SEPTEMBER 2007

            Bruce Porter died suddenly on April 25 at his home in Shallotte, NC.  Funeral services were on May 1 at the Calabash Presbyterian Church in Sunset Beach, NC.  The funeral was attended by a large crowd and by classmates including Art & Babs Bair, Tex DeAtkine, Bob & Julie DeMont, Don Gruschow, Lou Hightower, Greek & Kit Johnson, Fred & Sue Manzo, Hugh O’Connor, Don & Mary Helen Reinhard, and Tom Russell.  Bruce’s wife, Dianne, died in 2005; and he is survived by his children: Scot, James, Eric, and Anne, and by his special friend, Lynn.  The heartfelt condolences of the Class are extended to them and to all of Bruce’s family and friends.

Founders Day, Atlanta:  Burba, Campbell, Harrison, Luther, Reinhard, and Rosner.

            And Dick Rothblum lost his long battle with cancer on May 13 at his home in Springfield, VA.  At this writing (early June), the burial at Arlington, delayed by the cemetery’s backlog, was scheduled for July 18 following funeral services at the Alexandria Presbyterian Church.  The burial was to be with full military honors.  A class gathering following the burial was scheduled for the Fort Myer Officers’ Club.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Dick’s wife, Faye; with his daughter, Cindy; and with all his family and friends.

Founders Day, Atlanta: Betsy Campbell and Trish Burba.

            Tom & Liz Munz hosted a festive catered Class Picnic at their impressive estate on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis on May 19.  Besides the fellowship and delicious food, 60 members of the Class enjoyed the extensive gardens on the 25 acres and beautiful water views on three sides.  Those who attended were tremendously impressed, and Tom & Liz have graciously volunteered to host another picnic in 2008.  Mark Saturday, June 14, on your calendar.

Munz Picnic:  Tom & Liz Munz are in front.

                        Jack & Nancy Neal have moved to San Antonio from their home in Flower Mound, TX, in order to be near their youngest son, Chuck, and his family with a particular interest in seeing Chuck’s son grow up.  They had been with their other son, Johnny, for their ten years in Flower Mound and watched Johnny’s three grow up and prosper.  Jack says they are all happily in good health and especially appreciate the medical care they get in the VA system in San Antonio.  They also enjoy the number of classmates in the area, at the last Founders Day sat at a table with Craig & Barbara Bertolette, John & Bev Corby, Roy Green, and Ron & Fay Templeton.  And recent house guests from elsewhere have included Maddy Davis, Bill & Carol Benagh, and Sandy & Carol Beach.

Founders Day, Atlanta: Norm & Elva Rosner.

            Jack is taking his photography hobby seriously and is restoring photos, old and not so old, and searching shoeboxes and other hiding places for the most meaningful photos he has taken and saved.  He hopes to put them in a computer file, sorted by subject, and give them to his sons.  He thinks he’s on a ten-year project, but he has made time to co-edit a book related to the flowers of Flower Mound.  They photographed and identified more than 100 species in one 12 acre plot in the heart of the city.

Founders Day, Atlanta: Carol & Bill Luther.

            Tom & Mona McInerney are in Clifton, VA, which is conveniently close to Tom’s job as our military analyst on Fox News, where he consistently gives a common sense spin to perplexing events.  He knows his stuff!  He operates out of his own consulting business and finds time for golf and travel to leaven his passionate interest in the global war against radical Islam.  We’re watching you, Tom.

Founders Day, DC:  Bruce & Domenica Williams, Vince Zugay, Mary Clare Haskin, and Tom Boyle.

            Jim & Jynelle Miller have repaired from their former home in Holland, MI, to a “cottage” (his quotation marks – hmm) about 100 miles north in Free Soil, MI, on the Big Sable River.  They bought the place in 1995, moved there for good in 2000, and are retired on the river.  But Jim became the founding chairman of the Big Sable Watershed Restoration Committee, and there went retirement as we knew it.  With direction from a non-profit and through grants and fundraising, they invested over $500,000 in five years rebuilding deteriorated road crossings and several miles of eroding riverbanks on a 20-mile trout stream.  Jim relinquished the Chairmanship in 2001, but he remains active and manages an annual youth fly fishing seminar.  In 2004 he and Nel hosted the cross-country bicycling road warriors on their way to the 45^th Reunion; and they spent two months on Savannah’s beach, Tybee Island last winter, giving them a good excuse  to join the Fitzgeralds, Langfords and McCrackens for the Hilton Head Founders Day festivities.

            Congratulations of the Class go to Heidi Christina Todd, daughter of our late classmate, Tom Soli, who was selected by our Scholarship Committee of Hutton, Besson and Gillette for this year’s award.  Heidi deferred completing her college education for a number of years, but as a single mother of an eighth grader who needed special attention she found that her “passion and mission was to assist other parents and students in similar circumstances.”  She hoped to do this now with a bachelor’s degree in family studies from the Texas Woman’s University at Denton.  She will continue with a master’s program in education, specializing in administration, diagnostics, and special education to help her in working with families whose children suffer mental, emotional and/or behavioral disorders.  Your dad would be proud, Heidi, and so are we.

At Santa Maria Island, FL, this spring:  Bill Wheeler, Bill Luther, and Joe Shea.

            Pete Dawkins and Roger Staubach will become the 51^st and 52^nd recipients of the National Football Foundation’s highest honor, the Gold Medal, at the 50^th Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria on December 4.  The award recognizes an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success, and has reflected the basic values of those who have excelled in amateur sport, particularly football.  Since its inception in 1958, the award has been presented to seven U.S. presidents, four U.S. generals, three U.S. admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court justice, 25 corporate CEOs and chairmen, John Wayne and Jackie Robinson.  That’s good company, Pete.

            Skip Tyler had emergency heart surgery at Riverside Hospital in Newport News, VA, on May 3.  All reports to date have indicated that the results were fine and that Skip will return to robust health.  Until then, our thoughts and prayers are with him and Nancy.

            I am having to submit these notes early in order to undergo some imminent heart surgery myself.  Will a pig valve make me oink, Skip?  But I will gather anything you send and put it in future editions (or my successor will, if the surgery is less successful than we hoped.)