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Kenneth (Ken) Marschall

I want to add my thanks and appreciation to those who produced the Memory Book.  Thanks too, Anne, for sending it.  I didn't expect full color throughout!  (If it was mentioned in the forum, I missed it or forgot.)  I have only the 25th (attended that one) and 30th books, so am delightfully surprised by all the color.  Although I didn't attend this one, I now have a wonderful souvenir of the event, almost like being there.  Great work by all concerned, and thanks again!

Carolyn Gray

My thanks to the Reunion Committee for an extremely memorable and well organized 50th reunion weekend.   It was so enjoyable to reconnect with classmates that I had not seen in either 25 or 50 years.   A special "thank you" to Phil Denslow for gathering our high school picutres that each of us wore on lanyards.   Honestly, those pictures really came in handy!  Many classmates had not changed much at all while others I would not have known.  Fifty years can really make a difference and have gone by in the "blink of an eye".   I'm so glad I was able to attend and now have the "memory book" to view.  I truly appreciate the Committee's time and their effort to see this event through to the end.

Pauline Potts (Yonts)

Dear Judy Cox (Gottfeld), Diane Schmidt (Baldwin), Gary Hesse, and any other concerned classmates:

I now have an update on the family tragedy and GoFundMe page mentioned here or on my profile: We just got confirmation that my husband's niece Laura has now been medically transported to a hospital in Texas where she might receive another surgery in future!  And her husband was privately transported back to Texas ahead of her.  Hopefully their children who set up the GoFundMe page will post the news and end it now (I don't know how that works).  And hopefully sometime in the future they'll be able to have a family service for her deceased dad and mom.  Thank you to all for your kind concern and prayers.  

Diane Schmidt (Baldwin)

Hi Pauline - that is such good news!  Thanks for keeping us posted. 

Gary Hesse

To all of my classmates I would like to wish a safe, meaningful and joyous holiday season.  2018 has been an interesting and challenging year - one which was sort of like 1968 with lots going on, something we all looked forward to, and then new realities and experiences.  This past year, after caring for my mother Dorothy, she passed away three weeks after joining us at the reunion!  She lived to age 99 years and 2 months and is now harvesting her lifelong beliefs in the fulfillment of the Christmas promise.  She left my family with so many good memories, values, and love.  While I'll probably be alone for Christmas, her presence will be there!  My eldest nephew and his family lost their home in Paradise CA in the recent 'campfire' fire - fleeing about 3 minutes before the fire started consumed their home.  Most of his in-laws also lost everything , and will be starting over.  I think that of the gifts that Christmas brings, the ones under the tree on Christmas morning are the most insignificant!  Gary 

Patricia Frances Anthony Goff

Dear Gary,  Deepest condolnces to your people  for their loss in Paradise!  I'm having problems lately that are mere annoyances compared to losses of fire victims.  I've been praying (not the first instinct of a Unitarian-Universalist) for weeks for fire victims.  I understand that when peope say "Merry Christmas" to you now, you might be humming "Bleak Midwinter" in the back of your mind . . . I think you're too far away to do it safely but, if you want to hang out with UUs, free-thinkers who DO warm-fuzzy, St.-Nick-won't-fail-us, Prince-of-PEACE stuff (at the end we light candles and sing "Silent Night"), Throop Memorial UU Church up here in Pasadena (yes, parking is a nightmare) will be having a service at 6PM, Monday, Christmas Eve.  Of course, the famous All Saints will have a later service; might be more mainstream.  This invitation is my hope that you have some joy!  In my 68 years, I've found that the year FOLLOWING Bleak Midwinter is always Totally Joyous!  Keep that Faith.  ~  Frances (aka Patti) Goff.

Gary Hesse

Hey Everyone!  This weekend will be ~ one year since celebrating our 50^th reunion!  I hope all of you have had a wonderful year – please chime in and let us know what has happened in your lives over the past 12 months!

