I wanted to tell my story at the reunion, but found no matter how I tried to shorten it, it came out too long.   So I’m typing it out for any that would like to read it.  Here goes.
Thinking about what I wanted to say got me thinking a lot about a lot of things.  I’m trying to tell about 50 years, plus my story goes back to our days in high school.  So I thought about passions I’ve had in my life.  Golf, gone, fishing, comes and goes, surfing, gone because my aging body won’t let me.  Sad.
My 3 endless passions are painting, not art, I’m a painter, houses, signs, stuff like that.  I’m a happy guy when I have a paintbrush in my hand.  Friends and family.
I’ll start with friends and drift around.  Robbie Collins.  Our life journeys crossed paths many times over the years, and it always turned into an adventure.  And what great adventures they were.  Thanks, my friend.  Love you, Bub.
Glenn Snyder, probably my best friend in high school, certainly my partner in comedy.  Reading what classmates wrote in my senior yearbook, Glenn and I were quite the cut ups, especially in physics class.  Anyway, senior year, I worked on Rte. 22 North Plainfield and Glenn worked at Stewards Root beer in Gillette.  I’d get off at 9 PM and drive over to Stewards.  Glenn closed at 10.  I’d have a root beer and when Glenn got off, we’d do something like go over to Mike Stevenson’s.  Mike, thanks for all the adventures we had together and they were many.  Love you, Mike.
But Glenn had a co-worker named Debbie Penn.  Debbie Penn and I have been close friends for 50 years.   Her husband and I have been friends for 40 years.  Thank you Glenn, for introducing me to Debbie.  Through Debbie I met more life long friends.
After we graduated, Glenn and I painted his parents’ LBI house, getting it ready for the summer season, my first real experience with a paintbrush in my hand.  Then we got a job painting a neighbors’ house.  Thank you for that.  Love you, Glenn.
Summer of 1972, I went to Ft. Lauderdale to hang with my brother John, who ended up there on his sailboat.  He had hooked up with, guess what?  A painter.  So we would paint, make enough money to sail to the Keys or the Bahamas for a week or 2, and start painting again.  In September they got a big job and I decided to stay and be a painter.
I think it was the summer of 1973, Glenn met a girl that completely spun his head around, and they fell deeply in love and married.  I came up from Fl. for the wedding, and as usually happened when I hit LBI, I stayed the summer.
Now I stayed with my life long friend, Chito, who I met through Glenn, Thank you, Glenn, for Chito and his wife Jana.  Chito lived on Cedar Bonnet Island, which is the island before you get to LBI.  On CBI is located the Dutchman’s.  Chito, Tom, Chito’s roommate, and I would start our nights at the Dutchmans for a delicious German draft or 2 before we hit the pick up bars, Porthole, Gateway, Kuebels, etc.  One night I saw they had a new hostess, Debbie Sack.  Now I’m not saying it was love at first sight, but I KNEW there was something special about this girl.  She was a surfer type hippie chick.  Long hair parted in the middle.  Smile to kill, with a gap between her 2 front teeth.  The most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen.  A body to die for.  I still remember the dress she was wearing the first night I saw her.  But I soon found out she had a boyfriend.  So we would run into each other over the summer and chat and flirt. 
Then at the end of the summer, the Thursday before Labor Day, Chito and Tom stayed home with their girlfriends.  I, not having a girlfriend, what else is new, went out by myself.  Dutchmans.  No Debbie.  She’s done.  Going back to college.   Shit.  So I go over to the Porthole.  Porthole had a fun bartender, Greg.  Greg was a great guy, and we full summerers liked him because we were his regulars.  He would serve us before vacationers or tourists. So I walk in the side door.  Porthole has a U shaped bar.  Opposite the side door, across the bar is the dance floor.  So when I walk in, I swear to God, it was like the scene in Westside Story.  The whole place went blur, and all I saw was Debbie on the dance floor.  I don’t remember if she was dancing by herself, or with a girl or a guy.  She was going to be dancing with me. Well, the temperature rose to a point where I had to leave.  I asked her to leave with me, but she explained it was her last night and she had to say some good-byes.  But she’d see me later.
Oh boy.  Around about 4AM a car pulls up to Chitos house.  Moving right along, in the morning Debbie leaves for home, to get ready to return to college.  We become penpals.  Thank you Glenn, if not for your wedding, I might not have met my wife, but I think it would have happened anyway.  Destiny.
Fast forward, on a Saturday afternoon Oct. 1979, my roommate and I went to a matinee of Monty Pythons Life of Brian.  In the middle of it I get bombarded with thoughts of Debbie Sack.  When we get home, she calls.  She’s never called me before.  She’s in a really bad relationship and needs to get out.  I tell to come to Fl.  I’ll take care of you.  She does, and we soon fall deeply in love, and I don’t let her leave, but not quite. After a year or more, we realized we were not ready for this, so we separated.  This would be around 1980.
