MacKay Clan Grand Council



MacKay Clan Courier

EDITION # 80 JUNE 2019

The 52nd Annual Clan Reunion

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MacKay Clan Grand Council

Kenneth MacKay, Chieftain

Bob Sutton

Gary Martineck

Milford Dunn

John MacKay

Mark McCready

Donald Martineck

Tom MacKay

Edward MacKay

Jim Sarra

Advisory Board

Ginny Clark

Marilyn Cash

Jerry MacKay

Greg Sutton

Robert MacKay

Debbie Ritz

Christine Sarra

Historian: Dawn Sutton

The MacKay Clan Courier has been published since 1968 and will continue only with your support. It is each family’s responsibility to submit articles. Without these articles, there would be no Clan Courier. Please do your part to keep this tradition alive!

Dedication

This edition of the Clan Courier is dedicated to the memory of all the members of the Clan MacKay that have passed away, remembering their dedication to our family and all the ways they have inspired us.

Chieftain’s Message

Dear MacKay Clan-

Each year I have written a message as the Chieftain of the Clan MacKay. Over the past four years I written this message from Dublin (2015), Cork (2017) and Killarney (2016 and 2018), Ireland. Admittedly I have not always been on time and Sue Sarra has needed to send me a reminder. This year I am writing from our home in Kenmore, New York. Since I would be writing from home this year I had assumed that I would be more disciplined and have submitted on time. I am again writing as the first deadline has passed.

Before I went into architecture, I thought for a while that I might become a writer. Near the end of my second year in architecture my professor surprised our class one day by confessing that a career in architecture had only been his second choice. He had originally wanted to be an artist but ‘the prospect of waking up each morning and staring at a blank canvas’ terrified him. He had switched majors when he realized that architecture might provide more certainty. For him, a career in architecture was more comforting; he assumed that clients providing him with a list of required spaces would guide his design process and therefore make it less intimidating than having to decide each morning what to paint. Each June when I sit down to write something for the MacKay Clan Courier I am reminded of my professor’s story and I am thankful that I made the choice to pursue architecture as a career.

What can one say when a family has successfully celebrated it’s 50 Annual Reunion?

Perhaps it is best to simply remember those that have come before us. On June 1st Bonnie Martineck sent out a note that her father, Carl Hoffman, will celebrate his 100th birthday later this summer. Early June is always a time of remembrance for Monica and I since the 9th was my father’s birthday. This year was particularly poignant since the 6th of June was the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

In her message Bonnie mentioned that it has been several years since Mr. Hoffman attended the annual MacKay Clan Reunion. If I remember correctly, he was ninety the last time he attended. We were paired together in a foursome at Creekside Golf Course the morning of the reunion. When we totaled the strokes at the at the end of the round, I think we had shot the same score but he may have been a few strokes better. I was just getting back into the game and was frustrated with every bad shot. What I remember about Mr. Hoffman’s game was that after each shot he accepted the circumstances with dignity and grace. I felt like I was a better person by having played with him that morning.

Happy Birthday Mr. Hoffman!

I look forward to seeing you all at the Family Reunion.

Chieftain Ken MacKay

NEW MEMBERS TO THE CLAN

Mark Gramza, by marriage to Carissa Ballacchino, August, 2018.

Kaia Clark Blair, born July, 2018 to Chelsea and Jordan Blair.

Kristen Lanphear, by marriage to Lisa Nau on October 7, 2018, taking the last name MacKay.

Aubree Rain McCarthy, born November 27, 2018 to Jeremiah McCarthy and Dominique Costlow.

Rosalie Gwendoline Calabro, born December 25, 2018 to Taylor and Santino Calabro.

Morgan Elise Hubbard, daughter of Erica and Chris Hubbard, born on March 19, 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS AND

WELCOME TO THE CLAN MACKAY!!

50th ANNUAL CLAN MACKAY REUNION

OUR GOLDEN CELEBRATION

Last year’s 50th Clan Reunion weekend was indeed special, for those who were here and those with us in spirit! Friday night’s adult party was a great way to kick off the festivities, thanks to DJ Robert MacKay for providing us with festive music in Scottish attire, and to Christopher and Lisa for providing the Magician for everyone’s entertainment. The children had a fun filled evening at the JCC, arranged by Christine.

Saturday’s golf had the most participants in a long time -surprising that many folks got up that early after Friday’s celebration!

The Reunion itself was a mix of memories, nostalgia, and just plain fun! During the meeting, Gary spent a few minutes talking about the special attributes of the 10 siblings, knowing that many of our younger members never had the pleasure of meeting them. Blessed with good weather, who will forget getting the family pictures taken in that hot sun?? Well worth it!

The family tree was on display, really amazing to see all members past and present listed with dates of birth, marriage, and death. Thanks to Emily Kiebzak for the long hours getting that together!

The kids games, hosted by Megan Francis, were a big hit, and took a teacher’s organizing skills to handle the number of children.

The epic size water balloon contest was mastered once again by the dynamic duo of Kelly Russell and Christopher Martineck. Can anyone beat them?

Plenty of participants for the Lad and Lassie baseball game, with MVP honors going to Abby Martineck and Eli Daisher.

The day ended, as usual, with a delicious buffet dinner and desserts, and all the awards.

