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Norman Keul
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City: Durham) State/Prov.: NC Occupation: Dean, Humanities & Interdisciplinary Studies, Duke University Website: www.trinity.duke.edu/peop - le/deans/dean_keul.php Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 3 From Norman: My wife, Sandy, and I have decided to plan our next visit to my mother in Nacogdoches at the time of the reunion this fall, so I guess we're coming (with our 8-year-old daughter, Jackie). Here's my current picture. Thanks, Leonette, for providing a "then" photo. Greetings to all! Following Peggy's example, let me give a brief account of my post-Nacogdoches life: After SFA, I did a Masters at Tulane University, where I met my first wife. We were married in Salzburg, Austria a year later, where I was studying on a fellowship. After the year abroad, I attended UC Berkeley and got my PHD in Germanic linguistics. Following a post-doc at Stanford--by this time we had had my daughter Jenny and son James--I became an Assistant Professor of German at Yale University in New Haven CT, where we remained for 13 years, the last 8 of which I was dean of one of the residential colleges. Toward the end of this stint, my wife returned to California. Two years later she and I were divorced and I remarried soon thereafter. By this time, I had moved to Duke University in Durham NC, where we've been ever since. I've held a couple of different jobs here. Currently, I'm Associate Dean for Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies. I continue to teach (Viking literature and language, History of the German language, etc.). Eight years ago Sandy and I adopted a baby girl, Jackie, from Russia. She just finished second grade, is a total tomboy (orange belt in karate) and a joy to her mother and me. Sandy's a science writer with two books about the brain under her belt. Jenny is living in Milan, Italy as a professional model. She has just started as the news anchor for the national television station Rai Uno. James is a professional artist and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Aside from my work, I'm seriously into wine and cooking, gardening and woodworking. I'm also an avid cylist. That's the course of my life in a nutshell. I look forward to reading here (and in October, hearing there) from and about others of you. --Norman  Send This Person a Message
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Gail Gibson (Kolb)
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City: Tomball) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Retired teacher Marital Status: Single No. of Children: 2 Grandchildren: 0 What have you been doing for 40 years?: I taught school for 35 years, and retired in 2005. Send This Person a Message
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David Lambert
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City: Misouri City) State/Prov.: Texas Occupation: Retired teacher/administrator Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 2 Grandchildren: NONE What have you been doing for 40 years?: After high school, I attended SFA ... like a lot of us. Played with a number of different bands with most involving Fred (Indio) Bright and Jimmy Daniels. I married Sheryl Gary after graduting college. (We celebrated our 35th anniversary on July 22.) We have two boys, Jason (31) and Jonathon (22). I taught Middle School (JH Band) for a few years at Thomas J. Rusk JH...became the band director at Dulles HS in Sugar Land, Texas for about six years then became the Direcor of Fine Arts (visual and performing) for Fort Bend Independednt School District. I retired from that position in 2004. Sheryl and I now do pretty much whatever we want. We both work with the University Interscholastic League organizing the various music events...concert, marching and individual solo events. I also work with the education department at Sam Houston State University where I serve as a University Supervisor for student teachers. I am involved with several professional organizations including the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, the International Bandmasters Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu, and the Texas Music Educators Association. All the above keep me as busy as I want to be. We spend a lot of time at the beach beach where I enjoy fishing and Sheryl ebjoys reading and just kicking back. Life IS good! Send This Person a Message
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Janice Tubbe (Lane)
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City: Katy) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Healthcare(retired) Marital Status: Committed Relationship No. of Children: 2 What have you been doing for 40 years?: Hello everyone, Wow, what a trip down memory lane. It's actually so wonderful, I'm sitting here crying. If you remember I did not graduate with you guys, because I lacked two credits English and Civics. But I did graduate in 1968. All of you are the ones I have the most fond memories of. I also have two of the annuals that have been requested which I'll gladly donate. I live in Katy presently. I went to vocational nursing school right after high school and was in nursing for about ten years then due to problems with drug addiction I stopped nursing. I have worked for the past twenty eight years in management of the Sterile Processing Department of hospitals in Dallas and here in Houston. I am now retired. I live with my life partner David Reed. I have two wonderful children and David has four. Between the both of us we have eight grandchildren. In my spare time I love to cook, garden and do crafts. I have enjoyed so much reading the bio of each and looking at the pictures. I will be attending the reunion after all. hope to see all of you there. Send This Person a Message
