Alumni Connection June 2019

Welcome New Alumni Association Members and renewed Members

New Member
Jill Bench (Allen)
Class of 1964
from Kanata, ON

Renewed Membership
Maureen Lyon (Knight)
Class of 1953
from Oshawa, ON

Memberships expiring in July

Rob Holmes  1967
Phillippa Settels 1988

Found Subscribers

Glenna Vipond
Graham Bourne
Irene Watson
Jean-Luc Patenaude
Jim Stickles
Johanne Lacombe
John Forsyth

A Glance Backward from Rod Brown Class of 1966

People much smarter than I am claim that our formative years are between 10 & 20. If true, and I believe it is, this could well explain why I still ‘pop my collar’ at every opportunity and consider penny loafers the height of ‘shoe-cool’. James Dean aside, my most influential experience could be attending Chambly County High School in the 60s. No great insight here … every bad coming of age movie features the mean halls of high school.

In our last newsletter (May, 2019) I read of Art Matheson’s tragic passing and as I read about his life, family and accomplishments a door opened through which many people, from 50 years ago, walked.

Big John Martin whose broad face, unruly hair and infectious laugh found humour in just about everything, especially the notion that school required effort. We shared the distinction of being voted, on more than one occasion, the least likely to succeed or get a date for the graduation dance. Art was the Fonz long before Winkler and Happy Days. He had the walk, the look, the metaphorical snap of the fingers. Jim Charlton, my friend of 65+ years wanted to go to university (which he did) and he actually studied which set him apart from others stranded in room 11-6. For the record, we were streamed by academic standing… the smartest in 11-1, the next 25 in 11-2 and so on. There was an 11-7 but I think it was a phantom class to make 11-6 feel a little better about themselves. Pity the poor teachers saddled with our class – more than one probably considered selling real estate.

And, of course, the girls. Janice and Fern, Sarah and Nancy, Dorothy and Helena – they were worshipped from afar with the casual (totally unforced) indifference of 15 year olds whose main mission at school dances was to hold up the cinder block walls until the end and then walk home alone. As a father of 2 daughters and grandfather with a granddaughter, I was, and still am, struck by their maturity while the boys flounder about like enthusiastic Labrador puppies. Some things never change.

Teachers – those underpaid, harassed souls who despaired repeatedly and loudly that their pensions were doomed if they had to rely on us to get jobs and pay taxes. Miss Montgomery, whose name makes me want to check that my tie is straight and the top button of my shirt is buttoned, taught us algebra and geometry (I think Jim took trigonometry because he was among the smart ones). Mrs. Bennett was the ½ time guidance teacher. Imagine today a school of nearly 1000 having only .5 guidance … I guess we were less needy. Mrs. Bennett scared me. Her solution to any teenage angst was, “Suck it up.” Her job was to get the worthy into university and John and Rod were Unworthy. Mr. Weeks, our physics teacher, had the worst classes because he was a big man with WW II combat experience which was a clear advantage coping with 11-8.

When I left Quebec in 1968, I never returned. I attended University in PEI and then even more at the University of Manitoba where I settled, raised a family, taught English (sorry Mrs. Home) for 45 years and retired. CCHS has, in so many ways, become legend as I told my classes about John or Art or Mr. Weeks. I’m positive that the truth disappeared somewhere along the way and I was left with memories that, over time, have morphed into something … different. There are precious few with whom I have reconnected (Jim of course, Janice and Allan …) which is in many ways, sad. Each month I read the pages of this newsletter avidly searching for a name which kick starts my stroll down that famous memory lane. Art’s obituary took me back. In my mind, Art had never become the successful businessman or grandfather or accomplished all the things he did. Art was 16, cool and, like the song, forever young.

But there’s a silver lining – no one has aged, gone bald, become flabby with a bad back or uttered the phrase, “When I was your age…” We’re still teenagers at CCHS with a life ahead filled with possibility and a world simply awaiting our arrival.

Take care, John, and Art,  Jimmy and Sarah, And Mr. Weeks, I really will ‘buck up’ before I bailout.

Some Guys Have All The Luck

Rob Ellicott, Class of 1961, a Life Member and strong supporter of the Alumni Association, is a golfing buddy of mine and during a game in early May, I think it was on the third or fourth hole, he told us that his wife, Maria Della Posta, had just been named President of  Pratt & Whitney Canada - first woman President in the 91 year history of the company. He knew for some time that the announcement was coming but received a text message confirming it was official and therefore allowing him to make it known to his friends. If you do the math you realize that Rob is in his mid seventies and you might also know that he also had a very successful career at Pratt and has been retired for about thirteen years.

Obviously Rob and Maria met on the job, and knowing Rob, I'm sure there wasn't any supervisor/employee relationship that would have been considered inappropriate, they just hit it off despite the age difference. Good for them -  much better for him. It must be nice to be a kept man.

On the other hand, perhaps not all the luck:

Oh yes and just a short word about the new traffic circle at the bottom of Simard Blvd that I wrote about last month. Rob just had his summer tires put on the car and the next day, in early April, we had a snow storm with freezing that made the roads very treacherous. His car, travelling too fast for the icy conditions, entered the circle and started sliding side ways (good old centrifugal force). It slid into the curb and just about took off the right front wheel and completely destroyed the steering mechanism. Bad news was that the damage was estimated at about $16,000. The good news is nobody was hurt and Rob has been entertaining us with stories about his battles with the insurance company. Slow down people.

