LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Class Reunion

         

My 50^th Class Reunion from Wicomico High School is coming up next year, and there are many people doing a lot of work on it already. These reunions take a lot of planning and work, but they are truly rewarding. To see old friends again who come from afar is always gratifying. In fact, sometimes I see people that have never left Salisbury but that I never see around town. Class reunions are definitely “must attend” occasions.

         

It is hard to believe that it has been 50 years since my high school graduation. Of the 343 graduates, 57 have passed away. This is an alarming and sobering number. Most of the class will be 68 next year, and I guess the rate of attrition is consistent with our age. But it is always a time of reflection to know that in five years, we will have another one and there will be even more that won’t be able to make it. Besides the ones who have passed away, there are some who are in nursing homes with age-related maladies. I refuse to think of myself as nursing home material, but we have little say in that matter.

         

Ernie Matthews is spear-heading this reunion, and he has done a yeoman’s job. He has kept everyone up-to-date on the number planning to attend. So far, he has commitments from 223. That includes classmates, spouses and/or guests. There are 21 that we cannot locate. I will include the names of those here in hopes that someone will have knowledge of their whereabouts. They are Vernon Bailey, Gerry Banks, Dean Benham, Darlene Clark (Willis)*, Pat Davis (Nock)*, Mildred Dise (Reed)*, Dave Griffin, Doug Johnson, Gloria Mason (Jarman)*, JoAnn Matthews (Walston)*, Lee Nelms, Marylin Phippin (Pish)*, Lucian Pompili, Janice Reynolds (Knowles)*, Bob Scarborough, Donna Shores (Huntington)*, John Stephens, Mary Taylor, Beverly Walker, Gary Webster and Brent Wilson. *(The girls’ married names are in parentheses.) If you have any information about these folks, please call me at (410) 749-1021.

         

There are two things that everyone should do: 1. Write the names on the back of all your family pictures so that future generations will know who they are. 2. Stay in touch with all your old acquaintances and classmates. They are your memories – either good or bad. They say time heals all wounds, and that is never more evident than at class reunions. The mind has a way of blocking out the bad memories and retaining the good ones. Swapping these good memories at reunions only refreshes your youth, and that is a good thing.