Monday Update

A weekly newsletter dedicated to those who

remember & celebrate Vallejo as it once was.

Vallejo St. Vincent Hogan St. Patrick/St. Vincent

Apaches Hilltoppers Spartans Bruins

January 11, 2016

The Monday Update is published weekly, on the John Bunter Memorial Computer

by Harry Diavatis, who is solely responsible for its content. Please send correspondence, photographs and archival information to

harrydiavatis@aol.com The Monday Update is posted every Monday on www.VHS62.com

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Hello Classmates, Schoolmates and Friends:

In this edition: Juan Caducio ’62, Dave Clement SV60, Pamela Diggs-Pitts ’62, Gino Disgrazzi ’55, Glenn Dyson ‘66, Linda Etheridge-Rich ’62, Al Farr ’61, Shirley Harris-Radder ’61, Jack Kelly ’60, Dan King ’62, Pat Matson-Abernathy ’62, John Parks ’62, Tami Post-Lamb ’64, Ted Roberts ’67, Suzie Schmutz ’59, Charlie Spooner ’60, Jerry Warren ’59, Elaine Whitcomb-Torres ’62, and Dalt Williams ’51.

HH = Hogan HS SV = St. Vincent’s HS SP = St. Patrick’s HS FF = Former Faculty G = Guest VJC = Vallejo JC SCC = Solano Community College

Year Only (ie: ’60) = Vallejo High School

Index

This ‘n’ That ............................................................................................................... 2 The Mailbag .............................................................................................................. 5 Apache Review of Arts by John Parks ‘62 ................................................................. 11 On the Sidelines ........................................................................................................ 14 A Cup of Joe by Joe Illing ’61 .................................................................................... 15 In Memoriam ............................................................................................................. 18 The Last Word ........................................................................................................... 31 MU Calendar of Upcoming Events ............................................................................ 32 Public Service Announcements (PSA) ...................................................................... 33 Addendums ............................................................................................................... 34 The Fine Print ............................................................................................................ 36

This ‘n’ That

This has not been a good week. On Monday (1/4/16) I was informed of

the loss of my classmate, Horace Diggs ’62 and also the passing of

Kay Ashlock-Lewis ’61. I learned of her passing last Monday via this

email…

From: Jerry Warren ‘59 Harry, I just got a call from my sister, Jean E Warren-Polley, telling me that. Kay Ashlock-Lewis died this afternoon at 5:05 p.m.. She had been in the hospital for 5-6 days in the ICU. The family, on the advice of two doctors took her off life-support this afternoon. Her family was at her side when she died in a Napa hospital. Our families grew up two houses from each other on Georgia Street across the street from Steffan Manor School. Sad news…

Sad news, indeed, Jerry. Kay’s obit and a special memorial section

for her can be found in the In Memoriam section of this MU.

I learned of Horace’s passing from his sister Pamela.

From: Pamela Diggs-Pitts ‘62 It is with great sadness I inform you of the death of my dear brother Horace. We were notified on New Year's Eve that he had been found passed away at his home in Colorado Springs, CO. So you can imagine that since the news, my family has been in both a state of shock and chaos.

Luckily his two capable sons, Corey and Lathan, are in the process of making arrange-ments. My other two brothers (Cary and Luther) are standing by and are available to asisst them in any way they need. All I know at this point is that Corey said that they would like to bring him home to Vallejo for final services and burial near our parents resting place in Skyview Cemetery.. Needless to say our New Year's Day celebration was a bit sad, but after the initial shock, my brothers and I stand strong. We know he is with God and is probably laughing with our parents and is waiting for us. Since today was the first day after the weekend, arrangements are still pending but I expect to hear some news from the boys within the next few days. I last spoke to Jr. on Christmas day and he sounded ill and said he had just been released from the hospital after spending 2 days with pneumonia. I tried to get him to come home for a few days. He tried to convince me that he was doing fine… but he wasn't. He had somewhere else to go, and now he is gone and is at peace. Needless to say I will miss him terribly. I knew him my entire life, as he was 11 months older than I. His birthday was November 2 and he was 72 years old.. I am left with rich memories that I will forever cherish.

Please pray for my family and I will try to remember to keep you informed about the final arrangements.

Pam, dear friend, I have

fond recollections of

Horace from our high school days. I extend my

condolences to you and his family. The pictures

are from the class “Social Security” party in

2006, which is the last time I saw Horace. I will publish Horace’s obit

when it becomes available.

. . .

Hey Carmela! Why am I not Surprised?...

