50-Year-Reunion

Patrick Lee Haye 187 Fuschia Way, Princeton, West Virginia 24739 (304) 921 - 3231 patrickhaye@frontiernet.net February 21

I have been blessed with a wonderful life! In this life it has always been about the friends made and the strong relationships formed that makes living such a joy. During my time at Bluefield Hight School, there were over 350 students in our class alone. I tried my best to be a friend to all and look for the good in each person. As I looked back in my annual, there were so many potential friends I could have made if I just would have made the effort. I loved the administrators, teachers, and staff at “ The Cumberland Road Brain Plant ” as the great sports writer for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Stubby Currence, called our school. I learned about respect from those fine people. I respected them – they respected me. I loved hanging out with my regular group of friends laughing, scrapping, and learning from each other. I also loved the friends made on the sports teams, especially the “ great young men ” as Coach Chmara called us on the basketball team. The memories live in the corners of my mind. The great basketball coach, Jim Valvano, of NC State talked about three things that make a full day in his “ Don ’ t Give Up ” speech when he was battling cancer. First, laugh every day. Second, think about your life. Third, cry, let your emotions bring you to tears. What a great day that would be. To laugh with others or just alone. To think about how blessed we are to just have this day. To have our emotions bring us to tears of joy or sadness. That would be a full day.

I had a lot of those days at BHS and throughout the days of my life.

I graduated from WVU with a P.E. degree and got to room with my friend, Robert Gruver, for three years.

The next few years I worked with my Dad and Mom in our family electronics business.

The best time, and the love of my life, came in the early 80’ s when another friend from BHS introduced me to Melissa, a 1975 graduate from Princeton High School at a church league softball game. We were married in 1983. We have been blessed with three beautiful, in all ways, children. Laura in 1984, Sara in 1987, and Daniel in 1989. The Lord has continued with blessings of seven fantastic grandchildren who all have gifts and talents they love to share with us and others.

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