Sandy (Peterson) Langley, 1943-2015

1943 - 2015 | Obituary 

Sandra Loree (Petersen) Langley of Lone Pine passed quietly on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 8 at Renown Hospital in Reno.
Sandy is survived by her husband, Christopher Langley; and by her brothers, Mark Petersen, of Fairfield and Steve Petersen of Malibu. She is also survived by her sons and their families, Simon Langley and wife Wendy of Chico and Matthew Langley and wife Juliana of Sebastopol; and three adoring granddaughters, Alexandra, Caroline and Scarlett.
She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Peter and Anita Petersen.
Born on April 7, 1943 in Healdsburg, Sandy grew up in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. She graduated from Point Arena High School in Point Arena in 1961, and she attended college at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. She received a degree in English from SSU as a member of the college's inaugural class.
Shortly upon graduating from college, Sandy enlisted in the Peace Corps and traveled to Austin, Texas for training. It was in Austin that she would meet her eventual husband of 46 years, Christopher Langley. The pair were both stationed in Iran during their Peace Corps service. Sandy reveled in telling stories of her adventures in Iran all of her life. The couple married in New York City on Aug. 8, 1968, shortly after returning to the United States. Christopher relocated from his native New York to join his new bride in California.
Lifelong educators, Sandy and Chris soon found themselves teaching elementary school in a remote northern California mining town called New Idria. Their tenure there was short-lived, however, as the mine closed and the town became deserted in 1972. This led them to seek out jobs with the Lone Pine Unified School District. Sandy taught the primary grades at Olancha School from 1972- 1977, and in various grade levels at Lo-Inyo Elementary from 1977-2001. In her retirement, she served as a member of the LPUSD Board of Trustees for several years. To say that Mrs. Langley had a significantly positive impact on the youth of Lone Pine and their families would be a gross understatement. Her influence went beyond the classroom, and many of her students remained lifelong friends.
Sandy had a passion for reading, collecting thousands of books over her lifetime and rereading hundreds of her most beloved novels time and time again. She also adored her beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, prompting her and Chris to make multiple visits to Spring Training in Arizona in recent years. Those who knew Sandy know she also had a flair for the dramatic, and the community was treated to many of her performances over the years as a member of the Southern Inyo Community Theater and in Lone Pine's fabled Jabberwocky productions. Perhaps her most notable role was as the voice of the man-eating plant, "Audrey Two" in the SICT production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Sandy imparted many pearls of wisdom to members of her family and her community over the years. She approached people with an open mind, an open, loving heart and a generous spirit that never stopped giving.
She will be memorialized at a service in Lone Pine at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Lone Pine reservation's tribal gymnasium.

Published in Inyo Register on Jan. 17, 2015

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Karen (Stornetta) Shurtz – Class of 1961

Left Point Arena the day after high school graduation in 1961 and moved to San Francisco. Went to vocational school and received a certificate in dental nursing.

Moved back to Point Arena and had several jobs. Met my husband in 1970 and got married in 1971. We have 3 girls and 5 grandchildren

He was in the Air Force and we moved to the Los Angeles area in 1974. We went to Virginia from 1976 to 1978. We returned to California in 1978 and were stationed in Sacramento at Mather AFB.

My husband retired from active duty in 1982 and we stayed in Rancho Cordova. I went back to school and got a certificate in early childhood education (ECE). I worked in ECE for many years as we toured the USA.

We moved to Albuquerque New Mexico in 1997 where we both worked at Kirtland AFB. 1999 brought us back to California and Yuba City, when my husband got a job at Beale AFB. I went to work for Sam’s Club and Tom worked at Beale until he retired in 2006. I worked for Sam’s until 2008. We have our home and plan to stay in Yuba City.

We recently went on a Mexican cruise for his 50 year class reunion in Long Beach Ca, loved it! That hooked us on more cruises.

I’m glad we are having this reunion and am looking forward to seeing everyone.

