Paul Schofield:
CLASS OF 1977
Needham High SchoolClass of 1977
Needham, MA
Paul's Story
You might remember I have a twin brother named Peter.
I live in Dedham, MA since 1987 and have a wife and two boys ages 12 and 22 (as of 2016). I am a Certified Financial Planner and Financial Consultant for 20 years (since 1996). Since I completed college I have always held sales positions.
Like many from Needham High School, I graduated from UMASS Amherst and was a Marketing Major in the School of Business. My oldest boy also graduated from UMASS Amherst 35 years after I did. I expect my other boy to go to college when I am about 64.
In my Junior year of college, I was an exchange student at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Dennis Joyce, also in the Needham High School class of 1977 was at that school that same year and lived on my floor. I always thought he was a good guy. We both use to caddy at Wellesley Country Club as teenagers.
I have traveled throughout the United States. Just out of college, I spent a month in Europe with my twin brother with a Eurail (train) pass and staying in mostly youth hostels and bed and breakfasts. One of my best trips happened when I was 25 when I traveled to Scotland for ten days and played some great golf courses. While I have broken 80 about three times, I think shooting an 89 at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland was a bigger accomplishment.
I really enjoyed taking my son who was 10 at the time to game one of the World Series in Boston in 2004. That was the same year my other son was born and my father died from Alzeimer disease. I tell my family that if I ever get to a point where I am drooling in a bucket and I no longer recognize them, I have but one request. "Don't put a Yankees cap on my head!"
These days I like to play my piano and also listen to music. I would have to say that I like the music of the 80's the best.
I donate blood platelets about every two weeks and am currently at 105 donations. I hope to get to 600 or more donations. Blood platelets only last about 5 days and it's probable that I have ...Expand for more
already saved a life. You'd never know it by looking at me but I'm a blood platelet superstar. I am usually able to give double or triple unit donations. I am not sharing this to brag or to make you think I am special. I'm not. It's just that I'm not self centered like I was back in high school. I'm also more self confident than I was in high school.
In high school and throughout my adult life I have had many acquaintances but few really good close friends.
My regrets include not keeping in touch with the true friends I have known and not being nicer/respectful to people that I have met.
A quick story that you might appreciate. Sometime around 1985, a friend of mine from Junior High school (Pollard) and High School, Donald Frazer died of cancer. After high school I had not kept in touch with him. When he died I couldn't make the wake or funeral because I was traveling to California. So I wrote to the family and talked about how we used to go fishing at the Polaroid pond off of Kendrick St. Some days we used worms and some days we used corn. I wrote that I still remember how Don laughed the day he opened a can of corn and it turned out to be creamed corn. About 10 years or so after I wrote that letter I was at St. Barthomew's church in Needham and met Don's younger sister. She recognized me as the Schofield that wrote that letter and said her family cried when they read it.
In high school I was friends with Danny Kaufman. I remember that he had to deal with his mother trying to commit suicide. High school was tough for many of us. This must have been really tough to deal with. I wish I could find out how he is doing.
While I went to many of the early reunions (10, 15 and 20 I think) I haven't been to any in at least the last ten years because I didn't know about them. I expect the 40th which should be coming up in the Fall of 2017 will probably be at the Needham Golf course. I plan to go and hope to see many of the people I knew from growing up in Needham.
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