May 19, 2023

 

John Sulliivan '65 says Diane, his wife of 54 years, was the one who found the apron above, in a shop in Solana Beach.  

Last week's ad for Orchid Corsages from Dave's Florist on College and El Cajon made it almost mandatory that we take another look at the photos of East San Diego taken by my late friend John Suitts in 1975.  Click HERE to take another look.

Speaking of East San Diego, or North Park actually, Melanie Dunn, who once taught English at Crawford, has opened her Patisserie Melanie at 3750 30th Street -- two blocks south of University.  Click HERE to read the article in Eater San Diego.

I'm not sure what the deal is, but the May 20, 1958 Pacer I've posted is a series of articles.  I don't know if it came to me that way, or -- horrors -- I cut it into pieces that would fit in my scanner.  I guess it shows how far we've come technically over the years.  Click HERE to check out the school newspaper from 65 years ago.  

Ross Stone ’63, a lifetime resident of San Diego, passed away peacefully at home on March 29, 2023.  He was in the first graduating class at UCSD, where he went on to earn a PhD in Applied Physics.  Over his career in Electrical Engineering and Radio Science he impacted industry, consulting, and research in antennas, propagation and related technologies.  He was a key person in the international scientific community, active in many societies, which led to extensive world travel.  He was Assistant Secretary General of the Union of Radio Scientists International in charge of publishing.  Ross was sensitive to the needs of young scientists and was committed to serve and educate the next generation of students and engineers.

A Memorial Service will be held May 20 at 10:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church San Diego, 2111 Camino del Rio S., San Diego, CA, 92108. In lieu of flowers, consider contributing to the Ukrainian Refugee Housing Fund at FUMCSD.org.

The Crawford Foundation web site says

 Bob Crogan '67 passed away May 9, 2023

James Whitehead ’73 passed away April 18, 2023

John Aguilar ’74 died April 30, 2023

May 12, 2023

A Far Side cartoon from 1987.  Raymond, it would appear, is a Junkyard Dog.

We've seen the school portraits I got from my 8th grade and 9th grade friends at Horace Mann, now we can take a look at the people who traded photos with me in 12th grade at Crawford  Click HERE to check them out.

Rolfe Pope wants to sell his '62 Centaur.  He says it's in perfect shape, with no marks or autographs.  Contact him at rolfe.f.pope@memorypoint.net

Click HERE to peruse all 6 pages of the May 9, 1963 Pacer

and HERE to read the 4-page Pacer from May 9, 1968

Dale Orwig ’60 passed on May 6, 2023 after a five-year battle with cancer at the age of 81.  After high school Dale served four years in the Air Force and saw much of the Pacific, Australia and the United Kingdom.  He then attained a degree in software from Cal Poly Pomona.  He spent a long and productive career in government and the defense industry in the Washington, DC area.  He was preceded in death by his first wife Carol in 1995 and is survived by his second wife Jeanie, with both of whom he shared a deep love. 

Dave Swinington ’65 passed away in Solana Beach on May 1st after living with cancer for seven years. Dave and his fraternal twin sister Roanne were born in San Diego to Rohan and Elsie Swinington.  After graduating from San Diego State University with a master’s degree in education, he worked for the San Diego Unified School District in Special Education for 37 years. He was instrumental in developing the TRACE program, an educational support network that assists young adults with disabilities to transition from high school to adult life.  David had many passions including playing drums, hiking, birding, traveling, and surfing, where he was known as Dawnman because of his early morning paddle outs to the waves.  With an inquisitive mind and passion for learning he lived each day to the fullest, enjoying long talks with friends and strangers alike about the meaning of life and the wonders that were all around us. His sense of humor and sharp wit always kept everyone laughing as he saw humor in so many things that others may not have seen.  He is survived by, among others, Judie -- his loving wife of 32 years

May 5, 2023

This is from cartoonist Scott Metzger

Class of ‘69 alums Marcia Kraus Jacobs, Sonia Fox Ohlbaum, Karen Smith Takizawa and Sharon Whitley Larsen recently connected on an 8-night cruise -- from April 23 to May 1st -- on the Norwegian Jewel from San Diego to Vancouver, with stops in Santa Barbara, Oregon, Seattle, and Alaska. (Hubbies came along too.) This was the first cruise for Karen and her husband Kenzo, who live in Tokyo. Karen and Sharon have been friends since 4th grade at Phoebe Hearst Elementary in Del Cerro. And Karen has attended nearly all class reunions -- Sharon Whitley Larsen.  Click HERE for an enlargement.

