What a rollercoaster ride!  (You will all agree, I’m sure.)

After graduating from San Jose State where Ruth Ryland and I were freshman roommates and attending Chapman’s 7 Seas Semester in Fall “67 with Gail Lehman, I returned to Santa Ana where I completed my teaching credential at Chapman College.  That 1st summer home I saw John Eddy at a party and we began dating.  Both of us were teaching the next year and he was applying to Medical Schools after graduating from Yale on a full scholarship, doubling his major to Philosophy and Physics and still graduating Phi Beta Kappa!

We married in March of ’71 and went up to UC Davis where John was in medical school and I substitute taught and did a Masters in Theatre.  John gave the medical school graduation speech along with special guest Dr Spock.  Moved down to Palo Alto that summer where John was 1 of 9 interns accepted for Stanford’s Internal Medicine Intern program.  It was intense and stressful but he continued on with a Neurology Residency.  Half-way through that year he fell into a deep depression, doubting himself, his intellect and skills.  Sadly, he refused professional help and took his own life at the age of 28.  We had a 6-month year old son Gabriel.

I moved back down to Irvine where I had family nearby.  It was a difficult time for me but I made good friends and Gabe enjoyed growing up there.  After a couple of years I went to Cal State Fullerton to get my degree in Accounting to become a CPA.  There I met my future husband, Tony Ransford, who was my Business Law teacher.  Two years later we were married, I passed the CPA exam and Gabe was in Kindergarten.

I ended up working in Tony’s law office in Laguna Hills, doing taxes and accountings for his clients’ estates.  We were married for 31 wonderful years and lived in Hawaii (Kona) for 5 years after retirement in 2002.  Tony died after a short illness in 2012.

Gabe and I moved around a bit and have finally settled in San Luis Obispo.  He has his own place but is still single.  I have remained close friends with many from Willard and SAHS including Barbara Blackwood, Dee Dee Whiteaker, Ruth Ryland and Pat Briggs.  We have had several “mini” reunions over the years.  Often we comment how lucky we all were to have grown up in beautiful Orange County, near orange groves and beaches, with so many wonderfully nice, simple people.

My brother , Robert (Bob) Lindley also lives nearby and, just a note, I recently found a picture while moving of my dad in his SAHS basketball uniform from about 1930!  (Both of my parents graduated from SAHS.)

Barbara Blackwood and I are sharing a room at the Marriott and are looking forward to fun weekend and seeing everyone!