Ladies– This is an occasion to dress up if you like! We call it dressy casual. Wear that cute short dress you have. A long skirt is apropos too. If you have a dressy pants outfit, by all means wear it. If you want to wear heels, go for it— but I think more of us will be in sandals. Comfort is the key word.
Men– We would like to see our men in collared sport shirts–long sleeve or short sleeve. If you want to wear a sport coat that will be welcome too. If you are most comfortable in your suit, that also works. If you really feel festive, dig out that tux from the back of your closet.
Please no T-shirts or jeans. (But we do admire “creative license”!)
It will be very warm in August in Southern California so dress accordingly. We want you to be comfortable too!
I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend the 50th Reunion. My sentiments are that miss the olden days of growing up in Santa Ana, and I am proud to have met so many remarkable people from S.A. High School, Junior High (Willard), and Grammar School (Jefferson). After high school, I attended Chapman University for about a year and a half. I did see Virginia Null there—I remember how beautifully she played the cello at Jefferson Grammar School talent shows. I almost attended the “floating college,” where I would have seen Nancy Herron—coincidentally, we had the same orthodontist in high school when we both wore braces. I couldn’t cut it in college.
In 1967, I married a “Welty” guy, (no known relation to Barbara Welty), ex-Navy Seal- type who was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He was a couple years older than me, and he had attended Garden Grove H.S. I do regret getting married so soon. I was married for seven years, had three beautiful kids, and got divorced, and raised the kids mostly on my own while living and working in Santa Ana and Irvine. I never remarried, but I had my heyday in earlier years.
It’s funny where life takes us, due to choices we make—because I could have ended up working for my dad, a physician in Santa Ana on N. Broadway, as his front-office person. (Some of my classmates may have had my dad as their family doctor, and some of you may remember he was elected as O.C. Coroner for a couple terms in the late 50s and early 60s.) Who knows where working for him might have led, but I was headstrong and chose to enter into the corporate world. As luck would have it, I worked for such notable places as The Irvine Company, The Koll Company, Blue Shield, and the County of Riverside. I’ve been involved with administrative and secretarial duties in the areas of Internal Audit; property management; bookkeeping; working with insurance and sales; and in my last job, dealing with the public in matters of elder abuse.
I’ve lived in Murrieta, Riverside County, since 2001, to take care of my mom, who passed away in 2010. I’m so happy to have been able to retire in March 2013. I enjoy staying busy at home with various projects done on the computer. To contribute to not-so-random acts of kindness, and to break away from the monotony of computer work, occasionally I bake cookies for a residential care for the elderly home that formerly took care of my mom. I have six cute grandchildren, and all three of my kids remain happily married.
After reading what many of you have written, my life sounds boring although I didn’t think so while living it.
I left Santa Ana not long after graduation and moved in with my sister in Ontario, CA. I met my husband there and we have continued to live in Ontario. We had two sons and four beautiful grand-daughters. My oldest son was killed in a traffic accident and I raised his daughter who was born on Valentine’s Day two months after he died. My youngest son married, had three daughters and then divorced.
I worked as a Personal Assistant to a Psychiatrist for years until he “burned me out.” I then began working in mental health managing offices. I retired when I turned 62 thinking I was down for the long run. A doctor I had worked for years ago contacted me and said he was opening a new office. So, back to work I went. I actually enjoy it as I’m only working part-time.
When I was in high school my boyfriend was “older” so while I did have friends at school, I didn’t socialize much when school wasn’t in session. I am still friends with Tedi (Tedi/Theo Christenson). Friends then, friends now. Some things never change.
I know I will remember some of you, but not all. Please forgive me for that and let me know who you are so hugs can be exchanged with huge smiles! Fifty years? Where did the time go?
Life’s been good. After graduation I attended Santa Ana College for a 1½ years. At that time, still not knowing what I wanted to do in life, I enlisted in the Army.
John Terry (center) Vietnam
After returning from Vietnam, life took me on what became a 40+ year career in the insurance industry.
That career started with the Hartford Insurance Group and my moving to Dallas, TX in an accelerated operational management position. Next, a transfer to their office in San Francisco and then to the home office in Hartford, CT. Being a Southern California boy and interested in American History, I was amazed by the history that was there. My office was across the street from Mark Twain’s home, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s home was just a couple of blocks away and numerous other well-known Colonial landmarks were but a short distance from where I lived and worked.
Looking to return to Southern California, I accepted a position with a regional office of an international insurance brokerage firm. Part of my responsibilities included management of offices in Hawaii. Just imagine, in your 30’s, single, a very generous expense account and having to commute to Hawaii.
I married Jean, a single mother with a daughter, Lori; instant family. We divorced after 4-years. Since the divorce, daughter Lori has elected to maintain a relationship and calls my current wife and me her “bonus” parents. Lori has two children, Ava and Colin, who call us grandpa and grandma.
Leaving the management side of insurance, I got my brokers license and started the last phase of my career on the commercial-retail side of the industry.
In 1988 I married Karen. Although it took some time, she finally asked me. We had previously worked together at an insurance agency in Glendale, CA. As she likes to say – having our incomes from the same industry “made for boring pillow talk and strong computer passwords”.
We spent approximately 25-years living in Redlands, CA where we were both active within the community. I was a founding board member and officer of the Redlands Conservancy and was on the board of the Family Service Association of Redlands. Then on July 4, 2012, to my surprise, I decided to retire; went cold turkey without any plans other than to see what life would bring next. What it brought was our returning to Orange County and purchasing a home in San Clemente.
During our marriage we have had numerous opportunities to travel starting with a honeymoon in Greece and the Geek Isles, we watched Boris Yeltsin demonstrate in the old USSR, we have been to England, Italy, Germany, Austria and other European Countries plus have taken photography excursions to the Galapagos and Sea of Cortez with National Geographic, not to mention extensive travel throughout the US.
As hobbyists, we have trained protection dogs (German Sheppard’s and Belgian Malinois’s). I have traced my family’s genealogy to the early 1500’s in England and in the colonies; I found some great stories (and “black sheep”) in the old family line. I have taken up photography and now have a camera wherever we go.
Currently, we are both enjoying retirement with family and friends. We are planning on additional travel, sampling the many restaurants found in Orange County and I continue to take photos. Life’s is indeed good!
