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. 

June Gibson

Then Then

Janet Gilbert (Sprinkle)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: retired educator
Comment:      In the fall of 1966, I went to West Virginia Wesleyan College. It is in the middle of West Virginia and totally different from Bethesda, MD. High school was great, but college was awesome! A month after graduation, I married my college sweetheart. This June Randy and I will have been married 46 years. We bought our first house in Durham, PA. The house was built in the early 1800’s and was one of the workers houses for the Durham Iron Works. The house needed a lot of work. We spent several years restoring the house. Our next home was another old house in Bucks County. This house is even older. It’s an old stone farmhouse and dates to 1799, but was completely renovated. I was lucky enough to stay home while our kids were young. When our youngest was about 12, I started working with special education students. I loved helping kids learn. In my 26 years working with elementary age students, hopefully I made a difference in their lives. Randy and I have two children. Our son went to Catawba College in NC. He fell in love with NC and moved to Charlotte after graduation. He is a technical engineer with Microsoft. Our daughter went to Washington and Jefferson College. Another W&J! She then went to Wake Forest Law School. She is an attorney for Merck Pharmaceutical. She is married and lives in Bucks County near us. Randy and I have been retired for almost two years. We love being retired! We are ballroom dancers and go to dances 3 to 4 times a month. We are busy working on our old house and barn. Nice days we enjoy biking, kayaking, or walking. And we also travel around the east coast. Can’t believe it has been 50 years. It’s been a fast ride, but most of all it has been a great trip!


 

Leslie Gilbert (Duchaine)

Then Then

Bonita (Bonnie) Gimble

Then Then

Loyal (Mike) Goff

Then Then
Now Now
Occupation: Maryland Department of Agriculture (Retired)

David Gold

Then Then
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Retired-was Dental Hygienist
Comment: In 1968, after two years of college and partying, I flunked out and was drafted. I served in the infantry in Vietnam, and, at times was involved in the heaviest combat of the Vietnam War. Rather miraculously, I survived, and then spent almost 2 years living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Then I was discharged and returned to college at the University of Maryland, where I met my future wife of 43 years. After our marriage, We moved to Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida, a very large State College. We have lived here ever since 1973, and we love our life here. We enjoy a simple, natural, healthy, prosperous, active life with lots of friends and activities.My wife was a social worker and a teacher for many years. I did airconditioning repair work and then was a dental hygienist for amost 40 years. We are into yoga, political involvement, cleanups, volunteering, camping and hiking, veggie food, family relationships. We both feel quite lucky to have the life we do.


     Judy and I have both had rather miraculous healings from health issures. Our good health and life are rather amazing.


     I will not be coming to the 50 year reunion. I wish you all the very best lives. And, thank you for working so hard to make this event happen. I almost never return to the Washington, DC area and never return to Bethesda. It sure has grown.

Marsha Goldwater (Mirman)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: Retired
Comment: My career path started in teaching and finished in high tech, bringing me to Silicon Valley and my future.  When I was young, California was Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon in a red convertible on the coast.  Never, back then, did I see myself here.  





During my student teaching semester Senior year at University of Maryland , I was recruited by the Math Supervisor of Baltimore County Public Schools to teach 7th grade Math.  I taught Junior High School math for 4 years--loved the kids, really felt I made a difference.  I got involved with stage work in Dinner Theater and Community Theater.  My involvement with the Annual School Show was a personal highlight.  I directed a Variety Show, "Fantastic Times" featuring music and dance from the 20's through the 70's with 80+ kids in the cast.  During my fourth year of teaching, I decided that I simply couldn't continue on a teacher's salary.  My parents encouraged me to take the risk, quit teaching and get into industry.  So, having not a clue what I was going to do next, I left Baltimore in 1974, moved back home to Bethesda unemployed, and started the job search.  My Dad kept telling me, "You should get into computers.”  Armed with a piece of paper that Dad had scribbled "IBM, Burroughs, Univac" on, I drove into DC every day for a month, filling out more civil service applications than I could count. Working for the Bureau of Mines was not high on my list of aspirations...I landed an interview with IBM for a Marketing Support position (the person who followed the IBM Selectrix typewriter salesman into the account and trained the secretaries), but was never hired due a hiring freeze.  One day, soon after, I was standing at the corner of 18thand H street in DC, feeling deflated, and I noticed the Burroughs building.  I pulled out the piece of paper from Dad and figured, what the hell.  I walked into the lobby and boldly asked the receptionist if there were any marketing opportunities available?  Four hours later, I had landed a job selling mini-computers.  Considering that my previous sales experience at that point was selling Girl Scout cookies, this was a major coup.  In 1974, the computer industry was literally in its infancy and I was so lucky to be part of it.  I learned how to sell by taking a 4-function (+, -, x, /) calculator (It think it cost $600) under my arm, rode the elevator to the top floor of an office building in D.C., and knocked on every office door top floor to bottom, honing my cold call skills.  I moved up to mini-computer sales after my training and sold accounting systems to law firms and the wholesalers in Northeast. In 1977, I was hired by Hewlett-Packard to be part of a new, national sales force for HP's first business computer.  HP's forte at the time wasn't computers so HP realized it needed to bring in people who knew how to sell them.  HP moved me immediately to Philadelphia where I sold HP's minicomputers for 7 years.  In 1984, HP moved me yet again to Northern California-- Silicon Valley-- on a temporary assignment to train sales reps for a year and a half.   It was a no-brainer when the assignment was over that California would be my new home.  





