A nice email from Mehfooz

I just received this email from Mehfooz

Hello Jacob,

Belated Christmas and New Year greetings! Its good to be back after a hectic tour of the UK where my wife and I went to visit our children and then to Pakistan. For the last three months I was aloof from the computer and the first thing I did was to check on your blog.

Its amazing how many contacts have been established from so manyCcathedralites all over the globe. I was surprised that Ubi also made his entrance in the blog and brought back those good memories of the quad. I was associated with Ubi and his family (parents and sisters) during the school days as we lived quite close to each other. I have yet to find such great parents such as Ubi's.

Incidentally, my visit to the School in April 2004 was very nostalgic as it had been almost 43 years since I had last set foot on the quad. It did feature a vital part in all our lives during the 50’s and early 60’s. One can hardly keep count of the activities that were connected to this quad especially cricket and tennis-ball football (which Ubi reminded us of the “Free Booters’ League”).

Who can forget the times when one wanted to be the first to reserve the quad to play football during lunch sessions!

Then there was that unique tournament which was held (probably in ’59 or ‘60) to prove the football skills by way of participating in events such as heading the ball in a particular spot, trapping the ball, penalty shoot-outs, etc. I wonder if anyone remembers this event.

I stood in the middle of the quad visualizing myself as a student and wondered whether there was anything that could take me back to those good ole days!

Take care and God bless.

Warmest regards,
Mehfooz (Sheikh Zahur)

I hope that it is Seventh Heaven with such great reader participation as yours that takes you back to those good ole days!

Mehfooz, I remember the tournament about football skills - it started in 1959 thanks to Mr. W. H. Thompson. I believe it was repeated in 1960.

It is my belief that Noel Ezekiel won that tornament in 1959 with Viney Sethi coming second followed by Vijay Nayar. Anyone like to correct me?

Stay in touch Mehfooz and have a great year.

"We fill the globe with character....

I must thank one of my very faithful correspondents, 63er Mithoo Malani, from Florida for sending me this information.

Hello Jacob:

At Cathedral he was known as Isaac Marshall right from KG, and was also in Savage House like you were, I think.

Not much into sports as far as I can remember. Fairly studious, usually ranked 6th or so in his Class "A" of 30+ kids.

Very likeable old chap, did act in some plays, lived in the Colaba area, was in the Scout Troop with me.

I met Isaac at our 40th year Class Reunion in November 2003. I had not seen or heard from him since December 1963 when we graduated from Cathedral.

I did hear from my other Bombay Jewish friends from time to time that Isaac was in Canada, but only was in touch with him again at the 40th Reunion .... what a grand time we all had !!!

Isaac, is this all true .... let Jacob know more about you ....

Please keep in touch .....

Mithoo

I was glad to hear from David shortly thereafter!

In the meantime, I did my own research and found that we have a great representative of our Cathedral model in David, a fellow Savage!

Mithoo sent me a couple of photographs.


This photograph of the school Scout Troop
was probably taken in 1960 as 59ers Viney Sethi and Ashok Ruia
were Scouts till 1959.

This photograph above is of the 59-60 Scout Troop with Mr. Patel, our Physics teacher and Mr. Joshi, our Hindi teacher, certainly raised many happy memories in my mind.

I was good at Physics and pretty rotten at Hindi!

Mithoo is sitting in the front row, fourth from right, in front of Mr. Green, who was the assistant PT teacher. David is in the top row, right in the centre. The person sitting next to Mr. Patel, is the late 59er, Jaswant Ghatge.


1963 School Prefects

I wonder if someone would clarify whether it is David who sits on the extreme left in the School Prefects photograph for 1963. Savage House Captain or Vice Captain?

Why are we talking about David?

He has been the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services in Canada since 2004.

David Marshall, Deputy Minister

As Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services, David Marshall provides the overall vision and direction for the department.

An outstanding leader and innovator, he brings more than 30 years of domestic and international experience in information technology, financial services and the federal government.

