This page, launched in 2022, is a place to honor and remember those who have passed away (see In Memory for a complete list). Please email ghs69reunion@att.net if you wish to contribute information or memories about a deceased classmate, regardless of the year of death. The posts on this page will be listed in reverse chronological order,  beginning with our most recent loss.

 

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2024

Livy (Lee) Cope

 

November 7, 1951 – January 14, 2024

 

Leader, scholar, athlete, and “Best All Around”– that was Lee Cope, our Mr. Germantown. Whether he was charging down the basketball court, representing GHS at Boys State, or leading the Beta Club, Lee could always be counted on to make our class proud. Among many other awards, Lee was named Teenager of the Week by the Memphis Press-Scimitar and “Most Versatile” by his classmates. He was a PK (Preacher’s Kid) who walked the walk of deep Christian faith, a role model, a flirt, and just plain fun.

 

 

Lee and Cindy Spain, Boys and Girls State Representatives

Lee received a Congressional appointment to the Air Force Academy where he spent his first two years of college. He transferred to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and became an avid Big Orange Fan. At UT he met 1969 East High graduate Mary Ann Curry, who became his wife and love of his life. They had four children: Elizabeth, Susan, Carrie, and Caleb.  After UT, Lee attended the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry. He completed his residency in pediatric and special needs dentistry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital then moved his young family to Jackson, Mississippi to set up his practice. Lee was passionate about his profession, working with children and special needs patients for over 35 years. 

 Athletic and adventurous throughout his early life, Lee loved woodworking, running, the family’s retreat at Lake Bruin, and archery. He especially enjoyed bow hunting, and traveled as far as Africa to share hunting adventures with his son Caleb. He devoted much of his time to personal ministry and service in the church. Lee taught Sunday School and served as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Clinton, MS. He helped to create several successful outreach programs at the church and took his family on multiple mission trips to countries including Belize, Honduras, Trinidad, Haiti, and Botswana. He was an evangelist at heart, sharing his love for Jesus Christ openly and discipling fellow believers.

Lee and Mary Ann

Lee’s vigorous and full-to-brimming life abruptly changed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 54. He struggled with its progressive, debilitative effects for the next 18 years, but continued to live life abundantly. He made precious memories with his 12 grandchildren. He continued to bow hunt.  He created handcrafted items with his woodworking skills and “always had a project going.” He continued his church activities. He helped establish a local branch of Rock Steady Boxing gyms, a unique, non-contact exercise and support group specifically for Parkinson’s patients. A few years ago, First Baptist Church held a 5k charitable run in Lee’s honor, sponsored by one of the FBC outreach programs he had helped to create. Lee participated -- with the help of others -- in a wheelchair, his body then ravaged by Parkinson’s.  

 

At First Baptist Church's (Jackson MS) annual Run for the Son fun run in honor of Lee

Lee’s daughter Susan Cope Fortenberry also became a pediatric dentist. She worked alongside her beloved father for seven years until his early retirement, then assumed the reins of his successful practice.  Like her father, she approaches her dental practice as a ministry, focused on glorifying God by serving others. In a heartfelt 2024 Facebook post honoring her dad, Susan ended by saying, “Well done, my faithful loving servant father. You have won quite a race . . . so thankful you have the prize now.”

Lee with daughter Susan moments before her wedding ceremony.

 

Well done, Mr. Germantown. The Class of 1969 made a great choice all those years ago.  

Lee with nine of his 12 grandchildren.

 

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Kathey Lynn "Skipper" Howard Skaggs 

June 8, 1951 - July 23, 2024

 

Every class should have a Skipper Howard.  

Although she didn’t arrive at Germantown High School until our junior year, she made an instant and lasting impact.  Skipper was no shy newcomer. She was the joyful one, the sprightly one, inherently kind, always in the center of fun. She and her big sister Micky (Class of ’68) spent their early lives in Michigan and moved to Germantown from Ohio. It was the last of three high schools for the girls, whose father was a frequently relocated by Exxon. Those moves taught them that new friends can be found anywhere, that change need not be scary, and that a happy spirit and dash of self-confidence opens both doors and arms. At her previous high school, she was a nominee for the Homecoming Court just two months after her arrival. At G-town, she was elected Secretary of the Senior Class.

