Gary Gaffner '57 commentary on blogging

Gary Gaffner '57 offered this reminder that blogging isn't as easy as some people claim.  I think it is a bit like riding a bicycle -- quite challenging the first time, but it gets easier.  I enjoyed Gary's sense of humor about it, and I wanted to share his comments on the changes in the world of technology. 

Clay

Hi Clay,

     I'm not very adept at all things digital and can't even figure out how to make an entry to a simple Blog.  To think....when I retired from Boeing I was the Corporate Chief of Computer Sciences, and our smallest computer - - two CDC-6600's wired up end-to-end, would more than fill the "big room" at 4503. 

    Now you stuff that much computing power in your shirt pocket, every time you leave the office.  But I still can't enter a Blog.  I saw the Hal Moldstad  (12/20/10)  posting and just felt inclined to say Hi to Hal and Donna, but tried it and found it wasn't that easy.

    Or, maybe simple things are just getting harder for me to figure out...or both.

    Clay - Could you help an old man cope with the world, and somehow enter the Blog I filled in below, in the right place.  I'm afraid the ice cream cone I've had for Hal in my old silver trunk for better than 50 years isn't gonna last much longer.  Thank You, sir.

                                          Best to you,

                                                                Gary

Perge'

The Luncheon Postcard Tradition Returns

For many years the Tuesday luncheons included the the luncheon attendees signing postcards that were then mailed to brothers who were missing from the luncheon.  After decades of this luncheon tradition, the postcards ceased to be part of the luncheons. 

The restoration of this tradition was a request of Bob Watt '36, and we're proud to announce that even though it took a few years following Bob's death to fulfill his wishes...... the tradition is restored.  We now have postcards for luncheons again.  Even better, we have a custom-designed, over-sized post card for our luncheon.  The postcard needed to be over-sized to accommodate the signatures of the many attendees. 

A tip of the hat to Dennis Kirkpatrick '71 who provided art for the front of the postcard.  Through the wonders of modern technology he created the pictured "water color" treatment of a photo of 4503.  Our "Thanks" to Dennis for helping out.

Several of these Fiji postcards are are signed at each luncheon and then sent to brothers to remind them that they are welcome to join us as we meet the second Tuesday of each month at the Seattle Yacht Club.   

Jewett '78 and Holmquist '02 lead effort to build a better membership roster

Steve Jewett '78

The changes in technology as well as the changes of times have created a need to re-build our contact system for our graduate chapter.  Early in the Fall of 2010 two graduates stepped forward to lead the efforts in this process – Steve Jewett ’78 and Imants Holmquist ’02.  

Let me introduce you to these two guys who are doing yeoman's duty for the Seattle graduate chapter. 

Steve heads up the new BDR Customer Homes division of Todd Bennett's new company, BDR Holdings.  Steve's new email is: Steve@BDRholdings.com.

 

 Imants is a practicing attorney in a partnership with classmate Hamilton Gardiner ’03 in their firm, Holmquist and Gardiner LLC.   Their firm describes its areas of practice as real estate attorneys whose practice includes: condo creation/conversion, commercial leases, purchase and sale of residential and commercial property, business law, and litigation of disputes.  http://www.lawhg.net/  You can reach Imants via email at imants@lawhg.net 

Both of these brothers are investing substantial amounts of their time leading this effort to review, validate, and improve our membership contact base. The shift to email has dramatically reduce the cost factors for communications.  But we have the email addresses for about one-third of the graduates.  The team led by Steve and Imants are contacting people to add email addresses to our data base as well as business information.  Help is welcome from any of you willing to make calls to the brothers in your class to chat a bit and add the missing information to our files.  If you can help Steve and Imants, please email one of them. 

Imants Holmquist '02

One of the planned uses of the improved contact information is to assist undergraduates in their search for intern positions and/or full time employment.  In slow economies like today’s, it becomes all the more important to tighten ranks and help our deserving undergraduates get a good start in their initial career steps.  Steve and Imants have a plan to help us accomplish this important goal.

Ad Astra - Conrad Jacobsen '58

Conrad "Connie" JACOBSEN of the Class of '58

 

Obiturary notice appearingin the Seattle Times newspaper: 

 

Conrad "Connie"  Jacobsen was promoted to glory on January 3, 2011. He lived his life committed to Jesus Christ and invested in relationships with others. Connie (as his friends called him) was born in Swedish Hospital on January 16, 1936 to Olav and Olga Jacobsen and was raised in Ballard and Magnolia. He played tight end for the city champion Queen Anne Grizzly football team. He was a Fiji at the UW, and one year before graduation he married his high school sweetheart, Judi Mounger who would be his best friend and lifelong companion for 53 years. As a high school student, Connie committed his life to Jesus Christ at a Young Life camp. After receiving his Masters of Divinity from Fuller Seminary, he went on to join the Young Life staff, where he ministered for 20 years in the Chicago area and in Seattle. In 1980, he founded a ministry called Teleios, which focuses on helping men connect with one another and mature in their faith. Currently there are over 90 Teleios groups of men that meet weekly. Connie continued to work with Young Life and was earnestly supporting Seattle's Urban Young Life until the day he died. Also his commitment to cross-cultural ministry was expressed through his involvement in Urban Impact and the D.A.D.S. ministry, which helps men with troubled pasts reconnect with their children. He took frequent trips to Mexico with groups of men from different cultural backgrounds to build houses for the poor. He was a regular participant and host at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. Connie is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judi Jacobsen; his four children, Laurie (and Don) Swanson, Mark (and Debbie) Jacobsen, Brian (and Holly) Jacobsen, Eric (and Liz) Jacobsen; 15 grandchildren, Kendall, Blake, Ashlyn, Jacob, Lael, Alex, Conrad, Hannah, Zach, Erika, Josh, Kate, Peter, Emma, Abraham; and one great grandchild on the way. Although Connie felt a strong call from God to the ministry, he never felt called to a high visibility role. But rather, one person at a time, he quietly and humbly touched people's lives with the love of Jesus Christ. Through over 50 years of this slow and steady approach, he had a profound impact on thousands of people in this region and throughout the world. A memorial service to celebrate Connie's life will be held on January 14th at 1:00 pm at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to one of the following organizations: Seattle Urban Young Life: www.younglife.org (Indicate reference code AG173 with your gift to direct funds to Seattle Urban Young Life) D.A.D.S.: www.aboutdads.org Teleios: www.teleios.org The Conrad and Judi Jacobsen Scholarship at Fuller Seminary: www.fuller.edu/giving (or contact Christa Reiff - creiff@fuller.edu 626-584-5489)

Published in The Seattle Times on January 9, 2011