|
Hanna
Geshelin (Helen Bandes)
I left California in 1968 when I went to Israel. I returned to the
USA in 1969 when I changed my name legally from Helen, which I never
liked, to Hanna, which has always been my Hebrew name. I've never
returned to California, living mostly in Massachusetts with five
years in Idaho and two in Utah in the 70s. The major focus of my life
has been educating Jewish people about their heritage. To that end, I
started and ran the nation's first Jewish retail mail-order
book-and-gift company, was a Jewish storyteller, edited and published
a Jewish women's quarterly, and began Boston's Jewish Storytelling
Coalition, a performance and educational organization that is now in
its 15th year.
In 1979 I went to Israel and England and had two "close
encounters" with other Tam grads: I saw announcements in Israel
for a concert by flautist Wendy Eisler (Tam '61) and her husband, and
in London by George Duke; unfortunately, though, both were after my visits.
I've been a writer throughout my adult life, with two children's
books to my credit. _Sleepy River_, illustrated by award-winning
illustrator Jeanette Winter, was published in 1993 by Philomel; and
_Reb Aharon's Treasure_, winner of the Association of Jewish
Libraries' Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award, was published by Targum
Press in 1993.
Presently I write monthly column reviewing Jewish-themed
children's books for Jewish newspapers. I have a website, www.PsalmCenter.org
, that promotes the study and recitation of psalms. My inspirational
stories appear in many anthologies. I have many secular publishing
credits as well. I'm presently working on a book documenting the
experiences of Iranian Jews living in the USA and Canada. Since none
of the above is a steady living, I also do business and technical
documentation. My business website is www.geshelin.com
. This website features photos of the NASA robot arm. I actually did
work on that, as well as on GPS and other highly technical systems,
back in the early '80s.
I married Ira in 1995 and am the proud grandmother of Lily, his
daughter's little girl.
|
John
Walker
After the great years at Tam High I went on to College of Marin,
majoring in Police Science. During this time I married my high school
sweetheart, Joan Kaponat. We were married for 19 years (no children).
I went to work for the Continental Insurance Co. in San Francisco
and stayed with them for 16 years, until August 1985. About this same
time I was really getting burned out with insurance and it was
wearing me down.
In May of 1985 I was introduced by a mutual friend to my second
and present wife, Sue. It was a blind date set up by Peggy Quesdad,
who used to work at the San Rafael bowling alley when I was in junior
league bowling. We met in Sacramento at a state bowling tournament.
It was love at first site, and three days later I popped the big
question and she accepted. Its been 17 years now and we're still
going strong.
In 1986 I finally quit the insurance business and went to
Pleasanton, to manage apartments. That lasted a couple years. We
moved to southern Calif. and with jobs as they were back then I
surprised Sue by telling her I was going to drive a big truck. After
lengthy discussions it was a done deal.
I started truck driving school in Corona, California and I was off
into the night. I started my new career with Schneider National
Trucking and moved with the company to Pennsylvania. We lived there
for a few years and the cold winters and icy roads didn't suit me so
we moved west again, settling in Riverside, California. I then got on
with another trucking firm, Dick Simon trucking and drove for them
till they were sold in April of 2002. The new company asked me to
stay on, so now I drive for Central Refrigerated Services, Inc. I
hope to retire with this company in 6 years.
It has been a hard life being on the road but I've been able to
take Sue and our dog along on several occasions. We used to dream of
owning our own home and settling down so our grandchildren could come
visit us. In 1997 we found the area we liked and bought our first
house together. Two of our granddaughters live in Boise, Idaho and
they come to visit often. Our other two grandchildren live in
Prescott, Arizona, so we don't get to see them as often.
Living in Nyssa, Oregon has been an experience. It's a small
farming town of 3185 people. It's outside of Ontario, Oregon right on
the Snake River. It's about 50 miles from Boise, Idaho. For
excitement we count the onion and potato trucks that pass by our
house. On any day, during harvest times we can smell sweet onions,and
the sugar factory in Nyssa. The slow pace seems to suit us. Like
other classmates have said in their bios, "I don't know how
anyone can afford to live in California anymore".
