After graduating from high school I knocked around and went to a few colleges. I finally graduated from C.W. Post in 1963. I was married the same year and settled in Centereach. Our 40th anni- versary is coming up in February. We have 2 daughters. One lives in Melbourne Florida. She has a child that is 17 months old and a step son that is 19 and step daughter that is 23. Our youngest daughter lives in Manorville and is expecting her first child in October. She is an accountant/auditor and will soon will become a CPA.
I started a teaching career in
Patchogue and later changed to Smithtown. After 32 years of teaching
I
decided to retire. I taught the children of several of our classmates but
when I began to teach their grandchildren I decided it was time to go.
During these teaching years I coached football, wrestling and track at the
middle school level. I also
became interest in helping the troubled youth of my community and helped
form the Selden /Centereach youth association which was funded by the New
York State division for youth and the Suffolk County youth board. Our organization
soon became a model for other youth programs in the state. I served as board
chairman for many years. Because of the knowledge I gained from this experience
I was asked to serve on the Suffolk County comprehensive planning board
sub-committee dealing with child abuse. Because of this position I was invited
to participate in an urban study project at SUNY Stony Brook. This offer
included a fellowship. The Smithtown school district awarded me a full year
sabbatical so that I could take part in the project. This opportunity enabled
me to earn a MA in history. Since then I have taught some courses at Stony
Brook. I also took part in an attempted program to create a certification
program for community college instructors. Part of my responsibility was
to place and evaluate grad students in a practice teaching program.
Since teachers have summer vacations
they have opportunities to have different life experiences. I have taken
advantage of these opportunities. I have worked for Fireworks by Grucci
on several world class shows. During this period I acquired a haz mat
DOT, cdl drivers license and was able to transport explosives. I managed
a lake-side restaurant in a Four Seasons residential resort for 5 years.
I was a dock master at large marina. I was the director of recreation
for a small community in Pennsylvania. I drove a limo serving weddings,
rock concerts at the Meadowlands and the airports. I also served as a
waterways constable in Pennsylvania and captain of life guards on Fire
Island. I was always looking for something new to do.
After I retired, my wife and I moved to Leesburg Florida and built a house.
Because my family was in the glass business in Port Jeff I had experience
in this area. In fact I worked my way through college building store fronts.
When I moved to Florida I was offered a management job at the local glass
shop. Sounded like fun so I took it. I did this for about 6 years. I finally
decided to really retire. So here I am.
I now spend my time camping and
canoeing. I like to wander the wilderness rivers in the area. I spend
a lot of time in the Ocala forest.
Thanks to Jane and Ford I have been able to renew old acquaintances . In
fact, Jim Duffy and I just did lunch today. Have not seen him since 56. Had
a ball!
Hope to see you all at the 50th.
