Lowell Alumni Association SERVING THE OLDEST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN THE WEST SINCE 1910
DISTRIBUTION: 31,000
Dr. Louis Batmale ’30 Athlete, Teacher, College President/Chancellor by Paul Lucey
Career in Education Begins His career as an educator began in the mid-Thirties as a teacher of French and History and as basketball coach at St. Ignatius H.S. In the late 30’s he continued the same teacher/coach duties at Commerce H.S. on Van Ness Avenue (now, SFUSD Central Office.) After WWII service in the U.S. Navy, he began his long association with the City College of San Francisco that was to lead to his presidency and Community College Chancellorship. For the next twenty-five years his vision for the college was that of a seedbed where the latent skills and talents of a growing population are developed to enrich the city that nurtures it. In the 50’s and 60’s his varied responsibilities expanded - Dean of Occupational Programs, Dean of Instruction, Consultant, Ford Foundation Vocational and Technological Education, Vice-President, CCSF (1968). One of his administrators, Reg Alexander, remembered, “I credit my career as an educator to Lou. When I came out of the service, he was a Veterans’ Counselor and advised me to become a teacher. Later, as
President’s Message by Lisa Coughlin Clay
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ast December I was hailed by someone standing patiently in a long line in the Post Office waiting to buy stamps. It was Lou Batmale, 94 years of age. At that moment I decided here’s an alumnus who deserves a profile in the LAA newsletter. Subsequent meetings with Lou and his Lowellite children – Barbara ’54, Wayne ’56 and Paul ’65 provided the material for this profile. Lou was the child of turn-of-the-century French immigrants who lived in North Beach. His career is that of a hard-working young teacher who by dint of intelligence, personality and vision rose to the top of his profession. He received a sound public school education at Washington Grammar, Francisco JHS, and Lowell where he played on Ben Neff ’s 130’s basketball team, an experience that fostered a lifelong love of the game that included Lowell and USF, and coaching at Saint Ignatius and Commerce. He is seen in his Red & White as a proud member of Ben Neff ’s 130’s basketball team – “In their final league game, the Thirties routed St. Ignatius, 34-10. Goldman and Batmale fought it out for high point honors, with Batmale finally leading by one point. Batmale and Mana, two guards who worked in perfect unison, were the mainstays of the team.” The talented young athlete is also pictured as a swimmer for Coach Claude Kitchen. (His son, Paul ’65, inherited his dad’s BB moves – AAA All-City, First Team.) Association with the game of basketball became an avocation when he began officiating PAC-10 and WCAC games. The culmination of his refereeing career was his selection to officiate NCAA championship games with player legends like Oscar Robinson and Wilt Chamberlain. In retirement, his devotion to the game continues as a spectator at his great-grandson’s basketball games (not the tireless referee matching strides with the great athletes on the court, step for step). He maintains his interest in the basketball fortunes of his alma mater, the University of San Francisco, and in City College games. Each spring grandpa goes incommunicado while March Madness seizes the basketball world. A granddaughter remarked, “How can anyone watch so many games?”
SPRING 2007
Dr. Louis Batmale one of his City College administrators, I admired his leadership (w/his predecessor, Louis “Dutch” Conlan) in establishing the college as an entity separate from the S. F. Unified School District.” For most of his career, City College was under the aegis of the S. F. Unified School District, established in 1935 just as young Lou Batmale was entering U.C. Berkeley to prepare for his teaching career. He and CCSF would grow apace — each with a vision for post-secondary education in San Francisco, each with a mission to provide job or career opportunities for a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual school population of all ages in his increasingly diverse city by the Bay. With a modicum of fanfare the San Francisco Community College was established in July, 1970, propelled by a mandate continued on page 7
ongratulations to Lowell basketball players, coaches and athletic director for the great achievement of the basketball program during the 2006-07 season. Both the boys and girls junior varsity teams won the San Francisco city championships in their respective leagues. The girls and boys varsity teams had impressive seasons, totaling close to sixty league and preseason victories between them. Both teams attained honorable mention status in the Chronicle’s ranking of Bay Area basketball teams. To cap these great seasons, both the girls and boys varsity teams successfully defended their AAA city titles, the second consecutive year that they have been champions. We alums salute all Lowell’s student athletes and commend them for the sportsmanship and character they consistently demonstrate on and off the court. I have written many times in this column how fortunate I am to have had several dimensions to my involvement at Lowell — that of a student, alumna, and parent. My older son is a 2004 graduate, and two of my children currently attend Lowell. My daughter is a senior and a member of the girls’ varsity championship basketball team, and my younger son is a freshman. My experience as a Lowell parent continues to deepen my commitment to Lowell’s tradition of excellence in education. I am constantly reminded that Lowell is not only a treasured institution, but also a dynamic place, full of the energy of teenagers engaged in the process of learning and being taught by a dedicated faculty. An exceptional aspect of a Lowell education is that it provides a unique high
school experience for each of its students, due to the breadth of academic programs, sports, visual and performing arts, clubs and extracurricular activities. The mission of the Lowell Alumni Association is to enhance the educational experience of all Lowell’s students, whether it be basketball players, debaters in the forensics program, journalists on the award-winning Lowell newspaper, or Lowell’s many academic achievers. I am proud to report that we are fulfilling this mission, with our continued financial support of a wide variety of academic, athletic and extracurricular programs at Lowell. My personal experience with the Alumni Association, in addition to being a Lowell parent, teaches me that Lowell’s students remain deserving of our admiration, respect and support for their outstanding accomplishments and for their leadership and integrity. Thank you to all alumni for everything you do to provide an exceptional Lowell education to today’s students.
UCB Alumnus of the Year:
Donald G. Fisher, Lowell ’46
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owell graduate Donald Fisher has been named U.C. Berkeley’s 2007 Alumnus of the Year. He had a Cal career filled with accomplishments - four varsity letters in swimming and another three in water polo – a remarkable feat for that time. Don is a fourth-generation San Franciscan who grew up on Lake Street. He spent his summers at Stinson Beach where he discovered his gift for swimming. By age eight, he was racing for the Concordia Club, often beating older and bigger kids, which gave him a taste for winning. At Lowell, he met many of the boys who would attend Cal with him – many of whom remain his closest friends 50 years later. Donald can be seen in his 1946 Red & White as a member of Bill Feiling’s swim team. He reminisced in the LAA Newsletter, “The high point of my junior year was when I broke the AAA fifty-yard record of 25.2 seconds. Three judges combined their times to clock me at a flat 25.0 seconds. The record stood until it was broken nineteen years later (1963). In the All-City meet of 1946, I was captain of the team and favored to win the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events. Alas, fame is fleeting, and I was beaten in both races by a sophomore from St. Ignatius name Bob Jimenez, but at least he didn’t break my record. After graduation from Lowell, I went to Cal and was the first swimmer to earn four
Big C letters. I was Number 2 in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle in my freshman and sophomore years and Number 1 for the last two years. In my senior year, I was captain of the team. I also played water polo for Cal for four years and another 15 years at the Olympic Club.” He is pictured in the CAA magazine with former team members and with the 2006 National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship team and Division 1 Coach of the year, Kirk Everist. The UCB Alumni Magazine reports that in 1969 Donald was looking for a store where he could find “any size jeans, in any color.” There was no such place so he opened one on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco as the first Gap store. The flagship store was strategically located in the Ingleside neighborhood, near San Francisco State University and S.F. City College because he knew his core customers would be late teens and early 20-somethings. His wife, Doris, gets credit for the name, which stands for “generation gap”. Seven years later, the Gap went public, its founders were rich, and the worldwide chain became a merchandizing icon. It’s been pay-back time for the Fishers since early in their successful careers. They have given generously to Bay Area institutions including his alma mater, U.C. Berkeley, UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Haas School of Business, the Yosemite Institute, Edison char-
ter schools, and a nonprofit operation called KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) with Fisher Fellowships helping to train “school leaders” in an expanding number of KIPP schools nationwide. Donald is shown in a PhotoOp surrounded by happy students attending the KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy. “The thing about Don,” concluded his friend, Warren Hellman ’51 (CAA Alumnus of the Year in 2003) “is that he knows that business success falls short of what you need to (achieve) to be a complete person. This is why he gives back to his community, philanthropically and politically . His life serves as a damn good role model for people coming out of Cal in the future. That’s why he is getting this award.” Donald (and Warren) are in very good company – Lowellites honored as CAA Alumnus of the Year: Joseph Erlanger ’92; Monroe Deutsch ’98; Walter A. Haas ’05; Daniel Koshland ’09; James D. Zellerbach ’09; Irving Stone ’20; Donald G. Fisher ’46; Warren Hellman ’51. (Excerpts of Mr. Fisher’s profile were reprinted from the March/April 2007 UCB alumni Magazine.)
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Lowell Alumni Association
Spring 2007
Reunion Calendar Classes of June & December 1937 – 70-year Reunion
Class of 1987 – 20-Year Reunion
Tuesday afternoon, October 23rd, 2007 – Basque Cultural Center, South San Francisco Please join us for another festive reunion lunch at the Basque Cultural Center, with easy parking and no stairs! Cocktails at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch, all for just $30 per person. Invitations will be sent soon. Contact Charles Auerbach at (415) 435-4746 or chas31@hotmail.com
Saturday evening, October 13th, 2007 – Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Cocktails, dinner and dancing with your ’87 classmates, from 6pm to midnight. Invitations coming summer 2007! Contact Patty Sing Choi at pattychoi@sbcglobal.net or visit our website at www.geocities. com/lowell1987@sbcglobal.net
Classes of January & June 1943 and February 1944 – 65-Year Reunion
Class of 1997 – 10-Year Reunion
Tentatively scheduled for April/May, 2008 – location TBA Contact Alan Orr at (408) 354-1806
Saturday evening, December 22nd, 2007 – Building One at Treasure Island Our 10-year reunion will be held on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 from 8pm to midnight at the historic Building One Lobby on Treasure Island. Please mark your calendars! We also need your help to spread the word and update your contact information, including e-mail address, at the LAA website (www.lowellalumni.org). For more information, visit the reunion website: http://lowell97.wordpress.com Contact the Lowell ’97 Reunion Committee at reunion‑lowell97@googlegroups.com
Classes of January & June 1947 and January 1948 – 60-Year Reunion Sunday afternoon, October 28th, 2007 – Dominic’s in South SF It’s been 60 years, give or take, since graduation and we can’t let this anniversary go by without a celebration, so your presence is requested. We’ll have cocktails and lunch starting at 11 a.m. at Dominic’s at Oyster Point in South San Francisco. More information will be on its way soon. Contact Joan Blank Elder at (775) 322-4601 or joanelder@mac.com or Wandaline Carter Perelli at (415) 239-1665 or wandy571@aol.com
Class of June 1952 – 55-Year Reunion Saturday evening, October 27th, 2007 – St. Francis Yacht Club Please save the date. Contact Ray Perkins at (415) 479-2544 or barbaraperkins@yahoo.com
Class of 1953 We are forming the Reunion Committee for our 55th reunion, and need four additional people who can aid us in planning and coordinating the reunion. It is necessary that they live in the Bay Area, and can come to San Francisco to attend Committee meetings. Please volunteer, we really need you. Contact Peter Dahl, bpdahl@aol.com (415) 566-4069) or John McGilvray, jdmcg@pacbell. net (650) 329-0421). The reunion will be held in San Francisco in the Fall of 2008.
Classes of January & June 1957 – 50-Year Reunion Saturday evening, November 3rd, 2007 – Sir Francis Drake Hotel Make plans now to join your classmates for a beautiful dinner in the elegant Empire Room at the historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel as we celebrate our 50-year reunion. More details soon via mail. Contact Nadine Vuyas Koss at (415) 334-6818 or nadineshoes@sbcglobal.net or Paul Disterheft at (415) 664-1140
Southern California Alumni Luncheon
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n April 21, 2007, Southern California alumni enjoyed their Red & White Luncheon XIII at the Castaway Restaurant. President Helen Wax ’66 chaired the event, ably assisted by Nancy Martin Albrecht ’55, Edna “Deedee” Kabushio Walser ’41, and the Luncheon Committee. Perry Simon ’73, Programming Executive at NBC and former President of Viacom Productions, was the Keynote Speaker. Approximately fifty alums and guests attended, ranging from Joseph Handlon ’37 & Jim Arkatov ’38 to Lee Cheng ’89 & Katherine Chin ’90 and John Lee ’90. The generosity of raffle and door prize donors added to the fun. Paul Lucey and Terry Abad represented the LAA Board of Directors at the event. “Give ’em the Axe” was sung with gusto followed by the Lowell Hymn. Best wishes ’til R & W Luncheon XIV in 2009.
LAA Executive Director Paul Lucey with Lorena Tong ‘74
Classes of January & June 1967 – 40-Year Reunion Saturday evening, September 29th, 2007 – Concordia-Argonaut Club Please save the date. More information to follow. Contact Claudia Wolf Eshoo at lowell.67@gmail.com
Classes of January & June 1968 – 40-Year Reunion Interested in helping to launch the planning effort for our 40-year reunion? Wendy Drefke Shinbori is waiting to hear from you! Contact Wendy Drefke Shinbori at (415) 824-8658 or wshinbori@aol.com
Classes of January & June 1973 – 35-Year Reunion Coming Summer 2008! Classmates have asked that our next reunion be an informal event, so plans are underway for a summer barbecue. More details to come. Contact the Lowell ’73 Reunion Committee at lowell73_reunioncommittee@yahoo.com
Class of 1977 – 30-Year Reunion Saturday evening, November 24th, 2007 – venue TBA Please visit the class of ’77 website: lowell77.home.comcast.net Contact the Lowell ’77 Reunion Committee at lowell77@gmail.com
LOWELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Paul A. Lucey Executive Director
Lisa Coughlin Clay ’74 President
Jim Rosenthal ’50 Vice President
Leon Blum ’52 Treasurer
Anita Payton ’74 Secretary
Alan Wendroff ’50 Vice President, Planning & Development
Terence Abad ’76 Director, Alumni Relations & Development
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Anderson ’50 Roberta Bleiweiss ’65 Mike Bower ’67 Cathryn Brash ’43 Joseph Ehrman III ’41 Claudia Wolf Eshoo ’67 Dave Hagerman ’72
Georgene Poulakidas Kromydas ’88 Patricia Pivnick Levin ’67 King Lip ’95 Christine Linnenbach ’89 Emily Moto Murase ’83 Geraldine Rosen-Park ’77
Helen Louie Wax ’66, Southern California Representative;
Wendy Drefke Shinbori ’68 Bruce Spiegelman ’68 Joy Sugarman Spiegelman ’49 Paul Tam ’82 Mike Ugawa ’76 Dawn Stephens Walker ’74 Rita Yee ’73 Amy Hansen, Principal
PUBLISHED BY THE LOWELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
(L to R) Southern California Steering Committee members Nancy Martin Albrecht ’55, Denis Binder ’64 and chairperson Helen Louie Wax ‘66
Reunion Committees Your Lowell Alumni Association Will . . . 3 Mail you address labels for all your class members who have a current address 3 Mail or e-mail you 3 different lists of class members 1. Known grads 2. Lost grads 3. Deceased grads 3 Tip Sheet on how to keep track of your class and how to find lost grads Just ask! Phone 415/759-7830 or send a message through our website: www.LowellAlumni.org
Spring 2007
Lowell Alumni Association
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Keeping In Touch… 1928
JUN & DEC
RUTH C. DELUI GILBERT mails “In reading your recent newsletter, which I found very interesting, I noticed that your earliest date in “Keeping in Touch” was 1931. Each time I get a copy, I plan to write you but somehow the time slips by and I let it go. However, since my year was memorable to me and many others, I thought this time I would certainly write you. My years at the old red brick building were so happy. Through the years, I have kept in touch with a few of my classmates but gradually they have died or moved away; so it would be nice to hear from anyone who might remember me. The last time I was at a Lowell function was my 50th reunion at the Concordia Club in 1978. Through the training with Sam Pollard and later his wife, Elizabeth Holloway, drama teacher, I produced a Children’s Theatre group, through the auspices of the Council of Jewish Women, in which we presented musical plays to all the schools for handicapped children in the Bay Area. This project is still going on, after forty-five years, although I am no longer active. Also, I have published several books of poetry and am still composing. Too bad the “Myriad” was not in existence when I was at Lowell! I lost my husband after sixty-four years of a happy marriage and am now living at a retirement complex, The Forum in Cupertino. I still have an active social life here, keeping busy to deny the years I have accumulated! I am enclosing my check for the History of Lowell High School; it will be interesting to read about all the changes that have taken place in my alma mater. Good luck to you in all your endeavors.”
1929
JUN & DEC
ARTHUR BECKER sends “Another year and all is well, everyday is a bonus and taking one day at a time. Enjoy reading the Lowell newsletter – keep up the good work.” NATALIE HULBERT LEFEVRE teases “Still hanging in there. Can you imagine a reunion of our class?”
1933
JUN & DEC
MELVIN COHN greets “After 20 years as a San Mateo County trial judge (1963–1983) and 20 years private judging (arbitration and mediation, 1983–2003), I’ve completely retired. Greetings to any members of the Class of ’33 who are still on board.” BERNICE NICOLL PETTY informs “I love to hear about the ’30 in your paper. I am gardening and keeping house and keeping busy. Take care!!” GEORGE BLACKMORE asks “Don’t see any responses from the Class of December ’33. Any of you out here in the Walnut Creek area?” DONALD P. DASSONVILLE cheers “Still hanging on. March 91 yrs – going on 92!”
1935
JUN
MURIEL KAMLER UNKELES announces “I am still around! Still playing piano. Am having a “special” birthday this March. Enjoying my two “6-footer” grandsons, 20 & 16.”
1936
JAN & JUN
MARY R. KLEIN updates “I’m now living in an “Old Folks Home” in Redwood City. Current count – 23 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren.” ARTHUR ZANDER CERF informs “Semiretired M.D. currently part time medical director Long Term Medical Facility. Claim to fame: rare golf game with Paul Lucey.”
1937
JAN, JUN & DEC
ROBERT CREIGHTON reveals “My wife Pat and I will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary on April 12, 2007. We’ll celebrate (and how!) at a party with loved ones and friends.”
1938
JUN & DEC
BEATRICE GEBALLE CAHN exclaims “I am living at the Classic Residence by Hyatt in Palo Alto and enjoying everyday.” ROBERT BOEDDIKER challenges “Believe it or not – Jean [Rilovich] ’42 & Bob Boeddiker, 82 & 85, still playing tennis and walking the golf course.”
1939
JUN
JOHN H. SHINKAI shares “I continue to go on many tours in my retirement. I went to Bolivia and Machu Picchu, Peru in March. Then to South Korea in April, Hokkaido and Tokoku in September and to Shikoku and Kyushu in November. I just got back from my tour in Egypt and Jordan. We all stood on Mount Nebo as Moses did when he gazed toward the Promised Land. What an experience!”
1940
JAN & JUN
PAUL HOFFMAN sends “I’ve retired three times: First from the faculty of the U. of Oregon; next as founder and director of Oregon Research Institute; and finally from my consulting firm, Magic7 Software Co. — but not yet from my Athletic Club where I work out and swim laps, trying to keep up with the 30 yr olds — fat chance!” BENJAMIN N. SAWTELLE shouts “Really enjoyed all the celebration activities — seeing all the ‘old faces’ and meeting those who keep the school at its best!”
1941
JAN & JUN
RUTH MORSE informs “Enjoy living at the SF Sequoias, a life care facility. Many Lowell alumni are residents as well. I keep active — just finished chairing a fund raiser for our community service out reach program.” BARBARA WALTER PEARSON says “Playing more bridge and less golf. Guess that goes or comes with the years?”
1942
JAN & JUN
LUCRETIA JEAN RILOVICH news – see class of 1938. VIRGINIA CARPENTER REI cheers “Looking forward to Lowell commemorative history book this year!”
1943
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! HOBERT ‘BERT’ BURNS updates “Patricia and I have moved to The Terraces of Los Gatos, a ‘Continuing Care Community.’ Don’t know how we got to be so old so soon — seems like I was at Lowell only a few years ago!” LOUIS A. SCHMIDT encourages “We are of the ‘greatest generation,’ so have a good & full life and do it with gusto!” ALAN ORR announces “Classes of Jan. and Jun. ’43 & Feb. ’44 Reunion plans are well underway. The event will be a luncheon, likely at the Olympic Club Lakeside Golf Course in April or May of 2008. More information will follow.”
1944
FEB & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! HANS G. MAIER informs “Continue to enjoy my retirement here in God’s Country – Grass Valley, Calif.” IRVING ‘IRV’ GOLDBERG notes his donation is “To remember and honor my chemistry teacher, N. C. Fast, whose inspiration led me to a career in physical sciences.” WILLIAM “BILL” NOVALES is still teaching piano, still President of the Music Teacher’s Association, Golden Gate Chapter.
1945
FEB & JUN
ALINE LITTMAN NAPP posts “Aline & Joel Napp moved to Seattle in July to be near their older son, Jeff, and family. The summer was beautiful – green trees and blue skies. We are now experiencing a Seattle winter the most snow and ice the city has seen in years. A snow shovel now joins our garden tools. In October, we enjoyed a picturesque riverboat cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam; toured lovely medieval villages, churches, and castles.” GLORIA DEMARTINI BENSON updates “During the year 2006, I have become Activities Director of my residence, I have given a piano recital and have edited a book which has been published. I keep busy! Greetings to all my friends from the Class of ’45. E-mail me at gbenson15@mac.com.” MERLE MACKINNON PATTERSON sends “Enjoying good health and our large family and many friends in the Seattle area. Looking forward to the ‘Lowell History’.” ANTHONY CUEVAS recounts “In September of 1941, I entered Lowell High School to pass my freshman year only, with the intent of going to George Washington for the last three years. After two months at Lowell, I was convinced that by staying for the full four years, I would receive the equivalent of a college education, and in view of the fact that no one in my family had yet gone to college; this would be an invaluable asset for me in the future. The main reason was how quickly it became evident that I was surrounded by teachers and administrators that were of the highest quality and ability. In particular, I want to salute Aurelia M. Osuna, my Spanish teacher for four years, and George M.Lorbeer, the History and Debating coach. When I started Spanish class, being of Mexican descent and having spoken Spanish at home, I was certain that I had a snap course that I could coast through. Miss Osuna recognized my mind-set immediately, took me aside and in no uncertain terms, warned me about the error of my ways. She was so earnest and sincere in her insistence that I give all my energies to learning the intricacies and nuances of the language to the very best of my ability that I heeded her advice, became a life-long friend of hers, and was set on the right track to succeed during my Lowell years. Mr. Lorbeer was a teacher who challenged you with ideas. He did not treat his students as sponges who would simply try to absorb the lesson of the day without any effort to evaluate what had been presented. In addition, he was a staunch supporter of the League of Nations concept, and covered all aspects of the debate, and the eventual failure of the United States to participate because of a small but powerful group of Senators who, with their isolationist outlook, kept the United States out of the League. During that time period the San Francisco Examiner held an annual essay competition about the League of Nations Mr. Lorbeer urged all of his students to participate, and it gave us an opportunity to begin to learn how to look beyond our comfortable confines into the world around us and form our own opinions. There are so many others, including Mike Voyne, Benny Neff, Elmer Harris in the athletic department; Mr. Walsh in English, Miss Lee in mathematics, not to mention Mr. Stevens and Mr. Monroe; memorable people who have left a life-long impression on me.” BARBARA MARCH SMITH and husband Edger are working artists now in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Giving up their Carmel House was hard but they travel more with one home – July ’06 in France, Nov. ’06 in India!
1946
ELEANOR McCULLOUGHELE ARNBERG cheers “Enjoying life in the lovely retirement valley of Rossmoor, Walnut Creek, CA.” KATHERINE ALLEN LOWE marvels “I don’t know where 60 years have gone! I feel eternally 17 & dancing in the old courtyard – wonderful teachers – wonderful memories . . . I lost my Bill in October, after 57 years of being married, but our 3 sons and 2 daughters and their families keep me busy and happy. May 2007 be a good new year for all you lovely Lowellies!” ILSE E. WOLFEN ROWE mails “It was a nice surprise to see my classmate Claude Rosenberg featured on the front page of the Alumni Newsletter. He always was a great guy, even back as far as Grant School. So, congratulations, Claude, on a life of fine achievement!” YVONNE MARTIN CAZIER updates “I am still free-lancing, doing commercials, voice-overs; doing volunteer work at Assistance League of So. Cal as children’s services liaison and gift shop liaison. We have been to Moscow, Russia to see our son and his family and London to see our daughter and child and Seattle for Christmas to see our second son and his family. Reva Saper ’46 and Enid Arata Scovil ’46 are close friends all these years – over 60! Wow!”
1947
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! MANFRED E. WOLFF notes his donation to Lowell science is made to honor Mr. Barnes, who “taught physics to us during my time at Lowell. He was a gentleman of the old school – demanding, thorough, and dedicated. He taught us physics well, and much more than that, too.” JANE LOWY REBER informs “Traveling and learning about other cultures open the heart and expand the mind. I have had a fine travel year learning digital photography and teaching English in Spain. I look forward to further adventures in 2007. Best regards to all my classmates.”
1948
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! CHARLES and BARBARA GOODWIN FOGE recount “Barbara Goodwin and Charles Foge met in Mr. Patterson’s journalism class in 1947 and are now married for 54 years, thanks to Lowell High!” HARRY GLUCKMAN shares “Recently cochaired the Inaugural Induction Banquet for the new Northern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame with Jack Anderson ’50; in the first class of honorees was another well known Lowellite, Champion Golfer and Philanthropist, Gary Shemano ’63. I am now working on the new website for the Hall of Fame, among other tasks. Regards to all in the June ’48 class.” NADINE EHRENBERG MONETTA says “Enjoy the Lowell Alumni Association paper but I have noticed that in the “Keeping in Touch” column, my class of 1948 is getting closer and closer to the beginning of the article!! Still enjoy hearing about my classmates. I just became a grandma for the 5th time. Also, I am still searching for that perfect golf swing that continues to elude me. But I still have fun trying to find it.” WILLIAM H. MORGAN pleads “Bill Morgan who was on the 1948 football team, graduated 1948, would like to contact anyone who remembers, contact me by e-mail g.pmorgan@sbcglobal. net. Where is Diane Bolger ’48?”
