
“Memorial Tribute- Remember”, 50th Reunion, April 19, 2008
(Comments by Diana Hood Gendron)
Our Alma Mater begins: The red clay hills of Tallahassee harbor memories dear, Memories of our dear old high school .. At our 50th Reunion, classmates are sharing stories and memories. We are remembering and reliving a part of ourselves with those who shared our experiences at Leon. Let us really value this time we have together.
At our 40th Reunion, we thought we might see again the people who then shared good times with us. But many of them are no longer living and able to be with us. Many others have died over the last 50 years. Today we are here with their family & friends to pay tribute to them.
Some of our classmates' lives ended suddenly, with no time for them or their families to prepare. Sometimes it was in accidents; or with a sudden illness; or from a loss of spirit. Others had illnesses that lasted for months or years. Some of them fought to the end against death, - with the poet feeling, "Do not go gentle into that good night" (1). For others, their illnesses brought unbearable pain, and death relieved their long suffering. In those instances, although experiencing a great loss, the feeling of loved ones might have been "You're free at last" (2). [(1) Dylan Thomas, 1951; (2) Charlie Daniels, 1978]
Our classmates died at different stages of their lives. A few of them died with only a short number of years to live after we saw them at Leon; For others, their deaths came at the height of their family life or career; Still others died as they were looking forward to retirement and being able to rest from long years of work. And others died as they were enjoying those retirement years.
You may have specific memories of some of those who have died. Some of them may have been friends with whom you shared times for many years after high school. For others, you may have last visited with them at the 40th reunion; Some of them you may have known from early elementary school years, and all through the years at Leon. Others will only be remembered from our high school years. Whichever the time frame, although former classmates have died, they can "live" in our minds as long as we remember them. Someone has written:
“When you remember me it means you have carried something of who I am with you and I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. ... It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.” [from Fred Beuchner, poet and writer]
Family members will have, or be told, many remembrances of our classmates who have died. For those of us who were with them at Leon, perhaps walking the halls today will be a catalyst for memories coming to mind.
Perhaps the memory will be of watching George Brand, Doug Cooke, and Buster Warmack as they sang on the Auditorium stage in one of the male quartets;
Or it might be when you were in the band with Sandra Lewis, Charles Register, and Ann Turner.
Or singing in the chorus with Loy Jean Batchelor, Joe Mac Brown, and Rachel Poitevint.
Perhaps the memory will be while working with Ray Smith on one of the plays,
Or with Wayne Pike on the school newspaper, or Francine Kalfas on the yearbook;
Perhaps the memory will be when you were in DCT with Frances Hutchinson, Buddy Singleton, Edward Watson, and Thelma Wester;
The activities of the Lively Tech Club might have been described to you by Julian Giddens or Carl Parker.
You may have been in one of the service clubs with others: Dale Pichard and Jimmy Harris in the Key Club; Joann Gresham in the Anchor Club; Carolyn Fain in Tri-Hi-Y.
Or with Joel McNeil in El Cid, Eddie Moras in Chez Nous, or Dick Hoffman in Los Amigos.
You may have had similar interests to join Johnny Kever and Ray Powell in Future Farmers; or in the Rod and Gun Club with Howard White, George Sorrie, and Dick Mowell.
Or it may have been with Reba Gerrell in Future Homemakers or Sharon LaHayne in the Business Club.
Many of our classmates will be remembered on one of the sports teams:
Football with Sterling Branche, Jimmy Frohock, Bobby Mathis, Buddy McCue, and Henry Vinson;
Basketball with Bobby Chesser;
Baseball with John Bramlett, Buddy Carroll, Jack Crutchfield, Tommy Simmons, and Eddie Whitehead;
And the Swimming team with Dorothy Anderson and Paul Thompson.
Seating near you in class, Lewis Shiplee may have told you about his early ideas for inventions.
On a particularly hectic day, you may have been calmed by Chick Clifton’s quiet manner.
You may remember Betty Lou Hussey from our early years at Leon. Or you may have met Anthony Whetstone when he entered Leon for our Senior year and was trying to make new friends.
For many of these classmates, you may only remember having heard their name long ago, or recognize their photograph as someone seen before when passing in the halls between classes.
Even if we don't have specific memories of a classmate, we can Remember all of them in the sense of paying tribute to them. We will acknowledge each person by viewing their image in the sequence of the year in which they died – for you to remember them with either specific memories, or just by honoring them as someone who shared a time and place with us many years ago. Although written for a different purpose, the following verse is being used as a prelude to pay tribute to them:
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning.
We will remember them."
[from “For the Fallen”, 1914, by Laurence Binyon]
[Image of each person with name, birth & death years, shown on screen, while classical guitar medley of “Plaisir d’Amour” and “Cavatina” (theme from “The Deer Hunter”) played from CD by Liona Boyd. When last image, group of all the deceased classmates was on the screen, ended with the following :]
Gee, but I'd give the world to see
that old gang of mine!
Like that old quartet
that sang "Sweet Adeline!"
Goodbye, Goodbye , old fellas an' gals
goodbye, goodbye, old sweethearts an' pals
Gee, but I'd give the world to see
that old gang of mine! We will remember them.
[Verse adapted from song “That Old Gang of Mine”, Perry Como]