We are sorry to hear of the death of Wayne Mays, class of 1959.
From the Dayton Daily News:
MAYS, Darrel "Wayne" Age 62, of West Carrollton, passed away June 29, 2003. He was preceded in death by his mother Bertie Mays. He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years Kathryn, 4 sons; Richard Mays and wife Londi, William Mays, Robert Mays and wife Lisa, and Randy Mays. He is also survived by his father, Oscar Mays, grandchildren; Sunshine, Wayne, Robby, Zachary, 7 brothers; Kenny, Carl, Gary, David, Danny, Doug, Greg and 3 sisters; Wanda, Allene, Wilma and numerous nieces and nephews. Wayne owned and operated Gem City Key Shop for the last 40 years. Funeral services will be held 10:00AM Wednesday, July 2, 2003 at Newcomer Farley Funeral Home, 3940 Kettering Blvd., Kettering, Ohio. Visitation will be from 6:00PM until 8:00PM Tuesday, July 1, 2003. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery.
First published in DDN on Jun 30 2003

---Hello to all my West Carrollton cronies again and Happy New Year to each and every one of you. This is your first official reminder of the new calendar year to make sure you do not make any plans for the second Saturday in October 2003. You see, all of you already have plans for that night, and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you! Remember, you're on "my list."

In West Carrollton updates, I hear that Boyd Jenkins was visiting in Ohio (from his Okeechobee, Florida, home) over Christmas and that he managed to work in a lunch date with Shirley Tudor. I just know they probably had a great time. On this end of the world, things didn't go quite as well. My husband and I were to meet JoAnn Stemley and husband Ron Hall on the day after Christmas, as we did last year. But Jo got sick and stayed in their condo in Orlando and they were back in Ohio before we got it together. I hope to see her in March or April, when she next returns to Florida. In other news, Edna Gray Ryan (younger sis of 1960 classmate, Flossie Gray) is planning a 3-week escape from the Ohio winter when she and husband Dick fly off to Key West. During the summer, WC's "glamour couple," Barry and Betsy Russello, visited their daughter in Maryland. She lived in the area where the sniper was, but they escaped harm, thank God. By the way, for those of you who may wonder, yes, they are still glamorous. My beloved friend, Bruce Chenoweth, continues to be a workaholic, but promises me he will visit Florida during 2003. I've yet to hear from Madeleine Campbell for this winter, but assume she's in Lady Lake again for the winter and am in hopes this message will arouse a response. Jerry and Becky Fuller returned to their Panama City Beach home for the winter (from Kentucky) and vowed to stay a couple of weeks longer next year in Kentucky, in order to attend the alumni gathering in 2003. Gary Warlaumont conitnues to be a pain in the butt, never aging, no wrinkles, never gains a pound, no gray hair. Gawd, how I hate him! Wife Jill is equally disgusting, by the way. I hear fairly regularly from Mike West, who lives in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, from Philip Wolford, who is in New Jersey, and now and then from Bill Walker, who's in Dickinson, Texas. Curtis Kemp continues to live just about 50 miles from me, in Titusville, Florida, with wife Maria. I hope to see Curtis pretty soon. It's been way too long. Dear and wonderful Eula Faye Bailey is out in Overland Park, Kansas, tending to her glamorous family and working for Carter's Children's Clothing. Nancy Ertel Sween is less than 20 miles away in Bonner Springs, Kansas, and is a whiz with politics, computers, and community concerns. No surpise there. Bud Lowman is alive, well, and retired. He is traveling the judge circuit for the State of Ohio and making a fortune. Bully for him! This morning, I got an e-mail from Linda Snell Thacker, who is married to 1960's class president, Lonnie Thacker. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Linda has been recently diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis. Let's all pull for the best for Linda. Shirley Tudor retired from Merker Ornamental Iron about 18 months ago and I'm so jealous of her, I can barely stand it. She got to purchase and remodel her own original childhood home on Pensacola Boulevard in Moraine City, years ago. It's beautiful and I know she's enjoying it so much, in her retirement. What I wouldn't give to have been able to do that, too. Judy Samuels Van Cleef lives just 4 miles from me, in Holly Hill, Florida. She is my cousin, as some of you may recall. We just had the horrible experience of losing her mother on January 3. She was "Aunt Dorothy" to me, and was my favorite relative of all time, I'd say. I hear from Beverly Haas, too, who is in Alpine, California, and her name is now Zoe Whitefeather. Gene Zink is up in Alabama and I reconnected this year with Steve Kokot and Jerry Brown, too. DeVona Taylor and husband of 42 years, Gene Couch, reside in Nancy, Kentucky, and the sister of my late, dear friend, Susan Doggett, is Harriette Del Campo and she lives with husband Daniel in Vilonia, Arkansas. It took me a long time to find her, but in my doomed quest for Susan, I did. She is caring for her elderly and ill parents and I pray she'll be able to come to the October function. But my search continues in earnest for both Nina Knisley and Bill Rohler. Can any of you help? Do any of you know anyone who might know the whereabouts of either of them? Bill Walker, are either of them down there in Dickinson, Texas, near you? We all want to see you this year. DeDeK Fahrney is here in Florida, too. She's over in Pinellas Park. We want to see you at the alumni gathering, too, DeDe. Tom Fee, you're the ultimate in dedication to WCHS. You came to the alumni gathering because you have so many WC friends, even though you graduated from Miamisburg. That's great! I saw Bill Howard there, too. Larry Ring and wife Jill came by to see me, too. We missed John Oberlies this year. You'll be there in 2003, won't you, John? My sister, Judy, was there, but we couldn't get Ralph to join us. The Pendleys made commitments without thinking of the day it was, but we won't have that problem again, will we, Larry and Judi? Wallace Robbins was absent, as was Alice Parks and Beverly Bowman, but we hope to get them there this year. Jean Ward is in Franklin, Tennessee. I'm going to keep working on you, Jean. It's very likely that Charlie High had heart surgery during the month of December, but I've yet to hear how that went. I'm hoping he's okay, but his wife had a massive stroke this past year and needs 24/7 care, as does his mother-in-law. So Charlie has his hands full. He's up in Huber Heights. Charles Carter continues to operate his gravel pit and be a construction foreman. He's in Miamisburg on Soldiers Home-Maimisburg Road.

As for me, well, I'm hangin' in there and trying to figure out how I'm going to be 61 in March. I still can see myself and Shirley Tudor and Flossie Gray and Sharon Borger on the playground in the fifth and sixth grades, wearing our Kelly green skirts, gold blouses, and Kelly green neck ribbons, as we were when we served as elementary school cheerleaders, at the very school from which fellow classmate David Mays retired as principal, just a couple of years or so ago. Another classmate, Tom Wolf, also retired from the West Carrollton school system. Oh, there's someone else I want to find, by the way. It's Milton Wolfe. That one shouldn't be too difficult. Curtis Kemp wants to contact Milton.

So that's the update, folks! Now, I've got to go and do some writing for which I actually get paid and that will be for the weekly newspaper down here. I hope this finds you all in flowing health and anticipating a wonderful and exciting year. Stay in touch!

---And there you have it! More at 11--- B          Email Bonnie to get added to her email newsletter.