1. No category

December 2012
Issue 15
Inside This Issue:
! Larry Widmer
Dies
— page 2
! 1st Principal’s
Untimely Death
—page 3
!
Scholarship
Donors Listed
— page 6
! Class Reunion Info
— page 7
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
North Central High School Alumni Association 509-466-3562
http://www.northcentralhsalumniassociationspokane.com/
Editor: Al Hanson alanh111@comcast.net
Alumni Assoc.
Needs Your
Support
The current reincarnation of the NCHS
Alumni Association came into existence
in early 2009, and as the organization’s
fourth year comes to a close this month,
it’s a good time to review its accomplishments and assess the challenges it faces.
One of the association’s primary goals in
its early years has been a simple one—to
find ways of letting NC’s approximately
20,000 living graduates know that we
exist. Only then can we recruit new
members and encourage them to help with
the association’s programs to support
student activity groups, classroom
programs, and college scholarship grants.
grants totaling nearly $10,000 to NC
activity groups and athletic teams. The
association’s foundation has awarded
college scholarships to five NC seniors in
the Classes of 2011 and 2012.
A breakdown of the current membership
lists reveals some interesting trends. There
are 2 members from the 1930s, 23 from
the 1940s, 192 from the 1950s, 91 from
the 1960s, 21 from the 1970s, 24 from the
1980s, 16 from the 1990s, and 3 from the
2000s. The Class of 1957 has the most
members with 51. There are also 19
former NC staff members on the roles.
Clearly, alumni from the ’50s and ’60s are
most likely to join the association. Over
Our main way of getting the word out has 70% of our membership graduated during
been through this quarterly newsletter, the those two decades. The drop in members
first issue of which appeared in June 2009. from 1970-2012 (only 64 members from
those 43 classes) shows that the alumni
The newsletter goes out to as many NC
graduates as we can find. All who receive association needs to find ways to
it are encouraged to forward copies to any communicate with and become relevant to
the needs of NC’s younger graduates.
other alumni they are in contact with.
Some class administrators, such as Peggy
(Henning) Frank ’67 and Debbie (Cofini) How can you show support for the alumni
Marsh ’81, forward copies of each issue to association? If you’re not a member, join.
If you are a member, make sure you
everyone on their class email lists.
respond when notified that your membership is up for renewal. Donate what you
Of course, we hope that all alumni who
can to the association’s school activity
receive the newsletter will join the
fund and/or its scholarship fund. Share
association. We currently have over 400
members. If you are reading this and have your suggestions for how to keep the
association growing and relevant. Finally,
not yet joined the association, please do
get involved. The association Council
so. Annual dues are only $5, and as little
as that is, when added to that of hundreds especially needs some younger members
of others, it allows the association to assist to help us connect with those who have
graduated from the “new” North Central.
many of the school’s current students.
— Al Hanson ’67 | alanh111@comast.net
Over the past three years, we have made
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
In Passing:
The following
members of the N.C.
family have passed
away recently
Elizabeth (Nyberg)
Dammel !30
age 101!
Roberta A. (Weber)
Weathers !49
Dale E. Mitchell !51
Jack J. Evenhoff !51
Beverly (Blackwell)
Miner !52
Larry J. Widmer !52
Minnie E. (Forester)
Olsen !53
Kenneth L. Daly !53
Larry D. Phelps !57
Patricia A. (Green)
Killmer !59
Sandra D. (Rudy)
Beach !61
Verna J. (Lee) Taft !64
Nicholas A.
Clemenson !67
Gene L. Collins !71
David A. Vulcano !73
Conrad A. Wicht
Social Studies Teacher
1963-64
Page 2
North Central Distinguished Alumnus
Larry Widmer (’52) Passes Away
Larry Widmer, a “Distinguished Alumnus”
of North Central H.S., died November 9,
2012, in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 78.
A graduate in the Class of January 1952,
Larry was a star player on the school’s
1951 city championship football team. He
was raised by his mother, who worked
several jobs to provide for her son. During
his high school years, he lived in a house on
Dalton Avenue. “I would walk to Wall
Street and hitchhike to school,” he
explained in a 2003 Spokesman-Review
interview. “Several teachers lived up the
north hill and took me to school.”
Larry credited his teachers at NC with
making a lasting impression on his life.
They included Ken Hagen, football coach
Bill Diedrick, and his homeroom and
industrial arts teacher Vern Broadwell. “I
didn’t really figure it out until several years
later how much those teachers took me
under their wing because they knew I didn’t
have a dad,” Larry recalled.
