Got my B.A. in history education at SUNY Albany in 1969 – in the company of Connie Fish, Nancy Broderick, Peggy Ricker, and Roy Hart kids from prior cohorts – a good time, lots of parties, canoeing in the Adirondacks, cartooning, and political action. Youthful excesses not forgotten, but not discussed. My Roy Hart football jerseys and varsity club jacket were worn out through hard use by the time I graduated.

Followed that with an MA in Counseling and Student Personnel from Colgate University in 1970, where I was also a residence hall director. Drove barely too fast too often and surrendered my driver’s license. Sold “Prince Valiant” to Cindy (Ricker, Roy-Hart '66 - see her bio) for a $1.00 and was a passenger for the next three years. More civil rights and anti-war activity, and conscientious objector stuff – finally declared 1-H, eligible for the draft but too much trouble to prosecute. Cindy and I were married in a counterculture informal ceremony at Colgate’s chapel, June 27, 1970. I still think it was the best wedding I have ever attended.

Then we spent two years at Temple University in Philadelphia while Cindy completed her M.Ed degree in reading. While there, I directed a large residence hall complex amidst the North Philly ghetto. Hard lessons abounded.

We abandoned the city for Penn State University as soon as Cindy’s degree was done, and haven’t left the Centre County region since. 1972-77 saw me studying for a Ph.D in adult development and aging, evaluation research, and interpersonal relationships. My dissertation was on loneliness in retired men after widowhood. Cindy taught reading at a local rural school (Bald Eagle area) while I studied. When I started work in Penn State’s Gerontology Center, she stayed home and we had a daughter, Emily Laurel Ricker Lago (9/25/1979) and a son, Benjamin Ryan Lago (5/12/1981). They have both been wonderful children and are experiencing a good degree of success (If I start to tell their stories, it will add at least 10 more pages per child to this “sketch.”). Anybody who knows both of us gives the vast majority of credit to their mother …things like “She’s the good one in that pair” have been heard so often, I now believe it myself.

I have been productive in a variety of fixed term academic positions at Penn State -- hustling grants, carrying out funded projects, and teaching courses in aging and in research methods when needed. Over 25 years I have funded and conducted about 25 projects worth about $2.5 million – some big, some very small. Medicine use and aging, transportation/mobility and aging, rural aging, pet companions and aging, home health, nursing home, and similar program evaluations, producing lots of technical publications only a few want to read. Currently, I teach at Penn State’s Altoona College, heading up a 3-year grant to train students in working with aging public housing residents – 287K from HUD. I am very much enjoying teaching more, though my reputation and student ratings are not the best. One young lady got applause when she described me as “the nicest of the mean professors.” My Dad’s tendencies are more noticeable in me now.

I had a 4-way heart bypass operation in 1992 (at age 45), and have at least survived to see the kids graduate from college. I love every day, at least in the abstract. Mom and Dad died within 5 weeks of each other in 1997 – the toughest part of my life so far. Cindy’s mother also died a few years before that, though her father survives, living near Myrtle Beach, SC. Life is full for both of us, with both kids close by, lots of community projects, and our work. My hobbies are shooting, hunting, fishing, kayaking, camping, woodworking, and family genealogy.

My recollection: If John Fahy were not an understanding principal, I never would have finished high school. And lots of praise for the relatively high density of good teachers we had.

2010 Update:  I had no plans to retire. In fact, common wisdom in my field is to work as long as possible. But after I started seeing so many happy retirees from our high school cohort, I began thinking. I retired from Penn State on June 30, 2009, and have been too busy managing my discretionary time to tell anyone. Traded money for free time. Love it.

And blah, blah, blah -- I love talking about the wonderful stuff I am doing; I have learned others would rather I talk less. Some things never change.

The photo shows Cindy and I at a surprise party our children, Emily and Ben threw.

So happy new year to all, and best wishes.

2015 Update:  Cindee Ricker Lago and I have lived at the same address, the remodeled Black Oak School, for the past 38 years.

Cindee retired from the State College Area School District in 2014, as a very highly regarded elementary Title 1 Reading Teacher. I retired six years ago from Penn State University, after 36 years in a variety of fixed-term faculty positions, all dealing with gerontology – development and research evaluation of applied programs for elders. Now that I am officially old and no longer paid for it, I no longer give advice on aging.

Our big news is that we now have three granddaughters. Our son Ben and his wife Rachael have Ellie Marie (4) and Emilia Grace (2.5), and our daughter Emily and her husband Jason Killam have Grace Olivia (1) and a grandson, due in May. All in both generations are doing very well, live close, and are among the joys of our lives.

I am home most days in either the office or shop. My interests have been primarily in woodworking (our son Ben and I are online as Black Oak Woodshop), collecting knives (see Queen Cutlery Historical documents, online), family history/genealogy, shooting, hunting, and fishing (all with limited success). Most days it is whatever else grabs my fancy. I love it.

I have always been very willing to share my opinions and that pattern has grown stronger as financial considerations have shrunk. The children call it “hostile candor” and see me as more curmudgeonly than ever. I think I am about as nice as I can be. Congratulations to all in reaching 50 years plateau.