Anne Adele Szablowski (Robillard)

But, WAIT, where's Jack Barber's pic???  And Bobby Spencer's? 

David White

We will miss you Mike Amos. A talented, humble person who was totally without guile. 

Houston Kauffman

Whenever people gathered, the group was more lively when Mike was there. When he was talking to you one on one, he gave you his full attention. The way he accepted all his medical troubles over the decades is an inspiration to me. I know it had to get him down, but I never saw it. Thanks for inspiring me, Mike.

Jack Graves

Life is fragile.  

Rest In Peace Mike - you will be missed!

Jack Graves

The Sense of Things.

When I was a small boy our lives were free and wild and we left on a Saturday early and only came home when we were hungry. We got up to no good but we knew every ditch and blackthorn bush, every camp and hiding place and the best apples to slog. Then when on our hols we knew every rock pool and every fish and their spots and every turn of the tide and change on the beach. We had a sense of nature and easy times and in the past few years I feel I have that sense back again. Memories of conkers on strings in the hotpress.
Maybe it is the cottage by the sea and doing so much of the work ourselves or maybe just starting again to plant stuff as we did when the kids were young and also just being in the sea again. My Mum always shared her sense of things and her Pearl Grey Skies and she knew the seasons and painted them as they made her feel. So a damp wet boggy winter day under tress gave her as much pleasure and amazement as the brightest summer day on the beach. We’d shiver despite the sun and eat jam sandwiches whilst we tried and struggled to get our vests on and into our rubber dollies but she never failed to make us see and feel things around us. Daisy chains and paintings on the beach made of seaweed and later Jane and our kids had the same with ice-lol glassy gem sculptures and flowers from the fields above Meelmane and decorating the old cottage with flowers for a party..all in the sense of the world.

I think we lost a bit of that and I feel it coming back now and I’m glad of it. 

The sea is great and gives me space to chat to lost love ones and new casual friends who all also have a love for islands and wave against tide and wind. The sea birds and seals keep us company and the salt cleanses us in and out and time stands still and gives me space to think and take time to ponder and wonder. I hope all my kids and grandkids hold a sense of wonderment all through their lives. Work takes over and you can lose the beauty all around, so head for the mountains and the coast, keep driving up warm hills in California and the snows of Colorado and out into the mountains of Wicklow and to the sea in West Cork and all your lives will fill with beauty and lazy time and the Sense of Things will warm your heart. Those are the thoughts these last few weeks. 
Memories flood as the tide turns and draws me back.

from an Irish Rugby mate, Pat O’Brien

Claudia Hutchinson

Thank you Jack. That was lovely!

Rob Wall

I'm just now seeing this and can't believe it. I along with so many others have so many great memories of Yellowjacket Baseball and all the guys that played during our four year stint. I just remember how fast Mike was and how much ground he could cover standing out there at just about the most important position on the field playing shortstop. memories of playing in the old Arlington Stadium, pretty cool for a bunch of young high school kids. Mike was a good guy and had a great smile and no one took the game more seriously when we were playing. Many great memories!  

Anne Adele Szablowski (Robillard)

Thanks to our classmates who made the precious comments about John Berry. He was quite a guy...funny, witty, smart, and was proud to be a Lover of God. Loved the stories, especially the one about the football bus driving home after a victory and John SINGING per Coach Priddy's urging!  

Once again, as we all know, our AHHS Class of '73 was and IS special! I'm sure we all have friends who marvel that we HAVE this website, AND that we USE IT! 

Let's remember to hug those we love and tell them we love them! JACKETS FIGHT FOREVER! Anne 

Brad Smith

Amen to your comments Anne.  This past year has been really tough for me personally losing many friends, some from Heights and some from other relationships, college, church, work, etc.   Needless to say, we aren't getting any younger, and the aches and pains are catching up.  It is so important to reflect on and engage with those people whose relationships you cherish.  I appreciate so much my time at AHHS and the friendships made.  And today I am thankful for this tool to facilitate our special relationships.  
Truly John Berry was a special guy.  I miss him.  Let us not forget how much we all mean to one another.  Love you guys!!!

