Classmate Joyce Orthey Laehr's husband Lon recently passed. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer not too long ago. I am posting the link to his services in case any of you knew Lon or just case to show support for Joyce. 
 

 

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Per classmate Paul Dorsey, word is that our Senior Class President, Scott Leigh,  passed in November, 2024. you can leave comments if you visit the In Memory link on the left of the Home Page. Following is his obituary 

Douglas Scott Leigh died peacefully surrounded by family on November 14, 2024, due to complications of Parkinson’s Disease. He was born April 16, 1947, to Evelyn (Solsman) and Gerald Leigh, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a boy in Racine, Wisconsin, where he played sports and loved basketball in particular, but was also known for his keen intellect. 

Scott graduated from Park High School in Racine in 1965 and his love of learning found him pursuing studies in Sociology of Education, Philosophy and Clinical Psychology at Beloit College, Western Michigan University and University of Nebraska - Lincoln. While he explored many possibilities at the university level and was awarded several degrees, his in-depth and self-guided studies of various topics (as diverse as grizzly bears to Zen Buddhism to AI) was lifelong.

During his college years Scott welcomed his first daughter Megan into the world in 1968 with Tara Seymour, followed by Brittany in 1979 and Bonnie in 1982 with former wife Cheryl (Bethel). He was also a stepfather, and remained a loving and constant presence in his stepson Brian’s life to the end. 

Scott’s career included time as an editor of a local newspaper and school board member, but he spent the bulk of his career at Nebraska Public Media in several roles, the last of which was Senior Producer in the Interactive Media Unit, creating diverse content ranging from courses for UNL’s independent High School to an interactive multimedia ebook on “Lost Writers of the Plains” to a companion website to NPM’s “The Price of Water.”

His daughters sometimes joked with Scott that he had a shaky track record when it came to choosing partners, having experienced divorce several times. However, that changed when he met Shaunna Meyer in 1996 and blossomed into a partnership that spanned almost 29 years. Scott’s respect and admiring love of Shaunna was apparent in the way he spoke of and to her; in his actions and delight in the quiet life and rhythms they’d built together. To Scott, every day with Shaunna was a gift.

A perfect day for Scott might find him browsing a used bookstore to add to his legendary book collection, or going for a 30-mile bike ride on Lincoln’s MoPac trail, ballcap on, greeting everyone. He would of course also do some reading; convene a Zoom gathering to connect with far-flung daughters and sister; or delight in a weekly Zoom call with Slava to discuss Tibetan Buddhism (and life).  And no matter what else, 4:45 pm meant his daily check-in conversation with lifelong friend Paul. The end of the day often found him snuggling up on the sofa after dinner to watch a movie from his list of favorites, sandbagged by three cats, holding hands with Shaunna.

Scott was a seeker, and when he turned 60 he decided it was time to put some of the ideas he’d read about for decades into practice; he participated regularly in Tibetan Buddhist meditation retreats ranging in length from a weekend to three months. In the end, after these years of studying various wisdom traditions, his heart resonated most with the Dalai Lama’s “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”  

Above all, Scott was kind.

He is greatly missed by his daughters Megan, Brittany and Bonnie; sisters Linda Leigh and Gabrielle Martin; wife Shaunna Meyer and his beloved cats (both his own and the neighborhood cats who frequented his patio). Friends Paul Dorsey and Slava Komarovski and his wife Trang remained dedicated to spending time with Scott to the very end, while sister-in-law Yvonne Meyer provided loving support in myriad ways. Grandson Flynn Leigh-Baker misses how playful and cheerful he was and granddaughter Sparrow Leigh-Baker misses how he really listened to her and cared about her interests.

While health challenges necessarily limited Scott’s world the last years of his life, he still greeted each day with honesty, humor and a willingness to examine and accept what was. He of course read voraciously about death and discussed it openly, which was a gift of sorts; his brilliant mind and words retaining depth to the end. We can still hear him.

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Brunch Group January 8th, 2025!  

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Some of the Brunch Group headed to Mulligans for Mini Golf and lunch. Thanks Dave Manchester for organizing the group. Hope to post a couple pics soon. Happy Birthday to the guy that keeps the group going, Dave Manchester. September 28th. 