RUTH SCHWABACHER CECCHETTI says “I attended one of the anniversary functions, but did not find any of the people from Mr. Lorbeer’s group or anyone who graduated with me. Too bad we did not have name tags! If anyone lives in Berkeley, I’d love to hear from you (January ’46 grad) – James Bastable ’46, Robert ‘Bob’ Bennett, etc.”
DIANA ANSON MORASCH narrates “Oh, the fond memories I have of the ’48 class. Having Miss Mensing for English carried me through as a competent person for all kinds of reports, etc. Mr. Swartz for math was a gem! Homeroom #238 with Mr. Bass was the best! Vocabulary tests were never a problem with my childhood Greek and then Latin at Lowell. I see by reports that Lowell is still tops! Bless all the current teachers, administrators, etc.”
GRACE E. McCAGUE informs “Continue to be a volunteer at San Francisco Fine Arts Museums. Still work part-time as secretary at my church.”
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JAN & JUN
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Lowell Alumni Association
Spring 2007
Keeping In Touch… 1949
JAN & JUN
RONALD FIGEL suggests “I enjoy receiving the Alumni Newsletter. An e-mail directory would be a benefit to keep us all connected.” DOUGLAS LINDER praises “Glad to note Lowell’s continuing excellence. Moved to Maine 12 years ago – enjoying 4 seasons and fresh lobsters.” MARTIN SOSNICK cheers “Looking forward to my 5th retirement. Have three children, 5 grandchildren. Best regards to all my former classmates and look to meeting them again.” DR. KENNETH A. R. KENNEDY retired from Cornell University as a Professor Emeritus on July 1, 2005, after a research and teaching career of 42 years. However, he continues in retirement to teach laboratory-lecture courses about human evolution (Human Palaeontology) and Forensic Anthropology. He is enjoying retirement with his composer wife, Mrs. Margaret C. Fairlie-Kennedy, since it provides time for catching-up on research articles for publication. Before retirement, Kenneth had a portion of his house basement converted into a library to hold his large collection of books about Anthropology, Anatomy and the History of Science. Since most of his research has been in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), he receives frequent invitations to return to these parts of the world to participate in guest lectures and symposia. He turned 76 this past year, but remains in good health and remains active in his professions. MARGOT HELMUTH BLUM SCHEVILL mails “Continue to create exhibitions and edit a volume on dress and fashion. Exciting!”
1950
JAN & JUN
ALICE DELL’ERA PALMER praises “Many thanks to all who worked on the 56th reunion. It was great in every detail and very much appreciated. So good to reconnect with old friends and share long forgotten memories. The booklet of reminiscences and class directory is truly a treasure and great idea. Thanks again for your time and effort and a job well done.” DONALD GOLD comments “Our 56th reunion was a blast! Donald Green ’50 and crew organized wonderfully. Loved seeing old friends and renewed friendships. Looking toward 60th!” HAROLD and DOROTHY GREENFELD AUERBACH inform “We were delighted that our daughter Judith Auerbach ’74 moved back to San Francisco to accept the Assistant Directorship of the San Francisco Aids Foundation. She has spent many years in Washington working in the area of aids and public health. Hal is still working and enjoying it about 87% of the time. Dorothy retired in 2002 and has been loving her courses at the Fromm Institute, serving as treasurer of the Fromm Students Association and our HOA, and volunteering at the National Park Service office at Fort Mason.” JOAN-MARIE SHELLEY shares “I have just been re-elected president of the Residents’ Association at Sunrise at Golden Gate Park, where life is very pleasant.” BETTY TREVOR DAVIS greets “Hello classmates! I am still busy with piano students and music teacher duties and keeping in touch with grandchildren and greatgrands. Cats & kids & fruit trees are great stay-at-home activities.” LOIS TESSLER MOISEEFF says “Sorry to have missed our 56th Reunion – heard it was great. But I continue to keep in touch with old friends – and hope to be at next reunion!! We in S. Calif. should plan our own reunion!!”
1951
JAN & JUN
FREDERICK ‘RICK’ BRADLEY writes “After 10 years working for Royal-Globe and Transamerica as a claims manager, including 5 years of night law school at Golden Gate University, and 40 years of insurance defense trial practice. I plan to retire in the spring at age 75. My summers will be spent in Tahoe and Clear Lake. I shall continue as a director of the Marin County Bar Association and serve as a mediator. Went to Class of 1950
reunion in May and had a great time. It was their 56th reunion.”
1955
DIANE PERRINE LUCKMANN, M.D., is continuing to see selected patients in consultation, serves in a volunteer capacity in a grass roots program for the prevention of adult and childhood obesity, and consults in a program which teaches nutrition and healthful food preparation to persons transitioning from prison or homelessness. In her free time she continues to enjoy training for and being a Competitive Ballroom Dancer.
LOUISE EDLER TAYLOR says “Missed our 50th class reunion, but do think of classmates and the great education received at the ‘old’ Lowell (shoe factory). Although retired, I’m still contributing to the University of California as an active member of several boards, committees, and task forces. We love our new home in Grass Valley and the beautiful garden and views. Happy New Year to all.”
BERNARD FRANKEL informs “I am active as a docent at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio; a splendid museum. Any Lowell alumni who come to Cleveland are invited to call me, and I will give them an escorted tour. Happy and healthy 2007!” CAMERON E. WYLIE sends “Best wishes to all. Still smacking the little white ball around the course. Volunteering with RSVP.”
1952
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! HARRY JAMES STAMATIS writes “Living in Brentwood W.L.A. past 30 years. Retired stock broker, now own string of coin laundromats in W.L.A.” ANN H HARPER SUTHERLAND informs “Currently sharing my home with 2 children and 2 toddler grandchildren; so, teaching skills remain sharp. Also, I am consulting for an adoptive breastfeeding website which keeps me in touch with moms around the globe.” JEANNE EMMONS COHN has just finished publishing “Joys of Hiking”, a book dedicated to 30 years of hiking memories. It is a fundraiser for Wildcare, an animal rehabilitation center located in San Rafael, Ca. The cost is $12.00 and orders can be sent to: Wildcare, 76 Albert Park Lane, San Rafael, Ca. 94901. The book contains amusing anecdotes, hikes, photos and recipes that always occur on the last hike of the series. JULANNE SINCLAIR CROCKETT proclaims “Always interested and proud of the prominent people who graduated from Lowell through the years.”
1953
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! CHRISTEL SONYA CRANSTON announces “I retired and moved to the country in 2004. I am a happy grandmother of three and an avid gardener. I am loving to live in the country and to be retired. Life is full with blessings – good health, family, a dog, and a garden.” GARRETT “GARRY” GRAHAM sends a note informing all Lowell alumni that he still runs the hottest nightclub in Marin – 19 Broadway Niteclub in Fairfax and loves to buy Lowell alumni drinks when he is there. Better hurry as he is getting up in years and is not there as often and unfortunately drinking less. Also, Garry will forever mourn the loss of his loving first cousin Valerie Vlauin ’53 who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2006 – Val was instrumental to many of his families’ good times. GEORGIA BALDASSARI GIBBS expresses “Since graduation I’ve lived the good life, 42 years in the banking industry and finally retiring in 1998. Married 40 years, my husband Billy and I are enjoying our retirement in our “Penthouse” on Telegraph Hill. Our 360° panoramic view of the city and bay is to die for. Ah, the good life – who needs to travel. I was surprised and sorry to hear of the passing of Joan Ruiz Marioni ’53 and Valerie Vlautin Madrieres ’53, my sincerest sympathy to their families.”
1954
JAN & JUN
SAMUEL A. KUHN inquires “I saw a Muto in the paper. Is he related to Wesley S. Muto ’53 who I played football with and band together?”
JAN & JUN
MICHAEL R. PEEVEY continues to be President of the California Public Utilities Commission for a term that expires December 31, 2008. He has worked to make the PUC the “greenest” in the nation. MARY HOLLINGSWORTH LOWE informs “My husband, Tom, and I are enjoying our lives and family in Lafayette. We are blessed with two fine sons, their wives and two grandchildren. Traveling is still high on our list of fun and enriching things to do.”
1956
JAN & JUN
THOMAS T. NYHAN relates “To the 50th Reunion Committee, thanks for all your hard work. And to the Lowell grads who attended, thank you. This most successful gathering which brought Lowellites home from as far away as Peru and Switzerland was held at the Presidio Golf Club. 1956 Class Presidents – John Debenham ’56 and Harvey Brody ’56 welcomed the crowd. James Nolan ’56, Student Body President, came from Virginia, and David Flinn ’56 acted as the emcee for the night and was outstanding. A small candle on a side table held a framed list of 1956 grads honoring those who have passed away over the years. Wayne Batmale ’56 and Tomas Nyhan ’56 co-chaired the event.” EMANUEL ‘MANNY’ GOLDMAN greets “Diane and I just had grandchild number nine – seven girls and two boys. Our 50th reunion was great. It was a real warm fuzzy. Seeing our old friends was priceless. My days as a theoretical nuclear physicist first and then as a securities analyst (stock analyst) are long gone. Retirement, with its family orientation and increased connection with friends, has taken its place. Once again, I am extending an invitation to one and all to join me for lunch. Where you’re at, I’ll be happy to come to you. I can be reached in Hillsborough at (650) 579-3699 or mgoldman38@aol.com.” JUDITH HAIGHT ERICKSON applauds “Our 50th was wonderful. Congratulations to the committee for a well planned and successful evening.”
1957
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! LEO MARTINEZ reveals “Hello to all – it is with sadness I tell of the passing of a friend/classmate Cipriano Espinor ’57 this past year. A good athlete and fun guy – remember ‘CIP’, Class of Jan 1957.” VICKI GREEN announces “Fourth (and presumably last) grandchild born in February 2007. Can’t yet figure out how to do nothing in retirement. Looking forward to our 50th reunion.” MARY ‘PAT’ MARQUIS MCLAUGHIN updates “A big ‘hello’ to all of my classmates from Lowell High and West Portal Grade School. For the last 12 years, my husband, Don, and I have been retired and living at 8,500 ft. on the shoulder of a 14,000 ft. peak in rural Colorado. Our time is spent hiking and backpacking extensively in our mountains and to our lakes. We’ve also hiked independently in much of Western Europe. Tennis is another interest. We helped start a tennis club in Salida, our county seat, and I ran the tournaments for a few years. We also play tennis in Arizona during some of the winter. Because the county population is small, volunteer work has been most gratifying in that the impact of one’s effort on the community is easily seen. Our most satisfying example is initiating the first major recycling program for all of Chaffee County. Along with our involvement in local and national political issues, I continue to sew quilts
for our 12 grandchildren. Our life is simple and good (no traffic, no malls), our cabin cozy, and we are happy and satisfied. I would enjoy hearing from some of you.” ROBERT KUCICH announces “Our 50th Reunion will be held at the Sir Francis Drake, Saturday, November 3, 2007. If we don’t have your correct address, please see me, on any Sunday, at the Dragon Lounge Bar, 24th Ave & Taravel St.”
1958
JAN & JUN
LILLIAN MARIE GARDNER GIBSON greets “God bless you, Happy New Year. I want you to know that I go to Irvine Valley College. My major is child development. I’m trying to get a certificate for child development. I just started August 21, 2006. I graduate in 3 years.” JAMES L. MANCINI inquires “Hey! Class of 1958 – what are the ‘plans’ for our 50th anniversary?” Having served as Vice President and Design Director for Gensler Architects, KEIKO VERA YAMAGAMI is now an independent designer in San Francisco providing design services and having worked with many Lowell Alumni clients. CAROLYN GREENBERG FRIEDMAN updates “I retired from medical practice last June and have been involved in swimming, yoga, auditing courses at Columbia, and chamber music.” HOWARD JAMES GREGG NEWBY mails “I am currently completing my final portion of the National Coastal Assessment project to find out the environmental condition of the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Last year, I spent six months doing grunt work cleaning up the mess of Katrina at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. I was rewarded with having my picture in full battle regalia hanging in the computer room of the Caylor Building at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Because my house was gutted by Hurricane Katrina, I am living with my girlfriend who was once a professional model and married to a millionaire, and ran her own dance studio. My son is a professor of American History at Memphis University. My grandson is pitching for the 9th grade D’Iberville High School’s baseball team. He has enough trophies to sink the Bismark. I have great pride in having graduated from Lowell High.”
1959
JAN & JUN
MICHAEL NEWMAN sends “My wife Linda and I continue to live on our equestrian ranch on the South Coast of Oregon. We also have been exploring wilderness areas around the west on horseback. Sure would be great if a 50th reunion could be arranged. Larry Close ’59 and I would be available to help if that is possible from Oregon.” IRENE POON ANDERSEN mails “Just finished my second and last term on the Board of Directors of the Chinese Historical Society of America. One of my photographs from my Chinatown Series (1964-971) was in the show ‘Collectibles Moments: Photographs In he Norton Simon Museum’ Oct. 13, 2006 – Feb. 26, 2007.” NICHOLAS and BENITA RUERO ST AMANT write “Keeping up with the 7 children, 13 grandkids, work and some interesting travel, in addition to maintaining the 120 year old family home, has us busy, but happily engaged in ‘life.’ We’re looking forward to a possible 50 year reunion.” DAVID HARRISON shares “Two of our nephews and Teri’s sister favored us with visits this summer. We tried our hands at panning for gold in the American River. No gold but lots of sun and fun. What we call our ‘American Heritage Tour’ was a three week visit to Wash DC, Niagara Falls and a chocoholic’s favorite, Hershey, PA. As usual, for the past three years, we spent the year end in AZ for our grandson’s birthday, Christmas and New Years. As the year came to an end, I got a surprise present – my application for Medicare. Where has the time gone?”
Spring 2007
Lowell Alumni Association
DONALD BELKIN informs “Still practicing law after 40 years (semi retired) and enjoying it! I am on medi-care and social security now, a milestone. I continue living on my ranch with wife Mary and many domestic and wild animals. Went to lunch last year here in Redding with Greg Tolson ’61 and wife Roz.” GEORGE BOSH announces “I have just published a book of sonnets, which can be bought through www.amazon.com search on George Bosh. The book is entitled, The Murdered Heart, and is really something of a memoir. For those who knew me way back, it may be of some interest.” JOAN METZNER GOSLINER inquires “Is anyone from the January ’59 class interested in having a reunion of our (small) class??? Can you believe we’re approaching our 50th????? I am married for 43 years to my (Lincoln) high school boyfriend, have 2 daughters and 4 adorable, wonderful and precious grandchildren. I’d love to hear from you; my email address is joangos@ comcast.net “
1960
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LESLIE ROBINSON MODAHL recounts “Nine years ago I retired from 35 years of teaching French at all levels in public and private schools throughout the United States. I then moved from San Francisco to Santa Fe, New Mexico where I married Bill Modahl who is from Boston. Santa Fe is a wonderful city for retirement! We ski everyday during ski season at Santa Fe Basin just a half an hour from our house or at Taos, a 2 hour drive; we hike and travel the rest of the year. I have two children, Julie (36), Michael (38) and Bill has four daughters. Between us, we have 8 grandchildren. We are trying to live life to the fullest and are very thankful for continued good health. I’m sure the entire Class of 1960 joins me in sorrow over the death of Stanley Dennis Rubin ’60 in May of 2006.” THEODORE ‘TED’ TONG currently is Associate Dean and Professor, University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy in Tucson, Arizona; recipient of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2005; recipient of ‘Bowl of Hygeia’ Award in 2006 for outstanding contributions to a healthy community (Arizona) by a pharmacist. Ted has been inspired by science/math teachers including Ms. Dealtry, Ms. Appleby, Mr. Koenig, and Mr. Barker. THEODORE BRESLER exclaims “I appeared in two Shakespeare productions last year – “Comedy of Errors” with San Leandro Players in August, and “MacBeth” with Las Positas College in November. We are expecting our second grandson in May.” BARBARA KROLL STARLING-DUNN informs “Happily retired but sad to lose my husband in ’03! I’m a proud grandmother of new twins making a total of 5 lovely grandchildren.”
1961
JAN & JUN
RICHARD GARBARINO greets “I am retired from SF State after 15 years as an administrator, serving both as a Director of Plant Services and Director of Campus Distribution Services/ University Property Office. I have always been active in civic affairs, serving 18 yrs. on the Park/Recreation Commission, Hearing Officer for Code Enforcement and finally, appointed to the City Council to fill the term of then newly elected Assembly member Gene Mullin. I was elected to the Council for a 4 yr. term in 2003 and currently serve as Mayor of South San Francisco. Married 43 yrs., 3 children, 6 grandchildren. Enjoy traveling, golf and grandkids. Regards to all classmates.” FRANK DIMARCO praises “I continue to be very proud of the accomplishments of Lowell grads. Lucinda and I relocated to Portland OR in 1995. Still enjoying my photography career. Two fabulous grandchildren in Redwood City keep me flying to SFO regularly. How did it get to be 2007?” GENE and SUSAN SAXE ’63 KAUFMAN announce “Son Ira married Jennifer Anker in April. After 28 years of teaching at Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Rafael, Susan retired in June.” TIMOTHY LEACH brags “In April of this year, in front of an approving roaring crowd, my daughter, Emily Yukiko Leach, became the 39th
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Cherry Blossom Festival Queen for Northern California. Needless to say, I’m one proud dad.”
1965
WESLEY TOM shouts “Hi to Ken Uyeda ’61, Henry Klein ’61, Dennis Yep ’61, Mark Reutlinger ’61, William ‘Bill’ Hanson ’61, and Dennis Jaffe ’61.”
KATHERINE LENORE WEISS cheers “My very best wishes for a great new year to all.”
LINDA AGNONE BENATAR cheers “So glad to hear Annabelle Ruth Goudie ’61 values her Lowell memories! As a retired teacher I am enjoying my part-time teaching, saving plenty of time for grand-children, friends, and travel. A special hello to my dear friend Jacqueline Ann Schembari Buckley ’61 now also retired and working part time.
1962
JAN & JUN
GERALD and SARA LANGENTHAL ADAMS update “Both Gerald and Sara are still working at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa and enjoying small-town life in the Midwest! We’re looking forward to our 45th Reunion luncheon on May 12th; see you there!” DAVID GUGGENHIME encourages “Would welcome seeing more Marin County Lowell Alumni become volunteers with the Marin County School Volunteers – (415)499-5896 or http://www.marincountyschoolvolunteers.org” ELIZABETH “BETTY” LINSKY RIVARD writes “Retired social worker/planner, now fine art landscape photographer. Divorced; sons Jesse, location manager in LA, and Ry, undergraduate at WVU. Hope to be at May reunion. Come visit me in rural WV. bettyrivard@yahoo.com”
1963
JAN & JUN
JAMES DOUGLAS RIPLEY mails “Still living in Maryland and pursuing part time environmental consulting work; but, my wife and I are contemplating a return to the west (possibly New Mexico or Arizona) for retirement. Thanks to Mr. Terrence Abad ’76 I was able to make a presentation to Ms. Kathy Melvins’ Env. Science classes on my environmental work for the U.S. Air Force. This was my first return to Lowell in 44 years!” SUSAN SAXE KAUFMAN – see 1961 news. Classmate Bob Lee, former NFL quarterback, was Master of Ceremonies at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Dinner honoring 24 of the top Scholar/Athletes in the Bay Area. Bob was honored with a Distinguished American Award. “We give these out about once every five years. Bob isn’t receiving one because he played in the NFL. He’s one who gives amazing amounts back into the community” — Pres. Robert Keropian.
1964
JAN & JUN
SUSAN WISE DEETS announces “I retired from teaching for LAUSD this past August after 21 years of service. I am looking forward to enjoying my retirement after I completely recover from a major car accident (in 9/05). I have one more surgery to do and then I should be able to truly enjoy traveling. We spent this past holiday season in Belize and Guatemala. Both of my girls are married now. Julie was married on 8/14/04 and Kathy was married in Fairfax on 9/16/06!” MARY ANN BRAKEBILL BERSI shares “I celebrated my 60th birthday on Jan. 6, 2007, with Lowell grads Bobbie Wong ’64 and Sue Chausse ’64 in attendance with husbands Paul and John. Retired from the practice of law in July 2005 and currently serving as Nevada State Tax Commissioner. Having a ball in retirement! See you all in 2009 or 2014!!” ADRIENNE MORALES REEVES greets “Hello Jan Class of 1964! After working as a Chemistry teacher at La Reine High School in Thousand Oaks for 16 years, I decided to retire. I have a grandchild, Olivia, born to my daughter and son-in-law in Northern Cal. Son Ryan is a medical resident at Univ. of Chicago and was married in May. Our youngest son is the assistant coach for the men’s soccer team at Cal State Fullerton. I felt the time was needed for more freedom for me. I credit Lowell for helping my life turn out so well.” VIVIAN SINICK IMPERIALE exclaims “Really enjoyed coming back for the on-campus event in Oct. Seems impossible that so much time has passed! We are 60 – how did that happen?”
JAN & JUN
STEPHEN SOMERS ’65, former student body treasurer, recently interviewed Jerry Coleman ’42, on WFAN radio in New York. Somers has been the longest running host, now 20 years, at the first all sports talk radio station in the country. Coleman, voice of the San Diego Padres was featured in the Fall ’06 Lowell Alumni Newsletter. During the interview, Coleman talked about baseball, growing up in San Francisco, Lowell, and his days as a Yankee. Coleman, a member of the Lowell Sports Hall of Fame, joins the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in April.
the Internet. I am currently creating quality workspace for nonprofits. I helped create the Thoreau Center for Sustainability in the Presidio of SF and am just opening a similar nonprofit building in the Lower Manhattan. www.tidessharedspace. org I am hoping I will be able to see a lot of you at our 40th reunion this year.” JEFFREY KEYAK writes “Son Aaron graduates Wash U St. Louis in May; son Joshua is a freshman at Yeshiva University in NYC; and son Jonah became Bar Mitzvah this year. Hi to all ’67 ers.” RICHARD KEMP updates “I am alive and well selling real estate in Gig Harbor, Washington. Visit me at www.richardkemp.com”
When contacting the Alumni Office, always give graduating class and maiden name, if applicable
1966
JAN & JUN
LAWRENCE E. DAVIS, JR. ’61 shares “After being on 20/20 episode about pairing up gang members with special ed students – there ‘may’ be a Hollywood movie in the works about the program. I’m into my 34th year of teaching special ed transition students now.” VALERIE WAIDLER informs “Still living in Sonoma County. Son Clayton is 24 years and graduated from Colorado University. 21 year old daughter Hannah is a junior at Boston University. I’ve been a Marriage Family Therapist for 30 years and have worked 17 years from a nonprofit hospice. Where does the time go!?” ALBERT KOVALICK recalls “Had a blast at the Lowell celebration of 150 years. Alan Lee ’66, Ronald Eber ’66 and I walked the halls and met many old friends. Lowell has a special place in my heart.” HENNILI MUNDEN FALLDORF MUNDEN cheers “Certain the 40th Reunion bash was outstanding – hope to make it to the 50th – much continuing success to all!” JUDITH S. CLARKE recounts and updates “I just retired March 2nd after almost 35 years with the federal government (Dept of Defense). I had a wonderful career and saw the world! My last position was Chief Financial Officer for the Corps of Engineers. I plan to relax, travel and use my experience as a board member of one or two nonprofits. Volunteering is also in the plan.”
1967
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! ROBERT WAGNER sends “Hope all is well with the Class of 1967. Where did all the time go? Lowell was and still is the greatest. We were fortunate to go to one of the best high schools in the nation.” TERRY NATHAN greets “Here’s wishing you all a healthy and happy 2007! Looking forward to seeing my classmates for our 40th(!) reunion. Am still living in Santa Rosa, on permanent disability and would love to hear from my old friends at terrylynne53@aol.com.” ADRIENNE JACOBS MILLER says “Looking forward to our 40th reunion. Enjoy working for San Francisco Superior Court as the Juvenile Hearing Officer. Going to be a grandmother for the second time in February 2007. Had a wonderful time visiting with Barbara Penney Clark ’67 in Philadelphia where my son lives with his family. My daughter is now friends with daughter of Marjorie ‘Margie’ Weil Stone ’67 after Barbara Penney Clark introduced them.” LILIAN TAN would like to get in touch with her classmates whom she has lost touch with over the years: Christine Lee ’67, Phoebe Ko ’67, and Elizabeth Ko ’67. If anyone knows their whereabouts, please ask them to get in touch with Lilian at tiggerlil@comcast.net. LOUISE CHINA BROTSKY informs “Hi all, I’m still living in San Francisco with my husband Dan and 15 year old son Corey. I have been working in nonprofits for 20 years after getting a CPA. In fact, I founded the nonprofit internet organization, groundspring.org, which Lowell Alumni Association uses to collect donation on
1968
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! BRUCE SPIEGELMAN writes “I have recently discovered that I’m a Class of Fall ’67, not ’68. I am now considering this development. May the force be with us.” CRAIG P. DULING shares “Living in Atherton, CA. Married with 2 boys ages 6 and 4. Would love to hear from any former friends. E-mail address is: meagan@speakeasy.net.” CAROLYN ANNE VONDERHEID LOE sends “I’ve lived in Benicia for the past 22 years and I’m an office mgr. for an oxygen provider in American Canyon. Son Greg (30) is a CPA in Sacramento, married with 1 son, and daughter Kelsey (15) is a sophomore at Benicia High. She’s active in color guard with the marching band and is discovering the great sense of family the music program offers. I think fondly of my days at Lowell and the great friends and teachers that were part of my life; would like to hear from any old friends, especially Marcia Diamond ’68 and Janet Wertsch ’68. My Email is caroloe@sbcglobal.net. Not too long to our 40th!!”
