Monday, May 5, 2008

Lee Adams Lerch



This is my first entry, so I will try to get you up to date. My husband, Dave, and I have been living in Pennsylvania since we got married, 35 years ago. We lived in the Philadelphia area for a year, but that was a mistake. We are now in the Lehigh Valley (Allentown is the biggest city), living in an old farmhouse in the country. When we bought the house, it had no heat or plumbing, and only had minimal electricity. 3 years later, with the help of all his brothers, we got running water and heat. The electricity soon followed. It's quite comfortable now with lots of renovations. Needless to say, we delayed bringing children into that environment.


Our first child, Heather, was born Nov. 22, 1980. She excelled at everything including softball and soccer. Her picture can be found on a Team Cheerios box with her softball team from 1996. She graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in marketing and married Joshua Kuchera. They moved to Detroit where he was a mechanical engineer with the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler sent them to Germany on a job exchange program. That program ended when the auto industry began to have problems. They were scheduled to come home in December of 2007, when another company, TRW, grabbed Josh. And so, they are still in Germany. April 2, 2008, was the birth of their first child, Carsten, and our first grandchild. Dave & I just came back from visiting them. Carsten is beautiful, don't you think?


Our second child, Adam, was born on May 19, 1984. He has blossomed into an incredible artist. He graduated from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and is still living in that area. He has had several freelance art jobs, such as illustrating a book and story boards for a movie. He also works as a valet for a hotel to bring in a regular paycheck for now. Adam's website is
http://www.illustrationguru.com/


As for me, I had a career as an Occupational Therapist, got 2 masters degrees and decided I needed something different. I am using my Occupational Therapy training at a local YMCA teaching aquatic fitness classes. I was the Aquatic Director there for 7 years. I am now back to teaching the aquatic fitness classes, 5 mornings/week, 2 or 3/day. And, that's the way I like it. The water keeps me "young," especially in my senior classes where most of them are near 80.
I also have a freelance art business at home. I design custom Christmas cards, usually of your house. I have recently ventured into watercolor and house portraits. My website, which is still under construction, is:
http://www.creativeavenuespa.com/
This has been fun. I can't wait to get caught up on everyone else.

Lee

Bix Norman


My family and I lived in Fayetteville for 10 years from age 4 to 14 so l have many memories of growing up there... in fact my best memories. In our neighborhood I especially remember Artie Johnson (smart and scholarly), Flip Benham (handsome and less scholarly!) and Judy Lapham (did everything correctly if I remember right). I believe they were all in the same 8th grade when we moved away. From 8th grade I especially remember many of the girls and boys including Maria Pulos, Barb Belton, you Debby, Sylvia Billings (8th grade girlfriend) and Gary Revercomb, Dick Shanahan (basketball) and many others... I'm stopping because I don't want to risk leaving out someone. For me it was a great time and I loved FM Jr high in the old Manlius school.
We moved to Bloomfield Hills north of Detroit, a very ritzy community and one of the weirdest places I've ever lived... a lot of spoiled rich kids. (Hope none of you live there now!) We only were there 18 months and then moved to East Lansing, MI and I graduated from East Lansing High in '66. It was great living there, normal but ultra competitive kids (offspring of Michigan State professors, etc.) and it was the time when MSU was number one in football playing Notre Dame to the infamous 10-10 tie.
If you're familiar with college rivalry you'll know that if you can get into Michigan State or The University of Michigan, you, of course, go to U of M in Ann Arbor... the better school. Fortunately I was a good student through High School and went to U of M where I did more partying than studying.
Met Margot the beginning of Jr., instantly fell in love and 2 1/2 years later we were married and still are after 37 1/2 years.
First company I worked for was Standard Register selling business forms and doing their management training program. Lived for 8 years in York, PA and then Medford Lakes, NJ for about 5 years where I changed jobs to a more entrepreneurial/progressive company - Herman Miller an office furniture company based in Holland, MI. My parents were always in love with modern design including furniture and passed that love onto me so when I was researching companies I knew Herman Miller from living in MI and from their iconic designs, e.g. Eames Lounge Chair, Aeron chair, etc.To make a long story shorter I worked for Herman Miller for about 25 years starting in Medford Lakes, NJ (actual office location was 58th and Madison in NYC), then Holland, MI for short while (headquarters) then in Dayton, NJ (exit 8a on NJ Turnpike) then back to Holland, MI where we have lived ever since (19 years). It was a wonderful experience and a wonderful ride. I was fortunate to be able to retire at age 53 about one month before the "dot-com" implosion which diminished my former employer from $2.3 billion running rate to $1.3 in a little over a year. Talk about getting out of Dodge at the right time.
Along the way and more importantly Margot and I had two children a boy Todd and a girl Mary who are 30 and 27, teacher and Physicians Assistant respectively. Todd got married while in college and he and wife Kathryn now have 5 children and live 2.1 miles from our house. The g-kids are 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1. And they are really good kids although their energy levels are off the chart.
Margot and I spend about 4 months in Bonita Springs, FL from Jan 1 to May 1 and love it more and more, but it is hard to be away from the g-kids especially while they are this young and we are so close to them physically and emotionally.I've had a wonderful life so far and, if anything, it seems to be getting better as I increasingly mellow from the type A competitive guy to the laid back "hoppa" (what all the g-kids call me).
As I've gotten older it's more and more fun to hear what's happened to old friends and classmates especially at FM.
Bix

