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Volume 5, Number 3,
October 2000
MIDNIGHT SUN ONLINE
-The Online Newsletter
for Robert E. Peary High School Alumni-
MSO WEB SITE - http://www.pearyhs.org/
Page 2
From:
Connie Wortz Capacchione <ccapacchione@frostburg.edu>
(1979)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject:
Just a quick note
Glenn
(1978) and I are doing well. Glenn
has been placed as the minister of 2 churches in Cumberland.
He is enjoying being a minister and our lives are extremely happy
and full right now, praise be to God!
From:
Dan Nicholson <Drnicholson@west.raytheon.com>
(1974)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
I
found out about the website from my Brother.
Occupation:
Principle Software Engineer, Spouse: Kathleen, Children: Elizabeth 11,
Laura 8, Julie 6
Memorable
Incidents: Miss Sheehy’s Spanish class, it was great fun,
although I don’t think she appreciated it when D.W.
“borrowed” her Pinto. Chief
Lynams Wood Shop Class (when we showed up).
Since
High School: Graduated from the U of Md with a degree in Information
Systems Management. Worked in
Annapolis for 20 years where I learned to sail.
In February of 1999 I moved to Tucson to work for Raytheon Missile
Systems (not much sailing here). These
guys are the best in the world at what they do and it is really exciting
being a part of it (it really is Rocket science).
Moving to Tucson was a culture shock after living a block from the
Chesapeake but I really like it here.
Summers are hell but the other 8 months are great.
It is golf heaven.
Future
Plans: Retire and move to the mountains of West Virginia.
Memorable
Teachers: Kathy Sheehy for her sense of humor.
Mrs. Sykes math class. She
was tough in class but outside of class great to talk to.
From:
Mary Giusti Kraft <K11119@aol.com>
(1981)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
Occupation:
North America Business Manager, Spouse: Rod, Children: Luke 3 ½ and Aaron
6 weeks
Since
High School: Graduated from University of Maryland with a Masters of
Science in Technology Management. I
have worked for Hewlett Packard for the last 16 years.
In 1987 married my husband Rod; a Wheaton Graduate.
We traveled all over the world and enjoyed married life before
starting our family in 1997.
Memorable
Teachers: Police Science with Mr. Brogonia, typing with Mr. Wick and
Drivers Education with Mr. Hahn. Future Plans: Work on raising two sons
well and saving money for early retirement!!
From:
Tom Schmidt <tcmoose@bellatlantic.net>
(1978)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject:
Father’s passing
Just
wanted to let the friends of our family know that our father William S.
Schmidt Jr., passed July 28th of this year from complications
due to Parkinson’s disease. Sons
include John (1971), Tim (1974), Tom (1978), and David (1983).
From:
Bernie Keller <LORIDERSPT@aol.com>
(1974)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
Bob,
just wanted to say thanks for all your efforts to keep all of us in touch
with our pasts. I found out about the website from my sister Brenda Keller
Eaton (76) who lives in Littleton, Co. Our brother Don (78) lives in
Harrison, NY and Doug (88, Wheaton...hey, Peary was closed!!) lives in
Olney,Md.
I
live in Germantown, Md and work at Rockville Harley-Davidson/Battley
Cycles in Gaithersburg (go figure)!? That’s a picture of me handing the
motorcycle trophy to the best of show alumni winner at the Peary Reunion.
Just want to say Thanks to Neil and Terry for all their work in putting
the reunion thing together, it was great guys!
Since
graduation I have lived in Hagerstown, Md 77-78, Williamsburg, Va 78-80,
Annapolis, Md, 80-81, Wheaton, Md 81-83, all over the USA in 84, Chicago,
Il 85 to 88, Manhattan, NY 89-90, Damascus, Md 91-95, all over the USA
95-97, Germantown, Md since 98.
Kool
thing about the motorcycle sales gig is that I get to see and meet a bunch
of Peary alumni in my job. The G.M. at the dealership is Tom Buzas (81)
and one of the part-time mechanics is Mike Sage (81). Some of the other
alum I’ve run into include Alan Goldberg (74), Ron Hardy (74), Jose
Christensen(74), Dave Nicholson, Joanne Pherson, Dave and Buddy Glasier,
Kathy Anderson Folkes, Jim Whalen, Marvin and Joe Thomas and a bunch of
others that I can’t think of right now...(i’ve got
some-timers...sometimes i remember... sometimes i dont).
Anyway,
I’ve met more alumni since I left school then I ever knew in school. Got
to see people at the re-union that I hadn’t seen in years and met people
(like Dr. Dunn, who said “Did I know you at Peary?” I told him he knew
my sister very well (yeah...he remembered you Brenda) and that he had
retired from the school the same year that i did, 74). He was a real
GENTLEMAN and a hellava nice guy. Just to be a name dropper...some of my
clients have included Ted Koppel from ABC Nightline, Jim Vance WRC-TV4,
Mike Tyson Professional Ear Nibbler, Pete Wysocki Washington Redskins
(damn glad they beat the Giants), bunch of AOL guys (geez those young guys
are so rich!!!), and a lotta very neat ladies that are gettin into the
wind themselves for the first time.
