Sometimes I miss Dan so much I'm motivated to Google Dan's name, and always find the same posting he made several years ago, looking for other keyboard players. This last time I found your site, and the letters about my husband. Thank you, all of you, who wrote your memories. Some of the stories were familiar to me--the Midnight Sons, for one--the band at the 6th grade party. Dan's sister Gail was in that class, and I suspect that had something to do with the gig. Others were new to me. It was such a good feeling to know you took the time to write and remember. I shared the link with our daughters, and I know it made them feel good. Once again, thank you all.

I, too, have a couple fond memories of Dan to share. I always thought he had the heart of a rebel which I thought was pretty cool. He was one of the first people I knew who wore a jean jacket--(my mom wouldn't let me get one!) He reminded me of Bob Dylan! The very best conversation I ever had with Dan was when he was talking to me (and grinning ear to ear) about having an "intense life". Examples ranged from: "Like when its 95 degress out you roll up all the windows in the car and sweat!" or, "When you are totally 100% exhausted you see how much longer you can stay awake", or the Really memorable one....."When you have to Go, see how long you can wait!" Sounds a bit quirky I guess, but that was Dan. :)

Chris Federspiel Burton

I was sorry to here about Dan's passing. Although I wasn't a good friend of his and more of an acquaintance than anything, the last time I saw and spoke to him was on graduation day in '73. We had this thing of shaking hands as hard and strong as we possibly could until one of us gave in. I'll bet we performed this act for at least 5 minutes after the ceremony. I can't remember who gave up first, but it was probably me.

From the letters sent in about Dan from other classmates I find out that he was quite a musician. I didn't know this back then and although I had picked up the guitar on and off since I was 11 years old (and plunking around with Frank Petrovic) I didn't take it seriously until after high school. I haven't put it down since. Maybe all that handshaking with Dan .................. Who knows??

Paul Wehrle

I walked away from our 30th reunion realizing people knew no more about me than they did in high school. I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess I had hoped for more connection than "So, what do you (for a living)"? To that end, I'd like to mention some of the highlights over the last couple years (there are too many years in between).

In October of 2001, I had the opportunity to fly to New York and help provide mental health services for those who survived the World Trade Center bombing. I'll never forget the experience of walking around Ground Zero in absolute silence, with hundreds of others, the only sound coming from a floutist on the street corner. The realization that the soot beneath our feet was, in part, human remains disturbed me more than I can expess.

I am currently on the executive board of Voice of the Faithful - St Louis. This is a group of lay Catholics responding to the sexual abuse scandal by clergy. Much of my work as a therapist has included providing psychotherapy to priests, nuns, and religious. I have also worked with survivors of sexual abuse, including those abused by priests. This puts me in a rather unique position. I hope to help bring healing to this entire situation.

I am back in school! I graduated in 1983 with dual Master's degrees from Washington University. This time I'm back pursuing an interest of mine...writing screenplays for film. Only the instructor is older than me, and I'm not sure about him!

My life is full with good health, a close family, and a group of friends that are closer to me than most of my siblings. I feel lucky.

I was glad to see you all at the 30th. I particularly enjoyed connecting with some of you one on one, and at the lunch following the tour. I hope to see/hear from any of you in the near future and I pray that you will know your passion, and pursue it.

Mike Pollard

Thanks for passing on the sad news about Dan. I haven't seen him since Rosie and I got married in 1980. When I recall my adolescence, Dan was very much a big part of it. However, a lot of the things we did were illegal, so in honor of him I won't go into it. We were pretty thick from the days of Reavis grade school until his college days at Drury. John Ziegler's remark about Dan and John Lennon couldn't have been more true. Dan and I used to travel about and sing verses of Yellow Submarine until we were hoarse...with a little help from our friends. I could write a book here, but I think I'll just get off this computer and reminisce. Thanks for a great reunion party. See you next time. Post our e-mail if you want.

Mike & Rosie Holaus

Remembering Dan Dohack

I was greatly saddened to read on the class site that Dan Dohack had died. Dan’s mom was our Cub Scout Den Mother back in 1963 when she told us that President Kennedy had been shot while we were at school. Instead of gluing popsicle sticks together to make Thanksgiving baskets, Mrs. Dohack gave Dan, me and the other boys in our den a civics lesson in Presidential succession and the history of assassination in American Politics as we watched the TV image of that coffin being loaded onto Air Force One in Dallas. Mr. Pepin would have been proud of Mrs. Dohack’s Den Meeting that day.

Dan played a pivotal role in my favorite memory from high school. He, Jeff Forde, Lucinda "Cindy" Cooper and I put together a very short-lived jazz quartet. Dan played keyboards and guitar, Jeff was the drummer, Cindy was the flutist and I danced with my string bass.

Dan was definitely our leader, writing all the arrangements, setting rehearsal times, and stopping us when we weren’t sounding the way he wanted us to. He reminded me a little of John Lennon, peering through his little round glasses at his hand-written charts.

Sadly, we only had one gig—a sixth grade party at Reavis School’s auditorium in the Spring of 1973. But we all had fun getting the act together and rehearsing. I don’t think the 100 sixth graders booed us out of the room, though I think some of the tunes were a little hard to dance to.

It is nice to know that 24 years later, Dan was still working on his music. Over the weekend I found through a Google search the following computer bulletin board notice posted by Dan in 1997:

"I’m looking to talk to other musicians but am having very little success. I am 42 years old and a railroad conductor who plays r&b and jazz. I use a Fender Rhodes, an Ensonic TS12, and recently a B3. Somewhere on this net there must be a chat page for people like me wanting to discuss the nuts and bolts of music. I’m not a great pianist but compared to my computer abilities I’m a regular Oscar Peterson."

I hope he got some feedback then. I regret that I heard from him too late. I was no Mingus or Jaco on bass, but Danny, you knew that when you hired me...

John Ziegler