Here is the press release of May 8, in case you are interested:

Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., has announced the appointment of Maria Della Posta as president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, effective June 1. Della Posta will report to Pratt & Whitney president Bob Leduc.`

Della Posta succeeds John Saabas as president, Pratt & Whitney Canada, who has announced his retirement.

“Pratt & Whitney Canada has a leadership position in all of its markets, with a portfolio of more than 64,000 engines in service and 13,000 customers worldwide,” said Leduc. “Maria has been instrumental in building Pratt & Whitney Canada’s portfolio throughout her career. Maria brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of our customers and the markets in which we operate.

“As leader of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s global business, I am confident that Maria will continue to drive sustainable growth and deliver exceptional customer service while maximizing operational performance worldwide. I wish to thank John for his outstanding contribution to Pratt & Whitney.”

Della Posta joined Pratt & Whitney in 1985 and progressed through roles of increasing leadership in supply chain, finance and customer service. She was named vice president, customer support in 2001, senior vice president, sales and marketing in 2010, and senior vice president, Pratt & Whitney Canada in 2012.

Severe Winter Damages The  Golf Course

I'm frequently harping about bad weather and the effect it has been having on the golf course and our ability to play. Well this year has been exceptionally bad, the freeze and thaw cycles coupled with several episodes of freezing rain did a real number on both fairways and greens.  I know some of you probably do not believe me so I've include a couple of pictures from late April. The course opened on May 6 even though the conditions were far from good. It was probably a desperation move by management trying to generate some cash flow from green fees and the concessions. That water you see isn't suppose to be there, we have no permanent lakes or ponds.

April 26, 2019 looking up the 1st fairway

April 25, looking down the ninth hole

Then The Rains Came

Our Friday game on May 10 was cancelled after a deluge of biblical proportions on Thursday night. I took theses pictures at 10:30 AM and the water had actually receded a bit from earlier in the day. Small lakes and standing water were everywhere and the sand traps were full to the brim.

May 10, starters cabin at the 1st tee

May 10, small lake forms in front of ninth green

After signing a new lease last year, the City invested heavily in the club house. They installed new, energy efficient doors and windows through out and will be installing air conditioning in the bar and dining area some time this spring. The way things are going they might only have to use it for two or three days in July.

Getting a permanent caterer to run the kitchen and bar has been an ongoing battle for the past ten years. The owners of Cafe Passion on Victoria Avenue signed a contract to run the operations this year but, they lasted only one week before pulling the plug. Lack of customers brought on by rainy weather, coupled with disputes about what services they were to provide, made them walk away. We have a new operator running things now and hopefully they will last a full year.

Sylvia Hunter (Gruber) Class of 1953

Sylvia Evelyn Hunter April 30, 1935 - January 27, 2019 SAN DIEGO

Sylvia Evelyn Gruber Anderson Hunter (1935-2019).Sylvia E. Hunter grew wings and rejoined her Heavenly Father from San Diego, California on January 27, 2019. She slipped to the other side peacefully in her sleep from causes incident to age.

Born on April 30, 1935, she lived in San Diego for over 50 years, and was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the last 43 years, always serving others in that community with enthusiasm and kindness. She was small in stature, but mighty in spirit. As a young girl growing up in Eastern Canada, Sylvia loved summertime adventures at their family's cottages, first at the Severn River, then at Lake Memphremagog. She worked as a drafting supervisor for Bell Telephone. Through mutual friends, she met her future husband Frank Ross Anderson, an International Chess Master and 2X Canadian Champion, at an airfield where he was a glider pilot. Later, they realized that as children they had resided only a few blocks from each other.

In 1965, they married, embarking on a two-year honeymoon throughout Europe and North Africa in a VW bus. Then, due to Frank's arthritis, they settled in the warm Mediterranean climate of San Diego. There they gave birth to two daughters, in 1968 and 1971.

A year after Frank passed away from cancer in 1980, Sylvia met Harlo Arthur Hunter at an LDS singles conference. Harlo was a widower with three grown daughters, and was well known for his wise and thorough analytical nature, as an aeronautical engineer. In perhaps the quickest decision of his life, he was inspired to ask Sylvia and her daughters for Sylvia's hand in marriage only a week after they met. Two months later, the combined family rejoiced at their wedding. During their happy 35-year union, they loved traveling, connecting with the multitude of cherished family and friends, taking excursions on Harlo's boat, and visiting historical sites. For 14 years, they served together in the San Diego Temple. After Harlo retired in 1993, they enjoyed taking care of her three grandchildren. When Harlo passed away in 2016, Sylvia sold the house in Pacific Beach, "returning to the land of her birth" for a year with her daughter Ava, then moved back to San Diego due to Sylvia's respiratory health.

Greatly beloved, she is survived by her two daughters, Carol and Ava; three step-daughters, Heather, Jill, and Cathy; 29 grandchildren, 94 great- grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. Her sweet memory will always hold a dear place in our hearts.

Another Lawyer Joke

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this  policeman.  He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial.  The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer's credibility.

Q: 'Officer --- Did you see my client fleeing the scene?'

A: 'No, sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the  offender, running several blocks away.' Q: 'Officer, who provided this description?'

A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'

Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender.  Do you  trust your fellow officers?' A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'

Q: 'With your life?  Let me ask you this then officer.  Do you have a room where  you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?' A: 'Yes sir, we do!'

Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'

A: 'Yes, sir, I do.'

Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'

A: 'Yes, sir.'

Q: 'Now, why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'

A: 'You see, sir, we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.’The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line -- and we think he'll win.