Thirteenth newsletter from Laurie

13th Newsletter



April 27, 2014





Dear fellow classmates,



It is hard to believe but the Class of 1968 Reunion starts in just few days.  Can you handle the excitement?



I know I said there would be no more newsletters but I received 5 bios after the deadline and though they are, or will be,  on the blog,  I wanted to publish them in a newsletter so to ensure that the authors ( 4 of whom are coming  to the reunion ) would not be continually asked what have they have been doing the last 46 years – as I expect you are all studying the bios so know  exactly what your fellow classmates have been up to.



I am also providing the most up to date database so you could see who is going to what events. We are having great turnouts for all events.  In that regard,  please note that Ted Clifford and his wife Sarah will be attending as will Sue Gowans . Ted just advised me he is coming and I made a mistake and did not have Sue on the printed attendees” list you’ll get at the reunion.



All systems are ready to go to have a great reunion.  The welcome table opens at 4:30 with the food starting to flow at 5:00.  Talking about food,  Carolyn asks that those bringing baking that want their containers back should have their name on the bottom of their container. 



For those who have not been back to the school recently, guess what, our N.T.C.I. was torn down a few years ago and in its place is a new modern school built on the same land though placed differently on the site than where the old school was.  As high school graduates you should be able to figure out how to get into the building and from there, there will be signs to our designated party room number 215.   You will be given directions on how to get to the house parties at Bill’s and Doug’s.



Looking forward to seeing  you in a few days.



Laurie Pascoe







BIOS





Michael Pasic

After High School I progressed into Engineering at U of T but left after a few years always having enjoyed taking pictures  went into Portrait and Wedding Photography.

Combining my desire to build things and photography., I took a course in Camera Repair and worked for a number of Distributors over the next several years. Switching over to Office equipment I got an entry job at Gestetner moving on to be Service Manager then Training Manager at Head Office.

Along the way married twice and divorced and had 2 kids in second marriage, now both teachers.  Third time lucky, met Sandi the present Love of my Life in 1991 and have been together ever since.

My training career moved to Sharp Electronics Canada Ltd where I worked for 7 years until the recession of late 80‚s. Unemployed for 1 day I went to work at a Copier dealer moving from one dealer to another until the last dealer I worked was bought by Sharp and 21 years late I am back working at Sharp.

Currently I am a Troubleshooting and Networking specialist. Still a couple of years from retiring, we have bought some land on a mountainside in the Okanogan Valley and hope to build a retirement home out there soon.





Megan Whittingham



After NTCI, I spent two years at Bishop Strachan School.  Then I went to Trinity College at U of T where I spent three years writing essays in English, History and Philosophy.

These were not the happiest days of my life but at least I got a B.A.   Fortunately, the summers were much more enjoyable.  After many sunny days (and years) at Camp Onawaw on Lake Vernon near Huntsville, I made the leap to the Rockies.



I was hired as a waitress at Lake O‚Hara Lodge, the gem of the Rockies, in Yoho National Park,  for the summer of 1970.  I just loved the mountains and worked a total of three summers there. I ended up getting a job in Calgary where I met the man I eventually married.  David Malcolm is NZ born, UK raised, a naturalized Canadian and now a US citizen.  We have lived in Thunder Bay, Calgary, Mississauga and for the last 22 years, in Kirkland, Washington, home of the Costco Signature products.  We moved here for David‚s work which is R&D in wind energy, with our 3 sons. In truth, I came kicking and screaming across the country and south of the border. It has taken me quite a while to accept that I live in the USA but I am now reconciled to the fact.  I confess I have a bias against guns and private health care.



I also completed a B.Ed at Lakehead University when David was a professor of engineering there and I worked as a substitute teacher for several years.



Here I work as a teaching assistant at Mark Twain Elementary School with the students learning English. I‚ve enjoyed it ˆ especially the summers off when I come back to Ontario ˆ but I may soon reach my Œbest-before‚ date.  We have 3 fine sons, 2 terrific daughters-in-law and now a 10 month old grand-daughter named Joan (my mother‚s name). My parents are in the Mt. Pleasant cemetery *sob* but my brother, Anthony, and both sisters, Valerie and Lorna, are in Toronto. We 4 share our grandparents‚ cottage on Lake of Bays.



I have happy memories of NTCI, notably the music classes and various Junior Band concerts. During the first music class at the beginning of Grade 9, Heather MacNeill and I raised our hands  to play the oboes in Dr. Couke‚s class.  I wanted to follow in my brother‚s footsteps.  Anthony was two years ahead and he played both the oboe and English horn.  The difference between us was that was that he was musical and had talent!

Heather and I used to frighten her cat with the terrible noises we made during our rare practice sessions. Therefore, our mothers agreed that we should alternate our practices between one house and the other, to spread the joy around.



I have never forgotten Dr. Couke‚s immortal words, „Let‚s hear it again without the oboes.‰



There was a great camaraderie in those years with leaf rakes and car washes to raise money for the United Appeal.  Lots of school spirit!  It was fun playing in Maytime Melodies and at Kiwanis competitions.



