Remembering Classmates Fondly...

Special Notes and Memories

• Ken Andrews obituary. 

• Jim Ash

  • • A note from Kirk Gorman:  Jim was a gentle soul with an engaging, ready smile.  He played catcher with many of us from Little League through High School.  Perhaps his greatest passion was his Plymouth muscle car which he kept shiny and in immaculate condition.

• Jean Barker Jamison's obituary.

  • • A note from Cathie Zimmer Ross:  I was new to Bay Village my senior year. Bay was my 3rd high school. I lived around the corner from Jean. I’m not sure how she knew where I lived or that I was new, but she came to my home the first day of school and we walked together to Bay High.  I was thrilled to have someone to accompany me that day. She was a kind person with a big heart and I will always remember her for that kindness. 

• Linda Belser Ruscher's obituary.  

  • • A note from Jim Kilgore: Somehow I have graciously been extended a place with the Class of 1969. We all have many fond memories with our classmates, during the school years and beyond. I most recently chatted with Linda at Marcia (Danielson) Lowe's father's memorial service in January 2008. But it was seeing her 12 years ago at Bay Presbyterian Nursery School that spoke volumes about her kindness, compassion and incredible sense of humor (what a great laugh see had)!  My wife and I were picking up our son Ted from her class and I heard so much about the class and his teacher - Mrs. Ruscher. I had no idea who Mrs. Ruscher was - until I saw Linda Belser there. I recognized her and went over to introduce myself. However before I could speak, see approached me with that great winsome grin, "Jimmy Kilgore, you son Teddy reminds me of you and our days in Kindergarten at Normandy School".  She went on reminiscing about classroom stories that I have long forgot.  Linda was the kind of person who made you feel like you were one of her dear friends.......she did that with me and I know with so many of you, as well.

    • A note from Randy Perry: I wasn't a good correspondent once I left Bay but whenever I was back there I always made a point of calling or stopping by to see Linda.  I was fortunate to have met Steve and was delighted she found such a suitable match.  You'll recall she was one of the eight women who were 2-year NHS members. She was a smart cookie as well as being a warm person. I trusted her sensibilities and I trusted her advice.  I last talked to her by telephone in September of 2007 when I went to the first Bay sports hall of fame induction.  I just assumed I would get to see her again this July.  As joyous as it will be so see old friends, her absence will be felt by all who knew and liked her, and that's quite a few.

• Bonnie Bill Aslaksen's obituary  

• Debbie Bishop Barris's obituary

  • • A note from Jim Kilgore:  I had the opportunity to stop and visit with Debbie on Monday afternoon March 21, 2022. It was evident the cancer she had been battling was deteriorating her condition, but her trademark smile that was always so Debbie, was ever present throughout our visit. We reminisced about past reunions with great fondness; she indicated how much she enjoyed seeing classmates this past Sept. 24, 2021 @ Bay's Homecoming Parade gathering on her front lawn (couldn't beat the seats and views). Her daughter Ashley stopped by while I was there, with a surprise milkshake for her Mom (Debbie said she generally was not a fan of them), but this one apparently was a game changer! Debbie was very upbeat and mentioned she so enjoyed those who have been able to stop and share stories & reminisce. The hour and a half flew by and I had hoped to have more visiting opportunities, but her condition was more serious than I realized. She was always a lovely and gracious person...and she will be missed!

• Russ Brannen's obituary.

  • • A note from Eric Sandstrom: Russ was a good friend of mine. He hung out with a small group of guys, including Gary Wilson, Ralph Sanders, Dave Sinkler, and a couple of others. We lost touch after June 1969. Like so many others, Russ Brannen was a Bay grad who did his own thing and is just a memory with a wonderful sense of humor, smart as a tack, and somebody who made our high school days better because of his presence.

    • A note from John Martin: What I remember about Russ was his focus.  While the rest of us could barely pick a college, Russ knew what he wanted to do.  He enrolled at Marquette so that he could finish undergrad and law school in six years, and he did it.  In reading about Russ’s very impressive career, the factor that stood out is that his peers recognized Russ for his commitment to practicing law ethically.  Something much needed today.  For high school memories, I recall a good friend, playing basketball in Russ’s driveway, and bonding over music.  

• Don Burson's obituary. 

  • • A note from Eric Sandstrom: One thing I’ve never forgotten about Don, even though we weren’t high school pals, he went to Vietnam at a time when the war was at its worst in terms of casualties. I greatly admired his courage, and the genuine character it took to serve our country. 

    • A note from Patty Carlson Love: Don was one of the first people I met in Bay. He sat in front of me in Mrs. Thompson's third grade class, and the image of his tow head is permanently fixed in my memories of childhood. We often passed notes back and forth in class, and I remember him as being quiet and more gentle than the other boys. In early spring of third grade, soon after the ice had melted, Chip DuVall and I were playing chicken on the monkey bars, and I crashed on the gravel, fracturing my left tibia. Don helped me get to the school bus after school every day, and carried my lunch box and papers. This world shall miss your warm and gentle ways, Don Burson, but I'm consoled knowing that your infinite energy is shared among us, now, and always.

• Ned Chapman's obituary.   (Note: Ned passed away the weekend of our 50th reunion!)

  • • A note from Randy Perry: I really liked Ned. He was funny, smart, self-effacing, maybe a little shy, and a remarkable athlete.  He was one of the five starters on our freshman basketball team but after that year just ran track, cross-country in the Fall and track and field in the Spring.  I still remember one track meet in a 4x440 relay.  His team was about 75 yards back when he took the baton for the anchor lap and ran down the leader to win the race.

