Beltsville Shell Reunion #21

Saturday, May 9, 2026

For the twenty-first time in twenty-four years friends, family, high school classmates, and fans of the book, "Beltsville Shell | You Are What You Drive" gathered for the 14th time at Herman's garage in Beltsville, Maryland for a reunion.

What had begun in 2002 as a reunion of seven people who worked at, or frequented, the Shell service station on Route 1 in Beltsville, Maryland has grown to include an extended circle of friends and high school classmates.  We share remembrances of a small town from a time that was extraordinarily special, a fondness for each other, and hope for continued health and happiness in the years ahead.

None of this would be possible without Herman, his daughter, Tammy, and other family members and close friends. Everyone who participates in this habitual event recognizes and appreciates their many kindnesses.

Our reunion was timed to take advantage of two important dates: 

 May 9th was Herman's 80th Birthday . . . 

 

. . .  and our reunion date coincided the reunion of the High Point High School Class of 1965 (we had our BSYAWYD reunion in the afternoon, and the HPHS reunion was in the evening).

This year we enjoyed the company of a host of ten first-timers! The group included: Joel Garner; Diane Geshwind  (Young); Bill Gibson; Bill Groves; Chris Nelson; Gayle Sunde; Rob Sunde; Jay Smith; Bill Wellford; and the newest new comer, Nayeli Williams (Tammy's granddaughter and Herman's great grand daughter).

 

This year, some things were the same as prior years, but a few things were new.

Herman's Truck 

One of my favorite things to see while in Herman's garage is the pickup truck that he crafted from pieces of steel -- he fabricated all the parts himself in his home garage.  Herman uses both vintage and modern tools in his well-equipped shop -- a CNC Plasma table, tubing bender, a "Brake" bending tool, slip roll, an "English Wheel" metal shaping tool, and a bead roller. 

Herman constructed the frame from 10 gauge hot rolled steel in three sections and the frame is boxed for extra strength. The body was constructed from 1" by 1" by 1/8" square tubing covered with 18 gauge cold rolled steel panels. The truck has all the goodies you would expect from a first-class hot rod -- a Chevy 350 Cu. In. crate motor putting out 385 horsepower, backed by a turbo 350 transmission.  The chassis sports a Mustang II front end and a Ford 9" rear end riding on coil over springs. 

Watch this blog site for a future post describing the construction of this feature-filled creation!

The Batmobile

Everyone was astonished when a replica of the Batmobile drove into the parking area. 

 

Created and driven by Bill Gibson, this car is amazingly similar to the first version of the Batmobile from 1966. Bill has reproduced so many features of the original car in creative and clever ways.

 

You can see from the rear view the "Bat Turn" parachutes, and, my personal favorite feature, the Jet Exhaust Pipe (Bill has a propane tank mounted in the trunk and he can shoot real flames out of the back of the car!).

Everyone enjoyed looking at some very special cars and just having fun together.  The BSYAWYD uniform was omnipresent.

Phil Corbin, Steve Anderson, Cary, Nan, Malcolm Van Kirk, Tom Hontz, Nace De Lauter, Pat Thomas

Hannah Gaffigan and Herman prepared chicken for the main entree, and Herman and Tom took turns at the grill.  Soon it was time for the traditional buffet lunch.  Everyone brings something yummy and I have trouble choosing what to eat.

 

Herman always starts the lunch off by making introductions and welcoming everyone to his home.  As soon as he finished, we all began singing "Happy Birthday".

Malcolm Van Kirk and Bev and Steve Abdalla

Nan and Nace De Lauter Note: Nace has attended all 21 reunions going back to 2002!

Diane Geshwin (Young) and Mike Calhoun

Doug Jones, Steve Anderson, and Phil Corbin

Herman, Phil Cleary and Jim Ziepold

Chris Nelson, Bill Gibson and Pat Thomas

Tick Mangum and Anne McFarland

Janet Merkel and Bud Duley

Rob Sunde and Gary Manley

Joel Garner and Tom and Bonnie Hontz

Jay Smith and Sandi Watt (Johnson)

Phil Marcus (almost smiling!)

