News By and About The Class of 56

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This section is for the purpose of providing biographical sketches and information about family members, pets, travel, political views, etc. - whatever you would like to share with old friends you haven't seen for years. We would like to have recent photographs that will also be posted on the site. Send photographs to rtmceach@verizon.net. Click on a picture to enlarge it. To add a comment, just click the word "comments" at the bottom of this section. For a list of the names and known addresses of all class member, click on the "Names and Addresses" link at the right of the screen. An asterick in front of a name indicates that the person has registered for the reunion as of the last update.

Yuvonne Frazier Cameron - Email: jcameron000@centurytel.net Retired as medical administrator of Lakeland Orthopaedic Clinic in 1996. Now living in Alabama.

*Margie Morgan Dupont - Email: mmdupont@earthlink.net Widow. Two children, Four Grand children. Semi-retired insurance adjuster. Lived in Las Vegas 40 years.

*Sue Daniels - Email: msuedaniels@earthlink.net Now single. Owner of real estate company in Astor, Florida. Three sons, nine grandchildren, one great grand child.

*Joan Hillery Hollis - Email: tjhollis@aaahawk.com Retired from GM in Kokomo in 1999. Now spends most of her time helping her pastor with his mission, helping the elderly, crocheting baby blankets for new mothers. Two children, two grand children, two great grand children.

*Jeanette Jacoby - Email: gjjacoby@aol.com Husband’s name Gordon. Retired as General Manager of Tampa Cadillac Agency. Loves to travel. Two children, four grand children.


*Carolyn Hardee Manee - Email: cmanee72@aol.com Carolyn wrote: "Life has been good, and it gets better every day. I got very lucky and married a really great guy - Robert “Bobby” Manee. He has a wonderful sense of humor and is great fun to be with. We have two sons, two daughters, and 10 grandchildren. After high school, I spent a year at the University of Florida and later graduated from the University of South Florida. I then taught Business Education at Brandon High and Plant City High. Later I went into the Real Estate Business."


Carolyn and Bobby Manee


*Ray McEachern - Email: rtmceach@verizon.net Wife’s name Pat. Two children, no grand children. Spent 12 years with Federal government before returning to Florida. Have owned three businesses in Tampa area including a vending company purchased two years ago to provide retirement income and activity. Set up nonprofit organization and spent 10 years traveling the state and nation to lobby for change in hospital oversight after Pat was injured by a doctor’s mistake at Tampa General Hospital in 1992. Published a book to help warn the public of danger from hospital acquired injury and infection. We claim some credit for the fact that Florida now has a web site where information on doctor qualifications and hospital quality can be viewed by the public. See the links on the right side of this blog to access this information. Anyone who would like a free copy of the book may contact me by email.




Mary White is shown above with her husband and vintage Mustang,"The Blue Pony." Mary says she is looking forward to coming. At the left is Ray McEachern and his wife, Pat. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

*Mary White Soukup - Email: macner@aol.com Husband’s name Frank. Retired from American Airlines as a Flight Attendant November 2001 after 42 years. Flew MAC trips to Vietnam and the Far East during Vietnam war. Flew CRAF trips during Operation Desert Storm to Middle East.. Worked International flights for the past 30 years. Married to Frank Soukup, a former classmate from Nebraska high school in 1999. Two step children, four grandchildren. Living in beautiful Arizona for last seven years.

*Louise Ahlers Noland - Email: ld_noland@yahoo.com Husband’s name Jack. Two sons, one grand son. Taught school for 23 years in Virginia while Jack worked for CIA. Moved to Ashville, NC in 1996 when husband retired. Now a high school library assistant.

*Jack Wilbur Roberts - Email:roberts3859@aol.com Wife’s name Rosalee. Four sons. Professional engineer since 1969. Resident Construction engineer for Sunshine Skyway after it was knocked down by the Summit Venture in 1980. Since 1994, Senior Vice President for Florida Region of Volkert & Associates, Inc.

