Maureen McKeever starts us off with some blasts from the past photos:
Another hot summer, made hotter by having to wear those darned masks! I guess it’s no worse than having to be on a tanker in the Gulf of Mexico in July wearing a long-sleeved boiler suit, steel-toed boots, leather gloves and a hard hat! Of course, we were all a lot younger then……I have been going to work every day, with some of my team taking calls from home, wearing a mask whenever I step away from my desk, The fraudsters are hitting hard, so everyone please be careful how you use your debit and credit cards! I talked to a customer who was the proud mother of a new plebe at the US Naval Academy, and they had to spend their 1st two weeks in quarantine – she said it was “almost time to get yelled at!” I can’t imagine Indoc without those fun evenings at Plebe Beats – nothing cools you off more than having a pusher yelling and spitting in your face! I found some more old photos, me on the MormacAltair taking sunlines on July 1, 1981 and another of the 7th Company Class of 1983 as plebes in 1979. I hope everyone has been staying safe, busy and well.

Rick Wood retired on June 30 and promptly started his new business, CompassGrowthAdvisors.com, which does management consulting. “We help CEOs fix their sales problems. Retirement is great. I should have done this 10 years ago (but I couldn’t afford it then).”
Dan Hicks has also announced retirement.

From Ray: I’m still not tired of Zoom and recently hosted a 40 minute virtual reunion that included Brian Foy and 4 other fellow officers from Navy ship we sailed aboard our first 3 years out of KP. Make it a point to reach out to a classmate to grab a beer together so you’ve got a reason to drop me a line. Stay healthy!

Steve Keating leads off with:
As most of us are going stir crazy on telework or temporary furlough due to the Corona virus pandemic, many people have taken to exercise in open places. After Easter, I was riding my bicycle on the Mount Vernon Trail in Alexandria. I saw this guy running in a Red Kings Point Shirt, and it was Sean Connaughton! Now its been 37 years since we graduated, and Sean looks great, like he hasn’t aged. As for me, I have even less hair than after sitting in “the Huff’s” barber chair that first time in the summer of ‘79.

Sean is doing very well, spending time between his home in Old Town, Alexandria, and his work in Richmond, as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

As the picture shows, we maintained our “social distancing” as we caught up on friends from KP. We fondly remembered Kerry O’Neill, who sadly passed away recently.

I am happily working as an attorney for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), representing the Maritime Safety Office and negotiating international agreements. The work supports safety of navigation for the Navy, merchant marine, and mariners in general. NGA employs numerous Kings Pointers as well as other maritime academy graduates.
When not working, I love to mess about in small boats on the Potomac River. Attached is a picture of my sailing canoe with its new mast fabricated by the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, an outstanding organization that provides at-risk youth with the opportunity for apprenticeships in boat building and repair.
I hope that all our Kings Point brothers and sisters stay healthy and safe during this challenging time.

Maureen McKeever reports:
I have been getting through the quarantine by going into work everyday. I work for Dollar Bank in Pittsburgh in Card Services, answering the phone and helping people who have lost their cards, had fraud occur, and the like. Most of my teammates are working from home or remotely, but I wanted to go to the office, Many of my customers are now jealous that I get to drive to work. Traffic is now starting to build up a little as things start opening up. I have missed going to lunch with friends and going to Stamp Club meetings, but am otherwise doing well. I have been watching all of the Fast and Furious movies (somehow I missed them) so now I have some really interesting ideas on how to drive in the city. I am also working in the yard as the flowers bloom and the leaves come out (and all that pollen, too!).

I got a couple of really nice masks made by my old roommate Lisa Barcus Fields – very stylish! I have attached a picture. I also have 2 photos taken on a TM that the Glee Club took on September 12, 1982 to the Statue of Liberty, one of me and one of you [Ray Christensen] with the World Trade Center in the background.

One last photo – Jerry Spanier, Mark Allen, Bill Rupy and Kevin Brofford at Halloween in 1979 up in 7th Company. I hope that you and all of our classmates are doing well and are being safe.

