Introducing
Francis Brown,
Class of 62
Francis has been either a leader or co leader for every reunion we have had in Sumter for the nearly 50 years. Everyone attending, no matter what class over the years probably has met Francis. He has been a wonderful leader and always has his wife Barbara '63 by his side planning or working to make our reunions memorable! What are you doing now or what have you been doing since you left Hillcrest? I received an Air Force commission from Clemson University in 1967 and served 22 years as an AF cargo pilot. Retired in 1989 to take job teaching AFJROTC at Sumter High School. Taught for 2 years and resigned...was not what God put me on earth to do. Went to work for South Carolina Forestry Commission in 1992 and flew fire patrol in light airplanes til I retired in 2007. Was a wonderful, exciting, fulfilling job. I now do whatever my wife of 49 years, Barbara (63), tells me to do.
What have been your interests or hobbies in the last several years?I enjoy piddling in the swamp with friends shooting guns, listening to lies, enjoying cold beverages, and cooking. I am involved with the Post 15 American Legion Baseball program in Sumter and the Sons of the American Revolution. I am blessed to have two wonderful girls, Tori who lives in Columbia, SC(She has two daughters, Katie and Ellie) and Mandi who lives in Sumter (She has two sons, Jackson and Will). Barbara and I stay busy enjoying our grands.
Besides Hillcrest, where have you lived for the past several years?I have lived in Lubbock, TX; Warner Robins, GA; Danang RVN; Dover, DE; Fairview Heights, IL; and Sumter ( I finagled an assignment to Shaw in 1982 and remained there for 7 years til I retired).
IWhat are some of your favorite memories of your years at Hillcrest?have many memories of my 6 years at Hillcrest, some I best not share. In looking back, I don't think anyone could ask for a better high school experience. We got the best years our community and country had, or will provide. I began my tenure at Hillcrest in the 7th grade. I got tangled up with Bubbba Lenoir and Jimmy Jackson right away. This probably wasn't a good way to start but somehow I survived. Our 8th grade homeroom was in the Agriculture classroom out on the breezeway by the Gym. Our teacher was Mrs Moore, a big buxom blond who was a military wife that also taught us Sex Education. Picture that in 1957 at Hillcrest. I can't remember what happened but Bubba, Jimmy, me, and Mrs Moore ended up on the sidewalk outside the classroom with all of our classmates watching through the windows as she wore our butts out. That was the first and last spanking I got in school. As I look back, there are many Hillcrest people who helped shape my life....coaches:Tiller, Pate, Brabam, Pringles...teachers: Dinkins, Sanders, McDonald, Estornell, Stevenson, Kenney, Childress...and a special lady, Lelia Lenoir, who was like a second Mother to me. I never took a class from Mr Childress who taught Agriculture. He ran the busses and supervised my bus driving. I was wearing my baseball uniform my junior year when he caught me smoking in the gym bathroom. I figured that I would be expelled and kicked off the baseball team. He said that he would have to think about my punishment and told me to go on out to the baseball field for the game that was about to start. I did so and was in left field when he strolled from the gym to the bench where he sat down and started talking to Coach Pate. I figured my career was over. Surprisingly, I never heard anything else about about it but never smoked another cigarette at Hillcrest. Mr Childress is a retired Principal who lives in Laurens, SC. Several of us: Bubba, Tommy Laney, Rowland Alston, Johnnie Mikell, Sammy Lenoir, Tommy Ross, and Robert Gaddy visit with him periodically. I asked him about my smoking experience. He didn't remember it. I'm sure he headed many other kids in the right direction and never thought anything about it. Another Childress experience. My bus driver, Johnny Carl Brown, had a wreck below Wedgefield when running his route to school one morning. I was waiting on the bus in front of my house between Wedgefield and Hillcrest. Mr Childress came down the road, stopped, said there had been a wreck (No one was injured), and told me to jump in his car. We went and investigated the mishap. What would happen today if a 14 year old student jumped in a teacher's car without parental permission and took off. We grew up in a different time. I am thankful that I was blessed with the opportunity to experience it.March Edition edited by Bob Noe bnoe3174@gmail.com
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Introducing
Patti Wright Stubbs
Class of '66
An introduction to Patti is probably not too necessary since she has been involved in every reunion we have had at Hillcrest for the 60-66 folks. Living in Sumter for several years as an elementary teacher, she was always our link to everything in Sumter. Since most of us were considered country kids since our school was in Dalzell, having Patti living in the city of Sumter has been great for us. As you will see in her interview, she has taken on one of the hardest jobs in America for most of her career...teaching! What are you doing now or what have you been doing since you left Hillcrest?