On Sunday night (1/3/16) the TV program 60 Minutes exposed Italy's olive oil business is corrupted by the Mafia, which is making big bucks tampering with Italian food products in ways that could affect American consumers. The Italians

call it "Agromafia" and it's estima-ted to be a $16-billion per year enterprise. One result: Much of the olive oil we import isn't as pure as it seems. Apparently, half the oil sold as extra-virgin in Italy and 75-80 percent of the oil sold in the U.S. does not meet the legal grades for extra-virgin oil. The most common type of fraud is mixing Italian extra-virgin with lower quality olive oils from North Africa and around the Mediterranean. In other cases, a bottle labeled "extra-virgin olive oil" may not be olive oil at all, just a seed oil like sunflower made to look and smell like olive oil with a few drops of chlorophyll and beta-carotene.

The producers go on to say that the consumer might want to consider extra-virgin olive oil from California.

So Carmela, what do you think of that? And NOT

ONCE in the program did they mention any scandals

involving Greek Olive Oil.

Sally and I will often travel to St. Helena to buy extra

virgin olive oil from the Napa Valley Olive Oil Co. It’s

located in an old barn- like building on 835 Charter

Oak Ave.

Yes, Carm… I know it’s

owned by a nice Eye-talian

family. They have some

great cheeses there also.

. . .

For over 50 years, my favorite pizza has been from Napoli’s in Vallejo.

I’ve burned the roof of my mouth on their hot pizza more times than I

can recall. Napoli Pizza is owned and operated by Tony and Jean

Guerrera and their family. Son Chris opened up a Napoli’s in Benicia

and Mike operates the Napoli’s in Vacaville. Our granddaughter Nikki

went to work for them a couple of weeks ago in Vacaville.

. . .

The Mail Bag From: Shirley Harris-Radder ‘61 I am so grateful that the MU was e-mailed out early this evening. I read it as soon as I receive it and I was hoping against hope it would arrive way before 9 pm when the first episode of the last season of Downton Abbey was to be aired! Gave me plenty of time to read it in its entirety before the bewitching hour of 9 pm.

Shirley, Sally and I are both Downton Abbey fans, as well. As has

been previously announced, this will be the last season of this

wonderful British series. It is so well acted that it’s easy to get

caught up in the characters and to truly care for them.

. . . From: Elaine Whitcomb-Torres ‘62 Harry, I thought Wayne was married to Toni Waterman and had a son together at one time. Toni was short for Antoinette. Am I wrong?

Elaine, I don’t have a clue. All I can go by is the obit we printed last

week. Perhaps one of our readers will know.

. . .

From: Dalt Williams ‘51 I'm pleased to announce we'll be presenting a free public concert Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the JFK Library, 505 Santa Clara St., in Vallejo. Time: 2:00 pm

Featuring the Dalt Williams Quartet with Marcella Hooks, vocals; Bob Akers, sax/flute; Barry Robertson, piano; Dalt Williams, bass; and Gary Maas, drums.

We'll be doing selections from the Great American Songbook as well as some of our classic jazz pieces. So it will be a fun-filled concert. HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS

. . . From: Pat Matson-Abernathy ‘62 Happy New Year. May you and yours be healthy and happy in 2016. I plan on it, too.

That’s the attitude, Pat.

. . .

From: Juan Caducio ‘62 Just saw this message from Rich DiMaggio’s SV62, daughter

Please keep my dad Richard DiMaggio in your prayers. He has suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and is in an ICU in Palm Springs. He has had several brain bleeds and has since undergone brain surgery and is still in the ICU. We are anxiously awaiting updates and are praying for a full recovery.

Rich is a great guy and we wish him a full recovery. Juan, if you’re

communicating with Rich’s daughter, please tell her that our thoughts

and prayers are with her and her dad and we’re all pulling for him.

. . .

From: Glenn Dyson ‘66 Harry, Happy New Year again to you and Sally! Do you have a recipe you can share

for your Greek Cookies?

From: Suzie Schmutz ‘59 For the cookies, Koulourakia, that you made on New Year's Day, what is in them? I've had lots of Greek food but never one of these.

There are many versions of this recipe on line but the one that Sally

uses was my mother’s. The only thing that Sally leaves out, that my

mother included, is the shot of Metaxas Cognac. Be advised, that

making these cookies is quite labor intensive, particularly braiding

each cookie into that familiar Greek shape. Sally always doubles the

recipe so that we can enjoy them longer.

Koulourakia

(Greek Cookies)

Ingredients: 4-5 cups pre-sifted flour 1/2 lb. butter 5 eggs, separated 1 ½ cups sugar 1 shots Metaxas cognac (optional) 1 teaspn vanilla extract 1 tblspn baking powder ½ teaspn baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Soften butter in microwave and whip. Separate eggs. Add yolks and sugar to butter. Mix well Stir in vanilla and cognac (if used) to mixture. Whip the egg whites until they are stiff then add to mixture. Add baking soda and baking powder to 4 cups flour. Add flour mixture slowly to butter/egg mixture. Add only enough flour to make a soft cookie dough. Place little balls of the dough on a clean working surface, and roll out with your palm, forming long cords (about 6-7 inches). Form into desired shapes and put then on a cookie pan lined with waxed paper. Leave some distance between them as they will rise a lot when baked. For glaze: 2 egg yolks 1 teaspn oil 2 teaspn milk sesame seeds Bake in oven until golden brown. Do not burn bottoms. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Can be stored in airtight containers for weeks (if they last that long). Tastes best when dunked in milk, coffee or tea.

