Class of '60 Plans Fiftieth Anniversary Church Service

The class of 1960 will begin their fiftieth anniversary celebration with a church service at the Infant Jesus of Prauge Catholic Church in Kearny on April 11, 2010 at 12:30 PM. Anastacio Rivera will conduct the Mass.

We invite members of the class of 1960 and friends and family from Ray and Sonora to join us for the service and a reception afterward at the Parish Hall.

Class of 1970 Try to Find Themselves

The Class of 1970 is busily searching for classmates to gather at the 2nd Annual RHS Picnic on Saturday, March 20th. In addition, the Class will also meet for a casual evening on Friday, March 19th. For details, contact Susan Hartung Perez at imapita1@cox.net or 480 917-8315. Please know that ALL classes need to RSVP to Tessie Ozuna at 480 962-5105 H or Verizon 602 295-5315 ~ tsozuna@cox.net

Bearcats Plan Second Annual RHS Picnic

Ray High School Alumni are invited to the Second Annual RHS picnic on Saturday, March 20th at the PERA Club in Tempe, Arizona. All those who graduated or attended Ray High, as well as Faculty, Staff, parents and families are welcome. We currently have RSVPs from folks who attended or graduated between 1954-1980.

RSVP requested by March 12th. Cost is based on number of attendees although it is expected to be approximately $10.00 or less ~ the more people, the less the cost. Payment will be taken at the door (cash only). For more details and/or to be added to the RHS Distribution List, please contact Tessie Ozuna '69 at 480 962-5105 H or Verizon 602 295-5315 ~ tsozuna@cox.net.


During this same time, we will also be acknowledging the Class of 1970's 40-year reunion. Contact Susan Hartung Perez at imapita1@cox.net or 480 917-8315 to help locate 1970 Classmates or for information on their Friday, March 19th event.

The PERA Club is at 1 East Continental Drive in Tempe. A map follows. WARNING: The map is accurate, but do not try to rely on the "Get Directions" feature to find your way to the picnic. It will have you approach the site from the west through Papago Park. You will find yourself on the wrong side of the canal and you will have to yell (or swim) to visit with your Bearcat pals. You must come in from the east along Continental Drive.


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Mrs. Ruth Coffey Passes Away

Mrs. Ruth Coffey passed away on October 15, 2009.

She was born in Oak Harbor, Ohio and moved to Santa Rita, New Mexico at an early age. She grew up there and attended New Mexico Western in Silver City. A year at Capitol University near Columbus brought her to an English class with Cecil Coffey where they sat next to each other due to alphabetical seating. Ruth stayed in Columbus and married Cecil "Red" Coffey on August 30, 1942. Red graduated from Capitol and then entered the Coast Guard during World War II. Ruth worked in Columbus during that time. She later graduated from New Mexico Western.

After the war, Red attended New Mexico School of Mines in Socorro. When he graduated they moved to Ray where they raised four children: Michael, Patricia, Jeffrey and Robin. Ruth and Red stayed in this area until 1995. During this period, they were both active in community affairs. Ruth taught high school English at the Ray District Schools for twelve years. Most of those years were during the 1970s.

In 1995 they moved to Tucson to be closer to family and doctors. By this time both of them were beginning to show the effects of health issues. After five years of living in the Tucson Mountain area, they moved to the Fountains, a retirement living complex. Red passed away in December, 2007 just shy of 91 years old. Ruth passed away in October, 2009 four months shy of 89 years old. They are survived by three children and three grandchildren.

A memorial service for Ruth was held at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Tucson on November 21, 2009.

Mrs. Gudrun Kelso Passes Away

Our beloved Kelsito (Mrs. Gudrun Kelso) died at 9:42 AM on October 16, 2009, just twelve days before her 99th birthday. She is now our Angel Loved One and at rest.

This picture was taken on March 16, 2009. She is sitting at her desk in her lovely home in Kearny.

Services were held on October 23 at the Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Kearny. Please click here for a more complete obituary.

Bob Kelahan Tells His Story

Bob, circa 1969

My dad's first job out of college was at the Asarco smelter just outside Salt Lake City that was later sold to Kennecott, so that's where I was born (in a hospital, not the smelter). Asarco transferred him every few years so I grew up in a few different places. That's a plus in that you get to see new places and make new friends, but on the downside it's difficult to make lasting friendships. We moved from Utah first to the Texas gulf coast, then to near Montreal, and then to El Paso. From all that a Texan French Canadian accent, y'all, ay?

