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Bill Hicks’s bio of the last 50 years!!!!! Where does one begin? Let’s start at the very beginning…. Well at least for the years after graduation here is a bit of a timeline.

• • 1970 – Graduated 99th out of almost 500. Attended West Chester University. Worked part-time for Wawa Food Markets.
• • 1971 – Dropped out of West Chester University and went Full Time with Wawa.
• • 1972 – Foolishly got married.
• • 1974 – Daughter Jennifer was born.
• • 1977 – Wisely got divorced.
• • 1978 – Married the love of my life! Second time is a charm!
• • 1979- Left Wawa Food Markets.
• • 1980 – Returned to college at Penn State University.
• • 1981 – Moved to New Haven, CT. Returned to college at Southern Connecticut State University.
• • 1983 – Graduated Magna cum Laude from SCSU.
• • 1984 – Began teaching career at Holmes School in Darien, CT.
• • 1985 – Daughter Jamie was born.
• • 1986 – Moved to Mt. Laurel, NJ resumed teaching career at South Valley School in Moorestown, NJ.
• • 1987 – Daughter Jessie was born.
• • 1989 – Moved to Kennett Square, PA.
• • 1990 – Resumed teaching career at Greenwood School in Kennett Square, PA.
• • 1991 to 2013 Life happened.
• • 2013 – Retired from Greenwood Elementary School and a 30 year teaching career. My first grandson, Benji was born.
• • 2015 – Moved to Lewes, DE.
• • 2016 – My first short story, “The Wreck” was published. My second grandson, Evan was born. Began volunteering with the Lewes Historical Society as a Living History Interpreter and Guide.
• • 2018 – My second short story, “The Best Spot,” was published. Celebrated 40 years of marriage with the Wise and Wonderful Jillo.
• 2020 - Began working again as Museum Coordinator and Lead Interpreter at the Lewes Maritime Museum/Cannonball House. This means I get to dress up in 1813 garb and geek out on history 5 days a week! Next to retirement it is the Best Gig Ever.

Bill's short stories can be found in these anthologies at these links on Amazon:

• The Wreck
• The Best Spot

Jill Horton Swoyer Murray (further explanation of the string of names later) extends greetings to friends and fellow classmates of the class of 1970.

Although Jill was not a native of Media, she attended Indian Lane and Penncrest, going on to West Chester University to pursue her passion in music education. Upon graduation she was hired as an elementary school vocal music teacher in Bethlehem, PA. Her rewarding career of 37 years, and a masters degree in elementary education from Lehigh University completed her professional livelihood.

Along the way, she married, had three children (now in their 30’s), divorced, and retired in June, 2011. Life was busier than ever with trips to Hawaii, the Tournament of Roses Parade in CA, a cruise to Alaska, attending concerts, and Broadway shows.

Out of the blue, in October, 2016, she received a private message from Ken Murray, an old flame from HS and college. What an unexpected surprise! As her fairytale goes, she and Ken dated a short while, decided to marry in August, 2018, and fulfill their dreams of husband and wife and grandparents to seven grandchildren -- three of Ken’s, and four of Jill’s. One year after their wedding, they’re still combining households, and own two houses. Ask them why at the reunion.

Oh, as for Jill’s multiple last names.... you all know her as Jill Horton, Jill Swoyer as her professional name, and Jill Murray as her new last name when licenses and passports come up for renewal. Jill is excited to find out more about her classmates’ lives and catch up next year. Remember October 17, 2020.

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No, the P. doesn’t stand for Pat (remember Pat Paulsen for President?). My parents cleverly named me Paul….Paulson. So it’s been John ever since. While at PHS, I was on the soccer, wrestling and gymnastics teams and played the tuba and string bass in the concert, marching and jazz bands. I took a few dozen of the candid yearbook photos assisting Ken Murray and also played the bass guitar in two garage bands: “The Keg” and “Southern Comfort” (and those names bear NO resemblance to my favored beverages at the time).

Married Debra Salisbury from Carlisle, PA in 1976 and we raised two daughters – the younger one is a Registered Nurse like her mother and the older daughter followed her father into the IT field. We still live within the school district and my older daughter even had one of my teachers at PHS - Mr. Province for shop class. When she asked if he remembered me, he said, “Yes and he was much better behaved than you are!”