    • A note from Mike Manos: Ned was just a downright good man.  Ned and Kent Wadsworth and I used to be outside every Saturday to see what we could get into.  One day in mid Spring, probably 51 years ago from today, it was late in the day and it had been rainy and the Creek by Ned's house was swollen with rushing water, magnitudes deeper and faster than its usual, slow 8 inches.  Somewhere we found an abandoned cement tub.  We tied 5 innertubes around the tub, threw it in the water, hopped in and rode it all the way to the Lake.  We had only one mishap when we came to  a fallen tree across the creek. Of course, it tipped us over but when you’re 17, who cares.  Indomitably and laughing like fools, we caught the cement tub and hopped right back in.  It was getting dark as we skimmed into the Lake in the dusky evening.  I do not recall how we got home from there.  I think we called Ned's mom or sister or someone from a pay phone and she came and got us and gave us a ride.  We never bragged about that adventure much given that we each of us was quiet and shy.  But I can still feel the exhilaration of being with your friends and having an impromptu adventure.

• Casey Coleman's obituary    

  • • Also read about Casey at this site. 

• Doug Cook's obituary

  • • A note from his wife Linda:  I want to take this moment to let you know that my husband Milton "Doug" Cook died on January 22, 2011.  It was a  happy crossover and he died with a smile on his face as he left behind immense pain from an aggressive and fast spreading form of cancer.

• Tom Day

  • • A note from Chuck Jamison: Tom and I had been friends since elementary school activities facilitated our acquaintance, despite the fact we attended different schools.  Over the years of elementary, junior high (no middle school in those days), high school and college our friendship continued and evolved into one of mutual respect for our individual unique qualities layered over our common heritage of being raised in suburban Bay.  To this day I can yet feel the shock and emptiness prompted by a phone call to my apartment in Columbus in the spring of 1974 informing me of his death in New Jersey. Describing and remembering Tom; never could quite get the “athletic physique”, despite his intermittent dedication to his “The Beach is That Way” program; a somewhat eclectic and wide ranging appreciation for differing music and musical approaches; an interest in differing peoples and experiences, and a thirst to experience them.  A lifelong interest in history and literature, something we could share from near or far.  Tom’s talents and interests were many and still developing.  His passion for life and energy were always those of youth who awakes each day wide eyed with expectation of what experience might lie in wait!  Despite the passage of years, his memory remains with me, the @%$# eating grin as he debarks from his car at our rental house in Portage Lakes, pewter flagon in hand, eagerly awaiting our next conversation (and the Iron City he knew was in the refrigerator)! Thomas Kelly Day – 11/8/50 – 2/28/76.  “Had to leave the party early…”

• Curt DeCrane's obituary.  

  • • A note from Doug Strodtbeck:  Last week I received a text message from his wife, Ann, which simply read "Plz call me.  Curt not doing well."   It seems that several weeks ago Curt inexplicably — and quite suddenly — lost his appetite and within a matter of days his physical agility, balance, coordination and muscular strength began to exponentially weaken and fade, much like a light bulb dims when a rheostatic dial is slowly turned toward the "OFF" position.  He was soon hospitalized, and at first the medical staff was genuinely baffled by his condition, until an MRI revealed that a malignant growth had developed in one of his lungs (of which I think he was totally unaware) and the cancer had spread to his brain.   Unfortunately, by this time there was nothing that could be done, and a few days ago he was placed in palliative care.   He passed away shortly thereafter, Ann texted, "peacefully".

During the last few years of my airline career whenever I had a long layover in Cleveland Curt and Ann would graciously pick me up at my downtown hotel and we'd drive to one of their favorite eateries to have lunch together.   Kathleen and I met with Curt and Ann during our Bay High Class of 1969 50th anniversary reunion nearly three years, where we had dinner with Ross and Kate Wilson at (as I recall) the Cabin Club restaurant on Detroit Road in Westlake early one evening before the reunion festivities were to begin.   This was the last time I saw him, and we would have certainly made the effort and taken the time to return to Ohio to visit him and Ann even more after that, but the constraints of the pandemic put a kibosh on any travel plans we may have had, thus I was resigned to simply call him every few months.  But these hour-long telephone chats were still delightful, for within seconds after he answered his phone it would miraculously be 1967 or 1968 once again, and we would relive the times we shared with Ross and other Explorer Scouts during our summer canoe trips to northern Ontario, or spend much of our time wondering whether the statute of limitations on some of our stunning lapses of judgment or weekend misadventures as high school seniors had truly expired.

I'll miss Curt, and certainly his quick wit and effervescent jocularity, for as Ross and I both agree, he could always make us laugh, which is an exceptional gift so badly needed nowadays.   I've lost a marvelous friend, and I'm still shocked by how quickly he succumbed.

• • • A note from Chris Malone: Curt DeCrane was one of the original participants in helping bring soccer to Bay High. In the summer of 1968 the Cleveland Stokers (the Stoke team from England) came to Bay and helped start a summer soccer league. During our senior year a group of us participated in the Lake Erie Jr Soccer League. Curt was our goalkeeper and a very good one. This group that really had no soccer experience ripped through the league playing against mostly ethnic based teams from Cleveland. Curt made it happen. I’ll never forget those games and by the way he would get upset anytime a goal was scored against us. In his mind it was everyone’s fault but his and he was right most the time. RIP. 

• Craig Engel 

  • • in 2025 Judy Duncan Feltrinelli was able to locate Craig's wife Sue.  Sue said: "They were together four years.  He had an undetected heart disease which suddenly took his life.  She said the funeral service was at the Presbyterian Church in Bay and had standing room only.  They had a wonderful life together.  He was only 47."

