Death of Barbara Ballard Watts – Class of 1955

From Willard Weaver (‘55) of VA – 12/28/08:

Please add this obituary to the Class of 1955 list on your web site.  Thanks.

Willard Weaver

As you may have heard Barbara died on 12/11. She always enjoyed hearing from her classmates and particularly enjoyed the fortieth reunion in 1995. Ill health kept her from attending the 50^th.

Phil Watts

12/12/2008 – Obituary for Barbara Ballard Watts

Barbara Watts (BB) 71 of Birmingham died after a long illness on 12/11/08. She graduated from Newport News High School. She studied voice at the Commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean Academy of Music in Brussels, Belgium and was a solo performer for many years. Barbara received an Associate Degree from UAB and a BS in Religion from Samford Univ. She was the first woman ordained to the ministry by Southside Baptist Church in 1994 and served as a Chaplain at Princeton Towers Retirement Center and at Brookwood Hospital. She joined Southside Baptist Church in 1982 where she taught several Sunday School classes, sang in the choir, and was a member of its first Aids Care Team.

BB is survived by her husband Phil, children Cherrie (Kip) Reed, Keith Williams, Neal (Wanda) Williams; step-children Cecelia Watts (Steve Oliver), Philip (Frances) Watts, Melanie Watts; grandchildren Ryan (Alison) Williams, Catie and Blake Reed, Jordyn and Jessica Williams, William and Jenny Watts and a great granddaughter Alexis Williams.

Barbara was known for her generous and loving nature and her spirit of hospitality. Her light will shine on in the lives of the many she touched.

Any memorials should go to Southside Baptist Church, Box 55058, Birmingham, AL 35255.

Death of Marie Swann – Class of 1958

From Joe Drewry (‘58) of VA – 12/28/08:

A death notice for Marie Swann was in this morning’s Daily Press as follows:

Daily Press – 12/28/08

Newport News – Lottie Marie Swann, 68, former employee of Witt Mares Accounting, died Monday, Dec. 22, 2008.
Services are private.
Arrangements by W.J. Smith & Son Funeral Home.

I located what appears to a correct residential address:

Lottie M. Swann
4610 Warwick Blvd
Newport News, VA 23607-2635
no phone listed

There were no living family members listed in the death notice and as far as I know, no classmate has had any recent contact with Marie.

If anyone has additional information to share with classmates, please provide it in an email.

The information on Marie in our 1958 Anchor is listed below:

Anchor Notes:
Home Room 109
Cafeteria Committee
Hockey Team
Girl’s Basketball
Volleyball
Senior Flower Committee
Future Business Leaders of America
School Spirit Committee

Thanks so much, Joe! As the death notices are not carried in the online edition of the Daily Press, I obviously would not have seen this.

Death of Barbara Smith Hawk – Class of 1959

I am deeply saddened this morning to report the passing of Barbara Smith Hawk, Class of 1959 (a typo in her obituary reports this as Class of 1957) on Thursday, December 26, 2008:

http://www.legacy.com/dailypress/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=121901263

Death of Arthur A. Hundley, Class of June 1937

This is certainly newsworthy. I had no idea that Arthur Hundley was alive or living locally. The obit did not appear in the DP today … only the V- P. I am considering attending the services to represent the Class of 1964.

http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000116870427X

– Dave Spriggs (‘64) of VA – 09/03/08, 9:01 AM

Oh, my – that’s a real shock to me!  Thank you so much, David!  I’m working on this Memorial Newsletter for Mr. Hundley now:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/09-03-08-NNHS-Arthur-Hundley.html

Doonie – Fast & Quick

There is a difference between fast and quick … at least in my mind there is.  As a soccer coach, I used to explain to my players that a keeper had to be both.  If he got caught outside of the box and the opposing team sent a long ball …  he had to be fast enough to get back in the goal ahead of any attempted shot and then once there, quick enough to move feet, hands, body in the direction that the shot was going.  A defensive back needed to be fast and quick –  fast enough to run down the striker and quick enough with the foot work to pick the ball away before the shot could be made.  Fast and quick – soccer, basketball, baseball – yes – but in cross country track?

