After all the wonderful reunion photos she sent, posting this for Gail MacLeod seems like the least I can do.
After all, as she said, "Blogging doesn't come easy for 58-year-olds."
Since I won't be 58 till December 11th, I guess I can post this:
Judy Juray and Barbara Schmidt -- remember when they crashed their car and died? First people I knew who died. Also, an odd memory at a freshman orientation. Our principal said something to the effect of, "A lot will happen in the coming four years. Some of you won't make it. Some of you will die.
I was in the girls' locker room when the coach came to clean out Barbara Schmidt's things from her locker. Creepy.
Dealing with death probably has become more common to us at this point in our lives. In fact, there were 32 classmates listed in the memory book as deceased. I knew a few of them. I sat beside one of them -- Ray Redd -- twice when we were on "It's Academic." If any of you want to share memories of our departed classmates, this would be a good place to do it.
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Barbara Schmidt was my best friend at Woodson. A couple of us were with her and Judy earlier the night they died, drinking and goofing around in the VW. I got an early morning call from a mutual friend who heard it on the radio. There was a group of us that did quite a bit of drinking at that time. It's amazing more of us weren't lost. It was also the first time I knew someone who died. It changes you in ways you aren't aware of at the time. Even with this tragedy, I have many wonderful and formative memories from my two years at WTW. I was only there my sophomore and junior years. High school in Virginia was quite a change for a California girl! I did not find several of my friends' names on the class list and am wondering if some of them moved away for their senior year too.
I will never forget hearing that news. I did not know Barbara well, but did have Judy in a lot of my classes that year. I was so emotionally moved by their deaths, I wrote a poem. I still have that book I kept my poems in and it is dated 1-12-66 so am guessing that was around the time of the accident.
It is a tribute to Barbara and Judy that none of us have ever forgotten them and they will always remain our classmates.
I have also thought about Barbara & Judy over the years especially when I hear the Beachboys song "Barbara Ann". I actually have the newspaper articla about the accident in a HS scrapbook. It's odd how you can remember somethings for so long. I've often thought of their parents and siblings as well and wonder if they know that we all have kept the girls in memory.
From Pam Henley
Leslie was Barbara's best friend at Woodson but I was her oldest friend. We met at age 5 - dads both Marine aviators. Stationed together at various times and always kept correspondence. We shared birthday celebrations - hers was 3/17 (St. Patrick's Day) and mine 6 days later. Together again at 16 (at WTW) but by then our interests had varied - she was a partier and I was more the tennis team, history club (I had to admit that to my kids - who said that that really confirmed to them that I was a geek!)type. The Sunday morning that we got the call from her dad was my saddest day at Woodson - I guess my saddest day to that date. Barbara's dad passed away last month and is laid to rest in Arlington. Her parents had retired to Florida where her mom still lives. I will pass along the warm thoughts that the class of '67 has.
Just a couple more thoughts - Barbara was a great swimmer and diver....and so cute and petite. When she drove her dad's black Cadillac we had to move the bench seat up so far that my knees touched the dash!
On a different note, Mike, I remember you - you were a neighbor of my good friend Diane Peil! I'm enjoying your blog - this is a new experience....I'm still getting used to email!
We lived right across the street from the Peils, around the block from Darla Garber and one street over from Gary Oleson.
My folks still love in Mosby Woods.
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