Lincoln High School - San Diego, California - Classes of 1955 to 1959

August 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: I certainly have no idea how many of you have suffered from COVID since the pandemic started over 2 ½ years ago. For me, I’m on my 17th day of testing positive and I’m getting fairly tired of it! I first tested positive on July 20—my 83^rd birthday. We were on a trip to upper state New York to visit our grandkids and other family. The whole trip went KA-BOOM after three days. We isolated a week and flew home. A bit of a nightmare! On a more positive note: We will have our usual coffee get-together on the second Wednesday of this month: August 10 at the Starbucks at the southwest corner of Balboa Dr. and Clairemont Dr. We meet from 10 a.m. to about noon and just share our lives and our friendship. Different folks show up at different times, but everyone is welcome!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: The U-T had a very nice obit on Brad Griffith (’56) on July 31. One nice part of it told the story of how a young woman high on drugs hit Brad head-on and totaled his car. The woman was arrested and on the day of her sentencing, Brad asked the judge not to send her to jail, but instead to sentence her to counseling/therapy and probation—in other words, help, not punishment. The judge complied. Reminder: A celebration of Brad’s life will be held this Saturday, August 13, at 3 p.m. at the Mira Mesa High School Gym….Joe Mader (’56) wrote that he and Brad Griffith had been friends at Paradise Hills Elementary and after graduation from LHS in ’56, Brad was his best man at his wedding. Summing up the sentiments of a lot of people, Joe added: “He was a good man.” …..More Sad News: John Barnier (’59) died in early June. As reported by his brother, Bill Barnier (’57), John lettered in baseball as a pitcher at LHS and went on to play freshman baseball and majored in English at SDSU. He later earned an MA in English at State and taught English at Grossmont College for many years. John lived in the Kensington neighborhood and attended the Reunion Picnic in 2021 with brother John. ….. Yet another LHS alumni passing: Sharon Jay (’56).An obit in the “Imperial Valley Press” reported that Sharon died last April of natural causes. Having lived many years in the Imperial Valley, She was an executive secretary for many companies, including Rohr Industries and Dow Chemical. She was part owner of two nighteries in El Centro, The Jabberwocky and The Plush Place. She was also a lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation, Chapter 474.She is survived by a daughter, nine grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.(Interestingly, she was once married to a man with the last name of Stalnaker as both of her offspring have that as their last name. No relation to me, however.)

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING YOUR MEMORIES FOR THE LHS BOOK

Reminder from Myrna Hawkins (’58): We need your personal stories for the book to succeed. Suggestions: Write about experiences that are memorable; Brag on yourself; Length of your story depends on you—one or 20 pages is OK; Send your story to myrna2@cox.net or snail mail, 11507 Fury Lane #16, El Cajon 92019; Questions? Call Myrna at 619-670-0943 (home) or 619-751-2458 (cell). Here is the new information: She needs the stories ASAP with the final deadline of October 20, 2022. To all of us, Myrna says, “Your memories, your thoughts and your words are important. Please participate with your classmates. Our time at Lincoln was very special and each of us has a story we don’t want to lose. Take the time and put your story on paper—your story is important!”

July 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: So how’s your summer going so far? I hope COVID has not been on your health résume. My wife and I have avoided it so far, but we always mask up in enclosed public places. This pandemic is definitely not over and many hospitals are filling up again. One recent medical study has shown that if you test positive the best thing to do is lie low for a week or more and not try to “power through” it. They found that taking it easy for a week or so really lessens your chances of getting “Long COVID.” (That’s where you have symptoms, sometimes severe, for months and months.) On a more immediate note: We will have our usual coffee get-together on the second Wednesday of this month: July13 at the Starbucks at the southwest corner of Balboa Dr. and Clairemont Dr. We meet from 10 a.m. to about noon and just share our lives and our friendship. It’s a copacetic group and we share opinions and even a little gossip!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: One of our era’s primo athletes died recently, leaving behind a great area coaching career and many memories for his friends and former students. I now reprint an obit on Facebook written by sports writer and blogger, Rick (“Scoops”) Smith (’57) who was the Sports Editor of the ’56-’57 “Buzz.” “Rest in Peace Brad Griffith (’56), one of the earliest athletic icons with the Lincoln High Hornets. Brad and Bob Mendoza (’56) were the only jocks from the Hive to earn nine varsity letters—football basketball and baseball. Brad was in the Red Sox chain for a few years and then got into coaching. He opened Mira Mesa High in 1976 and built that fledgling football program into one of San Diego County’s best over a span of 18 years and then retired and coached softball for many years. Good job, old friend.” An obit in the U-T on July 8 said Brad coached 2 years at LHS and 8 years at Kearny before taking over at Mira Mesa. In a 47-year career, he had nearly 500 wins. After football, he became the softball coach and his 2002 team was number one in California and No. 2 in the nation. He was named an SD “Coaching Legend” in 2013…..Another passing was reported by Elbert Hada (’59). Elizabeth Jane (McLaughlin) Wineteer (’59) died April 1 and lived in Kansas City, MO, for many years. Elizabeth was very active in LHS activities and was president of the Mary Kathryn’s and active with the C.S.F., LHS choir and Vespers Committee. She was once married to Steve Wineteer (’59) and is survived by three children and one grandchild…..On a Brighter Side: Pauline (Boisseree) Guntlow (’56) wrote that she regretted that she and her twin brother, Paul Boisseree (’57) could not attend the Reunion Picnic this year, “But maybe in ’23.” (Folks, how many years do we all have left? Come on back!!)…..Jerry Webb (’56) writes that he is still surviving in Loveland, Colo., playing golf and enjoying sthe summer weather. He’s still trying to find his old neighbor and friend, Jeannine Fetterolf (’57) who got into show business and danced—briefly-- with Robert Preston in “The Music Man.” …..Fellow grads I hope you read the previous missive from Myrna (Mortensen) Hawkins (’58) and took seriously her message about writing up your thoughts and memories of your years at LHS and how it affected your life. She produced a booklet for the ’58 class and I read each person’s memories with interest and even joy. Write all you want—Myrna just wants to hear from you!.....All of you reading this are SURVIVORS. Please keep it that way and stay healthy!.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

May 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: As you are hopefully aware, this is the month of our Annual Reunion for classes ’55-’59. Details are in the text box below, and it’s the best opportunity for us to get together and renew old friendships and catch up on each other’s lives. We graduated between 63 and 67 years ago—if my math is correct. Frankly, we all have lived beyond the life expectancy of American men and women. Congratulations on that! However, as you well know, many of our fellow grads have passed on and that phenomenon will obviously continue. The point is, why not come to the reunion before some of the great folks you knew and hung out with pass on? There’s an old saying: “The best antiques are old friends.” Most of us feel that our experience at LHS was a very rewarding one, if only because our school was relatively well integrated with kids from all walks of life! On to a more immediate note: We will have our usual coffee get-together on the second Wednesday of this month: May 11 at the Starbucks at the southwest corner of Balboa Dr. and Clairemont Dr.. We meet from 10 a.m. to about noon and just share our lives and our friendship. Why not show up are either one or both and share in the fun?

Annual Reunion Picnic Coming in 2 Weeks: May 19

All of us in the classes ’55 to ’59 should all be in our 80’s with gray hair (if we have any), wrinkles, some short-term memory issues (“why did I walk into this room? Or, where did I put my keys?”) and maybe a little slower gait. Hopefully you can remember the great folks you went to LHS with. So come on out to Santee Lakes on Thursday, May 19, starting about noon for our Annual Reunion! We bring our own food and drinks and all family members of your choice. The event goes as long as we all have the energy to stay. We have Area L at the Lakes—just before the camping area. They charge a small parking fee. If you value your experience at Lincoln in any way, come on out and give us the invaluable experience of seeing you! Nuff said—see ya there!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES:? I really didn’t receive much news from you folks to pass on this month; remember that I can only print what you send me about your lives and experiences, grandkids, travels, etc. However, there is one obit and a possible one. James (or Jimmy) Hill (’58) died April 1 here in S.D. A native San Diegan, he graduated from SDSU with a teaching credential and taught for some 40 years at Santana and West Hills high schools. Jim was an avid hunter, fisherman and surfer—excelling in all three. He is survived by brother Tom (’56), wife Sharon, two sons and a daughter, and 10 grandkids. A memorial service will be held May 10 at 11 a.m. at the Lifepoint Church in La Mesa…..

