Whatever Happened to

My name is Richard McGowan (or Rick McGowan) and like just about everyone else in the USA, I went to high school. Wenatchee High School, class of 1976. At that time, I looked something like this:

In 1976 I graduated from Wentatchee High School which has an alumni page HERE, and another HERE! Before that, I went to Orchard Junior High School, also in Wenatchee. Before that, I went to Lewis & Clark Elementary (Wenatchee), Laurelhurst Elementary (Seattle), Sacred Heart Villa Academy (also Seattle), and before that to Acorn Academy (also in Seattle). Before that, I was too young for school. And way after all that, I went to the University of Washington (Seattle), International Christian University (Tokyo), and University of California Berkeley... And I still never kept up with anyone after I left school.

Once in a while, as my son Hikaru neared high school graduation in June 2003, I started to wonder whatever happened to so-and-so? As I get older, I tend to wonder a little more. You know... "gee, I wonder if so-and-so actually did become a podiatrist?" or... "I wonder if x-and-zed ever did go to Hollywood?"

If you're one of those people who went to Wenatchee High School in the first two-thirds of the 1970s, maybe you're looking for someone, too. Heck, maybe you're looking for me. Unfortunately, I never kept in contact with anyone except Peter S. Bixby, who was my eighth grade English teacher. I do know where Glenn Phipps is (teaching Tae Kwon Do) and his brother Ken; I talk to them sometimes via e-mail, and they're still climbing. And Pete Bixby knows where Pam Allyn is, but other than that, would you believe, I never followed a single high school buddy? Yup, I left Wenatchee in 1976 and except for one or two excursions in 1977, I never looked back. Well, that's not entirely true, I did some looking back in the 1990s, and maybe that's why I wrote Diane at Fifteen and Apple Blossom Dreams -- novels that hark back to my misspent youth in Wenatchee, Washington, Apple Capital of the World.

You can always drop me a note at my e-mail address (removing the spaces of course):

r i c k @ a z u m a - a s o b i . c o m

or if that fails for some reason try:

m c g o w a n _ r i c k @ y a h o o . c o m

or if you're really desperate and e-mail doesn't work, just call information for San José, California and look for R McGowan.

Now, on to the good part you've all been waiting for. Gee... In alphabetical order I wonder whatever happened to:

Who What

Sherry Bartlett (Darling artist, where in the galaxy did you go? One of my best friends, Sherry used to live with the Mitchells in a big old house, and then she just went away. I'll bet she remembers One Armed Gertie, our favorite local band. Drop me a line; I'll send you a book. Jan 2005 update: about a week ago, I found a picture of you taken circa 1975, and someday I'll scan it and put it up here.) Update March 3, 2005 -- Girl's Day in Japan: Oh Joy and Rapture! Huzzah! The lady at the top of my most-wanted list has been found! Just got an e-mail from Sherry today! Thanks be to Serena Hazan (Hi Serena!)

Rick Bryant (Should have kept your baseball card collection and sold it for a zillion bucks now, eh? I found Rick B, who's now an accountant at Semilt Growers in Wenatchee! A mutual high school acquaintance found my web site and pointed it out. He has now sent me updates and pictures of his family.)

Cirri Clark (Did we take a lot of walks in the snow? Hope you've had a marvelous life. I remember your baby brother with little blonde ringlets...)

Marie Degraffenreid (She married young and moved to Lubbock Texas, the town from which everyone else was trying to escape. Maybe she still has her beat-up guitar, and maybe she still sings. Maybe she'll drop me a line someday.)

Carl Dietrich (His awesome house on the hill inspired locations for one of my stories of the 1990s... I've heard that Carl is still in Wenatchee doing carpentry or similar...)

Jody Graves (I remember she dragged me into the choir room one afternoon and played me the Beethoven Opus 13 Sonata. It was awesome. She also performed the Grieg piano concerto with the high school orchestra. She was on faculty at University of Montana, HERE, but has moved back to eastern Washington and it sounds like she has a busy schedule of performing and teaching. Her web page is HERE.)

