optimism, strength and loyalty will be greatly missed by us all.
Daughter Kaara Radon chose with care the picture she wanted to represent her mom, that better summarizes her personality than a formal portrait could. "Some people measure their lives in pulse rates and sit-ups. Far better to measure yours in licks of ice cream, well-told jokes, mad dashes to be first in the water, belly laughs. And, when you die, it won't be an erratic shift in your heart rate, it will be an overdose of mirth, fun poisoning, death by laughter." – Taken from an advertisement for Keds.
This was a quote that Heidi loved and summed her up very well. It applied throughout her life. During her Cailifornia years, including attending UCLA and then Stanford Law school, she made time to enjoy the beach and the ski slopes and meet her husband Jenik. After graduation from law school, she and her husband moved to New York City and raised their daughter Kaara, until Heidi passed in 1999.
Beyond a successful career as a lawyer and making her mark as the first female partner in her law firm, Heidi filled her years with vacations and adventures, traveling the globe with her family, attending her daughter’s sporting events, opening her home to friends and students needing a welcoming place during the holidays. The memories of Heidi that people shared at her funeral always included stories of laughter and warmth.
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| Heidi Duerbeck 1965 |
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| Heidi Duerbeck 1999 |
DUNN, John – died in Santa Ana at the age of 63 on 4/22/10. No other information available.
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| John Dunn 1965 |
DUNNIGAN, Kenneth MD – We appreciate the information given by his ex-wife,
Ann Dunnigan, MD:
Ken first attended Stanford for his BS, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He then graduated from UCSD Medical School in the mid-70’s. He served his residency in Pediatrics at Duke University, then went on to get his Master’s in Public Health at the University of North Carolina.
He and Ann were married in 1971; the marriage lasted 10 years. During that time they lived for awhile in Vermont, where he worked for the Department of Public Health while Ann completed her education in preparation for a career in Pediatric Cardiology.
Later in life he moved to Washington DC, and after an HIV diagnosis, he continued his work through the Department of Public Health, advocating for improved AIDS awareness. He died in the mid-1990s. His passions were gourmet cooking, dogs, and travel. Ann summarized him as “a very nice guy.”
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| Ken Dunnigan 1965 |
DURAND, Eugene – died 3/15/92. No family reached, no other information available.
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| Gene Durand 1965 |
EDE, Linda “Linn” – Shared by her husband, Steve Boden:
After graduation, Linda entered the nursing program at Long Beach State and joined Delta Gamma . In 1967, she and Steve met through her sorority / his fraternity connections and they dated steadily. She became an RN, and they married in February, 1969. Steve entered Navy flight school and she worked in nursing while they were stationed in the Southeast part of the country, and for awhile, Maryland. In 1972 they returned to Long Beach, and eventually relocated to San Clemente. They had two sons, Christopher and Travis (now 36 and 33 years old.)
Linda’s 38-year nursing career included employment at Long Beach Memorial, working in private practice for plastic surgeons, and for the last 20 years, she worked in surgical centers. She was a “jock” throughout her life, and stayed active and healthy with tennis, racquetball, skiing, water-skiing, roller-blading ... all activities she shared and enjoyed with her sons and Steve. She also loved (and was very gifted at) crafts.
In July of 2008, she was diagnosed with leukemia and began a 2-1/2 year battle. She was an inpatient at City of Hope for a year and a half. She passed away at the age of 63 on January 27, 2011. In addition to Steve, Christopher and Travis, she is survived by two sisters and a brother, all Wilson alumni. Her husband feels she had a tremendous impact on all the medical personnel who knew her along the way at City of Hope; she helped them while they were helping her. Her Christian beliefs served her well, and everyone around her benefited from her loving nature, sensitivity and courage. Two Bible verses that describe Linda’s character and qualities are Proverbs 31 and 2 Timothy 4:7.
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| Linda Ede 1965 |
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| Linda Ede 2007 |
EICKMIER, Paul – passed away in Santa Ana, age 59, on 12/22/06. All efforts to reach family were unsuccessful.
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| Paul Eickmier 1965 |
ENSIGN, Charles – Thanks to brother Joe Ensign for the following:
After graduation, Chuck started work at a gas station on the corner of PCH and Junipero. He worked at that job for close to two years before he was drafted into the Army. Chuck’s M.O.S. (Military Occupational Specialty) was Waist Gunner on a CH47 Chinook helicopter. During basic training he broke both of his legs on the obstacle training course, and the Army made him a clerk. Chuck did his basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, then Fort Ustes, Virginia, then on to Fort Benning, Georgia. Chuck’s Army life was from 1967 to 1969.
In 1970, Chuck came home to Calif. with a wife and baby girl. The family moved to Big Bear where he started a plumbing business. Chuck went back to school at night on the GI Bill and earned his Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration. He then continued his education at Victor Valley College in Victorville; he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree. He sold his business in Big Bear and he and the family -- wife Barbara, daughter Michelle ”Missy”, and daughter Gloria -- moved to Lakewood, Calif. Chuck continued his education at Long Beach State where he earned his teaching degree.
Chuck and his family then moved to Griffin, Georgia. Chuck taught 8th grade history in Georgia for almost twenty years. He was also active in afterschool sports with the children, and coached roller blade hockey. On the night of February 18, 2004, Chuck was coaching a game of hockey and had a massive heart attack and passed. He had just turned 55 years old. I miss him very much for he was a fun- loving, goofy person who loved to play jokes on people, especially me. R.I.P. BROTHER.
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| Chuck Ensign 1965 |
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| Chuck Ensign |
FEHD, Daniel – from a published obituary in Everett, WA:
A good man left us way too soon on October 27, 2013. Dan L. Fehd passed away at the age of 67, after losing a battle with an unexpected illness. A lifelong Mariners and Seahawks fan, he lived for the simple things in life: his family, golf, and football on Sundays. Game time will never be the same without him. Dan is survived by his wife, Diane, of forty-seven years, his children Chip and Sheri, and seven grandchildren. He leaves behind a legacy of honesty and merriment, and will be missed by everyone who knew him. In lieu of flowers, give your loved ones an extra hug tonight.
(Note: A letter to Dan's family asking for additional information and photos was returned by the post office.)
FELLMAN, Leonard – Thanks to his wife Pam for the following:
A good man left us way too soon on October 27, 2013. Dan L. Fehd passed away at the age of 67, after losing a battle with an unexpected illness. A lifelong Mariners and Seahawks fan, he lived for the simple things in life: his family, golf, and football on Sundays. Game time will never be the same without him. Dan is survived by his wife, Diane, of forty-seven years, his children Chip and Sheri, and seven grandchildren. He leaves behind a legacy of honesty and merriment, and will be missed by everyone who knew him. In lieu of flowers, give your loved ones an extra hug tonight.
(Note: A letter to Dan's family asking for additional information and photos was returned by the post office.)
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| Dan Fehd 1965 |
FELLMAN, Leonard – Thanks to his wife Pam for the following:
Leonard attended Cal State Long Beach, where he got a degree in Electrical Engineering.
He went to work for the Department of Defense/Navy, and worked 16 years at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. During those years he taught part-time at both Cal State and Long Beach City College. He then accepted a full-time position as Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at LBCC, a job he held for the rest of his life.
He married Pam (Millikan ‘65) in 1982. They traveled all over the world, visiting every continent -- including Antarctica. They enjoyed a total of 47 cruises. They also loved snow-skiing in their younger years, and later owned a sailboat. He also was an accomplished photographer.
Leonard died in October of 2008 from pancreatic cancer, diagnosed only months earlier. Besides his wife he is survived by his mother Goldeen, age 90, who lives in Leisure World, Seal Beach.
GAIPO, Timothy – Tim died in Beatty, Nevada in June of 81, at the age of 34 and is buried in Snohomish Washington. The record shows that he served in the Air Force from 1966-1970. Although a picture of his grave marker stated “Beloved husband, father and son”, no relatives were located.
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| Leonard Fellman 1963 |
GAIPO, Timothy – Tim died in Beatty, Nevada in June of 81, at the age of 34 and is buried in Snohomish Washington. The record shows that he served in the Air Force from 1966-1970. Although a picture of his grave marker stated “Beloved husband, father and son”, no relatives were located.
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| Tim Gaipo 1963 |
GASPAR, James – Information proudly shared by his stepmother, Lia Gaspar:
Jim attended Cal State Long Beach, then UC Berkeley – where he earned a degree in Astrophysics. Among his many achievements was being one of about six people in this country responsible for the development of high definition TVs. While living in Pennsylvania, he worked for a long time at Panasonic. He coordinated the standardization of the equipment with international markets, working with Japan, Germany, and other countries. He interacted with NASA as well.
Jim was very versatile. Among his favorite things ... playing the guitar. Nature. Science. Filmmaking! (George Lucas was his fraternity brother at Long Beach State.) Through that friendship, he was able to visit the Skywalker Ranch.
Jim died at the age of 48 on June 14, 1996. He is survived by his stepmother, four siblings, and their families. Lia described Jim as very honest, very decent. She added that his immense curiosity resulted in a lifetime of learning as much as he possibly could – about everything.
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| Jim Gaspar 1965 |
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| Jim Gaspar 1995 |
GLEASON, Freda – Freda Earle Gleason Sloper died at the age of 38 in Orange County, CA in
July of 1985. Efforts to reach any family member were unsuccessful.
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| Freda Gleason 1965 |
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| Henry Goerlick 1963 |
GREEN, Ed – Prepared by Janan [Leach] Shannon, Bud Green and Airon Green.
Ed Green grew up in LB attending Lowell, Rogers and Wilson. He graduated with the class of 1965, following his brother Bud who graduated in 1960. After high school he held a variety of jobs while attending LBCC. There he started dating Janan Leach (also a Wilson 1965 graduate). We were married in 1970 and lived in LB. In 1972 we moved up to the Bay area, living in La Honda and then in Half Moon Bay. Ed started working for a water well drilling company and really enjoyed working with the large drilling rigs. He had always loved machinery, especially fast cars! In 1966, he acquired a 1964 Chevy Corvette and he spent many long evenings in the family garage rebuilding and customizing his pride and joy, only topped by the happiness of the birth of our son, Airon in 1974. We separated and divorced in 1983 but remained friends.Eventually he was able to buy his own drilling rig and that was the start of Bayland Drilling Co. Over time he had a fleet of drilling rigs and contracts with several gasoline companies to provide key soil samples to support state mandated "clean-up" of station (spill) sites. He remarried in 1986; he and Annerieke had 2 children; Emily and Elliott and step-daughter Annika and lived in Foster City and later in Tracy.
Ed loved to travel, played golf whenever possible but especially enjoyed spring and fall desert trips together with Airon ( and later Elliott as he got older), his beloved brother Bud ( and his son Brian), and long time friend John Morris ( and son John Jr.). They all met at various locations but a favorite was Panamint Valley, enjoying long days of exploring and appreciating nature’s beauty on ATV’s, target shooting and special evenings spent around a campfire swapping stories and delicious dinners that Ed cooked for them.
He was the most thoughtful and giving person always quick with a joke and smile. He could build or fix anything and loved to tinker with challenges including running his own business for many years. Sadly, he left all his friends and family too soon in 2007 and is fondly remembered by all of us.
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| Ed Green 1965 |
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| Ed Green 1997 |
HAALAND, Carol Ann – Information from memorial handout from the services at Christ Lutheran Church in Long Beach:
Carol Haaland died of natural causes in Long Beach, CA on Nov 22, 2013 at age 66. Carol was born to Beatrice and Chris Haaland on April 12, 1947. She was proud to have been born in Long Beach and remained a life-long resident. Carol attended public elementary and high school. She received a BA from St Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 1969 and a Master’s degree in Education from California State University – Long Beach. She had a long career teaching English and reading at the high school level in the Huntington Beach School District.
Carol grew up in the congregation of Our Saviors Lutheran church and was very active in youth activities and later as adult leader. She transferred to Christ Lutheran Church where she sang in the choir and served as a lector. She was intelligent, independent, a loving daughter, and a generous friend. Carol enjoyed visiting friends and family in Minnesota, had a rich laugh and alto voice.
She is survived by cousins in California and Minnesota and her good friend Linda Larson and Linda’s husband, Bryan, of Litchfield MN.
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| Carol Haaland 1965 |
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| Carol Haaland |
HALL, Nicholas – Thank you to his former wife (‘and best friend’) Cheryl:
After graduation from Wilson, Nick went into the Navy, serving four years in Vietnam as a Medical Corpsman. When his military duty ended, he returned to live in the Long Beach area and went to work driving tanker trucks for Texaco throughout Southern California.
He was married twice, and blessed with a total of four children: Jennifer, Brandi, Josh and Cody. After 20 years with Texaco, he happily changed jobs and was employed by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Department. This lasted more than 15 years. After retirement, he moved to Apple Valley; he remained there until his passing in January of 2013. He was 66 years old.
Nick’s passions were his family, and they particularly enjoyed camping. He lived long enough to meet his six grandchildren, and tremendously enjoyed spending a lot of time with them.
Cheryl shared that – although their marriage ended – he was “the best of the best” as an ex-husband. Their family remained close and it was the most amicable of divorces; the children never felt or experienced anything but mutual love and support.
Nick's daughter, Brandi Tomkins, added "He was an amazing, over-the-top grandfather. My kids remember him so vividly getting down on the ground with them to play with their toys, rolling around with them, tickling them, making googly faces at them, talking in a Donald Duck voice, anything to get a smile out of them. When he was around the grandkids, he was a big kid himself!"
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| Nicholas Hall 1965 |
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| Nick Hall & Family 2012 |
HANSEN, John “Gary” – Taken from obituary in the Ouray County Plaindealer, Ouray, CO:
John Gary Hansen (Gary), 66, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 5, 2013, at his home in Ouray, CO after a heroic thirteen-month battle with cancer. Gary was born in Los Angeles, CA and grew up in the surrounding area, spending much of his time on the beach. He attended Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA, and took classes in Electronic Technology at Long Beach City College. After high school Gary was proud to work as a spacecraft electrical and instrumentation installer for North American Aviation/Rockwell, and as an electronic engineering technician for TRW Aerospace. From 1973 to 2002, he had a career working for the Astronomy Department of the University of Texas, starting at the McDonald Observatory in west Texas before moving to Austin, TX.
In Austin, Gary met his future wife, Christine, and the two were married in 1992. When he retired in 2002, the couple and their two young daughters moved to Ouray, CO (this beautiful town is nicknamed “The Switzerland of America” – Google it, and you’ll see why. The family had spent many summers camping in the Amphitheater, and finally made the move permanent. Gary loved the close-knit community and spectacular scenery of Ouray. The mountains were his back yard, and he spent many days exploring them with his friends and family. He was an active member of the Ouray Trail Group, and a more recent member of the Ouray Elks Lodge. He also lent his electronic expertise as a regular volunteer at the Second Chance Thrift Shop in Ridgway.
In 2009 Gary joined the Ouray City Council, and was an active member until his death. For almost four years he spent his time researching and discussing council matters so that he could best represent the community he loved.
Gary was a man of many talents and interests. In his life, he assembled command modules for the Apollo program and sent strands of his own hair into space. He participated in a Guinness World Record-breaking skydive formation and logged over 24 hours of freefall. He served as the President of Ring 60, the Austin chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Locally, he participated in the single-jack competition for the first time at the Highgraders’ Holidays in 2011, and again in 2012.
Gary could tell the longest and most interesting stories. He was a creative problem solver and a jack-of-all-trades. He was a collector of the strange and unusual. He was passionate about everything he did, and he knew what was important in life. He was a loving and beloved son, husband, father, friend, and neighbor. He is survived by his mother, Jeanne Burgess, his wife, Christine Hansen, and his two daughters, Carli and Bonnie Hansen.