Now a couple of weeks ago the U-T listed under its small “Death Notices” a man named Melvin G. Murray, born Oct. 5, 1938 and died April 10, 2022. The class of ’57 had a Melvin Murray who I remember and who had signed my yearbook. If anyone knows if it’s the same person, please let me know. I remember him as a very nice guy and quiet spoken…..

A request for anyone willing to respond: You have lived into your 80’s—to what do you attribute how well you’ve aged? Diet? Exercise? Genes? Luck? Clean Living? Religious Faith? Let me know. Thanks.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

April 2022

Annual Reunion Picnic in Santee On May 19

OK all of us in the classes ’55 to ’59 should all be in our 80’s and hopefully can remember the great folks we went to LHS with. So come on out to Santee Lakes on Thursday, May 19, for our annual reunion! We bring our own food and drinks and all family members of your choice. It starts at noon and goes as long as we all have the energy to stay. We have Gazebo 3 at the Lakes—just before the camping area. They charge a small parking fee. See ya there!!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES:? Another Date to remember: SUNDAY, APRL 24. On this date two ladies from the class of ’58 will sign books they have recently published. Ruthie Bible’s book is Vinyl: The Obsession and Myrna Mortensen’s is Hornets 1958 Remembered. The signings will run from Noon to 3p.m. at LeStat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., San Diego. The books are also on sale at Ruthie’s vinyl shop, Nickelodeon Records, 3335 Adams Ave, S.D. The phone there is 619-284-6083…..Last month I mentioned that we had “lost track” of a lady in the class of ’57, Jeannine Fetterolf, who was a very talented singer and dancer who had appeared in several musicals at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park--now closed because of airplane noise. I received one response, from Jerry Webb (’56). He said their families were close in the 40’s and 50’s, but lost contact with Jeannine after their parents died. “I know she married and had a daughter who played a part on the Smothers Brothers show in the late 60’s. I’ll do some more research,” he said. Thanks, Jerry, we’ll look forward to that……Sad, But True: I read in the paper the other day that the neighborhood of Chollas View, a feeder area to Lincoln High, has one of the highest air pollution rates in SD County. It’s also one of the most economically depressed areas of the city. Many of us grew up in Chollas View and live now to tell about it: Rich Merino, Cliff Hetz, Erma Verdugo, Burt Swaim, Margaret(Trimmer) Vanderholm, Priscilla Silva, Bill Thompson, Maryinez Lyons and Jerome Ambrose (all ’57), and Bob Mendoza (’56) Many of us believe that the bad air comes from the proximity to freeways 94 and I-805, busy Market St. and some industrial air blowing in from South San Diego’s industrial areas.…..Speaking of the Reunion Picnic as we were, I had a note from Jerry Sisson (’57), retired from his dental practice and now living in Northern California. He wanted to know the date (May 19) because he said he was planning on coming this year. Let’s hope he follows through!... Last Item: I attended Jack Pearson’s (’57) memorial get-together at his son’s home in La Mesa. There must have been at least 150 people crowded into the home----with no one but myself and a couple of others wearing masks. Anyway, a nice event to honor a guy who had a very full life. I counted around 15-20 folks from LHS—mostly men. The rest were probably cops, former business associates and family. In remembering Jack, there was lots of laughter and good cheer.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

March 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: So it’s March and there are two things to keep in mind this month: One is that Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, the 13^th, and then the first day of Spring is the 20^th. I wish you all a Happy Spring, especially in light of the horrible situation in the Ukraine with the brutal invasion by Russia. Anyway, COVID seems to be having a harsh effect on Starbucks because the “new” location we had retreated to on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane St. was closed to walk-in business and we had to hustle over to another Starbucks at the southwest corner of Balboa Ave. and Clairemont Drive. So that’s where we will be meeting on the second Wed. of this month (March 9) at 10 a.m. Come on by—we always have a great talkfest!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Last month we learned about the death of Jack Pearson (’57). We learn that there will be a Celebration of Life for Jack at the home of his son, SD Police Lt. J. R. Pearson. The address is 6280 Meadowcrest Dr., La Mesa, CA. It will be at 3 p.m. on March 19^th. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations could be made to the San Diego Police Officers scholarship fund in the name of John R. “Jack” Pearson. Since Jack was a well-known classmate during his six years at LHS, I’ve had quite a response from those who knew him best. From Bob Moss (’57): “Adios to my former classmate (grades 7 to 12), football teammate (four seasons) and frequent host and companion when Edna and I would visit Las Vegas. May he Rest In Peace.” From Ed Leon (’57): “Please extend our sincerest condolences to Jack’s family. I first met him in 1955 when we were both sophomores at LHS. I’m so glad that I was able to affably reminisce and interact with him at our last Reunion at Santee Lakes. I told him he was a living legend in my mind. What a mountain of a man!” …..Got a nice note from Mary (Gonzales) Thompson (’56), now living in Hanford, CA, which she says is a small, clean, friendly place. Soon to be age 85, she said doing just fine, with no aches or pains. She stays in touch with Pat (Kahn) Morse (’56) and her husband, Chuck, who live in Peoria, AZ. Mary has lost touch with classmate Ruth (Kawamoto) Fujimoto, who had lived in Pasadena, CA. She was sorry to hear about Max Gresoro’s (’56) passing. “My sister-in-law, Juanita ((Morales) Gonzales (’56) still lives in SD. My brother, Earl Gonzales (59), lives in Huntington Beach, CA. My three children and three grandkids are all doing well and my 20-year-old great-grandson is now in an Air Force boot camp in Texas. I enjoy your newsletters.” …..Farmer Mary (Lafferty) Wilson (’59) stays in touch: Her husband of 61 years has been ill, but is still with her on their son’s farm in Missouri. They feed the farm animals and right now have a porch full of chickens due to the cold weather. No lack of exercise as they are also busy cutting up downed trees from lightning strikes to provide wood to heat the house. Mary told the story of her half-sibling, Marley Lafferty, who was on the team that set up NASA in Canaveral, Fla., after WWII. She thanked me for the newsletter and added that each winter her husband says they should move to a warmer clime but they would miss the farm and the cows and chickens and the “easy” way of life. (“Easy” Mary? Really?)…..Sad News: A quick note said that Howard Morrison (’58) passed away last Oct. 20. No other info……Regarding that, I got a note from Jean Baber (’58) saying how sad it is that this newsletter is being filled lately with so many obits. All I can say is that most of us are in our 80’s and lives end at this stage. Whatever……One other note: I watched the movie, “The Music Man”, made in ’61, the other night and saw Jeannine Fetterolf (’57) sing and dance—at one point with star, Robert Preston. Jeannine was a very talented and pretty lady who met her ambitions to become a professional entertainer. However, no one seems to know what happened to her. Can anyone help?

