CLASS NOTES Mitch Kot (Vietnam) and Sleepy Hollowell. As mentioned before, Fred Kressierer called several times and brightened Ken’s day. Tom Whalen is still traveling around the world, and he has his airline ticket in hand for the 50th. Charlie Peckham is living in New Hampshire, is planning to reunite with us at our 50th and is on Facebook. On Friday nights from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Bill and Joyce Gibbings continue to host beer and cookies parties for all who want to attend. Actually, quality beer, wine and great nibbles are served. One Friday, Dude and Kathy Copenhaver made the trip from Fayetteville to join in the Friday festivities. With Dude as the main attraction, the party grew to include Don and Ibis Kern, Jerri Wetsel, Charlie and Ann Stevens, Robert and Pat Williamson, and Sue and Sal Vitale. During the last few months, Garland Payne has also been a frequent visitor. So, if you are in Virginia Beach on a Friday, Bill says come by. I get mixed reviews from you when I identify those on the “Gim List.” No one likes to hear bad news. Unfortunately, lots of us have aliments, and it is my view that when you know that someone is having a health problem and you have gone through the same problem, a few encouraging words from you can go a long way to hasten healing. Also, calls and cards to ailing BRs lift the spirit, as both Rabbit and Sleepy can attest to and a couple of extra prayers can help to. I ask you to keep the following in prayers: Nelle and Hugh Gouldthorpe, Floyd Roberts, Larry Respess, Mike Payne, Buzz Bossart, John Steadman, Andy Thacker, Carl Zick, John Woodfin, Ken Patrick, George Ward, Sleepy Hollowell, John Purner, Jim Berger and all those other wives and Brother Rats who are coping with health issues. Thank God that losing two Brother Rats in a week is not something that happens too often. George Russell “Russ” Aylor Jr. died of a massive heart attack and was laid to rest in Culpepper. Harrison and Terry Fridley attended Russ’ visitation and said that there was quite a large crowd. (The line went out of the funeral home to the highway.) The next day at the church service, VMI was well represented with Bill Gibbings, Fred Stephenson, Sal Vitale, Ray Hanlein, Spike Callander, Dick Weede, Carl and Becky Hirsch, Ben and Diane Lynch, Ed and Linda Duncan’60, and Everett Powell ’55. We met with Paige and the children, and they were most appreciative. Kenneth George “Ken” Ederle passed away quite suddenly. According to his daughter, Meghan, the doctors were not sure what was wrong. During the next week, his condition worsened. The family said to thank all the Brother Rats for all the kind thoughts and prayers and the beautiful flowers from the class and his old swimming teammates. Meghan said,
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“Though Dad was not feeling well, he clearly remembered the greatest details of his friendships and experiences with all of you. That always amazed me, and it was just so wonderful to see!” I am very sorry to tell you that we lost two sister Rats. Janet Popp suffered from cardiovascular disease. Medical science bought Jan 11 years after her two coronaries, but unfortunately, her biochemistry, physiology and system collapse toward the end generated the coma she never came out of. As I was finishing these notes, I learned that Pat Eubank, Gerry Eubank’s wife, has passed away. Pat had been sick for the past few months, and when I recently talked to Gerry, he said the doctors were not sure what the problems were. May both Jan and Pat rest in peace! We all want our children to outlive us, and sometimes that is not the case. Our hearts go out to Dick Parker’s wife, Gloria, who recently lost her daughter. Finally, I received a call from Jennifer Zinn, the daughter of BR Lt. Col. Ernest K. White. Ernie spent his Rat year with us and after graduation from West VA University (WVU), spent 25 years in the Army, with his last assignment as PMS&T at WVU. Ernie passed away in 2000, and Ernie’s wife, Nona, lives with the daughter in Greensboro, NC. I thanked the family for bringing this to closure. That is the news through Aug. 14. I had a hard time picking only five pictures to be published from the 20 sent me. Sorry if I offended anyone. Finally, if you haven’t registered for the 50th Reunion, please do so. We will need a preliminary count for the hotel and other activities in the next few months. Please stay healthy! To all, a Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless you and VMI.
’62
Jerry Burnett
I start my VMI class notes of 2010-Issue 4 on a sad note. We lost BR Michael Cantrell, age 70, of Rocky Mount, VA, on Monday, May 24, 2010, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Mickey was born in Pound, VA, and is survived by his son, Michael Lee, and daughter, Chesten Cantrell, of Rocky Mount, VA. Mickey was a biology major, and he was in my section our Rat year. He was always kind and cheerful and possessed a wonderful sense of humor. He left after our Rat year and graduated from Randolph Macon College in Ashland, VA. In the ’70s, he was clerk of the circuit court of Wise County and later served as an assistant to the commissioner of revenue. He moved to Rocky Mount, VA, in the 80’s where he ran a business until his retirement. He was buried at Bolling Cemetery in Pound.
After my last class notes regarding “Bricks – A Mark for All Time,” I received a nice note from Howard Cobb. He donated one of his accumulated bricks to his old roommate, Tom Sweeney, one to Ron Goodyear who lived in Covington when Howard and Nell were living there, and one to Bill Lloyd who was in his high school class at E.C. Glass. He donated his remaining brick to any other Brother Rat that I or the VMI Foundation chooses. I also received a nice note from Jim Richards who chose to dedicate one of his bricks in memory of his beloved roommate, Richard D. LeMay, who was killed in action in Vietnam. He dedicated another brick to BR James P. Rogan who also died in Vietnam. Jim had seen both of them in Vietnam shortly before their respective deaths. He thinks of them often and cherishes their memory. At their last meeting, Jim, who commanded Foxtrot Company, did not let me forget that he still didn’t think much of his parade lines grading. Jim loved his teasing. Bill Bryant wrote wanting the following information, which I am sure all of you would also like to know. We matriculated 387 BRs of which 267 graduated. I can document that 38 BRs have died since matriculation. However, 90 BRs do not respond to mailings, and their whereabouts are unknown. Bill and Cynthia cannot understand why more BRs haven’t retired to the beautiful Williamsburg, VA, area. They see Bowles and Patsy Pender frequently, as well as Jay and Carol Bierman. They occasionally see Mott and Diane Robertson. Cynthia has created a masterpiece in their back yard with perennial, woodland and shade garden areas, two water features, plus a dependency, pavilion and “Greek Temple” folly. She also volunteers as a tour guide for two
Class of 1962: At the Confederate Veterans Annual Reunion, July 24, 2010, in Anderson, South Carolina, were, General Stonewall Jackson and wife Anna (as portrayed by Jerry and Joy Burnett).
VMI ALUMNI REVIEW