I arrived in late March or early Aptil 1963 at the end of my Jumior year, graduating from Norview in 1964. This video really helped me better understand Norview than I ever had. I married a '63 classmate of yours - Harry William (aka, Bill, Billy) Bailey, Jr.   Bill had "come up thru the ranks", elem thru high school in the Norview schools. He was in the band, played saxophone which was his biggest joy during those years. I saw names of classmates that he used to talk about with fun memories all the time. I'm sorry he never got back for any reunions but it was nice to see that even tho he's passed on, he was not forgotten at the end. I thank the class of '63 for that remembrance.   I hope I get an invitation to my 50th reunion at Norview as I'd like to try & attend.  

Thank you for  such a nice  clip.  I am a 1968 graduate of Norview, but always interested in  anything to do with Norview.  ..Any year.    It was great to see all that you put into it...especially the amusement park.   Loved that roller coaster!

Very nice video. I had not thought of the name Joeseph(Joe) Imburgia in a lot of years. It was Joe who was the guiding hand and light that ke[pt me from quitting the band when I came from the jr. high school my sophomore year, yes I was one of those that th school system "screwed over" by making us go to our freshman year at the jr. high school. When I came to the high school, I lost out on a trip to the Orange Bowl with the band, I still believe the school board OWES me for that loss. Those in the "bass section (sousaphones and one upright tuba)" looked down on me, but were kinda afraid as I was amuch better bass player than most were. Joe became a friend in need. He laso became friends with my family and he and my father always had a good time at the ball games and at the bands annual Xmas tree sale. He said "Lee don't worry about them up there , those of us who were a year late had to sit on the floor while the rest got to sit on the platform, that is where the up there came from. He said "i've listened to to how you sound and I've spoken to our director, Mr. Ricardo, and he insured me that you will be 1st. chair and will play the 4 valve upright tuba in concert band next year. That year I went on to make the "All Star banb and for the next two years I was first chair  in that band. I have been away from Norfolk since 1973 and have lived in Bristol,Tn/Va. since 1974-1982 and then to Athens,Ga. from 1982-1992 and then back here to Bristol since 1992 to the present. There was also a fellow band member who also hung around with Joe but I do not remember his name, he too helped me thru the dark days.  I came to my 45th reunion in 2010. Would like to make the 50th in 2015 but don't think I will be able to do so. If not I will be there in spirit. Go Pilots.

Sorry I could not attend the 50th. I will try for the next one. This website is outstanding and brings back many memories of events and old friends.

Thank you for such a wonderful job  presenting  the memories we all shared.  It was such a great time in our lives and helped us succeed in life.

Margaret, I agree it was a great reunion.  Bill and I appreciate all the hard work each of you put into it. Bill purchased the DVD the night of the reunion.  Do you have any idea when they will be ready?  We are looking forward to sharing it with Harry Wilkinson and Ray Nelson when we see them.  There were so many things on the DVD that bring back memories of the old Norview, regardless of the graduating class!
Thanks again for all your hard work.

 

Margaret, great letter about the reunion and the scholarship fund.  Thanks again for all your energetic efforts to get classmates' addresses and emails---YOU are FANTASTIC!!!!!     Have a great week.

What a nice after the reunion info email. Thanks for all the work you have done and are still doing.  I have pictures to send - one great one of you dancing.  As soon as I can get Paige to delete some that are not of interest.

Thanks again.

