University High School

Bloomington, Indiana

Class of 1963

'63 Contact:   Justin Foster  Skip Higgins
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08 Feb 2023 William Edward "Bill" Peterson, II, died February 2, 2023, in Martinsville. He was a "lifer" - at University School from 1st through 12th grades. A Find-A-Grave page has been created, but the photo and obituary will not be visible for 3 months.
25 Dec 2022 Members of the Class may be interested in reading John Linnemeier's latest article published in the December, 2022, issue of The Ryder.
Click here to download the PDF file.
04 Nov 2022 The UHS class of 1963 Reunion Committee is happy to provide a report on the recent reunion.
We had approximately 35 classmates and guests gather in Bloomington October 21-23, 2022,
where we enjoyed wonderful events, fabulous weather, and best of all each other’s company.
Also, the timing was perfect for bright fall colors.
We think some of the stories shared between classmates might even be true.
Click here for a YouTube video of a slide show presented during the Saturday evening dinner.
20 Sep 2022 We find that Sherry Kay Young Cox died with her husband and 4-year-old son, in a mobile home fire on January 20, 1972. Their Find-A-Grave pages do not have much information.
23 Aug 2022 We have been informed that John Ermer Burton died August 2, 2021, in Indianapolis. His Find-A-Grave page has an obituary, but as yet no photo.
10 Jul 2022 Preparations for our reunion of October 21-23, 2022, are proceeding at full speed. Classmates who have their e-mail addresses known to the Committee have been informed of the plans and have been invited to make their reservations.
For further information, anyone may contact any member of the Reunion Committee: Georganne Binnie, Ann Hodge, Bob Richey, or Skip Higgins.
05 Apr 2022 Yusef "Joe" Kazemi contacted us: " I did attend UHS for one semester and transferred to IU. At this time, I’m retired from engineering and living in Cincinnati, Ohio."
13 Dec 2021 Harra Edward "Ed" Bland, Jr., died December 6, 2021, in Bloomington. He was at UHS in 8th & 9th grades. A photo and obituary are on his Find-A-Grave page.
13 Mar 2021 Wanda Rose Abbitt White, of Gosport, Indiana, died March 9, 2021 in Bloomington. A photo and obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
26 Jun 2020 And we find that Mark Edward Reel died on March 22, 2000, in Austin, Texas.
20 Jun 2020 We are informed that Reginald Allan "Reg" Lloyd, of Indianapolis, died November 16, 1969.
Also, Donald C "Don" Tatlock died in Bloomington on August 5, 2004. An obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page.
11 Dec 2019 Rebecca Browne "Becky" Griffin Appelman, wife of Bob Appelman '63 and twin sister of Elizabeth "Liz" Griffin '63, died November 5, 2019, in Bloomington. A photo and obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
09 Feb 2019 Scans of the Senior Class and underclass photo pages are now available, from the Jordannus in the Monroe County Library.
07 Feb 2019 Stephen King "Steve" Burhans, of Unionville, Indiana, died in Bloomington on February 7, 2019. An obituary and a photo are on his Find-A-Grave page.
10 Sep 2018 Frederick Charles "Fred" Curry died in Bloomington September 4, 2018. An obituary and a photo are on his Find-A-Grave page.
25 Apr 2018 From an extensive search of Ancestry.com data, we find that Holly Dell Grabbe Zolna Jackson Smith Ross, of San Jacinto, California, died December 13, 1996. She has a Find-A-Grave page, but no obituary.
9 Apr 2018 Lynn Marie Heiser Monza died in Bloomington on April 5, 2018.
4 Apr 2018 From an extensive search of the Social Security Death Index and Find-A-Grave, the following members of the Class of '63 have died. If anyone knows otherwise, please let Dave Gray '65 know.
Janille Bayless Chase, of Fort Myers, Florida, on November 18, 2002.
Gary David Coan, of Grants, New Mexico, on January 30, 2010. An obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page.
22 Mar 2018 I used the Commemcement Program to add middle names for many Class members. If there is an error in your name, please let me know. Dave Gray '65
16 Aug 2017 Harry Franklin "Pete" Houdeshel III died July 13th in Salt Lake City. An obituary is available here and on his Find-A-Grave page.
25 July 2017 Becky Bobilya Gregory died July 23, 2017. An obituary is on her Find-A-Grave page.
5 May 2017 John Howard Young died April 5. An obituary is available here.
18 Feb 2017 Hugh Anders “Andy” Hazelrigg, 71, of Bloomington, died Wednesday, Feb 15, 2017. "Andy" in school, but "Hugh" more recently.
Some of Hugh's stunning photos can be seen at http://www.pixoto.com/hugh.hazelrigg.
9/5/11 An obituary for Bob Batchelder can be found here.

