Saturday, March 29, 2008

"Whoopee We're All Gonna Die" - Country Joe



Hey, I don't know how you feel about death but personally I'm against it. My plan has been to stay in denial (this isn't happening to me!) until the last few hours and then to rush through anger (why is this happening to me?), bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...), and depression (I don't care anymore) to arrive at acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes) just as they turn off the big light.

That's why when members of the 40th reunion committee started compiling a list of classmates who have already entered Saintland I explained that I was in denial. To prove it I planned to wear my Monty Python "I'm Not Quite Dead Yet" T-Shirt to the reunion.

Then when I got back from New York I heard that my associate at New Times and True West, Bob "Boze" Bell (the cowpoke in the hat) was almost wiped out with a heart attack while playing the opening drum solo to "Wipeout" with the his high school garage band. So I called a mutual friend who worked with me and Bob at New Times and it turned out that the friend was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

I talked to my brother about these signs of the approach of the grim reaper and he said that the SAHS Class of '62 has a site where they list desceased teachers and members of several classes. Some of the deceased you might remember include: Jack Pickering March 7, 2004 age 77, Earl Engman, June 21, 1993 age 69, Mildred Watson, April 1975 age 75, Dick Hill, 2005, and especially for you Lathrop kids: Al Molnar (The owner/founder of the In-n-Out) December 2004.

Here are members of our class who, we believe, have hoist their mortal coil: Roy Corrigan, Roger Powell, Rick Larson, Sandy Jackes, Lynn Arnold, Michael Birmingham, Lawrence Carter, Renee Boillot, Alfred Fonseca, Victor Serrano, Mark Smith, Susan La Selle, Mike Kelly,Keith Fewell, Mike Vaca, Patty Johnson and Laurie (Clark) Driggers.

If you are on the list and aren't quite dead yet please send me an e-mail at sahs68@gmail.com, Subject: I'm Not Quite Dead Yet! If you know of others who have passed away let me know, We hope to have a tribute board for the dearly departed at the reunion.

I know Donnie Daniel isn't dead yet because he called me when I was in New York. Don, as he now prefers to be known, plans to go next door and get a picture of himself with his neighbor's dog in Austin so I can post it with his story. That might be the next post but not if you e-mail me first with your "after Santa Ana High School history". Former varsity wrestler George Farkas dropped me an e-note from Alabama, he promised more details later.

3 comments:

  1. Your 1968 classmate, Renee Boillot, did indeed pass away. She died in a traffic accident August 12, 1972 while traveling in Spain. She had just graduated from Cal State Fullerton and was celebrating by traveling through Europe.
    Donn

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your classmate from 1968, Renee Boillot, did indeed pass away. Renee died in a traffic accident outside Madrid Spain. She has just graduated from Cal State Fullerton and was celebrating by traveling through Europe. She was into her third month of her dream trip.
    I've never had a closer friend.
    Donn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your 1968 classmate, Renee Boillot, did indeed pass away. She died in a traffic accident August 12, 1972 while traveling in Spain. She had just graduated from Cal State Fullerton and was celebrating by traveling through Europe.
    Donn

    ReplyDelete