Like many of our class who have moved into a retirement community, or are contemplating such a move, Dick Sexton and Sally have made the transition to the Stone Creek senior living facility in Colorado Springs. They live in a small villa on the property, but they often make their way into the main building for meals and other activities. Indeed, Dick has reverted to his USAFA History Department chops and leads a small seminar course on the Origins of Civilization. After a period of acclimation, Dick and Sally are now quite pleased with their new way of life.

Another relocation occurred when, for many reasons, Neal and Niki Reavely moved from Ocean City, Oregon, to Sun City West, a Del Webb planned senior community in Arizona. They are well pleased with their choice. Both are enjoying their new home. To stay engaged, Neal has a part time gig, teaching advanced math to a group of home-schooled kids, and he has joined the Green team, a group of golfers who are returning to golf without the necessity of keeping score. The Reavelys have one child in the area, Kiki, whose husband runs a local baseball academy.

Wayne Kendall reports that, “on December 14th the local ‘60ers and guests had their annual Christmas party in a private room in Biaggi’s Ristorante in Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, it a lapse of judgement, the restaurant placed us in the wine room. Fortunately for them, our collective thirst for alcohol has diminished significantly; so, no harm was done. After a wonderful meal and even some Christmas carols, we began our combat white elephant gift exchange. After the dust cleared, the two most popular gifts were brought by Carol and Tony Bilello: An old 1937 edition of Hemingway short stories and a stuffed Christmas pickle doll. I ended up with the short stories while Ron Yates and John McCullough fought over the pickle–both wanted to use it to enhance their manly appearance on their next trip to the gym.

“Attending were Wayne and Barbara Kendall, Tony and Carol Bilello, Ron and Connie Yates, Richard and Sharon Schehr and daughter, Pete Roe, John and Deanne McCullough, Jim and Jenny Glaza, Jim and Mary Waddle.”

It was pure serendipity that led Les Querry to purchase property in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley and the Appalachian trail. It was never in his life plan, but he proceeded to design and build a home there. Since then, he and his wife, Marty Hiatt, have made it the annual roosting place for the Washington D.C. '60 classmates.

During the 18 years of “Roostings,” many noteworthy discussions, war stories, and outright fabrications graced the observation deck. Here, Don Stevens makes his point to (clockwise) Tony Burshnick, Bob Badger, Ken Alnwick, Ralph Lalime, Al Johnson, and Bill Hockenberry.

Many times, out-of-town classmates joined the gatherings; Dean Bristow from Utah, the Glazas, Bilellos, and Biancurs from Colorado, the Holmans from Alabama, the Kaleys from Connecticut, the Fischers from Pennsylvania, the Hales and Higgins from S. Carolina, the Stevens from Maine, Bob Odenweller from New Jersey, the J. T. Smiths from Tennessee, and the Goodyears from N. Carolina. Other guests have included Les' old friend, aviation pioneer Dr. Kurt Fox, an ME-262 pilot from WWII. Looking back, Les and Marty say, "We're tired and weary, but it ain't over yet."

A call to Vic and Suzanne Yoakum revealed that they are planning their thirteenth Alaska cruise this summer. They are enamored by the awesome vistas and charming towns that Alaska has to offer. Their trip will include Juno, Alaska’s wilderness capitol, Skagway, and Sitka, the former capitol of Russian America, among other ports of call. Dean Bristow spent two years as the Medical Director at the Elmendorf AFB VA/ USAF Hospital. He enjoyed his job, the place, and the people he worked with, but chose to reunite with his family in the Lower 48. Also, Ralph Lalime spent three years as the commander of an F-4 squadron at Elmendorf AFB. He and his family lived off-base in Anchorage and loved the experience.

Rounding out our Alaska contingent is John McCullough. John retired from GE in 1993 and became an Alaska fishing guide, leading rafting excursions on Kodiak rivers and streams. Subsequently, he built and operated a fly-in sports-fishing lodge and cabins in the remote Kodiak region. In 2007 he sold the operation with the proviso that he would have lifetime access to the property. After moving to Colorado, Jon has routinely returned each year to his old stomping grounds to commune with his trout and the occasional bear.

Bill Kornitzer is proud to announce that his family produced three grandsons in the year 2022. Bill is in the process of building a new one-story home in a local gated golf community better suited to his and Linda’s needs.

After a health pause at his fly-in home in Baker Florida, former test pilot Mike Clarke is again taking to the air in his two-seat tail-dragger “Varga Kachina” and his “Steen Skybolt” aerobatic biplane. Mike took a hit from the snow fairy during a recent Northwest Florida cold spell that devastated his collection of precious fruit trees. The good news is that the exotic plants in his hot house survived and are flowering again. Mike’s motto is, “If you want to be a true fighter pilot, you gotta turn your arse upside down at least once a day.”