Burlingame High School - Class of 1955
News Bytes from 2003

| Return |

(January 2003) Classmate Mike Johnson and wife Kathleen have returned from a week-long "winter break" to the Oregon Coast. Joining them were their four children and two sons-in-law. Residence was in a beachfront home previously built and owned by Kathleen's parents. Mike has fond memories of the days spent crabbing (seafood, not temperament), walking on the beach, collecting agates, or playing pinochle with his extended family. Click on photo to view full size.

 

January 2003) Jan 17, Roger Peterson and Grey Whipple met for coffee at Caffe Teatro in Moraga CA. Roger has retired from a sales career with DuPont. He went straight from BHS to Cal (Berkeley) where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. As at BHS, Roger was on the Cal track team. He participated in ROTC and graduated as 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army, serving most of his military time at Fort Dix in New Jersey. Roger divides his time mostly between his homes at Carnelian Bay (Lake Tahoe) and Montana. Roger and Betsy have two children and three grandchildren. A photo of Roger taken at this visit is posted on his Senior Photo page. Click on photo to view full size.

(February 2003) Remember our school newspaper, the Burlingame B ? Thanks to Reed Baird we now have an image of the Front Page of the graduation edition. It can be reached by clicking on Burlingame B on the home page.

(February 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple, while on a trip to Sacramento to dote on their four grandchildren, paid a social call to classmates Ed and Evon Steele. Evon (pronounced yvonne) is the former Evon Nielsen (BHS '56). The Steeles have recently moved from Redwood City to Sun City in the Roseville area. With a golf cart in the garage and a patio on the shoulder of the 4th green at the Del Webb golf course, they have their own little bit of heaven. Ed and Evon dated in high school and were married in 1957 in Burlingame. They have four children, a girl and three boys (all married), and several grandchildren (including twins). Ed worked for Pacific Bell for 37-1/2 years before retiring. They attended the Burlingame High School Diamond Jubilee in 1998, although they sat with Evon's class, and are looking forward to our 50th reunion. There are two new photos on Ed's senior photo page.

 

 

(March 2003) A note from Alma (Bunce) and Richard Alber describes their trek to Costa Rica: "We recently returned from a 2 week journey to Costa Rica. It is a fabulous country and a traveler's delight--you can eat all the food and drink all the water. We had many wonderful experiences--horseback riding, walking through the rainforest, boat trips down canals and rivers, seeing over 160 different variety of birds, watching an active volcano erupt, painting ourselves with warm volcanic mud, soaking in warm pools, riding on a harness through the canopy top (see photo left). We visited both the tropical rainforest and the tropical dry forest as well as the mountains between and both the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts. We also spent a day of pure indulgence at a private preserve--sea kayaking, napping in hammocks, fabulous "uptown" gourmet meal. Great journey all the way around. Richard & Alma Alber"
(Two photos were provided. The second is posted on Alma's Senior Photo page. Ed.)

 

 

(March 2003) The Burlingame High School Alumni Association has just published its Spring/Summer 2003 edition of Panther Postscripts and it appeared on the Burlingame High School website. It is somewhat inconvenient to read, but it is a giant step forward! A nice link to this website has been included. Thank you, BHS webmaster.

 

(March 2003) The things we do for our children. Up in Salem OR at Morningside United Methodist Church the youth are planning two mission outreach ventures this coming summer. As a fund raiser, the teens are working with Flamingo Man to have some fun. You can contribute $25 to FM to place a yard full of pink flamingos in front of your friend's house. Or, you can pay FM to NOT place flamingos in front of your house. Asked why he does this, FM replies, "The youth are bright, musical, hard working, and have a desire to help make the world a better place to live. They are super heroes in their own right and we super heroes stick together." But who is that masked man? Hint: his intials are MPJ.

.

(March 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple have returned from a 10 day visit to Florida. Lillian was a workshop leader at the annual meeting of the Florida Tropical Weavers' Guild near Orlando. During that meeting Grey drove to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Center. They also spent time with family in Tampa and Punta Gorda. While in Tampa, Grey was treated to a tour of the United States Central Command Headquarters. CENTCOM is managing the war in Iraq.

(April 2003) Last January we wrote about contact with Marlene (Givens) Scally. A note from Marlene announces that her computer is out the packing crate and on line with Internet access. Her e-mail address is posted on the Class website E-mail page. She would love to hear from you.

(June 2003) Many of you knew Ann Murison. She attended McKinley Elementary School and BHS in her Freshman and Sophomore years. Thanks to Barbara (Baumeister) Super we have photos of her dated 1953 and 1995. You can click on the link above to see them. And eventually they will be included on the Senior Photos page (technical issues). We have begun to create a biography/obituary for Ann which is currently with the photos. We are asking those of you who knew Ann to send Grey additional information to add to what is already there.

