Anthony Aycock

After leaving Duke in 1969, I taught French and Creative Writing at Oak Ridge Academy in Oak Ridge, NC until 1974. I then entered the field of interior design in Charlotte, NC and moved to Atlanta in 1979. In 1981 I joined the staff at Neiman Marcus and celebrated my 29th year on October 2,2010.My mother and father are deceased, and I spent several years going back and forth caring for them.I miss them terribly. Healthwise, I monitor late-set diabetes 2 and coronary artery disease, but am doing fine. I also dabble in antiques (English), free lance residential design, and travel when possible.I think of you all frequently and wonder what's happening in your lives.I must come back for a reunion!My dream is to write a book or a series of short stories based on the people I've encountered through the years. Hey,Oprah, are you listening?LOL.I am at present working on a childrens' book about Christmas and looking for a sensational illustrator. If you have a suggestion,thanks for the referral.

Too many good memories to remember. I do recall a most hilarious day in French class with Madame Imogene Riddick. Brodie Brown and I and a few others took ketchup packets to class and sat at the back of the room. We opened them, covered ourselves,announced our debacle and pretended to be bleeding so we could get out of class...probably to smoke. OMG! We were bad!!!Also, three other things come to mind. For our "MACBETH" project, three of us dressed up as witches,used a black boiling cauldron(my grandmother's), put in dry ice, and dropped in real meat "innards" from the Fritts Meat Packing Company."Eye of newt and toe of frog... Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Forgive us, Shakespeare. Everyone in the class was wearing a make-shift mask, and the looks on their faces were priceless.LOL! Also, who could ever forget Mrs. Darr when she substituted for chemistry class and how she pontificated that "sulphur was the brimstone of the Bible and smelled like rotten eggs." The saddest memory was having to tell Mr. Holcomb's history class that President Kennedy had been shot and had later died. I was in chemistry class and Miss Charlotte Matthews asked me to go next door. I remember it vividly to this day. It was a very surreal experience. There were so many great times despite the pressures of growing up in those days when we were looking at bomb shelters at the Davidson County Fair and then getting on rides like the " The Bullet." I remember the great times I had in marching and concert band, Mr Pittman, and parades and trips to The Azalea Festival in Wilmington,NC.I wouldn't trade those memories for anything now, and I would hate to be in high school in the volatile times we live in. We had it "made" at LSHS. for the most part, don't you think?We were so lucky!

In 2013 I underwent abdominal hernia surgery which
was performed poorly resulting in septic syndrome ,an intestinal fistula,
a weight loss of 40 lbs,
and 17 weeks as a patient in three hospitals and a close call with
death.
I was lucky to find another surgeon at Emory Midtown
Hospital who put me back together.
When you are faced with unexpected health issues, your
appreciation for what we take for granted each day changes dramatically.
I am going to attend our 50th Reunion, my first and am looking forward to seeing many of you after all these years.

Seeing so many of you at the Reunion was great.It was a wonderful gathering.
Since then,I have moved to Asheville.NC after being in Atlanta for 38 years. Worked a short stint at Biltmore Estate. Part time Dillard's, Mens Fyrndugings presently.No retirement for me!
I would love for you to visit.