Melinda (Melin', as her mother called her), was one of my best friends at Jordan and Paly. When I remember her I see freckles, a huge smile and braces, reddish brown hair with bangs on her forehead and straight hair curled below her ears and hear giggles. We were in CA (Carae Amicae), the social club, at Paly and went to freshman dances in the basements of the dorms on the Stanford campus. Twisting to lots of very loud Ray Charles.
When we were in junior high I'd spend the night and we'd smoke. She would put something (pillows?) on the floor by her bedroom door, assuring me that her folks would never be able to smell the smoke that way. Who knows? We were never busted.
Melinda went to a private Roman Catholic school until the nineth grade so she was kind of behind the eight ball at Jordan but she had a winning personality and a great sense of humor so it didn't take her long to make lots of friends. I hope it's okay to say that she was boy crazy and practically tore the pocket out of my precious camel hair coat every time she saw Jim Novelli coming down the hall at Paly. "There he is! There he is!" she'd stage whisper in my ear.
Her folks had a cabin at Lake Tahoe and one summer they invited me to drive there for a visit. Her mother gave us two tickets to a topless swim suit fashion show. We were thrilled to go but a little disappointed in the show. Not that big a deal after all. Sunbathing on the hot rocks (in our one piece swim suits!) and then diving into freezing Lake Tahoe was a lot more fun. Only time I've ever been there and I'll never forget it.
Melinda always wanted to be a nurse and was a Candy Striper in high school. After we graduated she got her nursing degree at a nursing school in Salt Lake City. When I saw her at our 20th reunion she was using her nursing skills to advocate and care for one of her sons, who was developmentally disabled.
Melinda was a great friend and a wonderful person.
Like Carmel, I remember Melinda always with a smile. She belonged to the same girls group as I did and was one of the crazy girls who drove with Carmel, Suzanne Townsend, Pat Dolan and myself in Carmel's red convertible as we buzzed the Paly parking lot and drove over to Stanford. I am very sorry to hear that she is gone. Melinda was always up for fun.
Carmel Bentley
Melinda (Melin', as her mother called her), was one of my best friends at Jordan and Paly. When I remember her I see freckles, a huge smile and braces, reddish brown hair with bangs on her forehead and straight hair curled below her ears and hear giggles. We were in CA (Carae Amicae), the social club, at Paly and went to freshman dances in the basements of the dorms on the Stanford campus. Twisting to lots of very loud Ray Charles.
When we were in junior high I'd spend the night and we'd smoke. She would put something (pillows?) on the floor by her bedroom door, assuring me that her folks would never be able to smell the smoke that way. Who knows? We were never busted.
Melinda went to a private Roman Catholic school until the nineth grade so she was kind of behind the eight ball at Jordan but she had a winning personality and a great sense of humor so it didn't take her long to make lots of friends. I hope it's okay to say that she was boy crazy and practically tore the pocket out of my precious camel hair coat every time she saw Jim Novelli coming down the hall at Paly. "There he is! There he is!" she'd stage whisper in my ear.
Her folks had a cabin at Lake Tahoe and one summer they invited me to drive there for a visit. Her mother gave us two tickets to a topless swim suit fashion show. We were thrilled to go but a little disappointed in the show. Not that big a deal after all. Sunbathing on the hot rocks (in our one piece swim suits!) and then diving into freezing Lake Tahoe was a lot more fun. Only time I've ever been there and I'll never forget it.
Melinda always wanted to be a nurse and was a Candy Striper in high school. After we graduated she got her nursing degree at a nursing school in Salt Lake City. When I saw her at our 20th reunion she was using her nursing skills to advocate and care for one of her sons, who was developmentally disabled.
Melinda was a great friend and a wonderful person.
Carmel Bentley
Virginia (Ginna) La Haderne (Meadows)
Like Carmel, I remember Melinda always with a smile. She belonged to the same girls group as I did and was one of the crazy girls who drove with Carmel, Suzanne Townsend, Pat Dolan and myself in Carmel's red convertible as we buzzed the Paly parking lot and drove over to Stanford. I am very sorry to hear that she is gone. Melinda was always up for fun.