OAKLAND TECH CLASS OF 1959 REUNION
This Web Page is for Oakland Tech alumni of the Class of 1959 to submit biosketches, as a forum to share your life and possibly rekindle old friendships; a virtual reunion. If you send me an e-mail with a biosketch, I will include it without editing, in order received. I will NOT forward contact information to inquiries, so you may consider including such information in your message. If you want people to contact you but decline to submit a message, you might list your contact info in the Guestbook, at right.
If you are aware of deceased classmates, please send their names and pertinent information to Margaret.Hardesty@yahoo.com.
If you went to Claremont Junior High, check the Claremont Photo after the biosketch section. The Woodrow Wilson Photo follows.
Bob Turner bobhturner@gmail.com
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MEMORY BOARD OF PHOTOS
GAIL PRUITT NOLAN is assembling a set of photographs from our school days. Help us all take a walk down Nostalgia Lane and send any photos you have from our school days to Gail. Please scan and send them electronically, or mail copies (not originals) for her to keep.
GAIL PRUITT NOLAN
325 Hillsdale Dr.
Pittsburg, CA 94565
or E-mail them to me at: ledftma@comcast.net
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BIOSKETCH CONTRIBUTORS
BobTurner
Susan Herche
Patti J. Shock
Merry Meyer-Avery (Bradison)
Gail Thomas Guyer
Tom Flippen
Robert Rathbun
Jim Bird
Jan Cayot
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OMG, I graduated 50 years ago and have already lived most of this incarnation! I muse, “Suppose I could return to being 17 again and repeat this life ~ could I do better?”
In startling response the Living Universe whispers to temporarily expanded consciousness, “Well, Bob, I can wipe out your life after June 1959 and restore you as a young man, with the same environment and potential. Whatever impact you made, grand and ignoble, will be erased. Want a replay, Bob?”
“God, will I be able to take whatever knowledge and wisdom I may have accumulated in this life back into that 17 year old mind and body? Will I again graduate from Cal and earn a PhD? Will I have a rewarding industrial career and finish as a professor of Mechanical Engineering? Will I become financially independent? Will I avoid stupid and selfish errors I made? Will I…”
“No, Bob, you may flunk out, get killed young or worse; or you may become a superstar in the assessment of others. Wisdom derives from experience, mistakes and reflection. You will have different risks and rewards, because the parallel world will unfold differently in the reset.”
“Unfold differently? Will I be able to pursue the hobbies and interests that helped develop my persona? Will I enjoy hiking mountains? Will I still read for pleasure? Do martial arts? Play games? Can I avoid the one enemy in my life that vigorously tried to snuff my career (but didn’t)?”
“Bob, that ‘enemy’ was necessarily your friend. He hated and challenged you to hate him. But you learned My Lesson well from your mother, and in the end prevailed, so you burned otherwise bad karma. If not he, I would have tested you with another ...Heheheh!”
“Will I again enjoy that wonderful life-expanding sabbatical experience in Turkey , where I learned enough Turkish to get by, and the gracious Turks extended to me hospitality and unconditional friendship that touched my heart?”
“You will likely learn those lessons via a different venue.”
“Heavenly Father, generally will I be able to relive The American Dream?”
“Bob, understand that you and your classmates woke in this life to Mankind’s Golden Age. Never before have such a large society and individuals been blessed with such prosperity, advantages of technologies, opportunities, lack of hunger and disease, ability to direct its/their own destiny, health care and longevity, travel capability, leisure, and ability to seek Me (or not) absent duress. Your time was historically unique and approaches terminus. A civilization prospers or senescently declines depending on the dissoluteness of its people and leaders. But this whole life is a dream to challenge and develop your spirit and character.”
“Well, Divine Mother, what about Nancy? Will we be married 40 years and counting and have the same family? Will I share a similar but different experience with the same friends and family?”
“No, but you will attract other wonderful and challenging relationships that will stimulate your spiritual growth, appropriate to your needs.”
“Divine Friend, in 1959 I called myself an atheist. In grad school I realized the only valid goal of life was to transform and establish myself in the Living Cosmos, and that the mind is just a tool for the soul. Will I again seek Self Realization and Christ Consciousness?
“Eventually all My precious children will be absorbed into My Spiritual Essence. I gave you free will and the path you choose hastens or delays your evolution."
"OK, I'll take this life ~ it turned out far better than I dared plan! Thank You, Spirit."
Bob Turner extends greetings to the Oakland Tech Class of 1959!
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Susan Herche 50 years in a nut shell
Went right from Tech to Merritt Hospital School of Nursing...out in '62
Then worked at Merritt Hospital for a few years, on to Kaiser Ortho Clinic
and OR, then assorted clinic areas after I was married.
