From Barbara Palumbo Poer

Life continues to treat us kindly…a few health problems which we are managing.  Our middle daughter remarried two years ago so we now have two step grandchildren, twins Eamon and Uma Hornish, 16 years old.  Our grandchild, Talulla, loves her new siblings and we are very happy for this successful transition.  She is a freshman at Polytechnic School in Pasadena and, just last week, made the varsity soccer team.

Our second granddaughter lives in Napa and we are so thankful they escaped the recent horrible fires.  They did evacuate for one week because of the unhealthful air and her other grandparents had mandatory evacuation from their home in the hills above Calistoga.  Lucie will turn 13 in July and we will celebrate with a cruise to Tahiti as we did with Talulla for her thirteenth to Alaska.  This time we’ll take both girls which should be loads of fun as they are good friends and full of life.

This recent photo was taken at the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia.  We attended a dinner given for two very dear friends honoring their many years commitment to the Arboretum.  Our daughter, Alexandra, delivered the evening’s address about the honorees since she has known them since her childhood.  In addition, her catering business beautifully planned and executed the entire event for 200.  We were two very proud parents that night.

The second photo shows all the women in the family last January when we participated, with thousands of others, in the Womens’ March in downtown Los Angeles.  What an amazing experience of solidarity and one I was especially proud to share with the third generation.

Wishing everyone in the Class of ’59 a very wonderful Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas and New Year.

Barbara Palumbo Poer

Update from from Bonny Harvey LaMonica

Since our  50th reunion  My husband ,Sal and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary (now 53 yrs).  I had a knee replacement (2015), Shoulder replacement (2017).  Traveled to Europe, Africa, Baltic Sea, Italy and South America.  Busy with Grandchildren(8).  Most are grown and some are in  college.  I attend  yoga classes 3-4 times a week, which I love and keeps me standing straight.  I hope we have a 60th reunion in 2019.  Hugs and smiles to all, Bonny

Update from Fran Ackart Dudley

I had a hip replacement on the 9th of October and I am in a skilled nursing facility.   It is no picnic, but I feel it is a blessing to have Pt and Ot every day. It also reminds me how blessed we are to have health,...and I know I'm going home !  I have very limited access to computer here. I hope to get to check e-mails now and then.  Please pray for  my recovery.

Fun photos from Kathy Thesing Ramdin

Our long lasting friendships take on special meaning for us as we are immersed in our "Golden Years"  (SILVER seems more appropriate.)  Last summer Mary Jo, Devi and I enjoyed a day at the Del Mar Race Track. None of us qualified as winners, but had a great day.

Ken (my husband) and I connected with Ann Lewis Wright and her daughter, Chris, at the Bayside Cafe at Morro Bay on a recent trip.

I am very grateful for my many blessing, and wish everyone my Best Regards.
Am thinking of what I would like to see on this blog......some of you have already celebrated 50 years of marriage.  Could you send the wedding and 50 years pictures like people do in the newspapers???  Could be fun!

Devi makes The Wall Street Journal

This article appeared October 10, 2013, in the Wall Street Journal. Perfect timing. 

From Devi... It was just fun and surprising to see myself and my buddies in the Wall Street Journal.  They really were the good 'ole days!! AND ALL MY STORIES ARE TRUE!!

About 450 American Airlines retirees gathered for a reunion last week near Los Angeles International Airport, where most of them worked at some point in their careers. Like many gatherings of old-time airline workers these days, the reunion was bittersweet—a celebration of great careers, great friends and long-gone great times.

Airlines used to carry extra flight attendants and management representatives like Devi Bellows to serve as onboard fixers.

Pioneers who helped build American into what was once the world's largest airline grimaced with talk of lousy service, frequent delays, reorganization and a pending acquisition by US Airways Group Inc.

Retired chairman and chief executive Robert Crandall attended, recounting how American in the 1970s was a small, failing carrier with old planes and bad labor disputes. The company moved from New York to Dallas, launched an industry-leading computerized reservation system and the first major frequent-flier program. The airline would triple in size.

"We did something exceptional," he told the cheering audience. Here are some of the stories from that crowd:

Ms. Bellows was one of the L.A. reunion attendees to show up  wearing a vintage uniform from the 1970s.

