RICHARD MILLS, HIS AMAZING LIFE AND CAREER FROM HIS COLLEAGUES

Today I received a note from Richard's colleagues at RACCA, a professional association with which he was long active - Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association.  Here is what they published in their newsletter upon his death last March:

In Memorium – Richard Alan Mills Honored by Scholarship

It is with deep sadness we report the passing from liver cancer of Richard Mills, after a short illness.

“Richard will be sorely missed,” said RACCA President Stan Bernstein. “His years of dedicated service to RACCA as director of communications for the past decade, previously, as the Safety Committee Chair, and in so many other ways, cannot be underestimated. He was dedicated to safety and quality assurance throughout his career and has contributed a great deal to his RACCA colleagues. RACCA has named one of its $2,500 scholarships in Richard's name in honor of his many years of faithful service and dedication to the association.”

Richard was born March 18, 1947 in St. Louis, MO, to John and Dorothy Mills. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with the Bachelor’s Degree and then as an Aviation Maintenance Technician from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. He would later receive the AMT-Gold Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. Between 1966 and 1972, he served as a Sergeant in the US Marin Corps serving in Vietnam.

For the past 17 years, he has worked at Empire Airlines which he considered his second family. He held posts as director-quality assurance and chief inspector and director-safety and compliance. Prior to that, he was vice president-technical services for National Air Carriers Association (NACA) after working as director-flight safety at Kitty Hawk International.

Professional associations include former chair of the air carrier section of the Coordinating Agency for Supplier Evaluation (CASE) and Chair of the Cessna Caravan Icing Workshop.

He leaves a his wife of 42 years, Carolyn, four step-children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Checks for the Richard Mills Memorial Scholarship should be made out to RACCA with a note in the Memo line: Richard Mills Memorial Scholarship. [Here is the link to learn about the scholoarships, apply or donate.  You might roam around the RACCA site, it's interesting if you're an aviation buff.] 

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held at a later date. In the meantime, tributes can be sent via the website at English Funeral Chapel." 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY 2019

From the terrific website JerryJassMusician.com comes this new post from our KHS65 poet laureate, Alan Yount - Happy Valentines Day to everyone, especially the lucky Jerra Yount, Alan's wife and recipient of this gorgeous Valentine.

THE THING OF IT IS ….
“For The Long Times, Through Life Together.”
(For Jerra)  [his wife]
.
when thinking
…………of this idea,
I always,
…………think of someone playing
“on the sunny side
…………of the street.”
you and I
…………taking care of each other
…the best we can
…………in all those old years.
it is beyond a duty …
…………it is beyond a faith …
it’s an undescribable
…………feeling for each other.
and you almost always, don’t know how,
…………another song, will turn out.
.
*****
.
the thing of it is,
…………in another song …
that’s just
…………the way … it is.
.
*****
.
make sure, you both hold tight:
…………every single night,
that you still have,
…………together.

2019 KHS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME & ACTIVITIES

See below for the schedule of events

 

FAREWELL GOOD AND GREAT FRIEND

It was Valentine's Day afternoon when the doorbell rang.  Standing in front of me was Richard Mills with a smile and a red and gold heart-shaped box of chocolates sporting a big red & gold bow.  His mom was in the car at the curb waiting for him...it was 4th grade, 1957 to be exact.  Sixty-two years ago in a couple of weeks.  I had that bow on my bulletin board for years, I think actually maybe through high school.  It's likely now in my basement in a plastic tub of my 'papers' and souvenirs of my life.  This morning I learned my good friend Richard died.  We remained good friends all these years.  We never dated in high school or at Nipher but we were always friends.  We attended Episcopal Young Churchmen group activities together, we saw one another at church and school.  We stayed in touch, he came home for a reunion once, we reconnected.  Twice in more recent times when I was doing research having to do with the Junior College I reached out to him for assistance...he grew up in that white bungalow house with red shutters on Big Bend right across from the College property which had amazing history of its own.   Back in 9th grade he was the acolyte who served at the service the day Bishop George Leslie Cadigan was here and officiated at my confirmation class's ceremony.  It was Richard's birthday and for decades I've sent him some sort of greeting on his birthday, then we'd exchange greetings at Christmas.  It was just one of those comfortable, long friendships. He was a loving husband and helped raise his wife's four children, he was a Marine, he was a friend.   And now he's gone.

He had an amazing career in the aircraft safety field, The gentleman from his company told me today that even after he retired and was doing other things, they missed him.  They still talk about him and what a pro he was, and he was a friend to his co-workers.  And now he's gone.

Here is his official obituary:  www.englishfuneralchapel.com/notices/richard-mills

Godbless you my good and great friend.

The reunion photo shows a bunch of us Robinsonites at a reunion, I don't remember what one!  I took the photo so I can't tell what year it was by my outfit!!!

ONE MORE OFFERING FROM POET LAUREATE ALAN

Here is the last one for tonight - read on down for the background on this string of posts:

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE JACK'S FORK RIVER
                            for Stacie and Jess
      we joked
   like little house
 on the prairie?

      but why did you
   go down there
 so far away?

      you hate snakes, and every
   week, there are some copperheads
 under your front porch...

      it seems a half dozen
   coyotes are getting closer
 & eyeing your dogs...

      a black bear
   broke into your new beehive
 & made off with all the honey...

      while swimming in the river
   a water moccasin
 got in your shoes, on the shore...

      so what is there
   about it,
 down there?

      there is
   a silence
 coming in at dusk...

      where the haze
   & mist
 rise up from the river...

      as the fireflies
   move with direction, with their
 white, soundless, flight...

      guiding them
   where only they
 know where to go.

