ADIOS, FAREWELL AND GOOD-BYE TO 2019

Happy New Year to all my KHS65 friends. On this the last day of 2019, those of us who are 'of a certain age' may be feeling that certain age lately. From our Kirkwood High class of 1965 comes this wonderful new poem. Alan Yount is a jazz trumpeter, poet, retired university librarian and all 'round cool guy. Our fathers were McDonnell Aircraft pals and Alan & his high school jazz band played for us at our dances often; I'm sure I don't have to tell many of you that! Please take a few reminiscing moments to reflect on his latest poem, published at https://jerryjazzmusician.com. Actually this is his latest, and maybe greatest, but when I simply typed in the URL in my browser bar for JJM the first thing that popped up was another of Alan's poems from awhile back. This link here takes you right to his latest poem "Up in the Attic".  Please everyone be safe if you are out and about this evening. Thank you Alan for your years of friendship, great music and poetry.  I'll be drinking a champagne cocktail toast to my KHS65 friends and memories as the bells toll at midnight!

Another classmate has left our community of KHS friends.

Thank you to Bob O'Neill for alerting me to the passing on September 28th, 2019 of our classmate John Harris.  While I did not know John at KHS, and he did not participate in our reunion activities over the years, Bob and he, and others, were friends during and after KHS.  John, Bob and Art Stout all shared the wonderful train hobby that Bob still follows passionately to this day.  After graduation Mr. Stout took Bob and John on a trip to see a particular special train exhibit.  John held an electrical engineering degree and worked for an insurance company, at least part of the time inspecting mining operations in the US Southwest.  He had a van and two motorcycles which he used to travel the country, using the cycles to access hard to navigate places he needed to inspect.  John died of cancer peacefully in his sleep in the hospital, having also suffered COPD for some time.  He lived at 1209 Lockett Road when we graduated, perhaps some of you remember him. He was living in Kirkwood when he died. He earned a Gold K, so obviously he was a good student!!  May he rest in peace.

GARY SCHMIDT ESQ. HONORED BY WESTMINSTER COLLEGE

Ladies and gentlemen, I am so pleased to announce the following:

Congratulations to the 2019 Westminster College Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

The following alumni will be honored during Homecoming Weekend:

Andrew Jett ’12
Val Leppert ’05
Chris Marshall ’03
Kent Mueller ’62 SAE
Gary Schmidt ’69 KA 
Jamie Vargas

 

 

Retired Judge Schmidt and I became friends after high school through a number of connections.  He had an amazing career as a lawyer and judge and then as a corporate attorney for the state of Missouri.  He had an amazing career as a high school athlete and as a collegiate athlete.  I was very proud to sponsor him for the KHS Alumni Hall of Fame.  Gary is a Viet Nam Veteran who was injured and continues with health issues arising from that service.  Gary is a wonderful father, retired gentleman doing good things for friends, family and often strangers.  He has been an amazing friend to me through the proverbial 'thick and thin', often the thick.  

Please type SCHMIDT into the search box here and see the other articles I've posted about Gary over the past few years.  I don't want to repeat and repeat at risk of being unseemly, however, I will say one thing that isn't in the other posts, Gary is the only man in the history of Westminster College to have been named to the list of Distinguished Alumni AND the Athletic Hall of Fame.  He was also awarded the Distinguished American Jurist Award some years back, the year after that award went to the late Anton Scalia.  I think we need not say more about Gary's contributions to our legal community over a long span of years.

I am so proud to call Gary my friend and to remind us all that he is an excellent example of what we Kirkwood High School alumni have accomplished in our lives often because of our superb Kirkwood educational and nurturing background.  

 

WAY TO GO GARY!!!  THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE KHS65 LOOK GREAT!

Classmate Nancy Morrison Loeb gone way too soon.

Here is the obituary for our classmate Nancy E. Morrison, MSW, LCSW
Gone way too soon, I hope we will all stop for a moment and think about her and all the good works she did in her lifetime and remember her fondly. Thank you Pat Moisio Reim Ciapciak for letting us know. May she rest in peace and love.
 