. . . From: Suzie Schmutz ‘59 You can tell Dave Clement that I do NOT believe in animal cruelty even in a joke. This cat washing joke was not funny to me - maybe I should come over and wash his body or b---s the same way. How would he like that?

Well, Dave, don’t say I didn’t warn you! LOL.

For glaze: Beat 2 yolks, add oil, and milk. Brush onto uncooked cookies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

From: Dave Clement SV60 We all lead stressful lives. We face endless problems and there is always a new crisis. I finally realized that I can't solve each and every problem. And some issues are just too complex to resolve without spending endless hours considering all the nuances. And then I realized that Man's Best Friend is seldom beset with an issue that can't be worked out with a simple rule:

Hmmm… Well, Dave, I don’t know if

posting this picture of a cute little puppy

will help persuade Suzie that you’re not a

bad guy after all, but, what the hell, it’s

worth a try. LOL.

. . .

I noted that the weather back east was particularly nasty so I sent an

email to my friend and classmate, Linda Etheridge-Rich ’62 to find out

how they were holding up back in Normal, Illinois.

I see that on Sunday, Normal is to have a high of 14 degrees!! That's insane! If I were there you could find me sitting in front of the fireplace all day long with a lap blankee on me. LOL.

Linda Responds:

Although we have a fireplace and an assortment of lap blankees, 14 degrees is just a normal winter day for us. Actually, we’ll be on the road Sunday morning transporting a rescue dog from Bloomington to Dwight, IL. It’s a 60-mile leg that’s only a small part of her journey from Jackson, MS, where she was picked up as a stray, to Green Bay, WI. She’s headed for White Paws German Shepherd Rescue up there in Packerland.

I also have a transport tomorrow morning for the group I drive for twice a month. We had suspended transports over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weekends, so there’s quite a crowd of homeless dogs and cats awaiting rides to rescues in greater Chicago-land: 48, to be exact! I’ll be on the road by 6 a.m. tomorrow, headed for Springfield, where I’ll be one of seven drivers dividing up the passengers headed north. My leg end in Lexington, which is about 15 miles north of here. I don’t generally do back-to-

back transports, but Polly (the white GSD) was supposed to travel last weekend. Her

transport had to be postponed for a week due to all the flooding – and resulting road closures - in the St. Louis area.

Never a dull moment…

Linda, Linda, Linda… you and my wife…

two peas in a pod.

. . .

From: Al Farr ‘61 Hello Harry - I just received a copy of Kay's obituary. How terribly sad. Kay was one really great lady, so genuine ... the real deal. I always got a big kick out of how she expressed her opinions. One of the things I really liked about her was that despite her popularity and running with the popular crowd she was never the "stuck up" type. always good mannered and treated everyone with respect and dignity. To say that she'll be missed would be an understatement. Rest in peace, Kay.

. . .

From: John Parks ‘62 Perhaps that little white and roan horse could be of the "Icelandic Pony" breed.

My little pony An Icelandic pony

Hmmm… I’d say that’s a definite maybe, John.

. . .

A priest and a rabbi were sitting in adjacent seats on an

airplane. After a while the priest turned to the rabbi and asked,

"Is it still a requirement of your faith that you not eat pork?"

The rabbi responded, "Yes, that is still one of our laws."

The priest then asked, "Have you ever eaten pork?"

"Yes, on one occasion I did succumb to temptation and ate a

bacon sandwich."

The priest nodded in understanding.

A while later the rabbi spoke up and asked, "Father, is it still a

requirement of your church that you remain celibate?"

The priest replied, "Yes, that is still very much a part of our

faith."

The rabbi then asked him, "Father, have you ever fallen to the

temptations of the flesh?"

The priest replied, "Yes, Rabbi, on one occasion I was weak and

broke the pledge of my faith."

The rabbi nodded understandingly and remained silent for several

minutes.

Finally the rabbi quietly observed, "Beats the hell out of a bacon

sandwich doesn't it?" Contributed by Ted Roberts ‘67

The Apache Review of Arts …”Changing lanes is the most dangerous thing

drivers do. Always look (twice) over your shoulder, before executing a lane change”. By John Parks

I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Kay Ashlock. I did not really know her but always sensed she was a wonderful person. A major loss to the “Old Vallejoans” community.

THE ANSWER ---- to that song question last week is “Unchained Melody”. (no winner) Ever wonder why the song had that title? It was written for the movie “Unchained” which apparently was quite forgettable.

