After high school I moved to Southern California and went to work for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. The twelve years I was there produced a marriage, a daughter and son, and an interlocutory decree. Almost simultaneously with the decree I, along with a bunch of others, was declared an excess employee and swept out the door.
A bit at loose ends I was just out roaming around and visited friends in the San Francisco area. While there, just passing through of course, I went to work for Greyhound Lines as a driver as a summer hire. The following January of 1972 I joined up with a new public transit agency, Golden Gate Transit, a part of the newly created Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. The Golden Gate Bridge was, of course, not new but the California State Legislature created the Transportation District part allowing the creation of a public transportation entity including buses and a ferry boat system. I stayed from January 1972 until I retired February 1, 2001. That isn’t too bad for a guy that was just passing through.
I was elected to the Executive Board of Local #1575 of the Amalgamated Transit Union in 1993 and served three terms until I retired. The Board position I held was one of three Union Trustees that also represented the drivers on the Pension Plan. During my tenure we secured the absolute best retirement plan in the transit industry for our drivers. (I am a recipient too, nothing self-serving there.) From that position I became the Administrator/Manager of the Pension Plan after retiring as a driver.
In November 2004 my wife, Diane, and I decided to make a big change and moved from the Santa Rosa, CA area to Chandler, AZ. Believe me, that was quite a change both culturally and weather-wise. The weather we love. Culturally though I am still one of those San Francisco Bay Area liberals, making me sort of like a square peg in a round hole here in the desert.
Diane and I were married Valentine’s Day 1991. I know, I know, just another romantic devil, right? Although we have no children together, Diane has two grown daughters and three grand children and I also have three grandchildren. We are both looking ahead to Diane retiring and having time to roam a bit and take a look at our beautiful country together.
Good old Forest Gump was quite right. Life is like a box of chocolates.
When Carlos asked for a short biography I asked, “How does one put 63 years of living in a short bio?” I hate to admit it but Carlos was right, you can. Drat, I hate when that happens.