Margaret Gregory (Forbes)

This year's Annual Day at Heights.

Passed by on Ashland this a.m. The kids are determined to make the best of a truncated year. Who ever knew a drive by at Heights would be so needed and desired! See their matching T-shirts?

This coming school year is ripe for a re-set of Jacket Spirit.

With FWISD offices just now opening (post-ransomware attack and lockdown!), I have an email into the principal asking about needs and how to funnel help from alumni  to students and organizations for 2020-2021. You may have your own contacts which may be even better, as well. Let's share and give a positive spin to our new and ever changing normal. Even if we can't meet without social distancing and masks (if at all!), we can come together on this wonderful website to lift up our latest Jackets.

Ideas to help wanted. You may have the best ideas yet. Don't be shy. Put them forward! We can all make things happen with our FWISD and PTA partners. Our 2020-2021 Jackets deserve the best!! 

Let's create some good feelings to counterbalance the sad and the bad that are so omni-present these days..

Jackets Fight!!

Gary L. Gibson

as most of you know i just don,t log in as much as i should  just found out about mike a. i totally enjoy ed his company around second base my senior year. he will be fondly remembered. now for something a little more up to date(my fault totally). you all know i have been honored for the past seven years as katy merrill's partner in happiness. well, she is not doing very well  right now. suffered a few falls( probably not a surprise to some) that took alot out of her. now she is scheduled for surgery in three weeks and i pray she is strong enough. i,m trying to build her strength up as we get near to the date, and i wish all her close friends say alot of prayers for her. she is the love of my life and for some reason she says the same about me. it,s just easier for her to agree. the reason for the surgery will remain our little secret, but thoughts will be appreciated.keep the faith and be strong in this sad time of our lives( corona,racism, china, and whatever else is screwing this planet. we love and think of every one of our fellow jackets and friends. bless you all.

Claudia Hutchinson

Gary...you had me at Love of your life. I agree this is such a hard time and I pray every day that we can open our hearts to love and understanding. Please give Katie a big hug from all of us. Let me know if there is something I can do to help.  I'm here with prayers for you both.

Claudia Hutchinson

Sorry Katy not Katie..... I'm not very good at spelling!

Anne Adele Szablowski (Robillard)

Gary, 

What a thoughtful post about Katy and Mike! 

Agree with Claudia, you are the sweetest to acknowledge Katy as the love of your life! Katy is in our prayers, as are you as her caregiver! AND, we hope to read about the success of Katy's surgery and recovery! 

God bless everyone. You know, these posts are such an example of my "answer" when people ask me why I think and KNOW our Class of '73 is so special! Jackets FIGHT Forever!!! Anne

Donna Forester (Fisher Boccieri)

Dear yellow jackets- i too don't log on very often but have been so saddened by Mike's and John's passing.  Two fine men among the plethora of fine men in our class. I agree with Anne- we did know when we left Heights that we had been a part of an extraordinary group of people and I remain grateful for those experiences. Gary- Katy is in my prayers and will be lifted up each day. Keep us posted ok?  To all- what a curious and unprecedented year we are having in 2020   I am thinking of each of you today and hoping that you and your loved ones are well and that you are finding silver linings to your changed or cancelled plans, the lack of freedom to congregate, the fluid and stressful (or lack of!) business environment. and so on. Even so-its been a time to stop bad habits, start some new and better ones, read books, catch up with loved ones and get outside where there is lots to do and it's "safer" .  Being in the blood business, I would say two things--- the convalescent plasma we are collecting from people who have recovered from COVID-19  is working! A Mayo doctor in AZ told us recently that "it is making a hell of a difference" in current patients who receive a transfusion   
secong thing- if you are healthy, please consider donating a regular blood donation   There are still leukemia and surgical patients who need blood and there is never enough of a supply, especially in summer and with the current pandemic situation  

be well and may God bless you and keep you safe! Donna

realize

Gary L. Gibson

let the recovery begin. thanks to all our friends and classmates for their prayers ; katy made it through the surgery with flying colors. what a tough gal she is. she was very pleased when i told her of the response to my post. now after a few days rest(if you can call it that) she'll be coming home. hospitals is not the place for good rest so i will have to spoil her all over again. thanks again jackets.