Prior to re-joining the Government of Canada, Mr. Marshall spent several years in the private sector. He was the Vice-Chairman, Retail Products, Technology and Operation for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) from 1999 to 2002. He was responsible for the bank's extensive credit card, mortgage, payments and insurance businesses. While at CIBC, Mr. Marshall was instrumental in developing electronic banking products and for ensuring that CIBC was a leading technology innovator.

From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Marshall was Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Bankers Trust New York Corporation — a leading New York-based Investment Bank. He was responsible for global operations and technology for the bank. He also served as managing director of Bankers Trust Company, the corporation's principal banking subsidiary, and as a director of BT Technology Partners, the bank's venture capital subsidiary. In 1998 Mr. Marshall was named CIO of the Year by Future Banker magazine.

Mr. Marshall has also held previous senior positions with CIBC, Unitel Communications Inc. — the operating arm of AT&T in Canada, and the Toronto Dominion Bank.

A certified general accountant, Mr. Marshall also served in the public service from 1977 to 1993. He has been Canada's Assistant Auditor General; Assistant Deputy Minister, Information Technology, Revenue Canada; and Assistant Deputy Minister, Information Technology, Employment and Immigration Canada.

In the Canadian Bureaucratic hierarchy, 63er David reports directly to the Minister and Receiver General for Canada, Scott Brison, P. C.

Pretty impressive career. Must be the year 1959 he spent as my Savage House protégé!

Thank you David for carry our Cathedral flag so high in Canada.

Having pondered over the photographs for many hours, I now recall the young David as he was in school. I must thank Mithoo for reviving that part of my brain.

David was known as David Marshall while at school and also through his professional career. However to close friends and his family he has always been known as Isaac.

I was also moved when David responded to my email with this:

I think its great that you put so much effort into keeping us all plugged in! I think all of us who went to Cathedral and are now in the “Diaspora” so to speak are very touched to be able to connect home from time to time.

Thanks again to Mithoo and David for the feedback. It is all of you and your exploits and achievements that keep this Seventh Heaven blog riding high, NOT ME!

Knowing the New Year has arrived

In the old days I knew the New Year had arrived when our wedding anniversary was the following day, and I had no present packed for my better half.

After the Seventh Heaven has created this enormous Cathedralite network, I now know when the New Year is entrenched when the first birthday wish for the year is sent out. For many years this most enjoyable task has remained with sending out greetings to my dear friend, retired Captain of the Indian Navy, Vijay Shivdasani.

Three from our outstanding set of 59ers -
Elijah Elias (Ooky), Vijay Nayar, Vijay Shivdasani

I had for years been calling him as a retired Commander. Vijay, very diplomatically, told me quite recently that he was just a shade higher in the hierarchy - he had retired as a Captain in the Navy, after serving in the INS Vikrant, the Indian aircraft carrier. I have enjoyed his hospitality on this great ship and have actually been piped aboard!


Sucheeta and Vijay dining in
a restaurant in Hong Kong

Vijay is married to a Cathedralite of the 61-62 era, Sucheeta. Sucheeta is a charming personality. I did not know Sucheeta while at school, but when I met her at their wedding in Mumbai in the 70s, I was charmed by this beautiful young lady. She has stayed as a special person in my list of friends as she oozes with charm and friendliness.

After his stint in the Indian Navy, Vijay moved to Hong Kong where he became a diamond dealer. He then decided to retire back to where all his friends and relatives were - Mumbai, and where he could have his daily dose of tennis. (Vijay, you should get together with another acquaintance who enjoys his tennis, the present Governor of Maharashtra, S. M. Krishna, a contact from my Bangalore days.)

I hope you will ring in the New Year by joining me in wishing this outstanding representative of us 59ers and a true Cathedralite who represents us 59ers year in and year out at the School Founders Day celebrations.

Happy birhday Vijay. I hope you will send us some recent photographs of us 59ers from Mumbai.

Literacy vs Education

In the context of Elizabeth Cherian's article, 56er Ubi (HS Uberoi) raises the most important distinction between people - that we at Cathedral get an Education rather than just being made Literate. Ubi wrote:-

Regarding what Ms. Cherian has had to say and also the fund of goodwill to you fom Cathedralites across the globe trancending age groups, I can only say that most ex students of Cathedral probably never ever get used to being out of school, so strong is the influence and therefore the bonds that tie all Cathedralites to the old school. It always remains a long ago, far away Camelot.

