Jerry Ellis ‘61 died May 3, 2024 in Fairfax, Virginia after a short illness. He was born in San Diego and was one of three siblings, his sisters Joan and Barbara having passed before him. Upon graduating from San Diego State University in 1967, he joined the Navy and in 1968 he was designated as Radar Intercept Officer in the F-4 Phantom and made two combat tours in Vietnam. Upon return from his military service, he continued his career and worked his way up the ranks at Western Airlines, starting as a ramp and cargo operator in 1966 and ending as SATO manager – responsible for all the official and personal travel of the McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, WA. When Delta Air Lines acquired Western in 1988 he continued his service by working in Military and Government Sales. At Delta, he became the Global Account Manager in which he was responsible for the coordination and administration of Delta’s participation in the General Services Administration’s (GSA) City Pair Program (CPP) Federal air travel contract. One of Jerry’s favorite jokes was that he couldn’t die because the Lord didn’t want him, and the Devil didn’t want the competition. His friends and family can imagine him quipping that a compromise must have been reached, and “they” found him a golf resort where it’s always a perfect day for golf, no wind, and your drives are flying long and straight. However, the clubhouse often runs out of prime rib and mashed potatoes. Those of us who have survived Jerry will be missing his humor, his kindness, and his faithful presence.
Friday, July 26, 2024
July 26, 2024
Friday, July 19, 2024
July 19, 2024
Jerry Brooksher ’64 died April 26, 2024, surrounded by the love of his life, Kathlyn and family. He was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, moving at age 6 to San Diego. Jerry's distinguished academic career began at Crawford, graduating as Salutatorian. He then completed his Master's Degree in English Literature and Art at San Diego State University. After serving as a civilian employee with the US Navy as the Technical Director of the Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Pacific, he was transferred to the Naval Underseas Warfare Center based in Hawaii, where he retired after completing 25 years of service. After “failing retirement”, Jerry continued for 25 more years as a Test and Evaluation Engineer with private companies. In 1996 Jerry met Kathlyn McDougal Erickson at Bully's Steak House. They married in 1999 and lived a full, happy and loving life overlooking Lake Murray. Jerry will be remembered for his generous, kind heart, his quick wit, his deep love and commitment to his family, friends and country.
Please contact Lila, at lilamcd@gmail.com for information on the Celebration of Jerry's Life to be held July 20, 2024.
Jerry was a faithful supporter and donor of 2 scholarships to SDSU. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the annual SDSU Brooksher Memorial Scholarship. https://tinyurl.com/zv4pad2s Jerry was also a Benefactor of the San Diego Zoo. Donations may be made in his name to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. sdzwa.org/memorial
SAVE THE DATE. Bob Petretta ’67 passed away December 11, 2022. His sons Tim and Bobby are hosting a Celebration of Life at the Brigantine Restaurant in La Mesa on Friday, August 9, 2024 from 6-9 PM.
Friday, July 12, 2024
July 12, 2024
Friday, July 5, 2024
July 6, 2024
Did you watch Fourth of July fireworks? I was asleep and didn't hear a thing.
I've enlarged this cartoon to make sure you can read the inscription on Harry's gravestone.
Friday, June 28, 2024
June 28, 2024
I hope my Jewish friends enjoy this. I hope the rest of my friends get it. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a bonus.
Friday, June 21, 2024
June 21, 2024
Today's the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. All I know is that it's still light when I slip under the covers at 8 each night with a smile on my face. A far cry from 70 years ago when I HAD to go to bed at 7 and I was upset that I could hear the other kids still in the street playing Three Flies Up.
Marcia Solomon LeVitt ’64 passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in Sacramento, California. Marcia was born and raised in San Diego, California where she lived a care-free life, much to the chagrin of her parents Samuel and Hope Solomon. Besides the tamer tennis and swimming, she often rode the bus by herself to the beach eight miles from her home. She was also known to sneak out of worship services to meet up with her friends doing the same at a local soda shop. She and childhood and lifelong friend Donna even hitchhiked to Mazatlán when Marcia was just nineteen. Marcia, known by some classmates as “Mushie”, graduated in 1964 after skipping a grade a few years earlier. She went on to nursing school in Los Angeles at 17, but some of the realities of the profession led her to pursue a teaching career. She attended Long Beach State and graduated from Chico State in 1972. Marcia taught briefly at schools in inner-city Los Angeles and later in Foresthill, California. She switched gears again, however, and worked for the Nevada County and Placer County Human Assistance Departments. She later transferred to the Sacramento HA Department where she worked for 26 years in the Welfare Fraud unit, making additional friends for life. She retired in 2004. A hippie at heart, Marcia met Ed Zajac during communal living in an old Victorian house in Long Beach. They shared a decade of travel and college-hopping before parting ways. After moving to Sacramento, her next door neighbor introduced her to yet another set of friends for life, whose passion was exploring old mines and ghost towns in Nevada. She became a staunch believer in “life begins at 40” when she met and married Raymond LeVitt. Marcia and Ray soon began volunteering and gathering more friends for life at several of the monthly community breakfasts on the Divide. Marcia also volunteered her talents at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park in Coloma. She especially loved teaching gold-panning to visiting fourth graders and other tourists. She even won a second place in the California State Gold Panning Championships! Marcia is survived by, among others, her heartbroken husband Ray, sister Lynne Solomon Ballman and forever friend Donna Glazier.
Friday, June 14, 2024
June 14, 2024
Friday, June 7, 2024
June 7, 2024
My pilot friends LOVE this Far Side cartoon. They call them Cumulogranite clouds and say it's important to fly around them.
I thought I'd posted this photo before, but I can't find it. It's a postcard photo of San Diego State around 1957. Click HERE for an enlargement.
William Simpson ’63 passed away May 30, 2024. As a Crawford Colt, Bill lettered in track and wrestling. He joined the San Diego Fire Department in 1966 and rose through the ranks to become a captain. He served as a firefighter for 35 years. Bill loved to hike the Sierras with friends and family and made annual trips which together covered over one thousand miles of mountain trails. He also loved to snow ski with his family near Lake Tahoe and travel with his wife Margaret to many places around the world. He is survived by his wife Margaret, daughter Brigette, son Travis, stepson Justin, grandchildren Ryan, Gage, Sophia, Jacob, Max, and Cael and brother Ron.
Friday, May 31, 2024
May 31, 2024
Richard Bennett ’61 passed away March 17, 2024. He grew up in San Diego and lettered in basketball and tennis while at Crawford. He went on to get a meteorology degree at San Jose State. He lived in Walnut Creek, California and worked at the East Bay Municipal Utility District for thirty years, retiring as their water conservation administrator. Richard was a devoted family man and enjoyed coaching his daughter and granddaughters’ soccer teams. He loved to hike with his wife and dogs, cloud watch, storm chase, ski, and hang out with his friends and family. He was a rabid San Diego Chargers fan. He was preceded in death by his brothers John and Bill, as well as his fraternal twin Bob. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, daughter Elizabeth, granddaughter Ella, and his younger brother Dave.













































