Following is John’s brief biography as provided to the school for publication on the Magee website.

John was born in Prince Edward Island on February 14, 1941 in the town of O’Leary (pop. 8). He was delivered by his father who happened to be the family physician for the area. When he was five the family moved to Montreal while his father took advanced studies in medicine. After this the family, consisting of his father, mother and an older sister, moved to Vancouver. John started school at Prince of Wales, in grade four moved to Quilchena and then in grade seven to Point Grey, and then of course to our famous alma mater, Magee, for grades ten through twelve, graduating in 1959.

Looking back at his days at Magee he enjoyed immensely working with Mr. Davies, a Phys. Ed. teacher and played rugby in grades 10, 11 and 12. His favourite teachers were Mr. Poole who tried to teach John Latin for three years, and the math teacher, Mr. Ginther.

In 1959 John went to the University of British Columbia and earned a degree in Biochemistry and Physiology. While at UBC he joined the wrestling squad and played rugby. After graduating he was hired by Atomic Energy of Canada as a Research Scientist studying the effects of radiation. He then joined one of Johnson & Johnson’s companies and became General Manager for Western Canada. Restless, he then co-founded a company in 1970 with Magee classmate Kyle Mitchell, and it subsequently became the largest executive search firm in Canada.

After 40 years John retired as Chair of the Board in Odgers Berndtson in Vancouver. During this period of time he was also very active in many community organizations including serving as Chair of the Campaign Cabinet for the United Way of the Lower Mainland in 2002. He has also been active with the capital campaigns of UBC, YMCA, Vancouver Aquarium and the Stanley Theatre. In addition, John has been a Board member for Lions Gate Hospital, United Way, Vancouver Board of Trade, Sales & Marketing Executives of Vancouver, and member of the BCIT Development Council. Most recently John was Chair of the 2006 Celebrity Breakfast for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon.

The following message floated in, sometime after the dust had settled and the Class Baby/Class Babe (Dianne West Scharfe) and the Class Olde Phart (Davie Rae) had been duly anointed. What was there left to determine? Well, apparently this….

“Now that we know who is the oldest and the youngest of the class, what about us in the middle? Don’t you all know that the center of the watermelon is the sweetest? Challenge please!”

My B-day is August 6, 1941.

Happy New Year to All!

Elaine Drinkwater
Portland, Oregon

And so there is a new challenge, and this from a Hiroshima Day baby and “hot” contender to the Class Babe title. (Our contributor was cautioned by her spiritual advisor and sailing partner, Jerry, that there might be earthly connotations taken by some to her “watermelon” and “sweetest” descriptions – but she plunged ahead regardless.) Bravo, Elaine!

And, having consulted with our Class Statistician, the venerable Dr. Rhoades, the date in question is June 29, 1941.

Who was born closest to that date? And who represents the centre of the Magee59 universe?

Several days ago, one Monty Cordingley, an unemployed (he sez retired) gentleman residing in Kelowna, sent us the following email:

I think I’m the oldest of all those 59 Grads born during 1941 (Jan 04); so Happy # 70 as your birthday arrives throughout 2011.

(Doug Garnett is Jan 03, but I think he was born 1940).

Regards: Monty Cordingley in Kelowna BC

This elicited a number of responses from contenders and pretenders to the titles of Class Olde Phart and Class Baby. Ergo:

Bill, Seasonally Adjusted Greetings to you.

Linda and I thank you for all your work in keeping us informed on what is going on. I look forward to spending some time on the website over the holidays.

I have 2 claims that not many others of the group can match. First, I am probably the only one whose name is misspelled in the year book. Second, Monty may be close to the oldest but I think I must be close to the youngest at January 29, 1942.

Keep smiling.

Bob and Linda (Johnston) Loptson

Hi, The important ? is, who is the class baby. I’m one of the younger ones, Nov 5 41 but somewhere there must be a Dec. infant? Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year. Carol MacLean (Arnold)

Could I be the class baby? My birthday is Jan. 17, 1942.
Sandra Ryder (O’Hara).

My birthday is Dec 10/41 Stan (Webber)

Mary Edgar and Judie Fox were both born on November 28, 1941, and won bottles of wine at the Faculty Club for the honour of being the two youngest.

Judie Fox Roberts

Give the wine back, ladies. You are not even close! On we go….

Sorry Bob…I hope I don’t ruin your holidays, BUT: I am the class baby (definitely not to be confused with ‘babe’)..Can anyone beat March 25th,
1942??

Happy holidays to all, Cecille Groberman Cohen

And an Olde Phart emerges!

Well I think Davie Rae has got you all beat….. June 10, 1940!!

He is away now with his family for Christmas and we share the same work email (I run his office) but I have enjoyed this little game…. although Davie will probably fire me for the “old fart award” haha.
Merry Christmas to you all!

Susanne Hankin, Manager
Hardal Management Inc.

And we had the analytical bit from a fairly well expected engineering source:

It might be worth checking:

Monty Cordingley says he was born on January 4, 1941 (let’s assume he is correct)
He says that Doug Garnett was born on January 3, 1940

In commenting to Monty you say “Doug has you by a day”.

Either Doug was born in 1941 and you are right, or he was born in 1940 and you are wrong — it would be a year difference.

As to name spelling, Bob Loptson believes he is the only one whose name was spelled wrong in the 1959 year book. As you know, mine was spelled wrong also, but you picked up the correct spelling somewhere along the way. There may be others. I’m quite willing to forgive Dave Higgins (if he made the mistake) since he was such a nice guy.

Brian Van Snellenberg

Well, as we all know Doug wasn’t born: he simply occurred. And as to Dave Higgins being a “nice guy” – well that’s a gimme.

And the Class Grinch checked in:

Does it really count if the only way you can win the Class Old Fart award is to fail and have to do grade three again?

God jul och gott nytt ar

Peter (Bogardus)

Ooohh! Sock, biff, pow..

There was a gentlemanly concession:

Congratulations Cecille !!!!!!!!!! As soon as the prize arrives here in Central
Canada I will redirect to you.

Actually, I like to think of myself as 10 years from middle age and just
approaching my prime. But when I do arthur gives me a little shot and reminds
me that is no longer true.

Enjoy and keep smiling.

Bob (Loptson)

A near winner:

Hi Bill, I was born Apr. 29, 1942.

Merry Christmas to you and yours,
Patrick (Monahan)

A fan:

This is so much fun. Happy New Year to everyone. Marilyn (Smith) Brock

A couple more close winners:

Hi Bill – have caught up with emails and finally own up to a birthday March 30/42 – is that the youngest? Hope you had a good Christmas – Best wishes to you and your family for the New Year – Dayle (McPherson) Farenholtz

Hello All, Greetings from the Boston area. Not to be a spoiler for Cecile, but i am April 2, 1942, as I was one of those who was
‘Skipped” in the third grade, which they did in those times to trouble-makers in the classroom – just bumped us up to the next grade to get rid of us. Happy Boxing Day to all! Carol Knowles Steele

And all the while, laying in the weeds, just off our port bow and waiting his turn, was this guy:

Okay–my wife -Dianne West (Scharfe) was born 18 July, 1942!! Nick Scharfe

You cradle robber, Nick! And this, we believe, is indeed the Class Baby and in all probability also the Class Babe! (Didn’t we kinda know this already?) But, truth be known, Dianne was in very hot competition for Class Babe. We have no shortage of deserving femmes in Magee ’59!

Send that case of Gerbers back west, Bob!