Managed to finesse a RN position at sea for American President Lines, so traveled and
cruised for 2 years (1968-1970). Met my husband (Ray) and we are still married after 39 years
Came home, worked at assorted hospitals, had kids (one each), worked; moved from
CA to NV to WA. Worked in each state and finally got a BSN in WA where I did home care.
After living in the damp with mold between my toes for 8 years we moved to AZ. Worked in
home care there , where it was like practicing medicine without a license
Lived in AZ for 19 years and moved to Sacramento Feb 2008.
I wanted to return to California, as bad as it is its still home
After retirement we traveled the World both as cruisers and on land trips
Sue
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Patti Shock ~ Worked in my mother's restaurant, Bella Napoli (23rd & Telegraph) throughout my 20s. At age 30, I moved to Mississippi to go to college, majoring in Hotel & Restaurant Administration. I went on and got a Master's degree in Institution Administration Foodservice. I accepted a job at Georgia State University in Atlanta in 1977 and shortly thereafter became the department chair. After 10 years, I relocated to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where I chaired the Tourism & Convention Dept in the Hotel College for 19 years. I stepped down two years ago and am now a tenured full professor and director of distance learning for the hotel college. I have written a number of books and speak at many conferences. For more detailed career info:
http://hotel.unlv.edu/hotelweb/shock.html
I married briefly in 1962 and divorced in 1964 I never remarried. (Too independent!) I have no children. But I have had a good life with lots of travel to exciting places and staying in the best hotels and eating in the best restaurants. My career has afforded me the opportunity to experience things that I would not have spent my own money on.
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Merry Meyer Avery (Bradison) sends a brief history of the last 50 years.
I worked as a dental assistant right after HS graduation. I met and married Don Meyer at the Presbyterian Church.
We had 3 girls and were married for 16 years. I went back to school in year 14 and became an RN.
I worked in nursing facilities in a variety of positions eg floor nurse, Staff Development, Director of Nursing, and then as a corporate nurse consultant responsible for 4-15 facilities. I retired in 2007.
I married my second husband in 1985. He has 2 sons and 1 daughter. They are all great kids and both sets get along very well. We have 9 grandchildren between the 2 of us. My oldest grandson will be married this December.
We started going to Florida in the 1990's and fell in love with the gulf coast. We bought a small house in 1994 that is just a short walk to the beach. We now spend 5-6months there to escape the rain in WA state. When we are in Florida I volunteer 3 days a week at a nursing facility working in medical records. We have a house in Sumner, WA (which is known as the Rhubarb Capital of the USA). It is a quiet little town, and we love it.
Life has been good to me, better than I would have imagined or anyone would have expected. I look forward to seeing my fellow classmates at the reunion. Jan Cayot is the only one have currently have contact with. I hope to hear from or see Carol Baker, Pat Bremner, Sharon McDaniel, Lorna Chilton.
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After graduation, I spent 2 years at UC Berkeley and then married in 1962. We celebrated our 47thanniversary last January.
We have 2 children, both now living in Contra Costa County . No grandchildren.
We moved to Coeur d’Alene , Idaho in 1982 (when it was a small town with 1 signal light). Times change! We now have every fast food restaurant and national chain store.
I volunteered as part time office worker with Hospice of North Idaho when we first moved to town. After several years I was hired to be part time office manager. After leaving Hospice, I got a part time “Girl Friday” position with a local Civil Engineering/Surveying company. During the Hospice and Girl Friday part time jobs, I was a class member, then discussion leader, then class secretary for the local women’s Bible Study Fellowship class for a total of 18 years. About 5 years ago, the Girl Friday position became full time office manager. No retirement plans as I love the work and the people!
We raise chickens and sell eggs. My husband plants a 50’ x 150’ garden (plus permanent herbs, berries, rhubarb, fruit trees, grapes, etc) each year. Needless to say, summer and fall are filled up with canning, pickling and freezing projects.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in October!
Gail Thomas Guyer
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From Then To Now ~ Tom Flippen
After graduating from Claremont Jr. High my Bio-Dad insisted that I get a Catholic education. Obviously, that meant somewhere other than Tech. I was duly enrolled at St. Mary’s in Berkeley and spent an eventful semester there sitting in class next to Tom Fogerty, and competing against him for a spot as running back on the JV football team. Tom became the voice of Credence Clearwater, along with his older brother, John, who was also at St. Mary’s. That’s as close as I’ve ever been to the entertainment biz, and even that didn’t last long as my family moved to Danville, at that time just an unincorporated “place” that was waaaaayyyyy out in the country through a Caldecott Tunnel with one tube of two-way traffic and stoplights all along Hwy 24 in the then little towns of Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek (Alamo was just a “place” then too, with not even its own post office).
