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Shipmate
Cradock High Class of 1957
50th Reunion Issue
August 2007
Issue Number Two
Editor: Marcella Shaffer Bingham
Assistant Editor: Bernie Kirsch
Distribution: John Butler
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Note from the editor:
The team (above on the masthead) that put the last issue of the Shipmate Reunion issue together
wants to say how much we appreciated all of the positive comments about our
efforts. Least we forget, however, the newsletter was a success because of your
contributions, and so we are thanking you for taking the time to let us know what is going
on in your life.
This issue is dedicated to all of our classmates who have passed away with a special tribute
to our class president for all four of our high school years, Oliver Hawkins. May all of our
friends who have departed before us rest in peace. |
Oliver Wendell Hawkins
1939-2005
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them."
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Congratulations to Class of '57 Reunion co-chairman Donnie Whitesell and best wishes to his
bride, Donna. After courting for 17 years, the happy couple married on the auspicious date of 07-07-07.
Be seeing you all soon! Marcella
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And now a word from…
Marvin Bowman, Student body president 1956-57 - I look forward to seeing each of you in October.
One of the silly things I remember during our senior year occurred in the lunch room. In those days,
we had a blessing before we ate. Many times I would lead the short blessing using the public address
system. Once, a person ran up to me afterwards and said this day I started with 'Please bow your
heads and play with me'!
As you well remember, I enjoy acting and continue to be very active with the Aiken Community Playhouse. Currently I am on the Board and Director of Marketing. I am listed with several casting directors in SC and NC.
This resulted in my being selected as a Background Artist (fancy name for
extra) in George Clooney's next film "The Leatherheads". Even if that scene makes it through editing
in would require a still frame and a red arrow pointing to me under a 1930's hat. It was fun to see the
big boys in action.
We have done a lot in the past 50 years. Many of our accomplishments started with Cradock I was
gone soon after graduation, on to other adventures, other states and countries. Many of you stayed
close and you get to see each other as often as you wish. For those of us that don't get that
opportunity, please spend some time with us this October. I hope you have already registered. By the way,
I still don't know how we lost the 'd' from the original Admiral Craddock!
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Tom West says, I have not yet retired. I am still traveling quite a bit for my primary client, the U.S. Navy. I
am the only contractor providing a particular type of Welding Engineering service required by the Navy. I have
recently hired an individual to gradually assume duties associated with travel; so hopefully, I will be about 80%
retired in the near future.
Since I have seen about as much of the world as I would care to, I am looking forward to "hanging out" at home, maintaining 1.66 acres of land, and enjoying a one-half acre fishing pond 60 feet from my back patio. The yard
work alone should keep me in fairly decent shape. The work would be reasonably enjoyable if it was not for the
high humidity here in Lafayette, LA. I am looking forward to the reunion and seeing all of you at that time.
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Forest (Mac) Kincaid and Gloria Bass Kincaid - Mac and Gloria are high school sweethearts and have been
married for 48 years. Mac says Gloria is his inspiration and best friend. A perfect day for them is to play a round
of golf together and see the kids. Mac and Gloria send best wishes to everyone and say if they don't see you at
the reunion they will be sorry to miss you.
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Jack Waff - retired after 35 years in education as a teacher and administrator and says he is looking forward to
seeing all the classmates and hopes we all enjoy every minute of the reunion. He remembers that during the summer before our freshman year riding his bike at the corner of Deep Creek Blvd. and De Kalb. Jack says that
he and his friends ate a lot of Johnson's hot dogs, played ball at Ned Story's (class of 1956) house and circled
around the neighborhood on their bikes to "check out" the new girl in the community (Marcella Shaffer). They
were hoping to perhaps catch her eye and say hello. "I don't know if we could even talk if spoken to." Marcella
replies: Jack, I was very well aware of you boys "casually" riding by but the only ones who ever stopped and
spoke to me were our very own Rodney Hollowell and Larry Koon (Class of 1956)!
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Arlene Johnston Lindsay-writes that she is still working as a Real Estate Broker with Rose and Womble Realty.
A perfect day for Arlene is working in her garden and taking her grandchildren to dinner. Her memory of Cradock
in the '50s was "great teachers, and good friends". Arlene wonders if Mac remembers the time she pushed him in
the trash can! She looks forward to seeing everyone, renewing and exchanging memories and looking at old
pictures from the past.
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Pat Edwards Bunting - will not be able to attend the reunion as she and her husband Fuller will be celebrating
their 50th wedding anniversary in Puerto Rico. Congratulations to the Buntings! Pat says her best memories of
Cradock were being the editor of The Shipmate and the members of the1957 graduating class. She wishes she
could be at the reunion to say hello to Jack Waff and Ann Read Dillard. Pat's message to classmates, "wish I
could be with you, after all, we were the greatest class, with class, ever to graduate from Cradock. Hang loose
and party hardy. I love you all".
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Alma Brown Hall-Since our last newsletter we learned that Alma will have Deep Brain Surgery on August 20th
and again on September 11th. She reported at the last reunion meeting that she scheduled these dates so that
she could be with us at the reunion. She suffers from Dyskinesias, a symptom of Parkinson disease, which has
plagued her for several years. Parkinson's disease is caused by imbalance of chemical Dopamine in the brain,
which produces over activity of deep-seated nuclei of brain. Alma's doctors say she is a terrific candidate for a successful surgical procedure and relief of her symptoms. Our thoughts are with her and her husband Jim as she confidently goes to UVA Medical Center for this procedure
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Update on Reunion News
Our reunion committee has two groups, the in-town folks who do the hands-on-work it to make the events
happen locally, and the out-of-town crew who makes phone calls and gives advice to the in-town committee
members. We work together to make our 50th Anniversary Reunion gathering an enjoyable moment for all of us. Reunion Co-Chairman Donnie Whitesell and Bernie Kirsch are dieting, weight training, exercising, power-walking,
and sunbathing aplenty so they will be breathtakingly handsome for the 50th reunion in October. (Editor's note: gentlemen, I think that's gilding the lily!)
