Chuck Holly

Due to my close relationship with water sports, I have always suspected that I'd die from drowning.
And I've come close a few times. The "near drowning" that I experienced while playing football at the old Goodwin Stadium on the ASU campus, occured when we played in a rainstorm. With deep puddles on the field, I was handed the football for a run through the hole that Dick Erickson opened. Well, I was tackled, face down below the water line (muddy, grassy water). The occasion produced quite a dogpile which seemed to take forever to disarrange. I remember thinking "how ironic that I should drown while playing football".
I was just about to the end of my breath-holding ability when the brutes were finally pulled off me. I think the pile of players thought they would use the situation to rest.

Retired from 35 years of teaching, continued my part-time RE sales into full-time in the beach cities of Southern California, sold my last surf board, moved to Fountain Hills, AZ in 2004, licensed RE salesman in AZ, have spent more time on travel, hobbies and visiting with friends and family.

While in college ASU, I had a variety of jobs: I worked at a slotcar track which I eventually bacame manager. I cooked chicken for Kentucky Fried Chicken at Harmon's Barn on Apache Blvd. I worked nights in a gas station, worked for Bill Wolfe's dad at Property Control at ASU, life guarded at ASU, Phoenix Country Club, and Tempe Beach. I managed the Tempe Beach pool in 1964. Then in 1965, I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarded at Dick Smith's Swim Gym in Scottsdale. During my 35 years of teaching, I had a number of part-time jobs to supplement my salary. Most rewarding was teaching 5th grade while living across the street from the beach.
I worked for GTE as 411 operator, managed a slot-car track that the City of Redondo Beach Rec. Dept. provided on the Redondo Beach Pier. I worked as an after-school playground leader and arts and crafts specialist, coached basketball, flag football, volleyball and track teams. Besides my RE sales, I owned a small business which stored Realtors' signs, and put them on our gallows type sign posts when they had new listings.

Farming (always a green thumb) or chef (love to cook)...in addition, I would loved to have the courage (and material) to be a stand-up comic. Before dozing off at night, I often come up with a lot of comedic thoughts, but would not even have the nerve to go to "Open Mic" nights with my grandson, Brad, who does stand-up now and then.
Maybe in another lifetime.

My friends from grade school and THS, of the many shared moments and common experiences living in a small town. I'm so happy to have been smart enough to move back to the Valley area, to be taking part in the Tempe Old Settlers' annual luncheon, to visit with classmates, friends and relatives who remained in Tempe. I can watch with amazement the changes in Tempe and ASU's geographical footprint. I'm amazed at the Rio Salado project, and remember fondly the old Tempe Beach pool that was so much a part of my youth.
This is so cool that when updating our profile, there is a way to know which part was updated. Re: Tempe Beach pool...I was recently contacted by Sally Cole and Daphnie Livingston who were on my Tempe Beach diving team which I started in about 1962 or '63. They had wonderful memories of their experience with learning to dive, the competitions throughout the summer, and the whole wonderfulness of so many hours at Tempe Beach. They interviewed me with tape recorder going for nearly 2 hours. Sally is writing a book about fun at Tempe Beach and wanted to a little insider perspective. It was great to see that the skinny 12-13 year olds had grown into women.

Then: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others that we danced to.

Now: Broadway show tunes, Meat Loaf, Rod Stewart's recent treatment of old songs, Lady Gaga, and Madonna (in Avita).

As of 2017, after receiving a nice acoustic guitar for Christmas, I've been enjoying my own music production. I've recently added the concert ukulele. My newest instrument is a tenor ukulele. I enjoy picking up and playing each one nearly every day.

South Pacific then. Now I don't see more than 5 or 6/year, enjoy them about the same, but not a movie buff by any means. Truth be known, most of the 5 or 6 I mentioned above were seen onboard a cruise ship. Recently watched "Hamilton" on Netflix.

Then: American Bandstand, westerns, and surely there were others, but I don't remember.

Now: Doc Martin, Squak on the Street (stock market stuff), 60 Minutes, Face The Nation, ASU football, Phoenix Suns, Diamondbacks and Cardinals televised games. Some of my favorites have disappeared like Jon Stewart in the Daily show, and the Cobert Report. Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon have kept us entertained.

Glen Huish-Spanish and August Kanoche for the many math classes I took from him. I'll also never forget football coach Mitchell for a variety of reasons. I'm updating my comments about coach Mitchell: He could be pretty hard on players when they didn't perform to his standards, and let you know that you may have done less than your best.
When we lost a game, he didn't want to see us dancing in the gym after the game. We should be too tired to dance. My apologies to all our Buffalo football fans...I was never too tired to attend the dance afterward.

I learned that "when in Rome, do as the Romanians do". So I guess I've learned not to take myself too seriously...it's not all about me. And if you've read all this that I've written you might wonder. I've learned that perseverance is a good thing, and that no matter how tough things get (or how good things get), all will eventually come to an end. Also, I've learned to allow myself to re-examine my political views from time-to-time, and listen carefully to those with other party opinions.

It was a little embarrassing to be paraded around in green tights during Senior Slave Day. I felt like a cross between Robin Hood and Baryshnikov. Do you remember Bill Wolfe and i were the last two Senior Slaves fighting for the last chair in Musical Chairs, in the gym during the Slave Day?

I'd like to know who it was that went with me to the broadcast studio for the Arizona Bandstand. I don't think it was a "date", but there were 4 or 6 of us that went and danced. Maybe one of our parents drove us. The show came on right after American Bandstand. If you danced on the show, maybe we went together. Identify yourself.
(A post script): No one identified themselves, so maybe I went with people from a year older or younger than our class of 1961. Really ??
No one admits to it? In 2017, wife Jeri wants us to take dance lessons. Geezees !! ...Now 9/2019, no lessons...yet.Nor in 2020, I win.