Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Joy Rubins Morris, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran, Collins (CE) Wynn, Eddie Sykes, Don Wynn, Paula Spencer Kephart, Cherri Polly Massey
Contributors: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 and Others
I might be sending all of you a link to a newspaper story sometime this week - read it or not, it's up to you.
We're sorry to report the loss of another member of the Class of '66. We got word early in the week and a few of his friends were able to send some recollections of their times with David.
Please include your name and class year with your e-mail to me.
T. Tommy
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This Week's
Mystery Photo
From Our
Mailbox
Last Week's
Mystery Photo
The Big Six-Oh!
This Week's Classmate
Gilda Davis
Class of '64
In response to how everyone would be spending their 60th birthday, I will be in Ireland. This has been a dream of mine for years, so I decided that this year I would go to Ireland and celebrate my 60th birthday.
I leave on the 24th of Sept. so I will be there on the 27th don't know what town we will be in on that day as I'm going with a tour group but I am looking forward to it ever so much. I wil arrive in Dublin on the 25th and from there we go on a tour for 8 days and will leave out of Shannon.
Turning 60 does not bother me, its a number and I will take all the numbers the good Lord will give me. I hope everyone will enjoy their 60th as much as I will mine.
(Please send your own 60th birthday plans or memories. We only have one left to share with you.)
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David Phillips
Class of '66
Craig Bannecke, Class of '65 - Got a call last night (28 March) from my sister Marlene (Class of '71) in Huntsville that a dear friend and colorful character, David Phillips, Lee Class of '66 had died. Bill Gooley, Tommy Bush, the Ramsey brother's and a number of other Lee High alumni who lived in the Oakwood -Pulaski Pike area will remember him. David was a wild child growing up and he and I had way to many good times together and survived many a road trip.
David was famous for falling asleep at the wheel late at night or very early in the morning that often resulted in consequences. On the two occasions of my lapse in poor judgment that allowed David to drive while I slept in the back seat on the way back from one of our "excursions". One resulted in our waking up in the middle of a cow pasture between Athens and Huntsville, off the side of the road, having past threw a fence of which a piece of the fence was sticking out of the radiator of his dads car. The second occurrence found us being rudely awakened by two Okaloosa county Florida deputies from our car that was parked in a used car lot at 2:00 am with us sound asleep. We probably would not have been discovered if David hadn't left the headlights on. That resulted in a night in the Okaloosa County jail drunk tank. I can still remember the voice in the darkness hollering out from somewhere on the cell floor "Don't step on my head". Each year in September as Jennifer and I drive to Destin for a week at her brother's condo we will pass the Entering Okaloosa County sign just outside Destin and I will be reminded of David....and that voice from the darkness of the Okaloosa County Jail.
This does not take into consideration that he was also an occasional occupant of Fireball Lehman Georges rides home from Florence Stare. Also like Lehman, David was the kind of person that was hell bent on squeezing every available moment out of his life. One of my fondest memories of this dear friend will be the morning after an all night'er somewhere in North Alabama after David, having wrecked his Daddy's car and we having walked home to his parents house were sitting out on their porch swing. It was a cool morning and we were sitting quietly and grateful for the stillness as our heads throbbed and the coffee cups in our hands were the only assurance we would live another day. His mother who had the patience of Job and the love of Jesus came out and sat on the porch swing next to David. We all sat there quietly for a moment when she slowly put her arms across David's shoulders and matter of factly said...."You know son your Daddy and I were just talking. Do you realize you've wrecked every car we've ever owned ?" It was one of those rhetorical questions that didn't really require and answer. David, just slowly nodded his head yes in agreement. That was probably so.
None the less David was successful in life and obtained a graduate degree from the University of North Alabama, his masters degrees were in Theology from Samford University and in Counseling from University of Alabama Birmingham. He lived in Birmingham where he became a very successful mental health counselor, licensed LPC and consultant earning the Respect Award from the Mental Health Council in 1997. David and his former wife, Elizabeth Phillips Guest, also a Lee graduate and the daughter of Coach Dougthet, a Lee coach for many years, have three sons that were the pride of his life. Now he too is gone like so many others we will long remember and miss. I will always be grateful for having had David as a friend and for all the wonderful memories his friendship left behind.
David's obituary and additional information can be found in the March 29th Birmingham News. There probably won't be any mention of his poor driving skills.
