Edward Dunn

Been a long time, classmates! I really enjoyed getting with some of you about five years ago, and looking forward to the 50th reunion this fall. We all have stories to tell, the good the bad and the ugly. Hope it was all good for all of you!

Personally, I have always had a hard time settling on one thing so I have done a lot. After all, it has been 50 years. I went to college and my second year at ASU I majored in Fooseball. At the end of the year I got a letter from the school inviting me to not come back. A few days after that I got a letter from Uncle Sam. He DID want me, so I spent the four years in the Navy. Free room and board.

When that ended, I had finally grown up and started back at school with a great success. Graduated '77 B.S. Geography, Urban Planning Emphasis. No jobs there so worked as a landscaper for a couple before going back to school to get a teaching certificate.

Got into Teacher Corps and got my M.Ed, '81. Met my wife while there and, wow! she had a starter family with three kids, aged 12, 10 and 8. We added one in the first year of grad school (Teri got her MSW '81), and we bought a house which on the scale of stress equaled something that should have brought us both to suicide. But, we were too busy for that.

Got a job teaching on the Navajo Reservation at Many Farms for one year but that was too tough on the kids so came back to Tempe, got a job for 5 years at Longview Middle School teaching social studies. Used Mr Stacy's book for AZ Government!

Teri got a job in Flagstaff so we moved here in '88, been here since. I got temporary, balance of year jobs with FUSD for four years before burning out. My last year I taught junior high history, geography, art, P.E., drafting and coached basket ball. Too much!

Quit to design and build sustainable passive solar straw bale homes. I have become well known around town for my work and have been appointed to the Flag Planning & Zoning Commission.

2010 the market died and I was 62 so took retirement. Still do design work, though. Photography had been one of my many majors so I took it up again and love it.

My wife and I are still figuring it all out after 36 years, we have 6 grand boys (so if any of you have spare grand girls you are tired of . . . ). My youngest, Clay just got married last fall and she promised us at least one grand daughter! We are holding her to that!

That is 50 years in a nutshell. Over all, life has been real good. We have had the ups and downs, family deaths, etc. I have lost my two younger brothers, Teri is losing her sister, but overall the ups far outweigh the downs. We have great kids and grandkids and they are good people. What more can we ask? I hope it has been mostly good for all of you.