Steven West

Wow! 50 years!…And even more amazing… 56 years since we were all terrified during our first week under the Dome as “effies”! Even our 40th reunion seems very long ago…but also a lot like yesterday!. All in all, these past ten years rank high among my happiest and most fulfilling…I feel very much blessed!
First and foremost, Jackie’s and my combined family has grown by leaps and bounds. Our children graduated from colleges scattered throughout the country…Mary Ellen from Stanford ( her dad’s alma mater) with an AB degree, and a few years later following her marriage, Masters degree in Social Work (with Therapist accreditation) from the University of Texas. Matt graduated from the University of Colorado with both BS and Masters degrees in Aerospace Engineering; and Ali from Ohio U. with a BA in education ( a Spanish major.) Mary Ellen married Ben (a schoolmate friend from Stanford); they are long time settled in Austin and have both a drop dead beautiful 5 year old daughter, Madeleine, and a (no doubt) future linebacker-stud son Andrew, age three; Mary Ellen is pretty much a full time mom these days while Ben is co-managing partner of a major privately held software company. Matt is married to Jill; they live in Boulder, CO and have an equally gorgeous daughter Isabel (aka Izzy), age 4.; he is a senior manager at Ball Aerospace Corporation. Ali spent several years as a high school Spanish teacher and Foreign Language Department Head in Asheville; she and her significant other recently moved to Boulder where she has developed a thriving private Spanish language education business.
Professionally, my nine year tenure leading Hospice of Cincinnati certainly proved to be a wonderful capstone to a 45 year business career. Those years were clearly the happiest, most satisfying and fulfilling professional times I was ever blessed to experience. HOC is truly a Southwest Ohio community NFP gem, with the most unbelievably dedicated and caring staff one could ever imagine. It was a great privilege to be able to serve with them.
Jackie and I will celebrate our 19th anniversary together in November. Our life together has gone by quickly and with great joy. She doubles as is my best friend as well as the love of my life. Three and a half years ago, we built our permanent retirement home in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, located in a gated community high above Hendersonville. We absolutely love it here… continually inspired by the tranquility, beauty, and (usually) moderate weather of the mountains; by the discovery of many newfound friends; and by the slower, gracious “deep south” pace of life. I keep busy serving on several local NFP and regional community Boards and with miscellaneous other volunteer endeavors; by taking long hikes on our local mountain trails with my 120 pound rescue dog (Beau!); by, continuing our mutual quest to gradually complete our bucket list of travel sites never before visited; and…perhaps most important… by spoiling our three grandchildren whenever we can! And, of course, visiting old friends and colleagues in Cincinnati several times a year…we maintain a condo in Anderson.
In short, I still look forward optimistically to each new day, despite our country and world being vastly changed from the “garden days” we enjoyed at WHHS!
All the best to everyone in our Super Class of ’62.