After high school, Larry went on to earn a
Bachelor of Science degree from WSU. He
moved to Oakland, California, where he
built and owned a highly successful roofing
company. After retiring in 2001, Larry and
his wife Doty moved to Dallas. During
yearly trips to Spokane, Larry would visit
North Central. “I never really did anything
for the high school,” he told the Review. “I
felt compelled to pay back to the high
school that did so much for me.”
He got his chance during the Class of
1952’s fifty-year reunion in 2002. When
assistant principal Ed Fisher asked for
donations to finance a climate-controlled
display case for the school’s authentic
Indian buckskin clothes and artifacts, Larry
stepped forward. He became the project’s
principal donor, giving $40,000 to the
museum quality display that now is the
centerpiece of the school’s entry hallway.
For his successful business career and his
gift to NC, Larry Widmer was inducted as a
“Distinguished Alumnus” of the school in
2004. A plaque recognizing his
accomplishments is on permanent display
at NC. His family has asked that donations
in Larry’s memory be sent to North Central
to maintain and preserve the Indian display.
The alumni association newsletter is published four times per year in March, June,
September, and December. Articles, photos, and letters-to-the-editor for the newsletter are
always welcome. Send submissions to editor Al Hanson by email at alanh111@comcast.net
or by U.S. mail at 12007 N. Atlantic St., Spokane, WA 99218. For more information, call
the editor at 509-466-3562.
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
Page 3
J. Herman Beare …
The Mysterious Death of NC’s 1st Principal
“Our beloved friend, teacher and adviser, J. Herman Beare, has been taken from us by Death’s stern
angel. We miss his friendly morning smile, his cheerful presence in the halls, his devoted interest in
us. Each day when our work is over and we are passing the office, we look for the face that we may
not see and listen for the voice that we may not hear. Then we feel the pall of silence in the building
from which a presence has been called, and we are overwhelmed with the magnitude of our loss.”
— The Tamarack, October 1909
by Al Hanson
Shortly after NC opened its doors for just its second
year in the fall of 1909, the school’s first student
publication, The Tamarack (then a quarterly
magazine), eulogized Principal J. Herman Beare, who
had died that summer at the age of 34.
Mr. Beare was born and educated in Ontario, Canada.
After several years of ministry work there, he moved
to Spokane in 1904 and took a position teaching
English at South Central H.S. He was chosen to lead
the new north side high school when it opened in
September 1908. With NC still under construction, he
welcomed 488 students that first year.
While working on a history of North Central H.S. in
1980, I wondered what caused the death of such a
young and energetic man. The Tamarack mentioned
an unspecified illness: “Presently there came to him
the realization that he was suffering from a dread
disease. Although his physician advised him that the
necessity of giving up school work was imperative,
his nature cried out against leaving his boys and
girls.”
Curiosity about the cause of Mr. Beare’s death took
me to the public library, where on microfilm I
scanned the obituary pages of every issue of the
Spokesman-Review from the summer of 1909 looking
for his death notice. Finding no mention of him, the
mystery of his passing remained unsolved.
However, one day about 20 years later, while sitting
at my computer, I tried entering his name in the
Google search window. Up popped a list indicating
that his obituary appeared in the Review on August
17, 1909. A return to the library revealed why I had
missed his death notice 20 years before—it was on
the front page of that issue, not on the obituary page.
According to his obituary, Mr. Beare died at 3
o’clock that morning at the home of his sister, Mrs.
Parr Allen, at 2020 College Avenue. The Review’s
notice ran counter to the Tamarack contention that it
was the result of a long, drawn out illness.
“Mr. Beare’s death followed an illness of less than
three weeks, and although his condition was
regarded as serious, his death came quite suddenly.
Mr. Beare had not been feeling well since the close of
school in June, but he was not confined to his bed
until about two weeks ago.”
Scanning down the obituary, I finally came to a
statement concerning the cause of death: “Mr.
Beare’s death was caused by a general breakdown
resulting from overwork.” If that’s the case, then J.
Herman Beare literally gave his life for North
Central, sacrificing his health in the hectic work of
organizing the new school.
The year after his death a tablet was placed in NC’s
lower hallway. It read, “In Memoriam. J. Herman
Beare. Principal of this School 1908-1909. The
evening twilight found him faithful still.”
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
Page 4
N.C. Alumni Association Educational Foundation
Annual Scholarships Depend of Continuing Donations
The Association’s Educational Foundation will accept
applications in the spring for its annual scholarship
grants. Seniors in the Class of 2013, as well as 2011 and
2012 graduates who have completed one year of college
or six months of a technical school are eligible to apply.