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| Gary Hansen 1965 |
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| Gary Hansen |
HANSINK, Trent – died at the age of 36 in April of 84, in Venice, CA. Two family members were located, chose not to participate, but very much appreciated being given the opportunity.
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| Trent Hansink 1965 |
HASZELBART, Ann Marie – The following information was given by her dear friend JoAnn Wright Wintenburg (class of ‘65):
ANN MARIE HASZELBART (74) went to be with the Lord, Sunday, September 19th, 2021.
Ann was born in Springfield, Missouri on March 10, 1947 to Lewis and Jenny (Virginia Ehle) Haszelbart. At the age of 14, her family moved to Long Beach, California where Ann attended Hill Jr High the first year it opened followed by Woodrow Wilson High School. Upon graduating from Wilson, Ann attended Woodbury College in Los Angeles where she graduated with a BS degree then decided to join the Air Force where she worked her way up to the ranks of Captain. After four years in the Air Force, Ann furthered her education at Southwest Missouri State University earning a Master’s Degree and went into teaching Children with Disabilities inspired by her older brother Fred of whom she is survived by.
Ann was known for her fastidious nature and impeccably clean home. It was so clean, you could eat off the floors and never find a speck of dust, says her life long friend JoAnn Wright Wintenburg of Long Beach. The last twelve years of her life were made easier by friends Diana and Ken Duh who were significant in helping her and her brother Fred through continuous medical challenges. Diana became like an adopted Sister and will continue to assist with Fred in his needs.
Ann would tell you she completed her life cycle and was ready for eternal rest while desiring to be reunited with her maker and much loved family who preceded her in death.
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| Ann Haszelbart 1965 |
HASTINGS, Paul – The following information was given by his wife, Carol Hite (class of ‘65):
Paul and Carol met at Wilson and dated throughout his college years. He got a degree in Chemistry at UCLA and completed his Master’s at Long Beach State, graduating in 1970. They married in October of that year. This marriage brought one son, Scot.
He worked in the chemical industry and they remained in Long Beach until their early 30s, when they relocated to Boulder, CO. They had their own business, a machining company manufacturing industrial rollers. He coached and supported Scot’s sports activities, and was the founder of the Colorado Boys’ High School Volleyball Association.
Paul’s passions were boating, fishing, beach volleyball, water- and snow-skiing. While in California they owned a cabin cruiser, and the family enjoyed many good times together on the ocean.
Paul passed away in Boulder on December 7, 2006 at the age of 59, after a one-year battle with colon cancer. Carol wants their classmates to know that they were very, very happily married. She adds that Paul is probably hanging out now in heaven with his close lifelong friend and neighbor, Keith Claypool.
Carol Hastings invited Charlie Legeman to offer his memories as well:
Paul and I grew up together living on the Sorrento Drive section of Alamitos Bay. There were two other friends who grew up with as well, Dale Hopper, class of 66, who unfortunately died in an auto accident with Paul in 1965, and Keith Claypool, class of 65 who as I understand has passed away as well.
We all water- skiied in the Marine Stadium pretty much daily through the summers. When we were at Rogers Junior High, we would take either Paul's parents ski boat or my parents ski boat to school quiet often, parking at the public dock at the west end of the stadium. While we were all water oriented, surfing, sailing, scuba diving as well as skiing, Paul was also a mountain man. He loved hiking and skiing in the Sierras. He spent several summers working in the Sierras I believe as a guide, and also in land management for the Forest Department. Paul and I also skiied together as well. Hi wife, Carol Hite, was a local neighborhood girl that would hang out with us as well. It was Paul's love of the mountains that resulted in he and Carol moving to Colorado, and Paul establishing a successful business.
Some fond memories include a ski trip to Mammoth Mountain over Christmas break around 1966. I had an old VW van that we stayed in. On this trip, we parked the van by a youth hostel and used their showers. While there some young men staying there invited us to play poker and we managed to clean their clocks. We were quite proud of ourselves. That night a big storm moved in and the snow plows buried the van with us sleeping in it. It took a while to dig ourselves out. Once out the Highway Patrol came down the road announcing on their PA system that it was time to leave Mammoth if you did not want to be stuck there because another storm was coming in and the plows would not be able to keep up with the snow fall. So off we went. We drove that afternoon and night up to Snow Summit in Big Bear, through this massive winter storm in the old VW van, getting buffeted around and slipping and sliding on ice and snow.....oh, to be young again and have no fear.
Over the years, in addition to skiing, I had many surfing trips with Paul and Carol down to the K 39 area of Baja. Once Paul and Carol moved to Colorado, we would see each other when they would visit Long Beach so I lost track of them. At his funeral, I learned that he had continued to ski and teach skiing right up to his illness. They also had
a wonderful and handsome son who looks like Paul.
We were fortunate to grow up in a great neighborhood during a great time. ~ Charlie Legeman
HEASTON, Donald – died in Long Beach in September of 1983. He was just 36. Efforts to reach family have been unsuccessful.
Paul and Carol met at Wilson and dated throughout his college years. He got a degree in Chemistry at UCLA and completed his Master’s at Long Beach State, graduating in 1970. They married in October of that year. This marriage brought one son, Scot.
He worked in the chemical industry and they remained in Long Beach until their early 30s, when they relocated to Boulder, CO. They had their own business, a machining company manufacturing industrial rollers. He coached and supported Scot’s sports activities, and was the founder of the Colorado Boys’ High School Volleyball Association.
Paul’s passions were boating, fishing, beach volleyball, water- and snow-skiing. While in California they owned a cabin cruiser, and the family enjoyed many good times together on the ocean.
Paul passed away in Boulder on December 7, 2006 at the age of 59, after a one-year battle with colon cancer. Carol wants their classmates to know that they were very, very happily married. She adds that Paul is probably hanging out now in heaven with his close lifelong friend and neighbor, Keith Claypool.
Carol Hastings invited Charlie Legeman to offer his memories as well:
Paul and I grew up together living on the Sorrento Drive section of Alamitos Bay. There were two other friends who grew up with as well, Dale Hopper, class of 66, who unfortunately died in an auto accident with Paul in 1965, and Keith Claypool, class of 65 who as I understand has passed away as well.
We all water- skiied in the Marine Stadium pretty much daily through the summers. When we were at Rogers Junior High, we would take either Paul's parents ski boat or my parents ski boat to school quiet often, parking at the public dock at the west end of the stadium. While we were all water oriented, surfing, sailing, scuba diving as well as skiing, Paul was also a mountain man. He loved hiking and skiing in the Sierras. He spent several summers working in the Sierras I believe as a guide, and also in land management for the Forest Department. Paul and I also skiied together as well. Hi wife, Carol Hite, was a local neighborhood girl that would hang out with us as well. It was Paul's love of the mountains that resulted in he and Carol moving to Colorado, and Paul establishing a successful business.
Some fond memories include a ski trip to Mammoth Mountain over Christmas break around 1966. I had an old VW van that we stayed in. On this trip, we parked the van by a youth hostel and used their showers. While there some young men staying there invited us to play poker and we managed to clean their clocks. We were quite proud of ourselves. That night a big storm moved in and the snow plows buried the van with us sleeping in it. It took a while to dig ourselves out. Once out the Highway Patrol came down the road announcing on their PA system that it was time to leave Mammoth if you did not want to be stuck there because another storm was coming in and the plows would not be able to keep up with the snow fall. So off we went. We drove that afternoon and night up to Snow Summit in Big Bear, through this massive winter storm in the old VW van, getting buffeted around and slipping and sliding on ice and snow.....oh, to be young again and have no fear.
Over the years, in addition to skiing, I had many surfing trips with Paul and Carol down to the K 39 area of Baja. Once Paul and Carol moved to Colorado, we would see each other when they would visit Long Beach so I lost track of them. At his funeral, I learned that he had continued to ski and teach skiing right up to his illness. They also had
a wonderful and handsome son who looks like Paul.
We were fortunate to grow up in a great neighborhood during a great time. ~ Charlie Legeman
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| Paul Hastings 1965 |
HEASTON, Donald – died in Long Beach in September of 1983. He was just 36. Efforts to reach family have been unsuccessful.
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Don Heaston 1965
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HENDON, Sherilyn – Daughter Deborah stated that her mom led a very quiet, simple life. She loved to read, take walks and play with her cat. She died in May of 2013 at the age of 66 in the Reno, NV area, leaving two daughters, one son and three grandchildren. Deborah added that her mom had a big smile “that could light up a room.”
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| Sherilyn Hendon 1965 |
HILL, Alvin – Known as "Bubbie" by his friends, we were unable to locate family, but public records show that he died in Orange County in May of 1993, at the age of 45.
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| Alvin "Bubbie" Hill |
HILL, Glenn – Thank you to his wife, Ann:
Glenn passed away unexpectedly at home Jan. 8, 2009. He was born May 14, 1946 in Detroit, MI and had lived in Long Beach since 1958. He was a 1965 graduate of Wilson High School where he played football and baseball. He joined the Marine Corps in 1966 and served in the Marines until 1968. He was a Vietnam veteran.
He is survived by his loving wife Ann and three sons. He was a loving husband and an exceptional father. His love of sports was a part of his whole adult life. He even played softball with his sons later in life. He coached, Little League, Pony League and Colt League through the youngest son's years growing up.
He is missed every day by his wife, children and grandchildren.
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| Glenn Hill 1965 |
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| Glenn Hill 1986 |
HILL, Jessica – We appreciate the following information, submitted by her husband, Nicholas Orchard:
Jessica was born in Long Beach and loved her city. While attending Stevens Junior High on the westside of town, she talked her mother into moving to Belmont Shore, as she wanted very much to attend Wilson.They bought a home there and the monthly mortgage payments were within the means of a single mom - $64.95. (Those were the days!)
She attended Reed College in Portland for one year, then returned to Long Beach State where she got a BA in Anthropology. Later on, she received her teaching credentials there as well and in the early 2000s studied for her Master’s Degree in English at Dominguez Hills. Her entire career was spent teaching or substituting with Long Beach and ABC Unified School Districts, and she also worked at a private school preparing students for SATs. For a time, she taught during the day, then worked swing shift at Kaiser in Bellflower typing X-Ray evaluations in the evening.
Nick came into her life in 1992, and they married in 1997. There was then a publication called the Utne Reader, a compilation of stories and articles from various sources (much like the Readers’ Digest) and the publisher encouraged their subscribers to contact each other and socialize in each other’s homes by forming “Neighborhood Salons”- social gatherings where current events would be discussed. Jessica and a friend, Jeff, formed the Long Beach group; that is where she met Nick.This was a first and only marriage for both of them, and they married one day before her 50th birthday. They bought a home in Los Altos, and stayed near to her mother. Josephine Hill lived to be 95 and the last few years of her life, Jessica worked less so that she could devote time to helping her.
Jessica had many interests. She was a great story-teller, and her oft-told tales were interesting and worth hearing. She traveled quite a bit, and through her mom’s family, visited aunts, uncles, first and second cousins in Germany every few years. After her mom passed away in 2007, she spent a month in Europe with a lifelong friend, visiting Berlin, Prague, Budapest, etc. She had a passion for art galleries and museums, and supported the Long Beach Library. She also loved both dogs and cats,but preferred cats (lower maintenance). At one time they had five cats at once -- but should the LB Animal Control people ask you, say there were just two! When she was younger she had pet rabbits. Nick also said that, although she tried to deny the allegation, she was always a night-owl who really ‘kicked in’ late in the day.
Not long after her mother’s passing and the long trip to Europe, she became ill and was diagnosed with a very rare, hard to recognize cancer – a malignant thynoma (a soft tissue cancer of the thymus gland. Less than 60 cases a year are found in the US.) She researched her disease and treatment options so thoroughly that she knew more than the doctors who cared for her. She fought hard, and while trying to get OK’d to go to M.D. Anderson in Houston, the disease morphed into other diseases, and the approval was not given. After a lifetime of serving others, her retirement was short-lived and difficult. She started her chemotherapy on Christmas Eve of 2008, and passed away two days before Thanksgiving on November 24, 2009.
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| Jessica Hill 1965 |
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| Jessica Hill 2004 |
HOOVER, Steven – Thanks to brother Gary Hoover, class of ‘63 for the following:
After high school, Steven attended LBCC before spending 3 years in the Army (1 year in Vietnam.) He then returned to this area and went on to get a degree at Cal State Fullerton. He and his wife Jan had two children – Talia and Jeff – and 3 grandchildren.
His lifelong job as a carpenter at the Long Beach Navy Shipyard ended when that facility closed in the mid-90s. He retired at age 48. His passion was basketball – which he played at City College – and he was a huge UCLA fan. He also adored his cats.
Steven died of cancer in Long Beach, at the age of 65, in August of 2012. Gary characterized him as a dedicated family man.
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| Steve Hoover 1965 |
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| Steve with his dad - year unknown |
HOPKINS, James – Information shared by his daughter, Chelsea.
After high school, Jim learned to be an electrician, and spent his entire working life in that trade until knee problems forced an early retirement.
He met his wife, Patricia Lorenzen, in middle school and they dated throughout high school and after. They married in 1973 and 5 years later, had daughter Chelsea – followed by son Cody 3 years after that.
The family moved to Westminster. In 1985, Jim and Patricia divorced. He remained in Orange County while she and the children moved to Idyllwild.
When not working, he enjoyed very much going to shooting ranges. The family had a cabin in the High Desert, and he taught his children to shoot. A little later on, he bought a Jeep and loved off-roading.
James Hopkins died in May of 2006, less than two weeks after his former wife passed away. He was 59 years old.
HORSTMAN, Gwendolyn – Information given by her former husband, Glenn Koons, and supplemented with an obituary from the Napa Valley Register:
After high school, Jim learned to be an electrician, and spent his entire working life in that trade until knee problems forced an early retirement.
He met his wife, Patricia Lorenzen, in middle school and they dated throughout high school and after. They married in 1973 and 5 years later, had daughter Chelsea – followed by son Cody 3 years after that.
The family moved to Westminster. In 1985, Jim and Patricia divorced. He remained in Orange County while she and the children moved to Idyllwild.
When not working, he enjoyed very much going to shooting ranges. The family had a cabin in the High Desert, and he taught his children to shoot. A little later on, he bought a Jeep and loved off-roading.
James Hopkins died in May of 2006, less than two weeks after his former wife passed away. He was 59 years old.
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| Jim Hopkins 1965 |
HORSTMAN, Gwendolyn – Information given by her former husband, Glenn Koons, and supplemented with an obituary from the Napa Valley Register:
Gwen got her teaching credentials from UCLA, and was then married for 7 years to Glenn (a history teacher who taught at Wilson from 1962-1970.) They spent two years living in England. She taught at Minnie Gant and stayed with the LB School District for 19 years. She married her second husband, Victor Bortoluzi and they moved up to Napa Valley. She enjoyed her role as stepmother to his children.
Gwen and Vic purchased a home in Circle Oaks. Gwen brought knowledge and laughter to the children at Napa Junction, Wooden Valley and Yountville elementary schools for the next 18 years. For a time she taught in a one-room, multi-grade schoolhouse. She was known as “Mrs. B” to the children who could not pronounce her name. She served professionally in numerous capacities: exemplary classroom teacher, elementary mentor teacher, social studies curricula expert and Napa Valley Educators’ Association representative. She was the frequent recipient of professional awards and recognition, including the prestigious Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Teacher Recognition Program.
Gwen died of an apparent heart attack on July 10, 2010, at the age of 63. She left eight grandchildren, her husband Vic, and many good friends.
