2904 Country Place Court . Carrollton, TX. 75006

It’s hard to believe that 50 years have gone by in what seems like 50 minutes! So, here’s the update. Marketing degree from the University of Illinois, and then an MBA from DePaul’s evening executive program. Started my business career in consumer advertising while in Chicago. My wife Marilyn and I then moved to Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, in 1981 (but I’m still a Chicagoan at heart, crying over the Cubs and Bears), and I made an industry change to the marketing of pharmaceutical products, traveling nationwide. Away from work became an avid runner, having competed in 3 marathons and numerous 10K races. Retired from the business world in 2004, and am currently continuing my running/exercise program, albeit at a slower pace, and trying to figure out golf, a simple looking game that brings grown men and women to tears! Also looking forward to traveling. By the way, Marilyn is a very accomplished Realtor, so if anyone is contemplating a move to Texas, let us know. I’m really excited about the reunion and celebrating this special occasion with so many of my South Shore classmates. And a big thanks to my old buddies, Stan “Jake” Jacobson and Ron “Moe” Rubenstein, for commiserating with me when our Cubbies blew their once-in-a- century chance to reach the World Series. Sadly, the curse of the Billy Goat lives on!

Fifty years…WOW!!  From the senior class at good old SS…to the good old classy seniors on SS; From the extra thick shakes, bacon double cheeseburgers and fries…to bottled water and “fat-free” everything else; Chuggin’ a quart of pee-warm “Prima” at the overflow…to doing shots of Maalox; When rockin’ ‘round the clock didn’t involve a chair; Slick DAs…to high foreheads and wide parts; Slide rules…to PCs; 78s to MP3s; Howard Miller…to Howard Stern.

(End flashback sequence – Hit fast-forward)

Anyhow, I’m still down here in paradise with my child bride of 46 years.  Our six kids (ages 32 to 45) are all quite successful in their chosen career fields and the 10 grandkids (ages 5 to 25) keep things moving along quite nicely.

I continue to work a 40-hour week with the maintenance department at a 180-unit condominium complex.  My wife works a couple of days a week at the local hospital, as a nutritionist.

We will talk at you again in another 5 or 10 years –if not, I’ll see ya’ in the halls up yonder after our next graduation.

I hope all your major goals have been achieved, your fondest dreams have come true and your wildest fantasies have been realized.  It has been a slice so far.  Y’all be good to each other and I’ll see ya’.

Later,

Bob Frazier

4421 Meade Av

Fort Myers, FL 33901

   None of us is untouched by the terror of September 11, and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
   I offer today this tribute to one of the 51 Californians who perished on that awful morning. I want to assure the family of Robert Penninger, and the families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be forgotten.   Senator Barbara Boxer, CA.

                           744 OLD TRAIL, HIGHLAND PARK, ILL. 60035

 I REALLY lucked out when Ed Dratler chose me to be his wife.  My greatest loss was his death 6 years ago.  Ed was much older than I, so when we married he wanted me to give up my Respiratory Therapy career, because he wanted us to have more time together.  He also retired shortly after our marriage, so we did extensive traveling domestically, but far more abroad.  His curiosity and energy level matched mine, so reading, learning, classes, etc., were part of our lives.  Our common love of people allowed us to enjoy those who entered our life, but most of all, we had a ball together during our almost 25 year marriage.  Financially, I'm fortunate be able to continue to travel and live life to the fullest and do everything as before Ed passed away, but it's not the same doing many of the activities by yourself. I miss sharing the various experiences we participated in, and more importantly the communication we had about what we did individually and together.  Since his passing, I have taken a few trips, and in time I'll be taking more.  In the meantime, blessed with good health, I still spend winters at our Scottsdale home and am still in the same Highland Park home on Old Trail during the summers. I continue to have lots of energy and an endless curiosity, consequently not enough time to pursue all my interests.  So among other things I spend my time volunteering, taking classes in piano and other areas of interest, teaching computer classes at the JCC, playing bridge, involved in our temple, sharing my home with 3 shelties and generally keeping very busy and appreciating everyone and everything in my life.  I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion and wish the very best next 10 years to be fun-filled and healthy until we see each other, G-d be willing, at the next reunion.

In Mrs. Stern’s Civics class, she once asked, “What should minimum housing standards be?” and I answered, “Four walls, a roof, and a door.”  I only remember this because Hal Klawans thought it was funny and used to remind me of it, when we were roommates at Michigan and afterwards.  I’ve now spent most of my career as a housing economist, working at HUD during most Republican administrations and at one or another think tank the rest of the time.  I’ve just finished four years as FHA Commissioner, responsible for managing the FHA mortgage insurance programs, helping a million families a year buy their first home, and they all have more than four walls, a roof, and a door – if that was all they had, we couldn’t insure their mortgages.  I was the longest serving Republican FHA Commissioner since we were at South Shore.   

After Michigan I came home to the University of Chicago and got a Ph.D. in economics – taught at Ohio State where I met my wife (Alice Landt, also an economist).  About the time we got married I took a year’s leave of absence to come to Washington, and we’ve been here nearly all the time since, including the last 28 years.  

 We’re late parents – our son Johnny, not yet 28, was ordained as a Presbyterian minister yesterday (August 14) and is starting as a youth minister in Philadelphia, with his fiancée, also a minister; they’re getting married this fall.  He is an avid White Sox fan, to the intense disgust of his mother, who grew up within walking distance of Wrigley Field and graduated from Lake View.  Our daughter Jean is a research assistant specializing in Middle East politics at the Hudson Institute, where I’m also working now, doing research and writing on housing and urban issues, and managing a research program, which is most of what I’ve done in or out of the government.  And I’ve written a good dozen papers about what minimum housing standards should be.

Sandy graduated with us. I have included her picture from a cruise to Alaska where she met Muriel Harris; it is a small world after all!!!