It was a meet against Warwick High School on their course in Mariners’ Museum.  I think it was one of the first meets of the season and we had a bunch of new, unproven, younger runners.  The Warwick team had taken position to warm up by the end of the row of crepe myrtles lining the dirt road.  We were warming up, stretching out closer to the gate coming off Warwick Boulevard.

We were in our usual pre-meet mode – Billy had the nervous whizzies, Al was in a cold sweet, I was making sure my hair was in place and my shirt was tucked in ( not one of Julie’s better runners)… and the new guy … Timberlake was dashing around like a half-back zig-zagging thru a defensive line of crepe myrtles.

“Billy, is that guy really any good — is he all that fast?” I asked as we rubbed Kramer’s Atomic Balm on our legs.

“Don’t know – but he’s quick- he looks like a beagle chasing rabbits” mumbled Billy.  I think Billy had a James Dean complex and tried to be unheard.

About that time a rabbit actually ran into the area where we were warming up.

“Hey Timberlake, you all that fast – catch that rabbit.” I yelled.

With that, Ronnie (Timberlake) took out after the little creature, zig-zagging back and forth thru the trees, across the open field and down the dirt road.  They were hauling … we were laughing and Coach Conn was beginning to go into a slow rotation, pivoting on one foot with unlit cigar clamped between his teeth and his fist balled.  And then it happened – Ronnie reached down, grabbed the rabbit by it’s hind feet and flipped it.

“He’s quick,” mumbled Billy — “He’s a damn Doonie-Bird,” yelled Julie.

There it was — “Doonie”.  Just like in Cool Hand Luke — Timberlake had earned his name – Doonie.

Not only did Ronnie earn his name that day, becoming a member of what Coach Conn periodically referred to as his “4 D’s” (Dorner, Douthat, Dossey and now Doonie), not only did he prove that he WAS quick … he also proved to everyone that he was fast – very fast coming in second on the heels of Warwick’s Tommy Morris – the #1 distant runner in the state.

Now if I can only remember how I came about earning my name. What was it Coach called me … “Dossey, you slow-ass-short-legged-good-for-nothing-son-of-a…”  OH YEAH, now I remember.

From Jim Dossett (‘66) of FL

Isn’t This Fun?!?

I think I’m getting the hang of this now…maybe…..

“Last Quarter” – Jim Dossett

Last Quarter

At one time or another, most of us had to do the 600 yard “run-walk” as part of our phys-ed evaluation.  I had a bit of talent even in elementary school and could actually run.  My brother accredited it to growing up on 37^th street and having to run through the alleys in order to avoid a tail kicking by some of the meaner guys. So, the 600 wasn’t all that bad, especially if “Butch P” or “Junior M” weren’t on my heels with a stick or a piece of a brick in hand.  600 yards … not all that bad. But add another 280 yards and you had a killer distance.  Too long to haul tail all the way, but too short to pace yourself, saving for a “kick” at the end.  I hated the ½ mile race.  Fortunately Coach Conn had tagged me a distance runner which meant that I only saw 880’s when running ups n downs during practices. That is UNTIL that unfortunate track meet some time in my senior year.

“Dossey” … (Dossett was too formal and Jimmy was too friendly for the Coach) …”Dossey, stop screwing off and get your ass over here”.

If you ever heard Coach when he was upset …  oh hell, who am I kidding…  if you EVER heard/saw Coach Conn talk to one of his “boys” at any time you can envision him stooping over cocking his head to the side as if listening to the ground, gritting his teeth as he spoke and squeezing his fists as he walked in a tight circle.

“Dossey, damn it … come here.”  He was standing with Coach Nuttycombe  near the goal post at the south end of the field.

“Yes Sir,” I panted, afraid that he had discovered that I had cut out on practice the day before to go see my girlfriend at Warwick.

“You’re running the half.”

“W..W..What?”  I stuttered.

“Damn it, are you deaf as well as slow?” he yelled …  Nuttycombe smiled and walked away.