I wish I could see all my old friends from those days but I will have to aim for the 50th reunion for the Class of 1968.



Tom Kalvik



After high school I went to U of T at Scarborough College, where I graduated with a BA.  The majority of my courses were in Economics.  While in university, I managed a men‚s hostel in the evenings.  When I graduated, I knew that wasn‚t the life for me, so I took a job as an underwriter in insurance.  I thought I‚d try that out for six months and see how I liked it.  42 years later, I‚m still in the insurance industry, and have acquired numerous designations.  I have enjoyed working in various areas including estate planning, advanced marketing, project management and as a group insurance representative.  For the past 25 years, I have worked as a commissioned sales person.



I was married for 7 years and that didn‚t take, so I tried the single life and got tired of that.  I have now been with the same partner for the last 30 years and we enjoy travelling, together.  She is an avid reader and I‚ve also picked up the habit.



In my spare time, I curl, golf and swim, preferably in a lake or an ocean.  I find that I am now spending more and more time up north at the cottage or at my Florida condo in the winter months.  Reducing my work load gradually into retirement is working well for me.



Sue Gowans



I must have enjoyed school more than I realized, because I kept going back. After NTCI,  I completed my BA (Sociology) at York/Glendon.  After a hiatus of a few years, when I travelled and worked at this and that, I completed a Diploma in Child Studies at the Institute of Child Study/UofT.  Then, two wonderful children later, I took a long and scenic route to my MEd (Adult Education) at OISE/UofT.  For the past 20 years I‚ve worked with the Macaulay Child Development Centre, supervising various community and family support programs. I‚m still there, not yet ready to hang up my skates.  I have two beautiful grandchildren who live in Ottawa, and consequently, somewhat to my shame, I‚ve become a fan of Porter airlines. All in all, I have been fortunate, and right now, being in my sixties feels like something of a sweet spot.  Almost as good as 1968...



Wilson Mor





After graduating from Chemical Engineering at U of T in 1973, I went to work for Allied Photo Services, a photo-finishing subsidiary of 3M Canada. After 3M merged it‚s various photo-related businesses into one division, I moved from production into the lab, and in 1984, relocated to London, Ontario. Moving through a series of jobs in manufacturing, marketing, and the lab as a technical service rep, I initially supported 3M products used in image processing in photography and photo-finishing, and subsequently, in graphic preparation and offset printing.



With the onset of digital technologies, 3M developed numerous innovative products to anticipate the market needs. Coated film products were replaced by software and hardware, and my product support moved to digital printers and computer-generated (CG) graphics. My last assignment at 3M was in the creation of very large format graphics for signage applications, until I fully retired in 2011.



My wife Deb, also a 3M‚er, and I have 4 children between us. Samantha & Kahlie live and work in London, while Troy is away at school pursuing a nursing career. Riley lives in Toronto and works for an international manufacturer as a field engineer. My mother and my father-in-law both live in London, and fiercely embrace their respective independent life styles.



Deb and I like to travel, and enjoy cruising in particular. There are several destinations left on our bucket list. We‚re both active motorcyclists, and I‚m a passionate Huf ŒN Puf hockey player. Even in retirement, I‚m still associated with 3M, through the Retiree‚s Club, and we perform volunteer work for a variety of charitable initiatives and events, throughout the year.

Twelfth newsletter from Laurie

April 20^th. 2014

Dear Fellow Classmates

We are now less than two weeks away from the Reunion.  There was a flurry of last minute confirmations and bios to beat the deadlines.   Any more bios received will be published on the blog but not in a newsletter as this will be my last one – so no more begging for bios, for confirmation forms or for help finding people. 

If you change your mind or have not sent in a confirmation form please come to any of the events anyway. But if possible please tell me beforehand. No one in our class will be refused at the door.  We will have blank nametags ready for last minute attendees.

This newsletter contains a large number of bios, but a few are very short ( surprisingly again by lawyers).  Also for those geographically challenged there is information about parking, which was assembled by Carolyn Born Kennedy as she lives near the school and the whereabouts of the room we are holding memory Mingle written by Anu Pettai Marley as she actually still supply teaches at NTCI and therefore knows her way around the new school.   This newsletter also has an opinion piece from Karyn Allen, as she unable to come from the other side of the world for the reunion, but wanted to share some of her thoughts.  But first there is an important warning and advice.

WARNING AND ADVICE FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE CLASS REUNION

There is the remote possibility that you presently do not resemble what you looked like in 1968. Therefore some of your fellow classmates may not recognize you.  Your name tag that you will be given when you check in, should therefore be worn at all times to avoid possible embarrassment that your best high school friend does not greet you with open arms.

Also keep in mind that at 65 our minds and memories are not what they once were, and we have not been in contact with classmates for 46 years.  Therefore even with your name tag your best friend, lab partner, team mate, first date or even first love may not have a clue who you are even after you describe in detail what you did on that first date. If that happens to you, please wait at least 30 seconds to let that forgetful person either recall who you are, pretend they know who you are, or give up trying to remember who you are.  In the latter two cases please do not get upset. Take a deep breath and say to yourself “ gee, I guess they did not age as well as I did “.  Please no dramatic scenes or meltdowns.