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| Gwen Horstman 1965 |
HORTON, Phyllis – The following information came from her brother, Roy Horton, class of ‘62:
Phyllis got her teaching credentials at Cal State Long Beach, and taught 4th grade for some time in the Cerritos. She later took advanced business and accounting courses at CSULB. She married Larry McFall and they moved to the Bay area. She was stepmother to Larry’s two sons.
Always an active worker for the preservation of wildlife, after retirement she became an extremely dedicated volunteer with the Peninsula Humane Society in Los Gatos and eventually served as Vice President of the Board of Directors. This was her true passion. This facility is an “everyone welcome” no-kill shelter, that accepts all creatures great and small – not just dogs and cats, but everything from cows to coyotes to hawks, OH MY!!
In addition, she had volunteered at the Wildlife Care Center since 1982. Roy’s favorite picture of Phyllis, which he did try to find and send to us, is Phyllis with a family of ducklings she took under her wing (and they are pictured in her kitchen sink.) If this photo should surface, we will add it in! To quote from a loving tribute written by Wildlife Care Center Director Sandi Stadler: “Phyllis was an exceptional volunteer. Whether it was cleaning an opposum cage, bottle-feeding a raccoon or tending to baby birds, she was there with a smile. Some people can live many years on this earth and not make a ripple in the life forces around them. Phyllis, however, touched so many people and changed their lives, always for the better. It is hard to believe that she is gone. Her presence is felt often in the Wildlife Department, especially on Wednesdays – her volunteer day. We miss her. I know we are not the only ones who do.”
Phyllis died in January of 1991 in San Mateo. She was just 43 years old. Her survivors included her husband Larry, parents Patricia and Wes Horton, brother Roy, sister Beverly Johnston, and extended family. Roy did characterize her as the ‘peacemaker’ in the family, and said she was his best friend.
Always an active worker for the preservation of wildlife, after retirement she became an extremely dedicated volunteer with the Peninsula Humane Society in Los Gatos and eventually served as Vice President of the Board of Directors. This was her true passion. This facility is an “everyone welcome” no-kill shelter, that accepts all creatures great and small – not just dogs and cats, but everything from cows to coyotes to hawks, OH MY!!
In addition, she had volunteered at the Wildlife Care Center since 1982. Roy’s favorite picture of Phyllis, which he did try to find and send to us, is Phyllis with a family of ducklings she took under her wing (and they are pictured in her kitchen sink.) If this photo should surface, we will add it in! To quote from a loving tribute written by Wildlife Care Center Director Sandi Stadler: “Phyllis was an exceptional volunteer. Whether it was cleaning an opposum cage, bottle-feeding a raccoon or tending to baby birds, she was there with a smile. Some people can live many years on this earth and not make a ripple in the life forces around them. Phyllis, however, touched so many people and changed their lives, always for the better. It is hard to believe that she is gone. Her presence is felt often in the Wildlife Department, especially on Wednesdays – her volunteer day. We miss her. I know we are not the only ones who do.”
Phyllis died in January of 1991 in San Mateo. She was just 43 years old. Her survivors included her husband Larry, parents Patricia and Wes Horton, brother Roy, sister Beverly Johnston, and extended family. Roy did characterize her as the ‘peacemaker’ in the family, and said she was his best friend.
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| Phyllis Horton 1965 |
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| Phyllis & Roy Horton 1985 |
HOWARD, Lynda – Thank you to her younger sister, Susan Howard Wells, for this loving tribute:
Lynda loved people, and enjoyed most spending time with family. Other than her older sister Pam, who moved to Missouri, all her siblings remained in this general area. They all shared a passion for the beach and spent many happy hours together and with their children at the Bay and in Belmont Shore. They all loved beach volleyball, and followed the Cal State LB Teams to the World Series games. She also loved Oldies But Goodies, and was often found singing or humming the songs of her era.
In the mid-90’s she was diagnosed with cancer, which had begun as a melanoma and spread to her lungs prior to being discovered. She fought hard for a few years. Although her sons would have loved to take her traveling and experiencing new things, her idea of living the rest of her life to the fullest was to remain close to home and spend as much time as possible with her beloved family. She loved being a grandmother to the two grandchildren she got to meet. Her third grandchild, Kyle, was just three months old when Lynda died, and will be graduating this month (June 2015) from Millikan. Another grandchild, a girl, was born after Kyle.
Lynda Mary Howard Hughes passed away on January 3, 1998, at the way-too-young age of 50. Susan, herself a cancer survivor who is very active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, summarized Lynda as “our sweetheart girl.” She was and is loved very much, and missed tremendously.
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| Lynda Howard 1965 |
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| Lynda Howard 1980 |
IRVIN, Gene – Thank you to his former wife, Susan Hegel for sharing the following information:
Gene went to USC after Wilson, and earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering. He moved to Denver, CO where he worked for Mobil Oil for over a decade. He met and married his wife, Susan in 1982. Just 18 months after they married, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 37. They remained in Colorado until she finished her education and in 1984, moved to Oregon. He had wanted to return to the west coast, but chose to steer clear of too-crowded California.
Gene had a longtime love of historic building restoration, and had beautifully restored two older homes in Colorado. In McMinville, OR, they bought an 1892 Queen Ann Victorian home, which they gutted and (in 1986) opened the Mattey House Bed and Breakfast. Gene did much of the hands-on work, and it was a matter of great pride that this home (still open today) is listed in the National Historic Preservation Registry.
In 1989, they had a son, Jesse Ward Irvin. Another of Gene’s passions was baseball – all baseball, with the St. Louis Cardinals being his all-time favorite team. In fact, Susan went into labor while at a baseball game -- with the score tied -- and had to finally demand that they leave for the hospital! His other favorite things were the knowledge, appreciation and collection of wines, plus golf, and traveling. In 1995, when Jesse was just six years old, Gene had a stroke and had to move to a nursing home. A number of complications of MS had set in, and it was a very difficult time for the whole family. Three years later, on December 19, 1998, Gene died at the age of 51.
Finally, Susan wanted to mention that their pride and joy, Jesse, turned 25 this past spring, and (although he narrowly escaped being born in the middle of a baseball game) is in grad school and doing very well. She appreciated the opportunity to give Gene a gift of presenting this summary of his life to his classmates.
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| Gene Irvin 1965
ISBELL, James “Blinky” – submitted by his wife, Darlene Gidley:
Following graduation from Wilson High School in 1965, Jim attended Long Beach City College before being drafted into the Army in January, 1967. Upon returning home from boot camp, he married Darlene Gray, who was a nursing student at El Camino College. In January, 1968, Jim was deployed to Vietnam in the Army Artillery.
Upon returning from Vietnam in 1969, Jim started working as an electronic technician during the day and going to college at night. He earned his BS degree from CSULB. Following college graduation, he worked for Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon for 26 years. Jim was always keenly interested in computers, both at home and at work, understanding their potential before they became commonplace.
Jim and Darlene had two daughters, Lisa and Jill. As a family, they loved camping, skiing, traveling, and sailing. Their last boat was a Hans Christian 38 “Illusion” which they kept in Alamitos Bay. Almost every weekend you would find them cruising to Catalina or out for a day sail. Jim was Commodore of Shoreline Yacht Club in Long Beach in 1998.
Jim and Darlene were married for almost 36 years when he passed away in 2003 from complications of Crohn’s Disease, which he battled from the time he was in Vietnam.
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JAMES, Pamela – died in Southern California at the age of 43 on March 30, 1991. Her husband confirmed only the date of death and mentioned she has a daughter and four grandchildren in Atlanta, GA. Efforts to locate them were unsuccessful.
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| Pamela James 1965 |
JEFFERS TAYLOR, Linda – Thanks to ‘65 classmate and best friend, Kathleen Hackbarth Love, for sharing:
Linda and I met in 8th grade gym class at Jefferson Jr. High. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. She always had perfect hair, wore beautiful clothes and was the nicest, sweetest girl in the entire school. The only class we ever shared together was gym class, throughout junior high and high school, just those gym classes. We made a good team, though.
Linda and Dennis Taylor had met when Linda was only four years old and Denny was five. They were married in his father’s church in 1964. It was the summer of Linda’s junior year at Wilson. They had a son Robert, after four years of marriage. They were very happy for many years, but they divorced after 17 years together.
Linda decided to go back to school to become a family therapist. While she was in school, she met her second husband, Phil. They married and had three more sons, Blake, Corbin and Dane. The marriage had many problems. Linda started developing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in her early forties. Although it was never diagnosed as Parkinson’s, she suffered all the symptoms of a debilitating brain disorder. They tried all that was available for treatment, at that time. Nothing worked. They had gone to Germany for experimental surgery on her brain while she was awake, but that too failed. Linda died on February 21, 1996. She was only 47.
Linda would have made a wonderful family counselor. She had a great ability to listen to people and not pass judgment on any one. She was very kind to everyone and loved children. I miss her every day.
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| Linda Jeffers Taylor 1965 |
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| Linda Jeffers Taylor 1989 |
After high school, Richard served in the Army in Vietnam. He had married his first wife, Lorraine, and they had two sons – Richard and William. After he returned from the war, that marriage ended in divorce. He then reconnected with a childhood friend, Barbara Smith (they grew up across the street from each other and she was also from Wilson Class of ‘65) and thus began a marriage that lasted for 33 years. Together they had two girls, Katey (born while still in Long Beach) and Maggie, born in Monroe WA. Richard worked at various jobs, including a tire manufacturing firm. After a few years in the Pacific Northwest, his father-in-law persuaded him to move his family down to Arroyo Grande so the family could be closer together.
While still living in Arroyo Grande, he worked for a time in the oilfields in Taft CA, which took him away from family. They relocated to Bakersfield, where they lived for 28 years. He began a career in finish carpentry, a field he had passion for and great talent doing. After the housing market declined in the late 80's, he began long-haul trucking, and eventually short-haul petroleum trucking ..... again to spend more time with family. At one point, his former wife made contact thru Classmates, which enabled him to reconnect with his two sons. Richard & William remain a part of the lives of Katey and Maggie. The daughters brought 6 grandchildren into the family.
Richard’s favorite things included fishing (Morro Bay was a favorite spot), playing golf, and later, he took up playing the bass guitar in a small band at his church. After losing his wife Barbara (see Barbara Smith Highlight) to ALS, he lived 3-1/2 years before dying of cancer in June of 2009. Maggie remembered that both her parents had wonderful senses of humor; there was a lot of laughter in the home. Richard was a caring, loving husband and a supportive, amazing father, a true hero to his girls.
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| Richard John 1965 |
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| Richard John 2008 |
JOHNSTON, Robert – The following information was taken from the bio Bob submitted for the upcoming reunion, with additional notes from his long time friend JoAnn Wright Wintenburg:
In March, a group of childhood buddies (from kindergarten at Bryant Elementary) got together for lunch... Bobby, JoAnn, Dick Garretson, Phillip French, Steve Ito, Fred Larimer and Linda Smith Chrisman.
Bob went to Cal State LB, got a degree in Criminal Justice, was drafted during the Vietnam war years and served in Okinawa. His Alumni Book Bio outlined the following: Bob served in the military from 1969 – 1971. He was married briefly and adopted a son, Patrick. He was a single dad, and had spoken very positively of the support and social activities he enjoyed through Parents Without Partners.
Bob worked for the three largest defense contractors: General Dynamics for 16 years, until 1994 when the Pomona facility closed down. He then transferred to Hughes in Fullerton until it closed in 1995, then went to Raytheon... which took over two of the buildings from Hughes (where Amerige Heights is now) in Fullerton. That lasted for 8 years. All of his jobs were in security area. He retired at age 57 in 2004.
Bob enjoyed entensive travel and summarized his favorite pastimes as working out at the gym, movies, bowling, and membership in the Elks Lodge. His friends are thankful for the time they were able to spend with him, however brief – and he will be remembered fondly at the reunion.
(We invite those friends to add comments to this tribute in the near future, for inclusion in the Alumni Book and/or on this website).
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| Bob Johnston 1965 |
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| Bob Johnston 2015 |
KENADY, Christopher – While awaiting information from family members, we received some important input from childhood friend Tom Kiddie:
Chris was a friend to many, a guy who loved life and was a good surfer. Through the years at Rogers and Wilson, his “surf crew” included Tom, Dave Jackson, Jim Dooley, John Krafft, Charlie Legeman, Ralph Joesting, Charlie Moore and others....
To quote from the Press Telegram article from December of 1966, under the headline “Shore Youth Receives Medal”: Pvt. First Class Christopher A. Kenady, son of Craig Kenady of Belmont Shore, was given the award of the Army Commendation Medical for Heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force near Phu Hau, Republic of Vietnam.
Chris's younger brother, Gage, was happy to provide the following information:
As well as a good surfer, Chris was a great dancer. He would thrill us with his James Brown imitations. He was always very into music. He was very influential on me in this regard, buying the latest records and going to live performances. Although he would tease the hell out of me, we were very close. He was also very much a ladies' man.
Chris enlisted in the Army in 1965 and became a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. After Viet Nam, Chris returned to Southern California (Long Beach mostly; he lived in Colorado for a brief spell) and while working various jobs, took up the guitar and developed his own singing style and songwriting. Through the years, Chris became a very prolific writer of excellent songs. This was our closest time together, late 60s to mid-70s: hanging out, going to concerts and record stores, camping, playing music together. He was a wonderful big brother to me, letting me hang out with him and his friends although I was eight years younger.
Chris married his first wife in the early 70s and in 1977 they moved to Morro Bay (I moved into their Long Beach apartment, across from our older brother Cam). He became an small-airplane mechanic in nearby San Luis Obispo and developed an interest in aircraft, eventually attempting to build his own (not sure if he ever completed it). He also liked sports cars, his favorite being the Austin Healy. He was always good with his hands.
He moved from town to town (and wife to wife) in the San Luis Obispo - Morro Bay area, working at Noble Saw Company repairing various machinery. He practiced Karate in that time and received a black belt. In 2005 he moved to a house he bought in Vernonia, a small town in Northern Oregon, where he died of a heart attack in 2008.
Chris was loved by most and had many friends. He loved music, cats, cars, airplanes, nature, and women. Boy, did he love women (married four times and on the brink of his fifth marriage). I mostly think of him as a rocker and a wonderful brother and friend. He is very much missed.
To quote from the Press Telegram article from December of 1966, under the headline “Shore Youth Receives Medal”: Pvt. First Class Christopher A. Kenady, son of Craig Kenady of Belmont Shore, was given the award of the Army Commendation Medical for Heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force near Phu Hau, Republic of Vietnam.
Chris's younger brother, Gage, was happy to provide the following information:
As well as a good surfer, Chris was a great dancer. He would thrill us with his James Brown imitations. He was always very into music. He was very influential on me in this regard, buying the latest records and going to live performances. Although he would tease the hell out of me, we were very close. He was also very much a ladies' man.
Chris enlisted in the Army in 1965 and became a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. After Viet Nam, Chris returned to Southern California (Long Beach mostly; he lived in Colorado for a brief spell) and while working various jobs, took up the guitar and developed his own singing style and songwriting. Through the years, Chris became a very prolific writer of excellent songs. This was our closest time together, late 60s to mid-70s: hanging out, going to concerts and record stores, camping, playing music together. He was a wonderful big brother to me, letting me hang out with him and his friends although I was eight years younger.
Chris married his first wife in the early 70s and in 1977 they moved to Morro Bay (I moved into their Long Beach apartment, across from our older brother Cam). He became an small-airplane mechanic in nearby San Luis Obispo and developed an interest in aircraft, eventually attempting to build his own (not sure if he ever completed it). He also liked sports cars, his favorite being the Austin Healy. He was always good with his hands.