• Tom Ferchau's obituary

  • • A note from Bonnie Ditzel Henke - I remember Tom very well from my high school days.  He and Rick were best friends for most of the 4 years we dated.  I remember Tom as a gentle giant.  Of course being my size most everyone was a giant.  Tom was so sweet and I am sure many classmates will be sad about his passing.  I look forward to seeing him in the resurrection.  My Jehovah give his family strength during this difficult time.  

    • A note from Kirk Gorman - I had the pleasure of being on the basketball team with Tom. He was a big strong guy with a quiet demeanor that hid a competitive instinct. He always worked hard, was friends with everyone and was a great team mate. I missed visiting with him in person this past summer but we did share a couple of enjoyable phone conversations. Even with his health problems he was quick to find humor and laugh and conjure up some good memories. Tom, may you rest in peace old friend.

    • A note from Randy Perry -  Tom was one of my favorite classmates and teammates in both football and basketball.  In the August preseason two-a-day practice weeks a group of us would come over to my house for penny-ante poker games between the morning and afternoon practices and Tom was a regular.  He was never much interested in reunions and since my family moved away from Bay in the winter of 69-70, I lost touch with him. I heard there was a chance he would come to Sandi and Kirk's anniversary party and I was really looking forward to seeing him, but his health betrayed him.  Rest in peace my old friend.

• Gretchen Freal

• Marilyn Friswold Carlson's obituary

• Talley Gilmore Hiltabidle's obituary

  • • A note from Cindi (Talle Gilmore 's sister):  Talle had breast cancer....a survivor of 8 years....a double mastectomy, years in remission, a third recurrence last November.  Strength and grace, pure love, all describe her.  She died in my arms... With our dear sister-in-law Jill Crawford Gilmore (Bay) and Talle's loving husband of 40 years, John, right there at her side, along with her son Mike; a lasting blessing to us.  

• Mike Grueschow 

  • A note from Jim Dennis: I regret to inform you and the rest of the Bay High Class of 1969 that Mike Grueschow passed away in March 30, 2023. He succumbed to cancer. He was my best friend during my years living in Bay and the best man at my wedding. We met in Sunday School at Bay Presbyterian Church. He attended Normandy Elementary and I was at Forestview. We were fellow trombone players in the Junior High and High School bands, played on the same church basketball teams, enjoyed playing pick up sandlot football. I especially remember something we referred to as SAFLA(Saturday Afternoon Football of America) in back of the Bay Junior High building which of course later became Bay High, and Bay Mens Club summer baseball through Little League, Colt League, and then Pony League. In the winter we played lots of pick up basketball games on his home driveway and in the St. Barnabas Church gym when we could sneak in there without being caught. In high school and before the start of college I fondly remember taking a couple of end of Summer out of state trips with some of our fellow classmates like John Kinnamon, Chris Malone, and John McElwain. He was good enough at baseball to play on the varsity team at Northwestern University in Chicago. We both aspired to careers as lawyers and he attended law school first at U.of San Diego before transferring to Case Western Reserve in Cleveland from where we both graduated. I then moved to Dayton to practice law while Mike went to the  Portage/Trumbull counties area where he successfully practiced  for 46 years. Even then we occasionally would get together for some golf or dinner. He was a great guy and was instrumental, along with Chris Malone and your spouse Kirk Gorman in convincing me to return to Bay for the 50th Class Reunion. He will be sorely missed but certainly fondly remembered. Mike is survived by his son Benjamin, as well as an older brother John and younger sister Kathy, both of whom are also Bay High alums.

  • A note from Chris Malone:  Mike and I were inseparable during elementary school at Normandy. We only lived a few houses away from each other. Our parents were friends and we went to Bay Presbyterian. We did everything together from playing at each other’s home to going together to sport events at Bay High as little fans of high school athletes. We made ice rinks in our back yards during winter and putt putt golf courses in the summer. We were safety patrol guards and cub scouts. Junior High meant the start of girlfriends and unfortunately we fell apart but still managed to be good friends. In high school we played baseball together and created SAFLA (Saturday Afternoon Football League of America). Mike went to Northwestern and I to the University of Virginia. However we became very close again during summers since we both worked for Bay Parks and Recreation. After college Mike and I stayed in touch as best we could getting together several times over the years but not enough. At the 50th Reunion we had a fantastic time and he told me about his new love. I never got to meet her but we talked on the phone after the reunion many times. Mike was the best. I am who I am today due to many but Mike played a very special role in my life. I will miss him as others will. 

  • A note from Jim Kilgore:  I first met Mike when we were in kindergarten and with our dads & others in Indian Guides, but got to know him more starting in 3rd grade; and at Bay Presbyterian Church. I remember playing on the Bay Pres. Basketball league with Mike….he was quite good! But, I remember him most from our high school time in Marching and Symphonic Band, my favorite memories in High School. He was a great guy!

• Bill (Wink) Goswisch

  • • A note from Marcia Danielson Lowe: After our senior year performance of “The Music Man,” David Jacobs Jr. had a big cast party. I had never seen such a spread of food…it was sub sandwiches, etc., but for the “times” it was lavish…we were lucky to get chips at our home. Anyway, Wink and I got tired of the party and took “a few” subs with us and drove to the airport. At 11pm at night it wasn’t very busy but we walked the terminal hallways, singing 5th Dimension tunes, etc. and passing out sandwiches to anyone who looked like they needed a helping hand. We laughed a lot that night.

