Walt Locke: "At the end of training' let the fun begin!"

Four days and counting, over 1,000 miles of training, no broken bones (knock on wood), one more 50 mile ride to keep the legs in shape and the best part only $200 more dollars to reach the PMC  goal of $4,300 per person. It is your donations that keep the research going and it is the research that saves lives and hopefully in the near future will find a cure to cancer.  I thank you for your past donations and continued support. As you know I will be wearing ribbons on my jersey in memory of those who have died and in honor of those who are either battling cancer or have beaten it.  I have close to 80 names and that is way too many names.  And the worst part is that most of them are in memory of those who have died.  But the good news is that friends will write to me about people they know who have survived or are currently fighting their battle with cancer.  They have been very uplifting.  One of my friends from Conrail, Ben told me about his nephew Andy who is 34.  He has been battling his cancer since age 12.  His cancer has been in remission for some time now, but the treatments he’s had to go through over the years took a toll on his sperm count.  Thanks to the marvels of science and the grace of God, he and his wife were blessed with artificially inseminated twins last August after several failed attempts.  Earlier this year he broke his hip getting out of his car because his bones were so brittle from the treatments he’s gone through.  When they were screwing in his replacement hip they discovered cancer in his pelvis area.  He's a club pro (golfer) in Connecticut and he just finished his last round of chemotherapy in early June and now in July he's been hitting some golf balls already.  Ben has told me that Andy is an awesome young man who never lets his condition affect the smile on his face. You'd never know he was as bad off as he is if it wasn't for the hair and eyebrow loss. I have read several stories like this from my friends and I know I will be hearing several stories like this as I do my ride this Sat. & Sun.  That is what has helped me get through all these training miles.  And that is what will help me get through the 200 miles in Mass.   Thanks to your donation more of these stories will have happy endings. It is the research that will make a difference.  And it is the donations you have made big or small that will make a difference.  Every dollars helps and will go a long way to save lives.     Thanks for your support.  Take care,  Walt  Donations can be made on line to http://www.pmc.org/profile/WL0039 or by mailing a check made out to PMC and sending it to my attention at 108 38th St., Avalon, NJ 08202.

Jim Fallon

James W. Fallon, 60, passed away on February 27, 2013, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Jim served his country as a Sergeant in the Recon Platoon in the 111th Division of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, for which he was a third generation member to serve in this specific Division. As a fourth generation railroader, Jim worked for Penn Central and Conrail before retiring as Senior Vice President of Transportation at CSX in 2004. He was an avid reader, golfer, fly fisherman, storyteller and great appreciator of nature. Jim was a loving husband and father who loved his country. Everybody loved Jim. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Julie, of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL; daughters, Lindsay of Dallas, TX, Robin of South Bend, IN, and Taylor Rose of Charleston, SC; parents, James W. Fallon, Sr. and Dolores of Philadelphia, PA; brothers, Joseph and Patrick; sisters, Irene, Lori, Elaine, Barbara and Joan, as well as 31 nieces and nephews. Visitations will be held on Saturday, March 2, from 5 to 7 pm and on Sunday, March 3 from 4 to 6 pm at Ponte Vedra Valley, 4750 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. A Funeral Service will be held at Noon on Monday, March 4 at Ponte Vedra Valley. Burial to follow with Military Honors also at Ponte Vedra Valley.

Visitations will be held on Saturday, March 2, from 5 to 7 pm and on Sunday, March 3 from 4 to 6 pm at Ponte Vedra Valley, 4750 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Services -A Funeral Service will be held at Noon on Monday, March 4 at Ponte Vedra Valley.

Interment -Burial to follow with Military Honors also at Ponte Vedra Valley.

Help Walt make his goal... Help Cure Cancer.

Fellow Ex_Con's:

I don't use this site to push anything...  It's been up for over 10 years and lately it seems all the news is about loosing our friends and collegues.  Here's something maybe you can help with.

We all know Walt Locke.  I had the pleasure of working with him both at Conrail and later at Railinc.  We nearly lost a common Railinc friend to cancer this past year and I nearly lost a friend and Ex-Con from my early Conrail years -- Alan Costa -- that was a cancer survivor and specifically was treated at Dana-Farber.  Each of you has similar stories.

Read Walt's note below and if you can help him out on his goal for this week-ends Pan-Mass Challenge @ http://www.pmc.org/profile/WL0039

Thanks, 

Dick Flynn

From: Walter Locke
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 9:22 AM
To: Walter Locke
Subject: Getting Close

So I have done 146 miles since July 12th when I was cleared by the Dr. to get back on the bike.  I plan to do 165 miles over the next week and then it is off to Mass. to do the ride.  So besides the several rides i have done in Avalon, we have been visiting friends at Raquette Lake, NY and I have been able to do several rides in the mountains.  Over this coming weekend we will be in the Albany area and I am planning on doing a 60 -70 mile ride on the Erie Canal bike trail.  Then it is back to Avalon for a 50 mile ride and resting the legs and butt until Aug. 4 & 5 for the long rides.  My wrist has been sore and the first several rides it has been hard to find a way to rest it on the bike handle, but this past week it has gotten better to were I can find a couple of ways to hold on to the handle bars.  So in the next ten days it should be getting stronger.