For myself, it has been a most busy 12 months beginning with the passing of my mother last July at the age of 99 years plus!  I think that the highlight of her last year was coming to our reunion breakfast and seeing so many of my classmates that she knew from my PHS activities – she spoke of it often in her last days and really enjoyed the pictures that were put onto the website by you!

My time then went to closing out her living trust as the successor trustee, closing and selling my home in San Clemente and moving (my) furnishings up to Pasadena, where I will be, at least for another year, living in Hastings Ranch!  Except for the smoggy days, it can’t be beat.  The beach was good, but getting overly crowded with each passing day!

To all of you – If you don’t have a living trust already, do it !!!  You (and your spouse) will be doing yourselves and loved ones a great favor when it comes both to finances and how you want your estate to be handled – I can readily vouch for that through what I have experienced over the past year!

So, I’ve really started a new chapter in my life as I can now put the primary focus of my efforts on myself and what I want to do and where I want to be.  The dogs are seeing me a bit less as I am more out and around, but they’re getting used to it – they still have a yard full of birds and squirrels to bark and ‘hunt!’

In looking at changes that I have made so far, what stands out the most is that I realized that in being a full time care giver I had had to put my own life on hold, and that I was relieving stress later in the evenings with alcohol.  Well, I also realized that was a crutch that I really didn’t need or want, and so for the past 9 months that has not been a part of my life!  Exercise and a simpler/more healthy diet have also helped, and I’m narrowing in on what was my goal for our 50^th reunion – the weight that I had when I left high school – 180 lbs!  I’m at 189 now and still dropping pounds.  All of these things also have resulted in really dropping my blood pressure significantly, so I think that next week at my annual checkup I’ll probably be going off of BP meds for the first time in 30 years!

…I’m looking forward to each new day, and who knows, maybe I’ll find that someone to share my life with!!

How are you doing??

Gary

Linda Wright (Lewis)

Good Morning from Vancouver, WA.  Gary's message prompted me to post update.  What a year and one I hope will never repeat.  My wonderful husband, Phil Dean, passed away May 15th from secondary infection due to Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  Twelve hours from time I got him to ER he was gone and it is still hard to believe he isn't coming back.  Native Oregonian, 27 yrs Tualatin Valley Firefighter Phil enjoyed mountain climbing, guiding climbers on Mt. Hood, expedition to summit South Buttress of Mt. McKinley/Denali; he began off road racing participating in Baja 1000 annually since 1986;  skiing, biking, backpacking, hiking and travel.  We had wonderful adventures.

Gary is spot on advising setting up a Living Trust if you have titled property to fund the trust.  I say anything that avoids probate and more attorney/court fees is a good thing.  Make sure investments and life insurances have beneficiaries YOU WANT on them or your ex wife/husband may be the recipients!!  You get the drift, right?

Am planning Phil's Celebration of Life for August.  We were moving into our forever home when he was diagnosed last May, 2018 and now I have time to open boxes and start downsizing the material stuff.  I plan to head to Alaska in the fall, have a trip to Greece in October and Cabo in Dec.  Got to get my smile back.

I wish you all the best, most of all health, the good sense to value each day and do something for someone else.

Patricia Frances Anthony Goff

Dear Gary and Linda,

So glad to hear of your "rebirth"!  I believe Heaven holds a particularly groovy FunSpa for caegivers; while in Neurology at UCLA (Admin Assist, only; never became a neuroscientist) the Caregivers were my Special Flock (right down to parking spaces!).  You Caregivers are proof of Heaven.  I'm glad to hear you are reinventing yourself - but not really surprised!  Enjoy and thrive! ~ FA

Linda, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss of your Hero Husband but glad you had a beautiful, long-lasting marriage; my sister did, too (PHS Class of '65).  I pray your healing will be deep and lift you up. ` FA

As to Moi?  Well, the year since Reunion has been, um, CHALLENGING.  A huge load of small but annoying things, ameliorated by soaring joy.  At our age, what about that doesn't sound kinda normal?  The thing I find most disappointing is that I've become a cliche; a photo on Facebook, posted by a friend attending her own family reunion showed her, her daughter, and an elderly lady with a walker.  Two FB friends chimed in with: "So you ere in Idaho?" . . . sigh . . . No, the elderly walker-user was not I!  BUT THAT ASSUMTION IS FOLLOWING ME AROUND.  I regret that I never became interesting.  . . . Maybe these days that's not entirly a bad thing.

