Shipmate Column - Class of 1963 March-April 2026

Shipmate Column
March-April 2026

CLASS OF 1963
Pres: VADM William A. Earner, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Sec'y: Michael H. Shelley
27 Cambridge DR, Brevard, NC 28712
h: 828-506-2201 e: nstar@citcom.net
Web site: http://www.usna63.org.

For any classmate you can go to the Classmates Page and enter his name to read his current biography if available.

With sadness and respect, we note the loss of four classmates and a '63 spouse.

Jary W. Lewis died on 3 December. His widow, Sue, can be contacted at 85277 Champlain DR.,Fernandina Beach, Florida, 32034.

Albert S. Wilson passed away on 11 December. Scotty's widow, Patty, can be contacted at 38 Central Drive, Plandome, NY 11030.

James J. Delong died on 14 December. His wife, Sue, can be contacted at 10950 Magdalena Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94024.

Guillermo A. Devoto passed away on 21 December. We do not have contact information for his next of kin. A Foreign National member of our class, he became an Admiral in the Peruvian Navy.

Jim Turner's widow, Terry Lynn Turner, passed away on 14 December. We do not have contact information for her next of kin.

Be sure to visit the Last Call section of our web site to read classmates' obituaries and other information about their lives and careers. Spouses' obituaries are posted with their husband's Last Call or Current Biography entry.

I received two notes relating to our classmate Larry Marsh, who died on 31 October 2025. Jim Ring sent this account about Larry's interment at the Naval Academy on 6 January:

The ceremony was very well attended. Members of our class included Steve Duncan, Jeff Miles, Mario Fiori, Joe Bustamante, Dan and Karen Koczur, and Lionel Banda and his family. We gathered by Alumni Hall and walked behind the hearse to the burial site on the other side of the cemetery overlooking the Severn and hospital point. A luncheon followed at the Naval Academy Club.

Tom Robertson wrote a fine remembrance of Larry titled, "Our Golden Boy." I found it very interesting and think you will also. It is posted on Larry's current biography page on our web site. To see it, click HERE.

Dick Augur has pointed out that as the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated this year, we should be aware that 2026 is the 63rd anniversary of the Class of 63's graduation from USNA. It can't be that long, can it?

The 2025 Army-Navy football game was an occasion for gatherings of our classmates and other Navy fans. I received game day news from the west coast noted below. There must have been similar watch parties elsewhere in the country but credit for Navy spirit goes again to our California classmates.

Dave Moore sent this news:

The Bay Area USNA organization put together four regional Viewing Parties for the big game. The East Bay gathering was in Walnut Creek, and Ernie Freeman and I agreed to meet there. We had not seen each other since we were both in the First Battalion in 1961.

Ernie Freeman and Dave Moore

Faithful correspondent Phillip Marsden provided photos from two separate '63 parties watching the exciting game this year. The first shows Steve Hoy, at the right, hosting Win Orgera, Mike Rubel, Max Ricketts, and Lew Blackwell at his home in Murrieta.

Watchers at Steve Hoy's home

The second photo shows the larger gathering in San Diego that included Dave and Patti Meyers, Jerry Harken, Tim and Valerie Cook, Rowena Harken, Lee Cargill, Cindy and Jim Lasswell, Dick and Susan Andrews, Lee Tillotson, Jay Roberts, Phillip Marsden, and Grant Telfer. Donna Kaup (not shown) left earlier.

Victorious '63 fans

Writing in early December, Bob Harper told of visits with two '63 friends.

I stopped by to see our Frederick, MD, neighbor Jim Koehn and welcome him and Judy to town. They've been here for a few months, but we had been away in Maine until recently. The Koehns came from Nevada to be closer to family and are almost all unpacked. I complimented them on their N-Star Blue and Gold banner waving proudly. I took the opportunity to have Judy photograph us by my long time USNA-1963 vanity license plate. Many years ago, when the Alumni Association first offered them, Carol waited in line and insisted on this number. Their mindset resisted, insisting they would only issue in numerical sequence. Once aware of the standoff, I quickly had members of '60, '64 and '66 show up with similar requests. Surprisingly, they agreed to issue out of sequence. A rare condescension for our "beloved" organization.

Jim Koehn and Bob Harper

Soon afterward, I treated my companymate Mike Dunn to lunch at his place in Bethesda. We're looking to include his USNA roommate Bruce Webb in our next visit. A hearty Beat Army assembly it was but both of us northerners have lost our taste for being out in the cold. That does provide a great rationale for a ration of rum though.

Bob Harper and Mike Dunn

Thanks to Richard Kell for telling us of the Mini-reunion his companymates held in Texas last autumn.

