Gordon

Word reached me this week that a childhood friend has passed: Gordon Lindroth. He grew up on Nichols Street and attended the Hathorne School. I was in the classroom with him in 1949/50 (the final year of that one-room schoolhouse). We played together on the Locust Lawn property, climbing trees and having adventures with other neighborhood kids, especially friends Janet Hoberg and Ray Dirks. Gordon and I re-connected in 2008; he liked my Remembering Danvers columns and urged me to come to the next Danvers high school reunion, which I did. Thanks to Gordon, I re-connected with other Danvers classmates.

Gordon's full name is listed in the obituary in the NewburyPort News: Tage Gordon Lindroth. I recall that Tage was also his father's name. 

Gordon and his wife Katsuko lived in Newburyport, but he continued to maintain connections in Danvers, especially with the Amity Mosaic Masonic Lodge. Danvers is the location for his funeral arrangements: 

O’Donnell Cremations-Funerals-Celebrations, 167 Maple St. (rte 62) DANVERS, Sunday, January 30th at 11 A.M. Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours Saturday, January 29th from 2 to 6 P.M. Face coverings required at all services.  

I will try to attend. Meanwhile, I've found some photos of Gordon. These two show Gordon and Katsuko visiting my home in February 2008. We had fun looking at old school photos and reminiscing about times in Danvers:

Speaking of old school photos...  here's one that I found years ago tucked in an old wallet: 

Gordon Lindroth, July 2011,
at our 50th High School Reunion

 

Nick's 75th

Today, January 8th, is the anniversary of my father's birthday. I'm pleased to be able to post some new – to me – photos of him. I thank my cousin Dave Brewster for digitizing these 1987 photos and sharing them with me this week. Good timing!

These photos were taken at the Quarterdeck in Danvers during a Birthday Party for my father Nathan "Nick" Nichols, celebrating his 75th birthday in 1987. He was born January 8, 1912.

Nick loved the Quarterdeck and the performances there.

Dave's parents, David and Eleanor Brewster, are shown here enjoying the party.  

My sister and I both lived far away in 1987, so were not in attendance at this event. It is wonderful to see the photos and my father's smiling face.  Clearly he was having a good time. See this photo of him on the dance floor at the Quarterdeck that day:

About five years later, Nick and Julie moved to a retirement community in California. He was then beginning to have health and mobility issues that precluded the tennis and skiing that he had so loved. New England winters weren't so much fun anymore when he could no longer ski, he commented. He enjoyed new activities for a while in CA, but eventually succumbed to bone cancer at age 84 years, 9 months. He died in California on October 6, 1996. A celebration of his life was held in Danvers in early November 1996 with a great gathering of friends and family.