    • A note from Patty Carlson Love:  Bill "Wink" Goswisch and I became buddies in junior high school and stuck close together, even when we both moved on to New York to begin our careers.  For years we'd meet for coffee and a walk thru Central Park every Sunday morning, without fail.  We protested the Vietnam War on 5th Avenue, auditioned for Broadway shows side by side, and sneaked backstage to meet Liza Minelli at the Waldorf.  We truly grew up together, became adults together, and so Wink's twinkle and good nature are slipped in my side pocket wherever I go to this day.

• Mark Griffin's obituary.  

• Mark Hanley's obituary.

  • A note from Mike Foley: Lesson learned--How often do we say--Oh I will get to that, Oh I will make that call--Yeah next year we will get together and we wait and procrastinate and bam, there gone. It happened again. I chased and pursued for years an exhaustive and desperate search for Halo. I played detective and beat the bushes to find one of Bay City's legends Halo AKA Mark Hanley. Then bingo--I found him. Such a joy to share a couple old tails and a promise to see him in the summer. well maybe next summer.Then today, I find out that Halo has passed on to his next journey.  "Feed me twenty" was his line to me in his driveway basketball court. He could have been an  Olympic cyclist as only us passed cars on Dover Center Rd. on his sisters Schwinn with me on the front handle bars. He was a legend back in the day.  Don't delay that call or visit one more day. Hug and love all that are close to you. Let them know how much you care. Start that New Year's resolution a month early. Have no regrets. Much love and good karma to all.   Redman

• Debbie Herrick

  • • A note from Patty Carlson Love:  We had the Rockettes and Cheerleaders behind the Bay Rockets football team, but few may recall that it was Debbie who kept the band at spirited marching pace with the bass drum.  You might even say she was the band's pep team leader at each touchdown.  Everything she did yielded 125% positive vibes, which is, likely, why she ended up a very popular Ursuline nun.  What a great gal!

• Tina Holtz Patterson's obituary.  

• Mary Jane Hurrell Oudeman's obituary

  • • A note from Cathie James Drumm: I went all through St Raphaels and Bay High with Mary.  Somewhere along the years, after i moved back to the Cleveland area, we ran into each other and got reacquainted. Having an occasional coffee together to catch up on our lives.  Mary was a soft, quiet, person with a great sense of humor.  So easy to love.  I remember she had a few children and her husband had preceded her in death.  We lost touch again and I am sorry about that now.  She is basking in the light now.  ❤️

    • A note from Nancy Smith Stafford: Mary and I were in the same class at St. Raphael, but we didn’t become close friends until I transferred to Bay HS from St. Augustine our junior year.  It was a bit daunting to join a class where classmates had known each other for many years.  I was very grateful for her friendship at a time when I was trying to fit in.  Mary was a gentle soul.  She was quiet and soft-spoken which masked her confidence and sense of humor.  She was the first of many siblings so she frequently had responsibilities at home.  It seemed natural for her to marry shortly after high school and start a family. Our paths diverged and we lost touch.  We reconnected when I emailed her in 2009, thanks to our class directory.  After that, we stayed in touch by phone and email.  My husband and I saw her several times when we were back in the area.  She stayed busy with friends and was very proud of her family with their many accomplishments.  She was fortunate to be surrounded by their love and support.   Rest in peace, my sweet friend. ❤️

• Arthur Conrad Johnson III's obituary.  

  • • A note from his wife, Valerie: My name is Valerie Johnson, I'm the wife of Arthur Conrad Johnson III. We had 40 wonderful years together as a couple of world traveling dinks. In Aug. of 2020, Art was diagnosed with stage 4 multifocal glioblastoma brain cancer.  He had a tumor removed, then he and I stopped working and just spent all our time enjoying each other, walks on the beach, being cozy in our home during covid, cooking, watching movies.  He had an enlightened attitude about his cancer.  He would joke about it and say," We all end up in the box sometime."  We both knew the cancer he had was deadly. John McCain and Bo Biden had it, with all the resources and connections they had, they couldn't beat it.  I sent his 2nd tumor removed to Germany, where they were doing innovative research where they make a vaccine from the tumor, a type of t-cell immunotherapy. It gave us hope, but they didn't get it made in time. Art passed away the day after Thanksgiving 11-26-2021.  He was with me at home and went peacefully. The only good thing about the cancer was that he was never in any pain, or sick from Chemo or anything.  He just got more tired towards the end and it was only thanksgiving day when he fell asleep(went into a coma) and stopped breathing the next morning. I just wanted to let you know, Art was a wonderful man, we had an epic 40 year journey together and he died knowing he had a rich and fulfilled life. He was my soulmate, I miss him every moment.

    • A note from Marcia Danielson Lowe:  I went thru elementary school with him at Normandy School in Bay Village, through graduation at Bay High School. He was very proud of his legacy and always preferred his full name- “Arthur Conrad Johnson the 3rd.” In elementary school his nick name was Terry… so we often called him, “Arthur Terry Conrad Johnson the 3rd. He was very smart and knew history, especially of the Civil War.  The last time I saw him was about 45 years ago, downtown Cleveland. I worked for Republic Steel and I believe he did as well. We crossed paths in the hallway and shared a lunch. He was the same old Terry…but I correctly and formally addressed him as “Arthur Conrad Johnson the 3rd. I think he appreciated that.

    • A note from John Serb:  I knew Conrad and use to hang out with him during the high school days. He was a nice guy.very mild mannered.We all knew him as Conrad.I don't think we ever talked him by his first name.All those years since school passed and college and I completely forgot about him. Now of course I wish I had kept in contact with him.

