Class of 1955 – 66th reunion, Saturday, October 9, 2021 – Respond by September 9, 2021 anaheimalumni@yahoo.com
Class of 1954 – 67th – Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021 – RSVP by October 1st auhs54reunion@aol.com
Class of 1970 – 50th +1 – Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 – Anaheimhs1970@gmail.com
AUHS Class of 1954 – 67th Reunion – Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021 – 2p – 5p
As we have all learned, especially lately, this event might change due to COVID restrictions and other events not in our control which we will of course let you know.
We have reserved a banquet room and separate checks will be available for your convenience. There is no payment due.
Please, let me know if you and your guest will be joining us!!
Please let me know!!
auhs54reunion@aol.com
Many thanks to Dorothy Addy Ranalli, Renny Wallace Hauswald and Maryanne Hammatt Leckie!!!
Anaheim High Class of 1944 alumna Gania Demaree Trotter died peacefully at home in the loving presence of her family members. Gania’s father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, was principal of Anaheim Union High School from 1941 to 1954. In 2014, Gania established an endowed scholarship in her father’s name that has been awarded since to graduating Colonists.
Gania stayed close with her classmates, including her best friend, Kathryn (Gauer) Kopitzke. Friends going back to kindergarten at Horace Mann Elementary School, together they attended the YMCA’s Camp Oceola, worked as soda jerks at Jackson Drug Store and as waitresses at Knott’s Berry Farm.
While a student at Anaheim High, Gania was president of Girls’ League and the Girls’ Reserve. She also was a member of the school choir and an honor student.
Gania returned to her alma mater for a short time in the 1950s to serve as choral director. She also served as a guest speaker in 2019 for “The Poston Experience – Paving the Way for the Next Generations.” Presented in Cook Auditorium, the event was a rare opportunity to witness the testimony of Anaheim’s Japanese families who were incarcerated in camps during WWII.
Dr. Demaree was principal at Anaheim High during WWII when 50 students of Japanese descent were forced to leave their homes and relocate to the camps. Poignant in that Demaree was born in Japan to missionary parents, he was especially vocal in speaking out against discrimination toward Japanese-Americans, a courageous position to take considering the war fervor at the time.
As a musician and choral director, an arts development administrator, a political activist, and a devoted friend, Gania’s energetic intellect and vibrant personality enriched the lives of every person and community she encountered.
Gania grew up in Southern CA and earned a degree in choral music from Occidental College (1949) and a MA in Education from Columbia Teachers College (1952). She married the Rev. Dr. F. Thomas Trotter in 1953 and helped him establish Montclair Methodist Church in 1956.
In their 66 years of marriage, they supported each other through a wide array of professional and personal adventures in the service of many communities and callings. They were a loving, supportive and inspiring presence to their children and many extended family members.
In her university days, Gania studied choral music with Howard Swan and sang with Robert Shaw. Later, she was director of Choral Music at John Muir College. In the 1960s and 70s, she directed other choral groups, including the adult and youth choirs at Claremont UMC.
After moving to Nashville, TN in 1973, Gania devoted much of her energy to volunteer work in education and social services. She was a principal architect of a group whose work established major reforms in Nashville’s public schools. She was an active member of West End UMC, singing in the chancel choir and serving on many committees that shaped the congregational life. Professionally, her work as Director of Development for Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music enabled Gania to merge her love for music, education and community outreach.
In 1988, Gania and Tom moved to Anchorage, where Tom was President of Alaska Pacific University, and Gania built up the school’s development program. During this time, Gania and Tom were also deeply engaged in the founding and development of Africa University, a Pan-African and United Methodist-related institution in Mutare, Zimbabwe.
After retiring in 1995, Gania returned to work as Director of Development for Claremont School of Theology (1999-2001). In her post-retirement years, Gania remained active in political, environmental and arts groups, and held leadership and service positions at Mount San Antonio Gardens.
In 2017, she published her memoirs: a book cherished by many family members and friends. Gania is survived by her children, Ruth Elizabeth Trotter (Brett Watterson), Tania Trotter Batson (Greg Batson) and Mary Kathleen Trotter (Robert Kaufman); grand-children Thomas, Daniel and Wesley Batson; step-grandchildren Travis Watterson (Meetra), Ryan Watterson, and Rachel Azevedo (Lucas); and numerous beloved sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.