ROBERT W. BATCHELDER
Bob's family was by his side as he passed away on August 12, 2011, from complications of gastric cancer and after a 20 year battle with multiple sclerosis. Bob was born in Washington, D.C., on March 2, 1945, but claimed Bloomington, Indiana, as his hometown and was a proud "Hoosier". In 1967, he graduated from Indiana University and continued his education there, receiving a Masters of Business Administration. While attending college, Bob joined the IU Rugby Club and was part of the championship team that won the Mid America Cup and Big Ten Tournament.
After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, he received his Juris Doctorate from University of San Diego School of Law in 1974. A position with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Honors Attorney Program brought Bob and his wife, Sai to Northern Virginia where they called home for the next 23 years. He remained with the DOT in his new role as the Assistant Chief Counsel for The Urban Mass Transportation Administration. In 1978, he received the Lawrence Schneider Award as the department's outstanding young attorney. In 1981, Bob accepted a position with the American Public Transportation Association in Washington, D.C. He was the Chief Counsel and Deputy Executive Vice President of Government Affairs until his retirement in 1996.
He and his wife then returned to San Diego and settled in Chula Vista, California. During his retirement, Bob remained active despite health challenges. He was an avid gardener and loved working in his vegetable garden. He also looked forward to his annual fishing trips to Colorado and Mammoth. Bob was a longtime volunteer with the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego and served as their Treasurer. He also became involved with the local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, attending weekly swim classes. Bob and "Bob's Buddies" actively participated in the annual MS Walk and was consistently a top fundraiser.
The highlight of this year was the birth of his first grandchild in January. Hayes will miss his weekly visits with Grandpa. Bob will be especially remembered for his warm smile, quick wit, kindness and generosity. He kept a positive attitude despite difficult circumstances and always remained optimistic. Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Hisae; one daughter; one grandson; brother, William (Ece) Batchelder (UHS '58); 3 nieces; and many other family members and friends..

Published in San Diego Union-Tribune on September 2, 2011
8/6/11 JoAnne Carter Dyer writes: "I have recently moved in with my daughter and her two girls. It is quite a change, after living alone for nearly twenty years, to be in a household with two teenagers. Never a dull moment! I'm still in South Carolina; just moved about 30 minutes closer to the Georgia border. My son and his family (two teenage boys and an almost teenage girl) live in Mississippi. I'm still working full time. Maybe I'll be able to retire one day!"
1/19/11 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Sheila S. (Byrnes) Bowles passed away December 12, 2010, in Springfield, Missouri. She is survived by her husband, Ken Bowles, their 4 children and 4 grandchildren, her mother, and by siblings Shaun Byrnes (UHS '61), Sally Neylon (UHS '63), Susan Wallace (UHS '64), Robin Huntington (UHS '67), Charles Byrnes, and James Byrnes; and by many other family members and friends.

Sheila received her B.S. degree in Nursing from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a childbirth educator for over 30 years, serving her last 18 years with the Teddy Bear Club at St. John’s Hospital. She was a fellow of the American College of Childbirth Educators of Lamaze International and a teacher for the American Society for Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics. Sheila was most happy to see her children grow to become happy adults with beautiful families. She was grateful to have received a liver transplant, and never stopped loving or fighting to live the life she wanted.
6/21/09 Becky Bobilya Gregory sent news of Duncan Rae's death. The following is is information from his obituary:

Duncan Wyman Rae died on June 12, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. He is survived by his mother, Katherine Whiting Rae and by his brother, Doug Rae (UHS '57), both of New Haven, CT. Other survivors include a daughter, a half-brother and a a step-daughter. Preceeding him in death were his father, W. Douglas Rae, a longtime Baptist minister at the First Baptist Church of Bloomington, IN and one son.
Duncan attended Murray State University in KY in 1964-65; was a helicopter pilot with the U.S. Army 17th Air Cavalry from 1966 to 1970, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. He lived in New Canaan, CT, with his young family for 7 years and then moved to Boulder in 1976. He worked for Boulder County Public Works for many years, and later specialized in medical facility renovations throughout the Denver Metro area. Friends and family would characterize Duncan as having a radiant smile, a vivid sense of humor, and a colorful personality. He never missed an opportunity for a joke or a pun! He enjoyed a competitive bridge game and the serenity of growing geraniums and knitting. He was an avid golfer and a passionate wood carver.
7/8/2008 Robert H. Elkin of Chesterfield, MO, died Saturday, July 5, 2008. He is survived by his wife Mary Cochran-Elkin; his mother Virginia Batchelor of Bloomington, IN; and by 2 children; 3 stepchildren; 3 grandchildren; his brother Thomas (Sara) Elkin; and by several neices and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Roy Elkin. He graduated from University High School in Bloomington, IN, and received his BS in Business from Indiana University. He was a Captain in the U.S. Army, worked in executive positions at Coleman Company, McGraw Edison, Bussmann, and retired as CEO of Jackson Products. He was an avid golfer.
5/20/08 You all should go to the 1944 page to read all about Becky Bobilya Gregory's husband Fred.
3/26/08 JoAnne Carter Dyer writes: "I have been off line for months and would like to start being a part of the UHS communication system once again. I have missed hearing from old friends from my class - Marilyn, Georgeanne, Sheri, Julie, Ann."
11/06/07 George A. Williams of Mitchell, died November 4, 2007, in Indianapolis. Born in Bloomington, he was the son of George W. and Mary Lou (Barnett) Williams. He worked in sales and service for Evenson Explosives. He was a member of the Indiana Aggregate Association. Survivors include one son and two daughters, all of Bloomington; three grandchildren; one sister, Mary Susan Ferrence (UHS '60) of Dahlgren, Va.; one niece, and one nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents. Memorial contributions may be made to the Special Olympics of Monroe County.
9/03/07 Becky Bobilya Gregory writes: "Our classmate, Duncan Rae, is stopping in Bloomington en route from CO to CT. We are gathering upstairs at Nick's in the new Hoosier Room at 6:00 pm next Saturday, September 8th. Please spread the word to other classmates and let me know if you plan to join us and how many people will be with you, so that I can give the Nick's management a headcount later in the week. Hope to see lots of you Univee '63 friends Saturday.