I began the second half of my sophomore year at San Ramon High, then the only high school between Walnut Creek (Las Lomas) and Pleasanton (Amador).
After having been raised while at San Ramon by my Mom and Super Step-Dad Russ Glenn (they of the Danville Hotel), and a worthy story itself that is), after graduation I lived with Biodad in Santa Monica to attend Loyola University, then an all-male Jesuit enclave. Sharing space with Biodad and his most recent spouse (my Mom was the first of 5), and experiencing Loyola’s preparation for life in the 18th century so impressed that I enlisted in the Marine Corps - a decision not incidentally influenced by the fact that Biodad and Super Step-Dad were both WWII Marines.
I experienced a life-changing event between the Jesuits and my 8/4/60 reporting date at MCRD San Diego: Laurie Nelson, also a member of San Ramon’s class of ’59. I saw her driving down Hartz Ave., Danville’s main street, and waved. She stopped. We chatted, and dined that warm summer evening at the Danville Hotel’s Ghost Town patio. Magic. From never having dated or even been closer than a passing “Hi” at San Ramon, to instant, full and complete rapport. I had a few days before heading off to bootcamp, “So how about we head to SF tomorrow night? “Yes” is a wonderful word.
Even at 18 and without a fake ID, Baghdad By The Bay (thank you, Herb Caen) can be double magic: riding cable cars, people watching, and crab cocktails on th pier at Fisherman’s Wharf with naught for ambience but a Zippo lighter activated and placed atop the nearest piling (smoking was oh so sophisticated then). That night I kissed Laurie on the front porch of her parents’ home, our only moment of physical contact ever, and the last for the next 26 years.
Laurie would be off to USC shortly after my departure for bootcamp. I hadn’t signed her yearbook, so she gave it to me as we parted after The Kiss. I filled an entire page describing the wonderfulness of our two evenings together, while acknowledging the uncomfortable fact that there is more than a consonant’s difference between USC and USMC. And so it was “…until another day when we meet in another place.”
By 1964, after four years in the Marine Corps, I had been in much of the Far East (and how’s THAT for describing formative experiences?!). Jerry Fink, my best friend at San Ramon, had gotten out of the Navy after having spent his entire enlistment as a Corpsman at Balboa Hospital in San Diego. He wanted to see something of the world, and I wanted to see another part of it. We decided on Europe, but planning was put on hold when I encountered Laurie at a friend’s poolside in Diablo. She and I had written off-and-on while I was in the Marine Corps, but I knew in my heart that every all-American candidate at USC was sniffing around her, and how could a lowly Lance Corporal compete with that? Besides, there were all those, um, “distractions” everywhere in the Far East. Yet in Laurie’s presence it was instant recall of four years earlier…except that after her graduation in June she had become engaged, and that got my attention. After delicately questioning the merits of her situation there was no yielding. So, I ended up driving her into Walnut Creek to pick up her wedding veil, and sent a whole bunch of roses to her and new hubby on their wedding night. Back to planning The Great Sortie.
Fink and I bought a ‘47 Plymouth (“The Green P”), filled it with 40-weight oil, put on a set of recaps, made sure the brakes were ok, and headed across country. In New York we bought roundtrip tickets to Luxembourg on Icelandic Airlines for $167.80 (!!) and spent about a year hitchhiking all over Europe, living on something like $2/day, bunking in Youth Hostels and making life-long friends of people we would never otherwise have met – especially, and most memorably, a bunch of Canadians encountered in Torremolinos, on the Costa Del Sol, in Spain. The bulk of our time in Europe was in Spain, made possible by Mrs. Janet Neal, who taught Spanish so that it would be remembered, and used. Mil gracias querida Senora, wherever you are. And Fink? He caught The Big C and checked out at age 40. I think of him often.
Throughout our European adventure I wrote a column for the Valley Pioneer, Danville’s local weekly (“Travels With Fink”…apologies to John Steinbeck), and that led to a stint in journalism as editor of the Village Pioneer, a new sister newspaper that covered the San Ramon Village area, then the only “place” there other than Parks Air Force Base and Santa Rita, the Alameda County Jail. Met and married a pretty lady and nice person whose endearing 3-year-old daughter was a big part of that decision; had a son of our own (named Russel Glenn Flippen in honor of Super Step-Dad and now a Captain on various Bering Sea fishing vessels); found that journalism is more a religion than a livelihood so availed myself of the recently-enacted Cold War GI Bill and headed for a Batchelor’s Degree - but only because that was a prerequisite for law school, a goal decided on thanks to an “Occupational Analysis” exercise in Mr. Paul Bonacorsi’s senior Civics class, with no disrespect intended for a possible misspelling, of his name, and enduring gratitude for having shown us how to prove to ourselves that formidable tasks can be accomplished with focus, organization and discipline. Funny how you remember those who made you work the hardest.