He moved from town to town (and wife to wife) in the San Luis Obispo - Morro Bay area, working at Noble Saw Company repairing various machinery. He practiced Karate in that time and received a black belt. In 2005 he moved to a house he bought in Vernonia, a small town in Northern Oregon, where he died of a heart attack in 2008.
Chris was loved by most and had many friends. He loved music, cats, cars, airplanes, nature, and women. Boy, did he love women (married four times and on the brink of his fifth marriage). I mostly think of him as a rocker and a wonderful brother and friend. He is very much missed.
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| Chris Kenady 1965 |
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| Chris Kenady around the 90s |
KIESOW, Terry – With appreciation to his daughter, Jacy, for sending this to us:. (Jacy expressed thanks for this wonderful opportunity, to take the time to really remember her dad):
After high school, Terry enlisted in the army and served in Viet Nam. One of his duties while serving in the Army was driving trucks. We will never forget one of his favorite stories he liked to tell was how he and his buddies painted a “California Poppy”, which was actually a marijuana leaf, on the side of the truck and drove it to get some drinks. He forgot to put the tarp back over it when his superior showed up. Obviously his superior was none too pleased to say the least. After returning home from his service, Terry moved to Long Beach. He worked as a maintenance supervisor for a while.
While in Long Beach he met his wife Beverly. She was a bartender and Terry would go there just to “chat her up”. After dating for a brief time they got married. At 26, Terry and his wife started managing an apartment complex they lived in. They had their first child 2 years later, a son who they named Bradley. It would be another 5 years before they had another child, another boy, Travis. 3 years after that they had a daughter, Jacy. While Beverly took over managing the apartments, Terry started working as an office repair technician for a wonderful family-owned company. He loved his job. One of his highlights was getting to fly to Catalina almost monthly in a helicopter. Everyone who knew Terry will tell you what a big heart and competitive nature he had. This lead to joining softball, bowling and dart leagues over the years. Terry was a “straight shooter”. There was no mistaking if he liked you or not. He always told you how it was, whether it was good or bad. If he liked you, he would joke around with you and make fun of you. Almost all of his children's friends got "loving" nicknames. If Terry didn't make fun of you then you knew you were in trouble.
He enjoyed camping in Big Bear with his family, especially when his kids were young and watching his beloved Los Angeles Lakers. Unbeknownst and much to everyone’s enjoyment, Terry had a surprising hobby of waking up early on the weekend and baking chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. To this day no one can make them as good as he did. He also loved to watch football and spend time with his kids. Terry only had one pet after he got married... A cockatiel named Pete. That bird was practically glued to Terry’s shoulder as his kids grew up. Pete would sit under Terry’s recliner and charge out to bite anyone who dared get to close. Terry got to meet his first grandson, Austin in 1995. His son (Bradley) lived next door to them, so he got to visit them often. In 1998, he got to meet his first granddaughter, Kailyn. Then in 2000, Terry watched his youngest child graduate from high school.
A year later Terry had open heart surgery to replace a valve. Soon after surgery he had some complications that required him to stay home for a year. This year turned into such a blessing. He grew very close to his family. He wasn't permitted to drive so his daughter got to play chauffeur with great enjoyment. Terry never let anyone drive his car so while at home he had no choice. It helped create a wonderful bond with his daughter. He returned to work after a year but sadly had more complications from his surgery and passed away on January 16, 2002. He is resting at Riverside National Cemetery and is survived by his wife Beverly, sons Bradley and Travis, daughter Jacy and their families, including six grandchildren.
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| Terry Kiesow 1965 |
KOONS, Marjorie – Information supplied by sister, Rosemary Romine:
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| Marjorie Koons 1965 |
KRENSLE, Terry – Shared with love by her twin brother, Doug:
Most of her working life was spent at Rockwell, in high-level technical support. She was proficient with computers – the “go-to gal” – and remained there until retirement. Her three siblings agreed that although she never had the formal education or degrees they did, she was the smartest of all. In the late 90’s, she suffered a devastating injury. She broke her back, and shattered her femur. In order to repair her spine, they had to collapse one lung to gain access, involving more than one surgery. In spite of the very gloomy initial prognosis (that she would likely never walk again), she managed to prove them wrong. Rockwell thought so highly of her that they kept her on the books throughout her extended hospital stay – they provided a laptop and she continued to carry out her job duties ... not as common an arrangement then as it might be now. Although she triumphed over these injuries, she did suffer residual pain from then on. Ironically, both of her daughters became physical therapists.
Terry was, like all of the Krensle family, an avid reader. She read everything she could get her hands on, in every genre. She also loved the ocean and surfing. Her husband Ray had been a competitive surfer for Hobi. Doug had entered the military, and at one time when he was stationed in Thailand, he received a letter from his twin where she mentioned that they might now be marching to different drummers. He quickly wrote back with a helpful suggestion of what she might do with her drumsticks.
In 2013, she had been dealing with a cough of unexplained origin. She continued to experience a flu-like syndrome, although repeated medical tests failed to find the problem or provide answers. By April, she had been diagnosed with a cancer that her oncologist characterized as the most aggressive cancer he had ever seen. It had spread so quickly that it escaped normal detection. She passed away less than a month later, in May of 2013. A very poignant detail: Doug went to his pastor, who blessed the host (enabling him to go to Terry and give her communion.) This was done with just the two of them present, in the garden of her daughter’s home. Doug wanted her friends to know that -- from diagnosis to death -- she never once complained, never whined, never lost her faith that she would be safe in the arms of her Lord Jesus. Doug added: “ Terry was so social she could talk to rocks and they might answer. No, she wasn't demented...that was just an example of her ability to charm others with her warmth and vitality. As a closing note, Terry, my brother Stan and I took a cruise to Alaska the year before. It was a perfect trip I will treasure for the remainder of my life."
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| Terry Krensle 1965 |
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| Terry Krensle, 1992 |
LAUERMAN, James – No family was located, but did receive this information from classmate and friend, Jack Hayden:
Jim was an avid hunter fisherman and all-around comedian, well-liked by everyone. He also was a father of three children. Jim passed away in Fargo, ND of melanoma in 2004, at the age of 56.
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| Jim Lauerman 1965 |
LAWLER, Marilyn – Thank you to her little sister, Renee Lawler, for this story:
The family had roots in the SF Bay/ Mendocino area, and Marilyn was always drawn to Northern California. She moved from Long Beach to Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, and for a long time drove a rural mail route... a familiar sight in her powder blue VW bus with the cloud curtains & her iconic crescent moon & star on the front, delivering the mail in sleet & snow.
Professionally, she was a photographer over a period of 30 years. She was very instrumental in the development of Fromex, a Belmont Shore photo developer. Her artistic pursuits included the old Victorian technique of woodburning. She would go on “photo journeys” anywhere to capture the best of nature – would think nothing of driving all day to be able to take pictures of poppies in bloom.
After returning to Southern California, she was a devoted daughter who lived with and cared for her mom and dad in their Los Altos home. Her mother had MS, and her father had service-related disabilities. In November of 2000, she was diagnosed with a fast-moving brain tumor -- a glioblastoma -- which tragically ended her life at the age of 53, in March of 2001. Her mother had died less than two months before. In Renee’s own research of genealogy, she learned that they were Daughters of the American Revolution who could trace their family back to the early 1700’s and the Jamestowne settlement.
Marilyn was passionate about animal rights and saved many stray cats throughout her life. She loved Mexico, traveled there many times and her ashes were scattered at the place she was most happy, the Palapa she & Jeanni built in paradise where the jungle meets the sea, south of Puerto Vallarta. Marilyn was an extraordinarily talented artist, and endlessly devoted to those she loved. We miss her so!
Anyone who knew Marilyn, has memories to share and/or wanted to contact the family are welcome to do so. renee_matt@live.com (562) 900-9416
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| Marilyn Lawler 1965 |
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| Marilyn Lawler 1973 |
LORENZEN, Patricia – This information was shared by her daughter, Chelsea.
She met her husband, James Hopkins, in middle school and they dated throughout high school and after. They married in 1973
and 5 years later, had daughter Chelsea – followed by son Cody 3 years after that.
The family moved to Westminster. In 1985, Jim and Patricia divorced. He remained in Orange County while she and the children moved to Idyllwild. Neither remarried.
After high school, Patricia got her teaching credentials at Cal State Long Beach, and taught school until retirement. While in Westminster, she taught kindergarten in Garden Grove. While living in Idyllwild, she taught 1st and 4th grades at various times, in Banning.
Her favorite pastime was traveling, and spending as much time as possible with many friends she had met thru Skyland Ranch Girl Scout Camp in Banning (where she had been a counselor as a teen.)
Patricia worked up until her official last day before retirement in 2003, and the following day entered the hospital to begin her battle with a brain tumor. She died on April 23, 2006 at the age of 58. She never got to meet her two grandchildren (both born within the last six months.) Her former husband Jim died less than two weeks later.
Chelsea wanted to say, in summary – “She was the most amazing, most loving and fun and adventurous person, and the best mother that Cody and I could have ever wished for.”
From friend, Marilyn (Johnson) McDowell:
Patricia (Pat) Lorenzen Hopkins was my first friend in Long Beach. I entered Hill Jr. High in the middle of 9th grade and was anxious about starting a new school. Lucky for me, Pat was assigned to be my buddy and to show me around. That started a friendship that lasted through high school and beyond. She ate lunch with me and included me with her group of friends, who were very welcoming. At Wilson, we had different groups of friends but we always remained close. Her relationship with Jim Hopkins was strong but sometimes stormy and I became part of their ups and downs throughout high school and after. Pat was a brilliant student, taking advanced classes and going to UC Berkeley, which was quite an interesting place during that time, but Pat was always an individual who knew what she was about. Teaching was a natural for her since she was such a caring person. After she and Jim married we saw each other as couples for dinner once in awhile and always had a lot to talk about. We remained in contact for awhile after she moved to Idyllwild but eventually the Christmas cards came back and I didn't know where she went. Now I do, and I am sad at her passing but still appreciative of the way she eased my entry into a new school.
From friend, Marilyn (Johnson) McDowell:
Patricia (Pat) Lorenzen Hopkins was my first friend in Long Beach. I entered Hill Jr. High in the middle of 9th grade and was anxious about starting a new school. Lucky for me, Pat was assigned to be my buddy and to show me around. That started a friendship that lasted through high school and beyond. She ate lunch with me and included me with her group of friends, who were very welcoming. At Wilson, we had different groups of friends but we always remained close. Her relationship with Jim Hopkins was strong but sometimes stormy and I became part of their ups and downs throughout high school and after. Pat was a brilliant student, taking advanced classes and going to UC Berkeley, which was quite an interesting place during that time, but Pat was always an individual who knew what she was about. Teaching was a natural for her since she was such a caring person. After she and Jim married we saw each other as couples for dinner once in awhile and always had a lot to talk about. We remained in contact for awhile after she moved to Idyllwild but eventually the Christmas cards came back and I didn't know where she went. Now I do, and I am sad at her passing but still appreciative of the way she eased my entry into a new school.
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| Patricia Lorenzen 1965 |
MAGNALL, James – Thank you to his wife, Sue, for sharing this information:
Jim was born, raised and lived in Long Beach. In the 80’s while working for Hughes he met his future wife Sue; they married in 1988. Their daughter, Alexandra, is now 22 years old and followed her father’s footsteps by attending Lowell, Rogers, and Wilson (graduating in 2010.)
Growing up near the ocean, his passion was sailing. The Magnalls owned a number of boats over the years. Jim was a member of the Long Beach Yacht Club and often crewed for local regattas. Catalina was a favorite destination for Jim. He enjoyed spending time on the island with family and friends. Sue added that Alexandra shares that Catalina passion with her father and has spent at least one week in Catalina every summer of her life.
Jim was a wonderful father and husband and is dearly missed by his family and friends.
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| Jim Magnall 1965 |
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| Jim Magnall 1999 |
MAHLE, Bart – Information given by his brother Rob, Wilson ‘70:
Bart spent a year at McDonnell Douglas after graduation, and then enjoyed a Grand Tour of Europe. He then entered nursing school, where he became an RN. He moved up to the bay area, and worked for 13 years at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. He was an enthusiastic patron of the arts and theater, and LOVED a good martini.
He died at the age of 38 in 1996, and is survived by his brother and extended family in Southern California and Seattle. Rob added that Bart was full of life and fun-loving, and is missed dearly.
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| Bart Mahle 1965 |
MARQUETTE, Robert – Public records show that he passed away in November of 1986 in Los Angeles County, he was just 41 years old. A letter sent to family in Fullerton brought no results.
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| Bob Marquette 1965 |
MATCHESKI, Nanci – From fellow grad Flora Dalglish:
Nanci and I met at Franklin Junior High School in Long Beach where we ended up in most of the same activities and spent most of our after school time at each other’s houses. We shared birthdays in March. One vivid memory is of us reading to each other out of our elementary school diaries. We weren’t even acquainted prior to junior high, but our diaries were practically identical and we couldn’t wait to read the next installments so we could laugh hysterically at how much alike they were. We shared a lot of laughter over the years and became Bruinettes at Wilson and spent time in Girl’s League and many other activities and interests there as well. We almost got away with TP-ing Jerry Shapiro’s house late one night, but I dropped my charm bracelet which he returned to me the next day with a very smug look on his face. Since Nanci’s father was a police officer, we were pretty sure our days of cruising in to school in his white Mustang convertible were over, but nobody tattled and we lucked out.
I visited Nanci often in Los Angeles when she attended UCLA. We went to movies in Westwood, just a short walk from campus and not far from her place in the canyon. We saw Alphie, Blow Up, Georgie Girl, A Man And A Woman and lots of other 1966 first releases. Even though our life journeys took us in different directions as she got married, became a teacher and a mother, moved to the Pacific Northwest and I went to University of Hawaii and started my business, we had the kind of friendship that never skipped a beat no matter how long it had been since we’d talked or seen each other. We were simpatico intellectually, spiritually, artistically, and had the same sense of adventure, passion for life, and compassion for those less fortunate. We aspired to become philanthropists and run an orphanage someday. We had the same goofy sense of humor and would talk and laugh for hours when we caught up with each other on the phone.
I last saw her after I returned to live in Southern California-once when we attended a concert at San Diego Wild Animal Park with her pre-teen daughter Erin-and several times throughout the 80’s before she moved to Santa Barbara, CA. and I moved back to Seattle. I have a folder full of cards from her as we kept in touch over the years. One in particular mentioned very nonchalantly that she had successfully beaten breast cancer as if it was a mild bout of the flu. I was so impressed and it didn’t surprise me in the least-her spirit was one of the strongest I have ever known. But years later in 2001 she lost the battle. Nanci will be forever young and full of SPIRIT in my heart and memory though. I was so blessed to be her friend and honored to be god mother to her only child. The following paragraphs and photo are contributed by her daughter, Erin Miller of Dana Point, California:
After graduating Wilson, Nanci Elizabeth Matcheski went on to college in the area (UCLA and USC) to complete teaching degrees. She later moved to Washington state for several years, where she worked as a teacher and government administrator. Once Nanci's little girl (Erin) reached toddler-age, the family said goodbye to the northwest and headed down to the California desert, where Nanci worked as an elementary teacher for the remainder of her career. She later retired from teaching due to health reasons, and enjoyed splitting her home-base between the Palm Springs area, and the beautiful central-California coast. She remained close (in geography and spirit) to her only child Erin, for the remainder of her years. Nanci departed from us in 2001, surrounded by loved ones. Her spirit lives on through Erin and her children - Alden (2 1/2) and Elizabeth "Ellie" (6 months- who coincidentally shares Nanci's birthday; March 8th).
Those who knew Nanci in high school would know she was a renaissance woman. She remained a person of many interests and talents throughout her life. Family and friends knew her as a musician, a writer, an artist, and a gourmet cook. Nanci was a role-model for kindness and love. In addition, her daughter knew her for her most important role - a deeply admired mother.