The true value of Cathedral, as I recall, is the realisation of the diffrentiation between literacy and education. I would like to believe that we all leave to be better human beings, rather than just having past an examination.

This is absolutely true. I have many many friends and acquaintances around the world. What distingushes a friend from an acquaintance is this little detail.

A friend is always there for you.

Here is an extract from an issue of Newsy Notes dated 28th December 2001. (For the unintiated, Newsy Notes were the irregular emails I sent out to Cathedralites over the years before I brought all together on the blog.)

A Friend

A friend is like a flower, A rose to be exact,
Or maybe like a brand new gate That never comes unlatched.
A friend is like an owl, Both beautiful and wise.
Or perhaps a friend is like a ghost, Whose spirit never dies.
A friend is like those blades of grass You can never mow,
Standing straight, tall, and proud In a perfect little row.
A friend is like a heart that goes Strong until the end.
Where would we be in this world If we didn't have a friend?

I quote an example of just this morning.

I sent an email to a friend in Mumbai (who has been to Finland) that two young Finnish ladies from a Finnish NGO were arriving this evening. My friend has never met these Finns. Before I knew it, the accommodation had been arranged, the car was organised to pick them up from the airport, and their two days in Mumbai before they went on to Hyderabad were planned.

I am so scared to ask people anything, as this outpouring of love is so great, I feel very greatly embarrassed at times. In these days where time is money, it is strange that I have such "friends" who show their love in such an intense manner.

Does this mean something to YOU?

This article by Elizabeth Cherian which appeared in 2003 in Deccan Herald, the leading local newspaper of Bangalore, may interest some of you.

The right spirit

Recalling her years as a teacher in one of the prestigious schools of Mumbai, Elizabeth Cherian concludes that schools have an important role to play in shaping a student’s future in the society

What is it that makes some students stand out and shine in the society and the world at large? Is it their intellectual power, or the values instilled in them by their parents, or their school and teachers who have, over a period of time, effected a positive change in their personalities? Probably, it is a mixture of all these factors!

These thoughts came to my mind as I retraced my life back to my teaching days at Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai. The school has an old world charm, with buildings of heritage value. It is traditional, yet very modern in its outlook, and has a very simple and straightforward approach to life. Teachers here have been chosen for their skills and abilities to deal with particular subjects, and also prepare the children for the day-to-day tasks they have to face in the world. Scores of students from this institution have today made a mark in the world. They are found excelling in all walks of life.

For instance, we read about Kumarmangalam Birla, the young head of the Birla empire, from time to time in the papers. Then there are the brothers Fareed and Arshad Zacharia, Fareed, who has excelled in the field of journalism and diplomacy, and Arshad who has made a name as a financial genius. Rajdeep Sardesai, the able political commentator on NDTV. Shiamak Davar who is a name in the field of dance and choreography. I remember Rahul Bose and Rajat Kapur were very good in acting even as students. They topped in debates, elocution and school plays. Gita Anand, who went on to win the Pulitzer prize, was also an ace swimmer and had participated in international swim meets. They are all products of the school.

Other noted personalities like Pradeep Kar of Microland, Salman Rushdie and the late PM of Pakistan Z Bhutto were also from the same school. All-time heroes like Homi Bhabha and JRD Tata, who have done India proud, were Cathedrites!

What is most important for any institution is to safeguard the integrity of student-teacher relationship. This is very closely and appropriately followed in the Cathedral and John Connon School. No matter what the background is, once an individual enters the portals of the school, he/she is identified as nothing more than a student or a teacher. No favours are shown to anyone in particular. Irrespective of who they are or where they have come from, everyone is treated equally. Every day, one student from the senior school is assigned the responsibility of keeping his/ her classroom clean and neat. The students are allotted marks for their SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work).