 

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🧑🏻‍🎄Christmas Party 2023

Wednesday December 13th 🎅🏻

great turnout

Marilyn Kayon, Sheila Dermody, Kay Romahn, Ellen Gilmore 

Brunch on February 8th

 

Lake Geneva trip to see Grease. 
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bottom: Trudy Slesarenko, Sheila Dermody, Linda Campeau, Lynda Zamagni, Rusty Smith, Marge Razdik

top:  George Jaunkalnietis, Dave Manchester, Pat Fitzgerald, Eric Gutenberg, Dick Pankoff, Carol Tyree, Art Rozzoni, Ellen Gilmore, Peter Kierkegaard, Chuck Hennig, Mike Wilfer, Diane Kaestner
 

Jim Hunnicutt, Trudy Slesarenko, Dave Manchester, Pat Nickelson, Rusty Smith, Carol Tyree, Eric Gutenberg, Sheila Dermody, Lynda Zamagni, Karen Yurk, Ellen Gilmore, Artie Rozzoni

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What a good group today!  May 4, 2022

Christmas Lunch at the Waterstreet Brewery, December 9 noon

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pics from summer party

Reefpoint and Mulligans

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 YEARS TOGETHER 

Dave and Gail Christman 06/23/23

Joyce Orthey and Lon Laehr 02/10/23

Rick and Bonnie Rodgers 07/2022

Al and Patty Singstock 03/11/2022

Jim and Marilyn Jorgensen 8/02/2021

Jim and Sue Jenkins 6/26/2021

Marilyn Kayon and Dennis McGoldrick 6/26/2021

Sheila Dermody and Robert Gamble 6/6/2020

Francie McGuire and John Winkler

Kathy Widner and Rod Rubbo 5/30/2020

Sue Greer and Pete Turner 5/8/2020

Barb Klinkhammer and David Rudin 2/14/20

Chuck and Sharon Henning 1/17/2020

Alfonzo and Brazilian Thurman 8/23/2019

Carolyn Peetz and Gary Madsen 8/19/19

David and Virginia Jensen 08/09/2019  met at Platteville

Peter and Kathy (Horlick '65) Kirkegaard 8/02/2019

Guy and Linda Rannow 6/28/2019

Karen Yurk and Bob Wuerzberger 5/31/2019

Cyndy Eckert and Gary King 4/19/2019

Louise Ruffalo and Tim Rashleger 2/15/2019

Linda Albro Bushman and husband Peter 9/07/2018

Steve and Patricia Koch 09/2018

Judy Rasmussen and Chuck Niesen 09/2018

Barb Kemnitz and John Salvo 8/24/18

Kathy Sidwell and George Smullen on 8/03/18

Rocky & Janice Falashi July 2018 

Jan Zierke & Bill Boeck 9/17/2017

Skip and Cindy Meekma 9/16/2017

Karen Klingenmeyer & Mike Loomis 8/12/2017

Bud & Glenda Gayhart 6/24/2017

Jane Miller and Tom Langdon 6/10/2017

Sandy Mielke and Elmer Duveneck 5/06/2017

Trudy Slesarenko and Art Rozzoni 2016

Shirley Weisbrod & Dale Gayhart 2016

Cheryl Moherek and Pete Buckley 7/31/2015

Anybody else? Email ksmirish@gmail.com

 

 

Chuck Henning, Dennis Treu, Jim Jenkins.  Seated is Ed Trudeau 

 

Sheila Dermody, Trudy Slesarenko, George Jaunkalnietis, Nibs Kosterman, Art Rozzoni, Dave Manchester, Dick Pankoff, Carol Tyree

 

Chuck Henning, Steve Koch, Jim Jenkins, Sue Jenkins, Nibs Kosterman, Dave Manchester

 

Bonnie Fell and Sharilyn Sorensen 

 

Eric Pedersen from Arizona and Guy and Linda Rannow

 

Don Anderson (Margie Hamilton ‘s husband), Bill Smith and Wife Sharen Breidinger

 

Margie Hamilton Anderson

Sheila Dermody and Art Rozzoni

Sandy Rashleger and Eric Pedersen back from Arizona and Sheila Dermody

 

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Dave Manchester, Art Rozzoni, JIM Jenkins, Rusty Smith, Trudy Sleseranko, Lynda Zamagni, Diane Kaestner, Sheila Dermody enjoying deck time at the Reefpoint.  The morning mini golf outing and lunch was a big hit!  Thanks Kay Romahn. This morning JIM Jenkins and company headed out early for a bike ride at the zoo area. Still one last event tonight at Italian Fest. Visit the class in the Green Room. Thanks again to all of the organizers especially Dave Manchester, Marilyn Kayon and Carol Tyree.  