Worked my way through Cal (’69) and Hastings (’72) waiting tables and tending bar at some neat East Bay eateries thanks to skills acquired, honed and polished growing up at the Danville Hotel. While in law school I sought a physical outlet to balance the intense bookwork, and began working out with weights at the Marines’ Memorial Club in SF, a comfortable walk from Hastings. Relieving stress by pumping iron continued when I joined the Alameda County DA’s Office after law school and evolved into powerlifting competition, which eventually produced a second place in the 165lb. class, Novice Division, at the 1976 California championships; a bronze medal at the California Police Olympics that same year (as a Deputy DA I was eligible to compete); and third place at the 1977 Western States championships. This is my 40th year of regular and consistent weight training, which has perhaps been too much, too heavy and for too long: I am advised it is bone-on-bone grinding away in one shoulder (often audibly). A replacement is needed…and yes, they can do that. Passages.
By 1978 I had five years of intensive courtroom experience with the DA’s Office. Among the new trial attorneys I supervised as calendar deputy at the Oakland Municipal Court was California Supreme Court Justice Carol Corrigan. I am therefore of course totally responsible for her subsequent success. I left the public sector to partner with dear friend Ralph Yanello (we met the first day of law school and it was an instant click – not least as we are both former Marines) to establish a practice that was among the very first to do what the U.S. Supreme Court said was appropriate, ethical and indeed needed for the legal profession to properly to serve the public: advertise. Within two years Yanello & Flippen Law Offices became the second highest client volume law office in California, and something of a household word in the Bay Area. That adventure came to an end in 1981 (but not our friendship, which is solid unto this moment) when the prime rate hit 22% and we could not finance the expansion needed to make economic sense of what was coming through our doors. That same prime rate phenomenon hit Super Step-Dad Russ Glenn even harder. He was forced to sell the Danville Hotel after bringing an historic building to life from a decade of disuse, and some thirty years later owing the entire square block on which it stood plus everything on the other side of one street. He walked away with cigarette change, living simply but happily in a little house he rented on El Pintado Rd, in Danville, where he died very suddenly and very quickly of a heart attack in 1985, He was 74. His good friend Ted Beam (Beam Studios, which for eons took all the senior pics at San Ramon) and I scattered Russ’ ashes on the slope of Mt. Diablo that overlooks Danville.
Russ and Plin Glenn (my Mom) were eminently compatible and complementary, but divorced several years before Russ died due to the strain of starting over in 1964 when sale of the Hotel earlier that year (biggest dollar transaction in the history of Danville at the time) fell through after buyers had torn down the Ghost Town Patio (now a parking lot in back) and run the business into the ground to the point of default. Breast cancer stole my Mom in 1975, at age 54. Super Step-Dad was one of her pallbearers. It still hurts to think about the suffering and too-early loss of that pretty, warm and classy lady. Miss you, Mom.
And Super Step-Dad has suffered an egregious post-mortem indignity inflicted by the SRV Historical Society: his name is completely omitted from the Danville Territory plaque the SRVHS placed in front of the Danville Hotel. Geeze…he acquired the property on which it sits; the theme and architecture were his ideas: with his own hands he participated in building some it, and HE was the one who thought to name it “The Danville Hotel Territory.” Historical accuracy is reasonably expected of any historical society. Correcting this oversight would lend an element of credibility to the Society, and certainly give credit where credit is most definitely due.
The strategic withdrawal at Yanello & Flippen took a toll on my marriage as well, but in retrospect that was probably inevitable notwithstanding 12 years of honest and good-faith effort on both our parts. Although the split was legal formal, we settled everything on a handshake - ex had worked at Y&F, so we both knew how stupid divorce could become. Went from a high-profile law practice, a one-of-a-kind Victorian home in Alameda and two apartment buildings there, to a 12x15 storage space and a pickup truck with a camper. I drove up to Alaska, found you could be a Walter Mitty in that special place and pursued a boyhood fantasy. After some basic training by a former middleweight contender who had stopped pummeling others when he found religion, I stepped into the ring for “roughhouse outlaw boxing” at Gussie Lamour’s Dance Hall & Saloon in Anchorage. I got 50 bucks for winning, and that made me a professional fighter in the eyes of the Alaska Boxing Association. Nothing to do with my boxing skills, you understand, just the fact that I had been paid. Two more fights just to do it (lost the last one on a split decision) then played to my strength. Passed the Alaska bar exam and, for the next six years, did a ton of trial and appellate work with a firm in Anchorage headed by an elegant gentleman and former Alaska Attorney General, all the while raising my son as a single Dad. Then it happened.
