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This is the list we have of Class of 59 graduates that have passed away. You will find sketches of those that are highlighted below. If you can share information on those for whom we have none please contact us by e-mailing webmaster@hhs59.com or mailing to Highland High School Alumni Committee, 71 Arroyo Venada Road, Placitas, NM, 87043. Last Update August 20, 2004 If the name is a link (in blue), please click on it to read about that person Charles M. Abernathy
Charlie was our class treasurer, you will recall. He won the National Merit Scholarship, married Martha Swindle from the class of '60, graduated from Northwestern's School of Medicine, became a doctor. The following is from the preface of the third edition of Charlie's textbook, Abernathy's Surgical Secrets which was dedicated to him. Charlie Abernathy never had a neutral effect on anyone. Charlie's effervescent enthusiasm for education, medicine, books, students, innovation, cattle, DNA, old cars, skiing, critical care, and his patients will sustain happy and rewarding memories for all of us lucky enough to have known him.... After medical school at Northwestern and surgical training in Boston and Colorado, Charlie joined Ted Dickinson to practice surgery in Montrose, Colorado. Charlie was a superb surgeon, gifted internist, sensitive psychiatrist, compassionate Pediatrician, imaginative urologist/gynecologist, and practical family physician Charlie's loyalty and love for the University of Colorado prompted him to run for university Regent. Predictably, Charlie was elected. Soon thereafter, we successfully recruited Charlie and Martha back to the Department of Surgery at Denver General and the University Hospitals. With Charlie around, we "red lined" excitement and the "fun-meter was always in the green zone." Charlie challenged everything and everyone Charlie originated the question and answer format of this text, which later developed into a series, because he believed students needed to know the right questions as well as the answers. Characteristically, Charlie identified a way to make medical education stimulating, rewarding and fun. In this third edition of Surgical Secrets, we hope to have captured some vintage Abernathy – his irreverence, challenge, humor, dignity, erudition, and "working model" doctor practicality Written by Alden H. Harken, M.D. Charlie died on March 24, 1994 of a heart attack. Martha lives now in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. ____________________________________________________________ Known as Jimmy in school. Is believed to have died of rare blood disorder in the early 90’s in his mother’s home. He never married and lived most of his life in San Diego. From Allen Davis ___________________________________________________ Tom died of cancer the summer of 1959 according to his friend Bill Alexander.
Jim died August 10th, 1999 in South Dakota while attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with his wife Emily. He was hit by an out of control ice truck while stopped at an intersection in the town of Deadwood. Jim was one of the owners of the Quality car dealerships in Albuquerque where he was known as an astute businessman but even more for his fairness and integrity. He enjoyed skiing and golfing as well as everything to do with Harley-Davidsons. ____________________________________________________ Tex Elton Haase, 61, veteran U.S. Marine, and a resident of Tucumcari passed away November 9, 2002. He is survived by his wife, Maria I.V. Haase and five children and their families. Tex was a nationally known artist of carved wooden caricatures and western art, a member of the Caricature Carvers of America, the Tucumcari Woodcarvers Club and judged many national and local woodcarving shows. He was a retired schoolteacher. He taught math, physics, science and art. Tex also coached wrestling, football,science club and academic decathlon. He was chairman of the Board for Tucumcari Schools Federal Credit Union, member of the National Education Association-Tucumcari Education Association. He was inducted into the New Mexico National Education Association Teacher Hall of Fame, 2001. He was also a former Scout Master for the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the BPOE Elks Lodge #1172. ___________________________________________________ Tom Henry died April 9, 2004. He loved sports. He was on the golf team at Highland as a sophomore and followed golf all of his life. He loved all sports but particularly loved horse racing about which he had encyclopedic knowledge. He and his brother, John, operated the Union Baking Company in Albuquerque for many years. He had one son, Stewart, by his first wife, Tilly. His second wife Treva survives him. From John Paul Stewart
Dick was riding his motorcycle on North Hwy. 14 on a Sunday afternoon in late September, 1991, when he lost control and hit a guard rail near Madrid. Dick died in his 50th year. He came to Albuquerque with his parents in 1945 and attended public schools here, including Highland where he lettered in football and track. He served in the Marines' Third Force Reconnaissance Company in Vietnam for which he received numerous citations as a reconnaissance and intelligence officer during extensive combat duty including over 100 patrols. He returned to Albuquerque where he graduated from UNM Law School in 1970. He was active in the Republican Party and made an unsuccessful run for sheriff of Bernalillo County sheriff in 1974. For 20 years prior to his death he was a practicing lawyer and real estate broker and had become involved in building solar homes in his community in the Sandia Mountains.
