Class of 1980

I submit the following for Your reading pleasure...

Things in North Carolina are still outstanding! Still living large in Mooresville (a suburb of Charlotte) on Lake Norman and still working with Wachovia (a bank, for those outside of our footprint). Still married to the same wonderful woman (Joyce)... going on our 18th year now! Amazing she's put up with me that long! Our boy is 14 now and nearly as tall as me (scary)... he's still my soccer bum, playing both travel club and middle school 'futbol'. Also made the middle school bball team the past 2 years, but soccer is his passion. Keeps "Mom's taxi" humming. Daddy's little girl just hit the double digits this year, but thinks she's a teenager. She's taken a liking to volleyball, so we'll see if this one sticks. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, bubbly personality... man, am I in trouble. Above all, I'm most proud that they're both straight A, 'good' kids (thank God for Mom's genes!).

If you're in the Charlotte area, please look me up. Don't get back to Beckley much anymore since Mom moved down to Augusta to live with my Sister. Mom's still dealing with cancer (at 87) so Please keep her in your prayers!

Nuff said. Keep the updates flowing classmates. It's been good catching up with a few of you lately. The older we get (and the more the memory fades), the more precious tools like this site becomes.

mhmcclung@mi-connection.com or mike.mcclung@wachovia.com

I have to make a trip to BKW in early May so if any fellow '80 grads will be in town and want to hang out one weekend, let me know since I'm willing to buy a round at Fosters.

Just wanted to to say way to go to Ron Kidd (Class of 1980}. Ron God Bless You, and I am glad to see you kicked cancer's butt. Steve Kidd you deserve a big pat on the back for covering Ron during his illness. The Neighbors guys deserve some credit as well. So proud of the Beckley roots and growing up with you guys. I wish nothing but the best for you guys in the future. Beckley Woodrow Wilson "2008 State AAA Basketball Champions" Way to go.

Life in North Texas is good. Janie and I live about 40 miles north of downtown Dallas. We both miss the hills, and our families back in WV, and hope that some day we can return, but for now, its "Life in the Big Open Spaces" Janie is something special, and means the world to me, plus.....keeps on putting up with me, which says a lot!

Life has certainly changed, and had multiple peaks and valleys, but the cool thing is that all is well, and I am enjoying life.

I am involved with two companies that are engaged in the Engineering business, and how it relates to concrete slabs in Residential construction. Janie and I pass like ships in the night sometimes, but we cherish our time together, and have met some nice friends in this part of the world.

We are blessed to have some very special nieces and nephews in our life, and love and cherish (and miss) them very much. Zach is a sophomore at WVU, and doing great. Logan is playing ball, and growing like a weed, and Jay's boys (Jarrett, Chase, and Cooper) are so special, and growing into quite a team. We are blessed.

Still stay in touch with my "Beckley connection"...those pillars of the business world.....Chandler and Evans.....jeez! Worst thought in the world is that there are nice people trusting their hard earned money with "that banker" (Chandler), or "that car dealer" (Evans)!!!

Catch an email from time to time from some of the old crew. Like Echi, McClung, Gregg Turner, and Bashaw (when he's not doing something off the wall!). Cindy West (Fourney) lets me know when and what is going on as well. Look forward to hearing from more since now you know I am "still alive"!

If any of you are in this part of the country, look us up. You are always welcome. Just look for the only truck on the street with a WVU sticker on the bumper!

Take care to all, and be safe. Look forward to getting together in a couple of years.

Joey Childress
11702 Pondview Ln.
Frisco, Tx. 75035
469-576-1166

Our oldest, Amanda, is 19 and a freshman at the University of Cincinnati. She just got engaged the Friday before Christmas to her boyfriend of 2 years. We're hoping for a long engagement! Our son, Chad, is 14 and a freshman in high school. Our daughter, Andrea, is 12 and in 7th grade at the middle school. Our son Mitchell is 10 and in 5th grade. Next is Adam, and he is 8 and in 2nd grade, and our youngest, Melanie, is 4 and in preschool. So this year we have all the schools covered from preschool to college!

Rich and I are very active in our church...mainly with music. One of the groups we sing with is more of a contemporary Christian music group with just 6 singers (Rich is the bass, I'm the 1st soprano). We're looking in to seeing if we will be able to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" before one of the Reds games. How cool would that be? Anyway, we love our church and our church family. Makes being away from WV a little more bearable.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/holiday and will have a great new year to come! God bless!!

