I've hesitated to say anything about Gary, as my information is all 2nd or even 3rd hand. He and I were next door neighbors on Highview Street in Dearborn, as my family moved there from Detroit when Gary and I were both 7. Prior to that he had been hit with the horrible double whammy of polio and his father's untimely death. All that is for sure. The less positive part is I heard he had gotten a job of some kind on a cruise ship, sometime during the mid to late '70s, and had died while on board. The word went on to say he'd been buried at sea, which is a little harder to take for gospel.
At any rate, he had a rough and not very long life, and I try to keep him mind when I get down about something. Walk a mile in the other guy's mocassins, as they say..........
Bill, interesting info for sure. I may be thinking of the wrong person, but I seem to recall Gary going to San Francisco during the Summer of Love or thereabouts, and coming back to Dearborn as a pretty hardcore hippie. Not that there's anything wrong with that...it would be like me calling the kettle black. But my impression was that he REALLYwent wild. Again, I might have it wrong, but if not, the cruise ship deal makes the whole thing even more interesting, if that's the right word.
You could be right about that, Jim. I know he kind of went off the deep end. His mother and mine were good friends and Gary's more than had her hands full with him. Might have been because his older brother (don't remember his name, John, maybe? He was 2 or 3 years older than us) was a really solid citizen, jealousy, you know, little bro mad at big bro sort of thing. At any rate, Gary was not a happy soul. The polio had left him pretty frail and weak, hard to contend with in company with healthy neighbor and school kids.
At our 25th reunion, I had a conversation with Vic Lebeau about Gary, and I think Gary had a bout with Post Polio Syndrome. Don't know if that's how he died, but it sounds nasty. Details here: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/post_polio/detail_post_polio.htm . I enjoyed the times heading over to his house after a 'hard' day at Clark Elementary to play with his cool toys. Leaving was another matter, though, and one day, Rusty, his pet cocker spaniel, took off after me. Naturally, I did, too, but my 7 year old legs didn't stand a chance, and Rusty put his canines into my calf. By the time I got home, I thought I was hot stuff, being bitten and tough and all, and didn't quite get it when my mother hit the ceiling when I told her. Rusty was clean of any rabies, etc. and I was free to start my lifetime of a love/hate relatiionship with dogs.
He did have an older brother, John, class of '63, if I remember correctly.
Rusty was not a friendly dog, anyway, but was also blind in one eye. During a family cookout between us and the Gallaghers, like a damn fool I picked him up, from the blind side, of course. He spun around and bit me in the cheek, not a large bite, but pretty deep. Medical science at that time was not what it is today, and the fear of rabies from a bite that close to the brain was overpowering. The doctors recommended a short series of the shots, either 7 or 10 days, I forget, and not the full 30 days they normally give. 7 or 30, doesn't really matter as the rabies shots are nasty, painful things, and I was not a happy kamper for awhile there. Funny part is the bite left no scar, and I can't even remember exactly where the bite was, or even which side of my face. Strange.
Wonder what ever happened to Rusty........... or big brother, John, for that matter. I know their mother, Ethel, remarried several years later. Nice lady, had a rough time of it. My mother and her were good friends.
The cheek! Ouch! My condolences - sounds like I had it easy. Maybe Rusty did me after you, because I didn't get the shots. I, too, have forgotten which leg it was....
William Taylor
I've hesitated to say anything about Gary, as my information is all 2nd or even 3rd hand. He and I were next door neighbors on Highview Street in Dearborn, as my family moved there from Detroit when Gary and I were both 7. Prior to that he had been hit with the horrible double whammy of polio and his father's untimely death. All that is for sure. The less positive part is I heard he had gotten a job of some kind on a cruise ship, sometime during the mid to late '70s, and had died while on board. The word went on to say he'd been buried at sea, which is a little harder to take for gospel.
At any rate, he had a rough and not very long life, and I try to keep him mind when I get down about something. Walk a mile in the other guy's mocassins, as they say..........
Jim Clark
Bill, interesting info for sure. I may be thinking of the wrong person, but I seem to recall Gary going to San Francisco during the Summer of Love or thereabouts, and coming back to Dearborn as a pretty hardcore hippie. Not that there's anything wrong with that...it would be like me calling the kettle black. But my impression was that he REALLYwent wild. Again, I might have it wrong, but if not, the cruise ship deal makes the whole thing even more interesting, if that's the right word.
William Taylor
You could be right about that, Jim. I know he kind of went off the deep end. His mother and mine were good friends and Gary's more than had her hands full with him. Might have been because his older brother (don't remember his name, John, maybe? He was 2 or 3 years older than us) was a really solid citizen, jealousy, you know, little bro mad at big bro sort of thing. At any rate, Gary was not a happy soul. The polio had left him pretty frail and weak, hard to contend with in company with healthy neighbor and school kids.
Tom Scheper
At our 25th reunion, I had a conversation with Vic Lebeau about Gary, and I think Gary had a bout with Post Polio Syndrome. Don't know if that's how he died, but it sounds nasty. Details here: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/post_polio/detail_post_polio.htm . I enjoyed the times heading over to his house after a 'hard' day at Clark Elementary to play with his cool toys. Leaving was another matter, though, and one day, Rusty, his pet cocker spaniel, took off after me. Naturally, I did, too, but my 7 year old legs didn't stand a chance, and Rusty put his canines into my calf. By the time I got home, I thought I was hot stuff, being bitten and tough and all, and didn't quite get it when my mother hit the ceiling when I told her. Rusty was clean of any rabies, etc. and I was free to start my lifetime of a love/hate relatiionship with dogs.
He did have an older brother, John, class of '63, if I remember correctly.
William Taylor
Rusty was not a friendly dog, anyway, but was also blind in one eye. During a family cookout between us and the Gallaghers, like a damn fool I picked him up, from the blind side, of course. He spun around and bit me in the cheek, not a large bite, but pretty deep. Medical science at that time was not what it is today, and the fear of rabies from a bite that close to the brain was overpowering. The doctors recommended a short series of the shots, either 7 or 10 days, I forget, and not the full 30 days they normally give. 7 or 30, doesn't really matter as the rabies shots are nasty, painful things, and I was not a happy kamper for awhile there. Funny part is the bite left no scar, and I can't even remember exactly where the bite was, or even which side of my face. Strange.
Wonder what ever happened to Rusty........... or big brother, John, for that matter. I know their mother, Ethel, remarried several years later. Nice lady, had a rough time of it. My mother and her were good friends.
Tom Scheper
The cheek! Ouch! My condolences - sounds like I had it easy. Maybe Rusty did me after you, because I didn't get the shots. I, too, have forgotten which leg it was....