Classmate Updates

Penelope (Penny) Gettings (Thompson)

Now Now
Marital status: Widowed
Children: 2
Occupation: retired CPA
Comment:

I went to High Point University where I graduated with a BS in mathematics in 1966.  I married Jim Fitzgerald (class of '62) Jan. 26, 1965.  We had two beautiful daughters, Deanna (42) and Brooke (40).  I taught school in Raleigh while Jim finished at NC State in 1966-1967.  I was "Mrs. NC State University" for 1967 and still am a big wolfpack fan!!  Jim and I moved back to Winston June of 1967 and Deanna was born that December.  Spring of '68, I got my teaching certificate from Guilford college then taught at Dalton Jr. High until Brooke was born.  I was into lots of volunteer work for the next 6 years and was president of the Jr. Woman's club in 1975.  Jim and I divorced in 1978.


I taught high school math again from 1976 through 1982.  I married Sid Hoots in 1982.


I went back to school at Forsyth Tech where I received an accounting degree.  I became a CPA in April of 1988.  I spent 4 years in public accounting then became controller for the Polar Plastics Plant in Winston-Salem in 1989.  I traveled to Allentown, PA and Montreal, Canada much of the time in that job.  Polar Plastics is a Canadian company based in Montreal.  I retired in 1997.  Sid Hoots and I divorced  in 1995.


I met and married the love of my life in 1997 - Jack Gettings.  We had a loving and caring relationship & had 9 beautiful years together before he died suddenly in Dec of 2005.  I am very close with his children and consider them as my own.  David is 41 and Melissa is 39.


I have 3 wonderful grandsons, Cory (Brooke) 16, Guy 10 & Harris 8 (Deanna).  With grandsons I finally get to buy "boy toys" and love to play with all of them with my grandsons.


I love to travel.  Jack and I traveled extensively through his job with Aon.  We were very fortunate to go throughout Europe, the US and Bermuda with "Uncle Aon" paying the bill!


Also, for many years, one of my sisters lived in Germany so I would go about twice a year.  Germany is in the middle of everything and a good base for travel.


Now that I am alone again I spend much of each winter in Florida where I have 2 sisters.  I sold my house 2 years ago and have a townhome which makes traveling easy.  I am very fortunate that my mom is still living, so that keeps me in Winston as does my daughter Brooke & grandson Cory.


I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.

Ed Graham (Graham Ed & Vicki )

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 3
Occupation: Retired HR Manager
Comment: See: Vicki Graham for more information.

Vicki Graham (Currin)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 3
Occupation: Homemaker
Comment: After RJR. I graduated from Wake Forest and Ed graduated from Guilford College.


Ed and I married and we have three sons. Hilton is here in Winston-Salem, David in Charlotte and our youngest, Brian, in Colorado Springs, CO with our daughter-in-law, Kristy and two beautiful granddaughters Madeline (Maddie) and Caroline. Number three is expected to arrive in January, 2011.


Ed worked for Vulcan Materials Company in various capacities for over 42 years finishing his career spending the last 23 years as HR Manager.


I stayed home raising our three boys and now enjoy time (not as much as I like) with our two granddaughters. 


I stay active playing tennis, enjoying jazzercise and fun group gatherings like Book Club and Investment Club.





Ed enjoys time fly fishing locally and in Colorado and Canada, attending sporting events and working on home projects.


We both have enjoyed skiing, traveling, reading and spending time at Wrightsville Beach.


We are looking forward to the reunion and seeing everyone.

Lane Harriman (Sample)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Single
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired
Comment: I've moved back to Winston-Salem, NC, after 14 adventurous years in Myrtle Beach, SC, where I retired from a career as a SC Licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent. The picture (I'm on the right) is of my cousin and me on Playa Bonita, the beach at Las  Terrenas on the Samana Peninsula of the Dominican Republic, while on a cruise at the end of January, 2010.  I'm a big Haitian art fan and was able to purchase a lovely piece from the "Le Soleil" School while I was there.  The cruise was my retirement celebration. 


     I attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia (2 years - Fine Arts Major), and Forsyth Technical Community College (Computer Science and Fine Arts Major - many and varied courses).  I would like to become active once again in the Winston-Salem fine arts community.  While in Myrtle Beach, I spent two years on the Board of Directors of Schola Cantorum, a local singing group.


     I have a daughter, Anita Shannon Harriman McNeill, her husband and my son-in-law, Dan McNeill, a son, Charles Dale Harriman, Jr., his fiancee and soon to be my daughter-in-law, Amy Staley, two granddaughters, one granddaughter and one grandson (soon to gift me, with his love, Brittany, with a new great-grandchild) by marriage, and one great-grandson by marriage.  Most live in Winston-Salem; however, Dale & Amy live in Greenville, NC. 