I am looking forward to the class reunion in August 2003. We were
down in Marin County last year on our vacation and got to see a few
of our old friends. The County sure has grown. Lots of traffic, new
businesses, etc.
See you all in August 2003. |
|
Doug
Chambers
Douglas Lee Chambers was born on August 30, 1945, in Little Rock Arkansas.
He is the son of Laurel Lee Chambers an outstanding Indiana lawyer
who joined the US Army JAG Corps due to the 'Great Depression' that
gripped Midwest back in those days. His father stayed on for 30 years
completing his JAG career by helping to rewrite Japanese law into
English common law after World War II.
Doug's date of birth was only a day or two before the famous
signing of the 1945 treaty aboard the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay and
his father worked directly with Gen.Douglas MacArthur, Doug's namesake.
His middle name "Lee" was after the 'Great Robert E.
Lee'. However in Doug's family he was not referred to as the 'Great
Robert E. Lee'...but rather simply 'Saint Bob'.
Doug's mom was the sweetest Southern Belle you will ever meet.
Doris Orr was her maiden name.
Later in life, when asked for her name by passport and customs
officers she would say "Doris Orr Chambers".
They would pause and look up and say "Which one is it lady?"
As an Army Brat, Doug moved around many times in his childhood
from the Pentagon in Washington DC, to DeRidder Louisiana, (near Fort
Polk). And on to Kyoto Japan for two years.
During a childhood 'photo op' in Kyoto Japan, Doug and Prince
Akihito visited each others homes (sort of an East meets West deal).
The photo still hangs in Doug!s Sonoma home in the den.
Akihito's house was nicer!
The family then moved back to San Francisco and finally Marin County.
Where he settled in to Tam Valley School. Doug's father and mother
waited for nearly 20 years to have childre (due to The Great
Depression -- see above) and so they were a bit older than most and
did pass on relatively early in Doug's life.
Doug will gladly relate for you many of his high school
shenanigans at the reunion. Some of the high points were jumping in
the nets under the Golden Gate bridge, and some sports activities.
Doug still holds a great interest in swimming.
He is a member of the SF Dolphin Club has swum from Alcatraz to
San Francisco several times as well as the SF to Marin 'Golden Gate
Swim' (which Rod Pinto was kind enough to film).
He still likes to dive for abalone and has an interest in breeding
them by crossing them with crocodiles...to get 'Abadiles'. So far he
only has a 'Croc-a-baloney'!
Upon graduation Doug went to San Jose State University and earned
a degree in Journalism and Advertising.
Advertising paid better, and seemed like a 'fun career' (it was)
so he went to work for the Wall Street Journal.
To get an idea of his time there watch 'MAD MEN'. It was actually
like that...those were the days!
Once a year a bunch ad folks got together to 'put on a show' which
always spoofed the advertising biz.
This would be called 'politically incorrect' these days.
Some of the yearly 'Milline Show' productions in which
Doug played were: "Deflower Drum Song", "Diddler on
the Roof," "East Bay Story," and "Little Organ
Annie" to name a few. Details on request at the Reunion.
He also held posts at the San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent
Journal and many other newspapers.
He was the Advertising Manager at 'Motorland'(now VIA magazine).
Presently Doug has carved himself a 'retirement job' -- His own
company. Western News Service, which distributes magazines and
newspapers in the Bay Area primarily Marin, Sonoma and Napa. There
are five magazines and three newspapers in the stable including some
work for the SF Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and Sonoma
Index Tribune. Magazines include Sonoma Magazine and Edible Marin
& Wine Country.
Doug and his artist wife are still 'crazy in love'.
To see her work go to:
marcychambers.com
...and he has three sons who are all 'growed up'. His five year
old granddaughter visited recently and the family swarmed 'Train
Town' - big fun here in Slownoma.
As Doug descended the stairs she gave him a stern once over and
queried on his taste in fashion.
