James Moody (1959)

My wife of 59 years, Karen Rudolph Moody, Class of '59, died Nov. 11, 2019. I’m still in grief therapy. My BA degrees in English & history are from UTA. Editor, publisher/partner in group of award-winning community newspapers until retirement. Avid environmentalist & Sierra Club member for 30 years. Led more than 70 SC backpacking trips and week-long service projects to Texas nat’l parks. Winner of Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club Outings Leader of the Year & Environmental Reporting awards. Three times named to SC Honor Roll of National Leaders. Interests: family activities, playing guitar, listening to music (classic country, '50s-mid-'60s rock 'n' roll, classical & classical guitar), reading, photography, liberal politics. Texas Longhorn fanatic🤘

I was immediately taken with a new girl who enrolled late in our senior year and entered Coach Turner’s study hall. My prayers were answered when she was assigned the empty chair at my table. I was anxious to know her name. Too anxious. Coach Turner called us out for talking, drew two circles on the chalkboard and told us to each stand with our nose in the circle. I had to stand on tiptoes but managed to steal a look to see how the new girl was faring. She and Coach Turner were simply having a conversation. He didn’t humiliate her the way he did me. I was glad. I’d already shown my ineptitude at making a favorable first impression. I was sure she’d never speak to me again. But she did. We were married 59 years before she died of cancer Nov. 11, 2019. I miss her so much.