Letter From Bill Hoover

Dear Classmates, I hope all find you well. As you know, George Zeberlein, our longtime class president, passed away recently. We all owe George a debt of gratitude for his long and productive service to the class. There are no class procedures or guidelines as to how to select a new president. I have been reluctant to assume the position but in the long tradition of the military, when the leader goes down, the next in line is expected to step up. After talking to several classmates, I have decided to do just that and assume the title of President, Class of 1954. If anyone objects or would like to be considered, please let me or the Alumni Association (wendy.owen@usna.com) know that you may be interested. Thank you, Bill Hoover Exec. Vice President '54

Death of a Classmate - Geoge V. Zeberlein

A&SP Trustees,   It is with great sadness that I report the passing of fellow Trustee (Emeritus) George V. Zeberlein.   George was a Trustee from 1983 to 2013, when he was elevated to Emeritus.  He passed away Tuesday 29 August.  He was 93 years old.   Please keep the Zeberlein family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Rest in Peace Sir.   Very respectfully, Don

Death of a Classmate: John Walter Rigterink

cpnwally@charter.net You Hello Cdr. Croom. I hope that you will put this in the '54 column. John Walter Rigterink (Walt), a member of the 10th company, died suddenly on January 21, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marilyn, and children Daniel, Nancy and Andrew. He was preceded in death by his son Mark. Walt had six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Thank you. Beat Army!

Death of a Classmate: Wally Anderson

Dear Will, I wanted to let you know about Wally (class of 1954) for email distribution to the Naval Academy Group. Walter S. (Wally) Anderson went to be with Lord May 27, 2023 in San Antonio, TX. In 1950, Wally accepted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy for which he developed a lifelong admiration. He proudly served as Brigade Commander during the first quarter of his senior year. After graduation, Wally met his wife, Jean Marie in Venice during his first Mediterranean cruise on the Charles P. Cecil DDR 835. He became a naval aviator in 1957 serving most of his duty in the Far East as a Patrol Plane Commander in VP50 until he was needed in a family business in Bryan, TX. During his time as a civilian, Wally held leadership positions in numerous Christian organizations. He is survived by his wife, Jean Marie, San Antonio TX, daughter Courtney Nicolay, Sun City West, AZ and Dr. Frank G. Anderson, Jr. Bryan TX. Thank you for all you do for the class, Jean Marie Anderson

Death of a Classmate : BURNHAM C. McCAFFREE JR. "Mike"

BURNHAM C. McCAFFREE JR. "Mike" Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy (Ret.) Burnham C. McCaffree Jr., "Mike", died at Goodwin House Alexandria on May 13, 2023. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1954, and became a surface warfare officer, serving in an aircraft carrier, a heavy cruiser, three destroyers and three amphibious ships. He commanded the destroyer USS Johnston, an amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport, and an amphibious squadron, conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean and deploying to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Norwegian Seas and the Indian Ocean. He served ashore in Norfolk VA, in Newport RI, in South Vietnam, and in Washington. As a flag officer he directed two divisions on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, was the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics), and commanded an amphibious group in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. After retiring from the Navy in 1988, Mike was a consultant for several defense-related research companies, most notably the Center for Naval Analyses, and for the federal government. He served in various capacities in church and community organizations associated with retirement living and seniors' services in northern Virginia and in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. He is survived by his beloved wife Lynn, their two devoted daughters Elizabeth Antanitus and Debora Reed, five grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. A memorial service was conducted at Goodwin House Alexandria, with interment at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Published by The Washington Post on May 28, 2023.

