Obie Retires

Carolinas Freedom Foundation Announces

Retirement of Longtime Executive Director Osborne “Obie” Oakley
and Hiring of New Executive Director Susan Perry Yarber
Charlotte, NC January 15, 2019...Osborne (Obie) Oakley retired in January 2019 after serving 16
years as the original Executive Director of the Carolinas Freedom Foundation. The organization
conducted a regional search and is pleased to announce that Susan Perry Yarber has been hired
as the organization’s new Executive Director.
When the Carolinas Freedom Foundation was founded in 1995 by former prisoner of war and
retired Air Force Col. Quincy Collins, he drafted fellow Citadel alumnus Oakley to manage the
foundation’s programs, including its signature events: the Carolinas Freedom Foundation
Veterans Freedom Breakfast and the Carolinas Freedom Foundation American Airlines
Veterans Parade.

After serving as a Green Beret in the Army, Oakley returned to Charlotte and ran his family’s
successful printing business. In addition, he worked to create service opportunities for himself
and his fellow veterans. Thirty years ago, Oakley and two friends raised the money to build the
Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in uptown’s Thompson Park. He has: chaired boards, raised
money and awareness, and been a prime force behind the Carolinas Freedom Foundation. For
his tireless work to serve others, the Army honored Oakley with its highest civilian award, the
Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.

Susan Perry Yarber is the organization’s new Executive Director. Yarber’s multilayered
background includes marketing at Fletcher, Barnhardt & White, non-profit management and
fundraising through her years with the Charlotte Chamber, Alliance Credit Counseling,
Blumenthal Performing Arts, and more. Yarber’s family has deep connections to many branches
of the armed services. With years of experience in events and volunteer management, Yarber is
already an asset to Carolinas Freedom Foundation.

Carolinas Freedom Foundation has retained Terri DeBoo of Terri DeBoo Ideas@Work, a
Business Growth Advisory firm, to manage the Executive Director transition and coordination of
corporate and individual fundraising.

Carolinas Freedom Foundation strives to inspire patriotic citizenship in our youth and community through the
service of our veterans and first responders.vCarolinas Freedom Foundation Announces

Funeral for Bobby Wells' brother, Ed

Fw: Ed Wells Funera - Update

Inbox

x

John Lomax	1:46 PM (4 hours ago)
to Undisclosed

                     

Dear Classmates,  The following emails regarding services for Ed Wells were sent by Walter Mills. 

Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2019 10:10 PM

Subject: Re: Ed Wells Funeral - Update

UPDATE - A cookie and punch reception will be held in the Worship Center foyer after the 1 PM service on 3/30.   Walter

On Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:58:37 -0400 <walterdmills@juno.com> writes:

The service for Ed Wells will be on Saturday, March 30th at 1 PM at First Baptist Charlotte.. 

This is a week from this Saturday.  There are extended family members that cannot be here until later.  I am not sure about receiving of friends at this time.  I will let you know when I hear more.

Walter

Stop Look Listen

Back in the late 60's , when environmentalism was the "big thing"...I was flying back from a business trip...and Ralph Nader, the first environmental "super star" was on the same plane.  I knew him because he had been a guest on my TV show a couple of times.

Sitting beside him was obviously a school teacher....she had no idea who was next to her because she was totally occupied grading papers.
A good guess would have been that they all had something to do  with "environmentalism"....the things around us.....since that was such a hot topic in schools back then.

What a fantastic story she could have told her class the next day!

Instead,  I'll bet she lectured the class on....oh, something like...."We've got to start paying attention to our "environment"...and the things around us...…..because, if we don't ….we only have 10 more years to live.!@

Just a guess.

=Ed

When the Rubber hit the Road

This ain't about driving.

It's about walking.

Walking to the Kiddie Show at the Visualite Theater when Jimmy and I were about 9 years old.

He had found some strange balloons in his father's bedroom drawer  and asked me what I thought they were.

I replied, "They are balloons, you Bozo.  Haven't you ever seen balloons?

Sure enough, we blew them up, and although their shape was a little different...it was oblong, instead of the usual "round" shape...of most balloons, they were balloons all right.

But, they must have been some kind of special balloons...because, I never saw so much attention from passing traffic that we got that day from those balloons!

LDL Tuesday March 12th

Our usual disclaimer (and vision test)...This message is being sent to all CHS'54 classmates for whom we have an E-mail address. We recognize that many of you live great distances away and may not elect to "do lunch", but we want you to know what we are doing and hope you'll come when you can.

The next "LDL" (Let's do lunch) is to be held on...

Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 11:30 @ Jimmie's Restaurant in Mint Hill.

Please tell other classmates!  Invite them to come!  Even better, bring someone with you! 

Hope you get the idea that we'd really like to see you and sure hope you'll come!

 

This link may help you find your way: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Jimmie%27s,+Mint+Hill,+NC&fb=1&cid=18354106434370977171&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Bullying

I've forgotten his name...but for this story, I'll call him Mr. Smith. He was once the richest man in the little town where my Dad grew up...and once tipped my Dad 5 dollars (a huge amount back then....when Dad was a delivery boy for Western Union.)
Like a lot of people, he lost most of his money during the depression and wound up in his old age destitute and a resident of the "Old Folks Home" outside of Charlotte.

My Dad would visit him occasionally on Sunday afternoons and on this particular Sunday, my Dad decided that he should bring the old man a gift. Earlier that week my Dad had bought me my first watch, a pocket watch. Dad asked me if I would let him give my watch to Mr. Smith and he would buy me another one the following day.  I said yes.
The following day, as the owner of a brand new pocket watch, I was proudly showing it off to my buddies.  They  were obviously impressed because the next day while waiting for the bus, they told a group of "big boys" about my new watch.

"Oh, let' see it," one of the boys said. "Yeah, let us take a look."

So, I took the watch out...and handed it over for them to admire. The oldest boy in the group. took the watch...and threw it as far as he could into the weed covered lot.  Just then, the bus arrived and they all got on...still laughing.  I boarded the bus as well, since I had a dental appointment.

It was in the daylight of the next day before I could search for my watch, and search I did....but to no avail. I searched for the rest of that week in fact, but it was not to be found.
I finally just gave up.  A couple of months later, they built a house on that lot.

I was tempted a few times to knock on the door and  ask the new residents if they ever heard any strange "ticking" sounds...……..but I decided against it.

-Ed