Professionally, I earned a BS in Accounting from Albright College, MBA in Financial Management from Drexel and a Masters in Taxation from Villanova, plus hold CPA, PMP and CISA professional designations. By day, worked mostly IT positions and retired from that gig in 2013. On evenings, weekends and now during my 80% retirement, I prepared tax returns.

These days, I serve a number of volunteer positions including church treasurer and helping to build and expand the Chester Creek Rail Trail that will, when fully completed, run about 7 miles from Chester to Wawa. We are enjoying a variety of outdoor sports every chance possible. Rowing (just returned from the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston), bicycling (recently completed a 100 mile single day ride on the City to Shore MS ride), paddling (lately graduated to whitewater excitement) and cross country/alpine skiing in the winter plus some hiking and as much beach time in Ocean City as possible.

Please say “Hi” at the reunion and let’s catch up on what’s happening with you these days. I’ll be easy to recognize – haven’t changed a bit. Yeah, except that, what little hair that’s left is mostly gray and I’ve gained just a couple … dozen extra pounds.

Hello Classmates! This is Ken Murray, 3rd of six Murrays who grew up a block from the Media Courthouse. Accepting the RoseTree-Media merger was both exciting and disappointing. To not be a Media Mustang, and no longer be able to walk home for lunch from school was quite a change. The adjustment had to be equally frustrating for many others who became Penncrest Lions in the fall of ‘66. Among my best memories of high school days were being in the Marching Band, competing in track & field, taking over 100 of the photos you all enjoy seeing in the yearbook, and setting my sights to work in the graphic arts industry. I was inspired by Mr. Ken Powell, R.I.P. I am curious to know if my name is still enshrined on the gymnasium wall as a 100 yard dash record owner.

Undergrad work at California University of PA, and Cheyney University (both State Colleges back then) prepared me for my first assignment, a middle school graphic arts teacher in the Easton, PA area for 14 years. Halfway through the career, the advent of personal computers caused me to switch my subject area. I had the enviable position of both writing and teaching my own curriculum for my last 26 years as the middle school computer teacher.

As the story goes, I met a girl, we married, raised two sons, and planned for retirement. That was not to be. One day short of our 38th Anniversary, she succumbed to cancer. With the help of family and many friends, life continued. I am currently a laser operator in a circuit board manufacturing plant, applying the skills I formerly professed to my students.

Now for the part everyone asks about. I am fortunate to have reconnected with Jill Horton. The circumstance of our reconnection is best explained as an acceptance of fate, faith and love. We dated in late high school and throughout college, having lost touch as we pursued our careers. Jill and I married in August of 2018. Being blessed with a second chance together, we are trying to apply what life has taught us thus far. Our children are grown, living independently, and we have 7 grandchildren between us. We are working on creating our own fairytale ending, making our current home in Bethlehem Pennsylvania.

I nominated myself to be on the reunion committee to find and invite you all to the Best Reunion Ever, our 50th. Classmates are encouraged to send a note to Penncrest70@gmail.com so your email address can be added to our class directory. Volunteering the information would please me more than having to hunt all of you down! I am hoping that many of you who are reading this can attend the reunion and we can have a few laughs reminiscing. Even if you can’t attend, your “Hello” is welcome! Please share your story!

Mark Sfirri received his BFA and MFA in furniture design at Rhode Island School of Design. He works mostly in wood and incorporates lathe-turned forms, often turned on multiple axes, in his work. He has lectured and demonstrated his techniques throughout North America and Europe, as well as in Australia, New Zealand. His work is included in the permanent collections of twenty-eight public institutions.

Sfirri is professor emeritus at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania where he ran the Fine Woodworking Program from 1981 to 2017. He has received two national awards: the “Distinguished Educator Award” in 2010 from the Renwick Alliance of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution and, in 2012, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Collectors of Wood Art.

Mark has a website with more information and photos of some of his work at Mark Sfirri.com

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Howdy Classmates! It may be easiest to begin with how I came to be called “Robert”. Well it begins with leaving Media in August of 1970 and reporting to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Texas will be the key to this. Just hang in there for a minute. After training I was sent to Japan for 2 years, with a couple short side trips to Korea. Then it was Tacoma, WA for 2 ½ years with another 4-year commitment, as I had no idea where my life was going at that point. Then it was off to a NATO installation just outside of Oslo, Norway. My son’s mother, who I met in Tacoma, was with me and he was born near Oslo.