Now Debbie Penn and I had been very close friends. We were traveling buddies. Many trips from NJ to Fl.  We drove from NJ to California in her VW bus with her best friend Laura and ended up at Mike Stevenson’s in San Diego.  We never dated, were never boyfriend/girlfriend, but were best friends.  So close, that as we grew deep into our 20’s we made a pack.  If we were both unmarried when she turned 30, she’s the  younger, we would marry.  Well, I let her out of that pack, because I loved her husband-to-be so much.  They got married 2 weeks after her 30^th birthhday on Memorial Day, 1981. Debbie and Sandy are still married 37 years later, and we are still friends.
Chito, remember Chito?  He had moved to California and worked for a company that built yachts.  One of his duties was to commissions these yachts.  He called and said that he was commissioning a yacht in Miami.  I said come stay with me while you’re doing your thing, so he did.  I called Debbie and told her that Chito was here, why not come by and visit with us.  She did, we visited, and the Debbie and I grabbed a couple of beach chairs and sat in the driveway under a beautiful So. Fl. sky and talked.  This was the summer of 1981.  July 4, 1982, Debbie Sack and I were married.
        Now, for me here’s the amazing thing.  In high school, I would say I was not a jock, not a nerd, not a brainiac.  I was a surfer dude, pothead, soon to be hippie.  I never had a girlfriend in our class.  I had one girlfriend in high school, an under classmen.  Probably my fault, I never went for it.  Too shy, inferiority complex.  Whatever.  I never attended a prom.  I never asked anyone because I didn’t think I could get a date.  THAT’S who I was.  I certainly never thought a cheerleader or someone on the prom court would go to the prom with me.  I can’t blame you girls.  I never gave you a chance to say no.  So get this, Debbie was a cheerleader.  She was on the prom court.  I’m just telling this because none of that matters.  I am married to the most amazing women I could ever imagine.  Ain’t life great?
        But all that is not what I wanted to tell you.  See what I mean, it would take too long?  Those who know me on facebook, have heard me say many times, “Life is great in Ellijay.”  That’s where this is all leading and what I want to talk about, Debbie and my second life.
        But first just a little more background.  We raised 3 kids, Brendan, Greg and Shayna.  We lived 26 years in Cocoa Beach. Enough.
        Debbie was a stay at home mom until Shayna started kindergarten.  Then she became a teacher at the preschool all our kids attended.  She did that for 10-11 years, then became director.   All was good until the church got a new pastor.  Now Debbie gets along with everyone, I mean everyone, but she and this new pastor butted heads.  I’d come home from work and she’d be on the porch crying.  What now?  And she’d tell what pastor did this day.
        I said look, the kids are leaving, we don’t need this big house.  Let’s go a little west, downsize.  Then we can live on my income.  You can set up the new house and figure what you want to do.  She wasn’t ready to retire yet. 
So we started looking on Merritt Island for our new home.  But at the same time, Debbie was also looking for vacation for us.  Living in Fl. we liked going to the mountains, Gatlinburg, Banner Elk, etc. couldn’t find one.  Then Debbie finds this place called Ellijay.  Where’s that?  Well, July, 2014, we spent a week in Ellijay, in a cabin on the Coosawattee River and feel in love.  We returned to Fl., told our realtor, change of plans.  We’re moving to Georgia.  14 months later we moved here and retired, semi.
        A couple of weeks after our move, we go to Sunday Mass.  The readings and homily are about marriage.  After the homily, the priest ask those who were married in the Church, to stand.  We did.  Next, if you wanted to renew your vows, remain standing.  We did.  So we start our new life by renewing our wedding vows.  My friends, it doesn’t get better than that.  Life is great in Ellijay.
        Moving from the beach to the mountains is interesting.  Our Fl. furnishings don’t really fit in a mountain log cabin.  So we spent the first 5 months adjusting and furnishing our cabin, the winter months.  Cabin fever.  The place we bought had a big garage with an unfinished guess cabin above it.  I was ready to start finishing that cabin.  I hired Bobby Vaughn, a neighbor’s recommendation to help me with this project.  I had applied for a job at Lowes Home Improvement out of cabin fever.  Just as we started the project, I got hired.  Now I spent over $20,000 at Lowes while I worked there, getting at least 10% discount.  Just as finished the project, I got laid off.  Perfect.