There was a full field for Sunday’s bowling and the winners were Geo Sarra and Kory Watts. Even with everyone dining on Saturday’s leftovers, there was lots of food that many folks got to bring home!

Exhaustion from an action-paced 3 days was agreed upon by all, as well as knowing that we had all participated in something really special!

52nd ANNUAL CLAN MACKAY REUNION

AUGUST 3RD AND 4TH 2019

No, that’s not a typo! This year is really the 52nd time the Clan is getting together for a reunion the first Saturday in August.

While we’re not quite sure how it happened, this is what was discovered in 2017 while we were sorting through boxes of Clan memorabilia, trying to get thing organized and plan for the golden gala reunion in 2018. The 1st reunion was held in 1968, the 2nd in 1969, 3rd in 1970, 4th in 1971, and so on. That would make the 10th reunion in 1977, but the 10th was celebrated in 1978. And so the miscalculation continued!!

So, our gala golden celebration in 2018 was actually the 51st reunion held by the Clan – or one could say it was the 50th Anniversary of the 1st reunion.

Either way, it’s a milestone to be proud of !!

This year’s reunion will be held again at Sweeney Hose Fire Hall, 499 Zimmerman St (corner Erie Ave), North Tonawanda, NY 14120 on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 12:00PM. Please see the MacKay Reunion link for the details. We will once again celebrate our family by being together, meeting new members, and enjoying each other’s company.

We will continue to try to be more eco-friendly by not adding to the “plastic pollution” and so encourage everyone to bring their own reusable water container. There is tap water available at the fire hall. Thanks!!

The MacKay Golf Tournament will be held at Shawnee Golf Course, 6020 Townline Rd, Wheatfield, NY 14132. We will have to make tee times for our group, so it will be necessary for those wanting to play to let us know – via email or phone – no later than 7/19/19, so the correct # of tee times can be made. We will be starting at 8:00 so please arrive between 7:30-7:45. Since the course is somewhat close to the location for the reunion, golfers will be able to go directly to the reunion site from the course.

We are also asking for you to contact us – phone 716 691-4800 or email (ssarra1044@) - to let us know how many in your family will be attending the reunion to help us prepare for and have sufficient food and drink.

We will continue with the tradition of honoring and remembering Robert and Jane MacKay and their 10 children started by John MacKay. Anyone who wants to visit the gravesite of Jane and Robert at Elmlawn Cemetery in Tonawanda meet on Sunday morning of the Reunion Weekend around 10am to pay respects. If you can’t make it that day, the cemetery is open 8am to 8pm every day. The grave is located to the left of the fountain, off of Delaware Ave. It is about 12 gravesites forward from the fountain. Several family members also are buried near Jane and Robert.

If you have any suggestions or questions about this idea, please email or call John MacKay 516 404 6064 or mackayjohnra@

Clan Finances

The Clan’s finances have remained steady this past year. However, we continue to be in need of, and will be collecting donations, contributions, or “dues” at this year’s Reunion. Contributions can also be mailed to Michael Martineck. These funds help pay for Clan expenses, mainly the mailing of the Courier, maintenance of the Clan website, and have allowed us to keep the food and beverage charges at the Reunion affordable for all our families.

A decision has been made to change the price charged for food and beverage at the Reunion. Since the cost of beer has steadily increased, we will charge $5.00 extra for those drinking beer. The food charge will be $15.00 for those 13 and over, and $5.00 additional for beer. Still a great deal!!

Nina Martineck’s suggestion a few years ago to have a basket raffle to raise funds has proven to be overwhelmingly successful. So we will once again ask any Clan members who would like to donate a basket in whatever theme you would like – children’s items, lottery tickets, spirits, use your imagination! Each person donating a basket will receive a ticket for a special raffle only for donators. This helps defray costs of the reunion and keep our prices family friendly.

Clan MacKay on Facebook

The MacKay Clan continues to be on Facebook! We have members. Join our group to share and receive information about our family all year long. All members of the group can share Clan photos, post exciting news, and receive reminders about upcoming events. As a reminder, posts to your own Facebook page are not carried over to the MacKay page, so you need to post them separately.

To join the group you must first be a member of Facebook, then search for our group under the name “Clan MacKay of Buffalo, NY” and click to join! If you are already a member, you can add your friends by clicking “Add Friends to Group” and typing in your friends’ names. Only members of our group can read or see items posted to the site.

MacKay Clan Web site



We continue to maintain the web site. Ideas for improving it are welcome, please contact Mike Sarra with your suggestions. The site includes Clan Courier issues – current and former, the Clan Directory, info about the Reunion, and results from all the events at last year’s Reunion. Efforts are underway to update the website and hopefully this will be completed by the Reunion!

The section on Clan History needs enhancement, and any suggestions, ideas, expertise you have to offer are needed. The link for lost family members continues to grow; please give us updates on your families. There are a number of members whose email addresses are no longer valid – please remember to send us a notice when you change your email address! Every year we lose touch with some members who fail to give us their updated information.

Roger MacKay Family News

Me and Marty went on our annual summertime vacation to Booth Bay Maine with my son Michael and his girlfriend Michelle. It was a much needed get a away to catch our breaths and relax.