The reunion committee urges you to send in your registration form and a check as soon as possible. A form is
in this newsletter. Planning for the reunion is also being certain that neither Donnie, Bernie nor our treasurer,
Pat Horan is stuck with our check at the end of a wonderful October weekend of revelry.
Kudos to all of you who made an extra gift to our committee to insure that we have the extra resources to
meet unforeseen contingencies to make the event nicer. You gave more than $2,000.00!" Send more if you
can.
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Sweatshirts!!!!
If you have not already ordered your one-of-a-kind, Cradock Admiral Sweatshirt please do so!
Send your $15 check to Pat Horan, 5500 Springwood Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703. With our aging and perhaps
failing eyesight, the class of '57 will still be recognizable to each other, without our bifocals, if we all sport those terrific sweatshirts. Think of it as being a member of an exclusive club without the secret handshake! The
sweatshirts are high quality cotton with an awesome design by our resident artist Nancy Swisher Burch.
For those of you who do not know, Nancy is an exceptionally talented artist whose work is displayed in regional galleries in the Hampton Roads area where she is a valued member of the art community. Nancy is a very
versatile artist working in several different mediums from acrylic to watercolor to print. She has developed her
own line of note cards and sweatshirts featuring a whimsical series called, "Nancy's Cats".
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So far the following have advanced registered and paid: Nancy and Charley Burch, Pat and Deadri Horan, Bernie
Kirsch and Donna Morris; Sonny and Kim Stout, Barbara and Philip Underwood, Eugene and Ellen White, Marvin
Bowman, Marcella and Tom Bingham, Duncan and Lucie Buchanan, Fred and Mary Crouch, Don and Sandra
Powell, Mac and Gloria Kincaid, Buddy and Marilyn Wilkins, John and Linda Butler, Sam and Carolyn Allen, Yvonne
and Melvin Olsen, Varneda and Bart Meyer, Jack and Wilma Waff, Carolyn Wright, Chet Barnette, Billy and Sybil
Boggs, Donnie and Donna Whitesell, Patsy Marshall, Carolyn Penrose, Anna Lee Thorn, Wayne Willis, Dewey
Nicholls, Roselyn and Harold Zerkle, and Chuck and Connie Kight.
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Holiday Inn Portsmouth Olde Towne-Waterfront is Headquarters Hotel. The first 25 of you to register get rooms
at $69.00 per night. Gene White is arranging a Captain's Choice, fun-golf, no-host tournament on Friday, October
19th. Women and men are on the same teams. Golfing talent is not required. Friday night's reunion event is in
the banquet room of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a modern facility, easy walking from all downtown hotels.
Saturday afternoon is a day outside in sunny 68-degree weather in Afton Square for a delightful "Come Home to Cradock". We are in the parade! Susie Oliver Trefny and her committee will decorate the float. Cradock has
changed but your good memories will work magic. Saturday night's activities includes a banquet at the Holiday
Inn. The ambiance of the room on our Elizabeth River's Town Point Reach is special.
Sunday morning Patsy Payne Marshall is providing a continental breakfast in our hospitality suite. Mac and Gloria Kincaid are insuring an open Hospitality Room from Friday noon until Sunday after breakfast. Snacks and soft
drinks will be at hand. Nothing is dress up. All the dress will be casual. Visiting and reacquainting with old friends
in a comfortable setting, and having fun is our plan.
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Reunion Committee Members are, Marcella Shaffer Bingham, Billy Boggs, Marvin L. Bowman, Joyce Bragg Costa,
Nancy Swisher Burch, Johnny Butler, Bob and Linda Cahoon Gray, Alma Brown Hall, Rodney Hollowell, Pat Horan,
Chuck Kight, Mac and Gloria Kincaid, Bernie Kirsch, Arlene Johnston Lindsay, Patsy Payne Marshall, Dewey
Nicholls, Shirley Edwards Paquin, Hope Saunders Slaughter, Carol Anne Harrison Stegall, Sonny Stout, Susie
Oliver Trefny, Barbara Toth Underwood, Gene White, and Donnie Whitesell.
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Hope you enjoyed this issue of the Shipmate Class of '57 50th reunion issue. Thank you to everyone who made
this issue possible by sharing a little bit of your life and memories with us. We may produce another issue before
the reunion so we would like to hear from you. What has been happening in your life, your memories, people you
would like to see. Send your copy to 1957 Shipmate Staff , 208 87th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Keep in
touch!
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CRADOCK 1957 REUNION REGISTRATION
(Please register early so that the committee can plan for you)
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Name: __________________ Spouse or Guest name______________
Cradock Class of 57
Golf yes no number____
Gene White
5325 Sports Club Run, Suffolk, VA 23435
Email:
Ace4gene@yahoo.com
Both nights yes no number____
$70.00 per person
Hospitality Room and Refreshments
(Both Days and Nights-No Charge)
Friday night only
Sports Hall of Fame yes no number _____
$35.00 per person
Back Home to Cradock
No Charge
Saturday night only
Holiday Inn Dinner yes no number____
$35.00 per person
Continental Breakfast yes no number____
No Charge
Return by September 1, 2007 with check made payable to
Class of '57 Reunion Committee to:
Pat Horan
5500 Springwood Drive
Portsmouth, VA 23703
Home: 757-484-4450
E-mail:
horanhome@cox.net
Total enclosed $____________
Update of personal information:
Address: _______________________________
Phone: ________________________________
Email: ________________________________
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