So I am still looking forward to taking this ride on and also looking for your support to continue the fight against cancer and helping me reach my goal.  We need to help support the funding for the researching of new treatments to help people we know win their fight against cancer.  And it is the research done at numerous places like Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that is helping to find ways to beat cancer.  You should know that 100% of the money raised by the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) goes to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  

So please join me in supporting the PMC by making donations of any amount either by logging on to the following web site http://www.pmc.org/profile/WL0039 or by mailing me a check made out to PMC. Every little bit helps so join the fight and help save lives.  You never know, your donation my save one of your family members or a friend.  Thanks again for your support.  

Take care,  Walt 

In Memory of Joseph S. Fadale

July 18, 1921 - May 16, 2012

 

Joseph S. Fadale died peacefully on May 16th, 2012 surrounded by his loving family. Born on July 18, 1921, Joe served in the Army Air Force in WWII and joined the New York Central Railroad as an electrician upon discharge from the Army. His entire career was spent working for the New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Conrail. He retired from Conrail as AVP/CMO - Mechanical in 1987.

  
He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Tina, three loving children, Garry J. Fadale (Priscilla), Joanne M. Schramm (David), Beth A. Gelber (Richard); seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. His good character, integrity, personal values and work ethic have served as important lessons to us all.

 
Interment and Services will be arranged by Farone Funeral Home in Syracuse, New York at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Neighborhood Hospice, 400 E. Marshall Street, West Chester, PA 19380.

Sig Curran

Sad news on a former member of the Customer Service Team at Conrail and at CSX.  Particularly sad to hear this news about a younger member of the Conrail family.

Sigmund passed away Saturday night in the hospital from complications related to heart surgery.  His family was with him which was a blessing for us all. The family has asked that donations be made to the American Heart Association in lieu of flowers.

 The viewing will be Wednesday night May 2^nd from 7-9 PM

Joseph A Fluehr Funeral Home

800 Newtown- Richboro Road
Richboro PA, 18954

A brief second viewing Thursday May 3^rd at 9:30 AM with a 10:30 AM Christian Mass to follow at:

St. Christopher’s Church

13301 Proctor Road
Philadelphia PA, 19116
 

Burial in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery afterwards.

There will be a notice in the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding arrangements.  You can also find them at www.fluehr.com

Please feel free to pass this information to any of his friends and colleagues we may have missed.

Robert Still McKernan, Sr.

June 23-1922 -   April 24, 2012

Robert Still McKernan, Sr. of Bradenton, FL and Guilford, CT, a railroad and governmental relations official in Southern New England for more than 30 years, died in Florida on April 24^th. Vsitation will be at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford, on Tuesday, May 1, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. George Church, 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford, on Wednesday, May 2, at noon(?)  

Born June 23, 1922, in Brooklyn, NY, the son of the late Nelson Miles and Dorothy Dent McKernan, he was raised in Larchmont, NY and Westport, CT.  He served with the US Air Force in WWII and graduated from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA in 1948.

From then until 1957, he was news editor of Radio Station WELI in New Haven, CT, and during that period was local correspondent for ABC, United Press, NY Herald Tribune and Newsweek.  He then joined the public relations department of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad as editor of the employee publication and became head of the department in 1962.

In 1968, he became Penn Central’s New England regional executive representative and continued that role with Conrail until his retirement in 1990.

As a resident of Hamden, CT, he served for eight years as a member of the Town Planning and Zoning Commission and chaired its planning section for four years.  He had been a founding director of the New Haven Better Business Bureau, a member of the transportation committee of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and had served on the public relations committees of a number or organizations, including the New Haven Red Cross, the state blood program and the Connecticut Industrial Development Council.

Before retirement, he was a member of the Railroad Public Relations Association, vice chairman of the Massachusetts Railroad Association, and served on a number of legislative transportation task forces and study groups in Connecticut and New England.  He was the first honorary life member of the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association.

A boating enthusiast, he was a member of the Guilford Marina Commission for 16 years and served a number of those years as its chairman, was a founding director of the Connecticut Boating Coalition, and was an organizer and officer of the Guilford Boat Owners Association

He is survived by his wife Marilyn Balsis McKernan, sons Robert S. Jr.(Catherine) Rory M. (Sue), and Malcolm N. all of CT, William H. of Australia; Douglas B. (Trish) of NJ; a daughter  F. Jo of NC, grandchildren Kathryn (Michael) Reed, Michael (Tara), Christen (Edward) Robbins, Rani, Rion Tolchin, Kieran, Dylan and Robert Riley, and great-granddaughters, Brianna and Caitlyn Reed.

He is also survived by a sister Jean Spence of  FL, a brother John (Gwen) of MN,  brother-in-law Lee Gray,  and sisters-in-law Jeanine and Diane Balsis, as well as his beloved nieces, nephews and their children.   He was predeceased by a sister Patricia Gray and brother-in-law Clarence Spence.

Memorial contributions may be made to Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), 706 Haddonfield Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 or Shriners Hospitals for Children, Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607.

Conrail Heritage Unit

ALTOONA, PA. - The first locomotive to be painted in Norfolk Southern’s 30th anniversary heritage paint schemes rolled out of the company’s Juniata Locomotive Shop here yesterday. Locomotive NS 8098, a GE ES44AC, bears the “Conrail Blue” scheme. It is a 4,400-horsepower, EPA Tier-3 compliant Evolution Series locomotive equipped with distributed power capability. It will be run to Conway, Pa., and enter active transportation service.

See whole article at below link

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2012/ns_heritage_roll_out.html