The number and amount of scholarships will depend on
continuing donations and income earned by the
Foundation’s endowment fund.
So far a total of $2,600 has been donated in memory of
former principal John Rodkey. According to Foundation
policy, an annual scholarship will be presented in Mr.
Rodkey’s name once a total of $10,000 has been donated
in his memory. Obviously, we are well short of the
needed amount. All NC alums whose lives Mr. Rodkey
touched are encouraged to use the form below to make a
donation in his memory so that his name will live
forever at NC on an annual alumni scholarship.
The following donations have recently been received by
the alumni association’s scholarship fund.
• Paul and Cheri (Strong) Nelson ’68 donated $50 in
honor of Don and Pat Walter’s 50th Wedding
Anniversary.
• Richard Stark ’53 donated $100 in memory of John
Rodkey.
• Gordon Litzenberger ’73 donated $100 in memory of
Dave Volcano ’73.
• Alan Hanson ’67 donated $100 in memory of Nick
Clemenson ’67.
• Brian Hipperson ’67 donated $10.
• Gail and Roberta (Thorpe) Keeling ’65 donated $100
in memory of their uncle, Ralph (Bud) McDaniel ’47.
• Robert Grossman ’54 donated $100.
N.C. ALUMNI ASSN. EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Please complete and mail to the address below. No gift is too small!
Donor Name(s): _____________________________________________ Class(es) of: ______________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________ State: ____________ Zip: __________
Donation Made: (circle one if applicable) IN HONOR / IN MEMORY / IN RECOGNITION OF
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to: NCHS ALUMNI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Mail your check and form to: NCHS Alumni Educational Foundation
c/o Gail Keeling, treasurer
4023 N. Garry Road
Otis Orchards, WA 99027
For more information, please call Al Hanson at 509-466-3562
All donations are tax deductible
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
Page 5
North Central Booster Club News
• NC Car Decals …
Get your NC Car Decal at the North Central Business
Office. Two great designs and the cost is just $6 each.
Between the Alumni Association and the Booster Club,
you can boldly show your Indian pride with all the
fantastic items both groups have to offer!
• Winter Sports Program …
Check out our “Where Are They Now?” pages highlighting several NC alumni basketball players in our
Winter Sports Program, available for only $3 at the
Concession Stand during home basketball games.
• Phone-A-Thon …
NC students will be contacting all current NC households during late February 2013 to ask for their
support. If you would like to donate, please see the
Booster Club website for additional information.
Thank you to those who have donated in the past to our
annual Phone-A-Thon. ALL funds received go directly
to support activities and athletics at North Central.
• Golf Tournament …
Save the date! Our 6th annual Booster Club golf benefit
will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2013. Other
area high schools have seen amazing turnouts from
their alumni at these events. We’d love to see the same
for North Central. For more information, check the
North Central page on the Spokane Public Schools
website starting early next year.
• Website …
Please visit the North Central Booster Club website at
www.ncbooster.club.com to see the latest information
on our club. In you have any questions, please contact
Kathy Smith at 509-220-3276 or Renee Stewart at 509869-6757.
Representatives of the Classes of 1951 and 1952 gathered at North Central on November 16 to present a check
for $3,300 to be used for the school’s Advanced Placement Scholarship Fund. On hand for the presentation
were (from left) Alan Torgerson ’52, Gail (Jackson) Jarvis ’51, Willie Benson ’52, Joan (Wirch) Koch ’52, Jack
Meredith ’51, Dollee (Mead) Meredith ’52, and John Tuft ’52. The donation came from the funds remaining
following the two classes’s 60-year reunion held in September. The AP fund helps needy NC students defray
the cost of taking national Advanced Placement Tests. “This support will help over 40 students take AP tests
and also help them receive their first college credit,” explained Assistant Principal Steve Fisk.
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
Historical Photo
Page 6
The Howard Street entrance to the
old NC building comes crashing
down during the demolition process
in the summer of 1981.
(Photo by Marjorie Rozelle)
Letter to the Editor …
The Passing of a Great One!
It was the end of the first semester for the Class of 1957
senior year at North Central High. For whatever reason,
I was one of those people that John Rodkey had trained
himself to keep at eye on. I was preparing to leave
Spokane and head for Fort Ord, California, and basic
training in the U. S. Army early in 1957. I would not be
attending the graduation in June with my class.