We continue to work at our furniture store in Lockport (Pies Furniture) 6 day a week. Business has been very busy, so we always look forward to our week vacation every year.

Michael will complete his last part (4th part) of his CPA exam this month. He currently works in an accounting firm in downtown Buffalo. He has worked very hard getting to where he is now, so incredibly proud of him!

Phyllis is doing well, she keeps herself very busy with friends and family.

                      Debbie MacKay

Bob Sutton Family News

The Suttons were on the go once again. When we left the reunion last August, we traveled to some of the New England states. We visited Cape Cod, Plymouth, Foxwoods (to gamble) and various other towns.

In September we finally made it to Myrtle Beach for 5 days of fun with our friends. We were home for 4 days before flying to Los Angeles to catch the train. We proceeded up the West Coast stopping in San Francisco, Portland and finally Seattle. We visited the Russells in Snoqualmie for the weekend and flew home. As far as I’m concerned, that was my first and last extended train trip, but we had a wonderful time with our friends from college.

We returned to our alma mater in October for our 50th college reunion. There were a lot of old people there, but we were polite and talked to them. Frostburg has definitely changed since we were students there.

For Thanksgiving we flew to Asheville, NC to eat turkey with the son of our dear friends. He has a beautiful home on a mountain, so we were able to see why the mountain range is called the Smokies – you can’t see anything early in the morning.

The Russells were with us for Christmas once again, and Greg, JoAnn and her 2 boys spent a few days with us also. Our best gift was having the entire family together.

This year on Valentine’s Day we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by spending a few days at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando near Disney Springs. 50 YEARS! Wow, Bob is so lucky!

The Russells returned so Shane could be in a golf tournament and Zach could see a spring training game with the Orioles. Greg surprised us by coming also, and our children took us out to dinner for our anniversary.

In 3 weeks we are taking the entire family on a cruise to continue to celebrate. (We celebrate a lot!) We are certainly looking forward to fun times on the ship and in the ports we stop at.

We will be at the reunion once again. We both agreed that we will do no more long road trips, so we will be flying to Buffalo. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Gary Martineck Family News

Greetings from Arkansas. Once again a busy year with ups and downs.

A downer was when Dad fell in October and broke his hip which required surgery. He came through that with flying colors, but my family felt it wasn’t safe for him to live alone any longer. Fortunately we were able to find a wonderful assisted living facility just an hour from where he lived so all his friends visit him there frequently. They are called his fan club by the staff. It’s a huge relief for us knowing he’s being well taken care of. I was up there for about six weeks in Oct and Nov, then again in Jan. My sister, Carol, and her husband, Bob, visit him often and are handling the sale of Dad’s house.

We had to have our deck replaced last fall. We found out after the job got started that we were lucky we hadn’t gone crashing down into the lake. Then this spring our washing machine died, followed shortly thereafter by the refrigerator. $$$$$

We had a bit of a scare recently when Gary got sick, spiking a high fever. At the ER they took a bunch of tests and sent him home on antibiotics. 24 hours later we were called by the ER doctor that a culture had found bacteria in his blood so he needed to get to the hospital. It may have been caused by some cellulitis that developed in his ankle. He spent 2 nights there until the blood was clear of bacteria. He was very lucky it wasn‘t more serious.

Now for some good news. We spent a long weekend in Chicago touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home and other homes that were open to the public in Oak Park. The FLW Conservancy holds an open house one day every year of beautiful homes that were designed by FLW and other architects. From there we drove up to visit Dad for a couple of days.

Scott and Dani have both had small parts in some TV series. We watched Dani in 2 episodes of Blue Bloods. They also had roles on a couple of HBO series that we haven’t seen and/or may not have aired yet. Dani has been very busy writing, acting and directing.

Carl changed jobs in Jan. He is now the city attorney for Valley City – a much less stressful job. Abby has played volleyball, basketball and tennis, all quite well I might add. She also plays flute. And she had a part in the school play. I don’t know who is more exhausted with that schedule, Abby or Amy.

After the Clan reunion we are heading to Albany for a couple of days to visit friends (and probably Saratoga). Then we go to Wisconsin for a big celebration of Dad’s 100th birthday. At the rate he’s going he will surpass his mother who lived to 102.

Then in September we are off to Nova Scotia for a tour of the Maritimes and also a couple of days in Maine. We hope to see the start of some fall color, which we don’t get much of here in Arkansas.

Looking forward to seeing all of you in August.

Bonnie and Gary

Jim Sarra Family News

Wow, where does the time go? This year has flown by! Last fall we took what we called the “Ville” trip. On our way to Florida we went to numerous cities, many ending in ville – Barbourville, KY, where Jim spent his freshman year of college, Louisville, where we saw Mike Martineck’s name on the wall of Louisville slugger contracted professional baseball players, Nashville and Ashville. So many interesting places to see in our beautiful country!

Following another delightful winter in Florida, we returned to Buffalo in May to be greeted by cool, rainy weather. Made us wish we had stayed longer. The good news is that the surgery that Jim was scheduled to have upon our return for his 2 tears in his rotator cuff has been called off, making for a much more enjoyable summer for us all. The physical therapy he has done this past year has resulted in significant improvement and range of motion.