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Henry Leonard
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City: Tyler/Austin) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Restaurateur Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 3 Grandchildren: 2 From Henry: I met my wife and SFA grad Peggy in Tyler where we’ve lived for the last 30+ years. Peggy is a middle school homemaking teacher, avid antique dealer and ebayer. We’ve also kept a residence in Austin since 2003. Our three boys have gotten their education and are doing great. We’ve forgiven them for their “suspicious” degree choices. I never would have thought that applying for a job at the Sonic in Nacogdoches (at 16) would lead to a life long career in the restaurant industry, but that’s exactly what happened to me. After SFA, I owned the Sadler’s BBQ restaurant in Lufkin for a year, then took a 2 year hiatus to play in top 40 show bands around the South. I came to my senses and decided I really had to work at something, so I got back into the restaurant business in Tyler, and built a chain of 36 restaurants that I exited in the mid 90’s. Since then, I’ve been a consultant, developer and entrepreneur in various restaurant projects generally tweaking and implementing concepts. I also do merger and acquisition work in the industry and served as president of a small public company heading up M&A for a couple of years. The diversity of the work keeps me juggling several things at once which is something I love. I’ve been truly blessed, but I’m most thankful (and proudest) of our 3 boys who’ve grown into firmly grounded adults.Michael (Skee), the oldest, is head of the IT department for a medical tech company in Dallas. (Typical occupation for someone who gets a Masters from Baylor in psychology…huh!). He met his wife, Cynthia at Baylor and they have two children, Cole 7, and Mia 4. David our middle son, graduated from Austin College in Sherman, with a degree in psychology, (yes here we go again)…so he took a job working for KBR in Africa in HR. After a couple of years, he came back to Austin and started an African art import business. He also has an art school in Zanzibar, Tanzania where he’s been spending the summer. Our youngest, Mark, “broke the mold” by majoring in biology at Ouachita Baptist in Arkansas. We were sure he’d become a doctor. Instead, he’s installing water purification systems and handling hazardous materials with KBR in Afghanistan. All great kids and we’re extremely proud of them and their adventurous spirits. Meanwhile, Peggy and I are celebrating the end of education expenses and our empty nest status. I saw the old karate picture “the girls” posted. My brother, Frank, is also in the picture. Frank is living in Nacogdoches where he and Deborah have an accounting and IT business. He’s been CFO in several of my ventures over the years and still teaches karate. From time to time he and his old karate compatriots get together for reunions. These generally leave at least some participants with assorted physical injuries and more “stories” about ‘Doches in the good old days. Frank and Deborah will be going to the reunion with me. Send This Person a Message
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Pamela Lovell
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City: Cedar Hill) State/Prov.: Texas Occupation: Consumer Sales Associate Marital Status: Divorced What have you been doing for 40 years?: After graduation, I attended SFA for 2 years, then dropped out and moved to Houston. There I began my career with Southwestern Bell as a service rep. I worked for SBC for over 35 years as Business Office Supervisor, Communications Consultant and finally as Service Executive. I retired in May of 2005. Because I wasn't ready to stop working, I eventually went back to work in 2006 for Verizon, where I am still employed. I love to read, love movies, and my goal when I do retire is to write. Send This Person a Message
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Lorraine Packard (Luna)
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City: Euless) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Retired Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 2 Grandchildren: Five fantastic grands. Aaron, Katherine,Rebecca Jo, Allison, Kasey What have you been doing for 40 years?: I've been living a life of passion and purpose! Most Important First, I married John Luna-still married-(yep,same guy). He can still make me laugh after all these years. I value that highly in a hubby. Next, had a son Jackey. He is now Vice President of Titan Wealth Management in Plano, Tx. He provide me with three of my wonderful grandchildren. Aaron Jack, Katherine Rose, and Allison Marie. Moved to Fort Worth when Jack was three years old and have been in the DFW area for 38 years. Started college. Stopped to have second son Bradley John. He's a born salesman-manager with