(August 2003) Sebastopol, land of apples and grapes, and a restored 100 year old farmhouse, was the setting for a mini-reunion luncheon for three Washington School alums. Rosalie (Herron) and Roy 'Nik' (BHS'54) Franchini (pronounced fran-key-knee) hosted the gathering in their home. Present were Hal Robinson and Grey Whipple and spouses JoAnn and Lillian. Table talk, understandably, was about classmates and BHS faculty, family, grandchildren, and the 50th reunion. Hal and Grey regaled and amazed the gathering by singing, from memory, the Burlingame High School alma mater. Rosalie and Nik have been married 48 years; Hal and JoAnn, 38 years; and Grey and Lillian, 40 years. Both Rosalie and Hal are finally out of 'sick bay' after major surgery for back and knee repair. Other photos taken are displayed on Hal and Rosalie's senior photo pages.

(August 2003) Classmate Peter Ueberroth (photo left) has filed candidacy papers for the California governor recall election. The complete list of candidates is not yet certified, but the alphabetic order of the candidates on the ballot has been set. The letter "U" is in the 21st position.

(August 2003) We have it on good authority that classmate Ted Treu and Pat Jenkins (BHS'56) were recently married. Ted and Pat are planning to be part of the 50th Reunion committee.

(January 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple's 2002 Christmas letter and a recent photo has been posted on his Senior Picture page. Thanks again to Mike Johnson for maintaining the Senior Photo pages.

(January 2003) We now have an e-mail addresses for Carol Alexander, Susan Daley Hart, Peter Ueberroth, and John Hansen. They have been added to the E-mail page. Dayna Schwarz Ehlen has been updated on the E-mail page.

(January 2003) A note received from Ray McCormick. Alas, he does not have a computer. Ray has retired and is a self-proclaimed "car buff", an interest stemming from his high school days. He lives in Redwood City and looks forward to the 50th class reunion.

(January 2003) We have been in touch with Peter Roth and his e-mail address is now posted on the E-mail page. Peter has recently retired after many years in the high tech world, primarily with HP and, more recently, with AMD. He keeps busy with volunteer work and family, and is developing skills in photography and cabinet making for which he never had time while working. Peter and wife Jan have done some travel with a focus on Northern Italy and France. All in all, says Peter, life is good if not remarkable.

(January 2003) Linda Thorpe Sprague writes that she moved last October to southwestern Riverside County. "...I live in a '55 or better' community which is like paradise. I play golf a couple times a week and attend whatever classes happen to be going on at the clubhouse. It is a wonderful place. My brother, Gordon, (class of 52) also lives here. I look forward to the 50th reunion..." Check the E-mail page for Linda's new address.

(January 2003) Missing Classmates. We are always disappointed when we send a piece by U.S. Mail and they come back undeliverable. The latest victims are Doris Ann Potter Keoppel and John Stipicevich. Last addresses were Doris in Burlingame and John in Fremont.

(January 2003) In December we placed a news note that our mail address for Marlene Givens Scally was no longer valid. Well, about two weeks ago Bob Foote volunteered to drop by Marlene's former address and see if he could get a lead on her. It turned out that Marlene had moved to Idaho and an acquaintance said she would send a note saying we were looking for her. Today, on a whim, we checked the Internet White Pages and there was a listing by the same name.We called and she is alive and well, living in the Boise area, and will soon have a new computer up and running. Thanks to Bob for his interest in helping on this one.

(February 2003) We have heard from classmates Gary Stevens and Carole Meacher Stokes. Gary is in Colorado and his E-mail address is posted on the E-mail web page. Carole and husband Roy have moved from Contra Costa County to the Mother Lode country east of Sonora.

(February 2003) Last Fall, Matt Biggar became Burlingame High School's new Principal. His picture now appears on the Alumni News page.

(February 2003) A note from Dr.David Stein says he 'found' our class website and enjoyed seeing and reading of our classmates. David is a practicing optometrist and is president of a panel of optometrists serving organized labor in Los Angeles County. David and wife, Judie, look forward to our 50th reunion. His e-mail address can be found on the website E-mail page.

(February 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple were houseguests of Mike and Kathleen Johnson in Salem OR to be part of the family celebration of Kathleen's birthday. Part of the family festivities was attending a high school jazz band festival hosted by Willamette University. Mike's daughter, Susan, plays piano for her high school jazz band. The featured jazz musician was Dr. Benny Golson (1929- ), a tenor sax musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, and educator.

(February 2003) A note from Jo Ada Peterson Alexander has her moved from San Mateo to San Jose. Jo has three children. Two boys who are BHS grads and a daughter that graduated from San Mateo H.S. Her e-mail address is now listed on the website E-mail page.