• Ed Julian's obituary.  

• Keith Kalland - artlcle. 

• Bonnie Klemm Bunevich 

  • • A note from her husband, and our classmate, Bruce Bunevich:  If you remember, our teachers usually assigned seats on the first day of class, but it wasn't the case in Mr. Maben's 9th grade biology class. I was sitting at the two-student table when two girls came into the room. Christine (or was it Carol?) Haberstroh and Bonnie Klemm. They were laughing and joking and wanted to sit together but Mr. Maben broke them up. Christine sat behind me, and Bonnie sat down next to me.  Bonnie and I began as the usual ninth grade girl-has-to-sit-next-to-boy-in-class relationship. Our friendship grew closer over the next few months because we worked really well together in class, joked, and laughed a lot. During one class in the late fall, Mr. Maben showed a movie. Of course, the only light in the room was coming from the projector. I was leaning forward on the desk with my arms folded. Bonnie leaned forward, moved her chair closer to me, and slid her hand under my elbow to discretely hold my hand. We remained holding hands for the entire movie.  Shortly after that, she accepted my ID bracelet and we were officially "going steady." That's how it all started. And the rest, as they say, is history.  Bonnie died of breast cancer in January, 1993. She was 42.

• Ralph Kresge's obituary.   

• Nancy Lee Buck

  • This was found on Nancy:  Nancy Lee Buck peacefully passed away at her home in Bay Village OH after a long illness. Nancy is survived by her husband of 51 years, Michael Buck (Bay Village class of 1968) and son Matthew Buck, residing in Medina OH. Nancy graduated from Bay High School in 1969 and attended Kent State University. Nancy partied at many of her class reunions but especially enjoyed her time with her 5 "Hot Nut" classmates (Nancy Noell, Debbie Janik, Pat Marquart, Cathie James and Nancy Mitchell), who remained beloved friends over the past 50+ years. Truly a remarkable and cherished experience.

Nancy was a sport and an adventurer, following her husband skiing, scuba diving, bird hunting, sailing and every summer on Cape Cod. Per Nancy's request, cremation has taken place. There will be no services. However, there will be a "Celebration" of Nancy's life on October 7th, 2023 (her birthday) starting at 5:00 p.m. at her beloved home at 391 Tanglewood Lane in Bay.  Please make a donation to alz.org (Alzheimer's Association) to stop Alzheimers.

• James L. MacPherson, Jr

  • • This was found in the Seattle papers:  James L. MACPHERSON, Jr. Born Missoula, MT. Died January 20, 2004 in Seattle, WA. at the age of 53, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. As he requested, there will be no service. Many thanks to the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System for their good care and kindness. Fly high, Jaybird - We'll miss you always.

    • A note from Mark Handren:  I always remember what a great sense of humor Jim had. I think back to some times a group of us went to the old Drive-in out on Brookpark Avenue and Jim had us all rolling in laughter the whole night. And he always talked about Missoula, Mont. and the West and how beautiful it was. And sure enough he went out there to college for a while. I made a point to go travel through Western Montana and thought of him often. It is beautiful!  God Bless ya Jim.

    • A note from Mark Griffin: I just wanted to say how sorry I was to hear about Jim’s death. Mac and I were good friends and as happens with a lot of people I lost touch with him years ago. Most of the stories that Mac and I did I can’t really repeat. But there’s one I think everyone would get a kick out of…   One night we got stopped by the cops for something (could have been anything at that time), and the cop checked our ID’s. Mac was born in Missoula Montana and I was born in Brooklyn, NY. And the cop looked at the two ID’S and said: “How’d you two ever get together!”  We had a lot of good laughs and times together. He was always a good friend to me. Rest in Peace, Mac. I’ll see you on other side.

• Jack Maheu's obituary.  

• Gary Powell's obituary.     

• Stephanie Resch Berger's obituary.  

  • • A note from Patricia Carlson Love: Stephanie lived a powerful life centered in Christian faith in the Harrisburg, PA area, and dedicated a great deal of time in service to the homeless and lifeline support groups with her husband, Harry.  She enjoyed singing and playing the banjo, and her growing  family.  Her first grandchild- Hosanna Joy - was born this recent June 30, 2013.  She passed of pancreatic cancer.  

    • A note from Jim Kilgore:  I remember Stephanie from Sr. High Fellowship @ Bay Presbyterian. Stephanie was a beautiful & kind person - inside & out. I'm sure she made a huge impact and positive difference in the lives of so many. Her suffering is  through, but her life now is brighter than ever.....for all eternity.

• Chuck Ruby - radio commentary.  

• Diane Schabitzer Keefer's obituary.  

• Marcia Schmidt Bobal

  • • A note from Debbie Popp Haumesser: Marcia was in BHS choir, sang second soprano, accompanied the choir, and was in Choraleers (as was I). Marcia and I also shared French class, starting in 7th grade, with the "film-text" course that emphasized conversational fluency. We took French for five years, through the 12th grade, by which time we were pretty fluent. We practiced this nearly every night in long telephone conversations - completely in French - so that listening ears (in her case, mostly her brothers, and in my case, my mother) would not know what we were talking about!  Marcia was a brilliant, dedicated student as well as a dear friend.

    • AA note from Patty Carlson Love:  Marcia was the backbone for the choir and Choraleers, as she volunteered to serve as our regular piano accompanist. She ably kept up with each vocal arrangement and Curt Crews' direction, without losing a beat. We couldn't have performed without her and I hope that music filled her life through to its finish. Thank you, Marcia, and Godspeed.

