Thank you Terry Mellinger for this wonderful tribute.

A very good day to all Santana Sultans, past, present, and some day future. No doubt this posting and subsequent threads have engendered many emotions of reflection, angst, surprise, and the grim reality of those now passing away that we knew or knew of. We were Santana Sultans.

Whether you went to Santana High in 1960’s, ’70’s, to present day, we all shared that common denominator of that anxiety of being a Freshmen on day one to graduating fours years hence. We walked the halls chatting away, nervous about ‘that test you needed to pass’, met new friends, some for life and maybe marriage, cheered at basketball and football games alike. We have become Santana Sultans.

In time, always time moving onward, our innocence of life is removed and reality, cruel and brutal or benevolent or gracious, is substituted in its place. We move on, grow up, and in many cases, move away from Santee or San Diego, and we are left with memories and ‘wonder what happened to….’, some we knew would do well and others would seek other paths of notoriety. We learned life as a Santana Sultan.

And now, we have come to realize that some or many of those fellow classmates or alumni have passed away from many causes as there are stars in the sky.Yes, those times shared, moments held secret and sacred are forever kept safe, and we rejoice in recalling those days consigned to teary eyes and skyward glances of, ‘ Thank you for knowing you!’ We are always a Santana Sultan past and present united in that bond of Purple and Gold and shared experiences. Yes, Santana Sultan Proud.

As our Alma Mater said, ‘Green Grass Valleys and Desert Winds”, may we all reach that land and the warm winds reassure us that wings of angels have passed by us with guidance. Blessings, Peace, and Cheers!