*Marvin Spivey - Email: cemaspi@verizon.net wife's name: Lynnette Cotten, married 48 years; one son and two daughters; eight grandchildren; served two years as missionary in Hong Kong and four years in Philippines. Presently, transition pastor and consultant for Southern Baptist Churches. BA Stetson University, Master of Divinity, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

*Myrle Henry - Email: Florida_Opry@yahoo.com Wife’s name Tommie. Two children. No grand children. Owner of Magnolia Pharmacy in Plant City for thirty four years. Now a part time pharmacist with Kash and Karry. Has been active in Plant City civic affairs and a deacon of the First Baptist Church for many years. Past president of P.C. Lions Club, Past President of the East Hillsborough Historical Society. Past President of the Hillsborough County Pharmacy Association, Founder of the Plant City Towers, Founder and MC of the Florida Opry, Trustee of the South Florida Baptist Hospital, Recipient of the 2001 Plant City Citizen of the Year Award. Below is a picture of Myrle and Tommie posing with their Gator Wagon near the new home they are building on Keene Road. They are both rabid Florida Gator Fans.







*Marlene Lang Sloan -- Email: melogs@juno.com Marlene is a widow who has lived in the same house in Plant City for almost 50 years. Here she stands in front of her home.


*Lamar Lockhart - Email: llock@gte.net Wife's name is Cecelia. Three children and three grandchildren. Retired from Tampa Electric Co. after 35 years. Lay Minister, Berea Baptist Church; Past Senior Member-International Right-of-Way Association (SR/WA); Past President-Florida Chapter International Right-of-Way Association; Past Chairman, Southeastern Electric Exchange-Real Estate Section; Past President, Plant City Civitan Club. Worked with the United Way for several years as East Hillsborough Division Director, presently work with Florida Gas Transmission on contract. Enjoy doing nothing at Astor, FL but riding the St. Johns River in our spare time.

*Gail Wilder - Email: Pwilder@alltel.net Husband's name Paul (Class of 54) Two sons.

*Virginia Young Beery - Email: ggmvbeery@aol.com Widow. Two children. One deceased. One granddaughter. Two great granddaughters.

*Sandra Huggins Baier - Email: sandisea1045@aol.com

*Howard Barker - Email: howard@airbornesupport.com

*Craig Turner -- Email: tctur@aol.com

Charlene Hudson Shuman -- Email: billy2charlene@aol.com Husband's name Billy.

*Aileen Cooper Pelham -- Email: teach2711@aol.com

*Avonelle Horne Mackerell -- Email: amackerell@atlantic.net

*Gerald Griffin -- Email: smokeygriffin@aol.com Wife's name Dee.

*Glenda Jarvis Story -- Email: gigi1129@msn.com

*Ray Durrett -- Email: rfdurrett@isp.com Wife's name Faye.

*Billy Enfinger -- Email: enfinger@earthlink.net Wife's name Lillian.

*Ann Fulton Paul -- Emial: sallieannll@peoplepc.com Husband's name Earl.

*Joann Herring Crist -- Email: jcrist2@tampabay.rr.com

*Mary L. Lett Keene -- Email: grndmary@aol.com Husband's name William (Bud).

Katy Brown Meyers -- Email: jkmeyers1@comcast.net Husband's name John.

*Mike Crum -- Wife's name Harriet. Three daughters, eight grandchildren. Retired Air Force LTC. Retired director of Georgia Sheriff's Youth Homes. After several surgeries for melanoma, has recovered and is back enjoying Golf and RVing.

*Betty Brown Dukes -- Husband's name C. W. Two children. One deceased. Four grandchildren. Retired after 28 years at Tomlin Jr. High and Bloomingdale High School in data processing. Betty wrote:"God has truly blessed me with a wonderful life.... I married the love of my life in November 1956 and we have two of the greatest kids, Steve and Tammy, and they have given us four of the grandest children ever, Eric, Crystal, Charity and Christian. I started to work only after our children were in school as a data processing clerk for Tomlin Jr. High and was there for 20 years. I helped open the new Bloomingdale HS and retired there 8 years later at the same time C.W. retired from TECO. Three years later our son, Steve, was tragically killed in a tractor accident and even though our lives were changed forever, God, family and friends helped us through such a difficult time. I now enjoy being hostess of our church, visiting the church's homebound, organizing dinners for our elderly once a month, loving to work in our flowers and our home along with spending much time with our grand children. C.W. and I are so lucky!"