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

February 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Well we’re starting the third year of COVID with over 900,000 deaths nationally from this still-dangerous pandemic. I hope you’re still taking precautions like getting your shots and booster and wearing a mask when you’re around people you don’t know. I just spoke recently with Dr. Rich Merino (’57) who is still abundantly cautious about too many contacts with others because he is acutely aware of the consequences of getting COVID at our age. After some 40 years of medical practice, Doc Merino knows what he’s talking about! By the way, don’t forget about the coffee get-togethers at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. on the second Wed. of the month. We hope to see you there this coming Wed., Feb. 9, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: There are probably very few people in our ’55-’59 group who are not aware of Jack Pearson (’57). Sadly, Jack died Jan. 30 suffering from acute intestinal bleeding. His son, Lt. J. R. Pearson of the San Diego PD was by his side as he passed peacefully. Jack joined the SDPD in Feb. of ’65 until July of ’83. He reached the rank of lieutenant and was the long-time president of the SD Police Officers Assoc. For those who knew him he was a man of rousing good humor, a sharp intellect, and a cop who took no guff from anyone. He played football at LHS and in his senior year made All-City Prep League guard. Rick Smith (’57) said Jack was “light” for that position at about 160. Jack was also speedy--in one game with SD High, he tackled a very fast halfback, Bobby Staten , in the open field. Some comments have already come in about Jack, including from Jim Marino (’58) who said, “He was truly one of the good guys, a protector of us all. He will be missed, but never forgotten.” Rick Smith said Jack was one of two cops who broke up a noisy party at Rick’s apartment back in Sept. 1966. (No arrests.)….Sadly, another obit: Steve Nichols (’59) also died in January. Steve and wife Suzanne were married 61 years and had three sons, Ricky, Ronnie and Rod. They had eight grandkids and one great-grand. The Nichols owned boats and spent many family vacations on their boat, including travel to Catalina in the summer. They later moved on to RVs and visited many states and national parks. Steve retired as an account executive with the Pillsbury Corp…..Further comments about Max Gresoro (’56): From Nielsine Archibald—“He was such a gentleman and a presence by size and personality.” From Burt Swaim (’57): Max was always a kind, measured and mature person when I knew him when he played football at SDSU.” And finally from Jim Marino (’58): “I started at SDSU in 1959 as a 110-pound freshman and decided that since I had been a cheerleader at LHS, I should go out for football at SDSU. Jim Biers (’58) and I went for it. My position was safety, the last man to stop any runner who broke through the line. Our first scrimmage was with the Marine Corps and Max Gresoro happened to be the running back. On the first play Max got through the line and was heading right for me. I put my head down and tried to stop him. To this day, I don’t remember what happened! I just remember getting up and not knowing who I was or what I was doing in a football uniform. I realized that this wasn’t going to work and turned in my uniform. I was a 110 lb. guy trying to stop a 250 lb. freight train. I was much better at cheerleading! I never talked with Max about it and he probably wouldn’t have remembered it anyway. At age 82, I’m up to 150 lbs. and still enjoying life!” (Ed. Note: Jimmy—what were you thinking?)….Now, getting back to Burt Swaim—He remembers going to SDSU and working for $2 an hour with Joe Gibbs painting lines in the college’s parking lots. There were about 4,000 students, no parking problems and a fee of $37 per semester to attend. “Education was achievable especially if you worked and the LHS working students achieved well. Most of us were from the lower middle class strivers families.” Burt is looking forward to the Reunion Picnic at Santee Lakes this year—65 years for the class of ’57. (Ed.: That picnic will be Thursday, May 19, starting at noon.)

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

January 2022

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Hello all you 80-year-old survivors!. Welcome to 2022, hopefully a better year than ’21. We are now dealing with a new COVID variant, the omicron strain. I hope you are all vaccinated and boosted to protect yourself and others from the virus. Frankly I have not heard a good, cogent argument for not getting the shots. If you believe in science, you’ll be vaccinated. If not, good luck!! By the way, we still hold our coffee get-togethers at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. on the second Wed. of the month. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., Jan. 12, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Ken Magers (’56) sent a nice remembrance of the late Max Gresoro (’56). He said he and Max were good friends and that Max played football at SDSU with Joe Gibbs, who later became a coach under Don Coryell. “That’s probably where Max got his interest in NASCAR as Gibbs owns a team,” Ken said. He added that he, Max and Gil Gresoro (’59) used to go to the auto speedway in Perris, CA, to see the sprint car races. Ken, the traveler, also talked about his 7,000-mile RV trip along the Mississippi River from Bimidji, Minn., down to New Orleans—a 32-day trip. They then visited a granddaughter in Tennessee and stopped to see other relatives on the way home…..
Kenny Johnson (’55) writes with sadness that Mickey Jordan (’55) died peacefully in the hospital last Nov. and that there will be a celebration of life for him at 1 p.m., Feb 5, at the Lakeside Community Center. Ken said he and his wife, Sandi, have been married 64 years and are “still slowly kicking.” He worked for Pac Bell for 32 years and took their golden handshake at age 50.They live in the Clairemont neighborhood and have enjoyed their travels to Europe and around the U.S.—especially enjoying Hawaii….
Bob Moss (’57) sent a long remembrance of his football pal, Max G. They were both high school and college football teammates and he said the laughs and good times they shared were “off the charts.” He said that during his senior year at SDSU, he and Max were members of Oceotl, a campus service group, and they attended a party for the group at the home of Max’s future wife, Donna. Bob has a variety of memorabilia of his friendship with Max, including news clips and photos “Edna and I send our love and fond memories to Max’s family and friends. RIP my good old friend.”….
The old newspaper guy, Rick Smith (’57), dug up an old clip from the San Diego Union, dated May of ’57 with the headline, “7 LHS Seniors Win College Scholarships.” (Newspapers, it seems, had more space for news in those days.) The recipients, all from the class of ’57, included Judy Ellis, Scott Archibald, Gary Krumweide, Ron Jones, Charles Talifarro, Jerome Ambrose and Marvin (“Shorty”) Quirk. The most interesting part of that to me was that Ron Jones, who was going to BYU, was said to be majoring in Education, when he actually became a physician…..

Last month Bob Moss commented on social issues and problems facing our society today, especially on the growing problems of racism and white supremacy. So Judy (Austin) Vien (’58) sent her own comments on these issues/problems. “I was sad, but not at all surprised by what Bob Moss had to say. It sounds so much like West Virginia. This state is the reddest of red, and so different from the Democratic state I grew up in. We have the sweetest people, yet the racism is everywhere. Time to make a start at communicating with each other. Everyone is valuable and we are a huge and colorful umbrella of humanity. Love to all.”…(Thank you Judy and Bob. We should never stop communicating with each other about these issues and problems.)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Folks, I’m starting my 15^th year of sending out these monthly missives and still want to hear from you about your lives and ideas on some of the subjects I bring up. I wish you a HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR11

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

December 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us already. I hope you all had a fulfilling Thanksgiving and got sufficiently “turkeyed out.” We sure did! We’re now into Hanukkah (early this year) and Christmas is just around the corner. Whatever you celebrate, I wish you the best. Personally, my only request to Santa is for rain—and snow in the mountains. Sounds like a weird request, but it’s the only thing I need at this point in my life. Now just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean that the coffee group won’t be meeting this coming Wed., Dec. 8. We get together at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. We always meet on the second Wed. of the month. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., Dec. 8, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Folks, it is with great sadness that I tell you that one of our school’s best known and classy grads has passed away: Max Gresoro (’56) who for many years was a stalwart on the LHS Reunion Committee. He went quickly and quietly a week or so ago in his own backyard. Max was just shy of his 83^rd birthday and just shy of 60 years of marriage to his wife, Donna. He played football both at LHS and San Diego State. He served his military obligation in the Marine Corps and after college went directly to work for Pacific Bell. Then, at age 53, he was offered a generous retirement by the company and took it. Max had two brothers, Gil (’59) and Steve and a sister, Nancy. Max and Donna had three children, two girls and a boy. One of Max’s big hobbies was his participation with NASCAR races. If you recall, he was the ongoing choice for Master of Ceremonies at most of our alumni gatherings—and he did a great job because of his smoothness of presentation and a booming voice when necessary! RIP to a great guy!.....Not to be morbid, but another recent passing was Marsha (Thomas) Arehart (’58), who was married to Ron Arehart (’58) Marsha had three daughters and “many” grandchildren, according to my source. She served for many years as a flight attendant (then called a “stewardess”). She served a couple of airlines and after retiring g became active in an organization for former flight attendants called “Clipped wings.” Our best to Ron and the family…..Here’s a shout-out to another well-known LHS grad, Jack Pearson (’57) who has been ill lately. We wish him a speedy recovery…..I told my 17-year-old grandson the other day to stay in touch, if possible, with the friends he has had so far because they may stay with you the rest of your life. As an example, I related that the day before I had spoken to three ’57 LHS grads on the same day: Jim Sing, Rich Merino and Cliff Hetz and what a joy it was to keep up with these folks I have known for about 70 years. We know each other so well and share our mutual admiration!

