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In Memoriam Last Updated: August 2010 |
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While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die ~ Leonardo Da Vinci |
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Robert Turnbull passed away on Friday March 1, 2002. Please mail or email Ilse Garrett with your memories and/or photos of Robert. Ilse has created and is maintaining a loving memorial book of our deceased schoolmates. She has mailed a sympathy card to the family on behalf of the Class of 1971. Obiturary from SA Express News: Robert T. Turnbull, Sr., age 48, died Friday, March 1, 2002. He was born July 25, 1953 in San Antonio and was a lifetime resident of San Antonio and a graduate of the University of Texas. He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Graham Turnbull II. He is survived by his sons, Robert Thomson Turnbull, Jr., Charles Graham Turnbull; brother, Peter Masterson Turnbull; niece, Mills Turnbull. |
| Thanks for sharing. It is sad to think we are at the age where (learning of the passing of our classmates) will soon become more prevalent. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I always remembered Robert as having the most starched button down shirts and the highest shine on his tasseled loafers. It is the little things , I guess. ~ George Wyatt |
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| Your lost friends are not dead, but gone before, advanced a stage or two upon that road which you must travel in the steps they trod ~ Aristophanes |
| One
of my favorite stories about Quinn
Williams involved himself, Graham Hall, Bubba Groos and Johnny
Clark. The five of us grew up in the same neighborhood and spent a considerable
amount of our free time catching lizards, rodents, snakes and other various
creatures during the summer months. Once we entered high school and became
mobile, we continued these activities, but our range was expanded to include
Stinky Falls in New Braunfels. We often financed our trips (gas for the
car and food) by selling snakes by the pound to the newly opened Snake
Farm on I-35 outside New Braunfels. One day while we were at the Snake
Farm selling our most recent cache of snakes, we noticed that the owners
had acquired a rather large reticulated python (over 10 feet long and
a foot or more wide). Quinn had his face up to the screen hissing at the
python and scratching his fingers on the screen when the snake fully opened
its mouth, hissed loudly and quickly struck the screen at the exact spot
where Quinn had pressed his face. Quinn howled and immediately passed
out falling to the ground. He was out like a light! I can still see the
fear in his face before he passed out when that huge snake's mouth tried
to take his head off. For years after that, we would laugh about the occasion
and Quinn would only mutter, "You don't know how much that scared
me." Quinn and I remained close friends until the day of his death
and like most close friends I have many fond memories of our adventures
together. Quinn loved life and told me shortly before his death that he
did not regret anything that he had ever done except that he wished he
hadn't been caught in some youthful indiscretions. While I miss my old
friend, I take solace in the fact that I know he lived every single day
of his life to the fullest. ~ Rusty
Brusenhan August 1, 2001
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| After
graduation from high school, Quinn attended Boston University and
the University of Texas at Austin. He received a bachelor's degree in
Business with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Texas. After
college, Quinn continued his education by becoming a real estate broker,
a real estate appraiser and gemologist. At the time of his untimely death
(just after his 41st birthday) Quinn was residing in Palm Springs, California
where he was one of the top real estate appraisers in the State of California.
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| Quinn
and I were each other's first boyfriend and girlfriend in high school.
I was thrilled when he asked me to Cotillion our freshman year. Of course,
it was a "mommy date". (Actually, Mr. Williams drove us.) Then,
when he could drive, we often doubled with Rusty (Brusenhan), Johnny (Clark),
Bubba (Groos), or Graham (Hall), " The Terrell Hills Bad Boys."
Quinn liked to jump off the roof of our house into our pool, when my parents
weren't there, of course. He was always the jokester, the trickster, with
a great laugh. Because Quinn lived on the edge of his emotions, he scared
easily. Once we were watching "Future Shock" in the dark by
ourselves at my sister's house. My Brother-in-law put his face in the
window with a flashlight under his chin, making monster noises. Quinn
came unglued. He started yelling, and ran for the door, after knocking
over a lamp, and tripping on the rug. Ya gotta love him. Quinn had a big
heart too, and thinking of him will always bring a smile to my face. ~
Robin Early,
August 2001
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| Bill
Rives
and I were not "best friends" but good friends anyway. Sometimes
we would go 10 years or more without contact. We were roommates during
the summer of 77. At that time I was the restaurant manager at the Magic
Time Machine in Austin. Bill worked for me, bussing tables and dressed
as "Dr. Livingston." He was a very special, very kind and well-mannered
friend and I will dearly miss him. We were just becoming reacquainted.
~ Jimmy O'Brien
September 2001
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| What
can I say about Debbie Harding. I knew her, then we didn't see
each other for a while, then we met back up and then she was gone. She
loved animals, and she loved children even though she didn't have any.
