Monday, June 25, 2007

Missing Classmates!!

Help track down our missing classmates! We have lost the following people!

Kenneth Adlum
Kevin Black
Tina Girey Burdsall
Charles Burke
Melissa Chappel
Heather Chase
Thomas Coleman
Thomas Dieterle
Kenneth Donckels
Melissa Frederick
Tracey Gold
Gaile Milunas Haslem
William Horbury
Elizabeth Johnson
William Letchenfield
Sylvia Martin
Jason Meyer
Cheryll Mungcal
Esperance Mukamwiza Munyandamutsa
Gary Pak
Erika Pedersen
Michelle Pinder
Michael Pollard
Gilbert Reyes
Sharon Broughton Rhodes
Charlotte Robertson
Julie Robinson
Sandra Rodrigues
Heather Jurca Ross
Laura Esquiro Siciliano
Justin Thompson
Robert Vassegh

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Amy on Vacation

Hey Eagles,

Now, I'm sure most of you aren't too concerned about my travel plans. But just in case you were just itching to post your blog update in the next couple weeks, I wanted to inform you that I won't be available to help for a bit. I'll be out of town from June 22nd to July 2nd. For a portion of that trip, I will be in the Dominican Republic and won't have access to the internet. Not that the DR doesn't have access, I just won't have access to that access.

That all said, if you want to post something and can't figure out how, write to me before Friday. And for those of you who CAN figure out how without me, PLEASE POST!! Everyone seems to be enjoying reading the blog but we need more people to blog to further that enjoyment. I know over 20 of you have joined and NOT posted--so get on it!

And then there are the 80 or so of you who haven't joined. We'd all love to hear from you too!

By the way, if you're wondering why you keep getting an invitation to join if you haven't joined, it's because the invitation expires if I don't send it again. So if you have no intention of blogging and want me to stop bugging you with the invitation, just write and tell me.

But enough of my harassing. I hope to read lots of great updates when I get back.

Amy

Saturday, June 16, 2007

A huge thank you to Corinne Cabaret for setting up such an amazing website! And another huge thank you to Amy Keating for setting up this blog! And thanks to all of you who have passed along information to our classmates. We are continuing to track down lost classmates, whether they want to be found or not! Carol or Joyce, any idea about who we have left to find?

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Website Updates

Hello Eagles,
Corinne Cabaret Mesner has added a few things to our
  • Chaminade Reunion 87 website

  • There, on the bulletin board, you will see a link to a page with the reunion invitation, in case you did not get it or lost it. You can print it up and send it in.

    Also added to the bulletin board is a link to the Memorial Fund page.

    The class of 1987 will be collecting donations for a class gift to the Chaminade Scholarship Fund. All donations will be made to the school in memory of our departed classmates; Erika Vote, Tiffany-Ann Francis, and Melanie Woiwode.

    Please make your donation out to Chaminade College Preparatory.

    Make sure to note that you are contributing to the "Class of 1987 Class Gift".

    Send it to:
    Chaminade
    10210 Oakdale Ave
    Chatsworth, CA 91311
    ATTN: Geoff McCarron

    Thank you!

    Sunday, June 10, 2007

    Other Sad Passings

    Hello Everyone,

    I hate to be the bearer of further bad tidings, but in learning about Melanie's death, we found out that Tiffany Ann Francis passed away on July 4th of 2002. When I inquired to her sister Melissa about what happened, she wrote back saying that Tiffany had been in poor health for quite a while and eventually died of pneumonia.

    Faculty member Steve Mussack also passed away quite recently. From what I was told, he was on a hike with some students and suffered a heart attack.

    With the anniversary of Tiffany's death approaching and Mr. Mussack's recent death, please keep these people's families and friends in your thoughts.

    Amy

    Tuesday, June 5, 2007

    Melanie Woiwode's Past 20 Years

    By now, everyone has heard about our classmate Melanie's recent, heartbreaking death. However, I thought it would be good for all of us to read about what she focused on. Her life.

    Her friend Sue O'Reilly was kind enough to write this up, sharing Melanie's last 20 years with us. Thank you, Sue.

    After high school, Melanie finished her business degree at Cal Poly SLO and then moved up the the SF bay area. She worked for Forrester market research and then worked for Oracle. Melanie settled into a great apartment on Bush St. in San Francisco that she shared with a few different roommates over the course of 7 years.

    After Oracle, Melanie worked for a smaller software company (as was required of all SF residents in the late ‘90s). While living in SF Melanie continued her athletics, swimming, biking, running, doing triathalons and road races. She built up a large group of friends from college, work, athletic events, and through social life in San Francisco.

    While living in SF, she traveled whenever she could. Melanie had an adventurous spirit and loved traveling, seeing new places and meeting new people.

    After approximately 7 years in northern CA, Melanie decided to take a longer adventure – and she moved to London in the fall of 2001. Because Melanie’s parents were born in Germany, Mel was able to work it out so that she could legally work in the UK/Europe. Melanie worked for Neilsen ratings in London. She shared a flat in Putney Hill with a roommate that became a dear friend, Liz. While living in the UK Melanie continued with her athletics and travel. With the vacation in the UK being more generous than in the US – Melanie was able to travel to many, many different countries. She was able to re-connect with some relatives in Germany and she made many great, new friends abroad.