Oracle computer. He produced Rebecca Jo and Kasey Renee. That makes 11 of us. The Luna Eleven or the Electric Eleven. That's how it seems when we are all together. Career I've always done work that I felt "made a difference". I worked in Rehab with severely and profoundly handicapped children until my youngest son started school. I then went back to college to finish my medical training. Retired from Baylor Medical System a few years ago after managing a Women's Imaging Center for a number of years and then being the Coordinator of The Osteoporosis Program. Bad Stuff I was involved in a horrendous head on car accident while visiting in Nacogdoches for Thanksgiving in 1982. I spent a long time in the local hospital there and was finally transferred back to Dallas for a very long and painful rehab. I consider myself so fortunate to not be on the "IN Memory" page. I survived and lived to see my childrens children. It's all been a gift to me, even the bad times when life has smacked me around, and I look forward with great anticipation to more rich years ahead to see my great grandchildren. Each one of them have been and will be my heritage and my delight. Current I am involved in Volunteer Ministry through our Catholic Diocese. Hospital Ministry and Retrouvaille-a program to help troubled marriages to be healed and restored. I sit on The Social Outreach Committee for my local church of St. Michael's in Bedford. I have had great fun working a couple days a week at Coldwater Creek. I love playing with the beautiful clothes and colors and textures. Very different from my "life and death " earlier work. Sports For a girl who hated P.E. worse than snakes, I have had a very sports oriented life. We had two soccer teams since our son was six years old. Then college soccer with our sons. Soccer, volleyball, a little basketball, and then football with our grandchildren. 48 High School football games with our grandson Aaron on the State Championship Southlake Carrol Dragons. USA baseball games around the world with him as well. Now college NCAA Baseball with him at Rice University. We are at the College World Series for the second year in a row as I write this. (Came in third in the country). Cape Cod League summer baseball right now. It's been quite a ride. I sometimes reflect on how different my life would have been if I had daughters instead of sons. All I can say is that it has been an adventure and I think it has kept us young. We've taken some dream vacations overseas and look forward to more travel. There are still a lot of countries to see. My path is never far from my life partner John. I support his many civic endeavors. He is Chairperson of The Governor's Committee for Purchasing for People with Disabilities and Community Relations Director for Dallas Metrocare Services. I try to help keep him healthy and happy so that he can continue being highly effective in his most productive years. Our life together has been full and rich. Full of challenges and obstacles as well as blessings. We look back over the last 40 years and think "not bad for a couple of kids from East Texas". Who would have ever guessed it!! We believe it was the fertile soil of a small town full of history and good honest people that gave us the values and roots that have served us so well. A community that cared about the "kids" it sent out into a larger world. Where would I have been without the expectations of my English teacher,or Mrs. Virginia Heath, Flo Alexander, or Coach Joe Hale? Roots We are still connected to Nacogdoches by family and history. Both our families still live in Nacogdoches and we have property we plan to build a retirement home on one day and two burial plots in Moral Cemetary. It really is a great comfort to know where I will end up. Back to where it all began. Send This Person a Message
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Janice Blacksher (Mabry)
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City: Sugar Land) State/Prov.: Texas Occupation: Library assistant and Mimi Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 2 Grandchildren: 2 2/3 What have you been doing for 40 years?: Well, some things don't change even after 40 years. Remember how we had to turn in creative writing every 6 weeks in Mrs. Reid's Jr. English class? I was one of the ones who waited until the night before it was due to get inspired and come up with something to turn in the next day. Maybe I have improved a little bit though. It's Monday night and the reunion is not until Saturday. I'm 4 days ahead of schedule. I attended Florida College and the University of South Florida (they're #6 in the polls this week--didn't even have a team when I went there; hardly had any students) in Tampa FL where I met my best friend and love of my life, Gene Mabry. I transferred back to SFA where I graduated with a B.A. in elem. ed. in Dec.'70, then taught 2nd grade in Port Arthur the spring semester of '71. That was the extent of my teaching career. To those of you who have taught 30+ years, you have my utmost admiration. How could you stand it? Gene and I married in June '71 and moved to New Jersey where we lived the next 6 years. New Jersey sounds like an awful place, but we lived in the northwestern part of the state where there are mostly dairy farms, small towns, and plenty of little mountains and lots of trees--really quite beautiful. The people were very