Just short of 3 years in Norway and the AF let me out 1 month early to complete my degree. My son’s mother and I split less than 5 weeks after returning. After leaving Norway on 1 June 1978, I started classes at The University of Texas at Austin on 4 June. With the GI Bill and 20 hours a week working I went straight through Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall and finished my degree in December 1979. Many of you know me as “Bob”. On the baseball team they called me “Bird”. The day that I hit the ground on the UT campus they began calling me “Robert”. It stuck and folks around the globe, that I have had the pleasure of meeting, know me as Robert.

After turning down a chance to go to Officer training in the Air Force, I began my career in Corporate America. My second ex wife and I met and married when we were at IBM. We split when I left IBM and I have been “blissfully single” since 1989. After a few turns in Corporate America, I told them goodbye and began pursuing the dream that I had since I first heard JFK’s words on 20 January 1961 in front of an old black and white TV. I wanted to try when I finished at UT, but I had that young son mentioned earlier. So, when I applied to the Peace Corps, I had no idea that they would even consider an old geezer like me. When I got an invitation to interview, you can imagine my shock. When I received an Invitation to Serve, my heart jumped a beat or two. I can tell you that the day that I swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer was the most profoundly humbling day of my life. The honor I felt was beyond words.

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After many years of fundraising for community theaters and orchestras, I was ready for a change. So, I co-founded an International Dance Festival in Poland. I loved it. After the festival, I spent about three weeks a year traveling in Europe. It was a blast for nine years. However, when my business partner “reappropriated” our business finances for his personal use, I resigned.

When I was selling my home in Wayne, my three kids were in unison. We don’t care which one of us you choose, but you need to live near one of us. At that time, my daughter was getting married to someone I barely knew, and she wanted my help with her wedding. Thus, I decided to move near her. I moved to Colorado in 2015.

Eventually, I became a grandmother, but my grandsons lived in California. I decided that I wanted a way to share my thoughts beyond miles and time, so I created Grandlore to write my life stories for my grandchildren. Afterward, I formally made Grandlore an LLC to teach others the course I taught to friends and family.

When the pandemic forced me to stay home for a year, I spent that time converting my course into a book. My book, “Grandlore, A Guide to Writing Your Life Stories” is now in the care of my literary agent, who is pitching it to publishers.

With the world reopening, I am once again booking motivational speeches on “The Importance of Writing Your Life Stories” and helping others preserve their experiences, lessons learned, and advice for their grandchildren.

And…though I swore I’d never do it again, I have just begun to write my second book. My second book is a children’s book with stories of choices made by grandparents and parents where the child decides if they made a wise choice or a foolish choice. If you would like to submit one of your wise or unwise life choice stories for possible publication in my book, please share at Karen@GrandLore.com.

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Following graduation from Penncrest, Jay attended the US Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army in June 1974. He married Penncrest classmate Shirley Newcomer a few weeks later and they’ve spent a wonderful life together.

Jay completed the Army’s Airborne and Ranger schools, and in 1975 moved with Shirley to Mannheim, Germany, where they lived for three years. traveling all over Western Europe whenever Jay had the opportunity to take leave. In 1978 Jay and Shirley moved to Washington, DC for another nine months of DOD schooling, followed by a year in Fort Bragg, NC, where their son Rick was born.

Jay left the Army in 1980 and moved to Tunkhannock, PA, where he joined The Procter and Gamble Company, working in P&G’s paper products plant until 1994. Daughter Christy was born in 1982. Jay earned his MBA and MA in Psychology at Marywood University in Scranton during their time in Tunkhannock. Jay and Shirley organized and led their church’s folk music group, and began and led a couple-to-couple marriage preparation program.

In 1994 Jay and Shirley moved north to Norwich, NY when Jay transferred to P&G’s pharmaceuticals facility as a purchasing manager. Ten years in cold and snowy Norwich proved to be the highlight of Jay’s P&G career, where both Jay and Shirley became very involved in community affairs and other activities. Jay’s work in Norwich led to the beginning of his worldwide travels, including Europe and India. Shirley taught fifth grade at their local Catholic school (in sight of their kitchen window), and traveled with Jay a few times when their schedules lined up, including celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in Switzerland. Jay also served as president of the Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Management Association, and wrote several articles for industry publications. Outside of work he served as chairperson of Leadership Chenango, the county’s leadership development program, and taught personal finance classes for the local branch of the State University of NY.

