Melinda (
Breitkreuz) Morgan |
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First Heart
Transplant Success |
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1970 1971 1972 |
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After high school I went to the U of A for three years to get a teaching certificate. In 1971, I began working for the County of Wetaskiwin which later became Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools. I started my teaching career teaching Grade One at Falun School in the exact same classroom where I had once been a Grade One student. It was through summer school classes and night classes that I got my B. Ed degree. The remaining years of my 38 years of teaching were spent teaching grade one at Clear Vista. I retired in 2009 and have spent the past 14 years substitute teaching in WRPS as well as at Sacred Heart School. In 1974, Clarence Morgan (class of 66) and I were married. We lived in Wetaskiwin until 1983 when we moved to our dream location....a farm overlooking the beautiful, scenic Gwynne valley. We have enjoyed vacationing in Hawaii, Fiji, Mexico, cruising in the Caribbean and the Panama Canal, trips to BC and to the USA as well as many RV trips.
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After graduation I spent most of my money on wine, women and wheels...... the rest I just wasted. But the truth is my beautiful wife, Gayle (Stengel), and I were married 41 years ago and have three wonderful sons and two grandsons. We have been blessed with a loving family, good friends, and lots of travel. P.S. - Special thanks to the organizers of this event for all their hard work! |
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I graduated from the Calgary General Hospital School of Nursing in 1971 and worked as a nurse in Calgary and Wetaskiwin. In 1981 I moved to Vancouver BC and worked at BC Children’s Hospital and the Finnish Canadian Rest Home until I retired in 2015. I love living in Burnaby BC and keep busy with volunteer work, travelling, crafts and card making, and attending live theatre, ballet, and symphony performances. I enjoy time with my three children, and one grandson, and visiting family in Wetaskiwin. |
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OK, graduating class of 1968, it's the end of May and only three of us have posted bios: I know some of you are in the Witness Protection Program,…. literally... but what's everyone else's excuse? Don't be intimidated by the somewhat strange coincidence that Barrie, Blaine, and yours truly all ride motorcycles! I left Grade 12 a month early in 1968 so I could join a professional acting company in Edmonton, and I have no doubt that our Principal, Mr. Shaw, was more than happy to see me leave. However, I did return for the graduation ceremony and faking a fall down the steps into the arms of Mr. Smart, all for the promise of a bottle of Porphyry Pearl. In the following years, I was fortunate enough to work onstage in most of the theaters across Canada, though I did have to change my first name (John Davies was already taken). After moving to Vancouver I was cast as an RCMP officer on a TV series called "The Beachcombers”, most likely because the RCMP uniform fit, surprisingly the series stayed on the air for 19 seasons. I also had roles in hundreds of other TV shows, commercials and movies, …Goldie Hawn dumped me for Mel Gibson in Bird on a Wire, …can you believe that ?…and I played the Captain of the Exxon Valdez where I said those immortal words “No I said Tanqueray on the rocks”. In 1979 I somehow found the time to marry the lovely Linda Brindle, who has inexplicably been able to put up with me all these years. We have two wonderful children; Chris, who is 35, and Michaela, age 32. It’s been a slice: I’ve worked all over the world, (hey I’m massive in Uzbekistan!), performed with some of the best actors in the world, co-wrote two movies and a book, drank with royalty, became an Honorary Sergeant in the RCMP, and played right wing for the Vancouver Canuck Alumni. Actors never retire …we just get old parts, and my wife informed me she had married me for better or worse not for lunch, so no retirement for me, the past 10 years I have been a member of the faculty at Capilano University in North Vancouver, teaching acting, screen production and double takes... not bad for a tall goofy kid from diaper avenue. |
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After graduating from high school in 1968 and a move to Edmonton I married and moved to Winnipeg to work with my husband in his family’s business. An agreement in the divorce settlement did not allow me to leave Manitoba with my daughters and so I slowly came to love the prairies and am now firmly a flatlander and a citizen of Winnipeg since 1970. (There was a short 3 year stint in Oakville, Ontario when my daughter had a kidney transplant!) Over the years I have worked as a costumer, a personnel consultant (headhunter), a church secretary and at the age of 53 I decided to retrain as a legal secretary. I still work in the field and am the youngest one in my corner of the office, my boss being eighty and having practiced law for 55 years. I am married to Denis Kurytnik, whose daughter (a fellow legal assistant) introduced us in 2003. We live with our Chihuahua, Beckham, and are the proud owners of a daffodil yellow 1965 Galaxie convertible, which gives us a good excuse to go around Manitoba visiting car shows in the summer. I am looking forward to meeting some of my classmates at the reunion! |
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I finished school in 1968 ,
graduated later in life. Worked in Alberta for a few years, then
found out they have green grass in January on Vancouver Island and I
still live here. I was a contract timber faller for 10 years
and then got a job in a paper mill in Campbell River for 30 years.