If you are in doubt whether your appearance has changed since 1968 I suggest you take your grad picture, put it up to your face and look into a mirror in away you can see your face and the picture in the mirror. Then be honest about whether someone would say these are one and same person.

PARKING

Parking is tight.

The closest parking lot is indoor at 11 Broadway, south side very close to Yonge.  $5.00 all evening after 5. $3.50 per half hour before that.

Across the street   North side there is public indoor parking for the medical building on Yonge. $5.00 all evening after 6. $3.50 per half hour before that.

Across from the school and down 200 feet or so is 66 Broadway. Turn in the second driveway, drive right to the back and there are about 25 parking spots in a lot that is soon to be another condo. $5.00 all evening after 5. $1.00 per hour before that.

If you have to park on the street try Erskine as they NEVER ticket there according to Carolyn – so if you do get ticketed blame Carolyn and no one else.

LOCATION OF MEMORY MINGLE ROOM

Memory Mingle will be in room 215.  The school is in a square shape, so basically get yourself onto the second floor and find  room 215 ( it's on the east side of the school,  facing the yellow/beige apartment building that was at the end of the field in our day).  Anu will get signs made and put up:  NT '68 REUNION ROOM 215.

MAYTIME MELODY TICKETS

If you purchased Maytime Melody tickets from the school before the April 17^th deadline which 35 of us have done, your tickets will be given to you when you check in at Memory Mingle.  We will be sitting together.  You can still buy tickets before hand, in case the show is sold out , but you will have to pick  up your tickets at the box office and will not be sitting in our group ( but should not be talking anyway so not a big issue).

VOLUNTEERS

Thank you all those who confirmed they would volunteer for jobs at Memory Mingle. The organizers for that event will contact you directly about timing and what you are needed for.

THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE

By Karyn Allen

Enhancing and invaluable.

1968, the year of our North Toronto Collegiate Institute graduation, was such a defining historical time for our generation. Such turmoil in North America and Europe, Woodstock Festival in August 1969, student revolts on university campuses, drugs, The Rolling Stones, now in their late ‘60s and 70, Janis Joplin’s death to follow in 1970. We all remember where we were on November 22, 1963, when JFK was assassinated – in my case in the gym - in the unflattering blue “romper”.

This upheaval and time of creative invention was not unique to our generation, but definitely part of our world at that time.

Our years at NTCI in historical perspective bring to mind such a positive time in our lives, so formative, shaping values, perspectives, learning what we did – and did not – excel in – and defining our future direction in life.

Somehow as I think about those years, we were in a kind of cocoon, supported by our gifted, enthusiastic teachers and forming indelible friendships and in some cases, love relationships, learning the values of loyalty, a love of learning, giving back to the community, good sportsmanship and pride in one’s accomplishments.

Who would have thought, in reading the biographies of those who have written about their lives since high school graduation, what life had in store for us? Entering university seemed like such a huge step – yet in retrospect, was just part of the journey.

This is not to say that I am idealizing those years. But they were definitely formative.

I have kept the precious five years of year books, which as I recall I had a part in designing. As I think about the upcoming reunion, which unfortunately I cannot attend due to currently living in Papua New Guinea – perhaps the furthest of anyone – I think about what a special occasion this is. We have all lost too many, far too young, have experienced the challenges and joyous moments that are all part of life. For myself, I have had the privilege of working in the international art world for over 40 years. To all of you, who have loved, excelled, lost, believed and given to your communities, I raise a glass to you from afar.

Congratulations!

BIOS

Here is the latest and last batch of bios. I am pleased to say we published 81 bios.

Marsha McQuillan

Marsha produced a very creative bio as a one page artsy collage with pictures and information in colour which does not lend itself easily to be out in a newsletter but can be found on our blog specifically at  the url below, so please click to read http://www.mediafire.com/view/u4ii3n1o2p0sqim/NT_Yearbook_Face_pg_PDF.pdf

Marg McLean Routledge

I worked as a Registered Nurse at Toronto Western Hospital until 1977. For those of you from Allenby, I worked with Patsy Penman (now Pat Durante) for a few years. I trained with Jane Bunker and we were able to renew our friendship from grade school days. Sadly, Jane passed away 10 years ago.

 I met my husband a few months after high school and we will be celebrating 43 years of marriage this June. Our daughter Cora was born in 1977 and our son Jonathan in 1979.

 In 1980, I went to the University Health Network as the manager of a busy multi-centre unit specializing in blood treatments for adults and children. It was a very challenging practice, treating acutely ill patients with very rare illnesses. We were pioneers in areas such as blood stem cell collections, managing incompatible organ transplants, red blood cell exchange, plasma exchange, WBC and platelet collections. For a number of years, I was also the coordinator for several large international clinical trials for Therapeutic Apheresis. This position enabled me to do some traveling to present our published research findings. Outside of my professional career, in the 80’s and 90’s, I designed and produced custom figure skating dresses (the kind you see in competitions) and specialty costumes for ice shows. I was also very involved with our children’s sports organizations during that time. Now I realize why I always felt tired back then.

