This is like a homework assignment! The past fifty years have been full of blessings. A mere 46 years ago, I married my childhood sweetheart, and neighborGeorgie Carlson (BHS class of 1961). We were blessed with a son, Michael in 1966 and another great blessing in 1970 with our daughter Gwendolen. Family roots are very important to us; Michael and Gwen are following in the path of good lives and terrific marriages. My parents passed away this past year after a wonderful marriage of 73 years. Weraised our children with lots of love and hundreds of camping trips, usually up to Burney Falls. In fact we still go back to Burney taking our four wonderful granddaughters.
I served in the United States Marine Corps for three years as a Colonels’ aidein logistics. I retired after 38 years being an electrician /estimator. Most of those years we lived in Concord, CA.In 2003 we celebrated my retirement with a new home in Placer County, and a trip to Europe for six weeks. Weback- packedand had a fabulous time. We are so thankful wetook that trip when we did. Five months after our trip I became totally deaf. Thanks to modern medicine I received a cochlear implant.
My only regret is that we can no longer square dance as I cannot hear music. However, we have many blessings, good health and a wonderful family and terrific friends.
Georgie and I enjoy traveling in our RV and still love to fish and explore this vast country. I enjoy reading, working in the yard, playing at billiards and love our monthly neighborhood wine party. I work out at the gym and enjoy Tai Chi.
Due to prior travel comittments we are sorry we will not be with all of you celebrating 50 years since graduating from BHS. We will certainly be thinking of the past memorable experiences on your very special evening. Hope to see all of you again in another five years, if not before. This is the first reunion celebration we have missed....
A very SPECIAL "Hello" goes out to my girls, Pat, Liz, Phyllis, Mary, and Patty who called me Bobsie commuting to San Francisco State in my 1950 Ford.
Bob Sorrentino
I won’t be able to attend the reunion but I’d like to be included in the face book. Here’s my “What I’ve been doing for the last 50 years.” If there’s any way for me to receive a copy, I’d like to catch up on everyone that way.
Thanks a lot for doing this. I am so sorry not to be able to attend. It looks like you’ll have a great gathering. (I sent a couple of photos separately.)
CLASSMATES: I AM SO SORRY NOT TO BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU FOR THE REUNION, BUT OVER A YEAR AGO I MADE TRAVEL PLANS WITH MY SISTER. I’LL BE BACK IN JULY AND FREE ALL SUMMER. I’D ENJOY HEARING FROM OR SEEING ANY OF YOU.
My Last 50 Years (The Very Short Version):
-I graduated from Stanford, majored in German (which I hadn’t touched at BHS, but I always did love those language classes), and went on to teach German and French in high schools in California and then Northeast Harbor, Maine. Later my language interests led me to teach English as a Second Language locally and in Taiwan, and English composition and literature at a small Colorado university. I retired three years ago.
-Ken and I married in 1968 and moved for various educational opportunities and jobs to the Fresno area, then to an island off the coast of Maine, then to Chicago, then to West Virginia, and finally to Denver. We still live in Denver. We raised a daughter and a son here although, sadly, our son passed away about eleven years ago. We extended our family with a Chinese foster daughter who came to us in 1979 as a boat person from Viet Nam, and an exchange student from Germany, who now lives inVancouver, British Columbia. They and their families play a big part in our lives.
-Our daughter Nora just recently had her first child, Sylvia Kendall Stevens. She lives in Portland,Oregon, which of course we now visit as frequently as possible.
-Ken and I moved from our house to a downtown condo shortly before retirement, which simplified our lives and freed up time. I’m devoting mine to some mentoring at the local women’s prison, to volunteer involvement in various Colorado policy issues, and to enjoyment of our diverse and scattered family.
-I’m grateful for good health, good family and friendships, and my many experiences through the years! Best wishes to all of you!
Karen (West) Gerdes
After graduating from Berkeley High in 1960, I attended Contra Costa College. I have been married since 1963. I started working for the federal government (Social Security) in 1964, I worked both inthe San Francisco and Richmond offices. After working 40 years I was given a trip to the Social Security heard quarters in Baltimore MD and was honored for my loyal service to the government. Whilein Baltimore, MD we had achance to visit Washington, D.C which was very interesting and exciting seeing the sites including the White House. We hada wonderful opportunity to visit, Howard University (historical black college)
After leaving Baltomore, MD we drove to New York and enjoyed seeing the sites along way on our road trip to NY,while in New York we took the Staten Island ferry trip around the stature of Liberty. Wewent toHarlem,saw the historical (Apollo Theater), ate at thepopular and well known restaurant (SYLVIA'S)which is also in Harlem and of course did a lot of shopping whichis one of my favorite things to do. I don't drink or smoke but my weakness is that Ilove to shop and shop. After 43 years of working for the government Iretired about alittleover a year ago.
