TY

Ty Boyd, who passed away recently, was the most creative broadcaster I ever had the pleasure of working with.

One small example:

It was 1957 and I had the sign on shift (5am til 7) at WCHL radio in Chapel Hill..  Ty followed me at  7 for the morning "drive time" shift.  As DJs, we had no scripts, just a bunch of records and our job was to fill 4 hours with  records and time and temperature checks  and whatever else we could find to inform and entertain the audience.
The cleaning crew was usually winding up their work as I was starting my morning show.
One of the fellows, a black man, William was his name, often brought me "sayings" which he usually found in his Church bulletin that he thought I might want to repeat on the air.
Well, they were good quotations...
but I didn't see quite how  they "fit" in a morning music show.

Meanwhile, the station's
 old "morning man" had finished his tour of the Navy and was returning to his old job....as morning "drive DJ." Ty Boyd was his name, and viewed William's collections of "sayings" quite differently.
He viewed them as a possible "feature" for the morning show.

He introduced them as. "The Corner of William,"....which began with organ music, then:  Welcome to The Corner of William.  Sageness gleaned from the passage of the sands of time, through the hour glass of destiny. What is your message this morning, William?:

Then William would read the quotation...such as, "Well, I'll tell you, Mr Boyd...The largest room in the world......is the room for improvement"

(Music up...and out...)

That's just one example that comes to mind when I think of Ty. He saw posibilities in ordinary things that others ignored.

Rest in Peace, Ty

-Ed

Kay Hurt Passes

Our classmate, Tommy Hurt's wife, Kay

Kay Galliher Hurt, beloved wife of 64 years, mother, grandmother and great grandmother completed her beautiful life on March 17, 2020. She and her husband Tom were high-school sweethearts having been together almost 70 years and having a very special family of four children, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She adored her family and they adored her. She blessed many friends with her wise and loving wisdom and sometimes with a little sass. She will be dearly missed. A celebration of Kay’s life will be held at a date to be determined later.  Kay was a member of the Central High School class of 1955.

Tommy Hurt's Wife passes

Jerry Gaudet	6:22 PM (2 hours ago)
to OUTGOING, bcc: me

It's with sadness that we learn of the passing of Kay Hurt.

We have this contact information for our classmate Tommy Hurt:

Mr. Tom Hurt

10538 Old Brassle Dr.

Charlotte NC 28227-5802

Kay Galliher Hurt, beloved wife of 64 years, mother, grandmother and great grandmother
completed her beautiful life on March 17, 2020. She and her husband Tom were high-school
sweethearts having been together almost 70 years and having a very special family of four children, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She adored her family and they adored her. She blessed many friends with her wise and loving wisdom and sometimes with a little sass. She will be dearly missed. A celebration of Kay’s life will be held at a date to be determined later.  Kay was a member of the Central High School class of 1955.

Next LDL March 10th

By Jerry Gaudet

Can you believe it's March already?  Don't forget to set your clocks ahead Saturday night!

 

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

Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 11:30 AM @ Jimmie's Restaurant in Mint Hill.

Sure hope you'll share the word!  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

Hat Fact

I've mentioned what I believe is a truism before....and that is....a man is getting old when he feels the need to  wear a HAT

In my case, that has been absolutely TRUE!

I was speaking, of course OUTSIDE!

But sitting here in the "Bat Cave".....for the first time....I feel like  I need to wear a HAT!

INSIDE!

That must mean I'm getting VERY OLD!

Lordy, Lordy...……..

Just another reminder that I'm no longer in Central High School.

DARN IT!

-Ed

Name Change

I suppose it's time again to remind my friends and family.....WHY I changed my name from Ed Myers to Lee Shephard.

Simple: When I came to Washington in 1961, there was already a broadcaster on the air here named Ed Myer.

So, the station and the union, wouldn't let me use my real name...even if I had wanted to.  But to have two on air performers with such similar names...well, there would have been no end to the confusion.
Hence, the made up name of "Lee Shephard."

Since everyone up here  in the Washington area knows me as Lee Shephard, I changed my name OFFICIALLY to "Lee Shephard."

That eliminated a lot of confusion....especially for my wife and kids.

So, to paraphrase a famous saying...."Call me anything ….except "Late for supper."

Ed

My Aunt Kathryn.....

...was our classmate, Charles Mateer's mother.

I remember, when Charles and I were about 10 years old, her telling my mother about some awful nightmares she was having. They always involved a man knocking at her door.....with some terrible news.  The dreams would always stop.....just before he announced what the "news" was....
My Mom suggested that she change her supper tune  diet....or, perhaps  eat at a different time...either a bit earlier, or a bit later....and that should solve the problem.

But, no matter what she did, those dreams persisted.

They eventually stopped, however, much to my aunt's relief.

Charles and I were cousins.....AND best friends, as well.

Our families almost always vacationed together...as well shared all of our holiday dinners together.

Frankly. he was a lot smarter, academically, than I was.

I remember protesting to my Mom, on those few occasions Charles didn't do well on some test or other....that we both flunked...."Well, Charles didn't do any better than I did."

As adults, our careers went it different directions; I went into commercial broadcasting, Charles chose the military;  he loved  flying!  especially helicopters.

The last time I saw Charles was up here in Washington, when I came up to audition for a job with WTOP TV.  I had never seen Charles so happy.

Unfortunately, a few  months later...

there was a knock on my Aunt Kathryn's door...….

(Charles was killed in Laos in 1961.  As I understand it, his helicopter, in which he was piloting, was shot down.  Details are still unclear.
=Lee

Judy Meetze husband passes

The HUSBAND of classmate Judy Eudy Meetze passed has passed away.  Our great sympathies to Judy.

We have this contact information for Judy:

Mrs. Judy Meetze

629 Stratfordshire Dr.

Matthews NC 28105

Obituary

Send Flowers

Jerry Meetze, 88, died on Saturday, February 22, 2020. He was born in Gaffney, SC on May 28, 1931, to Jack D. Meetze, Sr. and Pearl Hedgepath Meetze.

After high school, he joined the Air force during the Korean War serving most of his time in Japan. Upon returning home, he attended college at the University of Georgia where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. Through the years, he remained an avid fan of the "Dawgs."

In 1958, he went to work for Duke Power Company in Charlotte and was instrumental in setting up the first mainframe computer in the Southeast.

After 30 years at Duke Power, he retired and became the business manager for Sardis Presbyterian Church under two different ministers. He also taught Computer Science at Central Piedmont Community College as an adjunct professor.

Jerry was an active member of the Sardis Presbyterian Church being a Deacon, Elder, Clerk of the Session, and President of Men of the Church. He also helped create the Stephen Ministry program and became one of its first leaders.

He is survived by his wife June of 59 years, sons Ed (Susanna), Scott (Kim), grandchildren Brandon, Cameron, Bryan (Tara), Jessica (Jeff), two great-grandchildren, and sister-in-law Linda. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Jack, Jr.

A memorial service is to be held at Sardis Presbyterian Church on Thursday, February 27th, 2020 at 2 pm with visitation afterward.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to be sent to:

Sardis Presbyterian Church, 6100 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270 or Novant Health Hospice, 324 N. McDowell Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC, 28204.

Published in Charlotte Observer on Feb. 26, 2020.