As
far as my personal time goes, I spend a fair amount of time raising money
for The Children’s Inn at NIH, the JDF, Leukemia Society, March of
Dimes/Bikers for Babies, MDA, and also arguing for motorcyclists rights at
both the state and federal government levels (AMA, MRF and ABATE of
Maryland. I date a beautiful lady from the western shore of Md (Julie) and
enjoy riding my 2000 Harley w/sidecar with her and her three y.o.P.X.
If
you are reading this and are ever in town, stop by and say Hello or
introduce yourself. Please e-mail me if you’d like at Loriderspt@aol
or bkeller@battley.com.
To
all... Be Well, Enjoy life, stay in the wind and keep the rubber side
down!!!
Bernie
Keller
From:
Judy Miller Ridgway <jamjar_jude@juno.com>
(1968)
Date:
Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Subject: PearyGear
PearyGear.Com
is really quick! I e-mailed
them with an order, they called me the next day and I had it in my hands
(via US Mail) the next day! They’re
really super!
From:
Dee Dee Kefauver Rinaldo <Diane.Rinaldo@oar.gov>
(1973)
Date:
Wed, 27 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
I
found out about the website from Janice Ferrara.
Occupation:
Team Leader for Budget and Administrative Services Team at NOAA, Spouse:
Ron, Children: Melisa (19), Sarah (25), Rebecca (25) and Maria (32),
Grandchildren: Steven (11), Mark (9), Garet (5), Micah (20 months), Noah
(14 months)
Memorable
Incidents: Cruis’n with Patty Maloney, Janice Stillwagon, Vicki Clayton,
Sue Littleton, Karen Hunter to Morris/Messetts for our Beer Run, Field
Parties (especially the one where Kathy fell cess-pool), the night Vicki
went home without her car (Joe Messett returned it several hours later),
Breakfast at Big Boys during the SGA meetings, Puerto Rico (Janice dancing
to Tom Jones and Vicki with the Bell Hop), Senior Girls Chorus Line with
Mike Young, putting up with Henderson’s crap, memorable ride to
Montgomery Mall with Janice, trips to O.C with Diane Betz, Diane Barney,
Patty Maloney, Janice Stillwagon, Jean Young.
Thanks Ladies for the memories and we’re still going strong.
Since
High School: Pursuing my career in the world of government, budget and
politics. Enjoying my
children and grandchildren and have been happily married for 13 years.
Still keep in touch with Diane Betz Griffin, Janice Stillwagon
Ferrara and Patty Maloney Fischetti (we go to O.C. for our annual ladies
Beach trip).
Future
Plans: Hope to retire near the water, keep in touch with friends, and
travel.
Memorable
Teachers: Mr. Travers (was a teacher and a friend).
Mr. Pine (put up with me and Debbie Beach)
From:
Debbie Dunn Coughlin <debandmike@aol.com>
(1983)
Date:
Wed, 27 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
Hi
Everyone:
On
June 25, 2000 I gave birth to our beautiful daughter, Jacquelyn Sarah who
weighed in at 5 pounds 8 ounces. Her
two-year-old brother, Matthew, is enjoying his new role!
Everything
is really going well for our family as we enjoy watching our children
learn and grow. My small home
business is growing and growing and growing.
I take pictures of people and turn them in to edible cake toppings!
I also sell supplies to assist others to do the same.
You can check out my website at www.icingimages.com.
My husband Mike can take the credit for building the website!
I
look forward to hearing from other Peary Alum!
Debbie
(Dunn) Couglin 1983
From:
Joe Romack <jromack@ptm.com>
(1977)
Date:
Wed, 27 Sep 2000
Subject:
Alumni Update / Photo
Last
year in August 1999, I was scrolling through that month’s Peary High
School Newsletter when I discovered an update from Stacie Lee Novak. I had
not heard from her since shortly after we both had graduated from Georgia
Tech in the early 80s. (We had met each other in a class there in our
senior year.) I was impressed with how she had become a Christian and had
centered her life on God. In addition, she had become an elite long
distance runner, which is also one of my passions. I have to admit she can
beat me!
We
exchanged a few e-mails and caught up on 17 years of life experiences. I
finally got the courage to call her and we talked for almost 9 hours. Eventually, she came to visit me in Florida and we decided to
get married.