In a lighter vein, I remember an occasion when I pulled up a student for keeping me waiting twice for his extra class. He had come from the US and had joined school a little late, and so had to make up for the lost time. I was quite annoyed that he was late to the class. To top it all, he apologised saying that he had gone to the Raj Bhavan for lunch! I told him he could go anywhere he wanted, even to the ‘White House’, but only after informing me first. From then, he abided by instructions without fail. Soon a special bond developed between us. Once he informed me casually that he was going to Ahmedabad to see his grand parents. Only then did I discover that his grandfather was the Governor of Gujarat!

The teacher-student bond between us grew so strong that when he passed out with flying colours, he presented me with a cake inscribed ‘Thanks Mrs C’. And eating most of it, he commented he was actually helping me to check my weight! These are little memories that make the school, and its students so great.

Some of the most significant values the school taught me and my students were that a strong code of ethics is as valuable as a compass, and a simplest task is most meaningful if done in the right spirit.

A small selection from my email INBOX

Some messages from my INBOX - no need to panic....?

From Mysorians 49er / 54er Naval and Armaity (née Mody) Patel:

Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 14:38:08 +0530
From: N J Patel
To: Jacob Matthan
Subject: Good Wishes


Wishing you all

A very Merry Christmas
&
Happy and Prosperous 2006

Armaity & Naval

From Californian 54er Gracie Hayeem:

From: Gracie Lerno (née Hayeem)
To: Jacob
Date: 29-Dec-2005 00:43
Subject: Re: Happy New Year!

Dear Jacob,

Thank you "so" very Much for Pillooo's e. mail.

Just the other day Jeanette[Ezra] Sopher and myself were wondering about getting in touch with Pilloo!

Well you are an Angel again!!!

Jeanette was in Cathedral but left when she was 12 years old.

She married Abe Sopher who was in Cathedral. Probably class of 1951 or 1952.

Many thanks again. Happy Happy New Year again for 2006.

Many many good wishes

Gracie.

From Pune-ite 57er Sunil Sahani:

From: sunil sahni
To: Jacob Matthan
Date: 30-Dec-2005 17:32
Subject: hello from Sunil


Hello Jacob

Trust you and Anniki and family are all well.

We still remember that wonderful holiday we had at Oulu.

Kamal joins me in wishing you all a very happy new year. (even though I guess there is no sun and the temperature is minus 20C?)

Warm Regards

Sunil and Kamal

From Baharaini 59er Abdilwahhaab Zayani

From: Abdilwahhaab Zayani
To: Jacob
Date: 01-Jan-2006 21:13
Subject: Re: Newsy Notes: New Year Greeting from Finland

dear jacob and annikki

thank you for your greetings and for your interesting blogs etc.. i
wish you a happy and fulfilling new year .

best wishes

abdilwahhaab

From Missisippian 61er Ravi Modak:

Ravi Modak
To: Jacob Matthan
Date: 02-Jan-2006 16:22
Subject: Re: Just realised

Hi Jacob,

A very Happy New Year from all of us to all of you.

Thank you for your concern about the hurricanes. We live some 500+ km North of the Gulf coast but after Katrina did her damage she headed straight for us. By the time it arrived it was but a mere whimper. It was Rita that gave us quite a sideswipe. Living where we are is much safer than the coastline but we live in what's called "tornado alley" plus there is the San Madrid faultline which runs from St Louis South to Memphis. We are 150 km SW of Memphis.

In other words there's no safe place to live in these United States! Or most other countries anyway.

Finland at -20C? Brrrr! I hope you're used to it by now!

Best wishes for a prosperous 2006.

Ravi

From Mumbai-ite 83er Baman K Mehta

Baman K Mehta
To: jmatthan@gmail.com
Date: 03-Jan-2006 11:57
Subject: RE: Newsy Notes: New Year Greeting from Finland

Happy NY J

All the best to you and yr family

baman
1983 palmer

From Mumbai-ite 59er Ashok Kapur

From: Ashok Kapur
To: Jacob
Date: 03-Jan-2006 16:23
Subject: RE: Newsy Notes: New Year Greeting from Finland


Dear Jacob,

Thanks for the New Year Greetings which we heartily reciprocate - it was very interesting reading about Zayani- we must get him to our 50th reunion.