Married and had a son and daughter. Travelled a lot, Australia,
Panama City , Mexico and a few cruises. Did a lot of
motorcycle riding for a few years, Sturges a few times, Salt Lake
City, down the Oregon coast. I have 4 grandkids, I have a mother in
her 90s that lives in Wetaskiwin. Oh yes I have a wonderful
wife, Terry that has always been by my side and has looked after
me, we have been married 44 years on April 21. Life has been
good. |
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Very happy that I will be able to attend the reunion. I am going to cherish the renewal of friendships from so many years ago and the current folks who I keep in touch with. I had been the President of the Nanaimo Blues Society since 2012 and retired from my position in August 2019 after the most successful Summertime Blues Festival ever. This finally free’s up my time to relax and travel during the summer. History included being involved in the family trucking business DMW Transport. After the business was sold, I embarked in a new business venture and opened a Music Store called “Henry’s Piano House” honouring my father. During this time, I got reacquainted with my current partner Coreen. In 1990 we had a career change that meant a new direction in life. I became a Career Agent with Canada Life in 1990. Since then, my career has matured to a semi-retired pace. I now specialize in Travel Medical Insurance for Snow Birds and Seniors. I now have a hobby instead of a job. Almost 19 years ago, Coreen and I made the move to Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. Tired of the harsh winters, this has certainly proved to be the best decision in our lives. We have a love of nature, hiking and gardening and now we can do that year-round. The Rotary Club of Ladysmith was an instrumental part of our lives for 5 years until we transitioned to Nanaimo 12 years ago. That once again changed the direction of our lives somewhat. My love of music introduced me to the Nanaimo Blues Society. Little did I know that within 10 months of becoming a board member that I would be the President, a position I held for 7 years. We had put on a 3-day Blues Festival each August during my tenure as president. And the growth of our festival has been nothing short of phenomenal. I had a tremendous board of hard-working directors who make me look good. Since my departure from the board, I enjoy going our weekly “Blues Jam at the Queens” every Sunday where we enjoy amazing musicians, great camaraderie, and adult libations. If you are ever in Nanaimo, look me up and be my guest at the “Jam”. Even better if you play or sing. A few years ago, I was approached by a choir group who needed a piano player. Looks like I fit the bill perfectly. With 6-7 choir members we rehearse once a week and then go out to Seniors Homes (gives me an opportunity to decide which one for me), hospitals and assisted living to entertain with concerts about an hour in length. Covid stopped things completely for us until just a few months ago when the restrictions were finally removed. So, we have regrouped with new members and will be back in full swing come September. We have travelled extensively over the past including places such as Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Germany, and a rather large segment of the good ol’ USA. Vancouver Island has been so kind to Coreen and myself and I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Best wishes to all my class mates. We have the best of times and have maintained relationships over time and space and geography. BTW Mr. Castleman…. I won an award for Best Newsletter in International Rotary District 5020, and I continued to write one every 2 months in the community where I reside until I finally packed it in after 12 years. You done me good! Gerold AKA “Moose” |
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I graduated in 1968 and trained as an
X-ray technician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. In 1971 I
married Randy McIntosh and had 2 boys. Three years ago I got
my first grandchild. Randy and I have traveled extensively and
we now own a condo in Mexico. We spend spring and summer in Calgary
and Sicamous and the fall and winter in Cabo San Lucas. We golf a
lot. Life is good. |
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After leaving school, I worked at Pahal Motors for a short period of time. Moved to Edmonton and worked at the WW Cross Cancer Institute until moving back to Wetaskiwin to be married, I married Gordon Grinde and we were blessed with two sons. I worked for ATB Financial as a personal loans officer until retiring in 2003. I enjoy retirement and living in Wetaskiwin. We have 2 granddaughters and one grandson and we spend as much time as possible with them. Life has been good. |