(February 2003) A note from Carla Volonte Sperling just to say 'hi' and enclosed a photo taken at her daughter's wedding in Greenwich CT. It is posted on her Senior Picture page. She will be 'on-line' as soon as she can get her computer out of storage and get set up for Internet service.

(February 2003) We are in receipt of a package from Ray McCormick, including a recent photo which has been posted with his Senior Photo.

(February 2003) From the Burlingame Historical Society semi-annual newsletter The Record: "At the heart of our city is our historic Burlingame High School., built in 1923 and still going strong....Mark your calendars for March 23 from 2-4 pm in the library at the High School...(for) a presentation on the school's history....Learn more about the architecture, the groups within the school which make it special, and major events involving the high school over the years." Membership in the Burlingame Historical Society is $10 per year, or $100 for a lifetime membership. Send your tax deductible payment to PO Box 144, Burlingame CA 94011.

(February 2003) A note from Jim and Gale Manwaring up in Santa Rosa. Gale writes that they are grandparents of twins. They now have a computer and their address is posted on the E-mail page.

(February 2003) Reed Baird reports a visit to Palm Desert where it was too wet and cold to comfortably golf, but lazied around in spite of it all.

(February 2003) FLOODING DAMAGES MAIN BURLINGAME LIBRARY. A broken water valve caused extensive damage to the main Burlingame Public Library Monday evening(2/17), soaking thousands of books, damaging furniture, carpeting and computer equipment. Damage is estimated to be between $50,000 - $100,000 to the five year old structure. The water affected all three floors.

(February 2003) We have heard from Carol Crichton Sharkey (Atlanta) and Bob Emmett (Carmel Valley). Their e-addresses have been added to the E-mail page.

(February 2003) A note from Hazel Mott Lindgren. She writes that she lives but a short distance from Ed Steele on six acres along the Auburn Ravine River. Her e-address is posted on the E-mail page.

(March 2003) Another classmate who is back on our mailing list is Pritzie Morse MacKinnon, now living in Maine. An old address was kicked back by the U.S.P.S. but the Internet white pages came to the rescue. Pritzie writes that "Hopefully, we'll make the reunion!" Also she is one of the 'white hats' amongst the Class of 1955 in that she has sent in her annual Alumni Association dues. Hint! (See the Alumni News page for how to do that!)

(March 2003) Notice: 33rd Annual Art In The Park-June 7 and 8, 2003 Washington Park, Burlingame
About 200 artists and craftsmen will be there offering their wares. All art pieces must be handmade. This has been a popular Burlingame event with local food concessions and free admission. You never know whom you might run into.

(March 2003) A note from Dixie (Eason) McCarthy upon her return from a trip to Mexico. ..."We had a fabulous time visiting with Dee (Williams) Ropers in San Miguel de Allende..actually Roger Peterson had been there about two weeks before and saw Dee as well. Her home is lovely and very strikingly beautiful with a rock pool off the living room and her paintings and sculpture in wonderful niches and places around the house. She has planned a beautiful retirement villa in Mexico..."

(April 2003) A note from Richard Pfarrer. Just to put the message in context, Dick and Grey played snare drum in the BHS Band, and were reunited in 1957 in the Cal (Berkeley) Marching Band. That was the year that the band visited the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. Grey always thought he was a pretty good rudimentary snare drummer, but he knew Dick was always just a little bit better. Dick was a product of the Roosevelt Elementary School orchestra and Grey played at Washington. "...No, I haven't moved to another planet...I received all of your messages re: Cal Band and Blngm Hi..We had numerous problems with earthlink, too many to mention and henceforth, we are using adelphia.. Please continue to communicate and I promise a much quicker response!! ....I am assuming that you also are an alumni member of Cal Band..Haven't been very active there, but did purchase a video several years ago of the Brussels Tour..I don't keep up my drumming, but did play with a 3-piece combo many years ago here just for fun..I would like to join the County Jazz or Concert Band here when I have more time..I still work full time..."

(April 2003) From some 45th reunion snapshots taken at Ted Treu's home in September 2000, we have extracted more portrait-type images: John Matthews, Georgene (Kammler) Tallant, Dixie (Eason) McCarthy, and Walt Jessen. These images have been placed next to their senior photos. We also received a current photo (circa 2000) of Joan 'Bunny' (Fieldhouse) Leon which has been posted with her senior photo page.

(April 2003) A Roosevelt School page has been added to this website. This all happened because Joan 'Bunny' (Fieldhouse) Leon sent a picture of one of the 6th grades (Mrs. Irma Johnson's class). Bunny could not I.D. all the faces so we e-mailed a copy to Roosevelt School alums we thought were in the photo. Responding with names were Nancy (Nielsen) Howard, Roger Goad, and Jim Conner. There are still a couple of faces we do not know. You can visit the photo by clicking on the Roosevelt School link to see if you can help with the missing names. In the course of our conversations we learned that Roger attended the 'big three' Burlingame Elementary schools: Washington, McKinley, and Roosevelt.