From Nanci’s daughter Erin Miller:
After graduating Wilson, Nanci Elizabeth Matcheski went on to college in the area (UCLA and USC) to complete teaching degrees. She later moved to Washington state for several years, where she worked as a teacher and government administrator. Once Nanci's little girl (Erin) reached toddler-age, the family said goodbye to the northwest and headed down to the California desert, where Nanci worked as an elementary teacher for the remainder of her career. She later retired from teaching due to health reasons, and enjoyed splitting her home-base between the Palm Springs area, and the beautiful central-California coast. She remained close (in geography and spirit) to her only child Erin, for the remainder of her years. Nanci departed from us in 2001, surrounded by loved ones. Her spirit lives on through Erin and her children - Alden (2 1/2) and Elizabeth "Ellie" (6 months- who coincidentally shares Nanci's birthday; March 8th).
Those who knew Nanci in high school would know she was a renaissance woman. She remained a person of many interests and talents throughout her life. Family and friends knew her as a musician, a writer, an artist, and a gourmet cook. Nanci was a role-model for kindness and love. In addition, her daughter knew her for her most important role - a deeply admired mother.
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| Nanci Matcheski |
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| Nanci Matcheski 1980s |
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| Jim Mattox 1963 |
McDUFFIE, Thomas– Thank you to his daughter, Shannon McDuffie, for the following tribute:
Thomas and Susan McDuffie were happily married for 35 years with three children, Derek, Dana and Shannon; three grandsons, Andrew, Thomas and Daylen. He was a family man.The best husband and father and friend to all that were lucky enough to know him. He taught me about food and wine and I became a Chef. He was incredibly knowledgeable about a wide range of different things...mostly he loved life and enjoyed every minute of it. My father passed on July 13th 2009. Forever missed.
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| Tom McDuffie 1965 |
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| Tom McDuffie 2008 |
MEACHAM, Robert – Thanks to fellow grad Russ Martin for the following:
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| Bob Meacham 1965 |
MERCER, Michael – Thanks to his wife, Ann Mistal, for sharing the following information with us:
NORDLUND, Dean – died on April 11, 1998 at the age of 51 in Visalia.
No family members were located.
After graduation from Wilson, Mike completed his military service in the Army. He then joined the Long Beach Police Department, a job he held for the rest of his life. He met his wife, Ann, when she was a go-go girl (!) dancing at the Edgewater Inn. His initial admiration for her pretty legs led to a whirlwind romance, and they were married three weeks later. They had three children – Michael Jr., Elena, and Kimberley, and a lasting marriage.
He was tremendously loved and respected by his fellow police officers, and became Treasurer of the LB POA. He remained politically active and very successful. He later held the office of President of the City of Long Beach Employees’ Association. In addition to family and career, he loved sports and had season tickets for the Angels. He had always had horses growing up, and he and Ann owned several.
On December 17 of 1977, he was diagnosed with leukemia, ironically -- and heartbreakingly -- on the very day he received a letter that he had been accepted into the FBI. The Department rallied around him, and he was able to remain on active duty throughout his illness. He passed away four years later to the day on December 17, 1981. The City lowered their flags to half-mast, and in his honor proclaimed December 17 as Mike Mercer Day. His grave at Forest Lawn states “He Loved Life and Died With Dignity.”
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| Mike Mercer 1965 |
MORSE, Hal – A letter to family brought no response. We found information that he died
on August 12, 1996 in Contra Costa County – age 49. No other details available.
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| Hal Morse 1965 |
NEAL, Steve – Thanks to his wife Cathy Neal Hoover for sharing:
While attending Wilson, Steven ran track and cross country. At that time, he also held jobs at Kiddie Land (Atherton and Ximeno) and at the Long Beach Arena. After high school, he attended Long Beach City College and graduated with an AA degree. In 1968, he married his high school sweetheart, Cathy McElroy. They eventually had three sons and 6 grandchildren.
Steve enlisted in the US Army in 1968 and served in Vietnam. Upon returning to the States, he was assigned to the Oakland AFEES (Induction Center) until discharge in 1971. He graduated fro CSULB in 1974 with a BA degree in Personnel Management. Over his career, he worked in management positions at the Long Beach Arena, LB Convention Center, San Diego Civic Center and UCI Bren Event Center.
In 1991, Steve graduated from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Academy. He served as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the rest of his life at the Lakewood Sheriff Station, eventually being promoted to the rank of Reserve Captain, the senior Reserve Deputy at the station.
At the time of his passing in 2005, Steve was employed with the City of Long Beach as the Chief Park Ranger.
His enjoyments in life came from his family, grandchildren, friends and love of law enforcement. He also loved riding motorcycles with his friends. He took multiple motorcycle rides with Run for the Wall (RFTW) with other Vietnam Veterans and his life-long friend, Wayne Nichols (WWHS Class of ‘67). He is survived by his wife, Cathy, his sons -- Steven, Jefferson and Scott -- and grandchildren Kristen, Katie, Kailyn, Jack, Anna and Sarah.
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| Steve Neal 1965 |
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| Steve Neal 2000 |
No family members were located.
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| Dean Nordlund 1965 |
PALOMARES, Peggy – Shared by her husband and two children:
In 1985, Peggy was diagnosed with breast cancer, but in strong courageous form, she mustered the strength to prepare for a long battle with the mindset that no one, but she, was going to raise her children. She endured two mastectomies, nine reoccurrences, a bone marrow transplant, lymphedema, and diabetes, all before succumbing to a heart attack. Throughout all of these health problems, she thrived to preserve her family. This was her testimony of the power of love that she was able to continuously overcome all odds and endure unthinkable agony simply to ensure her children were properly raised, while remaining as a pillar of strength for them to lean on.
After a long courageous health struggle, Peggy passed away October 10, 2003, at the age of 56. She is survived by her husband Allen, daughter Kristin and son Jeff. Most importantly, through the course of Peggy’s life, she taught her children – strength through adversity. Now that she is gone, we hope to live up to the example she has set before us.
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| Peggy Palomares 1965 |
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| Peggy Palomares 2002 |
PEDERSON, Steve – Respectfully submitted by his loving brother, Bill (WWHS Class of ‘61):
Bill summarized this in a way that speaks volumes: "My brother Steve died doing what he loved. How many of us will be able to say that when our time comes? R.I.P. Steve” – Brother Bill
Classmate Jeff Billings added:
Steve Pederson was my good friend growing up. My sister, Donna (Wilson Class '61), and I would walk to the Pederson house on our way to Horrace Mann Elementary School and continue on to school with Steve and his brother Bill( Wilson Class of '61). We had great fun working as paperboys throughout elementary and junior high schools. We also spent many happy hours riding dirt bikes on the north side of Marine Stadium before there were houses in that area. Steve became a great motorcycle rider for Kawasaki. We miss you Steve.
Classmate Cheryl Bachman Adams, Steve’s high school sweetheart, added:
I met Steve at Jefferson in 1961 and we became best friends. When we got to Wilson in 1963, we kicked it up a notch and became boyfriend and girlfriend. He and Jeff Billings would come by every day and we’d walk to school together. We were marching partners at all the graduation activities. After high school, we lost track of each other.... but I will never forget his blond “surfer hair”, his twinkling blue eyes, and that sprinkle of freckles across his nose. He will always be missed.
Classmate Charlie Legeman added:
Steve and I met at Wilson our sophmore year where we really hit it off because of our mutual interest in motorsports. We were a goofy pair hanging out together. Steve was around 5'10 and 130 lbs and I was 6' 200lbs. I remember in PE we had to run against each other for a 100 yd dash. We were laughing the whole way because we were bumping each other as if we were racing cars. Steve had a successful career in the AMA series where he excelled in both flat track, TT and road racing. I believe he was the number 2 amateur in the country before he went pro. Unfortunately, Steve lost his life at Ascot Park where he crashed in turn two and was hit by another rider. A few years earlier, in an English class, Steve had written a poem about him crashing at Ascot in turn two and not surviving. That was really spooky. Steve was also good friends with Jeff Billings and Cheryl Bachman/Adams. I can't remember if I met Steve through Jeff or through Cheryl, however I do know that we have all been good friends through the years. Jeff and I have had a great time surfing, fishing and traveling through the years. Cheryl and her husband Rick have also been good friends as well. I like to think these mutual friendships were because of the relationship we all had with Steve.
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Steve Pederson 1965
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Steve Pederson 1967
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"Peace, Peace! He is not dead.
He doth not sleep. He hath but
awakened from the dream of life"
~ Percy B. Shelley
PEEL, Eugene – Thank you to his brother Leonard for sharing this story:
Eugene was born into a family of professional musicians. His father played French horn in symphony orchestras, and worked with major movie studios. All three brothers became professional musicians, and have made beautiful music throughout their lives. Gene, inspired by Elvis Presley, was a self-taught lead guitar player. Directly after graduation he joined his older brother, Leonard (the drummer) and they played together for 17 years, ending in Honolulu. Gene returned to the Huntington Beach area and joined his younger brother, Robert (on the keyboard!) and they played together for a long time.
In 1973, he was married briefly to a lovely girl named Shaari. They met thru the entertainment business (she was a good friend of Ricky Nelson’s wife.) Another close friend was Pat Upton, whose “Spiral Staircase” band recorded the one-hit wonder, “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday.” Along with his brothers and at various times, Gene opened for Sonny & Cher and other stars. At one time, he and his band shared the bill with Wilson Pickett at a Hollywood concert.
Through the years, Gene worked steadily as a career musician – for example - Disneyland, and the Whiskey-a-Go-Go clubs in Hollywood, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Denver. His proud parents would often be in the audience when the brothers were performing. In September of 1994, he entered the hospital for what was to have been a fairly simple and routine procedure. An unexpected complication arose, and he died suddenly in the ICU. He was just 47 years old.
In addition to his music, he loved to sail, draw and paint. Although he had no children of his own, he loved kids and was a wonderful uncle to his nieces and nephews. Leonard wants Gene’s classmates to know that he was always cheerful, the sweetest and most loving man. He never lost his temper. Quite simply, “Everyone loved Gene.”
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| Gene Peel 1991 |
PERRAS, H. Larry – Shared by his son, Brian Perras:
My dad was amazing human being. He had so many qualities in him that you look for in people! He was honest, sincere, loyal, hero and great Dad! He had one of the greatest hearts you would want in a human being! He helped out so many people and even literally gave the shirt off his back for another veteran in need! My dads fight against cancer I would have to say is one the greatest fights I have ever seen! The amount of pain he was in everyday and for him to still be able to do the things he did was remarkable. I am very truly blessed of the extended time we had together. We did his bone marrow transplant in 2012 and that allowed him and I to do many more things together and create more memories! We traveled to many places on his bucket list, one of my favorites was attending your guys class reunion. You know as kids, we always like to see who our parents grew up around and just hear different stories about them, to me I think that's pretty cool since we cannot time travel! I was very honored, and proud of the dad I had! He was my best friend, my hero and my heart! Too tell you a little more about him I played 4 sports growing up and my dad coached all those and he worked a few different jobs as well... I look back now and ask...how did he do all that? Your generation may be the best ever! Dad I love you forever!!
My dad was amazing human being. He had so many qualities in him that you look for in people! He was honest, sincere, loyal, hero and great Dad! He had one of the greatest hearts you would want in a human being! He helped out so many people and even literally gave the shirt off his back for another veteran in need! My dads fight against cancer I would have to say is one the greatest fights I have ever seen! The amount of pain he was in everyday and for him to still be able to do the things he did was remarkable. I am very truly blessed of the extended time we had together. We did his bone marrow transplant in 2012 and that allowed him and I to do many more things together and create more memories! We traveled to many places on his bucket list, one of my favorites was attending your guys class reunion. You know as kids, we always like to see who our parents grew up around and just hear different stories about them, to me I think that's pretty cool since we cannot time travel! I was very honored, and proud of the dad I had! He was my best friend, my hero and my heart! Too tell you a little more about him I played 4 sports growing up and my dad coached all those and he worked a few different jobs as well... I look back now and ask...how did he do all that? Your generation may be the best ever! Dad I love you forever!!
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| Larry Perras 1965 |
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| Larry Perras |
PETERSON, Susan – Thank you to Jerry Kilgore and John Jasinki for contributing the following
information:
Susan was still in high school when she met Jerry Kilgore (Millikan ‘61) while both were employed at Zody’s, the ‘superstore’ on Los Coyotes Diagonal. He was her date for the “All Night Dance.” They married in 1966. She then went to work for LA County, but resigned to accompany Jerry to Germany where he was stationed in the military. While abroad, she worked as a PBX operator at Transit Billet (a hotel) in Frankfurt. They worked opposite shifts, and had to work around that to spend time together. When they returned to Southern California, she went back to work at the LA County Probation Department headquarters, in the capacity of a Statistical Clerk. Their marriage ended – particularly amicably! – in 1974. Jerry had high praise for Susan – a wonderful, kind
person.
In 1975, she married John A. Jasinski, a co-worker at the Probation Department. They had been good friends for several years before it turned to romance. They eventually moved from Long Beach to Stanton.
Susan suffered from Crohn’s Disease for several years and her health slowly deteriorated. While she was still able, she and John loved to camp, and visited most of the National Parks in the western part of the country. She also loved to needlepoint; many of her creations still decorate their home today. She also indulged John’s love of baseball, and sat with him through countless Angels games. She drew the line, however, at football.
Susan died in August of 1988 in Orange County. She was only 41 years old.
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| Sue Peterson 1965 |
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| Sue Peterson 1982 |
PRESTON, John "Jack"– His little sister, Susie Maxson, generously shared the story of his life:
The trajectory of his life changed dramatically when he enlisted in the Marines (following his dad’s footsteps) at the age of 19. He attained the rank of Lance Corporal and served in Vietnam. At one point, he was MIA for several months. Susie recalled that during that time, a very graphic black & white photo of a body being carried out of the jungle appeared in Life Magazine, and her mom collapsed from the shock. His service brought him not only a Purple Heart, but PTSD so severe that it profoundly damaged him and affected the rest of his life. When he returned, only his mother recognized him as he got off the plane. During that difficult and very controversial era of “Hanoi Jane”, he was literally spit on and taunted. Even his little sister was given a hard time by the kids her age.
In spite of these problems, he moved for a time to Hawaii, and when he returned to California, he did very well managing about 25 Earl Schieb Auto Paint locations. His soul was permanently scarred, but he did the best he could and relied on his faith to get him through. He loved sports – he was a walking encyclopedia, and his favorite team was the Cleveland Indians. Although he never married or had a child, he found joy in being an uncle to Susie’s daughter, adopted in 1991. He taught her to play cards, to throw a ball. He helped her with her math … they loved each other very much.
He stayed close to his mother (both physically and emotionally) and they took care of each other until she passed away in 2002. About a year and a half later, he died of natural causes in his home in late August, 2003. He was just 55 years old. Susie expressed her gratitude to be given the opportunity to honor this hero by telling this story.
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| Jack Preston 1965 |
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| Jack Preston 1984 |
PYLE, Larry – Information given by his mother, Jackie Page:
Larry was a preemie and weighed only 3 lbs 11oz when born. He grew strong and healthy even though he would never eat anything green. His athletic achievements (he was captain of the track team at Wilson) drew the attention of Golden West College; they recruited him and he continued to excel in track. While at Long Beach State, he went to Europe with friends. He worked as a forest ranger in one country, and once was a disc jockey in Sweden. He loved to travel and had many trips planned in the future. His greatest gifts were the kindness and open acceptance of everyone, and his sense of humor. He loved his family and friends so much. I don’t know how we can live without him....
