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Sorry I have taken so long to get you some pictures. I am in the middle of moving from the beach (where I have lived for 10 years) into the place my parents left me for several reasons. Mostly to do with money I guess.

The picture I am attaching to this is of the group taken at breakfast at Sally Eggstaff Welsh's place in Newport. This picture was taken by Lauri Caward Moore, Jack's second born daughter. It is the only group photo we have.

This was the last scheduled event for the "lift a toast" event. Jim Bailey did invite anyone that wanted to show up over to his place to show his studio as well as how he does his art work. I believe about half did go to Jim's after we had breakfast.

Dick, I plan on sending a note off to each of the attendees along with a picture that will mean something to them so I will copy you with each of those. Out of this we will have a pretty good coverage of the event.

My thoughts were that, for me, it was a far more somber event than I wanted it to be. Some of us that can hardly keep our mouths shut were very quiet for the entire weekend. Ron Wooden, for instance, was remarkably quiet for him. He is usually the center of any conversation. I don't think I heard more than a few words from Floyd Moody during the whole event and I even picked up Ellen Jones and him at John Wayne Airport on Friday the 5th and took them back to the airport after the tour of Jim Bailey's studio on Sunday the 7th.

L/R: Dick Culp, Floyd Moody, Paul Moore (Picture Taker Laury Caward/Moore's Husband), Suzanne (Jim Hardy's partner), Mary Margaret Eggstaff, Vicky (Mary Margaret's daughter), Sally Eggstaff/Welsh, Ron Wooden, Jim Hardy, Gary Dayton, Ellen Jones, Loi Chaffers, Larry Chaffers, Diane Bailey, Dick Lewis, Jim Bailey, Terry Welsh

Dick,

Hi, I am Jack Caward's daughter, Lauri Caward Moore. My Mom Shirley Merget Copan forwarded me your site. I wanted to thank you for honoring my dad. The gentlemen in your club (the Sleepers) all meant so much to him. I wanted to correct his date of birth, it was Sept 29, 1933. I hope all of you live long happy lives and enjoy every minute together. If you see my dad before I do, tell him hi, that I love him and that we miss him. We were at Santa Anita for the Derby, that was the morning we scattered my Dad's ashes in the mounting ring, in the flowers under Seabiscut's statue. He wanted to be at Santa Anita (one of his favorite places) and now he is.

Sincerely,

Lauri Moore
(Lauri Caward Moore)

By now, you’ve received the E-mail that Mary Margret sent out yesterday at Gae’s request. At this moment that is all the information I have.

The reason I’m writing is to share what I learned a few weeks ago up while visiting Jack and Gae up in Payson. The picture shown below was taken during that visit on January 14-15.

I was traveling with my friend Cindy and her new dog Carly. We had spent a day with Floyd and Peggy Moody in Surprise the day before which was great. Mary Margret drove to Payson the same weekend and got Gae off to the local Casino for some girl time. Jack and I were able to get in some good visiting over the next two days.

The day we left, Jack, Cindy and I went to breakfast at the airport and then he took us on the very high end tour of Payson which was enhanced by Jack’s wonderful witticisms. We had talked about doing the tour bit on past trips and finally got it done. We had fun looking at photos from prior Sleeper gatherings, and watching his three cats take on Cindy’s frisky puppy.

Jack told me that he knew he was in a tough spot. His doctor had informed him that he has Lung Fibrosis (Pulmonary Fibrosis). For a good description go to http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ipf.htm

Sadly, here are currently no effective treatments or a cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis. He also had been told that with the extent of damage to his lungs, only 27% left functioning, that he had, under the best of conditions, only two years to live. He was using an on-demand regulator of pure oxygen that had to be used 7/24. My medical friends tell me that breathing pure oxygen is very corrosive and were not surprised to hear of Jacks bleeding problems.

I fear that we are in the process of losing Jack. As Gae reported even if he survives the current crisis the problem will be back in a couple of weeks.

Please call me at (858) 794-9024 if you want any more information or just to talk.

Feb. 25, 2006, Saturday

I am at sea aboard the "Island Lady", drifting at a location titled, "SEA BURIAL" on my boat's GPS.

I come out to this place from time to time to reflect on the memory of two of my life-long friends whose ashes we gave up to the sea out here. First was Dick Jones and then Phil Eggstaff. I also think of the others going back to Dave Knutson and recently Dennis Selleck, and now my good friend, Jack Caward.

At age 73,1 know I will be joining them one day not so far away and I find that notion quite agreeable with me.