While in New York, both Rick and Christy attended West Point, graduating in 2002 and 2005 respectively. The three-hour proximity to West Point offered the opportunity for many visits to Jay’s alma mater. Unfortunately, Rick passed away in a hiking accident in the German Alps in 2003. Christy is still serving as an Army Major, and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, though more importantly as the mother of Jay and Shirley’s four grandchildren!

A promotion opportunity took Jay and Shirley to P&G’s headquarters in Cincinnati in 2004, where they spent the remainder of Jay’s career and still live today. Jay’s work had global responsibilities, and he traveled overseas frequently, including at least two trips flying literally around the world with multiple stops in Asia and Europe. He retired in 2015.

Today Jay and Shirley live in downtown Cincinnati, within walking distance of Cincinnati Reds games (where they have season tickets, even though they cheer for the Phillies when they’re in town), Cincinnati Music Hall (with season tickets to the Cincinnati Pops), church, and one of the best public libraries in the country. They still credit Mr. Leibig (Indian Lane) and Mr. Hinkle (Penncrest) for their love of the symphony and Broadway musicals.

In addition to creating wonderful memories for their four grandchildren and giving back to the community in retirement, Jay and Shirley have spent considerable time traveling. They have visited nearly sixty countries, all seven continents, cruised around the world, sailed on the Nile River in Egypt and through China’s Three Gorges along the Yangtze, and photographed the “Big Five” on safari in Africa. They spent three months living in NYC in 2016, enjoying so many sites and experiences that the Big Apple has to offer and that tourists rarely have time to visit. On a solo trip to Tanzania in 2019, Jay climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Most recently Jay and Shirley completed a lower Mississippi cruise, and January 2022 will find them on the Amazon River in Peru.

The Covid “lockdown” offered Jay and Shirley the chance to catch their breath, and focus on other pursuits. Jay rekindled the stamp collecting hobby of his youth, and wrote and published “Postmarked West Point: A US Postal History of West Point and its Graduates” in January 2021. Several related journal articles are expected to be published next year.

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Peter and Susan Pulver Mardinly were married in 1981; moved from Media to Glen Mills in 1987; raised two children, Alan and Shaina (now both married, Alan in Oakland, CA and Shaina in Philadelphia, PA - one grandchild on each coast 😊).

Education:

After Penncrest (“Knowledge is Power” was the plaque on the wall …. is it still there?), Yale University (Bachelor of Arts-History, Boston University School of Law, Juris Doctor, Temple University School of Law (Master of Laws in Taxation); for a time, Associate Professor, Widener University MS in Taxation (taught tax research to CPAs). Licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and Florida (retired from Massachusetts and the US Virgin Islands). After twenty years, my career in Media which focused on real estate, business and trusts and estates with a tax planning emphasis was interrupted by a client request to dedicate myself to that client’s family office in connection with commercial real estate, tax planning etc. based in Florida with a foray into the US Virgin Islands. Currently “Of Counsel” in Media at Paul Flandreau & Berger, LLP, focusing on real estate, business, taxation and trusts and estates.

Volunteer interests/activities:

• District Governor of Rotary International District 7450 (Southeast Pennsylvania - 2019-2020);
• Chair of the Building Committee of the Rocky Run YMCA when initially built (1996-2001), Volunteer of the Year, served on Board of Managers for over twenty years;
• Past President of the Delaware County Attorney-CPA Forum. Peter’s wife, Sue is a fellow Rotarian (Concordville Chadds Ford Rotary Club), served as Assistant Governor, District 7450 Interact Chair and District Secretary.
• It was Rotary, through relief work after Hurricane Katrina hit Bay St. Louis Mississippi, that ultimately took Sue and Peter to Haiti.
• Sue is the President of Mommy Sues Children, a charity that supports a school for the poorest of the poor in Haiti. Take a look: mommysueschildren.org

Hobbies – reading, travel (after being an exchange student in Japan travel in the western US, then Europe - Austria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,Italy, Portugal, Spain, Scotland,Switzerland, safari in Africa, Turkey, India, Brazil (the Amazon!) Argentina and bicycling in France and Italy, vinology, classical music (piano) and private pilot’s license (formerly part owner of Grumman Tiger which I flew to London ….. Ontario! but flew to Phoenix Arizona to deliver to buyer).

