J.M. Tate High School

Risa Cotten (Hawkins)

Birthday:February 12, 1961 City:Pace State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Cosmetologist Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

From Risa:My husband Joey Hawkins (pine Forest class of '77) and I will celebrate our 25th Wedding Ann. on Dec. 29, 2009.
I have been a hairdresser for 29 years. I work at Troy McCurdys ('79) wife Vicki Myrick
McCurdys ('78) salon Shear Illusions on Old Palafox not far from Tate. ONE day a week.
We have lived in Pace the whole time.
We have 2 girls. Paige 19 is a student at PJC. Grduated from Pace High where she was a cheerleader all 4 years. Brooke 12 in 7th grade and seems to be following her big sis in the cheer world. It is really cool, my kids and Delyn Amberson Hanks kids are good friends. They are the best things ever in our lives. They both look a lot like their mother, so others tell us.
We are active at Immanuel Baptist Church in Pace, and many former Tate Grads go there too.
In Nov. 07 Thanksgiving week our family of 4 went with a team of 6 others on a mission trip to the mountains of Mexico in the Sierra Madre. We took supplies both medical and BASIC daily needs items like clothes, shoes and food to an Indian Reservation where the people don't even name their children until the are 2 years old because most of them don't live that long. We went to the Copper Canyon on the reservation side where only honored guest of the Chief are allowed to travel. It was by far the most amazing thing we could have ever done as a family. Even my 12 year old realized how good we have it. It changed our lives forever.
Life is good. God Bless You All
Risa

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Martin & Jona (Ward) Kickliter

Now

Birthday:December 28, 1960 City:Hendersonville State/Prov.:TN Occupation:Audio Production Website:www.eventaudioonline.com Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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Bonnie Cobb (Perry)

Birthday:October 20, 1960 City:Molino State/Prov.:FL Occupation:wife / mother Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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Jeff Rogers

Now

Birthday:September 19, 1960 City:Pensacola State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Production Supervisor Riechhold Chemicals Marital Status:Single

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Renee Shelby (Lafont)

Then

Now

Birthday:November 09, 1961 City:League City State/Prov.:TX Occupation:Case Manager Marital Status:Divorced No. of Children:2

From Renee:I have been educated at Stetson U, PJC, SW Inst, and Eckerd College, without ever figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. Except for a Rock n Roll star, but there's still hope as I have not yet achieved maturity. Mostly I want to be on the water, sail and travel.

I manage national complex litigation, which gives me an opportunity, in between projects, to take a couple years off and sail. Twice I have been blessed with 2 years living aboard and sailing in warming latitudes. Florida Keys, Mexico, Belize, the Bahamas. Both incredibly rewarding experiences.

My kids are both grown and married with children of their own.  I have 4 fabulous grandkids, 3 in Gulf Breeze and 1 in Bradenton.

After returning to the States the last time, we bought our first house (we had always lived on sailboats). Then the classic mid-life crisis resulted in me being single again.  I sold my boat in Florida and bought a townhouse in the Clear Lake area of Houston, where we once lived aboard.

Life is good. I have great friends, am very active in service at my church, make enough money to buy beer, cat and dog food, and enjoy sailing every chance I get. Sometimes kayaking, sometimes power boating, but always on the water.

I am looking forward to being "home" again and getting to see some of you in person. I can't wait to eat fried mullet at Jerry's Drive-In, you can't get that just anywhere you know!

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Chuck Brown

Birthday:January 11, 1961 City:Molino State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Engineer Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

From Chuck:Kathleen (Kathy Lewis) and I got married after college and have raised two wonderful children, Derek 21 and Danielle 18. Derek is finishing his third year of college and Danielle will graduate from high school this weekend. I am a partner in an engineering firm in Pensacola and Kathleen does the books, payroll, invoicing, etc., (she runs the place). Hard to believe it's been 30 years.

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Kathleen Lewis (Brown)

Birthday:July 31, 1961 City:Molino State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Bookkeeper/Tax Consultant Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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Rusty Tanner

Birthday:June 25, 1961 City:Alabaster State/Prov.:AL Occupation:Area Sales Manager Alabama/NWF for AT&T Marital Status:Married No. of Children:3

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Shelley Hall (Johnson)

Birthday:August 10, 1961 City:LaGrange State/Prov.:GA Occupation:customer service at Diverse Power Marital Status:Divorced No. of Children:2

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Ruthie Fields

Then

Now

Birthday:January 04, 1961 City:Birmingham State/Prov.:AL Occupation:Dental Hygienist/Photographer Website:www.ruthiesphotographics.com Marital Status:Divorced No. of Children:1

From Ruthie:Hey everyone,
I'm looking forward to catching up with
you guys in July ~~~

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Pamela Desposito (Bledsoe-Silcox)

Birthday:September 22, 1961 City:Pensacola State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Owner Marital Status:Married No. of Children:5

From Pamela:

I am looking forward to our 30th year reunion. I graduated from FSU in 1985 with a degree in accounting and finance. I worked for a little while until my oldest daughter was born, she will be 23 in November. Stayed at home until she was two and then went back to work full time for about three years. Had my second daughter in 1991, that's when I went to work for my mom and stepdad's construction company and have worked there ever since. My oldest brother (John) and I run it. Had my son in 2001 (yes he's only seven and in the second grade). He was a surprise for me and my second husband (Darwin Silcox class of '80). We also have custody of his two daughters, 19 and 16. We have a house full. Can't wait to see everyone.

