May 30, 2012

TWO CLASS OF 1960 DUDES, TOM PATURZO BAKER AND DEWAIN LANFEAR

By TOM PATURZO BAKER

Class of 1960

The photograph was taken when I was 33 years old for my promotion to Captain. Prior to that I was a Criminal Investigation Command warrant officer and special agent.

I was in the regular Army for three years and in the Army Reserve Program for 22 years. I retired in 1993 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I also served as a military police officer.

____

By DEWAIN LANFEAR

Class of 1960

I was back to Levittown a few years ago after being away for over 10 years. Even when I was teaching there I didn't drive through the streets, just to school and home. I was pretty clueless regarding the extensive remodeling that had taken place. I think most of the houses that were changed look great even if it is difficult to see the original peeking through. You may remember that some people in surrounding towns opposed Levittown on the grounds that it would be a slum in a few years. Wrong!

An anecdote for you. On this visit to Levittown, I went for a run and traveled down Daisy Lane, my former street. When I got to my house, a man was mowing the lawn, and I asked him if he was the owner (Levittowners now have lawn service! In our day WE were the lawn service) He said he was and I told him I had lived there 50 (OMG) years ago.

He asked if I wasn't Mr. Lanfear who taught English at DAHS and when I admitted it, he said he had been in my class. At that point I recognized him too: his name is Greg Ward. He said my initials were still in the backyard patio and they still had some "artifacts" from those days, such as the cement block that was the counter balance for the attic trap door. If that isn't a typical Levittown story, I don't know what is.

1 comment:

Wally Linder said...

After my Father and I finished the attic rooms, the cement block--which was the counterbalance for the attic trap door, was used to keep the dog in the back yard.(On a chain)