Death of a class Wife

Elizabeth Horigan Montgomery (1935 – 2023) Elizabeth “Bettine” Montgomery passed away on May 12, 2023 in Potomac Falls, Virginia. Bettine was born on September 10, 1935 in Asheville, North Carolina to John and Gladys Horigan. Bettine grew up in Aruba and traveled to the United States on oil tankers when attending Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Bettine met her soon to be husband, William (Bill) Montgomery (a Naval Academy graduate) during her final year at Connecticut College for Women where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. They married on October 25, 1958. Together Bill and Bettine have six children. She was a mother who encouraged and supported her children's involvement in many activities the community of Reston offered. Horseback riding, tennis, swim team, marching band, playing guitar for the weekly Catholic mass are just a few examples. After her children were older, Bettine worked for the Department of Education, the U.S Geological Survey, and the Minerals Management Service. Bettine was a committed member of St John Neumann Church. Her hobbies and interests included Toastmasters speech club, theater, books, and volunteering at St John Neumann. Bill and Bettine lived in Reston, Virginia for 50 years. They moved to Falcons Landing in 2017. Bettine loved walking their two dogs, Toto and Lucky around the grounds of Falcons Landing. Bettine was a beautiful person, an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother (Noni), and is survived by her loving husband, Bill, their children, Catherine, Kenneth, Helen, Barbara, Lisa, and Steven, 17 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and her beloved dog Lucky. Adams-Green Funeral Home & Crematory 721 Elden Street Herndon, VA 20170 P: (703) 437-1764 https://adamsgreen.com/tribute/details/13372/Elizabeth-Montgomery/obituary.html#content-start

From: Elizabeth Skarlatos Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2023 4:36 PM To: willyaye@gmail.com Subject: Class of 54 Wrestling team Hi, Will - This is Liz Skarlatos, Paul Skarlatos’ daughter. My brothers and I are looking forward to the reunion next year! Keep us in your list for registering. I sent this photo to Dick Raymond. Thought you might also enjoy. I think this is the wrestling team. Feel free to post it! Take good care! Liz

