Classmates

The most important part of this effort is to reconnect with friends in the great class of 1966. As Baby Boomers, think about what we’ve experienced, from learning cursive with cartridge pens to posting Instagram images with our smart phones; from learning about JFK’s assassination during the school day to watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11; and for many of us, going from worrying about prom dates to welcoming grandchildren into our lives. It’s an amazing time to be living! Let’s celebrate and share. 

 

Please complete your profile here. 

 

Your contact information will be hidden, and secure. This website is maintained by our committee, not an outside commercial outfit. It will only be used with your permission for the 50th Reunion Book we will put together for attendees of the 50th Reunion.Those who are unable to attend the Reunion in the spring of 2016 will be able to order the Reunion Book.

 

Please post your bio and comments. Confirm your name, add your memories, observations, and reflections. Upload a recent picture. With your permission, these will be included in the 50th reunion memory book. THINK BACK and share your thoughts about last 50 years: high school, friends, the '60s, family, growing up in Bethesda. Have fun with this! Also, take a look at the “High School Life” section. We’d love to use those in our class book as well. It’s easy to upload and caption them. 

 

Use the "send a message" feature to contact friends, and your email will appear for them to respond. HAVE FUN RECONNECTING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

Please note: the reunion committee reserves the option to edit or revise entries for spelling, grammar, and length. 

Gilbert Devey, Jr

Then Then
Now Now
Occupation: Federal Aviation Administration, retired 2003 and ARINC, Annapolis, retired 2013
Comment: I graduated from WJ without honors in 1966.  I went to college and promptly flunked out – too many distractions.  After several low paying, physical, grungy jobs, I enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS COMPTON (DD 705) and that was REALLY low paying, physical and grungy work.  Must have done OK, as the east coast was never invaded!  After my military service I went to college on the GI bill and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1974, again without any honors (Fortunately I passed Philosophy my last semester in summer school!).  My career with the Federal Government began with the Navy followed by 25 years at the Federal Aviation Administration retiring from federal service as Director of Acquisition in 2003.  Following that, I worked for ARINC in Annapolis (a much nicer commute) and retired in 2013.  Judy Shumaker and I were married in May 1971 and moved from Gaithersburg to Southern Maryland (Calvert County) where we raised our two children, Christine (1976)  and Mark (1978).  Christine and her husband John live outside of Richmond, VA and have three daughters and Mark and his wife Christie live in southern Maryland and have two daughters.  When Judy and I decided to retire, we moved to Fredericksburg, VA a convenient location, making it easy to visit with our kids and granddaughters.   Since graduation from Walter Johnson I have been busy with boating, softball, golf, hunting, fishing, gardening, raising children, getting a Master’s Degree, helping parents, being a husband, working and generally being as cool as I wanted to be.  I look forward to the reunion.       Cheers, Gib  

Karen Diamond

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Purdue University (retired)
Comment: Writing about 50 years in a few, hopefully interesting, sentences is tough. The short version is that there have been many more good times than bad ones. I left WJ for college (University of Rochester) and then never left higher ed. I received a PhD (Psychology) from Ohio State University in 1974, spent the next 15 years at Skidmore College and then 22 years on the faculty at Purdue University in W. Lafayette, IN (even though I swore, upon leaving Ohio, that I'd never return to the Midwest). I retired in 2013 after an incredibly rewarding career. My focus in research and teaching was on promoting social relationships between young children with disabilities and their peers and on early interventions for children at-risk of school failure.





I met my husband (Bill LeFurgy) when I was at Skidmore College; he was on the faculty. We have two daughters: Amy, in Seattle, and Kate in Chicago. They are happy and healthy and starting on careers that they love. We moved to Maine when I retired -- it was our summer destination for many years and now our full-time home (yes, we stay here in the winter).





I'm sorry I won't be at the Reunion. We're spending that weekend with our daughter. Best wishes for an enjoyable weekend and good health to all.

Joseph Dias

Then Then

Dwight Dickerman

Then Then

Sandra Dickinson (Searles)