“Two of our half milers are out and your two mile event is later in the meet …  get out of your sweats, you’re running the half.”

“Coach, I have no idea how to run it —  how to pace myself.”

“Pace yourself, pace yourself?  I don’t expect you to win —  just run the damn race.”  He turned away to head across the field.  Then without even looking back at me, he waved his hand for me to go to where he had stopped to speak with Nuttycombe at about the 20 yard line.

“OK —  this is what you do.  First quarter give it everything you got, haul ass around that track.  I want you to be at the front of the pack at the end of the first quarter …  so haul ass the first quarter.”

“What do I do for the second quarter?” I asked.

“Pick it up.” was his reply.  Nuttycombe broke into a laugh and walked away as I stood there with mouth open.

Surprisingly to all, I took a third place. But more importantly, Coach Conn had given me another one of his lessons that applied in life as much as on the cinders …

Even when you think you have given it everything you can …  you can still reach deep down and pull out just a little more.

Jim Dossett (‘66) of FL

Coaches Corner

The last couple of letters have had stories or articles about either  Coach Conn or  Coach Nuttycombe.  I know that Coach Conn wasn’t the most politically correct person in the world and that perhaps some of the things he said may have been harmful to a fragile 8th grader.  HOWEVER, he was a great coach and he did produce champions.  In additions, his behavior and “speeches” have given me and hundreds of others many stories to share.  And yes, upon my first meeting of “the Coach” he asked if I was related to the other “Dossett” that had gone to NNHS in the 50’s.  When I answered yes he made some similar comment that others have lamented about.  With me that lasted about as long as it to me to get out of his office with my new gym suit in hand.

At one of  Dee (Hodges) Bartram’s (‘66 – of VA) gatherings earlier this year,  (Al) Dorner (‘66 – of VA) and I were telling those sitting at our table about our “first marathon” that Coach Conn made us run —- from W&M back to NNHS.  We talked about stories …  how Ronnie Timberlake became known as Doonie and how it was Al’s responsibility to call (Bill) Douthat (‘66 – of VA) to make sure he was awake for meets.  People seemed to enjoy the stories.  I’m sure that many of your other readers can share stories (nice, lessons learned, funny stories) about Coach Conn and some of the others.  Funny, nobody ever mentioned that  Lefty Driesell coached at NNHS.

So what about creating a “coaches corner” link for such stories to be shared, perhaps grouping them under each coaches name or each sport.  You already have a “coaches” link … just that it would be nice to have one with the good stuff about these important men and women that influenced us in so many GOOD ways.

If you do, a side note to Coach Al Dorner —  I’ve got dibs on the telling of the “marathon”, “Doonie” and “Hate to lose prayer”.

Attached is my first contribution —  actually second.  You have already published “My four D’s” story when I last saw Coach Conn.

… and yes …  when referring to “the Coach”… the  ”C” is always capitalized.

Thanks,
Jim Dossett (‘66) of FL

This Week’s Birthdays

THIS MONTH’S BIRTHDAYS:

Happy Birthday this week to:

23 – Newell Blayton (‘57) AND Bettie Bracey Gosner (‘57):

25 – Janey Roane Harper (‘57);

26 – My Sister, Eleanor Buckley Nowitzky (‘59) of NC AND Bill Roady (‘60) of VA;

27 – Harry Horace (Crystal River HS, FL – ‘65) of FL;

30 – Don Chaney (‘66) of MD AND Adrienne Harty (Hillsboro HS, American School, IL) of IL;
31 – Helen Flax Kierstead (‘58) of Ontario AND Anne Sawyer Turpin (‘65) of VA!

Many Happy Returns to One and All!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Happy-Birthday.html

Prayer Roll

PRAYER ROLL:

As of 08/17/08, the page originally suggested by Frances Goodson Wang (‘65) of MD on 01/22/04 has been reactivated:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/requests-prayers.html – updated 08/26/08

Hopefully, this will help address the problem in a number of ways. Just don’t forget to click on it each time!