Since leaving Hillcrest, I worked at Shaw AFB & Fort Jackson Personnel Offices for 9 years. Then I went back to school & graduated from Univ. of South Carolina. I taught elementary school in Sumter for 29 years.
What have been your interests or hobbies in the last several years?
I married Charlie Stubbs in 2004. With one "I do" I became a wife, a mother, & a grandmother. We have both retired & enjoy going to our beach house & spending time with family & friends. Shagging is still a fun part of our life.
Besides Hillcrest, where have you lived for the past several years?In November, we moved to Lexington, SC just 10 minutes from our son & grandsons. We did live in Sumter and Irmo, SC for a time.
What are some of your favorite memories of your years at Hillcrest?
My favorites memories of Hillcrest are:
1) My 1st day (Kay Hooper's birthday) 6th grade recess - Marian, Lucy, Chappie, Freddie,Rowland, Kathy, Paul, etc. were taking turns seeing how long they could kiss under the coats. What an introduction to Hillcrest. 2) Meeting all the new 9th graders. Loved those new Shaw AFB kids. 3) Being a cheerleader - What fun cheering for our Wildcats! I'm still jumping up & down & screaming but for my Carolina Gamecocks. 4) Seeing classmates over the last 30 years at class reunions. Great memories! Patti
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Introducing
Phil Capron
Class of '67
Phil was on my basketball team when I was a senior and he was a junior. I am sure he was very active while at Hillcrest. Since graduating he has been very helpful in finding folks from his class of '67 and some others. As you can see from the answers to our questions, he has taken some of the knowledge he learned at Hillcrest and become a very successful businessman.
EDUCATION:
BBA Finance , University of Texas
MBA Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, University of Wisconsin
What are you doing now and what has been your primary work since you left Hillcrest?
Left Hillcrest with my good friend Steve Kotter for the University of Texas and we roomed together for our first 2 years. When we arrived, we found that Lee Calaway had also decided to attend here. Unusual for 3 of us from such a small high school would end up together so far away. Finally got serious about school in my sophomore year. Met my wife Jane here in Austin and we have now been married 46 years with a son in Austin and a daughter in Los Angeles. Took my first job with a public company in large scale residential and commercial development Chicago, then moved to Dallas 3 years later with a similar private firm. Became a Partner there after 4 years and moved to Austin to head up real estate development in Austin, San Antonio and Houston. Developed about 2 M square feet of office,industrial and apartments. The market largely crashed in Texas in 1986, so I left and formed my own company doing property management and leasing for the many commercial foreclosures taken back by large insurance companies, who had been my financial partners on a number of my past developments. Grew the company to 200 people and sold the management arm to a Public Company in 1999 and stayed for 4 years to run the Southern Division of the Los Angeles based company. Left after that 4 years to form a new, but much smaller firm concentrating only on purchasing office buildings and apartments to fix them up to their previous Class A condition, re lease them and sell in 3 to 5 years. I am now mostly retired having sold everything in the 5 Southwestern cities that I owned properties in, retaining just a few in Austin only. Doing volunteer work with groups like Habitat for Humanity and the City of Austin on affordable housing initiatives.
What have been your interests or hobbies the last several years?
Primarily travel overseas and around the US, art collecting and drinking fine wine. I have attempted to play golf without much success except to boost the egos of those I am playing with. Best trip was last year on a photo safari to Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa for 3 weeks.
Beside Sumter County, where else have you lived since Hillcrest?
Austin, Texas: Madison, Wisconsin: Chicago, Illinois: and Dallas, Texas. Austin is by far and away still my favorite city!
Now what are some of your favorite memories of your time at Hillcrest?
Mrs. James English class. She prepared me for college more than any other teacher. Good friends that played poker together many nights every week including Steve Kotter, Jan Shekita, Chris Walling and many others.
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