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'Glad we're still here:' Grant High School's Class of 1965 celebrates 60th reunion

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Some things only get better with age. Friendships, memories and time together were at the heart of a milestone celebration for Grant High School’s Class of 1965, as alumni reunited for their 60th high school reunion.

For alumna Fay Shoup, now Ms. Oregon Senior, the night was another chance to reflect on the past and reconnect.

“Oh, it’s always fun. I’ve gone to all the reunions,” she said. “Everyone is just reconnecting, having a great time and glad we’re still here.”

Ms. Oregon Senior Fay Shoup, a part of the Grant High School Class of 1965, celebrated her 60th class reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)

KOIN 6 has been following this group for decades, including an exclusive look at their 20th reunion back in 1985. Then, classmate Dick Wilkinson confidently told our cameras, “We’ve got it made, it’s going to be a big success.”

Forty years later, Wilkinson is still helping organize the parties. Reflecting on the passing years, he admitted, “If you would have told me in ’65 I’d be standing here, going to a reunion this many years later—and that we’d be dealing with the things we’re dealing with now—I would have said, ‘That’s not gonna happen.’”

Committee chair Brian Newkirk said the class’s size never got in the way of lasting bonds.

  • The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
    The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland in Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
  • The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
    The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland in Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
  • The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
    The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland in Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
  • The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
    The Grant High School Class of 1965 celebrated their 60th reunion in Portland in Sept. 2025. (KOIN)

“We’ve developed such a bond, even though we were such a huge class,” he said. “You never lose sight of your classmates of Grant.”

One classmate who’s especially hard to miss is actress Sally Struthers. The Emmy Award–winner, known for “All in the Family” and “Gilmore Girls,” returned to Portland for the big night.

Award-winning actress Sally Struthers, a part of the Grant High School Class of 1965, celebrated her 60th class reunion in Portland on Sept. 2025. (KOIN)
Award-winning actress Sally Struthers, a part of the Grant High School Class of 1965, celebrated her 60th class reunion in Portland in Sept. 2025. (KOIN)

“I am so happy to be at my 60th—yeah, I said it—60th high school reunion. What’s my other choice? I’d be dead,” Struthers joked.

The night also carried moments of reflection, with alumni honoring those they’ve lost over the years.

As Wilkinson put it, “When I was 18, if you would have said, ‘Oh, that guy is 78,’ I would have thought someone needs to go help him. But that’s not the way it is. It’s been a good ride.”

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Mia Villanueva

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