Geri McNeely Schultz

geri748@sbcglobal.net

I transferred to Fremd in 1972 (Junior year), and the culture shock of going from an all-girl Catholic school in the city of Chicago to a co-ed public school in the suburbs was really something; but it was an amazing experience that I’ll always cherish. I made some wonderful lifelong friends in my 2 years at Fremd, and also got to know a good portion of our class after graduation while working on the reunion committees. In recent years through Facebook, I’ve gotten to know and keep in touch with even more of you.

Life has had its ups and downs since our years at Fremd, but looking back, I’m grateful for all of my experiences. In 1981, I married Terry Schultz (Fremd class of ’75), and we have 2 wonderful sons, Shaun and Rob. Although we divorced in 1998, we remain close friends and always celebrate the holidays and family birthdays together. I got my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees while working full-time and having 2 toddlers. And I worked for United Airlines for most of my career, so I was able to travel the world.

Toward the end of 2016, I reconnected with a truly wonderful man, Gordon Stark (Fremd Class of 73), who also relocated to Palatine in the summer of 1972. Since we had known each other for 47 years, we were able to pick up where we left off all those years ago. Just after midnight at a New Year's Eve party in 2019, Gordon surprise me with an engagement ring, and we were married in October of 2021.

Together we have 12 grandchildren, none of whom live in Illinois, so we do a lot of traveling to see our families in Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. We also have a beautiful beach house on St. George Island, FL that we get down to several times a year.

In 2012, I launched an early-reader children's book series called Kristie's Excellent Adventures, originally based on a true story. The first 4 books in the series (Laundry Day, A Visit to the Fridge, The Deep Sea and The Big Bubble) are available on Amazon.com.

I retired from corporate American in April of 2023, and since then I've released the 4th book in the children's book series and have been having a blast traveling, and playing Pickleball and golf.

Although my wonderful Mom passed away in 2005 and my awesome Dad passed away in 2022, I'm blessed because most of my siblings still live in the surrounding suburbs, so we’re able to get together often.

Life has been good, and every year, I realize more and more how important our relationships are. At the end of our lives, how much money we made or how many things we collected won’t matter; it will be the relationships we cultivated and cherish that truly will matter. That's why I am really looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it at our next Reunion. Let's keep those wonderful relationships going!

As I mentioned above, I moved to Palatine in my Junior year, so although my time at Fremd was short, I was lucky enough to create friendships that have lasted a lifetime. I think the alumni of the Class of 74, more than most other classes, has forged and cherished lifelong friendships. Our thanks to Tom and Sue Bullen who work so hard to make sure that we're able to continue to cultivate and enrich those friendships through our reunions.

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