 

Skipper went to Memphis State/U of M after high school. Her proficiency with numbers and figures attracted her to the banking industry. Blessed with a profusion of interests and talents, Skipper loved to try new things. As an adult, she enjoyed the performing arts – ballet, music, theatre – along with cooking, entertaining, interior design, playing bunco, and traveling with friends. So, after proving her skills in banking, she decided to do something completely different - cosmetology school! After earning her license as a nail tech, Skipper joined big sister Micky’s successful East Memphis hair salon, where her people skills and innate artistic skills earned her a loyal following. After two years, it was back to the corporate world. She spent a number of years doing corporate recruiting for FedEx through a third party firm, and was also employed by the Navy Federal Credit Union.

Skipper believed in approaching life with the attitude of playing the cards she was dealt, whether good or bad. 

An early marriage ended. In midlife, friends introduced her to Richard Skaggs, who soon became her rock, foundation and boon companion. Married in 2001, Richard and Skipper were inseparable. They loved to play golf, bowl, and entertain. Guests in their home were treated to lavish hospitality with beautifully arranged flowers and table settings. Skipper was known for her cooking skills, her beef tenderloin a specialty. Richard and Skipper were very active members of St. Philip Episcopal Church in Bartlett (Davishire) and enjoyed slipping away to their lake house retreat. With all of these interests and activities, Richard maintains that he was Skipper’s favorite pastime. At her funeral service, Richard was quoted:

Once in a while, into a very ordinary life comes a fairy tale. Skipper was my fairy tale.

Skipper was dealt another round of unexpected cards when her childhood asthma condition meta-morphosed into a rare, incurable lung condition. Her health declined and she required oxygen to go about her daily activities. She was informed that she needed a double lung transplant. It was a long, painful, stressful journey. In the end, the surgery was a success, and Skipper’s new lungs gave her seven more years of abundant life. She died following a brief but virulent bout with cancer in July 2024. 

Micky tells a poignant story about a silver pendant Skipper began wearing after receiving the grim and shocking diagnosis of incurable lung disease. The pendant was shaped like a compass. “Why a compass?” Micky asked. Skipper answered,

 

Because life is a journey, not a destination.

 

Yes, every class needs a Skipper Howard Skaggs. When we were teenagers, she showed us how to bring joy into every day. As an adult, she lived generously, exploring her gifts, talents, and opportunities, and being a blessing to others. In her senior years, she faced disability and death head-on with courage and faith and grace. Skipper was a perpetual example of how to live life to the fullest. 

Skipper Howard Skaggs will always be remembered and missed by the Class of 1969.

 

 

 

Skipper's public obituary published at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/memphis-tn/kathey-staggs-11907625

 

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2023

Suzette Strong Petersen

December 27, 1951 – October 20, 2023

 

Suzette Strong was welcomed into the Class of 1969 as a sophomore, transferring from St. Mary’s. Her exotic beauty turned many heads. Suzette’s family had a long and rich history as landowners and successful merchants in the Collierville, Eads, and Fisherville areas. She grew up around the family floral business located on Collierville’s town square, where her innate creativity and instinctive sense of design first took root.

 

After high school, that Adventurous Spirit of Youth we all remember prompted Suzette and a girlfriend to leave the Delta behind for the rugged and spectacular terrain of Colorado. She made a life there, graduating from Ft. Lewis College (Doringo, CO) with a degree in English, marrying farrier Garth Petersen, and giving birth to children Natalie and Andrew.

With Garth, Suzette opened Petersen’s Country Flowers and Gifts in Bayfield, CO —a  successful shop offering a wide range of products, from dried floral wreaths to handcrafted furniture, handcrafted Santas, and unique gifts.

 

Suzette and Garth Petersen 

 

Petersen family life was accented by the wonders of nature. Their home was on a river. There was elk and deer hunting, fishing, and exploring the Rocky Mountains. Trips to the woods often meant foraging for flowers and natural treasures to craft into Suzette’s unique designs.

Suzette was widowed in 1997. She eventually returned to the family farm on Monterey Road in Eads. She lived first with her mother and later alone in a log house that her father had designed and built with the help of family, including Garth and the children. Suzette was active in her church and community. She treasured her quilting group at Bethany Christian Church. She pursued a lifelong passion for genealogy and shared her research with fellow enthusiasts. She was also active in the Fayette Co. Historical Society. Suzette worked devotedly on the Class of 1969’s 40th reunion.

Friends and family remember Suzette as a generous mother and beautiful soul - talented, creative, and passionate - who deeply loved her children and three grandchildren. According to her daughter Natalie, herself a talented, creative, and accomplished woman, Suzette’s life mirrored the blossoms she cherished: vibrant, unique, and full of grace.

 

 

 

N.B. Many thanks to Natalie Petersen who contributed significantly to this memoir.

