Kings Pointer – Fall 2025

We mourn the loss of Paul Zubaly, who passed away 6/9/25. Send me any photo or remembrance you happen to have so I can add it to his page at KP83.org.

Mark Allen informed me that “I’m practicing being eccentric living here on San Juan Island in the Salish Sea. I wear Hawaiian shirts, carry a blue parrot on my shoulder and drive an ancient truck.”

In June, Matthew Bucherati reported:

Our area of western North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene but fortunately some amazing progress has been made in the last four months due to local efforts and the Army Core of Engineers.  Fortunately before the hurricane hit last year, I was able to make a couple of fun trips with a couple of dear friends to Alaska for deep sea fishing and then Coastal Brown Bear hunting. Retirement is a wonderful thing.  Bear hunting in Alaska is truly amazing. The little bear in the attached picture weighed 800 pounds.   My hunting buddies and I are already hoping to return to Alaska next year for a moose hunt and maybe Kamchatka, Russia for another bear hunt. 

Most of Sara and my travels in 2025 so far have been domestic to visit our kids and grandkids.  Speaking of my dearest bride, Sara, this October we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary.  It has been an amazing ride and I am truly blessed.  Four kids and now eight grandkids.  We will all be getting together again at our mountain cabin next month during the 4th of July holiday.  I have also attached a recent photo of the two of us.

Glenn Gardner and Erin Gantt represented our class in the national Independence Day Parade in Washington DC. Erin was also set to perform in the Navy-USMC 250th parade in Philly in October, singing with the 1940s trio Swing Shift.

Rex Gundle sends:
Since my last update, our family has had a bit of excitement, with the absolute best being the birth of our grandson in Feb of 2024, Jack! His entry into the world has brought newfound perspective to life, which was amplified by Helene blowing through our town of Lake Lure / Chimney Rock, creating a desire to be closer to family. So last December I retired from the ports / shipping industry and we made the decision to move! We closed on a new home 2 months ago in Woodbury, Minnesota to be within 6 miles of 4 generations of family.

So far, so great, and has allowed the recent opportunity for a good catch up with our classmate Mike Booth. Plus with Art Burns a few hours down the road, I expect more get togethers in the future.  Looking forward to seeing as many of our classmates as possible at Fenway in November. Until then, ANV. Rex

Phil Mueller sends us:
I was waiting in the Honolulu airport for my Turo rental car when Scott Douglas walked by in baggage claim. He was on the island to golf.  I was there to visit the grandsons.  It was a small world moment captured by this selfie!

Tom Heberle is keeping in touch:
I ran into Willie Barrere in NYC at the annual Marine Money conference in June.  Willie is a busy guy these days since his recent move up to president of AMO.  Scott McCauley visited me in Las Vegas for a couple days on his way back to the East Coast. Scott has a pretty full on Aussie accent now after living down under for so many years.

Brian Foy has all kinds of good news:
Greetings from St. Augustine!  All is well here with Karen and myself. Looking forward to some cooler weather, better football from the Jags, and more golf.

Speaking of golf, I recently had the opportunity to play in the USMMA-AAF Golf Outing in Baltimore. Team ’83 included Chris Thayer, me and Randy Johnson. We managed to “ham & egg” our way to the winner’s circle!  Although the weather was lousy, we stayed in good cheer with plenty of beverages, cigars and sea stories that never seem to get old. We also lamented about our favorite team, the Orioles, who we all share an unhealthy passion for, along with Mike Donnelly. Go O’s ’26!

In May, we married off the last of our four children.  James and his bride, Michelle are both police officers. A good time was had by all. I never felt safer with about 60% of the attendees being cops! here are a few pics from the day.

My work in DC on behalf of the AAF is picking up again after a quiet late summer. The USMMA Campus Modernization Plan has officially landed on the Hill, and we need Congress to fully fund it.  This plan will bring the USMMA campus into the 21st Century.  If you did not see the plan that was shared with all alumni via Signal Flags in late August, please reach out to me and I’ll share it with you.

Bruce Garrott is on the road again:
Debbie and I had an amazing vacation to the Baltics and Finland, this past June.  Our Backroads bike trip started in Vilnius and ended in Tallin. The weather was cool and the days very long. I had visited the Baltic during “BALTOPS 1993” and have always wanted to go back with Debbie.  At the conclusion of the trip, we spent several days in Tallinn, which is now one of my favorite cities.  We stayed inside the old walled city and enjoyed exploring it.  We then took the ferry to Helsinki and spent 5 days in Finland, and explored southern Finland by car. 

If you travel to Scandinavia or the Baltics over the summer solstice, be prepared to enjoy their two-day holiday, as the locals stay up all night the day prior to the solstice and recuperate on the solstice!

David Ferchau and Larry Migliozzi enjoyed Oktoberfest in Munich.

Meanwhile, Erin & Bob Bennett hosted a crab feast. Guests included Rich Colonna, Mark Suter, Mike Logan, Craig Ellixson and Kevin Fauvell.

Thanks everyone for sharing! In late September, I enjoyed the wedding of my brother Kenneth Christensen ’88. First marriage for both bride and groom! Pete Brennan’s brother Tim Brennan ’87 was among about 8 Kings Pointers to make the party extra fun.