• Dave Sinkler (click HERE for a taped copy of the service for Dave)

  • A note from Eric Sandstrom: In a very compassionate way in talking with Dave over the last few years, he joked about the kind people (many with limited English-speaking skills) who took care of him, about favorite movies he recommended, and about the nasty smoke from California's wildfires. He often mentioned our classmates, telling half century-old anecdotes that could still make us laugh. He sure had a wonderful laugh. Dave loved to reminisce about growing up in Bay Village. He fondly remembered incredible details from our high school trip to Greece with Mr. Wickman. Among various experiences, not all of them nice, Dave always kept his eye on the sparrow.  He much preferred to talk about the good things in life. It's hard to say goodbye to our Music Man.

  • A note from Ray Schilens: Let’s use some of the words from Music Man to describe David. It’s just a bang beat bell ringing big haul great go neck or nothin rip roarin ever time a bulls eye. Life is made to be lived. That's exactly what he did. We will miss you my friend. 

  • A note from Gary Wilson: So sorry to hear this news. Got to know Dave through our work on the school newspaper and through Eric Sandstrom. Our mortality is reinforced with such news. I remember how he enjoyed the musical theater, and playing in the Music Man meant so much to him in high school.

  • A note from Mary Ava Davis Henneberry: So said to hear that news. I walked most days to school with Dave, Linda B, and Wink. Life is going by way to fast these days.

  • A note from Patty Carlson Love: Reflecting on memories of our youth with Dave Sinkler could write a book.  Those of us in symphonic and marching bands, Thespians, Choir, and Choraleers shared most of our time.  Of course, The Music Man was the highlight of our senior year (and Dave was my first stage kiss, you know).  What I loved about him is that he brought groups of people together, like when we thespians all went to see Carol Channing in Hello Dolly at the Music Hall.  We went to the opera every year when the New York Metropolitan Opera toured.  La Boheme was the performance we attended in the winter of 1969.  And The Hanna Theatre.  And The Cleveland Playhouse.   And we laughed... ALL the time: Marcia, Wink, Dave, Joni, Lynn Johnson, and I. . . and Choraleers - what a special gift from God that experience was.   One year we went to Top of the Town for the Snowball and Dave ordered lobster, so he could wear the bib!  I hold only happy memories.  I realized something was off when I wrote him of Mrs. Gosewich's passing and he didn't respond.  All is well.  Dave is singing now, just as he sang opera while delivering the Plain Dealer every morning.  Blessed Be.

  • A note from Marcia Danielson Lowe: David and I have been friends since grade school and in many ways we've been crazy kindred spirits. DAVID WAS BIGGER THAN LIFE, WHISTLING AND SINGING WHERE EVER HE WENT…You could hear him coming, hear him debuting latest Broadway songs. Wherever he went ...down the SIDEWALKS of our small town in Bay Village, Ohio as well as the streets of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. When we were young I took dancing lessons and David asked me to teach him some “moves”. The “Charleston” was our “signature dance” that we included in all of our performances until he just couldn’t kick as high anymore. Three  years ago David gifted me all of his year books, (7th thru 12th grade). He told me to “keep them safe and available”, for he was sure someone eventually would want to write a book about his life and then make it into a Broadway Musical. 

When you think of David you always think of music, dance, laughter and spontaneity … but usually not athletics. However, I always think of basketball. David was friends with Eric Sandstrom, Bill Gosewisch, and others who lived  across the street from my home on Dwight Drive. They would stay up an hour longer than I was allowed (10 pm), bouncing the ball, shooting baskets, celebrating baskets made and of course, singing …. wishing I was out with “The Boys.”

• Dan Smith

  • A note from Julie Smith (Dan's ex-wife) Aug 18, 2024: I wanted to let you know that Dan passed away on August 9 a few days following  knee surgery. He left behind 2 grown children—Robert and Matthew.​  I know it seems odd for an 'ex wife' to be handling these matters, but we still remained friends after the divorce and frequently talked. I am going through his emails and have seen the string from your class reunion.  I am so glad he got to go.  We are not having any services for him.  He was a highly private man in life and we believe he would want to be private in death.  He just didn't like to be the center of attention.

  • A note from Sandi Blankner Gorman:  I didn't know Dan at all in high school.  He didn't attend most reunions, and rarely responded to emails.  But the generosity Dan displayed - out of the blue - for our 55th reunion was beyond humbling.  It taught me a lot about people and kindness and just being special.  Thank you Dan!

  • A note from Ross Wilson:  I got to know Dan the last several years of high school. Along with Doug Strodtbeck and Curt DeCrane, we went camping in Ontario with Explorer Scouts and did a lot of fishing up in the quarries around Catawba. It was Dan who showed us how to bow fish for carp. Dan was always interested in animals and did a lot work at the Lake Erie Junior Science Center. I’m not surprised he had a career in medicine. Adios, old friend. 

• Gerry Stueber's obituary. 

  • • A note from Eric Sandstrom:  Many classmates knew him far better than I, yet this news about Stueb saddens me deeply. His work ethic on the Rockets gridiron, where we were teammates, was unparalleled.  Above all, he was genuine.  

    • A note from Greg Ellis - It was with a sad and heavy heart that I learned of Gerry's passing. He was not only a terrific classmate and teammate but was also a close and wonderful friend. I will always cherish the memories he and I shared during those formative high school years, from working out trying to get ready for those grueling two-a-day August football practices to prepping for our driver licenses. I distinctly remember Gerry and I promising to never tell anyone of our illicit premature joy ride in his parent's car one week before he got his driver's license. The 10 minute trip around the block at 10 miles an hour in the middle of the night was an evening I remember to this day. Gerry and I just recently exchanged Christmas cards and I told him how much I was looking forward to seeing him at our 50th reunion next year. I wanted to catch up on what was going on in his life and family. I guess that may have to wait for perhaps another time...