This week the leaves are really at peak with lots of yellows, reds and oranges, and its been unseasonably warm which nobody is complaining about, except for one long-distance hiker I saw yesterday on the Appalachian Trail, which cuts through town on is way to Maine. People are hoping our ski season will be a little better than the last couple of years.

Our son is now 9 years old and our daughter is 6. Both are wonderful children and are really enjoying school, music and sports. I work out of my house now as a consulting engineer for a couple of companies out west, and have a new "side" job as an occasional pilot for a local company. Its enough variety to keep me on my toes.

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying life. I think these have to be the best years.

John

All's good in Dallas, my son is home now from Iraq, he has to go one more time and then he' done (thank goodness). Would love to hear from old friends. Take care and God Bless.

http://www.myspace.com/cuddlyangel62

Look me up and let me know how yall are doing

Cheryl

See ya,
Kevin

“How far you successfully go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.”—George Washington Carver

Give Thanks!

~JoAnn~

Peace and God Bless,
Kevin

http://www.legacy.com/SaltLakeTribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=19135639

Take Care.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Take care.

Kevin

She needs our prayers and best wishes. Please take a moment for her.

When we were in grade school at Maxwell Hill Elem (go Panthers!), local star athletes(?!) like myself and well known banker John Chandler would have to ride the school bus on the mornings after losing basketball games with Yvonne, and she would literally, and physically, beat the crap out of me and John for losing. Pretty sad when a cheerleader does that to you!

Yvonne is my "old school friend", and for that I say take a moment for her. I appreciate it, and know her family does as well.

Take care and God Bless.

Joey

Kevin

On the other hand my son, Justin will be grad. from HS next month, then off to Johnson and Wales Univ. in Charlotte to be a Chef. He is exited, me too. Will be my 1st anniv. this month to my new wife Debbie, you met her at reunion if you were there. Waited a long time for this woman to come into my life. which is definitely better 2nd time around.

I will post some pics of the reunion if I can fiqure out how. Email me if you can or come visit, you just might stay. PS, it was very good to see my old friends like David Klaus, John Patton, Joey Sloan, Edwina Ratcliff, Jessica Fortner, you too Joey. Although I was disapointed only about 50 showed up. Golf outing was great, want those pocs, Joey! Take care and wait to hear from all.

Been a busy year since the reunion. Sometimes we need to remember that the great man upstairs hears our hopes, wishes and prayers.....but we forget that he works on his time schedule! Janie and I moved to Palm Harbor over the holidays and love the area. But, only time I see it is usually for about 48 hours on the weekend! Frequent flyer extraordinaire! Our company does work across the country, so M-F is motel city! But, hopefully, this will change in the coming months.

Still try and catch up with current events with Mom, Dad, my brother Jay, and local gurus Chandler and Evans! So proud of them 'eers! When they stomped the Dawgs, I was in New Orleans with a room full of Texas fans, and one by one they said "glad we aren't playing them"! My brother was at the game, and calls me afterward to tell me that "he called it"......yeah, right....

Still waiting on those of you who took pictures at the reunion (besides Yvonne Lewis Small, thanks!) to post the pictures. I have the golf outing picture, and will post when I get to Florida next week. I will see about the time schedule this summer and maybe we can try a golf outing in the Beckley area. Will let you know.

Went to a Pro Hockey game the other night, and when I ordered a beer from the young girl waiting on me, she asked to "see my ID#".......! After jumping across the counter, I planted a big one on her!....Things that truly inspire an "old man"!

Hope to see all of you in the coming months and years, until 2010. If any of you have new contact info, send here, or to me, or Cindy, or Tracey.

I hope life is good for all of you. I went for a long time with a frown on my face sometimes, which is sad because I had it all, and it wasn't fair to those around me. Now, after dealing with life issues,.....smiling is fun. I thank Janie for helping and for her love. Also, for a very special family. If you are in Beckley, when you see your local banker Chandler (what a scary thought!), or your local car salesman/politician/media darling Evans (like wise), tell them to give me a call...!

Take care and God Bless

Joey
469-576-1166 cell
727-947-4757 home

The land and the seasons here are a lot like WV, and we are enjoying this. I do find myself missing the way people relate to each other farther south. Although people here are friendly, sometimes it feels like there's a little more of "what can I get out of this" and less of "how can I enjoy this person just for who they are." Maybe you just notice this more as you get older?

Greetings and best wishes to all. Hope to make it if there is a 30th reunion.