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January, 2010 - Sorry, it took way to long for me to update the website.  I worked on it while in Colorado in October, but the thumb drive I had everything stored on went bad.  Hopefully I'll be a little more timely, but life has been busy at my end.

There will be an All Year Reunion in LA on May 2, 2010.  The reunion is the seventh run by Fred Hofeld, Class of January 1926!  Yes Fred is about 103 and going strong.

Class of 63 highlights include Paula Engle Fugman and her husband Larry becoming grandparents in December, 2009, and Eleanor Greenberg White's husband Barry is serving as the US Ambassador to Norway.

June, 2009 - The start of summer is here, and I finally got around to updating the website again.  There are many new names and updated biographies, so make sure to look at the What's New Page. 

For me personally it was a rewarding school year; I am a math tutor for Communities in Schools at a small high school (less than 150 students) here in Miami and received a plaque for being Volunteer of the Year.  There was an article written about Communities in Schools in which I am featured on the website for The Children's Trust (click to read the article).  I was especially pleased when I went back the last day of school to pick up some books, and the high school principal thanked me because there was a marked increase in the number of students who passed the Math FCATS (a standardized test that must be passed by students in the 10th grade and beyond in order to graduate).

February, 2009 - So much has happened since my last update, but nothing as spectatcular as the election of Hyde Park resident Barak Obama to the presidency.  Was there a dry eye as everyone watched his acceptance in Grant Park?  I doubt it.

Iris Mitlin Lav sent the following link which appeared late September in the Washington Post about Obama's Neighborhood with a quote from out teacher Tim Black. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/15/AR2008101503728.html?sub=AR

Eleanor Greenberg White attended the inauguration and I hope she will share her experience with us.

Sadly, one of our classmates, Plato Jones, is in advanced stages of liver cancer.  Please join us in prayers for him

Today, March 10, Al Frankenberger '63 passed away.  He was a good HPer, friend, and husband, and will be sorely missed by all.  Al helped arrange our first two '63 reunions.  Al, may you rest in peace; goodbye friend.

October, 2008 - If you didn't attend the Class of 63 +/- Reunion in Chicago over Labor Day weekend you missed a wonderful time.  The Committee comprised of Willie Morris, Jr., Renee (Bowdry) Flowers, Jamella (Wiley) Goosby, Paul Goosby, Harold Nathan, Gloria (Duchess) Jones, Judy (Adams) Powell, Wilda  Box, Dolly Wilson, Dr. Paul Williams (Carryon), and Harold Witherspoon put on a terrific event which was held at the Hyatt McCormick Place and included a special tribute to Dr. TImuel Black, a presentation by members of HP ROTC, a health presentation given by Dr. Paul Williams, and a spiritual dance by Duchess Jones.  There was a really nice turnout, especially from the Classes of 64 and 65.  And, there were some new faces from the Class of 63 including Paul Goosby, Judy Goldberg, Cheryl Lewis, and Barbara Tsukamoto.  I'll be posting photos when they are available.

I was informed that I would be heading up our next reunion in five years.  It seems like a long time away, but it's not too early to start.  I want to make sure as many 63s as possible will be there for our 50th (OUCH) reunion.  Unfortunately our numbers are dwindling, including recently, Mary Cherry '63, so I think it is really important that we all decide ahead of time that this is an event is a must to attend, including getting classmates that haven't attended past reunions to be there.  My initial thought is to have it on a weekend in May, but not Mother's Day which is May 19, 2013.  I would like to hold it while school is still in session, so that we can award a scholarship to a college bound senior, visit the school, and not interfere with anyone's vacation schedule.  Your comments are welcome.

July 2008 - PARTY TIME!  Yikes - it's been five years already since our last reunion.  The Class of 1963 is having another for our 45th year in August.  Classes from 1960 to 1965 are invited, but I'm sure you'll be welcome whatever year you attended HP.  Please see Class of 63 45th Reunion for details.  The committee has been working diligently and this is going to be a great weekend. Don't wait - sign up NOW!