1969
JAN & JUN
DEBORAH MILLER is a partner at the law firm GCA Law Partners LLP in Mountain View, Calif. Deborah is a transactional attorney specializing in sales, licensing, and marketing agreements and preventive law counseling in areas including channel strategy, price discrimination, advertising and promotional allowances, and e-commerce. She served on the firm’s management committee in 2004 and 2005. Prior to joining GCA in 2000, she was with 3Com Corporation in Santa Clara for 11 years, most recently as associate general counsel for Americas sales, service, and marketing, and leader of a practice group of seven attorneys. Daughter Sarah Miller Barnes graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law in 2004, and is patients rights attorney working for the Mental Health Advocacy Project of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley. Son Eric Miller Barnes is in his second and final year of the joint MBA and MS in agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis. Deborah and husband John Barnes celebrated their 30th anniversary in January 2007, and live in Saratoga, California. LINDA POWELL McMILLAN sends “I am traveling around the U.S. as a National Director of Program Development for AVID, a college preparatory support class offered to potential college going middle and high schools students. I’m still in a straw-bale , off-the-grid home in San Luis Obispo County with my building contractor, wine making husband Greg. Whenever we can get away we travel internationally, heading to Antigua, Guatemala and Cape York Peninsula in 2007.” GARY MASON is teaching earth science to high school freshmen in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, 2 ½ hour drive from Washington D.C. He finished MA in Museum Studies at SFSU. JACKSON D. WONG, Attorney at Law, specializes in assisting corporate institutions seeking authorization to do business in China.
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Lowell Alumni Association
Spring 2007
Keeping In Touch… 1970
JAN & JUN
SUSAN HORNSTEIN urges “I hate to sound like Katie Couric, but everyone I graduated with, before me, and 5 years after needs to have a colonoscopy. [Colon cancer] is the second leading cause of cancer death but it’s totally preventable. Just finished chemo and thrilled to be alive. Please take care and love to all.” MELINDA JOY SEID hollers “Hello to my fellow classmates from June 1970! I can’t believe that I’m thinking of retirement in 2007!” ROBERT HAYMAN shares “Daughter has graduated from college, and she’s now living at home. Son is about to graduate and he’ll probably be doing the same. It’ll probably be a few years before they’re supporting their parents.” JANICE STEINER FREEMAN and her husband, Richard Freeman, have been very happily married for fifteen years. They have two very beautiful and accomplished daughters, Leah, who is fourteen, and Frieda, who is 9 ½. They live in the Hills of San Carlos, California. Janice gave up her career in teaching and the business world to raise her children. Now, she devotes her time to volunteer efforts at her daughters’ schools, the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, and their synagogue, Temple Beth Jacob in Redwood City. Her husband, Richard, is director of Concept Engineering for Leap Frog Enterprises. NANCY LIM-YEE cheers “Greetings to the Class of 1970! Hope all is well with everyone.”
1971
JAN & JUN
LEONIDAS “LEON” PERAKIS (PEROS) updates “After 25 years in the Silicon Valley, my wife and I left the Bay Area 4 years ago and now reside in San Diego and, remarkably, don’t miss it at all. Our son is graduating from college in the spring and will do what most kids do now a days... go to grad school! Our daughter is IN grad school and will get her Masters in Economic this spring and then guess what she is going to do? You’re right! Off to a PhD program in Economics. So at this rate our kids will enter the workforce at an age when they are ready to retire... I hope this message finds all my old (and getting older!) friends healthy and happy.”
1972
JAN & JUN
ROBERT ‘BOB’ LEE writes “As a VICCI volunteer at Lowell, I’ve been overjoyed about being able to periodically chat with Bob Jow, Rosemary Dacanay, and Gwen Fuller, who were all teaching at Lowell when I was a student. Ms. Fuller is currently the Honors English teacher of my son, Scott Wong ’09. They still look and act so young, it’s like I’m still in high school!” ANTONIA HALL cheers “Greetings to all from South Lake Tahoe where I am teaching at the El Dorado County Juvenile Treatment Center for incarcerated youth. This job finds me trying to impart some of the wonderful values and love of learning that my years at Lowell gave to me. I spend my spare time enjoying the Sierra with my significant other, Tom and our chocolate lab, Otto.”
1973
JAN & JUN
Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! JAMES BAER sends “Greetings and salutations Class of ’73 . . . Best wishes for a healthy & Happy ’07,” along with his donation in memory of and old friend and comrade – Bruce Powell ’73. MARCIA L. SCHNAPP informs “I am living with my husband, Steve Smith, and our olde English Bulldogge, Dixie, in Belvedere, CA. I just received my MBA in Finance from University of Colorado and am now Director of Finance from the San Mateo County Harbor District. To all you class of ’72, ’73 & ’74, fell free to call, cell: (415) 725-1735.” AMY FINK sends “Living in San Bruno with my two sons; been working for El Al Israel Airlines for the last year and loving it!” CAROL ANN KERN BERTELSEN updates “I
am working as a critical care RN in a cardiovascular intensive care unit in the South Bay. I have two kids in college and am married. I received my BSN at UCLA and later got my MSN in critical care.”
1974
JAN & JUN
ALIENA CHENG CHIN says “It’s hard to believe we’ve been out of Lowell for more than 30 years! My husband, Victor, and I are experiencing semi empty-nesting after 24 years of marriage. Our eldest, Erin, is done with a degree in journalism, and our youngest, Mallory, is finishing her last year at UCSD in human development. It’s nice to have the house to ourselves again as we contemplate our AARP membership benefits. Turning 50 brings new adventures. Colonoscopy, anyone?” DAVID FELLOWS states “Didn’t make it to any of the 125th parties, but did fly back to LA for the memorial of Richard Snell ’74; sobering at the half-century mark to start losing good friends. Hope the rest of the Jones St. Racing Assoc. gang is doing well. Life in Colorado is good right now, family is healthy and happy so I count my blessings. Best to all.” MIRTA ARSENIAN CALI reveals “I am happy to announce that in November 2006, I married my best friend of many years, Randy Cali. I left my work in May of last year and am hoping to soon open my own business. Best wishes to everyone.” DOUGLAS RYAN comments “Mirta Arsenian Cali ’74 – Congratulations to you and Randy! The wedding pictures looked great. Jackie and I wish you all the best.” JEFFREY SHAPIRO informs “living large in Atlanta. Family is growing up. Oldest is off to University Texas this fall. Another is looking at colleges.” JUDITH AUERBACH – see 1950 news.
1976 STEVE EMERSON greets “Hope all is well with the mid 70’s class. Still in the Bay Area – East Bay. Still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Give me a holler at semerson@ visa.com.” MARGARET FORBES MACDONALD announces “‘Still 21 In My Head’ is one of the songs on my recently released CD, Rain on the Roof, a collection of eleven original songs with wide appeal to audiences who enjoy artists like Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan. Check it out at www.margaretmacdonald.com and let me know what you think. I owe a lot of my lyricwriting ability to Flossie Lewis and AP English!”
1977 Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! THOMAS HUNT sends “I’ve been living in Anchorage for 12 years, the last 5 as the Medical Director of the Community Health Center here, trying to patch together health care for lowincome uninsured folks otherwise denied access in our absurd health care “system.” Sometimes it feels noble, others foolishly naive, but mostly it feels like the right thing to do with an education. I’m married to a strong and beautiful woman, also a physician, and have two kids, 10 and 13 who nordic ski like they were born with 170 cm feet and for whom a 70 degree day is overwhelmingly hot (they do well in San Francisco, of course, where we visit frequently). Come visit.” EMILY J. DUCUSIN updates “I am living in the great state of Texas now! Miss the Bay Area. Looking forward to our 30th reunion!” LARRY KATZNELSON updates “I have two children, ages 12 and 14. I am a physician/ researcher at Stanford. We moved out from Boston two years ago, after I had lived on the east coast for 19 years. It is great to be back!”
1978 Desperately seeking Katheryn “Kathy” Block! – see 1979 news.
BENJAMIN LEUNG comments “Working as a Civil Engineer for Muni in S.F. 2 kids, wife, no dog, and big house payments. Lowell is a lot tougher now than when I went.” ANNA-KATHARINA KARNEY exclaims “Greetings classes of ’76, ’77 and ’78! Here’s some fun news from yours truly, that crazy music/drama person. Recently I found myself in Waikiki playing keys at the Royal Hawaiian Theater for none other than Ms. Carol Channing ’38 herself. She was performing her one woman show “The First 84 Years Are the Hardest”. It came about by chance. I also ended up creating arrangements of all her big theater hits for a small stage ensemble, it was a collaboration with a colleague of mine, Donald White. There was something poetic about this. Can you dig it? Ms. Channing was an extremely pleasant person, and it was a lot of fun. Also, if you have a chance, pick up the March ’07 issue of Mix Magazine. There should be an article on my works as an electronic games composer. Hope you are all doing great. I would love to hear from you too (if you even remember me). Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin’ Alive!”
1979 ALEXIS YOUNG PERLMUTTER pleads “Alexis Young Perlmutter is trying to find her best friend of many decades ago, Kathy Block ’78. Kathy taught me how to ride Muni for a nickel downtown to Lerner’s, how boss Bruce Springsteen was, and how to take my coffee at Zim’s with lots of cream and sugar. Kathy, I miss you! Where are you? ABPerlmutter@gmail.com”
1980 MARLENE KEYAK SMITH announces “Hello to all of my Lowell friends. I look forward to introducing you to our new baby, Adam Karl Smith, who Mike and I welcomed in May 2006.” RACHEL GORDON informs “My partner, Liz, and I have been enjoying raising our daughter, Isabel, teaching her the Lowell Hymn. Actually, she barely talks yet, but it’s never too soon.” MARIE VARRICCHIO DIAZ updates “I am here in Los Angeles working at 20th Century Fox living with my husband, 12 year old daughter and two dogs.” ANNETTE MARIE CAPARAZ CANEDA exclaims “This is a big treat for me to be back in touch with Lowell in a different way, as a parent of a student. My son Claudio ’10 just started at LHS. Now I’ll really have to explain myself! Otherwise; staying busy with family, doctoral program at USF, and work.” TODD KUSHNER is working in Senator Kennedy’s office on immigration reform.
1981 DEAN BELL reminisces “Twenty-five years after my last Lowell baseball game, I had the opportunity to coach my son at the high school level. What a treat. Many fond memories of coach Buono and old teammates.” DARWIN D. POPENOE informs “Flora, I and the kids returned to the U.S. after six years in Venezuela, where I led R&D analytical chemistry for Procter & Gamble Latin America in Caracas. Subira and Anthony, fluent in Spanish in addition to their basic Swahili, are in 7th and 4th grades, respectively. I have returned to my previous group in P&G Cincinnati.”
1982 LINDA HAUSER LEBOA sends “Congratulations to Stephen Popper ’82 and his wife Elizabeth Joyce on the birth of their daughter recently. Stephen and Elizabeth both work at Stanford University.” KEVIN PATRICK HAAG placed an order for a Lowell sweatshirt and comments “Will be wearing my new “Lowell” logo sweatshirt proudly; when is the next keg party?” DEBRA STRACH GERMENIS comments “Thanks to Paul Seto ’82 and all his friends for putting together a fun gathering at Chevy’s. My
daughter, Joyce, had a blast. So did I! It was nice to reminisce in such a casual atmosphere. I can’t wait for the next get-together on Labor Day weekend. It was great to see Lillian [Fong] ’82, David [Volansky] ’82, Elaine [You] ’82, Yvonne [Ng] ’82, Jim [Park] ’82, Lisa [Wong] ’82, Nate [Chiu] ’82, Bobby [Lew] ’82, Dori [Takeshita] ’82. . .I can go on & on.” STEVEN P. LI sends “Wishing all fellow Lowellites a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2007! Beginning my 24th year as an employee of the San Francisco Superior Court.”
1983 JENNIFER KIMBERLY CHAN CHENG greets “Cheers from Boston! I wanted to let those of you who have been trying to reach me at Duke know that I am now in Boston (while David is finishing up his neurosurgery fellowship at MGH). Where will we go after this year? Who knows? The adventure continues... Happy 2007 everyone!”
1986 MICHAEL MEDINA exclaims “I GOT MARRIED! No, really, last September I married Catherine Mann of Raleigh, North Carolina. And I’m still making maps for the NC Geological Survey in Raleigh.” IRENE C. KUO says “Although I missed the reunion, I was really happy to see fellow 86ers Mickie Lee ’86 and Peter Chin ’86 while I was in SF for Thanksgiving. Am enjoying motherhood and career as an ophthalmologist at Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute.“
1987 Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! EIZABETH HUEY-TORNEY HUEY-LEVINE mails “Looking forward to the 20 year reunion! Still living in New York, working for Delta, and organizing the ‘Padding for Parkinson’s’ fundraiser events for Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research! I’ll be kayaking 800 miles on the Suwannee River in March with my husband for Parkinson’s. Congrats to Matthew Lefer ’87 and Jerre Winder ’87 on their new babies! No, not as a couple! Matt had twin boys & Jerre had a boy as well.” JERRE WINDER MAURER cheers “Class of ’87 – Hope to see everyone at the 20-year reunion! Loving being a mom, wife and teacher (Biology & Life Science at Bret Harte Union High School).” ELIZABETH DUNN KWASNY updates “Transitioned to the Air Force Reserves in 2006. Still in the Dallas-Fortworth area enjoying Texas ife. Looking forward to seeing many of you at our reunion!” JULIE DEMONTEVERDE STEELE greets “Hi everyone! Still out here in Danville and celebrating 17 wonderful years with my husband Joe this year. The patent-pending invention our daughters Jasmine & Jade inspired is now a Wal-Mart product and coming soon to 150 stores in a large grocery/drugstore chain in Chicago. Catch us in the upcoming May cover feature about mominventors in “Costco Connection” Magazine! www.nosqueeze.com” ESTHER LIM hollers “Hey Class of ’87! Thought I would reach out and say hello after 20 years.”
1988 JEANIENE TALLEY inquires “Have we started planning for the 20th in 2008? I’m willing to help but long distance. Living in Las Vegas working in Family Medicine. Two kids and 3 fish doing the most. Happy New Year!” LAURA LANE announces “Got engaged Thanksgiving 2006. He’s a Cal Bear, I’m a Stanford Cardinal. Proof that opposites attract. I’m _______. He’s ______. Fill in the blanks accordingly.” NELSON NG claims “Enjoying my work as a prosecutor for San Bernardino County, and I love living in Southern California.”
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Lowell Alumni Association
1989
judicial staff attorney. I’d love to hear from you at aimori@gmail.com.”
ROBERT GEE announces “Arlene, Caitlin, and I welcomed our 2nd child, Ian Dominic, on July 31, 2006. Hope everyone’s doing well!”
1995
CELIA ALCANTAR BARNES snail mails “Hi all! I am writing in from Mexico City where I live with my family, Sonia 3.5 years and Paquito 1.5 years – balancing motherhood and work at ERM (environmental consultancy). We come up to SF quite often, so feel free to get in touch and hopefully we’ll catch up . . . or stop on by if you happen to be down south! celia.alcantar@ erm.com.” JUSTIN JAMES VAN ZANDT sends “Hello everyone. I’m doing well, finished at Cal in ’94, bought a house in 2000 and am living in the Richmond District with my wife and 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys, hopefully a 2nd Lowell generation. I was proud when I found out Berkeley was easy compared to Lowell and that this year that Lowell was #26 in the U.S. and #1 in Nor Cal, we’re still the best. I still play basketball in the Golden Gate League and am in touch with a few people from Lowell. Would love to hear from people I’ve lost touch with. Send me an email at dutchvz@aol.com.”
1990 THOMAS JOHN BALK updates “Enjoying life in Lexington, Kentucky with my wife and two sons. Working to become a university professor as good as the outstanding teachers I had at Lowell.”
DANIEL RANSOM writes “My wife and I are celebrating the birth of our daughter, Mather, in November. We’re living and working in San Francisco. You can catch up with us at http://ransomedoff.blogspot.com.”
1997 Check the Reunion Calendar on page 2 for news about your upcoming class reunion! GERALD MORILLO PABALAN updates “I graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Hospitality Management with a minor in Business. I also attended California Culinary Academy in San Francisco to become a chef. Now I work as a sous chef in Guckenheimer, a corporate catering company at the Genentech campus in South San Francisco.”
1998 ANNA ZEVELYOV updates “I have just moved to Moscow to work for the American Councils for International Educations, which is a non profit international organization. I would love to connect with any Lowell alumni that happen to be in Moscow.” ankaalexandrovna@hotmail.com KRISTOPHER ‘KRIS’ KAISER greets “Hi everyone. Good news on my end as I’ll be moving back to SF from Sacramento in 2007 once I
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1991 JONATHAN JIANG reveals “After graduating with a double bachelor in EE/CSE, traveling the world, and having a fulfilling career, I surprised myself by discovering the artistic side of me. Check out the bay area choral group at http:// www.voicesofthevalley.org.” MEI WA LEE JUN sends “My husband Jimmy & I live in San Anselmo and celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary on September 29th. Recently, on October 22nd, I participated in the Nike Women’s Marathon (a race to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). I have always wanted to run 26.2 miles and it was an amazing experience. As a member of Team in Training, I knew I made a difference in the lives of those battling leukemia and lymphoma. For anyone interested in completing an endurance event, I highly recommend Team in Training. GO TEAM! Keep in touch: marathonmei@yahoo.com “ PAUL W. CHAN wishes everyone a happy, funfilled, and safe 2007. SHARIANNE LOUIE sends “A Lowell-Style hello to the Class of 1991!” and updates “Married just a little over two years now, I am enjoying married life with my husband, Alex. In May 2006, we took an Alaskan Cruise and a highlight of the trip was taking a helicopter to the glaciers. We will spend the Christmas Holiday in London and Paris this year.”
1993 ANN MARIE PAULOSE PIERCE shares “Greetings from So Cal! I married Edward Pierce on January 13, 2007. The wedding was in San Francisco and we had a fantastic honeymoon on the Island of St. Lucia. While I was in SF a few months ago, I ran into some of my ’93 classmates. Unfortunately, I lost your business cards! Feel free to e-mail me at starlily313@yahoo.com.”
finish up my J.D. from UC-Davis. I have secured a position with the corporate department of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to work on mergers and acquisitions as well as finance, among other things. Meanwhile, my girlfriend of 6-plus years, Jen, plans to enter the public or non-profit sectors. Most importantly, after three years of hard work, we’re definitely looking forward to a nice long post-Bar trip!”
2000 JENNIFER LOUIE cheers “Still teaching 5th grade and loving it! Hope all is well with everyone!”
2002 MEREDITH ALLEN graduated from UCSD and is moving to New Zealand for 6 months to work.
2003 CARLA FARAGUNA graduated from Stony Brook University on December 17, 2006. She graduated with full honors, Summa Cum Laude, and did it in only 3 ½ years! MORGAN ALLEN is a senior at Cal and rowing for the men’s varsity team; majoring in Classics Literature.
2004 MARA ALLEN is a junior at Cal and rowing for the women’s varsity team; majoring in economics.
HOON KIM sends in correction for his e-mail address – hoonhkim@gmail.com
MARY L. TOWNSEND, a junior at Clark University, is a Theater Arts major and has appeared in several productions at Clark – such as the role of Sally Talley in “Fifth of July.” Townsend is performing the role of Grandam Capulet in the Student Theater production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Performances are scheduled April 12 to 15 and April 19 to 21 in the Daniels Theater, Atwood Hall.
1994
Faculty
SANDRA AI MORI updates “Hi everyone! After five years at a law firm in San Francisco, I am back working in the Court of Appeal as a
RAFEL CONS Jr. greets “Good luck on the New Science Department.”
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Dr. Louis Batmale ’30 continued from page 1 from the State, decreeing that community colleges linked with unified school district must separate and become independent. The challenge of shaping the new district to meet community needs fell to Dr. Louis Batmale who had moved up through the ranks of city college administrators to earn the honor of the being the first president of the new college. He was well-chosen, having a philosophy of education attuned to the aspirations of those deprived, for whatever reason, of an accepted standard of living in San Francisco. A former CCSF teacher, Gene Roberts, wrote, “Working closely with unions, businesses, and civic organizations, Dr. Batmale facilitated the merging of the Adult Education division with the vocational and recreational programs of City College. During his tenure as President of City College his concern for the students and their classroom instruction was very evident to the faculty. He promoted a feeling of collegiality among administrators and the faculty, and later throughout the College District when serving as Chancellor. The President’s trust in his fellow-professionals created a feeling of esteem among his colleagues, raised their morale, and made City College a coveted assignment for educators. His early career promoting community programs stood him in good stead as the citizens of this great city responded to his leadership and provided the public support that the College enjoys today.” He hand-picked his management team to administer the fifteen thousand day students and another several thousand attending at night. The 56-acre Balboa Park site was bulging at the seams so Community College Centers were opened throughout the city, including the John Adams Center on Hayes Street where Lowellite Louis Batmale was a student. Those Centers were designed to serve the diverse educational needs of students in two general communities: in neighborhoods close to people’s homes or workplaces and in areas of special interest such as education for the handicapped or the aged. The Centers (7) developed identities of their own – geographically, ethnically and educationally, offering instruction in community centers, churches, store fronts and office buildings. Consistent with Dr. Batmale’s vision of a city-wide college serving the socially or economically disadvantaged, he appointed Lowellite Harry Buttimer ’40 (former tennis star) as campus President who, together with the Center Directors, provided leadership for this unique campus system. Each Center offered classes in English as a Second Language and occupational programs for underprivileged members of the community, leading to employment or job upgrading. Above all, educational services were offered to adults, close to where they live and work, to help improve the quality of their lives and the San Francisco community as a whole.
Gifted Business Manager Chancellor Batmale proved to be a gifted business manager as well as an educational leader. During his tenure the Community College District enjoyed a comfortable financial position. He preached and practiced “fiscal prudence” by teaching the principles of budgeting to his administrators. Lou was ably assisted in business matters by a Ass’t Chancellor and fellow-Lowellite, Jun Iwamoto ’50. Dr. Batmale also worked closely with San Francisco’s representatives in Sacramento by introducing legislation favorable to the District that reduced the burden on local taxpayers. The strength of the college is in its innovative curriculum that flowered during the Batmale years: Auto Mechanics Technology, Labor Studies, Civil Service training, Home Care, Aircraft Maintenance, and the widely
heralded Hotel and Restaurant program . Special programs for the aged, the handicapped and the impoverished were introduced. During his tenure, financial aid for students increased several-fold. During the period, 1975-76, four thousand students transferred from CCSF to University of California and State universities – 3,737 elected to continues their studies at State universities; 273 students transferred to the U.C. system in the Fall of 1975. Of all student transfers to U.C. with junior standing, one-third maintained a B or better average after one full year of study. In 1971 the voters allowed the election of a separate Governing Board. Dr. Batmale worked with his Board to overcome many challenges to continuing adult education in the City.
The President’s trust in his fellow-professionals created a feeling of esteem among his colleagues, raised their morale, and made City College a coveted assignment for educators. A glance at a recent City College catalog of 370 pages was revealing. Even Lou must shake his head in wonder at the cornucopia of opportunities available to today’s students, ranging from transfers to U. C. and State College campuses to the venerable Hotel & Restaurant Operations, to Horticulture & Floristry, Graphic Design, Dental Assistant, and Architecture, and numerous computerrelated courses, to name a very few. Since the turn of the century, increasing numbers of courses are offered on-line with more and more teachers designing their courses for the new technology. A vast staff of several hundred teachers provide the instruction with a similar number of adjunct instructors abetting their efforts. The legacy of Lou Batmale is not in the bricks and mortar of Batmale Hall (Relatives from France, however, are very proud to see the family name so honored) but rather in the thousands of CCSF alumni who are productive members of society because of his leadership and the opportunities the College provided for them.
Quintessential Family Man Louis is also the quintessential dad, granddad, and great-granddad and when he enjoys a birthday party, he can count on five children, 14 grandchildren, and 28 greatgrandchildren to enliven the party. Sadly, his wife of 53 years, Annette, predeceased him and is greatly missed. Lou has been a longtime member of the Presidio Golf Club. He has hung up his clubs for the less strenuous rigors of the bridge and gin rummy table. Still, I imagine he looks out at the course occasionally to see his foursome striding down the fairway — four buddies perfectly attuned to each other, the grass is green, their drives are inbounds (the sun may even be shining) and all was right in their world. Note: Lowellites have left their imprint on the City College main campus: Cloud Hall – Namesake Archibald Cloud, Lowell teacher, 1905-1911, first City College President. Batmale Hall – City College President/ Chancellor, 1970-1977. Louise & Claude Rosenberg Jr. Library/ Learning Resource Center – Louise (Jankelson) ’51 and Claude Rosenberg ’46.
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Lowell Alumni Association
Roots in Reality…Branches in Myth The Principal’s Tea
F
rom the vantage point of more than fifty years association with Lowell H. S., I remember clearly a delightful event during my first year of teaching. It was the spring of 1955 when I received an invitation to the Principal’s Tea. It was a command performance sponsored by the school’s only female principal (until then), Miss Edith Pence. The invitation read: Principal Edith Pence and the Ladies of the Lowell Faculty invite Mr. Paul Lucey to a Principal’s Tea to be held in the library May 6, 1955 at 2:30 p.m. The day of the tea arrived and even the B.P.E. teachers wore coats and ties. Shield girls pinned red boutonnieres on the gentlemen’s lapels. I remember my surprise at the transformation of the library into an elegant San Francisco drawing room enhanced by background music from a string quartet. The tables were covered with linens donated by the ladies, cherished memories of sabbaticals in France, England or Ireland. The tea table was the centerpiece of the occasion. Silver trays were at either end, one for the tea, and one for the coffee. Tea afficionado’s will tell you the water must be boiling to make a proper cup of tea. So it was this day as a flame under a tea kettle kept the water hot. A cream pitcher and sugar bowl, and, on a glass dish, thin slices of lemon were available. Coffee drinkers are less fastidious, depending upon the metal urn to keep their coffee hot. A red table cloth covered the table. There were little tea plates with small napkins matching the tea cloth folded on each one. Plates of food prepared by the ladies (no bakery food at this event) were placed on a sideboard with the gleaming cutlery. The pouring was done by the Dean of girls and the senior lady teacher(s). On this occasion it was Dean Gladys Lorigan ’20 pouring the coffee and the Misses Elfrieda Kellogg ‘16 and Elsie Schou (both of whom began their Lowell careers in 1922) sharing the pouring of tea. Exquisite China cups and saucers were within easy reach of the pourers.