S. DAVID PHILLIPS, age 58, of Birmingham, Alabama passed away on March 27, 2006 in Birmingham. Mr. Phillips was a graduate of Lee High School in Huntsville, Alabama, his undergraduate degree came from University of North Alabama, his masters degrees were in Theology from Samford University, and in Counseling from University of Alabama in Birmingham. He was a licensed LPC, he earned the Respect Award from the Mental Health Council in 1997 and was a member of the AIM Team. Mr. Phillips worked for fifteen years for J.B.S. Mental Health Authority where he served as a Program Director for the Mental Illness Residential Programs, and was also a mental health consultant. Mr. Phillips was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Dorothy Phillips. He is survived by his former wife, Elizabeth Phillips Guest; three sons, David Martin (Kathleen) Phillips, Joshua Ryan Phillips, and Andrew Christopher Phillips; one brother, Ronald Lee (Marilynn) Phillips. In lieu of flowers, make donations to National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Birmingham Chapter. 3125 Independence Drive, Homewood, AL 35209.
George Lehman Williams, Class of '64 - I have many memories of David and most of them involve pushing the limits. I will pray for him and his family. I don't remember him being at the last reunion. What a shame. It also reminds me of those who live in Huntsville and just could not find the time come to the reunion and remember the times of our youth and share the memories that mean so much to all of us. We may not get the opportunity to let them know how precious those early years were to all of us and how much of an impact they had on our lives.
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Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter, Class of '65 -I think I know the four "Sandra Dees" in the picture. I'm sure the one in red is Alice Tuck, the one in the back left is Candy Custer and then I think the other two are Carol Jean and Janice Lusk. I would imagine that the PJ party was at Gale Thompson's but that is only a guess. The stories of other slumber parties is going to be left to those who have a better memory.
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Gale Thompson, Class of '64 - The spent the night party was at my house, and I lived at 2612 Valley Brook Dr. There were 12 girls we had a ball, I am sure that Carol Jean remembers or she better, I am a little bit older. If anyone enjoys the website as much as I do there would be a lot of people writing in.
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Subject:Class of '68 Reunion
Jeannie Preston
Class of '68
Is it possible to post this to your website since googling always comes up with your site:
Plans for 1968 40 year reunion are July 5, 2008 at Philpot Park or Monte Sano Park and evening at Huntsville Country Club, Jazz Factory, Greenhills Grill, or Bonefish Grill with Aaron Wilburn 1968 LHS graduate, who is a world famous comedian, Grammy Award winning as well as nominated songwrite, and famous recording artist. Any information even old about class members would be appreciated.
ejp071182@yahoo.com
jeannie.preston@ngc.com
256-503-3524
256-830-3778
2708 Pinetree Lane, Huntsville, AL 35810.
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Above is the other half of the photo we shared with you last week. Four new faces for you to identify. Now I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I personally always wondered what really went on at one of these things. I started to PhotoShop myself into the middle of this crowd for an April Fool's prank, but the timing is off so that was out. Besided, I don't really need to, since I might be one of a small handful of males who actually got to enjoy a wild slumber party one night - which by the way included at least one of the girls in one side of the photo. I'll share that story with you in another issue.
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Rat's I forgot to turn my clock ahead...it's really, really late!!!
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Last Week's
Lone Ranger Trivia
Marc Bentley, Class of '65 sent in these answers to last week's Lone Ranger Trivia questions.
1. What was the Lone Ranger's character's (not actor's) real name? John Reid, Nephew was Dan Reid
2. From what was the Lone Ranger's mask made? The vest his brother wore when he was killed.
3. What is the meaning of “Kemo sabe”? from the Spanish "quin sa'ber (who knows) or the Potawatomi Indians for "Trusty Scout"
4. What was the name of the gang that left the Lone Ranger for dead after ambushing and killing the rest of the ranger troop? The Cavendish Gang
5. What was the source of the silver used to make the silver bullets? A silver mine that he and his brother Dan owned for their retirement.
Karen Tucker Oliver, Class of '65 -The Lone Ranger rides again! Ranger Reid along with his "faithful friend" (kemosabe) Tonto fought for law and order in the early west. Being left for dead by the Cavendish Gang, Ranger Reid was nursed back to health by Tonto and needing to hide his identity made a mask from his old Texas Ranger vest. He only used silver bullets -obtained from a lost silver mine - to remind him of his vow to fight for justice in those early days and never to shoot to kill. What a great tv show this was! It was one of the only things my brother, Bobby Class of '67 agreed on.
(The mask was made from his brother's vest. Close!)