Yvonne Marie Blaisdell (Mann)

Dear Classmates,

So we wonder what we can do to help with all that is going on around us, around our families and friends, and around these new alums from AHHS.  We can do what we have done since our own young adulthood, where we faced long gas lines, no lights for Christmas to conserve, a presidential scandal called Watergate, birth of personal technology (Microsoft and Apple), a long ongoing war in Vietnam and people (women, people of color and people of different sexual orientations) asking for the right to be treated equally and respectfully.

Wow, strange, only you all would realize how it seems we are repeating headlines all these years later, with government scandals, no toilet paper (you know I had to go there), human rights violated and invasive technology.  Yes, we could go to a “sit in” – we created that move (well more likely a march now), but that is not how we will make a change.  First and foremost we need to “lean in” and not step back or stand still.  We grow the most when we face adversity, when we learn the changes we need to make – transform our thoughts and look outside the bubble we may live in.  We need to use the tools of life we have been sharpening in all our 65 years – using faith, hope and love (I know, right?) to guide us.  We are not the kids we were back then, we have loved and lost, learned the value of hope against despair and found the power of strong faith.

They are the values we need to strengthen in these times and this starts with us in everyday small powerful actions, like seeing a police officer kneel with protestors.  When you all comment on the loss of a classmate I see how you don’t talk about if they were rich, successful or beautiful – you always speak of their honesty, humor, faithfulness, and loyalty.  So, come on, get out there – drop a knee in prayer, give a smile of hope and spread unconditional love - that is not just 70's hippie talk.  Maybe then, decades later these young adults will not be pondering like us about why this is still happening.   Just felt led to share with you, didn't mean to be so long!

Margaret Gregory (Forbes)

So glad to hear, Gary! Tell "Legs" we are all praying for her and cheering her on. That is the true power!!

Jerry Boydstun

Marshall Johnson died Sunday March 6, 2022 after a bout with cancer he’d been fighting for over 2 years.

I grew up down Straley Avenue from Marshall and his big brother Robert(AHHS '70), kept up with him from Burton Hill Elementary, Stripling Junior High, Heights, and University of Texas at Arlington. Rest In Peace.

Marshall Johnson

Thank you Jerry. I know Marshall considered you a real friend and shared many memories of you with me.

Karla Johnson

Anne Adele Szablowski (Robillard)

So sad to read about Marshall. What a brave fight he made against cancer. And, yes, may he Rest In Peace. Anne

Jerry Boydstun

50th Already? See y'all on the 25th at the Original.

Don Traylor

Been awhile since I've been in town.  The weather in Austin looks like rain for Wed and ruining a perfectly good day to play golf.  I'll come see ya'll!  Maybe someone can set up a tee time for Thur.

Yvonne Marie Blaisdell (Mann)

Please let me know if you all need help with folks checking in or anything on Wednesday, I am just down the road at TCU and would be glad to step in.  This is a great way to touch base with everyone ahead of the reunion next year.  I will repeat myself again in saying it was wonderful at the 45th, so nice to be in a room full of folks who were "there" when you were and who shared so many similar experiences after high school all the way to now.  Look forward to seeing you all.

Anne Adele Szablowski (Robillard)

Sooooo good to see our classmates for our Happy Hour this past Wednesday at The Original! Lots of laughter and great conversations! Perfect weather to be outside on the patio. We are so blessed with our Class of '73! And then our incredibly generous benefactor who paid the tab was the icing on the cake! Jackets Fight!🐝 Anne