I met my husband, Irv, in a single's ski club and we married in 1992. We enjoyed skiing, Mexico vacations, home projects, art, music, and time with Irv's son and his family.  Our grand-daughter, Rachel, is a joy. Although Irv retired in 1998, I continued to work until my retirement in 2013. My last 13 years as Americas Logistics Manager for Avago Technologies was the most rewarding.  Unfortunately, it has been a challenging two years since my retirement, as Irv was in declining health and passed away in September, 2015.  I'm looking at my next chapter as another adventure.   


 

Cheryl Golightly (Sheirburn)

Then Then
Occupation: Retired
Comment: From the 40th reunion:

 




My life after WJ in a nutshell: Anyone that knew me well might remember my pursuit of Art.  I took as many art classes as was allowed in high school.  I continued to take art classes at MJC for one year, and worked at Rose Williams in Bethesda.  Fall of 1967 I started a career in Cartography with DOD at the Army Map Service compiling topographic maps.  I enjoyed the artistic aspect of map making.  I worked at the Defense Mapping Agency for 5 years.  While there I had a brief marriage and then in 1972 I was laid off during Lyndon Johnson's RIF (reduction in force) of government employees.  This was due to my lack of veterans' preference.  While unemployed on severance pay I met Robert (Bob) Golightly thru mutual friends and relatives.  Bob was at the time a Cryptologic Analyst in the Navy, stationed at NSA.  Shortly after, I became employed with NOAA in the Department of Commerce, drafting aeronautical charts.  Bob and I were married at my parent's home in 1973 and have been ever since.  Bob left active duty in 1974 to become a civilian employee at NSA and a Naval Reservist.  I started Cartographic related classes at night thru GWU.  I continued classes until fall of 1975 when Jennifer was born.  I returned to work at NOAA after my maternity leave and left again for good in 1977 when Robin, our second daughter was born.  Raising our daughters was the most demanding job I have had.  But fun and rewarding!  I am grateful for the opportunity.  Several years passed and Bob left NSA for the private sector.  Meanwhile I became an active volunteer at the school my daughters attended and a Girl Scout Leader.


In 1986 we left Maryland for the Rocky Mountains.  Bob was to open a new office for GTE in Colorado Springs. This was nothing for Bob, who had lived all over the world before he met me.  However, it was quite an adjustment for our girls and me.  Not just the altitude.  Our home in Monument, CO at 7142' is at the base of the Front Range.  Bob and I still live in the home we bought 20 years ago.  The Air Force Academy is just south of Monument and Pikes Peak overlooks the area.  It has been a great adventure.  In 1997 Bob left defense contracting and became involved in managing private universities.


Our girls are on their own, still in CO.  Jennifer is married and the mother of our three year old granddaughter, Ailey.  Jen is teaching at DU and about to graduate with her PHD in English Literature.  Robin is single and the mom of a Lab and a Bloodhound.  She works for Franklin American Mortgage Corp. 


Three years ago Bob and I each decided to pursue our high school dreams.  Bob owns a quarter horse and participates in equestrian activities.  I am enjoying watercolor painting.  I participate in as many classes, workshops, and Art Shows as possible.  In September I sold a painting for the first time! 

Margaret Goodson (Dimmers)

Then Then

Larry Gordon

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Occupation: retired
Comment:




We are sad to report that Larry passed away on August 25, 2023. Please see the "In Memoriam" section for a place to add tributes. 





After college at UNC where I double majored in math & philosophy, I got an MA in philosophy from U. Chicago, decided not to complete the PhD, came back to the DC area and went to work for the MITRE Corp. in McLean, VA, a non-profit engineering research firm created by Congress and headquartered outside Boston. I found this a nice fit due to my math background plus philosophy which enabled me to write critically. I worked on both classified and unclassified aviation research. After 8 years at MITRE, I worked at Titan Systems in Tysons Corner and TRW in Fairfax. Then MITRE said it wanted me back, so I returned and stayed until I retired in 2013 as lead engineer and over 80 published technical papers. My work was mostly in 3 areas: aviation weather systems, airspace analysis, and modeling of air traffic controller operations. While at MITRE, I obtained an MS in operations research from American U, tutored dozens of students in math, and was an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College teaching evening math courses. I met my wife, Trish, at Grevey's restaurant in Fairfax. She retired in 2011 after 40 years in the medical field, her last position being assistant director of INOVA Blood Donor Services. On our first date, she said she wanted to retire to Beaufort, SC. I had never heard of it, but she got her wish. We love it here and are both involved with volunteer work. No kids, just our PBGV pooch, Bebe. Sorry I couldn't make our 50th reunion, but my nephew got married the same day in Westminster, MD. My best to everyone.