2 thoughts on “A grand event”

1. Does anyone have an email address or phone number for Tim Holt? I spent a good part of the reunion with him and then we sat in the bar until 2:00AM and I never thought to get his contact info. If you’re not comfortable sending it to me contact him and get his ok.
   Thanks.

2. To All Who May Care To Know:
   My apologies for missing the 50th Reunion as well as submitting this update as late as I am. However, being the good (OK, maybe that’s just “practicing”) Catholic that I am it will haunt me if I don’t at least say “Hello” to the past as I happily look to the future.
   As I look closely at my upcoming 68th birthday, I’ve realized that I’ve learned not to regret as much what I’ve always wanted, but failed to do – like the major contributions to Church, Country, and Civilization that never happened, and to be happy with what opportunities I’ve had the fortune to recognize and pursue. Though I graduated from the US Air Force Academy I quickly found that my physiology prohibited me from flying; so I flew satellites for a 40 year career instead. Despite minimal training, skill or desire to be anything other than a nerd, I transitioned into roles in supervision, organizational and program management in order to make notable contributions to the people and success of a reputable aerospace environment. With only a Mathematician’s limited ability to communicate, I’ve developed an expertise in Government proposals that has also produced some post-retirement consulting work and class room teaching at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the USAF Academy. Overcoming my limited athletic skills (frequently exposed by my fellow Cathedral tennis team mates), I’ve enjoyed untold hours successfully coaching recreational and competitive youth soccer, refereeing high school matches and the top Colorado men’s league, and trying to out-ski my kids (now a very distant memory).
   Whatever drive I may have demonstrated in my career probably started to mature when I was a HS Senior and had to find living arrangements and talk my parents into letting me finish at Cathedral rather than attend Creighton Prep in Nebraska where they had moved (Creighton Prep Adv. Education: 4 yrs Latin, 2 yrs Greek, look at Calculus after Spring Break – ugh, Sr. Maria Joseph pray for me!). Monty Sparks was another Westover AF Brat who pulled the same move, with similar positive results, and I’ve been able to reconnect with him since the 40th Reunion. The multitude of life’s demands have taught me to try to simply enjoy life by maintaining positive goals, standards and friendships – accepting, enjoying and adding to the good that’s available while rejecting, correcting and overcoming the bad. And it all reinforces my Catholic faith, which I continue to hold close and firmly.
   Since early youth I’ve benefited from superior efforts from my guardian angel, who continues to be challenged by the little boy that remains a part of me. I’ve overcome a number of hurdles in life, the latest being Oropharyngeal Cancer in 2013, and I grow more and more aware of the angelic protection that has and continues to support my earthy travels. While I hope for continued support, I certainly recognize, and am very humbled and thankful for how much it’s benefited me to this point.
   My greatest joy continues to be the company of the beautiful woman I met in Jan of 1968, married 5 months later, and with whom I’ve brought 4 children into the world and raised them to be self-sufficient and emotionally caring siblings. Together we’ve shared laughter, tears, struggles, failures, successes, happiness, sadness, travels, exciting experiences, and dull boredom that continue to be blended together and enriched by a love that remains the most wonderful thing that I ever could have hoped to receive. With apologies to Mary Katharine Gallagher (SNL), as Curly answered in the movie City Slickers with his index finger to the question of what the secret of life is, “It’s 1 thing. Just 1 thing.” For me, it’s been my wife – with her it all works, and because of her life has had incredible meaning.
   While we’ve been fortunate to enjoy some, and hope to have more delightful travels to Hawaii, Australia and Europe, we pray for more world stability and personal time to take advantage of the wonders of locations other than our 50 year home state of Colorado. They say, “you need to do everything you want before you retire because there isn’t enough time after you’ve retired” and we’re finding that to be true. We have been raising a 2nd generation of little Woodlings (3 of our 6 grand children) over the last 4 years due to their mother’s absence, requiring us to physically and emotionally demonstrate our conviction of the premier importance of children and families despite our reduced physical stamina. They remain our top priority, with attempts at more reunions with the families of our 3 other kids who live in Washington state and working as conservator for my 95 yr. old mother in California constantly on our minds.
   In other circumstances I would have preferred to know more individuals in the wonderful Cathedral Class of ’64 and to know better those with whom I’ve shared some time and thoughts. How a skinny kid with more miles of travel than sense ever got the opportunity that Cathedral presented is most logically attributable only to divine intervention. And I’m so humbly thankful that the path that I started there, with the sometimes not so gentle guidance of the good Sisters and Priests, has taken me to where and what I am. The prayers that I so desperately offered then in support of my self-centered needs and hopes for the future have been answered so abundantly, as I hope yours have or will be as well.
   Cheers, best wishes and prayers for all ’64 Panthers, living and deceased. May your days be long and filled with happiness and satisfaction!

   Bill Wood

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