LHS Perspectives: Folks, lately there has been a lot of national discussion of racial issues and the seeming rise of those who put forward white supremacy. So, who better to comment on this than Bob Moss (’57) now a resident of Arkansas. Bob said he is keeping a daily log of the current “evil and ignorant waves of cultural bigotry.” He said that most of us LHS classmates were completely unaware of what bigotry really was. He hopes that none of us promote suppressive laws favoring gerrymandering, anti-immigration, women’s and gender choices, elder abuse and most of all, white supremacy. He said these are an insult to his “fond and honorable ancestors and also others with skins of color.” He added that if democracy dies, “there will be no secret as to who killed it.” Lastly, Bob stated, “Tell everyone that Edna and I send holiday greetings from Arkansas , and y’all have safe travel and enjoyable times with your families.” (Amen, Bob and greetings back to you and your family!)

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

October/November 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: In a bit of a cheating kind of way I have called this newsletter the Oct.-Nov. one. Well I obviously did not get one out in October and the major reason was that my wife and I were called to North Carolina to help out with our grandchildren while their father spent six weeks in hospitals recuperating from major surgery. All is well now, but it took a lot of time on our part and we were exhausted when we came home. We spent nearly three weeks there and his dad and brother covered the other weeks. NEXT SUBJECT: We continue our monthly get-togethers at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. We meet the second Wed. of the month. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., Nov. 10, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Shirley (Byrd) Peinetti (’58) sent a note that her brother, Bob Byrd (’57), has just been named to the San Diego County Sports Officials Hall of Fame for 2021. He is honored for his officiating in basketball. Bob joins two other LHS grads in this Hall of Fame: John Ferguson (’56) inducted in 2020 for football and Brad Griffith (’56) for basketball in 2015. Al of these grads played basketball and other sports in their LHS years. Congratulations to all! …..Thanks to Sam Goldstein (’55) we learned of the passing of Jerry Welch (’55) in his town of residence, Madison, No. Carolina, in 2020. Jerry was chief of police there for many years. After being a very active LHS student, he joined the Marine Corps right after high school and served 20 years. His first ten years were as an enlisted man and the next ten as an officer. He retired as a major in 1976. Jerry was a highly decorated Marine and commented that his time in the Marines was the most satisfying time in his life. After the military, he became chief of police of Madison, NC, and then the town of New Bern, NC. He served some 30 years as a police officer, but was always a Chief. His time in the Marines, especially as an MP, gave him all the qualifications he needed to go straight to the top. He served many years as president of the No. Carolina Police Chiefs Association. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gay Bullins Welch, two children, two grandchildren, brother, Steven, and sister, Shirley Savage, both of San Diego. RIP to a great LHS grad!...I’m a member of the Downtown SD Lions Club and in Oct. we hosted an International Board of Directors meeting and dinner at our club meeting place in downtown SD. There were over 150 people at the dinner and we were entertained by a fine singer name Floyd Smith, who sang with the 5^th Dimension at one time. I spoke with Floyd after his “show” and asked him where he was from and he said, “I’m a native San Diegan.” I then asked which high school and he said, “Lincoln High, class of ’72.” I then bumped fists with him and replied, “Class of ’57.” He was pleased but surprised!

LHS Perspectives: If you hadn’t noticed, LHS has been in the news regularly the past few months. The latest controversy is over the nasty treatment LHS football players received from Cathedral Catholic High last April. The Cathedral High players were seen wearing shirts tat called the LHS players “convicts.” The LHS coach, David Dunn, cancelled a recent game with Cathedral to protest that racial profiling and make the point about the lack of a real apology. A very recent opinion piece in the U-T supported Dunn’s decision saying the players did not have to sacrifice their dignity to play football. And speaking of LHS football, the U-T in an earlier article on the sports page featured two LHS cornerbacks, “Tuck” and “Flo” who have the same first name (with a slight variation in spelling) and who are good friends and bound for the University of Oregon. To many, the LHS football program is one of the most respected programs in the history of SD high school sports.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and your name at the time.

September 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: How many of us thought that the COVID-19 problem was over a couple of months back? Well, obviously, it isn’t! More and more people are entering hospitals—and dying—who, for the most part, are not vaccinated. Of course, the states where the COVID problems are now rampant are those where vaccinations and mask-wearing have been downplayed and even discouraged—Florida, Texas, Mississippi and South Dakota. Their ERs are again clogged with very sick folks who, on their deathbeds, usually say to their loved ones that they now wish they had been vaccinated. I just wonder if those sad folks realize that they may have infected others in the process and taken their closest relatives to the grave with them. What a sad state of affairs for our country! NEXT SUBJECT: We are continuing our monthly get-togethers at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. We meet the second Wed. of the month. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., Sept. 8, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: While I was at LHS I lived in Chollas View and our backyard was right up against a house that was occupied by the Lyons family and their daughter, Maryinez (’57). Although we were exactly the same age, we knew each other but, because of the era we were in, weren’t “friends.” Well, now we are! She recently sent me a note about her current life at age 81 and I want to share it with you—edited, of course. I quote: “Hi PeeWee (a moniker universally used, but not my favorite) does anyone else know that name? And I have spent my life wishing I were not so tall—six feet! I am very lucky to have reached 81 with only a broken arm from three years ago. I am so grateful to be fully mobile and active—grateful each day. I have chosen to live on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) where I have good friends, a lovely house and a great garden. I live alone with Diego, a most energetic and disobedient Jack Russell (terrier). I spent my 80^th birthday in a very wild (24,999 square miles) game park in Kenya, surrounded with elephants—sheer delight! Hey, aren’t we lucky to have had such a long visit to earth? (Maryinez, by the way, holds a Ph.D. and lived a good part of her life on the African continent.)…Judy (Austin) Vien (’58) said she agreed on the need for vaccinations and said she enjoyed the anecdotes on LHS teachers from last month. She mentioned taking an enjoyable English class from Mrs. Lois Tidwell at LHS and then taking several classes from James Tidwell at San Diego State.(Presumably they were married.) “Both were special educators as far as I was concerned,” she said…..Victoria (Jackson) Freiheit (’56) also loved the anecdotes on our teachers and described them as a “superior bunch.” She added, “Mrs. Leisure and Mr. Urban taught me enough secretarial and accounting skills that I was able to get jobs straight out of high school. A great foundation!” She also pointed out that many of our teachers probably were not that much older than we were. Then, as a pastor at the Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista, she visited Wilbur Austin when he was ill. “I could tell from knowing his wife, Elizabeth, that he was a good husband and we all grieved when he died…”..One More Anecdote: A fellow Lion and friend of mine named Ray Hackworth (Butch Sing knows him) lived on the same street as Teo Rodriguez. So I asked Ray one day if he knew Teo. Well both Ray and his wife, Dorothy, looked at me in a very surprised way and said in unison, “Pat, EVERYONE knows Teo Rodriguez!” Well, Teo was very popular at LHS as well.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

