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                                                                                                              USNA  '46

                                                              WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 46  WEB PAGE

                                                                                                         
                                                                                                        THIS UPDATE  2 FEBRUARY 2012

                                                                               ( *** Indicates new or revised  material- this update or past week or so)
                                                                               ( **   Indicates recent material-approx. past month)


       This page has been established to speed the dissemination of class related information to members of the class. Other items of information will also be published, subject to the limitations of good taste or acceptable levels of controversy.

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                                                                                  Click here forREUNION PAGE
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                                                            DEFENDI RESPUBLICAM ADOLESCENS, NON DESERAM SENEX
                                                                                                                                                                          Cicero
                                                   For the Latin challenged, it translates as "The Republic I defended in my youth, I will not desert in my old age



***         James Gross Cunningham, age 88, died Jan. 29, 2012, in Tuscaloosa. A private memorial will be held for the family with Northport Funeral & Cremation Service in charge of arrangements.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl S. and Palma W. Cunningham; wife, Beth; sisters, Mildred, Elsie, and Ouida; and brothers, William, Douglas, and Ralph.

He is survived by three generations of nephews and nieces.

James was born September 14, 1923, in Selma, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama and the Naval Academy. He had anticipated a career as a Naval officer, but an accident at Annapolis resulted in his medical discharge. He often said that the accident was possibly one of the best things that happened to him, in that, after leaving the Academy, he attended the School of Mines in Colorado. This led to a career in the oil industry. The best part about his detour to the School of Mines, however, was meeting a young librarian named Beth W. Mitchell. Beth was to be the love of his life and his wife for almost 60 years.

James and Beth traveled, it seemed, the entire world during his career and lived in two U.S. states, Arizona and Louisiana, and many foreign countries including Australia, Libya, the Philippines, and Indonesia. James and Beth were welcomed and loved every place they lived throughout their lives. They were committed to making the places they lived better for the local inhabitants as well. They retired to Hawaii and lived there for 24 years before returning to the mainland in 2006.

James was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He had a very gentle nature and a wonderful smile. He made everyone he was around comfortable. He followed national and world news closely and often could be found shaking his head at the suffering and turmoil he would see. He supported many organizations that were established to help bring the impoverished out of their suffering and was thankful for the opportunity to do that. His love for his fellow man was beyond question. His love and belief in our Heavenly Father was even more ingrained in his being.

He loved God's creation and was often blessed to watch sunsets in Hawaii and at Sunshine Pointe in Alabama. He often commented on the beauty of the Master's work. Ever the nomad at heart, one of his favorite things to do in his latter years was to peruse the skies while enjoying those sunsets. He would seek to identify a plane's contrail and conjecture as to where the passengers on that plane were traveling.

James will be missed dearly by all of those who loved him, but we are thankful that he is now with the love of his life, Beth, as well as all of his brothers and sisters. We are confident that we'll see him again some day.

Contributions in his honor may be made to the University Church of Christ, Missions Ministry (Malawi), 1200 Julia Tutwiler Dr., Tuscaloosa, AL 35404; or to Mission UpReach, Honduras Ministry, c/o Campus View Church of Christ, 196 Alps Road, Suite 2-395, Athens, GA 30606.
 
Published in Tuscaloosa News on January 31, 2012
 
 


***     With the passing of Al Bowen, the duties of  Corresponding Secretary have been assumed by our President, Al White,
           for the present. Anything for publication in Shipmate should be sent to him. Contact info as follows:

                    Capt. A. E. White USN (RET)
                    4108 Wynnwood Dr.
                    Annandale, VA 22003

                    e-mail: whizzer0923@aol.com       Phone: 703-256-7327

                                 

***        On Tuesday, 3 January, a beautifully sunny, but bitterly cold and windy day,
a large congregation gathered at the Naval Academy Chapel to bid farewell
to our cherished classmate, Al Bowen. Our class chaplain, Andy Anderson,
read from Scripture as part of the service.

In attendance from '46 were:

Al White and Patsy Skidmore
Barbie Griffiths
Pris Foust
Marylin Althof
Dick Lyons and daughter
Lucienne Pfeffercorn
Larry Baldwin
Yours truly
   Butch

***  Butch Hansmann   has a collection of videos of the Forrestal Lectures for the past several years. They  can be made  available  on request  with                      the proviso they not be copied or further distributed. They are:
               
                3/7/91        Ross Perot '53
                3/23/98      Bill Bennett, Dep't of Ed.
                1/26/01      George Will
                3/8/01        Tommy Lasorda, LA Dodgers (highly recommended by Clete)
                10/9/01      Sen. John McCain '58
                10/24/01    Supreme Court Justice Scalia
                11/28/01    Capt. W. Shepard '71 Astronaut
                1/09/02      Dr. Bob Ballard,  Finder of the Titanic
                3/20/02      General Jones, CMDT USMC
                11/20/02    Gordon England, SECNAV
                1/7/03        Anthony Principi, 67 Sec. of Veterans Affairs
                4/9/03        Dennis Ross, Former Ambassador to Iraq
                9/16/03      David "The Admiral" Robinson '87 NBA star
                2/18/04      Gen Michael Hagee,  '68 CMDT USMC
                3/3/04        Bush 41 (a good one!)
                4/13/04      Dr. Condolezza Rice, Nat'l Sec. Advisor
                2/24/05      Roger Staubach
                 9/7/06       Capt.Wendy Lawrence  Astronaut
                11/06         Hon. John Scott Redd, Director  Nat'l Counter-intelligence Ctr
                9/05/07       Mr. Max Boot - Senior Fellow, Natioal Security Studies - Council on foreign Relations   
               
                Non Forrestal -- Harlan Twible '46 on the sinking of the Indianapolis