  (regarding the letter sent out)

  

Jerry and fellow reunion committee members,


I have been fortunate enough to attend a few reunions and this one was, by far, the best. Job well done!! Our weekend with fellow Pilots prompted much discussion on our ride home. In our discourse we talked about the Pilot wheel ornament and also noticed the Pilot wheel has been a much used symbol of Norview over the years which prompted our memories about where our school's name originated. So, with a little research came up with this info and being "an old crank" decided to pass it on with some hope of finding where the pilot wheel came from??
Somewhere, along the way, many graduates of Norview High School have begun to use a Pilots wheel (for boats) as our mascot which it is not. Read the attached history - paragraph 3 -  and find that the school mascot is an airplane.  If I'm wrong please forgive me and give an idea on how / when our mascot changed.  Jerry Crews - '59

School History:In 1921, the first school building to be called "Norview" was a farmhouse, known as the Harlow house. In 1922, Norview students and their first principal, H.C. Barnes, moved into a new high school, on the site of what is now Norview Middle School. In June 1952, the cornerstone was placed for the new Norview High school building located on Middleton Place. The first class to graduate from this building was the class of 1955. At the time of its construction, this building was the largest high school in the state of Virginia, originally built to house 1400 students. The original cost was $3 million to build and $125,000 to furnish. Since then, other additions were made including a girls' athletic area, guidance complex and 12 mobile classrooms. Air conditioning was added in 1999. Norview High's community of Norview was part of Norfolk County, not the city of Norfolk. It is for this reason that Norview was the only high school to have its own football stadium, which was built by Norfolk County. Until the mid-60's, the "home" side of Chittum Field was the side nearest Chesapeake Boulevard. For want of more seating capacity, the bleachers opposite the traditional "home" side were made larger along with a larger press box; thereafter, this larger side became the "home" side. Chittum Field was modified again in 1981. This Norview has seen only three principals: Mr. C.W. "Bolo" Perdue, who used to coach Norview's football team in the late 40's was principal until 1982 and was succeeded by Mr. Claude Sawyer, who was principal until 1992. Mrs. Marjorie Stealey, the current principal, was appointed in 1992 and was the first woman to serve as a high school principal in Norfolk.At a cost of $31.7 million to build and $4.7 million to furnish, the new Norview is open to students. At approximately 288,000 square feet, it is twice the size of the building it replaced and is designed for 1800 students. The groundbreaking took place in June 2002 in the middle of the football field where the construction process started. The facility is now complete, including a new stadium adjacent to Sewell's Point Road. Our school mascot, the "Pilot" biplane, has an interesting origin. One of the early principals enjoyed amateur flying and often practiced in a field near Norview. Norview "Pilots" became the accepted mascot and the most unique; as it is unlikely that there is any other school whose mascot is the "Pilots". The alma mater was written by Arch "Pop" Manning… 
 

I am a little slow at getting on board to congratulate and thank all of you that were involved in our very special 50th reunion. You all did an exceptional job at location, food, decorations, content, pictures and pacing, not to mention all the behind the scenes work at locating and connecting all of our classmates. It is amazing how 50 years can melt away and stimulate the memories of our special years together at Norview. Thank you for a memorable event. I look forward to seeing you all again...sooner rather than later!!

Believe it or not, the following was sent yesterday at 2:50 PM from my cell phone, but I noticed that it had not gone out yet:

 

I also wish to echo the sentiments of everyone on the great reunion we experienced.  That was a nice touch to have that fire drill for one more attempt to get everyone together before our farewell breakfast.  Looking forward to the next one.  Sorry you haven’t received it until now.

Mike. . .your comments are right on!  I've loved reading the great responses. . .and what an amazing experience to see classmates after 50 years and pick up where we left off!  I'm with you. . .here's to the 51st!

 

I must mention that Jerry Collier and Margaret Cross deserve an incredible amount of credit for the success of the 50th.  Jerry is a leader. . .he kept us on track by providing weekend planning sessions (at their beach homes) and regular dinner meetings at his restaurant, Freemason Abbey. . .food on the house.  In other words, he bribed us. . .ha. . .

 

And Margaret. . .she is amazing. . .countless hours on keeping the classmate information updated and working on the rsvp list and reunion book!

 

Hats off to everyone who made the effort to attend. . .I hope we will see each other again before too long . .

