Many thanks to all of our friends and family who were able to attend one or more events of our 50th anniversary celebration. The experience exceeded all of our wildest expectations. Seeing and talking with each of you–even if it was not as long as we would have liked–was the highpoint for us. And we were also happy with the renewal of old friendships, and the creation of many new ones, among our guests from all around the globe.
For those who share my fascination with numbers, here is a brief overview of who and where. There were 77 out-of-town guests, including 23 who currently live outside the U.S. Of the 77 persons from out of town, 53 persons stayed in campus housing and 24 stayed in hotels or with friends. There were also 87 Seattleites who attended one or more of the events. The August 22 barbeque at our house drew the largest crowd with about 130 guests, and the other reception/dinners had about 75 to 90 persons attending. An informal poll of my grandchildren revealed that that the Argosy cruise and the Museum of Flight were the favorite venues, but they liked all of them.
Several of you have sent pictures and videos from the celebration. To share them with all of you, I have added a link below to see them all. These may be of particular interest to those who were not able to come to Seattle. If you have pictures or videos that you like to share, please send them to me or just the link if you have posted them online. I will update this page from time to time as I receive additional contributions. I have also posted the random selection of old family pictures “Snapshots of our Life” shown at the farewell dinner. I have also posted the slides from Loi’s wonderful presentation.
Finally, we are more than a bit overwhelmed and humbled by all of the kind words we received, spoken and written. If we have done anything right over the last 50 years, it is because of the example of family, friends, mentors, and others who have gone before. The only way to repay these debts is to pass kindness and generosity along to others.
Jo and Charlie
Links:
Photos and videos from the 50th Anniversary
Why we are celebrating?
The front story
The back story