This postcard of the Navajo Lodge Motel was posted on Facebook by Jan Tonnesen.  The motel, across El Cajon from Blessed Sacrament Church, is still there.  Click HERE for a larger view.

Do you recognize these guys?  Me neither, but they were in the small assortment of 9th Grade photos I kept from Horace Mann.  Click HERE to check out the folks whose names I remembered.

This week's 1959 color photo is a view of the downtown skyline from the parking lot behind the Ford Building -- today's San Diego Air & Space Museum.  Click HERE for a larger view.

Ken Martin ‘66, passed away peacefully with his family at his bedside on April 20, 2023 with complications from cancer.   After graduating from SDSU, Ken became one of the first male flight attendants for Continental Airlines. In addition he worked as a model, making TV commercials for many companies including Nordstrom.  These were perfect fits for his outgoing passion for life.  He moved to the Seattle area in the mid 1970s, where he created and ran his own successful lien business.  Ken’s laugh and friendly demeanor will long be remembered by his many friends in San Diego. It was there that he learned and became an excellent golfer.  Ken leaves behind his lovely wife Marie, three daughters, two sons-in-law and three grandsons.  (Written by Judy Sage and Michelle Hazlewood, who remember sharing many great times with Kenny during and after high school)

Riny Snyder ’68 passed away November 11, 2022.  He was great friend, Baja explorer, dirt bike rider, musician, artist and surfboard maker.  He graduated From San Diego State University in 1975 with a degree in Fine Arts.  In the late ‘70s he went to work for the City of San Diego printing services and rose to become Plant General Manager.  In his later years he became renowned for his agricultural expertise running Pineapple Ranchero, recording music with his full quiver of Strats, and cheering on The Padres and Chargers -- John Teeter

Click HERE for information on Riny’s May 12th funeral.  You must RSVP by May 8th.

April 28, 2023

 

I've stumbled across a cartoonist named Leigh Rubin.  I'll share some of his work.

Note to self.  Don't let a young person with an iPhone anywhere near you!!

Horace Mann librarian Marie Vaughn was one of two hot babes who gave me an autographed photo of herself in 8th grade.  Click HERE to see who the other one was.

Great color photos from the '50s continue to pop up on Facebook.  This one looks north on 7th Avenue from Broadway.  Click HERE for an enlarged view.

Click HERE to peruse the Pacer from April 25, 1963 -- 60 years ago

And HERE to check out the Pacer from April 25, 1968 -- 55 years ago.

The passing of several Colts was noted recently on the Crawford Foundation web page

Class of '60

Class of '63

Class of '64

Class of '65

April 21, 2023

I guess maybe that Crawford Alumni Baseball Game scheduled for April 1st really WAS an April Fool's Joke.  It's been rescheduled for April 29th at High Noon on the baseball field, where the football practice field used to be on Trojan.

Ernie Cowan has served as a US Forest volunteer fire lookout on Palomar Mountain.  You can volunteer as well, if you think you can climb the 96 steps to the the top.  Click HERE to read Ernie's article in last Sunday's Union-Tribune.

Richard Lidbom wonders if anyone else remembers, in the late '50s, a father building a spaceship replica for his son.  Richard visited it and there was an article in the newspaper, but he was unable to find anything on the internet.  Neither was I.

Sometimes you can't see the trees for the forest.   I didn't realize, with all of that talk about growing up on Mohawk Street, that Stephen Bishop has written an autobiography.  Click HERE for more details.

I guess big brother Denny Bishop was wandering through my web site when he came across Bob Richardson's Frontier Housing 1948 page.  Denny has added some of his own Aztec Villa memories.  Click HERE to to take a look.  It's worth it just to see the color photos of Peggy and Bob Richardson with their new J. G. Higgins bicycles.

Here's another shot of lower Broadway from Facebook, this one looking east from Harbor Drive in 1959.  I've added a Google Streetview from October 2022.  You're probably not gonna like what it looks like now.  Click HERE to see what I mean.

It's kinda beat up, but I still think you can read all four pages of the 65-year old Pacer published on April 22, 1958.  Click HERE and find out.

