Spring 2008
Our website includes 25th class reunion plans and class gift info. Add or update your personal info while you’re visiting!
From John Prien:
The most significant news for us is that Cindy and I are expecting our fourth child (another boy – name TBD) any day between now December 28, 2007 and January 12, 2008 (his due date). The other three kids (Madison – 7, Benjamin – 5 and Zachary – 2) are already a handful and a lot of fun so adding our fourth should be quite interesting…
We had a great 2007! Hope yours was great too.
— John
From John Rhatigan:
Just a quick note on some upcoming events in my life. Might be a little late getting you this but wanted to let everyone know that the Gulf Coast is still a mess and still needs lots of help after Hurricane Katrina. I am heading down to New Orleans in Feb(16-23) with my teenage daughter Molly to work for Habitat for Humanity. Hopefully I will have a chance to see some of the gang Jim Q, Skip M and Frank L while I am down there(I am supposed to be a chaperone on a school trip, my wife wonders who will be chaperoning me).
Also looking forward to the annual Myrtle Beach Golf outing with some very special KP’ers. Some of the fun bunch that have attended in the past are Kent Morton (not since tying the not though), Jim Quern, Jim Goulden, Guy Wilson, Mickey Cunningham, Del Lewis, Jeff Coons(has been missing for the past two years, not sure if he still fits on commercial aircraft) and of course our Barrister of note Mike Keane. Golf is not always the highest caliber(due to bottle flu) but the fun never stops.
— John
From Ronda Cobb:
On December 15th, at the National Cemetery in Kent, WA, I was honored to lay the memorial wreath for the US Merchant Marine. I was joined by Chuck O-Hara (’55 I think); and we were accompanied by Connie Buhl ’81 (President of the Puget Sound Chapter). It was a wonderful ceremony followed by wreath-laying on about 130 graves of veterans of every branch of the service. Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information on the program. The wreath was so beautiful, it had a US flag and a US Merchant Marine flag on it.
I have attached a picture of us, taken prior to the official ceremony.
— Ronda
From Rod Knecht:
Bob Grimaldi’s family and mine are going on a cruise to celebrate our 20 year wedding anniversaries. This is the reuniting of the KP sea partners, and our partners and our kids. The accommodations will be nicer than we had at KP. We will each have two rooms. Maybe we can get a tour of the Bridge and Engine room. If I get Bob down in the engine room it will be a first. It should be a great time. This “Sea Year” cruise will be a little different than our last when be were on the LNG Leo traveling from Indonesia to Japan. 😉
— Rod
— Thanks for the news! Speaking of KP sea partners, I recently had a couple beers with Mickey Cunningham.
He never got me to the engine room either.
Stay healthy, and plan on Homecoming!
—– Ray Christensen
Summer 2008
Our website shows updated Homecoming plans (including hotel info) and class gift status. Add or update your personal info while you’re visiting!
From Jim Storey:
I’m living in Bremerton, WA working at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & IMF as the Deputy Chief Engineer overseeing all the private sector contractor work. Been here since 1984….feels like an awful long time. I have 5 boys….
2 out of the house and 3 to go. The youngest is 3 so I’ve got a long way to go. I’m in contact with Steve Kimmel often. He lives in Seattle, still works for FOSS Maritime and spends weekends at “Ponderosa”, his house up in the mountains of Eastern Washington. We are thinking a summer “party” at his place is in order with any Kpers is the area that we can round up. Ronda Cobb finally got a hold of me about a year and a half ago and lives in the Seattle area.
Talked with Bob Seif a couple of days ago. He’s working for TRANE in Seattle and busy trying to “get rid” of his kids. Chris Foss and I talk at least once a month. He purchased a new building that houses his comic book store in Columbia, SC and making more money than he’ll tell me…who thought his childhood passion would support him??!! He’s not married (but living in sin) and no biological kids so I’m trying to get him to adopt one or two of mine. I corresponded by e-mail with Paul Zubaly a while back.
He is living in the Philippines with his wife and 2 kids. He is working on a pre-prep ship that was stationed in Guam last I heard. Four on, four off and loving it. Jackson Chandler and I talked a couple of months ago. He is flying for United Airlines to and from Japan and starting an internet business with his wife so he can “settle down”. Mark Allen was at an Alumni dinner that I went to in Seattle to listen to Shaun Connaughton talk about the industry. Mark works for Underwater Admiralty Services…translation is that he gets to run around finding and diving on really cool historically significant finds like WWII airplanes, etc.
Why can’t I get a job like that??
I do plan on being at the 25th reunion
— Jim
Scott O’Connor was happy to report that the annual KP Crew Team trip hosted by his Jacksonville Alumni Chapter went smoothly. Visit their site at www.KPJAX.org Thanks to Lisa (Barcus) Fields for spearheading arrangements for a plaque in the Memorial Arbors to honor Milton Moore. She hopes to have it in place for our reunion. See our site for details.
Stay healthy, and see you in September!
Fall 2008
Our website shows updates from many classmates. Add your latest personal info while you’re visiting and feel free to email me Homecoming photos to post there! Contributions toward our class gift are still being accepted.
Bruce Garrott writes:
“I saw Bill Higgins in Washington while our Navy Reserve Annual Training overlapped for a week in May. I routinely see Jim Goulden and family in church. Jim’s twins are in same grade level as my youngest daughter, Mikaela. I am presently the Commanding Officer of NR DIAHQ 0366, a reserve unit that drills at Bolling AFB, Washington, DC. I was selected for Captain on the latest promotion-selection board and will be promoted in either November or December.”
John Prien writes:
Here is a photo of my kids including our latest addition – Grayson Alexander Prien, 8 lbs 5 oz, 20-1/2 inches long, born 1/5/08. From left to right – Zachary (2), Madison (7), Grayson, and Ben (6). Needless to we have our hands full!
-John and Cindy Prien
Ray’s bragging: In May, I placed 2nd in my age group (out of 138) at New Jersey Marathon. Ran Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and am training to run Rhode Island Marathon 3 weeks after Homecoming. Support our class site by booking travel at ww.TravelUSAandWorld.com
Stay healthy!
John & Cindy Prien new addition.