February, 2008 - It's hard to believe that we are already past the first month of 2008.  I think the time goes faster as I get older.  I have given more time to my volunteer work, sometimes four days a week, with Communities in Schools.  For any retirees that want to give something back to your communities, I strongly recommend this organization whose goal is "Helping Kids Stay in School and Prepare for Life.  You may contact me if you are interested and I will find out if there is a program in your home town.

October 1, 2007 - The summer is over and I have just returned from three weeks traveling around China.  No more procrastinating; I need to update the website more regularly.

Congratulations to Diane Moy Koch on becoming a grandmother for the first time.  Click on http://picasaweb.google.com/megswanson/Eve8107 for photos of her son, daughter-in-law, and baby Eve.

July 27, 2007 - My cousins will have to wait (see below).  The Class of 1963 is talking again about our 45 Year Reunion in 2008.  Several e-mails have been returned as undeliverable.  Please check the address I have listed for you and send me your new one if it has changed.

June 18, 2007 - Not much new to report, but we have eight new alums - see What's New.  On the next update, I plan to add my cousins that attended HP; there might be eight or more.  Until then, have a great summer.

April 27, 2007 - It hasn't been a good month for members of the Class of 63.  Recently Merry Selk lost her sister, Barbara Cronin lost her mother, and our own Clementine Gilmore Morris, wife of Booker, passed away on April 10th.  I have copied Clementine's obituary from the Chicago Tribune, for those of you that missed it.  Our hearts goes out to Booker, Merry, and Barbara, and their families.

A forty-fifth reunion is in the talking stages for the Class of 1963.  This time it looks like it will be held somewhere near San Francisco in the summer of 2008.  Our classmates didn't want to wait until 2013 to get together again.  If you are interested in being in on the planning, please contact Willie Morris.

I am sorry it has taken so long to update the website.  We have had a lot of new additions and changes which you can see on the What's New page.  In addition, I have photos from the Class of 1961 Fund Raiser which I still need to publish.  I will erase this message when it is accomplished.  Until then, please take care of yourselves, and hope to see you all at our reunion next year.

January 28, 2007/Feb 25, 2007 - Happy new year to all.  Not much new for me to report at this time except that I just became a grandfather!  Jolie Multack, named after my late wife JoEllen was born January 17.  Am I a happy camper!!  The only other news is that I have come across a South Shore newsletter contributed to by South Shore residents from the 50s and 60s.  There are several HP graduates that have posted information, and several have registered on our website.  You may sign up for this newsletter by e-mailing Caryn Lazar Amster at caryn120@comcast.net.  Caryn's parent's owned Wee Folks, a toy store on 79th Street.  She has written a book, "The Pied Piper of South Shore, Toys and Tragedy in Chicago."  The book tells some of the history of South Shore, about the Wee Folks store, and the murder of her father in 1970.  You can find more info about the book by signing up for her newsletter.

November 24, 2006 - As I progressed beyond 60 I found a necessity to return something to my community.  I have been on the Board of Trustees of Mt. Sinai Medical Center for many years, but in recent months have added a position on the Board of Directors of the Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation (my late wife Jodi was one of the founding members).  Most recently, I have started tutoring mathematics at an inner city alternative high school.  This has given me the most pleasure, and I look forward to each Tuesday and Thursday morning.

This may be the last update this year, so whatever holidays you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year, or any else, I hope they are meaningful and full of love and health.

September 24, 2006 - UPCOMING EVENTS _ HP Homecoming game! - Friday September 29, 2006 vs. Gage Park - 3:30PM at Eckersall Stadium.  Lets all go out and support them and the football team.  Wear your school colors and be prepared to "Bring down the thunder from the sky."

Walkathon - October 28, 9AM benefiting HPHS

On September 11, 2006, our oldest living alumni (at least as far as we know) Fred Hofeld '26 turned 100!  Congratulations Fred!!  Many of you know that Fred still runs the HP West Coast Alumni Association, and has put together reunions every five years in LA.  Hope to see you at the next one.

