Caroline Yamazaki Roberts:
CLASS OF 1976
Birmingham High SchoolClass of 1976
Van nuys, CA
Humboldt State UniversityClass of 1982
Arcata, CA
California State University Class of 1980
Fresno, CA
Mulholland Middle SchoolClass of 1973
Van nuys, CA
Gault Elementary SchoolClass of 1970
Van nuys, CA
Caroline Yamazaki's Story
Life
Yes, I'm Paul (Winter'67) and Kathy's ('70) little sister. Not their thing to be on this site but I'll send them your contact info if you want...
As for me, I left LA to work YCC in Sequoia (with Diane Drake) the week after graduation. CSUFresno for Physical Therapy,3 semesters, dropped out to work Yosemite full time for a year. Humboldt State for a nursing degree, met & married my wonderful hubby,(another LA refugee) in'82. Moved to White Salmon,WA population 2000 in '87, hr. east of Portland, OR, we look at Mt. Hood & 180 degree view of the Columbia River. 2 beautiful, miraculous daughters and now a granddaughter and grandson! Worked as a nurse (mainly OB) until my 2nd child. Now volunteering & family keep me busy 24/7. Love my life, finally realize that high school wasn't total torture, I left behind many friends & memories when I fled LA LA land. Would love to reconnect & hear about your life.
So other than a battle with breast cancer 2004/05, again in '13 my life has been extremely blessed. Hope the same for you. I encourage you to check your own boobs & balls. EARLY DETECTION IS THE BEST PROTECTION! Did you know Ken Stuart missed our senior year at Birmingham due to Testicular cancer? ( He made it through that but passed away a few years ago.)
Moved my parents from their home of 55 years on Forbes Ave. to White Salmon in '07. It's been a difficult adjustment for them but they preferred it over a retirement community. Lost my mom in '14 and my dad in'21 at 104 yo. In his last year he stopped using the computer, reading volumes, his anti war & nuke activism but stayed in touch with surviving friends & family and never lost his gentle ways and friendliness. Since I fled LA as soon as I graduated HS, it was such a blessing to have them near. I'd spent most of my life away from them and it was so fine to get to know them better. Both were extraordinary, amazing people and I am so lucky to have had them as parents!
My Mulholland, Birmingham and Girl Scout friend, Erica Wissen Stillwell passed away from colon cancer 8/21/15. All these years since we graduated, we only exchanged holiday greetings and saw each other only at class reunions yet I carried her sweet self with me always. Will miss her being on this earth and will hold memories of her close always! RIP Erica! if anyone has any photos they want to her family. please send to Katie Leigh, High School band photos were requested
School
I was never too into school and always skated by with as little effort ...Expand for more
as possible, even at Gault St. I kinda regret that now. I really just wanted out of the L.A. scene. Just never felt groovy enough to be a city gal. Loved the mountains and healing so that's why I ran away to Fresno, small school where I could easily get to the Sierras and study physical therapy, then Arcata/Humboldt State for nursing...
College
Fresno State was great, I just couldn't resist the pull of the Sierras. Then I was worried I'd never leave Yosemite if I didn't go further away than Fresno so I
followed friends to Humboldt State. It had been on my radar for Forestry program but decided to go PT. I entered to go into speech therapy and use my sign language from Birmingham, but then decided Nursing was more my style. Loved Arcata and Humboldt County. Only 2 other Birmingham class'76, Chris Bulmer and Bill Schlanger (?) there at the same time. Met my fabulous hubby there, still love to visit whenever possible.
Workplace
Always worked volunteer jobs during high school. Followed by YCC in Sequoia & Kings Canyon, which was almost volunteer. Working for Curry Co. in Yosemite was too fun. Worked 8 hours then I was in my favorite vacation place for the other 16 a day plus days off. Not much to complain about. Being a bus person & cocktail waitress at Youngberg's was a fun way to work my way through college. Wonder where all my ol' workmates have ended up. Only keep in touch with two.?
Nursing at Mad River & Hood River Hospitals as well as my registry work in Portland was all very rewarding and if it wasn't for having to go back to school to reactivate my license I probably would have gone back to it. I miss being involved with birth. Wish I could be a doula but our population size here makes it fairly impractical... People ask me to go pro with my massage but I think I prefer it to remain a hobby....
Military
My father, Lt. Col/Dr. James Yamazaki, was the Battalion Surgeon for the 106th Infantry Division in WWII, the lone Asian in the Unit. Dec. '44 he & what was left of his unit were captured in the Ardennes Forest (only 3000 of the 10000 in his division survived the Battle of the Bulge). After 6 months as a POW he returned to the states, finished his residency, then was recruited to serve in the U.S. Atomic Bomb Commission., studying the effects of radiation on children and fetuses exposed. to the bomb on Nagasaki He returned to establish a private practice and was a professor for the 1st med school class at UCLA in '51. I'd love to hear from any who may remember him.
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