She was sweet. ~ Penny
Thomas October 2001
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| Sweet
Childhood Memories of
Bob Adams ~ What I do remember about Bob was that he was a
blond hair, freckle face boy, very bright and had a nice smile. We would
spend our summers swimming in Betsy Collin's back yard pool and play Marco
Polo. When I was twelve he and Betsy threw me a surprise birthday party,
I remember lots of laughing and some spastic dancing. ~ Maryann
Latunas
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| Bill
Rives
- The Inner Circle has been broken. When our hearts were young he was
a big part of my life. He loved his friends and he loved to listen to
music, real loud. I know we would drive his mother crazy because we would
sit in the living room and play records all the time and some of songs
he’d play over and over because he would like a certain part of the
song. If we weren’t there it was always with Bubba, Brad, Tony or
Johnny somewhere having laughs and good times. Bill called me about a
year and a half ago to console me on the passing of my mother. We rehashed
old times and I promised to track him down for the 30 year reunion as
he wanted to attend. I am sad that our paths won’t cross again for
God had bigger plans for you. I’ll just have to take you in my heart
because that’s where you’ll always be ~ Joann
Hunt Doyal
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| Linda
McDougall
and I lived across the street from each other since we were too young
to cross the street…we would sit on the curb and shout at each other
for hours. Linda always liked to dress up in a cowboy hat. She had the
neatest playhouse and I had the swing set…so we spent a lot of time
together. In 3rd grad thru to 5th, when we all had moved (close together
but not across the street), she and I decided one summer to open a café.
Our menu consisted of grilled cheese, watered down Kool-Aid, pickles and
Chips Ahoy. Our only customers were our younger sisters and they would
not even pay. ~ Lynn Erben,
September 7, 2001
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| I
played basketball with "Mac" throughout High School.
I also seemed to end up in a lot of classes with Mac: Latin with Mrs.
Urich, German with several teachers. We had both thought we'd be attending
Vanderbilt together. We lost contact after we both went off to school.
He was a stand up, easy to get to know guy. It is certainly a loss that
he has passed on. ~ Chris
Creamer, June 2001
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| When
I think of Bill Rives, a smile comes across my face. He was one
of those rare individuals who, without even speaking, could make you laugh.
My earliest memories of him were in junior high, hanging out at Cary Tucker's
with Bobby Schenken. In high school, we would party with Tony Berkowitz,
Bubba Mason, Johnny Clark, and Brad Miller. We loved going to concerts
or just relaxing among friends at someone's home. Joann H. Doyal is not
the only person who was looking forward to seeing Bill after all of these
years. When reunion time comes around, certain people who have left fond
memories in your heart, re-surface in your mind and you hope that maybe
you'll get to see them again. Bill Rives was that kind of person. I would
bet that most of his former girlfriends will always carry a place for
him in their hearts. That's where he'll be for me during our 30th reunion.
We miss you, Bill ~ Libby
Castleberry Brocard
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| I
remember Quinn Williams, and I smile when I think of him. He was
always in a great mood and had something clever and funny to say. He was
happy and had a quick wit. I think that making people smile and laugh
is a fabulous trait. ~ Peggy
Becker Payne, August 5, 2001
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| Only
the good die young, the words in a song that never had much impact for
me until the body of our friend and classmate Nancy
Frese was found alongside a rural road. Her murder remains unsolved
in my mind. The notorious Henry Lee Lucas is said to have admitted his
guilt but I can only wonder.... She was trusting of those she knew but
was too street savvy to have been approachable by one of his kind. She
would not have gotten into a situation such as he described. It's nearing
25 years ago but we remember her and miss her. She was such a very gentle
person, a quiet soul, a steadfast friend, accepting us without question
or judgment. I couldn't come to terms with the awfulness of it. What she
endured was horrible enough, but also what her family suffered for those
two months and then for years afterwards, haunting them until their deaths...and
also for all of us, for the loss of our carefree youth. The real world
had landed in our lap, we knew now firsthand that bad things do happen
to good people.... until I realized that there must be a purpose for her
untimely passing, and that it may not be up to us, here on earth, to know
the reason.... just to know that... only the good die young... ~ Pat
Thompson Hrdlicka
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| A
note on Edmund
Eickenroht (class valedictorian): My earliest memory of Edmund was in first grade at Cambridge (1959-1960). We were not in the same class, but I remember seeing his mother standing in the hallway every day a few minutes before school was over. She came to his classroom because Edmund wore leg braces (as I recall, he had some form of bone disease). We did not know each other very well until 6th grade (Mrs. Myers' class) where Edmund always seemed to get an A+ on assignments and tests (that was a fairly "smart" class - I remember taking on other classes in arithmetic "races" and I don't think we ever lost). We remained friends through high school and had some contact through the college years, but we had basically lost contact when I received a phone call from Larry Williams in Sept, 1980. He told me Edmund had been killed (hit by a vehicle while crossing a street, if my memory is accurate). My parents sent me his obituary from the North San Antonio Times which listed some of his academic achievements including being a "graduating senior" from medical school. I filed it away, but retrieved it recently now over 20 years since his untimely passing. And I'm left with the same questions today that I had in 1980: What could he have accomplished? What could he have contributed? ~ Andrew Wetz 7/2001 |