    • A note from Patty Carlson Love: Gerry and I were close friends throughout high school and for years after. He visited me in NYC once and we rode bikes thru the city streets, from Central Park down to Chinatown, gabbed about everything, from Choraleers to the war in Vietnam and dreams for a world of peace. I'll not forget his outspoken passion for a perfect world and his husky, sweet voice of reason. Miss you. 

    • A note from Bruce Bunevich: After the football team dinner, Gerry and I walked the old football field from goal post to goal post the night of our last home game as seniors. Gerry wanted to do this because we were going to be the last class to play on the original home field. We both tore off a piece of the blue crepe paper that spiraled the uprights so we could remember the honor and pride we had as seniors to close the historic field.  I have fond memories of growing up with Gerry. I still have the blue paper from the goalpost.

• Jackson Sullivan 

  • • A note from a friend:  Jack died in 2003 in Thailand. I don't know how, but he was married at the time with a nurse from Seattle. He had a son. I tried to find him but was sadly disappointed to find out he had passed at such a young age. He did move around a lot. New York State to California to Seattle and Texas. I assumed he was following his Music career. 

• Theron Thomas Ackerman's obituary

  • • According to her facebook profile she had been a Police/Fire Dispatcher at City of Middleburg Heights from April 1985 to April 2010.  She died at Stein Hospice Center in Sandusky. She was living in Huron and is survived by a son (Pat) and  daughter (Ashley) (not sure how many grandchildren).

    • A note from Patty Carlson Love: When one of my Chinese colleagues from Changchun received a visiting scholar placement at Cleveland State University, Theron “adopted” her and escorted her around town throughout her 18 month stay. She was a caring and generous  host to my friend. She will be missed by many.

    • A note from Karen Hansen Dade:  Theron was my very first friend. We were little girls on Lincoln Road off of Cahoon and became friends at about two years of age. In first grade we each moved away and ended up at Westerly. Over the years we still remained friends but not as close as we had been. We connected again when we sat next to each other in the glee club. Both of us really wanted to be in the choir. Theron had a beautiful high soprano voice. I always felt bad that she was not chosen for choir. That was such a waste. I hope she is singing with the angels now.

    • A note from Bonnie Ditzel Henke:  When we were younger I lived on Bexley and Theron lived near by on Bradley.   I was often at Theron's house.  She was a great friend, funny and adventurous we had a lot of fun.  We reconnected thru Facebook and I visited with her at her apartment on the lake in Avon, before I left Cleveland and she moved to Sandusky.  I got to meet her beautiful granddaughters, and am so glad.  I am so saddened by this news but look forward to seeing Theron again in the new system. 

• Barry Tutin's obituary

  • • A note from Mike Manos:  Barry and I were never particularly close friends in H.S., but we somehow re-acquainted ourselves with each other in about 2003.  We would arrange to meet at the Winking Lizard or another small bar down the street that he liked. We’d have a beer or two and just sit and talk about our lives, our experiences, and our high school friendships.  It was almost like being a teenager again.  He was always full of stories. I was never sure whether he was telling the truth but, despite how “over-the-top” the tale was, I was always captivated,.  He led a fabled life and when Melissa, my wife, said she wanted to go to Africa, she and Barry and I got together to hear about his life and work there.  Tutin never had self-doubts about his abilities, and his self-confidence was never tinged with arrogance or self-aggrandizement which made him always easy to listen to no matter how outlandish he embellished his tales.  The week before he left, we met for a beer.  He said he skipped a doctor’s appointment because he “felt fine.” Then he said something strange to me, “I think I’m ready to see what’s next.”  I, of course, didn’t make anything of this comment and I cautioned him not to mess with his health.  I miss Barry Tutin’s conversations. Most of all, I miss the man himself.  I’m glad I got to know him.

    • A note from Michael "Redman" Foley:  Rootin Tutin, that's what we would often all Barry back in High School. Many of us think we are one of a kind when in reality we are nothing special. Barry Tutin? He was one of a kind. We escaped the clutches of the law more than once in our youth and our adventuresome spirit carried on throughout our lives--Barry's was just a tad more exotic. Fortunes are made and lost by the most courageous and bold--Barry fit that mold.

When, however, the rubber hit the road what Barry truly was all about was kindness and loyalty. A unique parley for sure. He cared for people and his deference for the elderly, which is a weird word to say when you are 71, was never ending.

He was a loyal mate of the Rocket High class of 1969 and he will be missed.

• • • A note from Carol Urquhart Kindt:  I always looked forward to catching up with Barry at our reunions.  We were homeroom and locker buddies in high school.  Urquhart followed Tutin in the seating charts.  Barry seemed to have the most interesting stories of adventures and misadventures.  My thoughts are with those who cared about Barry.  You must be in shock over his sudden passing.  I was comforted to see in his obituary that he was a gardener.  Digging, planting, and watching your blooms and bushes grow brings such peace in the circle of life.

    • A note from Patty Carlson Love: Memories of Barry are resting in a huge nest of my heart.  Back in high school, his deep baritone resonated in perfect pitch to my voice in Choraleers.  Because he stood directly behind me in the ensemble, I mostly gauged my voice to his.  I can hear him singing the counterpart to the Benediction at this very moment.  Barry had a beautiful singing voice that only got better as he aged.

