Received June 7, 2010

Semi – retired from counseling/yoga/meditation classes and clients

Son –  David – 40 years old and does video production with Cisco. He loves being a family man

and dad to his two children and his passions are ultra runs and a few years back, he did the Iron Man Triathlon in Madison.

Grandchildren – Lauryn -9 and Jake -5

Parents- Deceased

Sisters- Pauline, Barbara, Susan, and Deborah all well and living/working in various states.

In 1965 I graduated from college and married a man from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. We moved to Palo Alto, CA. for his graduate work and my first teaching experience. In Palo Alto we lived down the street from Ann and Gene Armstrong and we spent some good time together while experiencing the freshness of career and marriage.

After John’s graduation, he accepted a job in New York City, and I found another teaching position on Long Island where we lived for a few more years. During this time we had a son, David, who is now 40 and married with two children.

While living in New York, we longed to be in California, so we headed back. I decided to go back to school to receive my Masters Degree in Counseling and a few years later, John and I divorced and continued to raise our son together. I began counseling in the Community College System in California and teaching yoga at various colleges and universities in the bay area. I incorporated the yoga philosophy of living/meditation with my counseling and started doing private work.  I have been doing this kind of work for the past 35 years.

As I reflect back on memories of WHS, I think of fun, fun, and more fun! Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on the intellectual wonders that were available to us at WHS but the experience did mold my life values and whet my appetite for later on in life when intellectual curiosity took more of a front seat. Some of the moments I do remember about high school classes and academics are like snap shots in time such as; watching a calf being born in one of the glassed in labs while walking across campus to field hockey for P.E, sitting next to Pete Wolf in Geometry in hopes of getting help from him, for some reason I remember Mr. Mock in Algebra standing at the blackboard trying to help me understand something algebraic, and Mr. Gale who worked hard for me as my academic advisor. Bless them for their efforts!

Having said all that, I don’t want to discount the great fun I had in the halls laughing and chatting with friends, all the dances in the 2nd floor gym, Rennebohm’s for cokes and grilled Danish, Marty’s where the wild ones went for their morning ciggy and ‘bonding’, and later on to the Badger Tavern where age fraud was at an all time high. And, I hold dear the memories of all the times outside of the halls of daily life at WHS such as; sunny summer days water skiing and playing on Lake Mendota, sledding down Blackhawk Hill  in the winter, hot chocolate after learning how to ski (maybe that was 8th grade at Highlands), riding in convertibles, sneaking back out after coming home within curfew time, Al Felt throwing rocks at my bedroom window late at night with my Dad at my window before I could get there, spending hours on the phone with the same high school friends I just spent the day with…… on and on it goes. It was all great fun and I wouldn’t have missed a minute of it!

Presently, I live in Alameda, California a few miles from my son and his family and am able to spend good time with the family. I do some counseling/yoga/meditation work, sing in the church choir, have done volunteer work teaching meditation to inmates at the prison, go to dance and various music performances, love cooking again, work in my potted garden (veggies and flowers), laugh as much as possible, still love to travel, take some fun classes, enjoy good friends, and live a fairly quiet and peaceful life.

Wisconsin High School
55^th Reunion – July 24 – 25, 2015

 BIO:        Patricia Reis
Received:  July 3, 2015

First I want to thank those who sent/called their condolences to me regarding the recent passing of my Cousin Jimmy, our classmate (he’ll always be Jimmy to me). His passing was a shock for all of us so it was most comforting to receive your kind words. I am going back to Texas for his Memorial on July 18^th.

During the last 5 years of my life. I went back to live in Wisconsin for a few years which gave me the opportunity to spend time with family and to visit with ‘old’ friends. One set of dear friends I was able to spend some time with was Ann and Gene Armstrong. We spent some time together after UW football games and on several special occasions we joined together for spirits and fun. Living in the Madison area was a nice reunion for me and I felt like my life had come full circle. However, I missed my family in California and was drawn back to be with family and friends in the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, I am living in Alameda, California and my family is 20 minutes from where I live.  I consider this a blessing.

A year and a half ago I started a most intense 3-year program in an area called Spiritual Direction. Basically a short version or definition of a Spiritual Director is one who is available for people who wish to talk with someone regarding their personal journey in life with their God.  I am half way through the program and have been deeply moved and enriched because of the program. The upcoming last year is one of ‘in training work’, an internship under supervision directly working with people who are called to do this work. For me, it is my heart work to be a Spiritual Director and I am grateful to be on this path.

I have a spirited bichon dog named Charlie who is 2 years old and my partner in crime.  My life is full with part time counseling work at the local college, some private counseling, the Spiritual Direction program I am in and family and friends.  Also, I sing in our church choir every Sunday and do other volunteer work , mostly with the church.

I am sorry to not be present in person for the reunion but I will be there in spirit and wish each of you a wonderful time reconnecting with ‘old’ friends. It is my intention and God willing, to be at the next reunion and hopefully will be able to connect with you.

Wisconsin High School
60th Reunion – September 17, 2020

BIO:        Patricia Reis

Received:  September 1, 2020

I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since I wrote the last Bio Update. Oh My God, where does this life go. Seems like only yesterday we were walking down the halls of WHS to get to our next class or running to Marty’s for a quick ciggy during lunch. I find it all amazing and wonder if others experience the same ‘OMG!

About 1.5 years ago I left Alameda, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and moved up to the Wine Country. The Wine Country is about 70 miles north of the Bay Area. Living here seems like a world away from the Bay Area. Since I’m now living in Wine Country, I’ve been taking classes in the wines produced not only here but in the entire world and it’s been so interesting learning the culture of wine. I am just a beginner but fortunately I am in class with many experts who have been in the wine world for generations. I’m learning! And yes, I do drink wine…and as I become more educated on wines, I believe I am now drinking better wines. There is so much to know about wine and it will take this life and probably the next one or two to understand it well.

The only down side to living in wine country is our summers are sometimes hot. This summer we had 100-degree temperatures for almost a week and as a result had fires caused by lightning storms in our hills. You probably heard about it in the news. It’s been awful and the air is unhealthy for animals and people. Not only is the pandemic keeping us inside but the smoke in the air keeps many of us inside until the brave firefighters put out the fires. At least the masks help in both circumstances when we have to go out.

Some family info: My son David is still working at Cisco full time as a project manager and moonlighting for various TV stations doing videography on various sporting events. He was ‘bummed’ because he had been asked to do some work on the 2020 Olympics in Japan until they were postponed in response to the pandemic.  David’s Children, Lauryn (19) and Jacob (15), my grandchildren are doing well; Lauryn in her 2nd year at San Luis Obispo living down in SLO. She does not like doing her classes online, and Jacob loves his open time and does like going to HS online. Covid has definitely put a wrench in our ability to spend much time together and I do miss them.

I look forward to talking to you on September 17th. w/our zoom meeting.  Hopefully, we can all make the following reunion in person 5 years from now.