*Barbara Williams Miller -- Husband's name Bill. Two daughters, two grandsons. Retired from banking.

*Julius Hobbs -- Wife's name Shirley. Retired from TECO in 2001 as Director of Corporate Relations and Executive Director of TECO Energy Foundation.

*Louise Cali -- Husband's name Paul.

*Claudia Coleman -- Husband's name Lewis.

*Mattie Parrish Jordan -- Husband's name Billy.

*Ronald Tucker -- Wife's name Emmie Lou. Retired general contractor and mortgage banker. As a member of Optimist International, raised funds and volunteers to build 20 acre park with soccer, baseball and softball fields, and many other facilities. Served as president of the Senior Advisory Board for Santa Rosa Hospital. Served on board of directors for Boys' Ranch for unwanted kids. Restarted Santa Rosa County Fair after a fifty year hiatus.

*Sandra Pemberton Jeffries

*Mary Jane Jackson Parolina -- Husband's name Bill.

*Maureen Crum

*Jim (Buddy) Mayo -- Email jmayo1694@aol.com
Guest's name Norma Hagan

*Clay Durrett -- Email durretts@earthlink.net Wife's name Sandra.

*Herman (Red) Coleman -- Wife's name Patsy.

*Carl Brownlee -- Wife's name Geri. Carl has collected many beautiful antiques including the working juke box shown below. He extends an invitation to classmates to stop by his business, The Florida Insurance Center on Alexander Street, to see the antiques on display.


*Nancy Phillips Booher -- Husband's name Gary.

*Jolly Howell Dull -- Husband's name Bert.

*Ray Simmons -- Email: SimmonsRoad@aol.com Wife's name Kay. Ray wrote:"I just wanted to say hello and that I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. You know, our family has been richly blessed....with my wife Kay, two sons, daughter-in-law, and one grandson (now 11 months old). After graduation from Florida Southern College, I worked in the agriculture industry. I am retired from the Division of Plant Industry and the U. S. Army Reserves. The greatest challenge has been my chronic metabolic and liver disease for many years. In 1991, my doctors advised me that a transplant would be my only hope for survival. Eleven months later, I was fortunate enough to receive a life-saving liver transplant at the University of Pittsburgh. We just give God all the glory for this wonderful medical miracle which has extended my life!! I would encourage each one of you to consider organ and tissue donation since all of you are potential donors. Remember--life is the greatest gift anyone can give!!!!


*Mel Wetherington -- Email: mel@melw.com Wife's name Judy.

*James Martin

*Betty Linton Brown -- Husband's name Ray.

Bob Pinson -- Email: bob@customexpresshomes.com

Charlotte Wilbur Williams

*Ronnie DeShong -- Guest's name Diane Emmons.

*Carolyn Fletcher Gillman -- Email: cgillman@tampabay.rr.com Husband's name Leo.

*Leo Gillman -- Email: lgillman@tampabay.rr.com Wife's name Carolyn.

*Amelia Polk Skolnik -- Husband's name Richard.

Gene McQueen -- Email: bullseyemc@earthlink.net

Roy C. McGowan -- Wife's name Diane.

*L. J. Harvill -- Attending on Saturday night only.

*Rex Ballenger --Email: rexballballr@aol.com

*Billy Davis -- Email: mrbilld01@aol.com Wife's name Shelba.

*Browning Hill - Email: RBH1826@yahoo.com

Betty Jean Sears Durrance - Email: BJDurrance@aol.com Husband's name, Gene. Betty and Gene are coming to the church and lunch on Sunday only.