Colonel White High School Class of 1965 © 2004 :: Featured Alumni

Featured Alumni

Kathleen Keefer

Hi Again, I'm Carol Flinspach and welcome to another Featured Alumni interview. Today we have a very interesting interview with Kathy Keefer. She has had an interesting life and was willing to share some of her treasured moments with all of us. If you missed our interview with Joe McCoppin, you will find it right after my conversation with Kathy

Keef, it was great seeing you at the 37th reunion in June. Thanks so much for agreeing to be our newest featured alumnus. We want to know all about what you’ve been doing since our days at CW. Please tell us where you’re living and what you’re doing right now.

We live in Montgomery, Alabama. I’m an Air Force wife and currently an interior-decorating consultant. Right now I’m devoting most of my free time to planning our part of our son Adam’s wedding. They say the groom’s mother should "wear beige and keep her mouth shut". Now, how long have you known me? What are the chances that’s going to happen? Actually I look good in beige, but my dress is green. Fortunately I have a terrific future daughter-in-law who calls me on a regular basis for my input on things and to keep me informed. We have similar tastes in many things so we’ve had a great time planning this together. I’m really lucky there.

Please tell us a little bit about your children, grandchildren and any pets.

We have two wonderful sons who are also among my best friends. Adam, 27, is a lieutenant in the Air Force stationed at Wright-Patterson, where he is employed as a high-speed systems development engineer. He has a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a master’s in aerospace engineering (both from Auburn University), is engaged to be married on October 19th, and is working on his private pilot’s license through the Aero Club at Wright-Patterson. His mother wishes he would stay on the ground, but this is his dream.

Patrick, 24, is in his final year of graduate school at Auburn, where he is working on his master’s in aerospace engineering as well. He may follow his father and brother into the Air Force. I don’t think he knows yet. We have a joke in the family now that "it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, but we have one" and soon to have two. As for pets, we currently have three adopted cats we dote on, Tilly, Vanna White & Black and Jo. We are waiting until we retire to get another dog. At this point cats are easier.

You must be very proud of your sons, Kathy. Can you tell us about your previous occupations?

Moving every 2-3 years has given me a chance to reinvent myself with each new assignment. Along with 23 years in wives’ club volunteer activities raising tons of money for all sorts of causes, I’ve worked as a feature writer for a small California newspaper; been an assistant to the Education Curator of the Montgomery Zoo as the docent coordinator; sold antiques and collectibles in Virginia, and been a volunteer in the White House Mailroom where I spent two years opening the President’s mail on a weekly basis.

I was there during the Lewinsky scandal and the Starr Report, helped answer the phones the morning the President was impeached, and sat in on the trial on Capitol Hill. Although as senior Air Force wives we were expected to be "non-political," every one of us was a Republican and we had tons of fun. It was without a doubt one of the most fascinating, almost surreal, experiences of my life, and I have some great stories. We call ourselves the Metro Babes, and of course there’s a story behind that. One day years ago Rush Limbaugh apparently made a comment about the "little old gray-haired ladies that ride the metro to the White House everyday to open the President’s mail". Well, the wives who were working there at the time said, "Hey, wait a minute. Yeah, we ride the metro, but we’re . . . babes!" And that’s how we got our name. There are 15-20 of us.

After the anthrax scare they wouldn’t let us work there anymore. But every April we have a reunion somewhere in the country with one of us hosting the 3-day event. We eat too much, laugh too hard, stay up too late and spend too much money. A year ago it was my turn, and they all came to our home at Vandenberg AFB north of Santa Barbara in California. On the last day, we were having brunch at Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn and Spa when "Davy Crockett" himself showed up. We were like a bunch of schoolgirls – our childhood hero from the 50’s! He spent about a half-hour with us talking about our group, and answering questions about his years as an actor. At one point, one of my friends asked him about the lyrics to the "Ballad of Davy Crockett". He said, "Well, come on ladies, let’s hear what you know". Before you knew it, we were singing it to him! I can’t believe we did that. We didn’t even care if we’d embarrassed ourselves. When we finished we turned around, and the dining room staff had come out to watch. We all recognized that soft Texas drawl just like it was yesterday. He was so gracious; still 6’7" tall with a full head of white hair. He just turned 77.

You’ve made some wonderful memories during all your travels, Kathy. What else have you been doing for the past 37 years?

After graduation from CW, I went to the University of Cincinnati, for my Bachelor of Fine Arts (1970) and Master of Education (1971). I’ve also studied graphic design, illustration and interior design courses at a number of schools since.

Kathy, what are some of your interests and hobbies?

I love good art and architecture, archaeology, "mother" nature stuff, animals and wildlife, American history, antiques, and travel. I even keep a bird "life list" that I started while we were stationed in North Dakota. I love tennis but my elbows don’t, and I love to bowl when we’re stationed at a base with a wives’ club league. Ted would love it if I played golf, but it’s just not my game. Before I die I want to swim with dolphins or whales. I’ve swum with stingrays, but I don’t think it’s quite the same thing.

Our assignment to England in 1985 gave us many opportunities to see much of western Europe, as well as East Germany, the USSR and Egypt. The assignment in D. C. allowed me to travel with Ted on occasion and took me to Hawaii, Japan and Australia. Lorena Bobbitt was my nail technician there for three years. No, really. Now there’s a good story. I’m really disappointed when I can’t go somewhere new and exotic every couple of years. But with things like they are after 9-11, my enthusiasm has dampened.

