Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

I would like to have an update on the plans for the group 60th birthday party, if there are any new ones. Joy Rubins Morris has volunteered to supply a cake, and I know some plans were being made to reserve a space on the mountain. If someone would let me know when we are thinking about holding the event it would be nice to know.

I don't think Barbara Seely Cooper, Class of '64, knew that she was stirring up such a hornet's nest with her suggestion that we collect stories about what people do or did for their 60th birthday. I'll have a story about mine in a couple of weeks. I've got big plans and I'll fill you in when they happen.

Please include your class year with your e-mails.

T. Tommy

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Niles Prestage, Class of '65

Highlighted in Spring/Summer 2006

"Who's Who in Huntsville"

(Editor's Note: The following text was taken from a recent issue of "Who's Who in Huntsville". A special thanks to Ann Franklin for sharing it with us.)

Ask Niles Prestage of Office Furniture Outlet about his accomplishments, and you'll hear how proud he is of his growing office furni¬ture business and how honored he is to serve as presi¬dent of the Metro Kiwanis Club. He may mention how humbled he was when his business was nominated for Business of the Year by the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber of Commerce, and later, how he was nominated as Small Business Executive of the Year. He'll talk about loving his church and the 57-acre farm in Gurley that calls him home every night. But, dig a little deeper, and you'll uncover the love and pride of a family man, foster parent, and grandparent. "I thank the Lord every day for allowing me to live long enough to be a grandfather," he said recently at his office on South Parkway.

Daughter, Amanda, has blessed Niles and his wife of 35 years, Judy, with two beautiful grandchildren, Ashton, 8, and Jake, 5. Niles and Judy are blessed with another daughter, Brittney, 13, who joined the family as a foster child when she was four months old. She was adopted at age 3.

Niles, a native of Huntsville and 1965 graduate of Lee High School, married Judy just one day shy of graduating from the University of Alabama. Niles fondly remembers those years at the university not only because that is where he met his future bride, but it's also where he played football or 'kept the bench warm' for the legendary Paul Bear Bryant. Niles has used words of wisdom from the legendary coach to form his business motto: Always be in a position to win. "The challenge Coach Bryant presented made me a better person, and taught me how to work through every challenge in my life," Niles said. "The influence was rewarding, and I try to present those rewards to our customers."

In its 12th year in business, Office Furniture Outlet has grown from a 12,000 square-foot office and showroom full of factory returns and scratch and dent furniture, to two stores with a combined 75,000 square-feet and $1 million inventory of some of the most distinctive office furniture in the area. Locations are 11507 South Memorial Parkway, and 307 2nd Avenue in Decatur.

"Every year, we try to upgrade our stock so we consistently offer the largest selection of office furniture at wholesale or near wholesale prices," Niles explained. Just a few of the famous name brand manufacturers you'll see at Office Furniture Outlet are Paoli, Hooker, Riverside, Berkline, Jasper Desk, Globe, HON, IFI, and Ashley. Niles enjoys traveling the United States in search of bargains, and he truly enjoys passing the savings on to his customers. He's excited about an upcoming excursion to the world's largest trade show, Canton Fair in China. "This trip should provide new opportunities to provide fine furniture and accessories to North Alabama," Niles said.

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Graduation Presents

George (Lehman) Williams

Class of '64

I don't remember exactly what I got for graduation. I do remember everyone wanted me to show up at the ceremonies sober, especially Mr.. Hamilton and we had a special one on one discussion on this issue. What I really wanted was either Susie Smith or Sandy Moneymaker wearing about $1.00's worth of material and about five hours to unwrap my present. Bad Boys - Bad Boys - What you gonna do?

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Nancy Watts

Class of '72

The only graduation present that I can remember is the one that Ruth Esslinger, my first grade teacher, got me. She called my mom and verified that I had selected a silver pattern and she got me a luncheon place setting to my silver. Since it is slightly smaller than the regular place settings, I always save it and put it where I will be sitting.

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Mike Griffith

Class of '66

For high school graduation, my mother wanted to give me "something that I would always remember." Her idea was a watch, but my idea was for her to give me the money that she planned to spend on the watch and I would use it for a trip to Daytona Beach with Phil McDonald and Tommy Knight.

