Pamela Gaudette:
CLASS OF 1970
Foley High SchoolClass of 1970
Foley, AL
Pamela's Story
This may be LAME, but I'm going to slap a bio here anyway. I'm trying to rope in classmates, to come to the next REUNION. Some have told me they don't come to reunions because they aren't "successful." Please know that NO-ONE worries about THAT anymore! You won't be impressed with MY bio, but maybe you'll see that we're all human & life is SHORT. Why not renew friendships, forgive past slights of those who were thoughtless & make NEW friends while you still can?
My bio: In June 1970, straight out of high school, I married Tommy Southworth, Class of 68. We led the typical military life for 20 yrs, being transferred all over
"Timbucktu," and having to yank 3 children, Julia, Aimee & Brian, out of schools, away from friends, every 2 yrs. Don't you know they LOVED that?
When Tom retired from the U.S.C.G. we moved back to FOLEY in '88 where I proceeded to look up friends and help plan the 20yr reunion.
In 2000, I lost Tom to an undetected blood clot, after a brief case of pneumonia. We'd been married for 29 years & NO-we did NOT have insurance. I had let it lapse. Live and learn from MY mistakes!
Just 5 weeks after Tom's funeral, our beautiful, vivacious, 24 yr old Aimee learned she had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma-cancer of the lymph nodes. Aimee was just 2 yrs out of college and had a boyfriend who couldn't cope with chemo and hair loss. (I say, run boy, run & glad we didn't waste too much time on HIM)! After several months with a broken heart, Aimee fell in love with the wonderful Robert, who had a crush on her since Freshman year college. Robert was our knight in shining armor-who carried Aimee through her illness with love and attention-and made the last 6 months of her life something of joy and love, rather than just chemo & doctors. We lost Aimee in July 2002, as she was about to become engaged.
After I had become widowed, I started having SLUMBER parties at my house, with class of 70 gals I'd become re-acquainted with. We had fun and bonded new ways.
IN July 2002, When I returned from 4 months in the Atlanta hospital with Aimee, I found Debbie Beech, Ronee LeDrew, Shannon Blackwell, Missy May, Sylvia Polk, Beverly Akridge, Martha Stocke, and Linda Childress, CLEANING my house, to get it ready for family to show up for the funeral. These girls were NOT the "buds" I hung out with in school- They were the new "YaYa" slumber party bunch. Had you told me in 1970 that one day Ronee Beth would bring her cleaning supplies, and clean MY bathrooms-I'd have thought you crazy. Need I say that I love thes...Expand for more
e girls with all my heart?
That same summer, after donating his "white cells" to try to save his sister's life, my 22 yr old, Brian was also diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. He has had four remissions from the tumors which have grown over his heart - just as Aimee's did. At his young age, Brian has no regrets, no self pity, lives life to the fullest and enjoys every minute that God gives him.
In 11/03, after being a condo manager and real estate broker for 14 years, I was suddenly FIRED from my position as on-site condo manager, with not 30 days notice, as my contract required, but 20 minutes notice, on a Monday morning! Wow, what a surprise! Watch whose toes you step on - some people are VINDICTIVE and will surprise you with what they are capable of pulling! I'll save details of my exciting adventure of getting fired for the very first time ever, but will gladly discuss all the juicy details when I see you in person! Christmas that year was scary, and WHERE was my mortgage payment going to come from? MORE Class of 70 buds, Maureen Messina, Barbara Smith, and Linda Green, all pitched in CASH to help buy Christmas gifts for my grandkids! What GOOD are former classmates you say? I say, how can we do WITHOUT them: those who hold us up when we are down, and remember us from the old days, and love us ANYWAY-like a LITTER-MATE !
On Dec 21st, 2008, I remarried, and my new husband, Tom Stidham is a SNOWBIRD from Indiana!You will all get to meet him at the 2010 reunion. I took my original maiden name, GAUDETTE, which you will not recognize, for in school I used my adopted name of Holloway. It's just too many names after only 2 marriages, so I'm sticking with GAUDETTE, no matter what else happens - it beats: Pamela Gaudette Doane Holloway Southworth Stidham, don't you think??? (Doane was the last name of the stepfather I only had for a year, before coming to Foley and being adopted by the Holloway grandparents). So now I'm going for SIMPLE.
My son Brian is struggling again, with a new tumor, and heart damage from all the prior chemo and radiation. His heart is covered with 80% scar tissue, and it IS as serious as it sounds.
I urge all of you to let your children and loved ones know how much they mean to you, every single day. Life is precious, and not to be wasted.
I'm hoping we will hear from all the former members of c/o 70 - and will see most of you at the reunion. You are ALL very precious to ME!
Please contact us to update your records with Class of 70!
Hall Monitor - Pamela Gaudette
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