Virginia Irvine ’60 passed away April 4, 2023.  We shared a childhood in Minneapolis and Alabama, and a summer in Montana before our younger siblings arrived in San Diego in 1955 and 1961.  After graduating from San Diego State in1964, where she was President of Kappa Alpha Theta, a homecoming Queen nominee and Best Dressed Coed contest chairman, she embarked on an over-40 year career with Los Angeles County. She began as a Social Worker in Long Beach, moved to a supervisor in Los Angeles, then a Legislative Analyst. She became Chief Legislative Analyst for the county and was then selected to start their first protocol department. It was there that her fabulous wardrobe, engaging personality and organizational skills made her fit right in with diplomats, royalty and world leaders. She was a key player in the International Protocol group.  In 2019 she was chosen Junior League of Los Angeles’ Volunteer of the Year. She was President of the Ebell Club, the oldest women’s club in California, for two years. We celebrated with the whole family at Thanksgiving and Christmas and the interaction invigorated her, in spite of her declining health. She is loved and will be missed by many -- Janis Irvine Ricards ’64

Danny Mejia '76 passed away April 11th.  That's all I know.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the West Point Glee Club performed before an audience of homeless people in downtown San Diego last month.  It involved two members of Crawford’s Class of ’73.  Retired BGEN Gary Krahn, a 1977 West Point graduate, and principal of La Jolla Country Day School, suggested the choir play at the Alpha Project shelter run by his classmate Bob McElroy.  Click HERE to read the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Vintage San Diego's Facebook page posted this great shot of lower Broadway circa 1958.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.

Turns out Stephen Bishop '69 wasn't the only Colt to live in this house on Mohawk Street.  His brother Dennis Bishop '61 remembers it as well.  Click HERE to read about Denny's influence on his brother's musical career.

I'm not sure who Phil Galloway is, but he posted this KGB Boss 30 list from April 12, 1971 on Facebook and I snagged it.  Click HERE to see what was hot 52 years ago.

 

April 7, 2023

If it's Easter Time I have to run this cartoon, although it
seems like I just posted it yesterday.  The time does fly.

If it's Easter Time, Passover must be happening as well

Owen Western '63 shares a couple of his own East San Diego photos.  A shot of the Campus Drive-in before it closed in 1982 and another looking east on El Cajon near the intersection with Montezuma.  Click HERE to see them both enlarged.

Stephen Bishop '69 posted on Facebook last week a photo of the family home on Mohawk Street.   Click HERE to refresh your memory on Stephen Bishop's life.

Jeannine Berger Passenheim '60 also grew up on Mohawk Street.  Click HERE to take another look at the photos she once shared.

 

Stop the presses!!  Fake news!!  Turns out the photo I shared last week was my 9th Grade photo.  My 8th Grade photo is here on the left.  Click HERE for more details.

Terry Hill ’60 died March 3, 2023.  The son of a career US Navy man, Terry was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He attended elementary school in East San Diego, middle school near Denver, Colorado before entering Crawford.  He graduated with honors from San Bernardino Valley College, and returned there later to get certificates in Industrial Supervision.  After his Honorable Discharge from the Air Force, he went to work for General Telephone (now Verizon) working his way up from lineman to Head Engineer before retiring in 1991.  Before moving to Arizona, he worked as a Telecommunications Engineer for San Bernardino County for two years.  After taking computer classes at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona, he worked in their IT department for a couple of years.  Terry enjoyed riding his Harley, going fishing and camping, and building and fixing computers.  He was able to survive a double lung transplant received at age 75 for just over five years.

Jerry Lovelady ’63 died March 31, 2023 from bile duct cancer.  He attended the University of Redlands where he got a BA in History and a Teaching  Credential.  He taught K-6 for 35 years in the Chula Vista City School District. In addition to teaching, Jerry and another teacher read a book on home construction and built two houses in Idlewild -- bottom to top without additional help.  Jerry loved surfing and camping. In retirement Jerry puttered in the garden and with various house projects.  He is survived by his wife Nancy, two children, and four grandchildren.  He met Nancy on a blind date at the home of Phil ’63 and Sharon Angus Piscopo ’64.  They became such good friends that they called themselves the Lovecopos.  Jerry’s first wife, Stefanie Bedillion ’63, passed away from ovarian cancer in 1976.