After lunch, it was time to devour the multiple birthday cakes.  In addition to Herman's birthday cake (see above), Sam Whitmore also brought a reunion cake with a picture of the book cover!

We had enjoyed excellent weather all day, even though the weather forecast was for a chance of rain.  Just as we gathered for the traditional group photo, it started sprinkling. Undeterred, and sheltered by the roof line of Herman's garage, we got almost everyone in the group shot -- courtesy of Tammy's photographic expertise.

Back row - Steve Anderson, Jim Ziepolt, Bill Groves, Phil Corbin, Malcolm Van Kirk, Herman Knauer, Gayle Sunde, Rob Sunde, Anne McFarland, Tick Mangum, Joel Garner, Jay Smith, Bill Gibson, Mike Calhoun, Steve Abdalla, Charles Crowson 

Front row, standing - Rick and Barbara Ransom, Tom and Bonnie Hontz, Phil Marcus, Bev Abdalla, Sam Whitmore, Hannah Gaffigan, Nace DeLauter, Sandi Watt (Johnson), Doug Jones, Diane Geshwin (Young), Gary Manley, Phil Cleary, Matthew Vasquez 

Front row, kneeling - Nancy Paul Thomas, Cary Thomas, Pat Thomas 

Attending, but not in photo - Bud Duley, Buddy Goldsworthy, Janet Merkel, Chris Nelson, Bill Wellford, Bonnie Williams, Nayeli Williams, Tammy Yokum

With us in spirit, but unable to attend - Frank Bollinger, Bill and Maryjane Goodwin, Suzanne Lees, Don and Shirley Kingery, Thomas Payne, Wayne Thomas, and Sharon Winne

Soon, everyone began to drift off, many of them heading to Annapolis for our high school reunion later in the day.  As we said our goodbyes, and exchanged hugs, the song imprinted on the first page of the book began playing in my head . . . 

There are places I'll remember all my life

though some have changed,

Some forever -- not for better

some have gone and some remain.

 

All these places have their moments 

with lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

But in my life, I've loved them all. 

I'm grateful for these reunions and everyone who goes to the effort to make this unique experience possible.

Cary Thomas, May 14, 2026 

Beltsville Shell Available Again

Good News - Fourth Printing of Beltsville Shell!

The first three printings of Beltsville Shell | You Are What You Drive were completely Sold Out in late 2025. 

But, we have Good News! The fourth printing is now available and the books are for sale on Amazon.com.  The new version is identical to the first three printings -- paperback format, same color cover, same 196 pages, and the contents are identical to the third printing.  The only difference is the inside cover showing "Fourth Printing - 2026".  Best of all, the supply will never run out again!!

The link to access the book is here . . .

 

 Buy Beltsville Shell | You Are What You Drive

 

 

On Sunday, to celebrate this happy event, Nan and I were visited by Thomas Payne (author of the famous Garage Journal "Restored 1930's Auto Shop" that many of you have seen and read), his wife, Chris, and our mutual friend, Lou Bingham (owner of multiple Bonneville Land Speed Records).

Thomas has been a huge supported of Beltsville Shell, including the copy that has circled the World three times, so we bestowed on him one of only two "Author Proof" copies of the book for his library.

Only through the skill and expertise of our fabulous printing partner, Valdimir Medvinsky, were we able to change the delivery model from the “old fashioned way” to the brilliant new “print on demand” service (in which each order is custom printed and mailed to the buyer by Amazon).

By the way, if you have any printing needs, please check out Vladimir's website here:

Printing CEO 

Thank you to everyone who has supported my book for the past 23 years!

Cary Thomas, April 2026 

Barbara Alice Thomas

September 9, 2025

On the 79th anniversary of her birth, this post is to honor my sister, Barbara Alice Thomas, a sometimes visitor to Beltsville Shell!

