MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Hope all your shopping is completed and you can just sit back and enjoy the season and the following updates on Classmates' activities.  The court will come to order.

 

RAY COYE checks in from the Chicago area where he's still enjoying his work at DePaul University.  RAY says, "Our initial three year commitment to the Chicago area has now stretched past 15 years.  PATRICIA left the Academy of Pediatrics in '96 to spend more time becoming a horse trainer.  She maintains a consulting practice in the areas of continuing medical education and enhancing team processes providing professional satisfaction as well as income for such essentials as hay, grain, horseshoes, and ... oh yes, college tuition for son Travis (20).  Travis is a Junior at Western Washington University. He finished his high school career as the #1 pole vaulter in Illinois (also top 10 in high hurdles), but had a disappointing freshman year after a mid-season mountain biking accident.  Last year he qualified and competed at the NAIA Nationals.  This year will be tougher as Western moves from NAIA to NCAA Div.II."  RAY and PATRICIA have made six trips to Bellingham in the last two years and had short visits with FRANK KLINE in Mazama, Wa. while on the road through the North Cascades.  FRANK and PATRICIA have mutual interests in natural horsemanship training methods. RAY also sees TOM MARHEVKO once in awhile for lunch when TOM's in town and RAY's teaching schedule happen to coincide.  [It is a small world...our oldest son Carl is also attending Western!]

 

BERT KINGHORN ran into WAYNE VERRY getting on the DC Metro one night.  He passed on my E-mail address and WAYNE checked in with this update.  "I retired in Jul 91 and moved back to Grand Haven.  I found myself back in DC in spring of 93, and Sandee and I were divorced a year later.  RITA and I have been married now for 4 years.  We live in a 2 bedroom townhouse that is quite close to the Pentagon and downtown DC.  I'm working as a national projects manager for AmeriCorps, providing guidance and oversight for over 500 community service projects each year.  My job involves a bit of travel; I get to Charleston, Denver, and San Diego once or twice a year.  RITA works for Department of Defense, helping to develop policy and write legislation to support US military training of other nations' armed forces.  A quick update on our kids: David - married 5/98, graduated 5/97 from Hope College in MI.  Now at Asbury Theological School in KY, studying to be a Methodist minister.  Jeff - married 6/97.  Graduated from Ball State and now at Eastern College in Philadelphia, PA, working on his MBA.  Chris - single, in his senior year at University of Michigan, majoring in Music Ed.  RITA's daughter Terry - married, living in Alabama, has a 4 year old daughter (makes me a grandpa!)  Terry works for Ericsson Communications.  RITA's son Sonny is single, a high school band director (Chris' career desire so they have a lot in common), living in Atlanta. We bought 2 acres of land in Alabama, and will eventually retire there.  We spend time planning our dream house - some day we'll have to figure out if we can afford it!"

 

Got a short note from PHIL CAPPEL.  PHIL is Chief of the Recreational Boating Product Assurance Division (G-OPB-3) and works down the hall from fellow Coast Guard civilian employees DAVE EDWARDS and RICH HARDING.  PHIL says, "HQ is a great place to work these days - I get to see everybody retire.  I'll be going to DON ESTES' retirement next week.  What a bunch of old timers we've become.  I do occasionally get to see Admirals ALLEN and KINGHORN but I can only hang around them for a short time cause I get a nose bleed from being in the stratosphere.  Some of us have come a long way from the endless bridge and cribbage games in the smoke filled rooms of the big house.  Ah, the memories - they do bring a smile to my face."