Contemplating Cook Inlet from my office window, and our receptionist informs me that there is “A Laurie Ellis on the phone. She said you may not recognize that name but probably remember her as Laurie Nelson.”
Laurie and I had spoken once since our two dates 26 earlier, when I called her to ask if she would be attending our 20th reunion (…and why that was a “no” is her’s to tell). I grabbed the phone and simply said, “Hi, Laurie. What’s wrong? Are you ok?” She laughed a little nervously, but as I remembered. She was living in San Diego, had two sons and her 22-year marriage was ending (…again, what prompted her call and how she found me is her’s to tell). We perhaps added a new dimension to the term “long-distance relationship” as evidenced by some MAJOR phone bills. We’ve been together ever since, and after I (“finally,” Laurie says) got beyond the once-burned-twice-shy mindset, asked her to marry me - in a little bar next to the Spring Moon Restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, where we were staying on holiday from Japan where we wer living and working at the time…ah, but I rush ahead. Our union was formalized by a rent-a-preacher right out of central casting, in the presence of family and close friends, at sunset, on a patio of The Cannons Restaurant at Dana Point, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, on Laurie’s 50th birthday (we’re 18 days apart in age).
Earlier, in 1987, about a year after Laurie had called me, I sorta made a move on her…or at least a move closer to her in San Diego, relocating from Anchorage to Seattle after having been accepted into an LL.M. (Master of Laws) program in Japanese law at UDub. Meeting the Japanese language requirement was formidable, but I earned my degree. Not incidental to successful completion was a significant quality of life factor: I managed to rent a “floating home” (aka houseboat) on Lake Union, where Laurie was a frequent visitor.
I joined her in SD after earning my degree, where a friend introduced me to a Japanese attorney from Osaka. I was asked to be a part of his firm, which of course required a REALLY big move. I left for Japan in June 1989 thinking I’d stay for a few years. Laurie joined me in 1990 after her youngest had finished high school and enrolled in a JC, and we set up house in an apartment in Nishinomiya (half way between Osaka and Kobe) and lived in that neat little aerie for almost 16 years - the longest either of us has ever lived anywhere at any time in our lives. Laurie truly blossomed in Japan, but that’s for her to tell. I was privileged to have had the career of a lifetime, working on international transactions and international litigation for Japanese companies doing business literally all over the world, and American and other foreign companies doing business in Japan. I served as a director of the Japan-America Society of Osaka for over a decade; was a regional governor, then vice president, of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan; and, at age 55, earned a black belt in Aikido, with all training and testing at the same Osaka dojo where Steven Segal got his training.
Laurie and I left Japan at the very end of ’04. We now live in Sonoma, quite literally on Happy Lane. Not surprisingly, our little wine country home rather reflects nearly a quarter lifetime in Japan - so please plan to take off your shoes when you visit.
Any profundities or great insights or universal truths from these 50 years’ worth of personal happenings? Don’t know about that, but I think I’ve figured out the reason we’re here on this little piece of rock in a not-very-impressive galaxy in an obscure corner of the universe: to enjoy, and appreciate. And you know why? Because nobody ever promised you tomorrow.
Happy 50th, guys. Here’s to making the best of whatever The Fates allow. TOM FLIPPEN
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Brief history for Bob Rathbun
I am very glad to be on this earth for now. the ride has been wild and some times I thought I was done.
I guess we will never know what's next, death and taxes for sure, but the great mystery is a wonderful thing.
I did start my college (ca.collegeof arts and crafts) but my girlfriends pregnancy kind of rearranged those plans. a wonderful baby girl and short marriage.
worked in a metal fab.shop for a few years,remarried, worked in an r&d shop(F.M.C.) started in my trade, Commercial Glazier, and followed it for 27 +years. I worked all over the U.S. for several companies. remarried again,a very young hippy girl I met in Boise,ID. we went down to Dallas,TX. for 4 years. back to CA. for some time in the bay area. Remarried,to great gal named Claudia, this time for good! 26 years.
after 10 + years in CA. we moved to Yerington ,NV. for 10 years and now live most of the time in Quartzsite,AZ.