After much "discussion" on this topic, my Dad helped me convince her and two days after graduation Phil, Tommy and I left for Daytona. Ten days later we returned, broke, but with many memories that are vivid in my brain today (tales for another day). To this day, I think that this was a good call on my part and I doubt if reminders of a watch would be as pleasant!?!

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Enjoy The Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

All the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking and expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your

problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups..enjoy your coffee/life.

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Another Fami-LEE Loss

The following was sent to those on the mailing list. For those of you who are not on that list, we regret to inform you of the loss of the son of Sonny and Winona Turner. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them in this time of loss.

Michael Paul Turner

July 31, 1978 - June 6, 2006

Michael Paul Turner, 27, of Huntsville went to be with his Lord and Savior Tuesday. He is survived by his parents, Robert "Sonny" and Winona Brown Turner; sister, Dena Turner and her daughter, Kayla; three brothers, David Turner and his son, Robby, Warren Black and Mark Black and his wife, April, and their children, Gracie and Mason; lifelong friend, Craig Long and his daughter, Kristen, who was Michael's goddaughter; and several very special aunts, uncles and cousins. Arrangements are being handled by Spry Funeral Home of Huntsville, where the family will receive friends from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Chapel services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday with the Rev. James Harrell officiating. In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to Hospice Family Care, 3304 Westmill Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805.

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Subject:Big Brother's

Steve Cook

Class of ‘66

I wanted to add a footnote to what Charlie Hancock had written about Big Brothers # 4 over on Oakwood Ave. Like Charlie, it was my first job other than cutting the neighbors grass for a few dollars. Mr. Bridwell, Brenda Bridwell father-Class of ’66, was the owner and the manager of the store. He ran a tight business where customer service was superior.

I landed the job with the help of another Lee High friend Mike Griffith.

Mike and I were originally hired to distribute weekly “ads” for Big Brothers in the surrounding neighborhood. When an inside opening arose, Mr. Bridwell hired me as a bag boy at a romping $1.00 per hour. I worked my junior year and senior year at Big Brothers working on Friday evenings and all day Saturday. This provides me with a steady but small source of income. I got to meet, work and hang out with other Lee students such as Charlie, Alan Davis, Ray Humphrey, Mike Pluckett and others with names I cannot remember. Big Brothers was a good training ground for us in that we learned how to work as a team, learned the value of good public relations and to realize the importance of good service to the customer. Most of all it gave me an opportunity to meet and remain friends with two of the best people in the world-Charlie and Alan. We still remain as close as we were in high school over 40 years ago.

Thanks for all that you do.

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John Scales, Class of '66 - Not sure when they went from operators to dialing but I still remember the exchange name. Our number was Jefferson 4-0449, which translates to JE4-0449 or 534-0449. That was my parent's number until I moved my mother to assisted living in 2001.

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George Vail, Class if '66 - It's funny I remember most of the phone numbers I've had over the years. My first was 50924 in Vestal, NY, and I believe it was a 3 party line. Our first private-line was PI-88913, and our first number and my families only number in Huntsville was 852-7730. I'd run the table, but I've had alot of phone numbers, and maybe I can't remember them all, HAAAAAA!!!

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Don Wynn, Class of '67 - I have vague memories of the first telephone we had in our house. We had one of those big, clunky, black dial phones. I don't remember our number but we were in the Jefferson exchange. The number was 5 digits with the first two used to signify the exchange. Our number was something like JE 521. I think this was about 1952-53. I was about 4-5 years old.

One of my fondest memories of my high school years involved the telephone. Our mother worked in a bakery and had to go to work before we had to get ready for school. Instead of depending on an alarm clock for a bunch of boys, our mother just called us on the phone when it was time for us to get up. I think I tried to get to the phone first every day because I enjoyed talking to my mother. She asked about plans for the day and reminded us of important things like taking out the garbage. The simple things in life really are the best!

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Tommy Towery, Class of '64 - My first phone number was Jefferson 42656, (AKA) JE-42656, and later just shortened to the numbers of 534-2656. I remember when we switched over to the dial system when I lived on Clinton Street. The year was 1954, but I have to admit that I did not remember that until I found the phone book and its comments on e-Bay.

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