This year the class of 55 had their reunion and they were kind to invite me to a lunch at the Taj hosted by Ramesh Melwani and I belive the Non-residents.

It was good to meet Episcopo and Nerukar who I met after 50 years or more.

Karmally was the local organizer and I must say they did a very good job.

We should make it very special.

Rgds

Ashok

From Canadian Vancouverites 49ers / 51ers Peter and Sheila (née Contractor) Vaney

Sheila Vaney
To: Jacob
Date: 04-Jan-2006 04:56
Subject: Happy New Year


Peter and I take this opportunity to wish you and Annikki all the very best for 2006. May it be a year filled with joy and happiness and good connections with all Cathedralites and Stephenians.

Hope you had a great Christmas as we did. I was in Calgary when your previous e-mail arrived but cannot now trace it anywhere!!!

Regards from us both,

Sheila

From Delhi-ite 49er Yezad Kapadia

Yezad Kapadia
To: Jacob
Date: 05-Jan-2006 08:47
Subject: RE: Newsy Notes: New Year Greeting from Finland

Dear Jacob,

Was happy to have gone through the blog on Cathedralites. Had met Sunil at the Founder's Day celebrations in Mumbai in November.

Ubi Oberoi was in class with my brother Sohrab, whose name appears in your list. Since the two are in touch with one another I guess Sohrab will come to know of the reunion in November. In any case I will meet him later this month and inform him of the reunion.

Was in Mumbai for some weddings last month. Met two of your classmates: Shivdasani, who was in charge of India's aircraft carrier, Vikrant, and Percy Mistry.

Am curently in Bangalore with my daughter and her two adorable sons. Got a mail from Naval P that he is back in Mysore after visiting his son in ths States. We two will get to gether.

Take care.

Yesh.

Must say Anniki's creations are very good.

From Californian 67er Anita Watumull

From: Anita Watumull
To: jacob
Date: 05-Jan-2006 07:41
Subject: Oops - wrong year!¨

Hello Jacob,

Pardon the presumption - I happened upon this page

http://kotinetti.suomi.net/hilja.reinikka/Cathedral/ReunionReports/67erReunion04.html

quite by surprise... after following links in your New Year message.

Shobha certainly is far more efficient than any of us other 67ers, and she reported on our reunion quite accurately. My only objection is the caption on this page - it should read 2005, not 2004.. a small detail, but then every year counts at our age!

Many thanks and apologies for the effort to correct this. Keep up your communication, please. Yours is a lone voice linking us old school boys and girls...

Seasons greetings from California!

Anita

From Canadian Ontarion 60er Cynthia Wilson (née Abbott)

From: Cynthia
To: Jacob
Date: 06-Jan-2006 01:03
Subject: RE: [Bulk] Newsy Notes: New Year Greeting from Finland

Hello Jacob & Annikki

I am sure you both must had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year. We had a really nice time with our son Shane and his wife Sandy and for the first time in many years I did not have to cook the turkey etc.

Your Blog has become part of my morning routine and I love reading all your entries and how wonderful it is that so many ex students are in touch via your tremendous efforts. Keep up your good work.

It is unfortunate that you had 'a negative response' - there is always someone out there ready to criticize but would not take on what you have done all these many years. I am sure you must have more positive comments than negative ones, so don't ever feel guilty about the past ... what's done is done ... learn from any mistakes you might have made and continue with your great Blog entries.

Monty is still working in Nova Scotia and comes home on Friday and out again on Monday morning. I enjoyed my visit to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I thought I might like semi-retirement, but find I am getting bored and so I think I will go back to my Montessori teaching.

I do admire Annikki taking care of her mother, as there are so few of us these days that look after our aged parents. I had my mother live with us in 1993 for a year after my father passed away, but mother did not like living in Canada and insisted on going back and over the years her health has deteriorated and for the past few years has been in a Nursing Home in UK. I usually go home every year, but it is not the same, as actually taking care of my mother.

Already a week into the New Year and I wish you peace, good health and friendships that continue to grow.

Bye for now,
Cynthia

From Virginian 57er Tom Holter to Mumbai-ite 56er HS Uberoi (copy to me)

From: THOMAS HOLTER
To: H S Uberoi
Cc: Jacob Matthan
Date: 07-Jan-2006 05:48
Subject: Hello!