(April 2003) Life is good. Barbara (Baumeister) Super writes that she has spent this past winter teaching skiing at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. And to prove it, she has forwarded a photo of herself traversing a scenic slope in the high Sierra (see her senior photo page). Barb has embraced our 50th Reunion CD project and gives us hope that the project will appeal to the rest of our class.

(April 2003) Missing: Jenny (Flack) Harriman (and husband Philip) of Kensington MD. We have a mailing list of all classmates who do not have e-mail, and Jenny was on that list. When we sent the mailing for the 50th Reunion CD Project, Jenny's letter came back "undeliverable". Anyone in touch with her?

(April 2003) A new page titled Other Burlingame-related Websites has been added to this website.

(April 2003) Mike Johnson reports about our elementary schools: "...averaging between 230 and 250 students, Washington, McKinley and Roosevelt are the smallest three schools in the district. Roosevelt, in particular - which reopened in 1997 after being closed for many years – has been often mentioned for potential closure to save the district money...(Cathy Baylock newsletter)". Says Mike, "They already demolished Coolidge School, I hope they don't take Roosevelt too."

(May 2003) We have added photos of Robert Fertig (math) and Larry Haseltine (biology) / Gilbert Wedertz (chemistry) to the Faculty and Staff page. These photos are of interest because they were taken in 1940. Thanks to the Burlingame Historical Society for permission to use them.

(May 2003) Bill Knorp gets the prize for the first biography and photo submitted for the 50th Reunion CD Project.

(May 2003) Our apologies to Jim Conner who gave us permission to post his e-mail address some time ago and it got overlooked. His name and address have been added to the e-mail page.

(May 2003) Last March, Dixie (Eason) and husband Matt McCarthy journeyed to the city of San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato Mexico to visit Dee (Williams) Ropers who has taken up permanent residence there. Dee has recently moved into a new home of her own design and Dixie reports that Dee's home is delightful and is tastefully decorated. Dixie has provided photos which are displayed on Dee's Senior Photo page.

(May 2003) Our thanks, once more, to classmate Mike Johnson for writing new program code to make the Senior Photos part of this website more functional. You won't notice anything much different, but it will be a help to the 'PC challenged'.

(May 2003) A note from Carla (Volonte) Sperling. Her computer is up and running and her e-mail address is posted on the E-mail page.

(May 2003) Classmate John Matthews lives in Riverside CA. And as coincidence would have it, Grey Whipple was spending a week in Riverside, just kicking around while his wife, Lillian, attended a convention of handweavers. John and Grey spent a half-day together touring Riverside and doing lunch. Grey reports that John is the same old John he remembers from 43 years ago. John has retired from the U.S. Marine Corps with an incredible 32 years of creditied military service. John has also retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. John is active in Veteran's Affairs in the greater Riverside metopolitan area, mainly counseling Veterans to obtain benefits for which they are entitled. John has recently done some creative writing and is a contributor to Windows To Our Souls: A Collection of Poems by The Riverside Vet Center Writing Group. John has provided an official USMC photo taken of him in 1969 wearing his summer khakis and his Captain's bars. It is posted on his Senior Photo page. Alas, John is a steadfast holdout to having a PC in his house. But Grey can provide an address and phone number if you wish to contact him.

IN MEMORIAM: Dale Joy Singer Gorham, d. March 21, 2003.

(May 2003) Late this month, classmate Arlene (Borelli) Hipsher and husband Fred embark on an 11 day cruise round trip from San Francisco to Alaska. In a phone conversation with Arlene she reports that she still works Fridays and Saturdays at a beauty salon that she once managed in downtown San Mateo.

(June 2003) Joan "Bunny" (Fieldhouse) and husband Pete Leon have returned from a trip to Catalina. Bunny writes "Grey, we are back from our trip to Avalon, on Catalina Island. It was great. We spent 11 days there on our boat with lots of our friends. If you have never been there, I sure would recommend the trip. It is so beautiful and is so full of history. We sure do enjoy our boat. We go on cruises with our club every month. We stay in harbors from Marina Del Ray down to San Diego. We have also taken it to Mexico a few times." Bunny has provided a couple of photos which are posted on her Senior Photo page.

(June 2003) Kudos to Mike Langston for providing corrections and missing names for the Roosevelt School 6th grade photo.

(June 2003) Barbara (Baumeister) Super, responding to the 50th Reunion CD Project, has provided a collection of photos which will appear on this website. Three of them are of her TriY Club, AFO-OFA. A new webpage has been created to display them, along with other TriY/HiY photos which may be sent to us.

