Category Archives: Alumni

Philip Hara — Class of 1963

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Phil passed away Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at age 79 from complications after a fall at home.

Philip Leon Hara was born November 17, 1945 in San Bernardino, CA, the third child of George and Ina (Thompson) Hara. In 1949 George moved the family to Trona where Phil grew up and was educated in Trona Schools a part of the class of 1963.

Phil enlisted in the US Navy and during his time in Corpus Christi, Texas he met and married his wife Sylvia. He was then sent to serve aboard the USS Ticonderoga in the midst of the Vietnam War. After discharge he returned to San Bernardino, California to work for the Santa Fe railroad as a diesel engine mechanic. Together, he and Sylvia raised 2 daughters before moving to Apple Valley. Phil had a life long love for all things pertaining to mechanics and engines. He built a 32 Ford Roadster with a v6 blower and restored a Cushman motorcycle. He rode the motorcycle once in the Trona Homecoming Parade replete with leather helmet and googles.

Phil loved Desert History and Lore but most of all he loved coming home to Trona every October for Trona’s Homecoming visiting with as many old alumni friends he could find. Phil leaves behind his wife, 2 daughters, a son-in-law, 3 granddaughters, and many good friends.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/apple-valley-ca/philip-hara-12160938

Bill Witt

Willaim Witt — Class of 1945

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The Witt family came to Trona, CA from Chloride, AZ around 1942 and left about for Henderson, NV around 1948 so they weren’t in Trona for very long but he did graduate from Trona High School and he stayed in touch with lit Brush. The 1950 census lists his father as a foreman so I suspect he was recruited, like other were, to move to AP&CC’s plant in Henderson.

Bill was born April 4, 1947 and died in January 21, 2025. Perhaps someone could let use know if he had a family> He was one of the last living members of his class.

https://obituaries.neptune-society.com/obituaries/sacramento-ca/william-witt-12212063

Terri Durland

Teresa Ann “Terri” (Durland) Allen — Class of 1945

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Our beloved mom Terri Allen passed away peacefully on February 8, 2025 at the age of 97. Terri was born in Los Angeles, California in 1927 and was raised in Trona, a company-owned mining town in the Mojave Desert.

After graduating from high school in Trona, she moved to Berkeley and attended the University of California, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1949. She was in the Sigma Kappa sorority at Cal. She met her future husband, Don Allen, at Cal, and they were married in 1950 and lived in the Bay Area. The marriage ended in divorce. Terri worked as an administrative assistant in Menlo Park for many years and raised their three children, Leslie, Curt and Paul, as a single mom. After she retired, she moved to Grass Valley in 1999.

Terri was an active and dedicated member of the Baha’i Faith, and she served on the Baha’i Local Assembly as Secretary and as Treasurer for over 30 years. She was an avid reader and loved books about different cultures, societies and stories from around the world. She was a person of profound integrity and a strong sense of justice, and she stood up for and supported human rights and the oneness of humanity.

Terri is survived by her daughter Leslie Platner and son-in-law Paul Platner of Grass Valley, and her son Paul Allen and daughter-in-law Laura Allen of Emerald Hills. Terri’s son Curt passed away in 2018. Terri was a native Californian, “memah” and “purple nana” to six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and lived a long happy life, from the great Mojave Desert to the gold-rich Sierra foothills.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 1 p.m. at Unity in the Gold Country Spiritual Center, 180 Cambridge Ct, Grass Valley.

For those wishing to make charitable donations in Terri’s memory, please consider Hospice of the Foothills.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/terri-allen-obituary?id=57546311

Terri’s father was a chemical engineer. They lived in Trona from at least 1930 to 1950. She had a younger brother, William, who passed away in 2006.

According to the 1950 census the Durland’s lived at 306 Lupine St

The 1945 yearbook says Terri’s nickname was “Te De”. Terri probably went to elementary school in the old elementary school on Main St. and then I suspect she may went away to school and came back to finish school when Trona High School was completed in 1942.

 

Andy Ford — Class of 1962

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Andy Ford (Class of 1962, valedictorian) died 29 December 2024 from dementia at the age of 80. More than a scholastic star, Andy was a half-back on the Trona Tornado football team and ran track on the Ruth Mine tailings-covered track (really a fast surface!). He received a BS in electrical engineering from UC Davis, then went on for an MS in mathematics at Harvard, finishing with a Ph.D. in Systems Dynamics Engineering at Dartmouth. Worked at Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico for 10 years, then became a Professor, first at USC and then Washington State Univ. Andy loved teaching, mentoring several graduate students and writing a well received (and in current use) textbook “Modeling the Environment”.

He married his high school sweetheart, Amy Stone, and was a loving, dedicated family man for over 50 years. They have 2 daughters with 5 grandchildren, who live in Grand Junction, Colorado, close to Andy and Amy. Andy loved fly fishing and spent many hours hiking along brisk flowing rivers in California, Washington, and Colorado.

https://www.lmtribune.com/obituaries/frederick-andrew-andy-ford-18481703

Janet “Jan” (Long) Reichert — Class of 1970

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Janet’s husband, Rick, left a message on Facebook telling us Janet has passed away. Jant is the daughter  of Onace Long who played so many rolls in the Trona Unified School District.

https://memorials.leintzfh.com/janet-reichert/5501048/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3kw4HoCK39M7LWToWpkDmiNeH4sLa5DIxMjWunsWH6q_7HiFowieZhUVs_aem_025plC2qYBoRclyBK9xI9A

Nancy (Smith) Morris — Class of 1955

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Nancy (Smith) Morris (1936-2024) was born in Pennsylvania but came to Trona as a child and attended school in Trona from kindergartens until graduation in 1955. See married Eugene Morris in 1958. They were married 61 years until his death in 2019. They had two children, Paula (Morris) Lee and  Pete Morris both of them attended Trona High School.

Bruce-Knowles-1961

Bruce “Butch” Knowles — Class of 1964

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I recently learned that Bruce Knowles passed away. I don’t remember him well but I do remember his family. His parents were Howard and Ruth Knowles. He had a cousin named Larry in the class of 1953 and a half sister named Gwen (Knowles) Russell who was also in the class of 1953.  Gwen marred Ira Russell who was in the class of 1951. Bruce also had a younger brother, Kenny.

Our condolences to his family.