Don Key (Donald Thomas Aquinas Key, whom we affectionately called Donkey, got me through my senior year with morning wake-up calls! I'm forever in his debt! Yes, Don is in Moses Lake, teaching. I got an e-mail from a friend of his who found my page in January 2005, and next thing I knew, I was talking to him on the phone! He's fit as a fiddle, and sounding great. He doesn't have a web page, or I'd be pointing to it now, but you can see his picture if you click there...)

Dennis Leyden (Last I knew, he was in Hawaii in the late 1970s. We made a lot of recordings together in the high school media lab, and I kept them for years until the tape disintegrated... I still have one recording, transferred to to CD. Unfortunately, it's one of the worst recordings, and was left unfinished.) Update August 26, 2007 -- Dennis found me today! Yup, he called on the phone from Carmel Valley. He lived in Hawaii for a long time. Still plays the guitar and bansuri, and says he never shaved his beard. The attached photo was taken of him in Wenatchee, 1976.

Fred Manhart (Lost track of him after our first year at UW, Fred is rumored to be in Seattle running, or working at, a restaurant called Wild Ginger.)

Pam Senseney (Pam was sweet as apple pie, and now I hear she and her husband have their own orchard in Wenatchee. I saw her at the 30th reunion, and she said she still lives in the same house.)

John Sexson (Introduced me to the work of Edward Gorey. John is still in Wenatchee. He played Romeo beside Tracy Dussell.)

Dave "Sterno" Stearns (Well! Sterno found me through this page, and his web site is HERE. We played together in "Up the Down Staircase" and "Romeo & Juliet"... the first goes way back to Junior High, with Pam Cole. And he sent me a pic of him and Pam Allyn, who looks just like she did in high school... Good ol' Sterno is a treasure trove; seems to have kept in touch with everyone.)

Sharon Stuart (Called 'Fritz', but she went to Eastmont High. Remember Carole King's, Tapestry? I hope Fritz Stuart is having a great life in some posh place.)

Eric Wilson (He was our local guitar-slinging hero who must have played just about every high school dance we ever had, with Larry Sewell and his buddies. They say Eric changed his name to Travis Shredd and moved to Las Vegas... And he still plays the guitar. Wonder how long it's been since he played Smoke on the Water... Go on over & check out the Travis Shredd MP3s and music video... Oct 17, 2005 sad update: I heard that Larry Sewell passed away of a heart attack a few days ago; I hope he's happily thumping bass at the Ultimate Gig in the Sky...)

Kevin Winters (Introduced me to big-band jazz, and played the sax in the stage band. Someone told me he's a chiropractor in Leavenworth, but maybe they're just pulling my leg... I hope Kevin is still blowing his sax.)

Richard Windsor Another old buddy who found me through this page, and he even sent me this Picture of him and Rick Bryant, in the good old days.

Gretchen Woods (Say, is she the one at Woods House?) Yes, that's her! She dropped me a note out of the blue, having run across my web site. She's on Vashon Island with her husband & child. She not only plays the violin, she's become a soprano as well.

I've also heard about a few old friends who are no longer with us, like Leslee Reich -- at Orchard Junior High we played the leads in "Diary of Adam & Eve", and I'll never forget Leslee. I'll probably think of more people to wonder about, but that's a start. (And remember, just because you're not listed here doesn't mean I don't remember you! Since putting up this page, I've heard from all kinds of other people like Doug Landers, Scott Van Doren, Bruce Bendickson, Debbie DeRooy, Margaret Lynch. And I remember lots of people, too. You might even be one of them... drop me a line sometime and test my memory...!)

I also have weird questions, like: Why didn't the Ohme brothers take over Ohme Gardens which any other gardener would have died for? Did the Muskrats come back for yet another Apple Blossom Festival parade, and did they ever finish the course? Is West-Fifth Market still there? What about Zittings? (Yeah, I heard they tore down Zittings and turned Valley North into another ugly strip mall which I've now seen with my own eyes, but West-Fifth Market is still on the same corner.)

Or (fast forwarding now to the 1976-78 years) where on earth are some of these other people I knew in college, like...

Who What

Gary D. Busch (Gary was my piano teacher and friend in Seattle lo those many years ago, and when I left for Tokyo he as leaving for New York. Gary introduced me to gamelan music and Bartok. I ran across this page of Karen Patton Hall and wondered if that's him... He is on the faculty of Crane, at SUNY Potsdam... There's an picture of him there. Hey Gary, if you ever get here, drop me a line and I'll send you some of my music on CD...)