Two of my aunts, both HP Alumni passed away recently. My Aunt Bernice Atheimer Wassermann just passed away at 96, and my Aunt Lillian Altheimer Kahn a year ago January at 93.  Aunt Lil had attended at least two of Fred's reunions in LA.

Here's a link just for nostalgia purposes - 1955 Juke Box

August 20, 2006 - Hyde Park Alumni "Club 61" is holding its annual fundraiser dance on Saturday, Sept. 9.  Get the details on the Reunions page.

June 21, 2006 - This linked article appeared in Lakefront Outlook on Wednesday, June 21.  Shree Frazier earned the highest grade point average for any female athlete in the history of Chicago Public Schools.  Congratulations to her and her family.

June 15, 2006 - Amazing number of new people signing up for our website.  This has probably been the most in such a short period of time.  Most important, we now have a contact for the Hyde Park High School Alumni Association, Inc.  It's President is Earl Smith '57, and the contact person is Charles "Pee Wee" Johnson '57.  I will eventually have a link to the page for information and registration form for the Association on the right hand side.

May 24, 2006 - Wow, I actually updated the website on a timely basis.  Make sure to look on the What's New page.  I spent time in NYC with Carey Horwitz at the beginning of the month.  Carey, and I were hosted by Naomi Margolis for cocktails and hors d' oeuvres, after which we had some great Chinese food at a nearby restaurant. See photo.

April 25, 2006 - There are several reunions underway for this summer: Class of 66 40 Year, Class of 96 10 Year, Class of 61 Annual Fundraiser, and Camp Martin Johnson.  Please click on the links for more information.  As a result, there a many new names on the website; please check the What's New page for those names, new e-mails, and updated biographies. 

I read in the Class of 61 Newsletter (see Fundraiser above) that the Hyde Park mascot has been changed from an Indian to a Thunderbird.  Sorry to see the Indian go, but it is a controversy that we hear often.  The NCAA is making the University of Illinois (my Alma Mater) change its football team from the Fighting Illini and Indian mascot.  The debate has been going on for years in the alumni newsletter.

On a personal note, I have been traveling again.  I spent most of March in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.  For those of us that graduated in the 60s, these were a part of the world we would have liked to stay away from.  Unfortunately, we all know someone that served our country being stationed there, and possibly lost their life.  I wasn't exactly sure how I would react, especially in Vietnam.

Times change!  The trip was phenomenal, especially Vietnam.  The American War (as they refer to it) was a blip on Vietnamese history, after having been dominated by and in war with the Chinese for 1,000 years, the French for 100 years, and after us for 10 years with the Chinese again.  It is a fun place to visit, from the vibrancy of Ho Chi Mihn City (formerly Saigon) (eight million people, four million motor bikes, almost no traffic lights), the beautiful China Beach in Da Nang, bustling French colonial Hanoi, and the pristine beauty of Ha Long Bay.  In Cambodia, I visited the archeological wonders around Siem Reap, especially Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm, and spent a morning in the floating city on Lake Tonle Sap, where everything is on the water - schools, police station, homes, house to house produce vendors.  I was able to sit with a family in their bamboo floating home, and watch first grade students in their classroom on the water. 

Laos was a complete change from Vietnam and Cambodia.  Many less tourists, very quiet, almost subdued, VERY Buddhist.  I spent a night and day in the capital, Vientiane, and exciting plane ride to Xienkhoang to see the Plain of Jars, a scenic and fascinating seven hour drive through the mountains to the Unesco heritage site city of Luang Prabang, where I got up and out at 6 AM to feed the monks parading through the city for their daily alms. At the Plain of Jars, the landscape is pockmarked with craters from American cluster bombs, and I had to stay on a marked path because the area is still riddled with undetected land mines left behind by the Vietnamese.

