I am an extremely lucky man. After graduating NCSU by a “skin of my teeth” grade point average, I got the greatest job. I became a systems engineer for Boeing at Cape Canaveral working on the Apollo Project. I worked on the “tower” that held the Saturn V Rocket and was in the firing room for all the launches. After the Apollo 11, (first lunar landing), several friends and I headed for California (it was the 60’s). I had fallen in love with beach living.

I ended up in Manhattan Beach (south of L.A. airport), lots of sunshine and stewardesses (female back then). I worked for Garret AirResearch for a year until the aerospace fortunes went south and I was laid off. The only engineering job I could find was an hour commute inland from the beach so I decided to try real estate. I found I really loved it and started buying properties and trading them into bigger and bigger properties. I am now semi-retired and manage my own portfolio of real estate.

Along the real estate trail, I met my first wife. We were together for twenty-five years before she passed away from breast cancer in 1999. We had an incredible relationship, traveled, played tournament bridge together, but never had children.

In 2002, I was introduced to a French woman by close friends. Again, my luck prevailed and we were married and now have two beautiful children, Anne-Sophie-10 and William-8! Needless to say (I am sure you all remember) the kids keep me young and extremely busy. Think grandchildren exponentially. Being an older dad definitely has advantages and I’m loving it.

I have great memories of my Sigma Chi years, and again was lucky to meet with so many smart and together young men. I wish I could join you this year but it just didn’t work out. Don’t give up on me. I am hoping that everyone has such a good time that it will happen again in the not too distant future.