Just like a movie, this all begins with this picture of Bill and Bettye's beautiful wedding. As the movie unfolds, we flashback to reveal the plot and build the background. (Cut to Scene one)
Scene one - Bettye (the Bride) and Demetra (Bridesmaid, 2nd from the left) are roommates at TCU.
Scene two - Bill (the Groom) and Bob (Best Man) are in the same class and friends in Army Infantry OCS.
Scene three - Bill, Bob and Ron (Groomsman, 2nd from the right) are stationed together at Ft Hood, TX and living the good life in the BOQ.(Stick with me we are getting closer)
Scene four - Demetra introduces Bettye to Bill.
Scene five - Bob and Demetra get married.
Scene six - (Now we are almost back to the wedding.) Bill asks Ron to be his sister Patty's (Bridesmaid, 3rd from the left) escort at the wedding. (Bring up the music)
Scene seven - (Now we are back to the present and here comes the big finale.) Bill and Bettye get married. The wedding is gorgeous and joyful. Patty catches a highly contested bouquet, Ron is hit between the eyes with the garter and the rest ... well it's in this album.
The honeymoon in beautiful Acapulco de Juárez Mexico. We stayed at the Las Bresis which was located in the mountains overlooking the spectacular vista of Acapulco bay. Our casita had a private pool and a spectacular view of Acapulco.
A reunion of the Fort Hood group at Bob & Demetra Pender's beautiful Abilene, TX home. No trip to Abilene would be complete without a resupply run to Buffalo Gap for much needed supplies.
My introduction to Alaska was made by accompanying Hubert Lasiter to fish for Coho Salmon. He was a gentleman and a man's man in every sense of the word. He was in the class of the last real cowboys and a learned man who never finished grammer school. Extremely successful and just as humble, He was a man to admire and a special honor to know. Several movies could be made about
his life and the stories he told.
What a bash!! This event was made special by the people who came to help me celebrate. Bob & Demetra Pender, Bill & Bettye Hussey, Bob & Gaye Williams and Ron & Belinda Byer. I am truly grateful for these photos because at the time things were a wee bit fuzzy.
Gaye and Patty founded the Toot group in 1984 as a monthly social gathering. Comprised mostly of friends who worked together at Texas Instruments, each member was responsible to organize one IN'ee (at their house) and OUT'ee (at some place that hadn't ban us) on a rotating basis. SubstiTOOTS were acceptable and ImpostiTOOTS were tolirated.
The Hussey's, Bill, Bettye, John and Alizabeth, were still stationed on Oahu. Patty, Patty's mom, Brian, Kevin and I flew over. We rented a house on the island of Hawaii that came with the boat that you see pictured here. The result was an epic good time that ranks as probably the best trip ever. The stories from this trip have been told and retold many times.
New Orleans was the scene of another wild birthday bash. Joining Patty and I were Bob and Demetra Pender, Jack and Cheri Musser, Bob and Gaye Williams, Bill and Bettye Hussey. Stan Stanfield, Mark and Debbie Palmer
Reservations for this trip were made before Bill's death. Uncle Roy joined us and was a real treat as we remembered and celebrated Bill's life in a manner that Bill would have liked.
I was working in London and had an apartment in South Kensington while Patty and the kids stayed in Atlanta. This provided a great opportunity for travel. This section of the album contains photos from
This was the trip of a lifetime and ranks as the most beautifully scenic of all our trips. Alaska is so big and overwhelmingly gorgeously that it is hard to fully comprehend in the moment. We made this trip with our great friends John and Maureen Capobianco who made it special and fun. Who knew the word "Armageddon" could cause convulsions from laughing so hard. John was the trips official photographer and is the creator of the amazing photographs you will see here.
Ron and Patty
Photos of our life, family, friends and travels