Ralph,

Here I go, checking in.

First of all, thanks so much for all the work keeping this web site up. I have shown this to a number of people. Everyone loves it and most have copied the idea.

Everything has been great in the Grant family. Children are spread from Chicago to San Francisco and a nephew at Tufts. So that gives us a spread of the entire country. Have thoroughly enjoyed the last five years of retirement. Recommend retirement as soon as possible. Particularly enjoy no alarm clock or travel. I still am involved in local politics and am still on the local city council. It is an enjoyable outlet and a good forum for debate.

We have made the decision to finally start "off loading" the antiques that we have collected for the past 47 years. No longer want to deal with a shops. I am loving ebay. I do have marching orders that the purpose of ebay is to sell and NOT BUY(yeh right). Hard to get those buys in, when they deliver to your front door. 

We spend about half of the summer in Door County. It is the most northeastern tip of Wisconsin. Hold up your right hand, palm facing you, and the thumb is Door County. Look it up on the web. A great place to visit, don't stay too long. :)   Lots of shoreline which reminds us of the east coast.Only the  smell of the salt water is lacking. I have attached a sunset picture. Most nights at dinner this is our view from the marina.

Looking forward to the reunion next year. Hopefully later part of summer. Granddaughter graduating from high school in Montana in June. Heading then for the Univ. of Montana, music major. Only a junior in high school and knows her major?  That should change at least 50 times before start.

Hope all is well with everyone.

God bless and be safe. Jim Grant
 

Hi,

 Missed the reunion due to emergency surgery.  Maybe I can make the next one.   Paul retired the last day of December.  We have been house hunting.  Looking in Bristol-Plainville area.  Wish I could move to Arizona, tired of the cold & snow, but my Mom still lives in Plainville.  Plan on a trip this year to see my son & his family.

Louise 

Hello,

I'm glad you found me.  I actually haven't used the name "Anna Mae" since I was 30.  Never could stand it.  I am called just "Ann", so please think of me that way.  I hope you all had a great time at the reunion.  I am busy with work as a therapist in a mental health clinic and enjoying my grandchildren.  Would love to hear from any of you.  Does anyone know where Alicia Schmit Russo is? Keep in touch.

Regards, Ann Grimaldi Cohen 

Hello everyone,

A note to all to say-HI-and am very sorry my schedule will not allow me to attend this weekend. 

It is just as big a thrill today to read about everyone's accomplishments as it was to watch them in school. We have quite a class. This group really is living proof that we live in the greatest country in the world. I truly believe we have, each in our own way, made it a better place for our children. Through strong character, leadership and example the next generation has a tough act to follow. There is talk about "the greatest generation", and those WWII vets certainly were. Well I believe we, especially this Plainville class of '58 certainly is pretty special also. 

A special note to the vets, THANK YOU  for your service to America & God Bless. 

Enjoy the moment and have a wonderful weekend. 

Jim

HI,

We have lived in the same house since the day we got married, but we are planning on selling when my husband Paul retires.  I have two sons, John 33 and Matthew 36, two grandchildren, Ashlyn four and Jakob two.  Matthew lives in Tucson, AZ, so I get to take a trip out there once a year.  John lives in Bristol. 

I retired from my job six years ago.  I worked as a medical typist, secretary at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.  I worked nights for about 10 years and then they put everyone on days.  I took the Govenor's early retirement plan which came along at a good time as I had recently had open heart surgery after a heart attack.  Worked for a while after I retired for a temp agency doing office work, but then quit that too.  Still keep pretty busy. 

Looking forward to the class reunion. 

Louise H. Stokosa 

Hi, 

It's been awhile so I thought I'd better give you a quick personal update.  First of all, I will not be able to get up to Plainville for the reunion. I know...bummer!!!!! I think I told Ginny that I received a Grand appointment in the Florida Order of the Eastern Star this year. It is a one year appointment and I will be serving as Grand Ruth for the Grand Chapter of Florida OES 2003-2004. It is a great honor and I will be traveling throughout Fla this year also visiting So. Carolina Grand Chapter in June and General Grand Chapter in Portland, Org. the first week in November. 

Gordy also received a Grand apt. this year in the Masonic Lodge. He will be serving as Worshipful Junior Grand Steward in the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM. this will keep us both on the road most of this next year and there were too many conflicts to let us travel to Ct.for reunion. Would have been great if some ot it had been spread out a little. Was really looking forward to seeing everyone and having ya'll get to meet my husband. 