Travel in these countries is very inexpensive.  You can have a good dinner for less than $8.00.  I had shirts made in less than a day in Vietnam for $31 each.  The US dollar is readily excepted anywhere.  I collect foreign currency and got one of each bill in all three countries.  In Laos, the unit of currency is the Kip and the largest bill is 50,000 Kip, equivalent to five US dollars.  This is a cash economy.  My guide needed a couple of suitcases to carry the cash when he purchased his house.

I hope to put some of my photos on a website so that you may enjoy them.  You remember my trip to China, Mongolia, and Japan last year, don't you?  Well those photos never made it either.  I barely have time to update aitchpe.com, which is much more important.

Have a wonderful few months.  I hope to have another update before the summer.

Jan. 20, 2006 - Happy New Year to all!  Not a lot to report since our last meeting, but I did have a nice visit with Diane Moy Koch and her husband Michael while they were here in Miami.  Photo1  Photo2

Also, while listening to a piece on NPR after Lou Rawls had passed away, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Tim Black telling a little of Rawls' (he was a southsider) background and contribution to the music world.

On a more pertinent note, the Class of 1961 has held a fundraiser each year to raise money for scholarships.  Unfortunately, the amount that they have been able to raise has diminished greatly over the years.  They are looking for donations from ANY alumnae in order to carry on this tradition.  If you are interested in helping, please contact Patricia Wallace at dollywally81@hotmail.com.

December 2, 2005   I went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in October to attend a friend's son's wedding.  Had a great time, especially the last morning.  Click here for a view.  I'll try to put some of my photos on the internet in the future, if you would like to see the sights.  Vail, Colorado is getting lots of snow, and I am headed out there on the 5th for two weeks of skiing, so this will probably be the last update this year. I wish you all a very happy holiday season, and especially a healthy New Year.

October 9, 2005 Better late than never!  I have had a busy summer, traveling to China, Mongolia, and Japan in June, and then to my home in Vail, Colorado for July, August, and September.  It's good to be back in Miami, but I miss the cool, dry air of Colorado.  It actually has started to snow there in the higher elevations.  I'll be out there skiing in exactly two months.  I will put a link here if I get around to posting photos from Mongolia.

I hope everyone has had a pleasant summer, however I know that anyone living in the path of Hurricane Katrina has had a tough time.  It passed through Miami on its way to New Orleans.  My son's townhouse was right on the path of the eye wall.  As it passed through his neighborhood it sucked out the rear windows of both he and his wife's cars, his sunroof, and the front window of his house.  I just house sat for him for the installation of the new window.  In addition, it must have loosened the skylight, because now he has mold throughout the second story of his home.  He and his wife had to move out this week.

Thanks to Emily Stessman Kamber for keeping many of us posted on the day to day ordeal of people living through this tragedy.  Emily lives in Jackson, Mississippi where many of the displaced victims went after the storm.  Her law firm had an office in Gulfport, and we heard about trying to find associates and family members.

May 23, 2005 I have finally got my act together and updated the website; again, thanks to the prodding of Carlo Jones.  It has been a busy couple of months for me, and I will admit to much self indulgence.  I stayed at my home near Vail, CO until April 11.  I will say that I had my fill of skiing, putting in about 35 days on the hill.  I returned home, caught up on volumes of paperwork, and finally put away the time to update AITCHPE.COM.

Recently I had the pleasure of visits from other HPers Ed Gray and his wife Sherri Blount, Carey Horwitz, and Paul Leventhal.  I also enjoyed the experience of helping build a home for Habitat for Humanity.  It was an exhilarating day, and I plan on spending more of my time working with this wonderful organization.

Soon I am off on another adventure.  I'll be leaving June 14 for a trip to Mongolia, stopping on the way in Beijing for three days, and Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, Japan for five days afterward.  I'll be spending four nights in the Gobi desert living in a ger (round nomadic tent), some days traveling by camel and horseback.  I'll try to provide a link to some of my photos when I return July 1.

