Photos at age 80

     Almost everyone in the Class of 1960 is now an octogenarian. We celebrated our 80th birthdays in many ways.
     Some octogenarians do volunteer work in their communities. Others serve in an official capacity as elected officials, judges or other public servants==on both sides of the aisle. Still others just enjoy a well-earned retirement and give thanks that they made it to this milestone.
     Please send us more 80th-birthday photos   As is the custom on this website, the most recently received photos go on top.

Patty (Gray) Robinson sent these two 80th birthday photos. She wrote, "Celebrating my 80th birthday on January 29th with four generations. I am so blessed to have kids, kids-in-law, granndkids, grandkids-in-law and great grandkids." (Editor's note: It could have almost been five generations because family patriarch Joe Gray, Patty's father, lived to age 99 and was well known at Community Baptist Church in Manhattan Beach, now called "Journey of Faith". Joe Gray was a little league baseball coach for at least one of his great-grandchildren at age 85. -Wayne Overbeck)

Here's Steve Main on Dec. 24, 2022, his 80th birthday, with his grandchildren.

Christie Smith Goodwin celebrates being 80 with her family. Back row from left: son-in-law Ray Crabb, Lance and son Rob. Front row: daughter Terri, daughter in law Vicki, Christie, and grandson Nick Goodwin.

Gary Hartzell (left) and Jim McEntyre met for lunch at The Kettle in downtown Manhattan Beach in February of 2023. They had a lot of memories to share, not only about Mira Costa before they graduated in 1960 but also about MCHS in the 1980s when Gary was principal of Mira Costa. As "Dr. Hartzell," he later was a professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska, Omaha and was a frequent White House visitor when he served on the national advisory board of the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries. While Gary was enjoying visits to Washington, Jim and his wife Pam were retired and sailing the South Pacific, as recounted elsewhere on this website.

Here's Stephania Janovec Potter, who sent this news. "My hustand and I moved from years of living in Washington State to Utah to be near his two sons and grandchildren. He died from Covid complications in November, 2021. I am an 18-year master gardener and still teach belly dancing at our local senior center."

Howard Iten sent the photo above along with this message: "This picture was taken on Kauai this past summer with my wonderful wife, Pat. I turned 80 this past May and by the grace of God, most of the time, I feel like I'm 60. Like most of you, I've had medical issues, but like yourself, I survived, a little worn, frazzled, with little less get up and go, but I'm still above ground. That's all that counts.
     "Over the years most of us watched family, friends, classmates and neighbors pass. You may have asked yourself, 'why am I still here and they're gone?' That, my friend, is the question that can't be answered. Suffice it to say you and I grabbed the 'golden ring' on the 'merry go round' of life. I hope we both continue to enjoy the ride for many more years.
     "A little personal information... I live in Reno with my lovely wife, Pat, our daughter Kim and our two lovely granddaughters, Maddy, 18, and Ruby, 14. I stay active playing Pickleball with Pat 3-4 times a week. Our association with Picklebll has given us the opportunity to make many wonderful memories and lasting friendships. I've ridden motorcycles consistently since the early 80s but gave up riding a couple years ago when my reaction times slowed down.
     "I don't need to remind you we are reaching the end of this great learning adventure we call 'life' and I for one wouldn't trade my life's experiences for anything in the world. At 80 years, I can look back on my life and think, almost all of life's challenges I've faced and overcome. From those experiences I believe I've learned to be a better and stronger person. I may or may not have known you closely while attending MCHS, but together we lived through a period in America's great history when America was at its zenith. What a wonderful gift you and I were given to be born in 1942. It is my privilege to be part of the MCHS Class of 60. God bless you, your families, and friends."
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Wayne Overbeck and his partner, Carrie Tai, posed for a selfie before a concert of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra in early 2023. Many Class of 1960 people met Carrie at the 2021 Reunion when she went around taking pictures for this website, including the large group shots (she climbed on a chair for those and said, "if you can't see my camera, it can't see you.")

Harry and Barbara Lewis Borak pose for a portrait on her 80th birthday (above) and relax on a ship's deck (below)..

Nina Nebe Mentges sent these four photos, taken on her 80th birthday with almost everyone in Octoberfest garb. We think the photo above is of Nina with her "four granddaughters and daughter in law". And we think the photos below are of "sons... friends and neighbors" in her Lake Tahoe neighborhood--and maybe granddaughters, too. But we need help in identifying these people (hint, hint). The photos are so good they deserve to be online, even if we're violating the cardinal rule about identifying the people. We think the party was more fun than posting the photos and writing captions was. (Editor's note: I'm retired, so I can't be fired for violating the rules of online journalism. As long as no searchable forbidden words appear in these captions and everyone is wearing clothes, I'm good. This parenthetical remark is being written after 1 a.m.)

This is Karen Aabel Vogl. On her 80th birthday (give or take a day or two), she crossed off two things on her bucket list by ziplining in the redwoods and riding over the Sonoma wine country in a hot air baloon as shown in the two photos immediately below this one.

Karen's concluding remarks: "Life in my 80s in Northern California is all good! I wish a very happy 80th to all of my classmates from MiCoHi 1960."

Judy Martin Pattee celebrated her 80th birthday where she lives: on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Ron Probasco's entire family gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday. Ron and his wife Glenda (in a white vest) are in the center, directly behind the fire ring. They live on a lake in Bella Vista, Arkansas. For this occasion they rented a house big enough to sleep their entire family on the largest of the six lakes at Bella Vista, a community with eight golf courses. They also have a winter home in Blacklake, a golf course community in Nipomo (southern San Luis Obispo County, California).

Ron and Glenda Probasco at his 80th birthday celebration

Here are Ron Probasco, his wife Glenda and six children, Ron writes, "What a great life I have been blessed to have lived. Hope you have all been equally blessed.".

Pam Bailey and her pal, Bandit, celebrate her 80th.