CLASS OF 1963
Pres: Stephen M. Duncan
Sec'y: Michael H. Shelley
25 Sweetwater Lane, Pisgah Forest, NC
28768
h: 828-862-4245 e: Class.Secretary@USNA63.org
Web site: www.USNA63.org
I regret having
to begin this report with news of the deaths of two of our classmates and
one of our children.
Edward (Ned) Walsh died
of cancer on 10 August at his home in Canton, Mississippi.
Ned's survivors include his widow Lucy and their children Edward and Mary-Lacey.
Please see the Last Call section of this issue for his obituary, which
also appears in the Last Call segment of our web site. The family is planning
an interment in the Naval Academy Columbarium in the fall with a memorial
service in the chapel.
The days leading up to Ned's death
saw an outpouring of affection and support from his companymates.
As reported by Jim Carter,
Last weekend, ten of us from the Sixth Company, Bill and Dottie Hughes, Lionel Banda, Bob Borlet, Tony DeSantis, Bruce Alitt, Dirck Praeger, Dick Williams, Dick and Julie Arvedlund, Frank Gregory, and I went down to Canton and spent the weekend with Ned and Lucy. We bought a lot of beer and food, and just sat around telling sea stories. Ned loved it. It was good for him. It was certainly good for us. Three more Sixth Company guys (Austin Seay, Mike Lents, and Chuck Maclin) spent all day with Ned the day before he died. Brian Perkinson came to Canton the following weekend and was a great help to the family.
As Bill Hughes
observed,
Ned seemed in good spirits and in no pain. He died peacefully and with a lot of faith. I'm sure we all have a friend in heaven. Most of us could use the help.Shortly before preparing this month's column, I learned that John Harvey had died on 26 October 1999. As soon as I can gather additional details I'll share them with you.
Kay and Ted Krohne's oldest son, Ensign Kristopher Krohne, was killed in a flight training accident at Vance Air Force Base near Enid, Oklahoma, on 6 September. The accident occurred during a solo flight when the T-37 primary jet trainer he was piloting crashed during touch and go landings. Kris was a graduate of the NROTC program at George Washington University. Ted and Kay have one other son, Carl, who is 21 years old.
A growing number of our classmates are adding current biographical information to the Electronic Lucky Bag on the Class of 1963 web site. Here are some excerpts from their recent submissions:
I completed 31 years active duty in 1994, almost entirely in the submarine business. Last duty commanded SUBGROUPs 6 and 10 in Charleston and Kings Bay plus acted as COMNAVBASE Charleston. Spent a year working and living in Charleston before moving to Amelia Island, FL, in 1995. Still involved in two projects in South Carolina but mostly enjoying good living on the beach. Getting involved in local affairs on the city Planning Board and other volunteer work. Finding plenty of time for golf and surf. Julie and I have been married since 1965 so she is also a true Navy veteran. Our son John is a physician practicing in New Bern, NC, where he and his family live. Daughter Diana Lowery lives in Alexandria, VA, where she and her husband work. We are new and happy grandparents.From Dave Anderson:
After flight training I had a wonderful tour in VP-49 out of Pax River, MD. My last two years in the Navy were at BUPERS in Officer Distribution working the VP, VR, VW placement desk - another great career job, but a time of early outs, rife with administrative confusion as we tried to conform to budgetary constraints that were being imposed on the military. I began to feel the need for more control over my life and resigned effective 5 June 1970 to enter the financial services field. I am married to Pat Warnken (sister of our classmate Larry). Two daughters, Liz (the first legal child of the 15th Company, born 13 March 1964) and Laura. Both are now teaching school and parents of three of my grandchildren. Two sons, Max and John, both working with me, and parents of the other three. We moved to the West Coast after leaving the Navy and settled in Portland, OR. We moved to Longview, WA, in 1978 and formed what is now Interwest Financial Group, Inc. We manage money and provide financial consulting for individual clients and institutions. Our clients range from coast to coast offering the opportunity for as much travel as we can handle. In 1982 I was ordained as a Permanent Deacon serving the Seattle Archdiocese. While my business life keeps me from being involved to the degree I would like, I have had the unique opportunity to witness the marriages of my children and baptize my grandchildren. Having my sons as business successors is a luxury that so far affords the opportunity to do as much professionally as I like for as long as like. Retiring is something we do every night, about 8:30 the dogs start heading for the stairs. Old friendships grow more valuable as the years pass. We've been able to renew several recently and would look forward to many more for anyone who's in our neck of the woods.From Terry Rogers:
Upon graduation I was assigned to USS Theodore E. Chandler DD717, homeported in Long Beach, CA. I served two years there as the communications officer. We made one cruise to WESTPAC and were sent to the Tonkin Gulf after the Maddox/Turner Joy incident. In 1965 I was transferred to a new construction, the Wainwright DLG 28, which was commissioned in Boston in early 1966. I was the communications officer on that ship also, which was home ported in Charleston, SC. In the spring of 1967 we sailed through the Panama Canal. I was released from active duty in June 1967. In September 1967 I entered law school at the University of Wyoming and graduated with a JD degree in May 1970. I spent my law school summers working as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park. Upon graduation I moved to Jackson, WY, and started my own law practice. In time I became the city attorney, and then the county and prosecuting attorney. After 19 years as an attorney I was appointed to be the District Judge in Jackson, serving three counties. I continue in that position today. I was married in 1978 to Gloria Bailey of Ogden, UT. We are the parents of six children, the youngest of whom was born in 1991. My family responsibilities have been considerable. My hobbies and interests include hiking, photography, wood carving, woodworking, building musical instruments, officiating basketball games, golf, and playing bluegrass guitar. I hope to work in my job until mandatory retirement at age 70. I then hope to be able to spend my winters in a warmer climate.From Vince Gilroy:
