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Bruce C. Harris
Aloha, all:
I met Mike ODay sometime during the 1955-56 school year. Mike was a student in my mom's 6th grade class at Rosebank Elementary, I went to Castle Park Elementary. And though there would be little contact between us until Hilltop High School, we did get together for the model car contests at "Hunt's For Toys", Cooper's Hobby Supplies, Holland's (Coronado), and the car shows in Balboa Park. We would often run into each other on 3rd Avenue, going to a Saturday Matinee at the Vogue or "hocking up" and going to Norm's for a "malt shake". But it was at HHS that our friendship really began, and it was over Art and waves. Lyle Hitchcock sat next to me in Anderson's P.E. class, and it was Lyle who got me interested in surfing. I bought my first board from Keith Skaugg, one that he had made and surfed. It was also through Lyle that I met Wayne Humphries (HHS '62?) who became a big influence on me,. Sadly, Wayne was one of the first in CV to be killed in "Nam". But it was, first my good friend Bob Sindelar (the guy who made the big lance that was hung in the gym, HHS '61) and then Mike who provided me transportation to the beach with my board to explore the world of riding waves. Mike also provided so, so many of us a ride to the surf "flicks" that were shown in the theatres in Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Encinitas and the old College Theatre. We went to see great stuff by John Severson (publisher of "Surfer" Magazine), Bruce Brown, and Greg McGillrevey (went on to do some great skiing films). Mike's '51 Ford "Woodie" was also the vehicle for many a "surf safari" for so many of us. Places like Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, "K-39" (Mexico) were (to name but a few of the places traveled to) that those of us who knew, and were close to Mike got to experience with him and his family. With graduation from HHS, both Mike and I entered Southwestern College late, and after a month or so Mike decided to drop out and go into the U.S. Air Force. And so we drifted appart. I seldom saw him when he was back on leave. It was not until I was in graduate school at SDSU that we began to see each other on something of a regular basis. We lived down the street from each other, several blocks from the beach in IB. Mike still surfed, but for the most part I was into Art, and so what conversation that took place was about those two subjects and "have you seen so and so. . . . . " We then lost track of each other as I moved away from IB. It was not until the mid-'80's that I ran onto Mike again. He was working for the city of San Diego in the Parks and Recreation Department doing maintainance and landscaping of the parks. I was on a bike ride and ran onto Mike at one of the parks he serviced on Adams Avenue. We spent a goodly amount of time that warm day talking about where we were in our lives and answering those "have you seen. . . ." questions. Several months ago as I was going through the intitial stages of retiring from the classroom, I was invited by Mike's oldest sister Rosie (HHS, '64) who is married to my very good friend and former some-time bike riding partner, Dennis Mason to come to dinner and spend the night with them. Because of Dennis, I had maintained a good friendship with Rosie, and so she invited Mike to come and spent the evening as well. I thought it pretty amazing that he could make it and stay as long as he did, he had gotten out of the hospital after surgery only two days prior. That would be the last time we spoke and saw each other. This morning Rosie called me to inquire how I have been doing in retirement and to tell me that Mike had passed Wednesday evening last. I lost it and spent some time in tears at the loss of another of "us", from the class of 1963 Chula Vista and Hilltop High Schools. Mike was, and always will be my friend. Though there was little contact in many a year, I am in part the person I am because of him, as I am the person I am because of all the rest of you from the class of 1963. In a song by Simon and Garfunkle (and I have used them on several occassions in my rantings to this Forum) we hear: "Preserve the memories, they're all that's left you". . . And so I preserve the memory of my friend Mike ODay, HHS, class of '63. For what all this is worth, may God Bless all of you.
Ma-halo.
Bruce C. Harris
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Reeves made a lot of TV commercials in the early 1950s including the Anacin ad with hammers and lightning bolts in a head. The commercial probably gave people headaches. But it worked. Sales of Anacin increased by 3x after the ad appeared.
evenson did not ask for his advice or even talked to him. About a month into the campaign Stevenson called Wilson up to his hotel room. Wilson was happy that, finally, he would be able to talk to the Governor. When Wilson came into the room, Stevenson was in front of the TV set twisting dials. He told Wilson that the set did not work and could he fix it. Wilson was puzzled and Stevenson said to him "well you are the TV guy aren't you? Fix it."