Lost Friends

In an earlier post, I talked about friends and family members who have died. This time I'd like to briefly mention friends who have disappeared from my life. The last time I saw some of my high school friends (from St. Joe's in Cleveland) was graduation day of 1966. I particularly think of Pete Gasper, a bright guy, Beatlemaniac, fine poet, who grew up in Eastlake. I wonder if Pete ever did anything with his gift for poetry.

On June 11, 1970, I graduated from the University of Notre Dame. I have seen some of my old college friends at reunions, weddings, funerals, and football games. But I never again saw Carol Handley (a St. Mary's College girl who lived in Selma, Indiana). What did Carol end up doing? What kind of life did she make? Some other St. Mary's girls I remember: Kathy Breitenbach of Pepper Pike, Ohio; Julie Castrop, of Columbus, Ohio; Rene Mirro, of Merrillville, Indiana. Where are they now? What kind of lives?

After Notre Dame, I made some new friends in Cleveland. What ever happened to Gene Killeen, the operator of "Terminal Parking" (W. 6th and Superior). What a great guy with a great family. We had the best-educated parking lot attendants in Cleveland! Gene, Earl Hurd, and me--all Notre Dame grads (and I earned $2.50 an hour with my ND degree!).

When I moved to Cincinnati in 1971 I began working at the 12th Street Clinic. What ever happened to my colleagues there? Dale White DDS; Becky Meyers RN; Charles Couch, health educator and sanitarian; Moscoe Hendrickson; June Miehle, health educator; Joseph Alter MD, clinic director; Ernie Mynatt, consultant to the clinic.

In Cincinnati I was introduced to some of the greatest people I had ever met--Peacemakers and Catholic Workers. Where is Denny Ryan, Joel Stevens, Ruth Wynkoop (who might be known as Ruth Horne or Ruth Gorsuch), Bonnie Tompkins, John Luginbill? Where is Patrick Fanning, who worked with Urban Appalachians in Lower Price Hill?