HERE'S A WATERCOLOR ---- by Annette Chavez (whose sister lives in Vallejo). POETS ON POETRY ----

Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~Novalis Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life. ~William Hazlitt Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry. ~W.B. Yeats Breathe-in experience, breathe-out poetry. ~Muriel Rukeyser There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either. ~Robert Graves Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. ~Robert Frost If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone. ~Thomas Hardy Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted. ~Percy Shelle

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STILLWATERS STUDIO ---- at a spacious country home out near Marshall, Virginia hosts a monthly “Supper and Songs”. It starts with a nice potluck meal, followed by “open mike” for amateurs to perform. After a dessert break a professional musician puts on a house concert for an hour. The small crowd is friendly, and supportive of all the artists. On this recent evening there were three acts before headliner, Zoe Mulford. She was excellent, probably the best solo folk singer I've ever heard in person. You can read about her on the net if you're interested. Here are my photos of the musicians.

At this event I had a conversation with Mr. Harvey Ussery of Hume, VA (home of

Virginia's annual JOUSTING tournament since ancient times) who told me that the Ussery surname in America started in the Pee Dee River Valley of South Carolina. (I told him of our classmate Don Ussery.) He is something of an expert on raising chickens, having published a book on “an all-natural approach to raising” them, titled

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The Small-Scale Poultry Flock. He has just completed an article on the subject for the Mother Earth News (which I subscribed to in the '70s). He says it's better to raise your own layers than to prchase them from a mail-order company. His flock is the “Icelandic” breed, which he actually likes for more important reasons, but also because they have wide variation in colorations. Do any of you readers keep chickens? HERE'S THE DINING ROOM ---- in Clyde's Lodge at Tower Oaks in Maryland, where I met a friend for dessert. It's one of the nicest restaurants in the world – at least my world. Note the “stuffed cougar”. Those heads above the fireplace remind me of a childhood visit to a place in Rio Vista that had about 100 such “trophies” on its walls from all over the world Is that establishment still there?

"Time is Too slow for those who Wait, Too swift for those who Fear, Too long for those who Grieve, Too short for those who Rejoice, But for those who Love, Time is not. ....Henry VanDyke

THIS WEEK'S SONG ---- is “Honey”, with its good message, by Bobby Goldsboro. (I saw him in the back seat of a limo near Nashville's courthouse in 1971.) Hear this huge hit tune again right here, right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuuH2lnyizM

WHAT ---- do these eight men have in common? Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Lee, Nathan Gorman, Arthur St. Clair, John Hanson, John Hancock, Cyrus Griffin. Email me the correct answer and you'll have a good chance at winning a fabulous prize from the ARA. GADSBY'S TAVERN ---- Helen and Dave Mezzera are in town visiting son Vince's family. We met for lunch at this historic inn in Old Town Alexandria which has been around since colonial times. The original “Bib and Tucker” painting of GW by Stuart Gilbert is there. Note, behind us, the other painting of early American luminaries dining there.

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“With an elastic sense of rhyme”,

John jvp444@yahoo.com

. . .

On the Sidelines Professional athletes with Vallejo ties…

C.J. Anderson and the Denver Broncos will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 17 and are favorites going into this Divisional round.

. . .

Rashad Ross and the Redskins took on Green Bay yesterday in a Wildcard game for the pleasure of taking on the Arizona Cardinals on January 16, however, it was not meant to be as the Packers put it to the Skins 35-18. Rashad returned 5 kick-offs for a 19.2 yard average. One pass was thrown his way, which he caught for 2 yards. Now it’s time for Rashad to take a few weeks off and then begin preparing for next season and, hopefully, more playing time.

. . .

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon announced that

this will be his final season of racing. You could tell it was time for him

to retire during his last race when he had his blinker on the whole time.

. . .

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Start your Monday with

A

By Joe Illing ‘61

How I Won The Cold War, Part 9 … A SUCKER PUNCH AND A PRAYER

I never saw the punch coming!

A sucker punch comes when you’re not expecting it. I got mine in Fleckertshohe just before beginning a 12 hour night shift when my sergeant (who was also, unfortunately, my roommate) informed me that I was being sent back to battalion headquarters in Butzbach … not back to Koblenz, but all the way back to Butzbach! … back to the real army! OMG! I couldn’t believe my ears! It literally felt like the floor had buckled out from under me and pitched me into a bottomless pit. I couldn’t even hear properly. A screeching sound, like those of the high-pitched violins in the Psycho soundtrack (when Janet Leigh gets slashed in the shower by the transgender freak, Mr. Bates) filled my head. It was a sucker punch supremo! A sucker punch without equal! And it put me on the mat! It had come without warning … a complete surprise!

No atheists allowed That night they could’ve added my radio shack to that old saying there’s no atheist in a foxhole! I whimpered and screamed and writhed in agony throughout my entire twelve

hour shift … several hours of which I spent on my knees praying! I didn’t know what else to do! I couldn’t figure it out! I couldn’t understand why this had happened to me!