     I enjoyed seeing my classmates at the reunion in October, 2009, and am looking forward to our 50th reunion in 2013.  Presently, I am painting, drawing, reading, listening to music, writing fiction (250 pgs. of a romance novel, many pages of an additional novel, a few pages of a third novel), and poetry, (including one published), cooking, and hanging out with new and long-time friends

Janet Haynes (Mathis)

Now Now
Children: 2
Occupation: semi-retired hairdresser
Comment: After a semester at UNC-G, I went to beauty school and became a hairdresser.  I have worked at Lamberti's for 46 years!!!  I've cut my hours back and am semi-retired now.  I have 2 sons and am expecting my first grandchild in November.  It's a boy! I enjoy reading, playing on the computer, knitting and watching movies.  I won a blue ribbon at the Dixie Classic Fair for a baby blanket that I knitted!  I fondly remember lots of things from our RJR days including going to Linda Ketchie's house for lunch and eating dill pickle and potato chip sandwiches.  Sadly, my husband and I are separted after 37 years of marriage.

Charles (Charlie) Hicks

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired
Comment: Retired Navy (23+ years) Cryptologist, government contractor, programmer, explosive detection equipment integrator, computer hardware sales/service. Married for 45 years to a non-RJR grad from Asheboro. Proud father of a daughter and son - and now seven grandchildren. Retired just north of Pensacola, FL (formerly the capital of hurricane central - now in the sights of lotsssssss of oiliness). So looking forward to returning to WS for the reunion!!!!!

Ann Hobgood (Brownlee)

Now Now
Marital status: Single
Children: 2
Occupation: retired UNC/artist
Comment:
A little about me - after RJR, I went to Salem College (Latin major!) and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a BA in Studio Art.  Got married in college, moved to New York and had 2 wonderful children - Ted and Elisabeth - who are now 45 and 43 years old - and 3 grandchildren who live in Carrboro, NC.  I made my living designing needlepoint for many years with my own company and then went to graduate school in 1991 for an MA in teaching deaf and hard of hearing children.  I taught in Moore County, NC for a few years - but spent the last 15 years of my career working at All Kinds of Minds and the Center for Development and Learning at UNC-CH - working with developmental pediatricians to assess and help children who are struggling in school.  I am now retired and spend lots of time working on my old 1880 historic house in Glencoe Cotton Mill Village near Burlington NC.  I tutor 3 wonderful sudents in the upper school at Trinity School - and I'm an almost full time artist with shows in area galleries, juried exhibitions, and open studio tours. 

Katherine Hodges (Joyce)

Marital status: Divorced
Children: 2
Occupation: nurse/case manager
Comment:      I have great memories of my days at RJR: the crowded stairwells of the 8th grade year, band trips and wonderful Mr. Mayer, Miss Hazel's English class!


     After graduation, I entered the nursing program at N.C.Baptist Hospital, graduating in 1966. I was married a few months later to a WFU grad. We were together for 27 years. Our first son was adopted in 1977 and then a second miracle occurred in 1980 when our second son was born to us. They live in  W-S and Greensboro respectively and the younger one is to be married next June.


     I have worked at hospitals in W-S, Spartanburg, S.C. and in Philadelphia in neonatal intensive care, labor and delivery and on a post surgical unit. I have been at Senior Services, Inc. in W-S since 1995 working in case managment for a Medicaid home care program. Hopefully retirement will be possible is a couple of years. For the past 30 years, I have been involved with learning about the deaf community after we realized that our yourger son was deaf. This has been an education in itself and I am so priviliged to have met so many deaf persons and their families through the years.


     Thanks to the commitee for working so hard to put this event together.

Martha Howle (Culler)

Now Now
Marital status: Divorced
Children: 1
Occupation: Retired
Comment:

WOW!  If we have only known how much fun we would have living out our lives.  I attended UNC-G and Salem College for Pshychology & Economics/Management.  I have a daughter and have been married twice.  Both marriages totaled 6 years; so I have been single most of my life.  I love to travel and enjoy talking with my friends that I have made during my journey.  I am a member of Toastmasters in Greensboro.  I work for H&R Block during tax season and am a distributor for Nature's Pearl.  So being retired is a full time job. 

Caroline John (Carlton)

Marital status: Divorced
Children: 2
Occupation: retired/publishing
Comment: I retired from Cox Newspapers after 34 years in marketing, circulation and general management, at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and in Mesa, Arizona. For the last ten years I was Group VP of Community Newspapers and oversaw newspapers in Texas, Colorado and NC.


    Most of my life, after graduating from Duke, was spent in Atlanta where David John and I had two children, Ian and Carlie. (David and I divorced in 1982 and he died of complications from a stroke and diabetes in 1999) Carlie graduated from Georgetown, joined Teach for America, and was the founding principal of the first all girls' charter school in DC.  At age 29, she's now the youngest principal of a public school in DC. Ian is a criminal defense attorney in Memphis, TN and recently stepped down after 2 years as head of the Shelby County Humane Society. No grandchildren yet...


      I'm enjoying not fighting Atlanta traffic everyday and having time for traveling, collecting folk art, volunteering, and seeing virtually every movie that comes out!


      Looking forward to connecting with everyone next week.  Caroline