December 30, 2022

Sam Turner, who taught at Crawford from 1964 to 1968, sent me some Cartoons For Intellectuals.  Here's one of them

Chuck Rainey '72 scored an Ace on the 13th hole at Colina last Thursday.  He's holding his certificate, surrounded by Jim Clark, Robbie Robinson and Skip Weitzen.  Jim and Skip are also Class of '72 Colts.

There's a Spotted Skunk running loose near Lake Morena named after Ernie Cowan '62.  Click HERE to read the story in the Union-Tribune.

Here's a nice shot of the El Cortez Hotel looking up Ninth Avenue around 1965.  Click HERE to peruse an enlargement.

 

December 25, 2022

 It's Christmas Day!!

And here are a couple of things that crossed my desk since last we chatted

Click HERE for a great Christmas tune written and sung by Jack Tempchin '65

And HERE to hear Sandi Patty '74 sing O Holy Night with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (and some Air Force musicians as well)

December 23, 2022

 

The weather folks are predicting 73 degrees for San Diego on Christmas

I liked this shot of deckhands on the Abraham Lincoln launching an F/A-18E

Another Corinth Street Colt checks in.  Here's Joe Dyke '65 and his Mom checking on the progress of their new abode in 1948.  Click HERE to read more.

While you're on the Corinth Street page check out the Andrew Jackson Elementary and Blessed Sacrament Parish School Facebook pages created by Rene Maza '74.

Last year I shared this photo with the news that John Hine Pontiac, in Mission Valley, was being torn down and was going to be replaced with Carvanna -- or maybe something else.  Construction is underway and it looks suspiciously like condos or apartments.  Click HERE to view the original posting.

Click HERE to read the Christmas Pacer from December 20, 1957

and HERE to read the 6-page Christmas Pacer from December 20, 1962

December 16, 2022

Happy Hannukah to my Old Testament friends.  It begins on December 19th.  I understand it's gonna last eight days this year.  

Lulu Anaya Summers posted this on Facebook.  I think we've seen it before, but it's still amusing -- sort of.

Thank you to all the Fry Day readers who sent money to replace aging gym equipment at Crawford.  Click HERE to take another look at how it's going.

Are you old enough to remember when downtown was the place to shop at Christmas Time?  Facebook share a couple of photos of Baranov's Jewelers, at 5th and Broadway, from around 1957.  Click HERE to see both photos enlarged, plus a current shot of the corner.

Click HERE to read the 8-page Holiday Issue of the Pacer from December 14, 1967.  

Michael Seabock ’75 passed away in his home in Nampa, Idaho on December 1, 2022.  Mike graduated from San Diego State University, and went on to become an electrical engineer.  Mike lived most of his life in southern California before moving to Salt Lake City, San Jose, and, recently, Nampa.  He was a cancer survivor who idolized Arnold Schwarzenegger, loved listening to Bruce Springsteen, and enjoyed sitcoms. He also had a passion for golf, billiards, poker, and scotch.

December 9, 2022

Mike Miller has sent me some cartoons from Tim Whyatt, Australia's answer to Gary Larsen.

This photo of Tim Blackwell '70 and Santa was posted on the Colt Corral Facebook page this week by Robert Nelson.  It contained the rather confusing caption, "From Rolando to Crawford to Otay Ranch.  Why I am a chef and he was a major league catcher."   

Class of ’72 members Chuck Rainey, Mark Savery, Skip Weitzen and Jim Clark shot five under par in the Crawford Alumni Tournament at The Vineyard Country Club.  

Click HERE to read all eight pages of the December 14, 1967 Pacer.

Frances LaRussa Colombo ’59, a longtime resident of El Cajon, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2022, at her home in Yuma, Arizona. She was surrounded by family and under the gentle care of Hospice.  She was born in Valderice, Sicily and was the youngest of three children.  The family moved to San Diego in 1956 when she was 16 years old.  Shortly after high school, she began working for Bank of America and retired from a career in banking after 35 years.  She loved cooking, knitting, and playing bocce ball at the beach with her friends and family.

A Belated Obituary:  Craig Cuerden ’67 died November 25, 2015.  He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in San Diego.  In his early twenties he was employed in the airline industry.  After retiring from the airlines, he settled down in Naples Florida, where he operated a successful travel agency until his passing.  He is survived by a sister and brother.

 

December 2, 2022

  

Crawford came up short last Saturday in the Division V Football Championship Game, but Don Norcross wrote a nice article about Coach Matt Marquez and his jewelry.  Duane Farrar '62 got some ink as well.  Click HERE to read the article.

Jerry Smithson, Principal Froylan Villanueva and Sarina Klein Nordmarken pose for a photo with a check for $1,500.   The Class of 1963 donated the profits from their recent reunion to support the Performing Arts Programs at the newly rebuilt and enhanced Crawford High School campus.