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Guy graduated from Penncrest High School (1970) where he was president of the senior class and later received the Rose Tree Media Distinguished Alumni Award. Guy is a graduate of Bucknell University (1974) where he played varsity football and was a teaching assistant in International Relations. He is a graduate of the University of Miami Law School (1977) where he was an editor of the Law of Americas Law Review, Chief Justice of the Honor Council, Best Oralist in the Southern Regional International Moot Court Competition (1976), trial intern in the Dade County Public Defender’s Office, and a recipient of the Roger Sorino Award for the Distinguished Senior.

Guy’s legal career included law clerk to U.S. Federal District Court Judge Morell E. Sharp in Seattle (1977- 78), Assistant District Attorney of Delaware County, Pennsylvania (1978 – 79), associate and partner in Fronefield & deFuria (1979 – 88), partner in Lastowka & Messick (1988- 2009), and partner in Messick Lauer & Smith (2009 – 2020). Guy retired from the practice of law in January 2021.

Guy’s early practice was representing small businesses and government clients including, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce (1993-1996), Upper Providence Township (1985– 2000), the Delaware County Economic Development Oversight Board, the Delaware County Industrial Development Authority, and the Delaware County Redevelopment Authority (1990 – 1997). Guy received the Small Businessperson of the Year Award from the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce in 1999.

Guy’s law practice developed into the representation of credit unions nationwide. He was General Counsel to the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations (“NACUSO”), a credit union trade association, for over thirty years. Guy advocated for credit unions in regulatory agencies and Congress. His specialty was the representation of credit union service organizations (“CUSOs”) that are formed by credit unions as the means for credit unions to work collaboratively to be more competitive and more effective for their members. He is a well-known speaker and author on credit union topics. He was a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University in California and the University of Cork in Ireland.

Guy is honored as a CUSO Pioneer in America’s Credit Union Museum in Manchester, New Hampshire. Guy wrote two books, Credit Union Collaborations: Lessons Learned and The Guide for Credit Unions Providing Investment and Insurance Services, available on Amazon. Guy serves on the boards of four CUSOs, Ministry Partners Investment Company (finances church loans), United Solutions (provides IT services), AKUVO (provides collection software), and the Credit Union Network for Financial Literacy (provides financial literacy for young children). Guy is currently CEO of NACUSO Business Services, Inc. (the for-profit subsidiary of NACUSO connecting credit unions with innovators).

Guy was active in his community, serving in leadership capacities for various organizations, including, Tyler Arboretum, Media Presbyterian Church, Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Media Historic Preservations, Media Rotary Club and Foundation, and the Rose Tree Media Alumni Association where he serves as treasurer.

Guy married Karen Whinfrey (Class of 1971) in 1975. They had three children Bryan (living in Media), Adam (living in Seattle), and Allison (living in Portland, Maine). Bryan and Adam are financial advisors and Allison is an artist with her own business designing greeting cards and blankets. Bryan and Adam each have two daughters and Allison has two sons.

Guy and Karen divorced in 2000. Guy married Lucy Green (Class of 1973), sister of Mary Green Diamond, in 2011. Lucy has two sons. Wes is married and works as a legislative aid for Senator Pat Toomey in Washington DC. Kyle works in the restaurant business locally.

Guy has been fortunate to have travelled extensively, including Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, China, Mongolia, Chile, Argentina, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ireland, England, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany. Lucy and Guy are members of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, PA and own a home in Sarasota, Florida.

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After graduating went on to classes at Community College and secured a job at Container Research Company as a draftsman. Container Research designs and manufactures shipping and storage containers for the aerospace industry. Had an offer to move on to Westinghouse Electric developmental engineering which I was also a draftsman for turbine equipment. Due to the downturn in power industry Westinghouse moved to various locations in the south at which time CRC asked me back as a Program Manager which I accepted. With my involvement in Sikorsky’s Black Hawk and Super Stallion programs was asked to leave CRC for Sikorsky. Over the next few years developed new packaging strategies for Sikorsky and once that was complete went back to CRC. Over the next 30 some years I was privileged to be involved in many Naval aviation programs. Developed the aluminum container design called a pallet base container which still is the preferred method of packaging spare engine modules. After 30 years left CRC to pursue other endeavors. My biggest accomplishment was being design lead for the Rolls Royce LiftSytem containers for the F-35B. This leads us to fall of 2021, Still working as a packaging engineer for a firm in Richmond Indiana, best group of people I ever worked for. I am not just designing I am teaching the next generation of packaging engineers. So that’s my work history.