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Debby Larus Doolittle


I hardly post anything about myself so I thought I would take a moment and say how wonderful it is for the blog to have blossomed as it has lately. I've been hearing from all new people. Views of the site have gone from around 10 per day now to about 30 per day. And we're getting classmates from all over the country and world.
Some have expressed to me that they were not that well known in high school and don't feel they're a part of the class, but I think now that we've reached this age, we should put this kind of thing behind us and just take joy and fun in finding out about each other.
Thanks for all the great responses and emails and I look forward to hearing more soon.
Debby

Dave Milan


Hi Debby,
Pretty soon you'll have found everyone in our class. How do you do it? I have a hard time finding basic stuff on the internet. Amazing.
I'm doing fine, but I have a lot on my plate. Full-time job plus maintaining 6 cars (you'd think I had the good sense to collect something simple and small like spoons or stamps or something) plus working with Kristi to remodel our new (to us) home (it's only 7 years old and has been sorely neglected, but most of the work is cosmetic) plus exercise (never enough of that) plus ... well, the list seems endless. I got on line this morning for the first time in a long time and had 47 emails from a week ago. Just aren't enough hours in the day. The good news is that we're going to take a little break from working on the house after we reach a couple of milestones and then we'll have more time to enjoy life. That is, enjoy life even more. Hope all is well with you and you're managing to avoid all that nasty weather that's been blowing across the midwest.
Dave

Kent Langworthy



Finally heard back from Kent and learned that his wife Paula has made an excellent recovery from her recent surgery.

Cinda Meachem Sutton


OK. Deb,
I'm officially"hooked" on your blog!!
I can't believe you post almost every day! I find if I don't check it out almost daily, I miss something! Who would have thought that at age almost 60, we'd be checking up on friends from Jr & Sr. high! ....
This is all such a HOOT!

Next weekend I'm taking my 90 year old mother to Jane and Tad's house. We'll spend Friday night there and then go on to Titusville (Cape Canaveral) so that my Mom can attend a Jr high friend's 90th birthday party!! Jane and I will go out to lunch and go shopping or something while the "oldsters" have a party. Then back home so that we can celebrate Mother's day here.
I feel so fortunate to have my Mom in full, sharp mind, even though her body isn't so strong. Even though she's on a walker, she goes to water aerobics 6 days a week. My daughter-in-law and I go to a different water aerobics class, taking advantage of our beautiful weather!
Cinda

Do You Need Rental Car Insurance?

Click on writing to enlarge.

Just saying Hi -- Tom Weller




Hi Debby,
Hello from the Left Coast. Just writing to keep in touch. Things are pretty much the same out here, but then the same is nothing to complain about. Getting ready to go out to Lake Havasu to get the boat ready for the season. The picture is a couple of years old, but London Bridge still looks the same, as does the boat. This is just about the right time for going out there. Not too hot, Spring Break is over (ahh, to be 20 again!!!), and you don't cook the minute you leave the air conditioning. It gets up to about 110 or better for most of the summer out there, so you tend to just scurry from air conditioned cars to air conditioned buildings. Not much fun. During the Winter you have to contend with all the snowbirds, so that can be a little challenging as well. That's about it. No news is good news. Hope all went well with your medical procedure. I'm probably going to go back to Alaska again this summer. I'm squirreling away all my pennies as we speak.

Take care and I will keep in touch.

Tom

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Bix Norman

Bix and Margot Norman
2008

7th grade homeroom


I couldn't resist putting this homeroom shot in as well. Click on it to enlarge.

Mr. Pendergast's 8th grade homeroom


Check out this photo. Click on it and it will enlarge so you can see people.

Bix Norman


Bix Norman has been located in Holland, MI. Mike Krall and Rick Cook assisted in this search. Rick, who lives near Lansing, MI called to see if the right person had been found and in deed it is Bix. This is a photo cropped from Mr. Pendergast's 8th grade homeroom. Looking forward to finding out what Bix has been up to since Jr. high school.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Road ID

Give EMT's all the information they need with MY ROAD ID

"Carrying ID during you daily workout could save your life. In an emergency, wearing ID may be the only thing you have to guarantee correct medical treatment and immediate contact with family members. If you can't speak for your self, your Road ID will."

for information see www.RoadID.com or call 800-345-6336

I found an ad for this in a fitness magazine and thought it would be of benefit to anyone who bikes or runs a lot. Road ID comes in wrist form, shoe, ankle and necklace. Check out the website.

