A link to pix of the late Harry Robie

BEREA, Kentucky, USA - Cheryl Towers sent along a link to some photos of Harry, photos which should spark some memories.

   I remembered his grin from all those years ago. And it is evident in the photos. He liked to smile.
   You can also check out all of the comments at the same site, Caring Bridge, written by his wife, family and friends. 


Harry and Laura dancing in 2007

Harry Robie

Here's the link

PHOTOS OF HARRY

 

SWCS English teacher Harry Robie dies at 75

BEREA, Kentucky, USA - Harry Robie, English teacher to virtually all SWCS Class of '66 graduates died Dec. 3.

   For the past few weeks, I was trying to get in touch with Harry. One of his children had contacted me via 'blogger' and said Harry was failing fast. I couldn't find a way to get contact them back. Dammit.

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Here is his obituary from the Jamestown Post Journal:

Harry William Robie, 75, of Berea, Ky., died of cancer on Dec. 3, 2009.

Survivors include his loving wife of 53 years, Laura Rector Robie; four children: David, Jonathan, Steven, Sara; and 10 grandchildren.

Born Oct. 2, 1934, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., to the late Norman and Beatrice Robie, he graduated from the University of Rochester, earned a master's degree at SUNY Fredonia, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He taught En-glish, speech, and debate at Southwestern Central High School for more than 20 years. In 1985 Harry retired and moved to Berea to teach college full time. Following his second retirement from Berea College in 1992, Harry and Laura founded Robie and Robie: Fine Books. He always maintained that every small town should have one really good used bookstore, and he was proud that he had been able to fulfill his life long dream.

Reppert Funeral Home and Cremation Service entrusted with arrangements. www.reppertfuneralhome. com.

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Harry Robie

   Harry Robie was a pivotal character in my life, kicking my butt quite thoroughly from time to time for my academic laziness. He had me pegged quite well.

   But he also taught me that wanting to be a writer was a cool thing and that you could be athletic and cool and still be a writer.

   He encouraged me to become staff writer on the Trojan, the school newspaper, where John Rupp and I wrote stories (but mostly gossip columns). I can still hear Harry's voice. His was one class where I sat up front - I didn't want to miss anything.
   Several years ago I started drafting a book about high school, with the working title of The Class of '66. Had I been in touch with Harry then, he no doubt would have kicked my butt to finish it. Maybe his death will do that.

   Either way, one of the chapters in that book is titled Year of the Robie, and while the chapter isn't entirely about him, obviously his influence during my junior year of high school stuck pretty hard.

Here's a link to the draft.

LINK:

Year of the Robie

Rest in peace Harry Robie. You will not be forgotten.

A link to Class of '69 foto page

JAMESTOWN, New York, USA - Cheryl Aitken Thompson has posted a link to her photos from the recently held Class of '69 reunion.

Cheryl's pix

Looks like they had a pretty good time.

Another set of photos from the Class of '69 reunion

JAMESTOWN, New York, USA - Sharon Ticknor Streed put up a few more photos from her Class of '69 reunion on her Facebook page.

This batch, however, is sans captions, so you are on your own to figure who is who.

More photos from the Class of '69 reunion

JAMESTOWN, New York, USA - Sharon Ticknor Streed posted another batch of photos today, and in addition, Cheryl Aitken Thompson has some up on a Mobile Me page.

As I am not a Mobile Me member, I can't access those right now.

However, here's a few more shots from the festivities from Sharon's Facebook page...


Craig Zebrowski, Sharon Ticknor, Cheryl Aitken, Pam Schauers


Cheryl Aitken, Van Eckland, Tom Hutchinson


Nedda Wagner, Craig Zebrowski, Nancy McAvoy


Sandy Peiffer, Doug Swanson


Jack Lindell, Nancy Joslin

SWCS Class of 1969 is having its reunion

JAMESTOWN, New York, USA - The Class of '69 of SWCS is having its reunion as this is written.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to the festivities, though I am not that far away. Too many last-minute parties, er, I mean things to do, before I head west to what is left of California.

But Sharon Ticknor has been posting photos on her Facebook page (where she is Sharon Streed). If you are a friend of Sharon, you can see all 25 posted so far.

And I suspect when Cheryl Aitken Thompson gets back to California, she will be posting photos on her Class of '69 website:

Class of '69

In the meantime, here are a selection of photos just posted.