However, the actual pouring of the tea must wait while a genteel ritual was played out – the greetings of the Principal and her ladies in a receiving line. Seniority ruled! Miss Pence who began teaching in 1911 was first in line both by right of her principal’s position and seniority. Next was Miss Gladys Lorigan ’20 who was second because of her role as Dean of Girls. Then it was strictly by length of service: the Misses Kellogg, Schou, Osuna, Metcalf, Schroeder, Balensiefer, Heaton, Mensing, Flynn, Boehm, Dealtry, and Mrs. Wallach, Mrs. Catelli, et al, until the entire Lowell matriarchy had welcomed their male counterparts. The men sorted themselves out in a similar fashion. Ben Neff, Norval Fast, Bill Feeling, Bob Anino, Frank Driscoll, Reg Krieger, Olin McCord, Jack Patterson, Ivan Barker, Cornelius McCarthy, Ray Milton, Bob Buckley, Barney Wolf, and the tail-endCharlie’s like Sam Carpenter, Jack Anderson, Fred Linder, Joe Ehrman, Maurice Englander, and Paul Lucey – all, in turn, “trooped the line” so to speak, that delightful afternoon. Ben Neff, who began his teaching career in 1925, was the first to pay his respects to the Principal and to the ladies: “Good afternoon, Miss Pence, how kind of you to invite the gentlemen to this lovely tea.” “Thank you, Mr. Neff, I trust you and your colleagues will enjoy our social hour.” “I’m sure we shall.” “Miss Lorigan . . . . . Mr. Neff.” Whereupon Ben was handed-off to repeat his niceties on down the line. Norval Fast was a maverick among the men because he was a tea drinker. He approached the tea pourer, saying, “Good afternoon, Miss Kellogg, may I have a cup of tea?” She smiled, “Good afternoon, Mr. Fast. How do you like your tea? Strong or weak?” “Strong, please” whereupon she added more tea and poured the boiling water into the cup . . . sugar, cream, lemon are on the table Mr. Fast.” Norval, ever the charmer, ventured, “Miss Kellogg, may I call you by your first name on this pleasant occasion?” Somewhat taken aback by his sudden
familiarity, she answered, “Of course, and may I call you . . . Norval? “I would be honored, Elfrieda” he said as he began to leave. “Norval, try the cake with the whip cream and cherries on top.” she advised him. He did so and savored a delicious taste of orange. Elfrieda looked at him and framed the words, Grand Marnier, with a twinkle in her eyes.
Elfrieda looked at him and framed the words, Grand Marnier, with a twinkle in her eyes. The rascal had spiked her cake! “My kind of woman,” he thought, as he suppressed his guilt and took a second piece, noticing they were flying off the plate. Next he approached the Misses Metcalf and Osuna, who had banned all smokers from the teachers’ lounge to the basement boiler room. “You are offending the ladies” was the charge. He would really have to turn on the charm if he were to breach the formidable force-field projected by this duo. He decided on the first-name approach. “Good afternoon Gladys, good afternoon Aurelia, thank you for inviting me to your tea. The cakes are delicious.” The ladies were taken aback by his familiarity (after all, they had been walking the same halls for only 20 years). “Homemade by the ladies, Mr. Fast.” “Of course, Miss Kellogg was proud to say so.” Then they were off on their self-imposed mission to break up clusters of males who were ignoring the ladies. There were to be no wallflowers at the Principal’s Tea. They homed in on Mr. Neff who was extolling the merits of his basketball team to several rapt listeners. “Mr. Neff,” they intervened without the formality of excusing the interruption, “Miss
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by Paul Lucey
Vasilatos and Miss Volandri are without male company.” “Oh, of course,” said Ben, foregoing his favorite topic of conversation for the dubious pleasure of conversing with his female colleagues. Despite his P.E. aura, Ben could be quite gallant when the occasion demanded . . . and this encounter would demand it. “Mr. Krieger, Mr. Driscoll, I believe Miss Shroeder and Miss Schou are unattended,” they admonished, whereupon Reg and Frank were off to the rescue, Reg thinking perhaps he could talk to them about his music and Frank without a clue where to begin. And so it went for a congenial social hour, the Lowell faculty enjoying the collegial bonds that made teaching at the old Hayes St. school so pleasant. . . For her part, Edith Pence was savoring each moment. This gathering was to be one of her last official functions. In a few weeks the graduation ceremonies would be the capstone of her teaching career that started at Lowell forty-four years ago. She was an alumna ’07 and earthquake survivor who had crossed the Bay to Berkeley (PBK) and returned to her high school alma mater to teach English and drama. In 1919 she began her SFUSD administrative career en route to the principalships of Girls’ High School and of Lowell as its first woman principal. Now, 65 years of age, she had reached the compulsory retirement age. Fast forward a few weeks – final examinations are over, the graduation of the Class of 1955 is history, but for state ADA (average daily attendance) purposes the school must remain in session two more days. The kids, in spirit, are already on vacation but the teachers, poor souls, must maintain some sort of class decorum during those throwaway days. The door to room 201 opens and the Principal pokes her head in saying, “Keep teaching, Mr. Lucey, keep teaching!” and then she was off to the next room with the same exhortation. A half-century later, that peek-a-boo visit remains one of the lasting memories I have of Principal Edith Pence. What a woman!
Chumming The Water
M
y wife is a lawyer. If that gets this story off to a bad start, so be it. She is not only an attorney but a Commissioner of the San Francisco Superior Court, complete with judicial robe and gavel. I am a teacher and have a complaint. Patricia refuses to attend school social functions with me. She used to early in our marriage before she went to law school. I must admit she never really took to the role of the dutiful wife. Maybe it’s because she is a New Yorker and those gals have a big-town image of themselves not attuned to low-key high school stuff. The coup de grace came when smoking was banned at our functions. Teachers seem to be “ahead of the curve” in that regard. I remember when I was a beginning teacher I was admonished in the teachers’ lounge that I was offending the ladies. Here was a guy who had been smoking in pilot ready rooms during two wars, and he’s sent packing to the boiler room by two tiny women who didn’t come up to my Adam’s apple. But I knew they were the principal’s enforcers so I meekly joined the other male miscreants in the school’s nether regions. Now it was Patty’s turn. She had smoked in college and in law school and wasn’t
about to be told by school-marms that her social gatherings were smoke-free. So, early on, my wife said, “Include me out” to my invitations that she join me. For years I attended Christmas parties and end-of-term celebrations alone. But I wanted to showoff my wife who was renowned for her wit among her judicial colleagues. What to do? To make her change her mind was going to take some Machiavellian guile that was not my style. I was known as a straight-up guy with few twists and turns or pot holes in my make-up. Pretty boring but there you are. Patty liked what she saw and that was the main thing. I forgot to mention that I have a good memory and therein lies the “nut” of this story. As a kid, I lived near a sizeable pond that I considered my personal fishing hole. I remember one day I saw a strange sight – a fisherman was throwing something out on the water causing it to roil crazily as white perch broke the surface. I learned later that he was “chumming the water” (against the law) with small shrimp, much loved by the perch. He threw his baited line into the roiling and had his limit in no time. I never forgot the scene. Twenty-five years later it comes back to
me. “Chumming the water!” Hmm…hmm! I wonder? Time to call my little grey cells to active duty! There was a widow named Moira on the staff who was considered by male colleagues a “knockout” – blond and statuesque, with an outgoing personality. Her husband had pulled his car to the side of the road and died of a heart attack. Moira was left alone except for the zillion guys who would love to comfort her. I wish to state straight-away that I was not one of those who offered her a tad too much solace. You may have heard differently but I stand my ground. Unfortunately, my wife learned through the female network that my attempts to comfort Moira included what busybodies called “nuzzling”. I categorically deny it; at no time did our noses touch which is required if one is to nuzzle. My wife eventually found me “not guilty” but redflagged Moira as a femme fatale from whom innocent husbands had to be protected. Patty had every reason to feel secure: married for twenty-five years, owned our own home, her own courtroom, mistress of all things except for a painful flaw – she believed all women had designs on her husband. A slight exaggeration, I assure
you. I’ll admit there have been interesting eye-contacts but “scout’s honor”, no more than that. Now, perhaps her vivid imagination could be of use to my little plan. At the dinner table, I brought up the topic of the end-of-term luncheon, casually mentioning some of the wives who would be present and slipping Moira’s name in among them. Silence in the court, the Commissioner’s wheels were turning. One of those names was red-flagged! Danger! I kept chatting away, the very soul of conviviality. No detonation, obviously a delayedfuse. It was during dessert that my love said casually, “When is the date of the party?” I told her and she hesitated before continuing, “I believe I’ll go. It’s been years since I saw some of my friends. Still no smoking, I suppose.” “Fraid so.” She didn’t like it but she had her priorities in order. Later, the Prince of Guile sat in his recliner with a beer, giving himself a high-five for his cleverness. No big deal, he contended, just have to “CHUM THE WATER”.
Spring 2007
Lowell Alumni Association
Page
A Class Act
M
y friend Jim was a high school principal who owned a second home on Pine Mountain Lake in the Sierra foothills. Each Easter he invited golfing friends to join him as house guests for a weekend of golf. Two foursomes made up the weekend roster. Cooking chores were assigned by Jim and because I had once had an evening course in cooking, I was given the prime time — the Saturday evening meal. It was a big deal because after a day on the links the guys had voracious appetites. I was a member of the Presidio Golf Club which was located on the Presidio Army Base. It was close to North Beach, so many of the club members lived in the Marina section of the city. One of these was Raymond who owned a French restaurant. It was the kind of posh eating place you saved for anniversaries and birthdays. We were having lunch when I had my GREAT IDEA. I asked Ray to join me in the trophy room for a chat. We finished our business in half an hour, shook hands and left the club. Seven of us accepted Jim’s generosity and made the three-hour drive from San Francisco across the Great Valley to the Lake. After 18 holes of golf on Saturday, we returned to the house for a few tiddlies, jokes and poker while waiting for the evening meal. Jim asked about the evening meal and I told him we’ll eat at eight. He asked me what was on the menu and I said “Chef ’s surprise”. “OK, as long as there is plenty of it,” and he joined the poker game. To make sure the guys would be hungry for their gourmet meal, I stashed all the junk food where they couldn’t get near it (chef ’s privilege). Then I joined the poker game. About seven o’clock the host reminded me again that I had the “duty” tonight. He didn’t see any action in the kitchen and was getting nervous. His ravenous golfing buddies were hungry. Not even any junk food around. It was 7:25 and the troops were getting restless, looking at Jim and me and shrugging their shoulders. They were trying to be polite but their appetites argued against it. Our host was really nervous now: the kitchen was bare – no busy cook, no sizzling meat, no vegetables or salad, no vino, and the cook-of-the-evening was calmly playing cards. Don was one of the guys whose family owned a well-known sports bar and restaurant. Jim consulted with him. “Can you cook a big meal in 30 minutes?” “No way,” answered Don, “I think we got trouble. What’s the matter with Paul”? “Dunno, he keeps saying, ‘O Ye of Little Faith’ and repeats that we sit down at eight. It’s almost 7:30 now and he hasn’t even begun cooking.” “What’s our worst-case scenario?” “All I can think of is Mee Hong’s restaurant in the village.” “Wow, the guys are counting on a special Saturday night meal. They’re beginning to think there is some kind of screw-up.” “Can you blame them?” Don asked. ‘”Well, let’s give it until 8 o’clock and then it’s decision time. God, what a mess! Do you think Paul has lost it”? Before Don could answer, the front doorbell rang. “Who in hell could that be at this time of night?” Jim wondered. He opened the door to see a man in a tuxedo standing there. “Bon soir, Monsieur,
je m’appelle Raymond, nous sommes trois avec votre diner” Jim’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t ordered any food. “Are you sure you have the right address”? “Monsieur James Kearney?” “That’s me,” Jim said. “C’est pour vous, monsieur.” Our host stood there in open-mouthed astonishment. The surprise was complete. Dumbfounded, he stepped aside and three men, each carrying a large covered tray, entered. A gamut of emotions crossed his face – anxiety, surprise, disbelief, relief – as it dawned on him that this was part of Paul’s game plan – a catered meal. He came over to me saying, “You son-ofa-gun, Paul.” “You gotta believe, Jim”! I responded, much relieved myself. “Messieurs, s‘il vous plait, clear the table, dinner is served at 8 o’clock.” The guys just stood there, unable to comprehend what was going on. As soon as Ray and his garcons began setting the table, they got the message and began high-fiving each other. They were going to eat, after all. “Messieurs, you will be served in 25 minutes.” Then Donald was saying, “Raymond, what are doing way up here? Hey, guys, this is Ray. He owns one of the best French restaurants in San Francisco.” “Ah, monsieur Donald, bon soir. We meet in strange circumstances, non?” “Welcome to Pine Mountain Lake, Ray.” “Merci, but now to work.” A beautiful nappe covered the table which was soon sparkling with fine silver, china, linen napkins, and candles. Two large silver trays were placed on the table. Raymond uncovered one to display a leg of lamb which he proceeded to carve like the master chef he once was. The dinner preparations proceeded with Napoleonic precision. Raymond ordering his troops in clipped professional terms. “ Marcel, – les asssiettes, couteaus, fourchettes, cuillers. Tout de suite! Maurice, – le vin, s’il vous plait, et le croute an pain de mie.” “Quelle heure est-il?” he asked. “Il est huit heures moins dix,” he was told. “Vite, vite! le burre, les legumes et salade, le sucre, seul et poivre, le sauce …” We stood around amazed as the room took on the ambience of a two-star restaurant. A special menu for the occasion was at each place setting: RAYMOND’S Pine Mountain Lake MENU Salade a la D’Argenson Potage au Cresson Gigot de pre-sale rote Sauce Speciale a l’ail pour Gigot Haricots Verts a la Maitre d’Hotel Puree de Carottes Champignons Farci Artichauts braises a la Provencale Cotes du Rhone Dacquoise au Chocolat Cafe Bon Appetit The dinner was superb and the service impeccable. I toasted our host, he returned the gesture, and we all toasted Ray and his
garcons. Then we lit our cigares and enjoyed an evening of good-fellowship. The major-domo and his waiters stayed in the village where I had reserved motel rooms for them. They joined us for golf the next morning before driving back to the city. My host, James, shook my hand, “You’re a class act, Paul. You really had me going for awhile – the mother of all surprises. I didn’t have a clue. It never entered my mind that you would have the meal catered.” “I wish I had a picture of your face when
you saw Raymond. Priceless! Made the whole caper worthwhile. Thanks for inviting me, Jim. What a weekend! See you back in the City.” On my way across the Valley, I decided to stop for a snack before hitting the Bay Area traffic so I stopped at a Wendy’s and was surprised to see Raymond’s van in the parking lot. I went in and there was the gourmet chef and his garcons enjoying an All-American classic – cheeseburgers, french fries and a cola. BON APPETIT, Messieurs!
Letters to the Editor Dear Paul:
Dear Mr. Lucey:
I just received a card from Betty Korba, Andy Korba’s wife of over 50 years, notifying me of Andy’s passing on November 27th at the age of 89. Andy was a wonderful man, with those large, strong hands that signified his earlier expertise during his football career as quite a player both in high school and in college (Temple University, I believe). But there was much more to Andy than just playing and coaching football. He was one of the kindest and gentlest souls I have ever met, always ready with a smile and calm and sound words of advice. But it is probably as a high school football coach that Andy touched so many lives. He and Bob Braunreiter helped prepare so many young men in their initial years of playing football, (most had never played on an organized team before they arrived at Lowell). Bob with the frosh/soft team and Andy with the junior varsity both produced very successful teams and worked so well with Bill Feiling during a very happy and successful time for Lowell football, especially in the 1958-1963 years. Bob worked with Bill on game days, spotting from the press box, and Andy was always available too, but staying in the background, counseling when a player needed help either emotionally or with technique, usually during the days following the highly contested battles. God bless Andy and all the lives he touched in so many ways. Bob Lee ’63
Enclosed is a check for $20,000 as a further contribution to the Frences Dealtry scholarship fund. It has been a pleasure for me to observe the outstanding quality of the students receiving Dealtry awards. I again request anonymity. I have no objection to an announcement of the donation if you think it might stimulate other contributions. The Lowell teaching staff and the Lowell Alumni Association have united to produce an unprecedented learning environment for students with the ability and the ambition to embrace it. These kids will continue to write Lowell history. Sincerely, Mr. Anonymous ’47 (Dear Mr. A.: Once again, the members of the LAA Board of Directors are heartened by your further contribution to the Frances Dealtry scholarship fund ($220,000). It was our pleasure during the sesquicentennial year to honor Lowell’s legacy of teaching excellence with a Tribute to Teachers at the June 3rd gala banquet at Moscone Center. The tribute was in keeping with your high regard for for‑ mer chemistry teacher, Frances Dealtry. Please accept our heartfelt thanks on behalf of the scholarship recipients. PAL)
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION We hope you enjoy reading this Newsletter. It is one of the services provided Lowell alums by their Alumni Association. One of the small pleasures in publishing this paper is compiling the names of our annual contributors. They are tangible evidence to our volunteers that their efforts are appreciated. Many thanks! If it was inconvenient earlier to respond to our annual appeal, do so now and give us the same satisfaction when we list your name in the Fall issue.
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION Checks payable to and sent to: or donate now by credit card at:
LOWELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PO Box 320009 • San Francisco, CA 94132 www.lowellalumni.org/donate
$35_________$50_________$100________$250________$500________or more Name______________________________________________ Class_____________
(Include maiden name, if applicable)
(Jan. or June)
Address______________________________________________________________
MOVING ?????? Mail from the Lowell Alumni Association is not forwarded if you move. Please keep your address current with the Lowell Alumni Association. Either visit our website at www.LowellAlumni.org and put in your new address, or phone or write as soon as you know you are moving. 415-759-7830 • PO Box 320009 San Francisco CA 94132-0009
City________________________________________State________Zip___________ Phone________________________________E-mail_ _________________________ Keeping In Touch_____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________
Page 10
Lowell Alumni Association
Spring 2007
A Tribute to Teachers
Submitted for the June 3, 2006 Lowell Gala Sesquicentennial Banquet
T
he LAA thanks the hundreds of you who took the time and energy to write out tributes to your favorite Lowell teachers. Because of space constraints, most of the following are excerpts (some slightly reworded) of what you wrote. Please accept our apologies for not including everything you wrote. HUGH AANONSEN, Architectural Design: One of my favorite memories was spending time in Mr. A’s Design class. He was the best!! “To draw well, you just need to draw what you see.” That’s what I remember him saying. – Mario & Esther Carmona ’84 Other tributes from John McDonald ’83, Judi Chung Hall ’85 PAM GOLTON ABAD, Chemistry & Computer Programming: She taught my first programming class at Lowell while I believe she was dating Mr. Paul Abad. I still remember the days when Miss Golton had to bring our punch card decks to the department of education to run our Fortran programs, one week turn around time. I believe I completed one prime number generator program. Computing has changed, but glad to hear the Abads have been happy ever after. – Tony Lee ’72 PAUL ABAD, Math: He was probably the best teacher I ever had — he taught us to think and solve problems even when we had not been taught how — use your minds and challenge yourself. – Anonymous Thank you Mr. Abad for discovering my potential in math. You instilled that confidence and encouraged the exploration. I had a fruitful career as a software engineer and have now transitioned into a career in accounting. Thanks for the challenge. – Barbara Yee ’76 Nobody in his probability and statistics class that year will ever forget when he was so tired of answering questions about what was going to be covered on the mid-term exam that he just tore up his copy of the exam, threw the pieces up in the air and walked out of the room. My classmates spent the next few hours in the hallway piecing together the exam, jigsaw puzzle style, and then we divided up the questions among us and worked on them in small teams. It turned out to be one of the best learning experiences I ever had at Lowell. – Terry Abad ’76 Other tributes from Jennifer Poulakidas ’84 JEANNETTE ADAMS, Girls’ PE, Science: Her teaching style made the class interesting and less grueling. One thing, in
particular, I remember is her demonstrating how centrifugal force works. – Carole Neal ’66 RUTH ADAMS, Girls’ PE, Counseling, Dean: Miss Adams was my registry and PE teacher. She went on to become principal of George Washington high school. I met her many years later at a conference and she recognized me immediately, “Polly, what are you doing here?” Twenty years had gone by and she remembered me. What a moment for me! – Polly Johnson Bacich ’45 VALERIE ALEXANDER, French: I was in her French class for three years. A great teacher! So much fun to talk to. Made school something to look forward to. – Darrl Lucia ’79 JACK ANDERSON, Social Science, English Forensics, Creative Arts Dept Head: Mr. Anderson provided the encouragement in his classes and in forensics that inspired me throughout my life and in my field of acting. He’s the best. – Rhoda (Cohan) Gemignani Miller ’57 In his public speaking class he taught me the skills and gave me the confidence to be able to speak whenever called upon. I will be forever grateful. – Cheryl Markuse Arenson ’64 What I remember most clearly is the respect that he showed to each of us who worked with him. – Betty Linsky Rivard ’62 Mr. Anderson provided the energetic, sincere, and sensitive encouragement in his classes and in forensics that got me successfully through the rest of my life. Accolades. – Anonymous The consummate communicator. – John Trasvina ’76 Other tributes from Sharon Bolton ’68, Maurice Englander (Faculty). MARY ANGUS, Modern Languages: Guided my four years of French. With her sense of humor she laughed and sometimes cried (I can remember tears running down her cheeks as she laughed at our fractured French). – Sarita Johnson ’47 I loved Mlle. Angus. She never spoke English to us, and by the time we were seniors, we were reading French novels, and giving oral reports on them in French, of course. The next year I was in a French class at UC Berkeley where we weren’t even expected to communicate in that beautiful language at all! I was so advanced after coming from Lowell! – Marjorie Welisch Taylor ’29
Ivan Barker Worksheet Problems 1. Inscription on The Tomb of Diophantus: Here lies a great man. Mathematically his life is hereon inscribed for all to witness: During his life as a boy and young man he spent 1/6 and 1/12 of his years. He entered into matrimony when 1/7 of his life had passed, and 5 years later his son was born. when his son had only reached 1/2 of his father’s allotted time on this earth, death took him unto his arms. To console himself while grieving over his son’s death, he explored and then discovered this science of numbers during a period of 4 years, after which, Diophantus passed on to a better world. How long did he live? 2. “A castle wall there was, whose height was found To be just fifty feet from top to ground. Against the wall a ladder stood upright, Of the same length the castle wall was in height. A waggish fellow did the ladder slide, The bottom of it five feet from the side. Now I would know how far the tip did fall By pulling out the ladder from the wall.” From the Middle Ages
ROBERT ANINO, Spanish, Math, PE, Student Activities: Bob’s legacy of Lowell spirit songs, his centennial song, and countless other compositions continue to enrich the lives of Lowellites – Michele Winter, Faculty “A one of a kind.” A fantastic person, helpful to everyone, very humble, a teacher of extreme talent, but could show humor, both at the same time. He had a way of turning average students (both PE and academics) into top performers. I can’t remember his equal in teaching – Don Pichel ’51 He saw the best in me, and let me know it. – Jeremy Levin ’69 Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, John Trasvina ’76 FAITH APPLEBY, Chemistry: She was cut from a different mold. She was tall, lanky, and incredibly funny. We hit it off so well that I got to be her lab assistant for a year and a half. I’ll never forget the time we were moving and cleaning the first year at the new Lowell and we found a big ball of copper wire. We took turns putting it on our heads and laughing hysterically. – Allan Gold ’63 BOB BAHNSEN, Social Studies: A thoughtful gentleman with a vast knowledge of history. – John Trasvina ’76
Ivan Barker Mr. Barker was superbly skilled at teaching us the subject matter of mathematics, from geometry to calculus. However, the most important message he conveyed to us was the intrinsic value of the pursuit of knowledge. This essential lesson he imparted with the most effective of teaching techniques, that is, by his example. Mr. Barker’s reverence for the beauty and integrity of mathematics was infectious. – Richard Maddock ’66
He inspired us to become critical thinkers and to relish historical documents in his AP US History course. He made history come alive and to this day, I wish I had majored in history in college. – Perry Pong ’79
Ivan Barker and Mrs. Anne Wallach were the inspiration for us who were enrolled in the first AP classes in the early 60s. Mr. Barker taught AP calculus and Mrs. Wallach taught AP English. I majored in math and English because of them. – Jennie A. Horn ’63
DONALD BAKER, Math: I so much appreciated his direct teaching style. He taught us how to think, not just remember. This served me well for I “borrowed” his nononsense teaching style in my practice and patients love it! – Patricia A. Moreno ’82
I was so fortunate to have Mr. Barker for two years of calculus and probability and statistics. He was so much a better teacher than any professor I had a Berkeley, where I majored in Math. – Allan Gold ’63
I still laugh at his sense of humor and appreciate the common sense approach to math and its logic he imparted to us. I remember class struggling with time/distance/rate word problems as freshman and someone’s answer being “2 feet” to a driving problem which probably involved the usual “if it takes 20 minutes to drive to the grocery store from home going 25 miles an hour, how far is the grocery store?” Mr Baker’s response: “Hardly worth getting the car out of the garage!” – Beth Dunn Kwasny ’87 Other tributes from John McDonald ’83, Roland Tang ’89, Tammy Law ’89, Annie Miu Hayward ’82 WALTER BARISONE, Counseling: Before coming to Lowell, Walter Barisone taught Italian at Portola Junior High School in San Francisco. In the fall of 1960, I began studying Italian in his class. Of the thirteen students in the class, I was the only one without an Italian surname. Other students in the class had knowledge of some Italian words, thanks to their Italian-oriented family settings. But I arrived in the class without benefit of that type of background. Imagine my delight when one of the school’s counselors strolled by the open door of our classroom, peeked in and uttered these words: “Madrigali, Santucci, Bertoli.....NEAL!.... what are YOU doing in there?!?!?” Barisone responded, without missing a beat, “She’s the best student in the class.” Le sono proprio grata, Signor Barisone. Bravo! – Pernilla Neal ’64 IVAN BARKER, Math Dept Head: Mr. Barker loved his subject and he loved communicating it with us. He inspired me to love math. I shared a doorway with him when a serious earthquake hit during our advanced math class. A fine Man! – Nayak (Lin) Polissar ’57