"Did you buy that as an outfit or put it together
yourself?" she said.
I look forward to seeing you at the reunion (if you have read this
far)...and as Mark Twain once said,
"If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter"
|
|
Julia
Bergman
I was at SF State during the '60s – what an incredible era.
Everything was happening and I got into as much of all of it as I
could. I ended up with a BA in International Relations and went to
Europe, and then to New York to work for the UN. They asked me if I
could type (thanks to Mr. Watta, I could). I decided to get married.
After SF State, Bernhard and I hit the road; we moved 16 times in
13 years, of which a fabulous 3 years were spent in Berlin, Germany.
We both worked in school environments and traveled around Europe
every free minute. I earned my MA in Librarianship during a stint in
Michigan in 1975.
I have traveled as much and as often as I could. In the late '80s
I was audited by the IRS because they didn't think one individual
could rack up so much credit card interest (which at that time was
tax deductible!) I had nothing to hide. And I've been to some
fascinating places.
After a wonderful 33 year career as a librarian at City College of
San Francisco, on December 20, 2008 I retired, kind of.
At that time I also retired as Board Chair of the Central
Asia Institute (CAI). CAI now supports more than 300 projects in
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan focused on literacy and
education for boys, but especially for girls.
I am particularly proud of my personal efforts to raise funds for
the new Balti Museum and Educational Center in Skardu, Baltistan, a
remote region in the Karakorum Mountains of northern Pakistan, with
cultural and linguistic ties to Tibet. Read about the museum here.
I was very actively involved in CAI’s mission for twelve
years, traveled to Pakistan nine times, and once to Afghanistan, in
2002. During the last several years I thoroughly enjoyed traveling
around the United States to speak about my role and about the
organization’s many successes. When girls are educated there
will be change, with change comes hope, and with hope, maybe peace.
Several months into retirement another retired colleague and I
decided to co-author a little book about the College for the
institution’s 75th anniversary. It took us a year but the book
was published just in time for the anniversary. Product DetailsYou
can find it on amazon.com.
The Diego
Rivera Mural Project at City College of San Francisco continues
to keep me connected to faculty, students, researchers, scholars,
journalists and museum curators who find their way to our mural, and
to the library’s special collection about Diego Rivera.
Planning for retirement finally forced me to deal with financial
realities so my former husband Bernhard and I decided to assist one
another in this next stage of life. We moved to Grass Valley in 2009
where my parents had purchased property in 1967. We knew that we were
not going to live under the same roof, so I moved into the modest
house my father built after my mother passed away in 1973. B
purchased a cabin that sits very nicely on our one acre of cedar,
pine and fir trees. We have an all-year creek on the property named
for my mother – it’s Ellen’s Creek.
I like projects - last year it took me eleven months to organize
my neighbors here to get a non-county maintained road paved. Everyone
agreed that it needed to be done, but it was rough getting the money
out of folks. But it got done! And this reunion has been a project!
Once a very conservative old Gold Rush town, Grass Valley has
become a very arts-friendly community and I now read Letters to the
Editor with which I agree. And it’s just 2 ½ hours back to
San Francisco, where I get my diversity “fix”, meet
students and friends. I drive “down the hill” often.
Our extended family includes 6 nieces & nephews and now their
10 children, so life is full of love and laughter. And of course my
brother Ernie is very much a part of everything!
Over the last couple of years B & I have each had to deal with
some manageable, some difficult health issues, but have decided to
just keep on moving. So we travel as much as we can (my new knee
makes that easier!) and just take life one day at a time. A week
after the reunion we’re going to Alaska.
While traveling through Central Asia in 1996 I was bitten by a
Kazak dog (a long story). From that experience I learned this: always
know the difference between an inconvenience and a problem. And years
ago I decided that the only 'religion' for me was the Golden Rule. I
live it, although it's hard to do sometimes. So that's how I live my
life. And I'm happy.
