Jon Cotters:
CLASS OF 1965
General H.H. Arnold High SchoolClass of 1965
Wiesbaden,
Jon's Story
I transferred to H.H. Arnold in late November '64 and graduated in '65. Funny, except for David Cash I can't remember any of my male friends from 55 years ago, but I have no trouble remembering my girlfriend's names. After graduation I took U of M night classes and worked various AAFES jobs until attending U of M Munich as a sophomore '66/67. Had great times in Munich. I guess my only claim to fame there was as the back-up singer/rhythm guitar player in the "Keller" house bands "Something Else" and "The Organization." Got engaged and enlisted in the Air Force in June '68. Like so many in the late '60's the engagement didn't last. First assignment was at Langley AFB, Hampton, VA as an Avionics Technician. While there I met and married my wife Barbara and spent the next 10 years in the U.S. and Guam.. My previous academic performance was undistinguished, but I had an educational epiphany (being poor will do that to you) and I got my BA from the University of Guam while stationed there. In essence I became a "professional student" which eventually culminated in 2003 with my third Master's Degree and a Virginia license to teach Science. I left the Air Force in '77 to work for Lockheed Aircraft in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Barbara and I made great friends there and it may have been the most enjoyable time of my life; riding motocross cycles in the desert. It's not a coincidence that "Lawrence of Arabia" is my favorite movie. However, we returned home in 1980 because things were getting tense in the Middle East. I was offered a chance to attend Naval OCS in '81. We spent the next ...Expand for more
16 years at various assignments on both coasts. With three six month deployments to "hot spots" there was never a dull moment. I retired from the Navy in '98 after 26 years of service and returned to grad school for my MS in Education. However, just before I was hired to teach 7th grade Life Science i got an opportunity to start my own business providing facility support/maintenance for hair salons (Supercuts, Best Cuts, etc.). I loved being my own boss and Barbara, being an accountant, kept me out of tax trouble. Then in 2013 with no health issues but with time running out on my life clock I closed my business and devoted my full time to playing bass guitar in the rock/country band "Running With Scizzors." My band mates were all well known area rock musicians so we were very successful. There is something exhilarating about being on stage, creating good music, people paying to come see you preform, dancing and having a good time, and you getting paid for it. It had always been my dream to return to music. Unfortunately, I had to give up my music career in 2019 when my wife, Barbara, became very ill from cancer and I needed to devote all my attention to her care. When she passed earlier this year (2020) we had been married for 49 years. Barbara was an Army Brat and had attended Dreux American High school in France during the same years I was at H.H. Arnold. How blessed was I to find someone who would support my many careers, follow me around the world and suffer my self-indulgences? I have no idea what happens now. I just hope I didn't use up all my good luck in the past.
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