(June 2003) Ted Treu now has e-mail. We do not yet have permission to post it on the E-mail page, but until we do, Grey will, on request, give you his address.

(June 2003) Seen dining at the old Pleasanton Hotel (Alameda county) were classmates Linda (Berry) Gillispie, Mike Johnson, and Grey Whipple (along with spouses). The reason for the gathering was a birthday celebration and to renew old friendships. Linda and Mike were neighbors and classmates at Roosevelt School. All three were good friends under the "umbrella" of the Burlingame Methodist Church Youth Fellowship. Linda graduated from Willamette University in Salem OR, which is where Mike now lives, so there is that connection. too. Linda is currently the high school principal of a California Youth Authority high school in Stockton. Mike has just formally retired from Oregon State University but continues as an ad hoc administrator. Grey retired some years earlier.

(June 2003) We have recently received e-mail from classmates Dan Cullen and Gordon Flynn. We do not have permission to publish their e-mail addresses but Grey can provide them if asked. (Update: Dan's e-mail address is now posted.)

(June 2003) Congratulations are in order for classmates Barb Hewitt and John Basye: They have sold their business Blueprints-Printables and the new owners take over on July 1. Both Barb and John should now be reached at barbhewitt@aol.com.

(July 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple have just passed a milestone in their lives. See Grey's Senior Photo page.

(July 2003) FLASH: 50th Reunion Ctee Co-chairpersons Barb Hewitt and John Basye have just announced a date for the first reunion committee meeting. It will be at their home in Burlingame on Sunday, August 17, 1-4 pm. If you have ideas for the direction of this reunion, you are cordially invited to attend.

(July 2003) Seen enjoying dinner on the deck at Jason's Beachside Grill (Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe) were classmates Gil Larish and Grey Whipple and their spouses, Linda and Lillian. A beachside photo of Gil and Linda is posted on Gil's senior photo page.

(July 2003) The Burlingame Elementary School page has been updated with photos of McKinley, Roosevelt, and Washington Schools. Roger Goad was kind enough to spend a morning visiting each school and taking pictures.

(July 2003) The McKinley Elementary School page has been added with class pictures, 3rd through 7th grade. The names have been listed under each picture but some names have been forgotten. Help us out if you can. The photos are courtesy of Barbara (Baumeister) Super.

(August 2003) News from classmate Bob Foot. He and wife, Joy, have moved to Palm Desert. Bob is volunteering his time at a Palm Desert golf course helping run corporate golf tourneys. Bob reports that he and Joy have just returned from a gathering in Livermore, hosted this year by Reed and Carrol Baird. This was the seventh annual gathering of friends (and spouses) of Burlingame and Serra High Schools. Besides Bob and Reed were Ted Carter, Jim Manwaring, Kevin Monahan, and Bill Seawell. From Serra HS were Jim Viano and Tom Healy. Also present were Dave Spath and Frank Goss, members of the BHS Class of 1956. Golfing and carousing were the order of the weekend. (Ed. Bob promises to send photos)

(August 2003) On the move! We have received word that classmate Dick Audley has moved from the East Bay to Orinda; and classmate Betty Paterson Lasseter has moved from the Peninsula to Texas. We also have e-mail addresses and phone numbers for each.

(August 2003) Wedding Announcement. Married this month were Ted Treu and Pat Jenkins (BHS'56). A photo of them is on Ted's senior photo page.

(August 2003) Dateline: Burlingame. Your Reunion Committee met for the first time to begin planning our 50th reunion in year 2005. Accepting the title of co-chairpersons are Barbara (Duncan) Hewitt and John Basye. One early decision is to hold the reunion in the October 1-15 window. This is a concession to classmates who are gone for the summer. Since hotels won't write banquet contracts more than 12 months in advance, firm plans cannot be made for another year. So mark your calendars and don't plan a vacation trip that you can't cancel. A photo of the group is posted on the Reunion Photos page. The next meeting is scheduled for October 12, again at Barb and John's home. It is a noon meeting so as not to interfere with Forty Niner football.

(August 2003) Sick Call: John Basye is convalescing after hip replacement surgery and is not yet home. Your cards and personal notes would be appreciated. Ask Grey for his address.

(August 2003) Gil & Linda Larish have returned from a three week tour of Switzerland & France. They spent about a week doing daily hikes in the Swiss Alps. Says Gil, "Our favorite day was taking 3 trains and then a cog railroad train through the Eiger glacier to the top of the Jungfraujoch (11,725 ft), which sits between the Jungfrau and the Monch (both well over 13,000 ft). This is the highest point in Europe that is accessible by transportation and affords gorgeous views of mountains, glaciers and the valleys below." After the week of hiking Gil and Linda joined a two week tour including Lucerne, more of the Berner Oberland (Swiss Alps) and the Lausanne area that sits along Lake Geneva. Gil continues, "We saw the Chateau Chillon, lunched in Gruyere and had a wonderful tour of the Olympic Museum. Our tour through France took us through Beaune and Reims, in the champagne region. From there we went to Paris and spent four days exploring that wonderful city. One day we took an all day trip to the Normandy beaches and had a very moving experience visiting the beaches, military cemeteries and museums."