Mr. Barker was my primary math teacher. I decided to emulate him (and Ms. Dealtry) and become a teacher. After teaching one semester at Poly, they arranged for me to be transferred to Lowell. When I taught math, I prepared versions of Ivan’s worksheets for my classes. Two problems taken from him appear elsewhere in this article. – Peter Dahl ’53 His view that “doing math” was in itself an exciting and rewarding activity set Mr. Barker apart from the other math teachers I have studied with. There was never a dull moment in his class? He was demanding, to be sure, but he took us places we never dreamed of. – Peter Sessions ’58 He just made math so interesting that we grabbed every opportunity that he extended to us. – Dick Alvarez ’53 Other tributes from Garth Cook ’50 ROBERT BARRY, Science, Yearbook: I remember him as my favorite teacher: for his friendliness, his wit, for having made physics fascinating, and for having made participation on the yearbook staff challenging and enjoyable. The dedication of the 1945 “Red and White” to the yearbook’s faculty advisor, Robert Barry, concludes with, “Thank you, and we will always remember you, Robert Barry.” His actions on my behalf had the greatest impact of any single individual on my professional life. – Barbara Preston Bradley ’45 BARCLAY BATES, English Dept Head: Before I write a passive verb, a superfluous adjective or a split infinitive, I see your red pen marks on the page and stop! Did you think a middle aged former student would think of you every time she wrote a memo or a thank you card (or an alumna remembrance?) You are a superb English teacher and I thank you. – Jocelyn Kei Schauer ’83
(#1 answer = 84 yrs) (#2 answer = 3 inches)
Spring 2007
Lowell Alumni Association
Page 11
He taught me to write clearly. Thank you Mr. Bates for giving me the skills to be able to succeed in life! – Helen Goldsmith ’76 He put us through our paces on composition, and however weak a writer you may have been, you could leave his class with the ability to put together a good, basic essay. – Elizabeth Lopez Anderson ’88 Other tributes from Sarah Rischin Gadye ’81, Susanne Kim ’83, Terry Abad ’76 LOUISE BEARDSLEY, Math, English: I adored Miss Beardsley, that tiny lady who had lost her right hand and part of her forearm, I know not how. She would strap an eraser onto the remaining arm and use it to erase what she had written on the board while introducing us to great English literature. What a darling trooper! – Sarita Johnson ’47 URBAN BECKER, Chemistry, Science Dept Head: Over the years, he has provided gentle guidance and continued to be a friend. I truly miss him and wish he were here with us. – R. Chen ’76 He was a gentle and kind man and a fine teacher. He showed us that chemistry can be fun and interesting in itself. Of course, there was the time we dropped the barium, or was it sodium, in the sink by accident and BOOM! it let off a great exothermic reaction! He was the kind of teacher that could seize that moment, laugh, recover, and go right on teaching without getting upset. – Perry Pong ’79 Other tributes from Pat McKay ’72 LARRY BETTENCOURT, Math: You taught me to trust in what I learned in class and not stress about tests. Something must have stuck. I went on to be a math major and loved it! – Beth Dunn Kwasny ’87 He “made” me want to learn math and challenged me to learn more. He made geometry interesting. – Judi Chung Hall ’85 SANDRA BIRD, Forensics: She provided “home” for the speech and debate team. She met constantly at school and drove us to competitions on weekends. In my mind she is always smiling, always supportive, helping us learn the satisfaction that comes from pursuing a goal with a sense of camaraderie. – Susana Kim ’82 JOHN BISSETT, Chemistry: It was chemistry from the start! I still hear Mr. Bissett’s laugh when I think of beakers and test tubes. And pom poms and poster boards! – Jennifer Poulakidas ’84 BARBARA BLINICK, Social Studies: Barbara Blinick was one of the few teachers who cared about my life outside of school; she helped me through a dark time in my life with her care and compassion. Ms. B. also worked hard to make every voice heard in our U.S. History Honors seminar. She welcomed everyone’s comments and questions with a unique sincerity and warmth. – Jeannette Osterweil ’05 LEAH BOEHM, Girls’ PE Dept Head: One always looked forward to PE, with the warmth, enthusiasm and energetic instruction of Miss Boehm. Recognizing our individuality, she took the time and interest encouraging us, to pursue our endeavors. – Rachelle Reyes ’50 As I look back on my career as a PE teacher at Lowell, it is shocking today to realize that the girls’ gym was a room with a low ceiling and large pillars. We managed somehow thanks to our “leader” Leah Boehm. I used to escape with some of my classes to the tennis courts at Golden Gate Park. – Barbara Prato (Faculty) Miss Boehm introduced dance to the SF school district. She was very caring about her students. – Anonymous Other tributes from Joan Honek Keith ’53
CATHRYN BRASH, English, Counseling: She taught me to believe in myself! – Emily Murase ’83 A fond “hello” to Ms. Brash, who was there whenever I needed someone to talk to who would listen and give good advice. – Nancy Nichols Higham ’67 BOB BRAUNREITER, German, Boys’ PE: A good man… period. He gave me a chance, and he had faith in me. I shall always remember that. – Frederick G. Chinn, student teacher, spring ’74 My German classes at Lowell planted the seeds of a lifelong love of the language. Language studies opened the door to European travel, which has been one o f my biggest joys for over 25 years. Vielen dank!! – Rachel Johnson ’76 Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63
We who were fortunate enough to go through Lowell and be alumni, can be grateful to be a part of its amazing history of learning. – Sarita Johnson ’47 DON BRILLHART, Social Studies, Boys’ PE, Theater: Mr. Brillhart was a knowledgeable and inspirational teacher who pushed me to learn and apply the lessons of history to my own life. As a result of his teaching, I later became a high school U.S. History teacher myself. – Diane Batmale Brown ’87 You were an inspiration to me. Your kindness and guidance will always be remembered. – Adrienne Jacobs Miller ’67 He had a significant influence on my selection of anthropology as my college major, as well as the fact that I eventually became an anthropologist. –George Westermark ’68
that I owe in large part to Mr. Buckley. – Joan Lisetor ’57 ED BURNS, Boys’ PE Dept Head/ Coach: No great accomplishment can ever be achieved without teamwork. A singular effort can be a good thing. But a well-coordinated team effort can move mountains. – Dom Coloyan ’80 ELIZABETH CAGNACCI, Foreign Language: I learned that a foreign language and culture gave me the ability to respect, understand, an appreciate other peoples and cultures. And as an international banker, the ability to conjugate irregular verbs, and use the French subjunctive has impressed many of my Parisian clients! – Dom Coloyan ’80 JAMES CARMACK, Biology: Thank you for instilling an interest in biology. It has led to a career in healthcare that I enjoy very much. – Tammy Law ’89 Other tributes from Emily Murase ’83 SAMUEL CARPENTER, Science: I greatly appreciated his teaching me biology. His approach was so orderly and lucid. After so many years I can still recall his lectures with admiration and fondness. – John Ling ’62 ELENA CATELLI, Counseling: I have chosen to write about my mother, Elena Catelli, not as my mother but as a professional and role model for a strong work ethic. She took three buses to get to Lowell each day. After cooking the dinner and some family time, she worked on her counselor’s paper work — letters of recommendation, scholarships, transcript evaluation, etc. She took such pride in her students! At age 95 she still remembers Lowell as providing her with some of the best days of her life. – Joan Catelli ’61 Throughout my years at Lowell, I took Italian classes with Elena Catelli. Under her tutelage, I participated each year in the annual Italian language contest sponsored by the Sons of Italy in SF. She deserves credit, in part, for my having taken first place in my division for each of the three years I was a Lowell! – Pernilla Neal ’64
ance I never would have graduated and gone on to Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Every year at Christmas I unwrap a white ceramic dove she gave me in 1979 and tell my husband and daughter the story of Joan Catelli. – Marie Varricchio Diaz ’80 Other tributes from Jennifer Poulakidas ’84, Judi Chung Hall ’85, Perry Pong ’79 MARGARET CHASE, Art: Inspired me in arts and design. I later became an awardwinning artist in SF. – Jean Sample Mone-Woods ’65 VICKI CHIN, English, Chinese: Thank you for encouraging and believing in me. You’re the one teacher who has made a lasting impression on me. You’ll be remembered for your kindness and open-heartedness towards our class, and, particularly me. Rest in peace, Miss Chin. – Diane ___? (no class given) A very caring teacher and friend. – John Trasvina ’76 AH-MI CHO, German: Frau Cho was my German teacher for three years. She helped keep the German and Korean programs at a high level of instruction. Frau Cho taught us about many aspects of German culture as well as giving her students confidence in reading, writing, and speaking German. Danke schon, Frau Cho! – Monika Lewis ’04 MARY STEHLEY CLOSE, Science: She was a most inspiring and memorable teacher. Biology was not my favorite thing but she made it bearable. What she did teach me was how to organize and manage community service. With her assistance, I was the founder of the Big Sisters at the Hayes Street Lowell. What I learned from Ms. Close has enabled me to start any number of organizations in the Bay Area over the more than fifty years since my graduation. – Ellen Magnin Newman ’45 MAUREEN (MO) COLLINS, English: Thanks for being a friend. – Roy Abendroth ’78
BOB BUCKLEY, Social Studies, Journalism: A wonderful, kind, warm and caring teacher. He was inspiring and made learning fun. From his encouragement I am now an art-entertainment columnist at the Examiner, Peninsula edition. – Joan Kaufmann Gross ’55
JOAN CATELLI, Italian, Counseling: I will never forget how she entered my name in an Italian Speech Contest at UC Berkeley. She took time out to drive me there, and give me tips and support. I won the contest for my age category, but it was my experience and her support I remember most. – Cris Marra Byers ’78
HARRY COLLIS, Foreign Language Dept Head: My hat goes off to Harry Collis for having been such a gifted teacher — one of the best foreign language teachers I’ve ever had — and a teacher with a lively sense of humor who informed us that democracy ended at his doorstep. To wit: inside his classroom autocracy prevailed and he called the shots. – Pernilla M. Neal ’64
He encouraged me to go on to a career in journalism. It has been a rewarding career
Joan Catelli was my guidance counselor. If it were not for her kindness and guid-
You inspired my love of Spanish. I still remember your reading my “Don Quijote”
Page 12 essay to the class. I went on to study in Guadalajara and receive a B.A. in Spanish from UCLA. I am now a Spanish teacher at the high school level. – Marilyn Sherman Ellis ’65 Other tributes from Carole Neal ’66 RAFEL CONS, Science: He was a great and kind teacher (I was his T.A.). I remember him appreciating his T.A.’s by taking them to lunch. His kindness made a difference. I hope he is well. I am unaware of what happened to most of my teachers. Would love to know about them. – Luz Polo Kong ’86 EDWARD CROSSLEY, Spanish, French: I came to Lowell ready for Spanish honors although I had no idea what that meant. Over the next three years, Mr. Crossley’s teaching inspired me to the extent that Spanish bilingual education became my major in college, and I’ve worked and served the Hispanic community here and overseas since 1980. – Karen Glovka ’75
Lowell Alumni Association teacher who set high standards without compromise and challenged us to meet them. My positive experiences in your math and chemistry classes greatly motivated my becoming a college math instructor. Even after a 38-year teaching career, my work in the classroom continues to be influenced and guided by the outstanding role model you provided. – Wesley Tom ’61 He made AP Chemistry seem so easy. Always clear and always encouraging to the students. – Perry Pong ’79 He was my best teacher at Lowell. He was as good as any chemistry professor that I had at UC Berkeley or in medical school. For all of this, I offer Mr. Dahl my sincerest thanks. – Dr. David Lieu ’73 Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, Corinne Fong Venit ’62 ROBERT DAVIS, English: I had many memorable teachers in my time at Lowell High School, but of them, one stands out: Mr. Robert Davis. Reflecting on all my time as a student — college included — I
Of course, there were other wonderful teachers (Felix Grauss, tennis; J. R. Goldsborough, economics; Ray Milton, U.S. history; just to name a few that have helped me to develop as a scientist and teachers, as well as to not be so focused that I’d miss the forest for the trees. When I think of really good teachers, and how I can improve in my own teaching, I think fondly of these three and am grateful that fate allowed us to cross paths. – Pat McKay ’72 I had the honor and privilege of being a student of Mr. Crossley’s in his AP Honors Spanish. He became my favorite teacher. As a result I studied Spanish, French, and Italian in college and overseas. He stimulated us to develop our intellectual abilities. – Isabel Sobozinsky Wall ’76 La “princesa” está triste . . . que no le vió en la 30th reunión. Qué lástima! I saw Julio Vargas there, and we concurred that you are most favored in our Lowell memories and in our little knowledge-thirsting hearts. Thank you for the words, always conveyed with warmth and enthusiasm. I carry them with me…aunque voy por tierra extraña… – Katherine Fong Taylor ’75 Mr. Crossley was an outstanding teacher who loved the Spanish language and its cultural heritage. He cared deeply about all of his students and they, in turn, return his sentiments. – Lucia Kaiser ’70 Other tributes from Karen Yu ’76, Allan Gold ’63 ROSEMARY DACANAY, English, Counseling: Ms. Dacanay is a wonderful person, full of spirit that radiates out to all her counselees. Ms. Dacanay, thank you for helping me get to where I am today! Let’s keep in touch! – Latifat Apatira ’01 Mrs. Dacanay was the best teacher I had at Lowell. I was in her teaching reading class and creative writing class, the latter being by far the best English class I took in high school. Mrs. D had the best assignments because they that made me think creatively and do creative things in my later life. How I wish I had kept the children’s book she had me write ... she was always energetic and let the class know that we could do anything if we try hard enough. – Sylvia Martinez ’74 Other tributes from Peter Luong ’01, Zenaida Unisa Rozenberg ’74 PETER DAHL, Chemistry, Math, Science Dept Head: It was truly a privilege and pleasure to have been one of your students. Thank you for being a wonderful
still think of Mr. Davis as one of the best teachers I ever had. His room was a stimulating and unusual place to be, filled with the sound of operatic arias in the morning, walls covered with images by Klee, Picasso, and Vermeer. His direct, sometimes brusque style may have been a turn off for some, but he challenged me to puzzle, analyze, and communicate clearly in ways that few teachers have. – Nicole Louie 2000 FRANCES DEALTRY, Chemistry, Science Dept Head: Made chemistry fun and how science could be a noble career. – Tony Van Vliet ’48 She was involved with a chemistry curriculum project that showed me the value of lifelong learning — she was excited about the learning she herself was a part of. My strength was not in the sciences, but she worked with me from where I was and I gained some basic understandings that I wouldn’t otherwise have. She also encouraged teamwork, another invaluable lesson. – Betty Linsky Rivard ’62 I didn’t know it then, but she taught me how to be a classroom teacher. Teaching is a calling and an art form. You have to have a knack for it. Frances was a teacher in or out of the classroom, but when she focused her knowledge, organization skills and personality on the classroom, we were all her enthralled slaves. – Inez Kenney Scourkes ’51 She made the chem class fun and you could tell she loved the students and her joy in relating to them stood out. I remember her joyous personality and sense of humor more than the chem formulas. – Sarita Johnson ’47 Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, Robert C. Kucich ’57, Peter Dahl ’53, Amy Edgerley ’50, Ken Flower ’49, Alvina Monteverde Flower ’49 MICHAEL DESCILO, Math: I took geometry and advanced algebra from Mr. Descilo when he was a new teacher at Lowell. He was one of the best teachers. Not flashy or trendy, he was a solid teacher
who was clearly dedicated to the profession of teaching. I currently teach at Texas A&M University. Michael Descilo exemplifies excellence in a secondary education teacher. – Bill Rae F’65 ROBERT DOBSON, Science: This gentle man taught me scientific thinking and reasoning in sophomore biology. It has stayed with me and been of great benefit all my life. – Nancy Hardgrave Shelly ’48 Other tributes from Ken Flower ’49, Alvina Monteverde Flower ’49 THOMAS DRAIN, English, Drama, Latin: I had Mr. Thomas Drain for Latin and English 12 years ago. He was not only a very knowledgeable teacher but also one who taught with great enthusiasm. He was always available to help and to provide valuable feedback for my essays. Having been in the United States for only a year when I first started studying at Lowell, gaining extra help with English writing was a great help to me. Outside of the classroom, he always greeted students with such friendliness. – Grace Yuen Yue Kwok ’97 Other tributes from Graham Abra ’97 WALTER DRYSDALE, Counselor, Boys’ PE: Mr. Drysdale is my hero. He was my counselor, and he encouraged me to aim for medical school (an unfulfilled dream of his own). He may have encouraged others also as four members of my homeroom (135) ended up in medical school. Three of us graduated together from UCSF in 1960 along with two other Lowell alums, and the fourth graduated from Stanford. – Connie Covington Dallmann ’53 ROBIN (BOB) DUNN, Chemistry: I was his laboratory assistant for several terms: 1940–1942. He instilled in me a lifelong appreciation of chemistry. After getting my M.A. from Stanford, I joined ACS (American Chemistry Society) and have been a member for fifty-two years. – Claude Schmidt ’42 Chemistry was fun with Mr. Dunn – Jeanne Clark Whetstone ’44 NORM DURIEUX, Social Studies: In our U.S. History Class, Mr. Durieux took us on a field trip to the Presidio Army Museum. I did not think much of it going in. The museum had a special exhibit on the 442nd Regiment. I knew nothing about these Japanese American soldiers who fought in the U.S. Army during World War II. I found myself overwhelmed and emotional learning about how these men fought bravely, sacrificed their lives, fought racism and did so while their families were in concentration camps in the US. As a Chinese kid who had a few bad experiences around racism, I found myself so proud of these individuals, and found tears welling up in my eyes. The visit awakened my consciousness on what it meant to be American and on the pursuit of social justice. – Grande Lum ’82
Spring 2007 can still feel in my bones. – Betty Linsky Rivard ’62 MARY FARQUHAR, German: Frau Farquhar immersed us truly in German language arts and culture without going overseas. Kein Englisch, nur Deutsch! — speak only German in her class. She had a passion for creative teaching and made it fun. Her mentorship encouraged me to jawbone with others in German after I graduated from Lowell. We have kept in touch for the past thirteen years. It is a pleasure to honor her as one of Lowell’s great teachers. – Joe Tam ’93 Frau “F” is the best teacher I have ever had. Because of Frau “F” I minored in German in college and as a high school teacher German was one of the subjects I taught. I borrowed many of her ideas for my own classes. If every teacher were like Frau “F” I honestly believe this world be such a better place. Thank you so much. I will always love German because of you! – Jenny Batmale Hall ’94 Frau F devoted much of her time to her students and really made a difference in their lives. I for one am glad I had the chance to be one of her students. – Glendy Chan ’98 NORVAL FAST, Social Studies: Norval Fast was another Lowell character. I had him for English History (Witenagemot — Curia Regis) and he developed in me a love for history that carries through until this day. He was so able to bring history alive, not just names and dates, but the movements, and culture of each period of history. – Allan Gold ’63 Mr. Fast could make a two syllable sentence into four every time he talked about the subject. “Who Killed Cock Robin” was not a child’s nursery rhyme but a poem about the death of Robin Hood. Before I took one of Mr. Fast’s American history courses I enjoyed the subject but didn’t fully understand its relevance. Mr. Fast connected the dots and brought a seemingly dry subject into the 20th century. He was fond of paraphrasing George Santayana when he said you can’t understand the present when you don’t understand the past. Well, I decided, if this teacher can make American History interesting, let’s try English history. He made it even better. Who knew that the seemingly innocuous child’s nursery rhyme “Humpty-Dumpty” was in reality a cannon used in the English Civil War? I sure didn’t. Mr. Fast put it into context and into a perspective that was easily understood. – John Harris ’61 Thanks to Mr. Fast for “How, who, what, when and why” and our Friday sessions with Time magazine. – Josephine Goff ’56 Other tributes from Vera Bryan Keekis James ’42, Barbara Prato (Faculty), Jeanne Clark Whetstone ’44, Ken Flower ’49, Alvina Monteverde Flower ’49
HARLAN EDELMAN, Social Studies & English: Mr. Edelman welcomed my son to Lowell his freshman year, and has provided a receptive ear and wise guidance during his four years at Lowell. Moreover, Mr. Edelman has been the heart and soul of the Academic Decathlon team, again providing a supportive environment and an enriching experience for all involved. Thank you Mr. Edelman! Your selfless dedication and high standards are what make Lowell so great! – Andrew Leavitt (Parent) MAURICE ENGLANDER, English Dept Head: For instilling the fear of runtogether sentences. – Corinne Fong Venit ’62 He sponsored an informal philology group that introduced me to the Oxford English Dictionary and the wonders of pure scholarship. I have rarely done this kind of scholarship myself — I am doing a little bit now in retirement — but my understanding of it and respect for it goes back to this time with him. He also brought a wonderful activism and energy to the classroom that I
Norval Fast ERNIE FEIBUSCH, Social Studies, German, Coach: Great soccer coach. I was third string and finally learned how to be a striker playing for Amgen’s Men’s D League. We were the D League Men’s Champs in Conejo Valley. Also formed a men’s soccer team when I worked at Bayer in Berkeley. – Dennis Tajiri ’68 BILL FEILING, Biology, Boys’ PE/
Spring 2007 Coach: He was my mentor, coach, inspiration and friend. Bill is responsible for my becoming a biologist – Bill Neff ’47 He had a loud bark, but was a very kind, gentle man. – Dennis Shinbori ’68 Spring semester was always my favorite. Coach Bill Feiling was a large part of the reason. He recruited four girls each year to be timers for the swim team, not that Lowell swimmers needed the gentler influence of females, but it was sure fun. – Susie Johns McCoy ’61 Other tributes from Ken Flower ’49, Alvina Monteverde Flower ’49 GWEN FULLER, English: What an excellent teacher! A dry wit, a love of literature and a sense of humor. All the necessary ingredients for fond memories of Catcher in the Rye. – Theodore Holman ’81 I never thought I would enjoy Faulkner and other great authors as much as I did in high school. This enjoyment has continued throughout the years. Ms. Fuller always made class enjoyable and I have very fond memories of her. – Corrinne Arenson Goldberg ’88 I learned that sometimes, you have to take a different look at the same problem (or read between the lines) to solve it. – Dom Coloyan ’80 She was funny, lively, and kept me in stitches. I will always remember Miss Fuller fondly. – Tennyson Lee ’88 Other tributes from Donna Banks ’76, Beth Dunn Kwasny ’87 PETER GAMBLE, English: In loving memory of Pete Gamble, champion of all his students. He encouraged and believed in all of us. – Katherine Fong Taylor ’75 Mr. Gamble was a total breath of fresh air. He allowed us to review books we actually chose ourselves, read and write about them in our own style, and actually develop our own style. After my experience with him, I came to the conclusion that creative writing could not be taught, and have, over the years, published literally thousands of pages in various forms of media, mostly technical journals. Mr. Gamble really allowed me to have faith in my own ability. More than that, he was the closest thing to a friend that a number of us ever found in an educator. – Bud Izen ’66 Other tributes from Terry Abad ’76 JAMES GAZAWAY, English, Counseling: Model of dry, intellectual humor – John Trasvina ’76 I never loved an English class more than I loved his. He started my interest in the derivation of English words from the Latin. He made Shakespeare come alive for me. – Bud Izen ’66 LUDWIG GERLOUGH, Math, History: His classes gave me the confidence to standup and speak in front of my peers. This skill became very useful throughout my business career. – Lloyd Hanford Jr ’46 Ken Flower ’49, Alvina Monteverde Flower ’49 MILLIE GERSHMAN, Math: Mrs. Gershman was my algebra instructor. I really enjoyed her algebra class, and she taught it so well that it has remained with me these 30 or so years later (scary!). She and I also became friends during class, and as a result, I volunteered to be her teaching assistant for algebra during my senior year at Lowell. That was my first opportunity to teach, and I was hooked! I’ve always believed that my love for teaching began with that first opportunity that she afforded me in that algebra class. – Pat McKay ’72 PHIL GLANDER, German: German classes planted the seeds of a lifelong love of the language. – Rachel Johnson ’76 james (randy) goldsborough, Social Studies: Helped me to devel-
Lowell Alumni Association op the skills and practices that have helped me to develop as a scientist and teacher, as well as to not be so focused that I’d miss the forest for the trees. – Pat McKay ’72 MARIAN GONZALEZ, Biology, Science DH: She was always there for me, not only for academic issues but for personal and social issues. Ms. Gonzalez encouraged me to try my best and to pursue my dreams. – Ricardo Novoa ’78 Had the best “party” room to be in! It was the “ultimate” HANGOUT! – Emily Murase ’83 Marian Gonzalez and Steve Hirabayashi. How can you mention one without the other? To this day, my mother still can’t figure out why I spent so much time touring sewage treatment plants (including a memorable trip to the facility at SFO when I took a wrong turn and ended
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often think of him. – Sandra C. Wara de Baca ’65 He inspired me to discover my own personal history. He encouraged my lifelong love of history. – Anonymous GEORGE HALIBURTON, Math, Counseling: It took all of Mr. Haliburton’s skill and wit to make sure that the bigger lesson was not to memorize a bunch of postulates and theorems; rather, how to think a problem through using the information at hand. – Dom Coloyan ’80 PETE HAMMER, Journalism: See KANDALL for a joint tribute. NANCY HAYES, Social Science: She was one of my favorite teachers not just at Lowell but ever. She made history fun and accessible and encouraged students to be as creative as possible in their learning and assignments. I enjoyed her American History class so much that the following year I enrolled in AP European History. I
Mr. “H” was one of the BEST parts of Lowell and continues as a local hero and wonderful one-of-a-kind mentor. – Emily Murase ’83 See also GONZALEZ for a joint tribute. Other tributes from Susanna Kim ’83 RUTH HOWARD, Latin, Foreign Language Dept Head: Taught her many students Forsan et haec olim meminisse jurabis — This is the day! Anonymous DOLORES HUTSON, Math: A great geometry teacher and a lovely lady who had the most amazing ability to just throw her arm up against the blackboard and draw a perfect circle every time! – Terry Abad ’76 BOB HYINK, Math: A wonderful man who cared about his students. He was always ready to answer a math question. He was my reg. teacher and my brother’s four years earlier. He became my friend attending my wedding and children’s baptisms. We stayed in touch until he left us a year ago. – Wendy Drefke Shinbori ’68
Marian Gonzalez, John Bissett, Steve Hirabayashi, Camille Morishige, Sandra Bird, Ray Kohtz, John Anderson — I cherish and appreciate these teachers for their incredible devotion to the extracurricular aspects of Lowell — many thanks for making Lowell a well-rounded place to go to high school! – Jennifer Poulakidas ’84 up having to pull a u-turn on an airport taxiway), but their Environmental Physiology class was a great experience. – Terry Abad ’76 Ms. Gonzalez was always there for me. She not only helped me with academic issues but also with personal and social issues. She always encouraged me to try my best and to pursue my dreams. – Ricardo Novoa ’78 Other tributes from Tammy Law ’89, Emily Murase ’83, Chazz Concepcion Pono ’80 STEVE GRANUCCI, Social Science Dept Head: He made European History fun and memorable with his wonderful stories. I miss being in his class where he relates to students as individuals. He is very knowledgeable and down-to-earth. Lowell is lucky to have him. – Stephanie Chen ’02 Thank you for your kindness and respectful nature, your genuine love of teaching, and your dedication to your students. Lowell is such an amazing place because of teachers like you. – Jocelyn (Kei) Schauer ’83 Although “World Civilization” sees like world away now, Mr. Granucci’s class left such an impression on me that I am still trying to learn more. He made going to class fun and interesting. He will always be one of my favorite teachers. – Yvonne Cheng ’93 I loved my AP Euro class and Mr. Granucci was the reason why. I look back at Lowell with hazy memories, but I’ll never forget Mr. Granucci. He was such a kind and fair teacher. You sorta felt like it was your dad teaching you history. – Jennifer Murse ’99 His lectures were consistently interesting and engaging. He also had a wonderful way of talking to students that made them feel special and important. – Jenn Wong Gaskin ’85 Other tributes from Lily Chan ’02, Emily Murase ’83, Racy Ming Copley ’93, Tammy Law ’89 MILO GWOSDEN, Social Studies: A brilliant, intense social studies teacher! He was dynamic, treated us like college students, expected and received the best from us. His depth and breadth of knowledge kept us riveted. I was in his classroom the morning that JFK was assassinated. He calmed us, explained the forces behind assassinations in general, then excused us to meditate or pray or whatever. He made me feel intelligent. I
still remember the love of learning and the camaraderie that existed in that class. I imagined that this would be what college would be like — like-minded students interested in learning and curious about the world, with a teacher who cared about both our learning and the subject matter. – Helen Goldsmith ’76 Other tributes from Emily Murase ’83 TSUNEKO HELLERSTEIN, TAKEMOTO for a joint tribute.