Becky Bobilya Gregory (812) 336-5858
9/02/07 John Young writes: "Just moved to great Northwest. Hoping to walk up Mt. Hood (HA! in my dreams!!) Anyway, I am looking for the money that Cooper jumped out of airplane with years ago. In the mean time I take care of my new grandaughter Allegra, hike, fish, and serve the best coffee in town at Starbucks--who would believe a cup of coffee would cost $3.00 WOW! If anybody make it out here we can take a hike (drive and camp) up Mt. St. Helens.."
1/10/06 Charles Abbott asks: Would love to hear about any upcoming events (reunions etc). Anyone ever think about having a west coast reunion? Oh well, just a thought.
9/16/05 Cherie Arpan Sorikin writes: "My husband Gideon and I are traveling as much as we can, in between real estate transactions and visits with our respective grandchildren. We are about to take off for two months to Spain, followed by a long a cruise back across the ocean and down to Santiago. My brother Jeff (UHS '65) died earlier this year after a brief illness and a longer struggle with semantic dementia. Randy is living in Downington, PA. Regards to all."
8/28/05 Wolfgang Schwenzner answered the email telling him about the all school reunion to say: "It was great get some of the news, and I am very sorry to miss out on the meeting in Okt. My wife and I get to Florida just about every year. Son Wolfgang now runs our Hairstyling Salon in the 19th district in Vienna, also known for the district for Diplomats, I still take adfantag of all the things I got to know in the USA. My hobbys are Work in the shop hellping my son, Travel, but most of all fast cars (911 Targa etc.) My head is straight and I love life. I have bin the other way already. (Cancer)
2/04/05 The February 3, 2005 Indianapolis Star has an article in its "Neighbors" section (see http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/219337-9638-P.html) about Ann Armstrong Hodge which begins:
Ann Hodge
Age: 59
Family: Single.
Pets: Cat, Timmy.
Residence: Carmel, Westfield Farms subdivision.
Education: University High School, Bloomington; Indiana University, bachelor's in education; master's in library science.
Accomplishments: Retired Monday from Lebanon High School as media specialist -- library. She served in Lebanon Schools 26 years, 14 years with the high school."
the article includes this:
'If I were 15 again: "I loved the group of friends that I had. We were always dancing. I think it would be great to go back for a day and relive that time (around 1960). We had great music then."'
9/28/04 Lana Fiscus Taylor writes: "I enjoyed reading all the comments from my classmates. I took early retirement, from the City of Corpus Christi, in December 1999, and am thoroughly enjoying the retired life. I'm single. Just me and my cats. Current interests are genealogy, dollmaking, and writing. Would love to hear from any who would like to correspond."
9/14/04 Jeri Ann Scafidi Brown writes: "I did not finish high school at UHS, but I have wonderful memories of my time there in 7th and 8th grade. I saw the picture of Elm Heights class that Steve Curry sent. What memories! Would love to hear from anyone who might remember me at either school. I was a member of UHS High School Band during school years 1957-58 and 58-59. Was in Mr. Coulter's class at Elm Heights 1956-57."
7/12/04 Bill Dickens sends a PHOTO of "Tres Amigos de San Diego".
5/14/04 See scanned images of the Commencement Program for the class of 1963.
11/01/03 Bill Dickens said after the reunion: "Batch & I had a super time. Becky Gee, Becky Bee, Byron K., & Justin, Y'ALL DONE REAL GOOD! The reunion was a hit with all attendees. THANKS TO YOU ALL. Bill Dickens"
9/5/03 Holly Neumann May wrote back in June - Many thanks to Becky Bobilya Gregory for sending me Emails from the list. I have finally decided to subscribe to answer some of the questions raised. I will also try to get my 2 brothers [Holm & Erik, and my sister Karen] to subscribe. - Holly Neumann May
5/14/03 From the Bloomington Herald-Times, March 7, 2003:
Kenneth Edward English of Bloomington died Wednesday, March 5, 2003, in Bloomington. He is survived by his parents, James and Naomi (Utterback) English and by a sister: Linda S. Williams of Solsberry; and two brothers: Rev. Don W. English and Tom R. English, both of Bloomington.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathy (Covey) English.
He graduated from University High School, class of 1963.
4/06/03 Bruce Bowden found us and wrote: "My third wife, Claire, and I are retired or unemployed depending on your point of view and trying to figure out what to do when we grow up. Anybody know anything about Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, hospitable Carribean Islands?"
3/12/03 Patti Talbot Sanborn writes: "Well, I didn't know this site was here until my sister, Judy, emailed me about it! What fun to read your comments. We moved to Park City in '95 and love it. So we golf and hike in the summer and ski and snowshoe in the winter. We stayed in town for the Olympics last year and had a great time. Did anyone watch it on TV and see PC? Looking forward to the reunion (I still need to let Becky know that I'm coming!)
11/16/02 Sheila Byrnes Bowles writes: "I am really interested in hearing from class mates. I am hoping to see a lot of you at the reunion, which I am planning to attend. Hope I hear from you!"
9/29/02 Sally Byrnes Neylon writes: Sheila has been keeping me informed about the class as she made a reunion. My husband and I live in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, where he practices law and I am a 7th grade Social Studies teacher. Retirement is beginning to look good but not in the immediate future. We have three adopted children, twins Caroline and Meredith, and Andrew. Meredith was married this past August in Munich, Germany, where she will be living. I love to play tennis, read, and walk - and my bags are always packed for travel, which we do at every chance we get. Hope to be at the reunion.
8/19/02 Liz Griffin writes: I would like for all our teachers to be invited to our 40th reunion and given ample time to share a few remarks with us! They played an important role in shaping who we are, and I feel we should honor them in some way! I live in Ithaca, NY, from May through December, and in Tucson, AZ from January to May. I just bought a house in Tucson.