Tom Cowing, Sharon Ticknor and Debbie Nelson


Sharon Ticknor and Rick Rosebury


Craig Zebrowski and Vicki French


Cheryl Aitken and Chuck Hodges

Connecting with the movie, The Endless Summer

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - In 1966 - the same year I graduated from high school in Jamestown, New York - I saw the movie, The Endless Summer by Bruce Brown, a classic film about surfing around the world.

Endless Summer movie clip

And two days ago, I met Richard (who likes to go by Ricardo here). Ricardo hails from South Africa and grew up on the coast where the South Africa scenes of the movie were filmed.

He has vivid memories of being a child with movie people - and famous surfers - coming and going in his house.

As you might suspect, Richard/Ricardo is a surfer and has been his entire life.

Ricardo spent two days with us, surfing both days and getting some very good rides. In fact, as I write this, he is pondering whether he and his amiga Amy should spend one more night (which means surfing in the morning) or head back up the highway towards Puerto Vallarta.

Today Richard caught a great wave - not quite Endless Summer quality - but close.

And here's the video of it:

Scouting activities for Mexico reunion in 2011

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - The months have been flying by here in Mexico, with too many things to do and see. Oh yeah. And eat and drink.

But I haven't been totally derelict in looking around for fun things to do for the SWCS Class of '66 Reunion in February, 2011.

And I have also been scouting various places to stay for folks, unless I get a wild hair and build guest casitas (little houses) out here in Arroyo Seco at the Pink Flamingo. (Anyone want to invest a few thousand?)


Upstairs palapa with view of Tenacatita Bay

The photo above is of the living room/kitchenette/deck of a casita in La Manzanilla that is the kind of place you might never want to leave once you unpack your suitcase. The bedrooms and bathrooms are on the floor below with tons of space for two couples. The main beach is about 200 yards out the front door. Some of the best margaritas in town are the same distance at Martine's Restaurant.

The price per night right now, is about $100 U.S.. That's $100 for the whole two-bedroom, two-bath place, which includes the kitchen upstairs and living area and deck.

Take that Motel 6.

BTW, with the current exchange rate of 15 pesos to the dollar, a cold beer in La Manzanilla is about 55 cents, a margarita $3, a hamburger and fries at Palapa Joes $3.50, and a big pizza for about $8. My dinner tonight, across the street at my neighor's taco stand, should cost me about $1.50 for 4 chorizo tacos.


Launching a Hobie Cat through the surf

The same beach (and margarita-watering hole) is also home to several sailboats and enough kayaks to keep everyone afloat from the class who has contacted me and said they might be coming. The bay is a great place to sail, kayak and swim. Sitting on the beach is kind of fun, too. Lots of wildlife to view.

My sailing dinghy will be in the water there long before then, I hope. Right now it is languishing in Arroyo Seco until I can get a small trailer to tow it (and launch it) with my Honda quad.

Here's some assorted photos from the last few weeks:


Metal sculptures, a little big to be souvenirs


Evening concert in a neighboring town


Fresh coconut milk

The last shot is our Canadian amiga Laura Warner, who came and taught English to the village children a month ago. We were out on the beach to check out the sunset and another friend walked over and got us coconuts from a fellow harvesting them.

Gawd, they are good right off the tree.

About two years from now, maybe some of us can be sharing coconuts right here. I hear pouring a little rum in them makes them especially tasty.

Might try that this afternoon.


Gringo fishermen come in with a full load of red snapper

The 2011 reunion is just around the corner, sort of

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - So as the calendar turns today to 2009 (Who thought we would ever see that number when we graduated in 1966?), the idea of a 45-year reunion in Mexico in 2011 is, well, pretty close.

Sometime last year I suggested that the class might consider coming south, here to the Costa Alegre in Mexico to celebrate. But not in June. (Hell, I won't be here in June, it's too hot and humid...) No, what I suggested, and some people thought was good, was to have the Class of '66 reunion in February, when the winter is usually the most foul in the northeast.

The nearby city of La Manzanilla has great accommodations, world-class restaurants and enough surfing, swimming, fishing and cervezas (and margaritas) to keep everyone pretty happy.


Surfer Laura heading out into the waves

Of course, some of the reunion could also take place here in Arroyo Seco, where my wife and I live six months of the year. The village people (the Mexicans, not the aging singing group) are marvelous and would probably be quite amused by a large contingent of non-Spanish speaking gringos descending on the town.

They are amused with us - and we are the only two gringos living here.

Anyway, this is just a little reminder that a reunion is in the works...

Feliz a˜no nuevo, amigos.