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After Heights I attended Ohio State majoring in psychology and protesting the war and Nixon’s re-election. I was a dorm RA at Lincoln Tower and a house manager for a teen runaway shelter. During the summers I drove an Uncle Marty's truck and still have that bell ringing in my ears. I also worked for Heights Furniture & Toy and Baskin & Robbins. I attended law school at Case during the Watergate years and delighted in Nixon’s resignation. I worked at Farrager's, the Ohio Tavern, the Front Row Theater, and The Saucy Crepe. I lived in the Coventry area with Pat Corrigan and David Buchler during those years and traveled to Colorado and to the west coast where I stayed fora month in San Francisco in ’74 before moving out west permanently in ‘76. I worked at the legal aid in San Jose for a couple years and headed one of the first domestic violence units; I helped draft California's first domestic violence prevention law. Later, I started my own family law practice.
I met my first wife, Linda, while on vacation in Jamaica. Our daughter, Alison was born in 1981 (she'll be 28 this year and lives with her husband in Pacific Grove, Ca, she is marketing coordinator for The Quail Lodge and Golf Resort in Carmel Valley, Ca.) Linda and I split up (we're still friends) and shared parenting for a couple years but later Allison lived with me from third grade on including several years in Berkeley, with Sarah, my second wife and her 5 children. Sarah and I met through mutual friends going to Grateful Dead shows.
Through Sarah I became friends with Wavy Gravy and members of the hogfarm commune (made famous from the Woodstock movie). Alison attended Wavy's kid camp during the summers and we helpedWavy in his run for Berkeley city council We rode to a campaign rally on Ken Kesey's renovated Further bus with the Merry Pranksters. We also were fortunate to take part with the hogfarm in the Dragon parade ceremonies at Grateful Dead Chinese New Year's shows in Oakland and San Francisco during the 80's and 90's. I carried the head of the dragon while we wove our way through 18,000 people and onto the stage as the band played along. Some of my favorite times have been being at concerts with friends over the years at places like the Greek Theater in Berkeley, Frost Amphitheater at Stanford, Telluride Colorado, to name a few. New Year's Eve shows watching Bill Graham perform as father time were momentous occasions with the biggest balloon drops and float madness I've ever seen.
During the mid 80's I shifted my legal work to family law mediation. I also officiated at some weddings under the auspices of the Universal Life Church, the online one. I married one couple on a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, my second marriage also didn't work out despite our best efforts. Sarah and I broke up in '91 (we're still friends)
Jan Simmons and I got together in late '92. We met at a mutual friend's wedding and married in '94. This year we're celebrating our 15th anniversary. Jan worked as assistant road manager for the Grateful Dead from '90 until Jerry Garcia's death in '95. We lived in Marin County and I got to travel sometimes with Jan and the band during their tours. She was in charge of moving them in and out of hotels and lining up transportation in and out of concert venues. There are too many stories and not enough space, plus the memory fades.
My mom and dad moved to Florida in the late 70's after I moved out west. My sister Sandi Brown, class of '62, still lives in University Heights. My dad, Harry, passed away on my birthday in ‘87. My mom, Bea, lived in Florida until 2001 and then in Menorah Park until she passed in 2004 at almost 95. My oldest brother, Sheldon, lives in Las Vegas and turns 80 this year.
Jan and I played music together in a band called Pot Luck with friends in the bay area for about seven years. I played rhythm guitar and vocals and ran the sound board; Jan played keyboards, vocals and percussion (and is now learning the fiddle).
After my daughter graduated college, she moved up to Oregon. Jan and I came up to visit and liked what we saw. We've been in Eugene since '06 and although my daughter and son in law moved back south to the Monterey area where his family lives, we have no intention of following them back. Jan now works for the Springfield Creamery, the maker's of Nancy's Yogurt. I am executive director of the local dental society, a one person office. We're slowly getting to meet new people and make more friends in this area. We have a pop up camper and try to get out exploring when we can. The Cascade range is great, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood are within a few hours from here, and we are one hour from the coast; there's lots to see. We’re looking forward to visiting Cleveland, seeing old friends and the neighborhood. Until then…
p.s. My hobby is videography and you can find me on YouTube at "namtrop316"
