Robert Racker

Attended USU right out of high school and tell my kids I majored in Wildlife there. Really I took all the Poli Sci and Business Law classes I could and joined a fraternity that also had Bill Crunk as a pledge and ultimately an active member.

After learning by sad experience to value the principles, teachings and religious traditions of my upbringing, I accepted the challenge to make myself ready to serve an LDS mission and was called to Washington State. It was a life changer. Mike Collier and John Taft also served there at that time and I had many humbling and marvelous experiences that in large part, made me, for better or worse, who I am today.

Came home in 1975 to my high school sweetheart Arlene Ressler (who to this day I can hardly understand what she saw in me?) got married, moved to Provo to attend BYU, and start a family. I 'crammed' four years of college into the next 8 years while working as a blue-collar foundry and railroad worker (while attending evening and day classes) and we were blessed with four cute little girls over a six year period. Also took a music appreciation class taught by none other than RHS's Greg Harwood who was the TA. Ran into Gordon Jessop occasionally on campus.

Majored in Accounting while at BYU, In 1984 I accepted a job offer with a CPA firm in Chicago as a staff auditor. This move to the mid-west started an adventure outside of Utah and the West that further changed my life and perspective. Loved the vibrant business environment, culture and exposure to many new ideas, people, and alternative ways of thinking that challenged much of what I thought I knew. It also solidified and helped me further appreciate the heritage and values I had been taught, but had probably taken for granted.

While working as a CPA and later as investment banker, applied to and got accepted into a graduate business program at Northwestern's Kellogg School and earned an MBA on weekends while working for an investment banking firm as a Corporate Finance Analyst. Was recruited by a large Bank which ultimately moved me and my family to Phoenix AZ. Left commercial lending in 1992 and have been in financial management of healthcare, banking, technology, consulting, non-profits and other firms since. Have been living back in Utah since 1998 but we get to Roy infrequently, usually to go to the city cemetery.

Enjoy my grandchildren, classical music, golf, snowmobiling and skiing, mountain biking, reading Mormon history, and serving in my community and church.

High school had a number of pleasant memories for me: strong and proud "Royal" traditions (I still wear my class ring), state-wide and a national reputation, innovative, newer building design and class scheduling, and a number of what I consider outstanding faculty members. But I mostly remember squandered opportunities, insecurities, and wasted potential. Oh, if we could only do it over again! Some of the things I cherish and enjoy most in my life now, I showed little interest, ignorance toward or even contempt for in my high school years.

I remember being so caught up in hanging out, loitering and BSing in the cafeteria, cutting/sluffing the occasional classes, and when I did attend, getting by with minimal scholastic effort. I've thought a number of times over the last 50+ years about looking up LaRea Larkin, Gordon Jessop, Elinore Olson, Floyd Roberts, Mr. "griffdog" Griffin and many others and apologizing for what I did (and didn't) do in their classes and offices. They, for the most part, showed me great patience and concern that probably wasn't deserved.

But I mostly regret are those lost opportunities in getting to know more of my classmates and developing better and deeper relationships. I cringe with shame and sorrow sometimes when I think of the unkindness, taunts, judgmental and condescending attitudes, "hog calling" and other juvenile and perhaps even bullying behavior that many of us witnessed, condoned and may have participated in.

If any of my RHS classmates remember me in conjunction with some of these "less-favorite" memories of our Roy High years, I would sincerely ask for your forgiveness.

Other than that, I have wonderful and warm memories of my Roy high school years:-)