Give us a call if you ever get to Fla. Bob B. called when he was here ..again we just could not connect. Just keep trying. Would love to get ahold of some mailing addresses . Will try and send you pictures. 

More later. Love. 

Linda (Kysor) and Gordy

(NOTE: Please click on each photo to enlarge...)

Hi from Louise Henne Stokosa
 Would like some info on next class reunion.  Marion S. Ekholm and Nancy Johnson Smith would also like info on class reunion.  They are both now residing in Arizona.  I still live in Bristol and have been at the same address for 36 years.  Husband Paul and two sons Matthew and John, two grandchildren Ashlyn 4 and Jakob going on two.  Retired from the Medical Examiner's Office in 1997.  Marion heard that there was going to be a 45th reunion this year.  If so could somone please e-mail me the particulars at stokosa@sbcglobal.net.  Thank you.

Here goes--you asked for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After grad--attended Mary Washington College from 58-62--graduating with BS in physical therapy.  This was a cooperative degree with Duke University from which I got a concurrent post grad degree in Physical Therapy.  Went to MWC for three years and transferred to Duke for the last year and a half into their post grad program and got the concurrent degrees in Dec. of '62.

Married in Aug. of 61 between MWC and Duke--this caused quite a stir at Duke--it seems that to be married was ok for the males but not for the females--I guess we were not focused enough to be able to handle it.  Imagine their reaction (and mine) when in Jan. I realized I was pregnant.  Had first child--Debora--in Aug. of '62, went back to school/clinical affiliations four weeks later and graduated three weeks after my class did.  I never have done things the "right" way.

After this, we moved to Camp Wolter's Texas where Bob went to helicopter school and then to VietNam in Feb. of 64.--I lived in Hampton, NH for that year and worked in an Easter Seal/CP center in Portsmouth NH.

Back to Texas in March 65. Next daughter-Kimberly-born in '67 while dad was in VietNam again.  Twin boys- Derek and Dana- born '69 while still in Texas. Moved to Yuma AZ for a year and half and then back to Texas.  I think Bob was the senior officer and we closed the post down when we moved out in Dec. '73.  The place "no longer exists"   scary.

We moved back east to Ft.Lee Va. Jan '74--Bob left the Army in late '74 and our divorce was final Jan '77.
April of '75 I became the director of Physical Therapy at Southside Virginia Training Center, outside of Petersburg, Va. This is a state residential institution for mentally retarded individuals.(second largest in Va. and in the top ten in size nationally. ) I spent 25+ years working there and retired Jan '01. 

If anyone wants to know the rewards of working with this population I could go on for hours--if you want to know the ins and outs and my true feelings on politicians and administrative issues, as related to medical/specifically as related to MR, schedule a few days off before you call me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Suffice it to say I am under a lot less stress these days.

I had a brief marriage-BIG mistake-'83-85.  During this period I went to night school and got a Master's degree in Public Admin. Completed in may '84.

In the fall of '87 I met a very nice gentleman.  Needless to say I was not even looking for a date-let alone a relationship.   I married him in Aug. of 89, after some very tough and emotionally traumatic incidents in both our lives convinced us that this was the right thing to do.

So the grand total of my life includes:

4 children;  8 step-children(1 deceased); 22 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren (this includes all grandchildren--two blood related, my kids' three step children and the rest are Don's blood related and step-grands.)  Christmas is noisy and expensive but truly JOYFUL. 

As a "survival" present to myself, and loved ones, I purchased a beach house in NC. in a relatively quiet residential area of the outer banks. ( I love it but will have to rent it during season to help pay for it in case you want to take a vacation there contact me.) 

I guess this is more than you needed to know but you can extract what you need from this and laugh at the rest.  If you can't laugh at life and yourself you are in trouble!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love and God Bless to you all     Noni

Greetings from North Carolina!

     First and foremost, both Pat and I have enjoyed the web-site tremendously.  It has been great fun to see how everyone has been doing these past forty plus years.  Thanks to Ralph Noel for alerting me about the web-site and anyway, Ginny has been bugging the heck out of me.

     I married my high school sweetheart Pat Foley forty years ago last month.  We were blessed with two wonderful children, Lori 38 who is a nurse at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.  She has three children, Kaitlyn age 9, Emily age 4, and Nicholas age 1.  Our son Scott  36, lives in New Jersey and is an embryologist with a prominent infertility Dr.  He is married with two beautiful girls, Caroline 4, and Catherine 1. 