Walker Outten (Walker Hillman Outten formerly of Bivalve, Maryland, was my first-year theory and ear-training teacher. Marvelous baritone, and I wonder where he ended up singing... I hope he made it to the opera stage.) Update April 11, 2005: Today I heard the sad news that Walker Outten passed away a few years ago, and that his brother still lives in Bivalve.

Alan Dorsey (My second composition instructor at UW, see HERE and HERE...)

Bob Nell (Bob first performed my duet for piano and clarinet with William O Smith, and one of my satirical songs with Walker Outten... maybe he now likes coffee?)

Victoria Fullham (Or is that Victoria Fulham? If I spelled her name wrong, she'll never find this... She was a friend and fellow composer in my UW days. We shared a love for the music of Karol Szymanowski, and I think of her every time I listen to Krol Roger on CD. At the time, you couldn't get a recording of the opera.)

Other juicy details: I was born in 1958. I'm actually a junior, and my father is Richard E McGowan senior. My grandfather was Neil Earl McGowan, son of Perry Leonard McGowan, son of Robert Elliott Sterrett McGowan, son of Joseph McGowan and you can read the rest of the genealogy HERE (look for generation 8, slot 182). I've lived at 4516 47th Ave NE, Seattle; 1518 Fourth Street, Wenatchee, 2061 N 78th St, Seattle; and a few other places including Berkeley, Tokyo, and Kawasaki (near Yokohama). Now I'm in San José, and I'll tell you where if you need to know. So far, I've never travelled to Europe, but I've been a few times to England; I spent two weeks in Zimbabwe (1983 I think) and two weeks in Bali (1990), as well as 4.5 years in Japan (1986-1990). I have two kids, one ex, and one wife. Yes, I'm still composing, too. I finally did write at least two symphonies, two piano concertos, some ballets, incidental music for some plays, and the great American novel (nine times). I've also written a big stack of software and made my bit of a mark on the world. Now if I could make a film...

Visit the Wenatchee High School Class of 1976 web site

If you were as in it as I was, you may not remember a thing.™
WHS Class of 1976 30th Reunion Pictures: July 22, 2006

[Click me home again Kathleen]