Stay well, everyone!

Frances Goff

Sheryl Dines (Dickson)

Linda, so very sorry about Phil,  my love and hugs to you

Kenneth (Ken) Marschall

Interesting to read what people have been up to over the past year, and thanks, Gary, for the advice on the Living Trust, etc.  We can all learn from our classmates' experiences.  I also listen to Ken Moraif's and Rick Edelman's financial advice programs most weekends on KFI radio and have learned a lot.  I haven't taken my Soc. Security yet (I'll be 69 in Oct.), so the information and guidance have been helpful.  I had no idea that filing for SS was so complex, that there are hundreds of ways to do it, and that we can save ourselves $ thousands, even tens of thousands, over our remaining lifetimes by filing exactly the right way at the right time.

Gary, you wrote, "I will be, at least for another year, living in Hastings Ranch!  Except for the smoggy days, it can’t be beat."  My brother lives in the San Gabriel / Arcadia area, and although there are still some moderately smoggy days, you can feel better by reminding yourself that it's nothing like what it was when we were in school.  All the various pollution controls that were later instituted have done a remarkable job.  I remember days walking home from Marshall and PHS when my eyes were burning, lungs hurt when inhaling deeply (ack!), and I could hardly see to the end of the block!  Thankfully, such horrible pollution is now a distant memory.  I know there are hazy days when we wish the sky were bluer and the mountains sharper, but it's reassuring to remember how it used to be! 

Janet Wood (Payne)

I am tardy in seeing these posts and I hope your life has been redirected in a good way, Gary.  Congrats on losing weight and getting healthy!  It must be strange to be in Hastings Ranch for so long.  I looked up our old house on Google earth and it was being totally remodeled into a two story house.  See 1430 Tropical at top of street by Denair!

I hope you stay strong and have a great time finding your next chapter.  Amen to having a living trust.  Pam Kemp Wilson is up for a visit and we are reminiscing about our life in Hastings Ranch and Don Benito and onto Marshall and PHS.  She also joined me in Berkeley as a border in my sorority after she finished at PCC . We are trying unsuccessfully to track down Ginny Friederici who was last heard of in Rocklin and/or Grass Valley. Where have all the years gone?

Clay Werts

 THE LOVE BOAT 

Come aboard, we're expecting you. Set a course for adventure (with all of us) It is hard to beleive that a year has passed since the 50th reunion. For those that were there you will remember that we talked about doing something fun together at the 2 1/2 year mark. We are planning a 4 day Princess Cruise. Here's what we are going to do. On Thursday April 15th 2021 we will depart Los Angeles (San Pedro) at 4 PM. We will return to Los Angeles on Monday April 19th at 6:15 AM. Here is the itinerary:  We will spend the day in San Diego on Friday April 16th. Then a day at sea on Saturday April 17th and then on to Ensenada Mexico Sunday April 18th. Then return to L.A. early on Monday morning. For those that were NOT at the reunion here is your chance to see and do things with your class mates that you missed at the 50th reunion. We are a long way from this date but wanted to give everyone time to get this on your calendar for 2021. More details will be posted soon on this P.H.S. web site. If you want immediate information you can go to the Princess Cruise web site for more details. Barbara Dwyer, one of our class mates, will be our travel agent for this event. You will want to book with Barbara so we can get a group discount on things we will be doing on the ship. You can contact her at bdwyertravel@yahoo.com or dwyerbb1@aol.com and can also call her at 310-990-4659 or 800-692-0944. Many of your questions will be answered when we post more information on this site. Hope to see all of you on the "Love Boat" in a year & a half from now. Family & friends will also be welcome to join us. 

Modie (Martin) Katz

I booked!!

it will be my first cruise 

looking forward to seeing everyone again  

tell us when you book and encourage others to do the same.  