She recalled one time a full 747 flying from Los Angeles to New York was loaded with 125 kosher meals, but only 50 people said they had ordered the special meal. Flight attendants got hysterical, she said, when they realized they would get to the back of the plane and have only kosher meals to serve. So Ms. Bellows decided to create a contest. She announced a "special promotion" for that flight. The first 50 people who raised their hands would receive a special meal American was testing. Hands shot up quickly. Flight attendants stripped the kosher label off and "there was not one letter of complaint," she said.
Another time on an L.A.-to-Philadelphia flight in 1977, she had to decide whether to separate a couple in first class engaged passionately under a blanket. They were in the last row of first class, out of sight from everyone but the crew and an elderly woman seated across the aisle.

"I said they paid for first class and nobody can see them, so let them go," she recalled.

Panic set in when the elderly woman asked to speak to someone in charge after landing. Fearing a major complaint, Ms. Bellows was relieved when the woman only wanted her to document what had happened.

"My daughter thinks I'm senile and she'll never believe me," the woman told her. Ms. Bellows wrote on the back of her business card, "Everything your mother says about this flight is true."

To ease a very long delay one Christmas, Ms. Bellows decided to entertain passengers by starting a Christmas carol singalong. "The whole plane started singing," she said.

Would that kind of fun happen today? "It would if I was flying," she said.

Please pray for Judy

Our friend Judy McKee Libenow will be having heart surgery soon to replace a heart valve. Please hold her in your hearts and prayers.

Carol rocks in Nashville

Hi classmates,

Was it in 1956 that the mention of Elvis Presley made Pat Hunt (red-haired freshman who attended PHS for only one year, I think) scream in excitement in algebra class? Well, this spring we took a musical tour of a few of the Southern states and learned alot about the birth of jazz, the blues, rock 'n roll and country music. We even attended a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. This picture shows me with my daughter, husband and son-in-law tickling the keys in the Nashville studio where Elvis recorded many of his records. Unfortunately no agent offered us a contract that day.

I would love to hear about the rest of you!

Carol Lex Tanner

Check this out from Judy Heinemann Bartoletti

My son Aron put me on YouTube waterskiing at Lake Shasta this summer.  Thought the girls might get a kick out of it......Judy


Waterskiing Grandmother

An Alaskan Holiday

Rick & Carol (Lex) Tanner enjoy a visit to Alaska in late May

Still involved at PHS

Six class of 1959 graduates met with Director of Advancement Paul Kaminski in April to discuss PHS' current status and needs. Sylvia Livoti MacAller, Kathy Thesing Ramdin, Devi Savitt Bellows, MaryJo Livingston Kinney, Carol Lex Tanner, Barbara Palumbo Poer.

Friends gather for a Holiday luncheon

A group of us who worked on the reunion together have been meeting for lunch every 3 or 4 months since our 50th reunion in March 2009 -- usually 6 of us, but 7 when I am in town and can make it. Given the pace of the holiday season, only 4 were available to get together this month at Sylvia Livoti MacAller's beautiful home in West Hills. How wonderful it has been to renew and continue our friendships

Devi Savitt Bellows, Sylvia Livoti MacAller, Mary Jo Livingston Kinney and, Carol Lex Tanner

Sisters Reunion...

Hi Classmates,
This weekend, August 6th -9th, Carol Lex Tanner, Mary Adamsak Renaud and I are flying up to Seattle to celebrate the 50th Jubilee of our novitiate classmates. Only five Sisters are now in our class; Sister Margarita died in 1995. This is also the 60th Jubilee for Sister Alexis and the 75th for Sister Maria Theresa. How amazing is that!!! We know
she is too ill to attend the Mass and the celebrations, but we do hope to go to the Sisters' infirmary and visit with her.

The three of us managed to book the same flight into Seattle. Southwest has a flight from LA that stops in Oakland, and I will board there. So the three of us will fly to Seattle like we did 51 years ago; probably won't be obnoxiously loud and smoking on this trip. Can you even remember being able to smoke on a plane? Caryl and Marjorie are not able to make it to this reunion.

We are so anxious to see these old friends of ours and know that we are all going to have a wonderful time. I'll report back on our trip next week; hopefully with some pictures.