You can contact me at:

kgshurtz@aol.com
530-755-0870

Sandi (Petersen) Langley - Class of 1961

Well, I certainly hope we're all able to attend in five years. I hated missing this reunion, but I was incapacitated by a complicated knee surgery and then trying to die, but all is well now. 
I once told a friend that I had never lived anywhere that wasn't scenic. The Mendocino Coast, Persian Gulf, Sonoma County, the San Benito Mountains and the last 38 years here in the Owens Valley. 
Chris and I met in the Peace Corps, during training in Austin, Texas, then, after two years in Iran, we came home and got married. We moved to New Idria, a mining camp in San Benito County, with our son Matt, and lived there for three years, teaching. From there, we moved here to Lone Pine, where Simon was born. We retired from teaching in 2001 and will probably live here forever, since Chris is very involved with the Lone Pine Film Festival, The Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History; he is the Executive Director, being the Film Commissioner of Inyo County, serving on the County School Board, and working with the Annenberg Foundation on projects. What do I do? Mostly follow him around and read. 
Our son, Matt, is a teacher in Santa Rosa and is also "the voice of the Santa Rosa Panthers," announcing their football and basketball games and also playoff games. He and his wife, Juli, live in Sebastopol with their three daughters. Juli has a preschool.
Our son Simon and his wife, Wendy, live in Chico where he is service manager for Boradori Auto Repair and a musician.
Life is good and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next reunion.
Sandy (Petersen) Langley 
If you feel like sending an email, I can be reached at Cheefwil@aol.com.

Judy (Swift) Cecil - Class of 1961

Judy, Class of 1961, Gary and Linda, Class of 1963

Howdy from Texas……


I have just retired,after 30 years,from my dream job…a high school secretary/bookkeeper. I certainly was taught and trained well by Ms. Hood. I might still be working but one day, a week before the first day of school for the students, the school was flooded and destroyed. We had a tropical depression, it rained 10” in 4 hours. Due to some new construction the water rushed into the lower level of the school. The principal, vice principal, and I were working in the second floor offices and had to get out. My truck was nearly washed away, a friend struggled through knee-high water to rescue it. Our beautiful high school was condemned and closed due to damage and mold. All employees and students were sent to a new location for the school year…. that was fun. I worked that year and made my 30 years so I decided to retire. I always said, since I liked the job so well, it would take an act of God to get me to retire….well it did!

Since retirement my husband and I bought a 5th wheel trailer and we have been using it. Last fall we took a month long trip to San Diego then up to Napa. In May we met friends in Albuquerque. In June we, our children, in their trailers, spend the month at a nearby lake. In July we met my sister, Linda and husband in Apache Junction, Arizona. In August we made a trip to the coast. Last week we planted our fall garden, it’ll be warm here until after Thanksgiving.

I worked at Lawrence Lab for a few years after graduation until a sailor came along, he was going to ET school at Treasure Island. When he got orders to Norfolk, Virginia I married him and went with him. When his duty was finished we came here, he’s a Texan. He worked, and retired from Kelly AFB.

We have two children, our daughter, Kim works for a law firm, her husband works for KLN Steel, our son, Bobby works for Wells Fargo, his wife works in a CPA office, our granddaughter, Amber is in college, she
will be a teacher in 2 years.

Our little family members consist of two dogs, two cats, and an Amazon parrot.

Sorry I can’t attend the reunion, it would be nice to see everyone.

Those of us who were in the HMS Pinafore could entertain y’all by singing the chorus:

”So do her sisters, and her cousins and her aunts

And so do……”

(In a later email, Judy added)

The HMS Pinafore was fun. Mr. Russell was a natural for that part and such a good sport. My granddaughter's college, University of Texas @ San Antonio is doing it this fall. She is auditioning for a part. She is learning opera right now, she has a beautiful voice. Last year they did "Pirates of Penzance", it was good.


I talked to Sonny (Virgil) yesterday, he is fine, retired... I sent him the letter you sent me about the reunion. He told me he'll think about going, he may show up.

I talked to Linda, she said she may go. Will call Gary later this afternoon, he lives in Seattle, Wa., he just retired.

Hope you have a good time at the reunion. Maybe I can make it next time, it's a pretty long trip. Would love to take the drive up Hwy. 1 again.

The Gulf of Mexico just isn't quite as pretty as that beautiful blue Pacific Ocean.

I remember skating up and down that looong hill downtown, working at the shop across from the movie theater (Titus' Sweet Shop), making cherry cokes, milk shakes, lemon cokes, sandwiches.

Take care, this is bringing back LOTS of memories.
 
