In Memory of our Dearly Departed ISB Brothers and Sisters
Departed ~ 5/26/2019
L-R – Jon, Billy, Steve Cole
Love you longtime! See you on the flip side!
DAW
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories, and tributes to isbeings at gmail dot com or visit us on Facebook at ISBeings
Arrived ~ 7/1/1946
Departed ~ 05/25/1968
K.I.A. S. Vietnam
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/7269/CHARLES-BYRD/
I will always remember Chuck Byrd, fellow Classmate at ISB (International School of Bangkok, Thailand). We also ran on the same Cross Country team with Roger Sanders in the Singapore Games for the International School of Bangkok, 1966 season. Chuck and I played Rugby together with Jim Yoder. I remember Chuck as a quiet guy, I always thought he looked like Sal Mineo in Rebel Without a Cause. I spent a lot of after school hours with Chuck on the fascinating and sometimes dangerous streets of Bangkok, where the school kids grew up fast. He was always a loyal friend. He gave his wonderful life so that we could be free and live to an old age. I will not forget his sacrifice.
Bill Clarke ’67
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories, and tributes to isbeings at gmail dot com or visit us on Facebook at ISBeings
Departed ~ 5/14/2019
Complications related to Parkinson’s
Posted by brother Bill William Clarke 67′:
My wonderful brother Richard Clarke passed from life at approximately 3 am in Toulouse, France on 5/14/2019, from medical complications (Parkinson’s related) after a heroic struggle to recover over the last 2 and a half months in the hospital, he was 68 years, 3 months and 14 days old. He attended ISB from 1965 until he graduated with the class of 1968. He will be sorely missed by his family, his spouse and soulmate Christine Caminat, and his many friends in America and in Europe, where he spent so much of his life working in France and Germany. I will be posting more pictures from his life later, here is the last picture of him, he had this made for his passport renewal last year 2018. I will remember him always as the kindest brother of all, he was always gentle with people, never a mean word, he had a gentle soul, so handsome in his youth, played in a band at school called the “Soul Remains.” as I recall, with his brother David Clarke and others at ISB, God and the angels will take care of him now.
Roger Brady ~ Class of 1968Departed ~ 06/16/1991 ~ Car accident
Roger Brady. It was over 30 years ago since last seeing/knowing Roger but I will never forget him nor things about him..
He and a number of others were part of the families evacuated from Vietnam. He and Peppy Doggett entered the classroom I was in, and ISB became alive for me.
I think I was one of the first of our class to get to know Roger. A spark of interest crossed between us in that classroom and I’m glad he pursued it. He was full of life, confident, fun, attentive and caring….but all guy, winner of the Golden Gloves title in the US, tough guy, liked by most. I think back and feel really fortunate to have had some time to really get to know Roger.
Roger wasn’t there our senior year, Sept. ’67 – June ’68 and he was missed. Many, many years later, just when I was starting to find some of my ISB friends, I learned in 1992 that he was killed the year prior in an auto accident. Its so hard to accept the loss of departed classmates. My ISB years had been 30 years prior, and yet they are more a part of me than so many of the years I have spent in the States since returning. My ISB classmates/peers are very dear to me. Roger and I remained good friends, even after we stopped seeing each other. He never stopped looking out for me. He was always there for his friends. A memory of such a time happened in ’67. We were all down at Barbo’s in Pattaya and I had had a drink or so. Roger and Marybeth came to my rescue. Roger came up and took me away from whoever I was with, saving me from my clouded judgment. He knew me and knew I was not being myself and not totally in control of my actions. He and Marybeth escorted me out of Barbos and back to where I was staying. As I’m sure many of his friends would attest to, Roger was there for you at the times when you needed him. I miss you Roger and I am so sorry we didn’t have the opportunity to reconnect through our wonderful ISB Network that so many of our classmates have put so much of their time/money/energy into to make so great.
The picture of Roger in the stance is a picture he gave me when we first started seeing each other. It was taken in Saigon prior to their evacuation.
John Dammon ~ Class of 1969
Arrived ~ 8/16/1951
Departed ~ 2/3/2012
John was visiting his brother, James ’68 in Mississippi on his way home from his Dad’s funeral in Louisiana. John’s wife is Babette Trout Dammon, ’72.
John and Babette both served on the ISBN board for a number of years. John was the ISB Network’s first treasurer after incorporation. He not only took us to a good place financially, but also started our official database. John brought to the board common sense financial knowledge, and leadership. Having John on the board was one of the best things to happen to the ISBN.
Ironically, John and Babette both worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield in the DC area, and worked in the same building. They never met in Thailand, nor the states, until the 1988 ISB Network reunion in Boston. John had recently divorced, and his brother James encouraged him go to the reunion. He and Babette met and the rest is history. They were married a year later on August, 12 1989.