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I knew my personality clashed with that of my sergeant. I’d tried diligently to get along with the little S.O.B. but had never been able to break through. Of course we had pro-found differences in education, culture, family, goals, self-confidence, religion, and just about everything else of significance in life … but I did my best to bite my tongue and keep my views to myself. However to be dispatched to Butzbach with absolutely no forewarning, no complaints, no allegations of negligence or dereliction of duty? I simply couldn’t believe it! When I asked why?, I only got evasions … nothing concrete, absolutely nothing of substance! No good reason at all … not one! I asked my buddies Rudy and Lumpkins if they knew anything more than I knew about it, but they were as surprised and clueless as I was.

Rudy in Gasthaus Fleckertshohe doing his bit to hold off the commies!

I felt pitiful, insignificant, wronged and helpless. And worst of all, I faced the next two and one-half years of my life in the real army after a few months of paradise! Two and one-half years may not sound like much after you’ve watched a long parade of seasons march past you, but when you’re 21 it’s a different story. At that stage of life it represents over 15% of your entire conscience life, a span equivalent to 11 years at age 70! It sounded like an eternity! IT WAS AN ETERNITY! Saint Pete was sending me straight to hell! The next morning, without ceremony, I threw my stuff in the back of our half-ton truck, an army version of a pickup. It was a somber drive. Rudy (with whom I’d become close friends) drove me through the forest and down the winding road that led into the spectacular Rhein Valley and Koblenz for one last visit. At the detachment nobody knew exactly why I’d been expelled, nor did anybody seem curious enough to hang-out with me and try to find out. It was if I’d contracted the plague or some unknown, but deadly virus they wanted no part of. I had no one to turn to … and the only one who counted, Sergeant Peterson, had left work early and wouldn’t be back until long after I’d gone. He apparently didn’t have the inclination or the heart to face me.

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They behaved as if I had the plague!

I couldn’t believe this was happening … and I still didn’t know why! What could I have done so odious, so wrong-headed, so negligent that I was getting kicked out?

Someone once said that God answers prayers with ideas. In this case that maxim hit the nail on the head! Early that evening I pleaded with Sergeant Peterson’s second in com-mand… “I, at least deserve a chance to be heard. I, at least deserve to know what I’ve done wrong!” Finally he relented and phoned Pete, and that’s when the idea that proved to be the inspiration of my young life unfolded. I refrained from sniveling, wailing, shouting or crying. My conversation with Pete was cordial, polite and reserved … I knew he had his mind made up and there was nothing I could say that would change it. He was a bit nonplussed when I inquired as to why I had to go back to Butzbach, especially when I informed him that I’d received no warnings or reprimands of any sort. He told me he’d “heard” otherwise, and that I’d been a continual problem for the two-bit Texas tyrant. At that point I immediately pitched Pete. “Sergeant Peterson, I know you’ve got to take the word of your sergeant. You have no other choice. I understand that perfectly … and I respect it. But I do have one thing I’d like to say, and one request I’d like to make.” I paused dramatically (after all, I was playing the role of my life).

You’re in the army … again!

Finally he asked, “What’s that?” “You should know that your sergeant’s lying. He’s lying about me … and he’s going to lie to you too. When he does, I only ask that you remember me and this conversation.” I paused again dramatically while Pete mulled that over. Then he replied, “Fair enough.”

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“Thanks, sarge, that’s all I can ask for and hope for,” I responded respectfully, “and thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I truly appreciate it.” And that was that. The die was cast, my fate was sealed. I headed back to Butz-bach and the real army … for two and one-half years! OMG!

Coming next! How I Won The Cold War, Part 10 … REDEMPTION

. . .

I am a “Seenager”.

(Senior teenager)

I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 60 years later.

I don’t have to go to school or work.

I get an allowance every month.

I have my own pad.

I don’t have a curfew.

I have a driver’s license and my own car.

I have ID that gets me into bars and liquor stores.

The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant.

And I don’t have acne.

Life is great. Contributed by Tami Post-Lamb ‘64

. . .