August 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: It’s the so-called “dog-days of August.” It seems that the pandemic that we all had hoped had diminished has actually not gone away and is on the upswing. Most of the recent sufferers are people who have not been vaccinated—over 95 percent. I hope that none of you are in that group of stubborn individuals who have chosen, politically mostly, to put themselves in danger. My friend and classmate, Dr. Richie Merino (’57), says it’s idiocy not to get vaccinated! And he should know—he practiced medicine for 40 years or more and has plenty of good reasons to give us about the need for protecting ourselves with the shots. He also strongly recommends we still wear masks whenever we go into places with large numbers of people around, such as supermarkets. NEXT SUBJECT: We have successfully renewed our monthly get-togethers at the Starbucks on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Diane Ave. We meet the second Wed. of the month. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., August 11, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: The one story about a passing this month in not about a student, but a mom. Dorothy Baber, mother of Jean Baber (’58) and her siblings Larry and Vicki, passed away last month at the age of 101. There were so many LHS Vintage Hornets at the memorial service that Jean declared it a mini-reunion of LHS grads. Jean’s old buddies were there as well as friends of Cliff Hetz (’57), her husband. I was there because I’m a friend of the family, and Dorothy was my first mother-in-law and also my son’s grandma. Dorothy Baber was a woman of many accomplishments, both professionally and personally……Well, since I didn’t receive much feedback from any of you for this month’s newsletter, I thought I would talk about some of the teachers I have anecdotal information on just for fun. Remember math teacher Mr. Anderson? His first name was Carroll. Now many of us always thought a male with that name should be spelled Karol, such as our classmate Karol Hall (’57)….Science teacher Bill Sulzbach ended up teaching with the SD Community College District at Mesa College. Coach Walt Harvey also spent his last years of teaching at the SDCCD….When a bunch of us guys from ’57 joined the US Army Reserves, we discovered that teacher John Swift was a Captain in the reserves. He wasn’t with our unit, but we often saw him at meetings at Ft. Rosecrans… Señor Wilber Austin, who taught Spanish, inspired many of us to delve into foreign languages, including Ed Leon (’57) who still speaks four languages including Spanish, Russian, German and even a little English. Ed taught languages at Pt. Loma High under principal George Parry. Speaking of Mr. Parry, when my wife and I moved into SD’s Talmadge neighborhood some 35 years ago, George was one of our neighbors and we became friends with him. Also, he was principal at Crawford High when my wife graduated in ’67….Most of you probably knew that Charlie Clapper, shop teacher and counselor, ended his career as principal of La Jolla High….My main mentor, John deBeck, resigned as a teacher when he was elected to the Unified School District Board., where he served for 20 years….Coach Frank Smith and his wife, Francis, also lived in Talmadge—even closer to us that Mr. Parry….One other teacher you may remember was LaRene Sullivan, who taught business classes and typing. She was actually a cousin of mine and we became very close as I got a little older, “Renie” as we knew her became a principal at Wilson Jr. High and then opened up the new high school known then as Serra High in Tierrasanta. She died suddenly at age 83. If any of you have anecdotes about our teachers, please send them to me—and thanks!!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

July 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Last month we announced that we were re-starting the monthly get-togethers at a Starbucks on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. We meet the second Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. So, guess what? That Starbucks just does not exist any longer! Obviously, it’s another COVID-19 victim. We drove there to find an empty storefront. Then we remembered that there is another Starbucks on the same side of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. about a mile and a half further east nearer toward I-805. The cross street is Diane Ave. and it’s very visible and right on the corner. We all drove to that location and named it our new meeting place. So, we hope to see you there this coming Wed., July 14, at 10 a.m.!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Sad news about a rather prominent member of the Class of ’55: Valerie (Archibald) Quinlan. She died of cancer recently and had lived most of her adult life on Staten Island, NY. You may remember that she was an accomplished violinist and even played at recitals in the LHS cafeteria. She was Miss Lincoln, wrote our school alma mater, was the daughter of LHS teacher Kenneth Archibald and the sister of Scott Archibald (’57). She was self-taught and fluent in the German and Italian languages, taught violin and played at many venues in the NY/Staten Island area. She loved to garden and had a beautiful yard to prove it. She is survived by her daughter, Deirdra, and her two sons, and her husband who is a published playwright with many performances in stock theater companies on Staten Island. Wow! A life well lived! (All of this information came from Nielsine (Power) Archibald (’55), Valerie’s former sister-in-law.)….Heard from a nice guy named Bill Mathewson (’57) who still lives in Fallbrook and is retired as an avocado rancher, bee keeper, bee inspector, and producer of fine honey. Hope you’re well, Bill—why not drive down to the Starbucks some Wed.?...Well, it finally happened for our great cheerleader, Jimmy Marino (’58). He received his BA in Fine Arts from SDSU at age 81. Never too late, it seems. Way to hang in there, Jimmy!.....Heard from Burt Swaim (’57) and wife, Shirley (’60), who were not able to attend this year’s picnic, but promised to be there next year. They send their greetings to one and all!....After back-and-forth emails with Noel Barker (’55), it turns out he’s a HAM radio operator like myself. He said he’s “not active” in the hobby these days and I’m not very active myself. I would get active with emergency communications in case of a huge natural disaster when or if major communications systems go down. Noel remembered that Richard Meringer (’55) and Scott Archibald (’57) were both HAM operators.

OTHER NEWS: I wanted to recommend a film to all of you who fondly remember the “Do-Wop” music of our era. It’s a wonderful movie on Amazon Prime called “Street Light Harmonies.” Our friends/family Cliff Hetz (’57) and Jean Baber (’58) sent their strong recommendation to us and we loved it! It’s all about the so-called street-corner singing groups of our era who literally got together on street corners of New York City, Philadelphia and other eastern cities and harmonized their own songs acapella. These groups, both Black and White, were finally discovered and signed to record contracts—sometimes being exploited for their songs. Many of those R&B and rock-and roll groups that you might be familiar with are mentioned in the film. It also discussed the importance of the music and how it kept those kids out of trouble! If you have Amazon streaming, check it out!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

June 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Well, folks, we’re re-instituting the monthly get-togethers for LHS grads at the Starbucks on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Clairemont Dr. this Wednesday, June 9 beginning at 10 a.m. It’s been a long year and a half and we’re ready to get back together! Yes, the picnic was fun, but these monthly chats are also important for those of us who treasure contacts with our fellow grads. Of course we don’t always agree on everything we talk about, but it’s just great fun to share opinions! I hope that as many of you as possible can join us this Wed. Let’s just say we don’t see doom in the June gloom.

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: So, a little about the picnic: It seems everyone had a really cool time—so cool, in fact, we all had to get out our sweatshirts and other jackets to keep warm. It wasn’t a huge crowd, but we didn’t really expect one because of lingering COVID considerations and the prediction of coolish weather. But those of us there had fun reconnecting with folks we know and revere. For most of us it was masks off as we assumed that most everyone had been vaccinated. I can’t mention everyone there, but it was sure great to see my old friend Bill Barnier (PhD) (’57) who traveled down from Santa Rosa. Bill taught math for many decades at Sonoma State. He stayed with his brother, John (’59), who lives in Kensington. Jim Wylie (’55) and Max Gresoro (’56) were there and so was Butch Sing (’57 and his bride, Jill and Joyce Peterson Hill (’57) and hubby George (’55). Others I remember include Fritz D’Ablaing, Darrel Lawrence, Ed Leon and Jack Pearson (all ’57), Shirley (Byrd) Peinetti, Jim Marino, Myrna (Mortenson) Hawkins, Jim Biers and Wayne Beachley (all ’58). Other ‘”regulars” who always make it were Nielsine (Power) Archibald and Dot (Burkett) Oberlies (both ’57). Dot is the fearless leader of our Reunion Committee. Nielsine, by the way, has moved in with her daughter in Valley Center. As usual, Mickie Pearson showed up with a ton of food for those who didn’t bring any lunch of their own. Altogether a fun event where old friends remember the “good old days” and share their memories. Keep in mind, there will be another picnic next year on the third Thursday in May at the same Santee Lakes location…. Some of you might remember Tom Lemieux who attended LHS in the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grades, but moved to Colorado and graduated in ’58 there. He fondly remembered some of his favorite teachers…My wife, Marianne, and I spent this Memorial Day in Yuma helping our family/friends Jean Baber (’58) and Cliff Hetz (’57) celebrate their 45^th wedding anniversary. On our drive back home, we stopped in El Cajon to visit Jean’s mom, Dorothy, who had just celebrated her 101^st birthday!

OTHER NEWS: Last month I mentioned a flaring controversy over racist comments and images directed at LHS athletes by athletes at Cathedral Catholic High. Turns out that Cathedral Catholic’s football program has been sanctioned and put on probation for two years. They were also ordered to implement a “restorative education program” to make the perpetrators aware that racism is no joke and insulting people in minority groups is totally inappropriate. Let’s hope those athlete/brats learn their lesson. Another controversy involving LHS swirls around a City Council member and a member of the Unified School Board who are having a public argument about LHS students and their educational progress. The good thing is that Lincoln is not forgotten and the publicity may do it some good. Let us hope and pray!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

May 2021

REMINDER:

Your 50’s Reunion Committee reminds you that the Reunion Picnic is coming up soon--Thursday, May 20, beginning at noon and ending in the late afternoon. You bring your own food and beverages and all family members of your choice. We ask, however, that you take all the appropriate CDC-prescribed precautions to protect yourself and the rest of us—masks, social distancing, etc. It will be at Gazebo 3, previously known as Area L, , just before the camping sites. No sign-ups—just show up. The Lakes have a minor parking fee when entering.