 

Carol Tyree, Phil Schultz, Sue Jenkins

Dave, Marilyn and Carol thanks for making this fun Summer Party happen

 

 

We’re back from Racine and our sorta-annual high school gathering. As usual it was great fun and involved hours and hours of talking and laughing with old and new friends. 

Day one was marked by the Panther Open, a challenging mini golf tourney where I developed and demonstrated my backspin technique, which combined with a unique hockey-style slap shot and reverse grip got me a sixty eight. My goal was to beat Dave Manchester. He got a 41.

That night we had our annual dinner-by-the-lake at the Reefpoint Brewhouse. The beer was cold and the meatballs were hot and the breeze off the lake was just perfect. Many of us stayed out till after ten PM it was such a night!

The last event was Friday morning’s Tour de Bash, a grueling ten mile bike race, into the wind in all directions. The course follows the lake and the charming streets through Wind Point, the world’s most beautiful unknown village. Three things make this bike race unique. A halfway stopover for kringle at Francie and John Winkler’s house, Dave Manchester’s patented bloody Marys at the finish and double cheeseburgers at the banquet held for the finishers at Kewpee Sandwich Shop “Clean, Sweet, Pretty and Plump.” “We cater to all the folks.”   

We hated to cut the trip short and miss Italian Fest, but we had a cat to feed back in Madison. Great weekend.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 YEARS TOGETHER 

Dave and Gail Christman 6/23/2023

Rick and Bonnie Rogers 7/2022

Alfonzo and Brazilian Thurman 8/23/2019

Cyndy Eckert and Gary King 4/19/2019

Jane Miller and Tom Langdon 6/10/2017

Jan Zierke & Bill Boeck 9/17/2017

Karen Klingenmeyer & Mike Loomis 8/12/2017

Cheryl Moherek & Pete Buckley 

Trudy Slesarenko and Art Rozzoni 2016

Shirley Weisbrod & Dale Gayhart 2016

Skip and Cindy Meekma 9/16/2017

Bud & Glenda Gayhart 6/24/2017

Bud and Glenda moved to Racine on 6/23 and spent 6/24 their 50th anniversary opening boxes reminiscent of their wedding 50 years earlier! 

Rocky & Janice Falashi July 2018 

Kathy Sidwell and George Smullen on 8/03/18

Barb Kemnitz and John Salvo 8/24/18

Linda Albro Bushman and husband Peter 9/07/2018

Steve and Patricia Koch 09/2018

Judy Rasmussen and Chuck Niesen 09/2018

Anybody else? Email ksmirish@gmail.com

 

70th Birthday Party Memories  

Golf Outing at Petrifying Springs 

Kathy Talsma, Jim Talsma, Peter Winnen, Carole Winnen, Laura Carothers, Bette Usty,  Carothers, Bud Gayhart, Linda Campeau, Al Singstock, Dick Pankoff, Ken Mills, wife Francoise Lesage, Dave Manchester, Peter Kirkegaard, Dennis Treu

O & H Bakery Tour

Laura Carothers and Bill Guenther

Paul Dorsey & Peter Kirkegaard

At The Waterfront, Brown’s Lake

Diane Fergus, Kathy Sidwell, Dave Manchester, Sharen Breidinger, Sharen's husband Bill, Sandy Hansen

Mike Holland and Sandy Hansen

Gary Howards, Dick Pankoff, wife Donna Pankoff, Art Rozzoni

Lynda Zamagni, Guy Rannow, Bette Usty

AT THE REEFPOINT

Peter Winnen and wife Carole

Bonnie Fell and Sharen Breidinger

Cousins!  Marilyn and Jon Kayon

Dave Huck and wife Rose Anne

Bette Usty and Linda Campeau 

Longtime buddies and college roommates, Marilyn Kayon and Barb Kemnitz

'65 Sisterhood--Linda Jahn, Judy Schenkenberg, Sue Greer, 

Back row: Judy Mentch, Joanie Foldy, Rusty Stirle, Carolyn Siler

Our exciting Birthday Party

Nibs Kosterman--too much drink?  Too much dance?  Just too old?