see
ELSIE HENDERSON, English: She was the most influential teacher in not only high school but also my entire life! She was my English teacher for several years starting at the Denman annex my freshman year, 1933. Always using the blackboard, she presented the wonderful mode of communication: the sentence with main parts and each part with its many modifying structures. Then the magic of moving one part or structure to a different position in the sentence changes the emphasis — the truth is, Elsie Henderson mesmerized me, sitting in the second row, with her absolutely gorgeous square opal ring, with brilliant hues of aqua green, gold and fire! “Thank you Elsie!” – Barbara Allin Carmichael Bevelacque ’36 To Mrs. Henderson, diagramming a sentence was a religion. – Dorothea McHenry Walker ’38 Other tributes from Marie Righetti Weaver ’35 LOUIS HENRICH, Science: I loved those science walks in Golden Gate Park Panhandle — still remember the plant names. – Jeanne Clark whetstone ’44 STEVE HIRABAYASHI, Science, Student Activities: Mr. “H” was a delightful and personable teacher. I have never forgotten his science experiments and to this day, have kept my science workbook. My favorite experiment was placing isopods in cold and hot water. Thanks, Mr. H! – Rita Yee ’73 Just an all-around great teacher! He was always patient, nice and held your attention. – Erica Lang ’79 The cell biology portion of physiology that Mr. Hirabayashi taught was so fascinating I decided I wanted to study cell biology as my life’s career. Today I am a biochemist growing cells in little dishes and studying their behavior as part of my pharmaceutical research. – Eric Blasko ’76
HENRY INGHAM, Math, Social Studies: Mr. Ingham was my math (geometry and advanced algebra) and U.S. history teacher. He treated his students with an unusual level of respect, more like a college professor and his students. He allowed me to lead a class one day. That was a special gift of trust and respect, and the memory has remained with me through these many years. – Judith Wong-Sing Bratton ’62 EDWARD JORDAN, English: A special “thank you” to Mr. Edward Jordan for teaching us to analyze, organize and create. – Josephine Hanson Wood ’56 Other tributes from Judi Chung Hall ’85 MYRA WINN JORDAN, English, Drama: I took an English literature course from Mrs. Jordan who made it fun as well as enlightening. We were studying Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and had reached the scene where his play about his father’s poisoning had Hamlet without a place to sit. Ophelia invited him to sit between her legs. Mrs. Jordan — with a jolly chuckle — recited his line, “Tis a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.” It wasn’t all hard work... – George Amberg ’37 BOB JOW, Social Studies: Taught the first “Asian American Experience” class in a high school! The class turned me to civil rights for Asian Americans and imparted my choice for a civil rights career. – Bill Tamayo ’71 JEAN KALIL, English: Worked with creativity and humor — and patience (mostly). – John McDonald ’83 ESTHER BELLI KALLBERG, Typing, English, Italian: I see her as clearly now as I did 52 years ago, standing arrogantly at the front of Room 203. “I’m going to jump down your throat and dance on your liver,” she’d hiss when a sloppy sentence caught her attention, or a dull answer defied logic. She’d tilt back her head and stare down that long nose. We knew we had to get it right. And we did. I think of her still as I edit my columns. She’s there harping about dangling participles, omitted commas and sentences without subjects. Because of her I know the difference between lay and lie, a little knowledge that causes me to cringe every day as I read news stories, even headlines, by those who didn’t have a Mrs. Kallberg in their lives. For the seventeen years I’ve sent copy
Page 14 to an editor, or the eighteen years of memos to bosses, or press releases to the media, or letters and e-mails, she’s there. Her presence keeps me alert. There are fewer capricious commas thanks to her. To this day, I give credit to Mrs. Kallberg for my love of language. I feared her, but I respected her and learned. – Suzanne Gorman Cristallo ’53 In one semester, she taught me to type over 100 words per minute on a manual typewriter. Esther Belli’s expertise as a great teacher played a vital role toward enabling me to reach out to serve millions worldwide who benefit from the services of the agency that I founded. – Lorraine Heiman Marchi-Fastie ’41, Founder/CEO National Association for Visually Handicapped. Other tributes from Joan Honek Keith ’53 PAUL KANDELL and PETE HAMMER, Journalism: Paul Kandell came in to the journalism program at Lowell, advising a convention news project. He was an impeccably-dressed man who stopped by the now-nonexistent Rm. 251 often to chat with Pete Hammer — the much-beloved journalism teacher at the time. Many of us from The Lowell worked with Kandell firsthand at the convention, and I reveled in its “breaking news” environment. Journalism and The Lowell became my life after that. Mr. Hammer was responsible for sparking my interest in journalism. But all these years later, I can say that no one had a bigger role in nurturing that interest and turning it into a passion than Mr. Kandell. – April Chan ’98
There is little doubt that hundreds of Lowell teachers have challenged and motivated their students to achieve academic success. Of equal importance were those teachers who would help transform boys into young men and girls into young women. – Gary Wolf ’68 ELFREDA E. KELLOGG, Science: She taught physiology. Strict but fair. – William Knorp ’47 Made her classes in physiology come alive — a fine teacher. – June Welch Pratt ’48 Other tributes from Marjorie Welisch Taylor ’29 JAMES KNAPTON, English: A truly elegant gentleman and an outstanding English teacher who looked like he was sent from central casting to play the part of a British schoolmaster. – Terry Abad ’76 GRAHAM KNOX, Science: Saddened to hear of the passing of Graham Knox. I was his lab assistant in my junior and senior years. Enjoyed seeing him at class reunions. He was the greatest!! – Larry Zemansky ’63 I would like to thank Mr. Knox for his devotion and interest in his golfers. – Tom Posey ’73 CARL KOENIG, Science: Mr. Koenig’s class introduced me to physics. I went on to get an undergraduate and graduate degree in this field. My love and passion for the subject are ongoing. – Sandra Salomon Cohen ’78 Carl Koenig was the best role model a Lowell kid could ask for. He loved his
Lowell Alumni Association students, related to them at all levels, didn’t enforce rules for the sake of rules and created a “safe place” for confused adolescents. Eight of us were “Koenig Groupies” and loved every minute of it. He gave us an uncommon trust and we countered with creativity at producing rallies, dances, photojournalism, and stage shows. He taught physics in a way that would make Richard Feynman jealous. Dissecting cow’s eyes to learn optics, visiting junkyards to get parts for experiments and creating homework problem-sets that could ruin a weekend were all stock-intrade for Uncle Carl. But learn we did. – Al Kovalick, Dave Angress, Ron Eber, Alan Lee, Norm Gilbert, Connie Tom, Tim Hazen, and Sue Zarubin. Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, Diane Gong ’88 REG KRIEGER, Music: Reg Krieger was “Major Domo” of “the shacks.” The shacks were located in the middle of the next block, up Hayes Street to the west. The Orchestra and band practiced there under Mr. Krieger’s direction. The only occupied shack of the three was just big enough to hold a full orchestra, plus some storage space for instruments. Mr Krieger opened doors to us to a wider musical education. He arranged for us to usher at the SF Symphony concerts. – Aline Bier ’48 I only made it through Lowell, or probably high school itself, because of music teacher Mr. Krieger. He taught me music and all the other learning it contributes to brain and habit development. – Ed Lyell ’62 Mr. Krieger was an energizing force, a wonderful teacher, and a great influence in my life. Thanks to his teaching ability I learned how to play the violin, and then the viola. Being a music teacher to a bunch of silly high school students in the inadequate facilities of the “music shack” much have left him frayed at the end of the day. But he kept his patience (and sanity!) and was not only kind, caring and compassionate but he was extremely sensitive to the possibilities and talents of his students. He gave us a chance to realize our abilities and our worth. – Clara Snow Throckmorton ’50 Mr. Krieger was always the gentleman, great sense of humor, tough as nails, always fair. Knew his stuff, knew his performing personnel, knew his audience. the great motivator, we could not let him down! Besides the musical imprint he left on me, he gave me two life lessons — “be always fair” and “know your audience”. – Inez Kenney Scourkes ’51 ALICE KWONG-BALLARD, Social Studies Dept Head: Alice taught me more about history than anyone; more than that, she taught me how to be a critical thinker and instilled a sense of personal responsibility. From her I learned how to teach. I like to think that I use some of what she taught me in my own classroom. – Anonymous JOHNNY LAND, Choir: He had vision, patience, a can do attitude that encouraged and bolstered so many students to go on performing arts, and a joie de vivre for music. In my years at Lowell High School, I came to appreciate his vision by his relentless support of my singing, to go further than what I assumed was my station at the time. Among so many accomplishments with the choir and drama department for years to come, one experience holds special meaning. Johnny Land brought the opera, Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell to Lowell, of which I sang the role of Dido. I didn’t know at the time what an incredible experience that was for me, to have sung opera during high school and I believe it was the first time that opera was part of the performing arts at Lowell. It was his confidence in me that prompted him to go in that direction, and for that I will be forever grateful. It gave me the impetus to go to San Francisco State University where he studied for his master’s degree and pursue my own education. I have been a voice teacher/coach and performer for over twenty-eight years and it is his vision that instilled my passion for passing
on the same vision for my students. Know that his influence and elegant intelligence hold a dear place in my heart and memory. – E. Joyce Luis Pricco ’74 Other tributes from Dom Coloyan ’80 THOMAS LEE, Physiology: He was an excellent teacher, and I loved his subtle, quiet sense of humor. He always stood up for his beliefs even though they were so different from the majority. – E. Merolla Bergamaschi ’62 Mr. Lee taught physiology, and his class was hard as hell! One of the things I liked about him was that he tried to make students break away from the norm. He wanted them to think outside the box so to speak. He did not like students to use a formula method in his class. He was more into what it took to make a difference in the real world, and not being restrained by what may be politically correct. – William Ciarlo F’65
Spring 2007 way of bringing out the best in each of us giving suggestions for imporvement, rathern than imposing a style of his own. He emphasized facts and organization. My debate partners were John Heilbron and Dick Kizlitzen. John and I won the City and NorCal championships in L.A. My high point was state champion in Extemporaneous Speaking and Oratory, and earning a trip to the nationals in Boston. – Leland Levy ’52 KRISTIN LUBENOW, Social Science: A highly motivated and dedicated teacher. Made her classes interesting and fun. Always helpful. Fostered my interest in politics, political science and government so much that I am currently working on my PhD in PolySci. Favorite teacher and most influential. – Louise Hendrickson ’98
BOB LEUDTKE, Social Studies: Great political conversations. – John Trasvina ’76 FLOSSIE LEWIS, English: Thank you for sharing your overwhelming enthusiasm for literature, poetry, and life, to learn for the sake of knowledge itself. What a gem you are! – Jocelyn Kei Schauer ’83 Ms. Lewis helped me to discover the process of writing, joy of writing, and the work of writing. For these lifelong treasures, I am grateful. – James H. Taylor ’87 You are the one who taught me that I could write. You caused me to become an English major in college. You gave me confidence by loving me with all my sharp angles and raw edges. I thank you and salute you. – Jenn Wong Gaskin ’85 She awakened a creative and poetic spirit that stays with me to this day. – Grande Lum ’82 Thank you for helping all of us to enjoy literature, think critically, and act a little crazy! – William Leong ’79 It was my destiny to learn how to dream in her AP English class. – Emily Murase ’83 Other tributes from John Trasvina ’76, Roland Tang ’89, Jennifer Poulakides ’84, Susanna Kim ’83, Perry Pong ’79, Michael Katten ’81, Katherine Fong Taylor ’75 GAYLE LEYTON, English: Ms. Leyton was a wonderful creative writing teacher — she made the class fun and exciting. – Donna L. Banks ’76 BOB LOMBARDI, English: My most memorable teacher — Adv. Comp. AP and World Lit AP in my senior year. He had gravitas and elocution. We read Camus’ The Stranger, as an intro to existential literature. On the last page of the book is the phrase: “. . .the benign indifference of the universe.” He took that morsel and rolled it around his tongue in a way I have never forgotten. – Norman Westoff ’65 GEORGE LORBEER, History, Forensics: He taught me to be comfortable when speaking before twenty people or 2,000 people. This has held me in good stead! – June Welch Pratt ’48 Mr. Lorbeer literally made a “new man” out of me. He transformed me from a shy and retiring teenager into a well-spoken, articulate, and confident young man. – Rabbi Bernard Frankel ’51 He trained me and so many others in how to reason and express ourselves clearly, opening us to broad social issues beyond the walls of high school. – Charlotte Newell Baird ’38 An inspiration as debate coach. Set me on the road to Stanford, Harvard Law and a law career. – Ron Klein ’45 I was on the debate teams of 1948–1952, a “golden age” that included Grant Barnes, Jack Anderson, Bill Bixby, Steve Breyer and Marc Leland. Mr. Lorbeer had a seamless
Paul Lucey PAUL LUCEY, Social Studies, Asst. Principal Curriculum: I took an “economics” class in the auditorium from Mr. Lucey. However, what he tried to teach me was so far from my reality and background that it was only years later when really learning business and economics for my graduate degrees that I understood his passion for trying to help us all understand how the world of business works. As a personal tribute to his attempt to help me I have spent years getting grants and working with K-12 teachers and families in the poorest counties of Colorado to teach them finance and entrepreneurship. I think of him almost every week. If you are reading this Paul — strange to say it that way — THANKS! – Ed Lyell ’62 Paul Lucey was my homeroom teacher. My thanks, Paul Lucey, for having facilitated my welcome to Lowell and life as a high school student at San Francisco’s most outstanding high school! – Pernilla M. Neal ’64 Other tributes from Emily Murase ’83, John Trasvina ’76 LETTIE LUPIS, English: Strict but fair. Inspired my love of the English language, especially drama and the novel. She helped me overcome my insecurities and taught me so much about life. I am proud to call her my friend. – Anonymous ELLA MARY MARTINE, Classical Languages, German: She supplemented the language with cultural material, such as music recordings. All-in-all, she war ein wunderbahr Lehrerin! – Ron Novales ’45 As well as being a teacher of German, Dr. Martine was the sponsor of the German Club. She took the club on hikes and hosted German holiday celebrations to acquaint us not only with the language, but also with the German culture. – Anonymous IONE MATHISEN, Math Dept Head: Miss Mathisen substituted for Miss Welch in our geometry class one day. Miss Mathisen paced back and forth across the front of the room, talking all the time and waving her arms in the air. Every time she passed the blackboard, she stopped and wrote some more mathematics. Then one time when she stopped in front of the board, she said “Look
Spring 2007 at what we have here: three new theorems!” Then she appealed to my engineer’s mind by saying “And look at what we can do with them!” Miss Mathisen was an engineer at heart. Miss Welch was retiring at the end of that year, and I made sure that I had Miss Mathisen for advanced algebra and trigonometry the next year. That next year, Miss Mathisen motivated me with constant uses for the math that we were learning. She changed mathematics from solving neat little logic puzzles, to doing fun and useful – Dick Alvarez ’53 things. CORNELIUS McCARTHY, Latin: My Latin teacher . . . A DIAMOND! – Jacqueline Hanson Goff ’56 MARY McBRIDE, Math: Caring home room teacher. Enjoyed her math classes too! – Tony Van Vliet ’48 JACK MEIER, Social Studies: You ingrained in me a lifelong appreciation of history. “History is prologue” as you quoted from Santayana TRUTH “Those who do not learn from history are destined to relive it.” Ergo, the Holocaust begets Chechaya, Darfur, etc. Retire, relax and reflect on the knowledge you disbursed throughout the years at LHS. One of your “B” students. – David Gabriel F’65 BARBARA MENSING, English: She guided us through Advanced Comp so that we could tackle the dreaded Subject A exam at Berkeley. Failure meant taking Bonehead English. With her good advanced training, few faced that ignominy. – Sarita Johnson ’47 She was a tough but superb teacher of English Comp. She gave me invaluable writing skills and discipline that served me well throughout my professional and personal life. – Anonymous Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, Peter Dahl ’53, Amy Edgerley ’50 STELLA MICHAELIAN, Counseling: A patient counselor. – John Trasvina ’76 JACQUES MONCHATRE, Foreign Languages: This wonderful instructor from France had such a love of the Chinese language that he began the Chinese language (Mandarin) classes at Lowell in the 1960s from which a great awareness and appreciation of the Chinese culture at Lowell blossomed. He has very positively impacted many, many young lives at the school. – Frank (Francis) Ko ’70 GEORGE MOORE, English, Media Production: I learned about courage, confidence, diplomacy, and tact. Despite his physical disability, Mr. Moore never backed down from a good argument. He taught me that it was OK to criticize someone as long as you did it in a constructive manner. It’s easy to complain, but it’s more difficult to complain and offer an alternative or a solution. – Dom Coloyan ’80
Lowell Alumni Association each other. In a place as big as Lowell, it was always nice to have a place to call “home.” – Dom Coloyan ’80 CAMILLE MORISHIGE, English, Foreign Language: She taught honors English to a bunch of bewildered, slightly immature, but bright 9th graders the first year the freshman were returned to Lowell. It sure was tough to get an “A” in her class! – Emily Murase ’83 DONALD MURRAY, Science: Model of corny humor with a big heart. – John Trasvina ’76 I still don’t know if it was part of his plan or not, but I think I learned more from his many bizarre classroom physics experiments that failed than from the ones that worked (although I’m not sure if any of them ever did work!). His bad puns and great sense of humor (How did Jesus walk on water? He just used soles and eels) are with me today, as well as more knowledge of physics than I would have imagined. A true Lowell original. – Terry Abad ’76 Other tributes from John McDonald ’83 CAROLYN MYSZAK, Social Studies: Ms. Myszak was my U.S. history teacher. She was someone who obviously cared deeply about her students’ well being. She was trained as a lawyer but chose to teach public high school, a far less lucrative occupation. She would sometimes bring donuts for all her classes because she was afraid that her students were skipping breakfast. She was a smart, kind woman and I miss her. – Racy Ming Copley ’93 BEN NEFF, Boys PE, Basketball Coach: As Benny Neff ’s basketball manager for three years (1939‑41), I was exposed to one of Lowell’s best teachers. Though he never occupied a class room, never gave a final exam, chalk board talk, or tardy slips, Benny Neff was in his way a teacher of great athletes. With the basketball gym as his classroom, his pocket full of change to spread out on the floor to show how to make a play work, and his tardy slip “you are cat meat” to any player missing a play. I learned from Benny how to take an average player, like Howie Dallmar, and make him into an all-city center and a Stanford star and later Stanford basketball coach; how he taught discipline and practice to Jerry Coleman, Paul Orsi, Dave Cowens, Bill Joslyn, Bob Ferry and a host of others. I saw how he convinced 110 lbs Lew Chung that he could play basketball with the varsity big guys at other high schools. – Ken Berven, F’41 This San Francisco icon will be remembered as one of the greatest contributors to the game of basketball. Brilliant coach, leader, motivator, strategist, instructor, youth developer and advisor. For me, he was at true
Mr. Granucci’s lectures will follow me forever; he made history fun for all. Mr. Girling’s Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility combined with super-sizing fast food will haunt me to eat child-sized servings forever. Dr. Nogara will always keep Latin alive everyday in class. Ms. Jank’s dance classes will always remind me of the moves. And last but not least, to the others before and after, thank you very much for all you have given and taught me and other students. You are always in our hearts, and that means you are here with us “forever”. – Lily Chan 2002. father figure who, along with my mother and older sister, provided a very special influence and direction. – Ken Flower ’49 Other tributes from Barbara Prato, Allan Gold ’63 ANNA NICORA, Spanish: Esta Susanna en casa? Every bit of Spanish I know I owe to Sra Nicora! Gracias! – Jennifer Poulakidas ’84 In addition to an excellent teacher, Anna became a trusted friend and mentor who was there for me when my family disintegrated in divorce. Thank you Anna Nicora for being an amazing teacher and supportive friend! – Alexia Horanzy Heckers ’83 Anna Nicora is one of those Lowell teachers who could hold her own with the best college professors. I remember feeling a little intimidated the first time I walked into her class under her penetrating gaze. Yet it was well known among students that if you wanted the best Spanish teacher, you took Mrs. Nicora. I left her class with a thorough grasp of vocabulary and grammar, as well as a deep affection for a tough, warm, goodhumored teacher. – Elizabeth (Lopez) Anderson ’88 HELEN O’MALLEY, Art: A great family friend taught art at Lowell. Remembered with affection also! – William Knorp ’47 DOROTHY ONG, Chinese, Foreign Language Dept Head: Thank you for your patience and knowledge of Mandarin. Your kind assessment of my laughter during our skits in class helped me figure out a part of me as I was growing up. – Tammy Law ’89 AURELIA OSUNA, Foreign Language: Very demanding, very thorough, very understanding, patient — a real scholar and a charmer. – Anonymous My master teacher and subsequent department head, who taught me grading standards and “tough love.” – Ed Crossley, (Faculty) I remember her telling our Spanish class that we needed to find opportunities to study. She suggested, “When waiting for the bus, open your Spanish book and practice the verbs!” A very special lady! – Judy Maatta Bailey ’63
The intrepid leader of our Radio Lowell crew and the man who introduced me to the music of Willie Nelson with “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and the humor of Lum ’n Abner. – Terry Abad ’76
JACK PATTERSON, English, Social Science, Journalism: He taught not only great journalism but also personal responsibility, and leadership. I remember him as one of the most important mentors in my life. – Anonymous Made journalism come alive. – Tony Van Vliet ’48 GERTRUDE PECKHAM, History: She taught like a college professor. Made history come alive!! Encouraged digging in archives for information. – Carol Wallace Whitney ’45 Very popular teacher at Lowell who also taught my father. A fair grader and a character in the best sense. Was a great story teller. – William Knorp ’47 EDITH PENCE, English, Drama, Principal: Principal Pence hired me to teach Econ in 1954, launching my fifty-three year association with Lowell High School. Thank you, Edith!! – Paul Lucey JACK PEREIRA, Music: Jack Pereira made a huge difference in my life. He was the teacher and conductor for the orchestra when I was at Lowell (class of 1966). I played cello in the orchestra and was always inspired by Mr. Pereira. He gave all of us, I believe, the message that we could excel, that we could take on difficult pieces and do them right. It was hard work, it was fun. My memories of the hours and hours spent in the orchestra room, rehearsing, and performing are my fondest from high school. I am a symphony supporter now and every concert takes me back to Lowell. – Virginia Bass Steiger ’66 Thanks for the music assist! – Roy Abendroth ’78 Mr. Pereira was an inspiration to me, and was certainly instrumental in allowing me to see and grow my potential as a professional musician and symphony conductor. Without his encouragement and his allowing me to conduct our Lowell orchestra, both in rehearsal and in concert, I would not be where I am today. My gratitude goes out to Jack Pereira. – Michael Neumann ’67 ART PETERSON, English: Taught me the art of composition. I am indebted to him for taking an English reject onto (4.0 on AP exam) success! Just before the exam, he’d be correcting my prose, on the fly, on the hood of an unfortunate car. Such dedication deserves PRAISE! – Helen Lee ’83 He taught me some of the important “stuffs” about writing and made English composition fun, exciting and encouraging. – Judi Chung Hall ’85 JANICE PIVNICK, Substitute Teacher: My mother, Janice Pivnick, was a substitute teacher from 1965 to the mid-1970s. My mother loved her years as a LTS for many fine teachers. She derived so much satisfaction from being a part of Lowell. I thank her for being my first teacher and mentor, always encouraging my love for reading and learning. They have been passions for me because of her! – Patricia Pivnick Levin ’67
SAMUEL MOORE, History: Mr. Moore was one of the teachers who formed my basic understanding of research and the scientific method for which I am forever indebted and grateful. – Vera Bryan Kreekis James ’42 RAYMOND MILTON, Social Studies Dept Head: Taught us that although we were always pushed by our parents and peers to get the A grade and the high GPA, the ultimate purpose of a good education was to take our places as good citizens, responsible leaders, and productive members of society. – Dom Coloyan ’80 PAT MOREHEN, Math: Even though homeroom met for only a few minutes each day, the fact that we were together for our entire time at Lowell made us draw closer to
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Paul Lucey and George Moore at the June 3, 2006 sesquicentennial banquet.