Dear Ubi:

It was great to hear from you by way of Jacob Matthan. He had done a wonderful job putting together his CathedraliteHeaven.Blog.

My wife and I have been doing some house cleaning. In the process I found a number of old school photos. As time permits I will scan them and forward them. After all these years, I can't remember many names. I'm hoping you and others may help me fill in the blanks.

Please note new email address.

Tom

From Mumbai-ite 59er Percy Mistri:

From: Percy M 59er
To: Jacob Matthan
Date: 06-Jan-2006 07:50
Subject: Keep it up

Great.
But
What a lot of work..............
GLAD you enjoy it
as you see from the appreciation ..........
It's worth it
Keep it up
Percy

And many tens of others including Staff Members Willie & Pushpa and Chris & Christine.

I am lucky to have such a wide cross section of friends, YES I AM.

Morning reading....

(This entry has been cross-posted in all the three blogs today.)

We recieved this very beautiful email from a very valued dear friend, Cynthia, from Canada:

Your Blog has become part of my morning routine and I love reading all your entries and how wonderful it is that so many ex-students are in touch via your tremendous efforts. Keep up your good work.

It is unfortunate that you had 'a negative response', - there is always someone out there ready to criticize but would not take on what you have done all these many years.

I am sure you must have more positive comments than negative ones, so don't ever feel guilty about the past ... what's done is done ... learn from any mistakes you might have made and continue with your great Blog entries.

We have been astounded that how many of you have virtually made our three main blog pages as a daily stopover. The daily viewing figures have inspired us no end.

Let us assure all those who received our New Year's letter to alma maters, that quite the diametrically opposite happened when we received that negative mail, the only single one in 10 years, and that was 7 years ago.

It drove us to be better. In the subsequent years we have not received any negative comments.

As our correspondent said, the most important thing about life is to learn from one's mistakes and not commit the same mistake twice.

In 99.9 instances, we have been able to do just that. But there is one mistake Annikki and I have made time and time again. And for that we have no regrets.

Whenever we see people in trouble, we remember our "Christian" values - "love thy naighbour as thyself" and "anyone in trouble is our most IMMEDIATE neighbour."

People have exploited this trait in both of us. But it is something we do not regret, as for every person who misuses this and exploits our values, there are 999 who do become our dear friends for life.

That has what has made our life so full and personally rewarding.

Our friends are stretched out to all corners of this globe. Although we may not be rich and famous, we have REAL friends who are worth more to us than all the money in the bank, our mansions or luxurious cars!



Our 20 year old jalopy, also known as our "little rabbit", will never be touched by any car thief. He/she maybe will even donate a few bob so that we get ourselves a better looking one. But it is valuable to us as it does the job on hand.

Today, the last day of the Christmas season, which is a holiday in Finland, when we opened the local newspaper, we got a most pleasant surprise. The powerful short letter (which I featured the Finnish version in day-before-yesterday's blog entry) that Annikki wrote in response to the idiotic letter which had appeared in the newspaper saying that Finland should be an unicultural society, was published in today's letter's page.

We may soon be shouting "seven in one blow" if this newspaper keeps publishing all that Annikki writes. (We are sure all of you know the story about the tailor and how he killed seven flies when he brought down the fly-swatter and how his poweress of killing seven in one blow spread far and wide. Our grandchildren know the story, so we have assumed that all your grandparents did tell it to you.)

And finally, we spoke for an hour with 8 year old grandson, Samuel, in Newcastle, last night.


2000: Samuel's T-shirt caption says "I am small but dangerous"
and we can vouch for that!

He is, now-a-days, accompanying his mother to the library, as she goes there to study for her exams. This 8 year old rascal is gobbling up children's history books for 5 to 6 hours a day.

And then, every evening, he wants to test OUR knowledge of history!

We have a slight problem. One of you historians out there may be able to help us.

In our Encyclopedia, the British Queen Elizabeth I is shown as the first member from the House of Stuart. However, her father, Henry VIII, is shown as from the House of Tudor. It is known that Elizabeth I did not marry. So how did this change of Royal House take place?.