Phyllis

News from Phyllis Weber Wright

In April I had some minor foot surgery, which turned out to be more complicated than originally anticipated. I'm doing well, but thought I would share a few observations I made during the first couple of weeks after the surgery. I've always been pretty active, so I was pretty surprised to find it difficult using crutches and a walker to get around. Several other things were difficult to do, also. I guess there are certain muscles we don't use much in our daily lives that suddenly can be called into use. This made me realize how difficult mobility can be as we age if we don't make a concerted effort to keep all our parts moving and in good shape.

I decided to start lifting weights since muscle loss in a major problem for older people. I also intend to take longer walks when my foot fully recovers. Prior to our reunion I lost 25 lbs. and was happy to find that my knees were less stiff and in better shape. My posture is really getting bad, also, so must work on that.

When I think back on how hard it was to get around that first week after surgery, I realize that I want to combat the frailties of old age as long as I can.

Any comments or suggestions? This might be a good topic on which we can share ideas.

Wishing you all love and good health.

Phyllis

We didn't send out a Christmas card picture this year as we usually take the whole family at Thanksgiving when we are in St. Helena. This year Tony, Rachael and Lucie arrived for a week but not until December 24th when we finally were able to get the whole family together. So here it is...

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Happy New Year from the Poer Family

Apologies to Barbara from me. She sent this 2 weeks ago, and I forgot to post it. :( CA

Greetings from Suzanne Sorrell Silbertasch

Dear Teachers and Classmates: How was your Christmas ? I hope that it was great ??? Sending you many hugs and good fortune in the coming years !!!!

Simon and Suzanne Sorrell Silbertasch

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Carol Ann

Our family from Unalakleet, Alaska is spending the Christmas holidays with us here in Anchorage. We will be in California with ALL our kids and grandkids in January for our first grandchild's wedding and my dad's 100th birthday. An exciting month. We have been busy since our reunion in March - lots of travel - all family related. We took an Alaskan Cruise with Peter's sister and our brother-in-law to celebrate Peter's 70th birthday; it was grand!

I wish you all a very happy 12 days of Christmas and many blessings in 2010. CarolAnn

FROM SUZANNE SORRELL SILBERTASCH

Dear Classmates : So very sorry that I was unable to see you at the reunion because I had to have bottom surgery the day before. My only claim to fame is that I completed 8 Marathons and my husband Si completed 14. In addition to them, we have won many races such as 5K and 10K's but only because there were very few people left in our age group to complete them!! If you possible can run or walk any, please do so : I can assure you that they will be an experience that you will never forget !!!!!! May God bless all of you now and throughout eternity,

Suzanne Sorrell Silbertasch

Sr. Alexis

This photo was taken on Sister's 80th birthday, November 19, 2007

I don't think she's changed a bit !!

Patsy Golob Decker

In the fall of 1959 I attended Valley College. This experience lasted only a year and a half due to a tonsillectomy. I left school sans tonsils, but with a fiancé, Fred. I then worked for a title insurance company, and we were married in February 1962. We moved to San Diego where Fred was working and daughter Kathleen was born the following December. In January 1963 we moved to Burbank when Fred began working for Lockheed. In June of that year he was transferred to the U. S. Navy base at Moffett Field south of San Francisco. In December it was on to Jacksonville, Florida for a year then back home to Sherman Oaks for daughter Molly’s birth in January 1965. When she was two weeks old, Fred received more traveling papers, this time to South East Asia. I was a single mom for 8 months until he returned home.

We bought our first home in late 1965 in Granada Hills. Our daughter Michelle was born in April 1966, and we made a vow to stay put. Our son Andy was born in May 1969 and I was happy to be a stay-at-home mom. During this time I belonged to a guild that supported Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Fred and I were blessed with active, healthy children and I wanted to contribute by helping others.

In June of 1977 Lockheed had us “on the road again” and this time to Montreal, Canada for three years. So much for a vow to stay put. ”Itchy feet” struck again and in 1980 we were transferred to Derbyshire, England for a two year stay. During our stay we were able to travel extensively in Europe. Our experiences in both Canada and England were very rewarding for the six of us.

We returned home to live in Ventura, CA with interesting accents and a desire to embrace all things American.

With our daughters in various colleges and our son preparing for the same, I decided to back-up my enthusiasm for higher education by enrolling in UCSB, graduating in 1989 with a BA in English. (Ironic it has taken me this long to write this Blog!)