Earlier this month there was an all class reunion held in LA, with about 200 in attendance.  This was down from prior reunions with about 500 attending.  Suzanne and John Allswang report "Fred Hofeld who organized and did a great job is thinking of the next one in 5 years ! (He is 97 and amazing and such an enthusiastic HP supporter)."

New "In" Spot: Bob Danon '63, has opened a Coffee House next to his framing gallery at 1126 Central Ave., Wilmette, IL.  Music all the time with Live Performances on Friday nights by local folk, jazz, and classical musicians.  For information, contact Bob at 847-256-5612 and visit his website - www.javacharlie.com.

Wishing you all peace and a wonderful summer.  I probably won't be updating the website until August.  Please send me any info you would like published.

February 21, 2005 - Well, again it's been a long time since I have updated the website; part of adjusting to my new life.  In December of 2004, after 10 days of vigorous skiing, I decided to take my semi-annual stress test.  I did great on the treadmill, increasing my time by over 20% from my prior stress test.  I have never been in better physical condition.  Unfortunately, the thallium portion of the test revealed some blockage in the front of my heart.  A few days later I had an angiogram, and a stent inserted to open two 90% blockages.  I was out of the hospital within 24 hours, and a month later took another stress test.  Everything is fine, and I am out in Vail, Colorado skiing again.  With the increase in exercise, and watching what and how much I eat, I hope to lose a considerable amount of weight, hopefully keeping my arteries clean at the same time.  I have come to the realization that I do have some control over the aging process, at least as far as trying to improve its quality.

Again, I hope to keep the website updated more frequently.  Thanks to Carlo Jones for keep pushing me to get it done.

There will be an all class reunion held on May 1, 2005 in LA.  Contact Fred Hofeld '28 at 323-293-4497 for more information.

August 24, 2004 - A word of explanation - During the past year I have not been updating our website as often as I would have liked.  Unfortunately, my wife of 34 years, Jodi, passed away July 10th after surviving breast cancer for more than fifteen years.  The last year and a quarter have been especially difficult.  I want to thank all of you that were aware of the situation and sent your condolences and warm wishes.

It was actually Jodi's illness that allowed me the time to start AITCHPE.COM in the first place.  When she became ill in 1999 we made the decision to sell our company, freeing up my time to be of more assistance to her.  Since I was spending more time at home, I had the opportunity to work on our website as the Class of '63 prepared for its first (37th) reunion.

My time is finally becoming my own, and I am looking forward to maintaining AITCHPE.COM with greater frequency.  I have also become more aware of how important the friendships that I formed at Hyde Park High School have been.  Our 40th reunion last year was a wonderful event, bringing me even closer to classmates I had not seen for a long time.  I am also fortunate that I was able to spend some quality time with classmates on a trip to Washington, DC in April.  All of this has given me a greater sense of how important our high school is, how much we received, and how important it is that we give something back. 

Our class was able to donate a $2,000 scholarship to a deserving student at our reunion. Fortunately, we have funds left from our reunion, and only a few more expenses, so that we have a good start in being able to give another scholarship.  In a few weeks, the Class of '61 is having their annual Scholarship Fundraiser.  I certainly wish them great success, and suggest that as many people as possible donate to this worthy cause.  We now have over 400 alumnae signed up on AITCHPE.COM (and many more not on the website).  It should not be a hard feat for us to fund a sizeable annual scholarship that can really reward some of the fabulous Hyde Park students.  Let me know if you are interested in participating!

Again, thanks for your patience.

June 3, 2004 - Sorry I haven't had a chance to update the website recently, but will strive to improve in the future.  I have started to work on the Photo CDs mentioned below.

April 22, 2004 - The Class of 1964 will be holding its 40 Year Reunion in Chicago on August 13 -14, 2004.  The details and registration form are HERE.

March 28, 2004 - Well, I have finally finished posting the photos from the Class of 63's 40 Year Reunion.  It has been a big project, there are more than 200 photos.  I have added the photos from Saturday night as of this update.  I have been informed that at least two more people are going to be sending me photos.  At least I am not the worst of the procrastinators!