In 1999, I transferred to Oakville hospital and worked in renal dialysis as coordinator of the vascular access program, anemia management, renal transplant program and CQI leader.

At age 50, I decided to go back to university and found that I enjoyed learning much more than in my teens and early twenty’s, when things like concerts and the Jarvis house seemed much more important.

I retired from the hospital in 2004, and am now self-employed working as an RN in the Insurance industry. Our daughter lives in Saint Catharines and has a three-year-old daughter, Gabby and a two-year-old son, Larson. Our son is in Calgary and has a six-year-old daughter, Audrey.  Unlike most of our friends, we do not travel south for the winter. We chose to buy a small cabin near the Rockies so we can spend more time with our granddaughter in Alberta.  I have more time for myself now and along with seeing our grandchildren whenever possible, I have gone back to painting and sewing. I developed severe arthritis in my late 20’s and was forced to give up skiing and skating, but have now discovered snowshoeing and golf. I am not a great golfer but enjoy getting out several times a week. I just read the new Bio’s that Laurie sent and was surprised to discovered that I am in the same women’s golf league as Barry’s wife Ave. She really is an excellent golfer.

I can’t commit to attending the festivities in May as I am waiting for my second knee replacement. The first was a godsend and am anxious to have this one done.

Jim [aka Stretch] McCullam

I arrived at North Toronto midway through my high school career. My parents had moved from the burbs where I attended a large, sprawling school with multiple playing fields and its own student parking lot. NT was different; I remember those early days taking it all in and deciding that it was urbane and cerebral and that I was up for it. Two things I remember best were being greeted by Sid Reynolds, not only a legend at NT but also at Camp Pine Crest, a place where I spent many happy summers. The other memory was that on my first day of school, try-outs for senior football were announced. In the suburbs football, especially senior football, was everything. A young man who made the team would find that pretty much anything a young man desired would be made available to him. Consequently my brother and I would train all summer and, along with hundreds of others, show up for rigorous try-outs only to frequently get cut and therefore be left undateable for the year. At NT, 32 guys showed up, 32 were needed, so we all made the team!

As well as Sid Reynolds, two other teachers I remember were Miss Chudleigh [sp?] for Art and Mrs. Shaw for History. Very few took Art at NT but for us who did Miss Chudleigh made it a very rich experience and gave me a good foundation for university. She herself could not draw a line but instead guided us and also connected us to the city’s galleries. In the burbs there was no such thing as an art exam, whereas hers took three hours and filled many exam books. Ann Shaw made History seem alive and engaged us as though we were adults. I remember she brought in a Playboy to read to us as it contained an interview with Fidel Castro …amongst other things.

After NT and much to my surprise, I got into Architecture at Waterloo, a career I had decided on since discovering Le Corbusier in grade two. The first couple of years were brutal and hazy. I remember endless all-nighters surviving on coffee, cigarettes, donuts …amongst other things. However here I sit today still practicing Architecture. It has given me many wonderful experiences; taken me to many different places and connected me with many interesting people. For the last 30 years my focus has been on hospitals - I enjoy their complexities and the close user groups contacts. My portfolio includes Sunnybrook, Princess Margaret, Mt Sinai, Toronto Rehab, UHN, Sick Kids and others.

Except for Mary Jane Lovering who, btw is a brilliant landscape architect specializing in healing gardens, I have done poorly with keeping in touch with high school friends. Max Muselius is a retired oil patch executive now living in paradise in Alberta’s foothills. Mary Wreglesworth is in France and Vancouver where she founded an outreach program for at risk sex workers. I was saddened to read about Mike Burley and my neighbor Ron Britton Foster who we called Foster Britton Ronny. Unfortunately I can add to the list Geoff Hunter who died in 2009.

While at university I married my cottage sweetheart, Stephanie. Together we have moved 14 times and en route produced an amazing daughter, Katie, who also married her cottage sweetheart and they are now expecting their first child in July. We live near NT and when I drive by it I always smile – especially now that it has an official-size football field.

Leslie Kiraly

I am very fortunate. I feel like my life has turned out quite well. I have an intact marriage with 2 lovely daughters and 4 grandchildren with one more on the way. Everyone is healthy and happy in spite of the, "damned human condition".

I did get into Meds from Premeds and I went on to do Psychiatry since the last 34 years. I was able to work with patients with the most interesting health problems and complex lives. I feel very fortunate that I chose this profession. It has been a wild and wonderful ride. There were some academic and research and teaching opportunities but mostly I worked at Community Hospitals, where most of the clinical work gets done for those who are most in need.

I was Chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Peel Memorial Hospital in Brampton for about a decade which cured me of my ambitions. My first love was always private practice with all the autonomy and variety that private work can give you. No on call and no meetings or political hassles. 

I worked one day a week in Collingwood since 1985 so I could keep my kids and now grandchildren on the ski slopes in the winter. 