Sadly, she passed last year, one day after the celebration of what would have been our father's 100th birthday, and our mutual (along with my our brothers Wayne and Pat) post to honor him.

Tribute to Clinton E. Thomas, Jr. 

The eulogy that I wrote for Barbara's funeral service, below, tells the story of her life, and her legacy of caring for others.  I won't repeat any of that material here, but instead, will try to describe some of our happy times together.

Joining me in celebrating Barbara's life in this post are contributions from her daughter, Lori Austin, and her son Kendall Temple. 

Our family nickname for Barbara was "Babs". She was one year my senior, and throughout our childhood, in many ways, she was my closest friend.  Here we are on her second birthday and my first. We played together every day and shared toys.

Before long two more brothers came along, and it was probably a bit of a chore being the only girl in the family.  But I don't recall her ever complaining.
 

From left: Cary, Helen (mom), Wayne, Pat (newly born in 1954) and Barbara

Here is a photo from the late 1970's.

Barbara was both active and popular in her youth (as well as in adulthood).  She participated in Brownies, Girl Scouts, 4-H Club, Baptist Church groups, and more.  She took violin lessons in elementary school.  At High Point High School, she was on the Pom-Pom Squad -- similar to the cheerleaders. She encouraged me to go to "Teen Club", and tried to teach me to dance. We shared so much.

She was in the High Point Class of 1964, one year ahead of me.

Some times I would let her drive my Fox Go Kart . . . 

. . . and I would let her pretend that she could drive my Corvettes!

I always thought that she would be my source of support when I went to the University of Maryland, but marriage and motherhood interfered with that plan. 

 

She faced many challenges that are chronicled elsewhere, but her positive attitude hid them from the rest of the World.  When a child is born with a serious disease, the challenge is equally owned by the parent for a lifetime. Kendall was born with, Phenylketonuria (PKU) a rare inherited metabolic disorder that, left untreated, can lead to severe health problems. The story of how Barbara dealt with this challenge is best told by Kendall, himself.

 

"The reasons why Mom had to sew and take on all those extra things to make money was to help pay for my formula which was $385 for one can which was about a one month supply. Mom wrote down everything that I ate on paper every day of my life for at least the first five years. She worked closely with a registered nurse and dietitian through Johns Hopkins University Medical Center to determine what I could, and could not, eat -- typically low protein foods. This routine was arduous because she performed this surveillance many years before ingredients were listed on the back of packages. Mom had to pay attention to keep my diet under control every day of my life until adulthood."

 

In adulthood, in addition to the demands of her family, she earned a Real Estate license, and became a very successful Realtor. The respect that her colleagues held for her was reflected in Barbara being elected to leadership and board positions in her chosen profession. I'll never know where she got the time or energy, but on top of all her other commitments, she was always helping elderly women in her circle of church friends.  

 

As her family grew, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived, she managed to cherish, love, and support each of them.

 

A Thomas family get-together at Barbara's home in 1994

A more recent gathering of Barbara's children and grand children

 

Barbara, her son, Kendall, and her daughter, Lori

 

One of my very favorite stories about my time with Barbara took place in Pasadena, California.  

 

The 1984 Rose Bowl Game

 

Barbara and her son, Kendall, came to California to visit my family during the Christmas holiday of 1983.  I arranged to secure tickets to the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on January 2, 1984.  Illinois was playing UCLA in one of the most famous of all Rose Bowl games.  The fame had nothing to do with the game, however.

 

 

Caltech, also located in Pasadena, is known for the classic, and astounding, pranks that its students play on others.  Months prior to the game, two Caltech students managed to get a copy of the user manual for the stadium scoreboard.  They figured out a way to reprogram the text on the big display.  Then they hot wired a device into the circuits of the score board so that they could access the system remotely from a distant hill.  During the game, the students "took over" the scoreboard, changed the teams to Caltech and MIT, and programmed little beavers (the Caltech mascot) crawling across the screen.  The Rosebowl technicians couldn't regain control, and in desperation, shut down the scoreboard.  We were laughing in the stands, and I correctly predicted who had pulled of this amazing prank. It was a very cool way to celebrate the New Year. And Barbara and Kendall were there!

