2025 69th Class Reunion

2025 69th Class Reunion

Hi Colts!

         Here we go again to have a little gathering together for 2025. This will be our 69th year. Anyway, we are planning on October 9^th. a Thursday and will meet at 11:00 AM and stay until around 3 PM, just like last year. We will bring our own sandwiches. Remember Capri Deli, 713 E. San Bernardino or Claro’s Deli, 159 College Ave. for sandwiches if you like that approach. Elaine will probably bring some extra food, I suspect. We will go to the San Bernardino end of the park to the same tables. Bring your drinks but there is water at the park.

Melinda (Tucker) Jobe

Melinda Gail (Tucker) Jobe

 

Melinda Gail (Tucker) Jobe
January 18, 1939 - September 12, 2025
Somers, Montana

Melinda Gail (Tucker) Jobe Born 1/18/1939 Died 9/12/2025 Melinda “Mo” was born in Inglewood, California. When she was 10 years old the family moved to Covina. We had 10 acres of land with chickens and horses. She and our brother Gilbert enjoyed riding the horses around the south hills and surrounding areas. She attended the schools in the Covina unified district.

She was a song leader her sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school. That was some of the happiest times of her life .

Maxine Hoffland Tucker

Maxine Hoffland Tucker

 

Maxine Hoffland Tucker
Feb. 26, 1938-April 19, 2024
Palo Alto, California

Maxine Hoffland Tucker died peacefully at home on April 19, 2024, after a long illness. She was born February 26th, 1938 in Covina California to Corwin Hoffland and Margaret Goheen Hoffland. She attended Covina Schools, graduating from Covina High School in 1956. Following her father in college and the newspaper business, she enrolled in UCLA, intending to major in journalism. However, after a year Maxine and a friend decided to transfer to UC Berkeley, uncertain about areas of study. Conversations and tests at the Cal Counseling Center suggested

Social Work and she found her calling, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1960 and MSW in 1962.

See obituary.

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Stuart R. Bates

 

Stuart R. Bates

1925 - 2021

November 11, 1925 - December 17, 2021 Not many, especially at 96, die of a tennis accident, but ultimately this is what took Stuart. Born in Pasadena, Stu attended Pasadena High, then Caltech, majoring in mechanical engineering.

Every year, throughout high school and college, he lettered in basketball and track. After attending USC for his MS and Redlands for a teaching credential, he started his career as a teacher at Covina High. Mr. Bates taught chemistry, physics, and math, and coached basketball and track for 38 years.

Fran (Van Scoyck) and Lee Benuska

 Fran (Van Scoyck) and Lee Benuska

Jere Jobe

 

Jere Jobe

November 19, 1937 - November 11, 2022

Jere was born at Intercommunity Medical Center in Covina, California. He attended the Covina Schools from K -  H.S.  He graduated from Covina High School in 1956.

His father Verne Jobe was an orange grower so their family lived on an orange orchard in a uniquely beautiful ranch home where North View High School now stands.

Jere always had an interest in cars and fixing up old cars. 

After High School he flew planes in the U.S. Navy.   When he had completed his military service,  he worked for Autonetics and at Lockheed.

2024 68th Class Reunion

2024 68th Class Reunion

Barbara Sparks Runnels

Barbara Sparks Runnels

Barbara passes August 20, 2023.

 

 

2023 Class Reunion Picnic at Covina Park

 

2023 Class Reunion Picnic at Covina Park

June 19th, which happens to be Juneteenth and the day after Father’s Day. We held 2023class reunion. Elaine Baxter was busy looking at the park regulations, food alternative and other details.

We met at 11:00 AM and stay until 3:00 PM or so. As most of the participants that I know of are pretty local we are asking you to bring your own lunch. Either bring a sandwich and drink, get a burger at In and Out at Citrus and I-10 or Capri Deli on San Bernardino in the second block East of Citrus. These are just suggestions. Elaine plans to bring a salad for all, paper plates, tablecloths, and plastic ware. We also suggest you bring a folding chair or pillow for the hard seats. Bring old pictures or other treasures.

Click here to see all of the photos full size.

 Muriel Ann Duke-Matlock

Ruth Riggs Mocabee

 

Ruth Riggs Mocabee

1938 - December 22. 2022

According to Ruth Riggs Mocabee’s daughter, Jennifer McTavish, Ruth died on 12/22/22. Her husband, Barry, died just over a year ago May of 2021. Ruth was having some difficulty getting through all the paper work after his death. Ruth lived in Salone, Az. Her Facebook page said she had been:

• Former Clerk typist - GED examiner at Riverside Unified School District
• Studied at Riverside Connumity College

 Her last Faceboolk post:

Don Butler

 

Don Butler

Don Butler was born in Pasadena California in the same hospital in which his mother was born. They lived in Monrovia and were there when Mr. Butler was drafted into the military toward the end of WWII. The family then move to West Covina in 1948 where land was cheaper. Don attended elementary school in West Covina until the 5th grade when several classes were sent to Covina, Lark Ellen school, in about 1949. Don attended Covina Grammar school for 6th and 8th grade and then went on to Covina High. After a short stent in Junior college he went to work for the telephone company and worker for years in the Los Angeles area, mostly around USC. He married Lenora and they had two boys, Eric and Corey.

 

MY EARLIEST COVINA MEMORIES

By Joanne Mitchell

I love Covina. I’m so grateful I was led here at an early age and it has become my permanent home. In 1949, my father was transferred from San Bernardino to Covina as Accounting Manager for the area by Southern California Edison. I was a sophomore in high school. The move was introduced to me by a copy of the Covina Argus Citizen laying on my parents’ bed.

We settled in a duplex on Badillo Street across from the Park. On a summer evening, we walked to the Covina First Baptist Church. Prayer meetings were held in those days on Wednesday evenings. A picture is enclosed of the old church. In the front row, a little to the left, is Police Chief Alan Sill who my husband worked for when he joined the force in 1955. Behind him, to his left, is Earl Campbell, Alpha Beta Manager, who hired many of our boys as box boys.

Gary "Buzz" Shoemaker

 

Gary "Buzz" Shoemaker

July 29, 1938 - November 28. 2022

Since High School:  After graduation I worked for Convair in Pomona.  Married Karen Timmons (“Timmie”) in 1958, and have lived in this area since.  We started Shoemaker Trucking in 1960.  I hauled bulk cement and later sub-hauled for Kaiser Steel.  Sold my trucks in 1970 and worked in the family leather business for 20 years.  During that time, I restored a ’32 roadster, 3 antique sprint cars and a ’53 GMC truck.  I hauled hay, part-time, in the “Jimmy,” entered it in various truck shows and won a few trophies.  Sold the GMC, purchased and restored a long-nose Kenworth truck and trailer and hauled hay from the Imperial Valley to various dairies in Chino until I retired in 1994.