ALAN YOUNT, THE COUNT, SHINING STAR OF MUSIC AND POETRY - LEARN MORE

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas season and is looking forward to a healthy, happy New Year.  Seems we could all use a new year!  I wanted to end this year with more information about our KHS65 poet laureate, Alan Yount.  Alan has been featured in the summer 2018 issue of the magazine WestWard Quarterly (WestWardquarterly.com) and below you'll see the article about him as well as one of the poems featured in that article. This issue featured 4 of his poems, but they've published 4 others in the past.  In this issue he was Featured Poet, and with 50 poets in the issue, seems to me that says a LOT!  If you look further back on this blog you'll see more of Alan's poetry.  I think if you click on Snippets from Classmates you'll find them faster, not sure if I put that label on every post!  Alan is a very accomplished trumpet player, and if you attended KHS dances you probably remember his band...  if you wish to give him a shoutout you can email him at a red boat at centurylink dot net.

Alan and I share another connection in that our dads were both at McDonnell and we are pretty sure, corroborated by his mom, that his dad rode in my dad's carpool when he bought a Morris bus to carpool folks back and forth from Kirkwood to 'the plant'.  

I hope you all enjoy his poetry.  I'm not a poetry kinda girl, but I do enjoy his - I can usually understand it!!  

EVER TRY CALLING A CAT?

ever try calling a at?
...good luck with that.
what's the reason
why dogs can be called
and cats can't?
nothing against dogs...
but a cat is nobody's fool.
if you call a cat,
it will be wary, and walk away.
chase it 
and it will run away.
so just go about your day.
like finding happiness or love
a cat will surprise you.
someday the cat will
slip up & curl itself
upon your lap.
and for pete's sake
don't ever
yell out to a cat
like you would a dog
"here shep."

Click on the article to make it larger so you can read it :-)) ! Well sorry, if I make it smaller, it's too small, so you'll have to use the lower scroll bar side to side to read it all, sorry about that!  But it's worth the trouble...another KHS65 friend making us look sooo good!

Kathy Watts Stitsinger 1947 - 2018

Many of you won't remember Kathy, but she was at Robinson with us and a cousin of our KHS65 Classmate Bill Watts.  Bill attended a Christmas party not too long ago and brought along the class picture of my 2nd grade class.  I joined the class in February so had never seen the class photo!  I will be forever grateful for that.  Now he brings us the sad news of the passing of his cousin Kathy.  I remember her so well, an adorable girl, small, sweet, dark hair, delicate features.  She has left us too early from that dread disease pancreatic cancer, which takes so many, including both of my children's grandfathers.  I hope some of you will remember Kathy and think of her fondly.  Thanks to Bill for being in touch with us!!!

Go Here:  https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dayton/obituary-print.aspx?n=kathleen-ann-stitsinger&pid=191066266 for her obituary.

Merry Christmas from The Count

A Christmas gift - from our KHS65 poet laureate Alan (The Count) Yount: Alan has been published several times this year, not the least of which is in the WestWard Quarterly issue of this summer. He was their featured writer and poet in that issue and I share one of the 4 poems they published, the others will come later but here's his Christmas offering: 

Why Write a Poem, About a Quail?

why write a poem, about a quail?

somehow...
from some, unknown way,
there comes a reason, why words
just come to you.
when first...
looking at the shape
of a poem,
you think something is missing
then...
like a quail is startled,
while walking a hedgerow...
more words
fly out:
something taking flight...
somehow...something
is there now, on paper
that was not there...
...just a fleeting moment
...before.

Our class is so blessed to have such talented people who have been in our midst for so long. Alan sends Merry Christmas wishes to all of our KHS65 wonderful friends.

ANOTHER OF US GONE WAY TOO SOON - RIP MARY ANN DUEKER TROMBLEY

 Another of us gone too soon.  Thank you to Claudia Margedant Schleuter for letting me know.  I missed this because at the time we were out of town for over a week, so I didn't see the obits for awhile. Mary Ann lived right across from St. Joseph Hospital and was part of our Brownie and Girl Scout activities.  She was a good friend to many even back then.  May she rest in peace and love.

Obituary for Mary Ann Trombley

On Friday, July 29, 2018, Mary Ann Trombley, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend to all, passed away suddenly. Mary Ann will be forever remembered by her husband and best friend Ray, son Greg (Tricia), adoring grandsons (and the light of her life), Luke and Liam, sister, Cindy, in-laws, cousins, nephews, niece and countless friends.
She’ll be remembered for her huge smile, tight hugs, amazing laugh, kindness, generosity, love for her family and the ability to make most anyone she came into contact with feel like the most special person in the room.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 9, from 5-8pm., at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood and a short service will be held on Friday, August 10, at 12:45pm at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with lunch and celebration of her amazing life to follow at Mike Duffy’s in Kirkwood.

ALAN THE COUNT YOUNT IS AT IT AGAIN, THIS TIME A WWII ERA POEM AND BILLIE HOLLIDAY

Alan has had another poem published on jerryjazzmusician.com, the jazz blog.  Here is the link, and be sure to scroll down to a different photo of him.  I think his previous one about Charlie Parker is my favorite but they are all great!  If you scroll back a bit, maybe to September, you'll see that one, and it has a nice comment by one of our classmates, Alan's fellow musician and bandmate, and alto sax musician par excellence   - two wonderful music makers in our collective midst.
Enjoy! And THANK YOU Alan for bringing your artistry, of both types, to your KHS65 pals.