I attended flight training after graduation and spent 28 years flying P- 3's and having a lot of fun. Retired as a Captain in 1991 to South Carolina where I run a Navy JROTC program. Built a nice home on the 11th green and play lots of golf. I remain married to my "OW", Robin, who plays even more golf than me. We had three boys, Brian (Villanova 86 - NROTC) who also spent six years in P-3's, David (Princeton 88 AROTC) who spent four years as an Army officer, and Peter (Florida 92). While on my next-to-last active tour as Naval Attach* in the Philippines, Robin did some volunteer work in a local orphanage. This resulted in our adopting our beloved daughter, Kara, who is now 14 and keeping us poor. All sons are happily married, so far producing two grandsons and four granddaughters.From George Fister:
After graduation, I spent 21 years at sea on eight different submarines including two diesels and six nucs. Completed five years in command in Hawaii, three years on USS Skate and then two years on USS Tunney after relieving Karl Kaup. After so much fun at sea, the Navy decided that I needed to go to shore duty, and as punishment, they sent me to Washington. I thought it would only be a two year tour, but at the end of my third two-year tour, I decided to retire after 27 years. Often thought I should have stayed for a career. Since retirement, I have some really fun jobs including helping the Korean Navy learn how to operate their new submarines. In addition, I have been involved in environmental remediation of close military bases, and helping communities find alternative uses for the facilities. Most recently I was involved in creating a battle space information system for the Marine Corps in a littoral. I am currently working in the office of the DON CIO in the Navy Smart Card Office. I am still married to Judie 37 years after graduation. The academy was right, it helps if you wait for a while after graduation to get married -- we waited until Sunday. Our two boys and one girl all live in this area, the oldest is married and we have one granddaughter. Our youngest, daughter, was married in August 2000 to a wonderful young man. Our middle, son, is still looking. After 10 years of retirement, I guess I've reached the stage in life where I think back about what I might have done differently -- and I can't think of much. The kids survived 21 years of their Dad being gone, and I guess I would have to say that I would sure like to do it all over again. I hope this finds all my classmates as happy and satisfied with their lives as I seem to be with mine.From Bob Nobbs:
After serving in destroyers on the east coast for three years after Graduation, I spent a year in Chulai, Vietnam, as OIC of the MSTS Office there. I decided to resign my commission to attend Fordham University Law School in New York. I worked as a corporate real estate attorney for Metropolitan Life for 31 years in Chicago, Houston, and New York, and retired from MetLife in July, 1998. I married Melinda Dale Lawrence in September 1964 and we have four children: Kim, a Vice President for an upscale retirement residence; Peter and Keith, actors; and Craig, a playwright, plus one grandson, Patrick. We have been very active in Worldwide Marriage Encounter (for 28 years). We also travel quite a bit and spend time with family and friends.From Mario Fiori:
I had a fun submarine career. After graduating I went on a diesel, USS Tench (SS417), qualified, and then did four years at MIT. With a nuclear engineering Ph.D. in hand, I had to revisit Rickover and very rapidly got booted out. Ultimately I did get in the program and served on SSNs and was XO of an SSBN. Commanded USS Spadefish (SSN668), Norfolk, VA; Submarine Squadron Four, Charleston, SC; and Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport, RI. Shore tours included Systems Analysis in Office of CNO in 73-75 timeframe, and while there also served in the Federal Energy Administration (precursor to Dept of Energy). From 83-85 served as technical assistant and senior bag holder for Dr. George Keyworth, who was President Reagan's science advisor. I retired at the end of my NUSC tour in Oct 89. Since then I had a consulting business through 91, joined the Department of Energy in Oct 91 and worked one year at headquarters and five years as the manager of the Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC. An interesting and challenging experience. I then started Compass Associates Inc. and consult for various clients. I am presently serving as president of a small soft ware company in Seattle until I and our owners, a Manchester England based company, RTS Plc., can find a new permanent president. By the way, Pete Optekar founded this software company and sold it to the Brits in 99. Susan and I continue to reside in Augusta GA while our three girls, Cristina, Alison, and Katherine (27,25,22), are all out of Duke finally. Cris will be married to a doctor next May, Alison continues to work in environmental projects for Duke Recycling in Durham, and Kate is off to Germany for a year as a Fullbright Scholar studying Human Development. I may even get to visit her and practice my very weak German.