I am on the foredeck writing this in my "journal". It is foggy out here and the seas are flat. I hear the sound of the fog horn in the distance, and it seems so fitting to me as I am nostalgic in my thoughts. I think about growing up with a group of great friends at a time when we were boys that were becoming men and going through the twists and turns of that age. I love them all, and I am mindful of how fortunate we were to grow up in simpler times and how our friend- ships could stand the test of time.

I just finished a beer in order to "lift a toast' to Jack and my other great old buddies past and present.

Sleepers Reunion at Balboa Yacht Club ca 1997

By Dick Keck

When Margie and I moved a couple of months ago, I decided to tidy up my office and file everything that was stuffed here and there. I found a cardboard tube that Dick Culp had mailed to me nearly ten years ago. Inside was curled the montage you see above.

I couldn’t figure a way to file a tube, so I scanned the montage and filed it in my computer. Then, I sent it to Dick Culp and asked him if I could publish it on the Sleepers’ page.

Dick told me ok, but he doesn’t remember what year it was. I wasn’t there, but I’m pretty sure it was 1997. Dick has identified the folks pictured above:

Dick Culp – 1
Floyd Moody – 2
Jim Bailey – 3
Ellen Jones - 4
Marlene Cierniak – 5
Phil Eggstaff – 6
Ron Wooden – 7
Loi Chaffers – 8
Larry Chaffers – 9
Neil Peterson – 10
Wauna Selleck – 11
Dennis Selleck – 12
Marlene Cerniak – 13
Betty Peterson – 14
Jim Hardy – 15
Diane Bailey – 16
Peggy Moody – 17
Jack Caward – 18
Dick Jones – 19
Peggy Moody – 20
Betty Peterson – 21
Marlene Cerniak – 22
Sally Eggstaff – 23

Sleepers Update October 2005

I have been up US 395 the last two weekends and have had two visits with Ron and Marlene. We, Cindy Thomas and I stopped in Lone Pine Friday the 28^th of October and had breakfast with Ron and Marlene.

I can report, faithfully, that this is the exact same Ron we have all known for the past 60 or so years.

Cindy and I have just returned, yesterday Halloween day, with her brand new Bichon Frise puppy. We, the four of us, had dinner Sunday evening at Whiskey Creek in Bishop and Ron was his normal self. I have attached a picture of the four of us at dinner below.

As soon as I get information from Larry and Loi on the 2006 Sleeper Reunion I will make up another of these things.

The 2005 Sleeper reunion was held in Laughlin, Nevada at the Ramada Express Hotel and Casino on the 12th, 13th & 14^thof October.

Joining in were Jim Bailey, Jack and Gae Caward, Larry and Loi Chaffers, Dick Culp, Gary and Barbara Dayton, Mary Margaret Eggstaff and Betty Peterson. Mary Margaret’s daughter Vicky Stevenson and husband Brad were also in attendance.

Active members missing, all for good reasons, were Jim Hardy, Ellen Jones, Dick and Margie Keck, Dick Lewis, Floyd and Peggy Moody and Ronal Wooden.

We had a great meeting room this year where we gathered in the morning for coffee and to figure out our day, as well as in the evening for cocktails before dinner. The meeting room was so successful that the group decided we’d like to have one at every Sleeper Reunion. It gave us a private and comfortable place to sit and rehash all the wonderful adventures we took part in, and keep our ongoing friendships fresh and alive.

In telecons prior to the reunion, Jim Bailey and Jim Hardy both suggested we hold our annual reunion at the same time of year and place each year. Those in attendance approved the idea and after some discussion we selected the month of April and Palm Desert as the location. We also agreed that we would review these choices next year at the end of the reunion.

Larry and Loi Chaffers are on the search for a hotel, and will also be looking into potential activities. We’ll also look at April 2006 to make sure we don’t time our reunion during Spring Break!

As soon as we have the actual dates set in April 2006 and the hotel information you will receive an update. Thanks to everyone for making this a fun reunion, and I look forward to seeing all the Sleepers at the next one!

As many Wildcats know, Larry Chaffers is a professional magician, and very gifted one at that. I just received this message from Larry:

Dick,

I will be playing The Magic Castle in Hollywood from Sept.
26 thru Oct 2. Anyone that would like to attend during that time could be my guest. I can give them passes for as many people as they would like.

Larry

I have seen Larry perform more than once, and I strongly suggest you take Larry up on his offer. I haven't visited the Magic Castle for years, but I understand they still serve fine food, along with incredible magic shows. The ambience is terrific; a great bar with mysterious stools and a piano played by a ghost.

I plan to petition Jim Bailey and Larry Chaffers for bios. If and when they comply, they will each be given their own bio page on our web.