In
April, we were married and she is slowly settling into the Florida
lifestyle. She knows what an alligator looks like (and not to pet them!)
and has also developed quite a flamingo obsession. In addition, we
have become heavily involved in a new start-up Church where Stacie Lee
plays the keyboards and I do some Church Administration. We also run in a
lot of local races representing our Church. It’s challenging, but also
rewarding.
Both
of our parents live here in Florida also, so we don’t get to visit
Rockville very much. But we hope to some day.
Obviously,
I am glad that the newsletter was created and thank Al Gore for inventing
the Internet (not!) But I am especially grateful how God has brought us
together.
PS If
any Christian brothers and sisters wish to start a Peary Christian alumni
group, please let me know via e-mail. Things like prayer requests, sharing
blessings, and other means of encouragement would be possible.
May
God bless my fellow Alumni!
From:
Barry Greene <begreene@erols.com>
(1969)
Date:
Thu, 28 Sep 2000
Subject:
A Classmate not Listed
If
you have been following the USA Under 17 Soccer team and the US Olympic
Soccer Team in the paper, you may have seen quotes by one John Ellinger. He is an assistant coach for the Men’s Olympic Soccer Team!
He is also a 1969 graduate of Peary and played on the Peary Soccer
team. He attended Frostburg,
where he also played soccer, and later was a teacher in the Montgomery
County School system.
From:
Dee Dee Adams-Camera <DeeDee.Adams-Camera@gxs.ge.com>
(1979)
Date:
Fri, 29 Sep 2000
Subject:
Update
I
found out about the website from a few alumni friends at volleyball the
other night.
Occupation:
Quality Mgmt Leader - GE Global eXchange Services,
Memorable
Incidents: Sports! Field
Hockey, Basketball, and Softball. That’s
where I spent most of my time.
Since
High School: 20 years working at GE Global eXchange Services,
Rockville/Gaithersburg. Continue
to play softball, took up volleyball about 10 years ago, and now into
golf. Very active in Community Service thru GE; Chairperson for the
7th Annual Jeff Bostic Celebrity Golf Tournament for the
benefit of NIH Charities, Member of the Rockville Jaycees back in the
early 90’s. Worked
Part-Time/Weekends for 7 years for Mid-Atlantic Volleyball promoting
volleyball in the mid-atlantic region.
Future
Plans: Retire from GE and move to Florida at age 55.
Memorable
Teacher: Leslie Whitaker, Field Hockey Coach and Mentor
From:
Randy McClement <bagelndeli@aol.com>
(1974)
Date:
Sun, 1 Oct 2000
Subject:
1 Year and Counting
Just
an update from Frederick Maryland.
Last
year at this time, I announced that my wife, daughter and i were opening a
Bagel & Deli shop in downtown Frederick.
I am pleased to announce that we have made our first milestone! On October 1 we have been in business for ONE FULL YEAR!!!!
I
want to thank all of you PEARY PEOPLE who have visited the store over the
past year! It is has been
great to visit with you and interesting finding out what you have been up
to!
I
invite anyone who is in the area to stop by and visit!
My original offer still stands to all Peary alumni - a free bagel
on your first visit. Hope to
see you soon!
Randy
McClement
From:
Randy McClement <Bagelndeli@aol.com>
(1974)
Date:
Sun, 1 Oct 2000
Subject:
Update
Occupation:
Owner - Bagel & Deli Shop, Spouse: Maryjane, Children: Melissa - 15,
Grandchildren: No!!!!!
Future
Plans: Grow my Bagel & Deli shop so my wife can stop making the daily
commute to Tyson’s Corner, surgically remove the phone from my
Daughter’s ear - have fun and golf
Memorable
Teacher: Mr. Clark - Just because he was Mr. Clark
From:
Cheryl “Cherry” Pelham Keller <cheryl.keller@oak.doe.gov>
(1964)
Date:
Mon, 2 Oct 2000
Subject:
Update
I
found out about the website from Candy Beck Burch.
Occupation:
Nurse Attorney - US Dept of Energy, Significant Other: Mo Habib, Children:
Jay Spies Age 31, Cory Keller Age 15 Grandchildren: None
Memorable
Incidents: Cheerleading, Chorus, Life With Father with Jim Reinhart,
football games - especially when we won, dances in the cafeteria, getting
hepatitis Junior year (about 14 of us came down with hepatitis) and not
being able to participate in the Christmas pageant, fooling around with
Candy Beck, Cheri Greenwood and Penny Van Mier, the proms. Since High
School=Went to U of M for 1 year, then Nursing School in Baltimore.
Married Jim Spies (9 yrs). One
child, Jay, born in 1969. Worked
at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore (OB/GYN, Operating Room, Nurse
Practitioner Adult Medicine). Remarried
1977 (20 yrs). One child,
Cory, born 1985. Worked in
Cancer Research at U of M Cancer Center.
Lived in Towson, Lutherville, Reisterstown (17 yrs) and Germantown
until 1998. Degree in Jurisprudence 1983.