2-14-47 to 8-13-19
She was born on Valentine’s Day in 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri and raised there. She received a BA from Grinnell College in Iowa and a Masters in Social Work from Saint Louis University School of Social Service. She moved to San Francisco in 1975 with Peter Loeb and later that year they settled in Pacifica where they lived for the past 44 years.
She was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and retired from her position as Mediator, San Mateo County Family Court Services after 20 years. Prior to that she was Clinical Director, Family Service Agency of San Mateo County; Program Manager, Children’s Home Society Of California; Residential Treatment Supervisor, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco; Program Manager, San Francisco Head Start; Director of Research, St. Louis Drug Abuse Coordinating Council; Child Welfare Worker, St. Louis County Family Service Agency; Public Assistance Worker, St. Louis County Family Services.
She was a member of Pacifica Resource Center Board of Directors, and member of Pacifica Social Justice, Pacifica Housing 4 All, Pacifica Progressive Alliance. She was active in many Pacifica community groups and local political campaigns over the years, including Friends of Pacifica, the Community Organization of Watchdogs (COW), Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives, and others.
She was loved by many, both human and animals. She cared for many feral cats, practicing trap, neuter, and release (TNR). She was predeceased by dogs Ruby Begonia, Bernie, and Lucy and by cats too numerous to name. She is survived by her beloved dog Sadie and cats Beauregard, Bunty, and Dixie.
She was preceded in death by her parents Bert and Jane Morrison and by her brother Pete Morrison. She is survived by her husband Peter Loeb, sister Sally Riggs and her husband Tom, nieces Maddie Lee and Emily Riggs, brother Geoff Morrison and his wife Shelley, stepdaughter Lisa Loeb Stanga and her husband Pete and grandchildren Ben and Maggie, and stepson Jeff and his wife Cristen and grandchildren Cady, Connor, Caroline, and Cameron.
If a memorial is planned, it will be announced at a later time. Donations in Nancy Morrison’s memory may be made to Pacifica Resource Center or Pacificans Care.

Obituary of a classmate who died two years ago, Betty Jean Kennedy

I today received an email reminding me of the post I made on the Legacy.com site when our classmate Betty died two years ago Monday.  I copied the obituary because I couldn't remember if I posted it when she died but apparently I didn't, so here it is.  I believe not many knew her but it doesn't matter, she was part of the fabric of our lives and has made us a continuing group of people with similar experiences and backgrounds.  If you are at the cemetery in Affton sometime, you might look her up; I will because I sometimes do go there for family connections.
From Legacy.com:
Kennedy, Betty Jean passed away peacefully on June 17, 2017. Lifelong resident of the Kirkwood-Des Peres area and member of St. Peter's Catholic Church. Born on July 13, 1947, Betty was the beloved daughter of the late William F. Kennedy Sr. and the late Dorothy E. (Wolter) Kennedy of Kirkwood area; dear sister of William F. Kennedy Jr. (Nancy) of Wildwood and John J. Kennedy of Manchester; aunt of Kimberly Kennedy of Portland, OR; Christopher Kennedy of Colorado Springs, CO; and Sean Kennedy of Manchester. Dear cousin and friend. Betty's immediate family sends best wishes in her memory to residents of Concordia House in Kirkwood and the ICU-490 staff at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. Services: Private graveside service and interment were June 20 at Resurrection Cemetery in Affton, MO. In lieu of cards or flowers, donations may be made to Equine Assisted Therapy, 3369 Hwy 109, Wildwood, MO 63038 or Wildlife Rescue Center, 1128 New Ballwin Road, Ballwin, MO 63021.

The Late Great Bob Albrecht

HI EVERYONE, I hope your spring is lovely, and that no one is inundated by flooding waters!  The TV photos are terrifying to me.  Thanks to my long-time great pal Roy Herrera we have an interesting window into part of the life of our late classmate Bob Albrecht who died last June.  I posted then about his passing, but Roy had told me he had something else he wanted me to post, and here it is.  Roy has been a bit pre-occupied for the past year or less, he has uprooted himself and lady from Brooklyn, NY to Vero Beach, Florida....certainly made a great life change in my opinion, the weather in Vero is normally gorgeous all year round, except perhaps in hurricane season.  Please go here:

http://www.lowbrows.us/ to read Bob's newsletter.  Lowbrows was Bob's establishment and I'll just bet it was a great place to have a great time!  I'd love to hear from some of you who were Bob's close buds, perhaps some of our classmates in TX actually visited Lowbrows!  Facebook to KHS65 or Leslie VanderMeulen Richards or comment here....THANKS to Roy for this wonderful memory of Bob!

2019 SUMMER GET TOGETHER IN JEFFERSON CITY, MO

KHS65 Friends, we are holding an informal Lunch and Visit event on June 26th at 

11:00am in Jefferson City. We're ordering from the menu and it will be a great 

opportunity to visit with friends, especially several from the mid-Missouri area who 

don't get to St. Louis too often. We did this in time past and enjoyed it a LOT..Check 

out www.canterburyhill.com for info - address, map, etc. are on the Contact Us tab. 