His sister Leigh:
Larry enjoyed many wonderful camping and hiking trips with me. The wildflower seeds symbolize his love of nature and the beauty that can be enjoyed by all. Let this day be one of happy memories shared by all who loved Larry.
Larry’s sister, Becky Mauger, added: When Larry died on January 24, he left in search of the greatest hiking trail, most spectacular sunrise and sunset, and that great ballroom in the sky. What I loved most about Larry was his zest for life and his love of family and friends. He was an intuitive naturalist, loved art, architecture, philosophy and the world’s cultures. He had an eclectic and vast appreciation of the written word, and especially loved movies. Retirement from the Transit District in 2000 re-energized Larry to begin a very successful second career renovating homes, but he never lost sight of maintaining balance in his life. Time to enjoy family, friends, travel and dancing. We will all miss Larry and the wonderful, joyful times we shared. He will remain in our hearts and minds forever.
Larry died on January 24, 2002 at the age of 55 exactly two months after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Thanks to classmate Barbara Brothers for sending this information. The memorial handout concluded: “Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair, and let us huddle together as darkness takes over. We are at home amidst the birds and the trees, for we are children of nature.” – Susan Polis Schutz
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| Larry Pyle 1965 |
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| Larry Pyle |
RAETHER, Stephanie – Classmate Susan Clay Taylor brought to our attention that Stephanie had lost her life in a car accident a few years after graduation.
An internet search showed that Stephanie was born in Butte County, CA on April 17, 1948, and died in Humboldt County on May 18, 1969, shortly after her 21st birthday. She apparently had no siblings, and no family could be found. I did try to reach a few classmates who knew her.
Susan did have one memory to share. Stephanie moved back to Northern California soon after graduation, and a bit later she traveled to London. When she returned, she contacted Susan in Long Beach and they met for lunch. Stephanie was wearing a London “bobby’s” cape she had bought. Cynthia Wynn added that Stephanie was an only child, and during school lived directly across the street from Wilson. Both ladies recalled that she was a very sweet girl.
RENDACI, Scott – passed away in the Long Beach area on 1/26/94, age 48. No living relatives located. Public records show a marriage in 1970 ended in divorce less than two years later, and no record of children born of that marriage.
ROCCHIO, Patrick – From Pat’s friends Ryan Berkely, Michelle Pardew Chaput and John Labelle:
Pat attended Eugene Tincher elementary school around 1956. He came from a very large family and he was the eldest often caring for his younger brothers and sisters. At Wilson High, Pat was on the gymnastics squad – one of coach Elder’s “rummies” (Pat’s fond recollection of the coaches own words) – He specialized in “Side Horse” (aka “Pommel Horse”). While attending Wilson he went to San Diego State to represent the school at a state-wide student council meeting along with other Bruins like Michelle Pardew and several others. He played guitar and we sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "If I Had a Hammer" a little out of tune but with gusto! Also during Wilson years, Pat worked at the Veterans Hospital helping with the paraplegics living there. Pat introduced me (Michelle Pardew) to them and I entertained them with dancing, reading to them and writing letters. He was always looking out for others. He had a mega watt smile that wouldn’t quit and was a very kind and generous soul.
Pat's father was a doctor of psychology and for a number of years (during our Junior High School years) was base commander of Los Alamitos Naval Air Station – and later taught at Long Beach City College. Pat’s Dad often took us to Bruin events such as football games and dances at the Bruin Den in his station wagon.
After graduating, Pat worked for a while as a supervisor at Teledyne during the late 60’s/early 70’s Saturn/Apollo aerospace heyday. Around 1969 Pat did a stint as a guest folksong entertainer at the Barbary Coast bar in Naples where he played acoustic guitar and kazoo and sang popular songs like “Walking with my Baby Down Along the San Francisco Bay. Being a multifaceted individual Pat dabbled in hypnosis – rumors of his abilities at Long Beach City College when he was a student there made some gullible folks cautious about looking into his eyes unless he was wearing sunglasses. He'd flip up his shades and out they’d go! During the mid-70’s Pat worked part time with Jack Brode at Jack’s marine radio repair shop, American Communications, in Wilmington, CA.
Sometime around 1970 Pat was married to Linda. Pat took up electric guitar and Linda took up drums. Not sure when that marriage ended but Pat remarried again and had twin sons and was a loving parent. Tragically, his second wife and one of the twins died in a car accident and possibly the second son later died from injuries.
Pat worked for many years with the phone company where he enjoyed considerable success as a mid- and later high-level manager. Finally Pat moved to Texas in the ‘80’s but let go of life in 2002.
His mother verified that he died on March 8, 2002 in Tijeras, NM at the age of 54. On behalf of the family, she declined to participate or discuss his life.
Eric to some, but always Rick to me (and to his family and his early friends), lived, worked and died within 25 miles of his birthplace. He was born and raised in Long Beach and, resistant to my attempts to persuade him differently, never saw any reason to consider being any place but Southern California. A longtime resident of Rossmoor, Rick passed away on February 3, 2007 -- just a month before turning 60 and after an extended and courageous fight with lung cancer --an absolute absurdity in his case inasmuch as he had never smoked in his life.
From early on, Rick was involved in many aspects of the Long Beach community. For several years he was an active member of the St. Luke's Choristers. At about this same time, he also became an enthusiastic proponent of scouting and continued his scout participation when he elected to develop his love of the sea with the Sea Scouts where he enjoyed extensive cruising that included both Catalina and the islands off the Baja coast in Mexico. It was also during this time that he took up sailing and dinghy racing on Alamitos Bay. While attending Wilson High School, he became a founding member of the Long Beach Mystics, a club renowned for producing professional magicians. Although an accomplished magician himself to the degree of offering an alternative career, he chose instead to hold magic as a significant part of his personal life and was known to perform for both friends and family as well as holding a performance membership in LA’s “The Magic Castle.”
Rick earned his Bachelor's degree in genetics from UCLA, a Master's in microbiology from Cal State Long Beach and a Doctorate in Clinical Pharmacology from USC. For those interested, Rick would explain that a doctorate in clinical pharmacology had a different focus and concentration from that of just dispensing . At the time he was in school, the assumption was that a PharmD would work alongside an MD in a clinical setting as a member of a treatment team focusing on drug–of-choice decisions and drug interactions. The clinical emphasis meant he intended to work directly with patients and his people skills -- in addition to his academic training -- would have made him uniquely suited to this direct contact and interaction. Simply put, the MD would diagnose and the Pharm D would prescribe, a medical "division of labor", as it were. However, the practice of medicine itself subsequently took a different path and Rick’s career evolved primarily as an institutional pharmacist at St Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach. Rick was a gifted teacher and a walking encyclopedia when it came to human biology and organic chemistry, a trusted informational source for both family and friends as well as medical professionals.
Rick pursued his career at St. Mary's Medical Center for over 35 years, during which time he demonstrated true dedication to the pharmaceutical profession. He was a source of knowledge for both medical professionals as a clinical instructor for USC, and for the community as an asthma education lecturer. The family takes great pride in the community recognition of his contribution in that there is a conference room at St. Mary’s Hospital named in his honor. He was an exceptional computer programmer and combined this skill with his passion for pharmacy. This connection allowed him to design innovative new systems that have subsequently helped advance the field of clinical pharmacy.
In the later years, Rick became an avid hiker and loved extended backpacking in the Sierra Mountains. He and I did get in a great deal of hiking together, mainly (at first) local day hikes but then multi-day backpacking treks in the Sierras; an outgrowth, no doubt, of our extensive youthful experience with scouting. Since at that time I was living in Idaho, these day hikes centered on family visits, but they soon developed into multi-day adventures where Rick developed an enthusiasm and genius for “going light” which meant he had all sorts of angles and shortcuts for maintaining a light pack. In addition he had a passion for WWII military history and loved building museum-quality models of airplanes from this era. He enjoyed visiting air shows and museums to compare his models with those pioneering airplanes that actually flew.
Rick was deeply committed to his family and as such was an outstanding husband, father, grandfather. At the time he died he’d been married to his wife of 38 years, Agnes (nee Paul) Sadler, and they had two daughters. In addition, he was a wonderful brother to me. We shared a room growing up, and later we shared an off-campus apartment while both attending UCLA. I was a graduating senior at the time, so this only lasted that one year, but during that time we were able to transition from boyhood to adult brothers in the three years of relative separation imposed by my being away at school. Rick took part in my wedding and later asked me to be the best man at his, and subsequently I was godfather to both his two daughters. We were close as brothers.
SANINO, Suzanne – Information shared by her husband Courtney Gonzalez:
SEKULICH, Dave – Information given by his sister, Liz, class of '68:
An internet search showed that Stephanie was born in Butte County, CA on April 17, 1948, and died in Humboldt County on May 18, 1969, shortly after her 21st birthday. She apparently had no siblings, and no family could be found. I did try to reach a few classmates who knew her.
Susan did have one memory to share. Stephanie moved back to Northern California soon after graduation, and a bit later she traveled to London. When she returned, she contacted Susan in Long Beach and they met for lunch. Stephanie was wearing a London “bobby’s” cape she had bought. Cynthia Wynn added that Stephanie was an only child, and during school lived directly across the street from Wilson. Both ladies recalled that she was a very sweet girl.
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| Stephanie Raether 1965 |
RENDACI, Scott – passed away in the Long Beach area on 1/26/94, age 48. No living relatives located. Public records show a marriage in 1970 ended in divorce less than two years later, and no record of children born of that marriage.
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| Scott Rendaci 1965 |
ROCCHIO, Patrick – From Pat’s friends Ryan Berkely, Michelle Pardew Chaput and John Labelle:
Pat attended Eugene Tincher elementary school around 1956. He came from a very large family and he was the eldest often caring for his younger brothers and sisters. At Wilson High, Pat was on the gymnastics squad – one of coach Elder’s “rummies” (Pat’s fond recollection of the coaches own words) – He specialized in “Side Horse” (aka “Pommel Horse”). While attending Wilson he went to San Diego State to represent the school at a state-wide student council meeting along with other Bruins like Michelle Pardew and several others. He played guitar and we sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "If I Had a Hammer" a little out of tune but with gusto! Also during Wilson years, Pat worked at the Veterans Hospital helping with the paraplegics living there. Pat introduced me (Michelle Pardew) to them and I entertained them with dancing, reading to them and writing letters. He was always looking out for others. He had a mega watt smile that wouldn’t quit and was a very kind and generous soul.
Pat's father was a doctor of psychology and for a number of years (during our Junior High School years) was base commander of Los Alamitos Naval Air Station – and later taught at Long Beach City College. Pat’s Dad often took us to Bruin events such as football games and dances at the Bruin Den in his station wagon.
After graduating, Pat worked for a while as a supervisor at Teledyne during the late 60’s/early 70’s Saturn/Apollo aerospace heyday. Around 1969 Pat did a stint as a guest folksong entertainer at the Barbary Coast bar in Naples where he played acoustic guitar and kazoo and sang popular songs like “Walking with my Baby Down Along the San Francisco Bay. Being a multifaceted individual Pat dabbled in hypnosis – rumors of his abilities at Long Beach City College when he was a student there made some gullible folks cautious about looking into his eyes unless he was wearing sunglasses. He'd flip up his shades and out they’d go! During the mid-70’s Pat worked part time with Jack Brode at Jack’s marine radio repair shop, American Communications, in Wilmington, CA.
Sometime around 1970 Pat was married to Linda. Pat took up electric guitar and Linda took up drums. Not sure when that marriage ended but Pat remarried again and had twin sons and was a loving parent. Tragically, his second wife and one of the twins died in a car accident and possibly the second son later died from injuries.
Pat worked for many years with the phone company where he enjoyed considerable success as a mid- and later high-level manager. Finally Pat moved to Texas in the ‘80’s but let go of life in 2002.
His mother verified that he died on March 8, 2002 in Tijeras, NM at the age of 54. On behalf of the family, she declined to participate or discuss his life.
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| Pat Rocchio 1965 |
SADLER, Eric – Information in part taken from a published obituary, but extensively and freely modified and augmented by his brother, Jeff Sadler (class of ‘62) so it represents a personal and limited perspective:
Eric to some, but always Rick to me (and to his family and his early friends), lived, worked and died within 25 miles of his birthplace. He was born and raised in Long Beach and, resistant to my attempts to persuade him differently, never saw any reason to consider being any place but Southern California. A longtime resident of Rossmoor, Rick passed away on February 3, 2007 -- just a month before turning 60 and after an extended and courageous fight with lung cancer --an absolute absurdity in his case inasmuch as he had never smoked in his life.
From early on, Rick was involved in many aspects of the Long Beach community. For several years he was an active member of the St. Luke's Choristers. At about this same time, he also became an enthusiastic proponent of scouting and continued his scout participation when he elected to develop his love of the sea with the Sea Scouts where he enjoyed extensive cruising that included both Catalina and the islands off the Baja coast in Mexico. It was also during this time that he took up sailing and dinghy racing on Alamitos Bay. While attending Wilson High School, he became a founding member of the Long Beach Mystics, a club renowned for producing professional magicians. Although an accomplished magician himself to the degree of offering an alternative career, he chose instead to hold magic as a significant part of his personal life and was known to perform for both friends and family as well as holding a performance membership in LA’s “The Magic Castle.”
Rick earned his Bachelor's degree in genetics from UCLA, a Master's in microbiology from Cal State Long Beach and a Doctorate in Clinical Pharmacology from USC. For those interested, Rick would explain that a doctorate in clinical pharmacology had a different focus and concentration from that of just dispensing . At the time he was in school, the assumption was that a PharmD would work alongside an MD in a clinical setting as a member of a treatment team focusing on drug–of-choice decisions and drug interactions. The clinical emphasis meant he intended to work directly with patients and his people skills -- in addition to his academic training -- would have made him uniquely suited to this direct contact and interaction. Simply put, the MD would diagnose and the Pharm D would prescribe, a medical "division of labor", as it were. However, the practice of medicine itself subsequently took a different path and Rick’s career evolved primarily as an institutional pharmacist at St Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach. Rick was a gifted teacher and a walking encyclopedia when it came to human biology and organic chemistry, a trusted informational source for both family and friends as well as medical professionals.
Rick pursued his career at St. Mary's Medical Center for over 35 years, during which time he demonstrated true dedication to the pharmaceutical profession. He was a source of knowledge for both medical professionals as a clinical instructor for USC, and for the community as an asthma education lecturer. The family takes great pride in the community recognition of his contribution in that there is a conference room at St. Mary’s Hospital named in his honor. He was an exceptional computer programmer and combined this skill with his passion for pharmacy. This connection allowed him to design innovative new systems that have subsequently helped advance the field of clinical pharmacy.
In the later years, Rick became an avid hiker and loved extended backpacking in the Sierra Mountains. He and I did get in a great deal of hiking together, mainly (at first) local day hikes but then multi-day backpacking treks in the Sierras; an outgrowth, no doubt, of our extensive youthful experience with scouting. Since at that time I was living in Idaho, these day hikes centered on family visits, but they soon developed into multi-day adventures where Rick developed an enthusiasm and genius for “going light” which meant he had all sorts of angles and shortcuts for maintaining a light pack. In addition he had a passion for WWII military history and loved building museum-quality models of airplanes from this era. He enjoyed visiting air shows and museums to compare his models with those pioneering airplanes that actually flew.
Rick was deeply committed to his family and as such was an outstanding husband, father, grandfather. At the time he died he’d been married to his wife of 38 years, Agnes (nee Paul) Sadler, and they had two daughters. In addition, he was a wonderful brother to me. We shared a room growing up, and later we shared an off-campus apartment while both attending UCLA. I was a graduating senior at the time, so this only lasted that one year, but during that time we were able to transition from boyhood to adult brothers in the three years of relative separation imposed by my being away at school. Rick took part in my wedding and later asked me to be the best man at his, and subsequently I was godfather to both his two daughters. We were close as brothers.
