For people who attended Crawford High School or would have attended if they hadn't
moved -- or just have fond memories of San Diego in the '40s, '50s and '60s.

Check out the Crawford High web site.

Friday, April 26, 2013



Imagine plopping down in your easy chair and turning on the television only to see yourself.  Luckily that didn't happen to me 'cause Nancy and I stayed a little longer than we'd planned at the Amigo Spot last Thursday.  Several of you wrote to tell me you'd seen me do my "Garnet, Darn It" bit, which I think is about 20 years old.  Judging by my glasses, it may be older.  If you'd like to see it go to Ken Kramer's About San Diego.  It's near the end of the 30-minute piece.


I was looking at this photo of three Douglas TBD "Devastators" when it occurred to me that I could share it with my Colt buddies as a San Diego Photo.  I'm almost certain the photo looks north to La Jolla Shores from east Pacific Beach.  WWII buffs know that all of the Devastators at the Battle of Midway were shot down by the Japanese.  One of the planes in this photo was there.  The two others were lost earlier.  Click HERE to learn more -- and see the BIG picture.

Coming in from out of the cold were Barbara Adams Ek '66 from Everett, Washington, Frank "Butch" Hiller '71 from Rancho Mirage and Harold Goot '76 from Marion, Illinois.  You can find them on their respective email pages.  Judy Sisler Pedro '66 has moved from Norman, Oklahoma to Berkeley, California to be closer to her daughter.  THAT must be an interesting cultural change.



Rolly Fanton, Anita Smith, Doug Wied, Donna Genaro, Janice Hillis, Barbara LeSage, Richard Bray, Terry Hudson, Rick Herrmann and Charlie Tate.  Track Star, Senior Sketch, Heap of the Week, May Coed, Wedding Gown Model, Honored Journalists, Music Festival Winner.  You'll have to read the April 25, 1963 Pacer  to figure out who earned which honor.


I believe the 5th Annual Senior Awards Day program is the last of the Crawfordiana loaned to me by Ann Roskos Roffelsen '63.  Enjoy!!


They're BA-A-A-A-A-CK!!!!  Ron Klein is returning to the Amigo Spot with his First Thursday followers.  Holy Cow!!  It says 5 PM in the above marquee from Nancy Miljas.  That's almost too early for me.  Let's see, I guess that would be May 2nd.  See you there.



Nancy and I may be brunching on Costco hot dogs next Friday.  Arcadia Publishing has asked me to show up at the Morena store at 11 AM on May 3rd to autograph copies of my Images of America: Pacific Beach book.  If you can't make it you can purchase a copy off my web site.



Friday, April 19, 2013


Commander "Skip" Fry scored a trifecta for his Association of Naval Aviation luncheon last Tuesday at MCAS Miramar.  Showing up to speak were Third Fleet Commander VADM Gerald Beaman, Cobra pilot and Marine Aviator of the Year MAJ Bob Weingart, and -- recently returned from commanding the Marine Air War in Afghanistan -- MGEN Gregg Sturdevant.  (Photo by Nancy Wingo)



For those who need a historical photo fix here's a shot of Lakeside that might date to the turn of the last century.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.



Barbara Hinrichs Vester '61 sent me the above clipping from her Senior Year featuring ASB President Ervin Somogyi.  I scanned it, uploaded it and posted it on the Memories Page -- then forgot to tell anyone.  Last Saturday Barbara invited Ervin and Bob Richardson to lunch and Bob sent me a photo of the trio.  Click HERE to see enlargements of both photos.



This time I'm SERIOUS!!  We're absolutely down to the last couple of items from the Hope Chest of Ann Roskos Roffelsen '63.  Here's the program from the 1963 Fillies Follies, held in the auditorium on March 20, 1963.  Rolly Fanton, Linda Johnson, and Kathy Houser led off the Talent Portion with "The Marriage Proposal".  



Holy Mackerel!!  Cheryl Creel ended up being the best typist in the state, according to the article in the  April 21, 1972 Pacer.  There's a nice ad for the Carvel Ice Cream store on 54th and Redwood.  I mention it mostly because they point out that it's "half-way between K-Mart and Fed-Co".  



Lulu Anaya Bayless '63 sends word that her brother Louie Anaya '59 passed away April 15th.  He had been in ill health for many years.  You can read what Lulu wrote, plus an article about Louie from the November 4, 1958 Evening Tribune, on the 1959 Obituary Page.




Friday, April 12, 2013


Now I'll NEVER get a chance to take Annette Funicello to the malt shop.  An important part of our '50s culture passed away this week.  The New York Times has an extensive obituary.


My Pacific Beach pal, and good kind of hoarder, Willie Skinner stopped by with another undated Auto Club map, I guess to authenticate my supposition.  Linda Vista Junction, where World War One soldiers got off the train to be transported to Camp Kearny, was no where near today's Linda Vista.  It appears to me to be the same location as what we called La Jolla Junction in the 1950s.  Click HERE to take a closer look.



Remember when the teacher delivered a freshly-dittoed, aromatic quiz to your desk.  If you were the teacher, you could linger just a moment in the teachers' work room and get an extra whiff of the ditto fluid.  Sadly, the process left much to be desired in the archival storage field.  I mention this because the inside pages of the 1962 Christmas Carousel program shared by Ann Roskos Roffelsen '63 are, in some cases, faded and hard to read.  Still fun to try, though.  



Cheryl Creel, according to the April 7, 1972 Pacer, was the top typist in San Diego County with a speed of 71 Words Per Minute.  I think I typed 44 Words Per Minute in Mrs. Alexander's class, but I may be confusing that with my SAT Math Score.



Janet Ekrem Wold '61 passed away March 22nd.  You can read more on the Class of '61 Obituary Page


Evie Fix Peters '66 was born at Balboa Hospital and died there on February 28th.  Go to the Class of '66 Obituary Page for a remembrance by her cousin Cyndi Racz Clarke ’66.  While you're there you can read what little we know about the passing of Bruce Tokars (below)




Friday, April 5, 2013


I visited Mom briefly on Easter Sunday at Renown Care and Nancy took this picture of the two of us.  Old age is definitely not for sissies.  

Subscription renewal envelopes for the Class of '66 went out in Tuesday's mail.  

Bob Kerns '63 sends word that his brother Don Kerns, who didn't quite graduate with the Class of '60, passed away suddenly on March 19th.  Click HERE to access the Class of '60 Obituary Page, where you can read about Don and sign the guest book.


Elaine Robinson Davis '61 poses with members of the Hamer tribe of southern Ethiopia.  That's her son-in-law John at left.  I don't know if all of these ladies are married to the same lucky guy, but Elaine indicated that the woman next to John is the First Wife, a status declared by her permanent leather collar.

A larger version of this Class of '63 Save The Date Card can be found on both the Class of '63 Missing Page and Class of '63 Email Page.  '63 grads should be receiving one in the mail this week in addition.



Here's the cover of the 1963 Vespers Program, held at Russ Auditorium on June 9, 1963.  Click HERE to read what's inside.  And thanks, once again, to Ann Roskos Roffelsen.



Mary Leiser Galer '63 passed away March 23rd in Warrenton, Virginia.  Click HERE to go to the '63 Obituary Page, where you can read her obituary and sign the guest book.



Lee Cook '66 ventured west of I-5 to the La Jolla home of Mitt Romney.  I'm sure there's more to the story, but I suspect that Lee just stuck around long enough to get his picture taken.