Peggy, circa 1980

My dad was transferred to the Hayden smelter and we moved to Kearny in February of '68. So for my first day at RHS I'm wearing an oversized JV baseball letter jacket from my old high school in El Paso. I was certain it would be a perfect chick magnet. They wouldn't know I was nearly the last picked for the team and got to play in only two games. Sadly, I think they soon figured that out when instead of continuing with baseball I tried out for the golf team.

Tim

After graduating I went to Rensselaer, a technical college in upstate New York. Why? - Mostly wanderlust, plus they sent me a really neat looking college catalog. The Navy would be paying for it all, but that committed me to serving four years after college. By my sophomore year it was apparent that my becoming a Navy officer was not in our mutual best interest. I was also getting increasingly concerned about what a chemistry major would do in the Navy - analyze the water outside the ship? You would think I'd have thought all this through before starting down that path, but noooo. Fortunately the policy
allowed me to bail without penalty before starting my junior year. That immediately led to the next problem - how to pay for an expensive college. My parents had moved back to Texas and I had seen enough of New York by then, so the answer was simple - the University of Texas. At the same time my dad and my brother, both engineers, convinced me to switch to chemical engineering. Turned out to be good advice and a good fit for me. My mom's hope for attorney or physician was shot for good.

Dan

I had fond memories of childhood vacations to the St. Louis area to visit grandparents and cousins. So when I had the opportunity to start my career there I jumped at it. That's where I met my wife, Peggy. She was a Montessori kindergarden teacher. I don't recall the attraction - kind of skinny, not very tall, no sports car. Oh, towards her? - Well, she was really cute and her personality was a good contrast with mine (no wisecracks please). Amazingly, she even stayed with me as I went on a never ending search for the ideal job. This led me back to college, then to Chicago briefly, a little longer in eastern Kentucky, and then ten years in Houston. Along the way a few critters joined us. Peggy insisted we name them. So first there was Tim and then Dan while in Kentucky, and then Katie and Jenny while in Houston.

Katie

We had always thought we would someday move back to St. Louis, so when an opportunity eventually came we did just that. We've been back here nearly 20 years now. Monsanto, like many big companies, likes to periodically prune out older workers and my time came in 2005. They want to pay me to leave? Where do I sign?

Jenny

I'm not ready to fully retire yet and Peggy has too many undesirables in my job jar, so I continue to do some projects and consulting in process control and simulation. Lately it's been nearly full time developing training simulators for refineries and chemical plants. It's like developing a flight simulator except instead of getting the student to take off, fly steady, and land, all without crashing, the goal is to start up the plant, make good product, and shut it down, all without it blowing up. Good fun.

Bob

Peggy still teaches part time. All the critters are out of the house now. Fortunately they all live nearby so we get to see them often. Tim is an electrical engineer working in process control. Dan is a restaurant manager. Katie and Jenny are occupational therapists working with special needs children. A side interest with Jenny - she dragged us to Ireland three times to watch her dance with the best. Okay, we did go willingly. She doesn't dance competitively anymore but continues to teach Irish dance part time. And no, she did not get that from me. I can't walk and chew gum at the same time - just ask someone from the golf team…

Peggy

Hobbies: Irish festivals and hiking the national parks (no gum); Favorite sports team: St Louis Cardinals (duh!); Goal: climb Croagh Patrick at age 60; Chance RHS classmate encounter: running into Audrey Burnam on the UT campus (what are the odds of that?).

Kearny memory: The smell of a desert rain. The evening I arrived in Kearny it was after dark and either had just rained or was about to. Our apartment was half way up the hill. Looking down at the lights below I could hear a small group practicing music. The smell in the air was unmistakable and unforgettable. I think you can distinguish that of central Arizona from other desert areas. I am reminded of that smell very vividly whenever passing through central Arizona and a storm is nearby.

Alex and Becky Manriquez Say, "Hi."

Alex '69 and Becky (Foster) '70 Manriquez send their greetings, along with a link to their blog. It has pictures of kids and grandkids and dogs and everything! Check it out here.