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Really hope to see one and all at the picnic! Hopefully there will be plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and a decent temperature. (Of course, wise San Diegans always have a sweatshirt in the trunk just in case.) Most of us have been holed up the last many months and out of due caution have taken the pandemic seriously. For me, personally, I plan to mask up for the picnic and take all necessary precautions even though I am fully vaccinated. I neither want to get the virus nor pass it on to my fellow classmates! I remember what Neil Archibald (’57) said in the last newsletter after her vaccinations: “I feel safer but not safe.”

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: I was remiss last month in not reporting the passing of one of my favorite Chollas View Elementary and LHS grads, Janice (Markov) Dempsey (’57). She died of pancreatic cancer which she battled for many years. Janice led an active and fulfilling life, having acquired a good education, traveling the world, and ending up at an academic research job at UCSD. She was a good friend to many of us and regularly attended the reunions and the monthly coffee get-togethers. RIP to a very nice lady..,..Also, I received a recent note from Mike Fay, brother of Lew Fay (’59), that Lew passed away last November. Lew was well known as a member of the Nomads band that was popular for many years in the SD area. He wailed on the sax, but also was a very active athlete at LHS, mostly in track and cross country. I remember buying a Nomads CD from him just a few years back….Bob Moss (’57) reports that he and his wife of 59 years, Edna, have survived the stay-at-home conditions in good shape. Bob said they will miss this year’s reunion, but are planning a trip to SD in 2022. Bob reminded us that he won third place in a statewide essay contest in 1956 as a junior. His words are still applicable today. He talked about brotherhood and said that people have always had differences: skin colors, religions, ideas and customs. “When we know these differences, and we recognize and accept them, we will have all our racial groups living together in peace and harmony, making our state and nation a better place in which to live.” Prophetic words from a student/athlete we all remember. Thanks for the reminder, Bob!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

April 2021

Your 50’s Reunion Committee has decided to put on the Reunion Picnic this year at Santee Lakes. The date is Thursday, May 20, beginning at noon and ending in the late afternoon. You bring your own food and beverage and all family members of your choice.. We ask, however, that you take all the appropriate CDC-prescribed precautions to protect yourself and the rest of us—masks, social distancing, etc. It will be at Area L, just before the camping sites. No sign-ups—just show up. The Lakes have a minor parking fee when entering.

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: If you haven’t been very active during this COVID pandemic, why not use the Reunion Picnic as a good excuse to get out and have some fun with old friends? Yes, we’re all “old” in the classic sense, but that doesn’t mean we should forget the great experiences we had at LHS and all the great folks we met at that wonderfully diversified school! And, of course, it’s true that as time marches on—some of us are not. The list of deceased Hornets keeps growing! In the same vein, some of us are hoping to renew the monthly get-togethers at the Starbucks on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Clairemont Dr. We met on the second Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. If you would like to see that event start up again, please let Darrel Lawrence or myself know.

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: We got a couple of COVID vax stories from Shirley (Byrd) Peinetti (’58) and Nielsine (Power) Archibald (’57). Shirley had the good fortune of having it all handled by her son-in-law who not only made the appointment and gave her a ride, but also bought her lunch that day. “It was a Win, Win, Win for me and my son-in-law could brag that he took his mother-in-law out to be shot!” Nielsine was aided by her daughter to get the shots and the first one was at a high school in Perris, CA, and the second in Valley Center where her daughter lives. Both mom and daughter had a reaction to the second shot, and had fever, chills, etc., lasting about 36 hours. Niel wished good luck to one and all and said she feels safer, but not SAFE……So, how about our newly minted scholar, Jimmy Marino? He writes that he started at SDSU in the 60’s, but it took him another 60 years to complete his Film and Fine Arts degree in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. Graduation day is May 27 at 2 p.m. It will be live-streamed and if you’re interested, email Jimmy at jfmb@cox.net to get the streaming code. He adds, “Now maybe I can get a good job somewhere!”…This is a sad time for Wesley Comer (’59) who lost his wife, Tonia Zaner-Comer (’61). He said it was not COVID, but an internal bleeding disorder. She had four children, 13 grands and nine great grands. “May she rest in peach forever,” Wesley said…..An obit in the U-T listed a Paul H. Young, born in Sept. of ’40, and having graduated from LHS. However, he was not in the ’58 yearbook and several folks I have spoken with did not know of him. He earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and had quite a life and career. If anyone remembers him please let me know and I will print more info on him. Thanks!....Our alma mater has been in the news twice recently, one story reflecting badly on the school’s administrators and the other story telling about an insult to LHS students. The first said that administrators “misspent” funds that the school’s Site Council had dedicated for another purpose and that the funds were federal money which might bring an investigation. The second was another sad and/or racist-oriented story in the U-T on 4/15 which said that football players from Cathedral Catholic High posted a photo on social media of someone wearing a t-shirt with the words, “Catholics vs. Convicts III” The offenders apologized.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

February/March 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: So here we are in March already and things seem a little calmer in our country! Hmmm, I wonder why. Well, one good reason is that the COVID-19 situation seems to be ratcheting down a little with the advent of the vaccines. My wife and I both have had our two shots and I hope most of you have had yours. In fact, if any of you would like to share your story about how you got your shots—even if you had to fight to get one—I would love to read them and share in this newsletter. With us, my wife and I are with Kaiser and she made several phone calls to get an appointment with no success. Finally, she chanced upon the cell phone number of a “guy” who seemed in the know about how to get an app’t. He gave her another number to call, and BINGO we got in. We had the Pfizer shots at the new hospital on Kearny Mesa and it was very efficient. But it took persistence! (By the way, we didn’t “sneak in” ahead of anyone—it was all age-appropriate.)

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Folks, I know that some of my newsletters have seemed very political, and some of you have objected to that. But, frankly, what most people think about that invasion of our nation’s capitol and the threat it posed to our democracy, is scary indeed! Just the other day the head of the FBI called it “domestic terrorism.” And we all saw that the invaders were encouraged on by the former president—who still maintains he won the election. I can only hope we can all move forward from this tragedy of events and build our country back from this pandemic and get back to normalcy. But, I have to tell you that my wife and I will be wearing our masks and taking the other precautions in the near future to stay safe….Elbert Hada (’59) just sent a nice note about how much he enjoys this newsletter and that it helped him re-connect with an old friend from 50 years back. After a couple of moves, Elbert now lives in Castle Rock, CO., about 40 miles south of Denver where the air is clear and he says he can breathe again. He said he hopes our country can now come together and work for the greater good of the nation and the world. He said a big issue is how to understand our fellow humans. “We cannot control where or how we are born any more than we can control the color of our skin; we can, however, control how we treat each other.” He asked, how much trouble is it to be respectful to one another? And, is today much different in that sense that in the ‘50’s and 60’s? (Our thanks for some food for thought, Elbert!)…Most of us know Rick Smith (’57) the sports reporter. But how about Rick the health reporter—on himself? He has taken to his Fit Bit with some passion, it seems. Here’s what his 2020 report included: Total steps: 2,000,208 (the equivalent of walking the length of a cruise ship 4,839 times; Total miles: 922; and most active day—Feb. 14 with some 15,000 steps. (Maybe a Valentines Day gift for his wife?) Anyway, congrats to a newly hatched health nut—and keep up the good work!!

TO JUST IN: Your 50’s Reunion Committee has made the decision to put on the Reunion Picnic this year at Santee Lakes. The date is Thursday, May 20, beginning at noon and ending in the late afternoon. You bring your own food and beverage and any and all family members you’d like. We ask, however, that you take all the appropriate CDC-prescribed precautions to protect yourself and the rest of us—masks, social distancing, etc. It will be at Gazebo 3, formerly Area L, just before the camping sites. No sign-ups—just show up.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com I’m the editor, not Darrel Lawrence, so please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual. REMINDER: Again, please tell us about your interesting vaccine saga—if you have one.

