JULY 2008

            Marti Harrell, Johnny’s wife, died peacefully at home in Green Valley, AZ, on 4 March.  She had pancreatic cancer, and John and their son, Mark, were with her at the last.  Their daughter Debbi, a doctor of medicine, had recorded Hawaiian music on a CD and it was playing softly in the background during the last hours.  Marti was aware before she died that a long awaited first grandson had arrived, though she was not able to see him.  The heartfelt condolences of the Class are with Johnny, their children, and all their family and friends.

Roy Greene, rampant.

            Mary Callaghan, Bill’s wife, died on 7 March at a hospital in Dallas.  Mary had fought a decades-long courageous battle with rheumatoid arthritis, was wheel chair bound, but passed away peacefully.  Funeral services and burial were to be at West Point at a later date.  The class offers its prayers for Bill and for all of Mary’s family and friends.

            We also mourn Will Weber’s son, Christian, who died by his own hand at age 30 on 29 March.

San Antonio Founders Day: John & Bev Corby, Craig & Barbara Bertolette, Ron & Faye Templeton, Nancy & Jack Neal, and Mike Ferris (ex-59, L-2).

            And Roy Greene, who died in San Antonio on December 14 and had a funeral there on December 20, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on March 17.  He would have enjoyed that it was Saint Patrick’s Day, said friends and members of his family.  Almost 200 of his classmates, their families, Roy’s family and his many friends followed the Old Guard, the horse-drawn caisson and the riderless horse to a grave within sight of the Washington Monument; and the Air Force Honor Guard did an outstanding performance of folding the flag and laying Roy to rest.  Classmates in attendance included Art & Babs Bair, Louin Beard, Ron & Jeri Baldwin, Ray Beurket, Fitz & Barbara Chandler, Dave Cotts, George & Pat Day, Mike & Judy Duggan, Paul & Fran Elias, Phil Gibbs, Art & Joyce Griffin, Monk & Betsy Hilliard, Powell Hutton, Tom & Mona McInerney, John McNerney, Chuck Millick, Dudley Morehouse, Jack Morrison, Bob Novogratz, Ed & Pat Robinson, Bill & Butch Rowe, Tom Russell, Howard Stiles, Don Tillar, Tex Turner, Jim & Phyllis Walsh, and Bruce Williams.

At Roy Greene’s burial.

            Following the burial the group assembled near the entrance to the cemetery administration building and was received by Roy’s wife, Gail; and his children Stacy, Scott, Jennifer and Wendy.  Tom McInerney, Roy’s roommate and our Class rep in assisting for the preparation for the service, presented the flag in our Class Flag Case to Gail as a token of our esteem for Gropo.  He also read a message to Gail from Pete Dawkins, Roy’s teammate on the undefeated Army team of 1958, which said, in part:

            “Roy was:

            A classmate we always looked forward to being with.

            A teammate we depended on; one who buoyed our spirits, when those spirits needed to be lifted.

            A military leader who, every day, brought commitment, and a deep sense of patriotism and professionalism, to all that he did.

            And beyond all that, Roy was authentic.  Never plastic or pretend – he knew what he knew, said what he believed, and did what he judged to be right.

            Most of all, Roy was our friend: good, and loyal, and trusted and true.  May all of us strive to leave a legacy like his.

            Know that we miss him, too. And that we will always remember.”

And let me add that to some of us in the ethersphere, old royseznukm will most certainly not be forgotten.

            Don Tillar writes that he and Hazel still reside in Williamsburg amid a growing number of classmates who are discovering the wonders of the area.  Bill Burleson is an across-the-street neighbor, Ted Colby is in Portsmouth, Bob Howe is across the river in Gloucester Point, and there are Bob Letchworth, Pat Passarella, Tom Roberts, Paul Tomiczek, Tex Turner, Skip Tyler (in Hampton, but it’s close enough), and Harry Walters.

            Don & Hazel both continue their summer employment at Busch Gardens (making the big bucks, laughs Don), Hazel as a season pass cashier and Don as a riverboat captain.  They still enjoy power boating and Don continues as a biker on his big Honda.  Don reports that he recently has been recalled to lacrosse duty by the Army coach to head up a steering group to bring unity and cohesion to Friends of Army Lacrosse, provide resources for program enhancements, and return the program to national prominence.  Don says he’s back in the saddle after 20 years, so all you laxmen stand by for further opportunities to contribute.  You da man, Big Don.

At Roy Greene’s burial:  Bair and McInerney.

            Don & Mary Helen Reinhard are in Marble Hill, GA, and I think Don considers himself an Atlanta type.  I could, I guess, google Marble Hill, but the energy has flagged.   He says he was totally out of the mainstream of the Class all his Army career, and that he is up to no good, and spends 75 percent of his time going to see doctors.  Join the group, Don, because now you’re in the mainstream of the Class.  The Reinhards visit their daughter, who is an emergency room physician (that may be handy) in rural Mississippi, and they did a bunch of restoration work on a 1970s house on their last visit.  Don says he sees a couple of classmates each year at the Atlanta Founders Day Dinner.

From Ray Baugh’s darkroom.

            Ray Baugh writes that he decided to tear down his darkroom, send most of his film camera equipment to the West Point Camera Club, and succumb to the digital revolution.  Before completely throwing in the towel, though, he printed out a few pictures of a group of classmates gathered for some long-forgotten party at Ft. Leavenworth in 1972 or 1973.  So here is one of them, and the rest go to Frank Campbell for the Class web page.

            John Corby sends the photo of our group at the WP Society of South Texas Founders Day Dinner held on 8 March at Lackland AFB in San Antonio.  Edwin Ferris ’36, our Mike’s father, gave the oldest graduate speech, although there were some who thought others looked a lot older.  John says they celebrated the evening in the best traditions of their previously serving Table Commandant, Roy Greene, who was sorely missed.

Golf outing:  Ron Salter, Ed Burba, Wayne Lambert and Bill Barry.

            Bill Barry reports a golf outing last fall at the Waterfall course in the North Georgia mountains overlooking Lake Burton, where Bill has had a lake house since he retired in 1979.  Participants in the three day outing were Bill, Ed Burba, Wayne Lambert and Ron Salter.  The other three had hosted at their home courses, so it was Bill’s turn.  For these three days they had perfect weather, good food and drink, and great classmate fellowship.

Ski mini:  John & Karla Moellering, Bob & Karen Croteau, Paul & Cindy Sper,  Nadine Beech, John McNerney, Sondra & Bob Ryan, and Gary Beech.

            John Moellering reports that the annual ’59 ski group outing was a great success in Breckenridge during the last week of February.  Gary Beech, the Ski Czar, ably ran the operation once again, says John, and he was ably assisted by wife Nadine and by Karla Moellering.  The photo shows the other daredevils. One of the featured adventures this year, he says, was skiing the highest elevation ski run in North America – 13,000 feet high.  Nosebleed time.