 

 

 

 

 

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2022

Stephen Carter Baker

September 13, 1950 - March 23, 2022

 

Steve Baker was a gentle soul and a merry one.  His smile was genuine and his heart was open.  Steve made friends for life. He was there when you needed him. 

Steve was "Old Germantown" born and bred, a 12-year student at Germantown schools.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He played drums in our high school band and graduated in the Class of 1969 along with his brother Doug Baker. Larry Adams was a close pal and cohort in teenage tomfoolery. (Ask Larry how one of their shenanigans made the 6:00 news.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After graduation, Steve joined the family business (O. L. Baker & Sons) to learn the commercial remodeling trade. He retired in 2011 from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he maintained essential research equipment. At St. Jude, Steve was a favorite with the young patients, always ready with a magic trick.

"Steve was good to everyone who was good to him,"  his family attests, and took "very good" care of his mother (Edna) over the last 20 years of her life. Steve married and had two children, son Michael Baker and daughter Kimberly Baker Morhardt. He leaves behind two beloved grandchildren, Alex Morhardt and Karly Baker. 

Steve loved Cokes and Twinkies, camping, coin collecting, travel, performing his magic tricks, and making people smile. He had already begun a long struggle with Alzheimer's at our 50th class reunion, but came and charmed us all with his good humor and warm-heartedness.    

Recent photo of Steve.

With fellow 12-year Germantown student and band buddy Linda Colebank at the 50th reunion.

Rest in peace, Steve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2021

Clifford J. Fleenor

September 21, 1951 - September 5, 2021

He was our Golden Boy, a Class of 1969 icon. Tall, handsome, fun-loving, amiable, and athletically gifted, Cliff Fleenor lit up football fields and young girls' hearts with equal effortlessness. When he left this world on September 5, 2021, he left our hearts brimming with memories of our youth.

Cliff began Life After High School in Nashville, a worthy recipient of a Vanderbilt football scholarship. The following year, he transferred to an Oklahoma junior college. As many of us did, he also did a stint at Memphis State.

It was a jaunt to California, however, that changed everything for Cliff.

🎶It was the time of the season for loving.🎶 

The beach and New Bohemians beckoned. As we all recall and younger generations now study, California in the late 1960s and early '70s was the birthplace of two world-shaking movements:  the hippie movement and the Jesus People movement. One lobbied for sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll; living in the moment; and unbounded self-expression. The other evangelized for Jesus Christ, who offered forgiveness for and freedom from sins, called for agape love toward all others, and promised eternal life in the loving presence of God. Many among our generation chose one or the other.

Clint chose Jesus and never looked back. When he was next seen in Memphis, Cliff's golden locks flowed past his shoulders, and he proudly identified as a "Jesus Freak." Cliff held firmly and joyfully to his faith for the rest of his life.  

Cliff eventually moved to Kansas City, Missouri where his parents had relocated.  In 1987, he launched Bordner Home Improvement with friend Greg Bordner in a handshake deal. When Greg Bordner left the business in 1989, Cliff brought in his brothers Bud and Charley Fleenor. Keeping the Bordner brand name, the Fleenor brothers built a very successful family business that is now owned by a second generation. Cliff's son-in-law Rob Poettgen and Bud's son Sam Fleenor grew up learning the business and became the sole owners in 2019, while Cliff and his brothers embarked on retirement adventures.

Those who attended the second night of our 50th class reunion in October of 2019 will remember sharing warm regards with Cliff via cell phone. He was upbeat as always, despite his ill health. Passing the phone from classmate to classmate ranks among the unforgettable memories we made that night.

Cliff leaves behind his beloved wife Sally, two sons (Adam and Jeremiah), three daughters (Jennifer, Keely, and Tatum), and 17 (🥳) grandchildren. His brothers Bud and Charley also remain in life.

Cliff's loving obituary includes these words about the popular boy we knew who became a remarkable man:

Those that knew Cliff knew he modeled humility, compassion and a love for others. His faith in Christ, his Savior, shined through his words and his actions. Cliff had a way of helping those he met experience gracious hospitality, his undivided attention and abundant generosity. He also knew the importance of reflecting the inward change of his heart to a watching world.

 

It's good to know that our Golden Boy kept on shining - as a brother, husband, father, and entrepreneur; a lover of life and his fellow beings. He will be missed. 

 

Rest in peace, Cliff.

 

 

A full obituary is posted at  https://langsfordfuneralhome.com/tributes/clifford-j-fleenor/

 

The family has asked that any memorials be directed to Samaritan's Purse Ministries; P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 or samaritanspurse.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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