Jay Allen:  

Life I was born in Austin Texas,January 10, 1946.That makes me a baby boomer by a slim ten day margin. My grandfather,a former bare knuckle boxer, had been a noted Sheriff of the county where I was born for four terms before dying in office.We also resided in my mom's home town of Tyler Texas for four years where I attended play school.Mostly to escape the heat, our family left Texas for California in 1952.We first lived in Lakewood for two years before coming to Newport in September of 1954. Our little $12,000. tract home was located even with the tennis courts at Harbor High. Our exact address was 2400 Holly Lane. Down the street, lived Betsy O'Neal,, Candy Reynolds,JoAnne Mann, and later Carol Muench and Linda Adie.During later eras, I believe Bucko and Sandy Shaw lived there, too.In the 70s, Todd Hess was across the street. My brainy sister June, was(NHHS'59). I went to Harbor View in Corona del Mar from 1954-56, and subsequently attended Newport Heights Elementary its opening year,1956.Afterwards came Horace Ensign...and lots of "Debonairs" functions.Debonairs was a dance and etiquette club. At Ensign, I had an enormous crush on Jeanette Daddato.God was she cute!So were Linda Williams,Jory Adamson, Sonnee Stallman, and Cindy Minney...and a few too many other chicks who brought sighs to my lips in those days of old. 1960 signaled entry into Harbor High. Four tumultuous, testosterone stoked, adolescent years later, I graduated.Due to mediocre grades and low family financial resources, I had to follow the crowd to OCC for two years. In 1966,I enrolled at UCSB. Two years of great fun were had in Isla Vista during the hippie era. My bank was even burned down! After graduating in History ,(class of 1968),I joined the National Teacher Corps and worked in El Paso Texas from 1968-70. I received an M.A.T. degree there...and later spent another year in Graduate school,(History),at UCSB and UCLA. Marriage came for the first time in 1968, at the tender age of 22, to Lee Kern of Hollywood. In 1971, I went to work in Thailand at AIR AMERICA in Udorn-about 20 miles from the Laotian border.This was a CIA outpost with airline which managed the Lao War...famously parodied by the Mel Gibson movie of the same name. A year later, my precious daughter, Abigail, was born ,(during a monsoon in Bangkok). In early 74, my wife divorced me, but I kept Abby. Returning to Newport the same year, I found employment in Huntington Beach as an elementary teacher.Two years later,we transplanted to Iran where I worked for two years with General Minusepher at Khatemi Air base in Isfahan. Later came an assignment with ARAMCO in Saudi which lasted six years...mostly in Udhailiyah...in a scorching, sandstone-ringed, little valley in the middle of the desert. I forgot to mention,in 1976,I remarried with a gorgeous Thai woman,(Varaporn). A handsome, but wild, son was born to us in Dhahran in 1983.We called him Jason (Jay's son- get it?).After repatriating to the U.S.in 1986,I first taught ESL part-time locally and later landed a contract at Fremont School in Santa Ana, which lasted sixteen years- until my retirement in June of 2004.In Highschool, I hung out with Jon Seal, Ted Whiteneck,Bob Walker, Bruce Trotter,Felix Toedter, Ros Bregozzo, Noel Reese,Albert Chipman, Bart Christler, and lots of others.I had an 8ft.6in.yellow and brown Velzy foam board with two redwood stringers.I used it often at Newport Pier, Doheny, Dana Point, Rincon, etc. in sub-zero water without a wetsuit.One claim to fame during this time, was dating Pat Wright, who later became Miss March 1966 in Playboy!Does anyone know where she is now? I'd love to see her again.She had a really sweet and bubbly personality. My teenage cars were a 49 Plymouth business coupe, and still later, a 38 Chevy coupe with a hopped up Olds motor.My interests were surf chicks, surfing, and drag racing. I wasn't much of a student.For further info, look me up in the phone book!I'd love to reconnect with any and all of you. All for now,...Jay School Biggest crush,Betty Page look alike, Cherie Champion, . Her wide set eyes,flowing dark brown hair ,(with slightly peroxided golden highlights) ,darkly tanned olive complexion,ample lips with flesh colored lipstick, and classic figure, are etched on my brain forever...but she only liked tall, surf god, dudes with thin faces. Alas, I stood only 5'7" and was painfully shy. Best teacher...Mr. Fowles in History- very funny man and quite enthusiastic in his manner. Mrs. Butler (6th Grade), the all time most skilled educator that I have ever come across. Funniest memory...Drawing an excellent cartoon picture of Mrs. Ballard holding a can of beer and saying "Hick!"and leaving it in her class by accident. In the middle of class, the next day, she dropped it in front of me and, (with an icy stare), said "Amazing likeness." I vividly recall showing off my wheels by driving to graduation with collectors open on the 38 Chevy hotrod. It was breathing fire from the wheelwells. The worst experience that I had in highschool was with Mr. Middleton in Driver's Ed. He yelled at me and said "You've ruined my day!...You'll never drive...give it gas, gas,gas, etc." He had a salt and pepper burr haircut, reeked of cigarettes, wore a bow tie, and showered us with spittle when he delivered his outbursts. What a wretched experience that was. I got my only "F" in Chemistry. Mr. Williams, the instructor, was the most boring soul I have ever been taught by. More than once, my head nodded forward and banged into m...Expand for more