It was a great reunion & thanks for all the hard work from the Reunion Committee to ensure that everything would be so nice for us. (And Beth for handling all those pictures during the entire night - what a job, but what great memories they will bring.)  We, (yes Henry, too) really enjoyed ourselves & were happy to see & briefly be with our former classmates and friends under such nice circumstances.

 

Thanks again Reunion Committee!

 

PS - Mike. you're still as cute as I thought you were at Crossroads Elementary!

Good - as it should be!

Wow Mike what a storm of wonderful comments you started. I have never been so happy to serve on a committee. E comments are so personal and sincere and we are going to post them on the web site next week. The world needs to know "63 CAN put on a party". Can't wait for the next one.

First of all THANKS, Mike for setting up all the email addresses. Secondly, Thank you REUNION COMMITTEE for all your hard work for the 50th reunion. This was my first reunion and if I’d have know it was going to be this GREAT, I probably would have come to earlier ones.

 

I never thought I could have made more lasting memories at my age but I sure did. It was such a good feeling to see so many friends from years past. And everyone looked so good. Must have been something in the water in Norfolk that keep us all so healthy and good looking. I know I didn’t have a chance to talk to everyone there but did visit with a lot of friends. THANK YOU  to everyone who came and made this such a GREAT experience for me.   Well, Mike, I guess I owe you a cigar.

My thank you to all....I knew when I stood between Jerry Collier (Nr 19) and David Mutter (Nr 63) for the group photo, that IT was gonna be one hell of a reunion. While I had brief conversations with lots of our classmates, spouses, and guests, I wish I could have spoken with more. I did make it a point to converse with a few I missed at the 45th reunion. I truly regret that more of our classmates who live as close as Richmond and closer yet could not have made it. I will continue to think of many of them, with hopes they are all well and prospering. Thanks to all who traveled so far for allowing me the pleasure of your company. I'm sure many more will add their thanks to the many of you who made the effort on our collective experience this reunion so splendid.

This was my first reunion so what do I compare it with?  I don't need comparisons to know that it was great.  I had a ball reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in 50 years.  Thanks to the committees and everyone else involved in putting it together.  All of you did a great job with the possible exception of the person who was supposed to set up the cheerleader practice session. That was really a hoot.  I don't think it could have been better with practice.

 

We really didn't mean to bring Western Washington weather with us.  I had heard from one of my cousins that we had traded weather for most of the summer.  Not my doing.  Honest.

Thanks to everyone who made it.  It was great seeing all y'all again. 

Reunion committee,

I just arrived back home (Florida) a few hours ago and also wanted to sincerely thank the reunion committee for all the work they put in to make this weekend a success.  I have attended and worked on several reunions in the past but this was THE BEST.  Thank you to all committee members and to Jan Croes Davis for including me.  Lots of laughs%uD83D%uDE01

Mike and Jimmy said it all.   I felt such a love and camaraderie among all of us.  Life is short but when we are able to reunite with people that are our "history" it is a special gift.  God continue to bless you and let's stay in touch to have more fun at the next reunion.

                Hugs,

                       Frances Carmichael Wiedeman

Margaret,

 

THANK YOU. The Committee’s plans and efforts were a smashing success. I knew I would have a great time seeing so many good friends from such a pivotal time in our lives, but the two days far exceeded my expectations. My wife Mary Ann (a Chicago/Indiana lady) was also blown away by the joy and sincerity felt by so many people feeling good about getting back together.

I look forward to coming back home more often and especially the next Reunion—thank you again!

 

PS: And to my deal old friend and Team Mate Mike Steele who said, “Despite the dilly-dallying”…paying the wager, I guess the adage is true, i.e. they say the memory is the first to go. I gave you your $6.00 before you got out of the cart in the parking lot, AND Jerry was settling up with Wayne 30 seconds later. I hope you remember telling us that you would fly us to Augusta next time and treat us to a round of golf? Just checking.

WOW!!!!!   WONDERFUL!!!!!   FUN!!!!! Thank you and the committee for all of your time and hard work to make our reunion the best anyone could hope for.  It was great!!! 

