1965

Hi, classmates! I enjoyed a class micro-reunion in June over on Maryland's eastern shore attending the wedding of Steve and Donna Farrows oldest daughter, Lisa. Also there were Chip and Connie Hayes and Jim and Barb Cooper. They have made it a tradition attending the weddings of each others daughters over the years.

That allowed me a chance to catch up on them, and other classmates they have been in touch with. Steve continues to work as the vice president of operations for a regional subsidiary of U.S. Airways. Steve and Donnas other daughlives ter, Jenny, was married four years ago and now up in Massachusetts.

Chip Hayes, after a successful career in the high-pressure world of business and finance, retired a few years ago, and now leads a tranquil(?) life filled with golf, tennis and travel. He still chairs the Compass Aerospace Corp. in Los Angeles, where he and Connie have made their home since Chip completed his Navy stint and Harvard Business School. Chip and Connie, 42 years together: Wow! Daughter Stephanie is now at Washington College in St. Louis.

Chip occasionally runs into classmates Rich Bloch and Sven Karlen and has seen Chuck Zeh (in Reno) and Russ Carson (in New York) a couple of years ago. Rich has developed his magic skills into a "second career," occasionally performing on-stage in Los Angeles and in Las Vegas, using that as an "excuse" to travel far and wide. Chip also was on a golfing outing in Ireland a few years ago on which John Daily also participated.

Dr. Jim Cooper and Barb moved from Minnesota to West Palm Beach years ago. There Jim continues as a general practitioner and internal specialist. Interesting to hear him tell how the medical profession has changed since he began. Once there was a much closer relationship of doctor to patient, and a sense of working for oneself. Now management has become much more corporate, and the threat of malpractice suits has cast a pall over the doctoring business (fortunately Jim hasn't had to contend with any lawsuits). Another BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious) is that as a doctor ages, so do patients; by 60, many of ones patients are in their 60s and older, requiring increased time and attention, with a wider range of ailments, and even start dying. All this increases pressures on the doctor at the very point where he thought he might start winding down. So Jim works as hard as ever, and expects to continue for at least another five to seven years. Knowing all of that, would he do it vagain? Probably, he said.

Coop occasionally sees Al Stewart, Bill Oberlink and Dan Corbett, all of whom live near-by in Southeast Florida, and John Case from Denver passed through recently.

I've gotten an extensive update on Mike Orr's new enterprise; more on that next column. Betteryet, come up to the class mini-reunion in October and hear that and much more for your self. Hope to see you there.

3022 Regents Tower St, #343, Fairfax,VA 22031-1273; (703) 359-8130; mcgrutherk @aol.com