Judy
**Would love to hear from you:

judithswiftcecil@satx.rr.com

Donald Ellingson - Class of 1961

After graduation from P.A.U.H.S. in 1961 I went to Fresno State College on an agricultural scholarship. I worked in their dairy and made all the butter and ice cream that was used on campus. This included a batch of red,white and blue ice cream for a 4th of July visit by govenor Pat Brown. I quit school after 1 year ,when it became clear that this life style was not for me, and returned to Elk. I worked for my dad in the woods for a year and then decided that also was not a lifetime career choice. In 1963 I enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in the law enforcement program. In 1964 , while at the J.C. , I met Yvonnette Weeks and we were married in Aug.1966. I joined the Oakland Police Dept. in Oct. 1966 . In Jan. 1967 I was drafted and spent 2 years in the Army. Most of that time was spent in Washington D.C. in the Old Guard. My main job was to go to Andrews Air Base and pick up heads of state and their familys and deliver them to Blair House ( presidential guest house ) After the army I returned to O.P.D. where I retired in 1991. My wife and I have 2 children , Tracy works for the State of California and on July 30,2010 had our first grandchild ( Blake Austin ). Kimberly is a chiropractor. Both live in the Sacramento area. We live in Del Webb Sun City in Lincoln , Calif. about a mile from Gene and Judy Price ( P.A.U.H.S. class of 1957 ) We enjoy traveling and cruising. Life is good.

Gary Beall - Class of 1961

Life is good. I retired more than six years ago from the University of California, Davis where I worked as a public communications specialist for 29 years. My current lifestyle emphasizes the great outdoors--photography, hiking and gardening--and spending time with family and friends. I trained for and completed the Lake Tahoe Marathon last September and am now training for the Maui Marathon that will be held in January.

I am married and have three children, a son and two daughters and two grandchildren.

After PAUHS, I attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in electronics engineering because our principal/counselor Bill Barber thought I would be good at it. However, it wasn’t for me, so I transferred into journalism, a much better fit. (I should have listened to Ed Garrett, who used to tell me I was a good writer.)

After Cal Poly, I had stints doing public information work for the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton and the California State Department of Education in Sacramento. (The Army didn’t want me during the Vietnam buildup, thanks to torn cartilage in my knee from attempting to tackle Jason Franci during football practice in our senior year.) Then it was on to graduate school at the University of Oregon, where I received a master’s degree in journalism, with an emphasis in public relations.

My first job out of grad school was as editor of an Agricultural research magazine at Oregon State University in Corvallis, not a bad gig, but the rain and gloomy Willamette Valley weather made me yearn for the California sun. Luckily, I was accepted for an agricultural information job at the University of California, Davis, and worked there in various capacities until retirement.

I now live in Avila Beach but also spend time in Gualala and Winters. I regret not being able to attend the reunion but would like to hear from classmates and can be reached by email: gabeall@ucdavis.edu. Enjoy the evening and thanks, Mike, for your efforts to get us “oldtimers” together.

Ken (Kenny) Alford - Class of 1961

1961 - 1962 Attended Santa Rosa JC. No real goal in mind.

1962 - 1983 Jeff Nelson and I decided that we wanted to “see the world” so we joined the Army. I spent 21 years traveling the world (6 years in South Korea, 3 years in Germany and 2 years in Tehran, Iran) and the United States (The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Fort Huachuca, AZ, Charleston Air Force Base, SC and Fort McClellan, AL.)

During this period I managed to have 3 wives (still married to my last one after more than 37 years) 2 sons (my youngest son was born in Tehran, Iran) and 1 daughter (I adopted my wife’s daughter from a previous marriage.)

Retired from the Army as a 1st SGT (E8) in April 1983 at age 39 and went to work for a living (if you call going to work as a civil servant for the government, work).

In 1986 I finally got around to finishing my bachelors degree and even started working on my masters in Public Administration. However, my GI Bill money ran out after 18 semester hours and so did my interest in a masters degree.

I started working in civil service for the Army at Fort McClellan, AL in November 1984.

I then went to Washington, D.C. where I was a senior inspector for the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Justice.

From there I went to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts where I developed staffing formulas for the Federal District, Appellate, and Bankruptcy Courts and for the Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Offices. There are 94 judicial districts and I must have traveled to over 50% of them. The flight attendants started greeting me by name as I would get on a plane.

Anyway, I retired from civil service as a GS-14 in January 2000 and have been living here in Alabama with all the other rednecks. I play golf (I’m a 3 handicapper) 5 days a week (Mon-Fri) and fish when the weather allows. My wife developed a rare muscular disease (Poly-myositis) in 2005 which has severely limited her strength and stamina. We had hoped that we would be able to attend the reunion; however, the last few weeks her condition has deteriorated to the point where we will not be able to attend. She wanted me to go on alone, but I just can’t leave her for extended periods.

Hope you all have a fantastic time!!!

Ken