Bios

-Bio Time! Let's see, where do I start? Everything is such a blurrrrrr, but I do remember leaving, what had become to me, the overcrowded San Fernando Valley during the late summer of 1962. As my wife, Fran, and I drove north (our destination Chico State) I remember feeling "reborn", like it was destiny we move north. Got that B.S. degree from CS, added a daughter to our family while at CS, and became a Federal Meat Grader (you know, the "choice", "prime", blue ink stamps you see on meat). Loved that job, until I got transferred to L.A.! ...boohoo...>: Took an official one year leave of absence and went back to school, this time U.C. Davis, hoping I'd be offered another grader job in a place that family and I would like. While at Davis I fell into a Peace Corps teaching position, and this in turn led to a change in direction for me......I now wanted to be a full time teacher. Got offered a teaching position in Ripon, Ca., where I taught H.S. for thirty-two years; most of that time in the Algebra classroom. Added a second daughter to the clan in '70.

Over the years I had so much fun in the classroom that nothing in particular stands out. Students spent most of their time trying to figure out who in the world I was. Great job, great kids, great conservative community, great place to raise a fantastic family.

When each of the daughters turned eighteen I proceeded to cut away, with a skill saw, a quarter section of the dinner tabe. Daughters both understood, moved ten miles away, married in time, and blessed us with four grandchildren.

I retired in June of '99. Wife and I moved to our mountain retreat in the foothills (Hwy 49 ...."Gold Country") and fight the mountain lions and bear. We have established a "catfish pond" and a sizeable garden area. Our place in the hills has a few unique characteristics: a mining claim and no utility company power (only a phone line). We power it with solar and hybrid power. Eastwood'57

Hi Braves. Here is a second BIO to read. Now it's time for the rest of you to to send in yours!

After graduation, I entered BIOLA College (formerky Bible Institute of Los Angeles, hence the BIOLA) as a music major, and during my time there met Warren Dane, a Bible major. We married after his graduation, and while he was in seminary, I worked until our first daughter, Bethany, was born. Warren became an Air Force chaplain after seminary , and we moved to Denver, Colorado (absolutely beautiful) where our second daughter, Sharon, was born. In 28 years in the service, we lived in Ankara/Turkey, Zaragoza/Spain, Landstuhl/Germany, and in the U.S. in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and three assignments in California, ending with a year at March AFB in Riverside. Our girls are now married and we have four grandchildren, one family nearby in Long Beach, and the other in upstate Massachusetts. During our travels, I directed choirs and sang at most of the bases where we lived, did Red Cross volunteer work and was active in chapel ministries. We are now semi-retired- - - - I substitute teach and have some private music students, and travel to Europe and other places to help missionaries or other ministries. My husband directs the chaplains program for our church fellowship. I love MLB and the NFL, reading, counted cross-stitch, and all kinds of music. I would love to hear from any old Birminghanite who remembers me. kathydane@hotmail.com......Romans 10:9 & 10

After spending four great years as a senior at Birmingham High, I graduated on January 28, 1957. I was 64th of a class of 65! Did I care? Hell no. I was the first to complete high school of 13 children. My sister Paula S'58 followed. I was originally going to attend Pierce College so that I could continue my running career in Cross Country and Track. However, the Xmas before I graduated, I got in an argument with my girl friend (Diane Swain) and went to my Navy Reserve unit requesting active duty following graduation. I was told to report to Long Beach and serve on the minesweeper U.S.S. Dynamic. One problem, two days after signing up I was not upset anymore. I went to the Navy Reserve Center to say: "Time out, I do not want to go". They looked at me like I was NUTS! When I did report to Long Beach, I found out the ship is pulling out for Japan in three hours, fo a six month tour. So there I stood, watching San Pedro sink on the horizon, feeling very sorry for myself, lost and a long way from home, relatives, and friends.

I managed to complete my two years of active duty and returned to U.S. Navy Reserve. I entered Pierce College and took up my favorite sport, running. I ran with my High School running buddy Bruce Thiele. Our team won the conference Cross Country meet. Bruce and I were also on the very first Birmingham championship team, the Birmingham Cross Country Team of '54-'55 . Also on that same BHS team was Kent Eastwood.

After Pierce, I entered San Fernando Valley State. At the end of the first semester, my father passed away and I had to take over his newstand business (Sepulveda & Ventura) and care for my mother. I stayed in school, attending nights. While attending school I worked at several jobs, including Litton Sysyems, Hughes Aircraft and later a private security firm. During this time, I kept up my running with the So. California Striders. The 10,000 meters was my race (with a PB of 28:48.6).

One of my college roomies got me interested in joining the L.A. Dept. Reserve Corps. Staying in the Navy Reserve, I was living the life of Walter Mitty, changing uniforms each week. I later obtained my Criminal Justice Degree from Cal State L.A.

In 1967 I got a call from Lynn (McCraken) Flynn. She asked if I would work on the ten year class reunion. She also told me that an old friend of mine from BHS (Joan Jeffus) was on the committee. Joan and I dated in the 11th grade. Joan, myself, Ron Griffith and Lynn double dated many times in high school. So, as a devoted committee member, I got Joan's number, called her and made a dinner date. We met at Ah Fongs in Encino. I laughed until my side hurt. We started dating and got married six months later (Oct. 14, 1967).