My next project will be to produce Photo CDs with all the pictures from the reunion.  Those that attended will get them as part of the registration fee.  The CD will include many photos not on the website; there were over 300 taken Saturday Night alone!  The other advantage to the Photo CD will be the quality.  When publishing to this website, one must degrade the quality in order to allow the photos to load at a reasonable rate.  The photos on the CD are of the original quality and will be an excellent source for printing your favorite photos.  Contact me if you did not attend the reunion, but would like to order the CD.

January 19, 2004 - Happy and healthy new year to all.  I think I have finally received all of the photos from the Class of 1963 40 Year Reunion, and have posted many more from our day at the high school.  If you visit this site, you should take a look - many changes from when we were students.  Hopefully I will be able to post the photos from the Saturday night dance in the next week or so.

I haven't heard any new information of the Class of 1964 40 Year Reunion.  Please contact me if you have any news!

December 20, 2003 - Just a few days left of 2003.  I will be away until Dec 28.  My New Year's resolution is to finish posting the reunion photos and other items that I have put off for the last three months.  Until then, I wish you all the happiest of the holiday season and a very healthy New Year.

November 27, 2003, Thanksgiving - Hope that you all have or had a wonderful day that gave you something to be thankful for.  I find it hard to believe that it has been so long since I last updated Aitchpe.com, but I had many personal matters that I had put off working on the reunion.  Now, most of them have been completed, and other than traveling a couple of times between now and the end of the year, I hope to keep our website more up to date.  Thank you for your patience!

Congratulations to Diane Moy Koch for winning the Edwin S. Wise Award for contributions to graphic arts education.  Read more about her accomplishment and share her joy with this link: http://www.gain.net/PIA_GATF/GASF/koch.html.

August 10, 2003 - Wow, What a Weekend!  If you weren't at the Class of 1963 40 Year Reunion then you missed a terrific weekend of catching up with old friends and renewed bonding after many years.  It was a very special event and you can read about it and see some of the photos from the above link.

Save our School!!!! Believe it or not, there is a faction that wants to tear down Hyde Park High School (now Hyde Park Academy).  Read about it and how to help save our alma mater by clicking here!

July 11, 2003 - We're finding them all over.  Check out What's New for a long list of people that we have connected with just in time for our reunion!

July 6, 2003 - Class of 63 40 Year Reunion is approaching soon. In the course of working on the reunion we have found many more classmates.  Some of these though have not registered on AITCHPE.COM.  But, I keep their names and contact information in my offline database.  So, e-mail me if you are looking for someone that you don't see on the Who's Here pages, and I will let you know if I have any info.

April 5, 2003 - A Great Week I haven't written anything for a while; many personal matters to take care of such as taxes, reunion plans, etc.  Two terrific things happened this last week.  First, was the marriage of my son and only child.  It was a great weekend, a beautiful ceremony, and Carey Horwitz was here to celebrate with us.

Second, Ed Gray '63 registered on our website.  Ed was one of my best friends at HP, and I have been trying to find him since we started this project.  I placed his name on the website when I was given his e-mail address three years ago.  Unfortunately it was an old e-mail address for him, and he had even moved from Detroit, his last known residence.  Thanks to Walter Roberts, Ed found AITCHPE.COM and registered; I called him immediately.  It was wonderful talking to him again.  It is reunions like this one that make working on AITCHPE.COM so rewarding for me.

I will soon be sending out registration forms to those who have not registered yet for our class reunion this summer.  We are going to have a wonderful time - DON'T MISS OUT ON THE FUN.  Please refer to the Class of 63 Reunion Plans often to find out about recent updates.  Be sure to REGISTER for the reunion, and help us FIND LOST CLASSMATES!