We’ve been busy enjoying all the activities of Gavin and Victoria – soccer games, dance recital, pre-k and kindergarten graduations, they are times we cherish!

Celebrating our 45th Anniversary this week, in October we will be taking a trip to Paris, Prague and a river boat cruise on the Danube. We are excited, especially since we’ve never been to any of these spots.

Dusher Family News

The Dushers have had another great year. Right after last year’s reunion we moved into our new home in Tonawanda near Edison Elementary. Gavin is now 6 years old and Tori will turn 5 in July so we look forward to years of a short, easy commute to school.

Christine is still at the JCC as Kids Place director of the Getzville and Buffalo sites and Jeremy is still with Nike as an Assistant Head Coach. We celebrated our 9th year of marital bliss by taking a family vacation down to Charlotte, NC to visit Uncle Mike and Aunt Geo. We also made a detour to stay at Great Wolf Lodge while we were there.

In Gavin related news, he is finishing Kindergarten and has had a great year in elementary school. He is still quite the Athlete having played in a bowling league, swim lessons, skating lessons, basketball, and indoor soccer once again.

Victoria has been busy this year too. She is finishing Pre-K and is very much looking forward to going to elementary school just like her big brother. She is also turning into quite an Athlete having done gymnastics, swim lessons, skating lessons, and ballet. She just danced in her very first recital and did an amazing job. She has also become quite an avid reader and will often read Jeremy a bedtime story to help him sleep.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.

McCarthy Family News

It’s hard to believe that it’s newsletter time again. We continue to travel and try to keep up with all our families “doings”. In the fall we flew to Barcelona to take the inaugural Trans Atlantic voyage of Royal Caribbean’s “Symphony of the Sea”. It’s currently world’s largest cruise ship and is full of new high tech effects for their entertainment areas. It was great.

November was really special, with the birth of our first great granddaughter. Aubree Rain McCarthy was born to Jeremiah (JJ) McCarthy and Dominique Costlow on November 27, 2018. Tim is a proud grandfather and glad they have settled close to him in Port St John.

January saw the arrival of Dave and Eileen Lawrence to the Disney area for an extended visit. We got to see them a lot. There were also great visits with Marjie Nau and Cindy Clark. John and Mary Ellen MacKay joined us at the Bahama Breeze Restaurant in Orlando in February. Its central location is a good meeting site for family gatherings.

Megan and Steve Francis are settled down in St Petersburg. They have done a lot of remodeling to Steve’s old family home. After a year working at a bank, Megan has returned to her real love, education. She is now on the staff of Admiral Farragut Academy.

Dan, Lori and Mallory McCarthy are still in Port St Lucie, Dan in the boat business, Lori at Walgreens and Mallory in her junior year at Fort Pierce High. She will be joining a student trip to Peru next spring .

Reese McCarthy will be attending The National Youth Leadership Forum at the University of Maryland this summer, the theme is National Security and he is quite excited about it.

We are off on another cruise next week on the Oceania “Riviera”. We will be visiting 15 ports on the Mediterranean. Because it small ship we will be going to 8 new ports . The trip ends in Venice where we will finally take our gondola ride after three tries.

We won’t be at the picnic this year but hope to make another soon Best wishes to all.

Dan and Mary Jane

Ken MacKay Family News

Dear Family,

Have to say we are all glad we are on to a new year. Family is so important and life continues to evolve around us.

The granddaughter is a delight to see each week and I’m going to repeat what I said last year “Today’s parents are an amazing group as they juggle home, work and life”. Nothing brings a smile quicker to our faces than seeing her come through the front door.

Chieftain Ken is NOT roaming the Emerald Isle and the homeland this summer. We are thankful to have him home, working on the house (and getting in a few rounds of golf even with this wet start to the summer). Just thankful all around.

I finished the Electric Tower buildout for Bank on Buffalo - grand opening in March was a must attend event. Juggling more projects this year and learning the critical balance of work/life.

Parker continues to raid our tool supply and is making great headway on his house around the corner. Emily & Mike are in the hunt for a house and fingers crossed hope to close on a house 1 mile from Gummy & Granddad. Stuart has entered his 4th year of medical school and that all important residency program decision. I had a blast going to girlfriend Jill’s elementary school for Career Day. My hardhat with a light was the biggest hit!

Wishing good health and safe travels to all. Looking forward to seeing everyone the first weekend in August at the 51st Reunion.

Much love,

Kenneth S. MacKay Family

John MacKay Family News

Hello to all from John and Mary Ellen. Our family has had a happy year since the Anniversary Reunion last year. Rob is living with his fiance Dani Weiser in Buffalo and sharing in the excitement of her daughter Cloe who graduates from high school and heads to Queens College in NY this Fall. He is planning a trip to Long Island to show her some of the local sights and give her tips on traveling to NYC. Johanna is moving to another apartment in Saratoga Springs or Glen Falls to be closer to the stable where she will be boarding her new horse. Just back from Paris, she is planning a trip to Japan next year.

Jerry, Liz and Chris are busy in their lives of parenting, working and everything else that demands our attentions these days! Penelope (9) is ice skating and she loves the speed of the sport; Audrey (8) is dancing and coming to visit her Nana and Pop Pop in July; Connor (5) is taking karate and getting ready for Kindergarten; Molly and Alice are loving their new home and school in North Plainfield, NJ; All of them will be together at Gilbert Lake State Park near Oneonta , NY this July for vacation.