--
"I want to be thoroughly used up before I die"
George Bernard Shaw
|
Sharon
(Shonnie) Berry Brown
Though many of you knew me as Sharon, I have been Shonnie all my
life. I used to be spelled Shonny, then Shonni. I was Miss Stump's
favorite student, though Julia would argue that, and I did end up
with her Pinata which I have long since thrown out. I can't believe
it's been 40 years--my memories of childhood are so vivid. I can
picture so many of you perfectly, just as you were at Tam (or at Tam
Valley Elementary).
I attended UC Berkeley 1963-67, not preparing for anything, but
enjoying studying Italian and Art. From there I got my teaching
credential at SF State simply because I didn't know what else to do.
Those were the days of Hayakawa and major student demonstrations and
I recall having contact with both Julia and Carole Bennett on campus.
I lived in SF with my boyfriend (to become my first husband) until
1970 and then began almost 20 years of living in a variety of
beautiful and interesting places including Turkey (where I was for
the 10th reunion) and Bavaria in Southern Germany (where I was for
the 20th). Also lived in Massachusetts, Maryland, Arizona and various
locations in California. I met my second husband while I was living
in Sinop, Turkey on the Black Sea and we were together for 12 years.
During these years I worked as classroom teacher, art teacher, home
teacher, librarian, taught art classes at adult school, and had a
fine art printmaking business.
I am so very grateful for my overseas experiences because they
have contributed to giving me a more global perspective. Living in a
Moslem country was a totally foreign experience in the 1970s. Living
in southern Bavaria in the 80s was totally awesome and I enjoyed
every minute of it. On our street in a tiny farming village named
Gotting near Munich, people from seven different countries lived
harmoniously together.
My two most heartbreaking life experiences were the breakup of my
second marriage in 1986 and the destruction of my family's Tahoe
house by fire (the place where I spent every summer of my childhood)
and the subsequent loss of the property in 1990. The divorce caused
me to make some serious choices about my life as an independent
person. I went back to graduate school in 1987 and got my M.A. in
Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, becoming a licensed
psychotherapist in 1993. In 1998 I moved to the charming small town
of Healdsburg in northern Sonoma County and started a counseling
center in Santa Rosa with six colleagues.
I love my work environment. I am still involved in art, pottery
and gardening and still have guinea pigs as pets! (I promise not to
bring one to the reunion). I enjoy writing and am working on a book
entitled "Memoirs of a Baby Boomer" which may include some
of you. I write a column for the Healdsburg Tribune dedicated to
community building--my hope being to help bridge the gap between
"us and them". Spiritually and politically I believe that
we are one world, all interrelated, or as Ram Dass put it back in the
70s, "Everyone's my brother-in-law".
The 30th reunion was a real joy for me. I think I missed a lot of
high school because I was so incredibly shy and fearful. At the 30th
I loved reuniting with Cheryl Saunders (who I thank Charlie for
locating!) and my trio of elementary school buddies: Penny, Peggy and
Julia. I look forward to this reunion even more for all the surprises
it will hold for us! P.S. Anyone interested in a Tam Valley
Elementary School get together? |
|
Les
Mize
My life since Tam has taken me in many directions, but after fifty
years I am still proud to call Marin home. Family, career, community
involvement, and a Mickey Mouse collecting hobby have kept me busy
over the last five decades.
After graduation I went to work for John Finn Accounting Corp on
Miller Avenue, then made a career change to sales in the printing
industry in 1970; first with George Lithograph Co. in San Francisco,
and ultimately to Fong Brothers Printing in 1976, where I am still
happily employed.
My wife of 43 years, Patricia Vaio Mize (Marin Catholic Class of
1965), and I have six children and 4 grandchildren who we get to see
often. We have also enjoyed many pets, especially our yellow labs.
Over the years and through my family I have been active in Boy
Scouts, Little League, and Dixie Youth Soccer, as well as other
activities through our local schools and parish.