Ray Barner graduated from Grossmont High School in 1964.  He would like to hear from his boyhood pals from Andrew Jackson and Horace Mann.  The Barner Boys -- twins Raymond and Richard -- grew up on Corinth Street, but moved after 9th Grade.  Lee Widauer and Sue Talmage were neighbors.  Ray has fond memories of Eddie Newton, Jimmy Bell, Al Porter, Ricky Shelton, and fellow twins Vicki and Virginia Stack.  Ray lives in Langley, Washington -- on Whidbey Island -- and can be reached at rybar4@aol.com   Or you can call him at 425-772-6303.  Click HERE to see who else lived on Corinth Street according to the 1958 City Directory.

Colts Who Served:  James Miller ’67  -- I spent 21 years in the US Navy as a Communication Technician then had my rating changed to Cryptologic Technician years later.  I served on the USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Vietnam, and many other stations around the world, and was home-based in San Diego.  Thanks to all my fellow classmates who served.  

Bob Johnson ’64 was born at the Brooklyn Naval Ship Yard in New York.  He died suddenly and unexpectedly on November 16, 2022.  He graduated from San Diego State in 1968.  From there he joined the United States Air Force and became a C-141 cargo jet pilot. He was active duty until 1975, but stayed in the reserves until 1992.  During this 23 ½ years he flew in Viet Nam and Desert Storm, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.   Bob married Jan on February 5, 1972, and they had fifty wonderful years before his death.  He flew twenty years with Southwest Airlines and, once retired in 2006, spent his time golfing, skiing, glider flying, and traveling.

November 25, 2022

Pinocchio shouldn't play poker

Did you go to the Joel Zane page last week?  The shop where he got his car painted in 1962 is still in business at 4488 University, but it doesn't look like they're painting cars anymore.  Click HERE to revisit the page.

Here are three Pacers from 65, 60 and 50 years ago

November 26, 1957

November 21, 1962

November 22, 1967

Colts Who Served

Ron Cullins '60 sent several photos from his time in Vietnam. 

Click HERE to check them out

James Dean Johnson ’67  My brother served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971 and was stationed in Nha Trang, Vietnam.  He finished his service at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota.  He passed away in 2003 -- Donna Johnson ’62

Obituaries

Faculty Member Walter Billings passed away on November 14, 2022 surrounded by his family and friends. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1929.  Mr. Billings had a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Boston University, a Master's in education from Harvard University and spoke fluent Spanish. He taught chemistry and Spanish at Crawford for 28 years.  He loved learning and exploring new things. He took scuba diving lessons with Jacques Cousteau while in Massachusetts. He had a private pilot license, and played five different instruments -- all self taught.  Walter was also an avid motor cycle rider and rode dirt bikes all over Baja California, Arizona, southern California, and street bikes for long road trips with his wife Eileen.

Click HERE to read a complete obituary and/or sign the on-line Guest Book

Bill Fink ’63 passed away November 18, 2022 after a short illness.  After graduating from Crawford he served in the Navy.  Bill continued his education at UCSD where he earned a Master’s Degree, followed by a doctorate from University of Oregon, Eugene.  An avid Oregon Ducks fan, Bill was often seen wearing a Ducks shirt or baseball hat. He had a passion for gardening with beautiful gardens wherever he lived.    He was a role model in all the above.   Bill is survived by his wife, Dennett Taber, step children, several grandchildren, and sister Nancy Fink Moors, Class ‘65.

Greg Bear ’68, the affable San Diego native who wrote such highly acclaimed and plausible science fiction novels as “Blood Music,” “Darwin’s Radio” and “Eon” and who helped create San Diego Comic-Con, died November 20, 2022 following a stroke after complications during heart surgery, according to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, or SFWA. He served as the group’s president from 1988 to 1990.

Read the rest of the story in the San Diego Union-Tribune

 

 

My classmate Lynn Routt Swanson didn't get a Fry Day email, nor did she get a response to the three emails of concern she sent to me.  Lynn is a Cox subscriber and Cox may have blocked my email, which goes out to 1500 Colts.  I have been tagged as a spammer, and I'm not sure what recourse I have.  I reminded Lynn that the Fry Day emails are available on the Colt Corral blog.  I urged her -- and you all as well -- to bookmark that site.  If you check it and I'm not there, THEN you can get worried.

Larry Slayen sent in a great history of the birth of Jack in the Box and its early years.  He reminded me that it was where Crawford kids hung out after the football games.  Click HERE to revisit the Jack in the Box page and read what he sent.

Speaking of partying after football games, I had my first taste of hard liquor out of the trunk of Joel Zane's Chevrolet.  My previous experience with alcohol involved Cheracol cough syrup and Mogen David wine, so Joel's Jack Daniels bourbon packed quite a punch.  That's Denny Aiken above, posing in front of Joel's Chevy.  Click HERE to get the back story.

Here's the football program for the game played 61 years ago this weekend.  Click HERE to read the rosters.

The folks below have been added to the Colts Who Served in the Military Page

George Glover '73

Nick Watson '64

Mike Judd '68 passed away last Sunday from heart failure and diabetes complications, according to his sister Beverly Judd Camren