Gary Hesse

….Leaving now to head over to the Rose Bowl to the Rolling Stones Concert.  Just think what our classmates would have told me if I had said that I'd be doing that in 2019 while we were in our caps and gown at the Rose Bowl 51 years ago and probably listening to the Stones on the way there or back!!

I can still remember being bused from Hastings Ranch to Marshall Jr. High School  around 1964/5 and asking our bus driver Dale to turn on KRLA so we could listen to the Beatles or the Stones!

Poor Mick Jagger - he tried, and he tried, and he tried, and he tried, but he couldn't get no satisfaction - whoever believes that probably has bought the Brooklyn Bridge a few times.

Modie (Martin) Katz

OK everyone,

Here is the deal...you wanted to get together on a cruise and we have arranged it.

Join us for our first PHS Reunion Cruise April 15-19, 2021 aboard the Royal Princess, a new 3,560 passenger ship that offers a variety of activities and venues to enjoy during your four days onboard https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/rp-royal-princess/

Barbara Dwyer will be the touch point for any questions and for people to sign up - dwyerbb1@aol.com or cell 310-990-4659

Lets get signed up so that we have an idea of how many Suites/ Rooms we need to reserve and what kind of deal we can negotiate for activities etc.

Hope to see you all on board.

Barry Chisholm

Hi Everyone,

Enjoyed the just-posted video about the Princess cruise ship.

We also just booked our reservation on the 2021 Reunion Cruise.  Thank you, Barbara Dwyer, for making the reservation process so easy!     

Modie (Martin) Katz

Barry,

I think you will probably be traveling the longest distance for this re-union.  I am sure it will be worth it.. Looking forward to getting together again and this time we will have a lot more time to catch up. 

Till then, Modie

Barry Chisholm

Hi Everyone, Happy New Year!   So effective a few days ago we can talk about "next year's" reunion!   And you're right Modie this time we should have more opportunities to catch up and reflect on good times past present and future.  Have a great day.
 

Modie (Martin) Katz

Happy New Year to everyone and hope it finds everyone Healthy as well.  We are all getting to that age that a little R&R is called for and the next reunion should be a pleasant and relaxing way to enjoy our classmates for a few days.  Yes it is that time again to sign up for the Class of '68 reunion to take place in 2021.  All the information is on the Home Page and if you are like me, if you don't do it now, you will probably forget.

Hope to see your name on the ships log soon.

Barry Chisholm

Hi Everyone,

We've seen difficult, challenging times before and we made it through just like we'll get through this one.

But in the meantime, I'm sure many of us are thinking and concerned about our families, friends, and fellow classmates and hoping that we can stay as healthy as possible.

Best wishes and hopeful, prayerul thoughts to all of you.   I'll continue to look forward to seeing as many of you as possible and keeping in touch whenever we can.

Michael Coates

After what we've seen lately, I wouldn't go on a cruise if they paid me. Good luck to all who have signed up to go.

Walter "Bud" Elsaesser (Elsaesser)

Joe Silver (Silver)

Please get together, at least 6 ft. apart, I mean the reunion group, and cancel the 2021 reunion. 

Kenneth (Ken) Marschall

I would urge classmates not to be too worried or to cancel the cruise.  It's over a year away, and all the scientists seem to be in agreement that the pandemic will peak soon and the "curve" will die down within a few months.  The virus can't live in the air for more than a few hours, tops, and on most surfaces for more than a few days.  You can't catch it from the air unless someone sneezes or coughs right near you.  As long as we exercise commonsense distancing, wash our hands after touching potentially contaminated surfaces and don't touch our faces, we simply cannot contract this thing.

More to the point, given the fast-tracked urgency of the situation, by all accounts we should have a vaccine by next April.  Several countries are testing more than one vaccine already.

For these reasons I would suggest that the cruise not be cancelled.  There's no urgency to do so, and let's see how things go.  Meantime, just make sure you have cancellation insurance so that if there's still a concern 13 months from now (say, a seasonal flare-up next winter) you can cancel without penalty.