(August 2003) Married this month was Denise Delaney, daughter of classmate Gail Delaney. Denise and husband, Bill have enjoyed working in the entertainment and theater arts community of San Francisco. With this kind of background and a flair for the dramatic, they set out to host a memorable wedding party for family and friends. The party theme was a tribute to the era of burlesque. Held on a Saturday night at the Great American Music Hall (built in 1907) in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, guests were treated to a slate of "only in San Francisco" entertainers, vaudeville acts, and a fabulous dixieland-style band providing bump and grind music. Denise and Bill, known professionally as Patty O'Furniture and Tristan Shout, trod the boards completely at ease with such luminaries as The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Hot Pink Feathers. Invited guests included Dixie (Eason) and Matt McCarthy; Barb (Duncan) Hewitt, and Grey and Lillian Whipple.

(August 2003) Gil Larish writes to Mike Johnson: "Remember a neighbor by the name of Ernie Kirchner who used to live on Cabrillo? He attended Roosevelt up thru the sixth grade. Well, after all of these years, we have seen him each year for the past 3 years when he comes up for a vacation at Tahoe . We had dinner with Ernie and his wife, Ursula, this evening here in Tahoe. (Ed. Gil can provide e-mail address for Ernie if anyone is interested)

(August 2003) Re: BHS Class of 1956. Some of us will remember Mary Ella Rose. She was active in the Burlingame Methodist Church and her parents operated the Bowling Lanes on Howard Avenue. Those of us who knew Mary Ella from our Methodist Youth Fellowship days have wondered for nearly 48 years what ever happened to her. Well, this month we found her up in Anchorage AK: Mrs. Mary Ella Brentlinger. The big 'thank you' goes to Linda (Berry) Gillispie who tipped us that she and her husband were Methodist missionaries. Grey can provide an e-mail address for her if anyone is interested.

(September 2003) Remember the Hi-Lites, the vocal sextet of Bob Clunie, John Burnett, Ray Sweeny('56), Bill Seawell, Walt Jessen, and Dave Freund? A "Burlingame B" photo article about them has been posted on each of their Senior Photo pages.

(September 2003) Sleuth Mike Johnson reports that this website rates a 4 (on a scale of 1 to 10) on the Google Search Engine.

(September 2003) Two new photos have been added to the BHS Country web page. The first is a dramatic photo of the West Coast headed into sunset; the second, from our Panther Tracks 1955 yearbook, a two page spread of the campus academic buildings.

(September 2003) Grey and Lillian Whipple were houseguests of (classmate) Mike and Kathleen Johnson to celebrate Mike's birthday. Activities included hiking in virgin forest land (incredibly beautiful), visiting Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge (again, incredibly beautiful), a dinner cruise on the Willamette River (one of those wonderful balmy evenings after dark with all the lights and bridges of downtown Portland), and doing the 5K coed-walk for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (breast cancer). Joining us on the dinner cruise was the Johnson's daughter, Marjorie (and husband James). Joining us on the 5K walk were the Johnson's daughters, Susan (h.s. sophomore) and Rosemary (and husband Kevin). Then all nine of us met for lunch at Chevy's.

(September 2003) Happy news! Grey and Lillian Whipple attended the final adoption hearing for two new grandchildren, Travis David Whipple, age 7, and Autumn Marie Whipple, age 5. The happy parents are Brian and Pamela Whipple. A photo of Travis and Autumn-with their sister and brother-has been posted on Grey's Senior Photo page.

(September 2003) We received a note from classmate Susan Broadwood asking us to remove her name from the list of missing classmates. We have her postal and e-mail addresses and will forward any requests to her if you wish to contact her.

(September 2003) There has been a group of BHS and Serra HS classmates who annually gather with their wives to carouse and play golf. Hosting the 7th annual gathering this year in Livermore were Reed and Carrol Baird. Bob Foote has supplied two group photos of the guys; they include Dave Spath and Frank Goss (both BHS '56), Jim Viano and Tom Healy (both Serra '55), and classmates Reed Baird, Jim Manwaring, Bill Seawell, Kevin Monahan, Ted Carter, and Bob Foote. These photos have been placed on the Senior Photo page of each of the Class of '55 grads.Kevin Monahan will be found on the Constituents web page.