Sydni died at home of breast cancer on the 30th of January 1998. She was married for 35 years to classmate Ed Lynch and together they raised two daughters. Syd went to SMU and UNM, earning a degree in Business Administration. She taught in the Los Angeles Public School District while Ed completed his graduate work and later taught business subjects in the California Community College system for 20 years. In 1984 she and Ed went to Anchorage, Alaska, where she became Director of Marketing at the telephone company there. In 1993 they came home to New Mexico and settled in Peralta, south of Albuquerque. She worked part time at the Norwest Bank in Belen. Sydni was always active in her church and her community and a good friend to many of us. ________________________________________________________ Died in an auto accident. From Ed Wood _______________________________________________________ Joan Morgan graduated in the Class of 59. She attended UNM and received a degree in Nursing in 1964. She married G. Eric Bell in 1964. They had one child, Stacey. She divorced Eric in 1972 and remarried in 1974 to Dr. Grant Reed. They moved to Tucson in 1978 where Dr. Reed set up a practice. Joan worked along side her husband as a scrub nurse. Joan had her second child, named Shannon. They moved to Idaho Falls, Id in 1983 and set up practice. Joan was a great scrub nurse and while at BCMC in Alb she participated in ground breaking surgery such as the first Kidney transplant and the first open heart surgery. Joan's last few years were spent in tremendous pain due to a textbook rare tumour in her left lung. It was removed but the pain remained. She died in Dec of 1995. Joan was a beautiful person who had a rare capacity for caring. She was a generous, caring, loving person who is missed by all who knew and loved her. I remained friends with Joan after our divorce and miss her greatly. G. Eric Bell
I first met Sharon Dale when we were sophomores at HHS in 1957. We became friends and shared experiences varying from lengthy phone conversations (about boys), to matching babydoll pajamas at slumber parties, to double dates at movies, high school events and proms. She was an extraordinarily beautiful young girl with amazing eyes and long brown hair which was perpetually perfect. She would walk into a room and people would stop talking just to look at her. She attended UNM, pledged a sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and met her fixture husband, John Mossman. After they were married they moved to New Orleans so that John could attend Tulane Medical School. There, Sharon received what she laughingly referred to as her PHT (put the hubby through) degree. While a very young wife, Sharon was diagnosed with a potentially fatal liver disease. When I think of Sharon I think of strength, courage and a thankfulness for each day she was alive. Through extraordinary medical efforts and her own quiet sense of determination Sharon was able live a happy, fulfilling and productive life. Her one goal was to live long enough to see her two children, Robin and Scott, graduate from high school. She beat all the odds to also see graduations from college and the birth of one of her two granddaughters. Sharon died on March 1, 1997 of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and complications from breast cancer. Her life was celebrated by devoted friends and loving family at a memorial service on March 6th of that year. by Joanna Boose Gilbert
From John Paul Stewart ______________________________________________________ Kent died on March 9, 2000, in Tucson, Arizona. He had been married to Highland High graduate Peggy Donato for thirty-eight years. Kent had retired in 1996 to travel in their RV and golf with Peggy. Kent's dedication to child welfare through organized sports activities has been extensive and widely recognized.
My brother, Harold A. Smith, called "Nikki" and "Nick" went into the army shortly after graduation. After a tour of 3 years, he was discharged and went to Eastern NM Univ in Portales where he majored in Political Science. He became a stockbroker in Los Angeles, but didn't care for the life so relocated to the Northwest. He was killed in 1984 when the private plane he was piloting crashed in bad weather. If you have any questions or comments, you may correspond with me at this e-mail address. Sincerely, Pamela Smith
A sailor, diver, surfer, skier, and world traveler, Terry Stafford spent the better part of his life in Mauii, Hawaii, where for 30 years he dove for black pearls, and owned two businesses: Kula Lime Company and Lahaina Graphics. Born in Chicago, he spent his childhood in Albuquerque, graduating from Highland High School there and gaining a degree in Business from University of New Mexico; later he lived in Aspen, CO. He was the father of Fara Lee Stafford by his first wife, Nina Cherry, and a son, Travis James Stafford, with his second wife Deborah Lucas. Terry died of a long illness on February 5, 2000 in his last home, Telluride CO, at the home of his sister Susan Stafford Kerr. Survivors are his son and daughter, both in Maui; his sister Susan and another sister Vicki Farthing of Broomfield, CO; his Brother James S. Stafford of Albuquerque, NM; and his mother, Diana Stafford of Telluride. ________________________________________________________ I do know about Evelyn, as we have been best friends since our high school days, and had been in touch all the time until she died. I saw her about a month before she passed away. She died in Santa Monica CA on July 29, 2001 after a battle fighting Non-Hodgkins disease. From Sharon Heard Jones, class of 1960 ____________________________________________________________ Passed away January 10, 2003 From Bob Lepisto ____________________________________________________________ Michel C. Wood, age 62, a resident of Albuquerque died January 26, 2003. He is survived by his mother, Victoria Wood of Albuquerque, a son and grandson, both named Sam. Mike graduated from Highland High with us in ’59. He attended Compton Jr. College in Compton, CA.
Nancy passed away on the 18th of March 2004, after a 12 year battle with breast cancer. Her husband, Robert Runkle asks the class to raise a glass to her at the reunion dinner. ___________________________________________________________
She had retired from the Social Security Administration in Dallas, where she had worked since graduation from college in Las Cruces, and was living at her family’s home in Albuquerque. It was an acure heart-related episode, I think. From Sali Barnett Katz Robert J. Darrow Jr. of Moriarty, passed away on January 5, 2005 after a long illness. He attended Highland High School and went to New Mexico Military Institute of Roswell. Bob then went to Los Angeles, CA where he attended the Los Angeles School of Art. Upon returning to Albuquerque, he went to TVI where he earned a contractor’s license and was contractor for several filling stations. After moving to Moriarty, he had a successful restaurant business until ill health forced his retirement. Bob is survived by his long time business partner and friend, William T. Stowe, father, Robert Darrow Sr., Brother, Will; sisters, Laura and Christine, and daughters, Lynn and Lisa. Donations may be made to the American Lung Association of New Mexico.
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