The end of a fun night at The Reefpoint

Tour de Bash Bike Tour 

John Winkler, Francie McGuire Winkler, Peter Winnen, Jim Jenkins, Bill Smith and wife Sharen Breidinger Smith, Dave Manchester, Mike Holland and Dick Hobbs

Dave and Tito providing adult beverages  

 

Post bike tour at Kewpees  John Winkler, Francie McGuire Winkler, Dick Hobbs

ITALIAN FESTIVAL A huge thank you to Art and Trudy Rozzoni for securing the Green Room at Festival Park for our 70th birthday celebration.  We also were thankful for the free admission.  

Sheila Dermody and Carol Julius Mattes

Nibs Kosterman, Carolyn Siler, JoAnn Lumia, Bob Schneider's wife, Bob Schneider 

Janice Kirby and Fanny Smith

Karen Klingenmeyer and Mike Loomis

Some of the Mitchell Bunch-- Mike Holland, Diane Kaestner, Sheila Dermody, Judy Schenkenberg, Karen Klingenmeyer, Marilyn Kayon, Carol Tyree, Karen Yurk-- that girl has not changed one bit!

 

One week after the 70th Birthday Bash, Barb Kemnitz turned 70!!  

Park High Class of ‘65 70th Birthday Bash

One of the big differences between the World’s Greatest 50th Reunion and the 70th Birthday Bash was that at the 50th reunion we were all trying to figure out who everybody was, while at the Birthday Bash, it was all about learning who everybody is. 

Two summers ago, we squinted to read name tags of long-lost pals and find out how the years had treated us all. This summer, we recognized each other, forgot about the past and enjoyed the present. We’re now friends in the here-and-now!

Another big difference, for Sue and me, was that, while the Fiftieth was about renewing old friendships, this time we got to meet new people… classmates we never knew that well, back in the day. That was really fun. 

So here’s my description of the events we attended. I hope other people pitch in and talk about some of the events they enjoyed but we missed. 

The Waterfront Restaurant, Burlington

The first activity Sue and I joined was the outing to the Waterfront on Browns Lake. ‘61 grad Mike Hammes really rolled out the carpet for his fellow Park alums. We had a cold one or three, ate some Brusha’s pizza, cruised the lake and pitched beanbags at the fabulous hand-painted Park Panther cornhole… er, beanbag toss,  game, later won in a drawing by Jim Hunnicutt. 

We chatted with Jim Hunnicutt and Kevin Ylvisaker, learned about their art fair itinerary for the summer, and about Kevin’s recent trip to Russia, where he attended a conference, but had enough time to rocket around Moscow on a Honda Gold Wing. We learned about Rusty Smith Stirle’s art work and Carol Julius Mattes’ teaching career. A real surprise and treat was seeing Gary Howards again… he moved to Madison before his senior year and graduated from West, but came to join his Park classmates at the Waterfront. We’re just more fun than those eggheads at West. 

Reef Point Brew House

The next night we attended the gathering at the Reef Point Brewhouse, another beautiful waterfront retreat. Poor Dave Manchester. He’d worked for weeks setting up a playlist of music, which was drowned out by all the conversation and laughter through the evening. Dave spent much of the evening trying to gin up interest in Karaoke, promising that he knew all the actual words to Louie, Louie and would sing them for anybody who’d listen. No takers. 

A real treat was getting to know George Jaunkalneitis. I remembered George as a football lineman back in the high school days, but we learned that he’s a big opera fan and expert, who travels to regional opera all over the Midwest. He’s also taking voice lessons and participating in a choir at Parkside. 

Chuck Henning had a few copies of vintage Park Beacons which were fun to read and which only coincidentally had accounts of his cross-country and track victories. 

The evening was punctuated by Carol Tyree Haider coming up to us repeatedly and… encouraging (note I didn’t say “badgering”) us about taking a few hundred of the leftover orange and blue balloons home with us to decorate the next morning’s Tour de Bash Bike and Submarine Race. Finally we agreed that we would take care of the excess balloon problem by having a mass ascension/balloon release at the end of the evening. To the off-key strains of someone humming Louie, Louie in the background (give it up, Dave!), it was a stirring sight seeing hundreds, maybe thousands, nay, millions of festive balloons rising to the stars. And many of them sinking. Truly inspirational. 