Patty and I have lived in the same house in Marinwood for 40 years
where we have raised our family, enjoyed community involvement, and
extensively decorated for Christmas (locally known as the Mickey
Mouse Christmas House and destination to thousands of Christmas-light-seekers
each season). We are also fortunate enough to enjoy a vacation home
in Chamberlands on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, and for the last
thirty years I have held leadership positions on various homeowners
associations there.
I have been active with the Lions Club since becoming the youngest
member of the Mill Valley Lions Club in 1965 and ultimately started
my own club in 1980 in Marinwood—the Las Gallinas Lions Club,
which is one of the largest clubs in Marin County. I am currently the
Region Chairman with aspirations of becoming District Governor. I
have had perfect attendance for all forty-eight years.
I am proud of my Tamalpais High School roots and look forward to
sharing our 50-year Reunion with everyone. One of my best
friends’ daughter is starting as the Tam principal this year,
and I told her that I was an Indian, not a Red-tailed Hawk.
|
Tinsley
Stetson
After I graduated in 1963, I attended 1 1/2 years of college
and then volunteered and entered the Marine Corps. After Boot Camp in
1965 I was given a choice for OCS (Officer Candidate School) or Sea
School. 2% of the Marine Corps are chosen for Sea School. I attended
Sea School and was assigned to the USS Kersarge stationed in Long
Beach. while on board I was injured on the way to Vietnam. I was air
lifted off to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. I had two back
surgeries to try and correct paralysis from the waist down due to
three crushed discs.
I was finally retired from the Marine Corps with full benefits.
Went home to Mill Valley and enrolled in college again. The school
years of `67-'68 I taught as a outdoor education naturalist for the
Marin Co. Outdoor Education Program. the summers of '67-'68 and '69 I
worked for the Park Service at Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park.
In July of 1969 I ran into Nancy Lee Nutting, who attended Redwood
and graduated in 1964. Interesting note: When she was a Junior in
1963 she asked me to her Junior Prom. I accepted. At the end of the
evening when I took her home she shook my hand, slammed the door in
my face, shut off the porch light, left me standing there in the
dark. I didn't see her for six years and through a mutual friend Sue
McClearn in 1969 our paths crossed again. We started dating that
summer and were married December 27th 1969. We went to Illinois in
1970 to attend college so I could get my Masters Degree in Outdoor Education.
After a year we changed colleges went to Spokane, Wash. Then in
1973 transferred to Cal State Hayward. After a wonderful five years
of marriage we both accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour
1974 and that decision changed our lives completely. My wife was
working as a dental assistant and I was working for the post office.
In 1978 the Lord called me into the ministry and I took 45 courses
throught the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Illionis.
For the next 8 years while both of us worked. The Lord opened
doors for us to preach the Salvation message of Jesus Christ at high
school rodeos, professional rodeos, jackpot ropings, horse shows, Cal
State Fair. and race tracks. In 1993 became ordained and we took a
church in Wells, Nevada and pastored there for over 11 years. During
that time we had a therapuetic horseback riding program for the
disabled. Our yourgest rider was 4 and our oldest was 80 and we had
16 volunteers. In 2004 the Lord sent us to Garberville, Calif.
(Humboldt County).
We pastored there for over 5 years. In 2010 the Lord had us take a
church in Mariposa and we were there for 7 months and due to health
concerns I had to step away from the ministry of pastoring. The
health concerns is an exciting testimony and I will not share at this
time. We moved to So. Cal bought a home in San Juan Capistrano where
we have been able to see Steve Detsch and wife Dottie. I am sure each
of us has more to our bio but because of space and time we tried to
limit it.
Thank you for allowing the opportunity to share part of my
life since graduation. Can't wait to experience the time warp of 20,
30, 40, 50 in many cases concerning identification of identification
of classmates. I will be bring pictures 6th grade, 7th grade and 8th
grade and if I can find my year books I will bring them too.
Rev. Tinsley C. Stetson
|
|
Bob
Cogswell
The beginning:
Born February 16th, 1946 in Cook County General Hospital, Chicago
IL. to Cynthia Joyce Cogswell, newly married to Robert C. Cogswell Jr.
1st 4 yrs of life spent living in Hamilton OH, where my father was
born and raised.