I was looking forward to seeing familiar but somewhat older faces on Friday May 2nd, but unfortunately, I won't be able to be at the Reunion. I have to be in New York for the APA CONFERENCE because I'm a rep from our district branch. I am sending my regrets. Hopefully, I can make the next one.

Mary Jane Lovering

Jim McCullam just phoned to further prod a bio from me. We cross paths as colleagues. My landscape architecture firm, Vertechs Design Inc. often teams with his architecture firm.

I forced my parents to let me enroll in North Toronto for my final years of high school. Anything to escape Branksome Hall meant taking a sudden interest in Russian Language studies. The course was unavailable at the all girl’s private school, so naturally I had to move on.

As graduation neared my mother gave me two options; you can be either a teacher or a nurse. Being a Doctor like my father, grandfather and brother was not an option. Accordingly I headed to Queen’s in Kingston to study Physiotherapy.

A few years of treating patients in public housing was an education. I came to appreciate the difference between the have and have-nots. It was not an intellectually challenging profession but it opened the door to wondering how I could give more to society.

I graduated from Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto while working part time as a physiotherapist. My practice is at Bay and Bloor St in Toronto. Our firm was founded (32 years ago!) on the basis that the landscape can do more than be a pretty aesthetic back drop. We have pioneered studies in the use of outdoor space by special populations. In healthcare that includes the elderly, blind, children with disabilities, in prison settings forensic inmates and in schools -children’s play.

While wealthy patrons hire us to design residential estates; developer’s property enhancement and municipalities better planned community facilities – the most rewarding projects continue to be for those with limited means in institutional settings.

As an antidote to running a design firm I paint watercolors, am an avid yogi, golfer and play the piano. This summer I have a staycation planned based on five all day intensive piano studies. Toronto has been a great city to live in. Having sold our Muskoka cottage, I enjoy sailing at RCYC and playing golf at The Ladies Golf Club of Toronto.

It’s been a privileged life.  May middle age continue to be a time of growth and good times with family and friends.  I look forward to seeing our cohort’s together again at the reunion.

George Arvola

In 1964, my family moved from Sudbury Ontario to Toronto and we settled into the area that brought me and my two sisters to NTCI. Childhood friends were mostly left behind in northern Ontario and I might truthfully say that during the following three years, I did not make any close friends at my new high school. On the other hand, I don't remember making any enemies either and mostly, my grades 10, 11 and 12 years at NTCI were relatively uneventful. I took no part in any after school endeavours.

I received reasonably good marks until grade 12 at which time I had taken my private music studies very seriously and no longer seemed to have the time or energy to put into homework and anything to do with my formal education. I suspect that most of my peers were not aware that I was ever even involved with music. My classical guitar study was not particularly approved of by my dad as he would have wanted me to pursue something like engineering or anything scientific. Little did he realize that there not only is an art to music but there is a scientific component to it as well. Only many years later did he realize that I did succeed in the field to some degree.

After grade 12, I decided to get away from formal schooling and circumstances brought me Kitchener Ontario. Soon I was involved in teaching at a local music store and of course I was also in music instrument sales. Over a few years I became the store manager. In 1976 I left the music store business and branched out on my own as a private music teacher. During my previous years in the music store business I had made many contacts and had begun playing professionally with a variety of large and small bands. I freelanced as a guitarist and also played electric bass.

Most of my musical education had been self study with the exception of having taken private lessons during my grade 12 year in high school. The mathematics of music and the associated theory of music seemed to be rather obvious to me. However, in 1976, through a musical grapevive, I came in contact with a jazz guitar teacher named Tony Bradan and spent the next five years under his tutelege taking a weekly trip to Toronto. Tony was an inspired musician and instructor. Years later, I collaborated with Tony to assemble his methodology for teaching the guitar. Interested parties might read more about this on my web site. Just google George Arvola and you will find it.

In 1976, I also met my wife to be, Gitta, and we lived in sin for a number of years until her divorce was finallized. We married in 1981. In this relationship, I also inherited a step-daughter Susie who was 8 years old when i came on the scene. We continue to get older together.

Mostly I have been a musician all of my life to the present day and I still teach a number of students. Early in my teaching career I took on all comers but in my older age, I tend to be rather "picky" about students and screen out the ones who would only waste time and money.

My music career has taken me from coast to coast in Canada and I have travelled abroad on some occasions. Have I become famous? No! Am I happy? Yes! Fame and fortune have never been particularly important to me. Happiness and satisfaction have been the goals and to a greater degree, I have accomplished those. A phd from the university of life is maybe my greatest achievement. Unfortunately it does not come with a diploma which you can hang on the wall.

Due to previos commitments, I am not able to attend the reunion but that is just a poor excuse. I also think that I would feel a bit like a fish out of water because I only have vague memories of the three years at NTCI. I do have the year books and they do bring things back to mind. Nevertheless, I am certainly open to communicating with any of my ex-school mates through any medium. I am really easy to find on the internet and my email address is: garvola@rogers.com.

Several humorous things came to my mind as I was writing this bio. First of all, I imagine that a "mingle" with my fellow school mates would be similar to "speed dating" like some singles services advertise. Spending a few hours with a large group of relative strangers is not particularly appealing to me even though I am not necessarily anit-social. I am much better at personal one to one contact.