friendly and the members of the church Gene preached for were wonderful. Our daughters, Amy (73) and Ann (77), were born while we lived up there. I did not lose my Texas accent during those 6 years, and even managed to get some of those Yankees into the habit of saying "y'all" and "fixin' to." In '77 we moved to Eastern Kentucky (talk about culture shock!) where we lived 2 years--long enough to become Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans and Bluegrass afficionados. Gene even took up playing the banjo. We finally made it back to Texas in '79, to Kerrville and the Hill Country. Then in '86 we moved to Vicksburg, Ms. That was the antidote for my kids being born in the North. We moved to Sugar Land in 1991, and it looks like this is where we'll stay. I was able to stay at home while Amy and Ann were growing up, but when we moved here, I began working for the Fort Bend County Library system as an assistant children's librarian. After 9 years, I switched over to FBISD because of the better schedule--no nights and no weekends. At first I was in a middle school library but 3 years ago transferred to an elementary school where at least I'm taller than most of the kids. During the summers and on days off I attend the EIB Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies. Amy graduated from SFA with a B.S. and a Masters in speech pathology. She works in the NICU at Driscoll Children's Hospital and also Spohn South in Corpus Christi (part time now). She is married to Shane Torno, an Aggie and an engineer, and they have 2 little boys, Benjamin, who's 4, and Caleb, 6 months. Ann graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in nutrition and worked for Caremark until last summer. She is married to Jared Morton, also an Aggie, and a concept artist for EA Games. They live in the Orlando, FL area and are expecting their first baby, a boy, in December (if not sooner--Annie's in the hospital now on bedrest. Hopefully the little guy will wait until after the reunion plus a few more weeks). With so many Aggies in the family, I've had to switch my allegiance from TU to A&M. While I'm sure my girls had great experiences, met lots of wonderful people, and made many good friends in all the different places we lived, I feel a little bit sorry for them that they didn't have the experiences we had growing up together in a town like Nacogdoches and going to school together from 1st grade on as many of us did. I'd really never thought about what a great blessing that has been until this summer when Leonette and Peggy got this website started and we all started "re-connecting." Nacogdoches will always be home and all of you and the memories that we share will always be part of that "home," something that I will always cherish. Thank you, Leonette, Peggy, Homer, the Guv'nors, and all who have worked so hard on this reunion. P.S.I highly recommend grandchildren. Also, Mrs Reid would probably give me a D or lower on this because of all the run-on sentences. And how do I get the white stuff off from around my pictures? Send This Person a Message
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Bennett Montes
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City: Nacogdoches) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Manager of SFA Physic Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 2 Grandchildren: 1 What have you been doing for 40 years?: . From Bennett: My wife, Rhonda Weems, and I got married in 1973 and we have two sons, Michael - 31 and Matthew - 28. I have been working for SFA for the last 29 years and am currently the manager of the machine shop for the Physic's department. My son Michael is married to Dr. Jeni Criss, a local childrens' dentist, and they have one daughter, Lillian, who is named after my grandmother. She will turn one year old this week. My youngest son Matthew is single and lives in Katy, TX. He works for Halliburton. My wife and I have had many good years together, but one of the best things that has happened to us in our granddaughter Lilly. Her birthday is this week so we may be a little late to the reunion. I am looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday and hearing the Guv'nors play. Send This Person a Message
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Rita Lopez (Muckleroy)
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City: Nacogdoches) State/Prov.: TX Occupation: Clogging Grandmother Marital Status: Married No. of Children: 3 Grandchildren: 7 From Rita: As you see, I’m still living it up! I think I have found my ‘niche in life – Grandmothering and clog dancing. As most of you know, I met Charlie Muckleroy in 1966 when he saw my legs, in my Dorthy Hammil red velvet skating skirt, at the skating rink and we fell in love. We married in May 1968, and it has been quite a roller coaster ride. We have three lovely children: Sonja Tane, 38, who is married to Clint Gehrmann from Jory lives nextdoor to me and Charlie in As you see, grandmothering is a big part of my life since all seven are eight and under and I love it! I have a little puppy trail from Jory’s house to my house, where the grandkids go back and forth to see what’s cooking!! And for the three boys that are in Austin and Leander, the road is never to far to load up and go get them to come to grandma's house. Send This Person a Message
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