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Bob Trenkle
I didn’t give a very in depth profile initially. My children, John, 49, is a computer engineer in Berkeley, California. My son, James, 48, is a Captain in the Detroit Fire Department with 29 years service. My daughter, Susan, 46, is an elementary school teacher within the Catholic school system, teaching in St. Clair Shores, St. Joan of Arc. She has been teaching for 23+ years. My daughter, Elizabeth, 45, is an administrator with Wayne County RESA, in charge of math development programs in Wayne County, previously a school teacher in the Detroit school system. I have two step-daughters, Rachel, 28, who is a school teacher in California and Elizabeth, 26, who is my office manager and has a degree in Entrepreneurship and wishes to be an event planner.
I went to the University of Detroit in 1964 and spend three semesters there. I then went to a variety of other colleges including Henry Ford Community College, Wayne State University, The University of Cincinnati and Madonna College. After graduation I was married in November, 1964. I worked at General Motors, a bakery, painting and roofing, all at one time, also going to school full-time and having babies on the way.
I joined the Detroit Fire Department in 1966 and was a firefighter during the riots of 1967. Because of the riots and my hatred for arsonists I eventually worked my way into the Arson Section of the Detroit Fire Department. To be a fire investigator in Detroit it was necessary to go to the Detroit Police Academy to have the powers of arrest to put people in jail for the setting of fires. I worked in the Fire Marshal Division conducting code violation inspections and then fire investigations for 10 years. I have had a private investigation firm since 1981 conducting fire investigation, primarily for the insurance industry, to determine fire causation.
My fire investigation business provided me opportunities to investigate fires in over 35 states, five Canadian Providences and in Mexico. I consulted on fires in Puerto Rico and further away from the mainland. I have taught at Madonna University, a basic and advanced fire investigation class for the last 28 years. I have lectured throughout the country and beyond, in Auckland, New Zealand, England, throughout Canada and the United States.
Even though I am usually extremely busy I have had the opportunity to travel to a number of other countries including Italy, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Greece and Thailand.
The planning of the 50 year reunion afforded me the opportunity to contact a number of classmates and wonderful conversations took place with the individuals, scattered around the nation. I look forward to seeing every one of them at some point inf time in the near future, who were not able to attend the three day festivities. Those of you who attended the informal gathering at Duggans, the dinner at the Palazzo di Bocce or the golf and luncheon it was good seeing all of you. I attempted to talk to each and every one of you and your companions during the three days. Those of you I missed I am saddened but hope to hear from you via the website or in person at some other time. I suspect those who had to put up with me for the three days might be tired of hearing my stories, but I have many more. I enjoyed all of the stories that were told to me by those that I let get a word in edgewise. It was wonderful that Coach Al Fraccasa and his wife were able to attend the dinner party. There were lengthy lines to personally talk to both of them. Mr. Fracassa is a wonderful human being, as is his wife, and were inspirations to all of us.
I’d like to thank the persons who were involved in the planning and making the three days as memorable as possible. Special thanks I’d like to give to Tim Sauter and Gary Cooper, our president, because without them there would not have been this event. I was fortunate on Sunday to be able to say I was able to play golf with the President.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you, those who could attend and those who were unable to do so for whatever reasons. There was a general consensus that we should have a date set aside each year for any of those of us who could gather and share each others company, possibly some designated weekend in September, each year. We would like to hear your thoughts on such a plan and if that date and time would not be available when anyone from our class comes to the Detroit Metropolitan Area by contacting one of the locals we may have a chance to have a small get together at the time of your choosing.
Those of you who are ill or have family members that are, our prayers go out to all of you. If you have the opportunity, stay in touch.
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LOL