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Carey Douglas met Heather Hilton Clark at Lincoln Academy May 2 to reunite a class ring lost for 25 years with its owner. Douglas found the ring in a box of trinkets among her late grandfather’s things. Clark lost her graduation ring in 1989, a few months after receiving it. |
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By Eleanor Cade Busby
When Heather Hilton Clark lost her Lincoln Academy class ring in 1989, she was sure it was gone forever.
The ring meant a lot to Heather. It was a gift from Ed and Judy Whitney, parents of her high school boyfriend, Mark.
Ed Whitney ran the barbershop in the back lot for over 40 years and he and his wife Judy were well known for doing things for local kids and teens. It is some of the things they did for Heather that made the gift of the class ring so special to her.
“Ed taught me to drive,” she said. “The day I went for my license he was sure I was going to fail so they got me a cake that said ‘better luck next time.’ When I actually passed they had to wipe off the frosting.”
“They were always looking out for me. Once I remember being grounded for a week. I couldn’t go to their house. When I was ‘sprung’ they had a ticker tape party for, complete with confetti and balloons.”
When the Whitneys realized that Heather was not going to have a class ring because it was just too expensive for her folks that year, they took care of that for her. The ring had her name on the side, HLH and had a clear stone. The gift meant the world to Heather.
When it was lost a few months later, she was devastated. “My dad was always throwing stuff away or donating it, “she said. “I think it got mixed up in something like that. It was just gone.”
Where the ring has been for the last 25 years is a mystery. Carey Douglas was looking through her grandfather’s things after he passed away this year. He collected watches and trinkets from flea markets and auctions. In a box of his trinkets she noticed a class ring and wondered if the owner might like to have it back.
Douglas posted on the Lincoln Academy Alumni page that she had found the ring and someone tagged Heather. The two made contact and agreed to meet.
On May 2, Douglas met Clark at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle to return the long-lost ring. It was a tearful reunion for Clark. “I was stunned,” she said. “I’m so happy to have it back I am so grateful that Carey took the time to find me. This is like having back some of the love Ed and Judy gave me over the years. I haven’t taken it off once.”