I stared my career as a Santa in 1997 and continue to this day. I am the mall santa in SouthTownCenter,Sandy,UT. this year I will start the week before thanksgiving.
we are fulltime R.V.ers. We sold our home in NV. in 2004 and hit the road. we have used travel trailers,5th wheels and diesel pushers. currently in a 38' 5th wheel.
We were very active as fur trade reenactors (pre-1840) for 30+ years.
I co-owned a Gun manufactory that produced flintlock muskets. sold out 5 years ago.
I have had some health issues,4 way bypass,left knee replace. and other old guy stuff, but still up and at them every day.
my computer does not scare me any more.....does get my BP up once in a while
Will hope to Lift a Glass with old friends in October.
Rev. Bob Ironjaw Rathbun
"God is great, beer is good and people are crazy."
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Immediately after graduation in 1959 I went to Quincy, CA where I worked all summer as a maintenance man for the Oakland family Camp. This is noteworthy because there I met Bobbi Miranda, and we were married 4 years later in 1963. Three kids and six grandchildren later we are still married, in good health and generally enjoying ourselves.
I went to college at UC Berkeley for two years before transferring to UCSF Med Center. Bobbi taught 3rd grade for two years in Pacifica after we were married and while I was still in school. I graduated in 1965 and went immediately into the US Navy as a dentist. I spent a year with the Marines in San Diego and then a year on a ship in Vietnam and the western Pacific. I was released to the Navy Reserve in 1967, and I remained in the Reserve until the Navy finally gave me the boot in 2001. I practiced dentistry in Oakland for two years before making an important career change. We packed up and took our two little kids to Omaha where we spent 5 1/2 years in medical school and residency training for oral and maxillofacial surgery. Child #3 came along there. We moved back to Oakland where I had another year of residency training in general surgery at Highland Hospital, and then we settled in Napa in 1975 where we have lived ever since. I had a private surgical practice in Napa until my hips failed me in 1996, and I was unable to stand at surgery for long periods of time. I had two new hip joints put in and then practiced as a general physician with our local urology group for 11 years until 2007. I am now retired from patient care, but continue to work as the medical director for information systems and medical informatics at our local hospital. Bobbi has worked as a Napa Valley tour guide for the last 25 years or so, and she is a master gardener. We both enjoy cooking so we both pursue that as a very practical hobby. We also enjoy stage productions and have been traveling to Ashland, Or every year where we have completed the Shakespeare canon and have seen well over 200 plays. I manage to get out for a few fly fishing trips each year, and we both like to travel when time permits.. My main hobby is French, so as you might guess we aim for France with some frequency. Bobbi was a good runner, and we enjoyed that together most of our married lives, but now we are happy to just walk and swim.
I am very happy to see that our 50th reunion is being well supported with a good turnout. We even have a number of folks coming who did not eventually graduate from Tech, but who want to see their old friends nevertheless. Best wishes to you all, and I look forward to seeing you again.
Jim Bird
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My Life Story Life as I see it (saw it):
Jan is a California native, born January 13th 1942 (Thank God not a Tuesday) on Pill Hill and raised in Oakland California. He lived in
North Oakland on 66th Street from birth to graduation from the University of California, Berkeley. He grew up as a normal little
boy attending Peralta Elementary and Claremont Junior High School. That is where he met Merry Bradison, Janie Shramm and John Rogers.
He worked three jobs in high school, cleaning chemistry equipment for Mrs. Ballou, reading to blind student Richard Sakamoto
and a paper route. When he didn't have a dime for the bus he walked to school, it was only 11,510 feet each way.
Following graduation on June 12th 1959 he took the summer off and relaxed. He then found, in Sept, a full time job at Hink's of
Berkeley as a stock boy and worked until Jan 1960. He bought a GE refrigerator that is still working 52 years later!. We have the
refer in our cabin in La Porte and it works every time. Good product, all metal, no plastic, reliability number 1.
On December 17th 1959, Jan enlisted in the United States Army Reserve 91st Division (Training) at the Presidio of San Francisco. My
Cousin Colonel Ramon Cayot issued the oath of enlistment. After my brother passed away I found in his papers that our father was a
private in WWI and was in the 91st Division at Fort Lewis Washington, what a coincidence! Jan went to Fort Ord for basic training on 31
January 1960 and got out 30 July. I shall never forget the help I received from Janie S and her parents who took me to Ft. Ord when my
family was not able. Thank you dear friend.
Jan then enrolled at Oakland City College on Grove Street intending to take engineering classes. Unfortunately he flunked
calculus twice and was kicked out of engineering. He then changed to drafting and received an Associate of Arts Certificate in June 1963.