Doris is graduating from Fort Lee High School and attending Ramapo College in NJ this Fall. Congratulations go to her for her high academic achievements! 

John and I are taking a Birthday Cruise to celebrate my 75th to Halifax and Nova Scotia in September. We had a great relaxing time in Florida in February and especially enjoyed our dinner with Mary Jane, Dan, Eileen and Dave Lawrence at Bahama Breeze in Orlando. 

         Looking forward to the Family Reunion 2019!

Christopher Martineck Family News

Okay. Just the highlights. No lowlights.

Natalle (13 now) was accepted into the Chautauqua Institutes Ballet Workshop Program. They only took 24 girls from across the country. We’re very proud. She’ll be away this summer for two weeks (which makes me a worried Dad), and this culminates in a performance at the Amphitheater alongside dancing professionals. It should be a fantastic experience. She’s also been doing great at school and became another “Pride of Grand Island” kid in our family (Chase will continue to remind Natalle that she was first.) Lastly, Natalle is closing in on her black belt. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s testing a year from now.

Chase continues to grow and make us all laugh. She is constantly active (piano, violin, travel soccer, year-round swim team, among other things.) Her big highlight(s) this year were competing at the Indiana University Pool – where they often hold the USA Olympic Swim Trials. She was terrific at the meet…which allowed her to qualify for Niagara Short Course Championships held in Ithaca, NY. It was a great short course season. She’s already in the midst of long course (50M pools) and qualifying for those Championships. We should claim some of her medals for all the time spent in the bleachers.

Nicholas is a boy who thinks he’s a man (enough said?) Never know what he’s up to, and it usually isn’t good. So we channel that energy into karate, baseball, and swimming. Yes, he made the same swim team that Chase has been on (Velocity Aquatics run out of the Michael Phelps Swim School.) He’s been swimming on the team since spring, and just competed in his first meet. He has a ways to go to catch Chase – but he is very determined. He is now a purple belt in karate. He has a ways to go to catch Natalle – but he is very determined.

The kid’s schedules leave little time for me and Lisa. I did run the Chicago Marathon last fall and the Buffalo ½ marathon this Spring. I’m running the Boilermaker in Utica, NY (for those runners out there) this July. I’ve never participated in this race. It’s considered one of the best in the country, so I’m looking forward to it. Lisa is doing great at the salon. It’s still fun for her (I think.) And she passes her time gardening. Lots and lots of gardening. In fact, she ran out of things to do around our house, so she’s helped the neighbors. Then she ran out of neighbors so she started going to her favorite client’s houses. It could be worse….she could have taken up golf.

See you all soon. I have to go help plan the food for this year. I’m thinking Mighty Taco.

Chris, Lisa, Natalle (13), Chase (10), Nicholas (soon to be 8)

Michael Martineck Family News

A year of transition for Sarah and Michael and Nina and Max. Although, I guess every year has its transitions, this year just feels bigger than usual. Nina is off to Brooklyn soon, to attend Pratt Institute’s Architecture program. L

She looked at the whole family and chose to follow in Monica and Ken’s footsteps. To which I say, whew. She could have done A LOT worse. You know what I’m saying -  A LOT worse. Max is doing two shows this summer, Frozen and the Wizard of OZ. Casting has not yet been announced but I’m pulling for Cowardly Lion. With his hair, he’s half-way there. Sarah has continued her trek across the country. Saginaw, Woburn, Paducah, she can’t get enough of Sheboygan – you know, the hot spots. I do what I usually do. It is of little interest to anyone other than myself. It’s not even that interesting to me.

Jeff Geist Family News

Hi everyone from the Idaho Clan. Another year has just flown by.

Jeff and I are empty nesters and we can't believe how busy we are with family activities, traveling, and of course, working on rentals. We are putting our house up for sale this summer and have started to move into a smaller home. I forgot how much work it is to move. 

Our daughter Ashley has graduated from her Occupational Therapy Program and now is working at St Lukes Hospital in Nampa, ID. She recently got engaged and has set a date for next year in June. We are so excited to welcome our new son in law John into the family. 

Ryan has completed his first year of Medical School. He is now on his short summer break and will be back to school at the end of July. Jeff and I have driven down to Utah to visit him several times this year. 

Jeff went on a bike adventure in April and did the White Rim Trail in the Canyon Lands of Utah. He said it was beautiful scenery. This summer he is hoping to do a bike Trail in Idaho with both of the kids. I will be the person who drives the car for support and is their backup for any help.

We celebrated Harry Geist's 80th birthday with a surprise Birthday gathering at the church. Harry had a great time visiting with all his friends and family that day.

Dorothy's 80th birthday is on Flag day in June. Family is either driving or flying to Twin Falls to surprise her for her birthday. She is so excited about turning 80 years old. 

Hope all is well with everyone. Take care.

