Tucker, Georgia High School Class of 1962
Denis James "Jim" Winsness
Report errors and broken links to: Bill Hardin
11th Grade |
12th Grade |
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Married to Beverly Ann Castleberry – my date to THS Jr. and Senior year proms. After reading Pat Sparks Friend's story, I realize that I have to start also before the Tucker years. I don't think I remembered her as someone who didn't seem to have been there all her life! I came to THS to start my junior year and I came from Haverford HS in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It was an exceptional school and I laughed reading Pat say how she was horrified when she saw THS – it was a bit of a shock to me as well! I remember telling friends from HHS that to leave the basement classes, we opened a window and walked across a ramp and then around to the front door. It was certainly different. But I rapidly found it was different in another way – it was FRIENDLY! I had just been another in the masses at HHS, but at THS, people seemed interested in each other. And another early recollection was that it was true – southern girls were outstandingly pretty! I realize now that that Pat Sparks and I had another thing in common – we were dating someone from another school! Beverly Castleberry actually lived 4 houses closer to THS than I did, however, with parents owing the furniture store right next to Chamblee HS, and having attending there all her life, she continued at Chamblee. I took Bev to the Jr. and Sr. proms, but did date one sophomore and two other newcomers from THS. Jimmy Jackson and I became best friends, and while we only saw each other once since THS, we again enjoy immensely the contact we made in Facebook. He was good to look me up – looking for a Jim Jackson is tough :o) By the way, I also enjoyed a great relationship with the band director, Bill Mills and doubt that anyone knew it, but his previous HS from PA and mine tied for the state championship and I was in that band (obviously, he had graduated). On the weekends, it was Bill and Sue (Mills) and Jimmy and Jim. OK – after THS I went to Tech and graduated in Sept. 66 with a BSIM. I decided engineering was not for me and actually credit THS a bit for that. I had changed from an academic to what I thought was a bit more of a human. At Tech, I tried out for the gymnastics team and was lucky enough to be team captain for both the freshman and then the varsity team. Bev was at most of those competitions. I extended my time at Tech by a quarter as I reduced my load during competition quarter each year. Bev and I married in March 66 and lived in the Darlington Apartments on Peachtree for the 6 months before graduation. Actually, on our return from our honeymoon, in my PO box at Tech was the job offer for the General Electric Manufacturing Management Program culminating one fantastic honeymoon! The program moved me every year for 3 years between plants, and every 6 months between positions. I was incredibly lucky to have been accepted. My first year was near Cincinnati and second in Syracuse NY after which I begged for a move SOUTH! Our 3rd year 'on program' was in Summerville SC where I was part of building a new plant. We loved it there and I received an offer and accepted a permanent position 'off program' there at Summerville living there from 68 – 82. We had 2 children, having one newborn for both our first and second anniversaries. That plus working those first 2 years at military plants kept me from Vietnam! Our daughter Amy was born Feb. 13, 1967 and son David was born Feb. 8, 1968. With two as great as them, we were quite content to end it there. Amy graduated from Georgia Tech, and David from Clemson and she and her family are in the Denver area while David is with his family in Alpharetta. Between them, we have 6 grandchildren aged 11 – 16 (in Jan. 2011). I had an opportunity to move the family to Schenectady NY in 1982. HISTORY REVERSED ITSELF! Amy was going into her sophomore year, and David his freshman year but they moved to an incredible school in Niskayuna NY. They had been raised in the south, and finished HS in the north. In both their cases, and mine, the moves were pivotal – we found we could live anywhere and that people were delightful all over the US. I'll not go into my GE career except to say that as with any large company, luck played as much a part as abilities, however, the friends made there are treasures and I take pride in knowing we all succeeded in keeping the lights on in America. All but my first 2 years of a great 36 year career were in the power generation business! We moved to Anderson SC in 1990 and I worked at the Greenville Plant until I hand an opportunity to retire in 2002. That opened the door for us to get obsessed with genealogy. Bev and I have both written many books on our heritage and want our headstone to simply say, “Raised 2 wonderful children, and wrote some family books”. By the way – if anyone finds Penny Watson Ayers – Bev's next book is on the Ayers lineage!!! I look forward to reading the stories of the others from THS and while I was at the 30th anniversary, I've never seen anyone since, so I look forward greatly to the 50th. But I will say it was tough to read of those who have not lived to this date. I feel unworthy to have outlived so many wonderful people and their loss to their friends and family has to be so significant. I am embarrassingly happy to have had such a wonderful life, but as I look back, the refocus of my life in those 2 years at THS were incredibly significant, and made me a much better person, husband, father, and grandfather – I hope. To all of you, I thank you for that.
 Most Likely to Succeed |
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