Annette Bryant Madden
Boy, 50 years,Ican't believe it. I enjoyed selling stuff,even when I was at Hillside. I've have been in sales for 48 years.
I,ve had my own wholesale gift business since 1972.
My wife,Noreen and I raised three fantastic children in Moraga.
All three are now married and we ars enjoying six grandchildren, ranging in age from17 to 4.
We moved to Placerville 13 years ago. We have 5 acres with 2 warehouses for our business. We are semi retired
and enjoy golf once a week,travel and being with our family.look forward to seeing you all at the reunion.
Tom Sebree
Hey there BHS’ers! Long time no see.
It’s Sue Fegley, better known back in the day as Susan Clark.
It’s been a long and interesting time since those old days. I went on to Contra Costa College, and after two years transferred to UC Davis, where I began a major in botany. After a close encounter of the wrong kind with organic chemistry (why do they always want me to balance those equations?), I beat it back to English. I had some wonderful teachers, and graduated with a BA in 64. I met my hubbie, Ron Fegley (Chico High, class of 58) in the famous MU, the Memorial Union dining commons, where I was known for holding forth on many topics while waving my fork for emphasis. Loved Davis!
I lost both my parents in 1966, a great loss; I had no siblings to share the grief. I went on for my teaching credential after marrying Ron, who was working on his PhD in physics. Our daughter Anna was born in summer ‘65. Ron got his degree in ’70, after a stint at IBM which took him all over the country, more gone than home for a year, but he decided that the degree was the thing, so finished up his thesis in nuclear physics.
I tried a stint at junior high in West Sacramento (the armpit of the Valley) and also at Woodland High, but soon decided that kids that age were too much for me to handle (what would I do now??!!) A job was open at the Davis Enterprise newspaper as society editor, which I took. Over the next 2 years, as consciousness was araising, my job mutated to family news editor, and I would have been happy to stay journalizing in Davis forever, but Ron finished his degree and took a post doc in Boulder CO.
We bought some land in the mountains and spent the fall, winter and spring building our own house while living in an 8 x 20 garage room. Roughing it—wouldn’t do that again, but we were young…and strong! I worked for the PR office on campus and also in the library. I taught Anna to ride and she rode all over the neighborhood, where horses were transport and much as cars—or snowshoes!
After the post doc, we moved to Hilo, HI, where Ron became the director of the NOAA observatory on Mauna Loa, (no, not, not the stellar observatory on Mauna Kea), a geophysical station on Mauna Loa where they monitor the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide levels. I worked in a book store and at the UHH library, ever keeping in touch with my language maven roots.
We moved back to Boulder after 4 years in Hilo, where Ron continued his work in atmospheric research. I took some time off to be a mom while we lived in our beautiful house up in the mountains. I’ve always been an amateur rider (very amateur) so did a lot of riding in the lovely Rockies. Anna and I toured the local mountain trails on big Charley, the quarter horse, and little Midj, the half-Arab. Even Ron got astride from time to time.
In 1980 (big change every decade it seems), we decided to make a major life change and moved back to California (had been missing the family) to be pistachio farmers. We had bought a piece of land in Placer county near the little town of Lincoln in 1974; the pistachio trees were there as a bonus from the previous owner, a big nursery.
Our farming years were less than sterling. I got very sick with an autoimmune illness called dermatomysitis, and remember watching the hostage exchange on Carter’s inaugural day from my bed. Anna, who had gone from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again, Boulder, Hawaii, Boulder, finished high school in Lincoln. She attended Sierra for a year and then went to cosmetology school, going on to a great career in that field.
Thus began a few lean years. I had a not-so-good job and Ron worked for Aerojet, but when his boss dropped dead at the company picnic, the company didn’t seem to know what to do with his talents. He began looking for a university teaching job, landing a part-time job in Long Beach.
Anna’s boyfriend had asked me one day why I didn’t take a look at Yuba College in Marysville, and thus began a new chapter in my life as a teacher, but this time with more mature students, well, at least most of the time. Ron and I both ended up in LA, me teaching at various community colleges down there and Ron finishing out his career at Northrop, working on the B-2 (don’t like weapons of mass destruction, but one must eat). He retired in 1999, and we moved back to the farm in Placer county. Anna married a few years later and now lives in Palo Alto with husband Juan, dog Lucy and 6 cats. She works at a salon in Menlo Park.
I had wanted to continue my work at the community college level, so in 1986 I completed my Master’s degree in English at Sac State, the “backyard U.” I went to work at Sierra Community College, where I am still happily slaving away, helping students learn grammar, and I am a real stickler for those commas!