Jeff & Janice Geist Family

Don Martineck Family

It has been quite a year for Terri and I. I decided last year not to run for reelection so I ended my twelve years in office on December 31. Terri on the other hand went back to work full time. The bus charter company she used to work for contacted her and asked if she would be interested in coming back to work to fill in while a coworker was going to have surgery and they also wanted her to train a sales person to replace one being promoted. So back to work full time for the time being. Coincidence, not sure or could it be the fact that I was going to be around 24/7 ? To make things more hectic we sold our house in Barker in March and moved to Newfane NY. We downsized to a manufactured home in a park called Countryside Estates. It was a drastic change but we really love living on one floor and not having all those stairs to deal with. We still are not quite unpacked but are getting there. Our new address is 6261 Corwin Station, Newfane NY, 14108. Hopefully next year we can do a lot more traveling without having to worry about taking care of that big old house. Looking forward to seeing those of you that can make it to this years reunion.    Don , Terri & Daphne

Greg Sutton News

We’re making up for a fairly quiet year with a very busy summer.  Ethan is finishing his first year of middle school, and Dylan his last year of elementary school.  Both had great basketball and soccer seasons.  JoAnn sold her townhouse and bought a great house on 2.5 acres a few miles away--to start her animal rescue! So she’s been scrambling to get everything ready for the move, which we’ll do ourselves.  By the number of trips she and her dad have made to the dump you’d think she’s downsizing not upsizing!  

We’ll have her moved in, but not unpacked, just in time to join the Russell’s and our parents on a week cruise celebrating their 50th (gulp!) anniversary-St Kitts, Puerto Rico and Bahamas.  After that I head to Michigan to finish building my airplane-yes, I am building an airplane! Then I will put 40 hours on my plane before flying it back to DC.  We’re hoping that Buffalo will be the plane's first trip! 

In July I’ll leave the Pentagon after two years and check into the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a program manager.  For the record it was actually DARPA, not Al Gore, who created the Internet!  My commute will remain gloriously short (same number of metro stops just the opposite direction) but my hours and travel will increase significantly.   

Looking forward to seeing everyone in August!

Greg and JoAnn

Mike Sarra News

Mike and Geo took a cue from Mother Nature that sent two hurricanes through Charlotte and decided to lay low for the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019. Thankfully we didn’t experience any damage from the hurricanes, and our neighborhood only experienced minor flooding. We did poke our heads out to visit the family for the holiday season and had a great time. Our hibernation officially ended when the Dusher family visited us in Charlotte. One of the moments that stuck with us was watching Gavin and Tori read a book to a dog at our local library. It was so adorable it inspired us to get our own dog! We just received our 8-week-old labradoodle puppy, Mozi. Another source of inspiration was watching our bathroom get remodeled last year. We took capricious notes and decided to replace all our flooring upstairs on our own. History will ultimately judge our decision to simultaneously get a puppy and redo our floors, but the early verdict is that we should have hibernated less and tackled one of those things at a time.

Daisher Family News

Miles and Nikki still love living in Twin Falls, ID with our 3 kiddos and animals.  Nikki is coaching Audrey and Dorothy's cheer team for their middle school, helps manage Miles' schedule as well as the family schedule.  Miles continues to BASE jump and parachute for Red Bull as well as coaching in Twin Falls those that want to learn to BASE jump.  Dorothy is 14 and is all cheer, she competes on a high level all star team as well as doing her school cheer.  Audrey, is 12 and also competes on an all star team and cheers with her school team, but her real passion is art.  Eli just turned 10 and loves soccer and skiing.  Last year we made it out for the family reunion and had a ball seeing everyone!

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Nau Family News

Although John continues to love his thriving custom amplifier business, an exit from banking in June 2018 has been the best decision for Marjie-no 60+ mile commute, less stress and time to focus on much more pleasant stuff. 

The wedding of our daughter Lisa and Kristen Lanphear (now MacKay) in October was amazing - perfect celebration with an antique travel theme.  We are thrilled to welcome Kristen into the family.

This year, we were able to travel to Germany for biking and John’s heritage, Sicily and the Puglia region of Italy for history, wine and olives, Minneapolis for great hospitality from Julia and Anthony and continue to be in touch with John’s classmates from his parochial school at the 50th class reunion.   We continue to bicycle in the country and completed 340 miles on the Great Alleghany Passage and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC this May. 

Marjie also traveled to Florida to celebrate cousin Cindy’s 60th birthday with Eileen & Dave Lawrence and the McCarthys in January and Morocco to ride a camel and many other adventures with a short stopover in Paris in March.  Volunteering has been rewarding for Marjie -working with an urban school 2nd grader in a buddy reader program and being a tax aide through AARP assisting senior citizens with income tax return preparation.

We look forward to catching up with all at the reunion in August.

Lisa MacKay News

It has been quite a monumental year for us since the 2018 Clan Reunion!

On October 7, 2018 we were married in a beautiful ceremony and celebrated with a reception that Kristen described as “the best party she’s ever been to” in Mendon, New York (on the east side of Rochester). Our theme was vintage travel and our colors were mint and grey. Julia was Lisa’s bridesmaid, Uncle Dave (Lawrence) gave a reading, and John and Marjie ended the ceremony with a blessing. One of our favorite parts of our ceremony was a Scottish hand fasting with our own unique spin; we had important couples in our lives tie a special piece of fabric or ribbon around our hands. Ken and Monica used a MacKay tartan scarf (from Scotland!), John and Marjie used a ribbon adorned with music notes and a piece of Marjie’s wedding dress, and Dave and Eileen used a ribbon featuring Mickey Mouse and a piece of Eileen’s wedding hat. We were honored and blessed to take the last name MacKay and to celebrate the beginning of our married lives with so many members of the Clan present.