BARBARA PRATO, Girls’ PE. Dept Head, Counseling: It was Barbara Prato who influenced me most to be a counselor. She was passionate and excited about her work. Barbara was an excellent listener and student advocate who encouraged students to realize their potential. She did not make decisions for students, but rather guided them to
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Lowell Alumni Association
I had four wonderful years in high school and the teachers I had were a large part of that experience. It’s hard to recognize it when you’re 17, but I realize now how unique my educational experience was at Lowell. I remember my teachers and coaches being really passionate about their respective subjects and convincing us that we should be too. Parts of it are still with me everyday. Thanks to Mrs. Torlakson, I still refer to Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. Thanks to Mrs. Bird, I can stand up and give presentations to large and small crowds with ease. My deepest gratitude to all my wonderful teachers and coaches especially to Mrs. Tench (English/Fencing), Mr. Girling (Economics), Mr. Bissett (Chemistry), Mrs. Ong (Chinese), and Ms. Bird (Forensics). —Laiying Kuan ’94
make their own. All this and a terrific sense of humor too! – Joan Catelli ’61 Ms. Prato often went beyond the four walls of the classroom to broaden our horizons and make a difference in the lives of her students. – Corinne Fong Venit ’62 HARPER PUZISS, Science: It was a pleasure to have you as my Physiology teacher back in the early 60s. You were outstanding, dedicated and fascinating and it was obvious that you loved teaching the subject. Thank you for taking me and some of the other students in the class out to our first Chinese restaurant. What wonderful memories! It’s a pleasure to be on the Lowell staff with you now! – Jeri Keyak ’65 Other tributes from Jamie Duarte ’76 JOSE REINOSA, Science: Thank you for being such a wonderful, dedicated and outstanding biology teacher. It was so much fun to spend lunch periods in the bio lab planning our special experiments. Advanced bio was exciting and challenging, thanks to you. Your sense of humor was infectious. You have been missed!! – Jeri Keyak ’65 He taught biology and advanced biology in 1961-1962. He made the subject exciting and challenged his students with materials at the college level. I truly believe my interest to teach was stimulated by my early experience with Mr. Reinosa. A teacher can make all the difference! My sincerest gratitude to Mr. Reinosa. – Julia Lee Jungling, ’62 HELENE REVOY, French: Miss Revoy introduced me to French language, literature, and civilization and inspired me to follow in her footsteps and become a teacher of French. – Joan Marie Shelley ’50 Oui, Je parle Francais. – Jeanne Clark Whetstone ’44 DON RICHARDSON, Boys’ PE, Coach: See YOSHIDA for a joint tribute from Leo A. Halog ’76 MARGUERITE SCHROEDER, Typing: Marguerite Schroeder was my typing teacher, freshman year. I’ll never forget sitting in her big room typing on those clunky Hammond typewriters to some kind of march music. She was old school, but a real softie. And I really learned to type. – Allan Gold ’63 MEINHARD SCHULZ, Math: Mr. Schulz made math fun and grilled us by doing 60 derivatives and 60 integrals in 60 minutes. This formed my mathematics foundation and I breezed through math at UC Berkeley and realized just how much he taught us and how far ahead we were in math! I have no idea how to do those problems any more. But that provided the framework for what I needed to succeed in college. – John Lee ’76 Mr. Schultz was trying to get us to memorize the Pythagorean Theorem and the only way he could do that was for us to form a conga line and go around the room as a group, chanting loudly, while holding the waist of the person in front: “The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sums of the squares of other two sides” Hey! (kick). Never forgot it or him! – Amy Fink ’73
Thanks to his instruction I shall always remember the joy of high school Algebra. – Emily Murase ’83 Other tributes from John McDonald ’83 ELIZABETH SCOTT (SCOTTY), Librarian: She really cared about my welfare. She visited me at Cal and thought I looked thin; she proceeded to take me to the Black Sheep restaurant for a steak dinner. Add to my list of caring teachers: Harriet Welch, Leroy Stephens, Ivan Barker. – Noel McKenna Newell ’45 She encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to UC, helped me with the application and wrote a letter of recommendation. – Sarita Johnson ’47 JUNE SHAFER, English, Journalism, Yearbook: As a graduate of the class of 1975, there was no teacher who inspired me more than Elizabeth Shafer... “Shafe” as everyone called her. Shafe was a warm-hearted but tough teacher. She inspired us on The Lowell and The Red and White to be the best rather than some run-of-the-mill high school newspaper or yearbook. Under her tutelage, we won a number of journalism awards. Shafe had a great sense of humor and infectious laugh which also lightened us up when we took ourselves too seriously. When we learned that she had passed away, we realized we lost a great teacher and friend. – Cathy Quon ’75 Other tributes from Dom Coloyan ’80 JOHN SHANKEL, English: I had Mr. Shankel both as my homeroom teacher and for expository writing. He did an excellent job of covering the basics of grammar, which could have been painfully dull, in a way that was interesting and useful. We all really loved him. I hope that wherever he is, he is doing well! – Racy Ming Copley ’93 JOAN-MARIE SHELLEY, French: I cannot write enough words of admiration for Joan-Marie — my AP French teacher, my mentor, and my friend for thirty-nine years. She was an extraordinary teacher, and through her passion for the French language and literature, I discovered my own path. She taught me how to appreciate poetry and prose in a foreign language. I followed in Joan’s footsteps earning a B.A., M.A. and credential in French. She is a brilliant, kind, and caring person, and I am so pleased that we are very close friends to this day. Vive les souvenirs! – Patricia Pivnick Levin ’67 Thanks to her, French was one of my favorite subjects (and ended up being my major in college). Studying French encouraged and prepared me to spend my junior year of college studying abroad. My year in France was life-altering thanks to a wonderful teacher who encouraged me to continue studying French, even if it didn’t serve a “practical” purpose. Thank you! – Helen Goldsmith ’76 Joan-Marie Shelley was a tireless advocate for teachers and students. She nominated me for a scholarship, for which I will always be grateful. – Emily Murase ’83 Other tributes from Suzie Tan ’80, Lisa Tartikoff Rosenthal ’69, Sarah Rischin Gadye ’81 LEE SILVERSTEIN, Special Education, Golf: Coach Lee Silverstein got us on Pebble
Beach, Spanish Bay, Silverado and SF Golf Club. What a coach! – Ian Wedegren ’93 Other tributes from James Eby ’95, Joe Newman ’89 JANET SOFFEN, English: She was a task master who encouraged me to make my papers letter perfect. – Joan Sample Mone-Woods ’65 FRED STARK, Science: He had a supply of U.S. Government surplus “reject” tags, colored red. If you got the lowest score on a test, you had to wear one prominently all day! – Tom Childress ’76 I’ll always remember some of the things I learned in your electronics class, including P = IE ! Your interest in and love for science was a significant factor for me in pursuing a career in science. May God bless you and all the teachers at Lowell for pouring your lives into ours. – John Van Kirk ’82 Not only was Fred an inspirational role model to me when I was a student, but in allowing me to serve as his student teacher, he was instrumental in launching my own career as a teacher. I know I shall always endeavor to be as dedicated as he was to both academic excellence and student activities. – Mike Ugawa ’76 WILLIAM STEVENS, Science, Biology DH: A teacher’s teacher! He was one of those rare individuals who was both a truly gifted biology/physiology instructor and an unforgettable mentor when I joined the Lowell faculty in the 1980s. Who could ever forget his outstanding, content-rich lectures, always presented with warmth, clarity and a sense of humor — invariably accompanied by his delightful cartoons and drawings. His wise and insightful contributions that he offered his colleagues in the Science Department were invaluable. He was a leader whose experience and talent made him a natural choice for leading the biology division of the Science Department. – Jeri Keyak ’65 JOANN STEWART, English: “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day...” Although I’m not often on the Golden Gate Bridge stuck in traffic to recite it to myself these days, I still remember it. She had told us in class it
Spring 2007 to become fluent in Japanese. – Emily Murase ’83 KIYOKO TAKEMOTO and TSUNEKO HELLERSTEIN, Japanese: I really enjoyed learning about another culture from them. – Racy Ming Copley ’93 JOE TANZI, Drama: What an innovator! I think we took for granted his talent to direct our plays. It’s not until you compare his vision to today’s standards that one appreciates his efforts. In his class, I was truly free to create and find characters I wish I was doing today. Thank you, Joe, for it all! Break a leg! – Doug Ryan ’74 As Perry Simon and Sue Kaplan stood in the wings of the Lowell Auditorium stage in the fall of 1972, waiting to audition for The Boyfriend, it was none other than Mr. Joe Tanzi who paired them up together to audition as “Tony” and “Polly.” Neither of them got the parts, but thanks to Joe, they got something much more: a happy marriage now twenty-five years strong, two great kids, and a wonderful life together. Thanks, Joe! – Perry and Susie ’73 BOB TAYLOR, English: He encouraged and inspired me. He believed in me and taught me “I can do it.” – Marlene Scott Cullen ’66 ADAIR MILLER TENCH, Girls’ PE: In her wonderfully ladylike and tasteful way, she encouraged us to form a Girls’ swim team, and then was our coach. It was a good year. – Jenni Schuppel Frentzen ’75 Ms. Tench was the best PE teacher — she was fun, spunky, caring, easy to relate to and she made physical education a breeze. At that time she was the “new kid on the block,” and you know us teen-age girls, we were a headache at times. – Donna L. Banks ’76 JAMES THOMAS, Counselor, Coach: Even though he had several hundred other students to counsel and a track team to run, he always had the time to meet with me (and occasionally to bug me to join the track team) and steer me in the right direction. – Dom Coloyan ’80 Other tributes from Roy Abendroth ’78
Lowell teachers who’ll always have a place in my heart are Mr. Soward for his innovative teaching; Mr. Granucci for his amazing stories; Mr. Hibbard for his enthusiasm; and Ms. Kwong-Ballard, for her mind-provoking projects. All of them reminded me how much fun learning can be and each of them kept me sane throughout my four years at Lowell. For that, I will forever be grateful to them. – Edna Basa 2001 would make her happy to know years from then we’d still be able to recite Shakespeare stuck in traffic. – Beth Dunn Kwasny ’87 An English class with Joann Stewart was the highlight of my senior year at Lowell. Miss Stewart was for many the quintessential English teacher — impeccably dressed, petite, crisp and focused in her lectures, quietly enthusiastic about literature. – Elizabeth (Lopez) Anderson ’88 Ms. Stewart is my favorite teacher ever. It was a learning experience unmatched for its impact on the way I write and think today. My writing and thinking skills are a fine and lasting legacy from the dedication of a great teacher. – Debbie Bolduc Wetherald ’84 Other tributes from Jennifer Poulakidas ’84, John Trasvina ’76 KIYOKO TAKEMOTO, Japanese: Always had a warm smile. She inspired me
OLENE TILTON, Foreign Language: Thanks Ms. Tilton. You made French my favorite language! – Roland Tang ’89 PATRICIA TOMMANEY, Math: She was a very special role model for girls interested in math, but was she ever tough! – Emily Murase ’83 DENNIS TREADWAY, Math: He made it possible to enjoy trigonometry. Thank You! – Emily Murase ’83 SARA TRELAUN, Foreign Language: Mrs. Trelaun was my French teacher. She was as passionate an instructor as I have known. She went above and beyond the duties of a teacher, encouraging and immersing us in “all things French,” from the wonderful music to food and literature. What I remember most of her was the effect she had on us: there were some subtle life lessons
Spring 2007
Lowell Alumni Association Mrs. Wallach made a lasting impression on me. She was soft-spoken, but you could tell almost immediately that she was a person of great knowledge and wisdom. – Jack Margid ’68 I always think of Anne Wallach when I am trying to decide whether or not to use a comma. She used to always say, “If you don’t know why you’re a using a comma, don’t use one.” She also helped me read through difficult literature I would never have tackled – Joan Catelli ’61 on my own. Through Mrs. Wallach’s teaching, I developed a deep appreciation of literature as an art form. Because of her class, I decided to become an English major. My fond memories of her will last a lifetime. – Sandra Segale Blake ’67
Anne Wallach that permeated her class lessons. I will always remember her fondly for making me see that there was a bigger picture out there, and to not miss all that was going on around me while I was focused on my studies. – Pat McKay ’72 It was with great joy that Ms. Trelaun taught honors French as we read Le Petit Prince and other great works and took field trips to various locales in the City. Ms. Trelaun was always very generous and the best outing of all was the dinner she held at her home for our class. She was a true inspiration to those students fortunate enough to have her as their teacher. We drew from her love for the language and the culture. – John Knox ’72 and Mark Steiner ’72 Mrs. Trelaun has had more impact on my life than anyone else. I owe Mrs. Trelaun a huge debt of gratitude for, not only her teaching ability, but also the interest she took in me and encouraged me to continue studying Spanish. She’s the best! – Marty Schwartz ’67 Other tributes from Mary Anne Huff Shaw ’67, Pernilla Neal ’64 FRANK TUCKER, Latin: He made ancient history and literature fascinating and fun with his wit, class participation, Latin Club banquets, etc. – Charlotte Newell Baird ’38 Mr. Tucker was an amazing teacher who made learning Latin so much more than a “dead language” — it was FUN! I can honestly say he was the best teacher I had in all my years of school — one-of-a-kind! – Barbara Barnes Sweet ’38 I shall always remember his kindness and humor. – Ruth Schwedhelm Dwyer ’42 Almost the whole class stayed with him the entire four years! – Marie Righetti Weaver ’35 Other tributes from Dixon Wansbury ’35, Marion L. Ament ’40 BETTY VALLEY, English: For her humanity. – Corinne Fong Venit ’62 ANNE WALLACH, English, Gifted Program Coordinator: Anne brought me to Lowell from Lincoln H.S. where I would have been content until time to retire. It was not easy moving from Lincoln. Lowell was experimenting with students’ rights and the staff was daring to experiment with ideas about teaching, ideas that defied convention and redefined a teacher’s authority. I was never so challenged in my life. But Anne Wallach was the real challenge. She could enjoy the most romantic flights of fancy and see right through bull----. She was a teacher’s teacher, and that meant you worked hard to meet her standards, but she was never in competition with you. She was selfless when it came to Lowell’s Honors program. – Flossie Lewis (Faculty)
Thank you for teaching us to search for issues and themes in our analysis — a lifelong necessity. – Nancy Mouber Henares ’62 Unsurpassed dedication to her students. – John Trasvina ’76 I came to the U.S. at age twelve and without a word in English. It was Ms. Wallach who sensed my utter frustration and took me aside in my sophomore year at Lowell, worked with me, and allowed me to give myself “permission” to just listen and absorb the nuances of my new tongue. Thank you Mrs. Wallach. – Igor Goulaevsky ’60 Other tributes from Allan Gold ’63, Ed Crossley (Faculty), Corinne Fong Venit ’62, Mimi Pichey ’68 See BARKER for a joint tribute from Jennie Horn ’63 CHARLIE WALSH, English: He could recite “Casey at the Bat” like no one else. – Dorothea McHenry Walker ’38 Mr. Walsh made the understanding of English grammar a joy instead of a headache, all accomplished with fun and laughter. – Fern Muheim Carr ’36 HARRIET WELCH, Math Dept Head: One day, Miss Harriet Welch, then head of the math department, was our substitute teacher for algebra. Right then, Miss Welch showed us the “why” of much of what we had been doing. In that one class period, Miss Welch turned my career around. I wonder what would have become of me in mathematics, and later in my career in electrical engineering, if Miss Welch had not come into our algebra class that day. – Richard Alvarez ’53 ANNA WHITAKER, Latin: My Latin teacher: a lovely lady, fine friend, and teacher. – George B. Brown ’43 Another language great was Miss Whitaker. My two years in her Latin class opened up so many roads of intellectual experience. – Sarita Johnson ’47 STEPHEN WILLIAMS, History, Foreign Language: In the fall of ’44, I was ushered into Mr. Williams’ world history class. His face had been disfigured in a chemical accident and I shuddered at the sight of him. Then I listened to him bring history to life in the form of storytelling. Soon I was intrigued and looking forward to his class. His appearance changed for me, no longer terrifying. I took his course in Latin American history and I was deeply enthralled. I still have the report I wrote for that class, treasured mainly for his comments. I shall never forget this beautiful, gentle man who opened up the world for me and never knew his profound influence upon me. – Beverly Schmidt King ’48 He made history come alive with his special talent. As a result, I became a history major at UC Berkeley and a teacher. – Pearl Cohn Bloom ’47 One of the finest teachers I ever had. He made the subject so interesting that I could
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not wait to visit Central and South America. Fisty-six years later, I still remember him. – Jeanne Caturegli ’49 MICHELE WINTER, Music: Even as a middle schooler, I admired Mrs. Winter’s grace and composure when she brought the Lowell orchestra to play at the Hoover String Festival, an event she originated when she was Hoover’s orchestral director. Any one who has met her can attest that she is one of the most gracious and elegant people whom a person can know. A lovely person and an amazing teacher, Ms. Winter is an invaluable presence in the Lowell community. – Ashley Chu ’06 BARNEY WOLF, Boys’ PE, Coach: There was a “Golden Age” at Lowell when PE was required and students were challenged and pushed to improve their physical and mental strength. One of those Golden Age teachers was Barney Wolf who positively influenced thousands of Lowell students by showing them how hard work and perseverance could help them achieve goals they thought otherwise unattainable. Barney’s students took these lessons into their lives and supplied them on a daily basis. It was privilege to have Barney Wolf as teacher and coach. I could think of no better role model and mentor to help me transform myself from a boy to a man. I was also fortunate to have Barney as my father for eighteen years while I lived at home. I sincerely hope that today’s Lowell students are privileged and challenged by those teachers who can help them transform themselves from boys and girls into men and women. – Gary Wolf ’68 Each year he addressed his track and cross country teams the same way — Priority: family first, education, athletics and then girl/boy friends. – Doug Wolf ’73 I witnessed Barney’s commitment to his peers, his students, his track and field kids and his love and devotion to our family. His influence is still felt by me today as I am a proud alum and enjoy participating on the Lowell Alumni Association Board of Directors. – Claudia Wolf ’67 Other tributes from Roy Abendroth ’78 RON WONG, Physics: Mr. Wong taught me how to look at the world. We’re all physicists, but we don’t realize it. Physics is around us all the time, every day; we just need to stop, look and listen for a minute. Not only that, if we put in some effort, we can even figure out how things work. Importantly, Mr. Wong taught me how to organize my thoughts such that I’m able to produce results. His doctrine: State what you know (the “givens”), what you need to determine (“the unknowns”) and then, stepby-step, figure out how to get there (“show your work!”). More importantly, he taught me how to wonder and imagine. Thank you for teaching me, Mr. Wong. – Anthony Haag ’86
What you taught me in physics about problem solving — given, wanted, solution — was what helped me most with all my problem sets in college. – Roland Tang ’89 WILLIAM WORLEY, English: He taught me a most valuable lesson — “I don’t know” can be the correct and the best — answer. We had to identify a list of names, and he threw in Boccacio — not from American Lit. Students who wrote “I don’t know” got credit — if they guessed a wrong answer, they lost points. I was careful not to guess after that. He prepared me well for the more challenging next semester of English Lit with Mr. Jordan when we had to tackle not only great, intimidating literature but also literary criticism. – Terry Trosper Schaeffer ’57
Each of my teachers expanded my academic knowledge and made learning enjoyable. – Lorraine Forkgen Melton Bauk ’46 MACK YOSHIDA, ROTC: Sarge, as we all called him, was a very special man. He was there to listen and encourage us in everything we did. Sarge was always looking out for us, always going out of his way for us. He taught us the intangibles, leadership and teamwork. He was the best. – Tennyson Lee ’88 To SARGE and DON “DOC” RICHARDSON: Thank you for teaching me about self-control, self-esteem, discipline, patience, perseverance and honor. Thank you for teaching me in depth about a concept that I consider lacking in the world as it exists today and is diminishing as each day passes: integrity. No, I didn’t understand much of this way back then; I’ve only come to realize and appreciate your efforts as the years have marched on. People pass through our lives and memories fade, but both of you will remain with me for as long as I live. Hopefully, I will be able to share some of your wisdom with the youngsters in my family before it’s my turn to leave. – Leo A. Halog ’76 JANELLE ZAHTILLA, Music: I was so fortunate to have such a knowledgeable, kind and caring piano teacher for three semesters. You’ve made a lifelong habit for me, and I’m so grateful! – Mike Tsang ’88 PAUL ZAHTILLA, Music: Thanks for a world of music – Roy Abendroth ’78 In the mid-1970s he arranged for a two week tour of Great Britain. Concerts were given at the Brighton Pavillion, the Victoria Embankment Gardens, and at Kneller Hall. – Anonymous
Mr. Worley’s 6H English class assignment was to write in iambic pentameter about an unnamed teacher, and he was to guess the subject. Here is my poem. – Mimi Pichey ’68
Dedication Minute of stature, blessed with quiet strength, This woman, well endowed in mind, not length, Devotes each day her time and knowledge both To learning, giving, aiding students’ growth. Through prose and verse well-known throughout the land She helps the young the world to understand And softly voicing views of reason speaks To make one think about the world he seeks. To probe within himself, to search, to look For meanings deep and far beyond the book. Widening rings from stones in water cast, Her teachings long in minds of students last.
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Lowell Alumni Association
Spring 2007
In Memoriam 1924
1931
Wife Alice Mathias wrote: PHILIP MATHIAS of Harrison, NY died last November. He was 98 years old, and had all his mental faculties. I miss him.
MICHAEL WILLIAM MARCULESCU, owner of many small businesses, died last March. He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Julia. Michael is survived by his wife, Irma, a son, two daughters and grandchildren.
1929 Lois Davis McKirahan wrote, “My husband, JOHN E. McKIRAHAN, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2006. He loved the school, and often talked of it and the classes he had enjoyed there. We had lived in Saratoga for many years until we were married. At that time, moved to a condo in Santa Cruz, where we enjoyed our view of the bay and the excellent weather.” JAMES MARTIN KROTOZYNER, a Harvard graduate, died last January. He was the youngest of five children of Dr. Martin Krotozyner and wife, Jennie. James is survived by his wife, Helen; and nephews Martin ’47 and Michael Rypins ’50.
1930 Daughter, Jennifer, wrote: Sadly, DONALD JONES died last December at the age of 93 surrounded by his loving family: his wife of 68 years, Audrey, and his children. Dad was a kind, loving man – gifted in music, both jazz and classical. He was an avid reader of history and he and Audrey traveled all over Europe and Mexico when they were able. He leaves a great group of people, both friends, relatives and co-workers who loved and admired him. Just thought you’d like to know!
1932 ALFRED BAKER SPAULDING, B.A. Stanford and J.D. UCB Boalt Hall, WWII Great Generation U.S. Army veteran (Capt.) He enjoyed a long career with the St. Paul Insurance Company. The many-talented Mr. Spaulding had interests in music, chess, astronomy, little theater, magic, photography and writing. He was a volunteer with the Grace Cathedral Choirboys. He was predeceased by his wife of 36 years, Paula, and is survived by a son and a daughter. DAVID POTTER, a UCB graduate, died last January. He was a retired insurance broker (David Potter Co.) Beloved husband of Elizabeth Lyman Potter for 70 years. Survived by his sister, Elizabeth, and three grandchildren. JEROME SAPIRO, B.A. UCB (PBK), J.D. Hastings College of the Law, and a WWII Great Generation veteran (USA, Third Infantry Division in Europe.) He practiced law for many years as a general practitioner. Jerome’s interests in community matters were many: Pres., Sunset Community Improvement Club, director, French Hospital Society, Boy Scout leader in S.F. for 40 years, parish council of Saint Anne of the Sunset church; tutor, A. P. Giannini Middle School. He
Louis Heilbron ’24 Louis H. Heilbron, B.A. & J.D. UCB, Great Generation WWII veteran, attorney (Heller, Ehrman, White & McCauliffe), College Trustee, and civic leader died last December. He was 99. Louis Heilbron first surfaced as a student leader as editor of The Lowell, Scroll president, and captain of the tennis team. He is famous in Lowell lore for this impassioned editorial in 1924 about a district plan to move the school to the Richmond as a district school: “Listen, Lowell, you’re going bye-bye. Yes, and at your age too (11 years). The Board of Education has worked for two years to complete a magnificent building program, involving millions of dollars, and they hold that to change their plans as to Lowell would wreck the ideas that took such honest effort to work out. They want regional high schools. Hear that, Alma Mater. When you move, you’re to leave behind the traditions and regulations your academic instruction has brought you. PARENTS, THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF OUR CAUSE RESTS WITH YOU…” (Lowell survived the crisis when the Board voted to keep the academic, non-districted school at Hayes Street.) He had a long record of community service: Numerous civic and religious organizations; State Department of Public Welfare; California Relief Administration; President, World Affairs Council of Northern California, 1965-1967, and member for over fifty years: Trustee, Golden Gate University; President, Phi Beta Kappa of Northern California; San Francisco Human rights commission; President, State Board of Education; 1975, President, California Historical Society; and many other boards. Perhaps Mr. Heilbron’s most important contribution to public institutions was as a member and first chairman of the Board of Trustees of the California State Colleges (now state universities). The most dramatic event during his service occurred in 1968 following the worldwide student revolts. Students and faculty went out on strike. The war in Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement exacerbated local confrontations. The faculty was divided and so were the trustees…Almost single-handedly, Louis defused and resolved the dangerous situation for which the Trustees
gave him a standing ovation. Perhaps less dramatic but of enormous importance was his leadership in convincing the Legislature of the value of Governor “Pat” Brown’s California Master Plan of Higher Education. He helped convince legislators of the plan’s importance for all segments of California High Education. Clark Kerr called Louis’ contribution “historical”. Mr. Heilbron was eulogized by family, friends, and colleagues: his sons, John and David; grand-daughters, Lauren, Sarah, and Ellen; Ernest Weiner, American Jewish Community; Laurence Popofsky, Heller, Ehrman, White, and McCauliffe; Jane Wales, World Affairs Council; Robert A. Corrigan, San Francisco State University, and by Senior Rabbi Stephen Pearce at a memorial service at Temple Emanu-el on Lake Street. He was a loyal Lowellite during his long life and can be seen in the 1974 alumni newsletter enjoying his 50th class reunion with schoolmate, Governor “Pat” Brown. In 1998 the former editor was an honored guest at the Centennial celebration of the school paper, The Lowell. Mr. Heilbron was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Delphine. He is survived by his sons John and David, a niece, and an extended family of grandchildren. (Excerpts of this obituary are reprinted from the program of Mr. Heilbron’s Memorial Service.)
is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary, five children, 13 grandchildren and 11 great-children.
