FACULTY and STAFF NEWS

This page will focus on retired staff and their adventures in retirement. If you have information to submit, please send it to info@redwoodalumni.org.

WILLIAM (BILL) WILKINSON recently published a book titled TESTIMONIOS DE FLORENCIO SERRANO: ALTA CALIFORNIA REMEMBERED, 1834-1850. Florencio Serrano was a member of the Híjar-Pádres colony that was formed in 1834 in Mexico and was sent to California to establish a settlement in what is the present day Santa Rosa area. This group was to form a buffer between the Mexican settlements and the Russian incursion in the north. Serrano left the group and settled eventually in Monterey. He became the Alcalde and a schoolteacher. He was the first school teacher on the American payroll in California.

In the 1870s Hubert Howe Bancroft hired a group of writers to go out and interview and transcribe the testimony of the leading Californios still alive so that their remembrances would be available for posterity. These Testimonios became part of the original materials donated to what became the Bancroft Library at the University of California in Berkeley. There were approximately 60 to 70 of these Testimonios with very few of them having been translated and/or published.

Bill received permission from the Bancroft library to translate and publish the three separate Testimonios left by Florencio Serrano. The Testimonios are presented in the original Spanish along with the translation. The book has a brief review of the history of the Spanish-Mexican interlude in Californai to provide context for the remembrances of Florencio Serrano. It also has an annotated bibliography of selected works. It is available on Amazon.com.

Bill Wilkinson

52 West Napa Drive

Petaluma

SANDY FRANCIS, Retired counselor, is off to Zambia at the end of the January. The International School of Lusaka, the capitol, has been without a counselor for quite some time so she'll be there for at least 18 months.

JACK HARTNETT recently celebrated his 80th birthday with the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group at the Half Day Cafe. For over 15 years, retired Redwood teachers meet each Tuesday morning to share memories, "organ recitals", and current news and sports. The regulars include Jack, Doug Basham, Stan Buchanan, Marilee Rogers, Duncan MacSwain, Donal Brown and Glen Dickey. Sometimes you will also spot Sue Chelini, Jeanine Loughran, Carl Rasmussen, Charles Shultz or Charlie Feeney.

ALUMNI ON CAMPUS Did you know that nine Redwood Alumni are currently on the Redwood staff? Deb Ring Bendinelli '71 is a teacher of Special Education, Eric Berridge '85 and Jon Hirsh '94 are both in the Social Studies Department, Melissa Boles '93 teaches Science, and Allison Kristal '98 and Karen Murk '82 are in the Math Department. Karen Roby Barrett '63 is a Library Assistant, Paula McDermott VanTrease '71 is the Career Specialist and Patty Gibian Monge '84 represents the Twin Cities Police Force on campus. Other alumni in the Tam district include Brian Zailian '76 (French), Chris Erlin '85 (Math) and Laura Garrett '92 (Social Studies) at Tam.

DUNCAN MACSWAIN (Redwood 1963-95) continues to monitor the southern Thailand tsunami project he has been administering since 2004. Ninetyone individuals, 23 couples and nine schools and organizations contributed nearly $20,000 to the project. Monies had been placed in a trust account and then distributed as needed. The trust account was able to rebuild houses on Kangaroo Island; pay medical bills, refurbish classrooms and purchase uniforms and meals for students at Phi Phi Island elementary school; purchase books and uniforms for students at Yaowawit School in Tambon; help restart small businesses on Phi Phi, purchase over 2000 pounds of rice and help rebuild destroyed houses in a remote Sea Gypsy Village on Phuket; and provide a degree of financial security for Busaba Nuanjun (Nin), an abandoned eight year old child on Phi Phi.
A recent e-mail from Duncan included photos of Nin, now a 14 year junior high student. She's doing well. He continues to correspond with the staffs at Phi Phi Island School and Yaowawit.
It's no surprise that Redwood provided the bulk of contributions to this meaningful project. Current Redwood faculty and staff gave $4129 to the project. Individual retired and present Redwood teachers contributed an additional $2758.
Contact Duncan (Dmacs1@comcast.net) if you would like updates and/or additional information.

BOB TROPPMAN, former Coach and PE teacher, has recently self published a book called On Being a Kid in San Francisco, the late Depression and World War II years,in which he shares his memories of growing up in San Francisco. He includes interviews with many of his San Francisco buddies including Stanlee Buchanan and Denis Ragan, both former Redwood teachers. It can be purchased for $10 at the Larkspur Library or by contacting Bob Troppmann.