Moved to California in 1950 due to employment of my father who
left Ohio to join the Permanente Medical Group, newly established as
a Physician's Corporation to lease its services to the Kaiser
Foundation which had recently established their health plan to cover
workers in Kaiser Industries. Our 1st home in CA was in Vallejo CA
where there was a Kaiser hospital.
Moved to San Francisco CA shortly after coming to Vallejo when Dad
was transferred to the Kaiser Hospital on Geary St. We lived for a
year or two in Stonestown at 460 Winston Dr. Apt 202.
Moved to San Mateo in appr 1952 in our 1st bought home at 1342 Bel
Aire Dr.
Moved to Mill Valley CA in 1955 due to Dad's transfer to the
Permanente Clinic, just past the beginning of the Miracle Mile in San
Rafael CA, to be the Physician in Chief.
Attended Strawberry Point Elementary School through the 6th grade
and went on to 7th & 8th grades at Edna Maguire School.
In 1959 I began 4 yrs. of schooling at Tamalpais Union High
School. During the first 2 years or so of High School, I was in a
band called variously the T-Birds, the Thunderbirds and, lastly, the
Chord Lords.
I was always musically minded with my tastes spanning classical,
post-war jazz, some rock and roll until the Four Seasons (I hated the
falsetto singing) and I was an elementary and early high school music
student. I left the band in my sophomore year or the early part of my
junior year and have not seriously studied any instrumment since
then. I have maintained an interest in live music to this day and
spend a considerable part of my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly
time making live recordings, many of which I upload to a free public
server called "Live Music Archive".
While still at Tam, I went to work for a stock brokerage in SF
called Irving Lundborg & Co. There, I met a Frenchman named
Raymond Bouchayer who introduced me to his sister, Nancy-Ann in
August of 1964. We began living together soon afterward and, in May
(16th) of 1965 were married in a civil ceremony that was held at my
parents home in Strawberry. We were married by a family friend, Judge
Joseph Karesh. Nancy had a son from a previous marriage and together
we had 3 daughters, the last one being born in 1970.
I moved away from home in 1963 immediately after graduation from
Tam. My first home away from home was a cabin at the top of Edgewood
in Mill Valley. That lasted less that a year, and I then moved to a
house on Boardwalk #1 in Larkspur where Nancy and I, plus her son
Marc, first lived. We lived there until 1968 when I found a cool
little hideaway on Courtright street in San Rafael. Lived there for a
year or so, then spent the warm months of 1969 living in the back of
my pick-up truck and, as the winter approached, found a rental in
Bolinas (a magical place to live) for about 7 months, then on to
Novato to a tract home west of downtown for another year. Our last
move was in 1971 when I bought a small cabin-like house in Homestead
Valley. We lived in it for about 6 years, then moved into a motor
home while we presided over a remodel (actually a near complete
replacement) of the house that took 6 1/2 yrs. We lived in the motor
home, then a rental in Tam Valley, then shared their home with a
close friend in Black Point until we finally were able to move back
into our not-quite-finished new home (Dec. 1982) where we still live.
During most of the time until the present, I have earned my daily
bread operating a small business (since 1971) called Sun Automotive,
specialiizing in Jaguar repair. I owned the property I started in
behind Goodmans Lumber and did business there until 1993, when I
moved the business to Sausalito. My building was quite run down and,
after spending a considerable sum trying to get a permit to build a
new structure for my business, I had to leave to find better
quarters. I now have my business on Gate 5 Rd. and am winding slowly
down towards retirement (from that occupation, any way).
Our children, Marc, Camille, Perelandra ,and Alima, all reside in
Marin (one daughter and her family actually are living in England due
to the husband's employment, but keep their Greenbrae home for when
they return) and we have 5 grandchildren, 2 girls and 3 boys. The
eldest, a girl and boy who live in Mill Valley, are both attending
Tam as freshman and sophomore students. |
|