 

NY Times Story of Caltech Rosebowl Prank 

 

Finally, I want to recognize Barbara for perhaps, her greatest kindnesses: she supported and cared for our Father and Mother until their final moments, maintaining a vigil at each of their bedsides as they passed.

 

 

You memory lives on, Barbara, in every person whose life was touched by you.

Love, Cary & Nan  September 9, 2025

 

Remembering My Mother

Unselfish is the first word that comes to mind when I think of my mother. I think she would have given her last dollar to anyone she thought would need it more than her. She gave not just financially but also of her time and energy. She was an avid seamstress and spent countless hours sewing for others. I remember many times when I was a child that she would stay up far into the night if she was working on a new outfit or some other project that would be needed the next day.

Being a grandma was where my mom really excelled. She loved her grandchildren and often surprised them with gifts big and small, expensive and free. When my children were young, our family planned a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, and she planned to sew one of the girls a period dress to match her doll. She missed the opportunity to get the dress in the mail and instead fought Washington, DC rush hour early in the morning to deliver the dress herself just as we were packing up the car to leave on our trip. You knew you could always count on her to show up. Whether it was showing up at their events or dropping a package of free convention swag in the mail, she had a way of making all her grandchildren feel loved and important. I hope that I can follow in her footsteps. 

Lori Austin, September 9, 2025

 

Eulogy for Barbara

This gathering today would bring joy to Barbara’s heart.  It is wonderful to see this outpouring of love for her.

We have heard, and will hear, countless expressions of her character today by many people, here publicly, and in our private conversations and remembrances.  All of them, will be true.

The character trait that I want to focus on is “Caring”.  Although Barbara’s middle name could have been “Kindness”, I think her legacy is “Caring”.

I come to this moment with the following context:  Born one year and 13 days before me, Barbara was my big sister.  Our childhoods were intertwined.  I walked with her to school every day, and watched her participation in Church, Girl Scouts, 4-H Club, and more.  She was an honor-roll student. She tried to learn to play the violin.  She took me to teen club and attempted to teach me to dance.  I was so proud at High Point High School football games to see my sister, the pretty short blonde, performing on the field as a Pom-Pom Girl with the marching band.  She was enormously popular, but always took the time to care for me, and our younger brothers, Wayne and Pat.

The zenith of her caring occurred in her adult years.  As a young mother, her son, Kendall, was born with PKU, a serious disease that required immediate, specialized care.  At only 20 years old, with two small children, she drove to Baltimore, to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, for regular treatments and blood tests for him.  She also cared for elderly women from her church, many of them living alone.  With her brothers, Wayne and Pat, she cared for our father through his five-year battle with cancer.  And after Dad passed, she, again with her brothers, cared for our mother for twenty-eight years until Mom’s passing in 2018. Barbara would have been the perfect nurse.

Barbara’s caring carried over to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, neighbors, and even real-estate clients.  Her real-estate practice was very successful, in part, because she worked hard, and sometimes contributed financially, for buyers and sellers who needed help to finalize a transaction.

Everyone gathered here has experienced her caring spirit.  Each of us has received countless cards from Barbara – birthday, wedding, anniversary, Christmas, get-well, and more.  Even when her health struggles plagued her daily life, each of her text messages began with, “How are YOU doing?”  No one could have cared more for others than Barbara did.

I want to close this eulogy with the words that the Wizard of Oz said to the Tin Man, “And remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”  By this measure, Barbara’s heart was enormous.

As we leave this place, we can best honor Barbara’s legacy by dedicating ourselves to caring for each other every day.  That way, we will remember Barbara forever.

Thank you,

Cary and Nancy Thomas, Carlsbad, California  April 26, 2024