October 2024
TO MY FELLOW GRADS: So, fall is (almost) in the air and the Padres are in the playoffs. It seems like if their pitching holds up and the hitters keep up a modicum of offense, the team may end up going pretty far. Now, our monthly get-together of the “regulars” will be on the second Wednesday of this month—October 9. We meet at the Starbucks at the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Dianne Ave., and we go from 10 a.m. to about noon. About 12 to 20 of us, depending on the month, show up to renew friendships that go back 70 years or more. Let’s face it, we’re “The Survivors” and you’re all welcome!
BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: First off, I should make a correction to last month’s newsletter. I misspelled the name of Sharon Israel-Roiz (’58). That is the correct spelling, not Israel-Ruiz……We got some sad news from some ’57 stalwarts that Martin Marugg (’57) died on August 9 while suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s and also a stroke. The widow is Joanne (Donahoo) Marugg, also ’57. They had one son and two grandkids. Marty served as an SD firefighter for 32 years and retired in ’99 as a captain. He served in the US Army and then as a mail carrier until he joined the fire department in 1967. Marty’s hobbies included model railroads, fishing and motorcycle riding. My friend, Jeri Overton (’57) was first to report Marty’s death to me and said she and Joanne have been friends since the 3rd grade. “Her mom was our Girl Scout leader and our moms were best friends,” Jeri added. A Celebration of Life has already been held for Marty……Jean Baber (’58) and her sister, Vicki Owens are still on their month-long road trip which took them to North Carolina to see Jean’s (and mine) grandkids in Carrboro. Yes, they had a brief time coping with that awful Hurricane Helene which swept up from Florida and had caused widespread flooding in western NC. But make no mistake, they’re having a great time are making stops along the way that they always wanted to make when taking trips with their folks but never got to because their dad was always in a hurry to get back to see his siblings in Kansas. We wish the ladies a safe trip home!.....Bob Moss (’57) and his wife, Edna, were in town a couple of weeks back and even attended the get-together at Starbucks. It was great to see that great athlete from ’57 who had a fine career as a teacher, coach and motivational speaker. Sadly, Bob is having a tough time getting around these days as he struggles with his health……I saw an obit a couple of weeks back in the U-T for one Shirley Gordon Berryman, 1-24-1923 to 6-6-2024. Now there was a coach/teacher at LHS named Carmack Berryman who was my 7th grade physical education teacher. Mr. Berryman knew that I couldn’t compete with the bigger guys in the major sports as I was only 5’ 5” and weighed about 130 lbs. so he challenged me with other physical activities and always gave me an A. And, yes, surprisingly, Shirley was Carmack’s widow after 62 years of marriage and four offspring. Carmack was also LHS’s tennis coach and Shirley was dedicated to serving young people and was given the Civic Service for Youth Award for her long-term volunteer service…..We were reminded in a U-T piece a few weeks back about a 1960 LHS grad who was one of the military pallbearers for John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in 1963. Douglas Mayfield (’60) was a US Army Specialist 4 who was on a team that escorted the body to the autopsy, the White House for one las night, the Capitol rotunda for viewing, to the cathedral for the funeral mass and finally to the plot at Arlington National Cemetery for burial. Douglas was 21 and grew up in Encanto. He said it was a very tense time for him and said, “The pressure was always on us and we were always thinking ‘Just don’t screw up as the world is watching.’” Mayfield added that he was a shy kid in high school and didn’t even go to the prom because he was too shy to ask a girl out. He worked through his shyness and said he was proud to be involved in the “most famous funeral in history.” I guess you never know when history is going to softly hit you over the head!