I do wish all the best to everyone attending the reunion and hope to hear from some of you at any time of your choosing. I am totally agreeable to replying to any communication.

Naomi Siegel

It's been hard writing this bio because random thoughts keep popping up: Mr. McMurray slamming his ruler on the desk and shocking our geography class, Mike Guiness quietly chuckling over my pronunciation of Don Quixote, Nancy and Bev getting upset because Dylan went electric......

I spent a lot of time in school gazing out of the window wishing I could be in a canoe or on a horse. That hasn't changed! I've managed to avoid being stuck in an office until 3 years ago and once again I have those same freedom loving thoughts.

After high school I travelled a lot, did odd jobs and was able to complete university because I lived on Queen St. and had so many interesting room mates and neighbours that it created a perfect school/life balance. I studied psychology, dance and dance therapy, eventually getting a degree in Fine Arts, then taking a college/university program in vocational rehabilitation. 

I worked in Vancouver, ran a health food store on the south shore of Nova Scotia and along the way settled down for awhile and had a son with my now ex husband. My son is a decent human being, a real mensch.

I've always worked in the non profit sector. The highlight of my career was heading a project for unemployed youth with disabilities. I had a hand picked team, an unlimited budget for neuro-psych assessments and was able to program the content to match the needs of our diverse group. The federal government only intended it as a pilot project so it ran 31/2 years but at least I can look back on the golden years of social services when such funding was possible.

I'm now working for the Toronto District School Board as a job developer but it's a terrible fit for an introverted empath who hates making cold calls. Next year I'm retiring and returning to my love of yoga, dance and movement. I plan on studying and teaching restorative exercise and work on improving my clicker training skills (who knew that I would ever find operant conditioning useful or interesting!).  I might even attend Chicken Camp; if you can train a chicken, then dogs and horses will be easy! 

I've lived in the country for 30 years. I'm lucky to be able to spend a lot of time looking after and riding horses instead of just dreaming about it like I did as a kid. Last year farmers planted a lot of corn in our area. The snapping turtles still made their way to and from the pond but the fireflies disappeared along with the bees and the swallows. The first speech I gave at Allenby public school in Grade 6 was on ecology. Funny how things come round again if you live long enough.

Donna  Hennessey ( Bartlam)

When I left NTCI, I went to the U of T to study English and History with very little idea of where that might take me.  After three years, I had more Political Science courses than English or History and still no idea of what I wanted to do.  After working in a bank for several years, I realized I had a talent for accounting.  That should not have been so surprising since my father taught Commerce, but since they didn’t teach practical subjects like that in high school in those days, I had no idea what was involved until I was actually doing it.  I did CMA courses by correspondence and night school but over time the demands of my family swamped any ambition I might have had for a career.  Instead, I made a career as super mom.

I met my husband, Richard, while I was at University and we were married in 1972.  We are still happily together after 42 years, and living in the same house here in Toronto we bought shortly after.  In a generally unplanned fashion, which is the way we live life, we gave birth to four daughters and a son, all naturally and at home.  Looking after the needs of the family kept me very busy and out of the work force for sixteen years.  Then I worked part-time for twenty years as the administrative assistant at my church.   Fortunately my husband has found constant employment all of these years doing home repairs and improvements, though I suspect he also has never had more than part-time employment.

We have always had a life-style commitment to leaving the smallest footprint.  We recycled before it was fashionable; I walked to work and church, and shop in small stores in my neighbourhood; we have had an allotment garden in High Park for over twenty-five years where we grow most of the vegetables that we eat during the summer and into the fall; we cook things from scratch and do a lot of canning and freezing in the fall; almost everything we own and wear has been broken in before it comes to us;  I sewed a lot of our clothes and household things; Richard’s work has often been about making old houses work better without major renovation; our vacation property has no modern conveniences, just peace and silence. Our children are similarly committed to minimalist lifestyles.  Three are married and two have children.  Those two, one, an occupational therapist and the other a teacher, live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, while two others live nearby in Toronto. Our youngest is a wanderer and outdoors person who travels the world on a shoestring, working as a wilderness trip guide and climbing instructor, covertly using her Social Work degree through therapeutic recreation. (You have to be cautious about where you send your kids to camp: they may never want to come back to the city.)

One of the things I enjoyed most in my years at NTCI was the music program and all the hours put into orchestra and choir practices. My biggest regret was that I never had formal lessons so that I could do it really well.  Those were the years before David Ford and his marvellous music program, the heritage of which has since made NTCI renowned for its music program and graduates.  I wanted my children to have the opportunity to enjoy the same thing, so very early in their lives they were each introduced to an instrument and given lessons through the Suzuki method, which, incidentally, I first heard about in Grade 13.  They each did very well on their instruments – piano, violins, cello, flute – and attended a high school equally well known for its music program, Humberside.  If you know anything about the Suzuki method, you will realize that this required me to practice with each child for at least a half hour per day as well as attend all lessons.  The rewards were having my own little music group and learning a lot about each child as they interacted with their wonderful music teachers.   I also was able to have lessons finally, and I have continued to learn and participate in various music groups.  It was wonderful to perform in the orchestra and choir at The 100^th Anniversary Maytime Melodies at Roy Thompson Hall two years ago.  I currently play with the Kitchener Waterloo Community Orchestra and a Christian choir and orchestra called Jubilance, that ministers to churches here in Ontario and all over the world.