I’m glad you and Lorena kept on good terms! Are your parents and siblings still here?

Both of my parents are gone now; my dad in ’66 and my mother in ’95. I have two older half-brothers, Scott and Jack Keefer, from my dad’s first marriage, who are now in their mid-70s. We keep in contact and manage to get together every other year or so. Scott and his wife live in Rhode Island, and Jack and his wife are in Cincinnati. Between them, they have 10 children and 18 grandchildren (scattered all over the East Coast, California, and Cincinnati), many of whom I hope to see at the wedding in October. The Keefers love a party and use any excuse to get together. Weddings, of course, are the best of all reasons.

What do you feel are your accomplishments or achievements?

My greatest accomplishments are a wonderful marriage of 30 years; two handsome, funny, smart and generally wonderful sons, and a successful career as an Air Force wife who’s had a lot of great experiences.

Do you have any regrets?

That I didn’t have a daughter after I had the boys.

Do you think that your job and life now are where you thought they would be when you were in high school, and why or why not?

I didn’t have a clue about what my life would be like after high school, although I knew I wanted to get married someday and have a family – and that travel thing. I love to travel. I always wanted to live in Colorado.

If you could start over, would you or would you not make the same choices you did the first time around? Why or why not, and what you would do differently?

What difference does it make now? I used to think I should have gone to the University of Chicago and studied archaeology, but then I wouldn’t have met Ted, had Adam and Patrick or been an Air Force wife. Look what I would have missed.

What are some of your favorite memories of Colonel White?

There are so many it’s hard to choose. But I actually remember the day in ’61 when Mr. Whitworth came to Jefferson to talk to our 8th grade class about coming to Colonel White the next Fall. We had an assembly in the old auditorium at Jefferson, and I remember thinking he looked like a grandfather - "Papa Cougar." He was, wasn’t he? I always regretted that he wasn’t still principal when we graduated. You know, I hadn’t a clue what to expect in high school, but those next four years turned out to be among the best of my life. Most people say college was the best; but for me, it was those four years at CW. It was the great girlfriends, the first great love of my life, primping in front of the restroom mirror before class, making Little Colonels, Band Camp at Earlham College, art classes with Tom Bradrick and Bing Davis, the sudden death of President Kennedy, the whole Beatles thing, and the unique experience of being a Little Colonel and working for Jack DeVilbiss. I wonder if I every really thanked him for what he taught me, and did he know what a difference he made in our young lives; that he taught us about teamwork, discipline, responsibility. I loved that man. But most of the time up until our senior year, I was semi-terrified of doing something wrong. For years afterward I had a recurring dream about standing at the end of the football field, and forgetting the routine and where I was supposed to go. I just stopped having that dream a few years ago.

I can’t believe it…..that was my nightmare, too! Keef, who would you say were your favorite teachers and classes?

I loved art, of course; and being a gym aide with Miss Arm was great fun. But of the academics, I really loved American history with Mr. Bright, and English with Mrs. Daugneaux and Mrs. Clippinger. Math was my weakness, but I enjoyed geometry with Mr. Bushong, who called all of us girls "Sis". I made myself take Trig and Algebra II, just to prove to myself I could do it. But chemistry with Nunemacher (sp?) was my great downfall and kept me out of the Honor Society. I always regretted that. I had loved general science and biology. I still don’t know what happened to me in chemistry. Funny, I remember I was responsible for doing Mr. N’s blackboards during activity period for Ducemus. I’m sure he must have thought when I’d come in, "Well, at least she’s capable of doing THAT with some success."

I have some great memories of classmates. Kathy Austin was my Beatles cohort. God, we were crazy about them! I went to see the Beatles in their first two tours of the U.S. When I tell kids that now, they treat me like a god. My family thought I was nuts, but my mom was very patient. I lost interest in them when they got into the whole drug thing. Anyway, we’d go to Kathy’s house after school some days and play those same 45’s over and over and over again. I’m surprised her mom didn’t throw us out. Then there are the memories of summer nights spent hanging out on Cambridge Avenue with Suzy Stephens and you, Flins, and driving around with Sheryl Petry in that great little red (?) Corvair of hers, and going to Colonel practice at DeWeese in Marlene Lansman’s blue Renault with Kathy Iman, et al. So many good friends and good times.

I have virtually no memories of the big dances, but very fond memories of the White House and dances in the gym after football games. We did have dances in the gym after football games, didn’t we?

Those are great memories, Kathy. What about plans for the future?

We’ll retire from the Air Force in the next 2-3 years, if not sooner. Two years ago, we bought a cabin and some land in Colorado near where I spent my summers as a kid. We’ll be building a main house there eventually and that will be it.

Thanks so much for sharing all those great memories, Kathy. In closing, do you have any words of wisdom, comments or messages for our classmates?

Enjoy your life - this isn’t a dress rehearsal. Love each other a lot, and remember to laugh often - especially at yourself. Be kind to old people, children and animals. Be safe. Thanks to all of you who touched my life at Colonel White. God bless.

Well, that's about it for this edition. I hope that you have enjoyed your stay. Don't forget that in a couple of weeks, we will have another exciting interview to share with you. Until then this is....

Carol Flinspach Yinger