ALUMNI NEWS
and very conniving wife Maria. Lots of family flew in, and many friends gathered on a rainy day in January in Galveston. Fun was had by all. The 60th year has started off great with steady business and progress made on my two real passions: the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, which is determined to end Houston’s literacy crisis, and Points of Light, which is inspiring more citizens to volunteer. We are hosting our annual conference on volunteerism and service in October right here in Houston, the backyard of our founder, my father President GHW Bush. All six of our kids are healthy and doing interesting things – so life is great.” No paraphrasing for John Knight, either. ”There is little for me to report. I am not 60 yet. My birthday is in November. Here’s to hoping I get there! I don’t have any big plans for turning 60. My wife Susan expects to retire next year (I retired in 2011) so we will celebrate that and my 60th with some travel. We just moved to a new home, and we’re looking forward to enjoying the weather here in Tucson as long as possible, and then traveling when it gets too hot or we get the itch to see someplace new. Sounds dull when I write it, but I am content and grateful. Age really is just a number I suppose (except all the pain and declining power). I took a “Restorative Yoga” class yesterday. It should be called Yoga for Geriatrics. When the class teacher told us to go into the sleep-position on our mats, I flashed back to kindergarten. Funny, I was the same person inside. I just look like an old man. Well, that’s on a good day. I hope all my classmates have found some peace and happiness in life and will enjoy their next decade as much as I plan to! Thank you, Sandy, for the work you are doing to compile our replies.” Pam Dilworth Kissiah says that 2015 is the year of change... but the one thing that has not changed is her spouse. She and Gary celebrated their 30th anniversary in April in San Francisco. They have just sold their home in Los Gatos, California, and are embarking on a two-year adventure to New York City and beyond. Both Clark (24) and Annie (21) are living in Manhattan, and Pam and Gary have leased an apartment and will make NYC home for the next couple of years. Pam insists that their kids are not allowed to have more fun than the two of them are having! The practical result of this move means more opportunities for visits with Jane, Janet and Lisa in DC... and when not in New York, Pam will be spending more time visiting her mom and Falcon-friends
in Houston. I have not heard from David Martin this time, but Mac McClure sent an update that included an interesting tidbit about David. Many years ago, David was an artist drawing cells for animated Disney films, maybe Lion King or Aladdin. Cool! Mac tells me that all is well and that he has nothing new to report from his life. I think he is probably recovering from hitting “that age”. As he said last newsletter, “60 is better than the alternative”. Sam Siegler’s oldest daughter Samantha ’11 is graduating Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M Business Honors. She will be working at a hedge fund in Houston for a year, then on to law school. Their youngest daughter Kelsey just finished her freshman year at Sewanee and will be studying economics in China for the summer. Sam’s wife Kelly has had her TNT TV series, Cold Justice, picked up for a fourth season. A spin off, Cold Justice: Sex Crimes, will air this fall. Sam admits that he is just working in the salt mines practicing a little medicine and law and eeking out a living! Pam Francis Wilson wants to know who spread the rumor that she turned 60. As far as she is concerned, she has been 40 years old for the last 20 years! Pam stays busy taking care of her dog Daisey, a 15-yearold Aussie. She has two other dogs and a cat, too. All the while, Pam is still a fabulous photographer and is looking for new clients all the time. Her next shoot will be Matthew McConaughy! And in her words, “You know I shoot people!” Her moniker has been Pam Francis for 25 years. She thought that Wilson sounded more like a tennis or soccer ball, which she says was confirmed by the movie, Castaway! Scott West and Neal Wade teamed up with each of their sons, Neal IV and Zachary, for the 2015 Kinkaid Sporting Clays Benefit. Scott admits that he was the “D” shooter of the group. Scott and his wife Laurie are heading to Lisbon for their joint 60th birthday celebrations, followed by a cruise. They plan to have a blast, but wish that they could slow down their life to half speed to enjoy the events for a longer period of time. Time does go by so fast now a days. Perry Haynes Baraban (fs) gloats that her 60th is SO far in the future, October 31, that she hasn’t even begun to think about how to celebrate. She has a feeling that her oldest daughter has something up her sleeve, but has not revealed any details. Perry says that if the decision was all hers, she would choose to go hiking. I’m in! Let’s get a group of girls and go….
