Ann passed away this morning, July 6, 2020 while living in San Diego. Early reports from local friends say she had a massive heart attack.
Alphretta Ann Pohan was born on January 21, 1945, in San Bernardino County, California, to Joseph and Georgia (Meader) Pohan. She married Joe Rodger Tankersley on June 21, 1996, in Fort Bend, Texas. She died on July 6, 2020, in San Diego, California, at the age of 75.
I will link to an actual obituary if and when one is posted.
The Trona High School reunion originally scheduled for the end of October 2020 has been postponed until the fall of 2021.
The union committee decided to postpone the reunion until the fall of 2021. There were too many concerns about the pandemic and the school schedule not being finalized yet for us to continue planning to have it this year. Hopefully 2021 will bring a better, safer year.
John Young’s Band will still be playing at an alumni dance on 10/31/20.
We appreciate all the hard work the committee goes through every five years in order bring an occasion to reunite with old friends and classmates.
Yes, we still hope to have a Gem-O-Rama in 2020. But right now it only looks 50/50 whether-or-not we will have a show. The only thing we know for certain is that we will be following orders from the CDC, State of California and San Bernardino County in making any decisions about allowing large gatherings of people, physical distancing, and doing frequent cleaning of venues.
In the absence of these goverment orders, we are uncertain how we may have to alter show activities. For example, we may have to limit attendance on certain activities to stay below maximum crowd size or ensure mandated physical distancing. There is also a possibility that we may have to cancel some activities for the same reasons.
I just received word that Louis Castillo, class of 66, passed away on Apr. 30, 2020. Notes or cards may be sent to his sister:
Rose Kruze, 528 W. Joyner, Ridgecrest CA 93555
I just received word that Hazel King, class of 1963 died on May 4, 2020. I will post further information if it becomes available.
Hyrum Reece McInelly, better known as Skip to friends and family, passed away on April 28, 2020, in Walnut Creek, CA. After battling ill health for a few years.
He was born in Spokane, WA, October 15, 1941. During his early life the family moved a few times and ended up in a small town of Trona, CA, in the Mojave Desert. He attended school there and after graduation he took an apprenticeship class to become a machinist working in plants and made his living at this until his retirement. He later moved to Concord, CA, to pursue his career and worked as a machinist in the surrounding refineries. It was at this time of his life when he met his wife, Chantal McInelly. They were married August 12, 1976, and together as a family of 7, Skip having 2 daughters and Chantal had 3 boys, they began their loving relationship.
Skip enjoyed life, enjoyed the outdoors, camping, and just going for road trips. He was a kid at heart and tricks and pranks came naturally to the boy in him. When visiting his wife at work, he would string paper clips together at one of her coworkers desk, when going out for a meal with friends poke a hole in a straw when they weren’t looking, or when walking where there was a water puddle making sure someone was close and stomp his foot in it to splash the victim. He also enjoyed working with wood and making things, then giving them away. The same was done with stain glass projects that he and his wife made, or crochet items that were made by his mother when he was a child. He is a loving father, faithful husband, and truly a friend to all he meets. His warmth has touched many lives through his 78 years with us. Both friends and family will miss him.
He is preceded in death by his loving parents, Hyrum S McInelly and Violet McInelly, his sister Dorene (THS 1954) and a second sister that died at birth, and his daughter Julie. He is survived by his wife, best friend, soulmate and caregiver, Chantal, his children Sally McInelly of Henderson, NV, Brian Lund of Federal Way, WA, Mark Lund of Martinez, and Harold Lund of Concord. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren.
Skip was a cousin to Marian (Reece) Walsh (THS 1955), LeRoy Reece (THS 1957) and Vernon Reece (THS 1959).
Tim Burrell just called to let me know that our classmate Kenneth Carter (1943-2020) died last night (4/22/2020) of cancer. Information about services and burial are pending. Ken was one of many favorite classmates. We are all saddened by news of his death.
October 10, 1930 – April 5, 2020
Thomas G. Dunne, Ph.D., 89, of Tualitin, OR, died peacefully on Sunday, April 5. Born in 1930 in Los Angeles, he was the son of the late Thomas J. and Mary A. Dunne, and grew up in the small chemical company town of Westend, CA, on Searles Lake in the Mojave Desert. He graduated from nearby Trona High School in 1948, and received a B.S. in Chemistry from UCLA in 1952 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The University of Washington in 1957. Dr. Dunne then worked as a chemist at Central Research labs at IBM and as a post-doctoral fellow at MIT.
In 1963 Dr. Dunne joined the faculty of Reed College in the Chemistry Department. For over four decades, he taught a variety of Chemistry and Environmental Science courses to Reed undergraduates, advised dozens of Reed thesis research students, and chaired the Chemistry Department for several years. In his honor, one of his Chemistry advisees endowed an annual lecture named after him.
Dr. Dunne was a very active, 64-year member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Portland Section. He was the former chair of the Portland Section, where he served on the committee to select the Linus Pauling Medal Award. He was an active member of the ACS Northeast Regional Board of Directors. Dr. Dunne was a longtime member of the Sierra Club and active in environmental issues. He was a longtime participant in the Reed Emeritus Book Club, and also active in the City Club of Portland, and the Searles Valley Historical Society of Trona, California.
Dr. Dunne leaves his brother, C. Patrick Dunne, Ph.D., and wife Maureen of Framingham, MA, his nieces and their spouses, Kerry Dunne and Adam Steiner of Framingham, MA, Eileen Dunne and Jack Daniels of Boise, ID, Erin Dunne and Ryan Ellis of Waltham, MA. He leaves three grand nieces, Nora Steiner, Margaret Steiner and Veronica Ellis, and a grand nephew, Indigo Ellis. He is also survived by Beatriz and Stokely Beckford of Chicago, IL, his cousin, Joan Murphy of Palo Cedro, CA, and close friend Ron Sato, of Portland, OR.
There will be no services. Remembrances may be sent to Reed College, the Portland Section of the American Chemical Society, or the Alzheimers Association.
https://davies.mem.com/Obituary/9115489/173039300/173039307?title=Obituary
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Patty Hess, Douglas Ritchie, Jimmy Ewing, Richard Wilhelms, Patricia Stevens, Derek Allen, Lawrence Jolly, (back) Eileen Robinson, Mike Robinson, Bruce Robinson, Franklin Pillott