The biggest recent event was a wildfire on Labor Day last year, which burned our whole acreage, taking some trees, our barn, our shed, and almost, our house! We are still recovering from it. Just before the fire, Ron had gotten reinterested in the pistachio trees, so we waited all winter to see what had survived. We lost about 1/3 of the trees, but are moving ahead with our plans to become farmers…again. Maybe this time will be the charm. I plan to keep teaching until I have to be hauled away. I need the stimulation!
Looking forward to seeing old classmates, especially members of my mom’s old Girl Scout troop: Bunny Bahoh, Sylvia Selby(, (maybe Barby Mullan Lewis if she comes with Sandy), Liz Barshay, Marian Barr, Janet Zercher, Christy Wilander, Mary Krentz, Barbara Rhoda. (I have our picture from 1953—and also one from 1000 Oaks of our class in about 1948?) .My mom died of a stroke in 1965; my dad the same year of cancer; that was a tough year for me with a new hubbie and baby, and losing both my parents. I know my mom loved that group of girls. Hope some of them show up. I remember the folk dances that Mary’s mom, Reddie, taught us. And the Northhill Cotillion, with Dart Tinkham, which we began in the 6th grade at 1000 Oaks. I remember dancing with Dale…? What was his last name? I remember riding bikes with Barby Mullan and having Paul Lin, who lived just up the block on Vincente from Barby, tease us a lot. As I get ready for the big event this June, I am sure much will come back to me about those childhood days. It will also be fun to see my old sorority sisters from Yaonda, and many more of you.
.
See you there! You can email me at .
Bill (Mike) Ambrose
Those who started out at Thousand Oaks know me as Mike, I became “Bill” on transferring to Cragmont in the sixth grade. Though still a bit confused about who I am, I have survived the last fifty years in decent shape.
After BHS, I attended Oakland City College for a semester. THAT worked out well, and I joined the U.S. Coast Guard. Four years later, I had done some growing up, had a wife (the former Lynda Schifsky from Berkeley), and a son, Jim. I embarked on a 17 year career with the Concord Police Department, attained rank of sergeant. Managed to get a BA in Criminal Justice during that time, had a daughter, Susan, and eventually was divorced from Lynda. In 1980, I met and married my present beautiful wife, Daryle. Adding her 4 children to my two made for a very busy household for a while. I became a general contractor, building houses in the Walnut Creek and Danville area over the next 17 years.
In 1995, I changed careers again, became a building inspector for the State of California and moved to Solano County, where we now live in Green Valley west of Fairfield. Seven years with the state led to the purchase of three mobile home parks that we operated until last year. I have now hung up my spurs, and mostly retired. I do consulting work for attorneys relating to mobile home park and housing issues, and my bride and I spend some time traveling in our motor home.
All six of the “kids” live nearby, as do almost all of our 11 grandchildren. The oldest granddaughter and oldest grandson are both in the Marine Corps, so it’s hard to keep buttons on my shirts.
I’m sure I’ve left out some details, but that’s my life in a nutshell.
We will be attending with my cousin Elly Stickney (nee Gardner), and her husband Ron. We look forward to seeing how much older YOU all look now.
Mike Ambrose
My name is John W. Batchan, Jr.
I graduated BHS in 1959 with a low C GPA and attended Pierce Jr. College to play football. Pierce had a championship team. I didn't playmuch, quit the teamand decided Ineeded to prepare for a living by becoming more academic. During the 1960/61 academic year I attended Contra Costa Jr. College(fall) and Merritt Jr. College(spring). From September 1961 to Jan. 1965 I attended Prairie View A&M University. I graduated with a BA degree in Sociology and a ROTC commission in the Army.
From March 1965 to March 1967 I served on active duty in the Army. I was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant.
From 1967 to 1973 I worked in line managemen for Exxon. I served as Sales Rep., taught service Station management, and programmed major markets for future service station development
From 1973 to 1976 I attended St Mary's University School of Law. I graduated with a Juris Doctorate in Law.
From 1976 to 1977, I studied for, sat for, and passed The Texas Bar Exam.
From 1977 to present I have practiced law in Houston, Texas. The highlights of my law career are as follows:
1. Sr. partner in the law firm of Batchan and Scott for 15 years.
2. Part time city attorney City of Prairie View for ten years.
3. Part time city attorney City of Ames for 3 years.
4. Hired 15 law students over the years to serve as legal assistants. All of them passed the bar with two becoming Judges.
I have two grown sons and two grandsons. I am divorced from my son's mother. My current wife's name is Marva.
Here I am in the center of my family. My husband Bob and I have two sons, Owen on the left and Allen behind me. Owen is a classics professor at Seattle Pacific University. He has two daughters, Chrissy on his lap and Ruthie between her grandparents. Allen lives with us in Washington DC and works as a narrator on Tourmobile. He would rather be in LA making movies! This picture was taken at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley in August, 2007. We were at a memorial service for my mother who died earlier that year in Tucson, AZ. Owen’s wife Ellen took the picture.