John Eells

Posted on: Mar 30, 2024 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Nov 12, 2023 at 4:53 PM

Norm, a belated Happy Birthday. Sorry my pneumonia kept me from meeting you at the reunion. I did not realize our paths were so similar. We both graduated from Northern and I was an assistant principal as well. I was an assistant at several schools; Kadena and Nurnberg high schools and at several elementary schools and at the district office in Okinawa, Japan. I also coached gymnastics for several years. Years later I was asked to take the Kadena team up to Tokyo for the regional championships. It was a great trip as I was able to take the team to several of the universities there and watch their gymnastic teams work out. The train system in Tokyo is out standing so we had no trouble getting around. Not sure when I will return to Illinois but we should get together when I do.

Hi Jim, it has been a long, long time. Look forward to seeing you at the reunion. I plan to attend and help with the activities. If all goes well, I will stay in Oak Park at my old home. I missed you by a year or two in Taiwan as we spent eighteen years in Okinawa aftr moving down from Toyko. My wife and I moved up to Newfoundland last year but may have to return for health care in the States. I still have siblings living in the Chicago area and return for visits. Stay in touch, I have little contact with fellow Oak Parker's.

Hello John, Happy Birthday. It has been a few years since we last had contact. I hope all is well with you. My wife and I no longer in Japan but have just moved up to St. John's Newfoundland. It has been the worst move we have ever made. Jo and I both need a vacation. It will be another month before we are organized and can relax a bit. I am keeping my U.S. number because of family and business while my wife has taken a local number here. Many of our friends here do not pay the extra cost to be able to call the States. It is complicated but having a stateside number and a Canadian number actually does make sense. We hope this is our last move but that will depend on the medical care up here. At the moment it is very difficult to be seen by a doctor. There are very few here and none are taking new patients. My phone is 850-380-7169, give me a call when you can.

Roger, Happy Birthday!! I hope all is well. You are one of the few classmates I still am in touch with after all my years overseas. I retired from Kitzigen, Germay in 2003. I taught three more years in Iowa after we returned to the States. Jo and I are going to move up to Newfoundland by the end of summer if the border opens by then. If you are up in our area you are more than welcome to stay with us. We have lots of room. The best time to visit is the first week in August when we have the most Folk festivals. I expect we will stay less than ten years before we return to the states. The plan will be to live close to our children but we have no idea where they will be in ten years. My time now is spent as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team. I just spent a very long weekend of disaster training at the Advanced Citizen Corps Academy in Pensacola. You should look into the program in your area, it is very rewarding. I noticed you said you have no snow to shovel, I do not think that is true this year. Give me a call when you have time, 850-380-7169.

Hi Jim, Happy Birthday!! The days seem to be getting longer each day. I would love to get together with you some time to talk about old times and about our travels. I was only in Taiwan twice buying furniture. My grandmother was living with my family in Japan and we took a boat down. She enjoyed the trip greatly. I retired to Iowa but have moved down to Florida where I have been for the last five years. I expect we will move one more time where we can use public transportation for short hops to pick up groceries. At the moment I am doing NAEP testing but that position closes the second week in March along with the testing window. I plan on a trip up north in May before we head back to Newfoundland. Maybe we can get together then. The trip will be around Memorial Day but I have no firm dates as yet.