After exploring political theory and a few alternative spiritual disciplines after University, I returned to the faith of my childhood and became a committed Christian.  My faith has always been very important to me, my husband and most of our children.  It has provided a strong basis for our family life, lifestyle, and my work at the church.  In recent years, it has also provided exciting opportunities for travel, visiting missionaries and with Jubilance.  I have enjoyed the enlightening experience of meeting with and talking to ordinary people in their homes and churches in cities and the countryside in places like Peru, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as Europe. 

I have been adjusting to retirement for a year and a half now.  I sometimes wonder how I ever had time to work since I seem to be busy all the time.  I spend a lot of time visiting and caring for my five grandchildren, four boys and a girl, helping out at the church’s Food Bank, practising and performing music with all the travel it entails, gardening, sewing, catching up on my reading and watching all the old TV shows and movies I was always too busy to enjoy before.   This is very fulfilling.  My family is blessedly healthy and very busy getting on with their lives.  My husband and I are fortunate to enjoy good health and have the energy to do most things that interest us.

Robert Nicholson ( English Teacher)

The following is a report on my activities after leaving NTCI . 

In 1966 after 9 years teaching English (the last two and a half as assistant head at North Toronto) , I became Head of English at Jarvis where I stayed 19 years. In my final year ,in an emergency, I served as acting vice principal.

This experience encouraged me to make a change and in 1995 I became VP at Malvern.   

My next step was to Secondary Alternative Schools as acting principal  .In 1991,I was appointed principal at Eastern Commerce .My 7 years et Eastern were tremendously rewarding .In total ,I worked for the Toronto Board for 41 years and loved every year . When we both retired. Mairi , my wife (Guidance Secretary at NT from 1959 to  1963 ) and I enjoyed many excellent trips . Our last in 1997 was to New Zealand where we enjoyed a mini North Toronto reunion at the home of Gordon Stewart , class of 67.  Jim Stewart, class of 65, was visiting Gord at the same time . One year later, Mairi died of cancer. Since then I have continued to live in my house in Don Mills and have received tremendous support from my family  -2 sons 1 daughter   2 daughters in law  and 5 grandchildren aged 22 to 11 . I celebrated my 80th birth day last year at a party with my family and 40 friends                                                                   

Best wishes to the class of 1968.

Bill Ostrander

The simple facts of my life since NTCI are:  

1.         MA (Pol Sc), and LLB at University of Toronto

2.         Corporate Law at Gowlings in Toronto until 2003

3.         Investor and Chair of 2 smallish private businesses since 2003

The more human aspects of my life are:

1.         It was a little lonely being an out gay man on Bay Street in the 80's.

2          I have been in love three times and each of them is still happily in my life.

3          I am lucky to have 12 nieces and nephews and 28 great nieces and great nephews, who don't seem to mind having me around.

Ruth Chick (Wagner)

      I hesitated to write this bio and come to the reunion because I was from the previous year. I developed a sleeping sickness early in my first time around of grade thirteen at NTCI, and slept away the year. Coming back, I always felt like a failure, and was sad, although I hadn’t returned from failing but rather from absence. However I must say the ‘68 students were nice to me. I have truly enjoyed reading your bios.

           I think it best to skip much of my life. However, I attended University of Toronto, married a crazy architect, and have four lovely adult children from that time. I did my stint with biodynamic organic farming. All during that time I played the violin, piano and church organ professionally, and taught music and still do. I am blessed with six grandchildren.

     In 1984, the house I owned burned to the ground and I lost everything I owned. This included my old yearbooks. I would dearly love to acquire them again, as I cannot picture many of those whom I knew. I also cannot send you my school photo from then.

       I pursued a career in violinmaking, attended Ontario College of Art for Instrument making, married a wonderful violinmaker Sieg Wagner,( I was his second wife), who changed the way I made new instruments and taught me restoration of old and broken instruments and re-hairing bows.(sadly he died of cancer.) Wagner violins carries on. I work making and repairing violins and acoustic instruments . I love what I do, so have no plans of ever quitting. 

       I live between Bracebridge and Huntsville, where my house is also my  violin workshop.  If anyone wishes to see me now , I have a web site for my violin making

    www.wagnerviolinrepairs.com  you are most welcome to  contact me, and if you wish, come for a visit . I know that you will all have a wonderful time and sincerely wish you the very best.

Garth Drabinsky

Film Producer, Television Producer, Broadway Musical Producer.  I have won multiple Tony Awards for Broadway Musicals.

I have 2 children and 2 grandchildren.