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Clay Pyle

Now

Birthday:June 07, 1961 City:Gulf Breeze State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Police Officer Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

From Clay:Well hello out there class of 79. Wow 30 years.
Just a little about me. I am married to a my best friend Leigh for over 25 years now and have two beautifull girls. One who goes to UWF and works at Redeemer School in Pensacola as well as East Hill Baptist Church as there computer tech, she is 22. My youngest daughter (19) goes to the University of North Florida and is on a soccer scholarship in her second year.
Me however if you all can believe this i retired last month from the Pensacola (POLICE DEPT.) Yea who would have thought that would happen (25 Years). I am now in the drop program for the next 4 years double dipping the best i can.
I have lived in Gulf Breeze for the last 25 years and would not have lived anywhere else. Well maybe the BVI's. Attended my 27th Jimmy Buffett concert last week>>> Look forward to seeing all of my good friends, Yes i ran into a few of you guys (lets not talk about that right now)While working????It was all good.
Look forward to seeing you there.

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Andy Breeden

Then

Now

Birthday:October 14, 1961 City:West Melbourne State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Engineer Website:bit.ly/andys-google-profile Marital Status:Married No. of Children:3

From Andy:Who cares about me! Just look at the awesome pictures! Then: Yellow belt. Now: Huge face. Then: Lots of hair. Now: Lots of head. It's a wonder I wasn't a chick magnet back in the day. Gotta wife and three boys that think I'm special. Truth is, it's *them* that make it so. Great job, Sean Geraghty, Sylvia Kadlubowski, and whoever else is putting all this together. Have fun at the reunion. I'm waiting until 2039. Andy

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Keith Ridgway

City:Woodstock State/Prov.:GA Occupation:Senior Systems Engineering Manager Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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Jimmy Norton

Birthday:April 26, 1961 City:Cantonment State/Prov.:FL Occupation:IP Boiler Operator Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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David Byrd

Then

Now

Birthday:October 30, 1961 City:Hoover State/Prov.:AL Occupation:Minister Website:www.gvbc.org Marital Status:Married No. of Children:3

From David:I could say 30 years have flown by, but then there are days like today that kinda creep.

After graduation I attended PJC then Samford U in B'ham. I dropped out of college and began working for Parisian.

I worked at 7 stores in 7 years, mainly training associates how to sell and training managers how to communicate with associates.

Parisian moved me around a lot. I ended up in P'cola. There I felt God calling me to be a minister. My last day at Parisian was 12/24/88 - Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to me!

I dropped into school at UWF. I graduated with a degree in Communication Arts/Public Relations, then to New Orleans for seminary.

I met Karla, my wife at Parisian in P'cola. We are celebrating 20 years this August. I have 3 great children.

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Scott Hines

Then

Now

Birthday:February 26, 1961 City:Palo Alto State/Prov.:CA Occupation:Librarian/Academic Marital Status:Divorced No. of Children:2

From Scott:Hey everyone! Thanks to Sean for getting everything moving here!

I live out in California these days, near San Francisco. I ended up here as a trailing spouse after living many years in New Jersey. I actually miss New Jersey!

After Tate, I went to college all over the place, spending a bit of time at FSU, PJC, UWF and then finally settling down a bit to study chemistry and religion at New College of Florida down in Sarasota. I had great fun there -- if you have kids thinking about college and they are interested in something different from the usual places and they are up to a heavy duty academic challenge, New College is a great choice.

I almost went to a seminary for grad school to continue studying religion after New College (I've been an atheist for a long time, since 9th grade, pretty much, but I love thinking about and reading about and talking about religion), but instead I followed my New College girlfriend up to New Jersey and lived in New Jersey for the most part for the next 15 years, with stop offs to live in Gainesville, Pensacola, North Carolina, and Chicago at various times.

I had been happily avoiding the middle class for many years -- hey, I listed my occupation as "Mystic" on my income tax returns for several years in the late 80s and early 90s -- but then an old friend recruited me to join the middle class team out in Chicago, and so I happily changed my occupation to "Wage Slave" on the tax returns for the next several years, acquired some astoundingly great kids (at least 2 -- 2.5, maybe, I guess, if you count the one who was reincarnated), a lovely wife who is now an excellent ex-wife, and a nice low-key job as a librarian and an academic.

I spent a few years on the tenure track at Rutgers University in NJ, where I had gotten degrees in communication and information science, teaching communication, building digital libraries, and doing a bit of info science research and consulting work as a sophist, but now I work as a librarian at a small university. And read lots of religion, neuroscience, constitutional law, history, and a bit of fiction so I can have fun conversations with people in line at the grocery store.

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Donnie Shear

Birthday:October 21, 1961 City:Pace State/Prov.:FL Occupation:Ready Mix Concrete Marital Status:Married No. of Children:2

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Al Land

Birthday:October 07, 1961 City:Little Rock State/Prov.:AR Marital Status:Married No. of Children:1

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Gary Baker

Then

Now

City:Woodstock State/Prov.:GA Occupation:Engineer Marital Status:Married No. of Children:3

From Gary:It's been 30 years? No way! As hard as it is to believe that 30 years have passed, it has been fun reading what everyone has been up to.

Renee Rasberry and I started dating soon after we graduated from Tate and married right after we both graduated from UWF in '83. We lived in West Palm Beach for a couple of years and then moved to Huntsville, AL where we had our son, Eric, in '86.

We moved to Fort Walton Beach in '87 where we each got a Master's degree from UWF and we had two daughters: Nicole in '90 and Alyssa and '94. We moved to Woodstock, GA (just north of Atlanta) in '98 and have been there since.

I've worked in the aerospace industry the whole time and currently work for Lockheed Martin on the F-22 program.

It'll be great catching up again...see you at the reunion.

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