Our Poet's April Poem - Roses and Reveries

Death of a Classmate Captain William (Bill) Hargrave, Jr. USN

William Walter Hargrave, Jr. (November 16, 1931 - January 26, 2023) On January 26, 2023, Captain William (Bill) W. Hargrave Jr. USN (retired), beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed peacefully in the night in Virginia Beach, VA at the age of 91 years. He was born on Nov. 16, 1931 and raised by the late Dr. William W. Hargrave, Commodore (USN Medial Corp 1913-1949), and Harriett Whaley Hargrave. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Cheron B. Hargrave, daughter of the late Rear Admiral Joseph Dean Black (USN 1931-1965) and Jane Morris Black. Bill was raised on numerous Navy hospital compounds his father had duty at or commanded including, Aiea Heights Naval Hospital in Hawaii during World War II, and Portsmouth Naval Hospital, VA., the last before his dad’s retirement in 1949 where Bill then attended Severn for high school. He learned from an early age the travels of a Navy family. He began his childhood in the Philippines. His father, Dr. William W. Hargrave, Commodore (USN Medial Corp 1913-1949) had been deployed in 1942 during WWII to Hawaii to oversee the construction and command what would become the largest hospital in the war in the Pacific Theatre. FDR and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz are seen in this PICTURE, with his father seated in front of FDR, visiting for the hospital opening in 1944. Bill attended the United States Naval Academy (USNA). At the Academy, he was an outstanding Lacrosse player and named an All-American selection in 1954 and is included in USNA’s Hall of Fame for Athletics. After graduation from USNA in 1954 and completing flight training at Pensacola, Fla., he was designated a naval aviator in 1955 and flew fighter jets while on active duty. Please read the poem posted, “High Flight” at the end of this obituary. The author puts you in Bill’s cockpit and describes things as he has probably seen them, flying high above the earth and felt he could “Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.” Bill’s been where few others have been and seen, “a hundred things you have not dreamt of.” In 1956, he married Cheron, who was from Coronado, California and also a Navy junior. Both began their marriage together knowing some of the challenges of raising a military family, especially in the Navy. She, earlier, had seen Bill when he was 16 and she was 12. His father was the Commanding Officer (CO) for the Naval Academy Hospital and her dad was serving as Battalion Officer at the Academy. Bill was a lifeguard at the Academy pool. He was 16 and didn’t know her then and for her it was a fleeting crush from afar and forgotten for a few years but as fate had it they met later. As a senior midshipman, he saw Cheron at church with another Academy student who turned out be her brother, Greg Black who was a sophomore attending the Academy. He asked for her phone number…and the rest is history. For the time in-between cruises and during onshore deployments, Bill enjoyed taking the family camping. His deployments were on both coasts so the outdoor experience included the mountains outside of Monterey, California, Northeast of Los Angles in the southern part of Sierra Nevada Mountains, national parks round Albuquerque, New Mexico, National Seashore Park, Cape Hatteras, N.C., and some back lakes in north Maine near border with Quebec where you could hear the loggers speaking French. Lots of sites, fun, and learning experiences. His first assignment out of fight school was as an instructor pilot at NAS Whiting Field, Fla. where he taught basic students to fly the SNF, T-34, and T-28 aircraft. He was then assigned in 1957 to Fighter Squadron VF-103 flying the F-8 Crusader, a single seat jet fighter and made cruises to the Mediterranean Sea in 1958 and 1960. After attending postgraduate school, he made two cruises to the Mediterranean aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal as the ordnance handing officer in 1965 and as assistant navigator in 1966. He then had two combat tours in 1967 and 1968 to Vietnam. He flew F-8 Crusader fighters, first aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19). For his second tour, he reported to fighter squadron VF-191 as Executive Officer (XO) (second command) and deployed aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). In 1969 he transitioned to the F-4 Phantom fighter which had been replacing the F-8 Crusader as Navy’s primary jet fighter. He served as XO and then Commanding Officer (CO) of VF-102 fighter squadron on the USS Independence (CVA-62). His shore duty included attending Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and served 18 months as Battalion Officer in Annapolis, Md. at the U.S. Naval Academy. His additional sea tours were as Assistant Navigator on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59), Executive Officer (XO) of the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVA-62), and as the Chief of Staff for Operations of a battle group. His decorations include 3 individual Air Medals, 12 Strike Flight Air Medals, and 4 Navy Commendation Medals with Combat “V”. For his final deployment in 1978, Bill assumed command of Training Air Wing One in Meridian, Mississippi, which included three training wings and a naval base. Bill was awarded the Legion of Merit for implementing a computer management information system which provides the Chief of Naval Air Training and his wing commanders with an ongoing analysis of flight instruction effort, identifying eleven cause factors of mission abort, measuring squadron performance, monitoring assets, and forecasting requirements necessary for production of qualified aviators. Upon his retirement in 1980, after 28 years of active duty, Bill and Cheron “retired” to Giles County, Va. to a farm he purchased named Sinking Creek Farm. I was a working farm with 50 cows and 200 sheep. While maintaining work on the farm with his 2 sons and Cheron’s help, Bill held multiple full-time positions of employment, including County Administrator of Giles County, Resource Manager with Virginia Tech’s research park, and later majority owner of a small electrical transformer manufacturer. During this time, he and Cheron had become more involved with their Episcopal Church. They attended a retreat together that reinforced their Christian values, principles, and scriptural understanding. The movement within the church was called Cursillo and purposed to reconnect, usually in prayer, with God. The Cursillo motto of “Make a friend, be a friend, and be a friend to Christ”, This became and has been their shared purpose in which they gave to the community, their friend, relatives and mostly felt by their commitment to their children and grandchildren. After a few years of farming and running the small manufacturing business, he and Cheron retired again to a familiar setting, Annapolis, Md. There they stayed involved with their church, classmates, friends and relatives. Living in Annapolis allowed them access to Navy sports especially lacrosse and their numerous USNA class of 54 reunions. Six years ago, they moved to Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in Virginia Beach to be closer to family. They had time to reflect on their life’s journey and the many experiences and blessings the Lord has provided them and their children. In addition to his precious wife, Cheron, his best friend for life, Bill is survived by; Son, William Walter, III, “Rusty” (Lisa); Son, Daniel Wesley (Kim); Daughter, Leslie Marie Cullinan; Daughter, H. Jane Brianas; eight grandchildren – Rachel, Kelly, Laura, Meredith, Christian, Shelby, Alex, and Ryan. Deceased relatives: Parents; Brother, Louis Hargrave (Sandy); Sisters Grace Cox (Dr. Harry Cox) and Betty Gannon (William Gannon). High Flight By John Gillespie Magee Oh! I have slipped the surly bounds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of, whirled and soared High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew, And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. Friends and relatives are encouraged to leave short stories/memories at this website. A memorial service honoring Bill will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 1:00 P.M. at Galilee Episcopal Church, 3928 Pacific Ave., Virginia Beach, VA. Information for the military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery TBD. Estimated 6 to 8 months. H D Oliver Funeral Apartments 2002 Laskin Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23454 757-428-7880