Barbara Lackay Ruder:  

2008 now ... have been living in Atherton, California since 1985. Prior to that I lived in San Francisco, Columbia-Missouri, Phoenix-Arizona, Denver-Colorado, Boulder-Colorado, San Francisco ... & Riverside. Last attended a SFDS high school class reunion when my second child was 9 months or so, my 1st was 6. Since that time I had twins in 1990. They are now going off to college (Will to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Sam to Rice University in Houston, Texas). Back to my firstborn, Laura. She was born with Down Syndrome and lives at home. She works at a super & supportive organization, Community GatePath, near the San Francisco Airport and has many extracurricular interests & activities. Our second child, Ben, is nearly 20 and went to Fresno State on a baseball scholarship (pitcher) but has had to have elbow (Tommy John) reconstruction surgery. He's working hard with his rehabilitation & hopes to return to the mound next season or by summer '09. When his life no longer revolves around baseball, he hopes to become a fireman. Mike & I have been married 29 years, have 3 dogs ... all from rescue organizations - 1 older golden retriever and 2 German shepherds. I plan on walking more with the dogs come fall. I read whenever I get the chance, & belong to a bookclub. My sister, Joan, who some of you may remember as she attended St. Francis HS prior to transfering out to Moreno Valley for her senior year (also '69 grad), lives in Boulder, Colorado. We speak daily. She helps manage my mother's care. I visit Boulder at least every 3 months. In addition to visiting Colorado as often as I can, we have visited Alaska & Costa Rica as a family in the last year. Greatly different in cultures and weather, both were beautiful, appreciated & enjoyed. I hope to be traveling more over the next few years. With a son heading to Houston, we'll be visiting there often. Sue Harvey (SFDS '69) lives in Texas & we hope to see one another after many years. We have managed to connect through the ND/SFDS alumni list & have been emailing back & forth. We last saw one another in San Francisco when she attended Lone Mountain College (USF) and I was home from college in Colorado. She had me help her usher "Hair" way back when ... '70 or so! We have changed a little since then ... reconnecting with Sue has been nice! & that's about all the contact I've had with fellow grads except for the 20 year reunion in 1989. I have gone "Gold" so I could read more about my fellow classmates, found out where folks are, etc. Just curious where we've all gone, what we've done. This seems a good spot to check. **2011 now** I did that weeks ago ... and don't know how far I'll manage to update the intervening years ... boys are all seniors at different schools, Sam the only one to remain at the college where he started (Rice U in Houston). Ben is now in SoCal 5 hrs away X 1 yr (these transfers pushed him back a year + a change of major) and Will is at Santa Clara University just south of us. Boy ... can't recall when I started that edit but it's been at least a couple of months. Changed my picture to one taken within the month of September at a Thai restaurant in Honolulu ... rare Mike & I have our picture taken together but the waitress offered! Recent travel has found us within the continental United States. ***OCT 2 2011** I can't seem to update this blurb at a sitting so 'never mind' will let it be. For my SFdS community, my actual graduation school, I'm hoping to be at the June 2012 multi-year reunion that is on the calendar now. And of course, I hope to see as many folks there as I can if I do have the opportunity to attend. For my other communities ... Central-Bushy HS of England and Wiesbaden HS of Germany, there are folks I'd love to see find me either here or on Facebook (Barbara Lackay Ruder) ... anyone from Wiesbaden know of Susan Blanchard? If you do, are in contact with her, let her know how to contact me if she wants to ... I think of our times around Wiesbaden fondly. Thank you! ***AUGUST 2016*** Again, years more have accumulated, 5 since I've updated 'my story' ... didn't attend the SFDS reunion unfortunately. Think because I had 3 college graduations happening at about the same time or was en route elsewhere related to family, with the intervening years don't recall now. We have had the good opportunity to travel and Mike has finally reached Europe! I've revisited spots I lived or visited with my parents when young, living in England and Germany (twice). Mike and I traveled to Italy, staying in Rome for several days before floating on the Mediterranean and visiting ancient historical sites, port-side communities in Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey . Mike and I joined Rick Steves' tours for both Europe proper and Eastern Europe. We have visited France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia (a second time!). We are next traveling (revisiting for me) to England then 'chunnel-ing' to Paris with plans to also visit Normandy. All children are adults and doing fine, good kids! In fact, one of the twins (now 26) is marrying next week ... our own royal couple, Kate & Will. Will is the first and we may have more weddings in the nearer future ... perhaps. Joan and her daughter, my niece Hannah, arrive next week prior to the wedding ... lots or Ruder family representation too. Weddings can be reunions and this will be that way minus departed and missed parents on both sides (the grandparents). It's unfortunate to also miss one of the uncles (Joe) who couldn't make it. I have it simple ... one sis with one daughter! Along with me, they rep the Lackay side. We'll also have extra representation with the Chorebanians (thru the O'Briens of the Lackay side ...) Enough, lots to do! That's the latest. August 2017: I check in every once in a while to update ... big accomplishment was finding my St. Francis de Sales High School yearbooks of 1968 & 1969! Finally added a 'before' picture to the photo gallery. Onward from last year, just about this time when I last wrote a note. Will and Kate married and are now expecting to have their first child arrive in November. Mike & I will be grandparents, a new next step for us! Sam has begun his medical residency at Mt. Sinai in New York City and has a nicely sized 1 bedroom apartment near Central Park. Ben and Emily have been enjoying their home in San Carlos but will likely move to Santa Cruz sometime in the near future. Mike and I did travel and enjoy our time in England and In Paris.. We also have visited China, Vietnam and Thailand since then - cruising this time around. Our next trip will be to visit Sam in NYC, We hope to sneak this trip in before Will & Kate's #1 child is born! Next week Laura and I are road-tripping to Colorado for Joan's wedding to Tom in Boulder. Again, a mini-reunion as we'll be joined by Ben & Emily, Hannah of course (Joan's daughter), cousins Lisa,, Bob & Caroline and like-a-sister, Beverly Bedwell and her husband, Ken Byers. Tom has many brothers and adult children so this will be a fun and rollicking reunion wedding party! We also will enjoy PorchFest the next day in Boulder. Tom plays the banjo in a band that will fiddle away on one of the Mapleton area porches. More fun and rollicking! This past spring, Laura and I visited Disneyland and managed to catch up with Judy (Furtek) Valenzuela ... she brought her yearbooks and we talked & talked. So good to see her! This added to my finally find...Expand for more