I would also like to tell you about a fascinating book that I just finished reading: "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson.  Normally I just read novels, mostly murder mysteries and the like.  This one, though is not a novel; it is a historic account of two parallel events that took place in our old neighborhood.  The book describes the development of Jackson Park for the World's Fair and Columbian Exposition, which opened 1894, by John Burnham and Frederick Olmstead.  The second story is about a serial killer (that's what first caught my attention) that established himself in the city of Englewood on 63rd Street near Cottage Grove Avenue.  I was a little embarrassed that I knew so little about the history of Jackson Park.  For instance, the El that ended within 1/2 block of HPHS was developed to bring crowds of people to the fair, and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was located almost directly on the site of our alma mater.  Hope you enjoy reading it too!

February 1, 2002 The date for the Class of 63 has been set - July 25 - 27 in Chicago.  The planning committee is setting up some terrific events, and like their last reunion, the Class of 63 is inviting other classes to attend.  Part of the activities will be a visit to our Alma Mater.  Don't miss this great chance to catch up with old friends - we aren't getting any younger!

October 30, 2002 HPers on the move.  Al Frankenburger took a recent trip to LA and met up with Danny Markus (Photo).

Making another political move is Paul Soglin who will be running for mayor of Madison, WI for the third time in April.  He found the lure too tempting to pass up.  Assuming he wins (he has each time), he will have served in that office in four different decades - 70s, 80s 90s, and this one.  Here are a couple of links to read more about his announcement: http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/editorial/31244.php,
 http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/aug02/69677.asp

We are still working on the date of the Class of 1963 reunion next year, and will be sending out info to the committee soon to make a final selection of the date.  I have been in contact with Carlo Jones, who would like to put together a reunion of the Stage Force Crew from 60-64 and run it concurrently with the 63 Reunion.  If you know the whereabouts of any of the members, please contact Carlo.  In addition he is trying to locate John Stevens.  If anyone knows how to contact him, or even what college he went to, please also contact Carlo.  [On January 2003, I received this note from Carlo: I just got a letter from Diane Turner, it floored me.  It seems that John Stevens was killed in a fire, about 15-20 years ago, back in Chicago - he was living in a boarding house on the Northside.  Like so many of our friends he had gone to Vietnam, and had problems in adjustment on his return to " The World."  it hurt me to my heart getting this news, but made it even more important, to make the next reunion.  I just talked to Billy Trotter; he agrees we need to come home.]

October 10, 2002 - Sorry, another one.  August 15, 2002.  Jesse Brown '64 .  He was Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Clinton from 1993 to 1997.  He lost his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.  Click Here to read the obit that appeared in the Chicago Sun Times.

Time has gotten away from me, and I apologize for not updating this website sooner.  Thank goodness someone noticed and got me back on track.  Having to report on the loss of our classmates makes me realize the importance of  class reunions and keeping in contact with old friends.  There will one day be a point that we cannot share those fond (and some not so fond) memories, and especially the experiences we had at Hyde Park High School that help mold us into the adults that we are today.  I know, personally, that much of my success in life is due to the rich experiences I received at Hyde Park.

It's a shame that some of us have to read of other's achievements in the form of an obituary. Here we have reports on three wonderfully accomplished classmates, individuals we may have had a friendship many years ago, but missed out on sharing those realized dreams.  Please share your accomplishments with us by sending in an update to your biographical entry.  Your accomplishments make the time we spent together at Hyde Park even more special.

August 20, 2002 - Another Loss.  Another classmate, Shirley "Brandy" Redmond '62 passed away on July 27.  Brandy was the wife of Lewis Engle '61 and sister-in-law to Paula Engle '63.  Click Here to read about Brandy's life and legacy.  There will be a memorial service September 7th in Marin County.

On a happier note, the Class of '61 is having its annual scholarship fundraiser dance.  Click Here for info.

August 4, 2002 - Our Loss.  Our classmate, Bob Kasik, passed away on July 28 during an auto race at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Bob and I were friends at Hyde Park, and I remember him as always having a great sense of humor.  We took band together, and on weekends I would occasionally go to his house to practice - he on the trumpet, and me on the baritone horn.  He must have had a very tolerant family and neighbors!