January 2021

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Well after the horrible invasion of our nation’s capitol on Jan. 6, I’m really worried about the future of our democracy. The perpetrators were, in effect, Nazi storm troopers who only were missing their brown shirts. And the then sitting president actually encouraged these thugs, saying he “loved them” and that they were “very special.” The irony is that after five deaths and an enormous pillaging of the actual heart of our democracy, very few were arrested on the spot. Now these goons with guns are threatening every state capitol in America as they use their social media sites to talk about “revolution.” The other irony is that they were screaming about their hated for the government, but the government has been run by their “buddy” the last four years. One of the other very sad things for me was that they brought into the capitol Confederate flags, the very symbol of slavery and white supremacy. Trump lost the election fair and square and any statement to the contrary has been proven over and over to be the BIG LIE!!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: I got some feedback from the last newsletter about Jim Biers (’58), a retired FBI agent. The note came from Rick Smith (’57) who said that when he was PR man for the Chargers Biers and another agent came to his office looking for Chuck Muncie, a rather infamous Charger running back. In a call to Biers he confirmed that the Muncie thing was all about illegal drugs and an FBI sting that actually caught Muncie trying to buy illegal drugs from an undercover FBI agent. Muncie, who was actually a good athlete and player, ended up serving jail time for his illegal activities….
Then Rick Smith sent me some good news: A 2011 LHS grad, Norman Powel, a fine NBA star for the Toronto Raptors. Powell donated $100,000 to help more than 200 families from Lincoln High to be able to do some additional holiday shopping. “With everything that’s going wrong, we at least have some positive things going on in our community now,” said Verneal Smith, the mother of an LHS senior….
Now for some not-so-good news for the class of ’59: First, the sad announcement that Russell (“Rusty”) Cravens (’59) died Dec. 1 after a long career as teacher, coach, athlete and husband and father. He was an outstanding athlete and his specialty seemed to be basketball. Rick Smith sent me this note about Rusty: “Cravens had the purest jumps shot. He was a starter with Kern Carson, Al Catlin, and Forrest Glithero on the ’58-’59 team that was 17-6 and made the SCIF playoffs.” He received a full athletic scholarship to USD and was a star forward for four years. After his BA he earned a teaching credential and over 37 years of teaching at Clairemont High his subjects were history, government, economics and peer counseling. Russ is survived by his twin, Ruth, and a variety of children, grandchildren and great-grandkids. Despite his active outdoor lifestyle, he was beset by numerous health problems in his later years…..
So you might have seen a recent U-T headline: “Port Nixes 1,063-Room Bayfront Hotel Project.” The article stated that the massive $485-million project, supposedly four years in the making, was proposed by Ray Carpenter (’59) and his partner. They are long-time port tenants, but the space they lease (called the Fifth Avenue Landing) is where the city wants to expand the convention center. Some 10 or more years back, the city was going to buy out the lease, but then backed out. Their lease expires in ’24 or ’25 and Ray and his company are left holding the bag. So, Ray, at around age 80, maybe it’s time to retire, relax and count your millions? For most of us, it’s been really fun!!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com Please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual. REMINDER: All LHS gatherings are cancelled until further notice.

December 2020

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Here it is the holiday season once again, but oh what a difference! If we celebrate the safe and right way, we will avoid large family groups and being in contact with loved ones who might be symptomless carriers of COVID-19. Frankly it’s like a game of Russian Roulette—you never know if that bullet (virus) may hit you and possibly cause serious illness or even death! I seriously hope we all understand the risks (many people don’t) and make an intelligent decision to play it safe. There are many more future opportunities to celebrate holidays and the vaccine is just around the corner. So however you are celebrating your holiday of choice, I wish you a happy and safe one and a better year in 2021! Heaven knows we deserve it.

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: We heard that Victoria (Jackson) Freiheit’s (’56) husband, Willie, was very ill and in the hospital for a while last month. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he is a bit older than the rest of us….

On another more sad note, we read about the passing of Ernest (Ernie) Shepard (’58) on Nov. 29. Ernie worked at his dad’s lumberyard while at LHS and later became an expert glazier. He loved the SDSU men’s basketball team and also was a devoted fisherman. We learned that he loved helping people and when something needed fixing, he was usually able to fix it. The U-T obit said he was a proud and loving “Papa” to 15 grand-children, 3 great grandkids, and 3 great-great grand-children. Due to COVID, a celebration of life will be held later when it’s safe to do so….

NOW it’s time to send some big kudos to Myrna (Mortensen) Hawkins and her co-conspirator Bill Storm (both ’58) on the production of a memory book of ’58 grads who chose to write an essay, at Myrna’s request, on their memories of their time at LHS. It’s a leather-bound 6” x 9 ½” book titled ’58 Remembered—Abraham Lincoln High School. Myrna wrote to a ’58 class mailing list asking them to send her a written account of what LHS meant to them, the teachers they appreciated and other memories that may have helped form their futures. Some 28 grads responded, some with brief notes and others with a maximum effort that practically gave their life story. Myrna was kind enough to gift me a copy and I read it cover-to-cover and thoroughly enjoyed it! I know or have met most of the writers and it was fun to get their memories and ideas about their high school years at LHS. One major theme their writings/memories followed was their appreciation of the diversity of the student body at LHS and how positive it was to have friends from many different races, creeds and cultures. And this was not just the white kids, but across the board! The book includes 13 pages of what is called “Ancient History” that is full of color pictures and a “In Memory” page mentioning those who have passed away. I asked Myrna if there were copies for sale and she said they had given away most all of the first printing, but if enough people were interested in getting one, more could be printed. Myrna’s email is myrna2@cox.net If you get a copy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Here’s an incentive: The piece by Jim Biers, a retired FBI agent, is long but full of great stories about his exciting and (at times) dangerous career—especially when battling mobsters in Chicago…..

Again, please have a safe and happy holiday! Maybe we can get back to our get-togethers sometime next year! Anyone reading this probably has great memories of our days at LHS!!

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com Please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual.

REMINDER: All LHS gatherings are cancelled until further notice.

November 2020

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: Well it seems like we had a national election—didn’t we? It also seems like we have a President-elect—don’t we? You’d never know it from all the charges of “fraud” and “rigging.” I’m 81, which is close in age to all of you, and I have never seen anything like the charade that is going on over who won the election! I guess I don’t understand: Is the President saying that all of the votes for him were legitimate and all the ones for the President-elect were illegitimate? How about all those votes for the re-claimed Congressional seats that the President’s party won—are they all legal? I guess I’m just confused! Let’s just hope that it all gets straightened out legally before Jan. 20. With COVID-19 in a full upswing, this country needs a break! But, wait a minute, the current President suggests strongly that he will run again in 2024. Another nightmare??

