Nora O'Byrne King's Life of Service

We knew Nora O'Byrne had moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, shortly after college graduation. And it wasn't long after that she "fell off the face of the earth". Several of us tried and tried to get a response from her, all to no avail. We knew she had married a man named Bill King, so on a trip to Alaska, I found his name in the Fairbanks phone book and tried to reach her at least twice --- there was no answer. Our efforts intensified before the class reunion; and John Spencer finally got a response from Courtney King, Nora's oldest daughter. From her, we learned Nora had passed away the same day I tried to call her. We have since learned Nora had quite a life after leaving Downers, tho we still haven't heard from Courtney with the full details. We did manage, however, to get a copy of her obit which will tell you about some of Nora's accomplishments. She was, indeed, a special woman.

"Nora O. King

Nora O'Byrne King, 63, died at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital on Sunday morning, Aug. 25, 2002. Her two daughters and husband were with her.

As a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, Nora came to Fairbanks in 1960 to teach in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She married William J. King in 1961, bore two daughters in 1962 and 1965, and retired from teaching in 1982.

Nora then attended the University of Colorado School of Law, graduating in 1985. She was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1985 and, at the time of her death, was an assistant attorney general for the state of Alaska, working in the area of child protection.

Nora was a creative person who saw the world as an imperfect place and tried to fix what was within her power to do so. Her teaching career was dedicated to trying to jump-start young minds and lengthen the reach of the disadvantaged. Her work with the state was largely devoted to the protection of the young from what people do to them these days. She loved large dirty dogs, art, fall in Fairbanks, and had a lot of time for people who did their jobs well.

She is survived by her daughters Gillian King and Courtney King; her husband William King; brother Elton "Curly" O'Byrne of Jacksonville, N.C.; sister Allyn O'Byrne of St. Louis; and brother and sister-in-law Terrence and Lilly O'Byrne of Sunnyvale, Calif.

Her parents Calvin and Audrey O'Byrne of Downer's Grove, Ill., preceded her in death.

At her request, there will be no services. Any donations should be saved for a rainy day."

Ray's Bucket List is Shrinking

Ray Vybiral seems quite intent on crossing entries off his bucket list. The latest: attend a Richard Petty Driving School. Ray, accompanied by his wife of 25 years (congrats!!), Marilyn, and his daughter, Shelley, accomplished his dream on 9/23/11,
by driving 8 laps around a 1.5 mile track and averaging a speed of 138.8 MPH.

Shelley Rode as a passenger in a car driven by a Richard Petty driver and reached a speed of 165 MPH --- her reaction? WOW!
As proof of his accomplishment, Ray was given a certificate of completion signed by the head instructor and Richard Petty, himself. Well done, Ray!

So what's next on your bucket list?

Downers Grove Links

Several websites contain up-to-date info about what's going on in Downers. Thought the following might be of interest to you:

http://downersgrove.patch.com
www.downers.us
www.mysuburbanlife.com

I'm sure there are more; if you're aware of any, please send the web addresses, so we can update this post. Thank You!

Frank Fusco's Son a True Razorback

Evan Fusco Learned to Appreciate the 'Wider World' at the University of Arkansas ....

While many children dream of becoming astronauts and president of the United States, Evan Fusco knew from age 10 that he wanted to practice medicine and become a doctor. Now, working as an emergency room physician at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, MO, Fusco, who is a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association, reflects on his time at the University of Arkansas and appreciates the experiences and people who helped guide him at the beginning of his medical journey.

When it came time to graduate from Mountain Home High School, he knew many friends who were planning to attend the University of Arkansas. While college can be costly, Fusco knew he could receive in-state tuition if he, too, attended school in Fayetteville.

Enrolling in August 1985, he enjoyed the big college campus and the variety of options that were made available to students. Knowing that the university had a reputation for great academics, he enrolled in the honors program and pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in natural sciences, saying, “I wanted to have a broad science background.”

While studying wasn’t always his favorite aspect of college, he did enjoy his classes and was provided the opportunity to conduct hands-on lab research within the honors program. “I met some really interesting faculty members through the program,” he remembered. One staff member who left an impression on Fusco was former university president, Ray Thornton. “He participated in some of my honors classes, had an open office and I grew to respect him in his role,” he said.