"Del Mar Official Will Start Retirement On Open Road; Ex-Public Works Chief To Take Part In Motorcycle Trip" This headline in the 1 September edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune appeared above an article lauding the accomplishments of our classmate Dick Andrews. Here are a few excerpts.
On Friday, Richard Andrews retired as city public works director. This morning, he's planning to hop on his motorcycle and get out of town -- and out of a 40-year routine of putting work first and leisure last. "I've never had a break and I'm taking this time for myself before I get too old," said Andrews. He and his twin brother, David, are among 600 riders who will take to the road in Tijuana today for a five-day, 2,880-mile road trip to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. "That's about 600 miles a day," Andrews said about the 25th annual event, called the Three Flags ride and sponsored by the California Motorcycle Association.Andrews graduated from the Naval Academy and spent the next 26 years heading various public works projects, including being construction manager at Camp Pendleton and then at Naval Air Station Miramar. He also served two tours in Vietnam. Workdays were 13 hours or longer, and he said the only free time he could count on was vacation. "I took the job here 10 years ago because it sounded interesting," he said. "Working in a small town is definitely harder than in a large city because you have to have technical knowledge in everything from sewer system maintenance and repair to the right way to prune a tree."
What surprised him most, he said, was the amount of time he spent on the telephone talking to residents. "In a small city, people know your name and want to talk to the director. I spent hours on the telephone." Many of those same residents bemoaned his decision to leave and even threw him a goodbye party on the eve of his retirement. "Richard was just so capable and so even-tempered, so solid," said City Manager Lauraine Brekke-Esparza.
"If there was a crisis, you'd want Richard to be in charge." The mayor, council members, and Andrews' co-workers added their praise. "They said an awful lot of nice things. I was embarrassed by all the attention," Andrews said. "I'm pretty much like all engineers. Give us a job, leave us alone, and let us go do it."
During the three-country motorcycle ride, Andrews said, he intends to pull over and rest whenever he feels tired or fatigued. "We'll take a more leisurely pace on the return trip," he added. Deadlines and work schedules aren't a part of his life anymore.
The full text of this article can be seen in the "USNA in the News" section of the Alumni Association's web site at www.usna.com. It's in the archive for 6 September.
It was good to hear from Joe Strasser, who provided this update on his recent activities and newest position:
Following my retirement from the Naval War College in June 1995, Barbara and I moved to DuBois, Pennsylvania, where I became Campus Executive Officer of one of Penn State's branch campuses. I remained in that position for a little more than two years when Penn State decided to bring 12 of its branch campuses together to form a college. I became the first dean of this new college, the Commonwealth College, with some 14,000 students, making it the largest college within the University. This required us to relocate to State College.I served in this capacity for almost three years. It was a wonderful opportunity and Penn State was really very good to me. What a quality university!! There was a great deal of travel involved in visiting 12 locations throughout the state and I decided I wanted to spent additional time at home. Barbara and I formed many wonderful friendships in Newport during our five years there at the War College, and we thought at some time we'd like to return.
We did so in July. We are renting a home in Newport while our new home is being built in Portsmouth. We expect that it will be finished in March 2001. I started working as Executive Director of the Naval War College Foundation on 1 September. I will be trying to assist the College as I received great support from the Foundation while I was President of the College. I look forward to hearing from classmates in the area.
Make a return
visit to the Class of 1963 web site to see our newest feature - Company
Locator maps showing the whereabouts of the members of each company and
providing direct e-mail connections for your convenience. While you're
surfing, take a look at two redesigned web sites: the Naval Academy Alumni
Association at www.usna.com and the
United States Navy at www.navy.mil.
We'll close for now with
an expression of thanks to Mike Blackledge,
the founding Webmaster of the Class of 1963 web site. Blackie's creativity,
technical skills, and boundless energy are responsible for most of the
"look and feel" of the site and a substantial portion of its contents.
Because of a previous commitment, he is now on an extended leave of absence
from his Webmaster duties. The maintenance aspects of his web site work
have been divided between Bill Kennedy and
Steve Coester, but we will sorely miss Blackie's
creative contributions
and his stimulating comments on the "Webmaster Suggests" page. So much
for this month. Let me hear from you very soon, Classmate!
Beat Army!
QUALITY - '63
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