He worked for PGE (Ralph Steinstra) as a draftsman in their high voltage layout department at 245 Beale Street. He could see the
handwriting on the wall and did not want to receive a gold watch after 50 years drafting. So he went back to Oakland City College starting
over with algebra, geometry and finally got A's in calculus. (He was 23 then and more mature, how many chances do you get?).
In June 1968 his mother passed away, this slowed down his education, as he had to work harder to make ends meet. Fortunately he
lived at home in a house in North Oakland. The rent was only $30/month. He did odd jobs, painting, roofing, wiring, and cleanup to pay
his bills. Jan was painting his cousin's apartment in Redwood City in the summer of 1968 when he met Linda. His brother helped out also and
Jan finally repaid his generous education loan in 1989. [No Pell grants then]
Jan transferred to UC Berkeley in Sept 1967 and graduated on June 16th 1970 with a BSEE degree in Computer Science. These were
the turbulent years at UC with Vietnam protests and tear gas and Black Power intimidation at Sather Gate, but Jan survived. Graduation
ceremony was cancelled due to war protests.I do regret not obtaining a Masters Degree in Engineering but at age 29 it was time to go to work.
Jan moved to Mountain View and with the gracious help from his brother bought a 1200 square foot concrete slab, flat top home for $26,000.
Recently homes on that street sold for > $1M. Jan repaid that loan also, but in 5 years.
On June 12th 1971 he married Linda Louise Bates Knapp [check out some hot photos of her in my albums] in San Carlos. We are still
together after 40 years and we both wonder why at times. My German temperament gets in the way of a totally peaceful relationship.
Lockheed Missile and Space Company hired Jan on September 20th 1970 and he began a career totally divorced from computer science. He
enjoyed his work because it combined physics, chemistry, math, social skills and electrical engineering. Jan never told Linda what he did
at Lockheed. He slowly went up the ladder to supervisor but that was not what Jan really wanted. He went back to true technical work in
1986 and enjoyed it out to retirement on March 31 2000. Jan was privileged to go to Aldermaston England, Crystal City (SP Offices), the Pentagon, Nevada
Test Site, and Albq. and many other venues, over 285 trips. That's why he doesn't care for flying today. Jan worked with so many fine
engineers and managers. Lockheed Missile was a superb place to work. Lockheed Martin was less enjoyable. Lou Rossi and Dennis Cox were the best
managers to work for, and I was privileged to know them and train with their guidance.
Thru my employment or pleasure I have been fortunate to visit Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico,
Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Mass, Virginia, Colorado, Maine, Hawaii, California, Alaska, New York, New Jersey and Alabama. But
that leaves a BIG hole in the states. Hopefully Linda and I can visit all the states together.
Linda insisted we move to a bigger house in 1974 and therefore we dutifully moved to Los Altos. Paid $49,500 and could hardly afford
the mortgage! The children, Danae and Michelle, grew up there attending Stevens Creek Elementary, Cupertino Junior High, Homestead
and Monte Vista. We had a ranch style home in the suburbs! The American Dream in action.
Linda wanted to move again to Los Altos Hills in the late 1970's but (unfortunately and stupidly) I discouraged her. She had a smart
common sense about her and if I had listened we would be better off today financially. But we did sell our Los Altos home for $9XXK in
March 2000! Thank you, dear Linda.
On March 31st 2000, I retired from Lockheed after 30 very fulfilling years as an Electrical Engineer. Linda and I moved to
Paradise from Los Altos. Paradise is in the mountains above Chico, about 10 miles. We are at 1765 =B1 50 feet elevation at N 39 deg 44 min
271 sec, W 121 degrees 34 minutes 150 sec with a magnetic declination of 15 degrees 40 minutes East. Isn't GPS great! Thanks Dr. Scott for
the use of your GPS.
It is a beautiful mountain town on the edge of Butte Canyon and the Feather River Canyon. Forest fires in Sept. 2000 and summer of
2008 have been our worst experience. We did have a 4.3 earthquake years ago. We have four seasons and three inches of snow, which is
just right.
We have four wonderful grandchildren (Brekke 25, Kallie 23, Matt 21 and Amanda 20) and a beautiful Great Grand Child Zoie Elisabeth
(3.5). Our older daughter Karolyn lives about one mile away but moved to St Petersburg in May 2010. Our younger daughter Michelle lives in
San Jacuinto with her new husband Chris. They have become first time homebuyers. Danae also bought a home in Brandon, FL. All thanks to
an inheritance from Uncle Joe.