Barry possessed a magical inner life that aligned with All That Is, I'll never forget how he phoned me on Messenger one cold and blustery New Year's Eve a couple of years ago, and spent two hours talking to me - he in Cleveland and I in Albania.  We talked about everything - our big date weekend, the summer of our 1999 Class reunion, our never-ending promises to meet in Europe for lunch, his dogs, his family, his father, old times.  He carried on about the people he loved.  Mike Manos remains one of his special "Peeps."  He also held great tenderness for Fran Mitchell. But his heart was with the elderly who had been forgotten.

He preferred to sit at the bedside of a widower in a nursing home than go out and party on New Years.  He told me stories gentlemen shared with him. The sound of Barry's voice continues to hum in my heart.

He loved people.  His sentiment was authentic.  Barry was a true mensch.  I have no tears to shed.  Barry is Home.

• Sheryl Waljakka

• Dan Webster's obituary.   

  • • A note his brother Steve: I am sad to report to you that a class of 1969 member has passed away. My brother, Dan, passed away last night, May 18, 2020 from cancer. Dan’s passing is a huge loss to our family.

    • A note from Eric Sandstrom:  Dan Webster and I enjoyed hiking mountains together. Here’s a memory from a few years ago. As two gray-haired fools pretending to be young, we set out to climb Mount Stratus in Rocky Mountain National Park. This mountain rises 12,461 feet above sea level, and requires an arduous day of heart-pounding trekking over boulders to reach a chilly summit. The air is very thin up there. Fueled by coffee and adrenalin, we tramped up through lodgepole pines on a sunny June morning. Our conversation ranged from our old high school days, our football games and girlfriends, to favorite books and Irish music, our wives and kids. We were breathing just as hard as we once did during two-a-day football practices in summer. Once above we timberline, we crossed miles of green tundra. Ahead there rose several hundred feet of vertical rock as far as the eye could see.  Wind gusts nearly knocked us off our feet on the trail. By early afternoon, things looked too risky. The chance of a fall from a precipitous ledge was much better than we gambled on.  It got so windy that my cap blew off before I knew it. Webster took off like a halfback chasing a fumbled pigskin. He must’ve sprinted 50 yards before retrieving it, an old Chicago Cubs cap that, like us, had seen better days. He handed it to me with his classic Zen-like grin and we turned around before gaining the summit.  This memory of Webster capturing my old hat will stay with me forever. He could have yelled, “There goes your hat.” Instead, he reacted like the athlete he was to the very end. He chased it across the side of mountain where oxygen was low and for that brief moment, our friendship was golden. One of his last letters arrived in my mailbox a few months ago. It ended with this eloquent description of his day: “So I look and watch a lot from whatever vantage I can get. Sometimes, it’s the warmth of the front porch protected from the wind on a sunny day with a book or two at hand and sometimes not reading at all and gazing off into the distance with nowhere to be and nowhere to go…”

    • A note from Tom Ferchau:  It was a shock and very sad news that Dan passed. He was a good teammate, a trusted friend, and all around great person. I regret not staying in better communication with him. The memories from Bay High will have to suffice.I will miss his humor, music, and friendship. 

    • A note from Mike Manos: I truly am saddened at Dan's moving on.  He was a lasting friend.  I always valued the time we spent together.  We once visited in Colorado a number of years ago.  Dan took me for a walk on the mountainside by his home.  We ended up on a low ridge among some trees where he sat on a log and I sat on a rock.  We spent the afternoon talking.  I remember telling him about a time I stood in my apartment on Punch Bowl in Honolulu in the late afternoon, looking out over the ocean a half mile away.  Scattered clouds drifted over the waves.  It was a moment of serenity and peace that was unusual to my experience at the time.  While describing this transcendent moment, I looked at Dan.  He completely got it, he knew exactly what I was saying as if he himself experienced it (which he probably did).  There’s a union, a relationship with people that occurs with some and not with others.  I had that deep relationship with Dan Webster not because of who I am but because of who he was; he was a man with a natural capacity to be with people.  As boys, we would meet on mornings when I walked to Normandy Elementary (recall that, back then, we all walked to school). Dan lived across the street from the school front entrance.  He would come and join me the last 100 yards to Normandy and in that short trek, we found bugs, watched the clouds, threw rocks into puddles, and did what boys do.  Dan is one of those people for whom I have an honest, grounded affection.  That compatibility never went away despite distance and time, it was always there, and it always showed up when we were together. Dan Webster made the world a better place.  He is a man we will miss.

• Phil Zillmann's obituary. 

  • • A note from Dan Smith: With deep regret we inform you of a classmate’s passing. Philip Zillman went to be with the Lord this January (2021). He has a wonderful family and is survived by sister Marlane Zillmann Renner and brother Kurt Zillmann. He expired from pulmonary complications secondary to COVID-19. Phil was active in the photography club and wrestled. Phil loved the outdoors and was an Eagle Scout. With a low draft number, he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in South Korea where he met his wife. They were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Kris. Philip loved sailing and swimming. Regretfully, he suffered a Lake Erie swimming accident while participating in a race. He nearly drowned and was resuscitated.  Unfortunately, he suffered severe cerebral anoxia resulting in subsequent lifetime impairment. Although impaired for twenty-one years, he always smiled and was full of life. Wheelchair bound and in assisted living, he was grateful and a pleasure to everyone. It was a blessing and honor to be his friend.  Through the dedicated care and love of his sister, Philip passed comfortably.  God will be calling for all of us someday. Let us all rejoice in the days we have left and look forward to his grace.