After graduation from Roy-Hart I continued working at Bells IGA in Lockport until September. Then I was off to Potsdam State to get my BA in Computer Science. I started in Secondary Education - Math, but after two weeks with a professor from India “teaching” Abstract Algebra I decided to switch to Computer Science in my junior year. It was first offered as a major to incoming freshmen my junior year. My claim to fame is that I was the first person to graduate from Potsdam with a degree in Computer Science, thanks to my friend David Waite being a little later in the alphabet!

After my freshmen year I met my future wife, Judy Fackler (Medina, Class of ’65), in Albion at a bowling alley. We were married on August 31, 1968, just before we returned for my last year of college. After graduation, we moved to Poughkeepsie, New York where I spent 25 years working for IBM. I was a computer programmer and team leader for 12 years before going into management in 1982, following a year as State President of the New York State Jaycees. IBM was good enough to give me 100 days off with pay for Community Service, which I used to travel the state as President.

In 1994, while joining the IBM Quarter Century Club I left management to participate in a Divisional Task Force for two years. After completing that assignment, which ended up in Charlotte, NC I took a job on a commercial contract that IBM had just signed with -- ADVO Inc. in Windsor, CT. I spent my final 3 ˝ years with IBM as Project Manager for their Application Development work for two years and then as Networking Services after we signed that contract in 1998. Of course I never really got to retire. Two weeks before retirement IBM asked me if I would continue on. I agreed, so long as I could work from home (which was now going to be in Florida). The CEO had no problem with that, so neither did IBM. I continued working from Florida for 2 more years part-time which allowed me to get in a lot of golf.

In June of 2002, IBM was starting a series of layoffs so they told me they couldn’t keep me on. Six months later I was hired as General Manager of Mount Dora Golf Club where I continue working today. Unfortunately, now that I have free golf privileges I rarely have the time to play, even thought I am only contracted for 30 hours a week. I do get out at least twice a month since I am the handicap chairman for the Mid-Florida Inter Club league, which is comprised of 12 different courses here in central Florida.

I have done some tutoring of algebra here in Mount Dora and over the years I have been very active in my church, serving as President of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fishkill, NY for three years. Currently, I am an Elder at Faith Lutheran Church in Eustis, Florida as well as a volunteer bus driver for our church school, taking kids on field trips, to basketball games, etc.

Judy and I have been married almost 37 years and we have two sons, Jeff, 33, and Brian, 31. Jeff was married in 2001 to Renee Lucero and has worked for Hyatt Regency in Nevada and California since he graduated from Florida International University with a degree in Hospitality Management. Our first granddaughter, Lexie, was born last February. We just returned from her 1st birthday party. Brian still lives in Poughkeepsie, NY and works at Dutchess Country Club doing course maintenance.