Great Reunion Response

The '71 buffs who enthused about a potential 45-year reunion when asked last fall were right on. It seems that there has been a pent-up desire to get back together! All right, let's do it.

The main event, which will get underway at 5:00 pm on Saturday April 16, 2016 at the Rolling Hills Golf Course Clubhouse, features a cash bar and buffet dinner with live musical entertainment. The band will include no less than five of our '71 classmates, plus two "children" of one of them. Yeah, it's a good-sized band, and as you might expect, they're going to play stuff we all like! There will also be a few other fun surprises not to be spoiled here. Cost to attend, including dinner is $35.

The reunion weekend will kick off with a guided tour of the hallowed halls of THS on Friday, April 15, at a time still to be determined. We'll be sure to get the details out early when we get them nailed down.

Then, Saturday morning at 7:00 am, we're going to take a group hike in the east end of South Mountain Park, leaving from the parking area at Guadalupe and 48th Street in Ahwautukee. Tim Bedient is the organizer and promises about a two-hour, fairly easy hike. A post-hike meal at a local eatery is an option as well.

Make your reservations by e-mailing ths71reunion@gmail.com. At this writing, the number of our classmates attending is approaching 60!!!

He's a current list of confirmed THS classmate attendees posted on Leap Day (Feb. 29, 2016):

Terry Abbott                                                   Debbie Jones Ramsey
Roy Aguayo                                                    Robert Larchick
Rosa Alvarez Wehrman ('78)                         Denise Larson Kobel
Vicky Bader Dempsey                                   Ken Lassen
Tim Bedient                                                    Debbie Logan Willette
Carol Bellows Agne Poole                             Anne Marquis McKeeman ('72)
Patti Bender ('72)                                            Paul McCaw
Janet Boyd Lopez                                            Paul McNeil
Sharon Branham Day                                      Tom Montalvo
Betty Bryant Rohloff                                       Jone Moss English
John Busch                                                       Gary Neely
Salvatore Cafiero                                             Deborah Nelson
Debra Carbajal Coate                                      Diane Palatinus Watkins
Judy Coate Williams                                        Judi Paris
Jeff Cole                                                          Tom Pian
Jacque Cooper                                                 Chuck Ramsey ('67)
Les Cox Lassen ('73)                                       Dorothy Rarick Barnes
Sherry Crawford Gallagher                             Mary Reeder Kenyon
Pat Davitt Burdette                                          Deb Renner Hull ('72)
Tom Ditsworth                                                Kim Roberson
Duane Ernst                                                     Kas Safriet Mangas
Cindy Ewing Arbuckle                                    David Schneider
Patrick Fleming                                                Vikki Schrock Larchick
Tara Fuchs Roesler                                          Pat Smith Ruiz
Mark Hannah                                                   Nadine Speth
Martha Hartman DeMott                                  Anne Spooner Crowe
Dave Hausman                                                  Susan Torgerson Cappelloni
Mike Hudnall                                                    Jim Wehrman
Don Hull                                                           Susan Whalen Irby
Donna Hull Wallace                                         Suzie Wootton Rogers
Roma Israel                                                      Shirley Worbs Ditsworth ('73)
Fred Jones

ALS Claimed Two Classmates in 2007 and 2008

We recently learned that two of our THS Class of 1971 classmates passed away from ALS (Lou Gerhig's disease).

John Philip Moschel:

John passed away on December 6, 2007, from ALS (Lou Gerhig's disease). His obituary can be found below.

Nila Jo (Sales) Perkins:

Nila passed away on June 14, 2008 in Colton, California from ALS, or Lou Gerhig's disease. Although I haven't been able to find an obituary, there was a touching photo and paragraph about her in a publication called NeuroTalk, in an article titled "In search of the face of Lou Gehrig's disease "
Leo Greene, Staff Writer
(Article Launched:10/08/2006)

"I think ALS is the loneliest disease," said Nila Perkins from her room at the Reche Canyon Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Colton.

The 53-year-old Nila had been an active woman, a longtime executive for the Girl Scouts.

In 2002, she first experienced shaking in her hands and difficulty negotiating stairs.

Nila knew something wasn't quite right. But when a doctor suggested she needed to slow down, "I was outraged," she said.

Eventually, in May 2003, a Loma Linda specialist diagnosed ALS. Nila had been living on her own in Redlands at the time.

By July 2003, she quit driving. A walker became necessary in September of that year. And by February 2004, she needed a wheelchair.

So as not to be a burden to her daughter, Nila decided in May 2005 to move to the Reche Canyon center. It was a wise decision, she said.

In her year-and-a-half at the nursing home, Nila has survived several other ALS patients. As for longevity with this disease - "It's 95 percent attitude," she said.

Her grandchildren keep her going. Nila said she wants to live long enough for the youngest, who's 3, "to remember me," she said.

Reserve Your Spot!

Registration for the 45-year Reunion main event has been really active! We may have to cut it off if we reach the capacity of the facility as set by the Tempe Fire Department.  (We're asking what that number is).

To be safe, register right away! Just send us a line at ths71reunion@gmail.com! Then you'll get an invoice for the $35/person fee later, but you'll have a spot reserved.

We're looking forward to a great time with live music and a yummy buffet dinner. Other surprises are still to be announced.