Circular No 992

 

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 7 of November 2020 No. 992

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Dear Friends,

Reminder: the last issue is no. 1000 to be dated 2 of January 2021.

Although the Circular is going to be open to receive your information, I need to receive your input as to how I can maintain the circulation.

All subscriptions will be terminated with the last issue.

Donations are welcomed from those that have been steadfast supporters.

At this time, I am in the list of recipients receiving donation from the ASAA and the group of George Mickiewicz.

I have calculated that the minimum needed is a dozen of donors at 52usd per year.

Now back to some News on Joe Schoemaker, interesting information on the sugar estates.

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idmitch@anguillanet.com

Wed, 28 Oct, 11:00

Dear Joe,

I just looked you up in the MSB database and note you are living in California.

I do hope both the fires and the pandemic have left you and yours severely alone.

I see also that you would have been in Form V at Mount in 1969. 

I left in Form V in 1964. 

Yet, I remember a blond boy named Schoemaker prior to my finally leaving Mount. 

As I recall, he came to Mount at that time from Grenada. 

Would that have been you?

I also see that your father was a chemical engineer at Woodford Lodge in Caroni. 

The coincidence is that my dad also worked at Woodford Lodge, but several years before.

He went there as general manager in about 1953, and left in about 1960. 

Actually, he was fired by Sir Harold Robinson, its owner. 

Sir Harold sent a message that he wanted to speak to him while he was in the middle of a burning canefield helping the workers to put the fire out. 

When my dad did not immediately come to see what Sir Harold wanted, Sir Harold took a cutlass and cut the hose, reportedly saying, “That will make the bitch come out.”

There followed some sort of altercation resulting in him being told he was fired.

Fortunately, Sir Kenneth Blackburn of Caroni Ltd knew his worth and hired him immediately.

He then joined Caroni, where he advanced after several years, and a couple of stints in Jamaica at Tate & Lyle’s estates there, to be general manager of Caroni too. 

Nigel Boos’s stepfather, Dr Sir Henry Pierre, was the Chairman of the Board of Caroni Ltd at the time my father was there.

Hope you are keeping well.

Best,

Don

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Tue, February 23, 2010 6:02:13 AM

Re: Josh (Joe) Schoemaker and Attila Gyuris meet again after 40 years.

This correspondence has opened up memories of two previously unmentioned OB's - Lee Hong Sing and McCartney.

My notes to date indicate that there were 3 McCartney Boys who attended school at MSB - Thomas, Raymond and Richard.

So far, only Richard has been listed as a 2nd MSB Scout.

Therefore, I'd say that the odds are, that the boy identified as "McCartney" could very well be Richard McCartney.

Thanks, fellas.

Nigel

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On 2010-02-22, at 9:48 PM,

Attila GYURIS wrote:

Hi Specs:

Yes, it was a wonderful meeting.

Long overdue. Just to think we lived so close all these years without knowing it!

To answer your question... You do remember it correctly.  

As I described in my report below, Josh did indeed move to Hilo, (on the big island of Hawaii,) with his parents right after he got out of Form V at the Mount. 

His father, being a sugar plant processing expert, got a new job there.

And that's where they stayed for the rest of their lives. (not a bad place to stay, I may add).

(By the way, Hawaii is part of the USA. It is the 50th State, incorporated in 1959. It is the only State of the USA composed entirely of tropical islands....Maybe you meant the "Mainland" USA?)

Anyway, while living in Hawaii, Josh graduated from High school, then got a BA degree in Chemistry from a small local college there, and after that, he decided he wanted to go on to get a Chemical Engineering degree.

Except that career degree was not offered in Hawaii where he lived! 

So he applied to the University of Oregon (that's in the mainland, on the West Coast of the US, just above California), and received his Chem, E. degree from there.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, he never returned to live in Hawaii, as he went on to jobs with food processing companies all located in the US Mainland. 

He is now self-employed as a consultant and works out of his house mostly.

Thanks for the names on the scout camp photo.  

Would you remember McCartney's first name?

Regards,

Attila Gyuris

PS: I will gladly convey your regards when I see him next. But you all can write him directly also!

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From: Michael D'Ornellas <michael@elchicoeggs.com>

Date: Monday, February 22, 2010, 8:57 AM

Hi Attila,

What a great e-mail and such a wonderful experience.

Man, the last time I saw Josh was at Mount.

Josh & his parents lived at Sevilla in Caroni and were very friendly with Robert Wakefield.

I was always under the impression that Josh moved and settled in Hawaii … was not aware he moved to the USA.

Kindly give him my fondest regards when you speak with him.

Attila, you and your family look great.

The two unidentified people in your Scout camp photo are: # 8 Mc Cartney & # 5 Lee Hong Sing

Take care my friend and have happy, healthy, and peaceful 2010.

Michael.

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From: Attila GYURIS [mailto:gyuris@yahoo.com]

Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:27 PM

Well, it finally happened last Saturday Feb 6, 2010.

After having to postpone this reunion for one reason or another, we finally met.

We were able to carve out some time out of our busy schedules for a long-overdue reunion at Joe Schoemaker's beautiful house in Orange County California.

We had been living only about 40 minutes away all these years without knowing it.

The last time we saw or heard from each other was when we said goodbye at the Abbey School Senior dorm on the third floor as we were furiously packing in our cubicles to go home, after having sat for the last "O" Level GCE test, sometime in June 1969.