In 1970, I got laid off from a film job in Hollywood. By this time as an LAPD Reserve Officer, I was assisting at the Police Academay on the Physical Training Unit and working patrol in the West Valley Division. I wanted to go on the job full time, Joan was against it (too dangerous). One night after I had obtained a private security job, Joan called me into the kitchen and stated, "go take the test, I know you want to work in law enforcement." I entered the Police Academy in November 1970 and retired in 1996. I had some great jobs. Patrol, Juvenil Division (teaching in the high schools, Birmingham and Kennedy), Chief Gates staff (his press officer) and I started a program in 1983 called, "D.A.R.E." (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). After a girl died in my arms in Canoga Park, I went into elementary schools telling 6th grades classes about the dangers of drugs. My children were in catholic school and I visited their class when I left Patrol and went to Chief Gates staff. The Valley News and Green Sheet printed my photo teaching Chrissy's 6th grade class (my daughters class when she was 11 years old). The Chief called me in after seeing the photo and the rest is history. DARE is in 50 states and 130 countries and there are now 25,000 DARE Officers. I then went to the Police Academy to teach, promoted back to patrol and then back to DARE as the Western States Coordinator before retirement.

While working as a cop, I coached track and cross country at Birmingham High School (volunteer coach, 20 years). I then moved to UCLA as an assistant coach and later to USC as the head cross country coach. I started a coaching business in 1980 and moonlighted coaching marathon runners. I now coach over 3,000 runners per year at nine training locations. I still run every day and compete in the grand master division.

We have a wonderful life together. Some nights we sit on our patio with a glass of wine and talk about all of our wonderful friends. We seem to talk to former BHS classmates every week. For a class of 65, we still are in contact with 20-30 classmates (S'57 included). Little did I know in the spring of 1956, when Joan walked up to me and asked me to a Page Party at Judy and Linda Carnes home - - that we would marry someday and raise two wonderful daughters. I have so much to be thankful for, having the opportunity to attend that old U.S. Army Hospital Base, making lifetime friends, meeting my wife, getting involved in sports and sharing a part of the American Dream.

Pat Connelly'57

Jack McElroy

Class of S’58

(Should have been)

I have many fond memories of Birmingham. The grilled cheese sandwiches, the unspoken social order in the lunch court yard area, the street roadster with the 8 carburetor Chrysler V8, I don’t remember who owned it…. I remember Mr. De Leon’s wrestling class, and the time I managed to defeat George Brundege in the “un-limited “ Class. Yeah, I too was slightly larger than average.

There were also other more subtle things that come to mind. Like the day the Roseanne Rises brought her guitar to Driver’s Ed. Class and gave us a beautiful demonstration of Spanish Flamenco music. On the rowdy side of class, who can forget the occasions when Orin Prosser was escorted out of class by the LAPD… Or when art class got a little carried away with Jimmy Hume Polk Riley and Dave High,,, and myself having a little fun…..

I only had one girl friend,,, and one girl “buddy” during those years. The girl friend went on to wed another fella and have a successful marriage. They are retiring on their “Live Aboard” yacht in the San Diego area. The “Girl Buddy”,,, now that’s another story.. After 44 years Pat Darr and I came back together and decided to make a life together. We were married in Sept. 2000 in Colorado… Between Patti & I, we have generated 8 beautiful children (and in addition, she raised 4 step children as well!!)

My socializing was pretty much confined to the Road Duster Car Club and their parties. We sure had some great ones…..

As it says at the top, I am a “Should have been” S’58 guy. I bailed out in the middle of 12th grade and went to work for a couple years. The military was staring me in the face, so I took the G.E.D. test and joined to Army in March of 1960. There, I trained as Helicopter Mechanic and went to Ft. Lewis Washington. While there, two of the Road Dusters showed up in other outfits, Jerry Walker and Tommy Dakin. Call it fate; I did not go to Vietnam…..

Discharged in 1963, I returned to the Valley and went to work for Western Electric Co. as an installer. I installed the equipment, in the telephone buildings, that makes our phones work. I kinda liked this line of work so I have stayed with it. I went from a basic equipment installer, on to positions with General Telephone of Calif. as a Transmission Engineer, Gen. Tele. of the Southwest in Dallas as an Installation Supervisor, GTE Sprint as a Fiber Optic Transmission Engineer, US Telecom as an engineer in their technical assistance center – Atlanta, and finally US Sprint / Sprint, Kansas City area as a technical support engineer and finished my career as a Project Manager IV dealing with technical procedures and documentation.

Sprint “down sized” me into early retirement in Nov of 2001. We looked around and decided to find a better place to live.. The long & short of it is we moved to the Coeur d’Alene Idaho area,,, AND LOVE IT!!

Patti & I are very happy right here in Northern Idaho. This is where the five of us,,, plan to stay. Five?? I am referring to “Basa” our Mini-Doxie and “Taylor”& “Skeeter” our two kitties….We loves our fuzzy butts…

Our hobbies? Patti is into public service in our little town. She is secretary of the local Historical Society. We both enjoy Skeet shooting. I’ve been at it for over 16 years, and spent 8 of those years as a certified Skeet Referee. Patti just started last fall and is doing very well.. There was a time when I was into Competitive Pistol Shooting, but after thirty years of it I got burned out. Skeet is far more social..

I am also back into Amateur Radio and have upgraded my license. I am a member of the area RACES group that provides emergency communications for the County and at Special Events. Additionally, I am the current VP of the Kootenai Amateur Radio Society (KARS).. We both keep pretty busy..

We are putting down our roots and looking toward the future.

Jack McElroy jacmac@adelphia.net

Patti McElroy pattimac1@adelphia.net