I helped Fred with a book he was writing about his Great-Great Grandfather’s regiment during the Civil War. We were thrilled when “Yates Phalanx” was published in 1994.

Fred took early retirement from Lockheed in 1995 after 33 years. After a short period of being “at leisure” he went to work for a small aerospace company in Fullerton.

By this time the drive from Ventura was too much and we moved to Glendale. In 2003 we bought a townhouse in Monrovia where we again “vowed to stay put!”

We are blessed with happily married children with wonderful spouses and 8 terrific grandchildren. I guess our daughters caught our “itchy” feet and it has given us more travel time to Seattle, WA, Holland, MI and Richmond, VA. Our son decided to stay put and he and his family live in La Canada Flintridge.

Since 1998 I am back in the volunteering mode. This time with a guild that supports the USC University Hospital and the Keck School of Medicine. We raise funds for scholarships for graduating medical students. We also enjoy tailgating at USC football games (especially the past six years!)

It was wonderful to see my classmates at the Reunion and to hear about their lives and families. The PHS experience taught me to live my life to the fullest and to strive to be whatever I wanted to be.

Fred and I have watched the DVD several times and it is fabulous! It evoked many wonderful memories…and the music was great. Thank you, Devi. And thank you to the Reunion Committee for a wonderful weekend in March.

Fondly,

Patsy

POSTED BY PATSY GOLOB DECKER

Noel Wagener Ruberti

Hi, Everyone!

In the fall of 1955, fellow graduates from St. Robert Bellarmine Grade School, Marcia Adams, Mary Baedeker, Beverly Hoeschen & I found ourselves attending this new ALL GIRLS high school called Providence High. What unique experiences we had. After all, not many students can say that in their Freshman year they attended classes in tents. I remember lunch in the park nearby, Sister Alexis flying down the hill to coach softball on a makeshift ball field, chorus with Sister Cecilia Marie and building our dream homes in the Christian Living class. There was something challenging about being the first class for the ensuing years. Weren’t we lucky to have the wonderful teachers that influenced our lives and the great friendships that we made and still have today. Graduation at Burbank’s Starlight Bowl was a wonderful culmination of those years.

After graduation from PHS, knowing that teaching was not for me but that I WAS good in Math, I started work in the accounting department of a Brokerage firm in Los Angeles. (Many thanks to Maureen Coleman Simons mom). The ensuing years found me advancing in positions with different Brokerage firms.

Leisure time found me traveling, singing in the choir at St. Charles and active in the adult youth group at St. Finbar’s Parish. In 1964, a friend in the group introduced me to Donald Ruberti. We were married on May 16, 1968.

Don was a Public Health Advisor for the Centers for Disease Control /STD Prevention based in Los Angeles. Transfers with CDC found us in Sacramento, Ca; back to Los Angeles; then on to Hartford, Ct; Tucson, Ariz; Des Moines, Ia and finally to Atlanta, Ga. He retired from CDC after 42 years.

During that time we had three girls, Dawn Marie, Christi and Melanie. I too became a stay at home Mom and loved every minute of it. I volunteered at schools, attended sporting events, band, and concerts. Dawn is now an Optician in Asheville, NC. Christi , after graduating from Georgia Tech, married Eric Sikes and is the mother of three beautiful girls. Eric is in the Air Force and is currently assigned to the Pentagon. They live in Manassas, Va. Melanie graduated from the University of Georgia and is an anchor, reporter and weatherperson for WTOC-TV in Savannah, Ga.

In 1988, I decided that I needed to get back in the work force. Hoping my math skills were not too rusty, I found a position at C & S National Bank (now Bank of America). Who knew that Bank of America would find it’s way to Atlanta, Georgia. I retired as an Administrative Assistant to a Market Manager in Premier Banking after 19 years.

In 1988, Don & I built a new home in Newnan, Ga. It is in a golf /tennis community and no, we don’t play, but it is fun living here. We always have projects in progress. We enjoy reading, going on long walks and having fun with our Granddaughters.

Thanks to all who put this blog together. What a wonderful way to keep in touch with our classmates.

Although I cannot be there in person, know that I will be with you in spirit.

My very best to all of you.

Noel

email: ruberti@numail.org

POSTED BY NOEL WAGENER RUBERTI