To all listed [and to those inadvertently omitted] I would like to say that the weekend was very enjoyable and quite a pleasant surprise. It is impossible to fully “bridge the gap” that comes from the time and distance separation for so many of us. However, the reunion created just the setting to make that happen.

Hat’s off to the reunion committee.

 

For some, our meetings were as if one had walked out of the yearbook. For others, it was good that we had our picture tag. Life is full of many experiences and twists. I counted 64 names in our memorial. On the trip from Columbus, I was delayed by a fatal accident on I-95 south of Ashland for 3 hours. On the return trip I was stopped for 1 ½ hours by a fatal accident 8 miles from my home. Some did not make it home over the weekend. At present we are blessed.

 

Some of our discussions were quite brief, while others were in depth and quite insightful. Some were serious, some were fun. Regardless, all of the dialogues were enjoyable. It is hard to acknowledge that in such a short period of time a “bond” can develop, or be rekindled. Thanks to all of you for a great 50^th!

 

PS - Unforgettable will be the $6.00 won by the team of Foshay-Steele from the team Collier-Rothgery. Despite the dilly-dallying [to try and avoid payment of debts] all money was transferred to its proper owner.

 

PSS - I belong to a GOLF CLUB (TheFriars.com). Our favorite saying is  . . . “ golf is all about with whom and where you play”. This weekend had great company [and comradeship] and a great venue. Thanks golf committee.

 

PSSS – Next time Paul!

 

To and for our next reunion !!!!!

This is a wonderful site.  All the best for a super weekend.

Looking forward to visiting w/ my Roosevelt neighbor DENNIS CREED.

 

Y'all have a ball !!!!

Thanks for the  Web Site and all you do for our 50th Reunion. Looking forward to

seeing  everyone.

I am retired from The Doll House.  I owned and operated in Kilmarnock Virginia.  I am looking forward to this reunion.  It has been so long since I seen the old school and classmates.

I have been extremely fortunate to live out my dreams!

 

I lived out my materialistic, rather shallow dreams that "THINGS" would make my life complete! I married two of the most wonderful beautiful bright women I have ever met - no children...got both jobs with the U.S. Government and  retired as GS-15".

I came to my senses in 1981 about "Things". The Kingsmill home I designed,  living next door to Anheiser Bush jr. - great guy. Mercedes, boat, plane and antique cars. on and on.

I was offered many postions in Washington  D.C. but spent so much time  there I grew to find it so" Political" and I am NOT political when practicing my  profession as an architect....never~

 

In  the six years at Kingsmill with Debbie, my second wife, we had a wonderful life and many fantastic adventures.

 

Debbie  and I  grew apart  and she received a big promoyion and moved to WASHINGTON  D.C. She now has three sons in College and younger daughter in high school. with a fantasic husband and beautiful home in  Alexandria, VA.

 

After it became common knoeledge I was moving, numerous friends had many great suggestions,  but my first choice was absolutely London. I lived and worked there for NATO for a year when I was about 24 yers old and single. Great city, great times! I tried to move there  but could not deal with the tax struture.

 

So I applied to every architectural firm in SAn francisco "  A city that  is as " Charming as America gets"! I received three job offers and went there to interview them. I took on an extremely difficult and challenging position at the NARF. I organized the first Engineering department there, ever. !80 Engeeers didn't have a clue of what the other Engineers were involved in. I had two Ph. D. computer scientists working with me...this is 1981...computers have a lot more to offer today, of course.

 

Shortly there after (4 mo,)  the Staff Director of Civil Engineering fot Tresure Island  was retireing. I took him to lunch and was offered his position.

 

Remenber 1981 Carter was Presidenr a 30yr fixed mortgage was 23% and I was selling my Kingsmill home and socially learning my place, whice of course was in the heart of San Francisco ....Pacight Heights! I bought a three unit condo that was built in 1979...very minimalistic. I substantially inproved the building to my Architectural standards. The rent is quite nice. One parking space is $500.00 a month.

