WE ARE SORRY TO HEAR...

On a sad note we received word that Katherine “Trina” Schultz Robb passed away on April 21^st. She was married to fellow classmate Jim Robb for 42 year. A number of us, during our 50 Reunion last year, visited with Trina and earlier that day with Jim who now resides in an assisted living facility on James Street in Syracuse. Trina had just moved from DeWitt to a place just down the street from Jim to be closer to him. Notes and cards of Sympathy can be sent to the Burns Garfield Funeral Home , 3175 East Genesee Street  Syracuse, NY 13224 and they will be collect and forward to Jim & Laurie (his daughter). To view the Obituary click HERE. Our deepest sympathies go out to Jim, Laurie and the rest of the family.

A VISIT WITH ANNE SPERRY ROY

The end of this past week I took a short trip to the east coast of Florida to visit with family. I would pass through the small town of Ormond Beach on my way back to Clearwater on the west coast of the State. I knew that Anne Sperry Roy lived in the area so I called her prior to departing on my final leg home and she answered the phone. I asked if I could stop by for a visit and with some excitement in her voice she said “yes, of course!”

I have to tell you it was an exciting couple of hours … we exchanged story after story. I told her about reunion … that we had seen Bob Zimmerman and Bob Daley a couple of her science department compatriots. She wanted to know about “her Cheerleaders” and I told her about several of them, both ones that attended the reunion and several that were not there. She had been to JDHS several years prior to attend the Hall of Fame get together and had talked with a number of the teachers in attendance at that time. With a big smile on her face she said, “What do you think of that basketball facility? What a place to play basketball!”

She had taken a fall several weeks prior and was nursing a bad hip, but other than that she seemed to be in good health and in great spirits. She told me she finally gave up golf two years ago. “When my game began to fall off I decided it was time to give it up” she commented.

She taught for a number of years at JD after we all departed. She finally met her man and got married. She had two sons and took the next nine year off to raise them before returning to the classroom. She said,” you probably won’t like this, but when I returned to teaching I went to that other school – FM.”  She said it never turned out to be like teaching at JD however. Just before I was to depart she told me that it was time to sell the house and move closer to her boys and grandchildren. So, the house will go on the market in the coming weeks and she will join her family in the Raleigh, NC area in the coming months. She took my address and thanked me for stopping to see her. She said she would drop me a note telling me what her new address would be once she got settled.

It was a fantastic couple of hours with her and I am truly pleased that I stopped to see her. I think it’s universal that teachers love to hear from former students and to know that they succeeded to one degree or another in furthering the next generation. 

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2011

I would like to send Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2011 to all my JDHS 1960 classmates and your families.  I am so sorry that I was unable to attend the reunion. I was so ready to be there until surgery ruled out such a trip.  I was thinking of you all and hope that we may have another one in the future.  I have appreciated the photographs on the Web and have almost worn-out the wonderful book Steve B. put together.  It sounds like the planning committee really deserves many thanks for their planning and work.
Fondly,
Rosalie Raps Melnick

CHRISTMAS MORNING

I wanted to wish you all a warm Christmas morning – it is even brisk here in Central Florida this fine morning and gives me somewhat of the taste of those Christmas mornings in CNY... Ron Fairbank sent this to a number of us this past week but I thought it was worth sharing with all of you this wonderful morning as I contemplate memories of previous Christmas mornings …

Another year gone—

Judy Norton did her stage manager thing again with Rudolph the Red Nose...and the local children’s ballet schools.
Suzy Becker is back in Arizona
Bill Little even got a taste of cold weather down in usually sunny Florida
Steve Bernardelli despite the weather probably still played golf.
Dick D'Orazio returned a few weeks ago from another successful hunting trip with his son down in Montana
Dawn D'Orazio continued teaching the kids at Cazenovia
Pete Dardaris still can't believe he screwed up on the date for our re-union
Ron turned another year older, continues procrastinating on completing the story of the "Purple slip" for the blog. And Carol is seriously considering retirement next June but concerned about too much free time.  Imagine?
Louise and Al put the bikes up, and got out the wax and skis.
Barb Clark --I loved her pearls Friday night-no doubt has been busy doing something...
Lee and Jim Wilson probably continued traveling to visit their kids.
Ed Hutchinson our ever faithful record and web keeper has passed the torch to Bill little-we all owe him a huge debt of appreciation for all his reliable tracking and keeping us up to date on J.D. classes.  Big thanks for the numerous hours you devoted to all of us Ed.
Our classmate Jim Robb remains at James Square--I plan on taking my reunion photo disk and laptop and pay him a visit in early Jan.

The time is here for the Syracuse group to reconvene for a breakfast or lunch, catch up, and take some photos to share. Will contact Louise in January.

Lastly, Anne Brennan sent in a short note to the Post Standard Editorial page last week--reminiscing about the monorail at E.W. Edwards at Christmas time--how many of you remember that.  Dick Case in his weekly column brought it all back about 2 weeks ago when he interviewed some folks who grew up here and shared their memories of the attraction.  I remember riding it and ending up in the toy department and Santa Claus. Progress (?) and time moves on.

Fondly,
Ron Fairbank

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Louise Brown Smith and her husband want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See their Card

WE ARE SORRY TO HEAR ...

We lost another class associate and close friend to many in our class this past week. Tim O’Day passed away on December 9th in Pinehurst NC, where he resided in recent years. Tim lived on Dewittshire Road just down from Judy Skelton another classmate. He did eventually go away to school but was in our class up through at least 10th grade. After completing college he lived in Skaneateles for years until retiring to Pinehurst. For those of you who would like to know more on his life please click here to view his obituary.

For those of you that have moved out of the CNY area and have trouble remembering what it was like to live there during the winter see the photo of Sue Reisman's back yard. It is not officially winter until the 21st of December but I believe it was about 8 degrees and 15" of snow on the ground when the photo was taken. Florida is wonderful this time of the year folks - come visit us we need the tourist dollars.