Today's Featured Biography

 
William Welch

After graduation from Jackson I went to..Florida State University then to OCS in the Navy. After training assigned to Alameda where I was deployed to Vietnam and operated of carriers of the 7th and 6th fleet and was awarded 4 combat air medals. In 67. I met my first wife and Sue and I moved to Santa Clara and I attended grad school at Santa Clara Univ on the GI bill...almost called up again with the Pueblo deal but missed it ...after Grad school in 69 worked for Xerox and then Sue and I went on a extended trip in a VW Bus to Europe and the USSR 1972 returning in October..looked for a Job on the east coast where Sue was from ( Stanford Ct) but finally decided to go to Colorado where I started a job with Storage Technology ( beginning of a 14 year stent).
While in Boulder I had my first Girl "Kristin"..then in 74 moved back to the bay area with StorageTek....sales manager etc.
We also had our second Girl ( Courtney). Life was easy ..we both worked and got to travel with various sales clubs. Advancing along the corporate path I was promoted to VP and took over the East coast. in 1980 /.offices in Boston and NYC..My first Son ( Michael) was born just prior to the move. The Job was stresfull and I was never around. The marriage went downhill and despite a move back to the Bay Area in 86 we never really recovered ..three years later we were divorced. This was a LOST part of my life..I struggled financially was screw up emotionally for 5 +years and was totally focused on maintaining a relationship with my children....The girls were swimmers ( very good ones) and Michael loved the outdoors, hiking , mt. climbing, skiing ...so he became my best buddy..we did everything together.. Since I changed jobs frequently during this period I was able to spend almost the whole Summer with Mike on high adventure..we climb
ed the Grand Teton ( girls came too) Skied down Mt. Shasta, Climbed Mt Rainier, Mt Whitney and various peaks in Yosemite and just did the "outward bound thing". In 89 Sue moved back to Ct and took Michael away to go to school back east....life was never the same for me after that ..I tried to travel back to see him as often as possible but it was not easy...The girls were in college now Courtney "captain of swim team at Univ Conn" and Kristin at Jr Collage in So Cal ..nationally ranked and getting a scholarship to So Florida she went to the East coast. By this time I had gone through several VC start ups and finally joined Sun Microsystems......13 years and then got RIF'ed
I had been seeing someone for a couple of years and she decided to go for this retread..initially we didn't get married.
She is a wonderful FULL blood Greek ( DEMIE "demetra")and we loved each other very much ....sooooooo we had a baby boy in 93 ( Matthew ) now a soph in hi school and a great kid. I must tell you a divorced guy brings lots of baggage along to a new relationship but Demie made it work and I am so thankful that I met somone like her! We also got married in 93 .The three of us have traveled alot ..I took Matt to China for 21 days summer before and we all went to Italy this past summer.
In the meantime I sort of retired ( Dem is the bread winner) and I take care of the mister mom duties.
Since 2000 I have been climbing mountains as much as I can...went to Nepal with my daughter Courtney for 25 days in 2001 and climbed to Everest base camp. It was a great bonding experience and we are so close now. The following year traveled to Argentina and attempted Aconcagua 23K but had to turn back ..then Courtney and I went to Chile an climbed volcanoes. I went back to Argentina by my self the next year but still was unsuccessful in the attempt. Two years ago I went to Ecuador to climb Chimborazo 20.7K and made it..it was hard and at 65 years I think I might hang up the crampons.....but you never know.
I have a good relationship with all the kids...Michael is still trying to find himself and at 27 lives on Cape Cod ..is still a surfer..ok it's a life with a smile.
Courtney is married ..they both teach and live on Cape Cod..Kristin is married and has two boys 3 and 5 lives in Norwalk CT up the road from her mother..
As a family we get back to Boston 1-2 time a year and we see all the East cost folks.
I am doing Financial Planning for a firm owned by my best friend..not big bucks but fun..Demie works for Sun Micro Systems and we are sweating out the job cuts,
Don't know what next year will bring but for now I am totally focused on getting Matthew off to a good college...keep my blood pressure under control and walk the Dog..now my really true companion!!!!!!

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