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Attended University of Toronto, trained as an actor in England, and worked with, among others, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The New Shakespeare Company, and the BBC; acting alongside actors such as Judi Dench, Ian Mckellen, Patrick Stewart. Was a member of the acting company during Robin Phillips' last year as Artistic Director at Stratford, Ontario; acting with Maggie Smith, Brian Bedford, Peter Ustinov. As Artistic Director, headed the Philadelphia Area Repertory Theatre, and Ark Theatre Company in Los Angeles. In addition to directing numerous productions for these two Companies, also directed THE TAMING OF THE SHREW for The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, CLOUD 9 in New York City, and THE LOVER, in Chicago. Wrote the screenplay, co-produced, and directed, the feature film SHAKESPEARE’S MERCHANT. Taught at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia for twelve years (the last few as head of voice and speech), at the British American Drama Academy summer program in Oxford for 9 years, and currently is an Associate Professor in the school of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA. Wrote ACTING WITH TEXT, used as a textbook at UCLA, and other training programs around the country. Coaches for theatre, film, and television: ongoing for the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles; films include MONEY TALKS, NEXT FRIDAY, Brian Cranston in COLD COME THE NIGHT, and most recently, the 2017 film BLADE RUNNER. Presented at VASTA 2014, London, 2015, Montreal, and 2016, Chicago pmwagar@gmail.com 323-219-1715 (C) |
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I apprenticed for partsman with Pahal Motors in Wetaskiwin and married Donna Mikulecky in 1971. We have four great kids which includes a set of twin boys. One family lives in the Wetaskiwin area, another in the Cold Lake area, one in Edmonton and another in Viking. They have blessed us with 4 grandsons (which inc1udes a set of twins) and 4 granddaughters. I worked as parts manager with the Chev/Olds dealership, Wetaskiwin Motors for over 20 years. At this time we were busy on weekends working on our retirement home (log home) at Fawcett Lake, which we are presently living in and enjoying very much. Over the years we have travelled to the Canary Islands, Queen Charlotte Islands, Mexico , Palm Springs and parts of California and cruised on the Love Boat and the Caribbean. After Wetaskiwin Motors c1osed down I was a scale truck operator for Mullen Trucking taking me to places in the United States and also driving the ice roads in the North West Territories. I retired in 2011. With retirement l still enjoy fishing, hunting with bow and arrow, camping and spending time with the grandchildren. |
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Upon graduation, I became a journeyman electrician in Calgary and in 1974, married Brenda Tews and we moved to Fort McMurray where I was employed with the Great Canadian Oil Sands now Suncor for 8 years. I became tired of riding the smoke filled buses so decided to go farming! What was I thinking? We bought some land, cows and quota and joined forces with Brenda’s parents who were in the dairy business near Leduc. That instilled in me some great work ethics which I still have today. After 7 years, we were tired and the in-laws were retired so time to move forward. I have been in the real estate industry servicing Leduc (where we live), Edmonton and areas for the past 29 years and loving it! I enjoy riding motorcycle and with the Goldwing we’ve been to the Queen Charlotte Islands and Sturgis with many other trips in between. In 2010 I rode an adventure bike to Inuvik and through Alaska-what an adventure of 10,000 kilometers in 15 days! I’ve been to the Kennecott Mine before it was made famous! Today I ride a BMW 1200 GS dual sport and occasionally ride my dad’s 25 year old Heritage Softtail. I’m a proud papa of three beautiful granddaughters whom are the love of our lives! Life is great! |