My Personal Life

Was married to my first wife for 13 years had 4 beautiful children, all my children are successful in their own right and I am very proud of them. Moved on after 13 years and became a professional dater, had a few long relationships and few short ones. Then internet dating came along, and this is where I met my current wife Yolanda (Yol). We have been married for 17 wonderful years. Lived in Delaware for several years then moved from Delaware to Fernandina Beach Florida. The location we picked gives us access to a quaint town similar to Cape May, the ocean and restaurants galore. The best thing is we live across the street from the Ritz Carlton and which our golf club hosts the Amelia Island Concours D’ Elegance each March. Which I have the privilege of photographing as a member of the press. Our Concourse is the east coast Pebble Beach.

Hobbies: As you all know from high school always been a car guy, that hasn’t changed. Was the President of the Delaware Porsche Club of America for 4 years and expanded its activities and track events. Other hobbies include collecting car and aircraft models in die cast or molded plastic. And let’s not forget dancing, always been a passion and still is! Go dancing every chance we get. The Ritz has a great DJ that plays our tunes.

Health: Right now fighting prostate cancer which has migrated into my Lymph nodes. Will be starting chemo once home from the reunion. All in all, life has been good to me and my family.

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A lot has happened, but many things have stayed constant. My high school boyfriend, and husband since 1972, Steve Brook and I have been in Edgmont Township for the last 35 of our 50 years together. We are fortunate to have two successful kids with families of their own in Malvern & Houston. Thanks to Indian Lane and Penncrest, I have been blessed to have several lifelong friends. It took many years to really get started but I finally earned my college and graduate degrees. I taught 6th grade science for 30 years in Downingtown. Seems like our homes are always under construction but we hope to finish one day soon. I’ve tried to stay sane with a succession of loving dogs, horseback riding and running, including one Boston Marathon. I’m planning many more years of family, friends, running, horses, dogs, and experiences to come. In fact, our next pup adventure begins in January.

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After Penncrest, I had wonderful college years at Clark University in Worcester, MA—a great place for the hippie I then was plus good academically. I spent two years in Worcester working for an inner-city community arts agency which was very fulfilling. After college I moved to Washington, D.C. and after years working as a paralegal (and teaching scuba diving, a great passion of mine at the time, on the side) ended up finally going to George Washington University law school, graduating in 1984. I ended up practicing in a fun and complex area of law—infrastructure project development and finance (power plants and the like)—and have had a very rewarding career. In my time in the law I went from working for a sole practitioner to one of the largest law firms in the world (Skadden, Arps), was a partner at the Bracewell law firm for many years, and eventually moved to part time work on my own in 2012. I am finally fully retiring as of the end of 2021.

I’ve managed to have two marriages and step children (now well into their adulthood) but no kids of my own and am currently living near Baltimore, MD with my third “husband” (a permanent relationship although we haven’t tied the knot). I have traveled extensively but still have many parts of the world to see and experience. Life is good and full and we are both lucky to be in good health. I work out every day, ski, hike and do yoga. I am looking forward to many enjoyable years of retirement.

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Not so very long ago I had to have a look back over what amounts to my formal career for the various pension folks: not so easy. As it is, I draw my pension from both here in Germany and from the UK.

I had opted for Russian as a language in school, and, as things worked out, that is one reason why I am where I am now. And yet the first language I had to use as though I meant it was French, and that was on a short visit to Brussels. I would later be living there for about a year and learning Flemish since most of my cow-orkers [sic] were Flemish-speakers.

I studied electrical engineering just north of London, at what later became the University of Hertford. I attempted to keep up my Russian and self-taught German, and did a practical term in Kaiserslautern in Germany, at what would turn out to be my ultimate employer. While studying I also worked in pubs and at the Post Office.

A summer job wiring gantries for CT machines at EMI later turned into a career: first in the test bays in the factory, then later field service. Whilst my colleagues would draw assignments in Spain or Italy, I tended to get those in northern Europe and Scandinavia, Germany and Austria being favorite. My first trip to the Soviet Union was in 1978, and I was surprised and delighted at how much I had remembered from what I had learned from Mrs. Shatagin.

I got to see Teheran a year before their revolution and was several times in Amman, and developed a taste for fine-ground coffee with cardamom. At one point it seemed that I was commuting Damascus and Amman, using the 'servees' or shared taxis and the train, whose rolling stock dated from before the time that Lawrence kept blowing up the line.

