Art Burns gets us underway:
Ray, here’s a photo of Rose and Paul Zubaly with Grace and me in Tagaytay City, Philippines taken March 1st. Paul lives in Metro Manila and we are visiting Grace’s brother and sister-in-law in Lipa City. It was great catching up! Not only were we Second Company Plebes together, I was Captain Paul’s Chief Mate for a few years in the late 1990’s.
Mickey Cunningham texted to say that Tom Aufiero dropped in town to Jupiter (FL) for lunch in January. Sue and Tom Bodman joined Tom, Mary Kay and myself.
Jim Goulden announces:
My youngest Jillian married AJ Conklin in Orlando on March 2 in a beautiful outdoor ceremony followed by cocktails and reception in a gorgeous setting near Orlando, Florida.
In attendance were my KP brothers and their wives who have given me unconditional support over the years: Donna and John Carbone, Mary Kay and Mickey Cunningham, Anne and Jimmy Quern, Elaine and John Rhatigan and Jeannie and Mike Keane. We celebrated all evening long and continued on into the night after the formalities were concluded. I’ve known these guys for 45 years and they are my closest friends. We’ve grown together through raising our kids and now count 15 grandchildren among us. Our long friendship will endure forever.
Quentin Franklin texted to say that he attended Chris Thayer’s retirement from MSC where he was “chief of ops, I believe.” Also featured there was their chief mate from initial sea year, Flip Walters ’75. “We told tall tales of wooden men and iron ships!”
Hi Ray – as always thank you for all you do for our class. You can rest assured it is greatly appreciated. As always I want to continue to mention Brian Foy who does so much for our school and in my humble opinion gets a small fraction of the credit and honor he deserves. Well I am a grandfather and have attached a “4 generation picture” which I am quite proud of. It makes you understand what is truly important in life. I am in touch with a group of classmates and have come to truly understand how blessed we were to have all come together from all walks of life. I will go quickly and if I leave anyone out I promise it’s not on purpose. Jim Goulden is hanging tough and is a man I look up to. Tom Heberle retired and moved to Vegas of all places. Tom is one of my dearest friends. Scott McCauley is still in Australia and very successful – another dear friend and unique character. Rich Surratt is coordinating a small group get together in Vegas this May (who else would you want to coordinate anything – he is the Father of FAC after all). Kent Morton is hanging tough and building his dream home – I have come to know and respect this man and appreciate his friendship. Stu Mill is retired and focused on physical fitness at all levels – I always call Stu when I have an extra roll of blubber I’m trying to lose! Craig Ellixon actually settled in PA within 15 miles of my entire family near Harrisburg and looking forward to seeing him soon. Scott Brueggeman lives in Austin and never calls me but I will always forgive him because he is Bruegs after all!! I had a great a great conversation with Mark Suter who is doing great with his family in Long Island. Mark and I go back to day one plebe year, as is our school case he went A and I went B, and so it goes. Can somebody please tell me another person who could go through plebe indoctrination fresh off ACL surgery and never once complain? Tough dude! At the reunion Bumper Kunkle gave me Nat Agrippina’s number which I had been searching for I don’t know how long. He was my Plebe year roommate. Well now we are in regular communication and he is doing wonderful as a Chiropractor in Atlanta. Talk about a wonderful man! I know I’m missing guys so I apologize in advance. Thanks again Ray for all you do. One last thing – Dan Russell is never to be forgotten ever. The greatest of men.
I’m finally getting around to sending you this photo for some Class of 1983 news. This is Jon Kjaerulff, Tom Aufiero, and Chris Hart at the WW II Museum in New Orleans on December 1, 2023. We met up while attending the International Workboat Show in NOLA. And we enjoyed some fine hospitality from the New Orleans KP Alumni Chapter when they hosted a happy hour with many classmates and old friends attending.
Thanks to all for periodically responding to my requests for news and photos! If you have any contact info or knowledge of or even rumors about these classmates, please tell me since they’ve been off my radar for some time: John Burns, John Cataldi, Lisa (Taylor) Cripps, Jeff Fout, John Green, Eric Jorgensen, Ed Napoli, Chris Shirley, James Wei (among others).