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Greetings Wetaskiwinites !! I graduated Grade 12 in 1968 then went back in 1969 for one semester as an “adult student” to complete senior matriculation. I was born in Wetaskiwin in 1950 and named after my grandfather Peter William Schmitz, who migrated from Wisconsin in 1904 and settled his family in Wetaskiwin, NWT (Alberta didn't become the province until 1905). Having started piano lessons at age 5 I did my first “gig” in 1955 at the Moose Lodge Christmas Concert and I was hooked … I just wanted to play music. And that’s what I have done for most of my “adult” life, with periodic interruptions of day jobs, which of course I always quit when a gig came calling. While in high school I knocked around Wetaskiwin and the area in all sorts of garage and hippie rock bands ( Anyone remember Lord Peter and The Peasants (Yikes !!) or The Eighth Day? Or “The Jam-Pot” at the Water Tower??) — LOL. In 1970 I moved up to Edmonton and eventually Vancouver and started down that long and winding road to fame and fortune. Never really found either but sure have had a blast along the way, playing in a variety of bands and musical formats. I’ve played in beer parlours, pubs, lounges, dining rooms, theatres, concert halls, private clubs, shopping malls, sketchy bars, homes of the rich and famous, cruise ships, party boats, outdoor festivals and parade floats. In 1972 I dropped my birth surname and took the stage name of Peter Williams. In 1979 when I started working piano bars I started using the moniker “The Piano Man”, Deciding to work solo is what allowed me to stay successful in the music biz right through to today. I married a lady named Miko in 1981 and we had a beautiful daughter, Mira, born that same year. Miko and I have since divorced and I have been with my lovely Margaret (Maggie) since 1995. The music business is probably one of the most unsure, unpredictable and craziest businesses to be in but I guess I’ve been one of the lucky ones, doing what I love to do. I never hit the big time but I was always able to make a comfortable living for myself and my family just being a working musician. I'm still playing piano professionally these days and I plan to keep doing it as long as my fingers work, I can sit up straight and people still want to hear me. I’m the resident pianist every weekend in the dining room at Northview Golf and Country Club for the past 12 years. During the summer for the past 5 years, I’ve been playing piano at the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver for early morning departures. I also perform at seniors residences around the Lower Mainland. ( Hey, wait a minute .. I'm a senior now too !!) My mottos, courtesy of The Wrecking Crew:
BTW and FYI: Ralph and myself, along
with my old musical pal Brian Gregg are doing a one night show at
Manluk Theatre on Thursday Aug 17. All proceeds for support of
Manluk Theatre. It’s great to see a community arts theatre in
Wetaskiwin. If you're in town early for the weekend festivities stop
by and say hello. Looking forward to seeing all of the late 60’s
grads !! |
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I have certainly been far and wide on a lot of adventures since graduating in 1968! Following Grad I went to CLC (now Augustana) for 2 years. Then for the next 5 months I traipsed around Europe with a girlfriend. What stories I could tell from that trip! After returning I moved to Calgary, got married, then moved to the husband's family farm in Vegreville. While there we farmed, owned a drug store, and had 4 amazing children. However, the farm wasn't the life for us so after 12 years there we headed to follow the gold rush to Whitehorse. A little late for the 1898 Gold Rush, but our adventure nonetheless. What a life there! Can can dancing; part of a comedy dance troupe; travelling with the entertainment folks to Festival By The Sea in Saint John, NB; being on national television; doing live theatre; going back to school to get my Business Diploma; working at several cool jobs. As well as dogsledding, helicopter filming, aurora borealis northern lights, Inuvik, filming. And many more exciting ventures. However, the north is really cold. After 10 years there we answered an ad for a pharmacist (for my husband) in Castlegar, BC. From the cold to the hot! There I started with Canadian Regional Airlines and took my training in the Queen Charlotte Islands - if you can imagine. After a few years in Castlegar my husband and I parted ways and I followed the airline job (now Air Canada Jazz) to Halifax, NS. - with a year in Hamilton in between. Needless to say, the ocean is down many thousand lobsters, mussels, shrimp, crabs, and all fish since I lived there. After the airlines I worked for the Halifax Police. The universe brought me back to Sherwood Park for the next 5 years to be close to my Mom in her declining years. She is still with us but my calling is back in the Kootenays. So I have just recently relocated to my wee home in Castlegar where I am close to 2 of my children and 6 of my grandchildren. The other 2 offspring and 4 grandoffspring live between Ottawa and the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. I could no doubt go on and on but I'm more interested in hearing other peoples' stories. Where is everyone? What's happening? |
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