In Memoriam Perhaps John Parks’ ARA Song of the Week should be this one by

Marvin Gaye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Z-kjrSomw

“Mother, mother

There's too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There's far too many of you dying…”

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Kay Lynn Ashlock-Lewis ‘61 November 30, 1943 – January 4, 2016

Kay Lynn Ashlock-Lewis passed away peacefully on Monday, January 4th at the Queen of the Valley Hospital. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones. Kay was born November 30th, 1943 at Vallejo General Hospital. The daughter of Orbin Ashlock and Katie Ballard-Ashlock, she was raised in Vallejo. She attended Steffan Manor Elementary, Hogan Junior High and graduated from Vallejo High School in 1961. Kay continued her

education at San Jose State and received her teaching credential in 1966. Kay went on to work for PG&E for 37 years. Kay is survived by her husband of 43 years, Dennis Lewis and her three daughters, Jessica Lewis (Natalie Funk), Darci Lewis-Ward (Ted Ward), Michelle Lewis, and her two grandchildren, Ariana and Quinn Ward. Kay also leaves behind her brother Roger Ashlock (Susie Ashlock) and nieces Molly Hemsley (Matt Hemsley), Katie Ashlock, Jenny Alfaro (Mike Alfaro), Becky Windham (Greg Windham) and numerous cousins, grandnephews and grandnieces. Kay loved being a wife, mother, sister, aunt, and especially grandmother to her treas-ured grandchildren. As a wife and mother she spent nearly 50 years and countless hours in basketball gyms cheering on her husband’s Napa High boys basketball teams and then her daughters Napa High girls basketball teams. Over those years she became close with many players and their families. Kay came to be on a first name basis with many officials as well, much to their chagrin. She was a dedicated and selfless mother to her three daughters, supporting them in any way that she could. Her daughters remained close with their mother over the years and helped her to enjoy many of the events and experiences that were important to her in these final months. Over the past few years she was happiest when playing with her granddaughter Ariana. They could be found most days covered in stickers or stamps, having endless conversations in the pantry, or playing cards on grandma Kay’s footstool. Throughout her life Kay was happiest when with her family, friends, coworkers, and others she knew from the various organizations and hobbies in which she participated. She kept close ties with her childhood friends from Vallejo, serving on the board of her high school reunion committee and regularly meeting for lunches and gatherings. She was a member of the local AAUW, committing her time and resources to providing opportunities and equity for women and girls. In retirement she became an avid Bridge card game player, joining multiple groups in town. The challenge of the game fed her

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competitive spirit. She also regularly contributed her famous chocolate cake to the free lunches for those in need provided by The Table at First Presbyterian Church. Kay’s family would like to invite you to join them in a celebration of her life at 1pm, Sunday, January 17th, at the Napa Elks Lodge, 2840 Soscol Ave, Napa CA 94558. A reception will immediately follow the service with light food and drinks. Donations can be sent to the Kay Lewis Memorial Scholarship Fund ℅ Napa High School, 2475 Jefferson Street, Napa CA 94558. From: Jack Kelly ‘60 Harry, I am very sorry to hear of Kay's passing, what a great person she was... I thought I would send this to you. It was taken during the reception for Jerry Causey when he passed away in 2008.

Charlene Imhoff-Davidson, HD, Jack Kelly & Kay Ashlock-Lewis.

Thank you, Jack.

From: Dan King ‘62 Hey Harry So sorry to hear about Kay Ashlock-Lewis. I knew she was having health issues but living so far from Napa now, I did not realize the severity. Kay was a wonderful lady. I first met her working for the GVRD summer program at Steffan Manor school working well together and having lots of fun. I would run into her at Napa High School during the basketball season, friendly and upbeat as always even though we were high school rivals. Kay stayed loyal to her friends and classmates and was often seen participating in social events connected to Vallejo High and the MU. To husband Dennis and daughters, my heart goes out to you during this sad day. May God bless her soul and comfort you.

Kay Ashlock-Lewis is gone… and yet her memory will live on with her

family, classmates and many friends. Kay proved that old maxim “To

have a friend, you have to be a friend.” From her days growing up in

Vallejo and graduating from Vallejo High in 1961, until she drew her

last breath, Kay enjoyed being with her family and her extended family.

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What follows is a pictorial tribute of photos collected through the

years. The pictures on these pages (many provided by Paul Wright ’61

and a few by the family) show just how social Kay was and how much

she enjoyed being with her friends.

The Lady with the Big Heart and a Great Smile

Kay attended Steffan Manor Elementary

On the left is her Fourth grade photo from ’53.

I’m guessing the photo on the right is Kay in

the sixth grade. Not certain…

Hogan Jr. High Vallejo High 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th

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From: Charlie Spooner ‘60 So sad to hear about Kay. The Ashlocks lived about a block away in Steffan Manor. Roger was one of our gang of rascals -- along with Dillon Mini, Bruce Bigelow, Jerry Warren, Jim Decious -- the list could go on. In the summer, we'd all hang out down at Steffan Manor School where the GVRD had its summer program. After I graduated from VHS, Kay and I were the program leaders for the GVRD at Steffan. Talk about coming full circle. I know Kay's health was fragile and this was not unexpected, but still very sad.

Charlene (Sis) Imhoff-Davidson, Kay & Deanne Trujillo-Delrosario Sis, Kay and Mike Stevens

Summer of '60, Kay &

Charlie Spooner at

Steffan Manor School

Kay and classmate Al Lehman remained great friends from their days at Hogan Jr. High

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Kay, Tiny Trujillo-Tosh, HD, Molly Post-Petrie Sis, Tom Recknagel and Kay

and Sis

With Frank Mixon ’61 at the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame

At the 50 Year Reunion

of the VHS Class of ’61

in 2011.