        When I got hired at Lowes, I had to tell them that I needed 2 weeks off in May, I HAD to go to Hawaii.  Response:  you HAVE to go to Hawaii.  I said yes, I HAVE to go to Hawaii.
        The story:  My best friend from our years in Cocoa Beach was Fred.   About 10 years prior Fred and his wife divorce.   Being a Navy brat, he was raised in Hawaii, he decided to move to Hawaii.  He remarried, they bought a home that had some property.  On that property he was building a guesthouse.  Knowing my skills as a painter, he called with an offer.  He’d fly Debbie and me to Hawaii, all expenses paid.  I just had to paint his guesthouse.  I asked if he had gotten quotes.  $6000.  What’s it going to cost to fly us to Hawaii?  $3000.  I think we need to come to Hawaii. 
        My boss said that’s why you have to go to Hawaii?  No, that’s not why I HAVE to go to Hawaii.  Our daughter Shayna is visiting us from Fl. the week before we go to Hawaii.  Airports are an hour and a half from here.  Her flight back to Fl. leaves 1 minute after ours to Hawaii from the same airport.
        Now our son Greg, remember the bartender Greg?  Damn, here I go on another sidetrack.  Now our first son Brendan was easy to name.  A year into our marriage, it was about over.  I told Debbie she needed help, or we were done.  Wasn’t I the great one?  A friend of hers took her to a Scientology place.  She told me this, and I said, we just got back into the church, you’re talking to a priest.  I called our church and the priest who answered said he was all booked up that day.  I explained to him that if my wife didn’t talk to a priest this day, tomorrow we are getting a divorce.  He said come in at 4:30.  Father Brendan Shannon talked to Debbie at length, then called me in and read me the riot act.  Saved our marriage that day, and we named our first born after him.
        So back to Greg, our second born.  Looking for a name.  Debbie wanted Shannon, after Father Shannon, but I wasn’t there.  We were looking. Then I said how about Greg.  She looked at me.  I said I went to the Porthole that night because of the bartender Greg.  She said she did too.  Bingo.
        Back to the Hawaii story.  Greg had moved to Pittsburgh with his girlfriend over a year prior.  Of course that didn’t work out.  Of our 3 kids, he had the passion for surfing.  No surf in Pittsburgh.  When the relationship finally died, Greg decided, f--- this I’m moving to Hawaii.  He moved there 2 weeks before we visited Hawaii.  We got to get together with him in all places, Hawaii. Greg lives on Oahu, where Punchbowl is.  Punchbowl is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  My uncle is buried there.  He was killed in Okinawa before I was born.  Never met him.  Needed to visit his grave.  We did.
        On the flight back we stopped in Seattle to spend Memorial weekend with Brendan, his wife and our granddaughter Lily.  I said THAT’S why I have to go to Hawaii.  She said, I think you have to go to Hawaii.  Life is great in Ellijay.
So Booby and I finish the guest cabin. I get a call from Jimmy Stevenson, Mike’s brother.  He tells me he’s living I Jasper, the next town over. He comes to Lynchs Landing to visit.  Tells me he wants to get some painting done at his house.  Hey, I know a good painter.  So I go do some painting at Jimmy’s.  He also wants to do some tile work.  I call Booby, and we end up doing his tile work, and going into business together doing remodeling and repairs.  Life is great in Ellijay.
 The end of March 2017, Shayna calls late Friday night.  OK, Shayna is another derivative of Shannon, like Shane.  Now she was the last one left in Fl.  She had a good job, but it only paid $10 an hour.  It’s tough to live on that.  Rent, car insurance, food, gas, etc.  We knew she was struggling and wanted her to move here with us.  So she calls and says she’s coming up to live with us.  Great.  When? Tomorrow.  Oh?  And Robert’s coming with me.  Oh?  And by the way, I’m 5 months pregnant. 
        Debbie and I spent that Saturday moving into the guest cabin.  They live in the big cabin.  When we bought this place, who would have thought we would need 2 cabins.  God works in mysterious ways.  Certainly in my life.    So we have our grandson living next door.  We see him and his development everyday.  Life is great in Ellijay.
        So this retirement thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  We’re busier than we’ve ever been.    First, I do my painting and signs, and have the business with Bobby Vaughn.  Debbie and I do our buying and selling of antiques and other treasures, cabin décor, etc.  Then with new friends, Sally and Claude, we are doing estate sales and staging.  Just having fun.  For us, retirement is about freedom.   I have people wanting to hire me for a job.  I don’t want a job, but I do want to work.  We work when we want.  Nobody tells when or where.  If we want to work we do.  If we don’t we don’t.  The freedom of retirement.  Life is great in Ellijay.
        Glenn Snyder.  Thank you so much for your friendship, and all that has brought me.  Bet you never knew how much you enriched my life.  Neither did I.
 

