It is with great sadness that I report that Gayle Buchheister Sawyer’s Mother, Ruth Buckheister Rourk, passed away on August 25th at the wonderful age of 99. For our classmates who knew her, they are celebrating her delightful life and love with tears but, also, a great deal of laughter. She sure did entertain us!
Roxanne Copeland Richardson has been thinking and hoping that everything is ok with Jane Brown Riechmann in the Jacksonville area. Jane is near completion of repairs from Matthew last year. Also Aubrey, my really better half, fell last month and broke the upper bone in his right arm and fractured the left knee cap. The knee has been the most painful. Like they say “ aging ain’t for sissies!” She sold a home to the Coker baseball coach, Luke Harrigan. He and his wife, Leigh Ann are adorable and wish them much success.
The Riechmann family (Jane, Mark, both sons with their wives and granddaughter) enjoyed a wonderful trip to Dublin, Ireland in September. Our trip coincided with Irma’s hit to Jacksonville so we could not have planned a better time. We rented an Airbnb in Dublin which was in the city center and perfect for the seven of us. We could walk to Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells, to the museums and of course the pubs! We enjoyed a concert in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin’s oldest church. We took side trips to Belfast where we saw the Titanic exhibition and to the seaside fishing village of Howth with its cliffs which we climbed. I had wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone but both sons told me that I was already full of blarney and did NOT need more gift of gab! This was our fourth family trip and the next is in its planning stages.
Susan Roessler Dirsh writes that their latest grandson was born in April. She now has 4 grands, the youngest of those was 10. Needless to say, it’s wonderful having a new baby in the family. Our daughter in law is a major in the Air Force currently stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California. Our vacation time up to now has been spent going to CA. We’ve had an answer to prayers as she just received orders to Robbins AFB near Macon GA which is about 3 1/2 hours from us so visits will be more frequent and enjoyed. Mike and I just celebrated our 45 year anniversary and are treating ourselves to a beach trip soon. Other than some joint issues we are both doing well, still very active in our church, and using our Silver Sneakers to work out at the YMCA daily. Retirement is awesome!
Linda Smith Bradford is “busier than ever in retirement”! She is on several boards in VA and SC and working with the local electoral system. Gray keeps me hopping doing things around home he can no longer handle. I’ve learned the “we need to…” translates to Linda do such and such. Gray spoke with Mark Lewis several times around the hurricanes – he and Linda Pierce Lewis had only minor damage, primarily a long loss of power.
Larry and Brenda Thompson Stewart are also enjoying retired life, playing golf (again for Brenda after successful double knee replacement in March) doing yard work, cooking, reading and traveling. Life is good!