4/22/02 MaryAnn Mueller Grubaugh writes: "Well, it is nice to see where a lot of people have landed. It's been such a long time since our last reunion, but it seems like yesterday. I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion just to catch up on the last 14 years. I would love to hear from you all!!!"
3/07/02 Bob Poling writes: "Greetings from New Mexico. We are still living on the edge of the wilderness in the foothills of the mountains north of Albuquerque. After thirty years here the compound continues to grow even with the kids grown and gone. Hope the impetus to have a reunion in the summer of 2003 continues for our class of '63. Would love to touch base again with everyone.
3/06/02 Sheila Byrnes Bowles writes: I am excited to hear about others in the class. We have 4 children; the youngest got married last summer. One eavh in Texas, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and the youngest in Columbia, Mo. My husband retired almost 3 years ago, and I still work part time as Education Coordinator of Childbirth Educator Program at a hospital here. I had a liver transplant 7 years ago, happy to be here. Traveling whenever possible and enjoying hearing of others.
2/18/02 Raymond Gibson writes from Texas that he's doing "Sailing, travel, fishing, boating and fast cars... Down here in the south we do sun things all year round!"
2/18/02 Becky Bobilya Gregory sends this caption from under picture of Jim Barker, Class of 1963, in the Business section (F-2) of the Feb. 17, 2002 Bloomington Sunday Hoosier Times.
"Jim Barker, president of J.A. Barker Engineering in Bloomington, has been asked by the National Park Service to develop and direct a national research project documenting outstanding American covered bridges. An exhibit will be prepared to tour the country. Barker was asked to serve because of his experience restoring covered bridges in Indiana."
1/30/02 Janice Toole Landin writes: I have been teaching for 25yrs. The last 10 at the middle school level, all right here in Vancouver. In June I will retire. I have two grown daughters and two grandchildren in the Seattle area. My sister and brother followed me here to the Pacific NW but my parents still live in Bloomington. I travel every chance I get, Central and South America, Italy, Africa, Asia, etc. I enjoy doing photography and other artwork and plan to do more when I retire. I also plan to spend more time in Bloomington with my parents and Seattle with my children. As you can tell I don't have much to tie me down. I have been divorced for 20 yrs. and only my cat Abby can put up with me for very long. I would love to hear from any of my classmates from 1963.
12/23/01 Message from Becky Bobilya Gregory . " I talked to Linda Waters Dro earlier this evening. She and Bob are here visiting parents. We are gathering at my house late afternoon on Tuesday, Christmas Day, whenever it's convenient, say after 4 pm. Please spread the word to any other friends or classmates. Meanwhile, have a very merry....."
11/14/01 Andy Hazelrigg writes: "I will never "retire." The very idea is abhorrent. Life is work, and vice versa, so why not be productive? Yeah, I know, I'm quibbling with terms here, but that's one of my specialties."
7/06/01 Suzanne Waltz Ronneau writes: "I was so happy to hear from Justin Foster and that there will be another reunion! I'm now a legal aid lawyer in Daytona Beach, FL. My kids are grown and have one grandchild. Not married at present. Would love company; somebody must come to Florida sometime, eh?"
5/30/01 Georganne Poolitsan Binnie writes: "I'm very excited about the opportunity to hear about what people are up to. If your plans include a visit to Chicago, please give me a call. I look forward to hearing from lots of Univees. Georganne Binnie"
5/28/01 Joan Robertson O'Connor writes: "I just read about Bob and Linda Dro looking forward to retirement, and I turned that shade of green that goes along with envy. I'm still working full time as a nurse in an inpatient rehab facility and have no plans to retire any time soon, although it is starting to sound like a great idea. Am looking forward to seeing as many as possible from my class in 2003."
5/08/01 Linda Waters Dro writes: "Hello to all...It's a frightening thought, but Bob and I are about to celebrate our 35th anniversary. Our son, Justin, broke with family tradition and just graduated from Purdue. He's back in KC and will take over our small business so we can retire. We're giving him two years and we're out. We always look forward to reunions and will try to join the group for our 40th. Congratulations, Julie, on your wedding! E-mails are always welcome. LD"
5/02/01 JoAnne Carter Dyer wrote: "I was so happy to find out about this! One of my sisters e-mailed me about it. (There were a whole lot of us "Carter kids" who went to UHS.) I have lived in a beautiful town in South Carolina for the last 25 years, but my 8 brothers and sisters and my mother are still in Indiana. I have a grown daughter and a grown son and five grandchildren. I would love to hear from anyone from the class of '63!"
5/01/01 Julie Swaim-Ryan wrote when registering: "I'd enjoy a column on "What ever happened to...";. For instance, I didn't see Bob Bacheldor, John Young, Cheryl Arpan, etc., at our last reunion. Where are they and what are they doing? Would be interesting to know who the millionaires are :) --count me out. Any people who have a claim to "fame" in their fields?"
Email Julie if you know any of this - and if anyone finds any lost people, let Becky Gregory know.

Reunion Information

October 21-23, 2022 60th Reunion - - - See above!
April 29, 2017
This is a poster we made for or reunion last weekend, April 21-23, 2017 in The Villages, Florida. It pictures all those from our class who have passed on.
April 21 -23, 2017 The classes of 1962 and 1963 are having a reunion in The Villages, FL the weekend of April 21 -23. Anyone interested should contact: Ann Armstrong Hodge at ahodge604@att.net or Tunde Csoke Rigel at tunderigel@gmail.com or Rita Adcock Barrett at Reets427@aol.com

To see the Find-A-Grave page, click here
Then copy the number into the "# Memorial ID" field.

Updated 08 Feb 2023