Dr. Thomas Patrick Yunck Ph.D. and Okemos Class of 1967

Tom Yunck returns to a Welcome Home Reception on Friday.  Please join us welcoming Tom home at “Henry’s Place” after 5:30.   On Monday, Tom will talk to Mr. Chapman’s 5^th hour Earth Science class.  Then at 3:00 he will present “The Coming Revolution in Satellite Data” to other students, alumni, guests and the public, in the High School Kiva.  Tom’s company is launching those “revolutionary” satellites now.

Tom holds a BSEE from Princeton University and a PhD from Yale University, and is the founder of GeoOptics, Inc. where he currently serves as its chairman and chief technical officer. Previously, he served as its chief executive officer and president. Prior to GeoOptics, Inc., Yunck served as the chairman of the Foundation for Earth Science and as a research manager for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is an inductee into the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame. His research has helped pioneer the domestic and consumer usage of GPS technology. Since his initial proposal, he's been involved in every aspect of the development and validation of GPS for atmospheric sounding.

Yunck was raised in Okemos, graduated a National Merit Scholar and with heroic achievements in Track and Cross-country.  In honor of his late parents, Yunck created The John and Ruth Yunck Family Endowed Professorship in Comparative Literature, the Yunck Family Endowed Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies, the Yunck Family Endowed Postdoctoral Research Fund, and the Yunck Family Endowment for Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University.

Whew…Tom!  You’ve been busy!  Welcome home…see you Friday at “Henry’s Place”. (Click Tom's name, then play the video we put together.)

Tom Yunck

Mike Durocher                                                                                                                                          John Bjorkquist

Charlie Campbell,Ron Mott,Jon Chiesa,Cindy Bjorkquist,Tom,Dave Chapman,Gail McNeely,Jill Slocum (Tribell)

Bob Chetrick and Aria Chetrick,Tom Yunck and Carol Bordet, Cassie Ellis 

From Dan Curtis   max@maxinspect.com
The 2017 Okemos Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Took place on Thursday, October 5, 2017

Okemos Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Coaches •Bob Porritt - Longtime Okemos teacher and coach of four different sports including football, track, basketball, and baseball. Coached over 1400 student-athletes and 800 athletic contests over his 30+ year career, including multiple Capital Circuit league team champions in football and track. •Jon Wozniak - Longtime Okemos teacher and track & field coach; "Coach Woz," as he was affectionately known, was a legendary throws coach who helped develop numerous conference, regional, and state champions.

Student-Athletes •Mark Abraham - Boys Basketball; All-State selection in basketball and helped his teams to the 1981 state runner-up and 1982 state championship team titles; earned a baseball scholarship to Michigan State University •Denyse Adams Ferguson - Cross Country; 1985 Class A cross country state champion and one of the nation's top cross country runners with multiple Top 20 national finishes; also won the 1986 Class A 3200m state championship title (track); went on to run cross country at Harvard •Christine Bader - Girls Tennis; 2002 state champion and state finalist in 2000 and 2003; ranked No. 25 in the Midwest Girls' 18 division in 2004 and earned two USTA sportsmanship awards; At Michigan State University, she earned multiple All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Sportsmanship awards for tennis •Kathy Barron - Girls Basketball; All-State honoree who helped lead her teams to the 1982 state championship and 1983 state runner-up titles; Honorable Mention All-American as a senior; earned collegiate Academic All-American honors at the University of Notre Dame •Tom Dudley - Swimming; 1978 state champion in 500 freestyle; earned numerous All-State honors and held Okemos High School records in several events; went on to swim for the University of Michigan from 1978-1982 where he was a multiple-time Big Ten finalist. •Robyn Flewelling Fralick - Girls Basketball; All-State selection who voted MVP of the 1999-2000 team which advanced to the MHSAA final four; was a four-year starter at Davidson College; coached the Ashland University Women's Basketball team to the 2017 NCAA DII National Championship and was named 2017 WBCA NCAA DII National Coach of Year. •Colleen McKinley Deaven - Swimming; Won four consecutive state championships in the 100 breaststroke from 1980-84 and was ranked in the Top 75 nationally; went on to Michigan State where she was a three-year letter winner and Big Ten finalist. •Mike Mertz - Boys Basketball; All-State honoree who helped his teams win two Class B basketball state championships in the 1980s; also All-State in football; continued his basketball career at Albion College and was an Academic All-American. •Taylor Moton - Football; All-State selection and Lansing State Journal Dream Team honoree; earned collegiate All-American honors at Western Michigan University; became the first and only Okemos alum to be selected in the NFL Draft (2017 NFL Draft, 2nd Round - Carolina Panthers). •Terri Peters - Track & Field; Versatile state qualifier who set OHS school records in the 100, 220, and 440yd dashes and long jump from 1975-78; went on to star in basketball at Lansing Community College and Ferris State University. •Nathan Overholser - Boys Tennis; Became the first freshman ever to win a state title at No. 1 singles when he captured the 1994 Class A state individual title; also helped lead his team to a Class A state team championship; continued his athletic and academic careers at the University of Florida; played professionally following his collegiate career. •Todd Scarlett - Football; All-State selection who helped lead his team to a runner-up state championship finish in 1976; played football at Michigan State University and was part of the 1978 Big Ten Championship-winning team. •Fred Stehman - Wrestling; Two-time state champion (145lb & 154lb) and 1964 Olympic Trials participant; All-American, Big Ten champion, and Yost Award winner while at the University of Michigan. •Astin Steward Vick - Track & Field; Won the 2003 MHSAA state championship in the discus and still holds the Division 1 lower peninsula state finals meet record; Earned multiple All-American honors and won the Big 10 discus championship while at Purdue University. •Dave Valkanoff - Boys Basketball; All-State honoree who helped his team win the 1981 Class B boys basketball state championship team title; also an All-State football player; continued his basketball career at Albion College. •Jon Wiseman - Boys Basketball; Versatile multi-sport student-athlete from 1968-72 who earned All-State honors in basketball; played basketball and baseball at Aquinas College Team •1984 Boys Soccer Team - Won OHS' first boys soccer state championship