1932 EDMUND DIXON JUNG, B.A. Stanford, M.S. in Pathology & M.D. UCSF. One of his fondest memories was playing in the Stanford band during halftime at one of the Rose Bowl games. Enjoyed a varied Medical career: Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. He was a WWII Great Generation veteran in the South Pacific. Volunteered as an associate clinical professor at UCSF. His loving wife, Haw, sister Lucille Wong and other family members were at this bedside when he died at age 92.
1933 MARION LEE ENG of Alamo passed away quietly last October. She was a longtime employee of the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Marion was the devoted wife of the late William Eng for 59 years. She is survived by two sons and an extended family of grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
1934 FRANCIS MAYER, a former San Francisco Superior Court judge who instituted major reforms in the city’s Juvenile Court system, died last November of congestive heart failure . He was 89, a UCB alumnus and the top graduate in his 1941 Hastings Law School class. Major Mayer was a WWII Great Generation veteran with three years of ETO service. He was an assistant district attorney in San Francisco for 22 years before being appointed to the Superior Court by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1969. During his eight years as a Juvenile Court judge, he made sweeping changes in the juvenile justice system in San Francisco. He became assistant presiding judge of the Superior Court working in City Hall and later became the court’s presiding judge. He left the court in 1985 and was self-employed as an arbitrator and mediator for ten years. The Judge was active in many social clubs, philanthropic pursuits and professional organizations for which he won numerous awards. He retired in 1995. Judge Mayer is survived by his wife of nearly five decades, Lois, sons Kevin and Scott, daughter Leslie, and six grandchildren. DORIS GERTRUDE TOFT, a third generation San Franciscan, died at the age of 89. She attended UCB, Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Met her husband, William, in Berkeley and were owner/ operators of the Durant Hotel for many years. She is survived by a son and daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. CAROLYN HICKS LAUTEN passed away January 12, 2005 in Springfield, Oregon. Carolyn always looked forward to attending the annual class reunion until she moved to Oregon in 2000 to be closer to her daughter, three granddaughters, and five great-grandchildren.
1935 RUSSELL KANTER, beloved husband, grandpa, and friend. He was an optician for over 45 years. Russell started Kanter Optical Co. in Hayward, where it thrived for some 20 years. He enjoyed telling stories and making everybody laugh. Mr. Kantner is survived by his loving wife, Rayna; son Jon; daughter Ricka; and three grandchildren.
1936 RICHARD “DICK” S. BISHOP, J.D. , Hastings School of Law, a Navy veteran, who practiced law in San Francisco for 50 years with Bishop, Murray, and Barry, died last January. Active in San Carlos city government including mayor in 1961. He had a love of nature and the outdoors and led hikes as a member of the Sierra Club for 20 years.
1937 MARGERY MARY CULP BENTLEY, a graduate of the College of San Mateo passed away in her sleep last October. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, William, and is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
DORIAN ROSENTHAL PARADIS of Springfield died Nov. 3, 2006 of cancer at the age of 87. Son, Ron Paradis wrote that she was always proud of being a Lowell graduate.
1938 JAMES HERRON GRAHAM, a WWII Great Generation decorated (DFC) Air Force bomber pilot (B-24s) in the Pacific, B.A. Stanford (Econ), died in the company of his family last November. He enjoyed careers in the automobile business and in real estate investing. Graham is survived by beloved wife of 49 years, Helen (Howie) Graham, daughters Linda and Jodie, and their families. FRANCIS WARREN LAWRENCE, B.A. UCB, J.D. Hastings College of the Law, and a Great Generation Navy veteran who served aboard the carrier Hornet., died in January. He was an employee of Standard Oil for 34 years including a stint in Washington, D.C. lobbying for the company, He loved hiking and the outdoors, and enjoyed hosting guests at the family mountain summer retreat, the Cedars. He and friends hiked together weekly throughout Marin County enjoying the comradeship. Francis is missed by his wife of 59 years, a son and daughter, and two grandchildren.
1939 PATRICIA “PAT” FINLEY MATHIS, AA Mission College, passed away last January. She was an administrative assistant in the Palo Alto School District for many years. Her love was music. She began singing as a young girl and continued until just before her death. “Pat” performed with several singing groups during her lifetime. She was the loving wife of the late Julius Benning Mathis and is survived by an extended family of friends and relatives. DR. DONALD H. MINKLER, B.A. UCB (PBK), M.D. Harvard Medical School, died peacefully on the night of his 61st wedding anniversary (Betsy). He had a special interest in women’s health, working as a consultant in developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Donald was a professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCSF and UCB at the School of Public Health. His pioneering work in women’s health care led to membership in numerous related organizations: Planned Parenthood and director, Reproductive Health Research and Policy. He is survived by Betsy, his beloved wife of 61 years, four children, six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his Lowellite brother, Roy Minkler. At Lowell, Donald was Student Body President, Class of 1939. Son, Geoff Smith wrote, “This is to inform you that BETTY LOU SMITH died in February at the age of 85. She was very fond of Lowell and mentioned her years there very often. My mother is survived by another son, Bradley, a daughter Kimberly and five grandchildren. We miss her dearly.
1940 DORIS LEE DIETTERLE, a College of Pacific graduate, WWII Great Generation Navy WAVE, and longtime teacher, passed away last January. She taught in the U.S., Germany and Japan. She will be missed by her sisters, Jean ’43, Ruth, and an extended family of nephews and nieces. ELEANOR HYMAN MARCUS, attended Stanford University, married Lt. Greil Gerstley in 1944 who died when his ship, the U.S.S. Hall, went down in a typhoon. In 1948 she married Gerald Dodd Marcus, her husband of 58 years. She is survived by her husband, five children and 10 grandchildren. She loved Hawaii where her family, both on her father’s and mother’s side, had ties going back to the 1840s. HOWARD HARRINGTON COUNCIL, a Stanford University graduate and WWII Great Generation veteran (South Pacific), died last February. He played End , All-City, First Team, on one of Lowell’s (and Mike Voyne’s) greatest football teams: the unbeaten, untied 1939 AAA Champions. “Howie” enjoyed a career publishing an insurance trade magazine. He was a leader in his Marinwood community for nearly fifty years,
Spring 2007 a mainstay of the Community Services District board for twenty years. The flags in front of the district’s firehouse and community center were at half staff in his memory. He attended luncheons with Lowell schoolmates until very recently. The affable Howard is survived by his loving wife, Margie, two sons, a granddaughter and a greatgrandson, Nolan. Daughter Susan Koser Lease wrote, “DR. WILLIAM J. KOSER, JR. B.S. UCB; M.D. UCSF Medical Center, died last March. He was married to Betty Burton in August ’45 (UCSF School of Nursing) and celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2005 prior to Betty’s death in November, 2005. They raised three children and worked for many decades in their family practice in Albany, CA.
1941 EUGENE J. RAUSCHER, a Great Generation Air Force veteran, who flew B-24’s in the Pacific, died last February. He owned the Star Bakery in San Francisco for 35 years. Eugene is survived by his wife Eloise, son Mark, daughter Michele, and grandson, Michael.
1942 CHARLES “STUART” MCPHERSON, a WWII Great Generation Army Air Corps veteran and UCSB graduate, died of cancer last November at his home in Sonoma. He enjoyed a long career in real estate development in midPeninsula properties. Charles is survived by his wife Karen, three children and an extended family of grandchildren. ROBERT S. TONNESEN, a WWII veteran and Oregon State graduate, M.S. in civil engineering SJSU. He enjoyed a career in a variety of engineering positions: Fluor Mining and Metals and the U.S. NavFacEngCom in San Bruno. He served as a planning commissioner in San Bruno for ten years and as chairman of the Regional Planning Committee of San Mateo County in 1971. Robert is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nina; son Peter and a grandson, Todd.
1943 WILLIAM HAVEN LOWE, a UCB graduate and a WWII Great Generation veteran, passed away peacefully. William was an artist, poet and outdoorsman. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Mr. Lowe is survived by his spouse, Kathy (Allen) Lowe ’46.
1944 Joan Nave wrote: My husband ROBERT NAVE of Sun City West , AZ passed away last November. He was one of Mike Voyne’s football players. Loved the city and his high school. BARBARA ARNOLD FOURNIER passed away peacefully in April at the age of 79 surrounded by her family. She attended U.C. Berkeley and UCLA where she majored in theatre arts. She had varied interests in community endeavors: Infant Shelter, Mother’s Milk Bank, St. Mary’s Hospital Women’s Auxiliary (Pres.), and Red Cross. Barbara was a pianist, enjoyed cooking, clothes designing, gardening, and tennis. She inherited from her father one of the largest privately held fig ranches in NorCal. Following its sale, she and her sister owned and operated AA Antiques on Sacramento St. in S.F. She is survived by Dudley, her husband of 56 years. son Dudley; daughter Michele and extended family including four grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Delbert Peterson wrote, “AUDREY BARTHOLD PETERSON passed away on Oct. 23, 2006. She frequently mentioned the wonderful and exciting opportunities available at Lowell to her many friends. She was a great lady and a dedicated public servant in her community.” JOHN “JACK” HENRICUS passed away last November in Boise, Idaho. After serving in the Army, he returned to the U. of Idaho where he earned a B.A. in BusAdmin. Worked for the Intermountain Glass Co. in Boise, eventually buying the company. He also worked as a bailiff in the Fourth District Court, Boise for 25 years. John was married for 56 years and is survived by three children and eight grandchildren.
1945 SHELDON DAVID KULLY, M.A. BusAdmin. UCB, M.A. Inter. Affairs, Georgetown. He enjoyed a varied career in the Navy, retiring with
Lowell Alumni Association the rank of Captain. Mr. Kully became fluent in Mandarin at the Language Institute in Monterey. In his retirement he developed an avocation as a wine connoisseur. He is survived by his devoted wife of 36 years, Barbara Sacks Kully, two children and three grandchildren. JOSEPH KOHLBECHER, a Stanford graduate, died Christmas Day 2006 after a brief illness. He was actively involved with the Classic Car Club of NorCal, The Singing Messengers of Pleasant Hill and the Society of California Pioneers. Joseph will be greatly missed by his many friends.
1946 ALEXANDER POLITZER, a Cal graduate and a DKE, died last November. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Loving brother of Mary Politzer Haney and the Reverend Jerome F. Politzer. RICHARD D. BRIDGMAN, M.A. UCB, J.D. Golden Gate U. School of Law, a Korean War veteran (Lt. USN) died in February at his home in Sante Fe, NM. He was a respected attorney for forty-eight years, trying over 200 personal injury, medical and legal malpractice jury trials. Richard was a member of numerous legal associations and during his career was a faculty member of both Golden Gate U. School of Law and Hastings College of the Law. He is survived by his wife, Noreen, his son, Richard, and twin granddaughters. TERRENCE MCKEON, a UCB graduate and Great Generation WWII veteran, taught English and coached basketball in Hopland and retired from Ukiah H.S. in 1988 (36 years). He is survived by his wife, Bernadette; four children and ten grandchildren CHARLES DONALD NOONAN, B.S. UCB, M.D. UCSF, died at his home last October. He was a professor and doctor of radiology at UCSF Medical center, Highland Hospital in Oakland, and the VA Hospital. Dr. Noonan was predeceased by his wife, Alice. He is survived by five daughters and twelve grandchildren.
1948 ROBERT ANTHONY INMAN, a Stanford graduate (PBK), died suddenly last November in San Francisco. He enjoyed a varied career: Army Intelligence, novelist, reporter, editor, and short story writer (O. Henry Prize in 1971). Was awarded back-to-back Fulbright Scholarships in 1952. He is survived by two sons and an extended family of relatives and friends. ROBERT ALAN MILLER, a USF graduate, died in Bakersfield (2005). Belated notice sent to the LAA by classmate Lynne Ulm ’48. ALVIN M. KARSTENSEN, a UCB graduate, died in February. In New York, he worked for two of the top advertising firms: Young & Rubicam, and Benton & Bowles. He enjoyed a long career in the fashion industry, working for companies like The White House and Joseph Magnin. Alvin’s career enabled him to live in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, and Lake Como, Italy. He is survived by his siblings and an extended family of friends and colleagues. DENNIS D. PATTON, B.A. UCB; M.D. UCLA; Professor of Radiology and Co-Director of Nuclear Medicine at Vanderbilt University and U. of Arizona. After returning to S.F. he was appointed Clinical Professor of Radiology at UCSF. He had an ongoing interest in the history of radiology and nuclear medicine and wrote a number of highly regarded articles on the subject. During his career, he delivered numerous invited lectures in the U.S. and abroad. He is survived by his two sons, James and William.
1949 JACK LELAND HYMES of San Rafael, a Cal graduate, died last December at the age of 75. He was past president of the California Tennis club. Mr. Hymes was the loving father of children Anne, Jennifer, Jacob, and Jon. Adoring grandfather of four grandchildren. Dear brother of Judith Cohen.
1955 GUY EDWARD FERROGGIARO, a graduate of UOP and USF Law School, died last June in Eureka. He was married for 27 years to Joyce (Richards) Ferroggiaro ’56. Guy had two sons, Erik and Scott, and a sister Susan.
1958 ALFRED (AL) H. FRAUMENI passed away July 2006 at 66 after a battle with small cell lung cancer. He loved cruising in our ’62 Vette, ’58 Impala (red and white like the colors of Lowell, collecting coins, traveling and being with his family. Alfred is survived by his wife of 46 years , Michele, four children and six grandchildren.
1959 RICHARD RAMOS, who put in several seasons of work at Minnesota’s Guthrie theatre as actor, director and advisor, died last November in Sarasota, Florida. He was 65. Some of his credits at the Guthrie in the late ‘70s were Of Mice and Men, Pantagleize, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Design by Living, Endgame and Romeo and Juliet. He directed A Christmas Carol in 1979. At the time of his death he was preparing to open in a staging of Amadeus. His film credits include, The Thomas Crown affair, Die hard: With a Vengeance, I, the Jury, Barney Miller, Klute, and many others. TOYOKO SUMIDA DOI, a SFSU graduate, died of kidney cancer last December at the age of 64. She worked as a teacher and administrator at Morning Star School and for the Marin County Office of Education for over 20 years. She served as President of the 250,000 member (CA School Employees Assn), and was honored as an Employee of the Year in 2003. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley. Toyoko is survived by sister, Sue, three sons including Darrell Doi ’80, and five grandchildren.
1961 RICHARD J. REBACK, attended both Pepperdine U. and SFSU. He served as a longtime volunteer at the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia Society, the Friends of the River and the Rose Resnick’s Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. He was the loving brother of Nancy (Reback) Goldberg ’57 and her husband, Lawrence, and will be missed by an extended circle of family and friends.
1963 The wife of DAVID CAREY SMALL wrote: “We can’t know why some things happen . . . but we can know that love and beautiful memories outlast the pain and grief. And we can know that there’s a place inside the heart where love lives always . . . and where nothing beautiful can be forgotten . . . and that dreams never end, and my love for you will always be. Your loving wife, Una.” David is missed by an extended family and friends including his parents, mother-in-law, children Cari and Ken, and grandchildren. KAREN KROLOFF FARNHAM, a sixth generation San Franciscan, died last December at the age of sixty. She served actively on the board of N.A.V.H. Karen is survived by her sister, Susan (Kroloff ) Lipschultz ‘62, and an extended family of siblings, aunts, and in-laws.
1968 VIRGINIA GINGER HOM, a U.C. Berkeley graduate, M.A. Sonoma State U., died unexpectedly in South Lake Tahoe, Jan. 2, 2007. She enjoyed a teaching and administrative career, lastly as Curriculum Coordinator for the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Ginger was a bright shining star in a world of friends, coworkers , and family. A fund is being set up to purchase library books in her name. RALPH LEN HOLLIDAY, CCSF, died unexpectedly last December of heart failure. He is survived by his loving parents and an extended
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1973 BRUCE OWEN POWELL, Eagle Scout and Golden Gate University graduate, died last October of colon cancer. He had served with the SFPD and Alameda Co. as a probation officer. Bruce had fond memories of his years at Lowell. He spoke fondly of friends, classmates, and fellow-football, baseball and basketball teammates. The family held a private memorial to celebrate his life. He is survived by his wife, Debbie Powell (Chin) ’73 and son Joseph.
1974 MACHIKO ITO, B.S. UCLA, (Kinesiology) passed away in June 2006 after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer. She successfully ran the AITOH Company, an importer of origami paper and Japanese art materials. Machiko loved traveling, seeing movies and plays, and going to rock concerts. She was also an avid S.F. Giants fan. Machiko is survived by her husband, Mike Swanekamp, family and friends. We will truly miss her love for life and her sense of humor.
1978 A belated obituary from his wife, Cynthia, states that SAMPSON LEE passed away January, 1999 at the age of 39. He died of cancer.
1979 MARY “NON” TRAVIS, B.A. UCB, M.A. SFSU, died of caner at her home in Oakland. She was 44. She enjoyed rewarding careers with the Calif. Coastal Commission and the California State Coastal Conservancy , working with permits and enforcement. Mary managed dozens of projects including helping to buy parkland property in Big Sur, restoring bird habitat on tiny Ano Nuevo Island, or restoring fish passage in local creeks. Mary is survived by her husband, Rich, her mother and brothers , and an extended family of friends and colleagues.
FACULTY Alumni, retired teachers, and former football players will be saddened to learn that JV football coach ANDY KORBA (1956-1978) died last November 27th at the age of 89. He was the gentle giant of the coaching staff for two decades. A generation of junior varsity players will remember him as a friendly, quiet man who never let his enthusiasm for the game diminish his interest in the players as individuals who require counseling and support during those formative years of their lives. (See LtrstoEd for reminiscences about Andy from Bob Lee ’63. Further comments from former players are welcome. Ed) Former teachers and students will remember MR. TRYPHON NICHOLS who passed away last February. He was a popular art teacher at the Old & New Lowell, 1952-1987. The tile mosaic of the Lowell seal at the main entrance of the school is artist Tryphon’s work. He is survived by his wife, Vasso, also an artist, by children, Christina and Christopher, and grandson, Paul. KAROL KAY DUVAL, a teacher and volleyball/ badminton coach at Lowell (1968-1979), ’72 class sponsor w/Jim Thomas, passed away peacefully at home last February. A genetic disease disabled her in 1991. She fought courageously a long and difficult illness with the assistance of loving caregivers and the support of her dear friend Marilyn Fitzgerald. Kay is survived by her aunt Margaret McLerran; nephew Jerry Mitchel, Jr. and his family and other relatives residing in Texas.
Beautiful Lowell sweatshirts are available now by mail. Dark red in sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL Generous fit. Lowell logo left side. Made by Russell Athletic $35 (includes shipping and handling) Please send check to Lowell Alumni Association PO Box 320009, San Francisco, CA 94132-0009
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Lowell Alumni Association
LOWELL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PO BOX 320009 San Francisco, California 94132
Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit 7857 San Francisco, CA
2007 SF Prep Hall of Fame Includes All-City Prep Athletes, Coaches, Olympians, Civic Leaders
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an Francisco, CA — The term “variety” personifies the eight individualsfour athletes and three coaches-who will be inducted into the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame’s 25th Annual Banquet/induction ceremonies, Saturday, May 19, 2007. Two of the honorees are Lowellites Marc Christensen ’64 and Lowell coach Jim Thomas. Their achievements cover decades of San Francisco prep history.
Lowell Alumni Association PO BOX 320009 • San Francisco, CA 94132 415/759-7830 E-Mail: LowellAA@LowellAlumni.org Visit our website: www.lowellalumni.org for information about reunions, special events at Lowell and alumni news
Spring 2007— Lowell Alumni Newsletter
An Illustrated History of Lowell High School 1856–2006 Due to production delays the long-anticipated sesquicentennial +1 History of Lowell will be published and mailed later this year. — Editors
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n celebration of Lowell’s sesquicentennial, the Lowell Alumni Association is proud to announce the publication of the definitive history of the West’s oldest public high school, spanning Lowell’s colorful 150-year history. This keepsake hardcover book, to be published in 2007, will offer: • A complete narrative history of Lowell, from its 1856 founding as Union Grammar School to today • More than 300 pages, including nearly 150 photos (many in color) • Complete histories of many Lowell activities, including music, drama, forensics, JROTC, etc. • Detailed accounts of the history of various Lowell sports, from football to swimming An accompanying CD-ROM will provide several special features, including: • Complete graduation lists of every class from December, 1859, through June, 2006
Spring 2007
Marc Christensen – 1970 to Present Coach: Hoover & Potrero Hill Junior High Schools; McAteer & Riordan High Schools…..Track/Field; Cross Country, Basketball Marc Christensen’s coaching and athletic administration achievements cover more than three decades. The Lowell High School and San Francisco State University student athlete graduate established outstanding coaching records at two junior high schools, (1970-1982) Potrero Hill and Herbert Hoover, and two high schools, (19822005) J. Eugene McAteer and Archbishop Riordan. Under Christensen’s guidance the middle schools won eight City and 22 Division crowns. The Potrero Hill’s Boys basketball won the City title in 1974 and Division Crown in 1975; the Girls basketball took two City crowns in 1978 and 1981 and Division titles in 1977 and 1980. The Girls volleyball team was the City champions in 1982. In track/field at Hoover and Potrero Hills the Christensen track/field units had a 94-1l mark with the four City championships and 18 Division titles. He moved to the high school level in 1982 where his McAteer’s squads during the next 18 years won nine Boys varsity,
one Girls varsity, and three Boys Soph-Frosh track/field championships. The three squads during that time posted an overall 563-1844 record. For the past 35 years Christensen has been a leader in various coaches and athletic administration organizations such as the San Francisco Association of Athletic Coaches & Physical Education Teachers. He is the President and co-founder (1981) of the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame. Currently he is a teacher at George Washington High School.
James Thomas, Coach: Lowell High School-(1974-2003) If its championship teams you want, then Lowell High School’s James Thomas boys and girls track, cross country, and girls basketball records have to be on the top of the list. In his 29-year reign coach Thomas has 41 titles. The total includes 18 track/field, 16 cross country, and 7 girls basketball. Cross country had four boys’ varsity; nine girls’ varsity; and three boys’ frosh-soph championship teams. Thomas’ track/field crowns include two boys’ varsity; 12 girls varsity; and four boys’ frosh-soph. In girls’ basketball the Thomas tutored cagers made the playoffs every season (260-88 record). It included seven girls championships. The girls basketball players also were undefeated three times in AAA play and played in the CIF Northern California Basketball Tournament six times. Thomas was basketball “Coach of the Year” four times. After more than 35 years in the San Francisco Unified School District, Thomas is now retired and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lowell Teams Are S.F. Champs
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he 2007 AAA boys varsity basketball champion Lowell Cardinals with head coach Rob Ray. This marks the third time in the past four years that Lowell was won the boys varsity basketball title and our first back-to-back championships in over 60 years.
• A listing of every Lowell faculty member • Special lists (student body presidents, editors of The Lowell, etc.) • Selected images from the Lowell Alumni Association archives This commemorative history is being sold for $50, including tax, shipping and handling. Just complete and return the order form below to take advantage of this very special offer.
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owell’s baseball team celebrated its 13th San Francisco Section championship after defeating Washington 8-3 at AT&T Park. The win gave the Cardinals (23-9) their 10th section crown under current coach, John Donohue. Congratulations to the Coach and team!
If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact us at (415) 759-7830 or lowellaa@lowellalumni.org. YES! I would like to order ________ copies of An Illustrated History of Lowell High School 1856–2006. Enclosed is my check (made payable to Lowell Alumni Association) in the amount of $___________. Name ______________________________________________Class ________ Last Name at Lowell (if different) _____________________________________
Gaston Guibert (left) celebrates with team‑ mate Matt Ng after pitching the Lowell Cardinals to victory in the AAA champion‑ ship game at AT&T Park.
Address _________________________________________________________ City ________________________________ State _________ Zip __________ E-mail __________________________ Phone __________________________ Mail to Lowell Alumni Associaiton PO Box 320009 San Francisco, CA 94132
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ue to unforeseen production delays, the commemorative history book will not be published and shipped until November or December of this year. For those who have placed paid orders, please accept our most sincere apology and rest assured that our volunteers are working hard to make this a truly outstanding publication. We know you will take great pride in the finished product! Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.