Hello All
Actually I wanted to get back to the reunion- just wish it were somewhere other than in NJ.    Have lived in the south since 1971  so It would be difficult to adjust to the fast pace and the environment.  Have been in Tennessee for 30 years now- Working the past 20 years for John Deere leading a facilities group that has won many many awards.  

I will do my best to make it to the 50th reunion !


Jeff Dupre

Hello All,
Sorry I won't be there. Marcia really great job and hope to be at the next one.

Hello Classmates:  We regret not attending the 40th as originally planned.  We have a township re-zoning hearing the Monday after and need to be on 'standby' for last minute info and strategies.   Have a terrific time together. Thanks to you all for some great and cherished memories.  Grace and peace to you.... David Yamarick

Thank you, Marcia, for putting this all together. I haven't been able to get to any of the previous reunions, so I'm very much looking forward to this one. My husband will be coming too, so you'll get to meet the wonderful Canadian man I married. We've lived in Canada since we were married in 1971. Through this site I've been able to re-connect with Kathy Dunne Sjolund, and I'm looking forward to connecting and re-connecting with all of you.

Marcia:
What a magician you are in pulling this all together and making our reunion a reality.  We are all indebted to you.  Thanks and looking forward to seeing you soon.

I would like say hello to all and thank Marica for all she did here and given me the opportunity to be part of my old 1968 class again. I can not be at the 40th reunion due to my old CPA, for the IRS. I really wanted to come when I heard from Marica that I can. Again Thank You 9/26/08

Marcia having done this with other classmates for the tweny year reunion  I understand all the effort required and am amazed at what you have accomplished.   Is that what you wanted me to say?

Marcia, what a great job!! If it wasn't for you we
we all not be getting together, thank you so much.

I have been married since 1971 to a great man (you will meet him at the reunion).  We have two wonderful daughters & two grandbabies on the way.  We moved to Myrtle Beach in 2005 (our daughters too).  I work part time, but my biggest & best job was being a homemaker (there's no book  to teach you, you just learn as you go along).

I am looking forward to seeing everyone after all these years, cannot wait!!! 

Marcia, what a monumental task you have accomplished with ease and grace! Thank you so much for opening the lines of communication with so many lost friends. Kudos to you!

Marcia, this is really awesome. Linda Mignard Hall told me about the website. We have e-mailed each other as a result of the reunion efforts. We haven't been in touch since we all graduated. I'm looking forward to seeing her and many others at the reunion. Hello to all!

Thanks for all the work on this.  I hope to get into contact with a few people as a result of it.  Thanks again.  jkl

Marcia,  What a great job.  I really enjoyed the pictures .  Thanks

Marcia,

Thank you for all of you hard work.  I am really impressed!

Well done!!

Marcia,
    This is fantastic!  Thank you for all your time and effort.  I'm looking forward to the event!
Diane

Marcia - you are the best!  Thank you so much for doing all this work - I am impressed and enjoying it from afar~~~~