Paul Wright, Kay, Al, Jack Kelly ’60 & Billy Himes

Lunch Bunch picnic last summer in Younville. Despite ongoing health issues, Kay was in good spirits.

Kay, Sis, Carolyn Vecchio-Brown ’60, Lance Thelan ’60, and Nancy Hopkins-Matlock ‘60

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Cindy, Cece Lehman SV61 & Kay

The Lunch Bunch is an informal group of

VHS alums primarily from 1959-61 who get

together a few times a year to enjoy one

another’s company and renew their friend-

ships. Kay loved participating with this

group and never missed, until the Christmas

dinner at Green Valley last month when she

was just too sick to attend.

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Girls Only party

(L-R) Carol Saal-Shouse, Kay,

Mike Garton and Bev Hahn-

Garton

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The day after the Fifty Year reunion with Kay and hubby Dennis Lewis Frank Arellano & Judy Ilusorio-Lamb

Carol and Kay Kay with Jan O’Brien-Rapisarda SV61

L-R: Jan, Kay, Sharon

O’Hara-Hughes SV, Patty

Pierce-Zuniga and hubby

Jess

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Joyce Ottolini, Carol,

Kay, and Mike

Kay, Carol, and Joyce

Kay and John Barrios

Clearly enjoying a Reunion Committee meeting are Sis, Dave Plump, Mike, Kay and Paul Wright

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Jimmy Manners in back, Kay, Barbara Kay and Joyce Ottolini Sigler and Julie Bowen-Stratton

Are Kay and Carol disco dancing!? Registering Jo Anne Richardson-Conley for class 70th BD party

Frank Arellano, Herb Shouse,

Sis, Kay, and Carol.

Kay and Sis preparing reunion name tags

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The Zetas

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Kay with big brother Roger Ashlock ’58. Kay at ages 4, 21 and 68.

Kay and Dennis with their three daughters celebrating Darci’s wedding to Ted Ward. (L-R) Jessica Lewis, Dennis Lewis, Darci Lewis-Ward, Kay, and Michelle Lewis.

Kay’s many friends are invited to participate in a Celebration of Life in

her honor at 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 17 at the Napa Elks Lodge.

If you would like to send condolences to the family, here are a couple

of addresses:

The Lewis Family 1141 Mt. George Avenue Napa, CA 94558 Roger and Susie Ashlock 2127 Monticello Road Napa, CA 94558

Rest In Peace, Kay… you will be truly missed.

. . .

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The Last Word…

Shakespeare in his tragedy Hamlet wrote:

“There are more thing in heaven and earth, Horatio,

than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

That prompts me to say “No shit!” The older I get the more I see what

The Bard was saying. Life provides many humbling experiences and

the more you think you understand, the more you are constantly proven

wrong.

If you’re wondering why I wrote the aforementioned… just take a look

at the current stock market and wonder no more.

. . .

Old Heroes… New Villains

On Saturday, Sally and I joined our son-in-law Paul Lacy and grandson

Steven to go see the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There was

something very satisfying about

seeing our old heroes: Han Solo

(Harrison Ford) Princess Leia (Carrie

Fisher), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill),

Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2… The

movie, as expected, was fast paced

and very entertaining with new (and

younger) heroes and villains.

“May the force be with you.”

. . .

Last week I included a little joke about wishing my friends “sex, booze,

orgasms and hope you win the Lotto.”

I now realize the error of my ways. Taking into account our age, I

really should have given the following advice: “Don’t fall out of bed;

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have no bad reactions to your meds; and enjoy a good daily BM.”

Regarding the Lotto? What good would it do to win it? We would only

leave it to our children who probably don't deserve it and would

squander it anyway.

… thanks for starting your / Monday with me… hd

. . .

After my Prostate Exam, the Doctor left and

then the nurse came in.

As she shut the door, she whispered the three

words that no man wants to hear: “Who Was that?”

Contributed by Gino Disgrazzi ‘55

. . .

If your class is having an event within the next year let us know and we’ll keep it posted on the Calendar.

MU Calendar of Upcoming Events

Date Event Place Time Sept. 2016 The 2nd Annual MURP TBA Noon

Combined Hogan ’66 & St. Vincent’s ‘66 Fifty Year Reunion Sept. 23, 2016 Friday Night Cocktail Mixer Zio Fraido’s- Vallejo TBA Sept. 24, 2016 Reunion Dinner Vallejo Naval Museum TBA

VHS ‘61 Fifty-five Year Reunion Oct. 1, 2016 Reunion Dinner Double Tree by Hilton American Canyon TBA

. . .