Let me know if you can join us, we do have to give a total attendance in advance, but 

we'll be in a private dining room. Let me know by phone or email please by the 21st

or so - Leslie at khs65 dot com; 636 220 2442, all my phone #s go to my cell now, so

if you get my voicemail, no matter what # you called me on, you'll get the same
 
voicemail. Hope to see many of you there!

POETRY of our TIMES by Alan Yount

Our class Poet Laureate, Alan Yount, has created more beautiful poetry.  The following is another published on www.jerryjazzmusician.com and repeated here for our classmates.  Alan is a very talented musician and poet and I enjoy reading and sharing his work.  On the Jerry Jazz Musician website you will find more of his work.  THANKS Alan for sharing!!! Wish I could share your music on my blog!  This one makes me miss my father even more than normal.  Below The Lines...  please see another poem, meant for New Year 2019 which I didn't get posted back then, but it's still worthy of a read.

The Lines On the Back of the Hand
glancing down, surprised somehow
lines had formed there
on the back of the hand
looking now like my father’s.
he once said
“I remember everything
just like it happened a week ago …
it’s so clear, how it was at eighteen
living on my parents’ farm.
yet it’s so strange
that some recent things
seem so far away.”
raising himself at the end
when he could no longer speak
he waved
that same hand to me:
drawing in the air a knowledge
only old men know
that final lineage traced onward
linking my hand with his …
.
by Alan Yount
………………….Previously published by Spring: the Journal of the E.E. Cummings Society. (academic journal). New series no. 5. Oct. 1996.

THEY SAY, ON NEW YEAR’S EVE
.
they say, on new year’s eve
……. you should make some new resolutions
…….……. for the new year.
.
they say, especially in your seventies
……. you should be doing something
…….……. in everyday, that you want to do, so much.
.
I say, I have
……. been lucky enough
…….……. to have heard the music for this.
.
in the last five years
……. it is more than enough to have written
……………………more poetry every day.
.
and to have all those thoughts
………….. come to me … again & again
…………..……. like I know, for sure, they will never end.
.
.
by
Alan Yount

.
.

Classmate Alex Douglas has left us way too early!

Such sad news greeted me this morning as I quickly checked Facebook to wish someone a happy birthday.  Alex and Jane Staples Douglas were one of our few in-class marriages, and one that has lasted so very long.  Alex was great about communicating their many adventures through his emails and Facebook.  Here is his obituary and it appears there will be no formal funeral service.  Thank you to Ric Porte for notifying me of this news which he found on Facebook this morning. This photo exactly captures his face as I remember from KHS.  What a beautiful setting, doesn't get better than palm trees and good wine!  I know he will rest in peace and love.  Jane, you have our sympathy.

Alex Douglas, 71, of Shawnee, KS passed away on Mar. 31st, 2019. He was born on June 29th, 1947 in Newark, DE to Dave and Bette Douglas. Alex was employed by Black & Veatch and Black & Veatch International for thirty years before being employed by the Department of State in their Overseas Building Operation for the past fifteen years. His career stretched throughout the United States, Central America, Northern Africa, China, Indonesia, South Pacific, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. His work in foreign countries allowed him to develop Toastmaster Clubs. Some of Alex’s proudest accomplishments was becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster and helping foreign nationals improve their speaking, interview and resume skills. He was also an avid golfer and tennis player in his youth. Alex was an honorable man who will be missed by those of us who knew him. Alex was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Dave. He is survived by his wife, Jane and son, David.

There will apparently be no public service and he will be cremated.  According to Ric who has been in touch with the family, he died of a heart attack in the night.  At least he didn't suffer a long, arduous illness.  

Classmate Brenda Cooper Lawler loses her husband

I am sorry to report that Brenda's husband Tom Lawler, aka Gregory T. Lawler, Jr. has passed away on 3/24/19.  His service will be Saturday, 3/30, with visitation from 1 to 3 at Bopp and service to follow there at 3pm.  Brenda has stayed in touch over the years and we send her our condolences.  She is on Facebook as Brenda Lawler if you wish to contact her that way.  May he rest in peace and love. 

RICHARD MILLS, HIS AMAZING LIFE AND CAREER FROM HIS COLLEAGUES

Today I received a note from Richard's colleagues at RACCA, a professional association with which he was long active - Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association.  Here is what they published in their newsletter upon his death last March:

In Memorium – Richard Alan Mills Honored by Scholarship

It is with deep sadness we report the passing from liver cancer of Richard Mills, after a short illness.