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| Eric Sadler 1965 |
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| Eric Sadler approx. 2003 |
SANINO, Suzanne – Information shared by her husband Courtney Gonzalez:
After Suzanne graduated from UCLA with a degree in Anthropology, she moved to the San Diego area where she worked for the Union Tribune. She then got her Master’s degree at San Diego State, and taught elementary school in the Vista Unified School District for 30 years.
Her marriage of 38 years to Courtney brought one daughter, Sara, born in 1976. They enjoyed traveling and in their younger years, camping. Suzanne liked to sing (quietly, to herself) and was quite sure that she had “ a Barbra Streisand” living inside of her. Most of her energy went into her teaching. She was loved and respected by her students, co-workers, and family.
Suzanne died after a five-year battle with cancer on Christmas Eve, 2011. She was surrounded by comfort and support from all who loved her. She was a special lady, and is missed.
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| Suzanne Sanino 1965 |
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| Suzanne Sanino & daughter 2010 |
SCHAEFFER, Sheila – This information was shared by brother, Jim Schaeffer:
Sheila “Ann” Schaeffer went by her middle name after high school. She was born in Long Beach and for three years lived in Belmont Shore, followed by a move to Whittier during her childhood. In 1962 the family returned to Long Beach and she went to Wilson all three years. After graduation, she studied at UCLA for 4 years, earning a Bachelors in English. While at UCLA, she became active in the Bruin Mountaineers.
After college she moved to Alaska, where she worked on the Alaskan Pipeline from 1970 to 1976. This was followed by a series of jobs in an administrative assistant/secretarial capacity.
In 1988, she began 11 years of missionary work in Kiev, Russia. Approximately every six months she would return to Alaska for a few weeks, which was necessary to maintain her citizenship. She then moved back to Alaska, spent three years in Brazil, and ultimately returned once again to Alaska.
Besides mountain climbing, her favorite activities were writing poetry and reading. She died in a small town outside of Wasilla, AK on April 28, 2012. She was survived by a daughter, Audrey, granddaughter Camille, and siblings Bonnie, Jim and Adriane.
Sheila “Ann” Schaeffer went by her middle name after high school. She was born in Long Beach and for three years lived in Belmont Shore, followed by a move to Whittier during her childhood. In 1962 the family returned to Long Beach and she went to Wilson all three years. After graduation, she studied at UCLA for 4 years, earning a Bachelors in English. While at UCLA, she became active in the Bruin Mountaineers.
After college she moved to Alaska, where she worked on the Alaskan Pipeline from 1970 to 1976. This was followed by a series of jobs in an administrative assistant/secretarial capacity.
In 1988, she began 11 years of missionary work in Kiev, Russia. Approximately every six months she would return to Alaska for a few weeks, which was necessary to maintain her citizenship. She then moved back to Alaska, spent three years in Brazil, and ultimately returned once again to Alaska.
Besides mountain climbing, her favorite activities were writing poetry and reading. She died in a small town outside of Wasilla, AK on April 28, 2012. She was survived by a daughter, Audrey, granddaughter Camille, and siblings Bonnie, Jim and Adriane.
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| Sheila Schaeffer 1965 |
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| Sheila Schaeffer |
SEKULICH, Dave – Information given by his sister, Liz, class of '68:
My brother David died on his 49th birthday June 1995 in Newport Beach, California. He lived his life exactly as he wanted. David was a wonderful protective brother. He was loyal to all those he called a friend. Always charming and generous. He never married nor had children of his own. He found love with a wonderful woman in Maui, Hawaii where he lived several years. His ashes along with his niece Elyce were spread on the coast of Maui.
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| Dave Sekulich 1965 |
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| Dave Sekulich |
SKELTON, Rebecca – Taken from an online obituary in The Arizona Republic:
Becky Skelton Lyddon, 64, of Phoenix passed away on November 11, 2011. Becky was born October 3, 1947 in East Liverpool, OH, and spent her childhood in the Ohio River Valley. As a teen, her family moved to southern California where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach. Becky earned a degree in Early Childhood Education from Ottawa University.Her love of children became the guiding force of her life which led to a career in teaching that spanned more than 40 years. Becky's early career included teaching elementary school in Ethiopia and preschool in Costa Mesa, CA. She later became the director of early childhood programs at Wesley Children's Center in North Las Vegas, Trinity United Methodist Preschool (TUMPS) and most recently UMOM New Day Center Child Development Center (CDC) in Phoenix. Becky also served as the Christian Education Director at First United Methodist Church of Phoenix where she was lovingly known as "The Fairy Godmother of Holy Fun".
Becky is survived by her daughter Betsy Lyddon, son Ricky Lyddon and his fiancée Katie Redman, sister Vicki Skelton, mother-in-law Jean Lyddon, and countless friends and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents Gordon and Florence Skelton, and the love of her life Rick Lyddon.
After seeing the above story, high school friend Andrea Loughran Koenker asked if she might add some memories of her own:
I remember Becky Skelton Lyddon for her genuine friendliness, kindness and sense of humor. Becky entered Wilson following a move from Ohio to Long Beach in her Sophomore year. We became good friends and participated in a variety of activities. I especially recall the FTA (Future Teachers of America Club) and sitting on a bench in the Quad talking about anything and everything students talked about in those days.
We lost touch post graduation but reconnected about the time her daughter was born. I remember her husband was at the DOD Language School in Monterey, California. Her letters, like Becky, were bubbly and enthusiastic. Subsequently, with Becky in Turkey and me in the Azores, we again lost touch, permanently this time.
A favorite memory, resulting in an epiphany for me, occurred when I was having dinner with Becky and her family at their home. Mrs. Skelton prepared a delicious home cooked meal. As I enjoyed my second helping of mashed potatoes I raved about how wonderful they tasted. Mrs. Skelton smiled and calmly stated “ it’s only potatoes, butter and milk. “ WOW!!! I had never eaten real mashed potatoes—my Mother was a great Mom but cooking was not her thing—thus my idea of mashed potatoes was reconstituted potato flakes courtesy of Betty Crocker. I haven’t eaten instant potatoes since—it’s always real potatoes for cooking. And it is not an exaggeration to say I rarely make mashed potatoes that I don’t remember that happy evening and the warmth and welcome extended to me by all the Skelton family.
I’m sad Becky is gone and regretful that we lost contact during the intervening years. Still, these many journeys later, I remember her with affection and am grateful she was my friend.
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| Becky Skelton 1965 |
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| Becky Skelton |
SMITH, Barbara – information given by her daughter, Maggie Riggins:
Barbara was married to Richard John (Wilson ‘65), whose story appears above. Although they grew up in the same neighborhood, they did not marry until sometime later. After Wilson, Barbara went to work for the California Highway Patrol, where she held the position of dispatcher. After marrying Richard in May of 1973 and the birth of daughter Katey, they moved to Monroe WA where their second child, Maggie was born. They returned to Arroyo Grande on the Central Coast, to be closer to her family, and eventually moved to Bakersfield.
For a number of years she was a busy wife and mom, involved in church, Girl Scouts, and worked as a playground supervisor at the girls’ school. In 1989, when her children were a little older, she took a job with the Kern High School District which lasted until she had to retire in 2005. She had been diagnosed with ‘bulbar’ ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), a form of the disease that first affects speech, and progresses quickly. She passed away in October of 2006.
When asked to describe her mom’s favorite things, Maggie laughed and said “she loved everything.” She was an expert seamstress, a wonderful cook -- jellies, jams, relishes, you name it -- various church groups, etc. She had 6 grandchildren: Katey’s two daughters are now 18 and 16, and Maggie has 3 boys and one girl ages 23, 20, 16 and 12. Barbara also got great joy from joining the zany “Red Hat Society” (wearing purple and red and celebrating life). Even when she had to walk with a walker, at Christmas time she decorated it with garlands and colored lights. She was simply wonderful. Barbara was full of life, always loving, caring and supportive. She always lent a helping hand and had a hug to give with a smile.
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| Barbara Smith 1965 |
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| Barbara Smith 2006 |
SNODGRASS, Major Dixon – “Dixie” Snodgrass, Jr. was in the Army and served in Vietnam from 1966 – 1968. He passed away in Orange County, CA at the age of 44 on 12/3/91, and is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. No relatives could be located.
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| Dixie Snodgrass 1965 |
SPORE, Timothy – Attempts to reach any family have been unsuccessful at this time. We know only that Tim Spore died at the age of 62, on October 25, 2010 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and is buried in Pensacola.
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| Tim Spore 1965 |
STANSBURY, Robert – Thanks to his former wife Leslie for contributing the following:
Rob was born in Bakersfield, a second generation oil man. Over the years he joined his father on and off in the petroleum industry. He returned to California from New York and continued a lifelong career of invention, interspersed with developing and managing numerous companies. He had an uncanny sense of design. As a young man, his father had threatened to have the Army Surplus store put out of business because Rob would go there to stock up on the supplies he needed to create some of his inventions – including a small submarine he built and launched in the pool of the Petroleum Club. (It sank.) He personally invented over twenty pieces of oil field equipment – without an engineering degree. A significant invention was the sub-surface safety equipment installed in Saudi Arabia and other middle Eastern countries; this was what allowed an oil well to be blown up in an attack, and have it up and running again within 24 hours. He worked for Page Oil Tools and traveled internationally. He later started Blue Jay Oil Tools and Stansbury Oil Tools. The family also dealt in gold and silver.
In 1972, he met Leslie, and they married a year later. One child was born of that union in 1980 – (Milissa, an unusual spelling because he completed the paperwork and wasn’t a good speller.) They decided to leave it be. The marriage lasted 10 years, and they traveled quite a bit …. From Seal Beach to Colorado, back to Seal Beach, Ojai, Bakersfield. While in Seal Beach, he designed and Leslie managed the first plant store on Main Street, across from Walt’s Wharf. The name was “Tantalus”, for the Greek God of tantalizing. They shared the building with Ben Bradlee, Jr. They gave a free plant to every customer. Due to a now-non-existent loophole in ABC regulations, which allows serving beer and wine without a license if poured behind a partition, customers could have a drink while browsing through the plants and waiting for their dinner reservations at Walt’s. Rob and Leslie also shared a passion for classic cars, and owned 73 of them during the course of their marriage. He also was an avid reader whose favorite author was Ayn Rand.
Rob died in August of 1985, when a Delta flight from Florida crashed on landing in Dallas. At the time of his death he was living in Marina Pacifica, and in the planning stages of starting two more businesses. Milissa was just 5 when he died; he now has a granddaughter, Camden, who will be 2 in December. He was a brilliant and interesting man. Leslie added that she very much enjoyed our conversation, and all of the fun memories that came back to her while helping to create this tribute.
INTERESTING FOOTNOTE: While reminiscing on the ‘65 Facebook page, several classmates had fondly remembered the day some student had hacked into the PA system and dismissed school mid-morning. Several alumni had wondered who the genius behind that prank might have been, because it worked (in spite of the teachers trying to halt the departures.) Once the In Memoriam tribute to Rob Stansbury was published, the mystery was solved – and he was cheered posthumously for his random act of kindness.
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| Rob Stansbury 1965 |
STATLAND, Steven – Before I had a chance to find family, I received the following information from classmate Donald McCurdy:
I was a friend of Steve during high school. We were both born on the same day. For a while after high school, I lived with Steve and his wonderful loving family. They were all kind, charitable, honorable, easy going people. They were the best. Sadly, by the mid-seventies I had moved to the east and lost contact with Steve. That was something I am very sad about to this day.
From about the age of 10 until his death at 46, Steve fought the brave battle against diabetes. He died in Bellflower in February of 1993.
With a little information from Don, I was able to find Steve’s sister Carol Hagberg, who was pleased to fill in some blanks:
With a little information from Don, I was able to find Steve’s sister Carol Hagberg, who was pleased to fill in some blanks:
Steven faced a lot of challenges in his life. After high school, he worked at a number of odd jobs, and for a time worked as a locksmith. He was a self-taught mechanic, and loved working on small engines (lawnmowers, etc.) He gradually lost his vision by the age of 30. He went to the Braille Institute, and continued to adapt to his blindness by attending adult evening classes to further his knowledge of engine repair. The picture below shows some of his sculptures he created while studying at the Braille Institute. In spite of his talents, finding lasting employment was difficult because of liability issues, but he did whatever he could to stay active.
He remained in the Long Beach area, and though married briefly, he had no children. He loved music very much, and had every record made by his favorite singer, Neil Diamond. His sister Carol remembered Steve as a very gentle person. He was loved very much, and is missed. |
| Steve Statland 1965 |
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| Steve Statland around 1990 |
STEIGER, William - Thank you to Bill's wife, Ellen, for the following:
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| Bill Steiger 1965 and 2010 |
William Allen Steiger was born August 14, 1947, in Bell, CA. He grew up in Long Beach, CA and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1965. He went to trade school to learn sheet metal but was drafted into the Army during the Viet Nam war. He served during the war in Germany and returned to Southern California where he attended Long Beach City College and met his wife, Ellen Burt. They were married on December 16, 1972 in Bell, CA and were married for 38 years.
In 1973, they moved to Scotts Valley CA where they bought their first home and he started a construction business. Bill and Ellen had 3 children, William, Laura and Jamie. They adopted Eva in the mid '90s, when she was 16. There are now 12 grandchildren.
Bill was a founding member of the Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC). The EOC was brought into the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Archdioses by Metropolitan Philip in 1987. He was ordained a priest that same year and changed his name to Basil. Fr. Basil served at St. Peter & Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Ben Lomond, CA, where he resided when he passed away, July of 2011. He was well loved and respected by those in the business world as well as his friends in the church. His favorite saying was "Glory to God for all things."
In 1973, they moved to Scotts Valley CA where they bought their first home and he started a construction business. Bill and Ellen had 3 children, William, Laura and Jamie. They adopted Eva in the mid '90s, when she was 16. There are now 12 grandchildren.
SUGGS, Twilla –
Information submitted by her husband, Ben Goniea:
We were married for 34 years, and had 4 children. We have 7 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. She worked for a long time with developmentally
disabled adults, and at her death she was working at a childcare center. She loved children, and loved to knit afghans for babies and her children. She died in Tucson, Arizona in April 2008.
Thanks for asking about Twilla.
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| Twilla Suggs 1965 |
SUNDERMAN, Verlenn “Chip” – Information shared by his younger brother, Dennis:
After graduation he worked for a couple of years for GTE, then was drafted into the Army. He had wanted to fight in Vietnam, but was instead sent to Yakima, WA where he managed the sound system for the Army base there. He received an Honorable Discharge, and returned to Long Beach. Chip died in September of 1969. He was just 22 years old.
Dennis expressed gratitude for the opportunity to tell us a little about his big brother, and sends the class of ‘65 best wishes for a successful reunion.
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| Chip Sunderman 1965 |
TAGGART, Don – Contributed by his twin brother (and our classmate), Ron:
Born right here in Long Beach at the now Veteran’s Hospital.... Don, my brother and twin was “the oldest.” After graduation he worked locally until the draft got him. He was sent to Vietnam and came home wounded, and was awarded a Purple Heart while still alive.
Don then worked for Shell Oil, married Wilson ‘67 graduate, Penny Miller, and they had two sons, Matt and Danny. He then joined me at the U.S. Post Service. He was a very likeable guy who enjoyed many fun times at baseball and football games with his friends. His favorite hangout was Tracy’s Bar & Grill, and he loved going to Las Vegas. He loved and was most proud of his two boys. But, what brought a cool look to him was his 1990 black convertible Salen Mustang, cruising down 2nd Street.