With my squares finally filled, and my orders in my
pocket, that last day I made my way around to say
goodbye. Mr. Rodkey saw me in the hallway about the
same time that I saw him. My respect even then for the
man was right at the top. But it was his comments that
day that have always stayed with me. He said to me, “I
want to congratulate you on your effort here at North
Central and wish you the best in the future.” How did he
know that I was leaving NC? I never had him as an
instructor. My only relationship with him had been a few
times while I was an ASB Representative for my home
room. But that was the kind of guy that John Rodkey
was. He had made it a habit to know things and to see
things—that was one trait that held him up above the
rest. He really cared!
On Sept. 6, 2012, I gathered with others of the Class of
1957 at a Pizza Parlor in Spokane to mingle and greet
old friends. In talking with Jerry and Mary-Anne
Littlemore, the discussion turned to who is still around.
When I asked about John, I was told that he was gone.
The sadness that came over me made me so glad that I
made sure at the 50th reunion I had made it a point to
tell “Mr. Rodkey” how much his words meant to me 55
years ago! When I look back over the years, there will
never be an instructor, teacher, or adviser who will stand
out in my mind or stand as high as John P. Rodkey.
—John Larson ’57
N.C. Alumni Newsletter
Page 7
North Central Class Reunion Information
Please send updated reunion information to the editor at alanh111@comcast.net.
It will be printed in future newsletters and posted on both the alumni website and the North Central school site.
Classes of 1948, 1949, and 1950: The 65-year reunion for the Class of 1949 is being planned for June 2014. We
are inviting the Classes of 1948 and 1950 to join us for this special event. The exact date and location information
will be available in 2013. If you know of anyone who is unaware of our alumni plans, please contact one of the
following: (1) Frank Thompson, 7715 N. Rock Ridge Dr., Spokane, WA 99208, 509-466-1975 or 509-991-1010,
cityterace@q.com (2) Annette (Krom) Howland, W. 3808 Heroy, Spokane, WA 99205, 509-325-2205 (3) Bob
Wright, W. 3231 Boone #420, Spokane, WA 99201, 253-906-7676, lizzel@juno.com.
Class of 1958: Our 55-year reunion is
scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013,
and Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. There
will be a pizza party on Tuesday night at
Field House Pizza and Pub at 4423 W.
Wellesley. The dinner on Wednesday
night will be at Wandermere Golf Course.
Sandy Smith is chairman, but she has no
email. Her address is 1510 E. Vanetta
Lane, Spokane, WA 99217. Billie Fullmer
is the class contact person and assistant
administrator on Classreport. Her address
is 2521 W. Rockwell Ave., Spokane, WA
99205; home phone 509-328-1215; cell
phone (seldom on) 509-534-3456; email
Billiefullmer@comcast.net Feel free to
contact Billie with any questions.
Class of 1963: The committee is meeting once a month. Anyone is interested in helping can contact Helen (Miller)
Bruggeman at hjbrugg@gmail.com. The main event is on Saturday, July 20th, at Mukogawa on the Fort Wright
Campus. Cost will be about $60. On July 19 there will be an informal no host get together at a venue to be announced.
On July 21 there will be a picnic and hopefully a tour of the new North Central. We have a Facebook page where we
are also posting info. Anyone from the class of 63 can join the page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/82573495714/?fref=ts
Class of 1983: The Class 1983 is having their 30th reunion on August 10, 2013, at the Spokane Club. More
information to come.
Class of 1988: The Class of 1988 is planning to hold a 25th Year Reunion on August 3, 2013. Updates will be
posted at http://classreport.org/usa/wa/spokane/nchs/1988/ Sandy (Rebich) VanHout is the website administrator
(sandy@vanhoutfamily.com).
Classes of 1953, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1993, 1998, 2003: If you are planning upcoming reunions, please send us
information about them so that we can include it in the March newsletter.
NORTH CENTRAL H.S. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP FORM
Name: ______________________________________________________________
Maiden Name: _______________________________________________________
Class of (Year) _______________________________________________________
(If renewing, only enter information below that has changed)
Address: ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Phone # (optional) ____________________________________________________
E-mail Address: ______________________________________________________
Receive newsletter via:
E-mail_______
Dues Enclosed (check one): 1 Year
U.S. Mail_______
$5
_____
2 Years
$10 _____
3 Years
$15
_____
4 Years
$20
_____
Added Donation to Alumni Association School Activity Fund ______
Please make checks out to: NCHS Alumni Assoc.
Mail your check and form to:
North Central H.S. Alumni Assoc.
1600 N. Howard
Spokane, WA 99205
For more information email Al Hanson at alanh111@comcast.net
or phone: (509) 466-3562