After hopes of pursuing a college education were dashed with the passing of my father, I embarked on my lifelong career with the federal government (2/63) as a draftsman with the Bureau of Reclamation at the Denver Federal Center. With some college course work at CU Denver, I moved upward as a Civil Engineering Technician. I left the Bureau in July of  ‘72 and transferred to the Federal Housing Administration as an Architectural Examiner in the Denver Insuring Office of the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Eventually I became a Multifamily Construction Contract Administrator and twenty five years later (‘97) VP Gore reinvented the government and gave me an early retirement. Passing through the revolving door, I contracted back as a consultant doing construction contract administration and continue in semi-retirement to this day. Along the way I met and married  Joyce Lambert in ‘70 (Jefferson High ’66). We were blessed with two sons, John Jr. and Jeremy, daughter JoAnna, and nine grandkids between them. We have made the Bear Creek area our home for the past 34 years. Along the way I managed to coach both boys little league baseball teams, volunteered for and served as an officer of the Bear Creek Junior Sports Association including two stints a president. Now days I continue my love of bowling, play golf, very poorly, lead an active church life, and am making a return attempt at becoming an artist, in these, our golden years.

Thanks Scott for all your effort and this wonderful webpage, and to the committee for your efforts. See you in August.

I lived at the corner of 41st & Harlan - where the greenhouse is, just up from where the Lakeside mall was.

My grand parents purchased the property in 1919. It was originally about 5 ac in size & ran from 41^st to 43^rd & from Gray to Harlan (originally Idlewild St.) At the time it was tomato fields & a fruit orchard. The property was divided between my aunts & uncles in the '40s' & most was sold to a housing developer. Some of you may remember living in those houses just across from the park.

My sister Lois, brother Ken & I still own the property & have it leased out. It's now Southwest Gardens.

I went to Mtn. View Elementary & then to Wheatridge Jr & Senior High. I sort of lost focus & quit school in the middle of my Junior yr. & Joined the US Navy.

Looking back at being the not so studious kid that I was, that decision made me grow up quick & put the capital "O" back in Order for me. During the 4 yrs. I was in, Kennedy called up the military reserves because of the Cuban missile crisis. I was on a Destroyer type of ship, the USS Laws. We were deployed for a 6 month cruise of the western Pacific”WesPac”. It included ports in Hawaii, Guam, Midway, Philippines, Japan. Okinawa & South Korea. It was a measure of readiness for the country at the time. I was discharged just before "Nam" got rolling.

I worked for NCR in Denver, Ft Collins Co. & Rancho Bernardo Ca. fixing cash registers, ATMs & computers. When NCR offered an early retirement package, I took it & retired after 34 yrs.

At that point I still needed to work but the thought in your mind is “am I still employable at the age of 54”? Then as luck would have it Hitachi Data Systems needed someone with NCR experience & there I was. I've been there 14 yr now.

WOW, the time really flew by!

I was always a hammer & nail guy & when I got home from the Navy dad asked me if I remembered how to weld from my metal shop class. I did. So we put up the 1st of 4 greenhouses & the rest of them came later.

I moved to Ft Collins where I met my 1st wife. We built our home by Horsetooth Reservoir, doing the physical labor ourselves. That took its toll & as can happen we ended up divorcing.

Still with NCR, I moved back to Denver. My dad & I built a spec house just southeast of Rocky Flats by Lyden.

I met my 2nd wife Judi in Aurora. A couple years passed & her boys moved out to other areas of the country. Shortly after we got a transfer to "sunny" San Diego in '87' - no snow - but plenty of fires.

We get back to Denver once a year sometimes more to see relatives & friends.

All in all it's been a good ride - good jobs, built a couple of houses, did some remodels, a couple of marriages, 2 kids & 5 grand kids.

We just purchased a motorhome & will do some additional traveling – a trip to Denver for the reunion is included.

I am anxious to meet up with everyone again. See you there!

Keep Smiling :^)