Last update: December 2, 2008

Who	What
Sherry Bartlett	(Darling artist, where in the galaxy did you go? One of my best friends, Sherry used to live with the Mitchells in a big old house, and then she just went away. I'll bet she remembers One Armed Gertie, our favorite local band. Drop me a line; I'll send you a book. Jan 2005 update: about a week ago, I found a picture of you taken circa 1975, and someday I'll scan it and put it up here.) Update March 3, 2005 -- Girl's Day in Japan: Oh Joy and Rapture! Huzzah! The lady at the top of my most-wanted list has been found! Just got an e-mail from Sherry today! Thanks be to Serena Hazan (Hi Serena!)
Rick Bryant	(Should have kept your baseball card collection and sold it for a zillion bucks now, eh? I found Rick B, who's now an accountant at Semilt Growers in Wenatchee! A mutual high school acquaintance found my web site and pointed it out. He has now sent me updates and pictures of his family.)
Cirri Clark	(Did we take a lot of walks in the snow? Hope you've had a marvelous life. I remember your baby brother with little blonde ringlets...)
Marie Degraffenreid	(She married young and moved to Lubbock Texas, the town from which everyone else was trying to escape. Maybe she still has her beat-up guitar, and maybe she still sings. Maybe she'll drop me a line someday.)
Carl Dietrich	(His awesome house on the hill inspired locations for one of my stories of the 1990s... I've heard that Carl is still in Wenatchee doing carpentry or similar...)
Jody Graves	(I remember she dragged me into the choir room one afternoon and played me the Beethoven Opus 13 Sonata. It was awesome. She also performed the Grieg piano concerto with the high school orchestra. She was on faculty at University of Montana, HERE, but has moved back to eastern Washington and it sounds like she has a busy schedule of performing and teaching. Her web page is HERE.)
Don Key	(Donald Thomas Aquinas Key, whom we affectionately called Donkey, got me through my senior year with morning wake-up calls! I'm forever in his debt! Yes, Don is in Moses Lake, teaching. I got an e-mail from a friend of his who found my page in January 2005, and next thing I knew, I was talking to him on the phone! He's fit as a fiddle, and sounding great. He doesn't have a web page, or I'd be pointing to it now, but you can see his picture if you click there...)
Dennis Leyden	(Last I knew, he was in Hawaii in the late 1970s. We made a lot of recordings together in the high school media lab, and I kept them for years until the tape disintegrated... I still have one recording, transferred to to CD. Unfortunately, it's one of the worst recordings, and was left unfinished.) Update August 26, 2007 -- Dennis found me today! Yup, he called on the phone from Carmel Valley. He lived in Hawaii for a long time. Still plays the guitar and bansuri, and says he never shaved his beard. The attached photo was taken of him in Wenatchee, 1976.
Fred Manhart	(Lost track of him after our first year at UW, Fred is rumored to be in Seattle running, or working at, a restaurant called Wild Ginger.)
Pam Senseney	(Pam was sweet as apple pie, and now I hear she and her husband have their own orchard in Wenatchee. I saw her at the 30th reunion, and she said she still lives in the same house.)
John Sexson	(Introduced me to the work of Edward Gorey. John is still in Wenatchee. He played Romeo beside Tracy Dussell.)
Dave "Sterno" Stearns	(Well! Sterno found me through this page, and his web site is HERE. We played together in "Up the Down Staircase" and "Romeo & Juliet"... the first goes way back to Junior High, with Pam Cole. And he sent me a pic of him and Pam Allyn, who looks just like she did in high school... Good ol' Sterno is a treasure trove; seems to have kept in touch with everyone.)
Sharon Stuart	(Called 'Fritz', but she went to Eastmont High. Remember Carole King's, Tapestry? I hope Fritz Stuart is having a great life in some posh place.)
Eric Wilson	(He was our local guitar-slinging hero who must have played just about every high school dance we ever had, with Larry Sewell and his buddies. They say Eric changed his name to Travis Shredd and moved to Las Vegas... And he still plays the guitar. Wonder how long it's been since he played Smoke on the Water... Go on over & check out the Travis Shredd MP3s and music video... Oct 17, 2005 sad update: I heard that Larry Sewell passed away of a heart attack a few days ago; I hope he's happily thumping bass at the Ultimate Gig in the Sky...)
Kevin Winters	(Introduced me to big-band jazz, and played the sax in the stage band. Someone told me he's a chiropractor in Leavenworth, but maybe they're just pulling my leg... I hope Kevin is still blowing his sax.)
Richard Windsor	Another old buddy who found me through this page, and he even sent me this Picture of him and Rick Bryant, in the good old days.
Gretchen Woods	(Say, is she the one at Woods House?) Yes, that's her! She dropped me a note out of the blue, having run across my web site. She's on Vashon Island with her husband & child. She not only plays the violin, she's become a soprano as well.

Who	What
Gary D. Busch	(Gary was my piano teacher and friend in Seattle lo those many years ago, and when I left for Tokyo he as leaving for New York. Gary introduced me to gamelan music and Bartok. I ran across this page of Karen Patton Hall and wondered if that's him... He is on the faculty of Crane, at SUNY Potsdam... There's an picture of him there. Hey Gary, if you ever get here, drop me a line and I'll send you some of my music on CD...)
Walker Outten	(Walker Hillman Outten formerly of Bivalve, Maryland, was my first-year theory and ear-training teacher. Marvelous baritone, and I wonder where he ended up singing... I hope he made it to the opera stage.) Update April 11, 2005: Today I heard the sad news that Walker Outten passed away a few years ago, and that his brother still lives in Bivalve.
Alan Dorsey	(My second composition instructor at UW, see HERE and HERE...)
Bob Nell	(Bob first performed my duet for piano and clarinet with William O Smith, and one of my satirical songs with Walker Outten... maybe he now likes coffee?)
Victoria Fullham	(Or is that Victoria Fulham? If I spelled her name wrong, she'll never find this... She was a friend and fellow composer in my UW days. We shared a love for the music of Karol Szymanowski, and I think of her every time I listen to Krol Roger on CD. At the time, you couldn't get a recording of the opera.)