     I was transferred to North Carolina from General Electric thirteen years ago.  It was only supposed to be for six years, but as you can see we are still here.  I have since been retired for almost three years now and manage to keep myself busy.  Pat and I keep our daughter's children during the day and we are involved with their many activities.  I thought my diaper changing days were over, but guess what? 

     We do get some time to travel home to Connecticut, but mostly go to New Jersey.  Pat still has her mother and sister and I have my brother and sister there as well.  As you know, my sister Joyce lives in Maine with her husband Boyde Ripley.  We visited them a couple of years ago and  they are doing well. 

     A note to Ralph T.  Keep up the good work with the site.  Again it is a great way to keep tract of classmates and friends.  Oh, by the way, the picture of our grandkids looks great.

Hi,  I'm Jane Irving Fortier, living in the hills of western PA. Thanks for finding me.

Dear Classmates,

I guess I have procrastinated long enough, time to reveal the past 40 years of yours truly, Linda "Kys" Fore.

After graduation I attended Moody Business school in New Britain to become an executive secretary. ( Ugh- I hated sitting behind a desk in a stuffy office all day) - Soooo, my first job was a dental assistant - I loved it...

June of '59 I married Bob Moore from ...Connecticut. October of '60 we moved to Ft. Myers, FL to care for his parents. Due to many circumstances, the marriage ended after 21 years. I was blessed with two wonderful children, son David Moore - 42- wife Sandy and two children Shannon, age 9 and Jason, age 6. David is a partner in ...an architectural firm in Florida.

Daughter Lisa Beth Dodd - 39 - husband Curtis, two beautiful "teenage daughters, Amanda -16  and Megan -13. Lisa is a teachers aide and taxi driver, soccer and softball Mom and feels like the car seat is part of the anatomy. Curtis works for ...a telephone company.

Very soon after my divorce, the Lord blessed me with the man of my dreams - Gordy Fore. After a courtship of three months we put two families together.  All five children stood up with us when we were married. Gordy has three children: 

Daughter Lynn Fore Richards - 42, Husband Jody - 43 , and son Justin - 15.  Lynn is the office manager at A.G.Edwards and Jody is a master electrician. Justin is practicing to be another Tiger Woods.

Son Jeffery - 39 lives in ...Ga., a man of many talents.

Son Scot -34 and wife Leslie were married September '01,  and live in ...Louisiana where Leslie grew up. They are both "Wine-o's". Leslie is a wine salesperson and Scott is a wine supplier representative.

The four "older" children went to school together and the two middle children introduced us. "what a blessing".

Gordy retired from Upjohn Ag. Division as a sales consultant. His hobby was raising hybrid Hibiscus. Together, we turned his "hobby" of one shade house into five houses and grew and raised 10,000 plants a year for the American Hibiscus Society chapters in Florida and one nursery in Texas.

After raising and supporting "3" Florida Gators, getting all married and having five beautiful grand children, we finally got re- active in the Masonic Fraternity and the Eastern Star. Gordy was Master of his Lodge in '92 and District Deputy Grand Master in '97. We served as Worthy Matron and Patron in '98. This past April I was installed as Grand Instructor for the 29 district for the Eastern Star, A one year appointment and a great honor.

We retired to Arcadia in '96 to relax and enjoy our motor home. "Wrong"!! Busier than ever. I don't know how we ever held full time jobs. I worked for 10 years for the ... a county DOT in Florida before Gordy and I married. The Hibiscus hobby is about finished and we just sold the big bus motor home. Will go to California in July to pick up a new smaller coach, one that I can drive. That big bus just intimidated me. We plan to take a month to return to Florida.

In between all this, two and one half years ago, we had to bring my folks from Bristol here to Arcadia to the nursing home so we could care for them. Dad passed away in May 2000 and Mom in January of this year. We cherish the time we had to spend with them.

Gordy and I both feel the Lord brought us together (he, from SOUTHERN Illinois and me, a true CT. YANKEE) and has blessed us and our family everyday since. From day one, there have been no "step children" among us - we have always been one family for the past 22 years as of October 18, 2002.

It's a thrill to be "connected" with so many of our great class of "58" - thanks to Ralph and co-partners, Ginny and Jan Fan, etc.

Love, Happiness and Good health be enjoyed by all - until we meet again, 

Linda "Kys" Fore

P.S. Can anyone tell me if Alan Anderson (my cohort) is still the "most talkative"?

Hi Everyone,

Special Greetings to all of you from the Great Granite State of New Hampshire, Home of the Old Man in the Mountain!

