About the 55th – BCHS 67 Alumni 55th Reunion

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Anne Steltmann Campos:

I have always liked the adage “Life is too short to put things off”, but, this past year has brought that thought too close to home. I have lost 4 close and dear friends from cancer, heart disease and cerebral hemorrhage, all gone to soon. As a nation we have lost 600,000+ Americans to COVID. I don’t want to wait until 2027 to renew friendships and share good times with my classmates from BCHS.

After attending all the reunions up to the 40^th, I decided to jump in with both feet and Chair our 50^th. With a great group of volunteers working together we pulled it off. I got to reconnect with so many people I hadn’t seen in a very long time. Since then, and through the magic of Facebook, I have learned so much more about all of the fabulous, talented, thoughtful, humorous and delightful people we have in the Class of ’67. We’ve shared talents, hobbies, celebrations, our families, good times and bad. Now, when we meet in person, there will be so much more to talk about and share. So, “life is too short” and a group of us decided to plan an informal picnic style get together for a 55^th reunion on Sept 16-18 2022, and…

Carole Clark Doody:

A high school reunion has the mystical power to bring back memories from the mid 60’s. For most of us it was a carefree and idyllic time of optimism and hope, self-realization, laughter, friendships.

Ours was the beginning of an era of great music. What songs do you want to hear?. You can dance like a teenager on Friday night!

Come celebrate with unselfconscious joy and togetherness

…so the planning has begun.

The Crew: John Pellettier, Tom Swasey, Anne Steltmann Campos, Ricki Stolz Somers, Carole Clarke Doody, Ginny Westervelt, Charlie Redmond, Nance Austin, Ted Wilson, Ginny Hill Hasselbarth, Janet Hansen Kelly

Our Team:

John Pellettier – Reunion Coordinator

Late in 2020, I happened to be looking for something in my basement and came across our 1967 yearbook. It got me thinking about the 50^th reunion and classmates I would like to see again without waiting until 2027 and a 60^th reunion. A few telephone calls later, a committee of very interested 67ers was formed and planning a 55^th was off and running. We are creating an agenda with new and different activities but no dress up and no boring speeches. When not planning for the event, I do some consulting for my last employer all of which is done remotely. Karen and I live on Friends Lake in the Adirondacks but spend winters in FL. Visiting our kids and grandchildren is our favorite pastime. Hope to see you ALL in Sept 22!

Carole Clarke Doody

Speech Language Pathologist: private practice and area schools including 25 years in BCSD
Bagpiper in three pipe and drum bands: Capital Region Celtic, Albany Police, and City of Albany
Volunteer: Five Rivers Environmental Center, Ronald McDonald Charities

Marriage and travel partner for 51 years, Tom Doody

Come share some unselfconscious cheer with your BC67 alums!

Janet Hansen Kelly – Planning and coordinating events was part of my life for close to 25 years as an investor relations and marketing professional. The money part of a job was great, but doing it for and with friends is so much more fun!

I live on Cape Cod and treasure the lifestyle of beaches, beautiful sunsets, running, cycling, knitting and eating seafood……the obnoxious tourists, not so much! In 1999, I met my wonderful husband, Brian, at a road race. We still enjoy running together and he is very supportive of my upcoming 20th (and last) Boston Marathon.

Please put the weekend on 9/16-18/2022 on your calendar. I think you will enjoy what we have planned!

Charlie Redmond – Bringing the party! Been at that for some time, like a lot of The Crew. Why stop now?

When not working on class reunions, the ways I spend my time and energy haven’t changed tremendously over the past few decades, except like so many classmates I’m a grandparent now, in addition to still being dad, of course. We never stop that, do we?

Mostly I still do so many of the things that continue to make up my life:

Computer guy, designing, installing and maintaining computer systems for small biz
Multisport athlete, triathlons on and off road; mountain biking my particular passion.
Travel: have visited 45 states, 22 countries and 6 continents, a lot of it related to races, having raced in 18 states and 7 countries.

Ricki StoIz Somers – I’ve been working in the Insurance Industry for a really, really, long time and finally retired last year.

I’ve stayed most of these many years in Delmar.

I now have time to play at my favorite hobbies- crafts and refinishing & re-purposing furniture.

Look for me at Craft Fairs, Garage Sales and occasional dumpster diving!

I hope you will join us for this mid-decade gathering, when we hopefully can dance poorly, sing worse and reminisce about the “good old days”- that I swore I would never do- you know, walking to school 5 miles uphill each way!

Anne Steltmann Campos – After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh, I worked for 11 years as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Home Economist, married my wonderful husband Michael and we were blessed with our beautiful daughter, Amy. I then got my Masters Degree in Health and spent the next 23 years teaching Health and directing Peer Mediation and Teen Leadership programs at Johnstown High School. In 1974 Michael started Zen Do Kai Martial Arts as a part time business. Running classes, tournaments, summer camps and seminars has kept us very busy.
I have always been involved in many groups and organizations in our community, including promoting our home town girl Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

After retirement Michael and I have been working on our “Bucket List” traveling to 47 States to visit over 50 National Parks/ sites. Also traveling overseas to 22 countries. Through our travels, we have met many wonderful interesting people and seen some fabulous sites. We have Sept 16-18 2022 on our calendar. I look forward to celebrating our 55th with all of my Class of ‘67 alumni friends. The informal picnic atmosphere will encourage more interaction and fun for all. See you there!

Tom Swasey – I’ve been drawing since I could pick up a pencil and still pick that pencil up every day (digitally now). 67 is a very special class so I am honored to contribute to the 55^th reunion using my graphic experience to help in the design of the reunion website and throwing in a cartoon or two.

I consider myself very lucky to have had a career doing something I love, but the best part of my life has been 47 years of running, bicycling, and traveling adventures with my wife Judy.

Ginny Westervelt – I retired from a rewarding career, teaching reading, in 2019. I live in Slingerlands in the house where I grew up. My 30 year old son still lives at home, which has it’s ups and downs, but mostly ups. I particularly enjoy his company, as my husband passed away five years ago.

Now that I’m retired I have more time to volunteer in the community, join book groups and serve on our reunion planning committee. I was on the committee for our last reunion, but hope I can be of even more help this time. I am really looking forward to our September ‘22 reunion. I hope to see many people who were unable to make it last time, as well those who did. It should be a fun, relaxing time to reconnect.