I hadn't seen Bob since graduation until our reunion in June 1999.  Of course, we all spent smatterings of moments talking to many of our classmates that we hadn't seen in so many years.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to really get to know them all well and catch up on 37 years of separation.  I am sorry that I didn't take the time to learn more about Bob until I received the information that I have posted on a page devoted to him [Click Here].  His accomplishments impressed me, but none more than the way his peers respected him.

What I have enjoyed most about hosting this website is being able to put people together and the sharing information.  Please don't wait until it's too late to let your old friends know about your successes (and failures).  We shared some amazing times together a while back, and while many of us have not been in contact with each other doesn't mean that we haven't thought about our classmates and wouldn't be interested in knowing of their accomplishments.

Our friend Bob is gone.  I wish I had known more about him while he was here, but there is no one to blame but myself for not taking the initiative.  I hope that if you see a name of an old friend on our website, and you remember a piece of your history with them, that you will take the time to send an e-mail or place a call to them, and share it with them.  You may just rekindle an old friendship that was very precious.

July 1, 2002 - Recent trip to our Alma Mater.  I had the opportunity to visit Hyde Park Academy on June 18, 2002 and had the pleasure of meeting the principal, Dr. Sandra Smith, and the School Wide Facilitator, Marvelene Alexander.  Although my visit was short, I can assure you that HP is in very competent hands!

The school is looking wonderful, and is currently undergoing a three million dollar renovation.  The name has changed a few times since most of us graduated, going from Hyde Park High School to Hyde Park Career Academy, and now to just Hyde Park Academy since it has reverted to stressing scholastics. 

The neighborhood around the school has changed dramatically.  The El no longer continues to 63rd and Stony Island, so you might just drive by if you plan on using it as a landmark.  Across 63rd Street is a YMCA, and new $200M and $300M townhouses are being built on 63rd St.  There are new townhouses on the streets west and to the north of the school .  The neighborhood looks beautiful.

June 5, 2002 - Four Weddings and a . . . Bar Mitzvah.  Is it synchronocity or syzygy?  Through the course of e-mails and personal knowledge it seems as though the members of the Class of 1963 have reached two distinct plateaus with the life cycles of their children, although I'm know there are many in between, and even some that gap either end.

Barbara Cronin's son Andrew was called to the Torah on Saturday, June 22 for his Bar Mitzvah at Temple KAM in Hyde Park. 

May 14, 2002 - Good News, Bad News.   The bad news is that Archie Julien has moved to Australia and not kept up his wonderful website that is filled with pictures and memorabilia.  The good news is that I have downloaded his entire website onto my computer, and will incorporate it into AITCHPE.COM.  This will take a while, but I promise you that it will all be there.

March 25, 2002 - You never know who you are going to meet.  Last Tue evening I attended a Miami Heat basketball game.  I have my own tickets, but Northern Trust Bank asked me to come to their box for dinner.  While there, I was introduced to a gentleman who appeared to be my age or a little older.  He asked if I worked for the bank and I replied that I was a customer, and asked him the same.  Before he could answer, our host told me that he wasn't a customer, but that they were trying to get him to be one, and that he owned a bank in Chicago.  Hearing that, I told him that I was from Chicago and had graduated from Hyde Park High School.  With that, his eyes grew very wide.  I asked if he had gone there also.  His answer was "No, but I was an engineer at the school from 1959 - 1961."  Excitedly,  I told him that was when I was there.

His name is Jacoby Dickens and he is the Chairman of the Board of Seaway National Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the US.  Their headquarters are at 87th and Cottage Grove.  Website is www.seawaynb.com.  When asked how he got involved in the bank, Jacoby answered that he started as an investor.  You can read about the startup of Seaway on their website.

March 1, 2002 - The results of the survey are posted on the Class of 63 Reunion Planning Page. Please go there to see the results of our survey and e-mail the Planning Committee with your ideas. 

It was Sigmund Freud that said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."  The present I received proves this is not always true.  Click Here to see why I get the feeling from my family that I spend too much time on this website.