Judy Sud Morris has helped her oldest daughter Jenna move to Houston. The move took some effort, but she is glad to have her here. Judy and her beau Robert are traveling to Italy next month. But Judy is adamant that he owes her a special birthday trip from March! Make him pay up, Judy! Chuck Blanton had a marvelous trip for his birthday. 20 years ago, at age 40, Chuck traveled to Egypt. He returned for his 60th celebration and had a photo taken in front of the same pyramid from all those years ago. He is promising that for his 80th birthday, he will take anyone that would like to join him. First class, too. I am definitely going. Morgan De Marigny beat us all in the celebration of his 60th. He got married to the love of his life, Rebecca. They are enjoying life, traveling and having fun together. Morgan hopes that we are all having fun at this point of our lives. He says “that it is time for the type A in us to chill”. He has two apartments abroad… He didn’t say where, and we need to know just in case we go there and need a free place to stay! His children are grown, and he has grandchildren that he visits often. Good job, Morgan. Rene Bell checks in with news that he and Terry did manage a trip to Montreal (his mother’s hometown) for a surprise celebration of his aunt’s 90th birthday. The day they left, the high temperature was -2°F. He now knows why his mother only took him north during the summer! In the small world category, he met a fellow City worker named Jack Hanagriff (who works in HPD/Homeland Security). With a name like that, Rene was not surprised to learn that he is the namesake nephew of one of Kinkaid’s favorite coaches. Jack relayed a number of good memories of time spent at Kinkaid with his uncle. Rene and Terry were fortunate to attend the engagement part for their nephew, Peter Franklin ’05, a Kinkaid graduate whose father is our classmate Bob Franklin.
ANNUAL REPORT SPRING SUMMER 2015 2015
And from Sandy Howard Turner: This past year, May 2014 to May 2015, has been quite a journey. I have reconnected with many Kinkaid classmates and many childhood, neighborhood friends. Chuck Blanton has been helping me to sell my parent’s home. Boy, have we had some fun. David Taylor, a member of the “rat pack” from the neighborhood, has helped me decide which antiques to keep and the others to sell. Wow, has he been a blessing in my life! Chuck Cunningham stays in touch. With his permission to print, he had his hip replaced by “my” hip doctor, one of the best in Houston. Chuck has recovered quickly and is planning a hunting trip to Argentina this summer. Marjie Moll French came to town, and Bill and I had the pleasure of joining her for dinner. We saw Hap Hunnicutt that evening and said our hellos. What a treat. I see Dana Lyon often, and Judy Sud Morris and I go to dinner now and again. Summer is coming and Rene Bell will be windsurfing more, which means he will come by our bay house. Bill and I will spend more time at the bay this summer. An invitation is extended to all to come spend a day on the water with us. Oh, I celebrated my 60th birthday the whole month of March. Many times. The whole month! Seriously! I have a list of 60 things to accomplish in my 60th year and the most important is to stay in touch with friends. We should all agree to do just that…
1974 Madeleine Topper Sheehy Houston, Texas madtop5@sbcglobal.net
1975 Judy Levin Houston, Texas jude118@aol.com
1976 Laura Byrd Herring Houston, Texas laura.herring@bgllp.com Hello Class of ’76. We have some news!
Morgan de Marigny ‘73 celebrating his 60th birthday with wife Rebecca Leach ‘84
Warren Coles: “This June I will be married to the same wonderful woman who has put up with me for 32 years. We have two wonderful daughters, Cristi (30) and Lauren (28). Luckily, our daughters take after their mother in the looks department. I
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