What a joy it has been to "reconnect" with so many of you. I'm thinking, if Bobby Whelan & I had not kept a friendship going (since the 8th Grade), I probably would not have made the attempt to pull our class together again. Both of us were thinking, "We were such a close class, what happened?" That was back in February of last year. Well, you know what?...  We found out with that 43rd Reunion in August that we still are a "Close Class".  That bond is still there and always will be.  It was there at Joe D's Homecoming dinner in November!  I felt it and so did everyone else. We are a special group of people and we grew up during a wonderful time frame.

Ralph T,  you are so fantastic to have stepped forward and created this class website for all of us to enjoy and have fun with...  to laugh and sometimes to even cry. You touched my heart with the picture of you, Eddy Wishart, Alan Couch, Jimmy Rudolph and little Andy Coppola. It's just beautiful!  Again and again you amaze me with your creativity.

I email you a "little tidbit" and you turn it into a work of art!  You never fail me. Nothing "Blonde" about you on the computer and I love the military section you put up with flags flying and music playing.  It's the BEST!  So, thank you for this Special Gift you have given to all of us, an important part of our life that we can add to and bring it up to date from time to time. We love it!

Just a little bit about my life -

After graduating from high school, I spent some time working in San Francisco, my favorite city.  I remember back then, California was the place that many young people went to, to "Spread their Wings".  I loved it there but only 
wished it were on the East Coast. For the long term, it was really too far away from home for me.  Anyway, I returned to Connecticut and married "our" Ralph Noel and we moved to Columbus,  Ohio where he started his career with Bell Laboratories and I secured a position with a company called Service Bureau Corp. (A Division of IBM)  After 4 years, Ralph was transferred to North Andover, Massachusetts.  So, that's how I ended up in Southern New Hampshire.  Our son David is 30 years old and lives in Burlington, VT.  He headed north to get a masters degree at UVM and liked Burlington so much that he decided to stay. (I kind of thought he'd get hooked and he did) That was 4 years ago. It's a great place to live with lots to do; very much a young persons town. David has a consulting business at home and works for a private company in the computer field.  So Mom and Dad don't have to write him anymore checks!

My employment has been with a private bank in Massachusetts.  If anyone had ever told me I would be in the field of banking/finances, I wouldn't have believed them.  Anyway, here I am.  My first love is music, and the theater. 
I like construction and designing a lot and my favorite volunteer organization is called "Christmas in April".  That's where you re-hab a low income familes home.  It's a one day project but takes all year to plan. Most of the people are the elderly who are just trying to stay in their homes as long as possible.  We do the actual work on the last Saturday in April each year.  Thus...  Christmas in April!

For the past 10 years I have spent some of my vacation time in Chatham on the cape with some very close friends who are scattered all over the country.  I always say they are the "Sistahs"  (Massachusetts talk) I never had.  They're the BEST!  And this year,Jan "Fan" is joining us.  Yea!  (See, I'm still cheering)  And, check out the shoes!  Couldn't resist sending this picture along.  Taken in the Spring of 1953, end of 8th Grade.  I must have had my sights set on being a cheerleader even then.  A "Dream come True"!

Anyway, get connected.  Life is wonderful!  Email is more than wonderful!

I love you guys,

Ginny

Ralph.... Keep up the GREAT work you are doing keeping the class together. Sorry  to have missed the last reunion...did not know about it till it was over. Would love to have flown up to spend time with ya'll. I loved reading all the wonderful news on everyone. Soon as the holidays are over I will drop a note and fill you in on my past and present. Would love to hear from each of you. Pat Haddock and I keep very close touch so I know a little of whats happening in Plainville. Have been in Florida for 42 years . If you get our way, give us a yell.

Wishing you all love, joy, peace,happiness and good health in the New Year. Be in touch.

Linda Kysor Fore   gfore@desoto.net
(Left click on photo to zoom)

 Hi Everyone...

I have finally had the time to read the other check ins.  Ginny has been keeping me up to date.  So I thought I would send along a short bio too. Of course after reading all the accomplishments of the others, my life 
seems uneventful.  All I can say is WOW.

So here it goes.  After graduating PHS, I went to work for radio station WRCH in Farmington for 22 years, working my way up from bookkeeping clerk to the financial manager.  Since leaving there, I had jobs at the Talcott Mountain Science Center, a Farmington investment firm and for David Mazzalupo - Machinery dealer.  (if that name sounds familiar, he is also a PHS grad).  I now work for the Estuary Council of Seniors right here (...in a town in Connecticut)  as the financial officer.  Four miles to work is not bad at this stage of the game.