In the four years he spent on campus, he not only learned what was important inside the classroom, but outside the classroom as well. A member of Phi Kappa Tau, Alpha Chi Sigma and a resident assistant his freshman year on the chemical engineering floor of his residence hall, Fusco became exposed to a diverse group of people. Growing up, his exposure to diverse groups of people was almost non-existent; however, once he arrived at the university, all of that changed.

“The University of Arkansas allowed me to appreciate the wider world,” he said. Being a student on campus allowed him to gain exposure to various groups of diverse people, saying, “It really stirred an interest in me and I matured because of that exposure.”

Since graduating in 1989, Fusco went on to attend medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock; enlisted and obtained the rank of major in the U.S. Army National Guard where he gained “hands-on medical experience” in the nine years he was in the service; graduated from his residency in emergency medicine at Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans; and has gone to work in various hospitals throughout the world as an emergency medicine physician.

Since 2000, Fusco has maintained a residence in Nixa, MO, and works at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Between August 2010 and February 2011, he and his family traveled to New Zealand and Australia, where he worked as an emergency medicine consultant. Spending time in Alaska, New Zealand and Australia, Fusco has learned to appreciate a country’s culture and its people. On a trip to Spain with his wife, Tamara, he was amazed at the idea of a siesta, saying how unique it was that business owners take a few hours out of the afternoon, each day, to step away from the routine of work and make time for themselves.

Through all of his travels, whether they are for business or leisure, Fusco has always found a way to bring the university with him by calling the Hogs. “I’ve called the Hogs all over the world,” he said. He has made his pride known vocally in Munich, Sydney, Turkey, Hong Kong, Florence and South America, even calling the Hogs in front of the famous “Il Porcellino” statue in some cities.

Twenty-two years since graduating from the university, Fusco continues to show his support through his membership with the Arkansas Alumni Association. “I will be a graduate of the University of Arkansas all of my life. By being a member, I want to remain involved and connected. It’s the responsible thing to do,” he said. Although his career makes for difficult hours at times, he hopes to become more involved with the Springfield Alumni Chapter by attending watch parties and volunteering for events that would allow for his wife and children to get involved.

“As a graduate, you want to see things continue to grow and advance. You want to have opportunities that let people contribute…If you feel that personal connection, give back and stay connected to your university.”

Larry Christy has Passed Away

John Spencer received this e-mail from Dan Moravec, and he, in turn, forwarded it on to me. While we thank Dan for the info, it's getting harder and harder to reprint these notices about our classmates. Our deepest sympathy, of course, goes out to Larry's family and his friends.

"Hey John,
Can you pass this message on to who ever writes the obits for the class of 57.
Larry Christy passed away Oct. 29,2011 from liver cancer. He battled it for about 5 months. He had a wife Annette, and he had 3 children,Mark,Jeffery and Kelly.
He lived in Easley SC. for 28 years about 10 miles from Pat and I.He was 72 years old.

Thanks John,

Dan Moravec
116 Hampton Rd. Liberty,SC.
email sandnguy@aol.com

We had a lot of great times together and I'll really miss him,We seen each other almost everyday."

We've Lost Connie Seda Conklin

I just received the following e-mail from Bill Conklin -- what a sad notification.

"Hi Judy - Just wanted to let you know that Connie passed away on 9/1/11 after a long illness. She had cancer and emphysema, and finally suffered a stroke that proved to be fatal.

Services were private.

Bill Conklin"

The following picture was submitted by Lynne Rutherford Ramsey as a blog tribute to Connie.


I'm sure Bill would like to hear from anyone who wishes to send condolences to Connie's family. If you need his address, just holler.

Hurricane Irene a Problem for Jim and Gwyne VanSlyke

I received the following e-mail from Jim VanSlyke this evening:

"After 4 days in our cabin up in the Piedmont, we received a call that power had been restored after being out just 48 hours. That is much quicker than usual. Usually, it takes 7-10 days. I think power was restored so quickly because our neighborhood was one big safety hazard. Cars couldn't get out and walking was dangerous. Anyway, we packed up, left the cabin and drove home last night. The house seems fine while the yard is a bit of a disaster. Because power was out 48 hours, Gwyne will be spending the day cleaning out fridge and freezer while I "play" in the yard. It will be interesting to see what the tidal surge left in the yard. All in all, not so bad. Take care."

I should mention Jim and Gwyne live in Virginia Beach and were in Dallas visiting their daughter when the earthquake hit the east coast; they arrived back home just in time to welcome Irene.

Any of the rest of you 57ers have any storm reports you'd like to share with the rest of us?