 

Checking in from Medina, Ohio is DAN SHOTWELL.  A few years back while in MACKINAW, I was able to take DAN and his family for a short cruise on Lake Erie.  DAN and MIDGE have been married almost 24 years now...seems shorter for DAN and longer for MIDGE. They live in a log house built back in 1979-80 on four acres near Medina. MIDGE's the pricing manager at the local Medina Super K-Mart and has been with K-Mart almost 10 years.  DAN's been working at Wellman Friction Products as a process engineer for the last 15 years.  They manufacture aircraft brake disks and segments for commercial and military aircraft (737, DC-9, DC-10, C-130, to name a few) as well as parts for various industrial and automotive applications and some sintered powdered metal parts for heavy truck, earth mover and tractor manufacturers. Son Matt (22) graduated last spring from Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio with an Associates Degree in Ranger Services.  He married his college sweetheart Rachel this past July. Daughter Becky (19) starts her second year at Ohio Northern University and hopes to complete the Sports Medicine program in three or four more years.  DAN's become an avid (borderline fanatic) bicycle rider, logging thousands of miles...until an unlucky encounter with an uneven railroad crossing in the rain.  He's recovered from the broken left clavicle, four broken ribs and a punctured and partially collapsed lung.  DAN concludes, "In our spare time MIDGE and I (Well, she does help!) are building an airplane in our basement.  It's a two place tandem, open cockpit, high wing monoplane, the "Pietenpol Air Camper" designed around 1929 by a guy from Minnesota named Bernard H. Pietenpol. Should have it flying after the millennium.  If any classmates have a spare 65 horse Continental engine or 100 to 115 Lycoming or even an old Corvair engine with a good crank...I'm looking for an engine!"

 

Group Boston has sent in an update on his post-retirement assignment.  CHUCK BECK assumed command Saturday 22 August and explains how it happened: "Most may have heard of, or perhaps read about, my retirement orders last year.  I had a retirement ceremony with all of the trimmings on 18 June 1997 in the Mahan Rotunda at the Naval War College in Newport, RI.  THADMIRAL ALLEN traveled up from DC to be my honored speaker and did a marvelous job.  For those that have not had the opportunity to observe THAD in action as a flag officer he is truly awesome and doing the class proud.  Three days after my ceremony I got asked to NOT retire in order to fill an unexpected off-season gap in CCGD1(oan).  Even though CHERYL had received a sweet offer that was too good to pass up to teach at UCONN, I agreed to fill the one year gap.  Then comes the 98 assignment season and the detailer asked if I would consider Group Boston. Hey command is command, and I hadn't tried the shore command stuff yet, so what the heck.  The commute to our new home in Tolland, CT is a killer but I stay in Boston during most of the week.  JIM and PEG SYLVESTER, STEVE and FAITH PLOSZAJ, and BOB and CHERI GONOR attended the CofC."

 

BOB and AMY TABOR sent a quick E-mail.  They're "home alone" as daughter Kory is a Senior at Conn College majoring in Psychology, son Scott is a Freshman at Pace University, and son Adam is a Sophomore in a High School Boarding School.  At least the dog is still at home!  BOB left the fashion consulting business in November of '95 and since then has been working with AMY in their Mail Boxes Etc. store, first in Glen Cove and then also in Old Brookville, NY. Though constantly busy, it keeps them out of trouble.  I'm sure if you stop by they'll mail all your Christmas packages...FREE!

 

GREG COPE hosted a little soiree in Cleveland.  THADMIRAL ALLEN was swinging through town, so GREG had THAD and STEVE DECESARE over for an evening of steaks, root beers & lemonades, and maybe a sea story or three.  GREG's the Chief of Stuff in the 9th and STEVE's commuting to Cleveland from the Cape assisting in the paperwork shuffle associated with a large bank merger/acquisition.

 

Had a short visit with TOM GEMMELL who was visiting the lower 48 to check on his Bainbridge Island estate.  TOM took the ferry across the pond to check out my view and get a legal opinion on his tonsorial and sartorial Alaskan image.  TOM...what's that gray stuff on your face?  Tried getting a SitRep from BRAD TROTH, but think he's changed his ISP, so I asked TOM to check on his recovery.  TOM got through to BONNIE and BRAD's doing fine...at the time he was over helping a friend with a remodeling project!

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for CHARLIE WURSTER as he short tours in Kodiak to relieve RADM DENNY SIROIS as PACAREA Chief of Staff!

 

Keep sending me updates on what you're doing and include some photos!  If you hear of E-mail addresses for missing classmates, or if you're changing your own ISP (BRAD?), make sure let me know so I can keep our on-line roster current.  We're adjourned!