Samuel claims our Encyclopedia is wrong. Please help us resolve this grave problem. Otherwise we may be the victims of his "dangerous" blow! :-)

All 50ers will remember Tom

57ers seem to be dominating my inputs of late. Sunil last week - and now Tom.

Tom Holter, Head Boy and Palmer House Captain in 1957.

Will anyone forget Tom?

Not likely. Tom was one of the greats of the 50s - even though he was a Palmerite. :-).

So I was thrilled to get an email from him. Here is an edited version of his input.

Dear Jacob:

Thanks so much for including me in your New Year’s greeting. I really enjoyed your cathedraliteheaven.blogspot , in particular the update from Uberoi regarding the 1956 class reunion.

As you may recall, I was Head Boy as well as Palmer House captain in 1957. I have been enjoying the exchange of messages with my classmates; in particular Budhni Budhniwala, Sunil, and Jimmy Patel. My wife and I are planning to attend the class of ’57 50th reunion in 2007. I also remember fondling my association with members of the class of ’55 and ’56. In particular I would welcome hearing from Vijay Nerurker (’55) , Uberoi and Jimmy Tata.

Let me take the time to share more of my history with you. When I left Bombay in 1957, I returned to the US and attended Drexel University in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. I graduated with a BS in Commerce & Engineering in 1962 and while working I got my Masters in Business Administration at night, also at Drexel.

I worked most of my career in procurement, but also spent time in local government, consulting as well as my own technical services company. I retired from Dominion Resources, a very large energy company in 2001.

My wife, Sue, and I have been married 43 years. Currently we live near Richmond, Virginia approx 90 miles south of Washington D.C. My daughter, Wendy is 37. She is a homemaker married to the CEO of a systems engineering consulting company. She has 2 boys ages 7 and 5. My other daughter Nancy is a Senior Network Engineer with a large hospital group in Washington DC. She was married this year in St John, The Virgin Islands.

Sue and I love to travel. I the last 5 years we have visited Italy, France and Spain, London and Hawaii. In August of this year we cruised the Baltic. We loved Helsinki!. I also love to play golf. We both spend a lot of time with our grand children. Life is great!


57er Tom Holter's daughter Nancy's wedding
in St. John's, The Virgin Island, 2005

Here is a photo of my family taken this summer at my daughter’s wedding.

Tom Holter

Fellow Palmerite, 59er Ashok Kapur, take note. In your most recent email you mentioned that you met up with 55er Vijay Nerurker. I wonder if you could help put Tom in touch with him.

Ubi and Jimmy, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with Tom.

I hope that Tom and Sue will plan a trip "through" Finland, in summer. I am sure they would be enthralled by this beautiful country and its glorious summer weather.

Hope you 57ers haver a great reunion in 2007. And do not forget to submit your Reunion Report to me!

My day is made!

I had an email today from a very very dear friend whom I have not seen or heard from in maybe 42 years. It was short and sweet:

dear jacob and annikki

thank you for your greetings and for your interesting blogs etc.. i
wish you a happy and fulfilling new year .

best wishes

abdilwahhaab

59er Abdilwahhaab Zayani in 1962

I could not have asked for a better New Year's gift than that.

Happy New Year all you 59ers and all others too.

Great family picture

Many thanks to Kamal and 57er Sunil for sharing this absolutely great family pucture with Annikki and me, and in turn, with so many Cathedralites out there.



Kamal and Sunil ave braved the worst to visit us in Finland and also see Finland. In Oulu, they stayed at the beautiful seaside cottage, and enjoyed the midnight sun from the seashore.

While walking in the City centre of Oulu, at Kamal's pointing out I took this absolutely lovely picture of the "Wings of Love" Oulu sky.

"Wings of love" summer sky in Oulu, 2004

Annikki was, unfortunately, not too well during their visit and could only spend time in passing with them. She was also greatly overburdened during their visit with the care of her mother to enjoy taking part in their stay in Oulu. Something she greatly regrets.

Welcome back to Oulu, Kamal and Sunil.