Camilla Zankowski Daniels


Happy Birthday
Camilla
Sunday,

May 4th



Guy Beck


Guy is finishing his music studies in Calcutta, India and is "looking forward to the cool swamplands of Louisiana, and the soft jazz of the French Quarter," after the intense heat of India.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Sandy Jackson Epoch


Just received a picture of Sandy and her 2 year old grandson, Dylan.

Greetings from the following Classmates







Greetings from the following Classmates






John Visser


Hi Debby,

Just the usual busy stuff with the kids. One is graduating HS this year, one is working on his drivers license, and my 10 yr old is working on her social life. My oldest is on temp. assignment in San Francisco resetting a store for the company she works for. (West Marine) She is also finding out the cost of living difference between there and southern CA. A good economics lesson for her.

I did check the blog and enjoyed reading what has been going on with the alumni. My younger sister still lives in Fayetteville. I'll probably be back in the area this late summer/early fall.

Best wishes to all.

John Visser

Judy Lapham Drake


Debby,
You are very good to keep communicating. I spend my time at work on the computer or the phone, so when I get home i become a hermit. My oldest son Josh, who is the Associate Director of Residence Life At St. Lawrence, is getting married this summer and he and his fiancee have asked us to decorate for the reception. The theme is "A Midsummer Night's Dream". My husband Jay and I have been prop masters for Roberts Wesleyan Community Theater here in Rochester for 12 years. Jay also acts and directs, I just stay out of sight. So that is the challenge of the moment. We usually can set up and leave it, we are trying to figure out how to get in and out with a minimum of effort, and it is two hours from here. I am enjoying it so far, haven't started to panic yet.Our daughter Amelia is finishing her 1st year of her Master's in Art Therapy. She went back to school after working 6 years in TV and movies (props)Our youngest son Aaron, the one in Cleveland, is deciding which internship in Industrial Design to work at for the summer.
Thanks for asking,
Now I will check out the blog-still not sure about all this.
Judy

Junior High Book Club

Does anyone remember being in a book club in jr. high. All I can remember is Bix Norman and myself. Does anyone remember meeting at different houses to read and dicuss classic books, like a "Tale of Two Cities?"
My mind is a blank.

Help

Linda Badgley D'Agostino


Hi Debby,
Just tried doing a "comment" on the F-M Blog to today's birthday question. I just couldn't contain myself to 300 characters. So I wanted to say.......

My usual comment to any discussion of one's birthday is always, "You're only a day older than the day before." But WOW, we're 60!! And we're doing big things! How did we get here?
This class is so amazing, so much talent and giving back, in every way.
I need to say that I'm in awe of all that's been accomplished by this incredible
F-M Class of '66. Every time I take a few minutes to read what's going on I find myself amazed that, to name just a very few; Wayne and his wife are saving penguins in Antarctica, and Dave Neary is on the political trail with a potential President, that Guy Beck spent 5 years in India studying Hindustani music, and Dave Vermilya and his wife are helping to keep local youth on the right path .
We're no longer just in Manlius and Fayetteville. We're in Afganistan, Alaska,
Africa, all over the globe doing good things, leaving a positive influence
throughout the world.
And those of us that aren't doing the big things are doing our part in the little things that make a difference in our families, friends and communities.
"Hi" to everyone and thanks, Debby, for all your work on the blog. And thanks, everyone else, for all that you are doing, big or small, to assert a positive influence to everyone around us. As a genealogy researcher I have to say that our parents, our grandparents, and all our ancestors would be very proud.

Linda Badgley D'Agostino

Am on a quest:

Am on a quest to contact
Bix(Christopher)Norman. He was with us until jr. high and then left. His father ran a bookclub that many of us took part in and was very significant in getting one to read good books. Found an address for him in Holland, MI. at least I hope it is the right one. Mike Krall and Rick Cook are assisting me on this. If anyone has any information or memories about Bix, let me know.

Any thoughts.....

Any thoughts about turning 60? We are at the heart of the baby boom.

Don't Forget To....

Check out the other class blog sites: just click on the address and you'll go there

http://thennow66.blogspot.com/

http://fm66memorial.blogspot.com/

http://1966missingandlost.blogspot.com/

http://www.fmschools.org/

and my personal blogs if you're interested:

http://ddoolittle.blogspot.com/ (debby and her dogs)

http://gardeninginmo.blogspot.com/