Scott Douglass notes being grounded by the pandemic:
Final flights. I retired as a Captain from the USCGR in 2009 with 30 years in uniform (20 years active, 6 reserve and 4 at the academy) and now it looks like I’ve made my last flight with United Airlines. This pandemic has been DEVASTATING to the Airline Industry with 90% of the planes on the ground world wide. It is amazing to see airplanes parked nose to tail for 2-3 MILES on closed runways because they have run out of taxiways to park them on. Who would think you’d be furloughed with 23 years seniority!
Fortunately, Sandy and I have saved and planned well. We’ve essentially completed our international travel bucket list, spending two months/year traveling for the last 5 years (New Zealand 4 times). We moved into our retirement home last October (Del Webb’s 55+ Sun City, Palm Desert community with an unbelievable amenities list for active retirees). We were very blessed that our San Diego house sold in the middle of the pandemic which freed up the financial resources for a 6 year early retirement (pilots are mandatory retirement at 65). I used the recent down time to catch up with classmates: John Grimaldi, Brian Krenzien and Ed Fairbairn who were doing well and staying healthy. I’m also mentoring Al Reeves‘ future son-in-law in his Coast Guard career pursuits. Look me up if you’re in the area – it’s looking like I’ll have 100% leisure time now.

Rich Colonna checked in with “No real news, except for the full beard and 100’s of miles I’ve hiked.”

Bumper Kunkle is at bat:
“I’m down in Jupiter, FL visiting Sue and Tom Bodman and going to a few spring training games. We saw the Mets and the Cardinals at both of their stadiums. I think the Mets have the nicer venue (it doesn’t hurt that they have a Jim Beam Bourbon bar!). Have a great spring/summer. [Ray says Let’s Go Mets!]

Meanwhile, in another part of Florida, Dave Ferchau and Larry Migliozzi enjoyed watching that other NY baseball team.

From Ray: This column was submitted early May, so I pray that the world and your family are leaving the worst of the pandemic in our wake. Business for me has actually been healthy and my family has been well. Notify me when you do something exciting or get together with classmates or if you’ve got news or email address of Andrew Dywan, Steven Kohlhoff, Daniel Morson, or Thomas Watt, just to mention a few.
View color photos at KP83.org.

Our hearts go out to the family of Kerry O’Neill, who passed away 12/26/19. Bumper Kunkle and Tom Aufiero shared some memories with me and I’ve copied his obituary to KP83.org. Kerry’s career kept him overseas for a number of years before returning to his home town in upstate New York in late 2018. All are welcome to submit photos or remembrances for his page on our site.

John Carbone shares some happier news (adding to photo in Fall issue):
The usual KP ’83 suspects traveled to Philly to celebrate with Mickey & Mary Kay Cunningham at their daughter Sarah’s wedding- the company of good friends and the drinks were flowing which made for a most successful evening!

Here’s a recent photo of Bob & John Grimaldi, taken on John’s front porch in NJ.

John Prien writes:
No recent classmate sightings for me in Atlanta. I do; however, have some great news – our second oldest child Ben was just accepted to Georgia Tech (where his sister Madison is a Junior and CEO of her sorority). The two oldest have followed me to GT (she is business and he will study engineering). 2 more to get through the college admissions process – hopefully I can sway one of my other two boys to give Kings Point and/or the military a try.

Class of ‘83 at KP-Philly Chapter Tailgate at Army-Navy game. Dave Ferchau; John Rhatigan; Dan Hicks; and Brian Foy. Many thanks to Dave Wickersham ‘93 and John Brennan ‘93 for hosting and coordinating. Brian happens to be wearing jacket featuring the ship he and Ray Christensen did a tour of duty aboard starting in 1983.

Speaking of college football, Frank Liantonio submits:

Here is a photo of Jim Quern, Rick Boudiette, and my wife Kim tailgating at LSU in November of 2019 before the beat down of Texas A&M on the road to a perfect season and the national championship. While none of us attended LSU, the Quern and Liantonio children have earned at least 8 degrees from the school, so we’re definitely donors. It has been great to have great friends like Jim and Anne nearby and having our kids grow up together. And having Rick around now when he’s not in Angola (the country, not the Louisiana State Penitentiary) is a nice bonus.

Stan Cutler “had a great time with my long-time KP roommate Joe Chaput at his son’s wedding in Tavares!”

By the time this column is in print, a new book by Del Lewis will be published and available at Amazon.com. With a title of “Get Your Ship Together”, you know you’ll want to grab a copy!

Have a pleasant Spring.