After leaving the board, John remained a strong supporter of the ISB Network and maintained his membership from the 1980s until his death. Lasting friendships that John started at ISB were strengthened during the reunions and endured until the day he died.
A service was held February 6th in Mississippi where he was cremated. There will be another service held on Friday February 17, in Annapolis, MD.
He will be missed by all who knew him.
We extend our condolences to Babette, Jamo, Lee and Samm with love and appreciation.
Daaave
“The Breath You Take”
He looks up from second base, dad’s up in the stands
He saw the hit, the run, the slide, there ain’t no bigger fan
In the parking lot after the game
He said, “Dad, I thought you had a plane to catch?”
He smiled and said, “Yeah, son, I did”
But life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about
You just might miss the point trying to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away
Fast forward fifteen years and a thousand miles away
Boy’s built a life, he’s got a wife and a baby due today
He hears a voice saying, “I made it son”
Says, “I told you dad, you didn’t have to come”
He smiles and says, “Yeah, I know you did”
But life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about
You just might miss the point trying to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away
Just like it took my breath when she was born
Just like it took my breath away when dad took his last that morn
Life’s not the breath you take, the breathing in and out
That gets you through the day, ain’t what it’s all about
Just might miss the point if you don’t slow down the pace
Life’s not the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories, and tributes to isbeings at gmail dot com or visit us on Facebook at ISBeings
Departed ~ 12/2012 ~ Cancer
Oh Mikki how you will be missed. The sad news came to me from Michael Blatti this morning. My condolences to the Blatti family. You must be devastated by this tragic loss. Michele (Mikki) Blatti, ISB Class of 1968, was a dear friend of mine. We often met for a meal in Geneva whenever we both were there. These “micro reunions” kept us in touch of each other’s activities and helped maintain the ISB link. Her activities as you can see in Michael’s post on ISB friends, were a constant source of fascination for me. She was amazingly modest about her humanitarian career. She was a giver expecting nothing in return. The photos below were taken at a ceremony marking my mother’s passing last June. Mikki spoke on behalf of all the ISB students that had my mother as a teacher, and more broadly of the ISB family that knew her and my family. Her contribution was a most memorable highlight of the ceremony. I will miss Mikki. Geneva wont be the same without her. Rest in peace my friend.
Departed ~ 1969
Accidentally fell to her death
Kenneth Bertolet Class of 1976
Departed ~ 12/ 1975
Accidental Asphyxiation over Christmas break.
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com
Joseph Joe Benson ~ Class of 1969Departed ~ 12/09/69 ~ Car Accident
Joe was a great friend. He and I hung out when I was a Senior and he was a Junior. He was actually older than me because he had been set back a year one time because he broke his back. I had been accidentally enrolled at ISB as a sophomore when I should have been a freshman so I was a little ahead. We played guitars and did a little clubbing around Bangkok. We had talked about going to college together but I went to Portland State in Oregon and he changed his mind the next year and went back east. He had thought about Gonzaga in Washington. I think a couple of ISB Alums from the class of ’69 went to the same school with him. I’ll never forget the last letter I got. I had written him about school and such and eagerly opened the reply letter. Unfortunately it was from his mother. She said He and two friends had gone out for some pizza and been in a traffic accident. Joe didn’t make it. I will try to dig out some pics of Joe to send in. I know several others who called him friend at ISB have missed him as much.
Steve Duncan ’68
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories and tributes to isbeings at gmail.com
Mikell R. Bedenbaugh ~ Class of 1968
Departed 8/17/2004
Mikell was famous at ISB for throwing the discuss and being a great athlete. He loved football and other sports. He could throw the discus twice as far as any Thai competitor (or so it seemed). The class of 70 should remember him as our football coach for the class rival games. I will always remember him because I was sprinting a 100 yard dash during cross country training and without seeing us he had hurled the discus down field and it zinged right over my head, missing my skull by about two inches. This surely would have been my demise if it had made contact.
Mike was an avid surfer and actually made surfboards professionally. He has made surfboards for famous surfers including Ben Aipa. Mike died of a heart attack while surfing near his home in Little River, South Carolina. All the local surfers and others, did a ceremonial wake for him, honoring his life. His father is a career marine and was stationed in Pattaya in the late sixties. Mike also lived near San Diego when he came back from Thailand.
I had been trying to find Mike ever since 1970 because I knew he was probably in California but when I did finally find his family, in 2006, his mom gave me the sad news. I had a nice heart felt phone conversation with her about Mike and his life.
I wish Mike could have made it to a reunion because I know he would have really enjoyed seeing his old buddies.
MW Brougham 70
