ClassMate Bio
    

EDWARD HARRISON

THS Class of 1955 

Written: August, 2004
   
Born and raised in Tottenville, with the exception of a few years when my family moved to Oakwood heights before I started school, I attended PS 1 and then Tottenville H.S. Active in sports and scouting while at THS, I played Freshman, JV and Varsity basketball along with a spot on the tennis team. My first visit to the state of California where we now reside was with a train full of scouts from N.Y. We were headed for Irvine, California to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 1953.
   
After THS graduation, I attended Columbia University School of Pharmacy with friend and fellow graduate Don Wilson. Upon graduating I worked in pharmacy for a year to obtain the necessary hours of internship and at that point was qualified to take the exams for licensing in NY, NJ and California where I may want to work. Acquiring those licenses, I now enlisted in the Air Force and obtained a commission as a Pharmacy Officer. After serving three years in the AF, almost deciding to make a career of it, I was discharged in Oct. 1963 and came to California where I obtained a job as a pharmacist at St. Luke hospital. Becoming Director of Pharmacy after a year, I remained for 30 years. That’s where I met my wife Judy, a nurse at the hospital. We were married in June of 1964. Tiring of the demands as director caused me to move on to working in a long term care pharmacy, serving nursing homes exclusively. I retired from full time employment in Oct. 2003 but still work four or five days a month because I enjoy it. (The  picture shows my daughter Kristi myself,  my wife Judy, and my son Scott, on the day of my retirement).
   
The two youngsters pictured next are our grandchildren:

   
I am a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 1984. The spread throughout my pelvis was determined upon surgery to be too involved to be operable and I was given a very short lived prognosis. What followed was a very trying time, but a time in which I really learned to value and appreciate the love and support of friends and family and to re evaluate my priorities. When I was still alive about 6 months later a cat scan was done which showed the cancer was gone. I had a spontaneous remission which can only be described as a miracle and here I am 20 years later.

We have lived in the same house in Altadena, CA (in the hills above Pasadena, not too far from the Rose Bowl) since 1970. We love our house on a quiet street, above most of the smog with a great view of the valley below and LA in the distance. We are also very close to nature here in the hills. Wildlife of all kinds shows up in our back yard from time to time.

 

We have had possums, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and deer among others, as well as a large array of birds.  The picture of a deer in our back yard was taken through a glass patio door.
   
We also have a cabin in the mountains at Big Bear Lake where we have spent most of our vacations over the years as we enjoy the quiet relaxed life. The picture shows the back of the cabin. We have nothing but forest behind the cabin and it is forest service land and will always remain so.

Last September we attended a get together of classmates from my graduating class at Pharmacy school. It was held in Taos, New Mexico.
   
While there we took a day hike in the mountains with llamas.

It was such an enjoyable time of shared friendship and memories that I really started thinking about all my classmates from the THS class of 1955. Next year will be our 50 year graduation anniversary.

I located Don Wilson as well as the Trumpet through classmates.com. I just recently made contact with Barry Corson and through him received an e-mail from Everett Hannah. I would love to hear from others and only wish there was some hint of a 50 year reunion. I would be there in a flash. 
   
Please email Ed with your comments. Click:  grandpaedtwice@yahoo.com