The transition from crowded city to the mountains has been perfect. We found a superb home near the edge of the Feather River
Canyon. We have expanded the back deck (~ 1500 sq ft TREX), added a spiral brick staircase in the front from the cul de sac street level.
In 2001 we put in a swimming pool, spa, koi pond, decorative iron railings, black chain link fencing, total landscaping, fruit
orchard and citris orchard and a huge vegetable/herb garden. Then we added a gazebo, arbor over a large patio, a wishing well and a bridge
over a dry creek. We will have many fine years ahead in this town and in our comfortable home. As we grow older the amount of time and
effort to take care of this place becomes burdensome. We plan to downsize when the market recovers.
Lockheed called me back after 6 months so I worked half time for over two years from my Paradise office. In 2003 I joined SAIC and
worked half time until October 2007. SAIC lost the contract so I am finally retired from technical work. It was an amazing challenge to
do what I was allowed to play with. Wish I really understood what I did those 37 years.
Now I am dedicated to Zoie Elisabeth (44 months) who is the love of our life. When she was born on September 3rd 2007, I asked her two
basic questions; what is 2+2 and are we in Iraq for oil?. She seems to be working on the answers. When we held my brothers memorial at
his church September 20th 2009 I repeated the story of 2 questions and Zoie put up 5 fingers for 2 + 2 so I said "within statistical
uncertainty you are right". Since the US did not get any Iraq oil contracts the 2nd question is moot.
Linda, had catering companies in the bay area and a restaurant(Cafe Gourmet & Catering Company) in Cupertino started up again in
Paradise. Catering in Paradise was very busy for about four years. Then she and her partner decided to slow down. However the love of
tasteful and appealing food is still apparent with Linda. She even talks about going back into catering but now is the time in life to
enjoy, relax and have fun. Working for $$$ is behind us.
We enjoy cruising and have been to see the fall colors in Maine, Canada [2002], Eastern Caribbean [2004], Alaska [2005], Mexican
Riviera [2005], Hawaii [2006], North Coast [2008], and again to the Mexican Riviera [2008]. We took a 4 day cruise to Baja in Feb 2009
and enjoyed again a cruise to Alaska in May 2009. After that: Alaska 2012, Panama Canal (2013), New Zealand(?), and then cruises on
European Rivers and perhaps China.
The big shock in retirement was medical costs. WOW did they ever go up, I miss the days of $1 co-pay at Kaiser. However I do not miss
the Bay Area, traffic, and congestion. Paradise is the optimum diversity for me.
My brother Josef lived in Mt. View and we visited him periodically. There is not a better brother than Joe. He has stood by
me and helped since we were little kids. On July 21st 2009 Josef passed on, I cannot say enough about him. He graduated from Tech in
1957.
Linda's sister Margaret moved to Paradise in 2006 but has now moved to John Day Oregon with her wonderful new husband Buzz.
We have a summer cabin in La Porte, about 65 miles away. My father built it in 1942 concerned that if the Japanese invaded the
main land we would have a place to go. We have added electricity, bathroom, and other modern improvements. It is a relaxing place to
visit. I think my parents would be happy with the changes.
It seems amazing that nearly 50 years has gone by since Oakland Technical High School in 1959. Linda and I attended the 50th reunion
at Scott's on Jack London Square on 24 Oct 2009. We met Merry Bradison Avery and her fine husband Allan, I did not recognize anybody
else. Jim Bird, Linda Rebollo and many others did a fantastic job and the food at Scott's Sea Food was spectacular.
We have been blessed with good health, sufficient assets, children who stayed out of trouble, beautiful grandchildren who are
now struggling to move forward in life and a super great grand child.
We could not ask for more. God Bless.
As you visit my numerous timelines and photos on Classmates.com. please appreciate how fast 100 years can fly by. I start with my
grandparents, father and mother, relatives, wife, children, grand children, friends and great grandchild and end with my obituary. If
you write your own you can say anything you want! This has been fun.
Jan Cayot.... The End
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CLAREMONT PHOTO
If you went to Claremont Junior High, you may remember the picture below (shown here in 3 sections) from June, 1956. Everybody is identified in three segments below the (3) pictures.
You can download the pictures below on to your PC and then enlarge them for greater clarity. The steps are:
(1) Right Click on the picture. In the pop-up menu click on 'Save Picture as...".
(2) A window titled "Save Picture" will appear. You may want to save it in the file titled "My Pictures", but any file name will suffice. Before you click "Save" you might want to rename the picture under the File Name.
(3) Pull up the saved picture from your file, Right Click on it, then click "Edit". The picture will be much larger and you can scroll through it.
