Except for the Reunion in June, this has not been a fun summer for me.
I was laid off in June, as I’ve reported. My car, washing machine, and
dryer all died. My sailboat developed an unfixable crack. My son went
through all kinds of uncertainties about which friends were or were
not going to share an apartment with him in the fall. Similarly, my
daughter didn’t find out for months where on campus she would be
living or with whom. Their financial aid got cut drastically due to a
ridiculous set of rules. And I never actually took any vacation.
Mind you, it all got better. I’ve been working at a contract that
looks like it will go at least to the end of the year. We have a new
washer and dryer, and I’m leasing a new car. I gave the sailboat to
someone who can fix it and sail it. My son is settled with 3 friends
in a Brookline apartment and loves it. My daughter has a new, friendly
roommate in a dorm with A/C. And my wife is excited about her new job
teaching psychology at Dean College. So, all’s well that ends well, I
guess. Still, the highlight was definitely the Reunion!
I still haven’t gone over all the information that people returned for
the Reunion, so our count remains the same: we think we know the
whereabouts of 649 classmates. Darn good after 40 years.
But here’s something weird. A classmate has
discovered 2 classmates who haven’t been on any of our lists for, oh,
about 40 years. Karen Richardson Griffin and Donna Marie Votolato, we
owe you an apology! If anyone has any information about either of
these alumni, please let me know, and I’ll try and get in touch with
them. Thanks for the sharp eyes, and to Ernie Sutcliffe for
passing the information along.
Condolences to Gail Cavanaugh Santosuosso, whose father died in July.
Condolences to Maryann Pezza Matano, whose mother died in August.
Sherry Brodeur Combs retired after 26 years as a civilian working with
the Army in July. She has already started work as a legal secretary in
the Clayton County (GA) District Attorney's Office. “I am looking
forward to it, new people, new ideas and new goals. And I guess you
could say a new life.”
Donald Aquilante reports that he and his wife really enjoyed the
Reunion. Their daughter made the Dean’s List at Johnson and Wales
University. She’s majoring in Hotel/Hospitality Management with a
minor in Casino Gaming and Cruise Ships. Which, I’m sure, sounds more
fun than it actually is to study.
Joe Ricci’s daughter Elizabeth has just started a blog with
Examiner.com. Here is a link to her first effort:
http://www.examiner.com/geppis-entertainment-museum-in-baltimore/elizabeth-ricci
This is the same multi-talented young woman who won an award
(http://www.mediaandtechnology.org/muse-awards/2011-muse-awards/honeysett-din-student-award/)
for her work on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGINS68VWgY
I’m impressed!
Jakki Kougasian Horan, who also makes her living as a technical
writer, reports that her youngest daughter, Maggie, graduated from
American University in May. “I was overjoyed to have her home again.
In June, she landed a job as a forensic accountant in VA, and back she
went. She told me that, during the earthquake, she had to hang onto
her desk to keep her chair from rolling around, and while she was
rocking (but not rolling), she kept thinking, ‘This can't be an
earthquake. My life just isn't that interesting.’”
Jakki recently became an instant grandmother of two, thanks to her
oldest daughter, Victoria, and Victoria’s fiancé George’s two children
(ages 10 and 6). “I had no idea that I wanted to be a grandmother, but
once it happened, I felt that same sense of something important being
filled in my heart.”
Congratulations!
We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we
have a web site:
www.chse1971.com
(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)
and wiki:
https://chse1971.wikispaces.com/
(also thanks to Ernie)
and Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479
and a Facebook event for the Reunion:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327
Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.
I’ll bet your summer was better than mine. Write and tell us about
what you did, where you went, and how you spent your time.
Go Sox! And Pats!
Ed DeJesus
exdejesus@gmail.com
I was laid off in June, as I’ve reported. My car, washing machine, and
dryer all died. My sailboat developed an unfixable crack. My son went
through all kinds of uncertainties about which friends were or were
not going to share an apartment with him in the fall. Similarly, my
daughter didn’t find out for months where on campus she would be
living or with whom. Their financial aid got cut drastically due to a
ridiculous set of rules. And I never actually took any vacation.
Mind you, it all got better. I’ve been working at a contract that
looks like it will go at least to the end of the year. We have a new
washer and dryer, and I’m leasing a new car. I gave the sailboat to
someone who can fix it and sail it. My son is settled with 3 friends
in a Brookline apartment and loves it. My daughter has a new, friendly
roommate in a dorm with A/C. And my wife is excited about her new job
teaching psychology at Dean College. So, all’s well that ends well, I
guess. Still, the highlight was definitely the Reunion!
I still haven’t gone over all the information that people returned for
the Reunion, so our count remains the same: we think we know the
whereabouts of 649 classmates. Darn good after 40 years.
But here’s something weird. A classmate has
discovered 2 classmates who haven’t been on any of our lists for, oh,
about 40 years. Karen Richardson Griffin and Donna Marie Votolato, we
owe you an apology! If anyone has any information about either of
these alumni, please let me know, and I’ll try and get in touch with
them. Thanks for the sharp eyes, and to Ernie Sutcliffe for
passing the information along.
Condolences to Gail Cavanaugh Santosuosso, whose father died in July.
Condolences to Maryann Pezza Matano, whose mother died in August.
Sherry Brodeur Combs retired after 26 years as a civilian working with
the Army in July. She has already started work as a legal secretary in
the Clayton County (GA) District Attorney's Office. “I am looking
forward to it, new people, new ideas and new goals. And I guess you
could say a new life.”
Donald Aquilante reports that he and his wife really enjoyed the
Reunion. Their daughter made the Dean’s List at Johnson and Wales
University. She’s majoring in Hotel/Hospitality Management with a
minor in Casino Gaming and Cruise Ships. Which, I’m sure, sounds more
fun than it actually is to study.
Joe Ricci’s daughter Elizabeth has just started a blog with
Examiner.com. Here is a link to her first effort:
http://www.examiner.com/geppis-entertainment-museum-in-baltimore/elizabeth-ricci
This is the same multi-talented young woman who won an award
(http://www.mediaandtechnology.org/muse-awards/2011-muse-awards/honeysett-din-student-award/)
for her work on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGINS68VWgY
I’m impressed!
Jakki Kougasian Horan, who also makes her living as a technical
writer, reports that her youngest daughter, Maggie, graduated from
American University in May. “I was overjoyed to have her home again.
In June, she landed a job as a forensic accountant in VA, and back she
went. She told me that, during the earthquake, she had to hang onto
her desk to keep her chair from rolling around, and while she was
rocking (but not rolling), she kept thinking, ‘This can't be an
earthquake. My life just isn't that interesting.’”
Jakki recently became an instant grandmother of two, thanks to her
oldest daughter, Victoria, and Victoria’s fiancé George’s two children
(ages 10 and 6). “I had no idea that I wanted to be a grandmother, but
once it happened, I felt that same sense of something important being
filled in my heart.”
Congratulations!
We have lots of ways to keep in touch online, now. For example, we
have a web site:
www.chse1971.com
(thanks to Ernie Sutcliffe for starting and maintaining)
and wiki:
https://chse1971.wikispaces.com/
(also thanks to Ernie)
and Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=51722469479
and a Facebook event for the Reunion:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192240297471327
Check out one or more of these easy ways to see what people are up to.
I’ll bet your summer was better than mine. Write and tell us about
what you did, where you went, and how you spent your time.
Go Sox! And Pats!
Ed DeJesus
exdejesus@gmail.com
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