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Last month I wrote a somewhat emotional remembrance of my old and dear friend, Jerry Varon (’57). Many of you sent me very nice notes of condolence and also your own remembrances of Jerry. Some of you may have even faced him in Traffic Court where he judged your guilt or innocence. I just want to thank you for your kind words and the emotional support you offered!....In light of Jerry’s passing, Neilsine (Power) Archibald (’57) said that pancreatic cancer goes so fast and seems to be getting more prevalent. “I have at least four friends or their husbands who have been taken by it lately,” she said. Janice (Markov) Dempsey (’57) wrote something very similar. Well they’re right, according to Dr. Richie Merino (’57) who was a family practitioner for some 40 years in Poway. He told me that when he first started doctoring there were maybe one or two cases of pancreatic cancer a year. At the end of his practice, he noticed there were many more cases of it. ”Something is going on to cause this clear increase in this cancer,” the good doctor said….’58 grad James Holland wrote that he has been out of the “alumni communications loop” for some time and that Myrna Mortensen (’58) tracked him down. He reports that after college he went to seminary at Southern Methodist Univ. and then to Yale for a master’s. He then served as a United Methodist minister in Southern Cal. for several years. Then, however, he entered the business side of health care. “I have a small consulting group and still work full time doing strategic planning for hospitals in oncology and orthopedics.” His third marriage “worked” and they have a horse farm in Santa Ynez near Santa Barbara. He reports: two daughters, six grandchildren and seven “greats.” He’s thankful to be re-connected to the illustrious ‘50’s gang….I got a very positive note and photos from Laura (Gilkey) Rush (’56). She thanked us for faithfully reporting news about our fellow classmates. ”Amazing we can still keep in touch after all these years. I wanted everyone to know that my husband, Loren Rush (Chula Vista High, ’54) and I celebrated our 65^th wedding anniversary on Sept. 4. We are so blessed to have had all these years together to enjoy family, friends and experiences.” For Laura it’s been a “wonderful life.”…..Some of you from the class of ’55 may remember Dale (Buddy) James. His family moved just before his senior year. Anyway, Buddy lives in the South and still teaches at the Sea School, Mobile, Alabama, for the Coast guard’s Tankerman Class He thanks us for keeping him up with his old pals, but wishes he could be more positive about the future for our country. His main request was to get him in touch with Gene Yonoshot (’55) who lives in Durham, NC, where Buddy plans to visit next year and catch up with Gene.

FROM: Pat Stalnaker (’57): pat.stalnaker@gmail.com Please send me info about yourself and your family! Don’t forget your year of graduation and the name you had in your LHS annual. REMINDER: All LHS gatherings are cancelled until further notice.

October 2020

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: The very important election of Nov. 3 is only a couple of weeks away and I hope that one and all will be voting. My grandmother, a German immigrant, did not get to vote in this country until she was 57 years old, even though she came here when she was about 20. But when women finally got the vote in 1920, grandma treasured that right and told anyone who would listen, “Voting is neither a privilege nor even just a right—it’s an obligation.” She never missed going to the polls. It’s sad for me to see on the news that today people are standing in line for 5 and 6 hours just to vote. And now, we have the prospect of armed thugs being at polling places trying to intimidate legal voters under the guise of “going to the polls to check carefully.” There seems to be no limit to the methods used to stop people, mostly minorities, from voting. Please don’t sit this one out, folks!!

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: It is with great sadness and even despair that I tell you of the passing of one of my best friends in life, Jerome Edward (Jerry) Varon (’57). Jerry ended his career as a Superior Court Commissioner (judge) in the Traffic and Small Claims courts. He had that position nearly 20 years. I knew him some 72 years, since the third grade. We were close friends all those years and never had a break in that friendship. We grew up together with a couple of other guys, Cliff Hetz and Rich Merino (both ’57), in Chollas View and attended school together through graduation at LHS. To this day, we are all still close friends. Jerry affected my life in so many positive ways, always encouraging me to do better and get as much education as possible. He did the same for himself. As Rich Merino said, “I can’t remember Jerry not being in my life!” Jerry was a thinker and had a really great legal mind. Once there, he took to the law like a fish to water. For the last 40 years or more, if I had a question about some law, or any legal matter, my first call was to Jerry. He loved to “discuss” (argue?) issues and seemed to have an opinion on just about everything. He’d also give you the shirt off his back if you needed it! Jerry died Oct. 3 of pancreatic cancer, which had only been diagnosed three weeks earlier. He was being cared for by his daughter, Tracey. His body was cremated and there will be a memorial service or Celebration of Life sometime in the future. RIP my dear friend!!....

Another passing was reported to me by Rick Smith (’57). Eddie Rae (Stephens) Bradford (’58) died Sept. 30 and is survived by three offspring, two sisters, three brothers, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Ever the sports reporter, Rick reported that Eddie Rae was the ’57 prom date for Luther Hayes (’57)…..

I hope you all remember Jim Constantino (’56), now a fisherman living in Arkansas.  He reported that his sister’s grandson, Cory Lee, has just signed a nice contract with the Houston Astros as a catcher.  Cory’s grandma, Gail (Constantino) Vaughan (’59) and husband Harry, live in Boise, Idaho…..

Many of you probably know that Jean Baber’s (’58) mom, Dorothy, is 100 years old. Well, Dorothy was featured in the U-T the other day in Diane Bell’s column in the “Local” section. The news peg was that Dorothy was born the same year women finally got the vote, 1920, and she was pictured taking her 2020 ballot to the Registrar of Voters. Cheers to Dorothy Baber, my grandchildren’s great-grandma….

In another vigilant move, Rick Smith pointed to a U-T article on Sunday mentioning a candidate for the Lemon Grove City Council named Teresa Rosiak, age 56. He wondered if she might be the daughter of Richard Rosiak (’57) who died of a heart attack decades ago. Does anyone know if that’s the case?

September 2020

TO MY FELLOW GRADS: We are experiencing some of the worst wildfires, hurricanes, heat spells and severe winds in our history. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, countless houses and other buildings have been razed by fires and too many lives have been lost due to these conditions. Does anyone still believe that global warming is a “hoax?” We were warned many years back that we needed to fight this global issue with the other nations of the world and save our planet. Yet, our current national leaders continue to downplay or ignore it while people continue to die, houses and forests burn and weather patterns continue to get more fierce. When will we learn?

BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: The class of ’57 had several marriages of grads who were both from that year. We heard from one couple who have now been married 60 years: Joanne (Donahoo) Marugg and Marty Marugg. This couple devoted their careers to public service: Joanne for 40-plus years as a school teacher in Chula Vista and Marty as a firefighter in the S.D.F.D. Living in QUIET Alpine, they have one son, Jim, who is deputy chief in the San Miguel Fire District and married to Laura, a middle school teacher. They brought two grandsons to Joanne and Marty—Tom, an Air Force captain and John, another teacher. The senior Maruggs live with their three cats and love feeding the birds in their beloved Alpine. They had a fire scare two years back, but their son, armed with a garden hose, saved their house. Joanne was so happy that her “8-rank pipe organ” was saved from the fire. The Maruggs are appreciative of this newsletter, but sent a strong message that more of us should be wearing masks, washing our hands and maintaining social distancing while in public. “We are totally disgusted with those who disregard the science that warns us of the viciousness of COVID-19,” they wrote…..

My good friend, Gary Stephany (’56), writes, “Great monthly newsletter! People who refuse to wear a mask are often those who take an Alzheimer’s test thinking it’s an IQ test.” Gary and wife, Marcie, are spending the summer in their cabin in the north woods of Minnesota golfing and fishing….

Russ Boehmke (’58) wrote, “Your writing is spot on, Pat. I share your feelings completely.” Russ, however, is very concerned about our country right now, especially about the upcoming presidential election. He looks forward to this missive each month….Waxing very philosophical, Ed Leon (’57) says: “I believe our society and American “civilization” is not only on the decline, but also pointed directly towards the abyss of self-destruction. I’m embarrassed for us, so disappointed in the narcissism, selfishness and sociopathy I witness every day.” Ed is especially upset about how so many so-called “Christians” espouse the degrading and abuse of the neediest and poorest among us….

I was honored when Gene Yonuschot (’55), who lives in a retirement community of 400 in Durham, NC, wrote for permission to reprint part of my last newsletter. “Your first two paragraphs are among the best I have read—thanks so much.” ….

Nielsine (Power) Archibald (’57) wrote, “Thanks, Pat. I’m worried too.”…

Lawyer and judge, Jerry Varon (’57), suggests that many folks in our era might feel like not wearing a mask, but that the stand is an ideological choice rather than a choice made from critical thinking. He would like to see some sort of online forum where we could discuss these issues. He appreciates the time spent on this newsletter…

For a dissenting opinion, Keith Little (’58) wrote, “For communications like your newsletter, I think you need to stay away from issues that really divide this country.”…

Another classmate wrote that “ALL LIVES MATTER.” My response to that is that negates what the Black Lives Matter movement is trying to say: That black folks have faced discrimination for hundreds of years and they are pointing out it’s time for that to stop!

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8th ANNUAL
LHS REUNION PICNIC
THURSDAY MAY 19th, 2022
at SANTEE LAKES
Information