After a fabulous trip to Disney World for our honeymoon - which started our Year of Disney as we treated ourselves to Annual Passes - we dove back into school and work. The holidays flew past and in January Lisa began student teaching and working on the massive portfolio required by New York State for certification, and Kristen began her practicum while continuing to work full-time. We’re still not entirely sure how we made it from January to May, but with lots of love and support from family and friends and a delightful week at Disney World with Dave and Eileen in February, we pushed through and both made it to our graduations. Lisa’s came first at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, where she earned her certification in Elementary and Special Education, graduating at the top of her class with highest honors and many accolades from her teachers and advisors. A week later we headed to Portland, Maine, along with John and Marjie, to celebrate Kristen’s graduation from the University of New England with her Masters in Public Health degree (humble brag: 4.0 GPA). A few days after getting home from Maine we were off to Florida again to celebrate our accomplishments at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

As we write this, we’re gearing up for another trip to Disney (we have to make the most of those Annual Passes!) to celebrate Lisa’s birthday on June 21. Lisa is busy applying for teaching jobs in the Rochester area, and after we figure out where she will be we look forward to finding a perfect home in which to start a family. Our last trip in our Year of Disney will be in October when we celebrate our first anniversary.

We’re so grateful for all of the big moments the past year has brought us, and are humbled by all of the support our family and friends have given us. Words fail to describe how especially thankful we are for Marjie and John, who have been our unfailing rocks through major events and challenges for the past few years. It speaks to how incredibly important a strong, supportive, and loving family is, and makes us ever prouder to bear the name MacKay.

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Kelly Watts and Kip Kelly

Having resolved to run a 5k a month, we finished 2018 running many more than 12 and dropping our times to our personal bests!  We’ve continued racing but as our brewery sponsored running group dissolved, our training has been slacking.  Nevertheless, we managed to place in our age groups and add another state to our list of places we’ve competed in.  Our travels took us to South Africa in the fall (their spring).  We had an amazing experience!  Highlights included viewing whales from the deck of our B&B, hiking the Dolphin Trail in the rain (which was welcomed as it put out the wildfires and cleaned the air of the smoke but did limit the view), hiking Table Mountain, wandering around Cape Town, and tasting South African wines.  Our next big trip is in honor of Kip’s parents’ 50 wedding anniversary.  They are taking us on a cruise of the British Isles!  Kelly is excited to visit Scotland for the first time.  Our next adventure is a cross country move.  Kip has obtained a position as Audiology Section Chief in the Northern California VA Healthcare System.  Kelly has secured a position as a clinical audiologist out of the Livermore VA - a part of the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System.  We will be living between the two facilities, hoping for parity in our commutes!  We are looking forward to this next phase of our lives but will miss the east coast.  Visitors are welcome; with wine country and San Francisco nearby, they’re expected!

Warm regards,

Kelly

Scott Martineck News

Scott and Dani Martineck are still calling NYC home.

Scott spent much of this summer playing master builder Robert Moses in Dani's new play What You Leave, about Moses and fellow famous New Yorker Nikola Tesla. Scott brought Moses to life in adult literacy centers in Brooklyn libraries, and in a one-night-only exclusive performance at Urban Stages' theater in Manhattan. Scott can also be seen (very briefly) in a third season episode of HBO's Divorce. He continues to work at Starbucks as well as working part time for the Soho Rep Theatre. He has been trying to write more and has been spending more time in the kitchen, experimenting with an exotic new type of food called the "vegetable" (from a local CSA).

Dani is still Parity Productions' literary manager, unfortunately having to leave the neuroscience lab at Baruch College due to a lack of funding. They also made their network television debut this year with a small recurring role on CBS' Blue Bloods. Keep an eye out for them in HBO's Succession when season 2 drops. In addition to acting, Dani has a renewed focus on writing for the stage and screen.

Dani Martineck | they/them

Actor, Writer, Scientist

Dave Lawrence News

We are both doing well. Dave retired in December and we spent three months in Florida. While there we had several relatives come and stay with us in our condo and we got together with the McCarthy’s frequently. Being NASCAR fans, we were excited to attend our first Daytona 500 in February. Dave unfortunately injured his knee before we came home and had surgery in May to repair a torn meniscus. Besides rehab we have been watching great niece Thea two days a week. She keeps us busy but is so much fun! We are looking forward to our new life as retirees and hope to see many of you at the reunion.

Kiebzak Family News

The last year has brought on a lot of exciting changes for our family!  Thea continues to be the star of the show and will gladly (and loudly) tell you so.  She is finishing up her first year at daycare - mom & dad have survived dropping their precious baby off each day and Thea’s teachers and classmates seem to have survived her as well.  Her 2 favorite days of the week are those she spends with “Leen” & “Uncle DAAAAVE” - together, they have visited nearly every playground and ice cream place in the area so far.