-- Ira Childress Athletic Director Okemos High School (517) 706-4930, Melissa Biel, OHS Athletic Office secretary, at 517-706-4931

Follow us on Twitter @OkemosAthletics "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." --Ralph Waldo Emerson GO CHIEFS!!! 

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Homecoming  - Welcome back to Okemos

New Okemos Alumni Hangout

Henry Kwok of Okemos High School class of 2003

I am proud to call this my home to raise a family and make a business. I am also a proud sponsor of this website, which I believe is a great tool to connect with other chieftains of all years. I hope that my bar & banquet hall will be frequented by Okemos alumnus so we can share stories of our experiences when we attended OHS! For more information about Henry's Place feel free to visit http://www.okemosalumni.org/ResourcesContactsEvents.htm for details or check out Henry's Place website: pubmeridian.com

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MARK WHITE ('65')--MASKED FORMAL BALL IN THE PHILLIPINES

Classmate Mark White (OHS 65) helped found a training program in the Philippine Department of Health to help build a staff to do CDC-style epidemic response and prevention. Thirty years on, the program has controlled epidemics of Ebola virus, cholera, typhoid, malaria, and AIDS.

Graduates now run major parts of the DOH. Many have international consultancies and successful businesses. One of these is a nightclub. The owner brought his band and challenged Mark to a dancing contest. The video shows him excelling at the swim. Unfortunately, his moonwalk fell apart, so he got a bag of peanuts as a consolation prize.

Thank you Class of 1972 for your gift!

The gift, according to Gerard Durocher, is to be used to perpetuate

the Alumni website and the "good work being done" by the Association.

Thank you Class of '72!!

...and thank you, Jerry, for getting a haircut!

(You too can make a tax-deductible gift to the Association.  Specify gifts for Okemos school programs or the Association.  Non-specific gifts will be given to OHS)

Report in on the Hurricane Disaster Forum

 I have gotten a lot of email from everywhere, so I thought we would set up an Open Forum for classmates to check in and leave a report.  Go to "Open Forums" or just click this link.  Be sure to tell us which disaster you were in or affected by.  Thanks to Al Hopkins for checking and reporting on class of '63.  Thanks to all that reported, it's a relief to hear from you!

Rod Ellis

We have 169 Classmates listed as living in Florida!  Another 95 Classmates living in Texas...has anyone heard from any ot them?  If so, please post whatever you know on the Hurricane Forum.

Okemos Education Foundation

Announcing for 2017

Distinguished Alumni Award:
Joel C. Peterson, Class of 1965

Joel will be honored at the November 16 Awards Banquet

Class of 1962 55th Get Together Aug 18-19

From Jill Axline Roth:

Hey OHS classmates. Remember.........Mayfair on Fri. August 18 @ 6:30 or so; 6:00 or so at Spags in Williamston on Sat. 8-19 and brunch at Gables on the 20th in late morning -- 10:00 ish. We do need a head count for Sat. nite @ Spags so let me know if you plan to join us.

Class of 1957 to Celebrate 60th Reunion July 15-16

The Class of 1957 will celebrate it's 60th reunion July 15-16 according to John Bratzler.  Some 30 people are expected to attend.  The Class of 1957 has the distinction of holding the school individual basketball game scoring record.  The late Max Creaser scored 55 points in the old band box gym in a game against Fowlerville. Among its other notable members is Dr. Joe Ferrar, Professor Emeritus of Mathermatics, The Ohio State University.  Joe's wife, Sara Jo ('58),is the daughter of H. Owen Reed, composer of the school alma mater, Proud Chieftains.

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Honoring the Class of 1957
60th Anniversary of Their Graduation

The Class of '57 numbered 70 people, 28 of whom attended their 50th 10 years ago.  They started in the Okemos Consolidated School system in 1944, 19 members strong.  This gives one the notion of how fast Okemos grew post WWII.  Check out their class history as read at their 50th reunion.

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Class of 1967

50th Class Reunion  

IT'S OVER! POST YOUR PICTURES!

******** This is what we have so far -- click above ******

Coral Gables, School and Neighborhood Bus Tour, The University Club, Sunday Brunch

POST YOUR PICTURES OR EMAIL THEM TO:

Contact Mary Fox White whitmaf49@gmail.com  

OR

Ingrid Sturk Schultz

joedrumer@aol.com

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*** New Page ***

Athletic History

Announcing a new page devoted to the life stories of great Okemos athletes

Recounting past accomplishments and great moments

(It's a start, but we need your submissions!)

The Okemos Alumni Association

Non-profit corporation has been formed