I have three sons, my oldest, Steven is 39.  After graduating from UConn, he lived in Boston for 5 years,  then took a "rent a tutor" corporate job in Japan in 1990 with a one year contract then taught conversational English in a private school to students from 3 to 70 years of age, then moved on to being a translator of documents. He married a wonderful Japanese girl, Masako and has two boys, Soichi, 5 yrs old and Kouta, 3 yrs old.  I have been over to visit five times.  They spent all of last year with me hoping to relocate in the USA, but the economy did not cooperate. He went back to Japan and again works as a translator of documents for major corporations.  My second son, Todd is 38 and lives in (Arizona) with his lady Diana and her son.  He is a contractor and works for a national developer of condos and shopping malls etc.  My third son, Mark is 33 and single.  He owns two businesses, his first is remodeling kitchens and baths, flooring and countertops using tile, slate, marble, granite plus.  He has recently started building homes, having built and sold his first one last July in Cheshire and now building two more in Stamford.

Being foot loose and free, I have tried to do as much traveling as possible.  Love the sun and have hit Hawaii on the way back from Japan twice. Portgual, Mexico, Cancun, Santo Domingo plus the US, but not enough.  Italy is calling my name but still have not made it there, maybe this coming spring if all works out. Have a home in (Connecticut) that can easily accomodate visitors, so anyone who needs a place to crash, the invitation is sincere.

That's it in a nutshell.  As everyone has said, time goes by too fast.  Looking forward to the next reunion, haven't missed one yet.  The August one was a blast from the past and the November dinner was special.  Take care all and keep in touch. 

Jan Kane

(NOTE: Jan promised to send in a photo of herself for her 'Check-In' letter... JRT)

Greetings from New Hampshire to all my fellow-classmates!

Many thanks to you, Ralph for the wonderful PHS '58 website. It's so much fun to peruse. 

Bob & I have retired to our NH home & love the slower paced living up here in the country (even though a black bear visits us each spring!). We have three grown children (two daughters & one son) and six lovely grandchildren who live in CT, FL & VT. 

I retired July 2000 & Bob is in the process of turning over Owen Tool & Mfg. in Connecticut to our son who recently moved to CT after living out West for 15 years. We love retirement, although it's a myth that you have all this free time. The days zoom right by, but they're fun! 

Living in CT, VT & NH, we enjoyed many years of down hill & cross country skiing, hiking & biking. After commuting on weekends from CT to NH for 20 years, we, once in a while, enjoy a state of "couch potato"! Living in NH full time now, I have joined some local organizations & do volunteer work.

Some of my favorite travels have been to: Banff & Jasper State Parks in the Canadian Rockies - awesome!, a fun trip to Aruba with Ruth Perrotti & my daughter (Ruth & I have kept in touch all these years), sunny Kauai, in 2000 went to the lush green Ireland and in 2001 a wonderful trip to Israel (I wouldn't dare go now). Bob & I plan to do more traveling in our future retirement years.

Thank you Ginny for making me aware of this website & many thanks to all who contributed to it's existence. 

Best wishes to you all! 

C. Jane Hodlin Owen Class of '58

Well hello Ralph. 

Just got back in town and had to check the messages right away and there it was - PLAINVILLE. So glad everyone had a good time. I am sorry I was unable to attend. 

What a great idea to have a web site dedicated to Plainville's Class of 1958.

There is so much that has happened since 1958, it is hard to know where to start. I like the idea of everyone contributing their ideas and stories. Even if I was not there, all of you were on my mind Saturday night. I just could not get out of my commitment. 

A quick background. Married for close to 42 years to Carol. Three grown sons and one granddaughter. Spent close to 11 years with the Navy. Went to school in Milwaukee. Majored in Business Admin. Have spent my entire career in the print industry. 

Currently on my third job during that time. My area of concentration has been and is negotiations. I can remember Charlie Palmer saying "You better get a job where you can talk a lot". Well I took his advice, in the Navy and private industry. That is it in a nut shell. 

Am thinking about retiring in another year but have not decided what the next career will be. Maybe something where I can "talk a lot".  :) 

Jim Grant

(Note: 1 October 2001. We are reposting Jim's earlier note along with this neat photo that he and his wife Carol sent  this evening... we were reminded in reading Jim's note again, that he too along with seven other classmates are Navy men. (See 'Our Photo Album' section) The Navy sure made out in '58!  JRT)