Gania was predeceased by her husband Tom, parents Paul Holland and Mary Sunnen Demaree, siblings Kay Bean, Ruth Preston and Daniel Demaree, and daughter Paula Anne.
The 102nd and most unusual season in Colonist football annals came to an end on Friday, April 16 at Glover Stadium. But even more important than Anaheim’s resounding 51-12 win over Santa Ana Valley in the Orange League finale for both teams, senior running back Adam Luna and head coach Lanny Booher both reached impressive marks that put them among the all-time greats in team history.
Luna ended his Anaheim football playing career with one of the greatest nights ever played. Demonstrating his trademark speed and elusiveness, the outgoing senior tailback carried the ball 18 times for a whopping 341 yards, the second-highest single-game total in team history (behind only Reuben Droughns’ 373 yards vs. Arroyo in the First Round of the 1993 CIF-Southern Section playoffs).
Additionally, Luna (who finished with 936 yards in just five games), scored a team-record seven rushing touchdowns on runs of 10, 14, 54, and 14 yards in the first quarter (also a new team mark), a 58-yarder in the second quarter, another 58-yard run in the third quarter, and then a final 9-yard scamper early in fourth quarter. This broke the team single-game mark of six set by Matt Contreras in a 2007 victory over Katella. The seven scores gave Luna 20 rushing touchdowns for the season, the first Colonist back to do so since George Perdickez in 2006. Luna averaged 18.9 yards per carry in the game, evoking memories of Mickey Flynn, while his running style recalled other historic Anaheim running backs like Joel Ramirez and Joaquin Garcia who did not let their lack of size get in the way of dominating the field of play. With a career total of 1,350 rushing yards and 26 total TDs, there is no doubt that Adam Luna’s name now goes along with the very best who have ever played for Anaheim High School.
Watching from the sidelines as he has done for so many years, head coach Lanny Booher guided his team through the chaos and hardships of this season, which was turned upside down by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Even when the prospects for having a season during the 2020-21 school year seemed grim, Booher kept his players focused and motivated. And when the danger abated and the season was allowed to commence, Anaheim was ready.
The Colonists’ rout of the Falcons gave Anaheim a 4-1 record to end the season and bettered the team’s overall win total for 2019 (when the Colony finished 3-7). The win over Santa Ana Valley was also the 85th career victory for Coach Lanny Booher, pushing him past Dick Glover, who won 84 games over 16 seasons during two stints from 1931 to 1942, and then again, from 1946 to 1949. Booher’s career win total now ranks as the second-most in team history behind only Clare Van Hoorebeke, who won 189 victories over 23 seasons from 1950 to 1972. Booher, an Anaheim High School graduate (Class of 1981), completed his 17th season as head coach, having led the team since 2004.
Elmer Thill – April 19, 1914 – November 17, 2020
Lifetime Anaheim resident Elmer Thill passed away of natural causes on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at age 106. He was at home surrounded by family. Thill was Anaheim’s oldest resident and the oldest known living graduate of Anaheim Union High School (AUHS).
Elmer was born to August and Anna Thill on August 19, 1914, at 219 S. Olive Street in Anaheim. He was baptized at St. Boniface Catholic Church, attended elementary school at St. Joseph’s Academy, junior high school at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fullerton, and graduated from Anaheim High School in 1932.
Anaheim High School veterans are asked to print and fill out this form and email to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com to be a part of the AHSAA Veterans Project. Thank you for your service!
The AHS Alumni Association has come up with a great way for staying safe, while still displaying your Colonist Spirit, Pride & Tradition!
Join or renew your membership (at any level) by July 31 and we will mail you a collectible AHS facemask.
We send our best wishes to all and look forward to when we will be able to meet again! We hope that date is Sept. 18 for Homecoming 2020.
Thank You! – The AHSAA Board of Directors
Congratulations to our outstanding 2020 Spirit Award winners. These students are scholars, school leaders, athletes, musicians, dancers, and community volunteers who have consistently given back to their school and community throughout their four years at Anaheim High. Congratulations to these 2020 graduates, who had their senior year cut short, but will go on to successful futures as they continue their higher educations.