(September 2003) A note from Bill Knorp at his summer home in Michigan: "Last week, John Burnett and friend Diana Holder paid a surprise visit to us
in Omena in their motorhome. We had a great time...enjoying a fabulous sail all afternoon, saw an all time sunset from the Bensley's cottage on Lake Michigan and then had dinner at a pub near Leland. Unfortunately, they left after breakfast the next day on to more adventures including a stint in Canada. Their trip will last two months ... returning to ...(California) in early Nov."

(September 2003) A note from Ron Marlin: "...I have been very busy in my own way. Closed Peninsula Brokers a year ago ...(and)...opened a small home office to handle my own property managment requirements. Coupled with that and the completion of our new home, welcoming of the 5th granddaughter, taking up the game of golf, travel, purchase of a 2nd home in Palm Desert (Like everybody else!) and general activites, we seem alwfully busy for being semi-retired. ... Celebrated our 40th in February, and planning a few weeks in Maui in October. What else can I say: Life is good!"

(September 2003) A not very well kept secret is that we have a 3rd "techie" in our class, Carol (Clark) Roberts. Carol volunteered to upgrade the McKinley School webpage and in a few short weeks has completed the task. It even includes Pershing School. If you have class photos that are not already displayed, Carol would be pleased to receive them for scanning and including on the webpage. We invite you to take a look at what she has done.

(October 2003) Dave Stein has responded to our call for a Biography and Photos. It makes for very interesting reading and is posted on his Senior Photo page.

(October 2003) A new feature has been added to the Burlingame Elementary Schools page. You will now find a list of where classmates attended the 8th grade in Burlingame. It has quite a few holes. Please take a look and see if you know any of the missing answers.

(October 2003) A kind note sent by classmate Dave Stein (with permission): "The more I peruse the class website the more I appreciate the...tribute to...fellow classmates, the city of Burlingame, and the wonderful launch Burlingame High gave all our lives. Like so many experiences that have come and gone, I didn’t appreciate nor contemplate until much later how many little things I took with me from Burlingame High. About fifteen years ago I built a green house up a hill behind our home and as I was designing and digging the post holes, I was thinking about Mr. Fertig [probably misspelled; but you know who I mean] who taught so many of us algebra and geometry. And, Senor Beltran who would never have expected one of his poorest Spanish students to retain just enough of his lessons to have examined tens of thousands of monolingual Hispanics in the Spanish he drummed into me in 1952-1953, a full fifty years ago. “El burro es un animal en Mexico y Espana”. Do you remember? Or, did you take Latin? And, occasionally when I play my violin I recall the free fifteen minute a week lessons at Mc Kinley and much later playing for Mr. Short in our high school orchestra. How many times did I play the Pomp and Circumstance Overture at Mc Kinley and Burlingame High graduation ceremonies? I haven’t thought about running the “440” for decades. I hope others in our class have expressed their appreciation...for bringing back memories of, what, for many of us, were among the very best years of our lives."

(October 2003) Saturday, November 8, 2003, is the date for the first annual BHS Alumni/Faculty Luncheon ($20). It is sponsored by the BHS Alumni Association and will be held at the San Mateo Elks Lodge. The event is for alumni and teachers who attended or taught in 1983, or earlier. No Host Cocktails at 11:30 AM, Lunch at 12:15 PM. Send your check to BHS Alumni Assn (Attention: Naomi), One Mangini Way, Burlingame CA 94010 (deadline is Nov 1).

(October 2003) 50th Reunion News. Your committee met October 12 to continue discussions for our 50th Reunion in Year 2005. Present were Barb (Duncan) Hewitt, John Basye, Ted and Pat Treu, Lee and Peggy Melbourne, Arlene Borelli, Irene Taylor, Ron Winter, and Grey Whipple. Some details are emerging. The date selected will be the weekend of October 7-9. The host hotel will be the Embassy Suites Hotel in Burlingame. Events will be offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. If you plan your travel months and years in advance, save this weekend in October 2005. Your committee will next meet on February 1 in Burlingame and a first mailing will follow shortly. The developing unreliability of the internet for e-mail dictates using the US Postal Service.

(October 2003) Sick call. Barbara (Baumeister) Super is nursing a fractured knee cap. We understand it was from an auto collision. We missed her at our last Reunion Ctee mtg. On a happier note, John Basye and Pat (Jenkins'56) Treu are recovering nicely from hip replacement procedures and both were at the last Reunion Ctee meeting.

(October 2003) New photos of Lee and Peggy Melbourne and Barb Hewitt and John Basye are posted on their Senior Photo pages.

(October 2003) The 76th Anniversary Burlingame-San Mateo Little Big Game will be held Nov. 15 at San Mateo.

(October 2003) An architect's rendering of the BHS campus site plan has been added to the BHS Country page of this website. The campus is undergoing major renovation and new construction. Notably, the "old" music building is gone (it was almost new when we arrived in the Fall of 1951), to be replaced by a new library and classroom buildings.

