Category: Classmate News

2012 Holiday Greetings from The Bryant Family

This was a year of many developmental transitions. Ben became a teenager, Sam assumed some of the responsibilities of emerging adulthood, and Judy lost her father, thereby becoming part of the older generation for that side of the family.

Ben completed his Eagle Scout project in September and should be applying for Eagle rank promotion soon. He is competing in soccer (his team is undefeated as of this writing) and participating in his school’s band and jazz band, track team, spring math league, and Junior Honor Society as a straight “A” student taking three high school credit courses in 8th grade. Ben advanced his tuba skills at band camp last summer and attended a week-long program for gifted learners, both at the University of Tampa. He also spent a week with our scout troop at summer camp in the Georgia mountains and, with Sam, completed a week of scout youth leadership training. Both he and Sam performed this month in the annual Tuba Christmas concert in Zephyrhills. Ben participates energetically in many social groups. He amazes (and often aggravates) us by simultaneously navigating homework, texting, Facebook, and Skype.

Sam turned 16 and obtained his driver’s license. Earlier in the year, his Grandfather Sam decided to stop driving and gave his car to Sam. He and Dave had an adventuresome road trip driving the car back to Tampa, including a stop at the Corvette plant in Kentucky. Sam has enjoyed the autonomy of driving to school and to practices for his high school’s award-winning marching band. Sam’s greatest adventure was a summer trek at the Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico. This backpacking challenge of over 70 miles in 10 days required months of preparation and conditioning. That included taking various long hikes and running the stairs of a skyscraper downtown with heavy backpacks since we have no mountains to train on in Florida. Sam was elected to be the group’s crew chief. Just a couple weeks after he returned, Sam was on another plane bound for Michigan State University as a delegate to the National Order of the Arrow convention. (OA is Boy Scouting’s honor society to which both Sam and Ben have been elected.) It was quite a year of scouting accomplishments with Sam being recognized as the District’s top youth for his service to Scouting. Sam’s skills as a mature, planful leader and thoughtful citizen are clearly emerging.

Dave continues his polygraph business and working part time for the police department. He attended a week of forensic polygraph training in Denver in April and was re-elected to the board of the Florida Polygraph Association. He just had an article on interrogation published in the American Polygraph Association magazine. During the Republication National Convention, Dave was selected for a security detail driving U.S. Senators. He was assigned to Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. Being politically like-minded, they got along well. The Senator broke with protocol and introduced Dave to Sen. John McCain and gave him passes so Judy, Sam, and Ben could attend the final night of the convention where they witnessed speeches including Clint Eastwood, Marco Rubio, and Mitt Romney. It was an 83 hour work week for Dave, but there was no place he’d rather have been for this historic event even though he was profoundly disappointed with the results of the election.

Judy finished her 31st year as a psychology professor at the University of South Florida (and eighth year as director of one of the doctoral programs) and co-chaired her 35th Yale reunion. Although those milestones should make her feel terribly old, trying to keep up with the boys keeps her feeling reasonably youthful, albeit tired. She served as the scout troop’s Committee Chair and is active with the advisory councils for both boys’ schools and the high school band booster organization. Last August she and Ben attended the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association meeting in Orlando. Judy had administrative responsibilities and Ben presented a poster describing his science fair project about students’ backpack weights.

Rommel the wonder dog turned 9. He’s slowing down some, but still enjoys guarding the house, stealing food, and traveling with the family. This year we took a spring break RV trip to Cedar Key and a summer trip to visit friends and family in New York and North Carolina. Along the way, Sam had the opportunity to check out potential colleges.

As busy as this year has been, we look forward to a 2013 with even more adventure. Life is filled with highs and lows, challenges and opportunities. We hope you will make the best of yours too.

Jackie passed on this note from Paul and Julie Roberts:

Hello,

Merry Christmas. Hard to believe its that time of year already. Once again we will be doing the program on two different weekends. The first one, Dec 9th, is at our church Sharon Center United Methodist. The next weekend, Dec 14-16 will be up in Main Amana at the Iowa Theatre Artists Company. A flier for each is below. Hope you can make it to one or the other, or both. They are similar but not the exact same “friends” both places.

Thanks,

Paul and Julie

When Judy (Becker) Bryant’s father Sam Becker passed away on November 8th, 2012, the Iowa City Press Citizen ran two stories about Sam in their November 9th, 2012 edition. Judy gave us permission to post both stories to the web site as a tribute to her father’s life.  Here is a link to a page containing the two stories.

Kathy (Schrock) Olin’s mother passed away on the 2nd of October, and Kathy gave us permission to post her mother’s obituary as a tribute to her life.

Dorothy O’Hearn Schrock, 92, died peacefully Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at her home in Iowa City.Dorothy Schrock was born to Frank and Letha Colegrove O’Hearn in Mason City, Iowa on August 4, 1920. She attended Mason City High School and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1942. She was a talented musician, accomplished on the drum, timpani and piano, and was a public school band director in Mechanicsville, Iowa and Iowa City. “Dottie” was married to Christian Schrock in 1943. They established a medical practice In Iowa City in 1953 and raised a family of five children. She was a great assistant in her husband’s growing practice.

Dottie was avid about her children’s education and they all achieved professional degrees. She was active in the Women’s Medical Auxiliary, her church, and the PEO Sisterhood. She loved sports and was a passionate spectator, as well as a skilled skier and tennis player. Her hearty laugh and smile will be remembered and missed by all.

Dorothy Schrock is survived by her five children and their families: C. Gerald and Mary Schrock of Minneapolis, MN; Steven and Sara (Schrock) Dallman of Denver, CO; C. Daniel and Mishell Schrock of Providence, RI; Paul S. and Kathryn (Schrock) Olin of Golden Valley, MN; and Larry and Margaret (Schrock) Nelson of West Des Moines, IA; twelve grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and her sister, Lauretta Hayes of Elyria, OH.

A Celebration of Life service was held on Sunday, October 6, at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 N. Johnson, Iowa City, at 1 pm. A reception and brunch followed at the University Club, 1360 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 3580 E.P. Parkway, Suite 101, W. Des Moines, IA 50265, or Mercy Hospital Foundation, 500 East Market Street, Iowa City, IA 52245.

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