Graduated from Law School 1989.
Member of Pennsylvania Bar (currently active non-Resident).
Joined US Dept of Energy in 1991.
Area of expertise is Occupational Medicine policy and oversight.
Moved to CA in 1998 and transferred to the Dept of Energy Oakland
Operations Office in Oakland, CA. I
live with my significant other, Mo. He
has 3 kids (Manny 21, Omar 20, Natalie 12).
Omar goes to Univ of CA - Riverside.
Natalie is in 7th grade.
Manny works and lives with us, as do Cory and adorable cat Trixie.
We live in Benicia, a small town on the water (pop 28,000) that is
beautiful, quaint, historic (Capitol of CA from 1853-54) and has excellent
schools. Cory and I love CA
with the beautiful weather, flowers food, wineries (Napa is 20 minutes
away) and boatloads of things to do and see.
We do miss MD seafood. My
older son, Jay, is an attorney in MD and works for the Dept of Housing and
Community Development. He is
Special Assistant to the Secretary and Legislative Liaison for the General
Assembly. His passion is home
brewing, for which he has won awards.
He married in July and I was back home for the wedding, of course,
but couldn’t afford the time or expense of returning for the reunion.
Cory is in 10th grade and looking forward to college and
getting his license (I’m not so anxious for that!!) My hobbies are hiking and sightseeing in this beautiful
state. I also play guitar
(have since I was 14) and have been taking piano lessons again (took them
in HS). Mo and I also take
Ballroom Dancing lessons and enjoy them very much.
We are family oriented and love to do things with our kids.
We also enjoy gardening very much.
Mo has turned the back yard into a “park”. We have all sorts of flowers and trees (tangerine, orange,
lemon, laquatte, persimmon, pomegranate, almond, plum, apricot, and red
and golden delicious apple! I
looked at all the pictures from the reunion and recognized only a few
faces. I dug around for my
yearbook and could only find Junior Year (1963).
Bummer!! It’s a
shame how things get lost in the shuffle of life.
Anyway, I’d love to hear from some of my HS friends and share a
few laughs.
Future
Plans: Continue to Live in Benicia and work for DOE at least 8-10 more
years. Travel quite a bit and
return to MD at least annually to visit my son.
I may get brave and study for the CA Bar exam in my spare time, but
there’s no rush for that. I
need to stay put and put my son through college.
I also plan to camp and have as much fun as possible.
As I get older, fun becomes more and more important, if not the
MOST important thing.
From:
Tom Denion
(1973)
Date:
Tue, 3 Oct 2000
Subject:
Update
How I
found out? My Father told me about this website.
Occupation:
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Spouse: Laura, Children: Scott (10), Michelle
(9)
Memorable
Incident: The tragic death of Connie Andrews
Since
High School: After Peary, I attended the U of MD and received Bachlors
degree in Mechanical Engineering. From
1980-1987 I worked for Dresser Industries in their oilfield services
group. I lived in New
Orleans; however, I worked offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1987 I resigned my position with Dresser due to health concerns.
I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a disease which precluded
me from the kind of job I then had. In
1987 I started working as a Patent Examiner for the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office. I examined and issued patents for about 10 yrs. and was
subsequently promoted to my current position as Supervisory Patent
Examiner.
Future
Plans: Grow old with my kids and keep fighting this crippling disease of
MS.
Memorable
Teachers: Too long ago to remember.
From:
Lisa Williamson <litlredridinhood@hotmail.com>
(1984)
Date:
Tue, 3 Oct 2000
Subject:
Update
I
found out about the website from Denise Collier.
Occupation:
Professional Floral Designer, Children: Zero- Minature Schnauzer-9mos.
Y2K Puppy (Hence the name Zero)
Memorable
Incidents: Driving right on past the school...I always missed that
turn...... & The black path....Is it still there?
Since
High School: Moved to Texas about ten years ago. Floral design, Traveling
to Floral Design Competitions and Winning! Invited to California for New
Years 99, to work on the floats for the Rose Bowl Parade.
The rest is history.......Working and partying! ! !
From:
Katrina Catron Holmes <milfoil@ivillage.com>
(1977)
Date:
Wed, 4 Oct 2000
Subject:
birth announcement
Better
late than never!
Katrina
Catron Holmes and Scott Holmes are the proud parents of fraternal twin
boys born 1/4/00.
Gabriel
Christopher Holmes: 5 lbs. 15 oz.; 19 ½ inches
Philip
Gregory Holmes: 5 lbs. 11 oz.; 19 ½ inches
The
boys are now 9 months old and into everything! Life is crazy but we love
being parents.
Sadly,
my mother died on 9/23/00, but she did get to see her grandsons a number
of times prior to her death. Her name was Madeleine Paquette Catron.
Katrina
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