(October 2003) We have been in touch with classmate John Hinners. This led to a little research and an interesting tale has emerged about his life over the past 48 years. He is a man of many talents. His "bio" submitted in 1995 for our 40th Reunion reveals him as an educator, musician, lover of the great outdoors, and rowing. He is currently involved with managing his own "sea kayaking training school". John lives in coastal North Carolina on Pimlico Sound near the outlet of the Neuse River. John has provided some photos which are posted on his Senior Photo page.

(October 2003) Last night the Class of 1953 held their 50th Reunion at the Poplar Creek Golf Club (at Coyote Point). Chair-persons were classmates Jan (Speight) and Lowell Weight. Lowell was the class president back in 1953. Other notables included Mike McQueen'53 (current president of the BHS Alumni Association), and George Cantaloub and Hank Loumena (both inducted into the BHS Sports Hall of Fame). We met the sisters of Ann Murison'55 (deceased) and Joy Singer'55 (deceased). Both said they would forward biographies for inclusion with their Senior Photo pages. Also present were classmate Cathy (Marken'55) and Ted Dolton ('53). We spoke briefly with Paul Ledwith, brother of Elva and Peggy Ledwith'55. Reprints of the June 1953 Burlingame B were available. There were editorials by Bonnie Murison and Russell Mount. Those of us who played in Eugene Brose's band will recall Russell, the "Prof's" right-hand man. And there were news articles by Karen McKenzie and "Bunny" Fieldhouse.

(October 2003) Was William Walsh (math and science) one of your favorite teachers? He was voted the Favorite Teacher in 1953, and an article about the award and Mr. Walsh is now posted by his name on the Faculty and Staff page.

(October 2003) The Fall/Winter '03 edition of Panther POSTSCRIPTS is in the mail. Over 11,000 copies are mailed twice a year. Many of you will be receiving this even though you are not current in your dues. With postage and printing costs spiraling out of sight, the Alumni Association has decided that beginning with the October 2004 edition, only those who have paid will receive it. We urge you to send in your $10, or, better yet, become a Life Member with 17 of your other classmates.

(October 2003) A new page has been added to this website. It is a list of your classmates who have become Life Members. You can access it from the Alumni News web page. At the Class of 1953's 50th Reunion this month, Mike McQueen '53, president of the Alumni Association, announced that the Class of 53 had more Life Members than any other class. We would like to see that change!

(November 2003) On November 8 the BHS Alumni Association hosted the First Annual Alumni/Faculty luncheon. There were about 100 guests, including about a dozen retired teachers (including past principals Larry Teshara and Gerald Arrigoni). Always present was our beloved Vic Mangini. Representing the Class of 1955 were Arlene (Borelli) Hipsher and Grey Whipple. One guest was from the class of 1928! It is not likely we will ever see any of our teachers at these gatherings. A photo of Alumni Association President Mike McQueen '53 is posted on the Alumni News page.

(November 2003) IN MEMORIAM: Jack Roy Chappell (1913-2003), a resident of Burlingame 1944-1978 where he was principal of Washington Elementary School and later Supt. of Schools. The full text of his obituary is posted on the Washington School page of this website.

(November 2003) The following news article was published by the San Mateo Times:
San Mateo Rips Rival Burlingame
By Tim Goode, CORRESPONDENT
Monday, November 17, 2003 - SAN MATEO -- The jubilation shown along the San Mateo High sideline after Saturday's Little Big Game represented several significant achievements, but none was more gratifying to the Bearcats and their fans than simply beating Burlingame.

The 49-27 victory clinched an automatic Central Coast Section playoff berth for San Mateo (7-3, 5-2); secured third place in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division; and saw Toke Kefu establish a San Mateo High career rushing record. But for the hundreds of students, parents and school staff congregating on the field after the game, the snapping of a six-year losing streak to the Panthers and the reclaiming of the Paw Plaque was enough reason to celebrate.

"The Paw is important to the campus," San Mateo coach T.J. Ewing said. "What a great thing it is that two high schools can get together to make
an event this big. Look at this -- it's like a college game. What a great atmosphere."

San Mateo cut Burlingame's overall advantage to 40-31-4.

(November 2003) Seen dining at the Macedonia Restaurant in downtown Salem OR were classmates Mike Johnson and Grey Whipple, along with spouses Kathleen and Lillian.

(December 2003) Returning to the fold is Margaret (Crowley) Miles, now a resident in southern Oregon for the past two years. Thanks to Margaret's listing on Classmates.com, we now have her U.S. Mail and e-mail addresses if anyone wishes to contact her.

(December 2003) Kudos to Judith (Lyon) Holland for providing her new e-mail address!

(December 2003) Margaret (Crowley) Miles has submitted a biographical sketch of her years since graduating from BHS. With permission, it has been placed on her Senior Photo page.

| Return |