We used to know him as "Josh" at the Mount, but since his real name is Joseph,

when he and his family moved to Hilo , on the big island of Hawaii , (right after we both finished Form V in 1969), his name in the US became Joe.

So it is Joe from now on.

Joe and wife Adrienne have 3 children, two older daughters (in their mid to late 20's), and a younger son, Matthew, 20.

His two daughters were not there, as they have moved out for jobs elsewhere.

One daughter is in Singapore and the other is married and living in the Middle East. they are both chefs.

Youngest son Matthew is still living at home and is studying at a local college to work in the food and beverage industry.

His charming wife, Adrienne is from Texas .

Joe has dual degrees, one in pure Chemistry and then one in Chemical Engineering. 

He made a career working in the food processing industry and now he owns his own engineering consulting company, TriTek Inc.  

He is fortunate to be working out of his home.

His wife Adrienne runs the home office and keeps the books.

It was a magical evening, meeting Joe after 40 years of not seeing or knowing of him.

He was one of my best friends at the Mount.

We were together in the house of St. Anthony, in the Aqualads swim team, in the Woodpeckers patrol in Scouts, and of course in all the same Forms in school for the entire 5 years we were there. 

During "Parent's" day at the Mount, Joe's mom and dad always "adopted" me as my surrogate parents for the day.

Sometimes, during the long holiday weekends, and once for the entire Easter vacation, he would invite me to spend it (when we were allowed to leave) as a guest at his house in the sugar plantation, where his Dad worked as a manager.

Those outings were always so special for me since all my family was far away in Caracas.

Also, there were quite a few girls in that beautiful compound where they lived in the sugar plantation, so you can imagine me, a Mount boy, suddenly let loose on unsuspecting girls,... girls,.. real girls, everywhere!!!  It didn't really matter what they looked like. :-)

All in all it, was a wonderful evening.  

Joe and Adrienne are looking terrific and in good health.  

We did a lot of "catching up" about our lives during the last 40 years.

Interestingly, we hardly reminisced at all about the old Mount days. 

Time just flew by, and suddenly it was time to leave. 

We will leave the Mount reminiscing for our next get-together at my house in Lake Mathews where I will bring out all the old photos.

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RE: a January 2010 get together sounds fine

From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com> 

Hi Joe,

Man it’s so good you saved me on this one, sometimes I do get into trouble for the emails, but I say, just block me if it’s a problem.

Well Joe, I think you made three people happy today, Attila, Jan, and me, I am just happy they not picking on me anymore ha! ha!

Have a good one, so good to hear from you. 

Best regards to you and your family. 

Glen McKoy.

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Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:14:46 -0800

From: gyuris@yahoo.com

Dear Josh (you will always be good ol' Josh to me):

Thanks for responding.

Certainly, a January 2010 get together sounds fine.

As you know, we live less than 30 minutes away from each other.

You say when.  I will be waiting for you to call, since I don't want to pressure you or anything.

Regards,

Attila Gyuris

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From: JOESCHOE@aol.com

Date: Monday, November 23, 2009, 2:57 PM

Hi Guys,

Sorry for not responding sooner but we have been on vacation.

I have not received any direct emails from Jan or Attilla in the last few months.

I have been receiving and reading the general emails and newsletters and other stuff as time permitted - no problem there, Glen - it is good to read about the various activities and news about all our brothers.

It was over a year ago since I spoke to Attilla on the phone - we have just been very busy with family activities, family business and our contracting company (which had its biggest year ever in 2008) – so I apologize for not communicating sooner - it has been crazy.

It is a small company and I wear many hats and it takes a lot of time.

I received a Christmas 2008 letter from Jan - it is still here on my desk - unanswered.

I think I told Jan in an email that we intended to go to Holland this year - that has not been possible - but I need to go since my god-mother/favourite aunt has been sick and getting up there in years and I need to visit her soon.

So, I hope we will get a chance to visit in the near future.

Attilla - maybe we can get together in January of 2010 - the end of the year is usually a busy time for us - some of our customers shut down for the holidays and want us to work on their various projects -and of course there are the family holiday activities. 

Let me know.

Best regards,

Joe(Josh) Schoemaker MSB '63-'69

Villa Park, CA 92861

(714)306-6014 cell

(714)639-1667 fax

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In a message dated 11/5/2009 2:28:05 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, mckoy43glen@hotmail.com writes:

Hello Joe,

I got an email from Jan Koenraadt, he said he cannot get in contact with you, he believes it’s all the emails, you have been receiving for me, might be the problem. 

I am sorry your name is on a list I send stuff out on, he said it may a problem for you, Joe I am sorry if it has, please forgive me, I will take it off.

Also please contact Jan or Attilla, they were trying to get a hold of you for some time now.

Best regards, Glen.

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Abbey Old Boys: This is what Josh Schoemaker recalls about Philip Tetzelli. Anyboby else attending MSB from about 1964-67 remembers anything else about him???

JOESCHOE@aol.com wrote:

Here is what I remember about Philip Tetzelli - attended MSB from about 1964-67 or 68. He lived with his parents in Grenada.

He left after Form 3 or 4 to move with his parents to Europe, I think Czechoslovakia.

He was in the Boy Scouts and Aqualads - I don’t remember if he played any other sports

Joe Schoemaker

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.

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Photos:

17LK8518FBACHWFE, Anthony Chankar

10JS0002JSHFAM, Josh Schoemaker and family

15LK5371FBDGUGRP, Dennis Gurley

14LK2610FBUNKNOWN, UNKNOWN from Fr. Cuthbert party 90.