I ended up in Greece when EMI left the CT scanner business and worked for successors who carried on developing and making the things. While in Greece I helped a friend to build a 24 foot sailboat, which we sailed to Skiathos, not without incident. As things worked out, I ended up taking the boat single-handed around Skiathos, to Skopelos, and later back to Thessaloniki, where I brought the boat to the dock under sail since the transom supporting the engine mount had broken during a storm. I guess my guardian angel was working overtime that night.

After returning from Greece I was working near Chicago where I met my future wife. We went on a small odyssey with the boat and decided that if we could survive that, a future together would work out. We ended up having a small thin Greek wedding in Thessaloniki.

That same year I was sent to Beijing. During the Spring Festival I went to Xi'An to look at the Flowerpot Men (the terracotta warriors) and made a side trip to Shaolin on the way back. When I was done in Beijing I took the train first to Harbin to look at the ice sculptures and then continued on to Moscow.

After the second of the successors to EMI Medical went bust I inquired at Siemens, just when they were looking for someone who was ready to go to USSR as a technical consultant for a project whereby the locals would build and test CT systems and send them on to end users throughout the Union. I joined them in 1989 and went to my first assignment in Kyiv (Kiev, Ukraine) in the summer. The paperwork was anything but straightforward so it was 1990 when I was officially transferred there having been physically in the factory since some time before.

Things got complicated after that: the official dissolution of the Soviet Union (I saw and heard Gorbachev's speech on the telly) had the effect of everything being difficult to come by to the point that even the locals had little idea of where to get what. My wife and eldest daughter stayed in Germany during this time and I ended up being my own supply chain, as it were. Every few months I would drive back to Erlangen, load up the car, and drive back: well over a thousand miles over roads which got very much worse the further east one traveled.

The end of this phase was in 1996 when I transferred back to headquarters. Shortly afterwards, the technical support activity was reorganized and I started an assignment which would keep me and my now family of four fed until I started to collect my pension.

Right after I returned from 'Sovdepia' I became intrigued by the discussions concerning abuse of Usenet (the newsgroups which preceded 'social media') and email by those who would flood these means of communication with the same thing many, many times. Eventually I got involved with the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email and helped set up a European branch, of which I became Chair. Our efforts were later crowned with success as the Data Protection Directive was enacted in 2002.

My other hobbies include bicycle and car repair: I keep our fleet of vehicles running mainly by own efforts and the local do-it-yourself workshops. I haven't bought a complete computer in a while, either: instead I put them together from bits 'inherited' or bought on ebay. For a while I was regularly driving a truck full of humanitarian aid goods to a hospital on the western border of Ukraine and I would still occasionally visit Kyiv.

After a brief encounter at our local community center I joined the local choir. This was the start of my public singing career, which has included solo performances in and around Erlangen. I even got to sing the baritone solo in 'Libera me' from Fauré's Requiem. I sing in several groups these days, including the mens' choir of the Franconian Singers' Federation, three church choirs, two 'ordinary' mixed choirs, and a Jewish group. Shortly after joining the choir in Kosbach I was eventually elected to the Foreigners and Integration Advisory Group in the City of Erlangen. I had been active in matters concerning culture and religion, maintaining ties with the various associations and communities. My Russian had come in useful, and thanks to the Russian Orthodox and the Jewish congregations I have been able to keep from forgetting it.

I even had a brief career as a choir director: I got elected as leader by the choir at the German-Russian culture association. We were asked to put on a brief performance in cooperation with a local choir to celebrate 40 years of the Foreigners and Integration Advisory Group: we sang a song in German and one in Russian. I had got my group ready and then I was told that I would direct the whole combined choir for the public performance. Still later I was asked to lead a project group at the Greek community to celebrate that community's 35th anniversary.

Just before I retired from the Siemens Healthineers, I was asked if I had any plans. My reply was, "Plans will be made for me: either by the City of Erlangen, the Franconian Singers' Federation, or The Management at home. I will not expire from boredom." As it was, my retirement started out with a trip to Kenya to repair very old x-ray systems along with another of my former colleagues and my life has remained just as busy to this day. The Germans have a saying: “He is retired, he has no time!”

When writing the essay required in the 9th grade final exam I had mentioned the possibility of living in Germany. The idle musings of a 14-year-old have come to pass, but not entirely the way first imagined. Strange how things work out...