Michael continues his work at Ingram Micro and has taken on the title of “Supreme Home Hunter” in our house.  After finding our North Buffalo apartment over 6 years ago, he found us the perfect home in Tonawanda that we will be moving into before the end of the year.  He has promised that while he only knows a little about lawn mowing and grilling, he will “figure them out”.

I went back to work full-time in September as the Coordinator for the Ken-Ton UPK Wrap Program.  I have really enjoyed designing and putting together a classroom and program for 45 pre-k students who are with us each day from 7am-6pm.  This summer, I will be leading a summer camp program in the same location for campers ages 3-5.  After working with children for nearly 15 years, I have finally decided that Pre-K is the place I belong.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in August!

Emily

Carl Martineck Family News

Hello from ND where summer has finally arrived.

Reflecting on the last year and the coming summer months confirmed that Abigail is leading a much more interesting life than Carl or I. ( Last Aug, after years of saving her money, Ab finally had enough to buy the zip line kit she’d wanted. Carl installed it over a grassy, downward sloping expanse behind our house. It’s gotten a lot of use. Now she’s saving for a trip to Ireland with my mom next year. In Sept., she attended her first NFL game with Carl, Gary & Bonnie. She had fun, enjoying the atmosphere of the fans. She also went on her first deer hunt last fall. She didn’t get a deer, but her uncles have already submitted her license application for next fall. They’re likely more excited than Ab, but it’s good experience for her.

She turned 13 and just finished 7th grade. She played volleyball, basketball and tennis, as well as on a separate travel basketball team. She was moved up to the jr varsity tennis team and played a varsity match near season’s end. She sang in the jr high choir, played an aviatrix in the jr high play, and completed her 3rd year of flute lessons. Carl and Ab are currently enjoying a week at Disney World. I am thankful that Carl loves amusement parks and rides, and has patience for large crowds, long lines and excessive heat. The pictures they’ve sent confirm they are loving it.

She’ll be in MN all of June at a performing arts academy, then spend July mowing our lawn before a weeklong basketball camp in Bismarck. It’s off to Vegas with me in early Aug, and her summer will wrap with Gpa Carl’s 100th birthday party in WI!

Carl is 6 months into his job as City Attorney. It provides him a more regular schedule than his previous position and a better environment… no more weekends in the office. He’s been able to find balance between work and home; this is a benefit for us all. He can take vacation time that is actually vacation… no answering emails or phone calls. He even got his skis out of retirement in Feb and spent a week on the slopes of Montana.

No major changes for me. When I’m not working my actual job, I’m chauffeuring Abigail. I ran my first race this spring - I enjoyed it more than I expected and plan to do more. In March I took my mom to Winnipeg to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. It is amazing and worth your time if you’re ever in Manitoba. My youngest brother, Craig, who has Down Syndrome, has spent the last year slowly & methodically implementing his preferred routine into my weekends: (1) Friday nights I take him out to dinner; (2) Saturday mornings I take him for hot chocolate at a coffee shop where he cheats at checkers; and (3) once a month after hot chocolate/checkers it’s off to the nail salon for a mani & pedi… for him. I’m not sure which the nail techs enjoy more: the pure joy he exudes during his mani/pedi or the numerous excuses he gives afterward as to why I should pay for it. So, I chauffer Abigail during the week and Craig on the weekends. That’s life at Little Farm in a nutshell. We hope you all have a wonderful time in Buffalo in August, and we look forward to reading the Clan Courier 2019!

Russell Family News

2019 has been another fun-filled year for the Russell family!  We were super lucky to have a visit by the Daisher family in January when they visited Seattle for a cheer competition.  Our family truly loves having visitors so please let us know if your travels ever bring you to the beautiful Pacific Northwest!  Pete has perfected his “Twin Peaks” tour, which was filmed in the town where we live.

We also were able to sneak away in February to enjoy the sunshine at my parents’ house in Sarasota for our mid-winter break.  Zach and Shane rode every roller-coaster possible at Busch Gardens and SeaWorld while I realized that being in my 40’s now means roller-coasters aren’t nearly as much fun as they were back in the day.  

Zach and Shane continue to keep us busy with their sports schedules.  Zach is still following in his grandfather’s footsteps by being an avid baseball player, with a specialty of stealing bases.  Shane continues to channel his inner Steph Curry by swooshing 3-pointers on the basketball court while also honing his golf skills with his goal of winning the Clan golf tournament in the near-future.  Watch out Chris!

Pete continues to enjoy his role with Comerica and has the flexibility of east coast hours, which helps keep the chaos of sports schedules in check.  He coached one of Shane’s basketball teams this fall/winter and it was fantastic to see the development of each of the players on the team as Pete leveraged his Indiana basketball coaching skills.  

I continue to keep our family on our toes by infusing constant change into our lives.  I made the decision to leave Amazon in May to join a small company named Twilio. While at Amazon, I led the HR team for the most amazing executive I’ve ever worked with so when he left for Twilio, it was an easy decision to join him.  Luckily we are able to stay in Seattle while I also am enjoying frequent trips to San Francisco.

As I write this, we are 3 days away from departing for our cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary so hopefully we all survive this epic family adventure!  We are disappointed that we will miss the reunion this year but it at least gives others a chance to win the water balloon toss!!!

Love,

Kelly, Pete, Zach, and Shane

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