 

After 6 years of running Treasure Island, and with my contacts in Washington D.C. we received more funding my first year than the previous eight years . Reagan was in Office and Departmen Of Defense was his favorite place to spend money. I made certain we received our share.

 

Then I attended a joint meeting to address the discovery and elimination of PCB's with numerous municipalities, including the city of San Francisco and G.S.A.

Much to my shallow amazment, I never thought about who manages all of the U.S. Govervment buildings outside of the Department of Defense and the US Post Office. So I Immediately started networking with G.S.A. management and was offered the position of Building Manger at 450 Golden Gate St., one square block and twenty stories high - the largest federal building West of the Mississippi at 1,000,000sqft.

 

Shortly there after I discovered that the previous three Building Managers were removed from their positions for the mere fact that no one would face up to the fact that the building was saturated with aspestos. The entire building was contaminated with aspestos. I immediately contracted two Industrial Hygenuists to work with me on writing the first safe standardized way to remove and dispose of aspostos safely and completely. After that, I was offered an extremely unique position working directly for the presidential apointee and director of the San Francisco G.S.A.

 

After that I essentially retired from management to work alone on "very special and sensitive issues" with two gifted interns, a governmewnt car and a cell phone. My job was working about six hours a week, getting paid for forty hours per week, I am on call 24/7 to deal with very sensitive  and top secret issues, such as designing the first TSA security checkpoint, which can even detect an ounce or more of 420/marijuana, which of course San Francisco could care less about, along with prostitution and gambling.

 

I retired in 1996 at 50 years old. Since then, I have traveled to 67 ctountries, have apartments in New York and Paris where I teach Fine Arts Photography at the national french academy of Fine Arts. On my first trip to Paris alone (without a wife or a girlfriend), I was so taken by the people and architecture that I stayed for six weeks, absorbing any and all of the Parisian culture. Upon returning home, I immersed myself in Fine Arts Photography (8" x 10" film - view camera).

 

After fifteen years of immersing myself in fine arts photography, I retained an arts agent and arranged to auction off my entire portfolio, representing fifteen years of photography totaling 63 fine arts photographs with notorized statments on the backs of the frames, stating that the negative has been burned. I am a romanticist and purist. I have NEVER been involved with commercial photography, although I worked one summer in Paris with Avedon. The two night auction afforded the school two lifetime/fulltime scholarships representing just shy of half of a million dollars. Photography was invented in Paris in 1790 and the certification/validation of the Parisians purchasing my fine arts photography validated me enough to no longer be involved, however, I still teach Fine Arts Photography at the National French Fine Arts Academy.

When is the dead to send for bio.?

 

Chandler  (415) 921-7322   San Francisco

BLESSINGS, LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT WEEKEND

Class of '64

I look forward to seeing everyone on Oct 11th. My wife Mary Ann and I will be arriving on the 10th to get a head-start. Mary Ann was born in Chicago - we celebrated our 31st Anniversary May 22, 2013. Will also be visiting my sister Mary Jo (Joey) who retired last year as Executive Director of the Tidewater Red Cross. Joey is a Catholic High grad circa 1970 then VA Tech and still lives in Ghent.

TO CHARLES QUINLEY: Of course we remember you Charles, you were always friendly to everyone. Kindness is not forgotten.

Best Always,

Jimmy

#34

(How did Jerry get his picture (in uniform) on the Cover? He must know the Class Pres...

Web site is awesome!  Looking forward to seeing classmates in October!

Nice job on the website.

We weren't expecting to make this reunion either but have decided to make a trip back to Virginia.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Hello everyone...

Looking forward to coming back to Norfolk, Va. Havent been back there in 30 years.

Wonderful website...thanks, great way to use technology to connect former classmates. The memorials are helpful.

So glad to see this nice website, good way to get in touch with others!  50 years! WOW!!