Barb  Smith  (Bowen)

Still horsing around, I am humbled by the bios I have read.  Having three beautiful children and one granddaughter with extended families, a wonderful guy to share good times and bad, life is good.  If wealth was measured by ones family and friends,  I would be rich.  I still reside in the Waterdown area on fifty acres, breeding, training, and selling horses.  And yes, I still climb on these nags myself!  With not much time for leisure, I don’t get away from the farm much.  I still enjoy skiing, travelling (usually horse related), and the many people that visit frequently.  Looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up after, how many year yesterday it seems!  Short like me, I hope this bio brings you up to date.    

Fred Fruitman

Editor’s Note:  Fred was one of my best friends in high school,  but like it seems most even best friends,  we did not keep in touch afterwards.  In 2005 when I was in New York City for a work related conference I decided to look him up because I had heard from a cousin who knew his brother that he was working on Wall Street and living in Manhattan.  My wife and I met with him and his wife at his beautiful Tribeca condo and we caught up.  He has since moved to his firm’s London England office and I was able to track him down to tell him about the reunion.  He is not able to come to the reunion but I warned him that if he did not write his bio I would write a short one for him.  So here are some facts about Fred he would probably want you to know.

After graduating from N.T.C.I.  Fred attended prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston where he obtained a degree in Engineering and Economics. He then attended  the University of Oxford in England  for two years where he studied law and received a Master’s of Arts  followed by two years at the University of Toronto Law School to obtain a Canadian law degree ( though he has never practiced law). He then to finish off his education went to Harvard University where he obtained a Master’s of Business Administration.  He worked in Boston before heading to Wall Street where he was an investment banker and now works for Loeb Partners as a Managing Director.  He has two adult daughters from his first marriage and a teenage son with his present wife.

Fred was the organizer behind N.T.C. I.’s Reach for The Top Team for our year and along with Ken Clark,  Anne Koresaar, and Bill Schabas made up  the team that did very well on the show. It was one of Fred’s goal in life to appear on a U.S. television  trivia game show.  So a  few years after high school he travelled to New York  City to attempt to achieve that goal.  He was successful, as he appeared on the “Who, What and Where” game.  Unfortunately Fred did not do as well on the show as he had hoped and it was not the experience he expected, but he made it to prime time.

Eleventh newsletter from Laurie

11^th Newsletter

April  2, 2014

Just one month away from the reunion.  I have a few reminders and nine more bios in this newsletter.

GRAD PHOTOS & NAME OF SPOUSE ATTENDING

We would like a head shot of everyone coming to the reunion,  as they looked in 1968.  We have most people because we are using the grad photos. But if you are not in the grad photos, bringing a spouse or are a teacher we need that photo in jpeg or even pdf by April 11^th.  I also need the name of your spouse who is attending.

PHOTOS FROM OTHER YEARS

Again I would remind you to send to Ruth Rosen Levkoe at ruthleahlevkoe@yahoo.ca any photos you have from high school as she and Janet Toppin Swann are putting together a slide show for Memory Mingle

CONFIRMATION FORMS

Classmates have been sending them in and we have 59 confirmed people but I expect the number of attendees will be between 80-90 so we are still missing almost 1/3.  For planning purposes, the confirmation and pictures  are needed by April 11^th .  If you are not sure of your plans yet, still send in a confirmation form but say you are unsure.  Here is the form again though I have added Spouse’s name.

NTCI CLASS OF 1968 REUNION MAY 2^ND AND 3^RD CONFIRMATION FORM

NAME      

MAIDEN NAME

SPOUSE’S NAME IF ATTENDING

HOME ADDRESS

HOW MANY COMING TO  MEMORY MINGLE

HOW MANY COMING TO MAYTIME MELODIES

HOW MANY COMING TO BILL HUMBER HOUSE PARTY

HOW MANY COMING TO DOUG GAMMAGE HOUSE PARTY

HOW MANY GOING TO SATURDAY NIGHT RESTURANT

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO SET UP FOR MEMORY MINGLE

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO CLEAN UP AFTER MEMORY MINGLE

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO WORK AT RECEPTION DESK OF MEMORY MINGLE

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO SELL 50/50 TICKETS

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO TAKE PICTURES

WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO TAKE VIDEO

2/3, 1/3 DRAW (formerly known as the 50/50 draw)

Some people have bought tickets by e mail transfer or by mail.  Don’t feel obliged to buy in advance. I am sorry if I gave the impression we wanted people to buy these tickets beforehand.  I was really suggesting the beforehand purchasing for people who could not attend or for those who found it more convenient to buy beforehand.

BLOG

If you are missing a newsletter or want to quickly find info on the reunion or a bio it is best to go directly to our great Blog that Bill Schabas has set up and is administering from London, England.  It also has a 1968 class 13A picture and  photos from the last reunion.  Those pictures will help you accept that we have all aged a little.

The Blog  can be found at  http://ntci68.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=bbbb5ceb75851e64 or google NTCI 1968 Class Reunion.

FINDING PEOPLE

We are running out of time to find classmates but it is never too late to look. Attached is an up to date list of who we have found, what events they have confirmed they are coming to and whether we have their bio.  If I have made a mistake about your information (like I  lost your confirmation form), please advise.