| I
wish I had a copy of our commencement address. I actually ripped it in
half pulling it out from behind my gown on graduation night because I
was so nervous! Some bittersweet memories really --- I know we thought
we were so radical and controversial and that speech was a forum for those
really important issues like hair length and dress codes! What a lawless
bunch of rebels we were! I miss those days --- and I miss my friends ---
my valedictorian was Edmund Eickenroht and my speech-writer and
soul-mate was Mac
McSwain --- They've been gone awhile now, but maybe they'll come
join us, too (at the reunion) --- at least in spirit. ~ Roy
Campbell
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| Mac
was the model student-athlete, who had a wonderful sense of humor. He
was an excellent student and one of the best basketball players to graduate
from Alamo Heights. He played on the first Vanderbilt University basketball
team to make the NCAA playoffs. The team won the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Championship during that 73-74 season. Mac also liked to kid. One
day in the locker room, I sort of jokingly said I wasn't going to be "pushed"
around anymore, and I am going to send off for Joe Weider's body building
course. After that, Mac and some other friends began calling me Joe. He
is surely missed - a good man from a good family. ~ Jeff
Miller 8/2001
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| David
Overstreet,
Our Creative Friend - I remember the day I received the North San Antonio
Times telling me of the death of David Overstreet. I felt such a great
loss. I couldn't believe he was gone. I told my husband, " He's too
young to have died." - - David was my friend. Although I hadn't seen
him for years, I still felt the closeness. I first met David in Junior
High School. I can remember how talented he was. He played the character
of Friedrich Von Trapp in Sound of Music at the San Antonio Little Theatre.
I know he had other theatrical parts over the years, but this one sticks
in my mind. - - I can't help thinking of David when I smell English Leather
cologne, it was his favorite. - - I remember he drove a blue and white
Chrysler that had push button gears rather than a gearshift on the column.
David, Penny Telford, another person I don't remember, and I were to go
to the prom. I think we should up so we could say we actually went, but
we didn't stay long. We left and headed out towards New Braunfels. We
were going looking for "Goatman". All I remember when we were
sitting in the car waiting to see "Goatman" was this horrible
sound outside the car and us being really frightened. I don't know what
the sound actually was, but it sounded like a wounded animal. We were
parked on a road somewhere in the country and I remember there were like
walls of rock around us. Almost like we were in a canyon. I have no clue
where it was, only that it was somewhere towards New Braunfels. David
tried to start the car and it wouldn't start. I finally noticed that he
did not have it in "park" completely. The button wasn't pushed
all the way. I know we accused the guys of doing that purposely! Looking
back, it really was funny!
After high school, David and I saw each other, although it wasn't often. But, we remained friends. He was warm and caring and very talented. I shall always remember David Overstreet. He is missed. ~ Ilse Garrett |
| My
first recollection of Garry
Samuels was in elementary school in the third or fourth grade.
Our teacher appointed another boy and myself as captains to pick kickball
teams. After selecting the teams, I knew we would kill them. However,
I did not pick Garry. He kicked a homerun ever time, and they killed us.
I think Garry would have been an excellent football player if he wanted
to be. He was a good athlete and difficult to tackle with his powerful
legs. His dad, who was also one of my favorite baseball coaches, played
football for the University of Texas and at one time held the San Antonio
record for the 100-yard dash. Garry was always friendly to me. The last
time I saw Garry was about 36 hours before he passed away. We lived in
the same dorm at Southwest Texas State University, and Garry was his usual
friendly self, asking me how things were going. I miss Garry. He was a
good guy from a good family. ~ Jeff
Miller 8/2001
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you
would know the secret of death. but how shall you find it unless you seek
it in the heart of life? the owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto
the day cannot unveil the mystery of light. if you would indeed behold
the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. for life
and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one. In the depths
of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond; and
like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring. trust
the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. your fear of death
is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose
hand is to be laid upon him in honour. is the shepherd not joyful beneath
his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king? yes is he not
more mindful of his trembling? for what is it to die but to stand naked
in the wind and to melt into the sun? and what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand
and seek God unencumbered? only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing. and when you have reached the mountain top, then
you shall begin to climb. and when the earth shall claim your limbs, then
shall you truly dance ~ Kahlil Gibran 1923 
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