From October 21st through 28th, members of the 8th Company (Terrible 10th Company survivors) held a get together in San Antonio, TX, celebrating our 21st Mini-reunion. The weather was perfect, and the location was ideal. We stayed at the historic downtown Gibbs Hotel just steps from the Alamo and the River Walk The hotel is a staunch supporter of people in the military and provided a complimentary meeting room for our group. We had a wonderful stay in San Antonio. We had a group ride on the Old Town Trolley for a tour that guides visitors through the city's history and culture, stopping at notable and unique neighborhoods and places. The next day, the group went on a tour of the San Antonio Missions, which comprise five historic Spanish colonial missions that together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During free time many of the group walked across the street to visit the Alamo. On Friday evening, the group enjoyed an exceptional dinner in the Wine Cellar at Boudro's Texas Bistro. We were surrounded by wine crates and barrels, wine tasting tables, and floor-to-ceiling wine racks stocked with more than 7,000 bottles. We enjoyed the time together and sharing old stories. The stories get better every year. Here are three photos from our time together. In the first are Mike Spear, Matt Small, Bill Earner, Earl Buck, Dave Bingemann, Bernie Patterson, Al Breen, Richard Kell, and John Boley. Not shown are Dick and Marylyn Augur, who had to leave early.

Survivors of the Terrible Tenth Company

In the second photo are Celes and Earl Buck, Mary and Dave Bingemann, Margarette and John Boley, Matt and Betti Small.

Dining in the wine cellar

Appearing in the third photo are Mike and Linda Spear, Bill and Jennifer Earner, Bernie and Cathy Patterson, Richard Kell.

Beginning a memorable dinner together

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Last fall Jim Oakes enjoyed a visit to one of the ships he served aboard and sent this brief report.

The day before Thanksgiving my guests and I were given a private tour of the USS MIDWAY (CV-41) in San Diego. Our docent was A.J. Ronacher, USNA 1975, a former helicopter pilot who has been a MIDWAY docent for 5 years. He gave us a three- hour tour from stem to stern. It brought back a lot of memories. I even got to see my stateroom in Officer Country where I berthed for two years. An article about my meeting with Fleet Admiral Nimitz in 1963 shortly after we graduated was recently published in the Midway Currents, a quarterly publication.

Al Ronacher '75 and Jim Oakes '63

Writing in late November, Jim De Francia sent this summary of his numerous contacts with '63 classmates and wives last autumn.

While visiting our younger grandson at San Diego State two months ago, Cynthia and I also had a delightful visit with Max Ricketts. In fact, Max hosted a small party with several of his local friends and our classmate Lew Blackwell. We enjoyed quite an affair complete with music, song, and abundant food. Mike Rubel joined me for lunch in Del Mar a few days later and we caught up on our respective activities. He is also working on a book, and we shared experiences in publication.
In late October I was a guest of the new USNA Superintendent at his tailgate for the USF game, followed by being a guest on the Flag Bridge for the game. Cynthia had a conflict for that weekend, so I invited Jim and Kate Ring to join me as I was permitted one guest and managed to make that for two! It was a great game and a delightful day, and I was most happy to have spent some time with Jim.
I am in regular communication with Dave Thornhill and John Kallestad (We were all roommates First Class year.), and I can report that they are both doing well. Dave is settled in Jacksonville, and John back home in Minnesota, both quite active and in good health. I also had contact with Joe Strasser's widow, Barbara, when in Philadelphia for some 250th USN Anniversary events in October. (Joe and I were roommates in our first three years, then he moved to an assigned room upon selection as Company Commander the last year). Barbara is in good health and settled in a retirement complex in New Jersey.
Ron Terwilliger and I maintain frequent communication and I spoke with him recently. He is active as Chair of the USNA Foundation, and sharp as always. I also connected with Al Griggs to express congratulations on the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps. He and Sally are well in New England.
Lastly, I had a delightful dinner in California earlier this month with Chuck Peterson '60 -- the 18th Company Commander in our Plebe Year - and my Firstie. He is quite well, still active in the nuclear energy field as a lawyer, and we enjoyed reminiscing about those early days.
Cynthia and I are settled and much enjoying ranch life in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We are blessed with good health and an abundance of visitors among our many children and grandchildren! Cynthia is a real cowgirl -- herds cattle, brands them, inoculates them -- and never a concern about the weather!
I remain active in development with a couple of interesting projects and serve on our Fire Protection Board and the County Planning Commission, along with the Rotary Board and a couple of local non-profit boards.

Jim sets a fine example of staying in touch with our classmates. Why not follow his lead? Take a minute this week to contact a 1963 classmate you haven't seen or spoken with for a while. You will both be glad you did.

As I was wrapping up this column in late January, I received another note from Jim with especially good news that will be of interest to all of us.

I have been working with the Alumni Association in making a documentary film about our Class Foundation; how we assisted the children of lost classmates, and how that effort led to our fostering the '63 Center for Academic Excellence. The first draft of the film should be done this Spring. The production team is looking through Lucky Bags to find older pictures of our lost classmates to feature in the video. They were reminded that while the CAE is the ultimately achieved resource, the real story is the people who made it happen, the people we lost, and that the CAE is their memorial and legacy. The production team is really taking that to heart.

That's all for now. I hope you will contact me soon with news of yourself and our classmates. We need your input to keep our Shipmate reports full and interesting.

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