“Richard will be sorely missed,” said RACCA President Stan Bernstein. “His years of dedicated service to RACCA as director of communications for the past decade, previously, as the Safety Committee Chair, and in so many other ways, cannot be underestimated. He was dedicated to safety and quality assurance throughout his career and has contributed a great deal to his RACCA colleagues. RACCA has named one of its $2,500 scholarships in Richard's name in honor of his many years of faithful service and dedication to the association.”

Richard was born March 18, 1947 in St. Louis, MO, to John and Dorothy Mills. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with the Bachelor’s Degree and then as an Aviation Maintenance Technician from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. He would later receive the AMT-Gold Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. Between 1966 and 1972, he served as a Sergeant in the US Marin Corps serving in Vietnam.

For the past 17 years, he has worked at Empire Airlines which he considered his second family. He held posts as director-quality assurance and chief inspector and director-safety and compliance. Prior to that, he was vice president-technical services for National Air Carriers Association (NACA) after working as director-flight safety at Kitty Hawk International.

Professional associations include former chair of the air carrier section of the Coordinating Agency for Supplier Evaluation (CASE) and Chair of the Cessna Caravan Icing Workshop.

He leaves a his wife of 42 years, Carolyn, four step-children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Checks for the Richard Mills Memorial Scholarship should be made out to RACCA with a note in the Memo line: Richard Mills Memorial Scholarship. [Here is the link to learn about the scholoarships, apply or donate.  You might roam around the RACCA site, it's interesting if you're an aviation buff.] 

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held at a later date. In the meantime, tributes can be sent via the website at English Funeral Chapel." 

Here is a link to Richard's amazing CV which I hope you will read and appreciate his many talents.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY 2019

From the terrific website JerryJassMusician.com comes this new post from our KHS65 poet laureate, Alan Yount - Happy Valentines Day to everyone, especially the lucky Jerra Yount, Alan's wife and recipient of this gorgeous Valentine.

THE THING OF IT IS ….
“For The Long Times, Through Life Together.”
(For Jerra)  [his wife]
.
when thinking
…………of this idea,
I always,
…………think of someone playing
“on the sunny side
…………of the street.”
you and I
…………taking care of each other
…the best we can
…………in all those old years.
it is beyond a duty …
…………it is beyond a faith …
it’s an undescribable
…………feeling for each other.
and you almost always, don’t know how,
…………another song, will turn out.
.
*****
.
the thing of it is,
…………in another song …
that’s just
…………the way … it is.
.
*****
.
make sure, you both hold tight:
…………every single night,
that you still have,
…………together.

2019 KHS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME & ACTIVITIES

See below for the schedule of events

 

FAREWELL GOOD AND GREAT FRIEND

It was Valentine's Day afternoon when the doorbell rang.  Standing in front of me was Richard Mills with a smile and a red and gold heart-shaped box of chocolates sporting a big red & gold bow.  His mom was in the car at the curb waiting for him...it was 4th grade, 1957 to be exact.  Sixty-two years ago in a couple of weeks.  I had that bow on my bulletin board for years, I think actually maybe through high school.  It's likely now in my basement in a plastic tub of my 'papers' and souvenirs of my life.  This morning I learned my good friend Richard died.  We remained good friends all these years.  We never dated in high school or at Nipher but we were always friends.  We attended Episcopal Young Churchmen group activities together, we saw one another at church and school.  We stayed in touch, he came home for a reunion once, we reconnected.  Twice in more recent times when I was doing research having to do with the Junior College I reached out to him for assistance...he grew up in that white bungalow house with red shutters on Big Bend right across from the College property which had amazing history of its own.   Back in 9th grade he was the acolyte who served at the service the day Bishop George Leslie Cadigan was here and officiated at my confirmation class's ceremony.  It was Richard's birthday and for decades I've sent him some sort of greeting on his birthday, then we'd exchange greetings at Christmas.  It was just one of those comfortable, long friendships. He was a loving husband and helped raise his wife's four children, he was a Marine, he was a friend.   And now he's gone.

He had an amazing career in the aircraft safety field, The gentleman from his company told me today that even after he retired and was doing other things, they missed him.  They still talk about him and what a pro he was, and he was a friend to his co-workers.  And now he's gone.

Here is his official obituary:  www.englishfuneralchapel.com/notices/richard-mills

Godbless you my good and great friend.

The reunion photo shows a bunch of us Robinsonites at a reunion, I don't remember what one!  I took the photo so I can't tell what year it was by my outfit!!! LATER, well duh, it was our 30th reunion - the only one we've had at a gym, the rec center in Kirkwood.  I can't imagine why my memory is better now, 2021, than when I posted this article!