    In the summer of 2003, Melanie was noticing that her workouts were increasingly difficult and she was experiencing a lot of swelling in her legs. At first glance the physicians said “maybe it is swelling because of the heat” and Melanie thought “well...…I am from LA, I don’t think that the London heat is getting to me”. She was then scheduled for a CT scan – but – tragedy struck at home. She received a phone call that her parents had been killed in an accident. So, Melanie flew home to southern CA to be with her two sisters and brother and grieve their parents. When Melanie returned to the UK a month later, she had her CT scan and was diagnosed with a leiomysarcoma (http://www.leiomyosarcoma.info/ ) tumor in her inferior vena cava. This was blocking blood flow from her lower extremities back up to her heart and causing the swelling. Melanie had surgery to remove the tumor & part of the vena cava. This was a major surgery – and she was a trooper. Her sibilings and friends took turns flying over to the UK to be with her before, during and after the surgery.

    Melanie was a shining star at the hospital. The doctors, nurses and other patients adored her. Melanie was quite happy to have a handsome doctor who “was not hard on the eyes” as she described. That was Mel, even in the face of crisis – she focused on the positive.

    After Melanie was released from the hospital, she build her strength back up and was back to exercising and traveling as soon as she could. For the past three years, she went through various treatments to try to stop the cancer – all the while making the most out of everyday and out of what she could do. The sarcoma was aggressive and eventually metastasized to her liver and to her spine. Even with that, Melanie pushed on – swimming and biking because those activities caused the least amount of pain.

    Melanie never focused on her pain and situation – she focused on living life the best she could, on her adventures and on her friends and family.

    Sadly, even with her courage, strength and positive outlook, the cancer won the final battle. Melanie took a turn for the worse in February, when she returned home to the US to be with her family. Melanie passed away at her sister’s house in California on May 31, 2007. As one of Melanie’s friends wrote on her tribute page, “On May 31st the world lost an amazing person. Everyone who was lucky enough to have known her is a better person today. I know I am.”

    Again, if you wish to go to Melanie's Tribute blog, the link is in the post below. If you go to the comments section, you can read people's thoughts and feelings about Melanie. Many of you have posted messages already. Thank you for sharing.

    All of the information for her service this Saturday is also posted below.

    Amy

    Monday, June 4, 2007

    In Memory of Melanie

    Hello Eagles,

    I'm sure many of you received Carol's email about Melanie Woiwode's recent death from cancer. I remember at our first reunion committee meeting, Carol and Lisa mentioned that Melanie was very sick. It never entered my mind that she would pass away so quickly and before all of us were able to meet again.

    I just wanted to post on this blog about her death and direct everyone to the blog her family and friends have set up to write about memories of her.
  • Melanie's Blog

  • There you will see lots of wonderful pictures of Melanie enjoying life with her friends and family. If you have memories to share, they have opened up the blog to everyone.

    I didn't know Melanie well, but I remember her eyes and her smile. Both were big and full of life. For the reunion, I've had the pleasure of sorting through the slides from our senior year and there are many lovely ones of Melanie on the swim team and hanging out on campus.

    From what I've read, Melanie continued to be very active despite her illness. Her family and friends have also set up a fund in her honor celebrating her active life.
  • Melanie's Fund

  • If you wish to attend her service, it is on Saturday June 9th at Bethel Lutheran Church at 11:00 AM. The address is 17500 Burbank Blvd in Encino.

    There will be a reception following the service at her aunt and uncle's home in Alta Dena. Directions from the church to their home will be provided at the service.

    Please keep Melanie and her family and friends in your thoughts.

    Amy

    Saturday, June 2, 2007

    Update from Corinne (Cabaret) Mesner

    Hi everyone. It's been so fun reading all of your blogs. Things have changed so much for so many of us. I remember seeing some of you at the 10 year reunion and thinking how so much had changed in 10 years. Now it's 20! High school was not the highlight of my life, but I do have some fond memories. Fortunately things improved for me after Chaminade.

    Well here's a quick snapshot of my last 20 years. After Chaminade, I graduate from UCLA with a degree in Communication. Like Carol Phalen, I used my degree to the fullest by working as a receptionist at New Line Cinema. After a few years of working in various departments at New Line, I realized film wasn't for me and decided to go back to school and earn a degree in Graphic Design. After getting my degree I worked as a designer and eventually as the creative director for Apollo Interactive doing web development. Some of our clients included the Hard Rock Hotel, Luxor and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, The WB Network, Jack in the Box, Wolfgang Puck, to name a few. It was a great job and I had lots of fun traveling to Vegas now and then.

    I met my husband Steve 10 years ago and we've been married for 7 years. My days at New Line Cinema paid off since I met Steve through a co-worker from New Line, even if it was many years after I had left that company. Steve works in TV sitcoms as an Associate Producer which basically means that he oversees the post-production for TV shows. Last year he was on a show called "The Class", but unfortunately it got canceled! That's the way that business goes.

    After our first child Sophia was born (she's 4 years old), I quit my job and have been a stay-at-home mom ever since. I absolutely love it, even if I'm totally wiped out and exhausted by 8pm every night! Our second daughter, Ava, is 14 months old. We live in Encino.

    I've kept in touch with Beth Johnson and Nanette Vernengo (come to think of it, Nanette and I were roommates after college).

    As far as teachers I'd like to invite, definitely Mr. Lynn. And 80's music, how about The English Beat? As your memory may, or (hopefully) may not serve, even though I was into heavy metal during high school, I still listened to KROQ!

    Looking forward to catching up with you all - by the way, Jill Tregillis, the last time I saw you was in the early 90's on 3rd street...you worked at a boutique there right?

    Corinne