My brother passed away in 1997 of a very rare autoimmune disease – Wegener’s Granulomatosis. Over 200 people, including family, friends and co-workers attended a memoriam in honor of him.
Gone WAY too soon BUT not forgotten. WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS- Ron Taggart
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| Don Taggart 1965 |
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| Don Taggart & Sons 1993 |
TALLEY, Marlene – Marlene Talley was raised in Long Beach, married at age 18 to Larry Wheeler and had two sons, Jeff and Darius. She was employed and skilled as a secretary, a counselor for the mentally retarded, a ranch management assistant and a home care director. She lived in Redwood Valley, CA with her partner, Rob Tarver, before moving to Jonestown, Guyana in November of 1977 as a member of the People’s Temple. Marlene died tragically one year later in the mass suicide of Jim Jones’ disciples, along with her sons Jeff (age 13) and Darius (age 8), and her siblings Michaeleen, Ron, Maurine and Christine and their families.
THUET, Fred – Thank you to his lifelong friend, Jeannie Nelson Golledge for helping with this tribute:
Fred always emphasized the II at the end of his name… he said his father was Fred Xavier Thuet and he was the second. After graduating from Wilson, he continued his education at Long Beach City College and went to work as a machinist’s apprentice in tool and die making. His education and training was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army in 1967, serving in Vietnam 1967-1968, where he spent his 21st birthday. After serving his country he returned home and remained in Long Beach where he completed his training as a tool and die machinist and started a business in Signal Hill with a childhood neighbor and friend.
Fred never married, but had a daughter, Sherrie, in 1982; she was the love of his life. Shortly after Sherrie’s birth her mother took her and moved to New York. Fred’s visitations were for 30 days, three times a year. He would fly to New York, pick-up Sherrie and fly back to California to his home for his 30 days, then fly back to New York, return to California and count the days when he would repeat the flights again to see her.
Another love Fred had was airplanes… not your everyday aircraft, but the USAF jets! He would attend all of the air shows he could and treated himself to go up in one for his 40th birthday! I am not sure on the jet model; I just know a picture was taken of him before the flight. Fred was in the front of a two- seat cockpit grinning from ear to ear… he said it was the thrill of his life, even if he did throw-up during half of the flight! And of course “Top Gun” was one of his all-time favorite movies!
Fred’s hobby was being a lapidary. He loved going out to the desert and visit his dad as well as to hunt for desert rocks. He knew which one to pick-up where the insides were beautiful. He would take them home to break open and polish with his lapidary equipment and he would create the most beautiful stones to be set in a necklace, earrings, rings, pins or anything else you would use in jewelry. He was really an artist! Note: Just above his lapidary equipment hung the picture of his jet flight!
Fred had two families: the one with his mom, dad, sister and Beebe (his cat) and the other, a group of friends that was formed in 7th grade at Jefferson Jr. High. I know everyone has special childhood friends, but this group remained remarkably close our whole lives. Fred was our glue in a lot of ways by getting us all together when too much time had gone by… he would form some sort of a get-together, whether it was a picnic in a park, someone’s house for a BBQ or a party at his place. Fred would always call and say “It’s that time again”, and we would start making the calls. We all were loved by Fred, as all of us loved him. He left us way too soon when he passed of natural causes on January 21, 2000, nine days after his 53rd birthday.
Fred always emphasized the II at the end of his name… he said his father was Fred Xavier Thuet and he was the second. After graduating from Wilson, he continued his education at Long Beach City College and went to work as a machinist’s apprentice in tool and die making. His education and training was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army in 1967, serving in Vietnam 1967-1968, where he spent his 21st birthday. After serving his country he returned home and remained in Long Beach where he completed his training as a tool and die machinist and started a business in Signal Hill with a childhood neighbor and friend.
Fred never married, but had a daughter, Sherrie, in 1982; she was the love of his life. Shortly after Sherrie’s birth her mother took her and moved to New York. Fred’s visitations were for 30 days, three times a year. He would fly to New York, pick-up Sherrie and fly back to California to his home for his 30 days, then fly back to New York, return to California and count the days when he would repeat the flights again to see her.
Another love Fred had was airplanes… not your everyday aircraft, but the USAF jets! He would attend all of the air shows he could and treated himself to go up in one for his 40th birthday! I am not sure on the jet model; I just know a picture was taken of him before the flight. Fred was in the front of a two- seat cockpit grinning from ear to ear… he said it was the thrill of his life, even if he did throw-up during half of the flight! And of course “Top Gun” was one of his all-time favorite movies!
Fred’s hobby was being a lapidary. He loved going out to the desert and visit his dad as well as to hunt for desert rocks. He knew which one to pick-up where the insides were beautiful. He would take them home to break open and polish with his lapidary equipment and he would create the most beautiful stones to be set in a necklace, earrings, rings, pins or anything else you would use in jewelry. He was really an artist! Note: Just above his lapidary equipment hung the picture of his jet flight!
Fred had two families: the one with his mom, dad, sister and Beebe (his cat) and the other, a group of friends that was formed in 7th grade at Jefferson Jr. High. I know everyone has special childhood friends, but this group remained remarkably close our whole lives. Fred was our glue in a lot of ways by getting us all together when too much time had gone by… he would form some sort of a get-together, whether it was a picnic in a park, someone’s house for a BBQ or a party at his place. Fred would always call and say “It’s that time again”, and we would start making the calls. We all were loved by Fred, as all of us loved him. He left us way too soon when he passed of natural causes on January 21, 2000, nine days after his 53rd birthday.
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| Fred Thuet 1965 |
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| Fred Thuet 1999 |
TRACY, Judy – Thanks to her husband, Hamilton “Butch” Montgomery, for sharing the following story:
“Tracy”, who never liked the name Judy so went by her last name, attended Long Beach City College after graduation. She met her husband in Seal Beach, and they were married three times – once in her church and once in his, after first being wed at Knott’s Berry Farm in a ceremony presided over by none other than Judge Roy Bean (a ceremony that cost a quarter and included a horseshoe ring!) Sadly, their first child, Lori, died at the age of six weeks in December of 1998. Their younger daughter Kristin was welcomed into the family in 1970. They lived in the Montgomery family home near Heartwell Park throughout their 31-1/2 years of marriage.
Tracy’s passion in life was working with children – teaching, protecting, helping them in many ways. She worked as a ‘coachie’ at Burcham while Kristin was attending there. She was very involved with St. Cornelius Church’s CCD, and was the head of teaching catechism to the children. She later returned to school to study mythology and theology, got a degree in grief counseling and worked for Hospice, helping children grieving from trauma death of family members and other bereavement.
In her 30s, she underwent a kidney transplant – though it was successful, she did face some health challenges throughout the years. In 1998, she
suffered a heart attack. She had been undergoing dialysis, which compromised her heart situation, and died on October 12. She was just 51 years old.
Butch said in summary: “She was the love of my life and my very best friend.”
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| Judy Tracy 1965 |
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| Judy Tracy 1997 |
USDANE, Esther – Information gathered from a published obituary listed in the Herald-Zeitung News in New Braunfels, TX:
Although Esther had many exciting careers, being a daughter, mother and grandmother was her most fulfilling and rewarding part of her life. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends on many RV trips throughout Texas. She often said that she wanted to write a book on “ RV’ing for Dummies.” She enjoyed fishing and backyard barbecues.
Esther was a member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in New Braunfels, Texas. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, New Braunfels Chapter #771 (Texas) and Long Beach Chapter # 173 (California) for 38 years and served as the Star Point Officer “Esther” for many years.
Esther Seidel, 61, returned home to her Lord and Savior on Feb. 28, 2009, following a courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her three loving children and their spouses, and four beautiful grandchildren.
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| Esther Usdane 1965 |
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| Esther Usdane |
WALDO, Clarence "Randy" – Taken from obituary found in the Albuquerque Journal:
He worked in multiple fields after his Air Force career. A lifetime member of Optimist International, Randy began his affiliation in Jr. High and remained a member until his passing. He devotedly served multiple terms as President of the Albuquerque Sunport Optimist Club, as well as, Lt. Governor and Governor for the New Mexico/West Texas District. He enjoyed traveling, photography, golf, cars, cigars, and dining out with friends and family. He was a lifetime NRA member and instructor.
Randy was happily married to “ the girl next door”, Jeanette Davis, for 44 years. He is survived by his wife and their children- Kim, Paul, Katharine and Patty and their spouses, 4 grandchildren, (and a grand-pet, Oso) and 3 siblings, including twin sister Paula Taylor, class of 1965. Despite repeated bouts with cancer and other serious ailments, his positive and resilient spirit inspired others and will be remembered by all. At the time of his passing, his family requested donations to support the youth of the community through the Optimist Club.
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| Randy Waldo 1965 |
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| Captain Randy Waldo |
WEED, Marcia – Thanks to her daughter Amie Breeze for sharing this information:
For some time, they owned and operated a resort hotel. Later on, Howard became a Deputy Sheriff for Mariposa County, while Marcia worked for years as secretary to the principal of Mariposa County High School. In 1984, the family moved to Rohnert Park, and she became Administrative Assistant to the Guidance Counseling staff at Rancho Cotate High School (her daughters’ school, where she remained until just a few weeks before her death.)
Marcia’s favorite things, besides her family, included needlepoint, jazzercise, and winetasting. She was an avid, active churchgoer. She was diagnosed in 1989 with breast cancer, and died June 16, 1992 of metastatic complications. She was just 45 years old. Marcia was always well-known for being a very loyal and devoted friend to many, and they stepped in to offer her a great deal of love and support throughout her final illness.
Amie summarized her mother as “a kind, compassionate, fun-loving person who enjoyed helping others.” Especially so, young people who struggled scholastically and needed help finding and reaching their potential. In fact, a scholarship was established in her memory and stayed in place for about 10 years, honoring these “Comeback Kids.”
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| Marcia Weed 1965 |
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| Marcia Weed 1988 |
WINTER, David – Thanks to Hugh Winter, Dave’s brother and only sibling for the following:
In early 1987 Dave learned about the newly formed JET program (Japanese Exchange & Teaching Program) and saw this as a way to work into teaching at the university level in Japan. He found a tutor to help him study the language and left for Tokyo on August 1, 1987. It was difficult for our family to know that he would be so far away but we wanted him to follow his dreams and aspirations. After his work with the JET program, he obtained a part-time teaching job at Chuo University that started on April 1, 1990. This eventually led to part-time positions teaching English and Art History at 4 other universities (Kiesen, Toyo Eiwa, Kanagawa and Surugadai). Dave wanted part-time work because this allowed him to have time to visit family and friends in California, usually twice a year in February and August. He intended to stay in Japan for 10 years but he enjoyed it so much that he remained there for 26 years. He had plans to retire in 2014.
Although Dave never ate sweets, on his visits to California he would always arrive with an assortment of Japanese candies for mom. He took pleasure in cooking and his barbecues were always a hit with everyone. There was a small old barbecue in mom's back yard that Dave liked to use, even though it was about to fall apart. It was so old that I remember my grandfather buying it but Dave insisted on using it until the bottom finally fell out of it. We had great times riding bikes from our mom's house down through Belmont Shore, past the bay and basketball courts, then going up and down the bike path along the beach all the way down to the end by the boat docks. We always stopped at "Alfredo's" Snack Bar for some refreshment along the way. He looked happy when he was on his bike. Dave liked going out to eat – his favorite places in Long Beach were Parker's Lighthouse and the Belmont Brewery where we had many enjoyable dinners. An early morning bike ride would often lead to "Chuck's Cafe" at Belmont Plaza for breakfast. He also enjoyed good wine and was a wine connoisseur.
Dave passed away in Tokyo 8/17/2013, Japan from sudden heart failure and complications resulting from diabetes and was on life support when I arrived. My personal belief is that our spirits never die and that one day I will see him again. I am comforted to know that he is no longer suffering from any physical ailments and that he is at peace. I know that at some point either before or after his passing he knew that my two sons and I were there for him. I trust that you will feel of my sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks for anyone who had relationships and friendships with my brother. I know he cherished you all and the experiences you shared. Dave is survived by his mother, one brother, two nephews, one niece, three great nieces and four great nephews.
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| Dave Winter 1965 |
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| Dave Winter 2013 |
WORLEY, Robert "David" – Classmate Earl McKnight wrote us when he saw that a Robert David Worley had passed away. We have not confirmed that this person who died went to Wilson, but we feel Earl’s comments merit inclusion here if it is the same man:
I remember him as David Worley. We went to school together at Tincher Elementary but before we entered 6th grade, I met him in our neighborhood. I remember him well because he was the one who made me think that education was worthwhile. I have put it this way to many 6th grade classes that I have taught. ‘ David, my friend, taught me that learning and thinking about the future were worthwhile endeavors.’ My grades went sky high after we became friends. We talked about history, science, and writing to name a few subjects. I remember that as a young man, David knew what he wanted to do in life. He knew that he wanted to become a dentist, and that he wanted to go to the US Coast Guard Academy. I don’t know if he ever accomplished those goals, but I was impressed that he was even thinking that far into his future. At the end of 6th grade I went to a private school for a couple of years and we lost touch. But his influence made me change my way of thinking and it probably led to my becoming a teacher. Thank you David.
After reading the above entry, classmate Allan Roberts wrote the following:
I noticed in your write-up of Robert Worley that there seemed to be some questions about him. I remember him well at Wilson as one of the nicest and smartest guys I had ever run across. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and helped plan many of their activities. He was also quite brilliant academically being a member of the National Honor Society, winning a Merit Scholarship and being a member of the very exclusive 700 Club. The 700 Club included only those who had scored above 700 on at least one part of the SAT (perfect score was 800) and I think only about 15 students at Wilson attained that score in 1965.
I lost touch with Robert after high school but I imagine he did some great things in his life. The fact that he inspired Earl McKnight to improve his grades in the 6th grade and eventually become a teacher is not at all surprising because that’s the kind of guy Bob Worley was, and that’s the guy I remember at Wilson. I hope you can obtain some further information on Bob’s life for the write-up because I bet his life’s journey and achievements would be even more inspirational.
After reading the above entry, classmate Allan Roberts wrote the following:
I noticed in your write-up of Robert Worley that there seemed to be some questions about him. I remember him well at Wilson as one of the nicest and smartest guys I had ever run across. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and helped plan many of their activities. He was also quite brilliant academically being a member of the National Honor Society, winning a Merit Scholarship and being a member of the very exclusive 700 Club. The 700 Club included only those who had scored above 700 on at least one part of the SAT (perfect score was 800) and I think only about 15 students at Wilson attained that score in 1965.
I lost touch with Robert after high school but I imagine he did some great things in his life. The fact that he inspired Earl McKnight to improve his grades in the 6th grade and eventually become a teacher is not at all surprising because that’s the kind of guy Bob Worley was, and that’s the guy I remember at Wilson. I hope you can obtain some further information on Bob’s life for the write-up because I bet his life’s journey and achievements would be even more inspirational.
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| "David" Worley 1965 |
WOOLPERT, Duke – Thanks to Duke’s sister
Barbara “Bebob” Druzsba from Wilson Class of ‘68 for the following:
Duke passed on July 13, 2014, leaving his sons, Tim and DJ; grandkids, Zach and Tyler; brother, Kelly; sister, Bebop; (Duke’s sister Carole, Class of ‘66, passed in 2009); nieces, Shannon, Erin and Sally; nephews, Jeff and Ryan; and many other family members and friends. Duke had recently retired and closed Woolpert Motors, a family business.
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| Duke Woolpert 1965 |
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| Duke Woolpert 2013 |
Ray Bernard and I were just talking about Bill Steiger the other day, he certainly will be missed.
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