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Public Service

Announcement

The Vallejo Police Activities League (PAL) needs help from the public to make improvements to the athletic field near Franklin Jr. High and adjacent to the PAL offices. This new project will ultimately include three baseball fields and off-street parking. This multi-million dollar project has several phases with the first being the concession/ bathroom area. Several revisions to the plan have occured over the years and the current project is expected to cost $330,000. To date, we have secured approximately $300,000 in funding - mostly from the City of Vallejo. The contribution from the City ($250,000) is contingent upon raising the balance of funds to complete the project. This is where you can help, your tax-deductible donation will help us achieve our goal to implement phase 1 of the project. We need to secure funding by January 31, 2016. If you want to contribute to this worthy cause go to the link for the GoFundMe page…https://www.gofundme.com/vallejopalproject

. . .

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ADDENDUM ONE: Reunion and Event Announcements (Send us your upcoming events and/or reunions and we’ll post them here every week until your event.)

No reunion info has been submitted.

. . .

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ADDENDUM TWO: Missing Classmates

(Reunion committees: Send me your list if you want it posted here.)

No lists have been submitted

. . .

YEARBOOKS ON CD

Thanks to Bill Strong ‘62, many of the Yearbooks from Vallejo, Hogan, and St. Vincent’s are available on a CD. (Also quite a few of the Junior High Schools.) The MU will be happy to send you a personal copy, of your choice, on a CD for a free will donation. The average donation has been $35. You may order up to five (5) yearbooks for the same donation. Send your check to: Harry Diavatis, 5087 Green Meadow Court, Fairfield, CA 94533

Year VHS HHS SVHS VJH HJH FJH Sol JH Springs JH

1929 1

36 1

37 1

38 1

39 1

40 1

41 1

42

43 1

44-47

48 1

49

50 1

51 1

52 1 1

53 1 1

1

54 1 1 1

1

55 1 1 1

1

56 1 1 1 1 1

57 1 1 1 1 1 1

58 1 1 1 1

59 1 1 1 1

60 1 1

1

61 1 1

62 1 1 1

63 1 1

1

64 1 1

1 1

65 1 1

1 1

66 1 1

1

67 1 1 1

1

68 1 1

69 1 1 1

70 1 1

36

71 1

72-74

75 1

76

77 1

1

78 1

1

79 1

1

80 1 1

81 1 1

82 1

1

83 1

1

84 1

1

85 1

86 1 1

87 1

88 1

Total 41 13 6 11 5 8 1 10

If you have one of the missing Yearbooks and will agree to have it scanned and returned to you, please contact Bill Strong directly. Bill is the one who has scanned and provided all of these Yearbooks and we are indebted to him. It would be nice to fill some of the “holes” especially St. Vincents. Bill’s email is: sos@wdstrong.net

. . .

THE FINE PRINT The Monday Update Publisher/Editor: Harry Diavatis Published: Weekly First Edition: Oct. 26, 2004 Circulation: 1,408 subscribed (est. readers 1500+) The Monday Update was originally intended to serve as a newsletter for members of the VHS Class of ’62. Over a period of time, members of companion classes (1960, ’61, ’63, and ’64) and from Hogan and St. Vincent’s, indicated an interest and began participating. Today the Monday Update has a wide and varied range of readership ranging from 1937 and into the new millenium. We also have several “guests” who have no direct affiliation with Vallejo, whatsoever, but are able to relate to the era.. Anyone who has an interest in, or is nostalgic for, our era is welcomed to participate. Back issues from as far back as 2007 are available on line at www.VHS62.com To subscribe to the MU go to www.VHS62.com and click on the Link- Sign Up for Our Email Newsletter.” There is no charge for accessing the Update… just the expectation that subscribers will periodically “contribute” something to the overall effort, such as a personal update, archival pictures, news, memories, anecdotes, true confessions etc… anything that may be somehow relevant or interesting to our readership as a whole. The Editor reserved the right to print, delete, or edit contributions at his discretion and is solely responsible for the content of the Update. If you send us an email and DO NOT want it published in the Update please be sure to state as much, and we will respect your wishes. The MU respects your privacy. Personal information, including email addressess and phone numbers, will not be given out without your permission. The Monday Update is not financed by, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of: Vallejo High School; the VHS Class of 1962; or the VHS ’62 Reunion Committee. (And it sure as hell doesn’t reflect the Vallejo School Board!)

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. . . The Official VHS Class of ’62 Web Site http://www.classreport.org/usa/ca/vallejo/vhs/1962 Administrator: Bill Strong Asst. Admin: Harry Diavatis Class size: Located: 431 Missing: 195 Deceased: 144 Total on File: 770 All members of the VHS Class of ’62 are listed on the site including Missing and Deceased classmates. Members of VHS ’62 are asked to log on to the site, register, fill out a profile and send in a current picture. Non class members may also participate and should log on as “guests.”

. . .