Then Then
Now Now
Comment: Story   Life Having graduated from Walter Johnson, I went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I became an active member of the theatre dept.there. I then transferred to Boston University during my Junior year. I left Boston in the Spring of my Junior year to live in London with my English husband. I worked as a telephonist/typist for a commercial production company for a few months and then enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama to study acting. At the same time, I began to get professional work in commercials on television and soon became quite well known. I went on to do theatre in the provinces, work on national television,and theatre in London. I have now been working as a professional actress in the U.K. for some 40 years in all mediums. I had the huge joy of transferring to Houston and then Broadway in a Tennessee Williams play I had done at the National Theatre in London-"Not About Nightingales" some years ago. It was great to get home! My private life hasn't been straightforward. I have been married twice, divorced twice. I have one beautiful daughter, who is herself now a successful actress, and a six year old grandson. I am now engaged and living with a lovely fellow and continue to work as an actress and continue to be quite a workaholic and generally hyperactive young middle aged woman! I toured in a production of "Anything Goes" and a new stage version of "Daisy Miller" and "A Touch of Danger" with Simon Ward recently and I am in the process of writing my autobiography. Last Christmas I appeared in something only the English understand! I played the Wicked Queen in the pantomime"Snow White" in Carlisle. This coming Christmas I am playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella in Basildon, Essex. I have just finished filming "Malice in Wonderland" starring Maggie Grace and next week start work on the film "Tormented".  I became a Brit last year so I am now a dual national! I have hugely fond memories of my time at Walter Johnson. My years in the U.S.A. seem far too distant

Dianne Diebeler

Then Then

Charles Dietz

Then Then
Now Now

Janyce Dissin (Murphey)

Then Then

Terry Dixon (Franz)

Then Then
Comment: From the 40th reunion:

 






 had trouble in Grade School writing "What I did on my summer vacation" - now my assignment is to sum up what I have done for the past 40 years?  YIKES!  




I didn't go to graduation (was it Robert or Ted Kennedy who spoke?) instead I went to a kayak training session in Maine, training for the World Championships.  I always thought of myself as academic, but in hindsight, I look at my choices and realize . . . . I chose the University of Vermont to be in a place where I could ski, something that looked fun.  I started out as a math major but my expensive three semester book was stolen my freshman year so I switched to zoology and pre-med.  When I got an ulcer, I dropped the pre-med.  After graduation in 1970, I drove out west with my college roommate, landing in Denver.  I got a job at a bacteriology supply company, mixing and pouring culture media.  This was during the big push for equal rights.  The Denver Zoo was opening a position for the first woman zookeeper and I got the job.  I loved this job but after the first few pollution alerts, I decided to leave Denver in 1973.  For a break from what I felt was a long work stint, I hitchhiked up to Alaska for the summer.  I went as an unpaid aide on a kayak course with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Prince William Sound.  Afterwards I moved to Wyoming and worked as an instructor for NOLS based in Lander, Wyoming.  A local survey company was hiring NOLS instructors to do some surveying for uranium claims all through the southwest.  The crew was ferried in by helicopter to the survey site.  Since there was the possibility that the helicoptor would not be able to return for the pick up due to weather, it was good to have a crew with backcountry experience.  While on the survey crew I met Steve who was also bouncing around the world.  It was so easy to fall in love out in the desert, walking all day pulling a chain, eating and sleeping on an expense account.  So that is what we did.  Steve was from Walla Walla and wanted to live in Seattle.  I wanted to stay in Wyoming.  So we compromised and moved to the Methow Valley in Washington State.  We have been here since 1977.  Steve is now a sixth grade teacher and I have been the Twisp town librarian for the past 22 years.  (Google "Twisp Library" and you will see my battle with the administration to keep the iguana in the library - I lost.)  Steve and I have two wonderful children, Sarah born in 1980 and Peter born in 1982.  They did 4H so we have raised pigs and sheep, still have chickens and now cows, horses and commercial organic garlic.  I live in the best spot to go riding!  and boating!  and garlicing!  We are planning retirement but right when it looked possible, we bought 50 acres which we need to pay for.  




The reunion is a wonderful event and I'm sorry I will miss it.  We all want/need to connect with each other, our past and that person we were.  I have very little memory of high school, lots of questions (could we go out in the courtyard?)  Two weeks ago I went riding with a lady (Ellen Lamiman) who has lived here almost as long as we have and it turns out she is a 1964 graduate from Walter Johnson.  She also did her graduate work at the University of Maryland and had my father Dr. Franz as an instructor.  A month ago I went to a workshop on "every child ready to read" and the workshop was given by a 1969 graduate from WJ (Saroj Ghoting - not her maiden name.)  Small world!  We were given a great education at WJ, something I always took for granted.  This was substantiated when I saw WJ on the list of the top 100 high schools in the entire US. 

Barbara Doane (Dunn)

Then Then
Now Now
Occupation: US Wellness Inc
Comment: Currently the CFO of US Wellness for the past 16 years. We still live in Rockville, but we bought a beach house is St. Augustine FL last year and have already spent many happy hours there.  Relaxing by ourselves or with other family members.  Jack will be retiring this year but I still love my job and plan to stay with it for a while at least. We love to travel and enjoy the heck out of our 7 grandchildren.  Life is good!!