RUSSELL HILL, former English teacher at Redwood and Tam, has publsihed six books since his retirement and has received an Edgar Allan Poe nomination for a new novel, The Lord God Bird, the second nomination in three years. He's off to New York City at the end of April to find out the results.

EILEEN HAWKES, business teacher in Redwood's early years, just returned from a 33 day cruise of the South Pacific doing some snorkeling and swimming and enjoying life. "Not bad for a LOL as one former newspaper columnist categorized us. (She turned 90 at the Redwood 50th Celebration in April 2009) Then I leave on an African Safari and into the Red Sea and hope I do not meet up with any pirates. Hope to snorkel in the Seychelles. My recommendation to all of you is to dare to do what you think you cannot and then try, you usually can."

IN MEMORIAM

ROBERT TORREY, the former Tamalpais Union High School District administrator and Redwood Social Studies teacher, died on August 23, 2011. Bob's 29 year career with the District included service as a teacher, Assistant District Superintendent, and District Superintendent. His primary responsibilities during his administrative years were curriculum and instruction. Bob was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Paul R. and Helen L. Torrey. He grew up in Rome, New York and was named "Outstanding Boy Graduate" from Rome Free Academy. He was a scholarship student at Syracuse University for more than a year before enlisting in the Army Air Corps on December 7, 1942. Bob was reassigned to England after training and later to Germany. Before leaving England, he married Mary E. Gately. They were married 66 years and had two children: Robert D. Torrey II and Susan R. Torrey. His California educational career took him from Stanford to Modesto High School, Plumas Unified School District, and finally, in 1957 to the Tam district from which he retired in 1986. He is survived by his wife Mary, his daughter-in-law Alicia Torrey, and five grandchildren: Lance and Shannon Torrey, and Lee, (Aimee), Britt, (India) and Kyle McEachern.

LYLE JAMES FISHER Born May 24, 1926 in Ellis Grove, ILL. Lyle passed away November 13, 2010 in Carmichael, CA. He is survived by his loving wife Constance Thabar Fisher; sister Fay Pembertow; brother Larry Fisher; dear uncle and brother-in-law. Lyle served in the Navy 1944-1946. He graduated St Louis University with a BA in Political Science in 1949 and an MA in Education in 1952. Taught eight years at Ritenour High School, his alma mater. Moved to Lee Vining, CA in 1957 and in 1960 began a 26 year teaching career at Redwood High School in Marin County. Retired in 1986 to work with the Bay Area Mathematics Project at U.C. Berkeley. Co-authored several math books. Helped establish the Student Activities Trust for the California Math Council. A life-long educator, coach and mentor.

JAMES PIERCE February 12, 1926 - July 15, 2010 Jim grew up in Alameda and San Francisco. After service in World War II, he returned to U.C. Berkeley, graduating in 1950. Jim taught English at Sir Francis Drake High School, and when Redwood was built, he joined the staff of the new school, where he remained for many years. Jim was an active and prominent member of professional associations of English teachers at both state and local levels. His commitment to English literature was reflected in the series of textbooks he edited, which were used in classrooms across the country. Retirement from teaching in 1986 marked the beginning of a new career as an accountant and tax consultant. It also provided time for Jim to play racquet ball, bridge and bocce, and make long trips to Europe, Asia, Australia, and around North America. He helped to establish and continued to organize two different book discussion groups, and was a familiar figure in his San Anselmo neighborhood due to daily walks with his two Labrador Retrievers. Jim is survived by his wife of 54 years, Virginia. His three daughters are Beth of New York, Ellen of Washington, D.C. and Carrie of Pleasanton, California. Son, Charlie and daughter-in-law, Christine, reside in San Ramon, California. Friends are invited to make a donation in honor of Jim to the James L. Pierce Academic Scholarship Fund through the Redwood High School Scholarship Foundation.

BILL EDICK, Biology teacher, died peacefully in his home on March 8, 2010, at the age of 91. As a teenager, he worked as a carpenter's assistant and rivet painter during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. He served in the Pacific Theater during WWII from 1941 to 1945. After the War, he taught Biology at Drake High School, moving to Redwood High School upon its opening, and retired from teaching in 1979. He played the baritone horn in the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Non-Marching Band from 1960 until just a few years ago. Bill succeeded in his wish to live comfortably and independently in his own home, pledging that the only way he would leave it would be "feet first", which he did. He will be missed by all who knew him.

last updated 4.14.2011