Our final event was the First Annual Tour de Bash Bike and Submarine Race, also known as the  “Race for the Coveted Red Cup.” An intrepid crew of athletes and bon-vivants took to the mean streets of Wind Point for the competition. Stage 1 ended at the Wind Point/Shoop Park Parking Lot, known locally for steamed up windows and weekly submarine races. Stage 2 ended at Francie McGuire Winkler’s lovely home, where Judy Hoppe served us Kringle, fresh raspberries, granola bars and iced tea. 

After tasty refreshments and conversation, including descriptions of juvenile hijinks (and my reassuring Peter Winnen that if no deaths were involved, the statute of limitations has run on his particular story) (no, Peter, I’m not a lawyer), we got back on the road for the third and final stage of the Tour. This included the largest climb of the race, a block-long incline that was skipped by half of the participants. Dick Hobbs entered the climb valiantly but discovered that he was in top gear and had to bail before the summit.

While Sharen Breidinger Smith and hubby Bill wore the yellow jerseys for the entire race, the race for the Coveted Red is Cup was declared a tie, as Manchester and his pal Tito filled the red cups with refreshing Tomato juice, cheese curds and veggies. It was truly restorative. Once the bikes were stowed, we were off to Kewpees for the first annual Tour de Bash Ceremonial Banquet. 

That was the extent of our (Sue’s and my) participation. We missed the golf outing, a major relief to Chuck and Laura Carothers, and also the ethnic chow-downs at O&H Kringle and Italian Fest. We’re no better at pool than golf, so we passed on Nibs’ Kosterman’s Billiards tournament, though we did get to hear Nibs describe how, even though he was kicked out of both Park and St. Cats, he’s now on the reunion planning committees of both schools. Take that, Permanent Record!

Just like the Fiftieth, the Birthday Bash was huge fun. Thanks to everybody who planned it and each of the events. Now on to Sue’s Class of ‘67 fiftieth, this weekend! We may have to rent an apartment in Racine. 

Jim Jenkins

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  There is a link on the left column, Scholarship Stories.  This features the ten recipients of the Class of '65 Scholarships.  There is a photo, short bio and their thank you note.  $19,650 total dispersed.  Way to go!

Plus a little extra from our 70th Birthfay Party brings the grand total to $24,500 in scholarships that we have given back!

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Final Tally 

for the Class of '65 Scholarship Fund  

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The following photos from the Park Tour on Sunday, complements of Ace photographer Dennis Treu.  Thanks, Dennis!

Everyone is still greeted by Joan

Sunday morning Park Tour  Remember some of these good lookin' classmates?

Bring back some great memories?  Who was your locker buddy?  Mine was Lynda Zamagni!  

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The FINAL REUNION WRAP-UP, following the Wednesday, September 2nd Committee meeting

Wednesday, September 2nd,  21 members of our planning committee met once
again at The Summit restaurant for a final wrap-up.  So did we make seven scholarships?  Yes!  Did we make eight scholarships?  Yes!  Did we make nine
scholarships?  Yes, but in fact we will award TEN SCHOLARSHIPS of
$1965 each.  We, the committee, thanks everyone who
contributed in any way to this monumental achievement.  So here is the breakdown
$4225--Rounding up our registration fees
$4570--Auction--includes $1965 football bids by Ken Bengtson
$670--50/50
$5590 scholarship donations during and post reunion including $1965 each
from Dick Hobbs and Peter Kirkegaard
$3900 from the 50th($900+) and 40th ($2900) reunions

 

OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE 

The Best 50th Reunion Ever is in the rear-view mirror.  

It was fun; it was spectacular; it was fabulous. 

 

 

Bottom Row:  Ruth Ann Baumann, Carol Hatch, Jack Parker, Jane Holroyd

Top Row: Paula Von Scheidt, Ron Gardina, Robert Holroyd, Jeanne Ferraro

Thank you to these  great teachers for coming to the Friday pizza party.

 

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You can now find all of Jim's stories on the left link--Jim Jenkins' Stories. Jim has promised more down the road. So stay tuned.