William Kilgore graduated from Richardson High School, the forerunner to CPHS. Upon graduation, he joined the USMC where he served in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Upon returning to Atlanta area after the war, he worked for Bearden/Thompson Electric Company where he eventually became president. He played semi-professional baseball, was an avid golfer and an excellent hunter. He was a comitted Christian and was a strong lay leader in Second Baptist Church of College Park. He married his high school sweetheart, Ilene Gill. They had three sons, Steve (deceased), Scott and Jeff. William died of a heart attack in 1983.
Each year of my high school career, I had the joy of having Ruth Barren as my choral teacher. My dad was in one of the first classes she ever taught. As with most novice teachers, the football players in class would try to push the boundaries. My father, a footballer himself, would have nothing of it and took the matter in hand and straightened the other guys out. From that point on, Miss Barren called my father, "Sweet William, " and as his son, I had it made. Another CPHS personality that impacted both Dad's and my lives was Ms Cochran. As a subfreshman, I remember how her voice would strike fear in my heart. She found out that I was the son of William Kilgore and she shouted in her booming voice down the hallway to me, "Sweet William, come here." I came.... She told me some stories of my father and their years together. I later found out that Dad had a short leave to visit his family and his future wife before shipping off to Hawaii before deployment. Ms Cochran let Mom skip school to spend the precious hours Dad had together with her. The young couple didn't know if that could have been the last time they would ever see each other. I have a quiet reverence for Ms Cochran who knew the times and how precious those moments and those memories could be.
I did not know your dad very well, but did know your mom and grandmother Ruth Gill really well. Ruth and Harvey Gill lived only a few houses and around the corner from me. Being a few years older than me, when I was around 9 or 10, your mom used to tease me about changing my diapers. Ironically, from a legal document, I found out only a few years ago, after they had both passed, that my wife's father and Ruth Gill were second cousins. I have no idea if they knew each other. He lived in Newnan and she lived in College Park. This means that you and my wife and children are distantly related.
Scott Franklin Kilgore (1971)
William Kilgore graduated from Richardson High School, the forerunner to CPHS. Upon graduation, he joined the USMC where he served in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Upon returning to Atlanta area after the war, he worked for Bearden/Thompson Electric Company where he eventually became president. He played semi-professional baseball, was an avid golfer and an excellent hunter. He was a comitted Christian and was a strong lay leader in Second Baptist Church of College Park. He married his high school sweetheart, Ilene Gill. They had three sons, Steve (deceased), Scott and Jeff. William died of a heart attack in 1983.
Each year of my high school career, I had the joy of having Ruth Barren as my choral teacher. My dad was in one of the first classes she ever taught. As with most novice teachers, the football players in class would try to push the boundaries. My father, a footballer himself, would have nothing of it and took the matter in hand and straightened the other guys out. From that point on, Miss Barren called my father, "Sweet William, " and as his son, I had it made. Another CPHS personality that impacted both Dad's and my lives was Ms Cochran. As a subfreshman, I remember how her voice would strike fear in my heart. She found out that I was the son of William Kilgore and she shouted in her booming voice down the hallway to me, "Sweet William, come here." I came.... She told me some stories of my father and their years together. I later found out that Dad had a short leave to visit his family and his future wife before shipping off to Hawaii before deployment. Ms Cochran let Mom skip school to spend the precious hours Dad had together with her. The young couple didn't know if that could have been the last time they would ever see each other. I have a quiet reverence for Ms Cochran who knew the times and how precious those moments and those memories could be.
Submitted by son Scott Kilgore, class of 1971
Dennis Thompson (1959)
I did not know your dad very well, but did know your mom and grandmother Ruth Gill really well. Ruth and Harvey Gill lived only a few houses and around the corner from me. Being a few years older than me, when I was around 9 or 10, your mom used to tease me about changing my diapers. Ironically, from a legal document, I found out only a few years ago, after they had both passed, that my wife's father and Ruth Gill were second cousins. I have no idea if they knew each other. He lived in Newnan and she lived in College Park. This means that you and my wife and children are distantly related.
Dennis Thompson, Class of 1959